Bali

Destined is a great historical romantic “comedy”. It is a drama with stellar actors that did a great job bringing their characters to life. There are usual twisted palace antic, great action scenes, striking cinematography, remarkable friendships, and a strong, beautiful and steadfast slow burned romance for the leading couple. Although their great romantic scenes are at episodes 27 and 28 only, the leading couple oozed phenomenal chemistry every time they were together, even when they were bickering, just looking at each other, or planning their next strategic move. This drama might seem not well done for individuals that were looking for a great factual based historical drama with no plot holes, but for those looking for a drama on a leading couple who are perfect match in mind and spirit with great values and deep love for family, friends, and their countryman, this drama offers all of that in a very satisfying way and entertaining way, Enjoy it!

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Night of Love with You is a great miniseries about the always antagonist manga character Qi Qi/ Luo Qing (played by Liu Xie Ning) that by a glitch enters the new comic "Night of Love With You" and becomes the heroine Luo Qing. The comic’s male lead suffers an accident at the hands of Luo Qing and get into a comatose state that gives way to the story between Luo Qing and the male antagonist Leng Ye Han (played by Guan Yue). The former leading lady, Song Ruo Yun (played by Pu Yu Tong), becomes the antagonist who does everything possible to get rid of QiQi to be able to be with the comic’s main lead Mu Nan Chen (played by Liu Ya Kun). The drama is well written and the cast did a great job bringing their characters to life. Mu Nan Chen’s demeanor is quite passive and stoic which is well done by the writer because that way the character of the antagonist Leng Ye Han takes center stage. Song Ruo Yun (played by Pu Yu Tong), the character that Qi Qi was supposed to play, really nails the antagonist role, she is selfish and vicious trying to get Qi Qi/ Luo Qing out of the way. The plot is well developed, there’s great character growth, and the lead couple has great chemistry, Even Luo Qing brother, Luo Cheng (played by Zheng Peng) nails his character as he is constantly used as a pawn to by the antagonist to get Luo Qing. He provides a comical relief to the drama as well as Luo Qing constant monologues that provide insight into the factual aspects of the comic’s plot. Overall, this miniseries provides an interesting story and it is entertaining, enjoy it.

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Dong Lan Xue (found on YouTube as “East Column Snow”) is a great revenge miniseries with the right amount of romance. Even if it is a miniseries, the plot and the leading couple did a fantastic job bringing their characters to life. The tale of revenge is well thought out on this drama and the leading couple has a slow developing mesmerizing chemistry that is sensual and beautiful to watch. There is a good amount of decently done action and bloody killings as they exact revenge and protect themselves or others in their quest to bring light to the injustice suffered by both leads and impose punishment on the vicious powerful antagonists. This is a well done miniseries and is very entertaining. Enjoy it!

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Review for Season 1 & 2 together!

This review is for seasons 1 and 2. Both seasons are fantastic. The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple has a splendid relationship that develops into a beautiful, steadfast, and heartwarming romance with very good chemistry. It is refreshing to see He Lian Xuan (played by Wang Zu Yi) and Leng Li/A Qi (played by Wen Mo Yan), two very intelligent characters, as they get closer and stronger to become a devoted power couple. Since it is a miniseries divided into two seasons, it is best to see one right after the other to appreciate that, although the production is not perfect, the both seasons are well done in matters of production value. These miniseries have a substantial plot that could have been better served if turned into a long format drama. Overall, both seasons are worth watching and entertaining. Enjoy it!

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This is a fantastic romance/revenge miniseries in a historical era setting. The series is fast paced with a well developed plot, great cinematography and choreography, The OST is nice and it complements the drama well. The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple complemented each other very well and had passionate, tender chemistry that got better and better as the drama progressed. Although minidramas have the tendency to show marked jumps from one episode to another, this drama did quite well in trying to maintain the flow within its complicated plot. Overall, the drama is great and entertaining. Enjoy it!

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This is my third rewatch since I saw this drama in 2015 and I decided to write a review now. This is a very good romance drama that, although not perfect, it has a beautiful romantic story that started in college, suffers a 7 year hiatus, but remains strong and steadfast in the hearts and souls of the leading couple. The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple has great chemistry. I must say that the leading young couple [Luo Yun Xi (as He Yi Chen) and Janice Wu (as Zhao Mo Sheng)] at the beginning of the drama did a phenomenal job playing the leading characters and beautifully paved the path for Wallace Chung (as He Yi Chen) and Tiffany Tang (as Zhao Mo Sheng) to continue the wonderfully played love story. The supporting cast did well also and Viola Mi (as Xiao Xiao) and Eric Le Yang (as Lu Yuan Feng) were fun and refreshing to watch. The OST is great! Overall, although there are some annoying and not so well develop issues in the drama, mostly the invalid divorce and English “speaking” characters, the drama excel in the romance plot execution. Enjoy it!

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This drama is fantastic; a more realistic interpretation of modern perspectives on relationships and marriage. This is a star studded drama that is not only well written but also excellently executed by the main and supporting cast. The drama is full of insightful and meaningful conversations that harmonize perfectly with the raw and thoughtful emotions of the three main couples in the drama. Each couple handled and performed their story in a very realistic and emotional way even when the real emotions were not easily perceived by their loved ones. The drama has a lot of wounded souls that got together, loved together, and healed together to become a strong support for each other. The development of each couple’s journey was sometimes heartbreaking to see but it was also the process that culminated in a better understanding of each other and a more profound and steadfast love. One character that is insightfully written and fantastically performed is Kim Hyun Ja [Ji Ho's mother] played by Kim Sun Young. Overall, this drama is insanely great and entertaining, enjoy it!

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The Princess and the Werewolf is not a Beauty and The Beast remake; it is a fantasy similar in topic but it really tells its own story. The drama is a comedy, it has satire flair. There are some really funny and some warm moments but it seems grotesquely exaggerated for the most part. The drama is set in a historical era shadowed with a knack for the use contemporary effects such as: English language usage, the statue of Michelangelo’s David (1501-1504)-(covered by a cape, of course) that the Princess’ mother sent her from Europe, mention of abstractionist art, costumes with a modern flair, cocktail shakers and bartending tricks, a tango dance (a dance that originated in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century), and the character Chun’er which is the equivalent of a social media application, which indicates that this drama is not meant to be taking seriously for its content. For those that are expecting a great romantic story between the lead couple, it will lead to a great disappointment. The leading lady is supposed to be independent, smart, and “mischievous and lively” but, for most of the drama, her character is insufferable and she spends most of the drama been conjectural and manipulative. The leading man also comes up as only a deceitful person in her eyes even though he is constantly risking his life to save her. Also, for been a comedy, there is a REALLY unnecessary occurrence close to the end of the drama that leaves an overall sour feel by the end. The happy ending is rushed and uneventful.

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Royal Rumours is a nice fictional comedy set in historical times that features action, palace politics and revenge plots, a good amount of funny people and moments, and a light romance between the lead couple. Romance is not the main plot on this drama, so the leading couple’s romantic feelings develop after they started to trust, understand, and support each other. Their romantic scenes were much better carried out when they were not intimate since they really lacked chemistry while kissing; for the rest, it was great; their banter and their developing feelings were nice to watch. The rest of the cast also did a good job bringing their characters to life and the parents, to include the emperor, were a breath of fresh air. Overall, this is a nice lighthearted and funny drama to watch if the viewer is not expecting a blazing romance. Enjoy it!

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This is a super fun drama to watch. The plot of the drama is centered on a group of four friends, their struggles and achievements within the setting of the high fashion industry. The drama is a romantic comedy as much as it is about the friendship and the steadfast love and support among the four friends as they put their utmost efforts to succeed in their chosen careers in the competitive and, many at times, cruel manipulations of the people in power within the industry. The drama touches these aspects but it is kept a lighthearted drama about this group of magnificent friends and how they pull together, also with the help of other friends and family, on their way to find success. There is also a very nice romance story between Ji-eun (Chae Soo Bin) and Woo-min (Choi Min Ho) who display some heartbreaking moments, some heart lighted moments, and a beautiful romantic chemistry as they try to love and understand each other. This drama, as a comedy has some over the top flaunt of erratic emotions but it is so well done that it doesn’t lose the essence and solemnity of love and friendship. Overall, a great and very entertaining drama, enjoy it!

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This is a drama labeled as romance. It is more a romantic comedy that failed in the romance department. First of all, although there is a great character development for the leading characters, it takes forever! The leading male, Li Tang (Jerry Yang), portrays a man with “Peter Pan syndrome”, an adult who is socially immature, and supposedly unreliable. Jerry Yang does a great job delivering this character but his childish demeanor is overloaded with weird facial expressions and tiring playful attitudes which diminish his high level intelligence and problem solving ability. On the other hand, the leading lady, Fu Fang Si (Maggie Jiang), is a fashion designer with low emotional intelligence who mostly cares for her fashion label because of its attachment to her deceased father. For most of the drama, she is constantly bickering with Li Tang and blaming everything on him. Granted that he keeps a lot of things from her, but she is impulsive and quick to condemn him while she is very understanding and forgiving of everyone else that has stab her on the back. By the very end of the drama, and having been through thick and thin together, they grow to understand, love, and appreciate each other; but the journey only gives the viewer great playful interactions between the lead couple, masterminded business antics with conniving antagonists, and a flat romantic chemistry between Jerry Yang and Maggie Jiang. Although, most of the time, the leading couple’s story is full of banter and misunderstandings, they get their happy and successful ending. The rest of the cast did very well bringing their characters to life. Ron Ng (as Yin Hao Ran) and Viola Mi (as Cheng Xiang Nan) were also excellent portraying their heavy laden and complicated antagonistic characters. Overall, with patience and tolerance of some over-theatrical acting, the drama is entertaining enough while waiting for a great one to come!

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Childe Xie’s Wine is a nice and cute romance fantasy miniseries with a good plot. The story is straightforward and uncomplicated with minimal amount of characters. The drama uses a technique called “breaking the fourth wall” which is a common convention in Asian theatre traditions where actors interact directly with the audience, in this case, the viewer. The drama is a comedy so there are some awkward scenes but the cast did a great job delivering their characters; the leading couple has very good chemistry and many tender moments but their kissing scenes, although nicely done, were always blurred or seen from a distance. Still, been that is a short drama, it is worth watching if the viewer is looking for something lighthearted and simple to kill some time. Enjoy it!

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Singing all along is a great historical romance wuxia drama. The drama is based on Li Xin's 2007–2009 romantic novel series Xiuli Jiangshan and it depicts the love story of Liu Xiu/Emperor Guangwu of Han (played by Yuan Hong) and Yin Li Hua/Empress Guanglie of Han (played by Ruby Lin). The drama is a fantastic production with beautiful customs; well choreograph actions scenes, magnificent cinematography, and splendid casting that did a great job bringing their characters to life. The drama does get draggy at certain stages and, if the viewer is not into war strategies, it could become a bit overwhelming trying to follow all the generals and the different factions that were either working together and/or fighting along the way as Liu Xu combats his way into becoming emperor. Yin Li Hua, even when they were separated by circumstances against her will, always loved and supported Liu Xiu as they both realized their common dream. Liu Xiu and Yin Li Hua loved and supported each other steadfastly, but not without enduring loss, heartbreak, and even betrayal. SPOILER ALERT: Although the love of his life was always Yin Li Hua, he betrays his vows to her of only having one wife when he marries another woman in order to get a strong ally that fortifies and secures his way to become Eastern Han Emperor. The chemistry among the lead couple and the strong familiar and friendship relationships come to life in a romanticized fantastical action and adventure tale of the bloody and successful resurgence of the Han dynasty. This drama, successfully and very artfully, condenses more than 35 years of history to bring out a beautiful and enduring love story. Even though the drama has some very draggy moments and incoherencies, it is still an excellent and very entertaining drama, enjoy it!

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This is a nice drama set in historical times with modern undertones. Although there are enough of the common palace antics, revenge plots, mystery, and betrayal, the drama brings out the palace deceptions’ heaviness with the right dose of comedy to make it lighthearted. The cinematography is beautiful and the choreography of actions scenes is well done. The leading couple has a great playful chemistry with a nice steadfast romance and a strong camaraderie working together as they navigate palace machinations, but their romantic scenes are not that memorable. This drama is one to watch while waiting for a great one to come and it is quite fun. Enjoy it!

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