Shin

Love between fierce General of Immortals and Gentle God of Diviners : A romance worth worshipping

A lovely tale of love between an immortal woman general and a divine ancient god. The screenwriting and the placement of events were the most impactful aspects of this drama. It broke away from the typical formula of cramming all the fun into a few episodes and leaving the rest to feel like filler. The writer did an amazing job of crafting an engaging beginning to catch the viewer’s attention, then followed it up with strong, layered developments that kept the pace consistent and the storytelling compelling. I’m not a fan of slow plots — but slow burn romances? Always my favorite.❤️❤️❤️

Now, let’s talk about the role reversal. The female lead is a powerful immortal warrior, a general by profession — and not just in name. When it comes to physical strength, even the male lead knows he doesn’t stand a chance against her. She’s brave in her actions, fierce in battle, and daring in her decisions. She didn’t hesitate to endure third-degree torture to protect the people of her clan. Most importantly, in a world full of physically strong female leads, she also carried mental strength. She was the yang of the couple — bold and resolute — while the male lead was the yin, with his gentle, caring, and protective nature.☯️

Throughout the drama, he rarely wielded a weapon. Instead, he relied on divine seals and celestial power, letting her take the lead when it came to combat. And honestly? That was so refreshing. In most dramas, strong female leads either come off too plastic or overly masculine. Here, the balance was perfect. She fought with fire — literally and figuratively — and he stood behind her with pride, support, and soft adoration. The way he’d stroke her head while looking at her like, “I know my woman is the best,” — chef’s kiss. Muaah.

Aside from the core theme, the humor was surprisingly well done. From his chaotic moments with her phoenix form to the soft, sickly charm he had with her human form, and finally his playful diviner energy as her husband — it was all so organic and delightful.

The special effects were used thoughtfully. Nothing over-the-top or glittery just for the sake of it. The visuals felt real and immersive, especially the phoenix form of the female lead — her expressions and body language as a fiery mythical creature were so believable. The VFX team? They need a raise. 👍👍

And the fight choreography? Top-tier. Especially the action scenes led by the female lead — her movements with the weapons, the flames, the precision — it was insane. 🔥🔥🔥 I can’t even imagine the effort she put into those scenes. I think I’d vomit at least ten times if I had to do even one shot like that.

The background music also deserves a shoutout — whether it was the intense war scores during battle scenes or the light, playful tunes in comedic moments, everything felt tailored to the emotion of the scene.👍

Now, the cast.

Honestly, I can't find a single issue with the leads. Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying are veterans — been in the industry for over two decades. My opinion almost feels too small to judge them, but I will say this: they delivered. Their chemistry was rich and layered — there was awkwardness in their silly kisses, passion in their more intimate scenes, and fun in their constant bickering. They’ve worked together before, and that comfort reflected in every moment they shared.🫰❤️

Zhao Liying looked stunning as always — her wardrobe and accessories were absolutely gorgeous😍😍. Lin Gengxin, on the other hand, brought his mature charm to the table and absolutely slayed. He’s one of the very few Chinese actors with that rare, yummy masculine build, and his acting? Beyond impressive.😘❤️❤️

The second male lead was fine — didn’t have much scope, so not much to judge. Zeng Li was outstanding as always. At first, I feared her character would echo her role in Love Like the Galaxy, but thankfully, this one had its own depth and uniqueness.😌 The rest of the cast did well; no one particularly stood out, but no one disappointed either.😌😌

Overall, I loved it. No doubt. I know I’ll definitely be rewatching it — probably curled up in bed with snacks and soft tissues for the emotional damage. Again.🫰🫰

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Not two but one buy one free

Sizzling Romance between the prince and his alleged assassin, The swapped crown princess. As soon as they marry he tricks her using his fake death followed by approaching her as his own blue eyed slutty twin brother (don't mind me his own personal guard called him that). As she opens up to him as the twin brother ally he falls for her goal oriented but gentle personality. Soon both started protecting each and secretly keeping each other's back finally after some necessary and mostly unnecessary hurdles the villain(s) is defeated. Lastly after a brief health related 'get the gu worm out of his guts' challenge they get their happily ever after.


What specifically caught my attention
1) ML's robes ... For a short drama format ML's wardrobe was impressive. Especially the robe that he wore in last episode, the one with bronze dragon fingerings on both shoulders ..NiCE 👍

2) pace of the story : i hate 'beat around the bush' plots this one was pretty much to the point the way I prefer

3) FL character is quite pleasing and very realistic, not your dimsal in distress but the one willing to sacrifice her own life for her beloved, who doesn't sit around to watch people die.. someone who you can trust your back with.

4) camera placements and fight scenes editing, simply top-notch. Guess the editing team here is living up to its commitment.




Do I recommend?
Very strongly ... For hardly-3- hour runtime this drama offers a lot.

Will i rewatch
Eh!! no!

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Bubblegum romance and creepy younger brother vibes

Despite my okay ranking, There’s something seriously off about this drama that I just couldn’t digest, no matter how hard I tried. So, the ML’s younger brother plants a hidden camera in his house—where he’s living with the FL, sharing both sweet romantic and very intimate moments. Later, when the ML discovers it, he doesn't even punish him. Nope, not even a slap on the wrist. Why? Because elder brother love. GROSS. What kind of message is this writer trying to send? Some things—like rape, privacy invasion, and trafficking—should never be forgiven, even for family. The little perv eventually turns himself in, but the ML's chill attitude towards this whole violation? Disgusting.

Now, the FL—she's a countryside girl, not totally clueless but definitely a little cheesy. At 20, her Shifu sends her to explore city life. She meets the ML, a hotshot CEO, and through some absurd plot gymnastics, she becomes his company’s spokesperson and personal physicist/nutritionist. Soon their romance brews silently over office coffee steam and the pungent trace of her Chinese herbs.


Then comes Episode 20—aka the episode that murdered my patience and tolerance for dumb decision-making. Apparently, our dear FL (aka Queen of Unsolicited Sacrifices) decides to leave the ML Why? Oh, because she feels guilty for “taking him away from his baby brother."
Ummm...excuse me?! What in the emotionally constipated logic is that??? What exactly do you think he’s going to do otherwise? Raise a family with his baby brother? Form a bromance cult ?
Newflash: —whether it’s you or someone else, your man is going to get married one day. He can't start his family with his baby brother.. right ?


This is the exact brand of “selfless heroine syndrome”FLs and twisted messaging, that dramas should stop pushing. —glorifying these women who “sacrifice” love in the name of relationships no one asked them to fix. It’s not noble, it’s just plain dumb.



And then, instead of leaving with quiet dignity, she performs the most cringe morning-after act in C-drama history. After spending this very steamy night with ML, she wakes up early and sticks hundreds of neon sticky notes all over his house—directions for him for everything from 'how to eat' to 'how to poop', turning his penthouse into a kindergarten bulletin board. Romantic? Well ...

After doing this picasso-paste-on art she goes to her office colleague dropping obvious hints of her departure and finally does her big dramatic exit… at sloth speed like she’s waiting—begging—to be stopped.
Honey, that’s not an exit—it’s a parade float screaming "someone! notice me ".
Gosh !! if you're gonna leave, just leave. Don’t turn it into a community theatre audition.
Honestly, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or launch a pillow at the screen.



Ahh !! Moving on - the cast ,
Luo nails his CEO role once again, but FL? Meh. She reminds me of the FL from 'save it for the honey moon' Same sleepy-eyed, low-energy presence, screen charisma- NIL...simply not my taste .. as far as her role is concerned I was waiting for smart decisions and more martial moments..but unfortunately nothing of the sort followed.

the only takeaway :

The parallel female lead stole my heart .. she is successful, rich , rational, kind , loveable, hot, sassy and everything that makes a woman attractive and inspiring. I watched the entire show for her alone (and of course for Luo)

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Okay-ish !

Not much to put as a review ..this is one of those stories that either you like cause it tickled your good mood or you dropped cause you were just feeling moody and irritated that day .

A pre-independence themed revenge plot with its own fluff. The best part playful dynamics between the ML’s sister-in-law, who thinks he’s her husband, the ML, who pretends to be her husband in front of the FL he secretly likes, and the FL, who’s here to kill him thinking he murdered her father, keep the drama quirky.

The antihero was clearly the writer’s favourite—starting neutral, then turning into a ruthless villain, suddenly finding patriotism thanks to the ML,'s speech , and finally dying like he is some sort of victim. Three U-turns later, he remains unsummarizable.

Direction, styling, and cast were impressive for a short-format drama. Music was decent and suited the tone.

The ending might feel problematic to some, but in freedom-struggle themed dramas, sacrifice often replaces the expected happy ending.

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ENDLESS LOOP OF MALE LEAD DENIALS AND VILLAIN REAPPEARANCES

Alright, so this drama started strong—like a solid 8/10 type strong. The first 10-12 episodes? Pure gold. The character dynamics were tight, the plot had momentum, and the leads’ budding chemistry? Chef’s kiss. You could actually feel the tension, the excitement, the romance simmering just beneath the surface.

But then… plot twist—someone clearly snatched the script away from the original writer and handed it to a confused intern on caffeine withdrawal. The last 30 episodes? Felt like a completely different drama.

Let’s talk about Mr. Morality aka the Male Lead. In the beginning, his unwavering principles and moral compass had me swooning. But soon, that same "righteousness" turned into full-blown annoying inflexibility. I wanted to reach through the screen and shake him. He went from "Wow, what a man!" to "Sir, can you not?"

Thank the drama gods for the Female Lead. She stayed rock-solid from start to finish. Captain of the army, martial arts master, drop-dead gorgeous, smart, kind, and could probably break your bones while reciting military strategy. And guess what? She didn’t simper around the ML like a lost puppy. She knew her worth, stayed cool under pressure, and handled her personal and professional life like a boss. People who criticized her conduct? Probably grew up under a rock in a deeply patriarchal setting. They just can't handle watching a woman with political aspirations or being pro at court politics .. but they definitely enjoy the plots where Male leads manipulate and abuse the FL .. force them into choices ... And it's quite disappointing most of such viewers are female ..anyways For me, she was a total inspiration.

Now let’s show some love to the supporting characters: FL’s badass dad, her physician BFF, the ML’s army bros, and his surprisingly layered father—actual scene-stealers.

Costumes and sets? Meh. Not terrible, but for a wuxia drama, I was hoping for more oomph.
Fighting choreography? Loved it.
Music? Let’s just say... I didn’t add anything to my playlist.

Now, brace yourself: by episode 12, the plot enters repetition hell. One villain makes six comebacks. SIX. I mean, is he immortal or just has frequent flyer miles to escape prison?

Also, ML’s character becomes a confusing blend of “sweet talker or spineless romantic?” I honestly couldn’t tell what was genuine and what was just... there for the drama.

Do I recommend it?
Yes—but with conditions. Definitely check out the first 10 episodes. They’re worth the time. After that, continue at your own risk... or if you just enjoy watching chaos unfold.

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Watched it Only for the last 7 episodes

First blow to the rating is because of Esther yu ...let's accept her performance was pathetic..Fairies are playful but her fairy character was "retard".. absolutely zero acting talent ... Annoying voice modulation ... Though her character was quite serious and had no necessary demand to over-act this superficially cute .. yet hell knows who suggested her to that act this way
.Even in the serious situation she doesn't give her cringe a break.


These things are even more highlighted when your co actor is an immensely talented artist .... Dylan wang on the contrary played her own character better than herself during the soul swipe parts ...


Enough ..let's discuss the good parts

Both ML and PML did an amazing job ..effortless performance.

Vfx and stunt scenes are on spot ...

I love the soundtracks.. I don't remember but the opening soundtrack gave me a feeling of nostalgia..like some other drama has a similar sounding track

One of the main highlights of the show was their costume design ... Big thumbs up to the stylist and designer.

Chemistry between leads was 95% form Dylan's side ... While FL was busy acting like his daughter in that annoying child voice 😔

Plot was little slow paced and very ridiculously multidirectional ..things got a way out of track in median episodes when they visited the mortal world ... Things accelerated from around episode 29 ..

Bottom line : this particular story was not meant to be stretched all the way to 36 episodes ...for what it's worth even a 16 epsiode series would have been enough and more intriguing.

PS: I loved Dylan wang's performance this is my first drama watching him act ...looking forward to more .. XOXO

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Even the writer of the show doesn't know how to finish the crap he started

Richard li makes me watch these crap shows ...if it weren't for him I would have dropped it long ago.

The plot starts with FL being a pet-cum- spy to a psychopath prince ... Who is apparently using her to do all the bad jobs on his behalf ... She is shown to be very talented martial artist ..con artist .. xyz ... Nothing less than a proper intelligence agent at the beginning of the show .. but when it comes to save herself in the later episodes she suddenly becomes the most useless person alive ... Seriously I don't know who tf writes these cringe series .. in the beginning they show these characters so invisible and turn them so dimwit and good for nothing later ... Can you beleive a so called SPY can't find her way out of a bloody palace ... You want me to Beleive this crap ..hell no .. the so called SPY has no talent other than being a concubine and sleeping her way out with the prince .. at first she had fighting talents later she is so helpless she can't even slap him ... WOW ... Logic died ILLOGICALLY...

Male lead had no heroic role ...he is pretty much like a potato rolling down here and there

FL's styling sucks ...her hairstyle is most ugly hairstyle I have ever seen.

The villian is a loser who can even win ministers favours yet stupid ML helps him win the favour and help him become more power ..I mean who in the right mind would do that ..

I can write a whole book on 999 reason why you should skip this show ... Remaining one reason is to watch it for the leads ...
I leave you with your own preferences

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Breaking all stereotypes between man and woman / hero and antihero

Imagine your regular romance drama reverse the gender roles ...this is exactly what you get ... Here the FL general is domineering.. strong..tough ... Manly ...Outgoing ... And Protective ... Whatever you see in ML from other shows she has everything to offer .. while ML is beautiful.. shy .. fragile matrilocal husband doing household chores ( atleast he pretends) ..weak in body (pretends)
The extreme twist in gender roles is what makes this show worth watching

Of course there is a back story of conspiracy going on ..but my bet is on the leads and their romance ..that's the core of the show

Totally recommended

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'Truly Terrific' code

Introduction to the Theme:
Working dynamics in a trauma centre are vastly different from those in a regular hospital. In real life, working in trauma is far riskier yet less rewarding—but you end up saving more lives. It’s a job full of adrenaline, motivation, and constant, intensive learning. They say a doctor’s real talent is tested in emergency units.🩵🩵

In dramas, viewer preferences vary—some enjoy accident/trauma-centered stories while others prefer complex disease-based plots. Personally, I enjoy both, but trauma pulls me in more. Why? Because when portrayed well, it offers genuine insight into life-saving skills. Plus, this one has a military medic background, which adds a unique twist that’s hard to resist.🤤🤤🤤



Plot:
There’s no deep backstory or future arc—it feels like a few middle chapters of a book turned into a show. The trauma unit is struggling → A genius doctor joins → He pulls things together → Forms a team willing to stand by him despite the odds → Slowly, the place transforms into a top-tier trauma centre with the lowest fatality rate.


What Didn’t Work:🥹🥲
The drama ended immaturely, I mean, Eight episodes simply weren’t enough. So much remained unresolved. I wish there were more complex cases and less political drama eating up screen time.🫤



Characters I Loved:
Dr. Baek 😍🤩—the male lead—is energetic, intelligent, bold, and quick in decision-making. Slightly hyper but sharp, exactly how a trauma centre doctor should be. Honestly, characters like him make me wonder—if real doctors were even 1% as diligent, maybe more lives could be saved. JJH nailed the performance.👍

I also loved the nurse, Number One, the Minister of Health and Welfare, and the anesthesiologist fellow. The cast truly delivered.💕



What Felt Missing:
Maybe one more doctor on the team? It felt a bit understaffed for a trauma centre. Just my POV.




OST/BGM 🤔:
Come on! It’s a military/medical drama—you don’t watch it for the background score. Period.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, it’s a solid watch. Some moments felt a bit unrealistic, but who cares when the thrill hits right? 🩺❤️

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Fate of The Devil God

In my opinion "fate of the devil god" would have been a better title for this drama.

this is no doubt by far one of the best drama i have seen (not the bestest best though)... everything from story ..to cats to overall execution is top notch. here are my positive thoughts about it :

1) Cast: the casting just couldn't have been better every actor did best justice to their roles.Leo was funstatic as War God ... cute as tiantin jin.. divine as juimin and fierce as Devil God. similarly bailu resonated with all three role she played. the side cast was equally convincing with their act.

2) character setting : there are so many like literally so many characters in this show but somehow every character is put in such a harmony with the story line that you would not feel confused or mis outs on their names ... Everything from the actor faces to over all personality of these characters is easily distinguishable otherwise with so many characters it becomes quite difficult to keep a track of each and every one of them.
ML's character is evil in Outlook yet a kind soul and hopeless lover .. he will make you cry for him. FL's character is fairly good as well she turned a big hypocrite in the ending episodes though, SHE MADE THE MESS AND TURNED THE CASE WORSE THAN IT ORIGINALLY WAS.

3)plot: if you talk about the overall plot , it was fine .. entertaining .. engaging but as per 40 episodes it had a lot of shortcomings ( will discuss in negative points)

4) Beating the reality ~ vFX and special effects .. a total treat to my aesthetics.

5)Refined and detail oriented set design... my fav were war lord residence and devil lord's palace ... the two were set so much in contrast and you can actually see through them the hard work of designing team.

6) thrilling action scenes ..sword fighting ... extensive use of designer martial art weapons and brilliant fighting choreography.

7)Styling and costume were breath taking .. from war god appearance to devil lord dark costume ... chef's kiss (the last goddess costume was not very impressive though)

now the negative or maybe be not so positive points :

1)story went smooth till ep 20 but after that i am not gonna lie but my enthusiasm dropped by 50 % .. right from ep 22 to 29 .. and later 35 to 39 ..things were on rinse ..repeat ..fashion .... the art of using misunderstanding to derail the core matter is used and abused multiple times that it led me to think if the writer has stuck into his own Bo're life.
2) The LARGER THAN LIFE hoe factor who literally destroyed their two lives just by sowing silly doubts .. but what was more interesting that no matter what chaos she create , she will still be left loose with a insignicant warning.
3) Makeup malfunction: not worth mentioning cause it commonly never happens that you can see the foundation cracks on actors face so clearly.. all the actors had the same shade of off white emulsion on their faces .. plus i dont think MuA had any understanding of touch ups or setting sprays in his mind.

anyway .. the overall essence of the drama was warming .. and this is definetely going into the lists of my fav. 💞💞💞💞💞


PS: SOME PEOPLE COMPLAINT ABOUT HAVING WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS CAUSE THE DRAMA ENDED TRAGICALLY WITH ML'S DEATH ... WHEREAS I , WAS LOWKEY WISHING FOR IT. AFTER WATCHING HIM GOING THROUGH ALL THE BETRAYAL AND PEOPLE ABANDONING HIM FOR ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON . I WANTED HIM TO GO BEYOND THE WORLDLY EMOTIONS AND DIE LIKE A HERO.

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There is no reach to PERFECTION but this one was very close to that

A story that you can cherish as a re-watch ..
I am going to put it in point for better understanding.

A) Points that make it a series worth your time :

1. blend of huge range of genres (romance,comedy,action,thriller,suspense,feel good,crime & little melodrama) a perfect balance of all .
2. An amazing cast ... Not just the leads but even the supporting cast was the best ... Cant point a single glitch in the cast.
3. A story with good writing and consistent pace. plot was to the point and writing was indeed remarkable...there were no cringe/ cliche' as far as dialogue writing is involved ... All characters have nice screen timing and their dialogues complimented the characters in a way that viewers will feel attached.
4. Chemistry between characters/connection between the character was indeed perfect ... We often look for chemistry between the leads ..but in this particular series I felt the warmth of every relationship..like the character of Su Jui'er's mother was so beautifully played that you can actually feel it through the screen ... Same goes for Chi Lan's sisterly love for Han Zheng or Jun'er's friendship with Han Zheng and Su Jui'er,her God father's love for Jui'er . We often ignore the connection between side CHARACTERS but this series made these relationships so impactful almost impossible to ignored.
5. fantabulous fight scenes and clean VFX ... I rarely re-watch fight scenes but in this particular series I actually replayed the fights scenes quite a lot of times.
6. No absurd kitchen politics or vamp slapping bullshit ... The story was clean ..there were no cheap concubine/ex-fiance crap... It was just about two people who come together by fate ..fall in love ... Chose each other to spend their lives with ...simple as that ...and that's how I personally like it.
7. Even the villain was handsome ... Entire main cast was good looking specially male characters ... Han Zheng , Jun'er , Crown prince, Mu yan etc including Female character like chi Lan.
8. Female characters with amazing action scenes ... I enjoy the series that have female characters performing action scenes ... ChiLan provided me with that thrill.
9) LOVELY CLOSING SOUND TRACK
10) happy ending ...

B) Points that I felt about this story that could have been worked on :

1. Female Main lead character could have been better ... I loved her character so much ..she is smart ..comic ... Independent... Intelligent... Beautiful.. but I still felt her character lost a the emphasis during final few episodes .. may be because they wanted to portray her as a saviour of the entire Qi clan but I personally expected her to come up with some smart alterative solution instead of just giving up on her life, given that she was the smartest character of teg entire series I can't just accept her to chose a flat and boring solution. If you know what I mean.

2. Some characters just disappeared in thin air and never got the final verdict ... For example the character of Qian king,he appeared in previous episodes then he disappeared like that ... Come on he was the king atleast Give him some scenes especially when you are discussing political matters between two tribes you are supposed to put some scenes with their leaders.

3. Happy ending but with loose ends ... Where the hell did Mu yan go ??? He was the main villian,still he got a single episode appearance ... On top of that he was not given any closure.

4. Plot unexplained - fragments of story like ..death of real crown prince-princess, Jui'er's father's attempt to steal the Qi amber fire, mu yan association with snow flake organisation ...etc ..there were a lot of fractions in the story that were left unexplained.

5. Crime cases were quite less ... Single case took more than necessary time to solve which lead to inability to accommodate more important things .. in my opinion the crime cases were stretched a way too much.the writers could have accomodated more details in story if it were not for the stretched cases.

6. Happy ending with absurd twist ... ML becoming simple Quin and FL going bizzare with Qi powers was the most childish and nonsensical ending twist that I have ever seen ... For a story with a wavelength like this one I didn't expect such irresponsible twist .. I would have appreciated a rather simple ending instead of this cheap twist.


Taking all points in consideration I still think the good outweighs the bad by many folds ..

**** making it one of the best shows I have ever seen***** ..

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ( just watch it you will not regret )

Re-watch value : good

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I don't wanna watch Xu kai doing such horrible drama ever again

The story is crap ..not gonna lie this was one of the weakest plots that I have ever seen. Why I say so ?? Cause you will watch 3/4th of the drama still won't feel attached to the story ... The feeling of excitement to watch the next episode was totally missing ..just imagine the amount of disappointment.

Xu kai is a fantastic actor He delivered best on his part but in the end he can only play his own role .. I feel bad for him as don't know for what reason but his chemistry with his co-actors has been compromised in last couple of shows ...in best choice ever it was the same .. I hope he gets some beautiful and talented co-actress who will bring out his charisma again ...

Esther yu was terrible like she is in most of her dramas.she was the same in 'Love between devil and fairy' two years back .. her acting skills haven't improved at all,she is hopeless. In fact the rest of the cast performed way better than her. I don't know how chinese casting works but she has no chance to sign even a junior artist role for the third class acting skills she owns.she is the only grade less actress who gives kissing scenes in a child voice, making it even morally incorrect.

The plot was stuffed with a lot of details but somehow the mess created was so much that it lost its core ... The plot was bulky in itself plus There were a total of 4-5 couples having their own love story which were dragged to the last altogether.. an Absolute CHAOS .

a few more things 'louder than dialogue' background music ..basic and ugly costume .. multidirectional approach with no straight execution of parts were responsible for not delivering the drama in its whole potential

If i have to summarise, it was just the hard work of the entire cast ( minus Esther yu) that kept the drama breathing otherwise there was no hope whatsoever.

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