Bali

Love Scenery (2024) is a very good romance miniseries with a cast that did very well bringing their characters to life. The drama has an evil antagonist and an opportunist that are creating chaos on the leads’ life but everything gets resolve quickly and nothing shakes the leading couple’s resolve to be together. The male lea, Wang Nan as Huo Yu Xuan, and the female lead, Zuo Yi as Song Shi Ning, have a great playful and romantic chemistry. Although the ending is playful between the leading couple, it has passed five years and they have a family together. There’s an unnecessary twist at the end that, unless there’s a second season, it’s worthless. Putting that aside, the drama is quite entertaining, enjoy it!

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Passionate Love (2024) is the somewhat disturbing and fascinating love story of the leading couple, Lu Lin Feng (played by Zhen Zi Qi) and Lin Wan (played by Quan Rui). Their contract relationship is base on a misunderstanding but both of them can’t help it and they fell in love with each other. even though neither one expressed it until they were about to break up for good when she is being forced to marry his nephew. This story and, especially the leading couple, deserved a full run drama; the plot is well written and the main cast did a wonderful job bringing their characters to life. What sets this drama apart, regardless of some disturbing issues in their relationship, is the fact that Zhen Zi Qi and Quan Rui performed their roles magnificently and they have a mesmerizing, passionate, and beautiful chemistry. Their most dramatic scene at 1 hour and 33 minutes into the drama is heartbreaking and breathtaking. Although some supporting cast acting was subpar, overall, this drama is great! Enjoy it!

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A Journey to Love is one of the best wuxia productions that, even if the screenwriter, producer, and director turned delusional in the last eight minutes of the grandiose last episode, it does not take away from the fact that it is one of the best period legend dramas in matters of cinematography, costumes, writing, and a strong, smart, and passionate cast that has one of the best written dynamics in complex human interactions. This drama is fast paced and due to the fact that it has multiple leading characters, there’s never a dull moment. The audience is pulled into the plot and gets totally invested in the main characters and some great supporting characters as well. Although the plot deals with revenge and justice seeking themes, the story is really a beautiful and bittersweet tale about friendship, loyalty, romance, and the fine line between what is right or wrong in order to achieve justice. The main cast did an excellent job bringing their complex and ambivalent characters into life. And lets talk a bit about the extraordinary leading couple; the strong, smart, stiff, and frigid female assassin Ren Ru Yi / Ren Xin (played by Liu Shi Shi) an the intelligent, enigmatic, and resolute strategist Ning Yuan Zhou (played by Liu Yu Ning) which met by coincidence and found themselves working together for mutual benefits and, in the process of leading Wu's State's escort delegation to save the King of Wu who has been taken hostage by the State of An, formed a partnership based on mutual respect and understanding that leads to a steadfast and beautiful love story. SPOILER ALERT:
Now to the end, what were they thinking? This is one of the rare dramas in which a tragic ending is written in a beautiful and mesmerizing way making it clear to the audience that the leading couple gave their all, saved many lives, and fulfilled their promise to live and die together. [After sustaining multiple injuries, the leading man was pierced all around his waist by nine spears, all at the same time, with blood gushing out while she says in despair: “You broke your promise again.” Then the leading lady goes to the Beipan enemy encampment, gathers all the leaders in a tent and, as she killed the Prince, she closes her eyes and, in her thoughts, she says: “Yanzhou. You’re gone. It’s too lonely for me… in the world.” Then she immediately throws two of Yuan Lu’s bombs and the tent bursts into flames following the blast.] So, why giving the audience the implausible ideas that they survived, had children, and are living their dreamed life? How ridiculous!!!!! If the audience stops at the 40 minute mark of the last episode before they announced: [Ten or so years later], it will avoid ending up scratching its head, in disbelief!

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“Wonderland of Love” is a great romance drama set in a historical period. The drama is an adaptation of the novel written by Fei Wo Si Cun, the pen name of the popular Chinese writer Ai Jingjing, original creator of “Good Bye, My Princess”. Wonderland of Love is really a masterpiece with a fantastic cast that masterfully brought their characters to life. This drama has a solid plot with great entertainment value, there are great action scenes, aesthetically pleasing cinematography , well placed sounds that adds depth and realism to the drama as well as a beautiful OST that helps convey the emotions of the actors and their actions. The leading couple, Xu Kai (as Li Ni / Shiqi Lang) and Jing Tian (as Cui Lin / A Ying) are a force to be reckoned with. Their characters are equally supplemented with artful intelligence and strategic schemes, great combat skills, strong mental and emotional bond, and a fantastic chemistry. Their
playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks, the way that they understood each other, and their steadfast love was delivered beautifully throughout the drama. The drama would not have been as great if it was not also that the supporting cast (friends and antagonists) was phenomenal. If there is one thing to complain, for romance lovers, is that the leading’s couple romantic scenes takes always ended up with distant camera shots and angles. Still, Xu Kai and Jing Tian manage to delivers some heartbreaking and heart fluttering scenes that made the intensity of their love realistic. Overall, this drama is extraordinary, enjoy it!

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The Love That You Give Me is a fantastic romantic comedy! The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple had a magnificent chemistry, from their antagonizing moments to their rekindled romance, Xin Qi (played by Wang Zi Qi) and Min Hui (played by Wang Yu Wen) delivered a realistic performance of a young couple working to understand each other and growing closer as they learned each other’s struggles ans desires about love, careers, and commitment. This drama has a child character that is a great actor, Cui Yi Xin (played Min Quan Quan, the leading couple’s son). This drama really brings out all sorts of emotions and the characters, especially the leading couple, had significant character growth. Overall, this drama is a great production that truly gives the audience some good comedic moments and a steadfast and heartwarming romance. Enjoy it!

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Lighthearted, refreshing, and fun!

Wrong Carriage Right Groom is such a great, invigorating, and fun romantic comedy. The plot is full of intrigue that gives both leading couples the opportunity to showcase their strengths and their steadfastness toward each other. Although the first leading couple’s (Li Yu Hu and Qi Tian Le) storyline has an insufferable antagonist, their relationship and the ways that they support each other are really nice and refreshing to watch. The second leading couple’s (Du Bing Yan and Yuan Bu Qu) relationship, although a bit more toned down because of their roles and personalities, develops naturally and is very nice to see them work together and remain faithful to their committed love for each other. The plot also includes other interesting characters and couples that are nice and interesting to watch. The couples have great chemistry and, even though their intimate scenes are not torridly passionate, the actors did well showing their love and care for each other. Overall, this drama is a breath of fresh air set in a historical setting with very likable characters and a fun storyline. Enjoy it!

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This is a great and very entertaining fictional saeguk. Although there is a romantic storyline that, even if it is not a blazing romance, it is beautiful to see how Yi Hwan (the Crown Prince) falls for Min Jae Yi, and vice versa, while holding back because of all the constrains that keep them from acting up upon their romantic feelings. Nevertheless, they are both intelligent strong minded characters with a great sense of justice and righteousness that prevails throughout the entire drama. It is great to see them together as they navigate through everything that the antagonists throw at them. Although this drama centers on these two main characters, the plot is more about a group of people that truly care, trust, and support each other as they fight to uncover the truth and bring down the evildoers. The cast did a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life and the drama has a great deal of substantial characters beside the leading couple. One to mentions is Han Sung On (Sergeant, Jaeyi's fiancé, Yi Hwan's close friend) amazingly portrayed by Yoon Jong Seok. Enjoy it!

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This is a very good wuxia adaptation based on the third edition of the novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber by Jin Young. This drama has great special effects and it is packed with great action scenes; it gives the viewer revenge plots, two devious and willful women as the leading ladies, a righteous male lead character (Zhang Wuji) that is too naïve for his own good but, with the help of Zhao Min, he becomes more assertive by the end of the drama. Although the drama is also under the romance genre, don’t expect the romantic plot to come with a thunderbolt. Although there is a developing love triangle and lots of misunderstanding stemming from Zhang Wuji emotional immaturity and naiveté, the romantic chemistry is not there. The last episodes are rushed and the ending, although it is a happy one, is very anticlimactic. Even so, the drama is entertaining if the viewer is not expecting a great romance.

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Dali and the Cocky Prince is a fantastic drama with a great fusion of humor, melodrama, mystery, and a very nice and flawless romantic storyline. The leading couple has great chemistry and their characters developed a love that is steadfast and charming. Everything in this drama has been done methodically with a lot of attention to detail. The dialogue is intelligent, witty, quirky, funny, and, many times, mesmerizing. Cinematography, costumes, and setting together comprise a work of art that appeals to all the senses. Great used of artistically canvassing the end of every episode as if each one of them is a piece of art showcased in a gallery. To say more about this drama in detail would be to spoil it. Watch and enjoy a really great drama!

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This review is for both “One and Only” and “Forever and Ever” dramas but the rating is different:
One and Only
This drama is really a masterpiece, almost flawless, if it would not be for the poor acting skill and expressions of one of the most significant antagonists, actor Wang Xing Yue as Liu Zi Xing. The production gives the viewer gorgeous costumes, dazzling sets, great cinematography, a leading couple that doesn’t need intimacy to immerses the viewer and evokes beautiful, heartfelt, and sorrowful emotions that leaves anyone breathless even when a romantic relationship between them was forbidden. The action scenes are well choreographed and the chemistry among the soldiers and Zhousheng Chen is strongly fused by their sincere feelings and camaraderie. SPOILER ALERT: Even with the tragic ending, the drama is still worth watching! Enjoy it!
Forever and Ever (SPOILER ALERT!)
If the viewer is looking for a drama that has a nice romance feel but lacks intimacy, then this right drama. I would not consider this drama a sequel since there is little connection to the “prequel” apart for the leading couple, flashbacks that give the viewer a glimpse of their past relationship, a leading male that belongs to an old and establish rich family with a matriarch that simulates a sovereign ruler of great power and rank, a leading female that comes from a “noble” family, and some supporting actors that can be somehow compared to others in the past life. Although the leading couple is connected to the past, find each other and fall in love, this drama doesn’t capture the intensity of their feelings like it was portrayed on the drama “One and Only”. For “Forever and Ever” been a modern romance, Zhousheng Chen’s character is almost emotionally handicap with an unrealistic innocence for a man in his late twenties, even if he has spent most of his life been a bookworm. Although the Zhousheng Chen from the past does not kiss Cui Shi Yi, he was not passive at all! So, overall, this is not a bad drama, it is just a failed attempt to bring an everlasting and passionate love to the present times.

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This is a very good friends-to-lovers drama. The actors did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple has very good chemistry. Having said that, the drama could’ve spent some more time into the leading couple’s falling in love interactions than into how they developed professionally. Their emotional journey is really nice to watch. It is great to see that Xu Fang’s unconditional love and support for Lin Xi Chi is equally reciprocated even though she has been hurt by her family’s situation. Even though the drama has its share of cuteness, it is also an emotionally charged story that deals with the painful effects of parental abandonment and how it can bring feelings of unworthiness on a child all the way to adulthood. The drama works well in presenting the character’s understanding and love for one another, the aspect of forgiveness to become stronger and, at the most, understanding that “I will only deserve the best of you when I become the best of myself”. Even though the drama is not perfect, it is beautiful and entertaining.

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This drama is a fantastic historical production. The entire cast did a wonderful job bringing their characters to life to bring about the story of Prince Yeoning from years before he became Crown Prince, under much controversy between political factions, to the time that he was enthroned as King Yeongjo and his great efforts to reform the taxation system of Joseon, improve peasant’s lives and education. This drama excels in depicting political struggles within the kingdom and the treacherous actions of some individuals; it has great action, some comedy, a slight but really nice romantic story, and stellar performances all over. There were many antagonists throughout the drama but the main one was Yi Tan/Prince Milpoong portrayed by Jung Moon Sung who excels as the tyrannical lunatic prince, a character that one loathes and, no matter his difficulties growing up, is difficult to empathize; but his performance on episode 46 is brilliant. If you like palace politics, intrigue, great camaraderie, and an incredible amount of twists, you will certainly like this drama. Enjoy it!

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This is a nice romcom gender bender drama with a revenge plot where Tian Qi / Shen Zhao Er works as a doctor at Ji Heng’s manor to find her parents’ killer. Although it is supposed to be a romantic comedy, the revenge plot takes center stage and the leading couple’s romantic relationship developed too late in the drama to be marred with the cliché “is his fault” storyline. Although it is an entertaining drama and the leading couple had a lot of scenes together, the acting and chemistry was not the best. The romantic scenes could’ve been better but they were always cut short or angled that one could not see them kissing. The resolution of the major conflict (revenge plot for her parents’ betrayal and assassination) was not satisfying since the murderer killed himself and was not punished directly by Tian Qi/Zhao Er. Overall, the drama is nice to watch while waiting for a great one to come. Enjoy it!

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Age of Legends is a really good action suspense drama that has drug syndicates as the main plot and the main leads involvement, one through chance (William Chan as Liu Zi Guang) and the other through her job as a police officer (Sandra Ma as Hu Rong). This drama has a great cast and everyone did a good job bringing their character to life. The romance is nice and they showed that they truly loved each other dearly, but it is not the main story. The drama’s main plot is heavy laden with depictions of the lives and dealing of those that are directly and indirectly involved in the tug of war between drug dealers and the justice system. The drama is not perfect and it could’ve been done with a few less episodes, but, overall, it provides action, emotional moments, romance, funny moments, and it is entertaining. Enjoy it!

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