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Completed
My Demon
2 people found this review helpful
23 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Goes down like the Titanic....



...but at least the Titanic had a band.

MY DEMON is a series with no organizing theme. Is it about the migrating tattoo? A would-be killer on the loose? A dysfunctional family drama? What we get is a number of false starts that lead nowhere. It feels like too many writers were pulling this mess in different directions.

Hey, everybody--your homework is to read the green DEMON'S MANUAL. The rules keep changing, but it's got to be in there. Here's the question: Can demons be shot and killed--or not?

The attraction between the two leads is all about physical appearance. These generic lovers do generic things: he brings her flowers, they watch a horror movie, they ride a bike, she cooks, etc. Etc. I couldn't find any convincing individuality-or chemistry. In fact, it sure looked like Song Kang used his hand to block their first kiss.

And Do-Hee isn't the brightest cookie in the jar. It takes until Episode 14 for her to show the slightest curiosity about her husband's day job. She's horrified, of course, but she sure gets over it quickly. "Oh, you take the souls of desperate people who are then tortured forever? And one of them’s my dad? No problemo."

And I'm sorry--because I really like him-Song Kang is totally miscast as a demon. For most of the series he's sweet and loving or having a fashion moment. He's just not the baddy the audience deserves. I blame the writers because Song Kang can ACT when he's got a good script (see Navillera).

The secondary characters engage in a lot of silliness that never adds up to a single genuinely funny moment. As for God, s/he just bloviates about all the things she can't do. No help there, though I have a feeling she'll come through in the end.

Later: I finished the series, and while a lot of the silly stuff was wrapped up, I can't see that anything important was resolved. A minor character is going to be damned for all eternity--someone who absolutely didn't deserve it. But no one in this series has a moral compass, so no one cares--as long as the big romance is saved. A lot of filler in the last two episodes. I was so ready for this one to end.

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Moving
1 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

Awesome

MOVING is just as good as the most of the reviews say it is. It’s basically an entertaining thriller, and almost every episode ends in a cliff hanger. Each character is a complete individual--even the villains aren’t totally evil. Everyone’s more or less a victim of their particular circumstances. While certain characters have powers, their abilities often create as many problems as the solve.

The story manages to be surprising in spite of the overworked theme. Unlike some other Korean and Chinese dramas, this one never once made me feel that the writers were making it up as they went along. The story was well-crafted, tightly woven, and believable within a fantasy framework.

The back story was parceled out a bit at a time, and sometimes the writers would circle back and fill in the details of a previous scene adding texture to the plot or more dialog to a previous conversation. The visual effects and ost during the final credits for each episode enhanced and deepened the atmosphere.

Because the plot, characterization, and logical development were so well-done, I have very few criticisms. I’ll just mention a couple. It bothered me that Mr. Electric, who went AWOL twice with disastrous effects to the company’s property, was allowed to keep his job as a bus driver. A few weeks before the school year ends, practically the entire school collapses in rubble and ruin, and yet during the graduation ceremony, a few weeks later, everything looks as good as new.

But I’m being a bit picky--it's really quite good.

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Completed
The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
1 people found this review helpful
18 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 4.0

Cartoon cliches

Series writers, directors, and other such craftsmen are masters of misdirection. In THE TRAUMA CODE, we’re encouraged to focus, indeed obsess, about Baek Kang-hyeok, the series’ enigmatic, superman doctor, while all manner of insanity is swept under the rug.

What kind of insanity? The buffoonish behavior of a certain hysterical hospital administrator who screams, yells, and bloviates while bodies are piling up in the corridors. The fact that said hospital has such a skeletal staff that minimally trained people are recruited to do serious surgery whenever the head dude isn’t around. The constant catastrophizing as our hero theatrically attends to one patient after another–once under a hail of bullets, once while clinging precariously to the side of a cliff. Each time the viewers are assured that the patient’s chances are slim to none–but somehow they all pull through. (Well, almost all.)

I know. This is standard fare for a medical drama, especially one based on a webtoon. And, I have to admit, it’s done smoothly and almost (but not quite) convincingly here.

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The Long Way Back
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 7, 2025
34 of 34 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Extraordinary Drama

This amazing Chinese drama---one of the best of 2025---stars Hu Jun in the role of a platoon leader in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army during the 14-year Second Sino-Japanese War.

After his team is scattered, Hu Jun, as Lu Chang Shan, searches for each of them–-bringing them back together, one by one to continue their mission to defeat the Japanese and reclaim their land.

I’m usually not a fan of war movies, but this drama is exceptional. It’s never boring, and never repetitive---showing how individual human beings dealt with the challenges of food shortages, prison camps, cruelty, deprivation, and loss.

While there’s plenty of suffering, this drama is not a downer. It’s human, entertaining, and sprinkled throughout with good-natured banter. In fact, it’s mostly uplifting, depicting the best of human nature, as well as the worst. The camera work, the OST, and especially the acting is immensely moving and poignant.

Americans, as a whole, unfortunately, have almost no knowledge of the degree to which China suffered, but ultimately prevailed, in World War II. Even this drama barely scratches the surface. (For a more granular and depressing account of the unmitigated horrors of this conflict read The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II by Iris Chang.)

I can’t say enough good things about Hu Jun, who plays the heroic, but extremely kind and compassionate, Lu Chang Shan, a man who nurtures each member of his team as needed, and is also wiley and shrewd when necessary. Other actors who deserve respect for their portrayals are too numerous to mention–really, almost all of them.

I don’t often give praise like this. But this series is a triumph of Chinese cinema. Don’t miss it.

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Dynamite Kiss
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2025
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Lighthearted and playful

Fun and enjoyable. But I agree with others who say the plot was awkward and contrived. For example, quite a coincidence that Go Da-rim’s sister informed Da-rim about an emergency at the exact moment she and the ML were going to make love. Quite a coincidence that both team mothers who had been selected to flog the company’s baby product on television couldn’t do it (each because of a problem with her face) right before the show was to go on. And speaking of mothers–quite the coincidence that the two mothers of the two leads just happened to meet and become such good friends that they move in together.

It’s not funny when a male boss bullies a female employee by making her do something over and over out of pure vindictiveness. I wasn’t laughing.

Reviewers have been extremely critical of the Ahn Eun-jin in this drama. I think most of that criticism should be directed at the writers who produced an inferior script, a script that Ahn Eun-jin was simply following. Personally, I loved her so much in MY DEAREST (one of my all-time favorites), I can forgive her for not being perfect here.

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Love Next Door
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Incessant Product Placement

Whew! I've been on the verge of giving up my Korean Drama addiction because, so far, so many new series have been duds. At first I thought LOVE NEXT DOOR was better, but now I'm having second thoughts.

During the first half of this series, the male and female leads–played by two well known heart throbs--were mostly believable, especially Jung Hae-in who can make anything work.

The plot lurched off the rails in a few places, with enough crying and carrying on to deplete Korea-'s entire stock of menthol tear sticks. The parents, especially Seok-ryoo's mother acted crazy and abusive (and not in a fun way).

The actress who played Mo-Eum was winsome and likable, but she overacted. I liked her, so I liked the character. But I couldn't warm toward Seok-ryoo in this drama--she was just too arbitrary and cruel.

Let me just mention one other minor character, the ML’s mother. This woman loved her son, but she allowed someone else to raise him. She loved her husband, but she never learned to cook. Instead she’s had a wonderful, professional life–traveling the world and learning about other cultures. And how does this series present this unique woman? As someone who deserves punishment, someone who’s about to lose it all--friends, family, and her marriage. The subtext is clear–if insulting to modern women.

The incessant, in-your-face product placement disappointed me the most. I thought episode 11 was bad, but in episode fourteen, one of the leads actually shows the label on the can to the camera and says, "I had no idea alcohol tasted this good."

There were at least three major bouts of alcohol consumption (and product placement) in episode 14. Apparently, the writers aren't even trying to be subtle.

Nothing against alcohol here, but I really resent the cheap commercialization. Hey Studio Dragon (and you too Netflix)--please don't go down this path.

Why are Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min who are both incredible actors damaging their artistic reputations this way?

Throughout, the writers created trivial excuses and pretexts for various main characters to go on a bender. Whatever the problem–minor spats, bad news–hey, let’s all get drunk. It just seemed like the writers were looking for any chance to push the products.

Still...until the whole series fell apart toward the end, it was mostly watchable. The leads did a good job and hit all the right notes for a good, solid romance. I wasn't looking for high art, but the constant (and obvious) viewer manipulation ruined this one for me.

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Go Ahead
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
46 of 46 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

One of the best

I’ve sometimes been critical of certain popular Korean or Chinese dramas. But I’m having a hard time finding anything negative to say about GO AHEAD, a 40-episode Chinese family drama made in 2020. It’s certainly not a perfect production. Still, it’s entertaining, interesting, and touching. And it dodges so many of the common traps that these kinds of series fall into, that all I can say is: Bravo!

Most of the actors were impressive, especially the three male leads: Weilong Song who plays the older brother (and also the young actor who plays him as a child), Steven Zhang/ Zhang Xin Cheng who plays the younger brother, and especially Tu Song Yan the Dad, the owner of the noodle restaurant, where so much of the action takes place.

Whenever one of these three incredible actors was on screen, I was totally immersed in the drama, and emotionally convinced that I was watching a slice of reality and not a fictional work. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Yi Sun who plays the best friend of the FL. She’s convincing as a kind, generous, but inhibited young woman who’s oppressed by her overly-dominant mother.

I did have some problems with Songyun Tan, an actress in her 30s who plays the FL, Li Jianjian. For half the series this character is supposed to be sixteen years old. When playing a teenager, the actress seemed to be working too hard to make the character spunky, cute, and childlike. She came across as childishly petulant and performative way too much of the time. Also (as is often the case in older Chinese productions) she seemed more like a twelve-year-old than a sixteen-year-old, throwing whiny tantrums and hitting her brothers in fits of pique.

But I really can’t blame the actress. Because this is such a common problem in older Chinese dramas, I suspect it’s due to other considerations. Perhaps she was given instructions to play it that way from the director.

In the second half, when the same character is in her late twenties, Songun Tan is much more appropriate and believable in the role–more relaxed and also more likable–although still a fun-loving, cheerful tease.

The series got a little too sentimental for me in the end. “Emotions aren’t like a faucet where you can turn them on and off at will.” Too many bromides along with the schmaltzy music...but by and large the skillful acting sold it–so it was OK.

A winner.

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When Destiny Brings the Demon
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
33 of 33 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

A few problems

I’m not sure exactly what’s wrong with WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON, but this drama just didn’t land for me–partly because it’s so simpleminded. For example, when the demon army invades the Grandmaster’s stronghold in ep. 20, the demon fighters are all dressed in black. The good guys are dressed in white. Pretty convenient.

There are many parallels in this story with LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL. There’s a dragon buddy in one, a snake buddy in the other. Fairies and demons fight each other in the first. Immortals and demons are at war in the second.

The female leads in each series are different. While Orchid is sometimes irritating in LBFAD, she’s also lovable, funny, and appealing, and she grows into a strong, impressive woman.

But the writers of WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON infantilize Tingyan. She pouts and simpers and makes eyes at Jiao. Her goal is life is to eat, drink, and try on pretty clothes. It doesn’t hit home with her until about halfway through the series that her boy is a serial killer. Also, who is this woman? Is she a demon? a reincarnated human? or a fish?

What’s motivating the ML? Power? Revenge? The attainment of higher cultivation levels? Personal animus? The villains seem like a bunch of feckless, bungling clowns. It’s hard to take them seriously. Mostly they seem like a swarm of annoying insects buzzing around Jiao’s head. Every once in awhile he brushes them all away.

Arthur Chen as Sima Jiao is disarmingly handsome, but that’s not always an advantage for someone wanting to be taken seriously as an actor. His looks make him subject to everyone’s projections. Sima Jiao, is a pit of hatred, negativity and despair– in other words, a damaged soul.

The writers need to show us how someone who’s never known a kind word, can reach into his heart and find a boatload of self-sacrificing love for Liao Tingyan, a well-meaning, not-too-bright klutz. But character motivation is missing throughout. They don’t give Chen enough to work with, I’m sorry to say–so Sima Jiao’s transformation into Mr. Wonderful isn’t convincing. Or at least it wasn’t to me.

The comedy scenes in WDBTD are repetitious and not very funny. It’s cute that Liao Tingyan keeps using 21st century lingo and 9-to-5 work metaphors in her “employment” with her “boss,” but after the third or fourth time this device gets a little old.

The characters in this drama are always telling the viewers what’s happening: “Why isn’t the Grandmaster here? Looks like he’s figured out our plan.” Or, “If I can win the Grandmaster’s favor, perhaps I can help Mother through this crisis.” Weak writing.

The special effects and CG make many scenes seem low-budget.
My greatest wish for Arthur Chen is that he can find a substantial role that truly inspires him--maybe some kind of an eccentric character–a role that he can individualize and make his own. This drama doesn’t give him that.

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My Love from Another Star
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Entertaining

1. Of all the women our brilliant alien friend met in 400 years, a shallow, scatterbrained, selfish, vain narcissist was the ONE? Well, OK. She was a babe, no doubt about it. It would be nice if there was some explanation for it–other than hormones.

2. Why do they keep talking about this dude’s original home as a“star”? Unless he can withstand temperatures of one million degrees F (or more)--to say nothing of the crushing gravity--my guess is that he comes from a planet, not a star.

3. In one episode Do Min-jun points to a bright point in the sky, obviously a “star,”and tells his startled Joseon acquaintance, “That’s where I come from.” Later, he tells Song-Yi who wants to know the same thing, “You can’t see it from here.” Which is it?

In one of the first episodes we hear that he comes from “another galaxy.” But any other galaxy, especially Andromeda our largest neighbor which is 2.5 million light years away, would look like a smudge in the sky, not a star.

4. Not to go all nerdy here, but there are some other problems too. Hey, Korean movie makers, get a science advisor.

5. Dangling plot points. What did the young girl who looked like Song-Yi, the one he met when he first came to Earth, have to do with anything? She’s totally irrelevant to the plot.

What I liked:

1. I thought this series was very funny in places. Often the humor in Korean Dramas doesn’t work for Americans. This series was an exception.

2. I came to like Song-Yi much, much more toward the end. She showed some really likeable characteristics. Loved her honesty and sensitivity.

3. I’ve seen reviews that were critical of Kim Soo-hyun’s acting in this drama–but I thought he was absolutely great. It’s true he was poker faced in most scenes, but he somehow communicated deceit, tenderness, anger, confusion, disdain, and a host of other emotions. And he did it all with an almost imperceptible change of expression.

4. The compositions of the various settings and the wardrobe choices were exquisitely done. That library in Do Min-joon’s house was to die for.

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Twelve Letters
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

Best Chinese Drama I’ve seen in 2025

I give high ratings to dramas that:

1. Entertain me.
2. Teach me something.
3. Or have heart – the rarest.

This is a No. 3.

I can’t say this is a perfect production, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with the two leads (and also with many of the minor characters). This was a MUCH more appropriate role for Yinglu Wang, than her role in WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON. She plays a strong woman with sensitivity and nuance. As for Yiran Zhou, he commanded every scene he was in.

Attention to detail really boosted the quality of this drama. The cinematography, the ost, the editing--all were outstanding. I usually don’t like an ending that doesn’t wrap things up neatly -- but, for me, this one worked perfectly. We see all the different sacrifices various characters make for love – and at the end, the most rigid character, makes the ultimate sacrifice. (Although maybe not..?)

Speaking of attention to detail, I read that FOUR orange cats were used in the making of this drama. Cats being cats, that helped ensure that at least one of them would always be in the right mood. Another endearing detail–a woman who’s nine months pregnant is the action hero who saves the day.

Loved it!

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Ms. Incognito
0 people found this review helpful
4 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

No connection between leads

Some positives and some negatives. The story held my interest.
Most of the energy in the script centered on the main conflict and the FL’s various problems. But the script just didn’t give the secondary characters, who were apparently supposed to be a group of lovable eccentrics, any good material to work with. The over-acting of the semi-hysterical principal, the scatterbrained dancer, the guy who was supposedly possessed by spirits, as well as some of others was painful to watch.

The male lead seemed warm and likeable, but the female lead was a bit cold and imperious. I didn’t feel much connection between the two of them. Couldn’t she have at least put her arms around him when they finally kissed? She acted as if she could barely stand to touch the poor guy.

By the way, teachers who specialize in early child education (kindergarten and pre-school) are committed, trained professionals, although no viewer would get that from this drama. A kindergarten teacher would never leave children unsupervised or allow random people to wander into the classroom. It would have been nice if we could have seen the FL actually teaching something (yep, there’s actually a curriculum) or doing something other than reading a picture book to the class–which any parent could do.

Not my favorite K-drama of the year.

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Can This Love Be Translated?
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

WHEN TWO PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE...

I was really excited after viewing the first episode. What a great idea! The clever Hong sisters base this series on both the literal and metaphorical idea that human beings “speak different languages.”

The FL is a Korean actress–who speaks only Korean. She has a professional relationship with two potential love interests. Male lead No. 1 speaks only Japanese. Male lead No. 2 speaks Korean fluently (as well as five other languages).

But No. 2 doesn’t understand the FL’s emotional signals. In fact, he has communication problems of his own, which she doesn’t fully appreciate at first. Nevertheless, he’s the person who touches her heart.

We find out gradually, that the FL is mentally unstable. She suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a real condition, thought to be triggered by a severe childhood trauma.

She’s also in the middle of a prolonged film shoot, which takes place intermittently in various picturesque locations. Other people’s livelihood, and her own self-worth, depend on her ability to tough it out and finish the job.

This drama gets a lot of things right. The settings, the symbolism, the music, and the atmospherics are all effective. The day-to- day life of the film crew is something you don’t often see in K-dramas, and I liked that.

The dialog, especially between the FL and the second ML, is confusing. The FL keeps laying her heart on the line, but he keeps rejecting her. Is he afraid of getting hurt? Is he misinterpreting her? And she also has communication problems with dude No. 1. This drama is a bumpy ride, and the plot doesn’t altogether make sense. Everyone seems to be working way too hard to get it right, and, unfortunately, the effort is showing.

Still, this is an extremely original drama. But it may be that the premise is stronger than the script.

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Back from the Brink
0 people found this review helpful
8 days ago
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Among other things–deliciously zany

A lot of series these days recycle the same old bland mush replete with prefabricated tropes picked up from Ikea. BACK FROM THE BRINK has a few items from that warehouse, but it’s also quirky and fun.

For example, I loved the way Yongzhou City was a nest of vipers and general daffiness. In one episode, YanHui, gives all her money away to a scammer in exchange for some useless, but hilarious, medical advice (“A powerful force will cure your heart”). Her would-be suitor, Guan Peng Yuan, rides down main street on the back of a giant tortoise. In a later scene, when the flaming dragon sword comes swooping back to the ML, the audience sees it coming–not in the sky–but reflected in one of his eyes. And I like the really creative way they sometimes transition between scenes. Little touches like this, added a boatload of zip to this drama.

I liked sections of this drama, but in other places the plot verges on idiocy. The “Bamboo Butterfly,” in episode 26 who manifests as a vain, middle-aged woman–a harridan who shrieks at Tianyao to divorce his wife and marry her is one example of overacting tinged with misogyny. I was embarrassed for the poor woman who had to play this role. To “win” the Ghostly Eulogy, our main couple must solve a series of ridiculous riddles, unworthy of a third-rate quiz show.

Overall, though, the cast–including most of the minor actors--was impressive. For example, Bai Xiao Sheng. Who doesn’t love a bad boy? (Hands go up.) OK, not everybody. Some of you would gladly strangle him. But personally, I like a little rascality in my demons.

And those pixie orphans, are to die for. Speaking of dying, one adorable little girl does just that. When I was about to get mad at the writers, I saw her eyelid twitch, reminding me that this is Fantasyville. Will Yunyun be back? Anything’s possible in this crazypants drama.

As for the ML, Hou Ming Hao’s face is always a perfect reflection of what his character, Tianyao, is feeling. How does this dude do it? For example, we (the audience) know that he’s sick with jealousy the minute he lays eyes on Bai Xiao Sheng’s dimples.

A few random criticisms:

Where does Yanhui and her female companions get those gorgeous gowns that never seen to get soiled when they wander through forests and deserts–and even when they get dunked in the water?

In spite of the fact that Tianyao is a demon who stabs his honey in the heart–not once, but twice–he can still convince the viewers, and eventually he convinces Yanhui, that he’s steadfast and true.

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Legend of Zang Hai
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

An ambitious drama--with logic problems

Many reviewers call this drama: “incredible,” “superb,” “top notch,” “amazing,” “masterful,” “flawless,” and every other superlative you can think of.

A different group says that this drama is: “confusing,” “mediocre,” “over-hyped,” “terrible,” “pretentious,” “tedious,” “disappointing,” and “a disaster.”

So which is it? I feel a like an alien from Mars trying to mediate between two warring tribes of humans. Truthfully, the praise seems waay over the top. On the other hand, a lot of the criticism seems...let’s just say –- a bit mean-spirited.

THE LENGEND OF ZANG HAI, like most dramas, has its strengths and its weaknesses.

What I liked:

1. The plot held my interest. Occasionally, I had to stop and backtrack to figure out who was doing what and for what reason. But the writers kept the complications in hand so that I never lost the overall thread.

2. And how refreshing it was to have the main guy fight with his frontal lobes and not with his fists. I loved that!

3. Some very satisfying twists and turns. For example, I liked the fact that the second son of the Marquis is introduced as a lightweight party-boy. And then, in a totally delightful scene, he turns out to be someone else entirely. Well done, writers.

4. The production quality, sets, and cinematography were outstanding. The artifacts and furnishings looked like the real deal--not like cheap schlock bought in a secondhand junk store (which has sometimes been the case with other dramas).

What could have been improved:

1. Why did everyone keep risking their lives to get their hands on the Gui Seal without any real inkling of what it was all about? Or what its drawbacks might be?

2. The FL’s role in this drama confused me. In the beginning, she was coy and childish–keeping the ML waiting for hours while she primped and fussed with her clothes and hair. Later, she arbitrarily tried to retrieve a coin she’d just given him, although this impulsive behavior endangered his life. It’s true she eventually turned into a serious partner and valuable ally. But by then, I was more than a little put off by her.

In addition, she did some unbelievable things. Would a bright, capable, well-established business woman really agree to kill a powerful, high-ranking leader in the community, even one she didn’t like, just to please some dude she’d met once or twice? She hardly knew the ML at the time. Was she already that smitten? It didn’t make sense.

3. The ML wasn’t totally logical either. For example, everything depended on his ability to keep his mouth shut regarding his true identity and motivation. Yet he blurted out the truth to one person or another. At one point, he persuaded himself that the FL was involved in the murder of his family, in spite of the fact that she was only 10 years old at the time! He explained this suspicion by declaring that “children are sometimes underestimated” by adults!

And how is it that our 20-year-old ML was an expert in so many areas: plants, astronomy, architecture, feng shui, weather, woodworking, joinery, etc.?

Things always seemed to work out for ZH. Whenever there was a person to be manipulated or a plan to be carried out, ZH showed an extraordinary ability to predict everyone’s behavior. Even Superman couldn’t have performed so well.

His incredible luck made his successes seem unearned. Too many times, some arbitrary person or event would come along and solve ZH’s problems for him–that is, keep him from being poisoned or murdered, or exposed.

I could forgive the writers using this device once or twice. But “deus ex machina” came to the rescue over and over. It was a bit much.

A few picky things:
1. Too many devastating fires in this series–or threats thereof.
2. Anachronistic subtitles. Nobody in ancient China would use the phrase “throw him under the bus.”

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Destined with You
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Mostly good

I subtracted one star because of the last item listed below...

What I liked:

1. The wooden box and the book of spells. Audience never quite knows if the spells worked or not–but they were lots of fun.

2. Kim Ro-Woon transforms from a cold-hearted attorney into a spurned lover and a kind-hearted boyfriend. Jo-Boah was cute and appealing at times. The romance between these two was a little clunky, but if you don’t look too close, it’s believable.

3. The co-workers in the Environment and Greenery office weren’t funny. But I really liked the buffoonish Mr. Gong

4. The Environment and Greenery Department–a government department with a focus on plants, flowers, and greenery. The cherry blossoms, the walk in the meadow at the end were gorgeous–nice to get away from the unrelenting urbanization in some of these dramas.

5. Appropriate and tactful sex scenes.

What I didn’t like

6. Jo-Boah’s acting was over the top and way, way too self-conscious. Never-ending mannerisms, posturing, simpering, and over-acting. Tone it down, Girl!

7. Too many plot elements borrowed from other Chinese and Korean series (My Demon).

8. Hey, K-drama writers...there was one scene that was really stomach-churning. It shows a certain character grabbing an octopus and throwing it in boiling water. C’mon. Octopuses are sensitive and intelligent. If you have to keep eating them, at least don’t show people torturing them too. Thanks.

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