Ari Li

Damn! It is awesome.

I never thought there will be another historical drama this year that I would enjoy like I enjoyed Dream of Splendor and Love Like The Galaxy. These two just set the records way too high for me. Well Love between fairy and devil is close but I always prefer Wuxia over Xianxia. This show was nowhere in my mind. First I was not really familiar with the cast (except few older ones) and with the synopsis it felt like Ruyi pavilion and Who rules the world, kind of drama to me. People could say otherwise but I dropped the former one midway while latter I liked but someone who has read the novel might have a lot to criticize about.
Moving on to the drama it did give me Ruyi Pavillion and Who rules the world vibes to some extent but much much much better executed and the cast is just everything. What you might find here:
Beautiful cast ✓
Lovely BGM✓
Amazing acting ✓
Mesmerizing cinematography ✓
Chemistry between leads✓
Well written and played Side character's arc✓
Comedy and engaging storyline ✓
Gorgeous dresses and perfect makeup ✓
Women power ✓
Bitchy female characters X
Harem fight X
Overdramatic or overacting. X

So that concludes it all. With each episode the drama is getting better and better. So don't be hesitant to watch this gem. It sure is one of the best shows of this year.

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Another Novel Ruined

There is really no end to this trend. Production team take up a project based on a famous novel which ensures them good viewership because of the fan base. Then they choose amazing actors to do the project and again increase the number of viewers. The drama will be a hit no matter what. Now what they have to do is follow the amazing storyline (with a few changes due do censorship) and get done with this. But guess what!!!! Someone shows up and suggests to change the ENTIRE SCRIPT!! Because they think they can write a far better story with their cliched ideas and so called plot twists, love triangle and over the top nonsense while keeping the main characters same as the original.
*Face palm*
I am really surprised by all the ratings on MDL for this drama. I mean what in the world did they see in this drama to give it such a rating is beyond me. I get that people can have different tastes but for me who has read and adored the story of the novel it was a complete disaster.
They introduced the characters like Bai Xiaosheng and Changlan (forgive the spelling) to drag the story. I got bored amd irritated in several episodes like the' moth one' because it neither added anything to the plot nor increased my interest. There were many filler episodes because they thought original story was not worth it!! I tried very hard to watch the show mainly because of the actors whom I loved a lot throughout the episodes but there is a limit....When there is no story to tell, actors cannot lift the show either. The CGI was so so. I liked the songs and costumes a lot.
I kept reminding myself to stick to Wuxia but once in a while whenever I watch Xianxia due to my favourite novel adaptation it turns out pretty disappointing. I am really afraid for 'Lengend of Shenli' now. A humble request to the makers" For god sake please do not change that plot as well to show your creativity." This drama was really not my cup of tea but you can watch if you prefer cliched over the top storyline of costume dramas. Slapstick comedy Or simply because you love the actors and their chemistry.

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Unpopular opinion

This drama is one of the most talked about dramas that one sees everywhere and to be honest it really did justice with the concept (especially in the beginning ), the cinematography and the way all the actors performed their roles. Everyone looks perfect and special mention for Allan (ml) who is in his element here. I have seen him in many dramas and this one is really made for him. His chemistry with Omar(FL) is the most outstanding part of the drama for me. The colourful costumes and the overall desert look makes it stand out from the rest especially with their pale looking filters. Now lets move on to the bad part of the drama which could be an unpopular opinion so just bear with me.
-Makeup of FL. The actress is already really pretty and I don't understand what is point of so much makeup especially when we are talking about a desert climate. They could have toned down it a little bit.
-second lead couple. I just can't wrap my head around their romance no matter what. The whole scene was absurd how they met and how it turned them into a romantic partners. That whole scene was so questionable that I felt like dropping the show right then and there. No one falls in love with a person especially a kidnapper whom you just met. Maybe yes, but only if you have Stockholm syndrome! They could have kept it raw made it into something for her to learn and take revenge or something along the lines but no they showed how the tables have turned in her direction and she is the boss. My question is- did she has any other option? She had to be subservient in front of that ranger no matter what or maybe she had to be someone really smart to get out of that situation with her expertise as she was ready to travel alone in that dangerous world leaving problems of her clan in the hands of a total stranger. A normal person can't and won't romanticize such things.
- I felt action scenes were kind of okaish. Now that I have seen many dramas with exceptional action choreography, this one seems pretty normal in front of that. I read people found the dance sequence of FL not that great but for me it was beautiful.
- Loopholes. I am finding so many loopholes in the storyline one after another that I have decided to throw my logic out of the window while watching it. I only and only completed this drama for ML.
-characters turned from dumb to dumber. I can't believe they ruined so many important scenes and especially our FL was the worst hit in all the mess. The weakest part was it's script and editing made it worse. The drama definitely had so much potential but what a let down!
You can try it for the main couple's chemistry and beautiful cinematography but for the rest it will only damage your brain cells.

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Now that's what you call a wholesome drama

There are so many things that other directors could learn from this show. How to make your story gripping and engaging, how to utilise technology without being overly dependent on CGI, how to do proper editing, how to utilise actors in a way that their characters become believable. I don't remember watching any of Zhang ling He's earlier dramas and believing his characters completely, they always looked very superficial. But this time this director had other plans in mind and he gripped his character so well in a tight leash that it is completely moving the way he wants. No over the top expressions or using just the face card to make him act. You will be in awe, watching all the subtle changes in their expression and body language that even without dialogues sometimes, they are conveying every emotion with such an ease.
I am loving our FL here because her character is not all over the place. She is called brute in the drama but she is more than that. She is the exact image of a young girl that you could imagine from that era in impoverished state, without parents and struggling with the harsh realities of life. I am loving how they are not shying away from it just to make her look a perfect female character. Special mention for the child actor. I just adore every scene with her and all the village scenes and their interaction has a 'The story of Miglan' vibe a lot.
Complex political struggle is yet to unfold completely but so far it is interesting, I had no idea this show would give the best villain of all time to me. He would give you creeps. Court politics could make you skip certain scenes a little bit if you are not into that much politics but every character looks believable and have a story to tell, even the villagers and the side characters with extremely small screen time. What I loved the most is the way they used the natural lights to enhance the beauty of the scenes. Even the set design doesn't feel like as if it is a set. Costume and makeup are equally good and for me it is Zhang Ling He's best look so far. Whether it is romantic moments or any slow motion sequence playing with the scenery to amplify the presence of the character everything requires well thought out execution and all thanks again goes to the director and the actors. Whether it is romance sequence, emotional sequence, war sequence or slap sequence...cough*.... everything is top notch. It is THE best show for me of this year in all aspects.
PS: I don't remember which was the last drama where I felt a drama married couple had such a real couple vibes. I can just watch these two spending their lives in small town and doing all their daily work, forever and to all the people who think it is very slow in the beginning, the director is smart enough to take that time because he is building a world where viewers could feel the emotions of the later episodes, which is only possible if one gives proper time to all the characters. Believe me it will hit you hard when the time comes. Trust me this drama knows how to play with the feelings.
PS 2: Despite everything I still felt that this one is the best drama of yr (at least for now). My only complaint would be the way they started to cut the scenes and letting it all fall for viewers' imagination. Including Marquis' battle scenes. Towards the end I could feel how they were rushing badly and chopping the scenes to compress it all into ep. limit. The room that they were giving to breathe this world became too small in the second half. I had no problem with other leads getting a screentime but I felt our main leads needed more screentime as we got attached to their characters more. In second half, the leads were there for such a short time together or their story only became part of post credit scenes. Our over powered FL would have looked more believable if they would have given us some hint that she was a prodigy in martial arts since birth...defeating seasoned soldier in two blows was too much even for her character. More time should have been given to her character for us to believe her well deserved status of a general. But it will still be a nitpick because first half raised too much expectations. It was definitely 10/10 if not for the second half. I will still recommend this show to everyone who is into Wuxia dramas. It has definitely raised the standards for others.

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Drama is finally here and I am loving it BUT....

It was such a long wait and I must say usually most of the hyped shows do not live upto the expectations as we have seen with many dramas in the past and tbh I was afraid it might go down the same lane after watching the the first episode for few minutes. But thank goodness they didn't stretch that part for long and we jumped into the mortal arc right away. That is where the main story will unfold.

The beginning was little hectic plus waaay too fast that I found myself little overwhelmed with all the fight, death and sacrifice and sinister expression of ML his lackeys. They introduced the main characters way too fast that is what I thought. I couldn't concentrate on anything. From fight to amazing graphics. It was happening too fast for me to process it all. (Some demon or god fight probably, was all in my mind) I did not feel much emotions as characters were dying right off the bat.

Thankfully we came fast in the real part and I could take breather and they explained pretty much every important thing about the earlier fight later on. The show literally turned into something else and I knew with Bailu's comedic expressions that this role is just for her. She nailed her character into this new role while the earlier one just looked like a beautiful doll without much feelings or expressions. (She looked so stiff back then).
We all know both ML and FL will have a great chemistry as the duo already gave us a hit drama in the past. There is no doubt when it comes to their acting. It was flawless like their costume and amazing set design. I loved the music as well. I was little sceptical whether it will be another Love between fairy or Devil but surprisingly it turned out something else. And we got a Devil, conniving and oppressed ML and a kind hearted soul in villainess' bodyas a FL . I am loving ML's evil smirks and expressions and to some extent felt good when he indulged in his revenge. The domestic abuse and bullying can turn anyone into a devil fs.
I am loving it so far. It is not just a cliche story like any other costume drama and I have high hopes now. Check out the drama you won't be disappointed.

PS: At this point I have already started to read the novel while waiting for the new episodes. I can't believe how much they have changed the storyline just to make it more audiance friendly. ML is pure evil and a real psychopath to the core in novel. Xi Wu/ Su su's actions which looked annoying and stupid in some scenes of the drama are actually the original scenes from novel (her character is pretty much same in the novel and drama. On the other hand Tantaijin/ devil lord is the one who is turned more likable in drama. Everyone sympathies with him while watching drama but in the novel you will hate him for sure. Sigh...it is unbearable to some extent. They did a really good job in changing ML's character in a way where we would love him and obviously Luo Yunxi's acting is amazing. I really don't like the way they are editing the episodes especially in the later parts. It is so weird and certain parts are not making much sense due to the episode limit. They are rushing really badly because they need to finish the story within few episodes. I really hate this episode limitation thing for real.
PS II: DRAMA ENDED on a cryptic note just as we all feared. After this I don't think I have much expectations from Xianxia dramas. Every good show ends up in the same way. I had to change my ratings. just because of the editing. Whoever does the editing in this show... *I am coming for ya*. Worse edited show ever. Rushed ending with crappy editing completely ruined it all (for me atleast). I would suggest people to go watch Love is sweet after finishing this and imagine it as their modern reincarnation to soothe your heart.

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Forget about the book this is not your typical slice of life drama.

Before I begin...Is there someone else who also thought Jang Ho (neighbour friend) was kinda SUS throughout the series? I mean he was giving me this weird feeling haha...well maybe it's just me.

To sum up this show- Spoonfuls of penthouse, little bit of Alcott's novel and pinch of squid games= perfect mixture of Little women ready.

This show is everything what Penthouse should be with less screaming, less over the top and unnecessary twists. The way people were coming back alive I was literally taken aback sometimes to see how similar it was to Penthouse and I still blame Joo Dan Tae... hahaha no he was not that crazy here. (Maybe a little). Please give him some good roles for god's sake but he is really good with his antagonist characters. His wife in the show however was really amazing actor I must say its been a while when I liked a negative character this much. She was the real definition of crazy. This show is star studded for sure and you know that they just cannot disappoint you. Special mention for Wa Hi Joon...this guy was like everywhere, helping everyone, rescuing everyone with a swag. He was just slaying every scene. All three female leads were amazing in their roles. You end up praying for them, cry with them, sympathize with them and annoyed with them and enjoyed with them. That was the sort of connection they build with the viewers. While one was naive the second was upright and third ambitious they remained true to their characters till the end.
Out of all three I believe third sister had it the best throughout the show. She was adored by her sisters who tried their best to make all sort of sacrifice just for her. She was even treated in the best way by the antagonists. She never looked back to see the condition of her sisters even in their worst times. So yes, she had the least character growth among them. But the ending will surely make it up to some extent. I loved the grandma the way she made everyone nervous around her. She was the definition of Domineering. I loved her.
The twists will definitely make you doubt people again and again and you will be at the edge of your seat thinking who is friend or not or when will there come a new betrayal...this show did a great job in keeping the attention of the viewers. In the end its been a while when I truly enjoyed a kdrama.
So don't be misled by the name of the show this is not what Louisa May Alcott had written. Its not the slice of life drama you will expect with the name. So go watch it you will definitely enjoy it.

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Hilarious Treat!!!!!!!

I wasn't sure before starting it whether I should continue or not. But after watching only first episode I knew it I was in for a treat. What a hilarious drama. It's been a while after LLTG when I enjoyed historical drama. In few episodes I laughed so hard that Ihad tears in my eyes.
Every moment of the show is pure bliss. There are no overwhelmingly sad scenes. Even if you get one emotion scene it will definitely be followed by some comedic parts. But first of all hands down for all the actors and not just the main leads but even the extras or side characters. The cast is not only beautiful to look at but they also portrayed their characters so well that you will think that this role was made for him/her. I never skipped any single scene of the side characters. Their arc was as good as the main one's.
Moving on to the story, there are two sisters born with good and bad omen to marry in particular realm. They get swapped and for the rest you need to watch. Till episodes 10 the drama is entertaining but it becomes hilarious when the mortal arc begins. I always loved DID sort of dramas. You can see real prowess of an actor who portrays many characters at the same time. But here it is totally different scenario yet shows how great ML is in each of his roles. He played 4 characters here. FL is so cute and cunning amd reminded me of Zhou Lusi a lot. I loved her acting. Second ML looks a bit annoying and you would feel like why I am watching his parts sometimes but but BUT...you won't be able to skip his scenes. They are the most hilarious ones.
Hahaha... Beast prince and bird are also one of my favs. They made me laugh so much with their silly gestures. Special mention for mortal king. I won't forget that ceremony episode for sure. ;P

It is still ongoing and I am sure whether you are a fan of historical drama or not. It is worth watching.
Just don't skip this hilarious treat.

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Throw your brain out of the window and just enjoy.

People are already familiar with this show if they are watching its season 2 while those who are completely unfamiliar with this show (though possibility is pretty low as S1 became really famous) and are contemplating whether they should watch this or not or whether they need to watch season 1 first to understand season 2...then just go watch it. You won't regret, whatever season you feel like watching it won't be much of a problem to guess the story so far...because you can easily understand the storyline within few minutes of the show. Though it was pretty much similar to the first one there are few new characters to pose challenge in the lives of our leads.(cannot spoil it for you) . To conclude the story- 'Alien on earth and her funny and stupid interactions with earthlings'.
S1 was silly yet good however I loved S2 more. I dunno why...maybe both actors are now more familiar with each other and their chemistry which was good in S1 became REALLY good in this one. ( I loved ML's hairstyle more in this one🤭). Plus comic parts looked more enjoyable and less cliched this time. I must say shows like this can really fall flat because ... tbh storyline is something which anyone can guess. There are no such complex turns of events that would make you perplexed or anything its simply cute story of an alien and handsome boss. While in first one FL was not familiar with Earth this time she is the real boss and knows how to deal with others in her own way😂. She is such a pure delight to watch. I really liked her acting. ML is your typical boss you will find in every modern drama...(he is hot) who would fall for her eventually... So here comes some problem with FL and she ended up in the wrong time and had to start all over again with her mission without much memory of her earlier visit. All of the characters are same as the first one but as she landed in different timezone nobody remembers her anymore.
Was I the only one who missed boss's assistant of S1? Though I am not complaining, the actor is different yet I enjoyed his parts a lot. He was a real shipper that every person needs in his/her life🤭. Her mission was to get hormone element and she gets attracted to ML's hormones is just like first Season...hahaha the second hand embarrassment I got every time she tried to grab him...🤭🤭 * Ahem* ...moving on, this time our little Xiobu (alien tortoise) is in human body too and she is really adorable. Her storyline is really cute. While I usually find myself skipping second lead's storyline in most of the modern Cdramas because they are usually not very engaging yet I find them quite enjoyable. You will also adore their cute romance here.
Shoutout to the designer and stylist. I loved all of their dresses in this one❤️.
Show is still ongoing and so far I loved watching it. This is a perfect light rom-com type of show that you can watch after a heavy dose of suspenseful, sad or political dramas( which I was watching recently).
As I said don't think too much while watching this, just relax and watch the show you will definitely be smiling from ear to ear throughout the episodes. Its silly yet enjoyable. Just watch it😉.

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Pretty promising

First impression: BANGERS from the get go.
From costume to set design plus war scenes everything is top notch. It reminded me a lot of 'Nirvana in fire' and Game of thrones maybe because of the cinematography, costume and complex political plot. I did not read the synopsis of this drama before starting it and had no idea I was gonna see Liu Yunning in this one. (He is pretty much in every show that I watch these days. So busy!) Man!! he looked really intimidating here especially his entry scene. ( Did he just put on some wait for this one? Not that I am complaining. He is definitely giving proper warrior vibes). There are many familiar faces in this one. Overall a solid cast. The first episode shows the intriguing politics that was brewing behind all the sinister smiles. The cuts in between are really adding to the suspense factor. This show is not simply a political drama. It has many elements in it. I am sucker for supernatural stuff in this genre. I am loving the way they showed the conflict between the characters yet added humours factor in it to tone down the seriousness. ML(Zichuan) reminds me of Liu Yunnings character from his last drama. I think they could have tone down his character a little bit and some characters could have given extra screen time. Bromance was worth watching atleast. You might get irritated by one of the female characters but I guess that was how it was written in the novel. Overall a very good impression. Waiting for season 2.

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A beautiful drama ruined by annoying characters

I always had this problem with Cdramas where they don't understand what a normal/ not so well off family looks like. They usually show these " poor" characters with an extravagant lifestyle, beautiful clothes, an expensive apartment and so on. For a change they finally showed a poor household which looks believable. A small apartment with small rooms, stuffed furniture and not so elegant looking interior.
What is good:
This story is something that you can watch with your family. It revolves around family values closely knitted together in many Asian cultures, FL's relationships and her struggle in a competitive work environment. The story is not something that you haven't seen before and I have seen Xu Kai and Yang Zi portraying similar roles before yet this drama is much better than all of them together. It is obviously slow burn and little draggy especially with second ml's storyline and fl's overbearing and nosy mother but you will enjoy the two main leads and their interaction a lot. Grandma's character is the best for me. She had a different aura altogether. You will totally adore her. Storywise it is not the best but not too bad either. Writer do not shy away from showing competitive and greedy human nature in the drama. Acting is really good whether it is the main lead or the side characters. Believe me you will literally hate some characters. They are just that good.
What will make you drop this drama: *WARNING RANT AHEAD*
Among all the dramas that I have watched (and I have watched a lot) never have I ever seen a character as annoying, overbearing, nosy, without much dignity, full of selfish bul*sh*t, and totally without any hint of character development like that of the Mother of FL in this drama. In the beginning I sort of forgave her for everything knowing how parents could be little nosy in some families. Then I thought her character might change, something will develop in her arc but to my utter disappointment there wasn't an ounce of guilt or change in her character. I don't know but looks like writers were obsessed with her to an extent that she was more on screen than ML. There is a limit to bear with such a character but writers do not give a damn instead they will introduce a whole set of relatives to irk you further. Nobody really points out what is wrong with mother. Dad and brother's characters were the weakest. They just see the whole scenario like a passerby and even cajole mother despite her being super wrong. *Sigh*
I tried really very hard for Yangzi and Xu kai but I gave up after a while. FL's brother's arc wasn't really interesting plus I felt way too much second hand embarrassment for FL throughout the episodes. I would not recommend this drama to anyone just because of ONE CHARACTER.

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It is always the least anticipated one that does wonders

When everyone was waiting for all the big dramas of the year to finally air and end the wait...all they did were just to disappoint the viewers with mediocre acting or boring script. Excessive CGI and stellar cast cannot save the drama either if the plot isn't going anywhere. And we have been graced with such CDramas for quite some time in the last few months. I really find it interesting that most of the dramas that are not hyped much ends up being the best ones. It was the case for this drama as well.
The story isn't too complex to give you headache but still makes you want to stick till the end and despite having many loopholes here or there you would still be on the edge and wait for the next episode. There is nothing much to nitpick about acting when veteran actors are in the side roles and many of the actors that we already love are in the drama. I was surprised by a few actors who didn't leave much impression on me in their other shows but despite small role they did really very well in this one. The main cast and and their characters reminds me of LLTG a lot. ML is just so Ling Buyi and FL is just like Shaoshang. (If you tone down them a little). I loved all the scheming and bonding of the characters. Though the main lead do not interact a lot (especially in the first half) but when they do it is all sparks. All the subtle expressions and longing eyes are enough to make your heart flutter. Towards the end it feels as if plot was dragged a little bit and the open ending leaves audience with bitter feelings but the special episode make up for it. For CGI: Special mention for the music competition episode- it was little too much but still very beautiful. From music to production design everything is top notch.
Overall it is one of the best dramas of this year which you shouldn't miss at all. I highly recommend this one.

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My journey to you in S...L...O...W M...O...T...I...O...N

The drama looked pretty intriguing from the story. It started off with a bang which looked pretty promising then it began to drag in the middle, then accelerated all the way towards the end and finally stopped dead in the end. (That's the gist of the drama).
All the things that I loved about the drama in the beginning began to irk me towards the end. One such example is the aesthetics. It was really gorgeous to look at the mesmerizing natural scenes now and then but they did it way too much that I began to skip them. Another example is slow motion, that is the biggest problem in this drama. It was good at first in some scenes but they were walking in slow-mo, running in slow-mo, drinking in slow-mo, fighting in slow-mo, talking in slow-mo and explaining things in slow-mo...tbh I had to watch all that in 2x many times. (I have never seen a bad guy explaining his plans for more than half an hour and that too so damn slowly that I even lost interest in the middle of his conversation. The closeup scenes for instance began to look funny because they did it way too much especially during the fight scenes which, by the way, showed really good choreography, began to look fake. It looked they were posing with a sword for some photoshoot.
The main leads for me were the least interesting couple (I just did not feel anything for them. They were good in separate scenes but whenever they were together it felt .... boring.) Even the side characters were far interesting than them. The sister was hilarious (there was overacting but still in all the chaos she was the one who made me laugh). I loved yound elders and felt more connected to their stories than the leads. Plot wise it was really interesting but due to some reasons it looked the writers were justifying ML's every action right no matter how stupid it was. The interaction of two brothers and sister-in-law was something I enjoyed a lot. I felt more connected to young elders like Xue and Hua despite less screen time than anyone in the drama even the assassin mentor Hanyesi made me cry. It had great visuals, beautiful actors, well acted suspenseful story and good songs but it lacked chemistry ( FL had more chemistry with her mentor despite few scenes, two brothers had more chemistry than second leads) and sense at times. Plus the ending which wasn't even an open ending tbh. I wonder if there will be a season 2? (So many loose ends).
All I can say in the end is that it was a good one time watch.

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Looks like we are finally back in the old Kdrama era

The first thing that came to my mind while watching the drama was- it was giving old Kdrama vibes. It was pure nostalgia as if I was rewatching all those dramas that introduced me to this whole new world decades ago. If I could compare it to more recent drama then 'The business proposal' is the closest one in terms of plot and fluffy rom-com feel.
But it isn't the plot that will make to glued to it. It is the acting and chemistry of our main lead. They felt so believable and relatable especially in the beginning. It is simply a Chaebol drama , "rich man poor woman." but you will still watch it because it is so damn entertaining. The dialogues are hilarious, acting is just perfect. Honestly this was the sort of vibe that I was missing badly from all the recent Kdramas. They were following more western style and sort of loosing their own essence in the race. (Though I can't complain about every single one of them. Some were exceptionally good but that is just my p.o.v. and one can have different opinion over it.) Honestly it was 9.5 rating drama for me but towards the middle it began to lose its maturity and relatability which I loved in the beginning and then I thought it is one of those kdramas which you can only enjoy if you don't try to find logic. But for me it would have been perfect if ML's character was shown more reasonable and less coercive. In the beginning his behaviour felt hilarious, then it became annoying a little. Even FL, who was portrayed really cool/mature and relatable in the beginning began to turn into cliched clueless kdrama FL. For me it started really very well in the beginning but began to fizzle out towards the end as it began to turn its characters little cheesy for my taste. Overall it is a good fluffy rom-com one time watch kdrama for sure.
(Btw was I the only one who was taken aback for a moment because sml really looked like Jin.)

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Visual Feast and I am not just talking about Cheng Lei

It is Cheng Lei's drama and he is the backbone of it. Now, this is what I can call unique. Atleast this drama tried something new (plot wise ) and the way Cheng Lei is doing three characters here is laudable for sure. He is breaking his mould. It is my first time seeing him doing comedy, goofy/innocent type of character. Obviously his usual indifferent one is also part of his other character but it is refreshing to see him doing something different than what he is already good at.
If I have to describe cinematography- just pause anywhere during the episode and it looks like a scenery that you could use it as a background image, it is that level of beautiful. I am loving all the editing which is done smartly something that was completely missing in Legend of female general. That is how one puts 'impact' in a particular scene especially action scenes, even though Song Yi (FL) still doesn't have that physical apperance of a general but it still looks good and powerful. The one that really stood out to me was that herbalist girl. She is so natural in her acting. Maybe it is just the character but she is doing really great though I cannot say the same for her partner the other deputy general or something. I am enjoying side characters banter and obviously villain of the story. A well suited actress for Empress's role. She perfectly delivered those bewitching, obsessed and unstable vibes that was demanded by her role. There are some great action scenes and choreography is really smooth. Now the worst part- when someone writes a female general's character, the most important quality of a leader is his/her descision making abilities. FL is shown pretty smart/vigilant one here but all her decisions as a general are very questionable. She goes alone fighting, takes handful of soldiers to fight against a big bandit group and ultimately she becomes damsel in distress who needs ML to save her. If we really think about it she is not fit for a general's position who leads a huge group (mostly men). That is the worst thing of this drama. Why do they write female characters like that is still a mystery to me. Either make her so sharp to get out of trouble using her brain or simply make her physically strong to fight her way out or don't make her a general or leader. It can still be a great character without such position. It is VERY FRUSTRATING.
Overall it is a unique and enjoyable drama (minus above mentioned parts).

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There is just no way one cannot recognise a MAN like that!!!

I went into it without any expectation tbh. I don't remember if I have seen any show with the same leads. But man...who would have thought....that I WOULD BINGE WATCH IT ALL in one go and I need more of it😭. What a beautiful pairing.
The story isn't something new and we have many Jdramas which are pretty similar in plot but this one has a feel to it. Felt more genuine and believable unlike a few where overdramatic scenes and exaggerated dialogues just takes away all the reality from it. Seriously I can easily recommend this drama to simple office romance lovers.
( By the way is it just me who thinks ML looks like Leon from Resident Evil game, especially his hair in front of his face?)
I loved the acting. It felt calm and genuine it is like when you feel and hear them emotionally rather than watching it with exaggerated lines and complex poetry and what not. Plus the chemistry is lit what more do we need?
To conclude it all- Is it good? YES! Is it re-watchable? Hell YEAH!
PS:I am still struggling to understand how could FL not recognise ML and not just once but twice???

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