Surprisingly good!
OVERALLIt's short, to-the-point, and without major flaws. Watch it if you're bored and in need of a quick, small dose of romance. If you're really not a fan of fantasy or like to be super invested in your dramas, then reconsider. I would still give it a try. It's so short!
THE STORY
I like the switched-bodies trope, but I'm always wary because it comes with so many overused cliches I can't stand. Luckily, this drama does without them. Female lead is mature, poised and smart (although sometimes a bit helpless), Male lead isn't the usual cold prick and is also smart enough not to misunderstand things, so they face the situation differently than the protagonists of other dramas. It's just refreshing not to see the same old mambo. The couple is pretty cute too. There just isn't much to dislike about the story (it's a bit weird what happens with the villains but it's not so bad as to ruin the show).
There are definitely disadvantages to a short web-series format, the biggest one being that there isn't enough time to develop characters, relationships and plot very well. This drama does as well as it can with the time constraint, but you still don't feel very attached or invested in the characters. It's like watching the highlights of a drama rather than a complete drama. However, I find that there are also lots of advantages, the main one being no time for useless side stories that C-dramas are OBSESSED with. And THAT, I'm here for it! If you're the same, give this drama a try. I think it's worth it!
THE ACTING
Good stuff. The switching-body trope is pretty demanding, I thought the two actresses did a fantastic job. Main leads had some decent chemistry too. I have no complaints.
THE MUSIC
Can't remember, but it's not a bad thing!
REWATCH VALUE
Not super high, but not quite low. There were some really cute scenes, but I didn't care about this drama enough to rewatch it whole. I might rewatch parts of it!
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Good, but...
OVERALLThe world needs more representation of neurodivergent people (and people suffering from psychological problems) in dramas, and this one isn't bad at all too, so just watch. If you're REALLY looking for a steamy romance with lots of skinship, then wait until you have nothing else to watch, but still watch it. You'll become a better person if you do.
THE STORY
There have been a few characters on the autism spectrum in K-dramas (Female lead's brother in Shining Inheritance, Main lead's brother in It's Okay to Not be Okay, Main lead in Good Doctor) so I wouldn't say the drama innovates by tackling neurodivergence. It does take a slightly difference angle though: the autistic character is a woman, she's into law, and the drama focuses a bit more on her love story. That's great because not only do we get a glimpse of the stigma in the professional sphere (which there's plenty of in Good Doctor) but we also get a glimpse of the stigma and issues that arise in the relational sphere (dating). As if that wasn't already awesome, the drama starts with pretty interesting legal cases that hook even viewers like me (who don't like legal dramas), the main lead is ADORBS (the ultimate perfect BF that does not exist in real life), and there's a bit of mystery simmering in the background (who is Female lead's mom and what happened to her?). So in theory, this drama's perfect...
But...
In the last third of the drama, the legal cases become less interesting, and what made the drama so appealing (the promise of a deep dive into professional and relational stigma) falls flat. Suddenly no one challenges Female lead's place in a law firm (the social stigma magically vanishes), and all the questions and problems Female Lead and Male Lead have encountered (or should be encountering) for being together are forgotten. The glimpses into stigma really are just being glimpses, nothing more. The ending is also extremely rushed and dissatisfying; it feels like the drama should have had more episodes but was cut down to 16 eps without making the necessary adjustments. In other words, the drama fails to deliver the depth and tight writing it promised at first. It's definitely still worth a watch, but it could have been better. Hopefully there is a second season to fix these flaws. I'm not usually for it, but this drama deserves it!
THE ACTING
Fab! I honestly can't think of anybody who played badly. Park Eunbin made me feel some kind of way in The King's Affections (a bad kind of way), so I was a bit wary coming into this drama, but she blew my mind. She's just so impressive!
THE MUSIC
Good. Quirky when needed, sad when needed.
REWATCH VALUE
To be honest, I'm not sure I will rewatch this drama. While I love what it stands for, it wasn't able to capture my heart the way other dramas tackling mental health (It's Okay, It's Love and It's Okay to Not Be Okay) did. It's probably a one-timer for me (unless a second season comes out!).
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Not what I expected, but not bad!
OVERALLA typical romance with business drama on the side. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a cute love story with decent amount of skinship, 2) you like business backstabbing and crime solving, 3) you enjoy outspoken female leads. Think twice if you 1) need the Male Lead to be a flawless Prince Charming, 2) get annoyed when the bad guys always outsmart the good guys, 3) you can't stand lazy writing.
THE STORY
I think the first episode of this drama is kind of false advertisement. The drama starts with Female Lead being all Charlie's Angels, Femme Fatale spy...only to never have her be that great again haha I was really looking forward to this so I was kind of disappointed, but the drama was not bad, I finished it in four days!
The Good
- Female Lead isn't super smart or strong/kickass, but she acts her age and she's not afraid of saying what she thinks, which already makes her better than half of the C-drama girls out there.
- This drama involves physical disability, and in a very wholesome way. That's the first time I ever see this in a C-drama (or any drama), and it's really necessary. For that alone, I liked it a lot!
- Female Lead and Male Lead don't hate each other at first (hurray! honestly getting so tired of that trope). While you never quite understand when they fall in love with each other, they make a cute couple and the drama is generous with the sweet, romantic scenes.
- The business action/drama, at least at the beginning, is actually interesting.
The Bad
- The good guys are just not that smart, and it's painful to watch.
- An annoying and persistent second Female lead makes everything almost unbearable towards the end.
- A few parts are confusing and clearly show bad writing (eg. by the end, did Female Lead ever lose her memory or not?)
- I'm tired of crazy psychopaths. Just saying. C-dramas need to outgrow them and give us sane, realistic villains.
Overall, the drama was okay and I do recommend it, despite its flaws. It's a good filler!
THE ACTING
Good enough! I like Cheng Xiao, don't ask me why. Not much chemistry with the main actor, but they did the job (they weren't cringe, so it was fine!). The rest of the cast was okay too!
THE MUSIC
Yeah...not a fan.
REWATCH VALUE
I mean, maybe I'll rewatch, but I'm not sure. It feels like a one-timer. I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it. But maybe with time I'll miss it? haha
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Looks promising at first, but trust me, it isn't
OVERALLThis a hot mess with almost no redeeming quality. Just don't watch, unless you're really, really, REALLY desperate.
THE STORY
I started this drama and finished it, so I can't say it's completely trash. I wouldn't have endured the whole thing if it was. I liked the premise, it seemed like the drama was going to be something different. Female lead looks nice and mature at first too. Male lead looks weird from the start but his interactions with FL are pretty fun, so it's easy to stick around. But the good of this drama lasts around...five episodes? Many one or two more?
The drama gradually descends into pure madness. Female lead is a useless tyrant that really isn't likeable, Male lead is just too goofy to root for, they always behave like master and slave so not sure how we can buy that they're falling in love, their coworkers are all horrid, his family is a nightmare...Not to mention that the secondary couples are not that close to the leads (so why do we need to care?), are given way too much screen time and have uninteresting love lines. If only I hadn't been bored, I definitely would have given up on this drama halfway through. The worst thing about the drama is the way it talks about one major plot element (that happens in episode 1). I know views on this procedure are very different from one culture to the next, but it just made me so uncomfortable to watch how everyone's treating Female lead for going through it. Really made my blood boil. Like I said, no redeeming quality in this drama...except, maybe, the acting.
THE ACTING
That was fine. I don't know why, but I really like lead actress's acting. I decided to watch this drama after seeing her in Lucky With You, and she's so different here, but still, there's this serene aura about her I just like! Lead actor was fine too, I guess, even though I really didn't like his character. They just have zero chemistry, and since there's also close to zero skinship in this drama, it's a total fail.
THE MUSIC
Loud, excessive, and annoying.
REWATCH VALUE
Real low.
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Pleasantly surprised
OVERALLThis is a true e-sport drama, but a decent one. Watch if 1) you're down with a bickering OTP, 2) you like cutesy female leads, 3) you're fine with the typical cool and aloof male lead. Reconsider if 1) you can't stand any of the above, 2) you find e-sports boring, 3) you're looking for a sizzling, swoon-worthy romance.
THE STORY
Because the last few C-dramas I watched were just average, I came into this one with low expectations and found myself hooked. By the end, the 1st half was the best, the plot started withering away in the 2nd half, but overall it makes a decent filler!
The Good
- the interactions between FL and ML. The bickering feels coherent and natural, not forced like in some other dramas.
- the 'falling in love' part is well paced, cute and fun.
- the drama addresses a few social issues realistically and successfully, like the idea of a female pro gamer or the problem of unhealthy fandoms and internet communities.
The Bad
- FL is fine (compared to others) but she's still childish cute, and we need more women acting like women. Women can be mature and cute. No need to make them childish... Part of the problem is Cdramas obsession with making FL go through slapstick and dumb, embarrassing moments. Makes them look so immature!
- ML is also fine (compared to others), but the cliché aloof male lead needs to go. It's irritating just how many Cdramas bring it up.
- their 'being in love' part is kind of lackluster.
- the 2nd half of the drama is just so dramatic and game-centered. It's not the worst, it all makes sense, but it just kills the enjoyment a bit. The last ep is legit entirely spent on games...I wish there'd been more time spent on relationship or character development.
THE ACTING
Ok, I guess. I wasn't super impressed but they all did well enough! Not much chemistry between the leads but it still works!
THE MUSIC
No comment.
REWATCH VALUE
Not high. Nothing blew my mind or made me swoon, so I probably won't ever be dying to rewatch. It was a nice watch though!
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Great 1st half, not as great 2nd half
OVERALLThis drama is one of those light, fluffy ones. Watch it if 1) you're all about looks, 2) you want to see a real, gentleman-like male lead, 3) you like female leads with a backbone. If you 1) don't like esports, 2) are not into college dramas, 3) can't stand plot holes, skip.
THE STORY
It took forever for me to give this drama a try because it had two things I'm not really fond of: a college setting an esports. But now that I've watched some pretty good dramas with esports I was ready to give this one a try, and while it's not great, it's not that bad!
The Good
- Female lead has her own edge. She fights back when people attack her and she can playful too. She was nice!
- OTP's parents are all cute. Loved that none of them were the unbearable, cliched crazy in-laws.
- First half of the drama (the "falling in love" part) has a good pace and is actually interesting, including the esports parts. I binged it all in one night!
The Bad
- Typical, cliché third wheels who can't take no for an answer and make everyone's life miserable. I've said it before and I say it again, at this stage, this cliché should have been long dead. It's boring and unoriginal.
- Male lead is okay (though not really special), but he keeps making decisions without consulting Female lead, and I don't think that's anything we should aim for in a relationship. It was uncomfortable to watch.
- The obsession with looks in this drama is also uncomfortable to watch. Part of it is cultural, I know, but I'm still bothered. In this day and age, shouldn't we encourage putting importance on less superficial things, like, I don't know, personality? Skills? Not to mention that they keep praising Female lead when the actress looks malnourished...it's really not promoting healthy bodies.
- The relationship between OTP and their friends is cute, but the friends themselves can be annoying. Especially one friend on Female lead's side (whose the supposedly-cute-but-actually-childish-and-immature type of character).
- Some things are clearly plot flaws, and it's off-putting. Like when there's a misunderstanding and Female lead can't think about why there is even though she's the reason for it.
- The second half of the drama just feels lackluster in comparison with the first. When the leads get together, the relationship just turns kind of bland. They tried to play it too cute and it didn't cut it for me.
THE ACTING
To be honest, I wasn't impressed. The good news is that it's not distracting to the point that you have to stop watching (except for Male lead's rival, he's so bad it's ridiculous). The bad news is that the chemistry between the leads is...very questionable, which contributes to the 2nd half feeling so tame.
THE MUSIC
No comment. Can't even remember any of it and just finished the drama.
REWATCH VALUE
Not that high. It was okay as a first-time filler, but there was no "wow!" scene I'll be dying to rewatch. If I need to, there'll always be other options.
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Good confusion!
OVERALLThis drama is probably one of the best mystery dramas, in my opinion. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a well-written plot, with little to no loopholes, 2) you like fantasy/time-travel dramas, 3) you want a emotional and touching love story. Think twice if 1) you don't like getting confused by a drama plot, 2) age gaps between the OTP bother you, 3) you want to see lots of smexy scenes. But then still give it a shot. This drama is really something!
THE STORY
There's mystery like the whodunits, in which you're still kind of in control of what you're seeing. The puzzle is basically over and you're just missing a piece or two to have the full picture. And then there's Some Day or One Day, where you basically only have one or two pieces and you have no clue what the full picture is going to look like. I was lost and confused for most of this drama, and I LOVED every second of it!
The Good: The best thing about Some Day or One Day is obviously the writing. Time travel plots are easy to mess up, but the writing was tight. Every detail went full circle and made complete sense down the line. I also loved the female characters of this drama. Male lead and second male lead were fine, but common. Female lead was a no-nonsense, straightforward kind of girl and I loved her attitude. And second female lead was so real, making every scene about her feel extremely significant, even though we aren't meant to care about her until quite late in the series. Oh, and the interactions between all characters, and especially the OTP, are absolutely awesome. Male lead is an example that other dramas should follow, instead of constantly repeating the cold, mean, narcissistic lead. There's a lot to like about Some Day or One Day.
The Bad: There isn't a lot I didn't like about this drama. I wish there'd been more cute, sweet or smexy couple scenes, but I understand why there isn't. I can also mention the fact that one mystery in the series isn't that much of a mystery - it's pretty obvious from the start, or the fact that the ending of second female lead is unrealistic and not very coherent - I didn't feel super comfortable with what the drama implies about people like her. But overall, these are small weaknesses compared to all the strengths of this drama. NOTE: For the best experience of Some Day or One Day, make sure you watch the supplemental ending sequence they made and uploaded on Youtube, and don't end the drama with the last episode.
THE ACTING
Very good. I'd seen the actress before in at least two dramas and I think she's one of the best in Taiwanese television. Here her skills are more apparent since she plays two different people and you can tell, in her mannerisms, that they're entirely different. Male lead was also very good. There's one scene (opening sequence of episode 8) that particularly shocked me and made me realize he's not so far behind. He's pretty good too. I don't know what to say in terms of chemistry, but the OTP is still pleasant to watch and you totally root for them. It was all good!
THE MUSIC
Perf. This drama is one of those in which the music almost steals the show. So many of the songs ended up in my playlist, it's crazy!
REWATCH VALUE
Because the best part of this drama is the mystery and that feeling of being confused, I don't think it's a drama you can rewatch many times, regularly. But it's definitely a drama you can rewatch after some time, when you've forgotten the details of the drama and you can rediscover them and get surprised again. I did. This is my second time watching!
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Fluff & Games
OVERALLThis drama is basically a more basic and slightly more childish version of You Are My Glory. Watch it if 1) obviously, you've watched You Are My Glory and you liked it, 2) you're looking for a pretty light, slice-of-life type of love story, 3) you want a cute romance with several smexy scenes. Maybe skip if 1) you want to see a well-written plot, 2) you like strong female leads, 3) you're looking for an emotional drama.
THE STORY
I'm kind of dead at how similar this drama is to You Are My Glory: the e-sports, the celebrity FL, the scientist ML, competitions, dumb friends....The worst thing is it's made by the same folks (Tencent), and it was released the same year. WTH?!!! In my opinion, You Are My Glory is absolutely superior to Love Scenery, but this drama was still a very decent filler. On the positive side, the love story is coherent; the 'falling in love' part is long enough and written well enough to be believable, and the 'being in love' part is cute and at times very hot. The ML's friends are actually a fun addition to the drama, and their misunderstandings are hilarious. And just like in You Are My Glory, the third wheelers are there but not super annoying...or at least, not for too long. In fact, there aren't any bothersome characters like crazy in-laws, everyone's pretty cool, or at least bearable.
On the negative side, the main characters are not the best. ML is like every single ML in Cdramas, zero originality there, and FL is so spineless and without character, it's kind of annoying to watch (for someone who likes the smart, strong, assertive or even just mischievous and quirky type of FLs). She's supposed to be the oldest and most experienced of the OTP, but somewhat acts like a preteen 90% of the time. Expect second-hand embarrassment with her as well. Secondly, contrarily to You Are My Glory, there's a secondary couple in this drama and their love story is not too cool. I ended up skipping their parts because...yikes. And then finally (but most importantly), the writing is...pretty sloppy in this drama, more so than in You Are My Glory. There're things that aren't fully explained, there're weird cuts between sequences or scenes that don't quite make sense (I'm thinking of one in particular, a love scene, that started out SO random, I can't). And there's just not enough drama in this drama! So much time is wasted on songs and e-sports instead of giving some depth to the series. There's almost no conflicts, no character or relationship development...The drama's all fluff and games, it doesn't have much more to offer.
THE ACTING
Okay! I liked her more than him, I wasn't always impressed by him. They did have good chemistry though, I felt it more than with Yang Yang and Dilraba. The rest of the cast was fine in general, though some more than others. Overall, this isn't a drama that goes deep in emotions so it's not really a drama that showcases the cast's skills. Can't say that much about their acting.
THE MUSIC
Annoying. I personally didn't like the OST - at least, the songs. Somewhat made the show look like a teenage series than something anyone could watch...at least, in my opinion. It reminded me of stuff I used to hear in shows when I was in high school (like Rebelde or High School Musical). Background instrumental music was okay.
REWATCH VALUE
Okay. Not up there, there're better shows to rewatch, but I could see myself watching it again at some point - or at least, some of the scenes!
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Quirky but fun!
OVERALLThe first season of Fox's Summer is at times over the top, but still gripping enough to binge. Watch it if 1) you like strong, capable female leads, 2) you appreciate deep backstories and 3) you're looking for slow but realistic relationship development. If you 1) are easily bothered by inconsistencies, 2) don't like slapstick, over-the-top humor, or 3) can't stand bad acting, then skip.
THE STORY
I need to specify my review here is only for the FIRST SEASON of Fox's Summer. This season, I binged in one day. That's right, one day. It's not crazy good, but if you come in with low expectations, first season has enough cool elements to surprise you and grip you until the end. These elements are: 1) interesting backstories for the lead (lots of drama on FL's side and lots of mystery on ML's side), 2) FL's sassy, quirky, street-smart personality, 3) fun dialogues that show writers actually spent some time on the script, 4) the potential for an epic love story, as evidenced by fun scenes between the OTP and a couple of cute ones too.
On the negative side, the drama isn't the most consistent. One second, the secondary male lead looks like a potential abuser, the next we're supposed to like him. One second, FL's mom is acting like a gold-digger who couldn't care less about her daughter. The next, we're supposed to believe she does. One second, FL is a total boss, and the next, she's acting like a clumsy preteen. It definitely gets frustrating as the episodes go by. And then there's excessive bad use of flashbacks. However, the worst, in my opinion, was the childish, slapstick, over-the-top humor that was barely there at the start but increased steadily throughout the season. I don't enjoy having second-hand embarrassment over the FL. I don't find FL acting silly funny. I'm also very tired of the fact that 99% of the time, we're supposed to have a laugh over the FL and not, I don't know, the ML. I find it very distasteful...and sexist. But anyway, if you can skip these parts the drama isn't bad!
THE ACTING
I've seen Tan Songyun before in Sword & Brocade and I really liked her in that drama. In this one, not so much, but I could see more versatility in her acting. Male lead looked like a piece of wood to me, I was really unimpressed by his acting. Chemistry was close to inexistent between them, but I was hopeful for the future with a few scenes.
THE MUSIC
Loud and inappropriate. First time I hate hearing piano in the background, all the time.
REWATCH VALUE
This season has no ending, so I wouldn't watch it again unless I loved the second season. You can find out why if you look for my review of Fox's Summer 2!
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Smart people everywhere, yay!
OVERALLThis drama has got to be one of the deepest, most aesthetically pleasing historicals. Watch it if 1) you are looking for smart, complex characters (good and evil), 2) you like revenge plots 3) you don't mind the odd fantasy element. Reconsider if 1) you care too much about the age and looks of the cast, 2) you're looking for romance, 3) conversation-heavy dramas bore you. I would still give it a try though, but it's up to you!
THE STORY
I'm writing this review after watching this drama for the 3rd time, actually. I watched it once four years ago, and then again right away with my parents, but watching it once more years later is like watching it for the first time. I had this drama on a pedestal for the longest time, and while I still think it's an absolutely amazing drama, I can now tell some of its flaws too.
The Good: The best thing about NIF are the characters. They're all SO well-written, not always with a crazy amount of depth but always with consistency and SMARTNESS - which is great, especially for the villains, who are often reduced to dumb, unrealistic caricatures in dramas. Also, one thing that many, including myself, deplore about NIF is how it is extremely male-centric, but the drama kind of (just kind of) makes up for it with a whole bunch of smart, badass female characters. The plot comes in as a close second in my list of best things about NIF. The drama is one big chess game and there isn't one move out of line. Everything has a purpose for the story, every character as well, and it's so cool to see things come together. Lastly, I have to say NIF has down periods that can be a bit slow-paced, but it has just as many segments that are super sensational, making you feel excited or getting you to cry buckets. So while it's not the best binge material, it definitely sends you on a rollercoaster ride. Oh, and I have to mention the visuals in this drama, because the sets, costumes and shots are so beautiful. There's definitely a lot of high quality in NIF.
The Bad: On the negative side, we have a very poorly managed love story in this drama. Romance is not the center of NIF and it makes sense that it recedes to the background, but the drama goes beyond that. What we see is a main lead CONSTANTLY dismissing the girl he is supposed to like. He lies to her again and again, never consults her before he does anything (even something that will impact her as well as him), never includes her in his plans (but he includes every other person that may not even be able to protect themselves as well as her), almost never is shown feeling/thinking/longing for her (he seems to care more about every other character than her), etc. Overall, I ended this drama feeling like female lead liked him a lot more than he liked her and that he did not deserve her. On a similar note, I didn't appreciate how women were so overlooked in this drama. Sure, it has boss female characters who, while they don't do much, manage to steal your heart when they do appear. But why can't they play a bigger role in the plot? Some might say 'oh, but at the time...', but it's not really a valid argument. While some women couldn't move freely about, many could and the drama does show that. And in any case, it's not like they couldn't make them bend the rules through secret passages and such. So not including women in the plot seems like a deliberate, male-centric move. A final thing I didn't particularly like in this drama is the incorporation of fantasy elements. They're not enough to ruin the whole experience, but they could also have been removed/replaced by realistic elements and it wouldn't have made the drama worse (quite the opposite).
THE ACTING
Pretty solid by everyone. This is why the cast's age should never be a factor to decide whether to watch a drama or not. NIF has an older cast but their experience makes their perform top notch. The roles that most caught my attention in this drama were the Emperor (absolutely the best, I would say) and the villains, but they all play very well. Several scenes are just goosebumps-worthy!
THE MUSIC
Absolutely amazing. Nothing I'd listen to now that the drama is over, but compared to other dramas in which the same happens, the music REALLY stood out for me. It's like in a film, carefully selected and placed to boost the scenes but not overwhelm you or distract you from what's going on. And it's just SO beautiful!
REWATCH VALUE
Well, I watched it three times already, enough said! But I must say, I did do some fast-forwarding this time...
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Watch without thinking
OVERALLThis drama is a decent filler; flawed but with enough cuteness and fluffiness to watch until the end. Watch it if 1) you are looking for an all-round cast of good-looking actors, 2) you like youthful humor, 3) you want a drama with lots of cute couple scenes. If you 1) care a lot about good plots with no incoherence, 2) hate clichés, 3) need sizzling chemistry between the leads, then skip.
THE STORY
I will be honest. The plot of this drama is really unimpressive. First, it's a complete melting pot of clichés, and not the kind you don't mind seeing again and again, the opposite kind. Accidental tripping and kissing, predictable antagonist moves, savior complex of the ML, etc. Second, it's full of elements that don't make sense: characters acting out of character, conflicts that appear out of nowhere or end randomly, events that aren't realistic, etc. One inconsistency that particularly drove me crazy was the bad character development of FL. The drama couldn't decide if to make her strong and outspoken or weak and influenceable, so she kept on changing from one scene to the next. Third, there's the fact that at times the drama felt a bit...immature? I guess it targets a relatively young audience. In short, there are lots of issues with this drama. HOWEVER, I still watched it until the end, and it was not a very painful experience.
Why? Well, mostly because the drama is so generous with the couple scenes. The relationship development (falling in love part) isn't the best, but you get tons of cute scenes between the leads and that's enough to keep you going (if you're watching mostly for romance). There are also one or two interesting plot twists that pleasantly surprise you, and the secondary couples get decent love lines too. Overall, I get the sense that although the drama has lots of issues, they're not THAT bad. As in, the quality isn't that rotten, even if the quantity of bad stuff is huge. You can ignore them without too much effort and just roll with it. At least, I did.
THE ACTING
Okay, I guess. OTP is convincing, even though I honestly didn't feel any chemistry between the leads and some of their scenes felt quite cringe to me. Not "I can't watch this" cringe, just "It doesn't feel real" cringe. It was fine, just not great. Older cast was fine too, but the secondary cast (except for one or two actors) did not impress me.
THE MUSIC
Also okay. It's decent, even though I didn't get the urge to listen to any of the songs once the drama ended.
REWATCH VALUE
Pretty average, not that high. It's light but still has lots of scenes that get on your nerve; it has lots of cute couple scenes but without much chemistry. I feel like there will always be better options when I feel like rewatching a drama.
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Best FL & Worst ML
OVERALLThis binge-worthy drama brings epicness to the least epic historical setting: the Qing dynasty harem. Watch it if 1) you enjoy never-ending catfights, 2) you love strong, smart, complex female leads, 3) you dig Qing dynasty culture. If you 1) hate long dramas (this is SEVENTY episodes y'all!!), 2) can't stand unlikeable male leads, 3) need well-developed, emotional love stories, then think about it. Think hard...and then maybe still give it a try.
THE STORY
For the longest time I shunned this drama. Qing dynasty stories really aren't my style; the costumes, the customs, the fact that the world seems to be restricted to the Forbidden City and women don't seem to have anything else to do in their life than fight for the emperor's attention, well, I'm not a fan. But this drama is rated so high, I had to give it a try eventually...and I don't regret it!
The Good: Although this drama is essentially about women fighting for attention in the Forbidden City (which I dislike with a passion), the first half of the plot also involves a murder-mystery, which gives it a refreshing twist and makes the repetitive catfights quite bearable. Another thing that helps swallow them well is the fact that FL is just absolutely AMAZING, definitely one of the best I've seen, and the best C-drama FL hands down. What's great about her is that she isn't the typical "innocent, pure" FL that responds to evilness with kindness. She stands between good and evil and when she says she wants justice, she'll do just about anything to get it. As such, she's scheming like the bad girls, and it's super satisfying to see. The drama not only has a number of epic scenes (all linked to the FL - is my girl crush obvious?), but it also has several, really emotional scenes, and a few fun ones too. Finally, the end is a fairly good one (considering C-dramas, especially period dramas, don't typically have well-written endings, that's really a blessing!). It's not rushed and it wraps up everything nicely.
The Bad: Unfortunately, there are pretty massive flaws that keep me from rating this drama higher. The biggest one is the ML, who is absolutely despicable. The emperor is egocentric and tyrannical from beginning to end. He treats everybody like they are from an inferior race, can't empathize or sympathize with anyone and makes few attempts to try to understand others . This includes FL - even though he lets her get away with more "insubordination" than others. As a result, it's impossible to enjoy his relationship with FL. Not fully, anyway. I couldn't imagine why the FL would like him, and even the screenwriters probably couldn't, because it's never clear why (or how) FL falls for him. I almost wish there wasn't any reciprocated love between them (a first in my drama journey!!) and FL was just using him for her own personal goals. That would have made a lot more sense, especially considering she has a second ML - who also isn't that great, by the way, but much better than the emperor - dying for her. Also, while there are GREAT moments in Yanxi Palace, there are also chunks of the drama that are draggy and/or sloppy. About half of it (roughly eps 20-40 and 50-60) felt like a bit of a let down. There is too much coming and going of characters, too many evildoers, less coherent plots, not enough of the FL. There also isn't a big picture anymore (once the murder-mystery ends). I wouldn't say that these chunks are bad, but they're not as good as the other solid episodes.
THE ACTING
Since the drama is mostly about the women in the harem, it really relies a lot on the female cast, and they did great. The main women - FL, Consort Guo, Consort Chun, the first and the second empresses, they are all absolutely fantastic in their roles. Most of them can appear angelic one second and the devil incarnate the next. The makeup artists also did an amazing job; the makeup really helped in making them creepy at times! Male actors also are fine, they just don't stand out as much. There isn't much chemistry between FL and ML, but they got me smiling once or twice (even though I couldn't fully ship them), so it's okay.
THE MUSIC
I wasn't a huge fan of the violin background track that was played excessively in the drama to make you feel sad, but I LOVED the opening music. Although I'm not taking any song from the drama, overall, the OST was fitting and not too distracting from the story, so that's good.
REWATCH VALUE
High. For sure I'll rewatch the drama, there are too many epic scenes that deserve to be seen again. But I will definitely be skipping lots of parts too when I do.
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Above average, and will only get better!
OVERALLThis is the first half of the drama (not sure why it's split but sure), and it's a good one. I'd say just watch. Although not perfect, this drama has so much good stuff going on, it's worth the try. But if you really, really don't like silly female leads or slow burn romance, then you might want to reconsider.
THE STORY
I wasn't sure what I'd get into when I started this drama. Turns out it's a bit bipolar, alternating between serious/dramatic vibes and comical/sometimes over-the-top scenes, but it still works, and I'm hooked!
The best
- 3D characters who are flawed, have fears and have traumas to overcome. Female lead and Male lead even have relationship growth, which is an amazing bonus!
- Linked to the above is the super well developed family dynamics in Female lead's family, which are not usually so deep in other dramas and which I hope are going to evolve.
- I'm not a huge fan of the "love at first sight" trope, but this drama does it beautifully. Male lead has more of a case of "interest at first sight" that gradually turns into love, which makes more sense.
- There is a second Male lead in this first half of the drama, he's quite cute and his relationship with Female lead is too. I like their story from beginning to end, it doesn't go at all as I expected, which is refreshing.
- The cinematography (filter, settings) is mature and balances out well with the slapstick and slightly immature scenes.
- You have some political intrigue going on, sometimes in the background, sometimes more up front. And for sure more is coming!
- There's also a bit of mystery surrounding Male lead's past which keeps you wondering.
- Extremely fun emperor. Don't think I've ever liked one that much before!
The worst
- Too many mean girls moments. Way. too. many. One or two is fine, but it's getting a bit repetitive. Hopefully they find other sources of conflict and problems than just evil noble ladies badmouthing the leads.
- It does take a loooong time for the romance to really kick off. Apart from a few isolated scenes, Male lead and Female lead are almost never together until ep 20. It wouldn't be that bad, if the time wasn't filled with so many mean girls scenes.
- Female lead can be too ditzy at times. I guess some people like silly female leads because they're in vogue in C-dramas, but I prefer mature and dignified female leads so it bothers me a bit. Granted, the character is supposed to be young, but still. It might throw you off if you're like me.
- There are too many characters, imo, some of which are not particularly likeable and quite useless (can someone tell me what is Yuan's purpose in the drama?). It's a bit frustrating when they get too much screentime.
- The cinematography is great, but not too sure about the costumes and makeup. They just don't seem to flatter anybody.
Overall though, this is a solid start for the drama. I'm guessing it will only get better from here, since the romance is on, the political intrigue will only get more intense and the plot will have to thicken. If you're not sure, just try it!
THE ACTING
Ok. Like I said in another drama review, there are some actors I just like. Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi are such actors. I don't think they're amazing (especially Leo, he'll improve as he gets older), but they do the trick and they have good chemistry. What else can we ask for? In general, no complaints from the rest of the cast, the older actors sometimes even outshine the younger ones.
THE MUSIC
Good enough! I really like the instrumental tracks!
REWATCH VALUE
I have to wait until the second half to truly decide, but for now, it's high (with some fast forwarding)!
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Fluff for days
OVERALLThis drama is the perfect filler! Watch it if 1) you need something light and fluffy, 2) you're looking for romance with smexy scenes, 3) you dig a more slice-of-life style of drama (with no real storyline). If 1) you want to see a well-developed plot, love story and characters, or 2) you're craving an emotional drama, maybe skip.
THE STORY
I've been struggling to settle on a rating for this drama. To be honest, there is nothing really special or great about it. The characters are nothing out of the ordinary, the plot is nothing out of the ordinary (except the ML's job, that's kind of cool!), the script is nothing out of the ordinary. It's not a drama that will make you cry or die of laughter either. But it's definitely super cute and fun to watch, and I would have binged it all in one day if I didn't have to wait for the last 6 eps!
The Good: First, there is no annoying character in this drama. Literally NONE. No bothersome third-wheels, no overwhelming parents, no archenemies...nothing. Secondly, we get to see what happens after the wedding of the main leads (aka after the 'happily ever after'), and it's always cool when we see glimpses of life after the ceremony. Thirdly, the drama really doesn't go cheap with OTP love scenes. Lots of cute, funny, smexy scenes between the leads - especially in the last third of the show, which is the best part, in my opinion. Lastly (and most importantly), this drama's is one of those that give good role models. We have two people who not only like each other but support each other's careers, even if it means that they don't get to hang out that often; that they're really busy and dedicated to their jobs. At first it doesn't seem like a major part of the show, but it gradually becomes clear that it is, and I honestly lived for it. Nobody should have to compromise their dreams for marriage. I think they're my new relationship goal haha
The Bad: I never thought I would say this, but I didn't like how there's almost nothing bad going on in this drama. The OTP always get what they want and almost never have to sweat for it. No hard obstacles to overcome, no relationship (or individual) growth, NOTHING. It makes the drama feel kind of...empty. I guess that's why I just couldn't be that emotionally invested in the story. Another big flaw in this drama is the lack of relationship development. It's never clear why FL fell for ML in high school, it's not clear why she falls for him in the present, and it's not clear when (or why) ML falls for FL in the present either. Flashbacks are useless to give us the backstory of their high school days, and while the leads spend plenty of time together before they become an item, we just see them playing video games. We don't see them falling in love. Which leads me to the third thing I didn't like about this show: the emphasis on appearance. It looks like the drama's answer to all the above holes in the plot is 'oh, but ML is SOOOO handsome!'. It's true (he is), and it's also true that looks matter (unfortunately haha), but looks shouldn't be the foundation for love. Even the FL's looks are emphasized to explain why ML likes her. There are a few other flaws here and there (eg. characters keep coming and going, and they're never mentioned again), but they're small compared to these three.
By the end, I would say that the good outdoes the bad, but only because the last third of the drama is SO cute, it makes up for the bad and how 'meh' the drama felt in the first two thirds haha
THE ACTING
Okay, I guess...I think Yang Yang and Dilraba did well with what they were given, considering both of their roles are cliché and don't have much depth. The only thing is, the chemistry is on and off between them. In some scenes you can feel it a lot; in others, I legit felt pulled out of the fiction when I saw them together (like they reminded me it was all an act). Also, all second leads were pretty unimpressive to me, but they barely have the chance to show much.
THE MUSIC
Not my style, but nothing distracting or annoying.
REWATCH VALUE
Pretty high! Like I said, it's the perfect filler. It's all good stuff, no drama, so it'll be perfect to rewatch in between heavier shows or when there's nothing good on the horizon.
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Almost great, but...
OVERALLAmazing visuals, great music, good script, but terribly unbalanced. Watch it if you're looking for a logical and coherent love story and you're into political intrigue. If you're easily bored, you're into useful and important FLs, or you don't like tragedy, skip.
THE STORY
In theory, it is an enemies-to-lovers story. Male Lead (ML) and Female Lead (FL) come from different nations, and families with a real bad history, but they're forced to get married to protect the peace. Obviously, it does not go well... until it does. But really, it's not an enemies-to-lovers story, because typically, in these stories, both sides are petty with one another until love comes around, and that's not what this drama is about. FL is pretty much catering to the ML almost from the start and ML is the main one being petty. It's as if he's the only one suffering from the family feud and she doesn't have that baggage at all (which makes no sense). It doesn't last very long, but the next part (which lasts VERY long) is not much better: FL knows she likes ML and ML kind of knows he likes her but pretends he doesn't. The last quarter of the drama, the romance finally picks up, but by then 3/4 of the series is gone.
On the bright side, ML and FL are cute and have several nice, memorable scenes together. Even though most of the romance is very tame (PG-rated), there are 2-3 spicier scenes to shake things up. But I'm not satisfied. Do I feel like the 1st part, when ML is being petty, is bad? No, but I would have enjoyed it more if FL had been pettier. It would make the relationship feel more equal. She does mess things up for him a bit at the beginning, but not nearly as much as she could have. By the way, it feels very unusual to see a FL so subdued and effaced, when the trend these days is the opposite. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It felt like a waste to make FL smart and then let her be so...unimportant. Anyway, same thing with part 2. Do I feel like the 2nd part, when ML is in denial, is bad? No, it's necessary given his backstory, but it's WAY too long. We're stuck in this part for more than 10 episodes. More than 10 episodes of romance not progressing is a problem.
To be clear, I don't think the love story is all bad, it makes sense and the characters (especially ML and his resentment) make sense. It's just not well balanced. There's also an imbalance between the romance and the political intrigue in Prisoner of Beauty. Usually, if there is one, dramas don't spend enough time on the romance and too much time on politics, but here, it feels like the opposite. That wouldn't be a problem if the romance was very eventful and fast-paced, but when literally nothing new happens for episodes on end in the romance and there's also nothing of much importance happening in the political side, then we get... well, nothing. The political intrigue in this drama is very interesting though. In the last episodes, it reaches epic proportions. But it feels so rushed! Why wait until the very last 3 episodes to let the fun start?
Bottom line: Prisoner of Beauty has great sets and costumes and good cinematography. The love story, though a bit juvenile, is cute and coherent. Secondary characters (Yulou and the Wei cousin) have surprising depth (though it isn't utilized as much as it should have been), too. But overall, the drama just doesn't quite reach its amazing potential. It is, however, a HUGE improvement on the book, imo.
THE ACTING
Good enough for me. I think FL did a better job than ML, but I do like Liu Yuning and wish him the absolute best. They did have good chemistry too. I also want to praise the production for a diverse cast (not everybody is thin in this drama), which is a change. That was really nice.
THE MUSIC
Good stuff!
REWATCH VALUE
I will DEFINITELY rewatch this, but with some fast-forwarding.
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