Cykodramaqueen

LONG and repetitive... but good:)

Do you like historical dramas with lots of conspiracies, power struggles and epic battle scenes? Then this is the one for you.

Let’s start by saying the production is very good. The cinematography, the costumes, the sets... all very well done. The music background and OST is very memorable and well-suited with the characters and story. The actors all portrayed their roles very well, with a few annoying characters and typical Chinese hahaha evil laughs. Wu Lei who plays the male lead Ashile Sun imo carried the whole drama. He’s only 21, so him portraying this character was amazing. He’s definitely one actor to keep an eye out for. Plus he’s also very good looking ;) and yes there is a shirtless scene;);) Lol.

As with all too-many-episodes dramas (this has 49!!) the storyline became repetitive. Every 5+ episodes there will be an introduction to a new town, new characters, new problems... but same ol’ greed for power. It can get rather confusing with so many different names.. unfortunately towards episode 30+ I started skipping forward. The plot is predictable- you know who will die, when they will die, and the good guys usually outsmart the bad guys. Haha...

The last episode was DISAPPOINTING. many characters and side plots were left unfinished, and of course the main couple love story did not have a great ending. It was a happy one, but no great epilogue. It is true there is hardly any skinship... there are lots of hugs✔️, intensity✔️ and chemistry✔️, but no kiss ;) You do get a great view of two birds kissing though lol. BUUUUTT, this was way better than One and Only.

Another character I liked was Hao Du, how he evolved from being a goody-two-shoe always following instructions but not using his common sense- to learning to think for himself, sacrificing himself and fighting for the woman he loves!

The fight scenes are the best!! Well choreographed with lots of Kung fu style movements and intensity. There’s also a legendary football match in Epi 1, which is fantastic how they set it in ancient times and infused martial arts into it. What I didn’t like was most of the huge battle scenes were shown using anime... I don’t know why it was done that way. I read maybe it had something to do with Covid restrictions at that time.. or maybe time or financial constraints.

All in all, a definite recommended watch although I hoped it could have been better. :)

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Waaaay too looonggg!!! UGH!

This could have been a great, inspiring drama if not for a few blaring factors:
1) Stupid break up scene✔️
2) Too many side characters and side plots✔️
3) Too many episodes ie became repetitive and going in circles✔️
4) Love triangle or quadrangle ✔️

Ok this is what I liked:
It’s a sports drama. So I really like the training aspects, the games, the competition, the stress, the ups and downs, the emotions, the struggles- all were very real. Sometimes it got too emotional and had too many pep talks, but it was ok. Looks like the actors could skate really well too :)

The love story between Li Yubing and Tang Xue- I also liked. From being bullies to falling in love. I especially liked Epi 26 where he professed his love for her in front of the whole crowd at the ice rink! Very man :):) What I did not like was as usual- lack of communication which led to a break up. In my opinion, Tang Xue was the one at fault for not being honest. She herself hates being lied to, and she yet she lied to her bf and stood him up many times! Although she couldn’t tell the real reason, she didn’t have to lie and stand him up. What did you expect him to think and react??

All the other side couples/ storyline were too much- I practically skipped all the scenes about Huanhuan & bf, the other roommate and Deng, any scene regarding veterinary, some scenes of the coaches bickering, oh and the most irritating Zhou Ran and Bian Cheng!! Can’t stand the way she talks- just wanna slap her! It was a very predictable storyline so even though I skipped quite a bit, I didn’t miss much.

There were a few good moral and life lessons to learn which I did appreciate. It made me tear at some scenes too. And I liked the ending where they acknowledged all the past medalists for China in the Winter games. Bravo!

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Not as good as 10

Many reviews are giving it 10s but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. And here’s why:
1. Storyline
What I liked- Yes the storyline and plot was very interesting. A Swat special police and a doctor- not the typical CEO/ employee, rich man/poor girl/ tall guy /short girl, handsome/cute nonsense.
What I didn’t like- some parts were boring! If it was intense like Grey’s Anatomy or thrilling suspense like 24, man that would be awesome. But the background episodes on their “daily lives” were just yawnnnn and slow. The first episode was captivating, was quite engrossed until episode 5. Up until around episode 20-21, it was engaging. Unfortunately the latter half was just a lot of skipping.

2. Romance
Sigh... many said their chemistry was fantastic. I’m sorry but I could not agree. Before they actually dated, I felt their connection was more intense. But after they started dating , I felt Xing Kelei and Mi Ka were more like BFFs or like a married couple of 10 years. Laughing and understanding, but not enough tingling za-Za-zing you would normally have as a new couple. To me the romance development was disappointing.

3. Too long
It dragged on for 40 episodes. Could have done with maybe only 25-30? Between episodes 22-38 it was repetitive and not very interesting. The last two episodes were great with the bus hostage situation. Ending was meh... not that I wanted to see a wedding, but felt rather abrupt.

I haven’t watched DOTS, so I’m not making any comparisons at all. Should you watch this drama? Yes give it a go. But don’t expect much...

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Slow and repetitive

Not sure why many people are liking this drama... it started off interestingly enough. It was funny, quirky, the main couple were very cute and had lots of chemistry.

Then it started getting repetitive, a lot of push and pull, the same old drama/ issues/ problems. I don’t quite like character developments of both leads. They seemed to really lack any sort of communication, even after 5 years of being together, breaking up and after another 5-year lapse and meeting again. Towards the last few episodes, we do see some growth & maturity in Choi Ung, but Yeon-Su was just disappointing. To be honest, I didn’t really like Kim Da-mi’s acting. She was cute but I didn’t like the way she talked. She seemed to mumble her words way too often, it just annoyed me.

As for the supporting casts and story, found it too dull and cliche. Unfortunate I skipped most of it with NJ and Ji-Ung. OST was not too bad, it had that one song Christmas Tree sung by V from BTS.

All in all a little disappointed. Expected much more from this, but it reminded me a lot of the drama More Than Friends.. which was SOOO SLOWWWW and boring. OBS was at least more interesting.

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Very sweet and highly recommended

From the first episode to the last, it was simply captivating and yet sweet at the same time. I’m sure most have had the all too familiar storyline of having a crush on your older brother’s friend at 13/14yo. I know I did;) and that crush became my first bf at 18yo! Sadly though it didn’t last haha.

Sang zhi had a crush, which turned into a very real liking , going to great lengths to be with him, and it eventually worked out for her. I absolutely loved the young actress at 14yo- she had a natural talent. Sang zhi at 14 was very outspoken and confident, so I’m not sure why at 17, she became rather quiet and reserved. That didn’t really make sense to me. Maybe the writers wanted to portray how she grew as a person in university. But still, her character development didn’t seem to jive.

ML Duan Jiaxu was extremely well acted by Chen Zheyuan. Minimalistic change of facial expressions, his eye connections and how he moves his mouth- all very convincing and engaging. Oh his tears!! [Spoiler- the scene where he spoke to his comatose state father, and after that when SZ hugged him.. OMG it was SO TOUCHING!!! Cried and cried) Well done CZY… a very promising career awaits you!

Storyline was beautifully written. Initially I was a bit concerned on how she would let him know about her feelings, then how he would turn from seeing her as a little sister to looking at her as a woman. The writers did a good job with that transition. Many many good principles and morals to learn from the storyline too; and how SZ handled the “other woman” and her friend aka her supervisor was admirable and so matured.

As for the romance development- also very very good pace, good chemistry, LOTS AND LOTS of PDA :):):) although the kissing was a bitttt forced I felt. ZLS has kissed many many of her male costars ;) so maybe .. idk haha. I’m expecting too much? Lol. But YES!! From the accidental kiss, to the first light touch kiss, to holding hands to the roller-skating kiss etc etc.. plenty to look forward to;)

Definitely highly recommended for a youth drama! Simply enjoy this one:)

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Annoying supporting casts

Check out Instagram account Cykodramaqueen for video clips of this drama:)

I liked the development of both leads Lu Jing and LIANG Chen. Both were smart and intelligent, and talented in their respective fields. They were both dressed very well, especially in Chanel, Valentino and Balenciaga. Their romance from not knowing their identities in the game to getting engaged- it was mature and well done. Their chemistry was good too, with many kissing scenes ;)

I loved the OST and the cinematography- very well done. I also loved the gaming aspect of it- with Lin Yi playing the Asian James Bond! The FL in the game was annoying though- cos she couldn’t even throw a grenade properly. The make belief concerts, singing and violin/ guitar playing was quite fake- too obviously fake. It would be better for actors to act the skills that they can? I read that Lin Yi is majoring in Ballroom Dancing- it would be nice to see him dance.

What I didn’t like:
1) SML - so so so annoying. I skipped most of his scenes
2) Ma Shan Shan SFL- also so so so pathetic. Until the end I still don’t get why she was so hung up on her ex bf till she can’t even move on after so many years?
3) Love rival- Jia Yun (cringe..) His looks alone was cringe.
4) Lu Jing roommates - man... so immature and stupid.

I don’t know why the producers made all the supporting cast so annoying and immature. They could have done with less and maybe cut from 31 to 25 episodes and just focus on the main leads?

Also, the last episode of the plane turbulence- completely unnecessary! Like what... you need another 10mins to fill in the gap? Sigh... otherwise it would have been a great show.

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Intense kissing scenes and chemistry but.....

Production of this drama was quite poor, sorry to say. All the voices and sound were dubbed, and editing was sloppy. The plot and base storyline was actually good, that’s why I gave it a 7. It had some thriller/ mystery/ romance elements but the flow was just... meh. The plot twist towards the end was also extremely predictable.

The main characters were interesting, but unfortunately I don’t think the actors pulled it off. (Sorry!) Their chemistry was good though, and the kissing scenes were intense. Actually that was what got me to watch this after seeing some snippets online :):) However, the drama itself fell short of what I thought would be a good one. The SFL was plain annoying, and the second couple lacked chemistry.

The few songs in the OST were quite nice. I’ve already added to my Spotify list :) A special shout out to Productive Procrastination for subbing this in English :) There were also some deleted couple scenes which you can find online ;)

Watch it if you’re in between dramas. It’s a short one - 16 episodes and 30mins each. Don’t expect too much, just enjoy the chemistry ;)

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Good leads chemistry, bad side plots

First of all, just know that you will finish this drama solely because the ML is SO HOTTTT!!! Lol… seriously. Can’t get enough. His role, his character, his chemistry with FL.. sizzling!! I’m not entirely sure Janice Wu suited this FL role. There were times she tried to act cute but it didn’t jive w me…

The romance between ML and FL was off the charts. Very good from the beginning. The kind where they met when they were in high school, got separated, met online but didn’t know it, meet again much later and STILL - there is the undeniable attraction! (Spoiler- they only get together in Ep 20 but the anticipation was well worth it with the scene of their first kiss!! You can watch it on my Instagram;) ) Lots of cute, PDA, kissing hugging pull her close kind of scenes.. Third parties were not an issue. There was almost a break up for your own good, but it didn’t really last.

Now the PROBLEM with this drama was- everything else!! Hahahaha.. seriously.
1) The office at Velin- so boring!! All the office / business talk boring. The bitchy boss trying to back stab, ok a little interesting.
2) The side couple Gao Leng and Chen Shu- skipped and ff ALL OF IT. Pls writers- we are not interested.

The grandpa was kinda cute- he had a special relationship w his granddaughter. The last 10 episodes shifted and evolved quite a bit, and it did get a little more interesting. The ending was a bit weird. How long did she have to wait from the time she found the ring till he proposed? I couldn’t tell, it was too rushed. And the fact that they had to be apart from each other so often… not that great. But I suppose that’s life.

Yes yes YES!! Watch this and just FF all the boring parts ;)

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‘‘Twas good until it wasn’t

It’s one of those Kdramas where there’s a lot of bickering and Aigoo and aishhh and whyyyy and shouting and hitting… very typical Kdrama , which I’m not particularly fond of.

I DO LIKE the essence of the storyline- which is centred around mother Eun Mi and daughter Jin Hee. Each episode started with a little prologue of their lives years ago- how she got pregnant, how tough it was, how Jin Hee grew up as a child etc.. but again, the bickering and shouting were just too much to handle. There were also many soppy moments talking about love and life. I do like the dynamics and tacit understanding between mother and daughter. It was very unique and admirable, no matter how “broken” it was.

The romance was nothing really… just like a flittering speck of dust. Hahaha… so don’t expect anything at all. There is only one kiss- but the build up to it and the after effects will disappoint, lol. The last few episodes were quite meaningful, I teared quite a bit but then again I also Ff quite a bit. The crime and mystery aspect as so-so, just passing episodes I guess.

Shout out to both FL leads though. Their acting were commendable and both did well.

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Sorry, but it’s not good

I love both the main leads, esp Cha Eun Woo (who doesn’t??) but this drama just fell flat!!

It was interesting the first few episodes, then it got draggy, then it just got boring towards the last few episodes, like a bit necessary plot line cum trying to reach 14 episodes. Imagine after one year of dating (!!!!) they’re still trying to hide their relationship!! Does that even make sense? Great actors, they shld have chosen better scripts. As for the dog storyline, it was ok until it wasn’t. When the uncle was in human form but can’t talk and barking like a dog, that’s when I knew this was going downhill.

But the silver lining is, we get the visuals of CEW, and some nice kiss scenes ;)

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Typical and annoying

Yes, all the typical drama cliches - serious lack of communication, loads of misunderstandings and bickering, third & fourth parties, marriage contract, break up and get back together etc...

It started off quite well, some funny and cute moments. It ding-donged for quite a bit before they officially got together. After that there were some sweet romance moments, and then it just got annoying. I would say both ML and FL did some wrong things, so not one party was entirely to blame. The break up scene was quite heart-breaking though... I could truly feel his pain.

Many loopholes in the storyline, like how did Jiang Jixuan betray the company? There wasn’t really a background story or details to what exactly , and after that what happened? It was left hanging. The last episode seemed rather rushed.

All in all was quite disappointed. ML had a good physique, good looking - nice jaw line and cheek bones and dressed well💁🏻‍♂️ Which kept me watching till the end! 😂 FL is only 19 years old 😱 and her first drama apparently.

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Skipped a lot

Some parts of the storyline was engaging. Twins having their own experiences and separate lives, back story from teenagers to adulthood in their 30s. The only parts I found engaging was Miji pretending to be Mirae in the office workplace, and her work related issues.

The parts of Mirae working in the strawberry farm; the mother scenes with her friends and Hosu’s mother- ALL SKIPPED! Yes, didn’t find that interesting at all. Towards the second half, PBY’s acting got very annoying with her whining and talking through her nasal passage! Eeshh, had to skip her as well. I like Jin young, esp from Yumi Cells, but this drama was just too typical and boring.

This year Cdramas are doing it for me. The Prisoner of Beauty is a very good one. Try that;)

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The only drama where I wished had MORE episodes :):)

Yes it has all the usual cliches - accidental fall and kiss✔️, contract bf/gf then really falling in love✔️, pretending to be someone else on a blind date✔️, rich guy CEO normal girl from “poor” family✔️, crazy colleagues✔️... maybe the one cliche it didn’t have was the bitchy ex or the love rival?! BUT!! Even with all the cliches, this drama is SO SO GOOD!!

1) It has only 12 episodes, so the pace is really fast. This is the first drama that I wished was longer!!! 2) It’s super hilarious- slapstick comedy as well as witty humour. 3) The four main leads have such awesome chemistry and VISUALS!! They look so good! 4) The romance between both couples is so sweet and done just exactly right! 5) The side characters are NOT AT ALL boring! I’ve seen so many dramas where the supporting casts are so annoying or such a let down. These support casts are great and funny!!

It really really is an epic rom-com. The ratings nationwide in SKorea is the highest! It has only two episodes left so if you have been contemplating, start now!! Highly highly recommended :):):)

Update: the final episode was just too rushed. Was expecting more after all the hype and build up from the entire series. There should have been a few more to wrap it up nicely. :(

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