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A rather unappetizing treat | An unwise choice of scenario for a supposed Special Episode!
Whoever came up with this short story scenario is either utterly lazy and dumb or is purely unaware of what the fans eagerly need and want to see on a Special episode.There's nothing wrong with this SP at all. It was playful and silly, which is considerably a nice thing, as it provided a glimpse into the progress of Li Rong and Wenxuan's relationship, 7 years after their marriage. However, I find it inefficient and wasteful to dedicate a special story to their seemingly usual little argument that led to Pei Wenxuan's momentary amnesia, rather than an intimate family scenes we as fans desire. It was quite entertaining, I admit. But what I want to witness is their married life, focusing on the relationship and moments they share with their children, and not some random amnesiac skit that merely feeds our cravings with a setup for kissing and love scenes that were ultimately off-screened.
TAKE NOTE: Both the bed-kissing scene and the bath scene seemed like reused clips. If I remember correctly, they were excerpts from some of the existing scenes in the drama.
For a special episode, this is simply dull and lacking. I lost all excitement the moment I realized where the whole narrative was going. This is why I had to procrastinate watching it—to give myself time to accept the imminent disappointment... and God, was I absolutely not mistaken. What an uncreative and straight-up lazy piece of work.
P.S. The only time I got genuinely excited was when they finally showed us their 2 little children—even though it was already at the 10-minute mark of a 17-minute-long short episode. Which didn't last longer than a minute because after that, they never appeared again. I'm not really sure what to feel about this one, but it's really upsetting for real. Grr!
Again, the story flow is good. It's just that, as a fan, I kind of expected more, only to be presented with something below expectation.
I would still like to encourage everyone to watch it though, at least as a send-off to our wonderful CP!
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Forget me or not?—Memory fades but feelings lingers | Bittersweet heartbreaking ending ㅠㅠ
Xingxian wasn't a bad person. It's just that, in her sufferings, she lost her kindness bit by bit. - Jiu Xuan YeI honestly don't know how to start my review...so shall I elaborate on how this drama completely wrecked me?
Let me start this by letting out a sigh of frustration and anguish...wow! Just, WOW! I picked this drama after watching #ThePrisonerOfBeauty and god was I so wrong for doing that—worst decision of my life this year.
The story started smoothly with a touch of intrigue and excitement that can encourage anyone to binge-watch It. However, as the story goes on the more it felt draggy. They tend to spend significant amount of time on specific plot events (namely Reunion Inn and Inside the Painting scenes) instead of producing more...which made the slow-paced development of the story feel even much dragged out rather than help it become more progressive (in terms of pacing). The main issue is that the plots and schemes were so unnecessarily detailed which makes the story too dragged out. They most probably wanna make sure that the narrative will be flawless but for the price of what? the story being seen as pedantic? I am sorry but that's just being overly perfectionist to me.
Plots, Twists and Pacing as described above are way too detailed—flawless—which I highly appreciate at the same time dislike, as it made the show feels short of action and events. Which if were altered could have given us more interaction and moments from the characters. Whenever I recollect about this drama, I only have 5 events in mind (Owl Demon, Mirror Demon, the slow and extremely detailed Reunion Inn, overly repetitive wedding loop scene and lastly, the Snake demon) which could have been more, given that they have 36 episodes.
Climax and falling action was handled nicely as it was action packed but it also felt hastily done in a way. It felt rushed as they literally unfolded it 4-5 episodes before the resolution of the conflict which is considerably too little for me as they still needed a couple of episodes to present the actual finale to conclude the story.
Ending is where it all started falling apart for me. The most heartbreaking part of this drama is when the director and writer decided to fvcking serve us with that sacrificial yet benevolent finale which is very much unnecessary and unwarrented. I detest such pretentious endings at it is a mask they often utilize to torture the viewers in all aspects. No matter what other people says, I can never tolerate anyone who romanticizes sad endings.
To top it all up, I even got to watch the Behind-the-scenes of the finale. The scene where the main leads are both crying their eyes out because of extreme agony. Ohmyghad! I was so mentally, emotionally and spiritually damaged that I began hating the director and writers of this show so much!
P.S. I got some personal beef on how many times they repeated the wedding scene inside the painting. That was truly irritating to the point where I even considered fastforwarding. I also got quite bored on how excruciatingly slow and dragged out the Reunion Inn event was. Almost lost my patience watching those parts.
Lastly, a comical line that turned grim.
"I'll marry you. You've tried to snatch me as a bride so many times, who else could I marry if not you?" - Duan Ban Xia
Story - 9.0 - Despite how sluggish and draggy it feels like, I still cannot disregard the writer and director for their flawless work of the plots and events. I still abhor them for the ending but it doesn't feel right to give this story a lower score then 9.0 just because of that.
Acting/Cast - 10, Song Zu Er & Ren Jia Lun are perfect for the role and they both delivered really well. The supporting roles were also remarkably good in portraying their given roles. Kudos to every single one of them.
Music - 10, When it comes to C-dramas, music is that one thing I am not very particular with (in comparison to K-dramas) as long as the music used are good and never bothered me, then it will be a 10 for me.
Rewatch Value - 6.0, I honestly don't think I will ever watch it again. I am giving it this score out of consideration entirely for the compact and detailed story.
Overall - 9.0 - This score feels right to me. Not too low and to high either. I still feel disappointed about the ending but all in all it was good. Although some parts of it became tiring at one point, they all still make sense at the end. Again, I can never discredit the work just because I hate some parts of it.
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Quite entertaining yet still lacking | I hope they can give Season 2 some justice *Crossfingers*
"Life is too short, so let us make the most of this borrowed time. Tomorrow is not for certain, so hold your loved ones near. Take care of each other and cherish every moment together...as if it were your last."A decent thriller movie I would say...It is the 1st season so I kind of understand why the lore behind the evil/demon wasn't uncovered yet and I am honestly looking forward to watch the 2nd season.
For this 1st installment, everything felt fast-paced at the same time does not. The story itself was neatly done however, I feel like it was quite stretched in a way that I as a viewer was thinking if the scene about going to the hospital was really the best choice for a person who is being possessed, knowing that the demon hasn't been exorcised off of her yet.
Additionally, the "Saline will do her more good than the Holy water" got me cackling so damn hard. Like whut?? I know for a fact that going to the hospital is utmost necessary however, why are you going there already when the actual paranormal issues hasn't been dealt with yet? Come on! They seriously added that to create some more hype and thrill to the story which actually worked, however, the main problem still persists and eventually caused them Yaem's life...
Just want to add that some scenes made me laugh instead of getting scared. Specially that scene where the mother's head was shot and dettached but she stood up, attached it back and started running but it keeps falling off. What a hilarious scene! Haha!
Anyways, another thing I wanna mention before I conclude this review is that the family dynamics are actually great! Their individual issues is one of the main reason why I got drawn and hooked to this story.
P.S. Nadech Kugimiya (ML) taking off his shirt was so unnecesary yet for me it was the highlight of the show. That was just so random. Hahaha!
Story - 8.0, I honestly think we're still lacking a lot of information regarding the background of the demon/devil and I am just sad that Yaem got killed yet they got nothing out of it...well, aside from the ignited anger and passion of the family members for a revenge.
Acting/Cast - 10, Got nothing to comment about the acting. I love them all and I truly adore the youngest son for being my main source of happiness. He's silly and very cute.
Music - 10, The sound effects used greatly contributed to the overall aura and scare factor of the show. Gotta give them extra points for the whispering sound effects. That's really spooky.
Rewatch Value - 7.5, It was not bad and it's just that I don't find myself watching it again. It doesn't have anything on it that makes it rewatchable unless you have forgotten what actually happened to this 1st season.
Overall - 8.5, I still enjoyed it and I am not that confortable giving a score lower than this as it did served its purpose and was able to entertain me the whole time. For now, I would still recommend this, just make sure to watch the 2nd season as well.
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Laugh now, Cry later | The team who disses and slanders the Best!
"I'm happy that I'm no longer your burden. I've become your armor. But... the fate of the armor is destined to break. Just like how the fate of snow is destined to melt." Pei Siheng/AhengFinished this drama while I am in troubled times and it became an inspiration and motivation for me to move forward and fight for myself no matter what. Thank you for being an unintentional source of motivation and energy. I appreciate it a lot! <3
This drama started like a comical skit on some random comedy bar out there with their outright exchange of subtle yet blunt insults every moment they got. It was such a breathe of fresh air simply because of how good they are in delivering such skits in the most unexpected way.
The editing was insanely on point in making things so hilarious. They're so unseriously serious about it that I cannot stop thinking how much time they spent to deliberate and brainstorm to formulate all those exchange of derogatory ciriticisms the characters delivered through their lines. They truly nailed this show with that alone and I almost died from choking because of the random timing they're being thrown at. Help! Hahaha!—To top it all that, they carried this stint till the final parts of the show which show their dedication to consistency. Impressive!
Although the comedic scenes on this drama are its gems/treasure. I would still say that what made me stayed to watch it till the end is the bond between the characters and how they carefully molded and builded it with time and experience to become unbreakable as it is now. Their selfless sacrifices and togetherness in protecting one another is what brought me to love this story as a whole.
Talking about chemistry and synergy, I feel like all of them has showed great compatibility with one another. It even stood out despite their difference in personality and demeanor. I also just wanna mention how much I love the ending clip of the drama where they are all goofing around having fun and seemingly enjoying themselves. That's such heartearming part for me. <3
Antagonists and main villain - I am really fond of how they depict the "Demons" of this story as a race of living creatures that comprises of good and bad individuals same as humans. That most of the demons who commited crime, have done so for mostly a valid reason and are still morally aware just misguided but are still willing to be redirected into goodness. However, there are also some individuals like the main villain of the story who are beyond saving and deserves an ultimate death! Lol
Climax - The story started to get so draggy and eventually boring towards the climax. It's totally understandable when they set up such hurdles for the main characters but I feel like it's overdoing it when the plot of the story is only focused on saving somebody only for the other remaining people to be involved in a life saving situation as well that will lead to their death. I feel like that's straight obsession to tragedy right there!
Finally, the ending - Hate me all you want but dang this story! I know that it was set up even from the very start that the main character (Zhu Yan) is destined to die but why do I feel like killing 3 other significant characters one after another was unnecessary? I understand that it was done just to heightened the grief and sorrowful vibe of the story but isn't it overly stretching things? Like couldn't they come up with a better scenario that can trigger such emotions without ruining the joyful environment they painstakingly built in the first place? It feels like "A Journey to Love" all over again! Sad!
Looking back now, maybe the reason why they incorporated tons of comical scenes into this drama is to prepare us audience for the tragery it will ended up becoming... They must have foreseen people getting angry and disappointed of the story's ending so they've decided to include as much 'gag' as they can to somehow, hopefully! ease the frustration and pain we might feel towards the ending—I say that it didn't help but only made it feel worse!
Story - 9.5, Everything was almost perfect not until you reach the climax where all the build up becomes draggy and questionable followed by the ending that may seem justifiable and heroic but is in fact traumatic in all angles.
Acting/Cast - 9.5, Acting is good and I am satisfied with the cast! However, I must say that they did Wen Xiao (Chen Duling's character) dirty in this drama. She's a fucking goddess who should be the protector of both race but ended but a damsel in distress who always needs saving. Neo Hou's character here is calm yet extra mischievous. Loving all the shades getting thrown left and right in the most cockily irritating manner. Hahaha! He's annoying but it show how charismatic he is as well. Gonna miss Bai Jiu (Lester Lin) iconic screams and screeches and all the main characters unique personalities. Love them all.
Music - 10, ballad songs used are all so comforting. It has this vibe that can make you fall aaleep like a lullaby and can make you heartbroken when needed. I also like the song they typically use to hype and indicate that the main characters are back and ready to fight again—their fight song!
Rewatch Value - 9.0, I would love to watch it again in the future specially all the dissing amd shades minus the last 10 or so episodes. Those episodes should be scrape out completely.
Overall - 9.0, This could have been a solid 10 only of they didn't turn Wen Xiao into such a pathetic character and if they didn't overly obsess on making the ending into a heart-wrenching and emotional tragedy. They really messed up so bad in that deparment. What a pity!
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Ep.1 is an endurance test | Annoying FL & Charming ML + Underwhelming utilization of a good Plot!
"Don't be afraid of making mistakes. To recognize one's mistake and correct them is the greatest value" - Song Xu[!] Warning - Please take a mouthful of "Chill Pill" prior to watching this.
First and foremost, I wanna say that watching this drama will be a huge challenge to anyone who have been watching 'proper' dramas in such a long time because your tolerance will be put to an extreme great test during its very 1st episode for how ludicrous and crappy the introduction of the story was. I even thought to myself "How the heck did I even survived that intolerable Episode" and "That consumed 50% of my tolerance and patience for this drama" for how unreasonable and childish it was. I even reached the point where I felt an empty hollow space within myself after finishing the 1st episode because it was just simply illogical like you will wonder how can the director and writer create such garbage as if their critical thinking flew out of the window while filming this.
PLEASE NOTE: That I'm writing this as a warning that episode 1 will be a TOUGH watch that may result you of dropping it. So proceed with caution!
I don't wanna repeat myself but again the biggest challenge watching this drama all lies on episode 1. Once you've past through that it will very slowlyyy become a bit tolerable. I can't honestly even gauge it because I gritted my teeth so much while binge watching episode 2 to 10-ish...sure! It was not as severe and hopeless compared to Ep.1 but the FLs crazy, annoying and unbearable antics might surely trigger you to stop watching this drama. She was the worst and I don't even have any words to protect her from my criticisms cause she genuinely deserves it for how irrirating she is. After all those, the succeeding episodes will be more reasonable to watch but still prepare yourself I would say, because we have different tastes and perspectives and you may or may not come up with a completely different view while watching it. (Please do share me through the comment section below on how you feel about it. I would love to read and know your reaction to the story)
Moral sense of the story is that we have to take action if we don't like a certain event to happen. But honestly, I don't even know...more so...I refused to accept that idea for this story because the way it was delivered in this drama was way too irrational and unacceptable for me. It outweighs all the good intentions and ideas there is because it was executed through various dirty and immoral tricks.
Chemistry - I would say it's fine. It really helped that the Male Lead got this refreshing and charming vibe that anyone paired to him will effortlessly fit together with him. He's like a a picturesque scenery that can turn anything plain and unattractive into something beautiful the moment you put it on one frame with him.
Editing, Color grading and Overall Design - Editing is borderline bad. I am not even sure why did they incorporate a plot they will not use properly and I feel like it would be better if they showed us more of the actual conflicts instead of skipping through all of the most exciting parts and ended up giving us only the positive outcomes. Color grading was too orange-ish at first which resulted for the saturation to look boring and gloomy and I am just glad that they somehow fixed it along the way. Overall design was an improving factor for me...everything they showed us on the 1st episode looked low cost cheap and simply unattractive. Thank god they picked up the slack and improved as the story goes on. I guess they fired and changed the editor-in-chief after episode 1. Lol!
Final sentiments and violent reactions - The Female lead was annoying as Hell! She's really a "Special Lady" because no one can outmatch her for being childish, immature and irritating during the first half of the show. When it comes to the Male lead, I was pissed and frustrated on how lenient and forbearing he is to the FL despite all the filthy tricks she had set up on his way. Like how can he tolerate all the FLs misconduct, misdeed and nasty schemings? A good definition of noble to the extent of stupidity.
Story - 7.0, The drama was on the right track during Episode 12 to 20+ but the path they took to turn the events baffled me quite a lot. I feel like the 2nd ML was treated dirty and he just didn't deserve any of that. + The fact that they were not able to fully utilize the main plot they have set up since Ep.1 disappointed me a lot. Let's not even mention the countless frustrations I have to endure just to reach the 'better' section of this story. All I can say is that I went through a lot!! This story truly put my patience on a serious test and I am extremely proud of myself for completing this challenging drama.
Acting/Cast - 8.5, Both Main leads acting has gotten in my nerve during the first 10 episodes but I managed to deal with them by telling myself that this is afterall an Idol romance drama and the acting typically gets irrational and over the top; and because of that I was able to gradually accept and even appreciate their acting skills. Specially the Male lead—he's simply a star. I few more experience and exposure to good acting projects and I'm sure he'll be great.
Music - 9.0, Their choice of songs are fine and I never really got bother by it throughout the entire show. + I grew to love one of the BGMs used in this drama.
Rewatch Value - 3.0, I'm honestly being kind for not giving this a 1.0 and that's in consideration of the 1/3 of this show which I unexpectedly enjoyed. Nonetheless, this is one of the dramas I will NEVER watch again.
Overall - 6.5, I'm determined to give it a higher rating but after further consideration and deliberation, I have finally decided to give it a rating it truly deserves.
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The immortal fairy w/ amnesia and her 3 failed attempts in love | Shows how filthy & nasty men are!
[!!] PLEASE WATCH THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND MERCY!This story is all about Ye Xi and her misfortune in finding true love in the wrong places with the wrong set of men; and how she's been constantly getting deceived by those pretentious men to utilize her for their hidden agendas—For 3 consecutive times, by the way! Which is incredibly irritating to be very honest! Once is enough, twice is too much and thrice is overkill!
Above all, I want to officially start this review by giving its possible viewers a piece of good warning and advice... This drama is more than all of the positive reviews you can find in MDL. I picked this show simply because I am a fan of Li HongYi and mainly because of all the good and positive reviews I have read on this site. However, the moment I start watching it and the further I get into it, the more increasingly mad and irritated I am to myself for trusting all those reviews who gave this drama a 9-10 ratings. It felt like I fell on trap and got fraud by how 'terrible' it actually is! I can't believe how people are saying that it is an 'easy watch' drama when I can barely tolerate the first 3 episodes and I just had to blindly go through the succeeding occurences by biting my tongue while writing rants per episode to suppress all my pent up irritations and to at least give it the 'benefit of the doubt' hoping for it to reach its 'better' part which eventually came at around episode 10 or so. Which is almost half of the drama!! Not to mention that the saga of awfulness didn't immediately ended there and it still occasionally appeared till the end of the show. I honestly feel like I need some chill pill after going through all those stuff and it is also the main reason why I took great time to write this section of my review to give warnings and emphasize this dramas lousiness.
Anyways, I will treat the above as my collective description and reaction of the horrific things about this drama and will only give a summary list of the properties I find horrendous about this show below.
× Purple Costumes on Ep.2 looks straight up ugly and tacky.
× Bai Yue's smug look the entire time is justifiable at the end. However, I can never tolerate how he kept on strangling and pushing Ye Xi all those time he can't control/suppress her. Like, can't he do it in a non-physical way?
× Horrible fight scenes and What's with Ep.4? They attacked the Tang Manor like a whole bunch of kids running towards the main gate because school is finally over. Ghad, It sucks! Don't they have acting choreography? and how did they even stomach using that for the final cut!
× Lack of financial support/budget. I was cackling so loud when they show the 1 piece trebuchet at Ep.4. Hahaha!
× Art director of this drama needs to retire. Even the Wanted posters of Ye Xi doesn't look even a bit like her and it was drawn so bad. Geez!
Moving forward to the good parts of the story... I truly think that all my sufferings were paid back with better stuff when Ep 10-11 came; that was also the time my faith for this show had slowly got restored. Better story pacing that's away from the confusing and chaotic exposition of the story, mysteries are being addressed and answered, finally getting all the lovey-dovey moments we all have been waiting for and finally, Bai Yue giving his very best to express his love by making efforts to make Ye Xi remember him.
Story - 7.0, This drama could have been 'easy to watch' and even better if Ye Xi just stayed with Bai Yue and bicker with him the whole time while occasionally dealing with some challenges (lovers quarrel) and all those trivialities of the Martial arts world. The thing is, they made it too complex and dramatic not knowing that their capabilities can't measure up to their mission and vision yet... which is sad and disappointing.
Acting/Cast - 7.0, Their acting looks fine but in the wrong places. Lol The scenes/events are not set up yet but the characters are already throwing their final lines. Like, daheck are these people saying? Isn't it too early? and why are things going together all at once like they're short of time and in a time crunch? Therefore, I conclude that it's the lack of proper momentum and bad direction. I like the actors and actresses though (subjectively).
Music - 6.5, I like the opening theme as it exudes playfulness, positive vibes and vibrant energy. However, aside from that, nothing else stood out for me. I can't even remember the BGMs used to the most important scenes. It's either they're not note worthy at all or they just never impacted my watch experience for this drama.
Rewatch Value - 2.0, I'm actually being kind by giving it this rating. I actually don't loathe this drama but instead just hate it as it deserves; since it still has its redemption parts. But, I know for a fact that I can never go through the same agony I suffered just to finish this.
Overall - 6.0, I'm extremely considerate for giving this! Oh wow! This is unexpectedly tough! I scaled it really hard in consideration of its good aspects but I still ended up giving this rating. I would say, Deserve? and I'm not even being too critical or bias or whatnot. This is my genuine rating and feedback after finishing this amateur project and production overall.
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The sword and her shield + A bunch of naive and troublemaker supporting characters!
"Don't always bother about the ending. The ending you want may not be what others want. Why don't you just follow your heart? - Madaam NichangThis whole drama as the title suggests, is all about Zhou Fei and her adventure to get stronger and powerful while protecting the oppressed people by fighting the demon sect.
Looking back... We can divide this whole drama into 3 major parts. First (1-20 episodes) would be the introduction of the FL and how her love story started and went on while improving her skills by going in missions and meeting several masters who taught her techniques to better build her martial arts skills. Second (21-40) is her pursuit to deepen her romance with Xie Yun while strengthening her skills by gradually defeating some mid to high ranking enemies. Lastly (41-51) is where she deals with everything on her way while achieving great heights with her fighting skills to vanquish the main villain and to achieve peace and order.
Everything considered, I'd say that this drama did good in terms of the FLs improvements when it comes to her martial arts skills. Although I'd also admit that some of it is simply ridiculous at some point (For example is the way she dealt with the enemies during the rare-medicinal-plant searching is plain questionable and stupid) but one thing I love about it is that they never went extremely overboard and it was a rather stable process of hardwork, strong will and perseverance.
If anything, one of the main problem I've had with this is the amount of foolish and burden side characters they have. It made the story slower and more eventful in an irritating way. I honestly felt like things could've been resolved quickly without their stupid interferance and random interventions. They're always the major reason why things are escalating badly and I hated how they constantly do it without suffering heavy consequences. Mind you!! I'm not talking about 1-3 characters here, it is beyond that! Probably around 6-7 maximum. Just imagine!!
And even when I admire and appreciate how they executed this very thought of "Stay calm, be brave and you'll win" there's always a limitation to everything! I hated how they can still freaking take their time like they're on a field trip while all the mess is happening— Sense of crisis and urgency was sacrificed for some romantic scenes... Which is stupid. And lastly, is how their kindness tends to bite them back, always. I detested the constant kindness and sympathy they showed to their enemies only to be betrayed right at the next moment.
Anyways, looking at the brighter side. I just love the CPs in this drama. Despite their incompetence and flaws, they managed to liven up the whole vibe of the show and make it more exciting and fun to watch. Of course! special mention to our Main Leads who devoured everyone in terms of chemistry. Wang Yibo's smile is so enchanting and charming that you can get lost in it. I swear!
Lastly, the Ending... I'm still hesitant whether to feel good or displeased about it. It made me go "that's it? after all the chaos and fighting?" because of how simple and fast it all went on after all the dramas. It's disappointing how they settled for less after going through great lengths to build up and intensify the whole story. It was very underwhelming and unexpected in a negative way. A waste of energy, time and money. Well, I guess, atleast they all got happy ending? Lol
P.S. "True love, means you can't even stand her eating someone else's dishes" I just love this phrase so much. + Their love language of pulling each other's hair was such a bliss to see. <3
Story - 8.0, Actually, It wasn't bad. It just that they added so much unnecessary plots and dramas that made the story boring and bland here and there. Would've been better if they stick on solving problems without making the supporting characters a bait and stop them from being completely reliant to the Main leads to rescue them. Also, they could've invested on a more signifant and impactful ending. Unfortunately... they did not!
Acting/Cast - 9.5, Acting is actually good. Oh God, Wang Yibo is mesmerizing while Zhao Liying deadass nailed it. I just wish to get more smiles from her specially during the lighter and romantic scenes. Also, better character improvement and structure for the CPs. They all shined but their roles made them seem incapable. it irked me!
Music - 9.5, The overall BGM is good and I love how I can feel at ease listening to them while watching the scenes. The only issue I got with it is that they often overlaps with the conversions in almost the same volume as the dialogues; to the point where it's distracting me already. They should've focused on better music placement and sound control i'd say.
Rewatch Value - 8.0, If i were to watch this drama again, I'd probably do a lot of skips and will only watch the moments I find memorable and fun. The story was dragged so much in the middle so watching it as a whole would be a tough job for me to do.
Overall - 8.5, This is considerably a good drama with its flaws and imperfection. I just think that improvements could've been implemented in various areas to make the characters and story more structured and exciting to watch.
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Would have been better IF I watched it in 2013. A drama that caters to a specific Period or Era.
This drama felt so outdated and has too much cliche scenes. Something about it can make you realize that it was produced back in 2013. The elements and scene presentations made it feel that way almost the entire time.I love Sooyoung and that's my main reason in getting into this. I can't say it's a compete waste of time to watch it but it's really close to that? Thank god I'm a bearing person and God knows how many times I almost drop it. Hahaha~
Now let me break down the things I like and dislike about this drama. Because there's a lot....
Dislikes...
× This drama just made me feel so bored. I'm always doing a lot of stuff while watching it not because I have a lot to do but because the scenes were too bland and uninteresting.
× Too much cliche and recycled love twists going on. Like really? A good drama is a good drama no matter when you watch it. But this drama clearly won't entertain the satisfaction of the watchers in the current times (2021-Present)
× The sudden leap of relationship between the Main Leads on Ep.07 made it so weird and rushed for me. Like they got no better way to make it work so they decided to level it up without any side tracks happening. Lol~
Likes...
× Something that deserved heavy praises is the way they're making their Pair Up Project so greatly. Like, I myself felt amazed watching those scenes. Probably the main reason why I stayed till the end. It's surprising how i'm more interested to the side stories compared to the Main Leads love story. Hahaha~!!
× I love the versatility and comedy it provides. Those moments made me went through the whole thing and endure it till the end.
Story - 7.5, The Pair Up projects are good. I made it an 7.5 because without them it would be 6-7. The Love Triangle of the Main Leads bored me out not because they are toxic but because too much cliche is happening, is bland and for some reason the sudden leap of their relationship made it more uninteresting.
Acting/Cast - 8.5, Acting is Good. I think they just got unlucky with the story and script they chose. Everyone executed good enough and none of them felt forced; It is well balanced i must say.
Music - 10, The redemption part of this drama is with their BGMs and their correct placement every scenes. Ghad! I love the songs so so much and have been listening and anticipating for it every scenes.
Rewatch Value - 5, I definitely won't. I wanted to give it a lower score but I still appreciate some nice parts of it that's why i didn't go all out in criticizing and messing it up.
Overall - 7.0, I do want to give it a little more points but my conscience just won't let me to. The hollow feeling I felt watching this for the sole purpose of finishing it suddenly showed up while i'm writing this review. So, I'm sorry for being real honest but not really. Hahaha~!!
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FRUSTRATIONS OVERLOADD!!
Watching this drama 14 years after its release felt so weird to me. Weird in a sense that I'm watching this even when there's a lot of dramas being release left and right and I honestly think I watched this mainly because of the nostalgia and sentiments it holds.Anyways, I will use the words "Frustration & Irritation" to sum up my whole reaction for this drama. Heaven knows how many times I shouted "Yama-P!! I'm totally pissed right now" and all those sort of rants. His character just made me feel mad almost each and every episode. Even when I thought he's improved a lot and is expecting MORE from him yet this guy never fails to disappoint me again and again even during the final episode. Just how far can he go? Will he even improve? Hayyss..
I finished this drama with the thoughts of "Will this guy be okay in the future?" "Will he be able to make Rei happy even after marriage?" "Will he be able to work it out without the Fairy's help?" this drama left me with fun, cute memories but mostly worries and frustrations.
Nonetheless, I'll give it a 8.0 overall since it deserved it!!
Story - 8.0, Despite my frustrations and emotional rants this drama still made me felt a lot of emotions does proves that it was well produced.
Acting/Cast - 9.0, Fine? I just feel like Japanese will never go wrong when it comes to their actors and the way they act. They have their own colors and ways that is completely different to others and is very unique.
Music - 9.0, They were decent and the background or filler music are always on point.
Rewatch Value - 5.0, I have decided that I will never go through this whole process of emotional fatigue again. LOL I will even make sure not to watch the adaptations. Hahaha
Overall - 8.0, Nonetheless, It was a good watch. An indication of a good drama is when it's able to make you feel so much emotion and it did, like TREMENDOUSLY!!
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Incredibly Fun and Entertaining Wuxia Drama with Impressive Fighting Scenes~!!
Wow! I'm truly impressed. I never thought this drama's going to be this good and entertaining to watch. It reminded me why you shouldn't judge a drama merely out of peoples opinions and feedbacks.Well, First thing first, SCRATCH all those negative feedbacks I've red about this drama even before I decided to watch this. People do really have different tastes and expectations to almost every single thing however I felt like this production didn't deserve any of those at all. In fact, this drama served and exceeded so much of my pre-set expectations; thank god I trusted my instinct and chose this one among many others.
There are really so much good things about this drama and this review might become 20+ pharagraph long (Hahaha) so let me just enumerate most of them.
× The smooth, Fun and entertaining story that got me hooked up from the very start till the end. I swear to god there's no dull moments in this drama.
× Fighting Skills are mostly impressive and detailed. You can definitely see that they took their time to practice those stunts to make it look pleasing and cool in the camera.
× Characters are well coordinated and for some reason they found a way to make them look interesting that you got no choice but to remember them even when they only appear 1-2 times for a short period of time.
× Cinematography, Color scheme and overall representation of the drama look pleasant in the eye. Nothing extra and bizarre going on and the costume are well matched and fits each individual characters.
Oh well... A drama can never be perfect and I admit to have creased my forehead several times due to some repetitive and ridiculous story plots and twists so let me mention some of those stuff as well.
× Let's start with the 6 member of Top 10 Villain who're supposedly strong and wicked but are just a bunch of tricky, gullible and weak individuals. I expected them to have atleast intermediate Kung Fu skills but they just don't. Bunch of disappointments on that area honestly + they lack an actual sense in the story and was killed as if they don't have anything better planned for them.
× Overly gullible Female Characters... I'm just so sick of people making women look strong and tough only to make them highly deceiveable and emotionally weak. Come on! Y'all can do better than that.
× Last but definitely not the least is the somehow predictable and bland ending. Like, How do I even start with how cringy and plain their actings are at the final episode? It felt forced and awkward. Did they shoot that scene at the very beginning? cause I never had any problem with their acting eversince aside from the final episode. That realy made me go "Ehhh! what was that? Lol".
Anyways, A drama that everyone can enjoy specially to those who are looking for nice, smooth and light Wuxia drama.
Story - 9.5, I contemplated a lot and ended up with this score after considering everything. Don't get me wrong, story is real good and have good ending. It's just that most of the scenes during the last episode felt so ordinary and plain. It felt like their creative juices was squeezed and drained so much throughout the entire run of the drama that they just throw what's the most obvious and simple at the end.
Acting/Cast - 9.5, This drama got the most irritating antagonists there is but that's actually why I love this story even more. I was very amazed on the way they personified and executed their characters to the point where I hated them so much too. What a love-hate relarionship Hahaha + The only thing that made me disappointed about it is the Final Episode. That's just so underwhelming in every single way. /sighs/
Music - 10, I love the choice of BGMs and I'm really impressed on how they inserted those sounds in the most comfortable way. They were all smoothly placed and Ballad is everything. <3
Rewatch Value - 10, This drama is high-praise-worthy and is one of the drama that made me binge-watch continuously this year. It is so exciting and made me look forward to each and every coming episodes without a miss. Will definitely rewatch it 100%.
Overall - 9.5, It should've been Perfect 10 but the continuous display of women manipulation + lack of actual character sense and value made me frustrated.
Not to mention the ever-plain-ending that made it even worse which led me to this conclusion after so much contemplation.
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Well Written Story accompanied by Stellar Actors and supported by Great Production & Direction.
Going deep into this drama I felt like one of its great value lies heavily on the chemistry of the characters and their wholesome well-being. The drama's consist of stellar artists who was able to execute their characters in a very realistic way. Often times dramas may get dull because of a lackluster character or two but this drama is overflowing with good actors who played their roles exemplary well and I think it is one of its greatest strength.Second is the Story. Honestly I was so ready to give it a "9" as an overall rating but I didn't imagine it to unfold with such overwhelming satisfaction so does explains my Perfect Score.
This story wasn't flawless at all but the difference of this drama among many others is its rationality and sensibility. One of the scenes I was very frustrated about was when JBZ break his brotherhood with ZWH because of his inconsiderate attitude and stubborness but then on the same episode we found him realizing his mistake and going after ZWH just to make up their friendship. That alone made me realize how interesting the characters and story is.
Another part of its selling point are the Main Leads themselves. They created and slowly completed this drama in a really satisfying sense without relying so much on the plot and twists it provides. It was a well written drama combined with stellar actors and great production and direction. I am highly satisfied.
Story - 10, No Arguments needed. I would be mad If someone actually slander this dramas phasing and story build up in any possible way. This drama just felt short of episodes and that's it— The main reason for that was even because it was so good you would want to watch it continuously even beyond the episodes it was set up for. Hoping for a 2nd Season.
Acting/Cast - 10, It has the most satisfying Cast I could ever ask for. Not that I know them but because they're so good in executing their roles you would be fascinated at how good they are. I don't even know 99% of them but this drama just made me feel satisfied and amaze on how good the acting and actors/actresses are.
Music - 9.0, Honestly speaking I don't even remember singing along to any of the songs played in this drama. But I must say that it has great Instumental BGMs which highlighted most of its Thrilling and Romantic scenes.
Rewatch Value - 10, I'm even willing to rewatch it right now if someone asked me to, without any hesitation cause this drama never made me felt bored and uninterested. In contrary it made me anticipate each of its episode till I realized I'm already on the finale.
Overall - 10, Well Deserving. This drama is outstanding in different areas no matter which side you tries to watch or look at it. You can clearly see that it is a low budget drama but it surely exceeded that limitation by giving more than anything its budget can provide us. It was a masterpiece and an excellent drama worthy of recommendation and high praises.
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MLs Perfect Chemistry + Love is Patient & Bearing but Communication is Crucial to make it WORK~!!!
I have so much to say and I'm literally overflowing with adjectives to describe how this Series made me FEEL so let me do my best to summarize my experience with this piece.First and Foremost, Finally~!! I was able to watch it after being stuck on my watchlist for such a long time. It was a drama I anticipated a lot since TharnType The Series and was able to live up to my expectation.
One thing I'm really impressed and so in love about this drama is the Main Couple's compatibility and chemistry. Both are good looking and has their own unique features that truly complement each other but what I love about them the best is their overflowing charisma that very few BL Couple can actually show effortlessly. It's leaking out of them so naturally like it's no ones business. ^^
Anyways, I really wanna highlight how the story might not be perfect but has a lot of good plot points that tackles so much issues that help the CP to improve and better understand each other. + The rather peaceful and calm demeanor of Leo, his friends and his parents made this drama a whole smooth ride. I must say that the only moment I felt so enraged of, is during the 2nd to the last episode (with King & Punn). Oh well I don't wanna be reminded of that so let's move on. Hahaha~
I know that it's too soon to end this; but honestly, the drama just revolves around the Main Couple like 85% of the time so let me just conclude the main portion of this review by saying that the Main Couple are truly the Ace of this Series and that they were NEVER over shone by anyone.
Finally, this couple will surely remain in my heart as the most patient, bearing and careful to the point where it has become a reason for their misunderstanding at the end. It thought me how important communication is and how essential it is for both parties to be vocal and transparent as much as possible to each other to further nurture the relationship.
P.S. I'm a bit sad with Leon & Pob's ending but I understand the context the series is trying to tell us. They want us the understand that right timing and patience is a major substance to prove one's love and worth. Also, the Basketball Gang & the MLs Friends made this drama more interesting and funnier.
Story - 9.5, The plot and context of the story is very clear to me after finishing it and those are patience and understanding. It may not have the most outstanding script out there but it do provide good narrative which entails different views and occasions in life that made the entire story worth the watch.
Acting/Cast - 9.5, Main Couple is Really Good. Specially Fiat. Just wow! He carries his character like a real PRO. He really went all out with his execution and I'm highly satisfied with his performance. Same goes to Leo who has this kind and gentle demeanor but can make all of their Kissing Scenes into a hot and lustful one. One thing I noticed is that the side characters just felt a little awkward at times and probably needed more experience. Nonetheless everyone was Good.
Music - 10, The placement of the music is great + it helps that the lyrics are being translated during their runs cause it truly made me appreciate the song itself even more. I really got no complains aside from the fact that they could've use more Songs to make it all better.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, A Good Drama I would rewatch if I happen to missed the Main Leads (Just skip Episode 11 cause King & Punn infuriates me Lol). They truly are the star of this show and no one can stole it from them. Love them so much.
Overall - 9.0, Really wanna give this drama a higher score but I also felt like this score is sufficient no matter how many times I re-evaluate it. I just feel like it's lacking something crucial that can make it even better. It was a decent Story with a clear direction on how they want to present it to their choice of viewers and/or audience.
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Probably the best of all CIT Series as of 2021!!
Definitely the best so far! I was feeling a bit sad that Joe Chen was replaced as the Female Lead but the New Shirley Yang is even better! Most probably because the story and plot for this series is well made and created? Nonetheless, it exceeded my expectation and I was utterly surprised on how much I liked it compared to the previous ones.Aside from the story itself, I like how people are actually dying right now. The previous series felt so boring cause almost everyone magically survived at the end and that was the greatest setback and failure of the prequels.
Story - 9.5, Outstanding plot and story progression. I'm giving this high mark because It was a complete turn over and provided such great climax and all.
Acting/Cast - 9.5, Almost everyone is good. Too much hoodlums for nothing; but well they served as a great plot devices so it's kinda worked out.
Music - 9.5, BGMs on this is so extra and I loved it a lot. Not the best but definitely going there.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, IF I were to choose which of the CIT Series to watch, I'll definitely watch this again without any second thoughts. So G R E A T!!
Overall - 9.5, Everything about this production felt like a huge leap in comparison to how it was before with the other installments. I can't wait for the Sequel (The Worm Valley).
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The Fearless, Good Natured & Quick-Witted Main Leads + Unending Plotting & Scheming in a Harem.
Where do I even start with?... This drama could honestly be better if they toned down a little bit on the unending plotting and scheming that resulted to some of them getting repetitive and irritating. It went on and on to the point where it feels like they spent 85% of the story on it and that's really disappointing cause I feel like they could've done more and better with its 54 episodes in comparison to what it has right now.Honestly, the plotting and scheming weren't bad at all instead it was crafty and intelligent. However, anything 'too much is bad' and that's what made me raise my brow a little; but overall it was great.
Also, I love how versatile they're in changing the mood of the scenes; They go from being intense to mellow in literally a second and that really helps in lighting up the mood a lot of times. Aside from that, one thing that made this drama lighter and fun are the side story of Ming De X Tuoba Di as we as Cheng De X Jun Tao. They saved the viewers and the drama from its maximum distress and grief countless of times.
Another thing I wanna mention is the horrendous styling of Wei Young and Jun Tao on the first episode. it almost ruin my taste and expectation of the drama; thank god they improved and redeemed theirselves afterwards. Also the ridiculous and clichè plots has left some lingering distate on my mouth. I mean, how could they put it like that? who the hell incorporated them in this? cause I badly wanna talk and scold them for it. This could've been great if only the writers' tried harder in brainstorming better ideas to make the story more interesting and 'new' story wise.
Lastly, fighting scenes are extremely lacking and majority of them are bad. The only good ones are with Chuyan Nan and Jun Tao while the rest are trash and full of camera works.+ OVER DUBBING sucks! It was the worst! ><
Story - 9.0, It could've been better if they lessen the excessive plotting and scheming but even with it the story overall is good. It did reach a point where it started to get really irritating but I would never say it's bad. It was cunning and crafty well done however improvements can still be applied in a lot of areas. + The ending is just Great! It may not be the best conclusion to a story but it was satisfying and reasonable.
Acting/Cast - 10, Stellar!! Luo Jin is automatically a 10 over 10 and no one really did badly overall. I'm also glad to know that the main leads has acted on multiple projects before and I guess that helped out so much with their chemistry. Hell! They're even married in real life and that made me even thrilled in watching in. — I'm extremely satisfied and really entertained with each one of their performances.
Music - 10, Great use of ballad and mellow music. Ghad, i'm in love with every songs used on this drama. I have another batch of great music added on my playlist to listen to. Really love it <3
Rewatch Value - 9.5, It surely have its bad sides but I think that's not a heavy reason for me to slander this drama in any means possible. I was well entertained and fascinated all throughout the drama and that's what really matters to me. I would still watch it again if given a chance for sure.
Overall - 9.5, This drama was not perfect. It wasn't even bad and definitely better than 'decent'. It just got some minor plot issues but aside from them it is really good. I contemplated a lot whether to give it a 9.0 or 9.5 but at the end this drama just fallback in one or two particular area and the rest are really great so this rating is just enough and deserving I'd say.
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Fast-paced story marred by underwhelming Guqin performances | The utterly domesticated Prince.
"We should cherish the present moment instead of dreaming about the future." - Yun YiI have few words for this drama, not because it lacked substance, but because its natural flow left me in a state of pure comfort. It washed away any potential criticisms, leaving only a beautiful, relaxing story.
The story was compelling from start to finish, leaving no room for boredom or discontent. The introduction of the characters was handled naturally, followed by entertaining events and conflicts that connected seamlessly to the plot. Each story arc was developed over the right number of episodes, ensuring the story never felt 'draggy' and maintained a fast pace. Every episode was skillfully utilized; I never felt any part of the story was filler, as each was beautifully crafted to support the main plot.
The climax flowed naturally. Although it briefly seemed as though the antagonist might regain the upper hand—echoing earlier events in the story—the protagonist surprisingly learned from earlier events and planned ahead to counter their moves. This gave us an ending that felt satisfyingly hard-earned.
I admit the last episode felt like fan service, but I can't complain at all. I'm so grateful we got to see their lives after all the conflict, and were even gifted moments of them enjoying life with their kids.
The romance between all 3 CPs is so sweet. I love them all, especially the endearing chemistry between the leads, Jiang Xu and Ming Tan. However, the couple that captured my attention the most—and who I wish had their relationship further explored and shown—is Shu Jingran and Yun Yi. Their chemistry is undeniable; I would have loved to see them become more openly affectionate and vocal with one another. While I liked how their story ended, I wish we could have seen a 'years later' glimpse of them, similar to the scene with Zhang Huaiyu and Bai Minmin with their adorable son.
I know the "stoic-to-softie" trope has been reused countless times across every dramaland. But there is really something about Prince Dingbei/Jiang Xu that keeps him above the rest. He was introduced as someone blunt—tactless, even—aside from being unromantic. But what made his evolution more interesting was that it didn't happen over a short amount of time. He underwent a phase of pondering and getting jealous without the usual in denial stage, and I think that is what made him unique. I adore how he's become totally smitten. One who is clingy and totally smitten. A true lover boy. He's turned from a man of few words into a real yapper. Cute!
One thing I am truly grateful for is how they dealt with that trifling, insignificant concubine and her daughter (Ming Chu) almost immediately. I’m really glad we didn't have to deal with them after all the mess they staged. Although we still encountered Ming Chu during the main conflict of the story, I am glad they didn't give her much relevance to the plot and kept her bitchy-antagonistic persona instead of suddenly making her kind. I certainly hate her, but I also can't deny that I grew to like her consistency.
If there is anything I wish they had improved, it would be the Guqin melodies and performances. I’m not sure if I’ve just grown too accustomed to the overly edited, superfluous Guqin presentations in Xianxia dramas, or if this production's representation simply lacks vitality. Either way, the performances felt underwhelming. I find those scenes mediocre and uninteresting, especially compared to how the characters described them as 'great.' I wish they could have been more realistically impressive.
P.S. My favorite moment has to be the drunk scene in Episode 23. While Ming Tan is livid with jealousy, Jiang Xu is completely lost in his admiration for her, thinking only of how unique and wonderful she is. He expresses that, given the opportunity, he would court her repeatedly just to prove his devotion. He is truly head-over-heels and makes it clear that no one can claim him but his Princess Consort.
Story - 9.5, I truly enjoy every moment of this drama. If there is one thing I wish they had improved further, it would be the development of Shu Jingran and Yun Yi. The story plot would've been flawless if they had given us some life updates about them, the same way they handled Zhang Huaiyu and Bai Minmin’s story. Especially they are the CP—next to the main CP—that I got attached too. Additionally, I don't know what happened with the Guqin performances but they're totally unrealistic and boring. I can still remember how dismayed I was watching them.
Acting/Cast - 10, I am very satisfied with the cast. They executed their characters very well. In terms of acting...gotta give credits to Song Wei Long, Bao Shang En & Bai Shu. Love these 3 the most!
Music - 10, The music gets better and better as the show goes on. I was a bit unimpressed at first, but I noticed how the song choices and their placement slowly improved over time. It’s a beautiful set of songs.
Rewatch Value - 9.0, I love it, but not to the point where I can watch it again immediately. Maybe after a few years when I’ve forgotten the details about the story. Definitely a great watch, regardless!
Overall - 9.5, It was a good story overall. It would have been flawless if they had provided equal visual development and updates for Shu Jingran and Yun Yi, and if they had put more effort into editing the Guqin performances. Those were simply disappointing. You can’t present a lackluster act and then call it 'great' immediately afterward.
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