Shin

Missed the impact created in the previous installment..

To fulfill Shi Yi's last wish, the one she made before committing suicide in her previous life, the writer is back with a modern-day plot to give her a satisfying closure with Chen Zhousheng, though this time Chen is his given name.

A thousand years have passed since that tragedy. The landscape has changed. This is a free world, so the approach towards romance has changed too. No oaths, no promises standing in their way anymore.

Yet, despite all the conditions supporting their love story, it still felt flat and soggy.

The very impact of the star-crossed lovers' reunion is missing. I mean, their first meeting could have been so much better than Shi Yi simply calling out his name and asking for his email address at the airport.

I was extremely disappointed to see that CZS had no memory of his past life. I mean, why? Wasn't he equally involved? Him not carrying those memories made it feel as if his attachment to Shi Yi wasn't as strong as the writer had suggested in the previous part.

Imagine crying for two hours straight while watching their tragic love story, only to click on the next installment and find out that the ML has no memory of their past together, neither in the first episode nor in the last. It felt almost like betrayal.

And to make things worse, they added family politics BS and other filler plots that felt too superficial. Sure, the stepmother's involvement in the ML's private life was more annoying than his oath in his previous life.

They jumped into the marriage segment pretty quickly, which was predictable because this man pretty much existed to marry Shi Yi and fulfill her wish. But his obsession with getting tailored dresses made for the FL for every occasion felt repetitive and boring. Like, can't you think of something more magical for lovers reuniting after a thousand years?

I finished this show solely because of my love and respect for Bai Lu.

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Overcooked and Charred

With the star-crossed lover theme, there’s absolutely nil possibility to go wrong...... as long as the feelings are conveyed correctly, a seven-plus rating is an easy target. What comes later is for the casted team, the styling, the music, and the fillr plots to achieve.

In my opinion, the story started off good. The first half of part one was dedicated to a soft romance blooming between a god and his attendant, which later turned into a trope of one-sided sacrifices on the attendant’s part. Then, in contrast, the second half comes with a little fluff; characters are less rigid now that they’re in the mortal world, not bound by heavenly rules. The ML, who was one of the most stubborn and pessimisstic MLs to ever exist on screen, starts behaving human , ... he addresses his feelings and sets his priorities right. The FL, who sacrificed everything to the point of mental and physical assault on herself, is now following her dreams . Sure, it was short-lived, but it was the only segment I actually liked in this entire series. Look, I’m fine with the saving-the-world thing, but I’m not a fan of her noble sacrifice , especially when it ended up hitting her in the face.

Yang Zi was amazing as ever; in fact, I liked her better in this drama becaause she mostly plays serious roles, and this one felt a little different, a little refreshing. Cheng Yi was a surprize package since I’d never watched any of his dramas before. I liked his acting and his appearance ... yeah, this man deserves the praise he gets.💕💕💕

Styling was good. Special effects were on point, fitting the era it was shot in (not judging it by 2026 standards).

But the dragggggggggg (so many gs,)which continues in part two as well .. killed the joy for me. The story could have been manuevered better, but the writer kept it entangled in unnecessary melodrama and mis understandings. I firmly believe that this type of nonsense shows a creator’s limited imagination. So… yeah, I’m not impressed.

Still, I won’t make any harsh statements, because this show has its own fanbase. So yes, there are people who liked it as their favorite drama, but it just couldn’t appeal to me the same way.

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In this one life he lived up to the world but failed Shi Yi

Different emotional aspects have different weightage for people of different temperaments,while for most viewers the saddest part was their tragic love story but for me it was the unjust death of that general who protected the borders of a country for decades with his life just to be branded as a traitor and dismembered in the end.. sure FL's following him in death was another sentimental peak of this plot... (~And I am a little disappointed that nothing about his previous life really addressed in the sequel ... Anyway we will talk about the sequel in the review of its own).
Talking about the characters and cast I believe Allen depicted the General, beautifully, he captured his essence of him being hopelessly in love yet unable to be the woman he loved, perfectly Through the micro acting details he is best known for ... Though the Character itself was very impractical and inspiring in my opinion cause i believe if you have strength and kindness to be a king better be a king ..if not , then drop the power struggle altogether and refrain from supporting worthless people to the peak with your strength. Pretty obvious his horrible doom was one of the repercussions of the same. Bailu's ShiYi was also amazing but only in the adulthood part .. the teenager part was a complete disaster .. i didn't like the character or bai lu's acting in that part. The reason is that shiyi herself has no skill or purpose and bai lu' acting looks very superficial in the parts when they have to dub Her voice. It's the same for all the shows she did with a voice dub .. i don't understand why they don't hire a proper voice artist with a voice that suits her face. Anyways , WXY's screentime was less but he graced the screen with his lovely looks and superb acting skills .. for being so young at that time he did a fantastic job as a sickly villain.

Dialogue writing was another notice worthy aspect about this drama ... The way the writer relayed the deep sentiments in the form of poetic phrases .... BRILLIANT; be it praising his bones, his real beauty or her longing for him when he was away in the battleground for months 'EVERY WORDS SO BEAUTIFULLY PUT TOGETHER THAT CAN MAKE YOU CRY FOR DAYS' big shoutout to the dialogue writer.

Other things like costumes and OST were mediocre.

Do I recommend watching ... Yes ..if you are up for a soggy romance with a bundle of tissue paper and a frustrating tragic ending that leads nowhere.

We will see each other in the next part~

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A match I wish never made...

A drama with potential buried under confusion and repetition. ( Line taken from a very interesting review i just read ) 🤫
Well !! I finished it out of habit, not enjoyment, and walked away remembering the frustration more than the story. Like literally ~~~it was one hell of a struggle to understand the way this drama was written. For me, it felt like a failed attempt on several fronts.
1. The plot is packed with errors, making it hard to follow the events. The biggest confusion revolves around the people supposedly killed eight years ago. The list keeps growing with every few episodes. By the end, I was still unsure who actually died and what exactly happened. No .. this is not suspense. It's a good damn narrative fog.
2. The casting was a serious problem. Too many characters looked alike, and the production made almost no effort to distinguish them. Similar faces, similar styling, similar presence. At times it felt like watching different versions of the same person walking in and out of scenes. Keeping track of identities became an unnecessary side quest.
3. The Kardashian sisters' storyline dragged far longer than it should have. I expected more matchmaking cases and more inventive scenarios. Instead, their marriage troubles dominated the screen time. The repetition made the plot feel stuck in one place, circling the same issue without moving forward.
4. The lead characters came across as superficial. Their personalities lacked emotional weight, and their struggles failed to leave a lasting impact at least on me don't know about others . More importantly, the chemistry between them felt weak. Their interactions looked forced rather than natural, which made it difficult to invest in their relationship.
5. The male lead, in particular, became increasingly irritating. I understand the intention behind portraying him as emotionally restrained and socially awkward. But his constant nagging tone continued until the very end, turning what could have been a character trait into a persistent annoyance.
6. The music barely registered. Nothing stood out, nothing lingered, and nothing added energy to the scenes. For a drama that already felt exhausting, the absence of memorable sound only made the experience feel flatter.
Overall, the drama had a promising premise, but weak execution, confusing storytelling, and uneven pacing made it more frustrating than engaging.

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Fragments of plot in the sea of boredom

Quite a poorly performing wuxia plot which, despite having everything from demon-hunter sects to kylin horn fragments, still fails to grab one's interest. The blame largely falls on the long, tedious filler episodes that add absolutely no substance to the story. Insignificant hints are dropped far too sparingly, often after every three or four episodes, making the progression feel sluggish and unrewarding.
As far as the romance is concerned, however, the writer has shown genuine commitment. There is a well-maintained balance, and both the ML and FL's love is put through meaningful trials. Their chemistry gradually evolves. In the initial episodes, the ML is aloof. He avoids intimacy, resists the FL's advances, and places his family honor above his personal feelings.
But by episode 19, the dynamic shifts. The FL begins avoiding emotional entanglement, while he pursues her wholeheartedly, openly owning his feelings and making bold decisions. He even risks being removed from the family registry, ultimately making her his sole priority.
Unfortunately, the wuxia element itself is completely hijacked by clichés and an uninteresting side couple, leaving what should have been the story's backbone feeling hollow.

The main cast delivered decent performances, but the rest ..... Ahh!! They leaned heavily into overacting, and none of them truly grabbed my attention. The music was pleasant, yet forgettable. Special effects were not

In the end, if I place all its aspects on a balance scale, this drama tips more toward the side of being boring, regardless of the romance woven into the story.

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Flat and flawed

This drama starts off like flat soda no fizz at all . The FL acts like she’s some genius but falls for the ML after just one sappy sentimental like seriously, that’s all it took? Meanwhile, the ML's personality is so dull and boring I mean . I get the hard-to-get vibe, but at least be worth chasing! In a matriarchal setting, you expect a queen with brains and power, but nope—she struts around like a cheap drag queen with flower boys for security and a guard who can’t even save her from falling off a stool. Their “intelligence work”? Breaking into random houses with zero planning or network—total amateur hour. The plot only wakes up around episode 17, so if you can survive the snooze fest, there’s some payoff. Not my cup of tea, but maybe for those who enjoy chaos and cringe in equal measure

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The killer was more romantic than my ex......................pectations

Fairly addictive plot even when for majority of the episodes only a normal relationship between newly weds is shown. But I guess its simplicity is the biggest selling point of this drama. There is a hint of cuteness in their marriage like the FL who is actually an assassin trained in martial arts; behaving cute-sy, fragile and hiding her wine cravings cause she thinks her husband(ML) is gonna judge her. The same way ML is hiding a similar identity and making excuses to avoid getting caught by his wife. Their chemistry felt like a gentle breeze.
Soon they find out about their hidden identities and that they are fighting on either side of the bridge for the exact opposite causes, but they figure things out pretty quickly.
I love how the ML character is shown to be shy, reserved , gentleman like yet he adores his wife's feisty, outspoken sassy and truculent nature.
Music and other things were below average but in the short segment drama series who cares about that stuff.

Overall it was an amazing watch.
Give it a try.

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Romance and fetching frisbee

Modern plot of fluffy office romance between FL who is an intern in the company and CEO ML who is dealing with a secret condition. One day FL accidentally discovers his secret which leads to their entanglement and further falling for each other. The plot is silly but adorable. Chen fang tong and cheng lei made a good couple .. I can't say their chemistry with each other was the best they have with any co actor but it was workable. The Music and aesthetics of the set were pleasing. I only thing missing was a hint of intimacy in the climax, cause for FL and ML to fall in love despite his secret, the ending felt a bit plastic and underwhelming.

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Unchained censorship and forbidden justice to the audience

Watching the initial episodes of this drama, I was honestly confused 🤔: why can’t this drama cross the 8.5 rating mark for the quality it delivered? 🤷 Up until episode 20, it truly felt like an 8.5+ banger. The plot moved with a smooth rhythm, weaving together clever twists, palace conspiracies, slow-burn romance, and that deliciously forbidden dynamic between consort and eunuch. Add some censored yet unapologetic gore, subtle comic relief, a solid supporting cast, and of course ❤️ ❤️ Dylan Wang ❤️ ❤️ as the lead, and you’ve got a very promising ride.
But from episode 20 onward, the drama seems to trip over its own robes and fall straight down the palace stairs. Characters who were initially likable suddenly become unreasonable and irritating. 😮‍💨The storyline starts wandering into chaos where logic quietly packs its bags and leaves the building.😩
1. The FL’s sudden downgrade in brainpower
The FL begins as a brilliant survivor. This is a woman who outsmarted death three or four times, invented unconventional escape plans under pressure, and even marched into her enemy’s territory during her own kidnapping… only to leave victorious with extra cash after beating her in a card game. Absolute legend behavior.😌... Yet in later episodes she somehow becomes helpless in front of a spineless coward king who murdered a nine-year-old child to take the throne. Then in the final episode she suddenly appears as the great messiah talking about saving the nation. Quite a dramatic promotion for someone who couldn’t even save her own maid. With each episode, the chaos around her becomes so unnecessary that her screen time turns from exciting to exhausting.😔
2. The strange message about filial piety
The show also sends a rather questionable message. The FL’s father sends his daughter to the palace as a concubine to gain royal favor, only for her to later be disposed of as a tribute woman and almost executed after the king dies. Father of the year, truly. But when that same father commits endless crimes, murders a child, and launches a rebellion that kills countless people, the FL still shields him in the name of filial piety. If she cares that deeply, why not share the punishment as a dutiful daughter instead of emotionally manipulating everyone to beg for mercy for him?⁉️⁉️
3. The villain’s confusing ending
The closure for the villain king is baffling. The ML has every advantage: rebels at the gate, ministers opposing the tyrant, and clear evidence that the king murdered his own nephew to take power. Yet our saintly ML decides to save him. Why? What moral lesson was the writer aiming for here? Because the audience mostly heard… 🦗
4. Censorship cutting important scenes
Some impactful scenes were clearly removed due to censorship, which makes the narrative feel incomplete. This is puzzling because other dramas have shown far more intense action and romance, so it’s unclear why this one got the scissors treatment.
Credit where it’s due though. Dylan Wang absolutely carried the show. His charisma, presence, and acting were a solid 10/10. The FL also delivered a strong performance with expressive reactions and lively dialogue delivery (though a better makeup artist wouldn’t hurt).
The background music and OST were surprisingly soothing even without lyrics.
In the end, the drama probably should have wrapped up around episode 25, right after the ML resolved his brother’s murder. Everything afterward felt like unnecessary bonus content nobody asked for… like an extra season of chaos stuffed into a few episodes.

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Scent of Time or Scent of Dream.. the title itself is still a confusion in my mind.

Frankly, this plot had so many moments that turned me into a full sentimental mess. Anyone can find at least one similarity with the FL’s life that they’ve faced in their own reality: being misunderstood even when your intentions are good, watching people who aren’t that great receive all the limelight, or being last on someone’s priority list after you’ve literally dried yourself trying to fill their glass till it overflows.

But honestly, I wasn’t looking for this level of melodrama when I picked this series. A reborn/second-chance-in-life trope is supposed to offer lot more than just crying, suffering, and emotional exhaustion. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the writer’s bias towards certain characters in both dream and reality killed a lot of joy for me. Maids playing politics in the house creating chaos walked away with warnings, other butlers doing more shady things and face nothing yet only the FL’s father (who is supposedly rich and powerful) is convicted for one-time corruption, while walk free after his son's murder charges without facing any punishment and he couldn't even do anything about it . Some characters are openly involved in kidnapping and assassination, yet never caught, never punished. Justice took a long vacation in this drama.

So the plot goes like this: the FL travels back in time to correct her mistakes, and to some extent she does live up to that expectation. With all odds against her and being surrounded by betrayers and horrible people, she practically survives a humanity pandemic.
The ML remained utterly useless till the end. Pathetic in her dreams and reality. Even after she wakes up from the coma, people manage to hurt her right in front of his eyes. Honestly, I might also choose eternal slumber over him. A coma seems more peaceful and emotionally safer. But fine, for what it’s worth, he didn’t give up on her in real life, so applause for basic loyalty. The bar is low, but at least he didn’t trip over it.

I specifically hated Mu Yao and Ye Lan. I don’t know why, but even with all their tragedy, I couldn’t feel bad for them. No sympathy. No tears. Nothing. In fact, I would have loved it if the writer introduced an impotence issue in Ye Lan, making Mu Yan leave him. Perfect ending for this annoying couple.

Zhou Ye absolutely aces the bubble role and She was good here, but definitely not her best character choice. Someone like Sun Zhen Ni might have suited this role better. WXY was good as the ML, even with such limited screen time. The rest of the cast is filled with familiar, frequently seen faces.

bGM is good... styling is simple and worth one time watching.

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Only if they had put some efforts on better plot writing

An average revenge plot revolving around two siblings ( not related by blood) who undergo various trials as they execute their plan/plans for the same .the cast is full of good looking actors .. Lovely chemistry between leads ...girl is a willful brat and boy is calm and mysterious. Though later their romance felt a bit too boring ..it was just the initial little chase that i enjoyed later everything was too dull .. the plot is very repetitive in nature a single scenario is moulded differently too many times like the same thing he loves her but keeps rejecting her yet won't let her be with someone else .. he made love to her yet acted like he is confusing her with his side chic... Blah blah blah .. and that's all

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Useless goddess and her entitled Hero

This is one of those dramas that sounds premium in the synopsis but collapses the moment you actually press play.
We’ve got the classic setup: boy from humble beginnings, girl from a holier-than-thou immortal sect. They fall in love, Then boom, surprise fiancé appears from nowhere and suddenly we’re stuck in the world’s longest, dumbest breakup arc. Up to episode 12, it’s basically torture. The ML gets beaten like a rented punching bag, and the FL cries. A lot. In that nails-on-a-blackboard voice that makes you want to mute the screen for the love of eardrums...
The plot then spirals into full nonsense mode. The script itself is weak and inconsistent. Dead people are resurrected by casually flipping paper dolls, memories get wiped multiple times l, exchange of soul devouring pills .. centuries pass… yet not once do these two adults attempt to actually talk out their misunderstanding hanging in their for hundred years ... I mean not even a symbolic missed call to start a conversation. The misunderstanding is dragged so long I started aging with it.

The ML actor genuinely did a good job. He carried his role with conviction. The FL… let’s just say the character didn’t do her any favors, assuming there was talent to work with in the first place. She’s supposed to be a goddess, yet gets humiliated left, right, and center like divinity was an unpaid internship.
Chemistry-wise, both actors look fine as lovers, but they’re wildly out of sync. The kisses are painfully awkward. The ML is out there delivering top-tier, confident kisses while the FL looks like she doesn't know how to press her petals in a kiss.

One thing is clear from this drama and that's 'Emotional overload without emotional payoff is not touching, it’s cringe.'

Final verdict:
Good ML acting. Weak script. Overused clichés. Excessive memory loss. Tears without purpose.
Not vouching for this one, sweetheart. Love may be a luxury for the weak in this universe, but good writing clearly is too. 💅

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A beautiful idea but wasted potential

Even in their best attempt at writing an intellectual plot, Chinese writers just can’t give up their obsession with creating shitty characters. This one was a pitiful endeavour to pull off an Inception-like concept, but I’ll still give credit for the boldness ... at least the writer tried something challenging in a world where most Chinese dramas revolve around mistresses and concubine politics.

Still, I can’t defend .., in fact, I hate .... their choice of dramatis personae. If you have the cognitive ability to pick and enjoy such a heavy plot, you’ll most likely get irritated by characters like the ML’s female student. What a pain in the @$$ existence she is ; third-class acting, fourth-class looks, and a completely unnecessary addition to the plot.

Despite its flaws, the drama was fine. At some point, I couldn’t even tell if it was a dream or reality ~ but maybe that’s the whole point.

As for the cast, apart from Li Jiu Lin, everyone else was mediocre. Luna Hu (as Li Meng Wen) was a particularly horrible choice —~~ let’s be real, she looked like an ajumma doing a school uniform cosplay instead of a student. I don’t know which sick-in-the-brain director thought casting her was a good idea.

In the end, if you enjoy non-traditional, confusing, brain-twister plots, give it a try. Otherwise, just skip it.

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Revenge , amnesia and other disasters

A lovers-to-enemies story. The classic 'she-believes-he-killed-her clan-so -she's-back-for-revenge' troupe. With the difference of 19-20 everything was almost same as we see is such dramas ..
Everything looked fine until the ML started protecting the real culprit by taking the blame .. after that plot falls into a chaos of zombies walking down the street .. blood tears and blindfolds ...
Best thing about the story was unlike most chinese drama this time the FL doesn’t budge .... she stays focused until the end and delivers justice for her clansmen. Karma eventually catches up with this would-be messiah ML ... he suffers grievous injuries and fails to save the culprit he was desperately trying to protect. Hallelujah!!! Everybody!!!

Jiulin and lilan performed extremely good ... If it weren't for their superb acting this drama would've been such a disaster .. I would love see them together again, but in a better story.

So , This is no new story but if you don't have anything to watch and craving for good revenge plot this might be one of your options.

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Something's missing

In this time-transmission, body-possession plot, our FL is sent on a mission to travel across dimensions, take over the empress’s body, and transform a tyrant king into a wise and compassionate ruler. To complete this mission, she dies repeatedly, each time waking up in a new body connected to the king — yet no matter who she becomes, he always recognises his beloved wife. This twist gave the drama its most unique charm.

Still, the writing glitches were hard to ignore. Every time she possessed a new body, her behaviour was so unmistakably “empress-like” that the ML identified her instantly. There wasn’t even a minimal attempt to hide it, despite the script claiming she didn’t intend to reveal herself.

Even with its flaws, the drama remained simple, engaging, and genuinely entertaining.

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