LiN

Is There A Justification For Revenge

Watching this title, a viewer has not only the responsibility to look after themselves and their mental strength to cope with what seems to be fiction but is pretty close to reality, but also to reflect on this show and prohibit something like this from ever happening again. Usually, we don´t get this structured and thoroughly planned type of behavior from a victim of bullying. Most of us don´t even act on what was done to us at all. So watching this show actually portraying someone who devoted their life to take revenge is something weirdly fulfilling but warning at the same time. What is portrayed in "The Glory" shouldn´t be happening at all, there is no justification for ruining someone´s life for reasons such as boredom and the feeling of entitlement over others. Ignorance doesn´t protect a bully. Many don´t even know what long-term, lifetime wounds they have inflicted. The Glory is a rather radical and enlightening series revolving around what fury can cause and what bullying can destroy that the viewer can take as a lesson to learn from.

STORY / PLOT 9.0
The screenwriting is amazingly done. Compared to other Korean dramas, I even got the feeling that they found the perfect pacing here. Not too fast and not too slow most of the time. However, in some moments I personally desired that they dragged the moment a little further, then I would have totally bragged about this production. Moving from screenwriting and storytelling to how the characters are actually written also intrigued me, even though I wished there was a little bit more depth in one, or two characters (but that might be happening in the second part). All in all, I think the story is very well written and to my surprise makes a lot of sense and is not that unrealistic.

What really satisfied me was the cinematography in this series. I just wished that it would never end so I could watch these beautiful shots forever. The lighting in the most vulnerable and dynamic scenes inflamed my interest in those areas again.

ACTING / CAST 9.0
The story left aside, the acting is superb and I´m loving the tip-toeing in theatrical facial expressions, Sa-Ra (Kim Hi Eo Ra) taken as an example: The actress portrays a lot of histrionic reactions, most work done with her widely opened eyes. It undermines the traits of her character's personality, who has issues when it comes to identity and solid life. Her crazy facial expressions in her unstable and chaotic lifestyle just fit very well, without making things uncomfortable for me to watch acting-wise.

Song Hye Kyo´s (Moon Dong Eun) acting did not disappoint, she´s got the skills and talent to portray such a conflicted and deepest sorrowful, and from agony suffering woman. I don´t have to mention that her acting carries the series. On one hand, she is, of course, the main character but on the other hand, her acting is on-point. Every emotion she portrays is shown just in the right amount, making it even more stirring to watch.

The acting overall is very satisfying and pleasing to watch. There are a few exaggerations here and there, especially when it comes to Jae Joon. Despite his aggressive outbursts matching his choleric and inhumane nature and those exaggerations probably being a conscious choice of the director/ screenwriter to get its image stuck in the memories of the viewer, it felt a bit unnatural to me. (e.g.: when he met Ye Sol at the crosswalk)

MUSIC 8.0
I´m a fan of the intro, as well as the OSTs and songs that were chosen for this series. Most soundtracks set and fit the vibe of the series and I have no complaints about those.

REWATCH VALUE 7.0
Despite being a well-produced and written series, the triggers are very strong. It´s not an easy show to watch, especially when you know that Moon Dong Eun is one of many victims of bullying and the images and acts of inhumane violence against a schoolmate shown were hardly exaggerated.

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This is The Sign: TO WATCH

2023 and 2024 have shown to be such swoon-worthy years of LGBTQ+ Dramas from South East Asia. Episode by episode, series by series, they leave me baffled. Especially "The Sign" has been playing a big role in this immensely well-written and successful plotting.

Sometimes I’ve been just sitting there, pausing the drama and contemplating about my life and how a series can fuse all aspects and tropes I’d love to see displayed. I know that there are generally a lot of different and individual affinities, but this series has BLOWN MY MIND.

I am fond of this show, however, the trigger warnings are too soft. "The Sign" has brutal elements, therefore it should not be watched carelessly and it should also be less accessible for underage humans.

STORY/ PLOT 9.5:
The story has started strong but didn’t give away what this series by IdolFactory would be about just that easily. The portrayed story is a well-fused mixture of action, suspense, fantasy (mythology, paranormal activity) and, of course, a very gentle kiss of romance.

ACTING / CAST 9.0
We’ve come such a long way in micro-acting that I have hardly anything or anyone to criticize fiercely. I would say at most, it would be some of the supporting cast, some "over-expressive" ‘antagonists’ and Tack’s comic relief character Khem. But that’s just something that I thought of after a while, and over-expression is also a nice tool to carry the plot.

I was so invested in the story that my nerves were on a string, many characters came alive and their behaviour started to enlighten and annoy me. As a viewer, you often have a better insight into what’s happening, so it’s so nerve-wracking when characters seem to be so ignorant and oblivious to it. I mainly had my issues with Tharn when it came to the described obliviousness. EDIT: Everyone, not just Tharn, E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E ...

My all-time favourite cinematographic scene is the transition of Tharn´s grandmother in episode 11. That was next-level pleasing to the eye of a drama-obsessed viewer. I could argue that this is one of the most terrifically beautiful implementations of breathtaking cinematography I have seen in this genre for a long time.

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山海经：Fangs of Fortune’s Endlessly Burning Roots in The Ancient Classic

THE ORIGIN IN THE CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS
Unfortunately this very important detail is overlooked in many critical reviews.

Any kind soul who ever laid their eyes on the book(s) FoF is based on, called 山海经（ “The Classic of Mountains and Seas”），they will know how extremely utterly dark the content of the stories in there are; FoF only covered a handful of its stories/creatures. (We usually read texts in classical chinese, but there must be some translations online for you to do some research on and understand the root of FoF.)

I don’t even want to imagine how difficult it must have been to develop an entire script based on this ancient classic. Also to know which creatures, like the demons and their roots and nature, should be thematized; also the brainstorming of which plot could work in such a chaotic environment. My head starts spinning already even when I am just trying to come up with a coherent script for a capturing and comprehensive story evolving around the great 山海经.

Based on this information and what I have learned and read so far, I am truly impressed and will think about FANGS OF FORTUNE for a long time. The series has many deep and meaningful messages that it shares with the audience, which are not only inspired by the classic but also applicable to our everyday life. (f.e.: depression, guilt).


ACTORS; THEIR SCREENTIME
This one is frustrating. I enjoyed the acting itself A LOT, I’m a big enthusiast for vivid and expressive emotions, as they help to convey the feeling to me, who is part of a wider audience.

BUT the director really messed up the screentime of Neo and Dudu, which was needed to make FoF even more powerful in its writing. Here is where I want and have to deduct a few points because I don’t find it understandable to give such powerful characters such flawed scripts + that ending speed, just frustrating…- but fortunately the deep bonds and the acting saved this shortcoming somehow.


RECOMMENDATION
The implementation of the complex ancient classic stories and creatures is very much appreciated, but would I personally recommend it?

I highly recommend Fangs of Fortune to anyone who is interested in traditional chinese mythology and culture, as well as the highlight of a unique team growing into wiser and more skilled individuals, forming deep (!!!) bonds along the way.

Fangs Of Fortune is NOT recommended to anyone who is here for lighthearted action, a very present bittersweet romance and a happy ending.

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Misunderstandings - Life´s Usual Business

Coming across a deceiving lover in your life path can leave deep scars, whose roots are often too deep to ever entirely mend them. A love with this foundation, combined with misunderstandings and poor communication, hardly seems to have any chance for a healthy redemption. Why would you even want to hope for a redemption of such love? Maybe this Drama, acted out with great chemistry, can answer this by shedding light on different aspects of a failed past relationship.

I find "Business as Usual" intriguing in many ways, such as jumping right into Jin Hwan and Min Jun´s mess, highlighting the grudges and underlying issues with their unhealed past, and opening the doors for a second trial in love. And I think the point of critics is probably the speed at which they collide again, as it would be more natural to assume an even more slow-burning like redemption. I don´t believe there is such a thing as a "second love trial after one side got `deceived` in the first one, restart dating manual" - what I am trying to say is: I was not bothered by the speed of the plot. The scenes of vulnerability and root causes of the misunderstandings, however, could have been, for my taste, dragged out a little longer...

Moreover, I must add that I got captivated by the style of storytelling, in which both of their perspectives are presented with each episode, as if the viewers were invited to come to a conclusion of the story together with them.

The forces of attraction are undeniably hard to withstand; that is something that I would strongly agree with, as it isn´t usually a rational decision to be stuck in this kind of situation with somebody, especially when you´ve had your fair share of the miserably failed first trial of what can happen when you give in to the pull. You either have to have great willpower and self-confidence, or you should try to keep your distance and remain professional at all costs, which seems especially excruciating in a workplace that has you work side by side .... for days and weeks ....

However, I want to highlight the fact that obviously this is a work of fiction, and I would kindly recommend not trying to mend a past relationship with a seemingly deceiving and toxic person. What I want to say is that these kinds of plots tend to play down some of the crucial elements of reality, which is that it is far more complicated and impossibly narratable, and making sure you are taking care of your well-being is crucial -- I am personally not a big supporter of "do it for the plot" mindsets.

Overall, I am glad I invested my time in watching it, as it is eye-opening when it comes to the discourse of "Second Chance Love", and why it is or isn´t a good idea to try again. Also, the fact that sometimes there is more to the story of a person than we might assume to begin with, because we have a limited, writer controlled, view. The Chemistry between Seong Seung Ha and Chae Jong Hyeok is no joke either and another reason for you to dive into this short series.

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Family Storms and Struggles of Womanhood: A Riveting Drama Through the Ages

I´m still in tears after that last glorious scene -- so much depth and meaning -- I can´t exactly express how moved and captivated I am, words are not enough to express my admiration for the writers of THE GLORY ....

STORY 9.5 (POWER TO WOMEN!)
"THE GLORY" displays one of the most captivating family dramas that was ever written. I can´t name any plot holes, nor can I name an episode where I wasn´t stunned by the detailed storytelling. Especially the portrayal and focus on womanhood became very clear from the beginning, giving us a chance to see what life in ancient times might have looked like, to express that women should be autonomous. Even though the breakthroughs of the women in this drama are very unlikely to apply to the past, it´s still a bittersweet gift that was given to us.

Regarding the romance part: if someone entirely focuses on the part of an apparent romance, which would, imo, not live up to the power of this series - that´s the only reason I wouldn´t recommend it. BUT to me, the love story of Han Yan and Yun Xi was deeper and more romantic than many other modern love stories I have seen in the past, e.g.: Love Song in Winter. Han Yan and Yun Xi´s connection was so captivating, and it did not need any explicit scenes to express that. That´s one of my reasons to rate it so high, it´s a very deserved rating.

ACTING/CAST 9.0
I confidently assume that most viewers of this show wouldn´t argue about the acting of Cheng Du Ling (Zhuang Han Yan), Xin Yun Lai (Fu Yun Xi), Wen Zheng Rong (Ruan Xi Wen), Wang Yang (Zhou Ru Yin) and He Hong Shan (Zhuang Yu Shan) -- and many other actors. Convincing portrayal of characters in different crises.

I´ve found the female actors especially captivating in this drama. They made me sympathise with their struggles and pains, with their love and hatred. I was truly moved by the performance of Wen Zheng Rong, who played Han Yan´s mother, Ruan Xi Wen. It´s remarkable to portray such a deeply troubled and complicated character.

Also, the power that Chen Du Ling gave to Zhuang Han Yan. I don´t think anyone can argue with me on the acing of her performance.

MUSIC 9.0
This is a rare one for me, because I get captivated by soundtracks on that level. But the soundtrack that was written for Han Yan and Xi Wen deeply moves me and is my favorite OST of this series. I also liked the usage and implementation of the soundtracks for shady schemed scenes, or unfolding epic plots.


OVERALL 9.0
I am very grateful for any minute that I used to watch THE GLORY thoroughly. It made me grateful for the privileges that I have as a woman raised in middle Europe, who had access to education, was allowed to express myself colorfully, and not depend on the decision of men, etc.

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WOMANHOOD: Ancient Stories, Timeless Struggles

SI JIN vividly portrays the heart-rending struggles of women in ancient times. Amidst a backdrop where women’s autonomy was often overlooked, Yu Qi stands out. He respects the authority women should hold over their own lives. Alongside Jiang Si, he helps them seek justice.

The series features several cases of “unhappy marriages,” trapping women in seemingly hopeless situations. Mothers and daughters were frequently not taken seriously, treated merely as objects or tools for social advancement. Some resorted to harming other mothers and daughters to protect themselves or seek revenge, while others protected others at great personal cost. There were also women so indoctrinated that they were too afraid to stand up for their fellow females. However, some were still steadfast in their pursuit of justice, despite the consequences they might face themselves.

While SI JIN was strong in displaying the struggles of womanhood and violent grievances, love entanglements were still evident and contributing to the overall perception of the TV drama. I could have appreciated a little more screen time of love, but GIVEN THE FRAMEWORK AND THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY of struggles that was aimed for, I respect their decision not to focus too much on romance.

ACTING 9.5
Jing Tian adeptly captures Jiang Si’s vulnerability, making the audience empathize with her character's plight. After her rebirth, Jiang Si becomes as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath. Jing Tian masterfully depicts this transformation, especially in the scenes where she outwits her aunt; almost every glance and gesture exudes intelligence and determination.

Zhang Wan Yi‘s role was to my very liking as well. He portrays Yu Qi, a complex character who is a blend of warmth, respect, and scepticism. He treats people with consideration, showing respect for the rights of others and a genuine concern for their feelings, which makes him a likable character.

I‘d also be able to write many more paragraphs about each main and side character, as I think they are all well-written and unyieldingly imperfect. Especially for characters like Aunt Xiao and Royal Princess, the performances of these two characters were truly stunning. They were more than just „evil“. The Writer(s) made me understand their struggles and the misbeliefs that led their paths to become so crooked.

MUSIC 8.5
I downloaded some of the songs on Spotify and also added them to a playlist. I‘d say that’s enough of a sign to argue that the music was well composed and catching. I especially liked: „有生之年" by 叶炫清

Despite some minor flaws, I find this story truly unique and therefore can´t personally agree with the harsh dislike.

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Circumventing Censorship: Daring Approach in Love

What seems to be another frantic attempt to enter the rising game of elite LGBTQIA+ series, turns out to be a complete game-changer. Not only does it leave my chinese studies brain - who also just came back from studying in China for one year - completely scattered with questions of how can a series this vivid be produced in nowadays China; but also the (voice) acting and superior editing left me without doubt that this will be one, if not THE game-changer of the year 2025.

Bringing such a series to life, given all the circumstances and hidden legal pathways, is kind of like a modern wonder. It´s creating visibility for possibilities that many had long given up on, me included. It´s mind altering to be proven otherwise.

STORY 7.5 >> 8.0
While it´s arguable that the story in itself has a very fresh humorous and catchy general vibe, I think in parts it´s still too sophiasticated to be exceeding story-wise. It´s like the series does an excellent job in themathizing the morally questioable - slightly diabolical - fantasies; and maybe THAT exactly could be the argument why the story is good: It´s great in conveying this genre, but the genre itself doesn´t have as much depth in writing than other series of the same orientation.

However, as someone who´s studied Chinese for years REVENGED LOVE can be a hilarious, yet breathtaking experience.

ACTING / CAST 9.0
Now we´re talking game-changing: The production crew of this series has made many right decisions, of which two make the series particularly unique: the AUDIO and the CINEMATOGRAPHY. Holy Lord.

Casting Zi Yu and Tian Xu Ning as the main cast is a great foundation for a succesful project. These two were able to act out exactly those little details and exaggerations which make the show exciting to watch. You can argue that they could have made this series equally successful without adding any explicity. From the main cast to the guest cast, each one seems to fullfill their duty well of portraying their character, let alone the chemistry that keeps you hooked to your seat. Combined with the visual effects created by the cinematography and editing teams, this series well deserves the hype.

Special credits should be given to the voice of Chi Cheng, Wang Bao Shun 王保顺 . I´m convinced his voice - especially the sound effects of his breathing and little giggles - are playing into a significant part of why REVENGED LOVE has reached such a wide degree of attention. The audio and sound effects, which are vivid and game changing, are precisely utilized to keep the viewers hooked. And. it. works.

MUSIC 9.0
Inarguably one of the best choices of music we could´ve asked for. Not too over the top, but melodical and suitable enough to not lift the attention, but intensivy the entire experience.

OVERALL 8.5 >> 9.0
Daring. Full of Courage. Unique. Fresh and Catchy. Revenged Love. Enjoyed it while it lasted.

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YOU MATTER - An Oportuniy to Reflect on Oneself and the World

I highly recommend watching this series, especially if you have been struggling with mental health or don´t know much about the daily lives of those struggling. However, I´d also make sure that you have someone to talk to while watching this series, as the topics are really heavy and serious and may trigger you.

I have already acknowledged many of the reviews for "Daily Dose of Sunshine" and I think that most writers share the same opinion: This series offers more than just entertainment. It opens the door to a world that is usually (purposely) hidden from most. A door that shouldn´t be forced shut, but unfortunately is in many areas of the world. Mental Health is a topic that necessarily has to be brought up in schools and any faculties. Educating about how important self-care and empathy are in a world like this seems about time to be implemented in every section of life.

This is also one of the reasons that made me like "Daily Dose of Sunshine" so much. They have portrayed several serious and not so uncommon occuring mental illnesses from both the professional outside, as well as the personal inside. I´m sure the writers and the entire set of people have done their best to give an insight on several topics of high importance, while also offering a slight bit of comic relief with the lore of Dr. Dong. As someone struggling with mental health for more than half of my life, this series made me feel more certain in continuously upgrading and adapting my self-care routines.

I´m truly thankful for everyone who made "Daily Dose of Sunshine" happen. Especially airing it at a time when the temperatures usually drop and the weather shifts, which results in unstable/ affected persons feeling more drained and down, this series is a major gift in entertainment, education, and AWARENESS.

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