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Fighting for Justice in the Injustice World
Vigilante is based on a webtoon with the same name. Prior to watching this, I've read the webtoon to get better understanding but stopped halfway after I completed the series.To date, this is, perhaps, one of the best miniseries in k-drama land. It blends action, thriller, psychological, and crime genre perfectly. It uses 'fighting for justice in my own way even though it's wrong' trope heavily. We see the ML (Kim Ji-yong) had a traumatic past as his mother was murdered and the murderer got a short-sentence in prison. After ML grew up, he came across the murderer again and beat him brutally. At last, he made up his mind to become a vigilante (a serial killer, to be precise) - to protect the world and the innocent people from injustice by dealing with the criminals with his own hands since the law couldn't be trusted anymore.
Nam Joo-hyuk portrays Kim Jiyong seamlessly and expresses various emotions versatilely - he's as good as a pyscho, I really love it. Yoo Ji-tae also does well as Cho Heon - a detective who was sent to arrest the vigilante. I'm really impressed by Kim So-jin - the one who acts as Choi Mi-ryeo - she's maybe some kind of lunatic, but she still got her own sense of justice and was willing to help the vigilante as she could as possible. Lastly, Lee Joon-hyuk as Cho Kang-ok is a great fan and a big support of vigilante as well - like his funny banter with Ji-yong...
I've no more words to describe it anymore - but yes, this dark tale deserves more attention from the public and the rating could've gone higher. After Vigilante, another miniseries, which is 'A Killer Paradox', tries to duplicate it, but falls short compared to this one. If you love pyscho plot with a blend of action thriller genre, you can give this a shot. Warning: Lots of bloody and violent scenes, don't try it at home.
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My Very First Memorable C-Drama
My adventure in the world of c-drama couldn't have happened if it wasn't for Love and Redemption. Looking from the synopsis, I have been hyped by this show and always wanted to watch it until I got the courage to.In the first few episodes, everything was great especially the Hairpin Conference in which they had to catch a legendary monster in the wilderness. This conference also contributed to the first encounter of the ML and FL. Later, after 4 years old separation, they bumped into each other again, but ML seemed to stay away from the FL many, many times. As the story progressed, FL found out shocking evidences and the real identity of the ML. Then, they tried to heal each other and began spending more time together.
In my opinion, it could've been shorter, though. I skipped nearly all the scenes of the 'so-called self-righteous' sect leaders and the evil sect's scheme, crafted by the second lord of Lize Palace.
The friendship between Yu Sifeng, Chu Xuanji, Chu Linglong, Zhong Minyan, Xiao Yinhua, and Ruo Yu is one of the great aspects of the show. Their cute banter in the beginning is very funny before the show got angsty.
I become a hardcore fan of the ML because of this drama, but not for the FL (who is banned for tax evasion).
I've rewatched this, perhaps, 4 times already. Yeah, it's a very amazing drama and I love it very much. But, I do remind you to only look for the couple's scenes and skipped those unnecessary stuffs.
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A Mixture of Action, Thriller, Mystery, and Investigation
In my opinion, this is, perhaps, the best wuxia drama throughout the world of c-drama. This is also the second Cheng Yi's project that I've ever watched after got hooked up by 'Love and Redemption'.The plot is craved perfectly and executed well. There is no single filler in every scene. The actions are... WOW!!! If you tread the story carefully, you can see that every case intertwines with one another - from trivial small cases to important great cases. In the end of the show, there is a little twist and turn which will determine the ultimate villain and the main lead (Li Xiangyi) real identity. I'm impressed at how the main leads try to solve the cases even though each case is a bit illogical in modern times (maybe people at those times believe more in superstition). I even paused for a little while to figure out how to solve the cases, but ended up being puzzled. If you just want to enjoy the show, you can ignore those illogical stuffs and keep going on. Anyway, it won't deflect you from watching this masterpiece.
We have 3 main leads (Li Xiangyi aka Li Lianhua, Fang Duobing, and Di Feisheng) with different personalities and styles. So it's no wonder why they always bickering. Previously, Li Xiangyi was an arrogant and selfish boy with great martial arts skills, who only wanted to be the best in the martial arts world and never cared how other felt towards him which would lead his friends distrust him. However, he still had a good side of him which was being wise when making decisions. Now living in Li Lianhua's persona, he has turned into a sly old fox (as how Fang Duobing branded him) and become more deceitful. No matter how deceitful and sly he was, he just wanted to live a good life in his remainder days (this is the reason why he decided to leave the martial arts world for good). Cheng Yi once again showed off his cool acting skills and he really is a versatile one, showing ranges of emotions in every scene.
Fang Duobing was a young master of Tianji Manor. He was a typical spoiled little brat who recently ventured into the vast world. He trusted people too easily which got him into troubles many times. As the show progress, he started becoming mature and make a skillful detective in Baichuan Court. Joseph Zeng nailed his role quite well and his baby face fitted his character as well.
Di Feisheng is Li Xiangyi's arch nemesis. After Li Xiangyi's downfall, he began to investigate this case secretly and found out that Li Xiangyi was still alive. His purpose of living was to have another duel with him. Di Feisheng might not be your typical antagonist, although he was considered as the king of demon in Jinyuan Alliance, he still had a kind personality beneath. Xiao Shunyao did well in here and I'm impressed by his portrayal of Di Feisheng.
How about the rewatch value? Of course, it's going to be a high one. So far, I've rewatched 3 times and I still can't move on from this show. The ending is either a happy or a sad one - I don't want Li Lianhua to die just yet so let's just say he has now lived in a secluded life and is now enjoying his days (I feel sorry for his 2 friends, I wish they could be together and reunite once more).
Don't hesitate to watch this masterpiece. You won't regret your time. I guarantee you, soooner or later, you will be captivated by the engaging plot. Happy watching!!!!
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A Masterpiece Ruined by a Superficial Script
I've been anticipating Wonderland of Love when I was just a newbie in c-drama. I even read the titbits of the novel posted on the discussion forum of MDL. However, things weren't as good as it seemed to be and you will know why as you scroll down my review.This drama tells about 2 generals of the best armies (Zhenxi Army and Cui Army), Li Ni and Cui Lin. At first, they tried to be one step ahead of each other and resulted in both bickering nonstop. Li Ni was a prince trying to hide his identity from the others. Only the Zhenxi Army knew the real identity of his. Meanwhile, Cui Lin was a woman in disguise. She called herself Lieutenant He in the Cui Army and had an adoptive brother to take her identity. What I liked the most was the funny banter in the Zhenxi Army (including those gangs of bandits). The plot sounds perfect for me, but there will always be loopholes in it and brace yourself for the outweighed cons.
Halfway through the show, I started to fast forward 2x because the story was so, so INFURIATING and I wanna knock some sense into the characters. Li Ni's dad was perhaps the DUMBEST emperor I've ever seen. He couldn't even see that his two elder sons were plotting against him. Cui Lin's adoptive brother, Liu Chengfeng (or what other user called him as Lost Cause Fruit Loop) turned into a delusional and obsessive character as soon as he found out that Cui Lin had no feelings towards him. He always TRIED to get Li Ni killed by plotting everything from the beginning to the end (how I wished to strangle him to death). Prime Minister Gu's daughter, Gu Wanniang was an obsessive character as well. When Li Ni didn't reciprocate her feelings, she began to feel resentful towards Cui Lin and also want her killed. Prime Minister Gu's arc wasn't the best if you compare it to Sun Lang's arc. His character wasn't powerful enough and there wasn't any backstory for his plot with a certain tribe (sorry, I've forgotten the name, whatever it was called). This may be caused by lazy scriptwriting and the writer perhaps wants to add fillers so that the drama looks rather long. It could've been cut into a shorter one.
The chemistry between the leads (Xu Kai and Jing Tian) are super hot and you will love the flirting between these two. Also, honorable mention to the second couple, Tao Zi and Xie Chang'er - they're the best second couple and a green-flag one too. The Consort (forgotten her name as well) does well with Sun Lang too.
Opening OST is the best one and other OSTs aren't quite memorable.
No rewatch value for me. I can't stand this drama anymore. One time is enough, there's no need to watch for the second time except if you're in a drama slump. Overall, a decent show ruined by a bad script and filled with dozens of delulu characters.
P.S.
I apologize if my review is a bit offensive.
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Life in Zha Zha Ting is Never Flat
Truth to be told, I wasn't really interested in "Dazzling" when the promotional poster came up in MangoTV Conference 2025 or 2024 or whatever year it was, as the story gave off that kind of summer carefree vibes that I couldn't bother to discern. Moreover, the plot is quite simple - 2 high school teenagers meet in a coastal village, and their lives are turned upside down - that sort of set up has been recycled multiple times by other youth dramas and I perfectly know how this drama is going to fare with its predecessors. Nonetheless, I started watching because it is written by the same author who pens "Speed and Love", Shi Jiuyuan. Since y'all know I have a deep affinity for "Speed and Love", I can't possibly miss "Dazzling" despite being starred by the two leads that I particularly don't like at all. Let's rock, shall we?The story revolves around two troubled youths, Qing Ye and Xing Wu. Qing Ye, a high-and-mighty pampered germaphobic little princess from Beijing, is sent away to Zha Zha Ting when her father's business empire crumbles and is particularly unhappy with this arrangement as she has been used to living like a grand princess in the city, not in a modest and unassuming small village with all of its obnoxious inhabitants, ranging from noisy neighbors, creepy perverts, and even her ostentatious aunt, Li Lanfang.
Meanwhile, Xing Wu is Qing Ye's cousin (they are not blood-related, as Li Lanfang was previously adopted by Qing Ye's grandparents before she ran away after being found pregnant with Xing Wu inside her belly). Having lived under torrents of piling debts scraping here and there to make ends meet, Xing Wu decides to suspend his studies and focuses on making money to help his mother put food on the table. Because of that too, Xing Wu develops an indifferent attitude towards other people and dislikes Qing Ye on their first encounter as her prickly personality often gets under his skin. However, beneath the hardened bad boy shell, he's actually good in the heart and often helps other neighbors in need, sometimes without charging money from them. Whenever Li Lanfang gambles the money away to play mahjong, Xing Wu will always look for more opportunities to earn more money. Aside from that, he's also deeply passionate about Qing Ye and wishes to stay by her side forever.
Meanwhile, Xing Wu is Qing Ye's cousin (they are not blood-related, as Li Lanfang was previously adopted by Qing Ye's grandparents before she ran away after being found pregnant with Xing Wu inside her belly). Having lived under torrents of piling debts scraping here and there to make ends meet, Xing Wu decides to suspend his studies and focuses on making money to help his mother put food on the table. Because of that too, Xing Wu develops an indifferent attitude towards other people and dislikes Qing Ye on their first encounter as her prickly personality often gets under his skin. However, beneath the hardened bad boy shell, he's actually good in the heart and often helps other neighbors in need, sometimes without charging money from them. Whenever Li Lanfang gambles the money away to play mahjong, Xing Wu will always look for more opportunities to earn more money. Aside from that, he's also deeply passionate about Qing Ye and wishes to stay by her side forever.
Heavily marketed as a summer drama, "Dazzling" does it job pretty well by showcasing the mundane life of the coastal villagers and how their interactions impact the whole society. Despite the fact that the leads always end up getting into multiple troubles, the screenwriter does a nice job in concocting the resolution and how they still persevere through sheer tenacity and nominal sum of money. The neighbors are surprisingly kind-hearted, jovial, amiable, and supportive of the mismatched family, often lending a hand when they are in dilemma (to the point of letting them staying at their houses in the arson case arc). I also like how the screenwriter portrays the leads to be sanguine in spite of their predicaments and the way they pull themselves together. Most families would've wallowed in grief, frustration, anger, or even a combination of those. They also have a healthy friendship bond with the teenagers there, ranging from the boisterous Hao Chenggong/Huang Mao, the loyal Fan Tong, the art enthusiast Shi Min, the 'bitchy' Cao Fan, and the lovesick straight-A student Ye Yingjian. Together, they establish a study group in preparation for Gaokao with Qing Ye becoming their tutor. Oh yeah, I also love grandma as she is one of the most crucial pillar in the family's little house as the moodmaker of the day.
I understand that this is a coming-of-age teen drama with tons of recycled cliche scenes to display the sizzling chemistry of the main leads amidst the hustle and bustle of the coastal village. I also have a perfectly-timed premonition when a cliche is to be applied and even make some mental notes to embrace myself in the repetitive cycle of rinse-and-repeat. Honestly, a simple high school drama's material isn't that much to begin with, so the screenwriter needs to rake his/her brain and find several feeble excuses to make the episode's counts longer than necessary, including the issues that the family must face in every single episode. From piling debts, salon's vandalism, the neighbor creep, the laptop robbery, arson case, Cao Ping's inability to redeem himself, and lastly dear daddy fetching her back to Beijing, the couple seems to be plagued with endless problems that come out of nowhere as if there were such coincidences in the world.
What is more, I've noticed that "Dazzling" has a myriad of similarities with "Speed and Love", in terms of characters, plots, and even their personalities. I'll list down everything below:
1. Qing Ye's high-and-mighty attitude VS Jiang Mu's spoiled princess act
2. Xing Wu's fondness of fixing miscellaneous stuffs VS Jin Zhao's omnipotence in repairing mechanical things
3. Hao Chenggong and Fan Tong's bond VS San Lai and Jin Fengzi's
4. Li Lanfang as an irresponsible and selfish parent VS Jin Qiang
5. Ye Yingjian's infatuation to Qing Ye VS Pan Kai's lovestruck mode towards Jiang Mu
6. Shu Han is Wan Qing 2.0, minus the brother
7. Qing Ye's daddy VS Chris (Jiang Mu's stepfather)
8. Arson case VS vandalism case
9. Both FLs have the same mindset to set the MLs' path to the bright side
10. Officer Xu VS Officer Lu
As for the acting, I guess I find several problematic points here. Firstly, I'm not fond of Li Yunrui since the catastrophic "Go Back Lover", and I feel that I'm not really liking his model student or even adult vibes - but, he conveys the emotion pretty well during the burnout scene plus his bleached hair is like an icing on top of a cake - he would make a good street punk in another time. Secondly, I feel awfully cringy with Gabriella Guan's acting because she attempts to create several histrionics which doesn't bode well with her character's personality, especially the salon's promotion in the marketplace and him taking her away from the cafeteria after her uniform is stained by food. Moreover, she seems to force her voice to be pitch-high and tries to enunciate every word in a very-slow-mo pace (oh my god, seriously?). Another thing is that Qing Ye is such a sweet talker, and I hate sweet talkers the most because their words often hide ulterior motives beneath and I'm not going to be fooled a second time. For other casts, I have no idea of who they are, except Bian Tianyang (always goes all-rounder playing sidekicks in every drama he stars in) and Wang Jiaxuan (the guy who plays Meng Ruihang, another lovestruck boy who falls in love with Qing Ye - previously, I had seen him in "Amidst a Snowstorm of Love" as Yin Guo's younger cousin, Meng Xiaotian and in "A Journey to Love" as Li Tongguang's attendant). Their acting is quite fine, I must say, because they really embody the village atmosphere so well that I feel I have been thrusted into the same society as well. I may not have grown in a village like them, but I settle down in a suburban area of my city, so we naturally cherish every precious moment in our lives, especially my friends in school.
The OSTs are meh if you compare them with "Speed and Love". Liu Yuning's is the best out of the 6 songs, but I still end up deleting it from my device because it disrupts the flow from "Sing Me to Sleep" by Alan Walker to "Easy Love" by Sigala. Liang Yongqi's is a tad of cringy, but it grows on me after multiple listens. Li Yunrui and Gabriella Guan's is a no-no to me and don't ask me why I say this. Duan Aojuan's is the most cringy song I've ever heard from this drama, as if the melodies were distorted, truncated, or whatsoever. Yao Chen's is too melancholic to my taste, as if I had been listening to a maudlin farewell song. Jeffrey Dong's is decent and has me singing it on loop.
Overall, a not-so-good experience of binging through "Dazzling". However, if you are into heartwarming family drama or realistic romantic relationship, then this drama may be designated for you. One more thing, you'll have to suspend your disbelief for a little while as things can get unrealistic (I mean the conflicts). For me myself, I won't be watching it for the second time since it's not that worth it. That's all for my review, good luck and happy watching!!!
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A Light-Hearted and Fluffy Show to Help You Reminisce Your Youthful Memories
Truth to be told, I wasn’t expecting much when I suddenly dropped “Generation to Generation” due to its awfully choppy editing with lack of chemistry and emotional impact added to the top of the list. I was getting bored at that time and decided to have a sneak peek at “Too Young to Love”, although I was 100% fully aware that it might only offer an ordinary cliché story about high school romance and other predictable tropes whatsoever. Still, due to my itchy fingers, I finally skimmed through the first 22 episodes as I didn’t watch the ending (needless to ask, it must be a happy one).So, the story is centered around two individuals who are pursuing their dreams in their youth, Yi Lan and Tong Xiaole. Well, they have this kind of neighborhood relationship and it’s pretty understandable for them to develop a platonic friendship. Yi Lan has always wanted to become a professional cellist like her mother but is constantly deterred by her father’s refusal due to her mother’s death in the past, which makes him traumatized and becomes hostile against Yi Lan’s dream. Meanwhile, Tong Xiaole always lives alone as his parents frequently goes to business trips, and because of lack of communication, they always clash whenever it comes to his university’s major. His father urges him to take financial major for it is widely known as a highly prospective major for employment these days. On the other hand, Xiaole has no interests in financial thingy and prefers the art of photography to create meaningful stories behind the lenses and frames of a camera. Joining them are Chen Fan – a wealthy chaebol heir who has a knack in composing songs, Qiao Mengmeng – the socialite of their group, and Luo Ningzi – a fellow cellist, at first she doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Yi Lan but they reconcile soon after, and also Chen Fan’s girlfriend whom he has a rocky relationship with.
As I emphasize on the upper paragraph, I’m deadly serious when I say I have zero expectation on this show, but it turns out be surprisingly… decent, yet not decent enough to take a nosedive on the second half (college life, adulthood, and etc.). Some issues are tackled realistically as my current high school life’s (for instance, fighting with parents over majors, pursuing your dreams instead of taking a lucrative major, homeroom teachers constantly got scolded by principals over scores, straight-A students’ choices in majors, and many more). However, some parts are also portrayed as illusions for us young watchers (organizing a little concert amidst the imminent Gaokao, running to the rooftop of school to set off fireworks (wow, we would be given a good beating for it if it really happened in my school), and other forgettable things).
For the acting, I guess it’s still laudable despite the cheesy dialogues. This is my second time watching Zhang Xinyi (I once sneaked in to “Be Passionately in Love”) and from my perspective, she still has rooms for improvements in the future (please don’t let her cry much, she’s beginning to remind me of my dearest friend who always cries whenever someone has an upper hand against her). For Xie Binbin, I don’t know what to say, but his role as Tong Xiaole seems to have a hybrid personality (half warm and half cold), which makes it harder to decipher his true feelings. Others are meh, but Luo Ningzi definitely deserves a praise for humbling the high-and-mighty chaebol boy.
OSTs are limited and I wish there would never be any singing concerts in the coming times. It’s totally frustrating to see the leads lip syncing while the original song plays in the background. Somehow, the sound and the lip just don’t match seamlessly. I’d better watch K-Pop MV instead of this.
Overall, a pretty mundane show to pass your time or maybe to ignite your past memories of adolescent years or even become a background noise while you’re multitasking. I’m sorry if my words are somewhat offensive (I’m not proficient in using euphemisms) to you guys and I hope you have a good watching experience. Good bye in “Pursuit of Jade”, good luck, and happy watching!!!
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The Adrenaline Rush of Precarious Street Racing and Love for a Toddler-Like Teenager
Welcome back to my review. As usual, I’m sorry for delaying “Speed and Love” review because I’m just too idle to write down my thoughts (FYI, my holiday will end in three days, so I’m making sure that I complete this review before getting back to school and being busy again). Without further ado, let’s just dive into the review.“Speed and Love”, formerly named “Star Trails”, is a rom-com drama adapted from Shi Jiuyan’s novel with the same name (in Chinese), staged in the perilous world of street racing in Manshi, Thailand (supposed to be a remote area in China named Tong Gang). The series revolves around a pair of nonblood-related siblings, Jin Zhao and Jiang Mu. After a crushing divorce, their dad moved out from the house and took Jin Zhao with him to Thailand, where they struggled to make ends meet to the point that Jin Zhao needed to quit from high school and took up odd jobs instead, including establishing a self-independent garage and joining high-stake racings in the midnight to earn some cash for the family. FYI, Jin Qiang married another Chinese woman, Zhao Meijuan, at that time and bore a new daughter, Jin Xin (no doubt there will a lot of mouths to be fed).
Meanwhile, Jiang Mu stayed in China with her mom, Jiang Yinghan, at Nanjing. However, Jiang Yinghan soon found a new Canadian-Chinese boyfriend, Chris, and they decide to marry together and live in Canada from then on. Nevertheless, Jiang Mu didn’t agree on her mom’s remarriage and demanded to stay behind in China for she didn’t have a good impression on Chris. After having petty arguments back and forth, Jiang Yinghan finally agreed to let Jiang Mu stay at her father’s place and told her about the past of Jin Zhao as well. This piece of truth only fueled Jiang Mu’s personal desire to search for Jin Zhao and her hope to rekindle the old memories together.
After settling down in Thailand, Jiang Mu enrolls a language foundation course and a Thai high school too (though this is a heavy point stressed in the novel, it’s completely brushed aside in the drama since it’s going all out in the aspects of emotional tension and sexual interactions). Not only that, she also learns about Jin Zhao’s new life and finds that he’s beginning to look like a stranger in her eyes. To understand his world better, she also learns how to race since Jin Zhao always participates in illegal street racings. Soon, she falls in love with Jin Zhao and slowly peels away his thick fortress, ultimately gaining his heart. But an accident will occur in no time and the two are separated for a very long time, breaking each other’s heart while still yearning. Will they finally give in to their fates or fight against it to stage another fluffy love story?
To put it frankly, I do agree with most of the viewers that the plot is very cliché except the racing part. Firstly, the myriad numbers of tropes crammed into this drama is pretty outstanding, considering it only has 29 episodes. Nonblood-related siblings, spoiled girl x bad boy, accidental hugs, friends coming to disturb your peaceful moments of kissing, noble idiocy, ML decides what’s good for FL without asking for her consent. Those tropes have been utilized by other rom-com dramas and some even do better than this one. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the electrifying chemistry of the main leads, most people would’ve dropped it long ago, and so do I.
However, I want to praise about how well the racing arc is done, especially Jin Qiang’s methods of how to adapt to tricky situations by relying on your neural instinct. The machinery of car is also explained in basic language so that viewers of non-physics background can grasp the foundation easily (one of them happens to be me, since I’m very awful in physics, but don’t get me wrong, I have deep fascination for mechanics and machinery stuffs).
Now, please welcome our high-and-mighty spoiled little queen Jiang Mu. Well, she does act like a spoiled 10-year-old little chick, as if she were a vexatious mosquito hovering around Jin Zhao’s orbit. No offence, but I’m also a picky eater and tend to pick out the vegetables that I dislike. However, there’s a little discrepancy between me and her. At least, I keep my tongue well shut while nitpicking the vegetables, unlike Jiang Mu, who keeps pouting and scowling interminably till I get irritated of her. Also, why does the designer love to dress Jiang Mu in conspicuous sexy clothing that apparently doesn’t fit her image as an ordinary high schooler at all? Even she only wears her uniform as a formality to conceal the black shirt and mini skirt beneath. And how does she know about cars just by having a single glance (the part where Xiao Yang and Tie Gongji are having a difficulty at)? And how does she manage to learn drifting after having seen Lin Sui performs it one time? And from when does she develop a feeling for Jin Zhao? I know it’s a taboo stuff for others when it comes to siblings falling for each other, but I think that’s fine for me. The thing that keeps troubling me is perhaps she had fallen for him since her childhood years and that feeling grows incessantly over years in the shape of the spoiled queen (don’t get me wrong, she initiates most of the intimate acts). Esther Yu’s acting and baby-ish voice don’t help much with Jiang Mu’s interpretation either. She’s trying hard to act like a toddler just because the script demands so, and she turns 180 degree into a mature woman in six years, but not that mature though. Check out the reason below after I finish blabbing about the ML.
For the ML, I actually and truly love him very much that I also want him to be my boyfriend. Welp, who doesn’t want to? He can race, cook, dry your hair, repair the water heater, exceptionally outstanding in physics, draw, fetch you back from school as if his time had been reserved just for you, and many other things I can’t think of anymore. But, the noble idiocy really irks some people and I really don’t know why because noble idiocy is a rudimentary key point during their separation arc or it would’ve been less fulfilling (for me). Also, Jin Zhao’s character is also shaped from the harsh reality of the world and how he can overcome the trials and vicissitudes of life. I think He Yu has shone brighter than ever and it’s his outbreak role after several mediocre performances. He totally rocks Jin Zhao’s portrayal and embodies his essential point quite well.
For this paragraph, this is going to be a hell of a ride, so please bear with me. The show does convey dangerous moral impacts about how to selflessly sacrifice your dignity for someone you’re not supposed to love and how unrequited love soon blooms into a bold yet dangerous possessiveness. This is shown when Jiang Mu confronts Wan Qing in an unfriendly manner and keeps thinking that she has an affair with Jin Zhao, when he actually never reciprocates her feelings. If Jiang Mu had initiated a more proper and clearer communication instead, things wouldn’t have gone awry and the girls would’ve made such good friends from the get go (I tried really hard to suppress my urge to yell at Jiang Mu, seriously). Not only that, the show also romanticizes taboo stuffs such as how you ogle for that person to be your emotional anchor when things go wrong or unlike your expectation. If the person-in-demand doesn’t give you the respond that you desire, you’re going to start throwing tantrums here and there, in order to attract his attention back to you (which is not worth your time at all). I even have to restrain myself not to take any lessons from this show so as not be deluded into an astray path, given that this show is directed for young teenage girls like me, who will be self-deluded in your little fantasy bubble and have a great rage when your reality turns out to say no to you.
Now, to the OSTs. Yes, I love most of the OST in “Speed and Love” especially the upbeat hip hop track sung by Yan An (not Pentagon’s member). I also like the sultry song by Alyce Zhou (R.E.D) and the wistful memory in Zhang Bichen’s track. The other tracks are as pleasant as well. Backgrounds and settings are thumbs-up for me, while the costume can be toned down a little bit for our dear Jiang Mu.
Will I rewatch? That will be a 50/50 answer. If you’re looking for hot sexual tension and dozens of intimate scenes, then you’ll have a great fun here. However, if you’re into a coherent storyline, I’m sorry to say that this show doesn’t fulfill this requirement. It’s time to end my review now (since I have to go to sleep now), good luck and happy watching!!!
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Never Mess with Si Teng
If I have to admit, I did start this show without any expectation as I consider it to be some kind of distractions after hours of burning the midnight oil for mid exams. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the show thoroughly and here's my view about it.Rattan's plot revolves around an alien who was mutated forcibly by Qiu Shan (one of the Xuan Sect masters) during the Chinese republican era, named Si Teng. Years of constant abuse by Qiu Shan had turned Si Teng into a vengeful creature. Qiu Shan finally lost his patience after finding out that Si Teng was in love with Shao Yankuan, a young master who happened to encounter her. Furious with Qiu Shan, Si Teng took revenge on him by allegedly telling every Xuan Sect master that Qiu Shan had revived a dirty creature like her. However, no one knew that Si Teng had split into two people, one was Si Teng and the other was called Bai Ying. After Qiu Shan was assumed to have been kicked out of the Xuan Sect, Bai Ying launched an attack on Si Teng and ultimately killed her out of resentment and jealousy. Her body was later buried by a rickshaw puller named Jia San who accidentally saw Bai Ying's evil deed.
Years later, a young architect Qin Fang goes on a trip to Danna with his girlfriend An Man. But, he never thinks that the trip to Danna will turn into a catastrophe as An Man is being tracked by some thieves who want Nine-Heaven Pearl possessed by An Man's benefactor, called Brother Zhao (I don't remember his name). Qin Fang is inadvertently entangled into the vortex of dangers and falls off the cliff after the chase by the thieves and An Man (in this case, the Jia family is also involved as Brother Zhao's wife is Jia Guizhi).
Beneath the cliff is where Qin Fang accidentally revives Si Teng the legendary alien. At first, he begrudgingly follows Si Teng and becomes her errand boy as he is the only one who knows her secret. Alongside Qin Fang, there are also Yan Furui (Qiu Shan's disciple), Wang Qiankun (a member of Xuan Sect), and other Xuan Sect members too. From mutual dislike to developing interest of each other, the couple enters the stage of love and tribulation and will their blossoming love defeat the so-called fate?
What I can say about the script is the screenwriter's prudent approach in utilizing plot twist to create mystery and thriller-like vibes so that the show doesn't go predictable like many other crappy shows apply. I never expect that such twist would actually exist, but it brings me a lot of satisfaction, to be honest. I won't spoil much for the plot twist, if you're curious enough just check out the show right now.
Jing Tian always shines as usual as a badass female lead and she radiates the aura of bossy and dominating yet caring and tender alien. This is my first show of Vin Zhang and he also does his role well as a loyal and green-flag man. Shout out to Zhang Yichi who plays the funny yet silly Yan Furui flawlessly, I always laugh at his quirky antics and whenever he bickers with Wang Qiankun, that's a bonus point.
OSTs are average and the BGMs are quite... creepy and eerie (just like those in horror movies, I even had my hairs stand out when the creepy BGMs started playing).
Overall, a very recommended show for those who love thriller and mystery genre, ogle for clever plot twists, and also for Wei Yu's fans (the novelist of Rattan). Do try it and you'll soon be addicted too. Good luck and happy watching!!!
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Off with a Bang, Out with a Dang
It’s been quite a while since I watched my last K-drama, The Impossible Heir, which I dropped at ep 4 because of the lackluster plot and unreasonable characters. Hence, I started avoiding K-dramas for months until I noticed Family by Choice at MDL. FYI, Family by Choice is a Korean remake of the much-loved slice-of-life drama Go Ahead. Previously, I’d watched Go Ahead but could only withstand 9 episodes so far. I was curious of what Family by Choice could do, therefore I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.Family by Choice’s plot doesn’t stray much to that of Go Ahead’s. It tells the story of unrelated-by-blood 3 siblings (Yun Juwon, Kim Sanha, Kang Haejun) who find solace on each other’s company and become parts of a found family alongside Juwon and Sanha’s dads. I see that they’ve toned down Juwon’s tomboyish attitude and made her look more girlish while the boys are no different with the OG version’s. For Go Ahead’s watchers, I’m sure you know about the boys’ toxic mothers and how much emotional impact they’ve caused on their children. However, in this version, they don’t seem to care much about it and make it looks like a normal family conflict (thank God Juwon isn’t jealous of Sanha’s new half-sister). Also, in the OG version, Park Dal (Juwon’s bestie) has a crush on both boys, but she’s only interested in Haejun here (so no toxic third wheel, which is a breath of fresh air for love triangle’s haters).
At first, the childhood and teenage years of the 3 siblings are very captivating and I really love their interactions. The way they support and heal each other is just so, so heartwarming that I nearly shed tears for them. Nevertheless, nearing the end of the show, their adult years start to drag here and there, and I quickly lost interest. To be honest, I stopped until ep 14 but still marked it as completed since I don’t want to drop shows anymore. I know there’s no point in watching the final episode anymore because it’s going to be an HE and them reunited once again as a family.
I have no comments on the acting, though – everyone seems to be doing fine with portraying each character’s complex emotion, a very crucial aspect when it comes to slice-of-life drama.
If you’re into slice-of-life and found family theme, you can try this out and it’s shorter compared to the OG version so that you won’t waste much of your time (the plot is similar, anyway). Good luck and happy watching!!!
Memorable quotes:
'Everyone is special in their own way' - Yun Juwon
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Another Stereotypical Show Saved by the Leads' Sizzling Chemistry
It's been long since I completed this show months ago. I've been delaying this review because I can't think of anything about this show except for the leads' chemistry. Finally, I get to write one today and this may be a short review concerning I have nothing much to say.The plot falls to the same old face swap trope, same old newlyweds trying to hide their real identities, and blah blah blah. Though the plot is not that great and seems to be recycled, the actors' performances make up for it. I particularly like the first couple, especially Ryan Cheng - it's my first show of his and I can't wait for his next project 'Shadow Love'. I don't recognize other actors except him, but they've done a great job too.
Even though it's a mini drama, I still end up using fast-forward button to complete it in one go. If you're a fan of tropey shows, then this might be suitable for you. Since the duration is kinda short, it also fits for those who want to watch lighthearted and stress-free shows. As for the rewatch value, you'll have to consider it yourself.
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The Badass Female Tai Chi Prodigy and Her Grumpy Master
Actually, I’ve heard of this show long ago, but never have the courage to pick it up because the plot sounds simplistic and a little cliché. Few weeks ago, when I was scrolling through the review section, I read someone else’s review about this show, so I decided to give it a go. The funny thing is that I coincidentally watched it together alongside Link Click and there is the yet-to-be-aired Treasures Around, which means that I have been watching three of Bi Wenjun’s works in a row. I don’t even know if this is a coincidence or fate hahaha…As I’ve said above, the story is really, really simple. To me, it is just a typical university romance plot which is targeted to younger audience, I suppose. It tells us about Feng Piaopiao (FL), a new transfer student at CMFU who took art and calligraphy major. Before I continue, I must say that CMFU is kinda out of place compared to other normal universities. Aside from art and calligraphy, CMFU had some ridiculous majors such as tai chi, judo, boxing, karate, taekwondo, and even swimming. Where can we find such a university in these days, bro?
Despite entering art and calligraphy major, Piaopiao never took interest in those things, and she only entered after having ‘stolen’ her grandfather’s artwork. Because of her grandfather’s flawless painting, Piaopiao was loathed by everyone and accused of cheating. One night, Piaopiao sneaked out to ‘borrow’ another of her grandfather’s painting, as the latter had been ruined by her rival, Jin Rou and Ai Jia. Unexpectedly, she met Wei Chu, the leader of CMFU’s student council who was also the heir to the same tai chi clan that her grandfather once betrayed. Unaware of his identity, Piaopiao rescued him after confronting the students of boxing major.
Wei Chu gradually grew suspicious of Piaopiao’s identity after several encounters. A little accident occurred, and Wei Chu’s legs were paralyzed and couldn’t walk for the time being. Feeling very guilty to Wei Chu, Piaopiao offered to help him do the household chores. In other words, she had become his ‘slave’.
Later, they developed a master-disciple relationship after Piaopiao’s grandfather acknowledged Wei Chu’s background. In addition to gruesome training, Piaopiao still had to do chores nonstop and face her grumpy yet demanding master. However, after spending some time together, Piaopiao and Wei Chu finally saw eye to eye and became more understanding towards each other.
The acting may not be top-notch since this show was produced back in 2018/2019, when they were still newbies or rookie actors. Despite them not being able to deliver their lines outstandingly, I still love their characters and am sure that there is still room for improvement in the future. I especially like Feng Piaopiao, the adorable yet badass little sweetie. Sun Qian embodied her role and captured the essence of Piaopiao’s character. I surely will look out for her future works. As for Bi Wenjun, he’s neither good nor bad, but mediocre at best. However, I think that he had done his best considering that this is debut role, but sometimes I feel that his expressions are a bit of wooden. Supporting casts are so-so, but still love them though. Also, the tai chi fighting scenes are executed well. You can see that the actors put much effort to bring out the essence of tai chi or so.
What makes me drawn into this show is the beautiful scenery of nature and the profound traditional Chinese arts and culture. You can see that every shot is taken meticulously, and view is breathtaking and refreshing while also incorporating the in-depth culture of Chinese. I suppose the production is reducing budget on the costume because they keep wearing the same clothes from time to time, but I do like the traditional hanfu that they wear at the competition. I have a slight complain on the ML’s outfit – why does he always wear tight-fitted sweaters? Is he having a cold or what?
Overall, a nice and fluffy watch. If you’re looking for some fluffy shows without many conflicts to relieve your boredom, you can give this a shot though you have to be aware of some illogical stuffs and plot holes. However, don’t expect heavy romance – the leads have few intimate contacts and only kiss 4 times throughout the show. I’m not here for the romance, so why bother? But, if you want some kind of heavy wuxia drama, you can skip this. Good luck and happy watching!
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The Dark Side of the So-Called Virtual Reality Game
Love Crossed is one of a bunch of dramas that I've dropped long ago. After watching 16 episodes, I had no urge to continue and immediately dumped it. Now that I'm in a drama slump, I decide to pick it up again and binge the last 20 episodes by randomly skipping here and there. I'm going to share my thought about this show and whether it's worth to watch or not.The adjective that might suit for the show's plot is INGENIOUS. Virtual reality game can be considered as a new concept in a rom-com show. There is also an undeniable plot twist which is mixed with mystery, action, and thriller (just like a crime drama). Okay, so the plot centers around an ordinary part-time worker Jiang Kele (FL) and the Love Boys (Lu Xiao, Xu Nian, Su Lie, Luo Ke), a four-member boyband that exists in the virtual reality game. Nobody bothers to know if they existed in the real world or not. It was Jiang Kele who discovers the real ones have been trapped in a dream-like manor by their abductor, Xu Guanghan (the villain who wants to use their popularity to gain more money and fame for himself). Aided by her bestie Guan Qianya and Granny Fushun, Jiang Kele sets out to set the four boys free and makes them realize what the real world looks like.
There are a lot of newbie actors in this show, but everyone has utilized their best acting skills, so kudos for them! I really adore Jiang Kele. She's fiercely independent, self-reliant, and on top of that, she's also witty and has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. I can feel a sizzling chemistry between Dai Luwa and He Luoluo. I think that his portrayal of Lu Xiao is a bit of lacking, but since this is his debut role, I can say he did quite well. Second couple Zhang Linghe and Fan Shuaiqi has a more mature relationship, so naturally things will be predictable, hence I skip most of their scenes. One more thing, they have tiny spark of bromance too and all of their antics are hilarious as well. Similar as Fox Spirit Matchmaker, the villain's intention is also exposed to the audience. From the very start, we've known that he's not going to let them off easily, but he has numerous ways to torture them and make them look up to him. His assistant, Lei Na, is equally scheming too.
Highly recommended for those who want to see a refreshing plot among a bunch of stereotypical shows! Good luck and happy watching!
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Similar with Part 1 but much Better
Before starting this series, I've read the synopsis back and forth - wondering whether I should give it a try or not. The answer is yes, I do give in. After watching the first episode, I didn't feel anything worthy and only watched ML's scene. Even I skipped lots of scenes involving the FL (she's a bit of hypocritical, I must say).Other characters are not worthy to be mentioned. I just jump all of their scenes because they have a high amount of screentime.
Considering this is one of Jiu Lu Fei Xiang's works, it should be a breakout - but sadly, due to the bad script and supporting characters' high screentime, it falls short in every aspect.
Edit for part 2: The storyline is much better compared to the first part. I like the torturing part the best. Other than that, the ending does satisfy me. However, the others are meh.
If you want to watch something better, you can try The Legends, Love Between Fairy and Devil (although it's not my cup of tea), Back From the Brink, Love You Seven Times, The Legend of Shen Li (which will be airing next week).
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Watch It Only for the ML... and the Rest... You Can Skip or Fast Forward
Before starting this series, I've read the synopsis back and forth - wondering whether I should give it a try or not. The answer is yes, I do give in. After watching the first episode, I didn't feel anything worthy and only watched ML's scene. Even I skipped lots of scenes involving the FL (she's a bit of hypocritical, I must say).Other characters are not worthy to be mentioned. I just jump all of their scenes because they have a high amount of screentime.
Considering this is one of Jiu Lu Fei Xiang's works, it should be a breakout - but sadly, due to the bad script and supporting characters' high screentime, it falls short in every aspect.
If you want to watch something better, you can try The Legends, Love Between Fairy and Devil (although it's not my cup of tea), Back From the Brink, Love You Seven Times, The Legend of Shen Li (which will be airing next week).
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Great Plot + Dumb Characters = A HOT MESS
I came across this drama when I was scrolling through an article last year, plus I'm Zhang Linghe's fan. Since then, I have been awaiting for this drama to release. At first, the story was rather promising, but it went downhill in the middle and the ending was... pretty bad enough.The plot is nothing new in terms of xianxia dramas, considering that it is a demon-hunting-themed drama. I truly loved demon-hunting stuffs and even read the manhwa before starting this series so that I could understand much better when I watched it.
Also, the 2MLs (Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan) had subtle bromance which I liked the most. I can really feel the chemistry between both of them - if it hadn't been the censorship, it could've been much better and perhaps turned into a BL series. LOL!!
The other main leads (Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian) were nice enough and added the depth of their friendship. Later, they faced a life-and-death situation and sacrificed their lives for the future of the human mankind. However, their deaths were totally unnecessary to me - I have been hoping to see the four of them to have an adventure across the world together - and... the way they died was a tad ridiculous. I didn't even shed tears when they were dying.
In the last episodes before the ending, there was a little plot twist about the main villain in the story. I was quite surprised to see the Qi's family ancestor was the culprit behind all these evil forces. Yi Mei only served as a secondary antagonist, if you ask me. Her arc wasn't even needed and everything would still be alright without her meddling around. And her reason for avenging her master was nonexistent. Her servant didn't help much too.
Special mentions to the elders of the Fulong Capital and QXX's dad and sister. They made an absolute hot mess in the story - I really wish I could knock some senses into their heads - all they cared about was power, money, and greed. Cheng Jinian was quite infuriating too - believing that his father was one of the elders, so that he could use his authority to manipulate people (but, he got a redemption arc, though).
Anyway, the opening OST is one of the best OSTs amongst the historical c-dramas. It evokes our spirit with its powerful instruments and nice vocal work by Faye Zhan.
Will I rewatch it again? NO and NEVER. I really regret watching this drama. If it hadn't been the fast-forward button, I would've dropped it a long time ago. If you're a fan of one of the leads, you can give it a try. If you find it boring, look elsewhere. Good luck!!!
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