By finishing I got my question answered; Du Li didn't help in the second to last loop, but he did in the final…
Keep them coming, I love your recs; I just can't keep up with watching them! Cdramas are SO long, and I'm trying have a better drama-life balance. 😂😂😂
Also, I love that Reset felt like a real world, like I actually felt like I saw more of actual China. The last two modern dramas I watched (I've only seen two) were very good (Hidden Love and WIFTY), but one of my biggest gripes with them was they felt plasticky and pristine and not grounded in any real world that exists. I liked the feel of this much better but I think the posters are terrible, even on Viki. They don't give off the right vibe at all. 😂
What do you think was the purpose of focusing on Lu Di when he didn't enter the time loop after all? I found that…
By finishing I got my question answered; Du Li didn't help in the second to last loop, but he did in the final loop and all they learned about him came to bear on the final loop and getting enough information to convince him to help in just the right way that meant he would ask no further questions and kill more of their precious time.
I did feel like some time spent on loops and characters in those loops whose realizations or journeys just got reversed or overturned in the next loop sometimes felt like time wasted. For the most part the information gathered/learned about people or things happened was almost always used later to help the leads successfully save everyone in the final loop, but sometimes, on closer inspection, the time spent in those loops was actually unnecessary. It wasn't egregious filler but there was a tad bitnof filler there still.
They were very smart and cool, but sometimes they were borderline scary at how dispassionate they seemed about…
They definitely grew on me as the show progressed, but they also got objectively less intense and suspicious as the drama progressed. They were so tenacious about getting to the bottom of all the stuff the leads knew but couldn't explain why/how in the first half, but after the final loop the main detective sent them away and just said, "I have questions for later." 😅 But I didn't care that he suddenly changed because it was satisfying for them to avoid getting grilled for once (I know it was partly due to the fact that everything "ended well" in that loop only, but earlier on he wouldn't have given them an inch either way). 😉
Wow, why don't people list this with Signal, Tunnel, and Flower Of Evil and such when they list top-notch crime/thriller/action dramas? I was completely sucked in, hook, line and sinker by the end of Episode 2.
The leads were amazing in their roles. Anytime they focused on other characters I got impatient and wanted back with our leads. They created such a gripping urgency for the problem to be solved, and did a masterful job building chemistry as their relationship solidifies and deepens, as well as showing the highs and lows, triumphs and failures of our leads as they face death repeatedly, but never give up.
I loved Shi Qing's compassion and care for others that permeated her every action, and I also loved watching Xiao Heyun rise to the occasion and become brave, selfless, and sacrificial, eventually catching Shi Qing's infectious vision to fight until they had won against the darkness.
There is some romance, but it's woven carefully and subtly throughout the story as the leads grow in trust and respect for each and learn to rely on each other, facing horrific scenarios over and over and over again. It's not in your face nor does it distract from the story, but it has just the right amount of sweetness that slowly grows and which helps to stave off the time loop fatigue.
A super entertaining watch, with a great ending (and pretty short and sweet--only 15 episodes). Highly recommend!
P.S. The premise gave me Edge Of Tomorrow vibes, minus the crime solving aspect with an added sci-fi element (with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt).
What do you think was the purpose of focusing on Lu Di when he didn't enter the time loop after all? I found that a bit odd, as well as the time spent on the ML and FL running away after his "murder" when they're could have just slept sooner and started over? I suppose it was because they were thinking it might be the last loop?
I am glad they showed the officers as responsible, sensible and intelligent and did not dumb them down just to…
They were very smart and cool, but sometimes they were borderline scary at how dispassionate they seemed about it all.
And I'm with Xiao Heyun, those interrogation rooms do not look like places you want to be in for long. It just felt like if they really wanted to, they could quickly strap you down and start pulling teeth or breaking fingers (what was up with the lap bar?)... I'll take the typical interrogation with detective and witness/culprit sitting nicely across from one another at the same table in a room with mirror-y windows instead, thanks. 😂
Note-to-self: if ever in China, don't do anything that might land me in a police department there. 😅
As usual, don't bother going by the MDL rating system, as it changes with the wind. (Pretty objectively) good…
Wonderful, thank you. Always appreciate the recs! Slowly chipping away at the recommendations I'm getting. I have too many to feasibly tackle any time soon but I'll work on them slowly. I'll look into Reset and Guardians of the Dafeng!
Yes, ZRY was really great, and I agree, I like how he doesn't have the conventional actor looks. That said, he lost weight and looks positively gaunt for season 2, and it was nagging at me the whole season. It was actually legitimately distracting/concerning; at one point someone was putting a ring on his hand and I had to pause the episode in shock at his skeletal hand. 😳 Health concerns for ZRY aside, I also loved Wu Zhu (and of course Ruo Ruo and Duo Duo). 🥰
As usual, don't bother going by the MDL rating system, as it changes with the wind. (Pretty objectively) good…
Ooh, no royal court? Sounds refreshing! 😅 I wish sageuks would try that more often, too.
I think I will try this drama soon. I loved ZRY in Joy Of Life 1 and 2, and I am now a fan of his. Someone else suggested New Life Begins (anachronistic and has a social commentary element, but I liked it; it was cozy) and Sword Snow Stride, (which I haven't gotten to yet). You said you haven't seen the Joy Of Life seasons, right, since they're not complete? I was bummed watching them, though, because there was so much I wanted to talk about regarding both seasons but since the threads are not active since the dramas are done airing, there's no one to talk to (It's too boring reading people's blogs to get my questions answered). 😭 I was thinking, "Where's ShortCircuit when I need a buddy to process this?" 😂 Since you liked NIF, I'm pretty sure you'll like it once you get to it. ☺️ It's quite the ride! It has a more sinister, yet also mischievous, feel to it than NIF, with more stylized, exaggerated characters. The characters in NIF feel more like real people to me, but the Emperor in JOL is quite unique.
I also started TTEOTM, but I lost steam at the dream sequence; I'm gonna have to ease into the xianxia. It's very different from what I'm used to and it's a lot to take in. 😳
Agreed! I just finished it but it definitely should not be used as a replacement of the original. I am very impressed…
I think I ended up refering her to Wan'er, actually, after finishing Season 2! They just have a similar nonchalant way of encountering things that cone their ways that pairs well together. I'm fine with Fan Xian ending up with Wan'er and they're a good match, but I find Ruo Ruo and Duo Duo more fun to watch and more interesting in general. Haitang is just such a fun character, and I love how quickly she takes a liking to Fan Xian and becomes ones of his besties. They have a really heartwarming dynamic. I feel like Duo Duo, Ruo Ruo and Fan Xian have a trust in one another that is still not fully cemented between Wan'er and Fan Xian, even though it's Wan'er that Fan Xian opens up to the most. Probably partly due to that wedge between them regarding Lin Gong. 🫤
Well, like Season 1, this was quite the ride! I very much enjoyed it.Unlike some of the things I've read people…
I didn't care much for the last few interactions of Fan Xian and Wan'er, with her finding out Wu Zhu killed her brother and all. To me, Wan'er feels like a character with a strong moral compass based on how she's portrayed, and someone with compassion, intuition, and sense. Someone like her would be able to see that her brother, for all his kindness to her, was kind of a messed up dude to other people and just in general. That should have allowed her to get over this whole thing after some time to pause and collect herself without putting Fan Xian in the middle of two of the people he trusts and loves most in the world. He NEEDS you Wan'er; badly done! 😠 (And c'mon, your hubby even saved your dad AND took in your brother who everyone else avoided--can't you see he had his reasons!? 😭).
And I KNEW Wu Zhu was some kind of robot/cyborg! I loved the way he went into robot-defend-his-person mode when the Divine Temple emissary mentioned killing Fan Xian--ooh, the Mama Bear really kicked in then. No one messes with Wu Zhu's boy! 😂🥰 I was honestly bummed there was so little of him in this season; the middle portion of Season 1 with him and Fan Xian teaming up were some of my favorite episodes out of all two seasons!
Well, like Season 1, this was quite the ride! I very much enjoyed it.
Unlike some of the things I've read people say about this, I don't think it was that different from Season 1. I thought it was a bit more confusing at points, for sure (and some characters, if possible, became even more ambiguous and confusing, but it also felt intentional), but I thought it continued to show Fan Xian as smart, capable, compassionate, a person of integrity, and ever the optimist with a seemingly endless supply of hope.
Fan Xian does realize he's more of a pawn in this season (we see it, too, and boy is it frustrating; it maybe makes him feel less smart and almost more naive than in Season 1, but even in that season at the end he realized he was played the whole time, too), and I can't to wait to see what he does once he's had enough. Cause CPP and the Emperor can only keep up their shenanigans for so long before this kiddo snaps.
I'm wondering if so far Fan Xian hasn't been able to break out of pawn status and anticipate the Emperor and CPP's plots because their true intentions and goals are hidden. Because he doesn't know what they want to achieve or what they want, he can't anticipate their moves. On the other hand, the reason they've been able to play Fan Xian so easily is because he is an open book. What he wants and who he is is there for all to see--and exploit. I love that about him, though. His good-hearted sincerity makes him a character you can't help but root for and love.
This season does have considerably less action, and more court/city politics, and I missed the pacing of the action breaking up the politics like in Season 1, but it was still solid in its own way and explored some new facets of Qing that we haven't seen before. And there are even more lovable characters added to Team Fan Xian this season, as well!
A very good drama, and I look forward to seeing what season 3 has in store--I honestly don't know how one season will be enough to wrap this up!
ya never truly got wt jol was about , sry to say but fan xian was never op he just knows how to adapt nd was trying…
In Season 2, I'm a bit confused why Fan Xian keeps going along with their schemes and playing into their grand plans even though he knows he's a pawn? The reality of this started revealing itself at the end of Season 1, and has continued to be made clear in Season 2 several times.
I'm at Episode 20 so far, and it just seems like CPP keeps talking him into doing the troublemaking thing that gets CPP and the Emperor what they want but ends up leaving Fan Xian in a lurch. At this point, if I was him, I'd just want to derail their plot if I was him (he has the brains for it!)! 😅 He's too optimistic and kindhearted for his own good. 😟
And the Emperor makes even less sense in this season than Season 1. In Season 1 it seemed like he genuinely liked Fan Xian and approved of what he did. In this season, the Emperor is just hardcore messing with him and doesn't seem to give a darn.
I enjoyed this series, I was search for the romcom, but can't say this drama was romantic in the first place.…
I'd suggest the K2! It has kind of a ridiculously over-the-top plot, but also addictingly fun and Ji Chang Wook is at his best in it (I think) outside of Healer, which he also shines in. :)
Also, I love that Reset felt like a real world, like I actually felt like I saw more of actual China. The last two modern dramas I watched (I've only seen two) were very good (Hidden Love and WIFTY), but one of my biggest gripes with them was they felt plasticky and pristine and not grounded in any real world that exists. I liked the feel of this much better but I think the posters are terrible, even on Viki. They don't give off the right vibe at all. 😂
I did! But you're right, she looked completely different and played a very different role, here.
I did feel like some time spent on loops and characters in those loops whose realizations or journeys just got reversed or overturned in the next loop sometimes felt like time wasted. For the most part the information gathered/learned about people or things happened was almost always used later to help the leads successfully save everyone in the final loop, but sometimes, on closer inspection, the time spent in those loops was actually unnecessary. It wasn't egregious filler but there was a tad bitnof filler there still.
But no matter, still a great drama!
The leads were amazing in their roles. Anytime they focused on other characters I got impatient and wanted back with our leads. They created such a gripping urgency for the problem to be solved, and did a masterful job building chemistry as their relationship solidifies and deepens, as well as showing the highs and lows, triumphs and failures of our leads as they face death repeatedly, but never give up.
I loved Shi Qing's compassion and care for others that permeated her every action, and I also loved watching Xiao Heyun rise to the occasion and become brave, selfless, and sacrificial, eventually catching Shi Qing's infectious vision to fight until they had won against the darkness.
There is some romance, but it's woven carefully and subtly throughout the story as the leads grow in trust and respect for each and learn to rely on each other, facing horrific scenarios over and over and over again. It's not in your face nor does it distract from the story, but it has just the right amount of sweetness that slowly grows and which helps to stave off the time loop fatigue.
A super entertaining watch, with a great ending (and pretty short and sweet--only 15 episodes). Highly recommend!
P.S. The premise gave me Edge Of Tomorrow vibes, minus the crime solving aspect with an added sci-fi element (with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt).
And I'm with Xiao Heyun, those interrogation rooms do not look like places you want to be in for long. It just felt like if they really wanted to, they could quickly strap you down and start pulling teeth or breaking fingers (what was up with the lap bar?)... I'll take the typical interrogation with detective and witness/culprit sitting nicely across from one another at the same table in a room with mirror-y windows instead, thanks. 😂
Note-to-self: if ever in China, don't do anything that might land me in a police department there. 😅
Yes, ZRY was really great, and I agree, I like how he doesn't have the conventional actor looks. That said, he lost weight and looks positively gaunt for season 2, and it was nagging at me the whole season. It was actually legitimately distracting/concerning; at one point someone was putting a ring on his hand and I had to pause the episode in shock at his skeletal hand. 😳 Health concerns for ZRY aside, I also loved Wu Zhu (and of course Ruo Ruo and Duo Duo). 🥰
I think I will try this drama soon. I loved ZRY in Joy Of Life 1 and 2, and I am now a fan of his. Someone else suggested New Life Begins (anachronistic and has a social commentary element, but I liked it; it was cozy) and Sword Snow Stride, (which I haven't gotten to yet). You said you haven't seen the Joy Of Life seasons, right, since they're not complete? I was bummed watching them, though, because there was so much I wanted to talk about regarding both seasons but since the threads are not active since the dramas are done airing, there's no one to talk to (It's too boring reading people's blogs to get my questions answered). 😭 I was thinking, "Where's ShortCircuit when I need a buddy to process this?" 😂 Since you liked NIF, I'm pretty sure you'll like it once you get to it. ☺️ It's quite the ride! It has a more sinister, yet also mischievous, feel to it than NIF, with more stylized, exaggerated characters. The characters in NIF feel more like real people to me, but the Emperor in JOL is quite unique.
I also started TTEOTM, but I lost steam at the dream sequence; I'm gonna have to ease into the xianxia. It's very different from what I'm used to and it's a lot to take in. 😳
And I KNEW Wu Zhu was some kind of robot/cyborg! I loved the way he went into robot-defend-his-person mode when the Divine Temple emissary mentioned killing Fan Xian--ooh, the Mama Bear really kicked in then. No one messes with Wu Zhu's boy! 😂🥰 I was honestly bummed there was so little of him in this season; the middle portion of Season 1 with him and Fan Xian teaming up were some of my favorite episodes out of all two seasons!
Unlike some of the things I've read people say about this, I don't think it was that different from Season 1. I thought it was a bit more confusing at points, for sure (and some characters, if possible, became even more ambiguous and confusing, but it also felt intentional), but I thought it continued to show Fan Xian as smart, capable, compassionate, a person of integrity, and ever the optimist with a seemingly endless supply of hope.
Fan Xian does realize he's more of a pawn in this season (we see it, too, and boy is it frustrating; it maybe makes him feel less smart and almost more naive than in Season 1, but even in that season at the end he realized he was played the whole time, too), and I can't to wait to see what he does once he's had enough. Cause CPP and the Emperor can only keep up their shenanigans for so long before this kiddo snaps.
I'm wondering if so far Fan Xian hasn't been able to break out of pawn status and anticipate the Emperor and CPP's plots because their true intentions and goals are hidden. Because he doesn't know what they want to achieve or what they want, he can't anticipate their moves. On the other hand, the reason they've been able to play Fan Xian so easily is because he is an open book. What he wants and who he is is there for all to see--and exploit. I love that about him, though. His good-hearted sincerity makes him a character you can't help but root for and love.
This season does have considerably less action, and more court/city politics, and I missed the pacing of the action breaking up the politics like in Season 1, but it was still solid in its own way and explored some new facets of Qing that we haven't seen before. And there are even more lovable characters added to Team Fan Xian this season, as well!
A very good drama, and I look forward to seeing what season 3 has in store--I honestly don't know how one season will be enough to wrap this up!
Two final things:
I'm at Episode 20 so far, and it just seems like CPP keeps talking him into doing the troublemaking thing that gets CPP and the Emperor what they want but ends up leaving Fan Xian in a lurch. At this point, if I was him, I'd just want to derail their plot if I was him (he has the brains for it!)! 😅 He's too optimistic and kindhearted for his own good. 😟
And the Emperor makes even less sense in this season than Season 1. In Season 1 it seemed like he genuinely liked Fan Xian and approved of what he did. In this season, the Emperor is just hardcore messing with him and doesn't seem to give a darn.