Happy ending. Everyone joins the liberty army / communist. And their old warlord fathers are left for "expiring".
So the "Revolutionary Army" became the Communist Party? I was wondering, since they portrayed them so well. Figures they'd make them the "good guys" by the end. Pro Chinese Government propoganda by the end, for sure.
It's not on the same level as the higher rated Cdramas I've seen, and while it's impressive they have so many sets that attempt to replicate the time period, they were still very clearly sets (especially Shanghai), and the clothing/hair/styling was super anachronistic, too, which made it feel a bit like everyone was playing dress up (Xuanlin's sister seemed to be the closest in accuracy, to me). Sometimes it really just felt more like a massive stage play than an immersive cinematic experience.
That said, I loved how brilliant Tan Xuanlin was, always three steps ahead of his enemy. I also enjoyed how he and Wanqing worked as a team throughout, though she felt a bit flat as a character after seeing FLs like Zhao Lusi's Shaoshang in LLTG. And it took some time for Xuanlin to grow on me, but grow on me he did, and he ended up being the most interesting character to watch by far (though Tan Si was one of my favorites, too!).
The dynamics and friendships between all the young people had the potential to be great, but for most of the drama they felt like extra clutter to the plot rather than central to the movement of the story and character arcs. Xu Guangyao was beautiful and smoldery, but a bit bland for me as a character, especially when juxtaposed against Xuanlin's cunning and intelligence.
I think it was a bold attempt, and still a fascinating time in history, though the ending felt very... nationalistic (maybe even propoganda-y)? I don't know, Xuanlin made all these choices to "save" lives and I was still asking myself at the end if he truly succeeded, yet his actions were framed FOR us as noble and admirable...
She broke up with her ex because she saw him making out with another girl. But in the last episode she said that…
SK's ex was also so adamant he hadn't cheated on her and didn't seem guilty at all when SK's mom asked him point blank. Of course, he still could have been lying, but I thought that was a bit odd that he seemed so relaxed about that question.
They should put Life in the genre, so people would not complain so much that it’s slow and boring. For me this…
I agree! Definitely has slice of life vibes. Whenever they focus more on the family and screentime is shared between the leads and their parents' stories or the people/friends near them it is more slice of life than mere rom-com or melodrama.
I'm confused with all the complaints about it being "predictable" lol. Y'all know there's nothing wrong with being…
YES. It always confuses me when people complain about Kdramas being predictable and having all the same tropes and cliches. Kdramas are just written that way, just like when you watch a horror movie you sign up to get scared. If you don't want/like predictable then don't watch Kdramas. 😅 Don't expect something from the genre it doesn't give.
That said, if you do want new, spicy, fresh and completely different and unexpected, stick with Western-made "Kdramas" (i.e. Netflix, Disney +, Prime, etc.) and you'll likely get much less "predictable" stuff.
he did such a good job at pissing me off in wedding impossible that I got annoyed when I first saw him in this…
Try Under The Queen's Umbrella if you haven't seen it; he's lovable and someone you wholeheartedly root for in that drama. It'll reset your perspective of him. 😂
1. I think @biased pointed out that South Korea's prosecutors ARE like detectives. They can investigate and do…
I'm sorry if I came across like I was upset or defensive, because I didn't feel that way at all. Sorry! I just wanted to point out some other perspectives because I don't see it the way you do. And of course, I respect your opinion. Just offering another take! ☺️
Random aside, but I think it's kind of weird how they don't show much smoking in Kdramas despite the fact that…
True, it's just interesting since I'd consider the dangers associated with heavy drinking and excessive smoking would both be pretty serious, but there's SO much drinking shown in Kdramas and almost no smoking shown. I think the U.S. tends to treat them more similarly in entertainment; it's just an interesting censorship choice!
Also, when I visited Korea (Japan, too), I was shocked by how much smoking there was. 😬
I've previously tried to watch this series TWICE, yet found it hard to concentrate, to even finish, and get through…
I liked it right away, but got more engaged after Episode 3 and then fell in love around Episodes 8-10 and continued to love it up to the end. It's just an amazing drama! I rarely LOVE sageuks; I'll like parts of them, but almost never the whole thing. This is the only one I can say I love and it's the only one I've rewatched multiple times without getting bored. There aren't glaring plot holes, noble idiocy, ir stupid breakups, and no suspension of disbelief is ever required. It's well-written, ends very sweetly, with everyone getting the justice they deserve without rushing the ending or episodes getting.l slow from 10-15. It's a fun ride from start to finish with and incredible FL, comedy, deep relational connections, beautifully poignant moments, tragedy and inspiration.
it became a habit of mine I stop the episode at first and try to guess what the title will change to
Oh, for the individual episodes? I should try that. :) I love it when writers theme things carefully. Castaway Diva had great theming with perfect titles for each episode, too.
It's a cable drama airing on tvN - so not OTT, but not a network drama either. Like the US, cable TV in South…
Also, it's confusing, too, because sometimes Netflix seems to partner (from what I can see) with cable or networks (like with Love Next Door or Under The Queen's Umbrella, etc.) which I will often enjoy, but other times it seems to release it's own stuff (like Squid Games or My Name or A Killer's Paradox, etc.--are those examples of OTT?) which are the dramas I rarely like. Do you know anything about those distinctions because I think I'm still confused about how those are released, too? For those dramas I listed last, I often feel like Netflix hijacks the genre to make it more "Netflix" or "Western audience friendly."
That said, I loved how brilliant Tan Xuanlin was, always three steps ahead of his enemy. I also enjoyed how he and Wanqing worked as a team throughout, though she felt a bit flat as a character after seeing FLs like Zhao Lusi's Shaoshang in LLTG. And it took some time for Xuanlin to grow on me, but grow on me he did, and he ended up being the most interesting character to watch by far (though Tan Si was one of my favorites, too!).
The dynamics and friendships between all the young people had the potential to be great, but for most of the drama they felt like extra clutter to the plot rather than central to the movement of the story and character arcs. Xu Guangyao was beautiful and smoldery, but a bit bland for me as a character, especially when juxtaposed against Xuanlin's cunning and intelligence.
I think it was a bold attempt, and still a fascinating time in history, though the ending felt very... nationalistic (maybe even propoganda-y)? I don't know, Xuanlin made all these choices to "save" lives and I was still asking myself at the end if he truly succeeded, yet his actions were framed FOR us as noble and admirable...
That said, if you do want new, spicy, fresh and completely different and unexpected, stick with Western-made "Kdramas" (i.e. Netflix, Disney +, Prime, etc.) and you'll likely get much less "predictable" stuff.
Also, when I visited Korea (Japan, too), I was shocked by how much smoking there was. 😬
Watch it! I don't think you'll be disappointed.