Kasia Krakowianka

what a waste of really good idea

I am not happy about this drama because it really did not deliver. The beginning of the story has flashbacks to the modern times and ancient times but that is all. Nothing included in the plot, nothing explained. And the same flashbacks at the end. Like what the fudge??? I like both actors in lead but their story, even though it had a great potential, really was neither here nor there. The FL character was written like an imbecile, which I had a problem with because she could have been a much better one, but alas, this low budget thingy did not give us any chance to really care for the people in it. The villain was wooden and straight from cartoons. The 2ML was such a powerful presence yet completely underutilized. The 2nd couple was actually really cute, but then the whole cat demon thingy was reduced to a caricature. I am not sure if it deserves 7 points but I am writing this because after that bait beginning (with the leads on the motorcycle and in republican China which was awesome) I am left with "really??? what did I just watch???". If this was an inside joke of the makers of previous dramas with these actors, then it was really poorly executed and did not entice me to watch any of them. How would we even know that there were other dramas about this couple???
The screen writer and director need to go back to the drawing board and make it consistent story telling of two lovers across the time who sacrifice themselves for the sake of showing others that love between humans and demons is possible.

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why to watch and why to skip this 仙侠

I was sitting on the fence about watching it, but Zhang Jing Yun is such an eye candy and a pretty good actor that I could not pass. So that is the first reason for my watching.
The plot was predictable and typical for short xianxia (仙侠) so that was the first reason for not wanting to watch. There were 2 songs in OST that boosted my interest, but the overuse of generic music borrowed from the short drama stock drove me nuts (2nd reason to skip). The cruel villain overdoing facial expression and a couple playing with the Fate Mirror were the 3rd reason to not watch.
But then the magic happened.
The chemistry between the leads is there (2nd reason to watch), costumes and decor pretty-even if tacky at times (3rd reason to watch). The story of two people trying to figure things out and sticking to each other like a glue - that is 4th reason for watching. Happy ending is the 5th one.
3:5 in favor of watching.
In a complete reversal of the grand Chinese tradition to slow the pace halfway through (boring) and botched ending this drama flipped the order. The beginning seemed botched and boring and then it really went flying. I liked how they showed the summary of reincarnations in ep 23. And I definitely liked the ending.
To be honest - I am emotionally vested into this because of how the leads made me feel - all warm and fuzzy inside, so I would give them 7.75-8 but all things considered this will most likely never go higher than 7.7

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Tropey but with solid characters and the story that will keep you watching

Who should not watch this: since this is a transmigration story anyone with aversion to modern people getting into ancient times and trying to be smarter than the history (and failing) will frown upon it. Anyone who is not fond of 'enemies to lovers' stuff particularly when lead couple consummates without even being sure they truly love each other (but there is chemistry and enough to shield your phone if you are watching it on public transportation). Very honest and morally unambivalent people will cringe at FL conspiring against her own father and dynasty (and leading ML on even though she only needs him to accomplish her goal of getting out of there) and ML faking affection to take revenge on Fl's father/family.

On the other hand, FANS OF HEI ZE FLOCK HERE!!! He again delivered his great skill and charm for everybody to savor. This is the right drama for someone who does not mind things not going according to the plan, women having fun with multiple guys and flirting without any thought of commitment (and being the one who initiates!), anyone who loves women's lib topics and watching failures of the leads in trying to go against traditions, circumstances and other people's power.

The story is simple, but the synopsis does not capture the magnitude of the plot: the modern woman is Emperor's beloved daughter who (even if she is capable of taking the throne instead of her brother) is still pushed around by males in her family and experiences what it means to be a woman in those days- even if as a princess. This is not some morality filled boring historical romance, but nicely played, shot and edited story of multiple characters, all with depth and background stories (which is hardly done in short dramas), peppered with profound one-liners of wisdom or fun, and shock from twists and turns that are hard to predict if you don't keep track of all small things, events, tertiary people in the story. Everything counts. Can't watch at 1.25x!

I enjoyed it very much from the start mostly because the current 7.0 rating and some comments posted here made me think that it was not a trendy release. And I love anything off the beaten path. I have to say: for a year and a half old (since release) cdrama I am surprised there was no review, so I am posting this with hope that more people will see it. Like this year's other stories that show couples who work together, communicate openly and plows through obstacles without sacrificing themselves - this was at least 8 for me and given seamless editing and great ending I will probably increase it.

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What an incredibly complex story!!!!

I read the synopsis and saw who is playing and that was enough to start watching. But this miniseries was really surprising in what content it offered along with hidden identity characters and ahm... kissing and other hot bodies scenes. I will not try to give you the plot because there would be enough to keep you reading for 20 minutes but believe me - this one has everything and some!
The best parts:
*The actors are very eye catching, playing their hearts out. All of them!
*The plot gets you through a roller coaster of emotions because in 24 episodes you watch all possible options of what could go wrong and right with the revenge plan delivered by at least 3 people. Including brothel performer with zero power becoming royal consort and the prince being dropped from the top place in the royal hierarchy to the position of a slave. Trying to figure out who to root for and what to hope for at whichever point of the drama (given the knowledge of the motives of all characters at that moment) was part of this wild ride.
* Characters as written are in itself a treat. It's hard to tell who the good guy is and why, because all throughout the series you get jaw dropping disclosures and surprises. Heck, even toward the end you still get that sinking feeling in the stomach as the screen writer does not care about our expectations and takes no prisoners (figuratively speaking). The final discovery is not so shocking, but you still feel like it was coming since the beginning and was well hidden even though you get the sense of who the villain could be early on (you just don't know exactly why, and the target shifts a couple of times). But you will get a lovely romance and a couple triangles of love along with second leads. Characters are pretty much set and not changing, just revealing a bit more of their personalities, secrets and hidden agendas.
*OST was fitting the mood and well developed. A few instrumental pieces were actually better than songs.

Shortcomings:
*Honestly, it took me a long time to finish this not only because Mango TV channel was not always tuning in for me and YT version of Mango TV produced really bad translation of the drama with awfully chopped version with no opening or ending credits, but I had to put a lot of energy towards figuring out what is who saying due to delayed/sped up translation not synchronized with the scenes. Hopefully you will watch a better version and rate it higher.
*What I did not appreciate was the ease with which the people in the story were easily fooled, swayed or turned against their loved ones, even if for short period of time, thank God.
*I joked that half of the budget went to the red paint and person splashing it at actors faces.
*Sometimes scenes were mainly for our viewing enjoyment ie kisses, bedroom and bath interludes not really adding to the story or our understanding of the characters. You will see plenty of long loving glances as well as passionate glares and close ups. Chemistry? Ah, not consistent because of the plot, but there is teasing and seduction.
*it got rather tedious with every new turn in the story line after ep 18 - I was getting tired of the ups and downs and just wanted them to be together and happy but must say it kept my interest to the last moment.

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local chronicle of the worst parts of Ming Dynasty living

If you are a survivor of childhood abuse, you may want to skip this or get ready to be triggered.
Historical drama and not a romance, but love is here, left and right, and wrong. And mystery. And frustration.
There are a few ways to describe this show. The most capturing is a great quiet love story between two mature adults who want to be together (long gazes, shy holding hands and trying to be where the other one is) as well as a love story of a rich and handsome guy who is ready to throw away his family honors and fortune to be with the low status woman he adores, and we can see where her heart starts to quicken! On the third hand 😂this is a story of obsession (not love) that schemes, manipulates and abuses in the name of a higher emotional "fate-driven" entitlement! All wrapped in intelligence of the FL, upright nature of a stoic ML, charms of carefree looker boy SML who stands by his lady, while we cringe at the presence and the smirk of the villain with his fingers in everything.
This is also a frustrating investigative drama following minor yamen cases and the past secrets and mysteries of local residents with power struggle amongst prefectural dignitaries with a few of greedy merchants and stuck-up scholars mixed in.

This drama is a spellbinding story of lower- or middle-class people who struggle with maintaining their morality and staying afloat. You get FL who avoids attention and favors, and even love, while using her gender assigned attributes to keep alive, because that gives her a chance to maybe uncover the secret of her parent's death or someone's misery, and to contribute to giving the world a bit of hope and justice because she is a woman who perseveres by bending rather than breaking - without losing her integrity. You get a sobering sense of how little power most people had in setting own life and how much manipulation they endured which yielded sorrow, disappointment and resignation.

I liked how the drama was made - you don't get awesome color palette, breathtaking views, opulent interiors and frilly costumes as life here is harsh in general unless you are nobility or hold higher office. You don't get swooning females, sword-handling cavaliers professing their love with dimples and receiving eye lid flutters with smiled kisses. You don't get larger than life characters fighting with spiritual powers and heroes who save the day.

Really good script not aiming at dazzling us with cleverness of the yamen investigators, solid characters that slowly reveal what their dilemmas are, great camera work around slightly claustrophobic set and good editing (the director used mini-drama tricks to make this full-length series flow almost effortlessly and move us from one part to another without much unnecessary filler delays). Perfect musical framing. Actors picked for their acting styles and ability to embody the characters.
Unfortunately, after watching the whole series I had to keep my rating low because of anticlimactic and underwhelming ending. Something happened after ep 31 where the script and the story line became weak and the explanation behind what happened in ep36 are completely missing.

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A lovely low budget romance with a great plot and great chemistry, and lot of kisses with OE

Nine Lives Reunion!!! Imagine an orphan raised and trained as an assassin by her godfather who now sets on revenge. In the process she is married off to her childhood friend whom she does not recognize but who still loves her and actually helps her realize the truth behind the events that left her parents dead. But, the villain seems a step ahead of the couple, so no matter how they try to fix the past and how many times they die and loop back to the time of their first encounter as adults - the fate just dishes up surprise after surprise including her killing the man who loves her, her not remembering him at all, her marrying another dude, him abandoning her to fix everything on his own, etc.! You will be amazed by the story and even if overall this is just a cute and simple romance with time loops and limited number of lives of the leads, you are in for a great development of feelings for the characters that are played rather well. This drama reminded me of Reset (and BTW Liu Zhi Li, ML, played support role in it!) but it delivers more sweet moments of getting close and reuniting of the two lovers all dosed in great kissing! Sure, there are some idiotic moments and shortcuts that do not aide anything, plus that open ending yikes! And the translation on IQIYI was rather bad or missing, but you will easily fill in the gaps and enjoy it. AND this is a gem if you are looking for great looking making out scenes, you will not be disappointed - just check out the ep 10. The lead actors have great chemistry and fit together very well. They both have some good performances under their belts at this point (Strange Princess and Echo of her Voice; Startling Love with amazing cross dressing! and even Moonlight Mystique) and I do hope will have more roles that utilize their fresh and natural acting. OST is appropriately placed and adds to the experience. The on-location feel lends itself to making it an 8/10 although open ending and the secondary romance dropped it for me to 7.5

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A predictable plot with okay acting but one hell of the message in ep 18!

I will not give too much of what the story is about because it's nothing new. What I will praise this for (and that is the main reason for giving this 8/10) is the ep 18 handling of incredibly harsh event and its aftermath. Hats off to the screenwriter for creating this powerhouse of an episode. If you don't want to know - skip this, but if you want to check for yourself - just watch ep 18.
As a trauma therapist I can only say that any woman who has been sexually assaulted could benefit from watching it. True, not every woman would have killed her rapist (and I do not condone killing, honorary or for revenge), but I am stressing both the heroine's and her man's reactions to the event. And how they acted it out. Well, maybe if he was less pushing for the kissing at the end, I would have given it 8.5). This is why the weak plot and mediocre acting overall are forgiven. Unlike what we could see in Love and Bid Farewell (where I questioned the fact of having no redeeming value in showing the rape) this gives us something to ponder on.
I liked the colors, costumes and decorations, but like many viewers disliked the face make up of FL. I liked the cute interactions between them although I must say it was typical modern girl with pseudo-historical man and completely goofy dad. We got what the audience likes in these shorter dramas, incl. evil prince, although I believe that there was no resolution of the FL's transmigration in the first place.
And as always with c drama - alas, the title has nothing to do with the plot.
Would I watch it again? If not in the entirety, then just to share the wisdom in ep 18.

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Completely silly and fun. An absolute must watch for the fans of Wang Ze Xuan

I really enjoyed the story of a modern spunky girl bumping into the consciousness of a meek ancient boy. The silliness and lightness of the scenes are hard not to enjoy, but you have to watch it tongue in cheek otherwise you will be dropping this. We have a clever girl enjoying the ride while taking charge of the meek massage master at a male bathhouse - you can tell where this is going, right? Well, the twist is: to get back to her life she needs to make the ML marry the princess of whom he has been hopelessly dreaming about. Of course, the things get complicated when the boy and the girl fall in love inside of his mind...
Cheng Fang Tong is a master of comedies, but she is pretty versatile. If you have not had a chance to watch Wang Ze Xuan before -this role was really a showcase of his talents. A Yi Xia although her role was rather poorly written did a marvelous job of being a proud princess. There is some eye candy with bare chests, but I really enjoyed the range of acting by the ML as he went from a pushover awkward boy to a loud and bossy girl, through a man terrified of the things that are happening to him, and recognizing and missing his love, to a man sacrificing himself in the name of that love and his beloved. I watched him in A Familiar Stranger and Hard to Find, and believe he is a great talent worthy of main roles in full length dramas. And even if this was not an ambitious production, I am giving it a high mark for that reason.

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weak character in a gloomy/melancholic story with disappointing ending

Not often do I see ML purposely portrayed as a weak or indecisive benevolent person who is being forced into another person's will but DOES NOT show that heroic determination to overcome his shortcomings. In most cases we see hero's journey from one characteristic to something different, but here ML stays the same.
This was underwhelming overall effort to show something but what - I have hard time to determine
Honestly the best part was ep 1 and 2 where I loved two virgins drugged and intimate and trying to figure out what to do with themselves. But after that - the FL remains the least expressive, which suits her characterization but makes the story boring. Likewise, ML actor did a great job playing wilted flower of disfranchised emperor. The royal brother was played well, but royal uncle meh. I really really liked the side story of the Empress but the ending was bleak and we are left with sad reinforcement of the old feudal rules regarding women, rape, pregnancy, shame and such.
I am moving on to watch Mission of the Heart where Meng En is another lead. Perhaps that one will be better.

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Is there even a need for a review on this??? Do not watch beyond ep 41

First 40 episodes contain a seductions fest with funny and cute moments both explicit and suggestive. This deserves 7-7.5 maybe. But....
Next 20 episodes contain mostly dumbassery mixed with humiliation and cruelty toward FL. Not a pretty picture.
Last 20 episodes are regrets, grandiose delusions and attempts to right the wrong otherwise known as boring fest.
I think they came up with the idea of two souls in one body to pay for one less actress. Seriously, there was no earthly reason for putting that idea in the script as it was completely underutilized and could have been done with two actors playing two characters. Why would they do the two souls is beyond my understanding.
I was in the office with so many cancellations that every other hour I was bored to death and started watching it - now regretting not going to a dentist or something, which would have had at least some health value.
I give 1 star to mutants that should not have seen the light of the day and die on its own without anyone witnessing it.
PS
Feel sorry for the actors to have to "play" in something like that.

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You know the genius when you see it

A stunningly beautiful production with great idea for the "plot" seamless masterful editing and content that will blow your mind. This short gem tells a "story" of human experience, emotions and entrapment from which we can free ourselves. I found this moving, inspiring and hopeful. Honestly, after seeing another mini drama by this director, I knew this was going to be great, but the final effect was absolutely fantastic.
It is hard to describe what you will get/enjoy about this movie as it all depends on who you are, what is your lifetime experience and level of personal growth/sense of meaning. I have not seen a movie of that magnitude in a while.
You are not losing much by watching - maybe 20 minutes of your 'now', but I guarantee this will stay with you, no matter what you rate it.

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Nice story but nothing to fall in love with

So the general's daughter Bai Chu meets a boy Lin Yu when she is very young. They are sweet on each other, but lost track of one another after boy does not show up for the mutually agreed meeting. Later on, a similar encounter happens between them, but this time the young man is in a predicament - he serves one of royal princes as his double or Shadow (hence the title Substitute). The royal sons Qi and Chen fight for the title of the Crown Prince and Lin Yu's sentiment for Bai Chu and common history is used by his employer to get general's backing via marriage with Bai Chu. Except, the prince is sickly and really not interested in the girl, so he sends his double to act as the prince. Chu and Yu are in love, but the prince knows that he will be assassinated, and Yu will have to pay the ultimate price for having a face identical to the prince. But the prince gives him a choice - marry the girl he likes and become the next Crown Prince or die in prince's place on the wedding day. As Bai Chu interacts with both men, not aware of the truth, she is both puzzled and elated that her childhood sweetheart is so cold and yet marrying her.
The wedding day comes and not only a man wearing the wedding gown is killed by the ruthless villain prince Qi, but also Chu's parents. The question we ask ourselves is: who really died? The prince or his guard? and the consequences are dire as revenge is necessary. What will happen now? The girl goes to train as an assassin for a year in Ghost Valley (not sure why she could not stick with poisons which she already knew), but she sucks at it even though she is sent to gather the evidence to prove the evil deeds of prince Qi, who has been grounded since his brother's wedding by the emperor. Bai Chu knows that a man died in her arms on her wedding day, so she is bewildered by the news that her husband has been recuperating in the palace this past year because his wound festers from the poison. And then she tries to steal the evidence from the man who OMG! looks like her dead husband! Ta-da!

This is a familiar trope of fated relationship and ultimate sacrifice - I am not giving away the ending, so if you are afraid of pain and sorrow, you just have to wait until someone will give away the spoiler. Or watch and have an epiphany.
This title was not on MDL until yesterday and I actually had to add it. After it appeared on IQIYI a few weeks ago I watched it right away because I just wanted to see Liang Xue Feng in another lead role (loved him as Young Master Hua in My Journey to You and was tracking his acting ability in 3 other series this year). While not disappointed with his acting, I thought the script and characters were blah. PLEASE no more villains who laugh like they perform in high school production of Wicked. On the other hand, Wang Ze Xuan, the crazy female-like prince from Hard to Find or the obsessed prince from A Familiar Stranger, is also here! And darn ! he plays well. FL is not bad, I have not seen her in other productions. OST is waltzy, which always lends itself to emotional support.

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The best contemporary story of urban life in China

The best contemporary story of urban life in China. Real characters, adult relationships, lovely music, breathtaking shots of Beijing and an amazing close up of ugliness of business side of life (corporate scheming!). A poignant review of various social issues so common all over the world, incl. gender, economic and generational gaps, with smart, but vulnerable men and women, downplayed in the way that delivers without making you feel like you are watching propaganda. Instead, we get to watch from a hidden place how China has changed in the past 25 years and experience with the characters a small slice of life that this existence carries for us. Excellent casting. Great directing and editing. I loved cinematography as it fed into my longing for the real China, the one I experienced in person and not via silly cdramas. Comparable only to My Liberation Notes and Go Ahead.

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This was released 2 weeks before the murder of Yu Meng Long

I did not know that I am going to see something like that just a month after Yu Meng Long's murder. A story of a lovely actor who faces wrongs done to others (mostly girls) and standing up to big wigs on their behalf. A story of a top idol who does not back away from facing the critique of his fans for getting engaged/married. A man who is humiliated by hateful people but still comes out clean and without losing his integrity, dignity and compassion.

I am not saying this is the story of the murder of a famous actor, but what the life of actors looks like given the industry. And if something like that can be still showed in VD, no wonder CCP is trying to crack up on it.

I appreciated open commentary and showing with accuracy who is doing the wrong thing: starting with big shots, through hateful and morally weak individuals to brainless, media-fed petty mob/general public - all making the life of a star miserable,

While tropey and predictable, this was done wright - with human dignity upheld high and chemistry bubbling, steaming and exploding. I am giving this 8 even though it was nothing new, but like I said - this was done right.

I bet that if you are looking for romance with sexy scenes you would not expect the script this loaded with moral content. And I bet that if you give it a try you will not only enjoy it but also ponder on the cruelty and greed that comes with power - something that 72% of humanity lives under as of today.

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Masterfully underplayed heart-felt love with crime investigations and more

Presumably at the behest of Empress Dowager Cixi (who else can China make a scapegoat for the end of Qing dynasty unrest with paranormal elements?) a member of royal lineage of little importance follows a "supernatural" girl and her Big Dipper/Seven Star Lamp that supposedly can grant the E.D. immortal life. Discovering that the prince and the emotionless woman can enter the dreams of dying people to fulfill their final wishes they embark on debunking what looks like the works of ghosts, spirits and demons the pair (and a resident of said lamp that these two can see) move toward the resolution and - their doom. The love is of the melancholy type, but it is not the center of the plot. In fact, neither are the leads. Each case they unravel gives us complex stories - human and societal- with top notch artists playing their hearts out. For some reason there is little info on the supporting actors, but I tell you - each person on screen is embodying their characters and playing to our viewing content. The intrigue is OK, tropes predictable, but the final result is really good. A very good watch and nice directing, editing and music.
This production has very similar mood to Under the Moonlight (but we get much better romance here than in UtM and no stupid ML!) and we get the old c-dramas feel of innocence and propriety with grittiness like that in Riverside Code at Qingming Festival (but with concise, not as rich slice of life as RCaQF delivered).

Call me crazy, but I thought that this ending (like the beautiful one in The Love Story of the Oiled Paper Umbrella with Yu Meng Long) was fitting. Loved to watch them fall in love and if the alternative title was to be bestowed, I would have chosen "Flutter of the heart" for the first love reunited-and proving us and the leads wrong about the supernatural, because after all magic can happen in this world!

PS
Personally, I gave it 9 even though I know most people will be ticked that this is definitely a set up for S2. Which I am counting on!

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