Enigma05

"I Will Always Catch You."

Very proud of BJT for this role; he took his usual almost comedic persona and created a character who was deep, emotional, sensitive, and an iron wall of protection for his high school sweetheart dealing with trauma and tragedy of her past. Even though this series is in the Hidden Love universe (character names, more or less timeline, family, locations), it's a totally different world from the bubbly and happy romance we saw there. This story is so much deeper and more emotional than that one. One thing is for sure, both Sang siblings brought their traumatized yet loved significant others home to a warm and loving environment.

Pros: I watched this show for BJT, I didn't know it was going to be dealing with trauma, abandonment, PTSD and sleepwalking, and a love so strong from one person, even in his darkest moments, he still made sure she was safe and ok. Sang Yan is the iron wall behind the girl he fell for at first sight. He doesn't know what she has to go through or ultimately went through until their reunion 6 years later. All he wants to do is love and protect. He doesn't know what so silently as we see in the ever well crafted flashbacks in the beginning of the series (that are essentially puzzle pieces that slowly come together as the series comes to a close) and the "the story is not over yet..." at the end (where we see something that happened during the episode that explains a missing piece of the episode). We see what they went through, what their lives became and how through becoming roommates he got a glimpse into her inner world of pain and self torment.

WYF seems like she has it all together on the outside; good job, cares about strangers, wants to improve herself, has a friend. But on the inside she's a scared, traumatized young woman with scars that run very deep. She was abandoned by her mother soon after the death of her father and tossed from one house to the next until she landed at her uncle's where a relative nearly SA'd her; she had to jump from the second floor balcony to get away from this monster at the expense of her foot and being unable to dance again which was her passion. We see her break her promise to SY to attend the same university and break up with him in a cruel manner because of the shame, blame, and fear she had. She then ran away from everything and everyone. And still ran into a different freak at her internship after college where she had to quit her job though she got justice. It was like she never had any security anywhere she went and only during her college days when she functioned like an automaton. SY though still followed her and was always watching her silently, protecting.

When the monster gets out of prison and comes after her again, we learn that she was not his first nor his last sadly, just one of two that got away with their lives to boot. Meanwhile, in the apartment the two (SY and WYF) share as roommates, SY starts to see the sleepwalking and other signs that show things are far worse than he thought originally of just an unhappy home life in the past and her not wanting to be with him. Though there is humor (more on his part as she is very shy) and great chemistry, we know that at some point she has to tell him everything so there are no more misunderstandings. As he says to her, "I will always catch you." His love is unconditional no matter what; from the moment she walked back into his line of sight in the first episode, he would always be there, hovering like an earthbound angel protecting soundlessly.

What she had to learn and understand was that she could lean on those she loved and tell them the truth. She didn't have to face everything alone. It was SY that ultimately captured the bastard that traumatized her who was on the run for an unsolved murder years prior and assault on his brother in law's wife. It was SY who safe proofed the house so she wouldn't hurt herself when she sleepwalked. He walked beside her always calmly talking to her even during the times she just walked around and cried. It was SY who had his heart ripped to shreds when she ran away a second time; this time he didn't know where she was though he chased down more leads than the cops ever did. He even went to where she actually was off a tip from her childhood friend who thought he saw her and other leads and even though they happened to be in the same locations, they conveniently missed each other. But he was the one who never gave up and she had to let him in.

The second couple is ok, both deserving of love especially the guy who went through a lot of tragedy, trauma, and self blame himself. I think as best friends of the leads, they deserved a bit of their own storyline told.

I'm glad she cut ties with her "mom" and the bastard and his sister went to prison (with him sentenced to death). Going to the Sang house for a holiday made her see and appreciate what a real warm family with caring parents looked like. Their chemistry was great and they had great kisses and decent skinship; it was just enough for this story. I was glad she found out about all of his travels to Yihe, kept all of her article clippings, and the fact that he went to her graduation. For 6 years he never left her; he was always just behind or on the sidelines. The proposal was unique and heartwarming and SY getting emotional was beautiful; definitely a tear jerker. We even see that it was he who initiated their first contact, so love at first sight it was for sure. Even the ring was symbolic because it had a ribbon on it and SY explained they were each other's most precious gifts.

OSTs, modern sets, camera angles were all good.

Cons: I don't agree with her leaving a second time. I don't read the source material but it didn't jive with her character development at all. A few days before she had confronted her "family" bastard included and told them that if they came near her or her loved ones again she would go to the police and yet still she ran? It just didn't match up. Furthermore, her reasoning was that if she left, SY wouldn't get hurt? Yeah ok, because it wasn't the bastard that was harassing a woman at SY's restaurant and then got into a fight with SY where he told him kind of what happened 6 years before. That it didn't shatter SY's heart to know how badly she was harmed, that he didn't know, couldn't help and now not knowing where she was. To a man like him, it was the ultimate heartbreak. Plus, as a journalist, she should know that predators will go after their prey's loved ones if they can't find their prey. They want to harm the ones that person loves the most. They're all hard wired like that. So her choice didn't hold water for me and shouldn't have deviated. Production could have chosen for her to tell him some other way finally and not have him and friends run around the entire country looking for her. Though he did learn a lot of what she went through in the years away from him, I just think a more balanced version of who her character had become would have been best in that situation. Then she got mad at him at the hospital after he went against the bastard and caught him; he felt like a man, the man she deserved as before he felt useless. But she's mad? Because she would have done what? Run away for a third time? Come on now. Her anger was misplaced; yes most likely more fear for his safety and worry but still, she had to see it from his side of things.

It always felt like though she said she loved him and trusted him, there was a hesitation and the running away the 2nd time was a huge example of that. Communication with her character was lacking; she would declare things and then take two steps back. No wonder SY felt less than even after all this time. Also wish WYF when kissed or just in a general conversation with SY didn't have her eyes roll around on her face like she didn't know where she was or what was happening, again didn't quite fit her characterization.

Several characters were completely unnecessary like that Mu guy, his whole point of being there was what? And the grandparents love line was unnecessary too. They could have just been there to bring the 2nd leads together and let SML get past his own trauma. Their entire point was lost on me. Also the once in a blue moon HL storyline that didn't quite match up in timeline sequence could have been overlooked.

Would I recommend it? Definitely. I gave .5 higher than HL because this one was darker and deeper and the ending was much more satisfactory (not knocking HL, as that one was also good but just a much lighter version) and totally came full circle in more ways than one. BJT is definitely the perfect SY for me. Give it a chance.

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Make Any of it, Make Sense Please! 3rd Dumpster Fire of 2024

I decided to watch it for HK whom I loved since Ultimate Note and YIL who never quite got the romantic role he deserved; thankfully he did here. Though both did what they could here; this show started nicely and then spiraled out of control making it the 3rd dumpster fire I've watched in 2024.

Pros: Other than the beautiful colors, stunning costumes especially for the leads, OSTs, and the chemistry between the leads, this drama had no other redeeming qualities. I'm glad FL returned to her smart self and started to protect ML too not just be hellbent on revenge. Had an HE.

Cons: I don't know what drugs the screenwriter was smoking but this convoluted mess of a script was only slightly better than what readers described as essentially brutality in a book. SML was essentially the Chinese Khal Drogo who murdered anyone and everyone and brutalized all women along with his gang of bandits. The SFL, who seemed like a free spirit followed him and was just as callous. And the absolutely ridiculous thing is that they thought the audience would just forget that part when towards the end he started to regain memories of the past and act good. He never offered any apologies. Like "sure, me and my gang pillaged, raped, and slaughtered our way through the desert but we're the good guys now; no harm, no foul." I gave up on them very soon after meeting them and ffw. I stopped watching at 16 (though through massive fast forwarding resumed on 20 and lord knows how I made it through to 26) because even though all of the characters were connected, there was such a disconnect in the story plus crappy editing that made you feel like other then a small tether you were watching three different shows in a desert like setting. I didn't have any expectations of this show because other than costumes and some scenery, this was obviously very low budget.

The antagonist (I'd seen the actor in MJTY previously) can play a good villain but boy did they make him ridiculous. Ruthless yes, but he spoke so slowly and stared so much, you think he had a mental challenge of some sort. Nothing about him seemed intelligent or right. This is one of those times when you have good actors but crappy scripts that they have to lower their abilities to get whatever the director is getting at. If they had cast a bunch of unknowns or newbies, it wouldn't have made a difference. I feel bad because I know those 3 actors (am unfamiliar with SFL and SML), can act pretty well and to be given this mess, is just unfair to them. Yes, it adds to their resume, but is it worth it?

They dumbed down FL for a good chunk in the middle which just made you want to punch her. The ML went above and beyond and she still believed the villain over him. I skipped a good chunk of the episodes. I think the only consistent character from beginning to end was the ML. The ending of the antagonist was eye roll worthy at best; he killed SML [while cackling on his horse; y'all know how much I love a good Halloween witch cackle (add extreme sarcasm here)] and SFL (though smokescreen; she's alive!) and FL stabbed him and still he rambled on for like 5 minutes not dying; like why? Just end it! But no; need more over dramatic BS before he spat his magenta blood and dropped. Oh and the main guard that pretended to be ML because ML supposedly sacrificed himself to quicksand was really ML surviving quicksand through underground tunnels, and FL not even realizing it until he kissed her after everybody left and big bed wolf was dead. It literally took seven rewatches to understand any of this. What was that ending though? ML and FL just walking hand in hand in the desert becoming legends? Huh? Why even? After SFL gave birth? What an absolute mess. Even Frankenstein would run away if he saw this.

Would I recommend this? No way! As much as I like HK and YIL, they deserved a much better script and overall production. I'm sure the others do too. Please watch her in UN and decent in Jade's Fateful Love (only love line) while he's great in TLB and AJTL (hope he does a modern); not happy except the one but you can see coherent and decent or good storylines there. Stay away from this please!

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Which Season Did I Like Better?

(First review of a 2025 show) Creepy, crawly, great CGI, and performances. I was interested in season 2 to see the continuation of Season 1 but that didn't really happen. Other than the backgrounds and names of characters we had already met and more or less a conducive original story, these could have been 2 totally different shows. Which season did I like better? I liked them equally the same.

The most fascinating character this season was Chen Dou; it's a shame we really didn't get a deeper dive into her but kept trying to capture the MXH guy. They really didn't go too deeply into his storyline either. And why did WY say that he and WCL were similar? I was hoping they'd go deeper into the mystery of FBB's past but that wasn't done. The entire show was about great fighting, some humor, nice CGI; a leg up from season one. I did like when they did show CD's storyline come full circle that she made the right choice for herself. That was her dream after all; was to have the freedom to make a choice.

I'm glad WCL matured a lot here and was more strategic as opposed to just out of control; FBB was also acting more human though still her quirky self. Definitely wish WY had more screen time but with only 13 episodes, things were bound not to go the way we wanted. The new people in the group were definitely an interesting bunch and I feel like the organization they work for needs new leadership as they're shady AF. I do hope if there's another season eventually, it'll be longer and started explaining things not just adding layer upon layer of questions. We have very little answers now after 2 seasons. I could say this second season just scratched the surface of a story that started in season one. Plus, not having a lot of the same characters from season one made it slightly confusing and added a lot of plot holes.

Would I recommend it? For those who are fans of the comic or want to see some growth in the characters from season 1, then sure. It was a cool watch for sure.

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The Long Journey to A More Cohesive Plot

Pros: I'm just going to delve right into this. It was slightly better then part 1, emphases on the slightly. The script was more cohesive and there were less unneeded characters. The plot was actually finally going somewhere. My favorite portion by far was when Yunhe regains her memories in the volcano in episode 15. It was the only part of the entire thing, I kept rewatching many times.

Definitely favorite character out of the entire thing was LHQ or Lin junior as I called him; complicated and tragic man. No matter what, he could never get who he really wanted no matter how much effort he put into it and how much it cost him. But he never gave up trying for what he truly believed in and though not with whom he wanted to be, he was able to live freely in the end. Even though I didn't really like Yunhe (I still liked Yunhe's character in general and evolution in this part) as Ah-Ji because her constant talking to herself and inner monologues gave me a headache, she still had way more chemistry with Lin Junior than with Chang Yi.

Li Shu, San Yue, and the emperor kid evolved nicely and were given their own paths in this story and though Li Shu sacrificed himself for the umpteenth time, he was also able to return to his lady love. Emperor kid really grew both as an emperor and someone decisive and forthright. For those who watched TLB, he was the same actor who played Reba's character's annoying nephew. It was great seeing him in this way better capacity that could showcase his acting skills.

I don't remember all of their names but the ruler chick of North Abyss who had a yen for CY also did way better here then in Part 1. Kong Ming, Bird Deity, Yunhe's guard friend skinny dude as well as Lin junior's aid all were good and/or passable. As mentioned in part 1, immortal master was the best antagonist and I actually liked the actress who played Shunde's other identity as it was more natural then Shunde and felt right for the actress.

The plot though not entirely on the straight and narrow, was a more functional and understandable one as there was finally one set goal with many parts and places to go step by step before accomplishing it. As in Part 1, costumes, CGI, scenery, etc were breathtakingly beautiful. That was the one thing that remained consistent.

Cons: Even with a more cohesive plot, there were many plot holes that just didn't add up. Like how could an already dead Chen Yu resurrect and become part of Shunde's zombie army? The poor man essentially died twice; he was really pitiful but his tunnel vision loyalty to immortal master was his undoing, so though I did like the character, he really didn't change much. How in the world did most of the supposed dead come back to life at the very end? Very weak explanations if any to all of this. Or how were Li Shu and San Yue able to leave the mountain they were trapped in with the Emperor and his masters but the latter three couldn't?

Shunde, Shunde, Shunde....lord almighty what an atrocious villain. Even after she sucked all of that voodoo mask turned terminator with Freddy Krueger's claws' energy, she didn't become a believable villain. She was still a vicious, self-righteous, drama queen, with a massive superiority complex and the "evil" crazy laugh she had didn't help matters. After the loss of the Immortal Master to repentance, there was no way she could replace him. And they did zilch to evolve her.

Chang Yi didn't change in the slightest save for a few moments he smiled in later episodes. The conflicted block of ice who imprisons Yunhe to "torture" her in the beginning, had only two facial features during the entire series; constipated or stoned. I really thought it would be better but not until episode 15 or beginning of 16 did he slightly defrost and not for long periods of time either.

The continuation of the lies, cover ups, deception to protect kept up with just about everyone until literally the last episode of the show and it really messed up the equilibrium of the show. Why couldn't people just be straight forward as that in the end was what ended up being needed? The leads and other solid couples had about 5 to 10 minutes of happiness before something would go wrong. But though the show was supposed to be angsty, you very rarely felt any of that. Yes, when Yunhe sacrificed herself for North Abyss and then later died in CY's arms; but I felt sadder when Lin junior brought her back and she started to drift from him. Such a huge contrast between robot CY and raw Lin junior.

The largest mess up was the ending. As I waited for part 2 to come out, I read the translated chapters/episodes from a site and the ending could have been way better for Yunhe and CY if the directors hadn't cut a very important scene. Though while I feel if just about everyone else came back, Yunhe did too, a lot more could have been relayed had that ending been properly in place. Everyone else got their version of a proper happy ending but the ones who were toughing out this journey from day one were just brushed aside and it was a great injustice to them. Would have been way better had they just killed Shunde (make a big blast of it for emphasis), left North Abyss together and lived in the world with the freedom they both craved since episode 1 and that piece would have come full circle. Scrap the volcano sacrifice and all the other stuff. It would have been much more fulfilling and proper for them both to end like that.

Would I recommend it? If you watched Part 1, then you need to watch this in order to get an understanding of what was going on there, where it went and how it ended. Also better plot and if you're an actor fan of anyone. For me personally, the entire series was disappointing; could have been done way better. The actors deserved that much and so did the audience.

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XFN's Journey

I was actually very surprised that I liked this series. Many people I usually chat with, dropped it without looking. But it had many good qualities. XFN is officially more cunning then his father. That finale was something else; truly hope seasons 2 and 3 don't take 10 years to make.

Pros: Most of the characters were there for as long as they needed to be and greatly evolved. The main lead was the most obvious. His father was the 706 steps ahead thinking man planning everything in his son's path to both help him and test him. But as the series wore on he too became very much like his father; from a stubborn teenager who refused to learn martial arts until his closest friend and master martial artist died, did he realize he can still live his own way but be great at something.

It was great to see 3 actors from DC in this thing; old man booger aka Sword God, Ning Emei, and the death guard Qing. I totally saw the latter two as becoming a couple. The fantastical aspects were great but not overdone. Every loose end was one way or another always tied and not left along for too long. The ending episode was cool except for ZK talking for far too long after Xu big sister stabbed him. I particularly liked when XFN used the martial arts he learned to fight the bad guys.

The story in itself progressed well, with XFN growing, maturing, learning and ultimately embracing his destiny in his own way. The comical aspects were also a nice touch and progressing the story along. You never knew who was working for dad or by the end of it XFN himself and that was always comical when the audience learned along with other parts.

Cons: Many inconsistencies and really unneeded characters like the lady with the cat. I'll take the cat over the chick. Just the sheer number of people who wanted to kill XFN for reasons most of the time not well explained or if explained, didn't make sense. It reminded me a lot of Luoyang and the plethora of unneeded assassins. Ms. Hehe's sudden appearances, her lackluster explanation for why she was there and then final appearance, equally bizarre other explanation and disappearance. Her entire presence was like a whiplash each time.

I didn't see any point in the FL until she literally left. She didn't have (imo) any chemistry with the ML aside from wanting to kill him for reasons unknown. I know that readers of the book liked her and understood her purpose and perhaps she'll be given better development in the upcoming seasons but in this one, she just whined and repeated the same thing over and over; kill XFN, death and buying herself a coffin.

Each episode in someways felt like its own plot story or rather multiple episodes until yet another failed attempt at assassination happened and perps were revealed. Then we move on to the next plot and next bunch of assassins. It was very push and pull often and I wished other aspects of the series were brought. It needed smoother writing and overall transitions.

Would I recommend it? Sure. It's got great growth moments, funny moments, if you like fantastical stories and trying to figure out who's good and who's really not. It like everything else, has lackluster moments and errors, but overall it was fun to watch.

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Emotionless Line Delivery + Fizzled Chemistry + Sloppy Script = 1st Dumpster Fire of 2025

Welcome to the first dumpster fire of 2025! My goodness what a mess! I forgot I had it on my watchlist plus it was airdropped with no warning or promotion which should have been a massive clue. I had wanted to see SWL in a different genre and it was my 1.5 time watching Angelababy as I dropped a previous drama she was in due to horrendous writing. This wasn't much better and I ended skipping some episodes towards the end as well as fast forwarding a lot of it during the entire thing.

Pros: Almost none other than the gorgeous costumes/accessories of the Beixuan people, the martial arts and acting of some of the supporting characters. SML and TML died for all the wrong reasons and I thought both were wasted characters though both nailed their parts. There was more chemistry between the guard and the sister than the leads. ML's acting has improved slightly.

Cons: Everything else! Atrocious script that literally threw every trope possible into the story but nothing new. Two horrible kings of two countries but you couldn't even hate them as proper antagonists because they came across as petty and insecure and one literally had some squirrel's tail for a mustache attached to his face. Chemistry between leads fizzled in the near beginning. Both leads were pretty emotionless; he always looked pissed off even when smiling and she was the opposite as even when upset she had like a joker smile glued to her face. No expression whatsoever from her but if his acting made up for a bit of it, in her case it was like a recital of lines with that creepy smile. I think I may stay away from her dramas from now on; she may be a pretty woman but acting requires more than looks.

Also the character of the princess was shudder worthy. Spoiled self absorbed brat from beginning to end. I never believed she genuinely loved SML; he was like a shiny toy to her that dared to defy her and she got a kick out of that. I wish she died instead of him; zero redeeming qualities. Cheap AF CGI, if you can call it that. The entire thing looked very cheap. I think most of the budget went to those stunning costumes and accessories. The story was like every other story you've ever seen crazy glued together. Boring. I have no clue how I got through it. It's very forgettable.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely NOT. This review should give you everything you need to know. Preserve your sanity and watch something else.

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Healing Through Patience & Love is Truly the Best Thing

I've wanted to see ZLH in a modern drama for a while now and though he had those before, only after he shot to stardom after his roles in MJTY and KP, did more audiences see him as a versatile actor. This drama was a perfect offset of all of his previous roles because it was calming, relaxing, while showing how love grows naturally. Healing through patience & love was truly the best thing.

Pros: This was such a lovely and fun in a subtle way series. I loved how every episode started with a particular TCM ingredient and it was explained how it worked and then it was incorporated into that episode for better or for worse. Both leads had their fair share of pain to go through and heal from and they found those ingredients if you will in each other. The ML or HSY was definitely the more mature and wise of the two. FL or SXF met him in the first episode just as she was going through a rough patch with her asswipe soon to be (like in the next episode) ex boyfriend. Due to the fact that all of the stress from that, work, etc, caused her insomnia, she was recommended to the neighborhood TCM doctor and that's how they met. Fate or the universe couldn't be more perfectly aligned for that meeting. For him it was like at first sight and this was he fell first and hard and it took her a much longer time to realize her feelings.

Let's not forget their chemistry! Well we all know ZLH can get it done; even XRH said that he is an eye-showing actor; so he shows you how he feels with his eyes before he says the words. But their kisses and even hugs were all that and then some! It got warm in my room quick lol! I also loved that she initiated a lot of their make out sessions and didn't just wait to be kissed. That was a lot more natural than the woman just standing there as the man goes in.

Their lives and romance were immediately intertwined because they also happened to live in the same neighborhood. He was the gentle healing soul that always told her to take her time and learn to love herself while he took care of the rest. He was literally the perfect man. You can call this a slow burn because it took her quite some time and funnily enough a push from her aggressive, arrogant ex to get her to understand what her heart and soul had known for a long time; that the right person was in front of her and next to her the entire time.

Though there was a third wheel in here, she was after the ML and once he found out what her thoughts were, he cut the cord quick. He wanted to be with one woman only. This was a mature romance with great characters. Not a single one took up space or needed to be tossed off a cliff. There was comedy especially the references to certain characters and series the actors actually played in was a great way to both promote those series and give it a real world feel. The leads way of expressing love was through flowers, sachets, nature, and cooking not always words and that was for the most part a great and symbolic thing.

The way they helped each other with things as well as their friends did; her bestie cleared the confusion of why XF rejected SY's confession in the first place; that it was out of fear not that she didn't care. Meanwhile, XF helped reconcile SY with his father towards the end after many years of estrangement. SY helped heal XF's existential identity crisis post breakup and made her stronger in her convictions not just as she even pointed out "an obedient dog that would follow your every command." I loved the united front that the parents and SY showed against the ex as he was kicked out of their house and also at the hotel, where even the GM stood up to him along with her two best friends and some other hotel staff.

All of the supporting characters were great! XY and LYS who were friends for 10 years and loved each other just as long but only got together after XF's constant pushing and prodding. XF's parents were funny and so great and supportive. All dramas should have parents like them. SY's grandfather was just awesome and comedic in a good way; when the families blended it was a very strong unit. SY's interns especially LJ are funny as well as the dude that's always single and his patients. You can see who all matters to them from who's invited to their wedding in the last episode. And the wedding was lovely especially the choreographed dance of the leads in the heart made out of flowers.

OSTs, extra info on TCM, sets though modern, we're all lovely and fit. For him the symbol of love was that keychain ring she gave him to ward off matchmakers and for her it was the satchet.

Cons: Though very few I did have some issues. For starters, the FL had this annoying tendency to go all deer in headlights when she was around him and couldn't say a single declarative sentence and that got kind of annoying. Because when she had to ask him questions about TCM or things she was interested in or talk to her friends or at work, she could just babble forever. But simple conversations were hard won. And at 27, you should be able to speak like an adult all the time. Glad that once she realized her feelings and they got together, she "grew up" so to speak.

The old people clothing, I don't understand. Both leads wore clothes that were suitable for their parents and grandparents and you could see them wear that. I don't know why in modern dramas they do this to young adults making them look so elderly with the wardrobe. Only when at work and they had to wear a uniform or a suit did they dress their age.

Felt the ending was a bit rushed with her mom's illness and her again having thoughts of studying abroad. Also the fact that at the wedding SY said this whole monologue of things and XF said maybe a sentence or two felt uneven. They could have placed the illness somewhere else and then made her studying abroad, returning and having their wedding so much smoother. That's it.

Would I recommend it? I totally would. This was a breath of fresh air and homey and so nice like a warm hug at the end of a long day. A simple romance with symbolism, meaning, and a bit of humor. Definitely the best thing.

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Two Different Dramas For the Price of One but the Actors Delivered

(Edited rating and review) I wanted to watch this because of LXY and his versatility. Neither him, the FL, nor any of the cast disappointed. The writing was sloppy and filled with unnecessary deaths and plot holes. It literally felt like two completely different dramas in one with superb acting. But after thinking carefully, I had to amend my rating.

Pros: Every single actor nailed their role to a T. If it wasn't for them, this drama could have ended just fine at episode 24. LXY was absolutely amazing here though; each tear of his broke your heart and he cried a lot. The kissing scenes were well done by two adults. The first portion had everything; the frame job by the CP, the crippled and masochistic ML trying to clear his name and that of his army. Than the FL who lost her parents in the fire but was brought into what I called assassins creed to get revenge though the mastermind behind that was none other than the ML himself. The ML and FL worked very well together and the characters near them were fantastic especially YQ. As the main villain, the CP was narcissistic, cunning, and vicious. QY was necessary but not as a third wheel that hindered more than helped. The palace intrigue and winning against the CP and clearing his name was paramount. Falling in love with the FL was cool and their time in the village was awesome too but he shouldn't have done the nobility arc thing but kept her hidden and waited until the flower to detoxify her bloomed. Then he could have saved her and they would have married and the undying flower thing still held water. Though the second portion or what I consider a different drama altogether was messy, the ending though tragic was beautifully written and acted out by all. Costumes, sets, OSTs, fight sequences, etc were on point.

Cons: What was the point of 25 through most of 31? 32 was the poetic tragedy so I consider it a pro. Messy plot full of holes that was unnecessary, wasted people and characters and still FL wasn't cured because the flower was stolen. Why kill QY? Zilch sense. The reinforcements arrived just to scare off the enemy? Make it make sense. Regular civilians had to fight regimented soldiers was nonsense because the emperor for some reason didn't know his country and that city was under attack from the get go? How is that possible? And his relationship with Zigu was cringe at best; he was old enough to be her grandfather and they conceived a child but she died in childbirth because of her previous injury which was to her arms? How does one affect the other? Again plot hole.

The actress who played Luo Mei had way too much Botox because her face never moved on or off screen. None of her emotions were believable at all; she was totally stone faced. And how did she go from seeing ML as her unrequited love to whiplashing and loving that monster CP? It was so quick, you'd blink and you'd miss it. Another one was of FL knowing she only had an X amount of time to live but didn't reconcile with the ML until he dove into the river after her. She wasted so much precious time. For what exactly? ML only lived 13 years longer than she did and you'd think when you know you've got an expiration date, you'd want to spend every second with the one you loved. But he didn't even know she wasn't cured; that was a dumb plot move. He had the most masochistic role in the entire series. The entire second portion was totally unnecessary. Finish it at 25 episodes and it would have been an HE and matched with the book. Bringing all that nonsense in made me skip two episodes towards the end.

Would I recommend it? I actually would but for excellent acting and that first portion of the show. The rest you can just casually watch.

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The World's Smartest Young Man + A Great Martial Artist = 2 Formidable Twin Brothers

Watching a series 5 years after it was broadcast definitely shows how many things have changed. I've been recommended this one for a while now and finally decided why not? Primarily watched for CZY and the difference in his mannerisms. But I'm aware of both leads, the SFL plus many of the supporting cast.

Pros: The martial arts are my favorite. So well done and carefully crafted that you had to rewind some again and again. My favorite duel was between the brothers in the last episode. It was just awesome. All of the other ones were pretty great too. I also really like the fact that they gave an actual back story to the series and why/how the brothers were separated and their parents killed. You don't see that nowadays as it's covered in about 2 minutes with cartoons and a voiceover plus some flashbacks during the show. The twins were supposed to become enemies when they grew up and met each other just as the synopsis says except that didn't happen. There were some tense moments in the very beginning but they grew into actual friends and that was awesome to see especially when they would solve cases and problems together.

They couldn't be more different; one was a prankster trickster that could weasel himself out of practically any situation using his smarts but he was also a chick magnet because from the first one to his ultimate soulmate, there were at least 3 in between that were more ruthless than others, would fall for him immediately and it was quite funny. While the other one was cold, aloof, inexperienced in the world and tried his best to right many wrongs though he did fail a lot especially the first case which I called the Romeo and Juliet scenario. The things that they had in common was a sense of justice and were both warm-hearted. Plus XYR was a whole head shorter than HWQ and when the truth outed itself, XYR jumped like a monkey onto a tree with HWQ. They were the world's smartest young man + a great martial artist = 2 formidable twin brothers.

There were middle of the road villains like the 12 zodiac killers and the 10 great villains (one of whom was actually a good guy that loved gambling); the latter batch having raised XYR and though they ultimately betrayed him, if it wasn't for them, he wouldn't have become as clever and smart as he became though he wasn't as cold blooded and greedy as they were. He like his brother inherited their parents warm hearts and sense of compassion and righteousness.

There were 3 main villains; the master of Yihua Palace who raised HWQ and her sister (though the latter had a warmer heart); it was because of this crazy train master's revenge on the man she loved who was ultimately the twins' father because in her twisted mind, just because she saved him and he was grateful to her for that, he was supposed to marry her. She had no idea that love and other emotions had to be involved for marriage so the obsessed bat set this plan in motion for the brothers to become enemies and HWQ only finding out when he supposedly killed XYR (our smart kid took a special medicine made by his friend the medicine doctor from wicked canyon where he grew up that could fake death) that they were twin brothers so he could suffer for the rest of his existence. I mean how much more evil and delusional can you be? Punishing the sons for her one sided love that didn't happen? The look on her face when XYR popped back up like nothing happened was priceless. Though I did feel for HWQ and the roller coaster of emotions he must have felt as this was going on; first thinking he killed his best friend even though he set out to kill himself, than hearing how the insane one set the revenge plan in motion, that the boys were twins, that he actually killed his twin brother, to seeing that she killed the other "aunt" and wanting to end himself and than when XYR popped up the joy and relief that all of this was his plan and trick and being upset when the crazy bat walked off a cliff. It must have been exhausting to go through so many emotions in such a short period of time. But he did it well.

The other two villains were a father and son duo that were basically causing havoc in Jianghu stealing money and other things while framing good people for their deeds. The son was creepy not just evil, while the father was considered the number one hero in Jianghu and also had a hand in the deaths of the leads parents but more for trying to kill the real number one hero YNT (who was sworn brothers with JF; dad of the boys) and though he crippled the guy's martial arts skills for 18 years, he never mastered the manual he stole. The creepy son got his comeuppance finally from the woman he SA'd and lied to repeatedly; awesome karma.

Other great supporting characters were the medicine man who only pretended to be evil but in reality was biding his time to get rid of the evil around him, YTN and his other sworn brother who pretended to be him while he slowly healed himself. Gambling villain guy was of great help as well as the two assistants of HWQ; both FL and SFL once they stopped crying and pouting at every step and really started to show their smarts and helpfulness, were really great partners to our boys. I didn't view romance as important in this series so I wish it wasn't pushed on us. Comedy fell properly especially with our ML; it wasn't slapstick but well done. I felt that out of the two, the FL evolved the most and she was indispensable to both guys. I also don't feel it was a love triangle but more like a love quad though one that was only connected to whom they belonged to. FL did have feelings for the ML but once she spent time with SML, that's who she really grew towards.

Though at first Little Fairy, that Gu guy, and Murong Jiu were more of unnecessary characters as well as side stories that required fast forwarding, once the amnesia arc took place and MRJ became Ms. Meng and HZZ came into the picture, they made the right kind of sense. Especially at the end when they came to support XYR during the duel. It was nice to see he made friends for life.

Costumes (though I have an issue with HWQ's wig; poor guy had the forehead of a Klingon with it), sets, OSTs were all on point.

Cons: I really wish our brothers had more time on screen together. That was my biggest complaint. After they met officially and figured out that they were supposed to be enemies though no idea why other than an order given by the crazy bat, they kept going their separate ways though solving cases that for the most part were related to that main villain and his uber creepy son. However once they decided on three months to the duel they did spend more time together, even causing HWQ to seriously waver in his mission. I still wish we didn't spend a solid 20 plus episodes with one brother in one episode and one brother in another.

Wish there weren't so many unnecessary side stories that had nothing to do with the main plot and where more women fell for ML. That was also something I didn't understand; was it love at first sight for them all looking at this scraggly kid with patched worn clothes and thinking "oh baby, that's the guy for me?" I mean come on now, not realistic at all. They were already smitten before he opened his mouth. Same happened with both leading ladies, though one evolved and matured, the other one though a total match for him, I had no idea when she had time to fall for him? Big disconnect there each time and there were at least three other women in between.

The endings of both big bads was super anticlimactic. One was crippled of his martial arts and just sent away to live somewhere, while the other in her delusion just walked off a cliff. Like what? These two people brought pain, suffering, and death to so many and that's how they ended things? Not good or satisfying enough for me.

I also wish that at the end, the last scene was of our brothers drinking somewhere together instead of separated yet again but with their significant others. It was very unsatisfactory. The story was about them not their romantic relationships. They could have had the women with them and the foursome standing together and maybe hugging while smiling at each other and swatching the horizon. That would have been perfect and would have left the audience feeling and knowing that they would now forever be together as a real family making up for a lost 18 years with their parents looking down at them from heaven and smiling. That's how I would have ended it anyways.

Would I recommend it? I really would. Despite the annoying cons, this really was a great wuxia and if you like martial arts and a decent story, check it out; it doesn't matter how many years later.

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Watch for the Romance

I was recommended this drama a while back but forgot about it and then was reminded again because I'm watching Tiger & Crane with ZLH and this was his first drama. Though called Maiden Holmes, there's less emphasis on the case solving and more about the Romance of the leads. So watch for the romance.

Pros: I love the Fab 5! Their dynamic is great from episode one. You've got the FL who pretends to be a man by cross dressing to clear her family's name after being what she thought to be the sole survivor of that massacre. Her detective skills are pretty good and she has solved many cases. ML is the prince who is ousted from office by his rebellion seeking uncle (also the main villain of the piece). Thankfully his brother was the new emperor and had a good relationship with him where he could help him out. SFL is a genius doctor and SML is a great martial artist though can't read the room for nothing is quite dumb most of the time. Adding on is ML's teen aid who's a great cook. The chemistry between the leads is obvious especially when the ML turns those seductive eyes onto FL, it's like ok it got a bit warm in this room. Furthermore, the kisses are real! And there are enough of them. For ZLH's first gig ever, he was hella convincing especially in terms of being intelligent and trapping the bad people. The entire group really complimented each other. Misunderstandings if not immediately cleared up, are done so in a smart fashion. There are a few baubles with FL temporarily seeming to lose her sensibility but she regains it more or less quickly. Good fight scenes when they happened.

Obviously a lower budget production but it worked out. The villain was obvious from the get go. The one moment that made me legit shed a tear was when ML's guard sacrificed himself to protect his prince towards the end. That guy was awesome the entire time and it really brought forth their strong friendship. Comedy was decent.

Cons: The cases though leading to the main antagonist weren't very strong and they could never bring someone in alive. Once our group had the evidence, the evildoer was either disposed of or killed themselves. Every single time to the point that it was laughable. You were just waiting for it each time a new case popped up. Also while the SFL thought the FL was a dude, she developed a crush on her and that whole thing was rather cringey. Suspended logic also was a must for a lot of things; like the cave thing because they had to figure out their misunderstanding and realize they were soulmates from a young age, add a really great kiss at the end and then it was worth it lol!

The showdown in the last two episodes was relatively lackluster as it just had the villain walk around the throne room yakking about his plans only to be outsmarted by the ML.

Would I recommend it? Only for the romance of the leads and the moving along storyline. It's a good in between series especially if you like an intense seductive ML ;).

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Modern Vintage

This plot intrigued me. It was different than your run of the mill romance with a touch of weirdness. It wasn't a perfect script or acting by any stretch of the imagination, but it had something unique and attention grabbing. I was unfamiliar with the cast but really wanted to give this a try. It really was a modern vintage.

Pros: Out of the 4 leads, I have to say I liked HCF the most. Even though he started out a bit stiff, he was always aiming to improve and once he fell in love the man was a goner. Their chemistry was very cute (do wish they knew how to kiss better lol), I found myself rewinding all their together moments; just melting cute. Two live together in a cinematography masterpiece and the women blow in by fate. The way we learn about each person's backstory slowly, opens each character to us in both good ways and not so good. Costumes, OSTs, imagery, surroundings, were sometimes straight on point and other times missed the mark.

Though there were 3 antagonists total, the one who lost his mind was the most prominent and understandable probably more to the audience than to the characters until the ending 4 episodes. Plus he was HCF's master so harder to let that sink in. I really liked the case solving in the first portion of the series and how many people they actually helped. But as time went on, it seemed all of that was forgotten. The comedy and the bonds in their community were cute and funny and added that time, in a way, stood still there. I liked SY when she was balls to the walls no nonsense speaking common sense but then she would turn around, her eyes would start rolling around on her face like they were escaping somewhere, it left you wondering where the smart young woman went. Time to visit the cons.

Cons: The script had way too many loose ends. Continuing with SY, why must women constantly in these dramas forget they have an inner monologue instead of just yammering away in public nonstop and then looking all shocked when someone catches them? It never fazes to amaze me. I wasn't at all sure the casting of Xiao An was a proper one as she had a stone cold face even when she cried. I didn't feel much of a connection nor chemistry between her and Robin. He was great as a melodramatic performer to the point of eye rolling but she was just a block of granite.

Then there was Shifu and his total break from reality from his getting out of prison until when he orchestrated the kidnapping first of Robin, then of SY. Why didn't HCF go straight to the police? The same people who he'd helped and vice versa all these years. Plus who was that guy in the park that HCF was supposed to meet if Shifu wasn't already dead and SY rescued? A ghost? It made no sense. How does involuntary manslaughter get you 6 years in prison? Shifu had Robin kidnapped, drugged, beaten, then kidnapped SY nearly killing her, but when he and Robin fight and he ends up dead, could have gone either way there, Robin still must serve time in prison? Something is seriously out of whack with their laws. Many loose ends that didn't get solved though there was a happy ending.

Would I recommend it? Despite much confusion, a young cast, and many loose ends, I still would because it really was a nice and easy drama. Plus it was very entertaining and a new concept one. Not to mention when the leads are together after they're official, they're too stinking cute! So give it a go.

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An Underrated Gem

Personally, I decided to watch this because I'm a fan of Ma Ke or Kyle Ma from his Journey of Flower days. I personally think his character saved that show. But here I wanted to see him in something modern and more of a detective type series. All three of our leads did a fantastic job and the stooge detectives were funny and sincere in their practical adoption of ML. The ending was sad as our ML lost both his brother and father on the same day and just as he met/reconciled with them. I had expected it but the emotions were still very real. ML reminded me of the young version of Gil Grissom from the original CSI (for any Americans that may read this); first super awkward young scientist on bugs but gradually warms up to everyone and they all want to learn from him and protect him. Ma Ke plays SML with a dark secret that he keeps from his youth that he was basically used as a tool to kill someone when he was barely a small child. A lot of interesting twists and turns and feeling bad for SML because both brothers got the short end of the stick with all of the conspiracies swirling around them and people constantly wanting to harm them or blackmail them. This is a psychological show and a serious who-done-it. I really fell in love with all of the characters except that one woman doctor that did end up dying but I didn't feel sorry for her because she just stuck her nose into SML's business way too many times and it led to her undoing. Ultimately though, everyone behind all of the murders were either arrested or killed. I would highly recommend this because it just grabs you by the hooks and keeps you. Only real negative was the 5 versions of the same flashbacks. Very unnecessary. But do give it a go if you're into detective shows, with many winding parts, and secrets getting revealed.

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Wonderland Power Couple

Finally a good series for XK. I've watched two misses he was in and knew if only the story was good enough, he could have a better shot at winning. Though far from perfect, the story did carry itself and our leads had wonderful chemistry hence I dubbed them the Wonderland Power Couple.

Pros: I think XK is one of those actors that can have chemistry with a pet rock. Not to take away from JT as she nailed her character as well. But XK has the ability to go from deadly to smoldering gaze in a heartbeat. Their love story was epic because it began from competitors to confidants to lovers and the transitions were nice. I also loved their sidekicks Taozi, Ear, PY, the brothers in arms, her dad, Consort Xiao, the kid, general Han (another immortal that got sent off a cliff harpooned but reappeared to save the day) and even LYN with his guest magician appearance.

The only real villain was Sun Jiang; once his arc ended it was only dumb villains. The ending was overly dramatic but nicely done. I love all of the fight scenes. Fight scenes for me, make a show extra special and this one had plenty. The ultimate "big bad" was nothing to cry home about. But what was done extremely well were the deaths of ML's brothers in arms; that was prolonged agony on the audience as well as the FL's fake death as both sets took at least two episodes. Those two moments in the drama broke your heart and made you cry but they were done exceptionally well and made for the ending that much sweeter. Sets, costumes, and a few OSTs were memorable.

Cons: The father and brothers were dumb villains as well as Ms. Gu and batshit crazy LCF. I ffw'd them as much as possible. I also didn't like how the FL threw tantrums and blamed ML for shit that wasn't his fault even when he came up with solutions to help matters. It made her seem like a child. She and her father pushed him to be CP; but she still wanted to marry him, keep the Cui army from disbanding, etc, as they were knowing full well what the dumb as nails king was like. Even in the second to last episode before her miraculous revival, the king was willing to believe the corrupt minister over his own son that had been instrumental in every war and strategy success for the kingdom. It hurt my head watching that stupidity.

This series would have been much better if it was only 25 or 30 episodes long, where you didn't have to deal with the stupidity of the useless loser villains that just made a mess of virtually everything. ML could be CP and marry FL and not have the rest of that garbage happen. It's like logic fell apart after the real villain was killed. Even father and son reconciling felt off because father was a hot mess. I spent a lot of time ffwing and just watching for the leads and the good guys.

Would I recommend? Despite the second later half being a mess; the leads and most of their friends pulled off a very watchable series. I hope XK gets even better scripts in the future as do the others.

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