The drama lost me when they revealed that Keigo got his "whole face" reconstructed. Lmao. I mean, it doesn't entirety negate the drama as a whole, but let's put the absurdity of this in perspective (which could have been avoided with actual research by the author/storyboarder/script writer):
Keigo is a Japanese high school student. That encompasses at the most ages 15-17. The only way he could have done plastic surgery without anyone finding out would be in the cusp of switching from middle school to high school. Depending on when he started changing his face, lol, he would be 13-14 YEARS OLD. You mean to tell me, that s 14 year got his entire face changed? And at the point where he is right now, due to still going through puberty and NATURAL shifts, the consequences of that shit would have been showing up on his face already. It's ridiculous.
Not to mention, the RECOVERY time? Rofl.
I'd probably believe it more if it was maybe a nip here or maybe a minor nose job (even a jaw shave is effing dangerous/risky, especially for a CHILD???) if money speaks or whatever. But the entire face? Nah bruh. That in itself kills whatever message it was trying to send due to the unrealistic presentation of it. It was a botched writing concept placed in for the "uwa" moment and nothing else. It released me from the submersion of the drama. I think I chuckled.
Ritsu is literally the best character, lmao. The plot/drama runs because of him, and despite him being an arse for the most part, I feel his child abuse story felt raw. If only they had more time to explore it. Although it was somewhat well done with the time they had, so.
I also liked the end; that was a very natural and mature take on life, especially since these are high school kids who have yet to really figure themselves out and the vast world around them. Most people don't end up with their high school sweethearts after all. Things change.
I don't think the drama is bad in itself, although the last eps were messy. I know what type of reviews the international audience feels, but I'm not sure what happened with the production and South Korea's reviews. They were filming while simultaneously airing the drama. Who knows what changes went on with the feedback.
The issue is that Rain and Krystal lack chemistry as a romantic couple, and thus, the audience gravitates more to L's character for her. Age gaps can be fine. In this case, it just wasn't working. I'm not sure if it's because Krystal felt more comfortable with someone around her age, yet the chemistry with Shi Woo was more explosive. His kiss on the cheek with her was more fruitful than all the awkward kisses with Rain. I can't imagine what it would have been like if Krystal as Se Na was ALLOWED to reciprocate Shi Woo's feelings/chemistry and the drama was able to bring its potential to the forefront. It was very clearly there and a lot of the comments were about shipping her with Shi Woo. I don't blame anyone. L and Krystal should have another chance to explore what was sizzling in another drama imo.
On top of that, I don't understand the title. Se Na was hardly what I would call a "lovely girl", just depressive . At first, I thought her character was going to be more positive and lively, charming, and the type that can change the course of a person's life by her light. It would pair well with the agonized ML. Hence, My Lovely Girl. Instead it was about two broken people being back and forth in their self-made drama.
I don't think the relationship with Hyun Wook and Se Na should have been romantic, and at times, I felt it didn’t need to be and was unnecessary. I think a found family, heal one another connection would have best fitted the concept and theme, and they would still be the leads. Sort of like an intergenerational friendship. It's about a girl who affects other people's lives for the better. Not to mention, it would make for something more original. They had build up certain plot points that would have driven the story yet somehow got dropped out of nowhere.
I'm still thinking about whether I will continue watching it or not because an 8.7 rating is a huge one and maybe…
If it helps any, I think it's liked for its light heartedness and lack of complexity. It's a funny and fun idol drama. Personally I love Lu Si Cheng; he hard carried the CP and the drama. I also loved the male supporting cast and their dynamics.
The FL is the least interesting one there and lacks in acting. But luckily Xu Kai was able to at least sell the couple in a serviceable way.
I think the drama did a really good job of explaining everything really well. If you watch it and not comprehending…
Qing Mu and Hou Chi are not even reincarnations. Qing Mu is just Bai Jue's body split in half, and Shang Gu's essence was saved and collected by Bai Jue to be reborn of sorts. They are the same people. You can argue they led different lives, but the Qing Mu you saw is the core of Bai Jue if he wasn't an all-powerful God in charge of defending the three realms and got trained to hell and back to do just that from childhood.
your marking is actually on par with me. towards the end i felt like everyone is being reduced to dull character.…
Omg!
Why the amount of changes. Most of them seem unnecessary. It's not even an adaptation of the novel, it's a completely different drama based on the novel.
Adding the sects and changing the setting I feel were good ideas, but like...the rest sound redundant. Now I'm curious to read the novel.
I gave it a higher rating because despite certain gripes, the lore, set up, and characters propelled me to go further. The build up to the mysteries were good, it just didn't deliver on explaining them and the ending seemed tacked on without proper closure.
Since I blame the censorship, I didn't want to be too harsh on something that's beyond their control. But the result is the result. I feel bad for the crew and staff to see their work massacred.
Xu Kai's dramas tend to have bad luck with censorship. It's very clear there were things cut and missing, 12 episodes are just gone from the original 48. Most of the adventure was lost in those episodes, as well as the wrap up of the story. There was definitely a lead up to that final scene, a lead up that we will never ever see. My frustration is immense.
That can't be helped. The drama unfortunately suffered from it. But I genuinely cannot stand the censorship aspect of China. It's gotten to the point that I would love to get rid of it. Personally. Imagine being a director, you have this vision, and the story you wanted to tell just...gets chopped up? It's insane. How about the crew that probably worked hard to create the tombs that never saw the light? The actors' work? The unfairness is maddening.
Anyway...
Favorite characters: Ding Yun Qi and Luo Yun Song, of course. They ran this. If anything, I feel they shared the narrative. They also had the most compelling relationship in the series. They both had to father around children throughout this entire drama. Respect to the stress they experienced.
Shout out to the amazing Cui Yan Zhi for being the only female who wasn't childish, didn't throw tantrums about engagements, wasn't naive, or acted like a 10 year old. You had a good head on your shoulders. I missed you in the finale, but your presence shall never be forgotten.
Bravo to all the actors, no matter the character they played. You all did great.
Romance: ...lol. I've gone over it a million times, but not a fan, and not convinced. A mismatch all around. Having to deal with outbursts, to deal with painful words said to him, etc. Half the time I felt he was talking to a juvenile, who he kisses and marries. I suppose Asian men find "cuteness" endearing? Go figure. I don't have to like everything that involves Xu Kai, which I see people tend to defend when it doesn't work out with him. No one has to like his FL. No one has to or is forced to like his pairing. Especially if it's simple criticism. I don't need to hear excuses every time about why the FL is the way she is as if that justifies her from her behavior and temperament. I KNOW why she is the way she is. I don't need your unnecessary mansplaining. It just doesn't change that they are incompatible.
End of discussion.
Xu Kai kisses are fire though. That I can always count on. If he managed to pull out chemistry from what was essentially a plank of wood in Falling Into Your Smile, he can do anything.
I don't think it's the worst CP for Xu Kai, that goes to Sandrine Pinna. But it definitely ranks on the bottom half. Since romance wasn't the focus (and they should have kept no romance like the novel), it was passable. But then that leads us to the...
Story: I found the narrative compelling, interesting. It was slow paced, yet like I said way in the beginning, when a show or movie is slow paced, it all rides on how the story ties into a satisfying end where it all comes together. There was a build up, steadily, TO something. No doubt we were supposed to see more of the exploration, of the Kunlun Mountains and the mysteries the drama set up. The Luo family debacle got closure, and that goes along with our dear Shifu. Everything else? No explanations. I feel those are forever lost in the episodes not uploaded. The only hope I have are leaks.
Nonetheless, that ruined the momentum, and the narrative suffered as a result due to the cut scenes. We just jumped into a finale. We never saw the ML getting out of his predicament. Where are some of the characters now? What are they doing with their lives? What is Yun Qi's position? JUST a doctor? WHO IS HER LADYSHIP?
They are all Lost in the Kunlun Mountains, lol.
I would rank this drama at a solid 8/8.5. The ending butchered its potential but that doesn't mean it didn't have one.
There are episodes where it picked up when nearing the second half and then it just fell by the end. To no fault of the staff and director. I'm positive they didn't go "yeeeees, let's not answer most of the drama's pending questions to the audience, that makes so much sense, how ingeniiiiiious bwuhahah!"
Keigo is a Japanese high school student. That encompasses at the most ages 15-17. The only way he could have done plastic surgery without anyone finding out would be in the cusp of switching from middle school to high school. Depending on when he started changing his face, lol, he would be 13-14 YEARS OLD. You mean to tell me, that s 14 year got his entire face changed? And at the point where he is right now, due to still going through puberty and NATURAL shifts, the consequences of that shit would have been showing up on his face already. It's ridiculous.
Not to mention, the RECOVERY time? Rofl.
I'd probably believe it more if it was maybe a nip here or maybe a minor nose job (even a jaw shave is effing dangerous/risky, especially for a CHILD???) if money speaks or whatever. But the entire face? Nah bruh. That in itself kills whatever message it was trying to send due to the unrealistic presentation of it. It was a botched writing concept placed in for the "uwa" moment and nothing else. It released me from the submersion of the drama. I think I chuckled.
I also liked the end; that was a very natural and mature take on life, especially since these are high school kids who have yet to really figure themselves out and the vast world around them. Most people don't end up with their high school sweethearts after all. Things change.
...but he needs to choose better projects 👀.
The issue is that Rain and Krystal lack chemistry as a romantic couple, and thus, the audience gravitates more to L's character for her. Age gaps can be fine. In this case, it just wasn't working. I'm not sure if it's because Krystal felt more comfortable with someone around her age, yet the chemistry with Shi Woo was more explosive. His kiss on the cheek with her was more fruitful than all the awkward kisses with Rain. I can't imagine what it would have been like if Krystal as Se Na was ALLOWED to reciprocate Shi Woo's feelings/chemistry and the drama was able to bring its potential to the forefront. It was very clearly there and a lot of the comments were about shipping her with Shi Woo. I don't blame anyone. L and Krystal should have another chance to explore what was sizzling in another drama imo.
On top of that, I don't understand the title. Se Na was hardly what I would call a "lovely girl",
just depressive . At first, I thought her character was going to be more positive and lively, charming, and the type that can change the course of a person's life by her light. It would pair well with the agonized ML. Hence, My Lovely Girl. Instead it was about two broken people being back and forth in their self-made drama.
I don't think the relationship with Hyun Wook and Se Na should have been romantic, and at times, I felt it didn’t need to be and was unnecessary. I think a found family, heal one another connection would have best fitted the concept and theme, and they would still be the leads. Sort of like an intergenerational friendship. It's about a girl who affects other people's lives for the better. Not to mention, it would make for something more original. They had build up certain plot points that would have driven the story yet somehow got dropped out of nowhere.
But alas :/.
The FL is the least interesting one there and lacks in acting. But luckily Xu Kai was able to at least sell the couple in a serviceable way.
Shang Gu should just be a cameo, I believe.
They also weren't erased.
Why the amount of changes. Most of them seem unnecessary. It's not even an adaptation of the novel, it's a completely different drama based on the novel.
Adding the sects and changing the setting I feel were good ideas, but like...the rest sound redundant. Now I'm curious to read the novel.
Thanks for the heads up.
Which characters exist and don't exist? Lol.
And no one will ever know, lmao.
Since I blame the censorship, I didn't want to be too harsh on something that's beyond their control. But the result is the result. I feel bad for the crew and staff to see their work massacred.
That can't be helped. The drama unfortunately suffered from it. But I genuinely cannot stand the censorship aspect of China. It's gotten to the point that I would love to get rid of it. Personally. Imagine being a director, you have this vision, and the story you wanted to tell just...gets chopped up? It's insane. How about the crew that probably worked hard to create the tombs that never saw the light? The actors' work? The unfairness is maddening.
Anyway...
Favorite characters: Ding Yun Qi and Luo Yun Song, of course. They ran this. If anything, I feel they shared the narrative. They also had the most compelling relationship in the series. They both had to father around children throughout this entire drama. Respect to the stress they experienced.
Shout out to the amazing Cui Yan Zhi for being the only female who wasn't childish, didn't throw tantrums about engagements, wasn't naive, or acted like a 10 year old. You had a good head on your shoulders. I missed you in the finale, but your presence shall never be forgotten.
Bravo to all the actors, no matter the character they played. You all did great.
Romance: ...lol. I've gone over it a million times, but not a fan, and not convinced. A mismatch all around. Having to deal with outbursts, to deal with painful words said to him, etc. Half the time I felt he was talking to a juvenile, who he kisses and marries. I suppose Asian men find "cuteness" endearing? Go figure. I don't have to like everything that involves Xu Kai, which I see people tend to defend when it doesn't work out with him. No one has to like his FL. No one has to or is forced to like his pairing. Especially if it's simple criticism. I don't need to hear excuses every time about why the FL is the way she is as if that justifies her from her behavior and temperament. I KNOW why she is the way she is. I don't need your unnecessary mansplaining. It just doesn't change that they are incompatible.
End of discussion.
Xu Kai kisses are fire though. That I can always count on. If he managed to pull out chemistry from what was essentially a plank of wood in Falling Into Your Smile, he can do anything.
I don't think it's the worst CP for Xu Kai, that goes to Sandrine Pinna. But it definitely ranks on the bottom half. Since romance wasn't the focus (and they should have kept no romance like the novel), it was passable. But then that leads us to the...
Story: I found the narrative compelling, interesting. It was slow paced, yet like I said way in the beginning, when a show or movie is slow paced, it all rides on how the story ties into a satisfying end where it all comes together. There was a build up, steadily, TO something. No doubt we were supposed to see more of the exploration, of the Kunlun Mountains and the mysteries the drama set up. The Luo family debacle got closure, and that goes along with our dear Shifu. Everything else? No explanations. I feel those are forever lost in the episodes not uploaded. The only hope I have are leaks.
Nonetheless, that ruined the momentum, and the narrative suffered as a result due to the cut scenes. We just jumped into a finale. We never saw the ML getting out of his predicament. Where are some of the characters now? What are they doing with their lives? What is Yun Qi's position? JUST a doctor? WHO IS HER LADYSHIP?
They are all Lost in the Kunlun Mountains, lol.
I would rank this drama at a solid 8/8.5. The ending butchered its potential but that doesn't mean it didn't have one.
There are episodes where it picked up when nearing the second half and then it just fell by the end. To no fault of the staff and director. I'm positive they didn't go "yeeeees, let's not answer most of the drama's pending questions to the audience, that makes so much sense, how ingeniiiiiious bwuhahah!"