5
17
1
2
This review may contain spoilers
A Merchant and Her Treasure
TL;DR: A fun, cute, and surprisingly coherent minidrama with refreshing takes on the lead couple and quite an alright plot. Generally speaking, not bad at all.Whump meter: ◭△△△△ (almost none).
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SHORT VERSION:
┊┊WHAT I LIKED:
►Unique FL with depth
►Cute, tsundere ML
►Endearing and refreshing couple dynamic
►Fun and quite thorough role reversal between the lead couple
►Palatable and rather restrained plot.
►Refreshing takes on standard plots
►Irredeemable villain + female villain
►Music, especially the end credits song
►Production quality was pretty good
┊┊WHAT I DISLIKED:
►Shallow worldbuilding.
►Rushed pacing (especially the end)
►Poor handling of more complicated themes shoved into the finale
►Every woman but the FL is evil/bad (and there barely are any women in general)
►Female villain is rather shallow
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LONG VERSION:
【!very mild SPOILERS below!】
►CHARACTERS:
LEADS:
Characters were fun and interesting, the best among them being the FL. She is strong, smart, and clever, written in a way I’ve not often seen before, much less in a historical setting. She’s a suave, money-oriented merchant who struggled a lot and is a bit too trusting of those around her. She’s cute and sweet in a way that feels mature, still keeping her dignity and flirty personality throughout the drama—a refreshing approach to the usual cutesy FL. She’s no damsel in distress, despite not being able to fight. She stands up for herself and what she believes, speaks her mind, takes initiative, protects those she loves, and uses her wits and skills to build her way up.
Then there’s ML, a suffered musician with a hunger for justice/revenge after extreme tragedy. He’s feisty, hot-tempered, and quite aloof. Sure, cold MLs aren’t anything new, but to me, the portrayal of him as more of a tsundere with an almost innocent longing to hope—his temper a mere wall he put up to keep himself from appearing weak and being taken advantage of—was endearing and refreshing. Despite his hard exterior, he’s kind and sensitive, caring deeply about his allies and living only to bring to justice those who wronged his people. He’s selfless, determined, and skilled in both fighting and music.
In the end (or the beginning for the drama), two individuals who had everything taken from them unknowingly join forces to take down a heartless ruler. What starts as a rocky boss-worker relationship leads to an interesting love story. They took the common trope of the ‘cold man/warm woman’ and added layers to it that made it refreshing and engaging. IT doesn’t feel like there is much of an imbalance when it comes to skillset; FL is eloquent, clever, and charismatic, while ML is the skilled fighter/enforcer. They work together well as a power couple rather than protector/protectee (even though I’m inclined to say FL is quite protective of him). Then there’s the added layer of FL being the one to pursue ML, not in the ‘seduction’ kind of way, but in the ‘trying to win him over’ type of way (in the way men more commonly pursue women). Highly underrated dynamic, their moments together were adorable!
VILLAIN:
Then there’s the villain. I don’t think I’ve seen a villain quite like her yet. Aside from the fact that female villains are already hard to come by, she was a flavour of unhinged, cruel, and heartless that is uncommon, especially for Cdrama standards (and even more so for a minidrama). Thankfully, she went down like a true villain. Unfortunately, though, she didn’t get much development, so she was rather shallow. What little development she did get was at the very end and at the cost of a better narrative, so not only was it still little but also even annoying. It was a particular shame that her relationship and dynamic with FL wasn’t explored more; they hinted at it but didn’t deliver…
THE REST:
Side characters were rather underwhelming all around. ML’s subordinates were fine for comic relief and added some interesting moments plot-wise, but weren’t particularly interesting. Other antagonists were fine for what they were, none particularly memorable, but I also can’t be really upset since more attention for them would’ve definitely taken from the leads.
One of the biggest downsides and something I honestly cannot excuse, especially not for a drama set in a matriarchy, is the sheer absence of relevant, much less decent female characters. Aside from FL, the only other prominent woman is the main villain, and that really is it. The lack of characters isn’t the issue since it’s a minidrama and less is more, but there’s only one decent woman in the entire drama. So much talk about feminism and equal rights, but they have only two female characters, one of whom is an irredeemable monster. I simply can’t overlook the sheer absence of women in a *matriarchy*.
►ACTING:
All prominent actors had a good standard of quality. None stood out as particularly wow, but they didn’t take away either. I’d say the FL was the best; she seemed comfortable in her role and easily pulled off the cute side of her character while still keeping her cool and flirty attitude.
►STORY:
Honestly, surprisingly good. Yes, it has all the usual issues these short minidramas have, such as things breezing by and everything happening extremely fast, but I think in this drama, it is balanced in a way that makes enough sense. Sure, the leads go from enemies to lovers pretty quickly, which isn’t exactly realistic, especially not with all the bickering they did, but the relationship still progresses in a somewhat believable way, so it doesn’t feel like a random 180.
The overall story is rather simple: a revenge story for the ML and somewhat of a recovery story for FL. It isn’t that deep, and it keeps it that way (for the most part, anyway). One of the few minidramas I’ve seen that sticks more to what can work in such a short format (that being romance as the main arc) and leaves the rest to be more of a capsule for the romance rather than the main point of interest. Kudos for that!
On a less positive note, nearing the end of the drama, instead of focusing the last few episodes on finalizing arcs, wrapping up the story, and maybe doing a slightly longer epilogue, they decided to add another arc to the story, that arc being real-world politics (specifically, feminism). Though a nice idea and something they did mention a couple of times throughout the drama, its sudden addition forced into the finale of the drama felt unnecessary, to say the least. This forced them to introduce new characters and locations, give backstory to a whole bunch of characters, and have yet another final monologue, all for an honestly mediocre conclusion that left the main arcs feeling rather lacking (like, the main leads were kinda just there for the entire big conclusion all to leave room for a random new character and the villain 😭).
What started as a simple story of ML taking revenge and FL restoring her life ended with them both basically single-handedly saving the world and fixing deep-rooted societal issues that span decades upon decades. Wholesome, yes, but also cheap. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but I’m merely confused as to why it was necessary in this drama and especially in this way. So much for the simple story.
As for the portrayal of a matriarchy… Of course, I found it once again superficial and lacking. It’s definitely better than others I’ve seen, and it gets more of a pass because of its setup and backstory, that being not of a true matriarchy (spanning at least several years where laws, norms, etc. would be completely different), but rather a somewhat recent branch-off as a form of protest due to the discrimination women faced. The good thing, however, was that the drama focused more on the main couple within the matriarchy than the deeper social issues, something that worked in their favour.
►PRODUCTION:
Definitely one of the more passable minidramas. It’s by no means spectacular, but you can tell there was enough budget to get going, and it was used quite well. Shots are nice and meaningful too (like, surprisingly nice sometimes). Overall, pretty good!
►MUSIC:
I honestly enjoyed it! Worked well for the cutesy drama that it is and the ending song was very catchy!
►ANYTHING ELSE:
In the end, it's a short, enjoyable watch. The short length is both a good and bad thing for the drama. On one hand, with its current plot, any longer would’ve lowered the rating quite a bit, but with how alright the drama already was, I feel like had it been a bit longer, it could’ve as easily increased the rating by allowing more development for the overall story so it doesn’t feel quite as incomplete.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Yes, quite.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Hm, kinda
◇ Would I watch it again? Definitely!
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes!
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This review may contain spoilers
Very good, waiting for it to be great.
TL;DR: An unusual, dark, gritty detective drama with unique and interesting characters and setting but some weird narrative decisions that ultimately take away too much from the drama to be ignored.Whump meter: ▲▲▲◭△ (plenty).
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SHORT VERSION:
┊┊WHAT I LIKED:
►Amazing actors. Everyone gave it their all, and it shows.
►Unique characters with interesting stories, personalities, quirks, appearances, etc.
►Stellar cinematography. A visual masterpiece.
►Story feels grounded and realistic in a unique setting away from the imperial city/other big city.
►Interesting cases, case-solving, and plot twists.
►Interesting themes and arcs that carry across the drama.
┊┊WHAT I DISLIKED:
►Story shifts focus and POV halfway through, crippling its narrative and intrigue.
►A lot of characters are unfortunately underused.
►An underwhelming amount of women.
►Lackluster conclusion.
┊┊OTHER:
►I'd put this more on the positive end, but there's quite some disability representation.
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【!some SPOILERS below!】
LONG VERSION:
┊┊CHARACTERS:
When it comes to characters, they went all out. Everyone is unique and feels like a real person with their own story, backstory, personality, traits, quirks, etc. Most characters are quite memorable too, making it a lot easier to follow who is who than in other dramas. Even smaller characters that only appear a handful of times are fleshed out and interesting. This was honestly such a highlight.
A standout in this regard for me was Song Chen. I haven't often seen characters like him in dramas or shows anywhere. He's not a very common main character, but he works very well.
That all being said, a lot of characters were unfortunately underused. Because of a narrative shift and the inclusion of two POVs (with a slight preference for the new POV in the second half of the drama), the main cast is rather underused, with some characters even feeling like they didn't have a purpose to be there at all.
Some other minor issues are the following:
►1. An underwhelming amount of women are present in the drama. The cast consists mostly of men (to the point where it feels like the vast majority of people in the entire place are men), and the few women who do exist appear little and don't usually add much. Also, for there being so many men in their 30s+, they're for the most part unmarried, which is strange as well.
►2. Some characters were, in my opinion, not well cast. There are characters that should be in their mid-30s and are portrayed by an actor who at least appears to be quite a bit older. Not sure why this was done, especially since everyone else was so perfectly cast.
┊┊ACTING:
I have only praise to sing for each and every single actor in this drama. The performances blew my mind with how good, thorough, and convincing they were. Especially Ning Li as Song Chen and Yu Yao as Lu Zhi were absolute treats.
┊┊STORY:
As for the story, it was good—very good, one might even say—but it had a tremendously big issue that ultimately crippled everything that was so great, making it just good. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very good story; however, the narrative shift and the inclusion of the past as a parallel story ended up taking away far more than it added, depriving the audience of the intrigue and mystery it had built up.
Essentially, the drama has two main casts when it doesn't need to (one in the past, one in the present). Instead of taking the logical route of having the past case slowly be uncovered by the main characters in the present day and the audience gets to follow it in real-time with them, they do 'flashbacks' (which take up about half of the drama's runtime, so I'm using the term very loosely here), which explain everything that went on in the past before the cast in the present day get to uncover it. This plummets the stakes, tension, and mystery of the drama and slowly makes it uninteresting to watch. Now, I'm not saying the flashbacks can't be done, but they must be well crafted and shown to us only little by little as the case in the present day progresses. Otherwise, there's not really a whole lot of mystery going around and the investigation ends up lacking.
The cases, however, were quite interesting, keeping you on your toes throughout the run of the drama. The way the antagonist sets up the crimes is also very unique and gritty.
Plot twists for me were somewhat hit or miss. Especially those relating to the overarching plot were rather mediocre in my opinion, but the smaller ones were very well done! This also ties into the conclusion, which is the type of ending that, the more you think about it, the less sense it makes. The final couple of plot twists don't really make a whole lot of sense, are a weird choice, and end up taking away more than they add. They were the type of plot twists that seemed to be there more to prove the audience wrong rather than to actually make narrative sense.
Finally, I'd like to mention that the drama has a big focus on different themes and arcs that carry across its duration, with a special focus on different perspectives on the same theme, idea, concept, and background, which makes for a pleasant and interesting watching experience.
┊┊PRODUCTION:
Stellar cinematography. It's a visual masterpiece; every scene looks beautiful, and they make sure every shot counts and adds to the narrative. Locations are amazing (mostly real from what I could tell), and it pays off so much. They really tried to give off the idea that you, as a viewer, are there as well, and it makes a world of difference. The world feels so well lived-in and real.
┊┊MUSIC:
The music was good; it fit the drama. It didn't stand out to me, but it also didn't stick out, so overall, it was good.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Somewhat better than I was expecting, tbh
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Almost
◇ Would I watch it again? Maybe
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes
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Fantastic story, butchered ending.
TL;DR: Extremely well-executed and heartfelt minidrama that's ruined by an unnecessary time skip and butchered finale.Slightly longer TL;DR: A standout minidrama in quality, heart, and role reversal. We follow the story of two broken souls, a maid turned businesswoman and a nobleman turned concubine finding solace in one another as they navigate their individual and joint dire circumstances. Drenched in a heavy dose of melancholia, stolen moments, and social injustice, this drama delivers an experience not often found in dramas.
Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△
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SHORT VERSION:
┊┊The Good:
► Great characters that feel like actual people.
► Strong leads that remain strong despite great adversity.
► A story that's not about royalty but rather about common people and their struggle to survive.
► Amazing cinematography and visuals.
► Great attention to detail, showing what most dramas don't.
► Heartfelt and melancholic story.
► Healthy relationship with mature leads.
► Compelling and endearing side characters with depth.
► Few cliches or very well executed cliches.
► Feminist themes.
► Prominent child supporting character AND parents!
► Good acting across the board (SFL and the child were a highlight).
► Compelling villain with depth.
► Role reversal themes (check out my RR list for more details).
► Good music.
┊┊The Bad:
► Skipped scenes throughout.
► An overall slightly rushed pacing with too much story crammed in.
► A 7-episode early climax and finale.
► A time skip that ruins all the characters, changes everyone's personality, fills the episodes with cringeworthy cliches, and crams a lot of aimless filler.
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LONG VERSION:
┊┊CHARACTERS:
The point of view *main* main character is clearly FL with ML being more of a secondary protagonist, a refreshing change of pace from the usual reverse. FL is an unfortunate but strong-willed young woman who won't let anything stand in her way and will carry on no matter the hardship. ML is a nobleman whose family falls from grace, and he ends up in a terrible position, enduring hardship every day. Two kind souls beaten down by the world around them come together and blossom into a mature, heartfelt, and melancholic romance. Neither is particularly the freshest character ever written, but they have enough complexity to make it entertaining and rewarding to follow their story.
As for the romance itself, it's the mellow and mature kind. There's minimal toxicity between the leads, and most of their romance is founded on mutual understanding and acceptance. Because of that, though, it's not very skinship-heavy, but their moments together are very rewarding. The chemistry was also very good; they felt effortless around each other.
The supporting characters are also all endearing or, at the very least, compelling. Sure, they don't get a whole lot of development, but they do feel like they could actually be living people. Even the villain is interesting, making a formidable foe for our main characters to deal with (or rather, put up with).
┊┊ACTING:
Honestly, I have no issues here. Everyone in the cast did very well, even characters that only show up briefly. Even extras in the background look like they've actually been on a filming set before. Especially for minidrama standards, the acting was incredible!
The leads were very solid, though both had some slight details that felt off. I noticed in FL this was the case in happy/light scenes, as for ML, I'm still wondering. This is mostly a nitpick, though; it doesn't really take away from the experience.
Then there's my standouts. SFL as the princess. Deliciously viscous, complex, and carrying herself with the grace of a royal. I have no notes; she absolutely killed it. Another standout would be ML's little sister, who is one of the most natural young actresses I've ever seen! Very well done!
┊┊STORY:
The story follows two atypical protagonists as they navigate their terrible circumstances, growing closer whilst striving for a better life. It's very well-crafted early on, with the only real issue being that certain scenes seem to be missing. Some arcs also move surprisingly fast, but I blame minidrama limitations for that. The story is heartfelt and sincere, depicting a not often seen in cdramas story about people that aren't filthy rich or outright royalty.
Unfortunately, the story takes a turn for the worse after the climax in episode 17. Yes, that early on. I can't even begin to understand why this decision was made, but the drama suffered tremendously for it. The two episodes that directly follow it are passable but already tainted by the disaster that's to come. Like the unsettling calm before a storm. After episode 19 is when the drama hits rock bottom, hitting its viewers with a random time skip that came out of nowhere and was completely unnecessary. The arc, if you can even call it that, that plays out during these episodes completely undermines the story previously set up, changing the characters so drastically that it's frankly insulting.
Riddled with clichés seen in every mediocre idol drama or minidrama and a disaster of random events happening for seemingly no reason, the finale is not just bad, it's outright infuriating to watch. They add insult to injury by showing flashbacks from earlier in the drama, back when it was actually good, as if that can function as the world's strongest glue and somehow connect the beginning to the end (it does not). To say it's a disappointing turn of events would be a gross understatement. How a drama can go from being one-of-a-kind to an uninspiring cliché mess, I cannot begin to understand.
After watching this finale, I now understand the slight issues I had with the story prior to that. In order to leave room for the post-time skip arc, they trimmed and outright omitted certain scenes throughout the drama, leaving it feeling slightly incomplete when it really shouldn't. Especially not with how much attention to detail there was in everything else.
Really, the story ends in episode 19, but for me it ended in episode 17. The rest is not worth watching.
┊┊PRODUCTION:
For minisdrama standards... 10/10. For full-length drama standards 9/10. This drama is honestly so well-crafted. A lot is filmed in real locations, and the bustling city feels like it could actually somewhat exist. The cinematography stood out the most to me; not only was it beautiful, but it also helped tell the story. I also really appreciate that the city the story takes place in actually looks different from other cities they go to; this is a rare detail. Though the budget becomes more noticeable in props, it's still passable, even when not good. Clothes were particularly stunning with beautiful embroidery on real fabric.
┊┊MUSIC:
Enjoyable and suitable! The songs used do get a bit repetitive if binged, but they're lovely (though I wasn't a big fan of the female singer, her voice sounded a bit unrefined)! As for background music, it was very fitting and well-used. No complaints from me.
┊┊OTHER:
For those that care there is role reversal present as is implied in the synopsis. There's two "romantic" dynamics ML has, one with FL and one with SFL but only 1 is truly romantic. His dynamic with SFL is very taboo but also very role reversal while his dynamic with FL is more egalitarian but role reversal too by proxy. For more spoiler-y notes, check my custom Role Reversal Recommendation List.
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Ignoring the last 5-7 episodes...
◇ Was it what I was expecting? No, way better than I could've ever expected.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Pretty much yes.
◇ Would I watch it again? Yes!
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes!
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Could've been better had the focus been elsewhere
TL;DR: Expectations not even closely met. Bad writing and quality, even for mini vertical drama standards.The Good:
► ML in makeup
► Early on role reversal themes
► Homme fatale/coquettish ML
► Lovers to enemies to lovers
The Bad:
► The bait and switch from a unique RR story to the same old thing we keep seeing
► The plot, predictable, cliché, and messy
► The 'villains'
► The FL and her inconsistent character
► The quality
► The absence of any attention to detail
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I was initially intrigued by this drama because of the title on YouTube and the first couple of scenes. I was expecting a role reversal story with maybe a sprinkle of femdom, but that's not what I got. Instead, this drama does the usual bait and switch that's seen in a lot of other similar dramas that start off RR but turn traditional after the initial 15-20 minutes. It does remain a bit on the line, crossing over from RR to traditional and back here and there, but for the most part, it remains on the traditional side.
Everything about this drama is messy. The story is all over the place, shallow and nonsensical. I usually can keep up with bad subtitles and the fast pacing of these verticals, but this one, I was thoroughly lost. Even after I finished, I'm still not sure what I watched. The acting is not great; the only one who was better was ML. Though FL did have to play two different roles, I don't think she handled either well.
Characters are shallow even for microdramas. The villains have little to no depth, becoming nothing more than the same overused stereotype we keep seeing. The FL was, in my opinion, the worst, unable to decide if she's a strong military commander or a helpless damsel in distress, not sure why they even bothered making her a military woman. The ML had the slightest bit more depth, but I also think the actor contributed a lot to it. He has more internal dilemmas, and his actions make more sense. Also, a big fan of any ML that isn't a caricature cold CEO/General type, so there's definitely that.
As for the romance, it was lacking. Their scenes felt more awkward than steamy, and there were precious few of them despite their relationship being a pretty big part of the plot. Ultimately, the non-romance plot was the most important aspect, and the rest took a backseat to it. Needless to say, the romance was the only interesting part.
As for quality... This was on the lower tier of the micro verticals. Based on the poster and the name, you'd think this would be better, but you'd be sorely mistaken. The outfits didn't fit most characters (as in, it literally was either too big or too small on them), the sets were awful, and even the props were so bad that it was impossible to suspend disbelief. None of it was good.
Lastly, get used to FL asking, "Who are you?" To ML *at least* once per episode. It's exhausting.
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Lack of story direction = Disappointing
Let me start this off by saying I really did want to like it and was really looking forward to this. My critique is harsh but I ultimately did enjoy it for what it was/could've been.TL;DR: Aimless, over-ambitious, and over-inflated plot that commits to nothing and does not feel rewarding. Would've worked better as a drama. Cute role reversal, though.
A movie that wanted to do and be a lot, so it ended up just being aimless. Maybe this is because it's based on a manhua that likely goes on forever and they wanted to include as much of it as possible, but the story (in movie format) feels extremely rushed and at the same time boring as hell. The important scenes aren't actually made important and so much is going on of little consequence that you don't really care about anything. There's no time to actually sit with the characters before you're yanked onto the next scene. It goes from one beat to the next in the snap of a finger, and important moments are sped through or shown in montages, depriving the audience of any anchor to connect with the story or characters.
To me, it felt like I watched the combination of the first and last episode of a drama with some scenes sprinkled here and there for connection. It felt like one of those YouTube recaps more than an actual movie.
But a bad plot for me can ultimately be passable if the characters are good, but that too was lacking because everything was so rushed. I think the characters are what actually suffered the most. The moments where the two leads can actually have a moment of quiet and interact with each other for longer than 30 seconds at a time were the absolute highlight for me. Unfortunately, those can be counted on one hand, because the romance is mostly in the background. Had they committed more to the rom part of the romcom, I think this would've been a far more enjoyable experience... But alas, they did not.
So, what's the main point of the movie if not the romance in a romcom? I honestly have no clue. I don't think even the creators know. Like I said at the beginning, it wants to do and be so much. They wanted the sports arc, the fashion arc, the romantic arc, the love-triangle arc, the secondary couple arc, and the acceptance arc... So they did all of them very, very sloppily. In order for so much to work in 1½ hours, the story needs to be tighter, but in my opinion, it should've been a drama. That way, everything could've unfolded better and actually told a meaningful story, allowing the characters to lead us through their lives and hardships rather than this speedrun of the manhua (which is what I'm guessing happened).
Pivotal moments between the leads that develop the romance were completely missing, all for the sake of all this other inflating filler that ultimately added nothing and went nowhere, because that, too, was glossed over and rushed. Things are set up at the beginning, and then at one point, we get a 180 turn and they're resolved. No buildup, no resolution. Just a brief conversation/line if you're lucky, and voila.
As for the rest... Nothing stood out. The production quality is mid to low-tier, so don't expect good camera-work, locations, sound quality, or music but it's watchable. As for the acting, it was alright. ML and FL were good enough; everyone else was honestly pretty lacking. The comedy was 95% a miss for me. It relies a lot on obnoxious humour. The funniest moments where the unintentional ones, I do think.
It has some entertainment value if you're here for the atypical role reversal dynamic between the lead couple (aka, if you want to see some short king x tall queen rep which I for one very much did), but if not, you might wanna skip this one.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Pretty much.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? No.
◇ Would I watch it again? Maybe, probably not.
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Not really.
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No is No
Social commentary on gender roles and SA through an unusual—and what many might consider an uncomfortable—lens of literal role reversal. The story does not give the viewers any context as to why the gender roles are reversed, not that it matters; in this world, men get pregnant and women do not. That is all we know, and that is all we need to know.We follow our main character, a young man having a pregnancy scare. There isn't a whole lot of time to dwell on this fact due to the runtime, but it does a good job of making us feel the distress he is in. We learn the circumstances of how this situation came to be and are able to sympathize with him and his feelings. That being said, unlike what the synopsis might imply, we see almost nothing of the FL.
The story does well in showcasing the struggles women face with their bodies and how a lot of men do not understand, much less care to do anything about these issues, all from the perspective of what would happen if the roles were reversed.
Despite enjoying the premise as an avid fan of role reversal and everything wacky, I understandably found it to be lacking in its overall execution of the themes and presentation. I believe a work like "Hiyama Kentaro no Ninshin" to be better, not just because of the vastly longer runtime but also because of the approach. At the very end of this short film, I'm still not quite sure what exactly it DID intend to say. That forcing someone is bad or that our ML was overreacting in everything? Maybe that's the intrigue, the fact that it is left ambiguous without a clear final message. Sometimes things just are.
Overall, it's an interesting short watch but no masterpiece. If you're a fan of role reversal, you'll enjoy it, and if you're not, you might find the perspective interesting regardless as long as you can accept the initial premise.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Yes
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Mostly
◇ Would I watch it again? Perhaps
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Sure
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This review may contain spoilers
Hero x Antihero
TL;DR: A fun miniseries with some interesting characters and refreshing dynamics. It's nothing wow, and the little plot it does have is quite standard in concept and mediocre in execution, but it delivers rather unique main leads and a refreshing love story.Whump meter: ▲◭△△△ (mild/very little).
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【Very mild SPOILERS below】
►CHARACTERS:
The highlight for me was definitely the main couple, both refreshing characters we don't often see in a refreshing dynamic we also don't often see. FL is a rough general who suffered a lot but still holds a lot of kindness in her heart (portrayed by an actress who actually looks like she could be a fighter!) while ML is a shady guy who switches from helpless and delicate to homme fatale. Together, they make quite the power couple (unfortunately, we didn't see much of this though), and they're adorable together. Basically, Hero FL & Antihero ML.
My only issue is the unfortunate trope of FL having great flaws that make no sense for her character that the character simply wouldn't have if it were a man (like being illiterate 💀). Meanwhile, ML yet again excels at everything. Since they're doing the role reversal anyway, just commit to it. It didn't really take away from the experience, but I thought it was still worth mentioning.
Side characters were fine for the most part. I enjoyed the main couple's attendants/right-hand men. Prince Yue was also quite an interesting character. I'd say the most dull was Princess Sijiu, who only appeared for a handful of scenes (and was also the ONLY other female character, which is always a minus in my book, but at least they had a good relationship).
►ACTING:
I didn't have an issue with any actor's portrayal. They all did a good enough job, but I'd say ML's actor stood out as the best. He portrayed various rather complex characters very well!
►STORY:
Hilariously, the worst aspect would have to be the story. If you stop and think about something, it all falls apart. There's very little plot to go around, but an unusual amount of attention is put on it. Conflicts and issues are resolved rather quickly, so the stakes are pretty low too.
I think it would've worked better with romance as the main plot and then a sprinkle of something else here and there instead of this romance/political drama. In these sorts of small productions, less is usually more, so keeping things simple is ideal, but yeah.
►PRODUCTION:
Production quality is okay, noticeably low budget though. There's a lot worse, but there's a lot better out there too. It didn't bother me too much, not did it take away from the experience either.
►MUSIC:
The music was not very memorable, just alright. I do remember it being somewhat out of place in certain moments, though.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Yes
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Somewhat
◇ Would I watch it again? Yes, I loved the main couple
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Unlikely
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Laplae: The Town of Misogyny and Misandry
TL;DR: A story with a unique idea that doesn't quite live up to its potential in any way but is interesting enough to keep you engaged so long as you can accept the mediocre quality.Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△
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SHORT VERSION:
┊┊WHAT I LIKED:
► Mostly women cast (refreshing).
► Interesting and engaging theatrics and melodrama.
► Unusual setting (matriarchy, time period, and location).
► Culty vibes.
┊┊WHAT I DISLIKED:
► Shallow characters.
► Mid to bad acting.
► Low production quality.
► The ending.
► The direction the story took (I was expecting something different).
► Lack of depth in the story.
► How it handled the matriarchy.
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LONG VERSION:
►CHARACTERS:
The story follows a pretty big main cast consisting of the two POV FLs Sompo and Kala, both their mothers Bua and Angkab, and the two love interests Chan and Min. The story focuses rather equally on each pair of main characters, with the youngsters sticking together for the most part and the older generation having a somewhat parallel but separate story that ends up being tied together around the half-way point.
To say the characters were shallow would be an understatement. Maybe it's the writing, maybe it's the acting, maybe it's the direction, or perhaps, it's all three, but regardless, none of the characters felt quite as deep or engaging as they could've been. Their dynamics were more interesting but not by much either. Everything just felt so 'eh' when it came to the characters. Definitely the highlight is that the cast is mostly female and the story is female-led and female-focused.
As for the supporting characters, most are just there. Despite the long runtime (about 15 hours), supporting characters get very little development and there aren't a whole lot of them. About six or so that were to any degree relevant.
►ACTING:
One of the worst aspects of this drama. Save for the two older actresses and one of the MLs, for all others lead actors, this was their first acting job... and it shows. There's definitely worse out there, and for a first gig, it's not awful, but it does take away from the watching experience. Even the more seasoned actors weren't giving great performances.
►STORY:
Of course, the most lacking. It has the feel of a soap opera with the theatrics and drama but with enough thriller and thrilling elements to be more engaging. Despite the mediocre writing and overall production, I still found myself surprisingly engaged, and it delivered on a lot of the story beats I was looking forward to, even if it kinda fumbled the ending. I won't say that the plot twists were particularly shocking, but I still think they were interesting in a campy and dramatic kind of way. It's the kind of story you just need to watch and not think about. Take it for what it is kinda deal.
The matriarchy. My expectations were that of an Amazon-like society with maybe less focus on fighting, but what I got instead was a cult-like community that isn't only misandrist but also misogynistic and extremely classist. Some themes and arcs explored through the lens of the matriarchy were entertaining and refreshing from the usual misogynistic approach, arguably the only saving grace from an otherwise very lackluster execution. I just couldn't help but feel like it was lacking; I was hoping that in a matriarchy we could have women be comfortable with themselves, but that still somehow wasn't the case :/
►PRODUCTION:
Not great. I'm admittedly not very familiar with the overall quality of lakorns, so maybe this is very passable, but generally speaking, it wasn't good. Not bad either, especially if you're used to minidramas and the sort, but just overall lacking. Despite being a full-on town, everything feels very small. I've seen mini cdramas with better production quality. The sets are few and not impressive, the outfits are very simple but fine, I suppose, and the props basically don't exist. The cinematography is also basically nonexistent.
►MUSIC:
I remember the main theme being nice, but other than that, it was just okay. I honestly don't even remember it, but it didn't take away from the experience either.
►ANYTHING ELSE:
If you're here for the matriarchy, it offers the perspective of a group of women forming a women-only community as a haven. Despite existing for several generations already, Laplae holds a lot of patriarchal values, just with also an overwhelming amount of misandry (discrimination against men). If you're here for the role reversal, by default there is some due to the setting, and both lead couples have some elements with both women pursuing their love interests and not being shy about their desires (the secondary couple (Kala and Min) more than the first (Som Po and Chan)), but generally speaking both were very lacking even though they were the most interesting aspect of the drama.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Yes and no.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? No.
◇ Would I watch it again? No.
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Possibly but probably not.
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Straying from the cliche a bit is a good thing!
TL;DR: A well-crafted minidrama with compelling and unusual characters, given the type of drama and a rather coherent plot.The Good:
► Atypical and strong FL
► Supportive ML
► Power couple with great chemistry
► Interesting villains
► Surprisingly deep secondary characters
► Rather coherent and well-crafted plot
The Bad:
► Bait and switch beginning (the initial couple of scenes feel very disconnected from the rest of the drama).
► Lots of violence against women
I will start this off by saying that if the kidnapping arc is what brought you here (like it did me), then you'll be disappointed. Once again, this feels like an absurd setup to lure in viewers who are looking for something different, only for it to be discarded after the first couple of episodes. The kidnapping arc has honestly precious little effect on the rest of the plot and feels like it belongs to a completely different drama.
Overall, the story was surprisingly coherent and even interesting. That's not to say it's not without plot holes (or plot pockets if you prefer) and conveniences, but the stakes are actually established and relatively high, and they commit to what they set up. They don't pander the runtime with endless misunderstandings and laughable and grating 'melodrama'. It has a bit of both, but they're more tasteful and make sense in the story.
The villains seem shallow at first, but display more depth as the drama progresses. This was especially the case for the two secondary love rival villains, who were a rather pleasant surprise to me; I actually enjoyed them both a lot. The leads were also refreshing, especially the FL. She was strong, independent, but not a hardass. She didn't need saving, but only a little help, and made sure that was clear. ML was more on the stereotypical side, but endlessly supportive and devoted to FL and not abusive in the slightest. It was very refreshing to see a power couple solving problems together rather than the usual hero x damsel in distress.
As for the romance, it was about as important as the main story, but the non-romance plot took up more runtime. Their scenes together, however, were very good and natural. I liked how effortless they looked together.
The overall quality of the drama was serviceable for a vertical. Not great, but also pretty decent. The acting was as well, though I thought the ML actor stood out as particularly charismatic and comfortable on-screen.
Overall, a worthwhile bite-sized watch that does not insult its audience nor rely exclusively on cliches.
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This review may contain spoilers
3 Useless Foxes & Some Guy™
TL;DR: A confusing mess of a story with shallow characters and underdeveloped dynamics salvaged only by the promising concept, endearing actors, and the low-key fantasy setting of the story.Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△ (quite a bit)
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【spoiler-free】
LIKES:
► Female-centered plot.
► Female villain.
► Unusual and fun outfits.
► Unique premise.
► Nice whimsical feeling and aesthetics.
► Cute romance between the leads.
► Interesting themes.
► Story remains small and doesn't try to do more than it can.
DISLIKES:
► So much love rivalry between the three FLs
► Weak 'strong' women.
► Extremely confusing plot.
► Underdeveloped worldbuilding.
► Underdeveloped characters.
► Underdeveloped everything else.
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【!SPOILERS below!】
►CHARACTERS:
This movie is both female-focused and female-led, meaning that even though the story ultimately is centered around a man, the focus is mostly on the women around him, including FL, SFL, and TFL, who are sisters/in a sisterhood (not sure since they refer to each other as sisters but they never clarify being related). Unfortunately, though, all three characters are quite lacking in both personality and development. Not only that, their dynamic, which one would naturally think would be an important part of a female-focused plot, is severely one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
I feel like this is worth mentioning by itself as well, that the main conflict between them is that they're all three in love with the same man... This also isn't elaborated upon or developed, so it feels ridiculous at best and flat-out insulting at worst. In the very end, they do seem to have some sisterhood going on, but it was really embarrassing to see three 10/10 immortal sisters trying to kill each other over some guy. 💀
Then there's the ML, SML, and the antagonist. ML was quite fine. I thought he was cute, and him not being overpowered was quite refreshing for a ML in a fantasy movie/drama (in fact, he needed saving by far the most!!). His dynamic with FL was also kinda endearing, as was his dynamic with a supporting character. SML was honestly just creepy to me. He has a weird dynamic with FL, which seems to tread uncomfortably between that of a brother and that of a lover, so I wasn't a fan.
Finally, we have the villain. She was underwhelming. We don't really get a whole lot of development on her. In fact, she barely appears at all. At the very least, though, her motives weren't because of love, so it could be worse.
►ACTING:
Overall quite fine. I wasn't really expecting stellar acting, and it met my expectations. Whenever there were awkward moments, it felt more like a direction problem than any of the actor's problem, so I don't really have a lot of complaints about them.
►STORY:
Here's where the biggest issue lies. The story is incredibly confusing. It's clear after the very first scene that the drama is more on the slice-of-life, romantic end of fantasy than the epic, and I was really looking forward to that! Unfortunately, with the pacing they took, it felt more like they were aiming for a drama rather than a movie. They dwell on certain things and characters for entirely too long, then skip important parts of context or development for no reason at all. We get so little development on the antagonists, the world, the main characters, basically everything. The only thing that was somewhat decently paced was the love story.
The missing context, narrative structure, and development crippled the story so badly. Without those, it's just characters kinda doing something vaguely in the same thread as the original set-up. It's a real shame, because the synopsis and even the beginning seemed so interesting, yet the movie somehow managed to be both too slow and too rushed at the same time, making it overall just confusing.
Another issue was with the power level of the three FLs. They're supposed to be powerful immortals, and we're shown that even though their power is limited due to circumstances, they can still do quite a bit, yet when actually needed, they seem so pathetic. This inconsistency was especially noticeable with FL. On one hand, she can carry ML on her back from one dimension onto the other, but she can't even break free from some ribbon binding her arms. I'm so confused.
Then there's the original premise, which is vaguely that because the Sun God had disappeared, all the men of the mortal world no longer had emotions. Not only is this portrayed extremely stupidly, but it's also not developed further than this. It's only really brought up in a handful of throwaway scenes. In the end, we don't even get to see what ends up happening to the mortal world. Was the issue fixed? If so, how did men cope with suddenly being able to feel again? We don't know.
Overall, I really think the story seemed very promising and had a lot of potential (it was especially quite unique, with it being female-centered and having a unique setting and all). I believe it would've worked better as a drama of at least 12 episodes where the world, plot, characters, dynamics, and backstory could be (better) developed.
►PRODUCTION:
Overall, quite satisfactory. It doesn't try to be epic, so the CGI use is not as terrible as in other, more ambitious movies/dramas. It's still noticeably low budget in terms of sets, outfits, etc., but of the watchable and not too-noticeable kind. The cinematography, however, was quite nice. It had some really nice shots.
Final Note: I watched it with good subtitles on Viki, so I don't think I was lacking context in terms of bad translations. The story is simply confusing.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Not quite.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Definitely no.
◇ Would I watch it again? Maybe (Despite everything, I still enjoyed it).
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Maybe.
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This review may contain spoilers
Messed-up doesn't even begin to cover it.
TL;DR: An overall good drama about the complexity of mother-daughter relationships that suffers tremendously from disturbing and harmful messages.Whump meter: △△△△△ (none).
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【spoiler-free】
LIKES:
► Quite nice cinematography.
► Cool and unique architecture.
► Amazing styling and outfits (especially for FL).
► Quick and good pacing.
► Interesting premise about messed up family dynamics and the trauma surfacing because of it.
► Female centered plot.
DISLIKES:
► The messages and overall theme. (Which basically is: forgive everyone who wronged you, and it’s your fault that you’re unhappy.).
► The fact that the true villain of the story isn't reprimanded but rather praised.
► The abrupt plot twist in the end which leaves you thoroughly confused about the entire story.
It seems like I disliked little, but the messages and themes are the most important parts of this drama 😭
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【!SPOILERS below!】
►CHARACTERS:
Characters were alright for the most part. FL is a strict and cold helicopter parent stuck in an unhappy marriage. SFL is in a similar predicament, but she’s more volatile and emotional than FL. The story focuses on the two of them as they navigate their similar lives together and try to heal from the trauma brought upon them by their hatred of their mother.
The supporting cast consists primarily of FL's husband, mother, and daughter. FL's husband appears to be a distant yet caring man who's trying but always falls short of his wife's expectations, but in truth, he's the villain of the story (I'll elaborate more in the STORY section since it's related to their backstory). I have no complaints about either the mother or the daughter; both served the plot well, were interesting, and had complete arcs. Unfortunately (but also understandably), we get less development and focus on SFL's character and family, so there's not much to say there.
►ACTING:
Overall, not bad. The leads were, for the most part, quite good, though there were some meh moments. Supporting characters were kinda hit-or-miss. Some did fine, others were painful to watch.
►STORY:
FL is forced to confront the reality of her own life when another woman in a similar situation approaches them. Together, they try to navigate their lives and heal from the trauma brought upon them by their hatred of their mother, which is presently affecting FL’s relationship with her own daughter. It had all the potential to be an interesting story about the complicated relationship between mothers and their daughters and how that affects both parties even decades later. But what started as an in-depth story about a severely messed-up family dynamic and the trauma that surfaces because of it turned into a very disturbing tale of forgiving everyone who wronged you.
At first, FL’s mother is the villain of the story since we’re experiencing it from FL’s perspective. As the story progresses, FL starts blaming different people, including her husband, only to eventually settle that everything was her own fault for not forgiving those who had ruined her life. The final message of the story is that you must always forgive your family because, no matter what, you can never escape them. 💀 Though FL’s mother is framed as the villain in the beginning, they do a good job of showing her growth since FL was a child and how things aren’t as black and white as FL had seen them. That was good. However, the true villain isn’t the mother OR FL, but rather FL’s husband, who, for some ungodly reason, is portrayed as just a distant but loving husband when he literally got FL pregnant when she was 16 (and he was dating her mother, so definitely not a teen/young adult).
This plot twist just ruined the entire story. Not just because it’s a messed-up thing; you can definitely tackle messed-up stories, but that’s the whole problem. He’s not framed as a villain. Him hooking up with the daughter of his girlfriend when the girl was underage, getting her pregnant, and then marrying her is framed as okay?? If anything, he’s PRAISED for sticking around and not leaving the girl pregnant and alone. How is everyone so calm about this? How is the story trying to blame FL when she was taken advantage of by someone who should’ve protected her? I just can’t get over this. Never does this get mentioned again, either. The couple just made up and called it a day... I wanted to rate the drama higher, but such a terrible message excusing such vile behaviour cannot get a higher rating from me.
Other than that, the story was fine. If it wasn't for the above trashshow, the story is definitely more of a 7 than a 2. The pacing was good; it had a pretty solid beginning and middle, the ending could’ve been better and far less confusing, but whatever.
►PRODUCTION:
Very solid. Visual effects were very good, same with the cinematography, locations, sets, and clothing. I honestly have no complaints in this regard. It looked like a very legit drama.
►MUSIC:
Good enough—nothing memorable but also nothing painful to the ears.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? No
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Meh
◇ Would I watch it again? No
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Unlikely
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This review may contain spoilers
Sword vs. Scabbard
TL;DR: Unique urban fantasy (emo) drama with fantastic fight scenes and an overall satisfying—albeit crippled by the short runtime—story.Whump meter: ▲▲▲▲△ (plenty of good whump).
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【spoiler-free】
SHORT VERSION:
┊┊WHAT I LIKED:
►Stellar fight scenes and a lot of them. Cool, believable, thorough, and with minimal cuts
►Good villains (one-timers and also the main)
►Unique and unusual locations, as well as using the environment.
►Realistic character's abilities (within supernatural context). Everyone is skilled after years of training.
►Interesting themes about hatred, morality, duty, sacrifice, choice, intentions, and ultimately the bond with those around us.
►Interesting approach to the magic aspect. Primarily how it manifests, ends up affecting ML, and how it is ultimately resolved (feels like an anime in the best way).
►Good cinematography focused on enhancing the story. Looks very legit and even poetic at times.
►Satisfying narrative. Satisfying plot twist, progression, and ending.
►Solid actors and acting.
►Some rather interesting character dynamics.
►Potential for more seasons without being open-ended.
┊┊WHAT I DISLIKED:
►Unfortunately, the FL. She mostly just caused more issues for 'heroes' to solve.
►Abysmal choice of an end-credits song... Made me jump every time with how jarringly out-of-place it was.
►How short it was. It's barely longer than a movie (3-ish hours), which does end up leaving a lot of things underdeveloped since it's formatted like a show.
►Under-developed lore. They hint at a lot of background and lore, but we are only ever given crumbs.
►Not much braining going around.
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【!some SPOILERS below!】
LONG VERSION:
┊┊CHARACTERS:
Because the drama is so short and story-focused, this leaves the characters somewhat behind in terms of purpose and especially development. Forget backstory or setup, but even their reason to be there at all. They're more like the background team of cops, but with hints of depth and as the main cast. I'm not saying they were bad; they were just underused and suffered tremendously from how short the drama was. Even the ML felt lacking in depth and attention. We get glimpses of his character, past, motives, and feelings, but they’re usually rather brief, and he’s the one who gets by far the most development. (I understand not everything needs to be character-focused, and for how long it is, it’s acceptable, just very unfortunate since more attention to the characters would’ve made it all the more thorough, rewarding, and entertaining.).
This also extends to their dynamics, though I believe this was set up better. At least when it comes to ML and SML, who had a very unique and interesting dynamic going on. There was enough setup for us to know what was up, and enough attention given to it throughout the runtime for us to feel for them. Same goes for ML and the main villain. These two dynamics/relationships were by far the highlights of the characterization.
As for the FL, she initially seems to be the main character who stumbles into this unusual ‘world’ hiding in plain sight; however, that soon changes into her being merely a POV character until she's sidelined completely and added in with meaningless moments of relevance only ever at the cost of the intellect of the characters around her (aka, the ones that have been doing this superhero gig for the entirety of their lives, lol). I didn't get her purpose in the story and feel like it would've worked better, smoother, and more cohesive if she wasn't added at all.
The rest of the supporting cast was fine but ultimately also underused. We didn't really get to know much about them; they were just there to serve the narrative purpose and were otherwise sidelined. Even interesting dynamics like that of SML and his father were merely glanced at.
Then there’s the villains: the villain-of-the-week types and also the final antagonist. The former were good; they worked very well for what was needed of them and got enough development, backstory, and setup to feel satisfying without overstaying their welcome. The short duration of the show also made this non-repetitive, so it didn’t drag. The main villain was honestly really cool. Not only was his character cool, but he also actually posed a threat and was genuinely evil. The way he ties into the main hero group is also amazing and adds a lot of good angst and stakes! The only downside was that his reason to be there was glossed over and didn’t make a whole lot of sense with how they set him up. There was some confusion there.
┊┊ACTING:
Solid all around. Even the one-time villains gave it their all for their performances. I’d say the main antagonist, along with ML, were the highlight for me. The villain played such an effortlessly cool badass so well, and ML portrayed the depressed emo-loner nicely.
┊┊STORY:
Generally and overall? Very solid. It’s short, concise, has a good narrative structure, and a proper wrap-up with even room for more seasons without the need to leave things unsolved. The story is rather simple but very well-executed which despite some shortcomings makes it a satisfying watch. Plot twists can be seen coming but are still handled well and thus rewarding even if not particularly shocking.
The worldbuilding showed promise but unfortunately didn’t deliver quite as much as it could’ve. This is largely in part due to the short length but the world, lore and background of the magic/darkness and everyone surrounding it (heroes and villains) seemed very interesting and like there was a lot more of it to tell but didn’t get to see a whole lot. A shame.
As for the magic itself, honestly, very cool. It feels like a realistic anime and I’m totally here for it. The way the darkness manifests from humanity’s own weakness/pain is so real and brings up a lot of interesting narrative potential. Not only that, fighting against said darkness ended up affecting ML too, it was magic with consequences not only for the victims but also for her heroes, such a nice detail (and nice whump). Ultimately, the way it was finally wrapped up in the end was very poetic and well executed, I’m glad they committed to a dramatic, impactful ending and (at least temporary) resolution.
Now onto the main themes of the story, which are largely centered around pain and suffering and how that manifests into (in this drama, literally) darkness that can consume the life of the individual as well as everyone around them. It does well in exploring the value of change, growth, intentions, and ultimately peace, showing the importance of duty and sacrifice but also that of choice and the bond with those around us. It was quite interesting, heartwarming, and rather well-executed.
Another highlight is the fact that this isn’t an origin story or zero-to-hero type deal. Everyone is already capable and worked all their life to achieve the level of skill that they have, which not only makes for a refreshing take on the superhero genre but also a realistic one. The heroes aren’t naturally skilled because they are the MCs and/or the chosen ones; they worked for it. ML even struggles when he’s injured and can be defeated!
┊┊PRODUCTION:
Very good. Money was spent where it matters, and it shows. Locations, props, CGI—the whole thing is very, very legit. Cinematography was very good; shots mattered and were structured to add to the narrative, weight, and theme of the scene.
Fight scenes were some of the best I’ve seen: minimal cuts, good choreography, and the unique feature of ML fighting with a scabbard against sword-wielders made for some very unique fights. Locations were also used to the max throughout the fight scenes and they didn’t all take place in a large open space where one could easily fight. The attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed and was tremendously appreciated.
┊┊MUSIC:
Overall, it was pretty good. Worked well for the genre and scenes; however, that end-credits song... It was really out of place. You have some of the most serious moments in the drama, and it just starts playing this extremely irritating upbeat song. It's not even the issue that it's upbeat, since that could work as a statement or to specifically be ironic, but it's just... ugh.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? I wasn't really sure what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Not really
◇ Would I watch it again? Probably, yes
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes!!
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Double Identity, Double Confusion.
I had been anticipating this drama for far longer than I care to admit, and it took me months to find serviceable subs, so I was quite hyped to get to watching. Alas, I found some subs and was able to complete it and now... I am a bit conflicted.►PLOT
The plot was messy. I do partially blame the poor subs for this, but I can't lie and say that the convoluted story in short-length format and the back-and-forth between what's really going on with her dual personality weren't the worst offenders. I think if the drama was even normal minidrama length (3–4 hours), it would've been far more enjoyable. Especially with the end reveal in mind, the rest of the drama doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Sure, some things were explained, but a couple of sentences at the very end don't nearly make up for the rest of the drama I *actually* watched. But despite its shortcomings, I enjoyed the conclusion of things being somewhat vague. It was fairly satisfying. Plot twists also kept coming with little buildup or relevance, really. That being said, all things considered, it's fine.
I do, however, like that the story is very clearly *about* FL, not ML. Sure, he's the POV character whom we follow, but the story is about her. Doesn't happen nearly often enough in Cdramas.
►ROMANCE
The romance was alright. No kisses, but plenty of endearing hugs and support (especially from ML towards FL), which sometimes means more, right? Right? (The cope is hard.) What was quite disappointing, however, was that, at the very end, it's unconfirmed what their relationship status is. FL tells ML that there are more important things in her life presently than romance, which slay, but was a bit disappointing (I was here for the girlboss x malewife, ok?). It does conclude with ML staying by her side as her consort, vowing to help her, so we can only assume that's a matter for season 2 or our imagination.
►OTHER:
Everything else was overall fine for minidrama standards. Acting was alright, dialogue is hard to judge, production value was, one could say, even slightly better than the average minidramas, music was repetitive as usual, and other than that, there isn't a whole lot to say, really.
It's an alright watch overall; pleasant even if you don't think about it too long, haha.
◇ Was it what I was expecting? Not really
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Kinda
◇ Would I watch it again? Probably not
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Probably not
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A Heartwarming Story Through a Wacky Plot.
TL;DR: A wacky and outlandish but tender plot with respectful social commentary and good themes and messages.── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅
SHORT VERSION:
┊┊WHAT I LIKED:
►Heartwarming story.
►Interesting role reversals.
►Good pacing.
►The wacky setting and plot.
►Good (and progressive) social commentary and themes.
►Overall production quality.
┊┊WHAT I DISLIKED:
►Some plot threads were a bit rushed/glossed over.
►No transman representation.
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LONG VERSION:
┊┊CHARACTERS:
The two leads are workaholic friends-with-benefits (I believe anyway, their relationship status is ambiguous throughout the entire drama). ML goes from being a corporate slave at the peak of his game to a softer, more understanding version of himself, still fighting for his dreams but now with a fresh perspective and more respect not only for himself but also for those around him. FL is the typical douchy-boyfriend character. She fluctuates between being supportive and not depending on what's in it for her 9/10 times. In the end she does come around but it takes a bit. Though I didn't dislike her as much as others apparently did, I did think her character could've been tackled better. Because of all this, this drama is NOT a romance (which I admittedly thought it was despite not seeing the genre or tag anywhere, whoops).
Supporting characters were all quite nice and served their purpose well. ML makes a bunch of pregnant male friends, and we get to see others' experiences as well—albeit, admittedly brief.
┊┊ACTING:
Very solid. I honestly bought everything pretty much everyone was selling me without a second of doubt. ML especially delivered (heh) the process of acceptance so nicely, going from confused and angry to slowly understanding more and becoming more gentle. Some supporting roles were more 'eh' but no one broke immersion, so still a win!
┊┊STORY:
The plot is wacky and outlandish, yes. An immediate turn-off for a lot of people, but once you settle into the absurd premise, the story told is respectful and tender. The reversal of roles IS what sets this drama apart from similar social-commentary dramas, and that's personally a win in my book. Some things that should've been addressed due to the premise unfortunately weren't (yes, the 'how' mostly), but at the same time, it wasn't that big of a bother. They worked well with the setting and gave various perspectives on the situation.
As for the themes, I must say, I was positively surprised. With such a wacky plot, it could've easily turned into a laughing stock or a mock, but that didn't happen. They took their story seriously and used it to tackle themes of diversity, inclusivity, labels, feminism, gender roles, and general expectations tastefully and respectfully without really being preachy. Admittedly, a transman character was greatly lacking, and I feel this would've elevated the story tremendously, if even only as a supporting character.
The pacing is very well done; the show neither drags nor feels rushed despite being only 3 hours long. Even the conclusion felt satisfying, wrapping up everything with a nice little bow. Honestly, I don't really have a whole lot of complaints.
The only issue, which was more of an unfortunate thing than an issue, would be the fact that certain arcs, mostly those relating to the lead's parents (FL especially), weren't all that developed.
┊┊ANYTHING ELSE:
Pretty much everything else about the drama was good. The music was good to honestly, really good; I enjoyed quite a few tracks. Production value was also very solid! The drama even has some comedic scenes despite the overall more grounded tone. Overall, I have like no complaints!
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Yes.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Yes.
◇ Would I watch it again? Yes.
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes, as long as they can handle wacky premises.
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This review may contain spoilers
Extremely Promising Setup, Dwindling Progression, Lackluster Conclusion.
TL;DR: An interesting sci-fi premise with amazing production value, promising characters, and interesting themes, but ultimately lacking in the direction it was taken and its use of the original setup and characters.Whump meter: ▲◭△△△ (Light on the whump)
【spoiler-free】
LIKES:
► Stellar cinematography.
► Unique, realistic settings and locations.
► Mostly good performances from the actors, with some even being very good.
► Flawed characters.
► Promising premise and themes.
► Interesting final villain’s arc.
► Seemingly intentionally written as mediocre.
DISLIKES:
► Weak villains with little development and goals.
► Underused characters.
► Drama where not necessary, and no drama where necessary.
► Too few female roles and those relevant are only relevant to the MLs.
► Fade to black in a LOT of important scenes.
► A lot of things were brought up but went nowhere or added nothing while important things weren’t elaborate on.
► Uncertain subgenre, thus ultimately juggling conflicting narrative approach and progression.
► Low stakes
【!some SPOILERS below!】
CHARS:
You have a group of university students trying to save the world from a dangerous app after losing someone close to them. The usual characters are there: the troubled idealistic leader (SML), the kind one (FL), the hothead friend (TML), the preppy girl, the sensitive girl, and the bully. They take up most of the screen time for the first couple of episodes, as the typical students in a mystery-thriller would, while the ML, mostly just messes around on the side. But then everyone but SML and FL takes a tremendous backseat. No longer is it about an unconventional group of youths trying to save the world but rather about a troubled young man’s descent into madness after being stood up once (he was giving sigma male (basically an introverted alpha male) the whole time, tbh). And once this happens, ML starts getting significantly more screen time and importance.
The problem? ML isn’t a good protagonist. Not only does he fight his chosen oneness throughout the ENTIRE drama, but he has no skillset, is consistently the dumbest person in the entire cast, and doesn’t care about anything other than his mother and sister. Not only that, he has no fighting, investigation, or other ability of any kind. In every sense, he’s useless. One protagonist makes sense (SML), the other does not (ML). But there are four lead roles. The other two being FL (who’s supposedly the second lead) and TML. FL is merely a catalyst for both MLs' stories. To ML, her brother, she’s the only reason he does absolutely anything. To SML, she was the last drop in his cup before it tipped over, sending him spiraling. For both men, she was, in some way or another, the cause. But as herself? She does little to nothing. Extremely disappointing leading female role. As for TML, he did consistently NOTHING for the entire drama. He had a side arc that added nothing, had a very relevant skillset that was only used thrice, and other than that, was only a supporting role to the already supporting role that was FL.
Other side characters include people who are only ever serving ML for no good reason or characters who do all the relevant stuff off-screen. ML has a lawyer friend who constantly helps him, an assistant-like character (who was my favourite) who does EVERYTHING for him but all off-screen. Then there’s SML’s father, who does most things off-screen too, but when he’s there, he’s rather solid (though nothing revolutionary). His story, however, ends somewhat inconclusive and underwhelming.
As for the antagonists, we know little to nothing about them throughout the entire drama. Not only the organisation itself but also the leader of it. She seemed promising in the beginning but quickly went from mysterious and scary to outright pathetic. the final villain was fine in theory but terrible in execution. He is a plot-twist villain, which was well done—albeit a bit rushed—but him being the final bad guy in the way he was set up was laughable at best and irritating at worst.
Then there’s the character relationships and dynamics, which, like everything else, were lacking. They started good with the group of youngsters; there was a clear conflict between them, and it had the promise of being interesting with how the story progressed, but then they dropped the ball, leaving us only with SML and FL, who were fine together; they did seem to have chemistry and bounced off each other well—but nothing really relevant with the direction they took the story. FL is supposedly besties with TML, but it feels very one-sided (with him giving the most). There’s ML and his lawyer friend as well as SML’s father; he has good scenes with both. Then there’s one of the main dynamics, which is between FL and ML, but they only ever scratched the surface of it. Their scenes together are surprisingly few. And finally, the most important dynamic between SML and his long-lost father… EXTREMELY underwhelming. Their relationship goes nowhere before it abruptly ends and then causes no further issues.
ACTING:
Acting was alright for the most part. Everyone did a good enough job, some better than others, but none of the main cast really stood out to me either. Those that did were Hu Wei (who slayed as usual), Wang Zhen, who nailed the bubbly cutie, and Fu Mei, who made my skin crawl (in the good way). Fan Chengcheng (SML) had a difficult role with a lot of depth and intrigue but didn’t have the best execution. I do think the mediocre character was in great part the writing, but I also think his performance was a bit lacking. I’d complain more, but I honestly don’t think it was an issue of the actors but rather direction/writing.
STORY:
The story is set up as a youth thriller, balancing a good deal of relationship drama with an overarching thriller plot. It’s the kind of story that depends tremendously on its characters to make things interesting, but unfortunately, it simply does not do that. What starts as a promising setup turns into a mediocre saving-the-world chosen-one style plot with one of the most weirdly written protagonists I’ve ever seen. About halfway through, the focus shifts entirely from the original setup and becomes a classic buddy-cop situation, only without the buddy and without the cop; it’s just two middle-aged men doing something (one significantly more than the other).
The original premise itself also becomes irrelevant after the first couple of episodes. Sure, characters still use the Wisher app, but the application itself doesn’t cause the same amount of issues as it did early on in the later parts of the story. It’s merely a thing that exists in the background rather than the main point of the whole drama. It’s like the original premise was somewhat forgotten in the convoluted plot that came later.
A lot of things are brought up but not elaborated on; various important things happen off-screen (darn that fade-to-black nonsense), and we’re only ever told these things after the fact. The drama, however, is not clever enough to give subtle hints without explicitly needing to state them which overall makes for quite a confusing and ultimately frustrating watch. Just when you think you got something, it’s revealed to be something else, and you’re constantly left to draw conclusions with the mere breadcrumbs thrown at you. Viewers are only ever allowed to see about 40-50% of the story.
The origin of the Society of Wishers is such an example. The original creator is revealed at a certain point and briefly explains what went down, but it’s so vague that it’s immediately forgettable, which consistently makes his character feel out of place. Then the organisation itself is uncertain in background, goal, leadership, position, and values, which makes them quite a pathetic antagonistic force. We see very little of them, so one can only draw conclusions, which are then immediately shot down in the next batch of scraps thrown at you.
The ending was rushed, but honestly fine. Not particularly satisfying or conclusive, but it was passable. Then there were the bonus epilogue scenes, which hint at a second season… and, uh, I’m confused.
And finally, the drama has this issue where it cannot kill off characters, so the stakes are extremely low. This is quite bad for a * thriller* of all things, and was especially disappointing after the buildup every death got… * sigh*
PRODUCTION:
Absolute perfection. Everything from the CGI to the cinematography, locations, and even outfits were top-notch. The futuristic city looks quite legit for being mostly, or in great part, CGI. The shots are stunning. Filming locations are largely real, as well as varied and unusual, catering to the type of show rather than maximizing aesthetics. That’s not to say that aesthetics aren’t important; sets and locations are beautiful, mixing highly futuristic elements with very vintage stuff, all wrapped up in a whole lot of greenery. Character styling was also very good. I especially loved FL, SML, and Bo’s outfits!
MUSIC:
Good. Felt very fitting for the genre, scene, and moment. Nothing particularly stands out in the good or bad sense, just good futuristic thriller vibes.
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◇ Was it what I was expecting? In a way, yes.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? No
◇ Would I watch it again? Unlikely
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yeah
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