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This is prestige storytelling!
I’m actually speechless. As a romance girl, I don’t know if any drama will top this and my speechlessness isn’t even due to quiet romance that thread the fates of our leads together.I bought the express package from Tenecent weeks ago and still waited to experience episode 47. And the emotional devastation I knew was coming was delivered harder than I expected. The tears started at minute 29 and didn’t stop until the credits finished. This was truly the story of “her” not just lead but every female character in this show. This was a love letter to women then and now.
May every woman in this world “live well” and light a lamp for another. 10 out of freaking 10. You want a masterclass in storytelling? You should watch this drama!
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You’ll Laugh and then you’ll spend the other 15 episodes groaning
As a huge fan of every “Call My Manager” adaptation (the Turkish version is my fave) this was right up my alley. I love an ensemble cast and this was like a funnier version of the aforementioned show. I liked the leads and KYD was genuinely funny in this one. But my lord the writers were DETERMINED to torture this character. The show should’ve been called ‘Celebrity Survivor: Gong Tae Sung‘.They truly could’ve picked two struggles for the man and gave Oh Han Byul more to work with as a character. This was good but by the end I was exhausted on behalf of a fictional character. The rom-com of it all was perfectly written, I don’t know why the writers were intent on torturing their male lead.
And my goodness Lee Jung-shin is quite pleasant to look at. I definitely wish he had more screen time.
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This was almost perfect!
As a woman who would be called a dolsingnye (divorced woman), a unnie/noona (older sister), and soon an Ajumeoni this was ALMOST the perfect romanctic drama.I loved the role reversal of CEO and Secretary. The supporting cast was awesome as were the child actors - Byeol CARRIED this show. I binged the first 9 episodes, I JUST couldn’t stop watching.
But I think a lot of the oxygen was sucked out the show when the corporate drama started to take center stage. I know it was a plot device to move the lead’s relationship forward and serve as a catalyst for the side characters’s journey but it wasn’t enjoyable. The main female villain was annoying and I usually fast forwarded through her screen time. I would have preferred more time with the office cast and having the corporate warfare happen more in the background.
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So much Potential
This one gives “Ugly Betty” (US) vibes. The difference lies in the heart of the show America Ferrera is the heart of “Ugly Betty” and Kim Young-kwang is the heart of this one. He carried the entire show and is the reason I kept watching. The female lead is clearly a good actress but the writers gave her no real personality to work with outside of caretaker and secretary. And the comedic relief was given to the Veronica Park character so the FL was just there to move the ML’s story forward.Was this review helpful to you?
This is revenge for all the awful princes in CDramas
Tian Xi Wei is the sun and I’m just happy we get to gaze upon her glory. I fell in love with her portrayal of Fan Changyu and I fear I’m going to fan girl every role I see her in. Her character is a bit of a Mary Sue but it suits the feel of this show.This is an ensemble show and like Bridgerton our “lead” couple seems to not get enough screen time for a large part of the show. I found myself fast forwarding through parts but this is an easy feel good watch with lots of feminist narratives without the blatant Proselytizing found in other female forward CDramas.
As much as I loved Yin Zheng and Li Wei’s story this show is for the girls. I loved the constant show of female friendships and connections, the joy of pouring into each other and being the beauty of found family. I definitely crowns in Ep 40 where the girls saw themselves in the newest selection group.
I do think the main villain left too early. As much as I hated him he kept things spicy. This will definitely become a show that I’ll rewatch just for the nostalgic feeling.
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Not a masterpiece but good!
This my first drama with ZWY and WCR. And ZWY almost stole the show, he had me laughing out loud way too many times to count in this one. He’s got great comedic timing regardless of who else is in the scene.This is definitely a romantic comedy with a dash of action. I enjoyed all of the three major couples in this one, too. Except Chang Hua Sen (Zuyi) and Yuan Yu Xuan (Xue Ji) pair really stole the show for me. It was beautiful display of how one’s second true love, after one’s youth, can grow and sneak up on you before you realize the truth. Usually, emperors are the worst in the shows so this was a nice change and I appreciated his gentleness with her before he gave up on his first love. And I’m looking forward to seeing Chang Hua Sen as a leading man because his angsty eyes were A++.
And shout out to the costume designers for this show. The robes for the male leads were absolutely stunning. Honestly, out of all the historical CDramas I’ve watched this one definitely has my favorite Emperor styling - the white with red underneath hit every time he was on screen in it.
I doubt I’ll rewatch but I’m glad I watched this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Truly Beautiful Bones!
My goodness, I cannot believe how beautifully this tragic story was told. I put off watching this because I’d heard that there wasn’t a happy ending and I’d have to watch a modern drama to get their HEA. I hate I waited so long to watch this because as much as I love a HEA I do love a good love story. And this drama is a labor of love whether it be blood relatives, found family, or romantic love it’s all there and it’s hard to watch their bittersweet end but it’s worth it.Bai Lu and Ren Jia Lin were perfect choices to lead this cast, honestly I don’t have any complaints about anyone’s performance here. Liu Weiwei, the actress who plays Shiyi’s mother puts on a masterclass of feminine strength and motherly devotion that kind stole the show for me - loved her scenes as much as I loved the main couple’s scenes.
This is my first CDrama starring Ren Jia Lin and it won’t be my last. The man is an actor and I truly enjoyed his portrayal of the general as goes from unsure to embracing his feelings for Shiyi! His inability to compromise in the face of guilt and familial duty meant that he ultimately failed his found family and faithful companions in the end. But loved that in a tragic way Shiyi was the “hero” in the end and does her duty in service of those she loves.
Even the characters that felt outlandish in their portrayal were perfect for the overly villainous characterizations. The best “villain” was definitely Yang Zhou, I could never truly understand his motivations and how he was written was how they should’ve written Liu Zixing, the Crown Prince. I’m loathed to blame the lackluster feel of the Liu Zixing on Wang Xingyue because I KNOW that young man can act. The character had no gravitas and was outshined by every villain he shared a scene with. And what made him so obsessed with Shiyi? They didn’t explore his character’s motivations at all beyond his complex about being demoted to the spare. And to make her a concubine after all that?! Honestly, it’s a small victory for me that she didn’t even up being his legal wife.
If I could change one thing about this it would be how easy the dumb villains brought down the mighty general, Chen Zhousheng. I cried and felt soo much heartache leading up to episodes 22-23 that how quickly it all ended felt like a huge disappointment. The pacing up to the final episodes felt perfect but those two episodes felt rushed and it’s why I couldn’t rate this a perfect 10. The final 20 minutes of episode 24 the show regained it’s emotional edge. That nostalgic yet poignantly heartbreaking flash forward at the end kept this a top-tier viewing experience.
I plan to read the book’s translation after I watch Forever and Ever. I loved every minute of this even when I was sobbing like someone I loved passed. I gave this a rewatch value of 10 but like the 2007 film Atonement this is too emotionally devastating to ever watch again. 😭
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Drama Masterpiece!
First of all, thank you South Korea for giving me an age appropriate thirst trap (and amazing actor) in Lee Jun-ho. Secondly, thank you to South Korea for making me a heart shattered romantic and teary eyed mess for two shows in a row. I watched “Red Sleeve” right after finishing “My Dearest” and I’m wreck (in a good way).This would absolutely be a perfect 10 if the writers hadn’t included one unnecessary plot point. Being based on a true story there were a myriad of ways to insert tension get the story to where they needed it. I don’t have words to describe this but if you’re a true romantic at heart, who enjoys mature connection and understands that love simply isn’t always enough you should watch this one. Ignore the comments that nothing happens and they hate the female lead. Her behavior does get hard to watch especially as your heart breaks for them both but if you understand her why you’ll be in tears for them both.
I feel like I started crying between episode 11 and 12 and cried every episode until the end. But at the same time I didn’t want it to be over. I loved the imagined ending the writers gave us, our hearts needed the respite. But hopefully there is a writer out there creating a modern day love story for them. A story for their third lifetime where they meet in Hyochang Park and finally get what their story lacked - more time (after he obeys her wish in the previous life).
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