Sam

Fast Forward Romance

This is one of those dramas that would have perhaps benefitted from a longer run of 16 episodes.. Or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking as someone who enjoys Jung So-min and Choi Woo-shik. As it stands, the drama feels too rushed for its own good. It jumps from one story beat to the next so abruptly that even with my “tolerant glasses” on for JSM and CWS, I found myself frowning at the screen more often than not.

Story & Execution
The premise is simple: The FL’s long-term boyfriend (and legal husband) cheats on her and dumps her. On top of that, she ends up financially strapped. She then wins a conditional prize that requires her to be married, and through a series of coincidences, she ropes the ML into pretending to be her newly-wedded husband. Conveniently, he shares the same name as her awful ex. He agrees due to his own motives. Eventually we learn that she happens to be his childhood first love. From there, the plot hits every standard rom-com checkpoint: fake marriage setup, sentimental flashbacks, family power struggles, and the inevitable conflict-resolution loop.

Unfortunately, the writing never gives these beats room to breathe. The pacing is so compressed that character development feels superficial. Important moments appear and disappear before we can invest in them.

Tropes & Weaknesses
The childhood-first-love trope is especially tired here. It’s hard to tell if the ML genuinely loves the FL as she is now, or if he’s simply clinging to nostalgia. It’s a trope that’s been used to death in K-dramas, and as it is, here it adds little beyond eye-rolling predictability.

The secondary romance is barely a romance at all. The connection between the second leads feels forced, like a bullet point on writer-nim’s checklist. The cheating ex overstays his welcome by at least six episodes. Although he faces consequences, he doesn’t actually grow. Meanwhile, the “mystery” behind the ML’s parents’ accident is so predictable that it borders on parody. Nothing else in the supporting cast or subplots stands out in a meaningful way.

Performances
The two leads are the saving grace. Even when they’re just average, their average is still better than many others’ best. I finished the drama solely because of them. Without them, I would have dropped it by episode three despite being a completionist. They make their rather bland characters, Me-ri and Woo-ju, at least somewhat charming. Ironically, they shine more individually than as a couple. The lack of chemistry is probably another casualty of the rushed execution.

Overall
It’s a meh drama, somewhere between forgettable and mildly watchable. Despite the two leads’ earnest efforts, the show never finds its footing. It wobbles, stumbles, and ultimately crashlands. Sadly, it’s one for the red side of my entertainment ledger.

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Pretty Plates; Plot on a Diet

Aesthetically pleasing visuals and good looking leads minus plot and character development gives us Bon Appetite, Your Majesty.

If I had adjusted my expectation going into it, I would not have felt let down. Due to all the hype and buzz the show created on the internet, my expectations were way up there. The show did not deliver.

There is no plot to begin with. Because of that there is no development for any character. Every character is a two dimensional version of themselves. It makes for rather a bland and spiceless (pun intended) rom-com. Rom part of rom-com is missing and com part is okayish.

The visuals are aesthetically pleasing. Cooking and dishing scenes are fun to watch. Plus we have a good looking pair as leads. They also play the parts assigned to them pretty well, just not enough to make for a memorable show. Again, with practically no story to begin with, they have no way of showing much acting skills. Yoon ah has been doing similar roles for ever. So she effortlessly strolls through it. Lee Chae Min has potential. He does his part well too, but I did not find anything extraordinary there. I think as he gets more experience he will get more polished. There was a lot of hype about their “sizzling” chemistry. I found it underwhelming. For me, it was like two good looking people in the same frame. There was no spark. So when the inevitable kiss happened, it was no big deal. Meh..Kang Han na plays the same pretty, petty, plotting antagonist. No big challenge for her.

I loved Yoon Seo ah’s Gil Geum. She made me lol with her twitchy nose and unique bulldog like abilities. Innocent, faithful and loyal Gil Geum was like a breath of fresh air.

The music is alright. Costume and production are what you can expect from a Netflix show.

It’s not a bad show if your expectations are adjusted. Mine were not. So it turned out to be an underwhelming watch for me.

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I don’t get it

Ok, this is my opinion..No hate on anybody

I know I’m a bit late to the party. I was strangely reluctant to first watch this drama (because I was afraid of being disappointed if it did not turn out to be as good as everybody said it was) and then I was hesitant to post my thoughts about it; mainly because I couldn’t understand why I was “not impressed”. (For some reason, I kept remembering Superman saying to Steppenwolf, “Not Impressed”).. anyhoo..

The show ticks so many boxes.. it has a perfect recipe of a perfect romance. Really good looking ML, quite pretty FL, supposedly swoon worthy romance, all the usual tropes, etc. But for me, something was missing. And I still don’t know what. May be it’s a case of it’s not the show, it’s me.

There seem to be polarized views on the kid playing young Zhao Lusi. It didn’t bother me much. Probably because I was prepared for it. And ML during that phase really treated her as an elder brother. Did not creep me out. I wasn’t a fan but I also didn’t find it gross.

I just couldn’t get the romance between ML and FL. I understand she had a crush. But it takes a lot for a crush to transform into once in lifetime kinda love. And I really didn’t get that feeling from our leads. The drama tried to sell that, but I just couldn’t buy. I don’t get why he gets attracted to her. Is it just because when she takes care of him, he suddenly sees her in a different light? If that, then I somehow don’t see it as love. It’s gratefulness at best and selfishness at worst. I don’t want to believe that he always had a specific soft spot for her (even though it is hinted.. he keeps just his and her photo from the graduation ceremony). That would feel weird because in my eyes it’d make him a creep. She was pretty young at that time. So no, I don’t want to believe that. Then I really hit a wall there… why?

It was easier for me to see how her fascination with her brother’s friend progressed to a crush. Those who have older siblings or cousins would know, how your sibling’s one friend seemed like a perfect specimen back when the puberty hit. So I get it. What I don’t get is why that progresses into this forever kind of love? Granted at such an young age, all the emotions are extra bright. But I find it difficult to accept that none of the other friends in her widening circle capture her interest? If they made her fall for him after they meet again, it might have made more sense. They could have shown how the new encounters slowly remind her why she had a crush on him, and I’d have accepted that.

I really like Zhao Lusi. She has the looks and the skills. But somehow in this drama, she appeared a bit stiff. IMO it’s on the director. Same with Chen Zheyuan. I don’t think he is a great actor but he is not bad either. He gets the job done. But here somehow he looked .. I dunno.. bored?!? Personally, I didn’t see their chemistry which is driving people nuts. But yeah they were effortlessly together. I give you that.

One thing that was like a sour note for me was in their bid to show her as an apple of her family’s eye, they treated the bro rather shabbily. Her mum-n-dad were very much about her but mostly treated the big bro like an unwanted adopted child. To be honest again it could be just me. But I hate it when in dramas, parents treat main leads’ siblings more favourably. Similarly I hate it when parents are so darn biased in favour of main leads. I dinna find it cute, I dinna find it funny. I was second hand annoyed for her bro.

The drama is polished. It looks good, OST is not bad either. I just didn’t get hooked onto it the way I expected after the reviews. My expectations were way up there. But at the end I was underwhelmed. I just couldn’t see the “wow”.

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Lack of Communication : Real Main Character of the Drama

Some Chinese Xianxias - with all the immortal mumbo jumbo - should take a leaf out of Korean drama books and wrap up in 12 or maximum 16 episodes. Eternal Love of Dream is one of those.

I’m super late to the party. I watched this drama 2-3 years after it came out. Normally, I’d watch it and move on. But a few things in this drama irked me so much, that I had to take my frustration out.

Feng Jiu and Dong Hua were introduced to us in TMOPB. ELOD borrowed the characters from TMOPB, but the track is entirely different. The track solely focuses on Jiu and Dong Hua’s story, but it’s a reboot from their original one. The issue is there is not much of a story. It’s a collection of tropes and consequently, scenes. There are four parts, initial meeting, his tribulations in the mortal realm, hers and the final battle with the main villain, Miao Lou, who is just there. The drama does not clearly answer what she is after or what her motivations are. Very two dimensional and therefore entirely forgettable. The ongoing conflict between her and Dong Hua feels unnecessary and adds nothing to anyone’s character development.

As usual, the CGI leaves something to be desired. It’s not the worst, nor is it the best. The costume, production are also per the norm. Nothing memorable. On a personal note, I have no idea how any of those in the Tai Chen palace manage to get any sleep, with no doors and constant bright light. It’s mostly an eternal sunshine of the bright day there. The background score is so-so.

Now the characters and actors. Vengo Gao’s Dong Hua is fun to watch - well most of the times. VG captured Dong Hua’s smug superiority and mischievous nature quite well. As for the character, barring some very questionable and arbitrary decisions, it’s an alright character. Since from the beginning he supposedly outclasses every single person around him, there is no room for growth for him. The only change is he falls in love. That would have been more impactful if they had shown his weariness and aloneness born out of long years and being the best at everything. He remains the same through out and that makes him boring to me.

FL Bai Feng Jiu. What do I even say there. Oh mercy! Her childishness did not annoy me per se; after all she is pretty young by their immortal standards. But her character remains exactly that way until the last 10 min. What’s the point of any drama if the characters do not either evolve or devolve? I like Dilraba. She is extremely pretty and can act well. But in this drama, if you replace her with any xyz actress, it would not make an iota difference. Her presence is that ordinary. Her inner self when she transforms into a fox is so cringe that I was second hand embarrassed.

Almost all the supporting characters exist only to either assist or hinder the main characters. So none of them have engaging stories, even when they have their own romance track. One noteworthy character, for me, was Yan. His impatient, young and funny demon deserved so much better than the whiny, superficial Ji Heng. I truly felt sorry for him.

I don’t get this weird obsession some C-dramas have with infantilizing the FLs. Here DH treatment of Jiu was such that at times their intimate scenes felt like cradle robbing to me. Why is a fully grown woman, goddess, or immortal suddenly not adult enough to deserve the same explanations the ML freely gives his buddy? Conversely, why can’t the FL share the reasons behind her erratic—and frankly foolish—behavior with the ML, especially when he asks, yet she has no trouble explaining it to secondary or even tertiary characters? People, just talk. If even 50% of the time you spend on inner monologues is spent on talking with the other person, 90% of the idiotic conflicts and misunderstandings can be avoided. There is more to romance than skinship. RME. This drama could have been 20 episodes long, had the leads just communicated with each other. Why two supposedly grown adults need a translator just to explain their actions to each other is truly beyond me.

It could have been a truly delightful drama. DH had been so lonely for so long. A slip of a woman slowly brought him out of his shell and showed him the bright side of immortality. Jiu went beyond her infatuation and truly understood the man behind the perfect immortal whom everybody had put on a pedestal. There was so much potential. But ELOD only used the same old tropey formulae that it ended up being an entirely forgettable watch. Utterly disappointing!

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Right as “Rain”

I went with some expectations since the trailers look good. I will just say that it did not disappoint me. The show has not dragged; it has kept moving. The action scenes are captivating. The chemistry between ML and FL is mature. Rest of the actors are doing their jobs quite well. Music is good too. So what’s not to like?

This drama is set in the world of the rich where most of them are jerks. People go to any lengths to get what they want, money is the ultimate goal and getting somebody killed is as easy as stepping in a cow pie. Our leads have their reasons for entering this world and staying there. ML is a bodyguard of our FL.

For me , Rain’s calm, controlled but deadly bodyguard is a treat to watch. It’s not a surprise that his action scenes are fantastic. His quiet tone of voice and understated performance does the trick here. And him in those suits is the cherry on the top. The man looks good, I tell ya. In the show he doesn’t smile much, (well, given the story line it’d be odd if he did smile a lot) so that one brief smile of his on the pier is just.. I (gasp) melted, you guys. He may not be conventionally good looking, but he is handsome and he has the presence.

In comparison, Kim Ha Neul’s Wan-Soo is not consistent, as in, she oscillates between ok to not so ok. She is quite graceful but at times, she comes across as a robot rather than stoic. On the other hand, I am really loving Jung Gyu-Woon here. He has captured Yong-Gook’s brokenness, deep layers and arguable sincerity perfectly. YG is a serial cheater which should get him beaten by a blunt object but you can’t help but pity him. I am passionately hating the baddies and that shows what good jobs they are doing.

With two episodes left I really hope they wrap it well. K-dramas have a tendency of fizzling out in the finale. I’d change my ratings if that happens.

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Total Fluff and a Comfort Watch

This drama can be a good palette cleanser if you recently watched something heavy. This drama is unabashedly a fluffy romance. All you need to do is forget logic and not compare it with others in the genre.

I proudly own that I am shallow. Eh. Whatever. The USP for me was the handsomeness of the ML. I loved his initial broody stares and overall menacing aura in the first half more than his lovesick puppyness in the second half. I did not hate it. But his presence in the first half was more commanding IMO. SWL is a one good looking dude, no argument there. He also has a presence. It all worked really well for his Prince of Danbei (I’m pretty sure I messed up the spelling). His costumes were not too stylish but suited him well. His fight scenes were well performed. I didn’t think there were any deep moments that got him to flex his acting chops. Don’t get me wrong. He did well with what was given to him. But then he anyway always does that. The drama did not make him go an extra mile.

One request though. Please please please let him lose that plum lipstick. Initially I had a hard time focusing on anything other than his lips. Believe me, it was not as naughty as this sounded. It was distractingly unnatural. His handsomeness was undermined by that ridiculous lip colour. I got used to it. But boy, was it weird!

Our FL was exactly what you’d expect to see in a fluff. Playful, smart, a paragon of goodness whom everybody loves. She and BFF were a funny pair. Once I got over her bunny ear hair style, I was good. She was cute with the usual and the annoying and the silly and the unrealistic and totally blech baby voice (but nothing compared to Esther Yu. Esther is my yardstick against which I measure all the baby voices. Bao Shengen does not come close. No hate on EY. I adored Orchid in LBFAD). Anyhoo. What in the name of hairpins was that hair style? It looked like a cross between pastry and bunny ears. Once I got over those, I enjoyed her Ming Tan. Her rich girl behaviour without any snootyness was adorable to me.

Side couples. The side couples is the next best thing, you guys. They are funny, precious and have good chemistry (well at least one of them is)

There were scenes which made me LOL. There were some scenes which made me RME. But I knew what to expect going into it. So it did not disappoint me. I was entertained and that’s all I wanted there, that and I wanted me some SWL handsomeness. Thus I mark this one with the green ink in my entertainment ledger.

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Surprisingly Captivating

This drama caught me off guard. I didn’t even realize that I was binging. I was more than halfway through it before I even realized that I was watching the episodes one after the other.

The surprising part is, until the very end, nothing cataclysmic happens. There are no twists, no sudden surprises (or shocks). It’s almost like watching people live their lives. I understand the frustration some people had as this drama is not action packed with flaring robes and gravity defying jumps. But even then it grabbed my interest like a marching band. For this review, when I started to think about what all had happened in the drama, I realized that it was nothing much. But then why did I liked this as much as I did?!

The answer is lead characters. The FL, Lady Gao, was one of the most capable female leads I have seen recently. She is compassionate but not a push over. She is young but not naive. She understands the other side’s perspective, has enough empathy. But that does not blind her to the interest of her family. She is a badass, but not in a bratty, tantrumy, sarcastic way. She sees through people and situations, takes time to understand everything and then finds a way of the least resistance, like water - no pun intended. What I liked was how she meant it when she said she understands why her in-laws would hate her. And why her husband would keep her at an arm’s distance, she didn’t just say it, she showed it with her actions. But at the same time, she does not hesitate to tell her husband when she is displeased with his actions or when her foolish mother in law tries to undermine her marriage. The character was brilliant. She did what she wanted, got done what she wanted, but was not self absorbed.

And then our ML. OMG. Lord Wei is a total teddy bear. He is so patient with her, yet so petty when he is jealous. Even when he seems spellbound by her beauty, he does not devolve into an alpha hole who is cruel because he can’t face his emotions. He is not a man-child. He has a solid, like pretty solid, reason to be wanting to eradicate FL’s clan. But he also is emphatic enough to understand her predicament. It’s a one sided enemy-to-lovers drama. She never thinks he is her enemy. His enmity lasts just long enough. It doesn’t drag. Most of the drama is them developing their mutual understanding and finding love. A really good job by both the actors.

I loved the ML’s gang. The four musketeers and the advisor were just cracking funny. Their loyalty was strong enough to allow them to keep their personal hatred aside and accept her Ladyship because their Lord accepts her. I loved it. There is usual humour which is sometimes unfunny. But at least for me, it did not grate. There are usual grey characters, usual black characters, usual white characters, villains with a boohoo stories I did not care about. Oh, my mommy and daddy didn’t love me, so let me be a psychotic social climber or a family-killer. Like dudes, get over it. Don’t justify your nastiness with some sob story. At least own it.

My one gripe was with the climax. It came out of nowhere and escalated from 0 to 100 in no time. It was like the studio told the team to create some drama and then cut their budget. No spoilers but some deaths in the end did not make sense. They did not fit organically. It was more like the writers were ticking boxes for the studio who were like, why should everybody be happy, let’s kill off a few to jerk some tears. And that’s the reason of my imperfect rating. Senseless sadness for the sake of it.

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Balderdash

Nonsensical story. I don’t necessarily have an issue with the concept that the ML can only be cured by FL’s kiss. I saw it as a farce so I could take that ridiculous concept without flinching (a lot). But the extremely cliched scenes had me rolling my eyes so much that I ended up giving myself an head ache. The same old oh-so-ditzy-but-good-at-heart FL, cold-successful-CEO-ML, showing-out-of-nowhere-SFL, SML who has to be ML’s stepbrother, evil step mother, faithful assistant. Same cliched scenes with cheating ex and friend, same engagement party, same accidental kisses, same mother, same everything. I could count hundred such things. It’d be a bit tiring to type it all though. Oy vey..

It’s low budget. The budget shows in the wardrobes, sets, production.. everywhere. You can even see the concealer underneath the ML’s eyes. And I don’t get why some male, Chinese actors are so thin. Like they are not “lean”, they are thin to the point where the clothes hang on them. It’s ridiculous. The ML probably weighs 5 milligrams more than your standard scarecrow.

If you can look past FL’s overacting at times and ML’s lack of acting at different times, the actors did what they could. And that and it’s shortness are the only good things can say about this drama.

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Beautiful and realistic tale of love, friendship and actualization

I first watched this beautiful drama back in 2020. I loved it. It recently appeared again in my YT feed. It reminded me how beautiful the drama was.

This is a story of two painfully introvert people falling in love. ML and FL are extreme introverts. They often struggle with saying “No” to people, they struggle with expressing themselves and are sometimes taken advantage of. There is a huge gap between how gifted the ML is vs how ordinary our FL is. This gap makes her second guess their relationship. But in spite of all of that, they find love.

Our ML is a naturally gifted, elite pianist. But he is exhausted by the constant pressures of people’s expectations. He has been so busy in meeting those, he has come to hate his skills. On the other hand our FL is very mediocre with her chosen instrument. She is painfully aware of it. People around her like to tell her that. Even her family, although loving, reminds her of that. She yearns to be better at it. She tries, but is unable to overcome her natural lack of talent. When she asks Park Joon Young, “do you know what it is to lack the talent”?, you can feel her pain. It gives him and us a pause. How painful it is to know that you have hit your limit and no matter how much you try, you are not going to get better at something you love? PJY is so bloody talented that he takes it all for granted. Not his fault but he is so immersed in his own troubles that he’s forgotten to count his blessings. Her one remark reminds him of that. Just beautiful.

I love how the ML and FL’s characters are realistically flawed. They are not perfect but together they work wonderfully. It’s very easy to mistake CSA for a weak person. She is not weak. She is just an introvert. But she can assert herself when needed. She breaks it off with PJY when it becomes difficult for her and irrespective of possible repercussions says “No” to her catty professor.

PJY is also a very complex character. He is struggling with his family situation, exhausted by constant pressures; he values her friendship, asks her to wait for him but also loses his patience when she keeps bringing up the gap between their natural talents. During the span of the drama, he learns how to let go of his past, learns to love his gift again and comes to appreciate CSA for her perseverance and love.

The story is wonderful, music more so. The side characters are realistic, at times bratty but overall good people. This is not a lighthearted fluff. It’s a serious depiction of beautiful as well as painful sides of love.

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Slice of life rom-com where life is as smooth as butter

This drama is not at all bad. If you have just finished something intense or serious, this can be used as a palette cleanser. Because this is as far from intense as I am from Mars. Life is smooth for all the characters. They are either successful or on the path to be successful or rich.

This is not necessarily bad. After a hard week, you can unwind with this drama since it does not need you to think. And sometimes that’s all you want to do. You don’t want to think.

The drama needs you to switch off the thinking part of your brain. I didn’t get how they all kept their immaculate appearances after spending 10 hours in surgery or how they managed to go on dates or meet friends during work day. To be fair, they didn’t show that they were work days. . For all I know there could be 250 weekends in that drama land. But since the logical part of my brain was switched off, it didn’t make any difference, I could just roll with it.

The drama has kisses galore. So no lack of skinship but somehow I wasn’t a goner for their chemistry. The ML was too tall for the FL. Similar height difference between the leads did not bother me in “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” with the same FL who was tiny beside the ML. But here I found it a bit jarring. Plus their height difference kept noticeably changing. So anytime they kissed while standing, my brain couldn’t stop counting the boxes the FL had to stand on for that kiss. Not every pair with a huge height difference is cute for me. I feel that the FL casting could have been different. She did an alright job playing her part but something was off. While the ML’s kisses were hot, the FL seemed to just tolerate those. They were not goldfish kisses. But it looked like he was into the kisses while she was not. May be just me?!?!

I also don’t know what’s with the too bright make-up. It was unnatural and unrealistic. Especially on ML who sometimes looked a bit waxy. Also, no idea how the law in China works but I know that paralegals or legal assistants do not call themselves lawyers. Here the FL and people around her sometimes referred her as lawyer. Or may be it was a mistake in the subtitles? Dunno. Weird. The humour was sometimes too forced. The cluelessness of the cousin was funny at first but it was stretched until it became an eye roll. Like dude, you are at least 24-25. You see two people in constant close proximity with each other, staring in each other’s eyes. You see them going to and from each other’s apartments at all hours of the day and you still do not get it?

For me the huge plus point for the drama was that everybody actually acted their ages. There was no fake cutsie behaviour or FL talking in a fake baby voice and tone. That is an instant turn off for me. The SLs were not only annoying pieces of baggage. They had their own story. And for some reason I was tickled by the fact that ML’s uncle got together with FL’s bestie. Like ha.. once they marry, she’d become ML’s aunty and FL’s aunt-in-law.. lol.

Overall I enjoyed watching it. Even with all the flaws, it’s a fluffy romance with no hardships, no betrayals, no separations, no toxic relationship. Who cares if it also has no story? I’d have watched something else if I was after something complex.

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A pleasant watch though a bit rushed

Strong and smart FL literally falls through a time hole like Giselle from Enchanted. She learns to navigate the new strange world and makes a space for herself. ML is not your typical cold, rude robot; just a bit reserved due to his past.

You need to keep your logic in the back pocket. Then you can enjoy this rom-com. It’s not very fluffy, has a just-right balance of mystery, romance, comedy and drama. But logical it is not. The time travel theory, as in most cases, trips on its own feet and leaves a few open questions.

A few more episodes would have helped for sure. The romance feels rushed and the ending even more so. We don’t get much of an epilogue either.

It’s aesthetically pleasing with clever dialogs. It is mostly carried by the actors. Lee Se Young absolutely rules. I don’t think the role challenged her a lot. In spite of it being his first lead role, Bae In Hyuk does very well. I’d love to see what he does next. Just somebody do something with his hair. Except the last scene, you don’t much see his fore head. I found it very distracting and weird. The supporting cast is pretty solid.

Overall, if you want something light, not-much-challenging, pleasant watch, give this one a try.

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Infernal Justice Done Right

The Judge from Hell turned out to be unexpectedly therapeutic for me. I don’t know what that says about my psyche, but I caught myself grinning every time “The Judge” handed down her scorching, supernatural justice. Oopsie? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Story & Script:
Lady Justitia is a demon who decides whether sinners go to actual hell or the knockoff version. Then she messes up and gets punished by being yeeted to the topside (a.k.a. Earth). Her one-way ticket home? Send 10 murderers to hell within a year. Fail, and she’s permanently banished from Hell. She ends up possessing the body of a murdered judge, and that’s where the fun begins. The Judge from Hell tracks her journey from icy, no nonsense demon judge to someone capable of making decisions with feelings. There’s also a serial killer mystery woven through the story which fits surprisingly well with the rest.

The story is solid and uses its lore cleverly. The script is tight… mostly. It does wobble around the 2/3 mark. Honestly, this drama should’ve been 10 or 12 episodes, max. There are a couple of unnecessary tracks. And the romance? Meh. It works as a catalyst for Justitia’s growth, sure, but it didn’t have to be romance. Swap the love interest for, say, a kid or an old lady with a cat, and nothing major changes.

Actors & Characters:
Let’s be real. Park Shin Hye owns this drama. Completely. Her portrayal of Justitia in Kang Bit Na’s body is chef’s kiss good. No spoilers, but every time she delivered hell’s justice, it was cathartic in the same way Taxi Driver is, just with extra demon spice. Her manic glee practically jumps out of the screen, and her action scenes? So much fun. Also, Kang Bit Na’s wardrobe deserves its own fan club.

Meanwhile, Kim Jae Yeong as Han Da On… well, he is okayish. A bit bland. To be fair, the ML is basically a side character but he still did not grab my interest the way PSH did.

The supporting cast does what they’re supposed to, especially Arong and Mando. Lee Kyu Han, though.. maybe dial it down just a smidge? Tae Gyu’s permanently raised eyebrow made him feel more like a snooty drama queen than a chilling psychopath.

Overall:
The Judge from Hell is a wickedly good time. It’s stylish, cathartic and powered almost entirely by Park Shin Hye’s demonic brilliance. Hell of a ride (pun intended)!

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Retribution 101

The Double could easily be a daily soap. Thankfully it is not and it is much more entertaining. The Double dabbles in all the virtues and vices - self sacrifice, revenge, karma, selfishness, psychotic obsession, manipulation, kindness, cruelty, hyposcricy, cowardice and bravery. You name it, you got it.

The story is engaging. At the very center of it is Jiang Li a.k.a Xue Fangfei, a virtuous, loyal, beautiful young wife of a newly appointed scholar, who unfortunately catches the psycho princess’s eye. Under her pressure and his own cowardice, he not only loses himself but has to kill his wife. Xue Fangfei manages to survive because of brave kindness of a total stranger Jiang Li. Just for the crime of helping her, Li loses her life. Li, whose life is a series of tragedies and betrayals, makes Fangfei promise that she would help clear Li’s name from utterly false and criminally cruel allegations made by her step mother. And that’s where the drama begins. There after it’s a series of incidents that eventually not only restores Jiang Li’s good name but even punishes literally everybody responsible for ruining it in the first place. Along the way, Fangfei takes her revenge by destroying the would-be killers. And as a bonus, she gets her happily ever after with a handsome, enigmatic Duke who never gives up on her. At one point, he is the only decent man in her life. He sticks with her and she with him. Together they manage to save the kingdom as well.

This is the story. It’s melodramatic in the sense the villains schemes seem OTP at some points. But at no point, Li seems hopeless or lost in her counter-schemes. That shows that at no point the story has any confusion about the direction it wants to go in. There are a couple of unnecessary tracks, which if edited out could have made the story even more tight.

The screenplay is not 100% in sync with the story. Maybe it was some weird decisions to edit out stuff. For example, I still don’t know why the Duke stares at Xue Fangfei at the very beginning. It’s shown as a kinda flashback. But I don’t understand the reason behind it. It also does not clearly tell why Shen Yurong tangles with the princess in the first place. Sure, she notices him, but I am sure he could have avoided many if not all of those encounters. He is said to be a virtuous, good man who is not into bribes. So why does he let the princess get to the point of obsession? These small details actually are important which throw light on the characters and their motives. At least for me, these details decide whether I sympathize with a villain or not. Because this motive is never shown, I could not sympathize with the princess or Shen Yurong. Sure, Shang Yurong is kind of a tortured character but all I saw was, his selfishness and borderline narcissism which creates the whole mess. Princess, although has a backstory and battles with some serious PTSD, did not make me feel sorry for her. There was not a single act of kindness from that woman. For me, she was truly irredeemable.

And that brings me to the characterization. Since it’s based on a novel, characters are all predefined. The drama does not have a lot of leeway. It can only deviate so much from the main source. They can only pick and choose which characters to keep. This drama does a solid in that section. 99% of the characters aren’t superfluous. They serve a purpose and carry the story forward.

Which automatically leads to the actors. All the actors have done pretty decent job in the drama. Wu Jinyan excelled in the scenes when she returns to the capital under the guise of Jiang Li and inadvertently crosses path with her would-be murderers. You can feel her rage, hurt and pain in these scenes. At the same time, her pretend contriteness when she first returns home is not over done. Well balanced acting.

Wang xingyue has played an enigmatic and borderline cruel Duke Su. I enjoyed anytime WXY was on the screen. But I gotta be honest, at times he appeared wooden and awkward in some scenes, especially in the close up scenes where he has to smile or soften towards Li. Duke Su’s cold and calculating demeanour was perfectly captured by WXY, but in the romantic scenes it was a hit or a miss for me. Some of their flirting is done so naturally that it gave me a melty feeling but some was so wooden, that I was frowning at my screen. At the risk of getting tarred and feathered, I will say that there was no natural chemistry. Any chemistry that I saw and liked was mostly a product of story, careful editing, and my natural desire for our leads getting together. One thing though, not at any juncture, the story tries to become a romance. It has romance but that happens in the background. At no point, it overpowers the essence of the story.

It is around 40% about leads, the rest is villains. There are so many. That’s why it felt like a daily soap. They just kept coming. Sure, our leads manage to overcome them every single time. But I also felt somewhat exhausted with their scheming and general villainy. On that note, I do not agree with anybody who says the princess or the step mother are grey characters. Nope, they are not. They have backstories, yes. But at no point, they show any mercy towards their victims. At no point, they behave like good people and in the in the very next, would slit your throats. Nah, they were just cruel and evil. The only grey character is Shen Yurong. He is so delusional that he wants to get back with his wife he killed. He keeps helping her through out. But all of that is not counter balanced by his initial atrocity. That, for me, is a grey character.

I have one gripe though. The deaths of duke’s lackeys is so so so unnecessary that my jaw dropped when they happened. They happened in the last 10 minutes of the show. Why?why would you kill perfectly healthy, skilled warriors - not one but both? What were they even thinking? SMH. IMO, that whole battle is senseless and way unnecessary. Those last 15 minutes could have given us a good epilogue where Li slowly humanizes the Duke. In stead they gave a 5 minutes extra episode which felt very choppy due to its disconnect from the last episode.

Anyhoo. The positives are lot more than the shortcomings IMO. If you have any doubt about watching it, watch it solely for Duke Su’s fans and WXY’s martial practices. It will get yiu your money’s worth.

Overall, I’d put in the solid green in my entertainment ledger.

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A solid “A” drama

It’s been awhile since I watched a historical c-drama. I’m happy that I got back to the genre with the Love Like the Galaxy.

It’s a delightful drama with all the usual tropes. The “tropiness” however did not grate on my nerves. That’s mostly because the characters grew consistently from the beginning to the end. All these usual tropes were organic parts of the story. They did not seem contrived and created just because. I guess I’m one of the jaded ones. The tropes do not give me the feels anymore. Most of the times they seem as interesting as a shoe polish. I was pleasantly surprised by this drama.

All except one thing - the way most of the eligible young ladies are jealous of Niao Niao. And the script constantly pulls them down to elevate Niao Niao. Even a simple dance performance by the princess fails because the group falls on each other. Because why? She did not practice enough? That’s lazy writing. It’s low-key misogynistic. I’m not going to cry anti-feminism. I’m watching the dramas for entertainment and nit enlightenment. But the young women in the show are petty and frankly plain dumb. Their diatribes against Niao Niao seem like proverbial red flags to the bull. They at times are added only for Ling buyi to come to spectacular rescues of Niao Niao. Don’t misunderstand, they are ok to watch. But they are so petty, that it’s not even funny. That was the one trope that had me RME. It was alright the first time, not the second or the third or the tenth time.

Anyhoo. That one thing aside, this drama was a delight to watch. I love how all the characters are superbly imperfect. There is no shining halo behind a single character. Even the epitome of the kindness Empress, fails to raise her daughter well. The kind and adorable Emperor is oblivious to his Empress’s pain. Zisheng and Shaoshang are imperfect enough for them to grow and evolve. Really good stuff.

Zhao Lusi, IMO, was perfectly cast for this role. She really portrayed that stubborn, independent yet vulnerable Niao Niao in all her glory. Niao Niao wants to be acknowledged for herself, not just a fiancée of so and so. She yearns for parents’ love yet at the same time she doesn’t mope and drown in self pity for the lack of it. She is loyal to those who show her kindness but not blind to overlook their wrongdoings. I loved how she is practical during her first betrothal to know that it is not a love match and is ok with it. She is not entering it blindly. Zhao Lusi faithfully portrayed all those qualities that make Niao Niao a fascinating main lead. I am thankful beyond anything to not have her talk in fake baby tones. Brownie points from me. ;D

Leo Wu as Ling Buyi nailed it too. The way this stoic general softens when he catches her glimpses is fascinating to watch. He also has his own story line. He does not become a love puppy even after their confession. He maintains his personality. That credit goes to the story but also to Leo Wu for portraying these traits the way he does.. IMO his performance is a step ahead of Zhao Lusi. One shout out to the fight scenes, especially the one at the gate. It was fantastically shot. It shows how tactical his mind is. It shows his awareness of his surroundings even in the midst of his fight. Again good stuff.

All the supporting characters and the cast selected to play them made this drama what it was for me. It’d be a stupidly long review if I were to go in details for the, may be some other time.

All in all, I loved it. Give it a try if you haven’t already.

Oh and PS; may be extra point to the chemistry between our ML and FL. To use the cliched adjective, it’s sizzling.

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Delightful Zone of Chuckles and Feels

This drama had me cackling most of the time. It’s a neat balance of funny, dramatic and serious. But for me, the funny outweighed most of the other things.

A modern day goody-two-shoes FL gets sucked into a fantasy web novel after leaving a stinging review. On that note, I feel I’d better be careful when I review dramas unfavourably. Who knows! Anyhoo. She gets sucked into the fantasy world but the catch is she becomes a character who is evil, selfish and cruel. Our FL is obviously quite the opposite so she has to correct the past actions of her vile version and figure out a way to return to the reality. She is asked to complete levels to come out. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is her journey through that world, where she makes friends, meets her love, learns magic and eventually helps defeat the real evil. She is accompanied by the ML who has some dangerous secrets, his sister who is a real sweetheart, an upright, skilled magician-fighter and a cute little demon. What enfolds is a hilarious and heartwarming magical story.

The story sounds tropey. But it never takes itself too seriously; except maybe at the end. The script is tight, except a few episodes which I felt were rather too stretched. The whole Marquess and the wedding fiasco took a lot more screen space than it deserved, although the whole thing was farcically hilarious. Similarly the whole finding Mu Sheng’s mother adventure could have been wrapped a bit faster. But apart from these minor flaws the story and screenplay are pretty controlled. Romance is secondary here. It’s there but it’s more like background music. It’s not the focal point.

The CGI could have been better. Some props were so obviously fake that it gave me the feel of watching an old classic. In today’s tech world, it’s an uncomfortable pill to swallow but the cast and direction more than make up for it.

Ding Yuxi has already established how talented he is. His Mu Sheng is a perfect ML with a right mix of bratty and brave. He is devoted to his sister which makes him suspicious of everybody who tries to get closer to her. He is touched by the thoughtfulness of modified version of Lin Yu but that does not make him lower his guard. She has to earn his trust through her actions. DYX has depicted Mu Sheng’s swagger and vulnerability right on the spot.

But the star of this show for me was Esther Yu. Her Miao Miao is to die for. She is hilariously goofy with high EQ. She is so relatable. Her innocence, bravery, loyalty, goofiness as well as smartness come alive under EY’s craft. Miao Miao never loses the sight of her goal of returning to the reality but in the moment of need, she is ready to sacrifice it for her friends. She is emotionally intelligent to understand Mu Sheng’s dilemma but at the same time clueless to the Marquees’s fanboy. Esther has done a fantastic job here. I simply loved her Lin Yu / Miao Miao.

The supporting cast has done pretty solid too. Zu ShunDan’s Mu Yao is kindness and sweetness personified. Yang Shi Ze’s Fu Yi is so righteous and morally upright that he is borderline boring. Shout out to little Cui Cui. So darn cute.

Direction is on target. All little touches like when Lin Yu automatically starts to kneel down with others in front of Mu Sheng make the drama what it is. Full marks there.

The final battle with the main antagonist was a bit of let down for me. I was also slightly confused by the whole Mu Sheng’s mom turning into the Resentful Woman thingie. The Resentful Woman was established as some big bogeyman from the beginning that her end was a bit underwhelming for me. Also the end of building a sky ladder was slightly stretched than necessary. But again, these were minor detractors. They did not diminish my fun in any way.

All in all, this is a fun drama. A solid green in my entertainment ledger. The humor lands, the heart is real, and despite some wobbly CGI and a few stretched arcs, the cast carries the story with charm and commitment. If you’re looking for a fantasy romp that balances laughs and feels without taking itself too seriously, this one’s an easy pick.

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