Cykodramaqueen

AMAZINGLY GOOD!!!

As all good stories go, it all started long ago when a woman, a court maid was jilted and scorned by her lover- the king, who chose another woman instead of her. The king was treacherous- he killed anyone who got in his way. He is also quite a dumb and temperamental king who lashes out in anger when he doesn’t get what he wants. He’s dumb because when something goes wrong, he doesn’t even know how to investigate properly. Lol..

Then you have the Crown Prince, who I suppose is still young and naive; what wants to do good and help the people. But he does not yet have the power and authority, therefore he is trapped in his own prison having to succumb to the will of the palace.

The road to the throne develops quite interestingly with a good steady pace. It wasn’t as evil- deceitful-betraying as Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and our crown Prince turns out to be a very good King. But as Lady Court Seo points out to the ever-lovable Royal Head Guard- “A good king does not necessarily make a good husband”.

First one third of the series had its funny moments, we learn that the FL Sung Deok-Im is a free-spirited, bright, intelligent woman who knows how to earn her keep. She and the ML crown Prince Yi San cross paths when they’re young, and then meet again 10 years later. Initially he is taken aback by her arrogance and boldness (because she didn’t know he was the crown Prince) but soon he starts to fall in love with her. Towards the middle, the story focuses more on the evil plots to prevent the crown Prince from advancing to the throne. And there’s one great fight scene(only one!) in episode 7. Then the last 3 episodes are all about the love and relationship between FL and ML.

How do I start to describe their relationship? It was doomed from the beginning? Either one party would not be truly happy because both had different destinies and both wanted different lives. HE loved her so desperately.. wanted to keep her by his side. SHE rejected him many times because she wanted her freedom, she didn’t want to be confined to the palace and not having him all to herself. It was truly truly very sad... The chemistry between both leads were very very good though, some sweet and gentle PDA scenes.

I did wish we could see more of their happiness towards the end. The last episode was just tragedy after tragedy.. my gosh. My heart couldn’t take it sob sob. [SPOILER: It was unclear though how both of them succumbed to illness and died?? I’m still trying to figure that out. And to lose their son as well... heartbreaking. END SPOILER]

Definitely a highly recommended watch. A tad too melodramatic for me... too much crying. Maybe a few more fight scenes and conspiracies would have been better lol. Well done to all the actors- they did such a good job! The OST was not as memorable for me... it didn’t have that one or two particular songs that moved my emotions.

I will end my review with a quote from the Queen Dowager- “The palace is a dazzling..... prison”.

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Very unique, quirky and a definite MUST WATCH!

From the first episode, I completely adored Jin Moo Hak (ML). He’s not your typical dramaland CEO - he comes off unrefined and undignified; he speaks his mind too abruptly, he likes to shout lol and his dressing was a tad too loud for me haha.. BUT everything that comes out from his mouth rings so true! He has such wisdom and a heart of gold- although his general knowledge of the world is quite atrociously bad!! Loolllll.. Hats off to Kim Min Jae who acted the role so well!!!

The storyline is a good one- a very well blended mix of humour, conspiracy, romance/ love and family relationships. The funny parts are really funny... I haven’t laughed this much since ... ?? What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?? The romance and relationship development between Kim Dali and JMH was SO GOOD! They are completely opposites- in terms of personality, background, family and simply they way they project themselves. Even all her close friends and colleagues couldn’t believe that she would date him! [the scene where they tell Won Tak about their relationship- it’s the funniest ever!!]

The only thing I didn’t quite like was how the writers always tried to “trick” the audience into thinking something else. And how the scenes would flashback so very often to reveal the truths. After awhile it got predictable and a little cliche. Other cliches would be the overbearing loud stepmother and the unnecessary kdrama crying sensations ... lol.

All in all it was very quirky cute and unique! A definite definite must watch!! :):):)

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It’s raining sugar!! :)

Starts off with Ding Xian moving to a new school at 16 years old, and her desk mate is none other than Zhou Si Yue. Initially they don’t get along (of course!) but soon you can see he starts to like her and gives her special treatment - like helping her with her homework, giving her his notes, protecting her from embarrassment etc... they don’t actually confess their feelings yet, and just say they are desk mates/ classmates.

Soon he enters university first, while she struggles with the entrance exam. She has to work extra hard to get into the same uni as him (he’s somewhat of a genius ) so she’s quite stressed and exhausted. When she finally succeeds, they haven’t kept in touch for almost a year and he was going through some struggles. He decides he doesn’t want to start any relationship (because he feels he’s not good enough- typical) but ding dong ding dong, he finally realises he really likes her and starts to pursue her. After that it’s all raining sugar :)

The concept is nothing new, you have the usual love rivals/ third parties; the best friends starting their relationships; the competition trying to backstab them etc... Ding Xian’s mother is rather overbearing (instead of the overbearing CEO theme); very controlling and quite ridiculous in my opinion.

I think the writers spent a bit too much time on the high school segment- Episodes 1-15? It would have been better to spend more during the uni days and maybe when they start work.

Anyhow, the love story development is very sweet, very understanding and supportive. Not much kissing or PDA if you’re looking for that ;) It is a youth drama so gotta keep it PG13?? Lol...
Chen Zhe Yuan as Zhou Siyue was pretty good, he played the character well. As for Xu Mengjie aka Rainbow Xu who played Ding Xian... umm I didn’t really like how she carried herself. I felt she mumbled a lot, and her acting was rather sluggish. I’ve seen videos of her dancing and doing tik toks, which is very different from her character as she was a member of Rocket Girls 101.

All in all, it’s a beautiful drama and a definite recommended watch. Check out my Instagram profile for video clips. Enjoy :)

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Finding and loving yourself

This drama is about 3 characters at university with their own history and troubles/ problems with family, financial struggles, and abuse. They all have a rocky and less desirable start to their friendship but eventually grew to be great friends.

I especially loved the brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun and Soo Hyun. I also loved their character development and how they learned more about themselves and helped each other to change and evolve. However I didn’t particularly like the last episode where they re-enacted the part where Jun spilled coffee on Soo hyun in the first episode. I thought it was unbecoming of Soo Hyun’s character to behave like that, as if the roles were reversed and now he is the clingy one.

I didn’t particularly like So- bin... her character seemed non- essential and didn’t really evolve much, although she did overcome some of her fears. The side characters were the typical school bullies/ bitches- bad mouthing, take advantage, physical fights, cyber bullying and assault. The side characters I did like were Young-Ran and Chan Ki :) Even though the importance of their roles were somewhat less, the essence of their characters were more interesting. I did wish to see a romance development between Soo Hyun and Young Ran, so I was sorely disappointed when it did not happen booo.

The romance between Jun and So-Bin was mediocre. This genre is not so much romance but more towards friendship and overcoming your past and present struggles. There were some dark sides to the story, some of which was quite disturbing to watch (mainly abuse and assault). Also lots of melodrama, crying (violin playing in the background) moments.

Music and OST seem great too, quite modern but none really made an impression. A definite recommended watch- I love Bae In-Hyuk who plays Soo Hyun. He’s a new actor to keep your eye on (also in My Roommate is a Gumiho)

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2nd Male Lead syndrome :)

First half was super hilarious - slapstick, corny, lol kinda funny. 2nd half the humour became tiresome and repeated.

Can I just say-I LOVE Jang Ki Yong, but this is the first time I was rooting for the other guy Seon-Woo to get the girl!! His character development was more interesting. At the start he was sneaky and a jerk, but after getting to know and falling in love with Lee Dam he changed, and stood up for her. He even confessed 3x times, but was bitterly rejected. I truly felt his pain and cried during those scenes :(:(:(

The love story between main leads was kind of dull. It was cute and funny before they started dating, after that it got boring and lacked chemistry. Mr Gumiho was rather clueless for a fox who has lived 999 years. And his best friend Hye Sun was equally as dull, all she did was give advice. I think the scriptwriters could have done more with their characters- some action and more magic would have been nice.

The Marble story was rather confusing. It seemed repetitive, going around in circles, like they had to drag the story for 16 episodes. I did like the supporting casts- some ppl preferred the love story of Hye Sun / Jae Jin more than the leads. Towards the end, I started skipping quite a bit. I found the last episode dull, and his comeback a bit of an anti-climax.

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Perfect blend of comedy, romance and fiction

Wow! Another gem for this year(2021) although I believed it was filmed in 2019. Please more Chinese dramas like this (another good one is Moonlight- read my review on that!)

What I loved most was it’s only 26 episodes. Just right- thus the story wasn’t draggy and the focus was mainly on the lead couple. The funny parts were super hilarious, because of the body swap both leads had to experience each other’s lives- [SPOILER: imagine a guy in a girl’s body and she gets her period!! LMAO] Both actors also pulled it off well, although Jiang Yi’s character as male and female was a tad more interesting than Yu Sheng Sheng. I thought Steven Zhang did a great job, I also liked him in Skate Into Love. What really added to the comedy and to me was what made the whole drama fantastic- was the background music and sound effects! There was the “Jealousy” theme song, the Idol entrance theme music, the out-of-tune orchestral music plus many many more!! Trust me, you will love it!

As for the relationship development, it was very well done. Both parties were open, matured and honest with each other. [SPOILER: yes there was a break up scene, but it was justified and not like other dramas where I break up for your own good and hide the truth. END SPOILER] Chemistry and kissing scenes between leads also was great ;))) Another plus point for this drama- the supporting casts were a pleasure to watch as well. Most of the time, the leads are great but the supporting casts were given such annoying storylines and characters, it made it torturous to watch (e.g My Little Happiness and Love Scenery- both dramas I really liked but it was ruined because of SC)

When you watch the ending (last 8mins) then you will make sense of the first scene in Episode 1. Ummm other reviewers were not too happy with it, for me it was an “Ohhh... I see!” moment. Hmm if they didn’t have that epilogue, I would have been happier because it was a bit of a let down. Let fiction be fiction. Production and cinematography was great. Voices are not dubbed and the OST was good too. All in all, a very very good watch and a definite recommendation. :)

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Soooo STOOOPID

The script writing, flow and editing is very poor. Basic storyline is not bad, but the development of all the plots is just a vicious cycle, became repetitive and annoying. The only reason I watched till the end is that the ML is good looking & hot! :))) If you can just look past all those, then you should be fine.

Romance and chemistry- err maybe 6/10? Had lots of potential but nothing great. If you’re looking for Cdramas with great chemistry, try Love Scenery, Maiden Holmes, Love Unexpected (but storyline not fantastic) and My Little Happiness.

There are many Cdramas out this year (2021) which are way better, so this one I suggest you give a pass ;)

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Crappy storyline

This could have been so much better.

Arranged marriage- both didn’t even see each other, married only on paper. After 3 years, they want to get a divorce. Somehow FL knows who ML is, but ML has NO IDEA how his wife looks like. And he didn’t know until ep23!! Ridiculous #1.

So he actually meets his wife, but under the name Penny (he knows his wife as Sheng Mian) and falls in love w her unknowingly. All this while, still hating Sheng Mian thinking she is a schemer and just wanting his money and investments. To rough out all this time, penny could have revealed her true identity to him, because she also starts falling in love with him… but she doesn’t! And still wants to divorce him!!!

She keeps lying and lying.. all the way till the final episode- lying that she lost the baby, but she’s actually still pregnant. In the final episode- it starts with her saying she wants to get a divorce. AGAIN! And it ends with him proposing, and she accepts 🤣🤣🤣 go figure.

Sigh, such poor script writing. Anyhow, it only 11mins each episode. And there’s a lot of forced kisses and shoving, if you’re ok with this kinda stuff.

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The best of the 3

If you’ve watched all 3 seasons, I think you’d appreciate this season the most.

The first one was kinda boring to me. Maybe because they had to lay the groundwork for the storyline? S2 was intense but S3 was the best. Not because of the actors, but because each episode had very interesting cases- very outrageous cases; just like Grey’s Anatomy! Things like forest fires, a tree branch stuck in the abdomen, building collapsing and on-site medical rescue etc.. so kudos to the writers for being very “American” in a sense. The pace is fast so I liked it. Minus the sleeping around with each other kind of antics.

If you’re looking for romance per se, it’s not so evident here. Just a hint here and there but it’s not the main focus. What I didn’t particularly fancy was how in every season, it’s the same ol ’ trope of higher uppers trying to disdain Master Kim and take over or close down Doldam Hospital. If there is a S4, I hope the writers come up with a different and new plot.

If you like medical dramas, this is a definite watch. Enjoy!

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Melodrama with an interesting concept

What if you could tell the future of the person with just a kiss? It seems desirable to have a ‘superpower’ like that... but without any context of the vision you have, It could lead to many misunderstandings.

I do like the concept and base storyline of this drama. I like how the FL character develops - in the past she would live her life based on her visions, which led her to be very miserable. She then realises that her visions might not be exactly how she imagined it to be; she then chooses to live more spontaneously and in the present. Good for her. Subsequently the ML also has a gifting of his own and learns to control it and finds comfort with the FL.

The love relationship between the leads takes awhile to develop , and there is some misunderstanding and lack of communication (typical). However there are some nice skinship and PDA scenes :) Because it’s an office romance, you have the humour and storyline of the colleagues and after work dinners etc.. There’s also the ex-boyfriend factor - his tale was a sad and unfortunate one, but he was matured enough to handle it. The female rival on the other hand was a tad annoying, but nothing overly dramatic. Towards the end the added mystery/ past crime element was a nice touch to the melodrama pace. I liked the two kid actors scenes.

It’s a simple romance story, so watching it gives you a feel -good feeling. Somehow the character of the ML changes when he starts dating her- he becomes more comical and cracking jokes, which I thought was out of character. It wld have been better if he was more aloof and cold on the outside but warm and loving towards her alone. This comic side of him did not bode well.

The OST is nice but I don’t find it very memorable. Didn’t add any of it onto my Spotify playlist :(

Have a go with this one. The FL is the 2FL in Crash Landing On You, very pretty and classy ;)

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Annoying love triangle

Imagine one guy- his whole secondary school and now uni life, doting and following around the girl he likes. Does he not have anything else to do? How about study, play sports, get a life, have an ambition??

Then comes the love rival- another guy who also has nothing else to do but follow the girl and try to get close to her like a little puppy. And the FL!! She knows... SHE KNOWS that both guys like her and she’s just stringing them along like a chew toy. The love triangle is sooo annoying. All the friends and roommates are also centred on the FL.. a very boring storyline. I was hoping it would get better. And just when you think the story will improve, the annoying 2ML starts his crazy stalker nonsense again. Seriously, what trash script is this?? I was so done. Enough. I just skipped to the last episode and even that was disappointing.

The music is not memorable at all. Unfortunately I just dropped this. Really not worth your time. NEXT :)

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Stop saying Boss Boss!! So annoying

First 10mins of this drama was SO GOOD! It was so intense and got me very interested. The few episodes that followed were good, even the 2nd couple got me wanting for more. But towards episode 15 onwards maybe (can’t remember cos I dropped this about a month ago, only writing the review now;)) it was getting tiresome. Especially with Xiao Ning saying Lao pan, Lao pan in every other sentence! Da*n annoying!!!

Chemistry between leads was poor. I think it’s because Allen Ren is married? He has another new drama with Bai Lu, whom I like; but not sure whether to watch if it’s gonna lack chemistry. I read online he does fake kissing scenes, and they use a stand-in actor if you see the lips touching. And I see that he’s got quite a number of new dramas lined up. I honestly wonder why he’s so popular? Don’t think he’s super good looking, acting skills are stiff and nominal, plus he won’t do kissing scenes and lacks PDA... then how to do romance dramas??

2nd couple had great potential. I initially liked the character Chao Yan for her independence and fighting skills. They also had a great couch kissing scene 😉 But after that, their story got annoying as well, running around in circles.

So yeah... dropped it at Episode 25 (read there was a stupid break-up scene :P after that). Also the styling for Xiao Ning was VERY VERY BAD!!! She goes to an award show in jeans and sweater -face palm! Hair style also sucked. Don’t recommend this at all. BORING

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A little cringe ;)

Please don’t hate me.. I know a lot of ppl love this drama. To me it just seems a little far fetched for two people who are in their late twenties to be SO awkward and shy with each other.

It’s rather unconventional the way they met, communicated via email, got to know each other, got engaged after only one date... ? And the stealing glances, shyness with skinship etc.. seems more like for those who are 5-10yrs younger. A little too fake and “put on” in my opinion.

It seems Allen Ren plays this kind of role quite often- the rich/ noble/ high ranking man who is either cold/ aloof/ distant... I would just like to see him in a different role/ character please. Bai Lu as always- classy and elegant. She looked so beautiful when she walked in in her QiPao:)

I would advise to watch One and Only first, as there are many references to that drama (and spoilers). For those who didn’t know, Forever and Ever is a sequel to Only and Only in modern times.

Will update my review once I complete this;)
Update: I have decided to drop this! :P Just too slow paced and I just can’t stand the shyness and awkwardness.

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Unexpectedly so good with a beautiful ending :)

This is my first time watching a full drama with Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi. I started both The Untamed and Go go Squid and unfortunately dropped both dramas after a few episodes. I’ve also written a review for GGS.

I absolutely loved this drama! It was very unexpected, both leads really portrayed their characters well. Xiao Zhan is such a good actor! He was able to portray a variety of emotions, very subtle changes in his facial expressions and showing how he adored and fell in love with FL. Yang Zi also portrayed her character very well- cute, bright, brave and outspoken! What annoyed me a little was her hair and how she kept adjusting it ;)

The first few episodes may be a little dry and slow. I suppose the writers needed time to introduce the characters and relationship dynamics in order to build the story from a good base. The pace started getting better and the storyline more engaging when the ML started having feelings for FL. The story development was very good for the main leads, how they first got to know one another, helped each other with problems, falling in love and then the best part- dealing with issues when being in a relationship. Really really very relatable. There were some cliches with love rival, short break up etc.. but the way the FL hunted him down and told him off was one of my favourite scenes!! :):)

Another relationship dynamic that was important in this drama is between father- daughter, and between the family. Be prepared to get annoyed and at the same time crying :( The side couples were not as engaging- it felt more like a filler for the episodes sadly. The last few episodes is a tear- jerker. Be ready with your tissues!! I was wondering how the writers would end it- and I was very very satisfied with the way they did it. (Way better ending than Business Proposal ;))

All in all, I would definitely recommend this. Would love to see a drama with Xiao Zhan and Wu Lei ;) Both very good looking and talented actors. :):):)

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