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A Must-Watch Sci-Fi Gem

Reset can be considered as one of the earliest shows that I watched back in 2022, long before I start Love & Redemption. At that time, I was still innocent of the C-drama world. Together with my mom, we skimmed through the series though I would say I only watched a chunk of here and there, but I could still understand the plot lol (thank goodness it's only 15 episodes). Please apologize for my late review.

Okay, we will delve into the plot now. Reset is adapted from a thriller sci-fi novel '开端' while also utilizing the time-travel trope in an ingenious way. There are a lot of plot twist at the end of every episode, which make the watchers feel curious and want more (I happen to feel the same way too). Anyway, the story tells us about two passengers (Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun) of a bus that is 'destined' to perish. Somehow, both of them don't die and get stuck in a repetitive time loop. Each time the bus explodes, they will be sent back to the past time before the explosion occurs. Having died 'multiple times', Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun finally crack the mystery of the explosion. They slowly managed to convince the other passengers and even the police. Eventually, the team succeed in destroying the explosive materials, and thus the time loop immediately stops.

As for the cause of the explosion, it is actually a plot concocted by a pair of husband and wife whose daughter had died on the very same bus, so both of them are hellbent on revenge and want to commit mass-suicide so as the other innocent passengers join their daughter at the underworld. This is based on what I remembered 2 years ago. If there is anything wrong, you can inform me.

Though I don't know most of the casts here, I can say they had done a very good job in playing every character especially the pair of husband and wife who want to avenge their daughter's death. As for the main lead (Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai), their acting exceeds my expectation. I've now become one of Zhao Jinmai's fans and I hope I can see more of her new works.

I absolutely recommend this masterpiece to everyone, old and young alike! Do try it!

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An Extended Version of Mini Drama, for Sure

I'm not expecting much of a drama which aired anonymously. I accidentally found this amongst a bunch of upcoming dramas in a MDL voting list. I read the synopsis and was quite invested in the story, given that I'm all out for enemies-to-lovers trope. Considering this drama had been shelved for 3 years before finally airing without any promotions, nobody would be expecting much of it. Since I'm Zhang Yuxi's fan, I decided to give this a try. So, how's it going? Check out my review below.

In this drama, a story is told within a story (you know what I mean, right?). In real life, FL (Song Yao) was a novelist who was on the verge of project rejection. Using her brilliant and quirky method, she succeeded in convincing the director of the publishing company and was given 3-months worth of time to make a new project. After examining a crystal glass, she started to write her story... and became the main character herself.

In the story, FL had a supernatural ability to see through the rich people's lies and helped the innocents to get what was theirs from the rich ones. On one occasion, her supernatural ability didn't work in front of the director-to-be of Chengtian Group, Ji Chengchuan aka Qin Hao. At first, both of them never saw eye to eye and constantly bickered for trivial matters. Actually, Qin Hao had a hidden agenda for coming back to China, which was to suspect the death of Ji Chengchuan and his mom - and the only evidence was a cufflink emblazoned with Chengtian Group's symbol.

I'm not going to rant about the plot anymore as this review will be more than just a spoiler. There is indeed a little plot twist at the last episodes and if you're curious, you can check it out yourself. My only complaint is that everything seemed to be copied pasted from other dramas as the title suggested. Let's see, transmigration and contract marriage are nothing new in c-drama land - the only saving grace is that it is not overused in this drama. Childhood sweetheart and PTSD trope are present too. The Ji family is kinda similar with the Fu family of 'South Wind Knows' (Zhang Yuxi's other dramas). Also, the scene when they were trapped inside a cargo is no different than the scene when the main leads were stuck in a cave (still about 'South Wind Knows'). The kidnapping scene looks like copied from 'My Demon' whereas FL's supernatural ability is similar to that of the FL in 'My Lovely Liar', except in different circumstances.

Third-wheeler is here too; there are two of them, Liang Jingyi and Sheng Silin respectively. Fortunately, Sheng Silin wasn't quite toxic and he became one of the main leads' ally too, which is very refreshing rather than keep pursuing FL. Liang Jingyi is more toxic and a bit possessive. From the first time she met FL, she had hated her and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible. In the second half of the drama, she suddenly disappeared or perhaps she has found somebody who won her heart - Ji Chengan, for he had a crush on her for a long time.

Illogical story is inevitable in a rom-com. However, given that this is a story written by the FL, anything can happen according to her own will, so that won't be much of a trouble to me.

This is my first drama of Wang Ziqi and CEO roles are nothing new to him. He handles his part well as his role is not challenging. As for Zhang Yuxi, I like her role as the bold and justice-driven Song Yao. The second and third couple are cute and funny too - I guess I'm going to ship both couples instead of the main couple.

OSTs are nothing memorable and I easily skimmed through it.

Overall, a worthwhile watch for a rom-com with a mix of thriller and fantasy genre. But, I don't think I'm going to rewatch this anymore. Good luck in watching. Bye bye!!

P.S.
Why do they always kiss in front of the reporters everytime there is a scandal involving both of them? This has happened three times already and can't they just explain that everything is just a stupid misunderstanding?

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Don't Miss Out This Quirky Gem!

FYI, 'Study Group' is a brand new K-drama revolving around school life and so on, which is adapted from a webtoon with the same name. A lot of people claim that it has similar vibes to 'Weak Hero Class 1', with the former being darker and leaning heavily on psychological issues (if you know what I mean), while the latter mixes a fair amount of mystery and comedy and action, which, undoubtedly, engages the watchers from the get go.

The story tells us about Yoon Ga-min, an ordinary boy who wants to study so badly, but is only good in fighting. Despite facing numerous setbacks, Ga-min is very determined to set up a study group of his own and recruit students who have passions for studying (so that he can take inspiration from them). The chaotic band also includes the intelligent and cool-headed Kim Se-hyun, the adorable Choi Hee-won, the badass judo practitioner Lee Ji-woo, the tenacious Lee Jun, and of course Ga-min's homeroom teacher, Lee Han-kyung.

However, their journey is far from smooth as they have to confront numerous obstacles from opposing students and teachers, especially the respected son of the YB Group (a mafia organization, to be precise) Phi Han-wool, who is determined to make them as miserable as he can.

'Study Group' can be categorized as a very refreshing K-drama where the script is fleshed out in a quirky kind of way, instead of taking the usual route of a common K-drama. The dialogue between the characters is neither bland nor cheesy too, which makes watcher easier to relate with them. Academic stuffs and brawls aside, 'Study Group' also tackles the mundane social issues such as poverty (Kim Sun-cheol and his grandpa's arc is quite a heartbreaking one), the loss of a loved one (the scene where Ga-min's mother supports Ms. Lee after Ms. Jeong-hwa's funeral (Ms. Lee's teacher)), abusive parents (Se-hyun's jaded relationship with his father), and etc.

As a webtoon reader, I'd delved into its webtoon version before and surprisingly, the twists and turns are done right, by ending every episode in a cliffhanger so that the watchers becomes more addictive through the following weeks. Given it only has 10 episodes, I'm sure there's going to be another season of 'Study Group' as the stack gets higher for Ga-min and his comrades (for reference, check out the season 2 and 3 of the webtoon version).

The acting is wonderfully phenomenal especially Hwang Min-hyun's. I never imagine that he can pull off Ga-min's character seasmlessly, given his so-so performance in 'My Lovely Liar' (which I dropped after ep 4). I must also appreciate Min-hyun's mastery of martial arts in this series, because from what I see in the webtoon, Ga-min's uncle's forbidden tricks are very tricky to be performed. The rest of the casts do well too, though it'll be quite difficult for me to add every single name lol.

OSTs are average (I still prefer my super wild playlist of K-pop songs), while the cinematography, costumes, fighting scenes, and background settings give us a breath of refreshing air after a bunch of humdrum-like shows gliding through the past year.

Is it worth watching? A BIG YES!!! I'd recommend this show, especially for those who like action and thriller genre (this will increase your adrenaline rush, for sure). Time to end my review right now. Good bye and good luck in watching!!!

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The Pain of Betrayal and How to Regain Your Glory After Experiencing the Brink of Death

Back From the Brink is one of my favorite xianxia dramas. I admit that there's a little loophole in the plot, but it doesn't defect me from enjoying it. So, now let us venture into the intriguing plot and characters!

Back From the Brink is adapted from one of Jiu Lu Fei Xiang's novel 'Hu Xin' which literally means protect the heart. It tells the interspecies romance of Tian Yao (once a legendary and ancient dragon) and Yan Hui (a freshly expelled Taoist cultivator). On Tian Yao's wedding day, his lover (Su Ying) dismembered him and sealed the entire parts of his body separately. In a final despair attempt, Tian Yao managed to gouge his dragon heart and sent it away before Su Ying could take action. He later died and possessed a body of a dead boy, trying to get back his body parts by hook or by crooks. Not long after that, Tian Yao encountered a bold yet cheerful former Taoist cultivator, Yan Hui, who coincidentally possessed Tian Yao's dragon heart. At first, they seemingly played the cat-and-mouse game as Yan Hui was adamant of Tian Yao's plan to use her with the purpose of getting his body. As the story progressed, Yan Hui slowly started to be attracted by Tian Yao and so did he. Just like the saying goes, if you've never encountered failure, how could you move on to become the better you? So, this drama depicts this saying in an excellent way. Nevertheless, the leads regained their dignities after encountering a lot of dangers in their adventure and nearly being in the slump of death multiple times.

As a novel reader, the story doesn't deviate very much except for the introduction of the shadow ghost (Bai Xiaosheng). At first, he might seem to be freaking annoying due to his interference of the main leads' relationship. Thank God I'm proved wrong. He was the CATALYST that would lead Tian Yao and Yan Hui to form a deeper bond which is more than just friends and companions. Also, he had numerous antics which would make me laugh like a lunatic. If I'm not mistaken, there was no Fu Yin (lord of the dark aura) in the novel. I guess it was made up for this drama. I'm not sure but I didn't like his character very much. Moreover, his backstory wasn't properly explained which led to the confusion of the watchers. I get that Fu Yin was a lonely person with only Xue Lin (a former Taoist cultivator who would eventually marry the fox king) as his companion. After Xue Lin got married, he began to resent everything in this world and turned evil. Is that all the writers have got? I wish we could see more about Fu Yin's flashback and how he transformed into the lord of dark aura.

Don't get me started at the ending! It was a SUPER LACKLUSTER! After a series of twist and turn, the writers decided to cram everything into the last episode and the KISS in the last scene was the prove of a happy ending?? Come on, we need more than just a kiss. At least, you can explain how Yan Hui was reincarnated again and found Tian Yao in the mortal world. Because of this reason and the above one, I will have to dock one point off the story.

Actings and chemistry are all fine. I've got no problem with that. What I like the most is the bickering relationship between Tian Yao and Yan Hui - there's always something they could debate of. Meanwhile, second couple (Xian Ge and Feng Qianshuo) have a more mature relationship and constantly support each other either financially or emotionally. Third couple (Huan Xiaoyan and Zhu Li) has a worse bickering relationship than the first couple and they seem to be pretty chaotic when they're together. Special mention to the fourth couple (Su Ying and Lu Musheng) who has one-sided love effect and the latter doesn't reciprocate thingy.

Guess I will end my rant until here. Although there're several cons, you can still watch it peacefully since it's a light-hearted xianxia compared to the angsty one (for instance, Till the End of the Moon). Happy watching and good luck.

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A Trainwreck of Catastrophe

Finally, after months without reviews, I’m back again and here I am, fretting over the so-called brand-new sci-fi movie "Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy". For your information, it is adapted from Singnsong’s much-loved sci-fi fantasy thriller novel under the same name. Prior to jumping into this movie, I’d had a peek of the first 20 chapters of the webtoon. I may not be an avid webtoon reader, but I still have some affinity to it (my favorite is Singnsong’s other work, which is "The World after the Fall"). There had been quite a few weeks after its release that I began to watch it. Normally, given the venomous-dripped reviews and its wacky rating, I should’ve avoided it at all costs. However, some part of me still wondered why these people were making a fuss over a failed adaptation (for Omniscient Reader: Viewpoint's lovers, it must have been a hard time for you all). So, without any hesitation, I plunged myself into the movie and I got to understand why this movie was called a chaos.

The movie follows the journey of an ordinary office worker Kim Dok-ja who’s living his mundane life with the aid of his favorite web-novel “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World”, of which he has been ogling for 10 years (I’ve forgotten the exact time). One day, the story recently concludes its run and Dok-ja finds the epilogue quite a lackluster, so he inadvertently castigates the author (this is a contradiction against the OG source already where he actually praises the author) and triggers the system which transports him to the novel’s world. Alongside his new companion, Yoo Jung-hyeok, Yoo Sang-ah, Lee Hyeon-seong, Jeong Hui-won, Lee Ji-hye, and Lee Gil-yeong, he must navigate through this complicated world that he himself only knows and survive the ordeals and trials based on what the author has created before.

Based on my observation, the plot itself offers an intriguing premise with a blend of sci-fi and fantasy thriller, which has always been my favorite. Nonetheless, “Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy” doesn’t really work on me as much as other shows do. Glaring plot holes and unnecessary modifications can be found everywhere right from the get go (the castigation of the author, I mean). Another thing that I notice is how they change Sang-ah’s ability into healing, when she isn’t a healer herself. How he survives inside the sea monster’s tummy is still a mystery to me. Why do they have guns and sniper rifles as weapons too? And I believe Dok-ja isn’t a prophet – in fact, he has a reading skill that can make him see through other people’s abilities. Knowing what will happen in the future just because you understand and memorize the plotlines doesn’t make you a prophet, you know. Too much asking, I suppose. Let’s move on to another point.

Incongruous and grotesque CGI only worsens the situation and I can’t help but keep rolling my eyes over and over again. The monsters’ CGI is tacky and distortedly ugly, as if they were made out of 10-year-old kid’s plastic toys or even cardboards. Meanwhile, the scene where the gold coins churn out of the monster’s body after it is killed, is infuriatingly absurd as though this movie were some kind of RPG game such as Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and many more. By the way, against all of the people, I actually love the dokkaebi – it’s super-duper cute and speaks like a little toddler that I badly want to hug it (I’m fanatic over the word “dokkaebi” due to ALL(H)OURS’ song, SHOCK).

I can’t fathom why the hell they want to adapt this fantastic novel into a roller coaster of wreckage. I do feel sorry for Singnsong, you know. After all, they deserve better treatment. As for the actors, I have nothing to say except you’ve done a great work despite the not-so-supportive circumstances and I hope that you’ll be able to gain a foothold in other dramas or movies. But still, your efforts have paid off and I’m glad your acting is the last saving grace of this movie.

All in all, you really need to decide whether to watch it or skip it. I’m not forcing you if you’re skeptical, nor I’ll say it’s an awful movie as well because I still want to respect the actors’ hard work for bringing us the adaptation of "Omniscient Reader: Viewpoint" in a decent way. And my one last message to the director and screenwriter: Please, NEVER adapt "The World after the Fall" if you don’t want another hot mess to reignite again (because it’s my all-time favorite webtoon and no one can turn into a cataclysm unless you’re truly experienced). Time to end my review here. See y’all – good luck and happy watching!!!

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The Omen Odyssey

In an era dominated by rom-coms and censorship, horror-thriller dramas are a dying breed. So when The Seven Relics of Ill Omen—adapted from Weiyu’s novel Qi Gen Xin Jian—finally aired on Youku, I knew I had to give it a try. Despite knowing it wouldn’t rake in high ratings, my love for suspense and supernatural thrillers won out.

Long ago, demons invaded the mortal realm, triggering mass bloodshed. A righteous official, Bo Yangzi, sealed them using a scroll of imperishable wood—split into seven bamboo slips—while three phoenixes sacrificed themselves to form the seal. These slips became known as the “relics of ill omen.”

Centuries later, the relics began stirring again, unleashing chaos across time periods—from ancient Fengzi Ridge to the republican era. Enter five unlikely heroes—Mu Dai (an adorable martial arts prodigy), Luo Ren (a brooding mercenary), Yi Wan San (a sharp-tongued barista), Yan Hongsha (a fearless treasure hunter), and Cao Yanhua (a reformed pickpocket). Together, they form the “Phoenix Squad” to confront the seven relics and their dark histories.

Fishing Line Doll – Luoma Lake (Relic of Blade)
Centers on Mu Dai’s adoptive mother, her tragic love, and a parasitic relic haunting Luo Ren’s family. Powerful themes of identity and revenge.

Fairy’s Guidance – Wuzhu Village (Relic of Water)
Yi Wan San returns to his cursed hometown and confronts family grief, survivor’s guilt, and a giant clam harboring the relic.

Rouge Amber – Yueliang Mountain (Relic of Hang)
Yan Hongsha’s past unravels, revealing an eerie tale involving a savage child, betrayal, and jewel greed. Mu Dai also develops a split persona here.

Wind-Blown Dust – Nantian (Relic of Mouth)
Mu Dai’s painful backstory surfaces—an abandoned child, a friend’s tragic death, and repressed trauma culminating in a gripping mental battle.

Cao Village in the Mist (Relic of Earth)
Cao Yanhua’s cousin gets possessed. Deep caves, eerie coffins, and star-related legends make this one suspenseful and myth-heavy.

Hunting Shadow and Leopard – Old Heisha Island (Relic of Human)
Luo Ren’s past resurfaces in the form of Leopard—a villainess with a dark ritual past. It’s intense, and yes, their chicken sidekick steals the spotlight.

Phoenix Reborn – Fengzi Ridge (Relic of Heart)
A powerful finale. The Phoenix Squad confronts their deepest fears in an illusion realm. No death ritual this time—just growth, unity, and healing.

Weiyu has once again delivered a fantasy-mystery marvel. The script, though slightly adjusted for censorship, retains her signature otherworldly vibe. Each relic arc is compelling, and the backstories—especially of the antagonists—are nuanced and emotionally gripping (Leopard excluded, but she’s a fun villain).

Liu Haocun is phenomenal, seamlessly switching between the cheerful Mu Dai and her darker persona. Despite past backlash (notably in Be Passionately in Love), her performance here is a revelation. Song Weilong perfectly balances mystery and tenderness as Luo Ren. Ao Ruipeng (Yi Wan San) is hilarious as ever and forms a fun duo with Cao Yanhua. Wang Yiting also impresses in her first major role I’ve seen.

From visuals to OSTs, everything is top-notch. Despite its supernatural setting, the production feels grounded and atmospheric. Massive credit to the crew for pulling off a genre this hard to air under strict censorship.

Is it worth watching? Absolutely—if you’re into well-written fantasy thrillers with emotional depth and a touch of horror. It does drag in parts, and Leopard’s strange accent can be jarring, but the overall experience is a rare gem. A well-earned applause to the creators for making this happen in today’s industry climate.

If you want to read the full-length review, you can click on this link yes...
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8126149196342022378/6038927938275854787

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A Topsy-Turvy Show Splashed with Frustrating yet Shitty Characters

(Disclaimer: This rant is purely based on my opinion, so please don’t take it wholeheartedly and come bashing at me, okay?)

As we can see very well, Go Back Lover’s title is hinting on second chance romance trope, which is no stranger to C-drama veterans. To be honest, I’m not a great fan of this trope because in my principle, if you’re having a relationship, there’s no turning back. So, I’m quite surprised by this theme and wonder how these ex-lovers are going to reunite and resolve their past misunderstandings.

In addition, to make the show more unique, the writer decides to introduce a romance/dating variety show as the catalyst for the plot development. In fact, a dating variety show is somehow rare in C-dramas nowadays and I must say it’s such an interesting premise. However, it quickly goes downhill and becomes a mere plot device to fill in the draggy episodes. I don’t know why, but there’s a lot of things happening outside the variety show too, with some of them being irrelevant or unrelated to the show itself.

And don’t get me started at the horrible dumbass characters! Some people say that they’re not without flaws (yes, I do agree with that), but at least they have to realize their own mistake and being unaware of it makes them look like a bunch of 10-year-old-kid especially main leads and second couple (the SFL, to be precise).

(Note: I'm not going to mention the acting since my review has become an endless rant. However, I still appreciate their acting skills for embodying such characters, so kudos for all of you.)

The first couple is a pair of ex-lovers who broke up after ML had a private brawl with FML (fourth male lead), which the FL didn’t appreciate very much. They accidentally encounter each other again in the airport when FL is attempting to find a male guest for her variety show. Rumors later spark out of nowhere and many people obviously want them to be together once again after ML’s failed proposal in Race Against Time (another variety show which was produced before FL went to German). The ML was indeed thrilled when he saw FL again, but his feelings wasn’t reciprocated at all. The FL keeps repeating that she is forced to do so because she wants her variety show to gain more popularity, while the ML begins to behave like a simp out of nowhere, even loses his self-respect for FL. This push-pull dynamic drags out for the whole 18 episodes until the elderly rural couple manage to convince the FL of marriage. I understand that FL has suffered from PTSD because of her parents’ failed marriage, but as the saying goes,' You won’t know unless you try.' So, she should’ve taken the initiative instead of letting the ML hanging on the thread. She’s also a horrible hypocrite (today she says she wants to be together with the ML, and the other day she pushes him away) and keeps dilly dallying for time (in a very harsh way, she regards ML as her plaything and will dump him whenever she feels necessary) when all they need is a proper communication or heart-to-heart talk instead of doing everything in a roundabout way. It’s just so, so frustrating to watch them and I just keep sighing exasperatedly whenever they pop out of my screen. By the way, they also remind me of Binary Love's main couple which is more or less similar as them.

Same goes for the second (divorced) couple – however, SML still knows his boundaries well and only wants to treat his wife better, but his so-called wife never gives him the chance to redeem himself. Throughout the show, they just keep yelling and shouting at each other (a perfect example of a bickering couple), which is not a very good option. By the way, SFL always acts like a pouty selfish girl who wants better treatment from SML yet never telling him what she wants exactly, which often leaves the SML baffled and confused (they also need proper communication so it relieves me when SFL apologizes to him and they ultimately fix their ruined relationship and become more tolerant towards each other). Since the second couple isn’t the main focus on the show, I think I can skip my rant about them right now.

Third couple is the healthiest couple in this show. As someone who is a shy and introverted person, I can understand what does it feels like to have your daily lives exposed to the public. At first, they’re uncomfortable of it, but they manage to overcome their fears together and become a couple while strengthening their trusts between each other.

Unofficial fourth couple must be the worst out of the couples in this show. FML is FL’s snobbish know-it-all male friend and the biggest rival of ML. He has a secret crush on FL so he deliberately provokes ML which doesn’t succeed, anyway. FFL is the bitchy lawyer and former arch-rival of FL since their high school time (as the saying goes, she's a wolf in the sheep clothing). Feeling resentful of being the third to best (don't forget, there's TML in the second place), FFL resorts to underhanded tactics to ruin FL’s career (what a baffling and cliche execution lol).

I have no idea whether inputting past events with the present one is good idea, but the writer seems to have change the entire script and doesn’t put much emphasize on the former, which is quite disappointing because I love that part better than their present lives.

The sets and backgrounds are quite pleasant while the costumes are sort of… weird? Do people nowadays have to wear baggy coats and professional suits to shoot variety shows, huh?

OSTs are meh and I won’t be bothered to give them second chance.

Overall, it’s a 6.5 out of 10. Unless you’re a fan of ML or FL or perhaps you need some brainless watch after days of working out, you can give this a shot. However, if you don't want to waste your precious brain cells, NEVER watch this HOT MESS even if the world is turning upside down. Goodbye and good luck!

Side note:
Does funeral and divorce need a ceremonial party? WTF are they thinking about? It's beyond common logic, isn't it?

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The Feeling of Being Put Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Okay, so I found this drama in Desire Catcher's recommendation lists, and I thought the premise is quite intriguing given its genre for a suspense thriller drama. To be honest, I'm not supposed to watch any dramas until In Between airs because I've got a lot of tasks going on right now (monthly quiz and so on). However, because of this interesting premise, I was tempted to jump back to the drama world and here we go to the review...

The story tells about Luo Jian and Zhuang Wenjie who cooperate with each other to solve numerous cases linked to a mysterious mastermind. Actually, we are supposed to have an enemies-to-partners trope given the leads' identity - one is an experienced yet lowkey detective while the other one is a genius aka straight-A student who comes from a family of thieves for 3 generations (big whoop, right?). So, as we dig more into the plot, we are told that Zhuang Wenjie unintentionally involves himself in a painting robbery case, claiming that it is his late mother's most favorite painting. At first, he and Detective Luo don't seem to have a good start, but later on, he begins to acknowledge Detective Luo as his life mentor. Somehow, the villains happen to discover of Zhuang Wenjie's existence and make him their puppet because of his very special identity as Zhuang Yaobai's son (his father was one of the best thieves back before he married Wenjie's mother). Caught amidst the conflict between the police and the thieves, Wenjie has to make a choice for himself - to uphold the justice and law or to unravel the conspiracy behind his father's death 10 years ago.

In the beginning, the plot hooks me from the get-go, and I immediately binged up to 10 episodes. However, the plot starts to go downhill after Ding Shenghuo (one of Zhuang Yaobai's acquaintance) is arrested. The remaining villains are bland for me including Monsieur, the ultimate villain behind all of these crimes. I skipped nearly all of the scenes while trying to piece up everything by envisaging here and there. Also, the writer seemed to have toned down Wenjie's character by making him into a super freaking dumb boy. Come on dude, you shouldn't listen to those thieves' words and just stay still just like how Detective Luo tells him to do - he even doesn't know that he's in cahoots with Monsieur himself, who claims to be his father's senior. Born into a family of thieves has granted him a sense of vigilant and alertness, but why don't you use it in front of Monsieur and instead treat everything as if nothing happened at all (if you just listened to Detective Luo, things wouldn't do haywire, and your life probably wouldn't be in danger since the police is handling the case)? However, I must say that he's good when it comes to deception, better than me of course (it's shown when he keeps making excuses and lies to his friends).

Zhang Yi steals the show's limelight and showcases his acting talent seamlessly as the kind yet wise Detective Luo whereas Karry Wang of TFBOYS is still overshadowed by Zhang Yi's character despite him having more significance and depth. The supporting characters have done their parts well and I'm surprised to see that Fan Shiran is also participating in this drama (still can't get over her toxic character in Dashing Youth lol).

I don't pay much attention to the songs and BGMs so it is a pass to me.

Overall, an eight out of ten. If you're a fan of suspense thriller drama with complicated characters, give it a go. But I do have to warn you that the second half may not be as captivating as the first one. Good luck and happy watching!

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One of the Most Brutal K-Dramas that Ever Existed

Back in late 2023, I happened to find this show as a very high-rated show in MDL, so I decided to give it a try. However, I only watched until ep 6 then stopped, never touched it again, and marked it as completed in my watchlist.

To be honest, the plot and storyline is not that bad, and I like all of the fighting scenes and violence depicted in this show. Nonetheless, I started to lose my interest when the third male lead popped up amidst the show. I never understood why he should turn against his two buddies who had protected him at the first place - it's like biting the hands that feed you, if I must say. Other than that, I don't seem to have any troubles regarding this show.

Acting is superb and most of the casts have done their best to bring out the essence of their characters (I only realized that Park Jihoon is one of Wanna One's former members wkwkwkwk).

Overall, a nine out of ten from me. Highly recommended for violence, bullying, gangster tropes' lovers :)

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An Addicting Wuxia Fantasy Drama with Spectacular CGI and Bunches of Superb Characters

Well, I'm supposed to write this review a long time ago, but I'm just... to lazy to write because I've forgotten most of the key scenes in the show. However, watching 'Dashing Youth' has encouraged me to do so. Sorry for the late review, guys...

This show revolves around the F6 of TBOY (Xiao Se, Lei Wujie, Wu Xin, Sikong Qianluo, Tang Lian, and Ye Ruoyi) as they traverse the jianghu world. As you can see, the storytelling and the story's pace are directed well. I really like the first half of the show when they are travelling through the jianghu. However, things start to turn over as they delve into the political intrigue. I admit I skipped a lot of scenes, especially the emperor, the princes, the pathetic eunuch, and also Yi Wenjun's.

My favorite characters will always be Wujie and Tang Lian - I adore them very much and wish they had more screentime instead of the sly little fox Xiao Se. I have no problems with the female leads - they're likeable haha. However, I don't like Wu Xin as much as everyone does - I don't know if it is just me or is anybody feeling the same.

CGI, costumes, and props are crafted exquisitely and look high-budget.

Nevertheless, a ten out of ten for me. I've rewatched for the third time and definitely will recommend it for those who love wuxia with a tinge of fantasy element in it. I'm currently watching 'Dashing Youth' and see if the prequel lives up to the sequel's reputation. I'll cover up 'Dashing Youth' review when I'm done watching. Good luck!!!

Note:
There are bunches of characters that you will need to remember from time to time in order to grasp the story.

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Life is not as Simple as It Seems...

Okay, so this is my third mini drama after 'A Familiar Stranger' and 'Seal of Love'. I've never had much expectation of a mini drama, given their low-budget and average casting. But, this one had me hooked up right from the beginning and I just kept watching nonstop until the end.

The plot is centered around two skilled assassins (ML and FL), who were somehow drawn to the political scheme of the first prince and even served under the same commander (you'll notice this in the later episodes). In their daily lives, FL was a clothing merchant whereas ML was an ordinary physician. I'm not sure whether they're betrothed or not, but they married... and tried to hide their real identities with a great deal of difficulty LOL. One more thing, we also have a second couple which consists of FL's blind younger sister and ML's sidekick. Though they didn't have much screentime, their presences also played pivotal roles in aiding the main couple to complete their missions.

My slight complaint is about the villain's arc. Somehow, the villain betrayed the main couple and tried to get them killed. But, he, himself, wasn't dead and... done. What kind of lame plot is this? They could've revised the script and made a proper ending for the villain though.

Surprisingly, this mini drama had done well in every aspect including the sets, costumes, fighting scenes, and more. The actings are on point and I begin to ship the main couple (hoping for a future collab LOL). Second couple is also nice and cute tho.

Overall, a highly recommended mini drama! You won't regret investing your time in this!

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An Unexpected Good Watch

Firstly, I came here without any high expectation and only watched this to kill my time as there was nothing to watch back in January (after I dropped Sword and Fairy 6). I only find my time tonight to work on this review. So, this is a live adaptation based on 'Cream-Flavored Unrequited Love' by Zhu Yi who also writes Hidden Love, When I Fly Towards You, and First Frost.

The story is set in the college times of Lin Xichi (FL) and Xu Fang (ML). Both of them attend the same university but taking different majors. FL is a veterinary medicine majoring whereas ML enters the university with special admission due to him being an archer. The plot is a simple one, exploring the love life of the leads and how insecure they feel on the inside. You will expect all of the college drama tropes used here, so there's no surprise as this is a typical college drama. I love the bickering and banters of the main leads - also feel the superb chemistry and have butterflies in my stomach. (giggle... giggle...)

We have SML (Ye Shaowen) pursuing the FL and SFL (Xin Zhidan) doing the same to the ML. At first, they may come off toxic, but fortunately, the leads state that they only like each other and reject them outright. After getting rejected, they realize the truth and acknowledge and become supportive of their relationship. It solves pretty fast after 2 or 3 episodes - they're not annoying out of my hell, anyway.

Second couple (Jiang Zhengxu and Nie Yue) has a healthy relationship and support each other when one of them is in the darkest moment of his/her life. I'm moved by how Nie Yue defending Jiang Zhengxu from those debt collectors - it's just so, so heartwarming. Also like the way he proposes to Nie Yue before they graduate.

Third couple (Lin Xigeng and He Liyang) get off on the wrong foot when they first meet but slowly begin to attract each other. He's just so protective towards his girlfriend and his sister too. He's a good husband material. The girl is quite independent too, however after a motorbike crash, she will be a cripple, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to become a professional racer.

Annoying parents trope is played heavily if you notice the unstable relationship of the FL's dad and mom. I hate both of them and skip their scenes. Thank goodness, ML has more supportive parents and they immediately accept the FL without further ado.

This is one of the best college dramas I've ever seen even though the rating is kinda low in MDL. Happy watching and you can also check out Zhu Yi's other works (I will be waiting for First Frost - maybe until 2025 or longer than that TT).

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Stick Through Ups and Downs Together

Another day, another review. Just you know, I only finished LGIEF yesterday due to the fact that I couldn’t maintain my schedule properly and FOF was also airing at the same time (you can imagine how messy my life is). Thank goodness, after done with FOF, I picked this show up where I left off and continued through the story. FYI, I’ve been waiting for a year and had read the manga back and forth to grasp the leads’ explosive chemistry and the mesmerizing unique plot.

So, the story revolves around a modern-day girl named Ling Miaomiao, who loved to read fantasy novels by her favorite author, Fu Zhou. One day, Miaomiao was writing an overly critical review about Fu Zhou’s newest book titled Catching Demons when she was suddenly sucked into the book itself. Miaomiao quickly realized that she had accidentally triggered the system and entered the world of Catching Demons. To return to the real world, Miaomiao had to complete the plot and also deal with the enigmatic tsundere boy Mu Sheng, his doting sister Mu Yao alongside her lover Liu Fuyi. As she navigated through this otherworld, Miaomiao decided to change the whole story and rewrite their supposedly bad ending into a good one.

I must admit that LGIEF’s script is a very intelligent one. As we all know very well, transmigration plot has been recycled multiple times especially in mini dramas, however this show proves me wrong about it. It is not your typical old school cliché and also incorporates modern and traditional culture in one go, which adds a breath of fresh air for those who loathe cliché scenes and stuffs like that. I also like the moral lessons sprinkled in this show especially the one that I write above (that’s the life lesson which Miaomiao always emphasizes whenever they’re in perilous situations). My slight complain is that they never explain how Fu Zhou can transmigrate into the novel too and why he doesn’t have any memory of himself, but the memory of Mu Sheng instead :(

By the way, Esther Yu and Ryan Ding’s explosive chemistry is the main weapon which makes the watchers ship them more and more. I love the way they always bicker with each other and the emotional scenes are also heart-wrenching. I personally find that Esther Yu’s bubbly voice doesn’t annoy me and her acting skill has improved a lot too (I’m sorry for dropping Love Between Fairy and Devil tho). This is my first show of Ryan Ding and I must say that he embodies the role of Mu Sheng really well, giving off sarcastic bad boy aura from the get go lol.

However, the same can’t be said to the second couple. I’ve seen Zhu Xudan and Yang Shize back in Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact and I like their interactions there. Nonetheless, in this show, all they do is being poker-faced and never smile. I don’t whether the fault lies on the script (they’re required to act like NPCs cause they’re no real characters) or what, but I can’t detect any chemistry from them.

By the way, special mention to our bamboo kiddo Cuicui – he’s the cutest boy ever and the way he clings to his grandpa… SOOO CUTTTEEEE

Sets, wardrobes, cinematography, OSTs, BGMs are done right too. The ones that I particularly like are the Astronomical Bureau’s entrance and also the piano BGM when they’re forced to make a decision or complete a mission together.

Would I recommend it? YES, you should give this masterpiece a go! You won’t regret wasting your time in this show and my 32 hours is worth it. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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Despite the Glamorous Budget, the Plot is...

Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact aka Yue Hong is the first installment of the Fox Spirit Matchmaker trilogy. IQIYI and Stellar Pictures did spend a huge sum of money to produce the trilogy. While waiting for the release date, I kept searching for information on the manga's wikipedia site and also watched a tidbit of the anime. For your information, I've been waiting this show for a year and even kept fantasizing and imagining what the scenes in the show would look like. But my expectation is cut short when the actual release date is confirmed. Despite the stellar casts, aesthetic backgrounds, exquisite costumes, top-notch CGI, and high budget, the show falls short when it comes to the script. You can see just how disappointed I am. However, I don't want my one-year awaiting turns into a fruitless effort, so I keep pressing on until the final.
(For the synopsis, you can check it out at MDL main page or at justjacky's review. I'm not going to copy it down because this is gonna be a very long rant.)

The plot is simplistic, dull, and bland as if it were an exquisite cake without any icing on top of it. I don't feel any emotions out of the dialogues, instead I just keep a poker face and stare at my screen as if nothing had happened. Moreover, the script is full of typical cliches of a childish rom-com drama like are you injured, are you hungry, try my new dishes, it's late now-go back and rest, and blah blah blah. This cycle keeps repeating for countless times and soon becomes very repetitive. To me, it's like the parents nag to their child to oblige to the rules and do what he/she is supposed to do and not to meddle in someone else's business.

After searching the wikipedia once more, I only discover that the writers ATTEMPT to cram several little arcs into the show in order to prolong the story. However, it doesn't work out because the story becomes more underwhelmed, and those couples barely have screentime of their own. Somehow, I kinda feel that they always prioritize the main couple over the others.

Aside from the bad script, the show also suffers from choppy editing. The transition between every scene is done haphazardly even though the post-production team is given a one-year time. When a certain scene has reached the climax/pinnacle, it will zoom to another random scene which has nothing to do with the previous one. I personally feel that this absurd scene jumping hinders some of the audience to understand the story thoroughly, but all we can do is to ENDURE it!
(Note: The choppy editing is resulted by using panoramic screen instead of the normal green screen, claiming that they wanted to try using a new technology that never existed in other Chinese fantasy dramas.)

As for now, I'm going to explain every couple's arc and the rant will continue below. Here we go...
- Tushan Honghong and Dongfang Yuechu (Yang Mi and Gong Jun)
Honghong is the chief of Tushan and the eldest of the Tushan sister. Being a leader of the Tushan fox clan, she shoulders a lot of heavy responsibilities. She is cold, aloof, and can be authoritative. She has been acting cold because she fears of falling in love and is still guilty of what happened to Dongfang Luo, her childhood sweetheart. Yuechu is the descendant of the Dongfang family and has been hunted since he was younger. He is intelligent, mischievous, and a bit cunning. To him, Honghong is his life savior, and he can't help but to have a crush on her. Despite her objections, Yuechu relentlessly pursues Honghong and never gives up when she rejects her. The two of them have the same wish, which is to see humans and spirits live in harmony. In the process, he melts Honghong's cold heart and she decides to fall in love once more.

- Tushan Yaya and Aolai SanShao/Ah Lai (Cristy Guo and Wei Zheming)
Yaya is the deputy chief of Tushan and the second eldest of the Tushan sister. Yaya has a carefree and reckless personality, which is the reason why both of her sisters prefer to keep her dark of the truth, afraid that her recklessness will bring chaos to Tushan. Aolai Sanshao, disguised as Ah Lai the Poison Boy, is one of Honghong's friends who had been helping her to investigate the black fox. He has an easygoing, cheery, and cheeky vibe. As he spends his days in Tushan, he is attracted to Yaya's carefree nature while Yaya also admire Ah Lai's cleverness and courage.

- Bu Tai and Shi Kuan (Zhu Xudan and Yang Shize)
Bu Tai is the princess of Spirit-Master Kingdom. She is a nice person and also filial to her kingdom. She has a secret crush on her loyal spirit guard, Shi Kuan. She is the first person who confesses her love to a spirit under the Grief Tree. Her love is later reciprocated by Shi Kuan. Unfortunately, Bu Tai was assassinated by Guoguo as one of Shi Ji's schemes. Later, Shi Kuan ascends to the position of Spirit-Master Kingdom's new emperor.

- Lu Jianwen and Yan Rushan (Sebrina Chen and Mao Zijun)
Lu Jianwen is a new constable of the Yiqi Alliance. As far as I know, she is a justice-driven person. She gets entangled in the women abduction case alongside Yan Rushan, also known as Thousand-Faces Gentleman, who is Rongrong's former disciple. At first, they never see eye to eye, but soon they are drawn to each other and stage another love story.

- Yueti Xia and Hu Weisheng (Chen Duling and Zhang Linghe)
Yueti Xia is the descendant of the Yueti Family who possess Seven-Treasures Bark. She has a playful and mischievous nature. Hu Weisheng is the disciple of the Ximen Family who takes part in the Seven-Treasures Bark's hunt. He is a naive guy and clueless when it comes to love. After escaping life-and-death situations and spending time together, they realized each other's feeling and love blossomed between the two.

- Tushan Rongrong (Hu Lianxin)
Rongrong is the third chief of Tushan and the youngest of the Tushan sister. Rongrong is more mature and meticulous compared to Yaya. She is one of Honghong's trusted aids in accomplishing Honghong's missions.

- Shi Ji (Wen Zhenrong)
Shi Ji is the former chief of Tushan and also Honghong's sworn enemy. She is a cruel, manipulative, and egoistic woman. Guoguo is her personal informant.

As expected of the stellar casts, their acting is actually top-notch if it hadn't been the stupid script. All in all, most couples have bare chemistry and the only redeeming quality so far is the fifth couple. I actually like Gong Jun, but his acting as a hot-blooded youth is so-so to me. He's better off to psychopath/unhinged/murderous characters. This is my first time watching Yang Mi. I have to say that she acts as the stoic and cold leader too perfectly - not even a smile appears once. Even if she smiles, it feels rather forced. Somehow, they have master-disciple dynamic or worse mother-son relationship. I keep feeling that Honghong looks like a mom nagging to her child to obey her, seriously?

And what's with the amnesia trope? Logically speaking, after sacrificing the Love Seed, Honghong should've forgotten both Yuechu and Dongfang Luo, but why does she only forget Yuechu? Very illogical, right? Anyway, this shitty trope is played for ten episodes until I'm fed up with it. In other words, it can be simplified as a push-and-pull game.

Another thing is that Yuechu suddenly has a crush on Hong Hong after being raised in Tushan for 16 years!! What on the earth is going on? If Yuechu were still a child, it was more understandable. However, he has grown into a teenage boy and suddenly falls for Honghong at the first sight. It's weird, isn't it?

The villain is too one-dimensional and boring. Unlike JOL Season 2 which has unpredictable villain, this show exposes too much of her true intention to usurp the 6 realms. They should've made her more mysterious to captivate the audience, but hell no! Every time her scenes pop up, I'll remind myself that an I-will-kill-Honghong-and-rule-over-the-six-realms sentence would spurt out of her mouth lol!

Don't get me started at the ending! It's a forced happy ending and the most ABSURD one! It's obviously a sad ending for every couple. However, they make it looks like they've entered an alternate universe and got together with their loved ones. Also, the last scene of the main lead doesn't make any sense. I just can't work out what the writers are thinking about. And we don't need the extra clip either!

Don't expect good fighting scenes - there are only hand-waving gestures and everything is done. I know using CGI in a fight scene is not a bad idea, but they need to combine with weapons too.

OSTs and BGMs are okay-ish, but not enough to hook me up.

I'm settling at the score 7.5. I DON'T recommend this show and will never rewatch again unless I need some brainless antidote after tiring out myself. I feel sorry for the whole assembles of casts who have obviously tried their best, but who knows this is going to be a flop?

For those who are casted in Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Zhu Ye and Wang Quan arcs, I'll wish you all the best and hope you won't suffer the same fate as Yue Hong does. This is the end of my rant and good luck!

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And the Award of the Most Hilarious Drama Goes to...

'Joy of Life' garnered high viewership and was a great hype back in 2019. To tell you the truth, I only watched two episodes of the first season, right before the season 2 started airing (the rest episodes have been blocked as VIP). You see, I only have slight knowledge about this series. Aside from Fan Xian, I only know Uncle Wu Zhu, Fei Jie, Grandma Fan, Fan Ruoruo, Teng Zijing, Yan Bingyun, the map seller Wang Qinian, and the young version of Chen Pingping. Despite my slight knowledge, I still enjoy the season 2 wholeheartedly. I'm ROOTING for every character regardless of their sides (good and evil). So, now let's see my take on this show and here we go...

I'm sure that the first season ended in a cliffhanger and that Fan Xian was dead. But the answer is a big NO! He faked his death and resurrected again! Later, he returned to the capital again, dealt with numerous crises that involved the commoners, and even solved the royal palace's cases such as kicking out corrupt officials, dealing with money embezzlement case, exposing the royal family's crimes, and blah blah blah. Fan Xian is the type of a person that couldn't stand injustice - he will do his best to ensure the commoners' safety and expediency and will not let any officials harm them. However, not many people want to take Fan Xian's path and prefer to be indifferent towards the commoners.

One more thing, he also changed the emperor's mindset and won his trust! In the latter episodes, it is revealed that the emperor was Fan Xian's biological father, and the name Fan Xian was designated by his mother, Ye Qingmei. Logically speaking, Fan Xian's status was equal to that of the princes, and that's why the emperor passed down the Imperial Treasury to Fan Xian, believing that he could take care of his mother's old asset.

The plot is craved intelligently with a lot of riddles hidden in the dialogues; you can never guess who the ultimate villain is - whether it is the second prince, the crown prince, the empress, the officials, Chen Pingping, and even the emperor himself. Everyone has their own side to defend and they're all SUPER GREY characters! 'Joy of Life' combines the dark palace politic with funny humor *thumbs up*. I feel concerned to the characters when they're at the lowest point of their lives and laugh uncontrollably when they start to banter. I can list all sort of the funny things they did - Fan Xian's bickering with the four princes, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping's silly arguments, the emperor's handmade gunpowder, Fan Xian's chicken dance when trying out his new clothes, Fan Xian and Haitang Duoduo complicated relationship in which everyone was fond of, Wang Qinian's little family, and many more.

Not only is the plot beautifully woven, but the acting is also top-notch. Everyone casted in the season 2 is experienced and can act well according to the script. Despite the minor fighting scene, it is executed very well, especially Fan Xian and Shadow's duel and also Uncle Wu Zhu's qinggong. I know a lot of people have been complaining about the few fighting scenes, but to me, it doesn't matter. As long as the script isn't messed up, everything will be alright.

I literally skip the opening and ending OSTs, but the BGM is quite nice. I especially like the comedy BGM and just keep humming to myself haha.

I highly recommend this show - you won't regret watching every single minute of it! I'll be waiting for season 3 (don't know when it will air though, haha). See you in season 3, Fan Xian! You're the best!

Three best quotes from JOL Season 2:
- Fan Xian to Fan Sizhe
"You will only be mature if you leave your home."

- Chancellor Lin Ruofu to Fan Xian
"People's hearts will always change so don't trust people easily."

- Chen Pingping to Fan Xian
"Revenge is the most stubborn force of a man's life. This force will grow strong and stronger as time passes."

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