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Completed
Dashing Youth
3 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Aug 18, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

'I’ll Drag the Whole World Down for the Sake of You'

After marking Dashing Youth as completed on Friday, I’ve been putting this review on-hold because I can’t seem to find the precise outline for the review. After guessing the whole night in my sleep, I was reminded of Ye Dingzhi and Yi Wenjun’s tragic love story, so I decided to pick this title among a bunch of other titles that popped in my head. Moreover, I’m also reminded of One Direction’s song 'Drag Me Down', which has equivalent meaning with the story (if you notice the dialogues). Alright, let’s get back to the review.

Dashing Youth aka 少年白马醉春风 is the prequel of the much-beloved wuxia series The Blood of Youth. Back in 2023, it became the year’s dark horse and garnered high viewership and buzz due to being one of the most extraordinary wuxia dramas which incorporated CGI to fighting scenes, which is no different to a xianxia or xuanhuan drama. Following its predecessor, Dashing Youth also attains the same reputation with the aid of bombastic promotion from Youku, despite having a more mediocre plot (if you compare with The Blood of Youth).

The story is about a spoiled and arrogant young master of the Baili Family, Baili Dongjun and his sworn brother who is supposed to be executed long ago, Ye Yun aka Ye Dingzhi, and a street-smart wanderer who wields spear, Sikong Changfeng. Joining the trio are the astute former princess of Beique, Yue Yao and the daughter of the Shadow Sect and also Ye Dingzhi’s love interest, Yi Wenjun (though she’s confined in her residence all the time, I don’t get why they put her on the main poster lol). Together, they traverse through the jianghu and discover their growth and unique talents and make their names to the world.

If I must say, the plot is nothing new in terms of a wuxia drama. You’ll get those friendship, brotherhood, loyalty, adventure thingy so it can be predictable some time. The plot is well-craved, and the dialogues are meticulously written and the witty banters between the leads are just hilarious, until the story goes downhill on the second half of the show, where Dingzhi and Wenjun’s love story becomes the main priority of the story. The palace politic is dull and very obvious compared to Joy of Life Season 2, furthermore the apathetic grand eunuch sometimes drives me mad, to be honest. The emperor’s actions are similar to that of Xiao Ruojin, I can’t say he’s a good ruler but at least you’re better than a bloodthirsty and cruel monarch. One of the best aspects of this show would be the grand entrances of the characters, which kick off with their signature moves/techniques (they sure spend a lot of money for these scenes). In addition to that, most of the casts are eye-candy actors, which is the reason why many people watch this show.

Of all the characters, the one I like the most is Master Li Changsheng aka Nangong Chunsui. He’s the most savage master I’ve ever seen and an unruly one, not even the emperor can restrain him LMFAO. The second goes to Xiao Ruofeng, the Prince Langya and also Master Li’s seventh disciple. In the comment section, many people claim that his actions are questionable, but I think he is put between a rock and a hard place, so I understand that he’s forced to choose the best option for the greater good and can’t pick ‘sides’ or show favoritism to others. However, it’s a pity that he refuses to become the emperor and is willing to give that position to his brother. If he were one, I’m sure Beili wouldn’t be in such a chaos in the future (for reference, check out The Blood of Youth and you’ll know why). Other characters that I like are Sikong Changfeng and his fiancée Feng Qiuyu, the Eight Young Master of Beili, and the Baili Family (I can’t explain all of their lore one by one lol).

Now, let’s delve into the romance. Though it serves as the side dish, the romance feels underbaked over time and I can’t feel the chemistry between Dongjun and Yue Yao, not even Dingzhi and Wenjun’s. If I am to choose, I’ll pick Changfeng and Qiuyu’s love story – they seem to have little spark of chemistry, though not an explosive one. Except for a kiss, we only got several hugging and staring into space and boring dialogues, though I must say Dongjun is such a persistent boy while waiting for his girl to come back.

As for the second couple’s issue, I’ll put the blame on Wenjun for being such a selfish, useless, and gullible woman. For the sake of your other child in the palace, you’re willing to abandon Wu Xin and Dingzhi. Why, just why? And how can you trust a stranger’s (Feizhan) word and be manipulated so easily? Just because you have a bad dream doesn’t mean it’s happening in the real world. Because of you, poor Dingzhi turns into a demon and vows to drag the world down for you. Because of you, the world becomes a bloody and chaotic hell. Boy (I mean Dingzhi), I get you’re a very loyal person and only wants to spend time with your beloved ones, but this is not the best option for you. Moreover, she chooses to stay at the palace on her own will and one more thing, she doesn’t deserve your love either!

I have no problem with the acting, though. Neo Hou pulls off Dongjun’s character seamlessly, but he’s not such a complicated character, so I’ll let this pass (really like him at Back from the Brink tho). Don’t get me wrong, I really like Hu Lianxin as Tushan Rongrong in Fox Spirit Matchmaker, but I can’t connect to her character whether it is Yue Yao or Yin Luoxia – there’s problem with the script, I guess. He Yu is the MVP of the show by executing the most complex character of the show – his micro expressions are on point too. As for Jiang Zhenyu, she’s still a newbie and has room for improvement, but I don’t blame her either – it’s the script that gets screwed. The former idol Xia Zhiguang surprisingly does well too, given that he has no acting background (based on my understanding). Kudos to the rest of the casts too for their efforts to bring the characters alive.

One more con that I've yet to mention is the ENDING! In my opinion, it should be a bittersweet ending given how the situations go through. However, the ending isn't fleshed out properly like the one we always fantasize. We never get to see how Dongjun accidentally kills Yue Yao, how Lei Mengsha and Li Xinyue died, how Xiao Ruofeng is executed, how Wu Xin is sent to Muyun Abode, and blah blah blah. Overall, a very unsatisfying ending indeed!

CGI, sets, backgrounds, and costumes are visually appealing and miraculously gorgeous. The budget sure goes a lot to these departments.

The rock and bombastic OSTs are wonderful, and I like four out of seven songs. BGMs are nice to hear too.

Will I rewatch in the future? Absolutely! But I’ll only watch the beginning of the show and avoid the second half at all costs. Because of the inconsistent plot and the lackluster romance, I’ll have to dock one point off from the rating. I may not be a heavy sucker for romance, but still, I love sizzling chemistry and stuffs like that. It’s such a pity that they fail to execute the romance department, which also happens at The Blood of Youth. This is going to be my longest essay to date and I’ll end it here. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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Completed
Treasures Around
3 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Jul 17, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 5.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 2.5
This review may contain spoilers

Am I Stupid Enough to Stumble on This Show?

Last year prior to the airing date, I accidentally discovered this show on weibo. I was truly excited because the show is going to revolve around the personal lives and business careers of jade merchants. To be honest, I have deep fascination for jade artefacts/jewelry, so I feel that giving this show a go won't do much harm. The premise of jade merchants may sound interesting, however they failed to execute an outstanding live action series. I'm going to keep this review as short as possible since there's nothing much to talk about.

Treasures Around is actually a historical rom-com revolving around an eccentric jade businesswoman Shan Dandan and the Pei family's young master Pei Pei. At first glance, they have enemies-to-lovers trope, which I enjoy very much despite their childish tantrums. After 4 episodes, they lose their chemistry, and the relationship begins to feel forced. It would have been better if they made a slow-burn romance instead of rushing everything.

The pacing is kinda on and off too - some things are wrapped up as quick as possible while the others are as slow as snail. I stop after watching 17 episodes (by using 2x speed) and mark it as completed because I don't want to drop shows anymore. Yes, I admit that I have no idea of the ending, but based on my understanding, it is going to be HE - with the leads proposing to each other or holding a marriage.

I have to cringe whenever a comedy scene pops up. Their acting is so, so embarrassing and cheesy from the main casts to supporting ones. I personally feel that the main leads' (Bi Wenjun and Xu Lu) talents are wasted in this show. Their intimate scenes are cliche and seem to be copy pasted from other shows. Also, the main leads always make fool out of themselves, which makes me so infuriated. For the first time in their lives, can they use their brains properly instead of acting on impulse? Plus, Ah Liu is a dumb bodyguard and always makes bad suggestions for Pei Pei - as the old saying goes, like master like servant lol. We don't need the jealous bitchy Cui Liu too - she's an absolutely toxic woman.

The Su family's young master Su Jue is such a hypocritical person - he always badmouths the Pei family while secretly helping them for Shuangshuang's sake. If this were your original intention, then why waste your time badmouthing them and even got your uncle to scheme everything? Poor Shuangshuang doesn't deserve him at all - but the production team obviously wants to make the second couple out of them.

The only redeeming characters are Shan Shuangshuang (Dandan's elder sister. Despite her robotic facial expression, I like her badass personality and seems to be the only sane person out of the clown-ish people) and Mother Pei (say goodbye to toxic mother syndrome. She's such a supportive and lovely mother that everyone needs in the real life lol).

I assume that the production team must be low on budget. The sets look cheap, and the main casts only get 4 or 5 different sets of clothing while the supporting casts get none. They make the main leads sing the OSTs too - all of which are not my cup of tea.

I definitely won't recommend this show to anyone unless you're a fan of the leads. Avoid this show at all costs...

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Completed
Undercover High School
4 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Mar 30, 2025
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

An Epic Mix of Thriller, Mystery, and Comedy

After the end of Study Group, I wasn't expecting much from Undercover High School, given that I didn't recognize any of the casts. Anyway, I still gave it a go because undercover's term always had me intrigued. Let's see how's my take on it.

The plot follows the journey of an NIS agent named Jeong Hae-seong, who is tasked to search for Emperor Gojong's gold bar at Byeongmun Highschool after botching a mission when he attempted to save an ancient artifact. This new mission requires him to go undercover as a highschool student. At first, he has had a hard time trying to adapting to his newly fabricated life as he kept getting into trouble with his homeroom teacher, Oh Su-a. Meanwhile, he also befriends several classmates including Lee Dong-min, An Yu-jeong (his cousin), Lee Ye-na, and many more. Not only that, his presence also attracts the attention of the school's chairwoman, Seo Myeong-ju, who happens to be Seo Byeong-mun's descendant. Also, Hae-seong needs to search for his long-lost father, who disappeared when he took the very same mission. As Hae-seong, Su-a, his NIS team, and newly-made friends work together to solve the crisis, problems and unwanted obstacles also arise repeatedly to thwart their plans. Will they eventually break the mystery of Byeongmun High School, find the gold bars and his father, and have a happily-ever-after ending?

I won't be blabbing about the script's quality as it also utilizes the art of plot twist in a very good way and even I'm getting more and more intrigued after every episode. Yes, it's a tightly-woven yet intricate story and unpredictable as well, with numerous multi-layered characters, you'll be truly engaged in this show. However, I'm sorry to say that I always skip the chair woman's part because her being a villain is quite obvious, there's no need to second guess.

Acting is pleasantly good especially the leads Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo. This is my first drama of them and I must appreciate their dedication to bring their characters to life. The NIS team is also quite funny with their endless bickering and antics. And another surprise is the Bloody Chicken Gang run by Su-a's mother (can't imagine her as a gangster lol. She's such a doting mother).

Overall, a ten out of ten, as usual. For fans of thriller, mystery, and even slapstick comedy, just go ahead, watch it, and see if it's to your liking. Okay, that's everything I've got to say. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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Completed
Reset
2 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Jun 22, 2024
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Guess Who I Am
2 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Apr 5, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Never-Ending Summer
26 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
11 days ago
29 of 29 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

Good Girl x Bad Boy with A Pinch of Teenage Angst and Chaebol Family Soap Opera

Disclaimer: This review only covers the first 17 episodes, so please do not attack me for marking it as completed. I need to do so in order to make a full yapping about this series as I'm totally pissed off after watching it.

I don't even have the slightest idea of the reason I'm coming to "Never-Ending Summer". I did try to read the novel once, but goodness only knows why, it's so full of violence and sexual contents which discourages me to continue - oh yeah, the ML is also a total jerk who only knows to flirt with other pretty girls since he's a carefree chaebol boy. I couldn't care less about that. However, when words got out that Zhou Keyu and Bao Shang'en would star this drama, I reminded myself it wouldn't do much harm to try watching a bit, 'cause I like Keyu (he's a super-duper pretty boy and a sexy one on top of that). So, let's see my take on "Never-Ending Summer".

The story tells us the angsty romance story between Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao. Zhou Wan is a straight-A student whom the teachers always brag about. She also has a nice and kind-hearted personality and is extroverted enough to build a connection within her classmates. However, nobody ever knows her family condition and that she's now living in a run-down apartment with her sickly grandmother. To pay her grandma's medical bill, Zhou Wan becomes a manipulative person and secretly works as a tutor by posing as a college student looking for part-time job. Sometimes, she also makes note and sells them to a nearby bookstore, hoping that her school friends will buy dozens of them. Zhou Wan comes from a broken family as her father had died during a factory accident and her mother Guo Yan (better known as Guo Xiangling) fled to the Lu Family to have a better life, preferring to abandon her biological daughter with her grandma. On the other hand, Lu Xixiao is your typical bad boy with a rebellious streak against his controlling family. He has zero interest in studies but is zealous over painting (as painting is his mother's favorite hobby). Xixiao accidentally meets Zhou Wan in an abandoned swimming pool behind their school and she helps to tutor him so that he can go abroad to delve more into the painting world. Since then, the two develop an unusual bond and become each other's emotional anchor since they both come from dysfunctional families. Nevertheless, there will always be obstacles hampering their relationship. As they approach their adult years, their love and loyalty are tested repeatedly, and they finally find their true selves within the storm.

So, what can I say about the plot? Well, nothing much to say maybe, because the story is so awfully generic that even writers who love rich-boy-x-poor-girl trope know how to combine this spice into a hot mess. I grow frustrated over times as I watch this drama and always skip endlessly as the plot rumbles with a pace of a snail. Zhou Wan grows into a frustrating character as she always gives mixed signals to Xixiao. Well, she only approaches him so that she can have her revenge against her bitchy mommy and extract money from her to pay for grandma's hospital bill. Unbeknownst to Xixiao, the pair of mother and daughter has concocted scheme that will threaten the couple's relationship. All I see from Zhou Wan is crying like a little baby, mumbling about suicide after grandma dies, breaking down in front of Xixiao, being bullied by a gang of thugs, and complaining interminably to Jiang Yan (her neighborhood friend). However, the next day, she will turn into a completely different person and attempts very hard to make Xixiao hate her, like gurl, can you be more specific about your feeling - like you love him or not? If no, please leave Xixiao alone before he hates you that much. But she doesn't seem to be aware of her actions and acts like a double-faced liar instead. For Xixiao, I don't know why you always have to listen to your sugar daddy and listen to every of his order. Firstly, you want to escape abroad then he threatens to sell your mommy's residence. Secondly, you want to play along with Zhou Wan, then he grounds him in the Lu mansion. Thirdly, grandpa intervenes as well and wants Zhou Wan to stay away from you. Okay, this is getting more and more tedious and I don't care the single fuck you want to do anymore. I'm also tired of seeing him repeatedly forgiving Zhou Wan despite her manipulative behavior. After the forgiving, they will act as if nothing happened, then fluffy couple scenes will be thrown in your frame and you are going to see how both of them flirt endlessly, including kissing, I guess.

In the above paragraph, I've said pretty clearly that I don't like the main couple. Now, let me list what I also dislike from this drama. Firstly, congratulation for the bitchy mommy Guo Yan/Guo Xiangling for being so awfully selfish and abusive that I hate her the most. Secondly, the whole Lu family (except for Xixiao's auntie) for being so fucking lucrative and only thinking about their company and whatsoever. Thirdly, the second couple Jiang Fan and Gu Meng for having the most lackluster bickering relationship - I see no spark between these two people. Fourthly, Jiang Yan and his mommy - mommy previously had an affair with sugar daddy Lu and she got pregnant with Jiang Yan, then the two of them were kicked out of the Lu mansion due to their underprivileged economic background. That's why she always encourages Jiang Yan to loathe the Lu family, even though not all people are the same as sugar daddy. Fifthly, Jiang Yan gives mixed signal as well, sometimes being hostile to Xixiao, and sometimes secretly helping the couple to escape by having meaningless talk with sugar daddy. Sixthly, the hooligan Luo He keeps abusing Zhou Wan and uses violence to harm her, and yet his elusive gang always disappears before the police comes. Seventhly, Xixiao always comes to Zhou Wan's rescue whenever she is harassed by Luo He's gang, like they are in some kind of mafia mini dramas. I don't have any idea about the stabbing scene, but that comes off as cheesy to me.

Now, to the acting. All the actors have performed very well according to the script, and I appreciate all their hard works. This is my third drama of Bao Shang'en after the reboot of "The Legend of Condor Heroes" and "Generation to Generation". I feel Shang'en still has room for improvement for her next roles, and she radiates the bubbly yet resilient and independent aura of Zhou Wan seamlessly, proving herself as a promising future actress in C-drama land. Meanwhile, Zhou Keyu has come out of his comfort zone and has better micro-expressions which are shown during the scene of Zhou Wan lying to her and how he forcefully kisses her in ep 10. Other than the leads, I've only known Fu Weilun from "Extraordinary" and Ke Chun from numerous mini dramas. Their performances are so-so, so I don't think I'm going to complain much further. And please tell Ke Chun not to take any of this abusive role in the future. He's too good to become a real rogue juvenile delinquent.

The OSTs are giving mixed signals as well because I like some of them and dislike some too. My favorite will be 梦与环游 by Xu Ziwei and Cui Shiba, Sunburn by Brian Cheng, Frozen Heart by 8Bite and Dyrox, 最蓝核梦 by Murphy's Law band. Other than the songs I list, all sounds kinda meh to me, or maybe I'm too overwhelmed by the shitty stuffs happening in the drama.

Of course, my last words will be do not try to watch this drama unless you're in a total drama slump or you want to see beautiful fashions of the leads here or you need a daily dose of sizzling chemistry of these two people (all is up to you). Thank you for reading my whole yapping and I'm so glad to take everything off my chest. Good luck and happy watching!!!

P.S.
If any of you ever know about an Indonesian novel titled "Long Lost Memories in Daejeon", the ML's tragic backstory is more or less similar to Xixiao's. However, the characterization of the FL is completely different and she's a full-time simp too. On the other note, another Indonesian novel titled "Act of Money" heavily resembles this drama too - ML has a controlling father and FL is a straight-A student but constantly gives mixed signal to the ML and even dares two-timing with the SML (you can imagine him as Jiang Yan 2.0).

Edit:
I'd watched ep 19 - 22 and found out that the kidnapping and stabbing scene is "spectacular" and more or less similar to my imagination. Anyway, I also felt the emotional impact when Xixiao desperately wants to save Zhou Wan - this is the most memorable scene of "Never-Ending Summer" as far as I can reminisce.

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Study Group
4 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Feb 21, 2025
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
I Want to Be Brothers with You
2 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Sep 4, 2024
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

The Most Chaotic F6 that Has Ever Existed

FYI, I badly wanted to watch this drama since the first time I scrolled through Xin Yunlai’s profile. Then, suddenly I realized that the platform is MangoTV (very well-known for their so-called atrocious subs) and that’s why I delay for a very, very long time. After completing Dashing Youth at mid-August, I have nothing else to watch since most of the platforms air mediocre dramas which are not my cup of tea (exception for Are You the One, though). So, I just blast through this show without any expectation, but wow – it’s a very underrated gem buried beneath those so-called highly-rated dramas.

Set in the countryside city of Tieyuan, the story revolves around the rebellious Gao Yang alongside his best friends – the introvert Ye Xiaowen, the energetic and lovely Jin Beibei, the nerdy Tian Meng, the athletic Mi Jia, and the straightforward Zhao Jiabao. Together, they become faithful friends and experience ups and downs in their lives.

If I must say, the story is nothing new, but what matters the most is the EXECUTION! Every scene delivers a depth of layered emotions and you can feel the emotions of the characters there. I also like the dynamic between Gao Yang and his father Gao Bin – they always seem to have something to bicker about. Special commence to the Jin family too – can’t stop laughing when Jin Doudou pulls up some tricks to his hot-tempered sister and also when Principal Jin starts yapping at Beibei’s grades. The comedy scene doesn’t feel forced and everything is quite natural – which is a refreshing breath for me (I’ve seen too many crappy shows which loves to force a slapstick comedy despite nothing funny happens).

Kudos to the whole assemble of the casts and production team for creating such an underrated gem. This is my first time watching Xin Yunlai and he really NAILS the role of Gao Yang very well (an unruly and carefree boy he is). Previously, I’ve seen Chen Youwei in Tiger & Crane and A Journey to Love (this show is one of his earlier works). Considering that he was still a rookie actor at that time, he had already captured the gist of Ye Xiaowen’s character – a quality in which most of the rookie actors lack. Both actors also have high-octane bromance within their relationship too (perfect for bromance lovers since BL love is now banned).

OSTs and BGMs are overshadowed by the audio that MangoTV attached. I can only hear the dialogues but not the music lol.

Overall, a ten out of ten from me. However, I must apologize that I skip from ep 22 straight to the final episode because of my very cruel schedule plus I’m hearing that Xin Yunlai’s other drama (In Between) will tentatively air at September. So, you see how busy I am :<

Don’t be disheartened by the rating and just give it a go if you love high-school drama with family bickering, slice-of-life vibes, and of course without the usual romance trope. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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Completed
Back from the Brink
2 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Mar 29, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Extraordinary
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Jan 13, 2026
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Mishmash of Historical Dumber and Modern Jargons

To put it simply, it's been quite a time since I last watched mini dramas. Sadly, I have a mid to bad impression about them due to the undercooked plot, mediocre styling and backgrounds, and last but not least, the cliche acting that makes me cringe hard, of course. All of these aspects culminates a mini drama into an awry watching experience, which is why most watchers avoid them like a virulent plague.

"Extraordinary" is no different from other mini dramas scattering around the world of c-drama, relying heavily on the intriguing premise of an engineer transmigrating to a fictional historical China after a car crash and and his goal to save his family's business and protect the nation from another war-mongering country. If it hadn't been for the refreshing idea of combining historical and modern world together (I mean, the knowledge), God knows I'm not going to touch this drama at all cost. To be honest, I'm really pissed off in the second half as the plot takes a nosedive and plunges deeper into an incoherent quagmire. And the final climax isn't that satisfying, prompting the watchers want for more. The villains are also predictable from the get go, I don't even have to guess what they're going to say and just press the skip button.

For me, the acting still has room for improvements for the whole cast. Prior to watching "Extraordinary", I have no idea of their existences (to put it frankly).

OSTs and BGMs are forgettable, so I think there's no need to mention anything.

Overall, I'll never rewatch it anymore. I know I'm being harsh here, but it's all proves and facts (I'm not lying, seriously). Time to end my review, good luck and happy watching if you're in a deep of slumber of new masterpieces.

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Completed
Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Sep 1, 2025
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

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 will I 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 it into a fiasco unless you’re truly experienced). Time to end my review here. See y’all – good luck and happy watching and sorry for the long yapping!!!

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Completed
The Seven Relics of Ill Omen
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Jun 27, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Go Back Lover
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Oct 19, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Be Reborn
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Sep 12, 2024
26 of 26 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Weak Hero Class 1
1 people found this review helpful
by CV_58
Aug 1, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

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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