Minalapinou

Embrace the tropes

Do you like slap and kiss ? Big height difference ? Red flags ? The strong bodyguard carrying his doll-like princess trope ? Boy do I have you covered. Yeah it's trash, but QUALITY trash, excuse me. The drama's favorite past-time is finding dumb excuses to shoot very sensual scenes bordering on S&M (it's a romantic thriller, they know their target audience). It has one of my absolute favorite trope : I hate you, I want to kill you, I'm always thinking about you and your stupid sexy hair, and eyes, and arms, please take me now. As many shorts it's done on a shoestring budget but they do have a great cast (I love Fang Jin, she has tons of chemistry with her costars, Jesse Ren is pure eyecandy) and a smexy soundtrack working overtime to sell the atmosphere. Finally they 100% understand that if you don't have a great script, you live and die by the amount of crazy twists you can pull off without alienating your audience, and the drama does it well in my opinion (your mileage may vary). They know that the mystery around the hero makes him more interesting, so they keep us and Wen Xi in the dark. Is he good ? Is he bad ? Do we care ? It even has a great villain arc ! Finally it's not all about sex, the heroes are fun together and I came back curious to see them beat their enemies while finding themselves in compromising situations.

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Overbearing CEO having an affair with his own wife

First thing you HAVE to do before starting this is turn off your brain. Seriously, this is the kind of script that crumbles the more you think about it so don't hurt yourself by trying to make sense of anything, it's not worth it. If you can do that, this a fun and kinky version of the classic rich arrogant CEO and Cinderella romance where he tries to bang her a lot, not always asking for permission. This retained my attention mostly for the lux production and gorgeous cast (Ryan Ren is made of legs and has a resting bitch face that fits extremely well with the angry-sexy boss cliche he's playing while Li Xing Yao is the perfect Cinderella, cute by day and seductive by night). I love how hilariously extra the direction is, they film make-out sessions like action scenes, Ryan Ren is jumping everywhere like a panther on steroïds, and everything is so maximalist, you can't not be entertained. I was not always pleased with the story, there is too many crazy rivals who have zero personnality beyond pure jealousy and I hate secret baby plots with a burning passsion. I think the drama went downhill after that twist, but I still completed it and (mostly) enjoyed it.

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Late blooming flowers

So I finally watched this year's inescapable, much raved-about, monster vertical hit Summer Rose. I had heard of it even when I was paying no attention to verticals, back when I was convinced I would never get addicted on those (sigh). I was not very convinced by the synopsis as I don't like stories about a cold marriage slowly turning sweet that much (I need BIG DRAMA, the more angst the better) but I did love the cast, and was curious to see what all the hype was about. Is it worth the fuss ? Yes, Oh My God, yes. I was entranced, didn't see the 3:20 hours go. Guo Yu Xin is her luminous self, the direction is enhancing her lovely, youthful feautures, Liu Xiao Xu (who is still quite young !!) gives off the perfect "uncle" vibes for the role. This is made by Stable production, a very promising studio. They went all-in for this drama : the soundtrack is great (it's not ripping off My Demon or When The Phone Rings for once), there is no stupid, childish sound effects (if you are familiar with verticals you know exactly what I'm talking about), the costumes and sets are horizontal drama level of quality, the camera work, lighting and sound design show some real industry workmanship, it feels like the vertical genre is no longer restrained by its origin as formated soap for a short attention span audience.

The writing is impressive, on the surface not much is going on (it's an arranged marriage, they give it a chance, they fall in love fast which freaks her out) but it's all in the rich details, the way they dance around each other, the way he slowly breaks her barriers, the way they both evolve as individuals and as a couple through it all. He's very introverted and believes more in actions than big talk, she's outgoing, and has internalized the sad idea that love is a weakness after what happened to her mother. The drama was very mature about its theme : the heroïne didn't use her mother's tragic fate to go on a vengeful rampage, she was able to forgive her father without forgetting, she just had to understand that she wasn't doomed to repeat her parents' story. Writing wise the only thing that bothered me was that she's supposed to be bipolar : there was no sign of it in the whole drama, she's a bit impulsive and unconscious at times and has depressive bouts, that's it (not the first time I've watched a drama dropping names of very serious life-altering medical conditions while writing their characters with very basic neurosis, oh well). For romance enjoyers I'd say it's a mandatory watch, it was incredibly romantic, and gave me vibes of golden era HK romances.

For those interested there is a spin-off promoted during the drama about his little brother and his wife played by He Jian Qi and Wang Ge Ge, I'd like to check it out.

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Bait and switch supposed enemies to lovers romance that peters out after its explosive introduction

So, this was sold as this dark enemies-to-lovers toxic romance with lots of triggers and red flags, which means I was there day one like a moth to a flame, and...it was very misleading. The beginning is certainly that, but the leads form an alliance way too fast, and then it's mostly about Mei Lin protecting baby princess Murong Jinghe and them trying be happy despite horrible circumstances. Is it spicy ? Not really once you've seen the famous bathtub scene. After that, say goodbye to your dark fantasies and go watch a trashy minidrama instead (there is hundreds of them with this type of plot), as the leads fall in (basic) love very fast, frolic under the moonlight, all that jazz. Is Lui Xue Yi's unhinged and magnetic performance worth it and strangely sexy ? Absolutely. Is Wu Jin Yan on fire as an assassin on the hunt ? Also yes. But they don't stay that way very long, and it doesn't erase the fact that the show is not what we were promised. Still, I was going with it after that first letdown, and enjoying it for the most part. Problem is, the subplots are waaay too weak, and some don't even feel like they belong in the show (don't get me started on the idiotic Xiyan siblings and kingdom). The secondary romances, if you can even call them that, were also bafflingly bad. I've heard since that the original novel is paper-thin, that they had several writers creating various plots to fill the void, and if it's true, it explains a lot. It's also too long for its own good, and I dropped it around the 20th episode, when I just couldn't care anymore about any of the politics happening. I've heard bad things about the ending so no regrets. What a waste though, the beginning was so good.

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A hot, short mess

I have so many questions, and so little answers. First let's get this out of the way : the title makes no sense, it's not about redemption at all, it's a period revenge story (chinese title is "Run Wild") with a plot I've seen several times where FL becomes a concubine of her family's killer who stole her house and has an affair with his son. Second, don't ask me about story details, the subs were so bad I could have watched it without them and get the same level of understanding (actually I think I could have benefit from turning them off, as they were so confusing), third ; what the hell was up with the format ?? Did they intend to shoot a horizontal mini, ran out of budget and went for 2 minutes, vertical length episodes (while having only one hour of scenes to work with) ?? Some transitions were just...missing, new characters went in and out of the plot faster than we could get their names. No way the initial script intended the show to be that disjointed. And last, but not least, am I crazy or was there supposed to be a romance between Yun Mo and Rong Yan ?? Is there an uncensored version out there were she's having an affair with her AND Tian You ?? Is it a one-sided love ? The drama heavily hints towards it, but it has already so little time to develop its story, why add a secondary romance ?? I have no idea who the ML is as a person by the way, no time for his character to be explored. Okay with all this out of my chest, let's focus on what the drama did well : kiss scenes. They were fire. Masterpieces. Need to be framed and taught in school. Great abs, at some point he's rolling in the snow half-naked to cool her fever, 10/10 boyfriend material. Costumes and songs were very pretty, the drama is a strong advert for the talent and beauty of its main cast. It's a frustrating experience, I think there was potential for a good, addictive mini drama in here, but as is it still made an impression.

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Warring hearts

The first couple of episodes are some of the most action-packed and colorful I've seen, never showing signs of slowing down, and by some miracle Fated Hearts managed to never relent until the end. What a show ! Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming (everyone is shouting ! The music and sound effects are so loud !) but it's blood-pumping and thrilling. The mature cast is perfect for this angsty romance of warriors who are fatal ennemies but still recognize each other's valor since they are made of the same cloth. I have yet to see a middling performance from Chen Zhe Yuan and he's killing it as unhinged prince Sui Ge, serving bitch royalty with hot temper and slutty looks all day, all night. I hadn't seen Li Qin in anything before and I'm conquered, ready to follow her charismatic commander anywhere. Both are dominating the show by their presence and high-octane, moody relationship. This is made by the Kunning Palace team, who has a clear talent for writing crazy power couples. There is a scene where he says he wants to cut her into pieces and tear her limbs, and it's the hottest thing. I'm sad the secondary male cast is on the weaker side, their roles are great but Chen He Yi and Zuo Ye are not giving us much beyond perfect skin, shiny hair and smoky eyes (to be honest Zuo Ye did okay, but Chen He Yi is so wooden you can't even tell what he's supposed to be feeling). Thankfully the show has an excellent secondary female cast (Xia Meng and Xu Xiao Sa delivered), some truly great acting from the veteran cast and an ace in its sleeve in Qin Tan Yui as a broken ennemy emperor, whose completely unexpected affair with the princess gave a new exciting life to the final arcs.

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Do not try this at home

I think you can ignore most of the medical blabber they throw at us. The "psycho" behaviour of the hero is a cover for his fears and the heroïne clearly has a saviour complex, forgetting it's best to help yourself before helping others. On the heroïne violating every ethical codes imaginable : yeah she does and should be banned from practicing, but I think the drama did a good job at showing why she did it, how she fell head over heels for him, and how she paid a hefty price for it, their relationship being more akin to a purgatory than a paradise.

Directing wise it has a legit director in Zhou Jiu Qin, and it shows. He made some much talked-about shorts this year like this one, Dark Side of the Sun, The Love of a Fool, and Debauchery. What can I say, each one is pushing the limits of what verticals can do, getting the best out of their cast (To Love a Fool is often described as the best work of Ma Xiao Yu, same for Zhang Chi here, and even if Towers of Whispers had weak writing IMO, its opening was striking and the drama did a great job at showcasing Jerome Deng's talent). I think he's amazing at directing broken but resilient, unhinged heroes as Zhang Chi's performance was mesmerizing. First he looks like some pop idol picked straight from an edgy hit clip, with his million-dollar teethy smile, perfecltly messy hair strands and see-through mesh tops ( if you want a ref, his styling made me think a lot of the wet, sad, skinny puppy look of TXT's "LO$ER=LO♡ER" era). Second, he plays the "psycho" lover part very well, he's a devoted puppy who will bite if provoked, but since his lover is no angel herself and made the first move, the drama never becomes an endless chase where only the ML is crossing lines. On the contrary, it's the fact that they a are so much alike that makes the heroïne run, as she's not ready to face her own trauma (yet).

The drama could have gone to very dark places in its second part, but it doesn't resist the appeal of using some convenient external evil plots to bring the characters back together. I would have liked them to be a bit more daring (does he really have to be yet another CEO nepo-baby whose family rival is trying to usurp, with an obsessive fiance trying to possess him like a trophy ?) but I guess paying tribute to the format's most used tropes is not the worst choice, as they could have really stumble if they had tried to be more ambitious with the script, since they were already treading dangerous waters with the premise.

So overall I don't think the writing is amazing or that it should be taken seriously about mental health, but for what it is, a dark romance about broken lovers and a heroïne coming to terms with the fact that a "normal" relationship is probably not for her, facing the consequences of her actions and the impact of what she endured on her life, it was damn good.

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Toxic Love From my Uncle

Huh, the overall plot is fine if barebone (they love each other but his sister married her dad so they can't be together, that's it that's the plot), and the actual writing/interpretation of it in this version is pretty bad. The hero spends more than half of the drama not taking "no" for an answer and being the sole driving force of the romance, because if we were counting on the heroïne, there would be zero action since she forbids herself from the possibility of any relationship with him. There is no cat and mouse in this game, it's just relentless chasing/escaping (and sometimes, but rarely, yielding) so if you can't stand the very, very, very dated tale of the girl who just won't admit her own desires and feelings because what about rules/family/reputation, and the boy who chooses the abuser path to overcome that, and if the (again, so damn stale) line "you're saying no but your body is saying yes" makes you vomit, just run. Okay, still there ? Hello fellow deranged soul, you have come to the right place. If "Toxic Love From the Mob Boss" is your preferred soap perfume, this is a good pick, he's not a mob boss but he's a territorial, forceful, sexy asshole who needs to assert dominance at every turn. He also can be defined as a deranged yandere and I know there is a public for it. So, time to be honest : I enjoyed it a lot and couldn't look away, thanks to a great casting (Lan Lan and Wang Yiran have played in a few of those "canary" dramas and they know how to sell it), a wonderful translation (honestly it makes a huge difference, I swear half of the time I'm annoyed at a vertical it's because the translation is garbage) and a trashy plot played completely straight, that knows exactly what its demented audience wants to see. Finally, this is the drama that made me realize I have a thing for actors who look constantly pissed off, as I loved Wang Yiran's perpetual frown and mean gaze. In conclusion this is very much a "if it's your thing watch it, if not avoid it" kind of vertical.

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Picked it up to have a good laugh, stayed for the secondary romance

A very fun, but also very forgettable contract marriage romance. As I feared, Kim Yong Dae is once again too lifeless for my taste, but props to the show for writing his character in such a way that it doesn't really impact the story. Shin Minah is hard carrying the main romance, and she's helped by a wonderful direction. The plot is okay, but it's trying a bit too hard to be modern and trendy for my taste. I feel like the writer did a better job with the contract marriage in Her Private Life, but that one had the huge advantage of having a very strong couple of lead actors who tend to elevate even mediocre scripts. In truth at a point I kept watching this one mainly for the secondary couple. Their story was way more interesting, and they had lots of chemistry. On that subject, their spin-off Spice Up our Love was a bait and switch, not as sexy as promoted, but it was still very entertaining. Overall No Gain No Love is a good pick if you're missing laugh-out-loud romances, but you can find much better in Shin Minah's catalogue.

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Tempted

Republican era version of the Prince is Too Wild plot with Chen Si and Lui Xi Yu. Loved the contrast between the bubbly, petite actress and Chen Si's lean, sighthound stature and menacing energy. Girl is over her head when she accepts to become his mistress and he's clearly setting a trap for her to fall into, but she's not exactly reluctant. Their dynamic was both cute and sexy, a difficult mix to blend well, but the young actors balance it perfectly : she's not so innocent while he's not so jaded. She wants to explore, he teases and pushes her but not too hard, waiting for her to take the bait (such a fun dynamic). This is my first Chen Si drama and I'm impressed, he's got talent. A very strong pick if you want to watch a Republican era romance leaning more towards romantic comedy with a dash of spice than Noir thriller.

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Not as steamy as advertised but still really strong

In spite of its title, sexy poster and scandalous opening where we see the heroine having an affair with the son of her new husband after seducing them both at the same party, this is a surprinsingly tame, sweet and sincere love story that doesn't have the usual trashy stuff found in these period minis. Is it a bait and switch ? Totally. Feast on that fantasy first kiss, because it's (almost) all we get ! It is frustrating to see the sensuality of the first episodes disappear in favor of a very classic courtship, and the heroes not taking advantage of all the opportunities they get to ravage each other right under the nose of their enemy, but it is also relaxing to not have all the usual tropes like forced kisses and shrewish ladies slapping people around. On that point, the usually evil stepmom is kind of adorable ?? Overall it's so serious and invested in its characters and story, it might have work even better as a longer show. I still mourn the lack of skinship, you can't just show this electric opening and then ask us to forget about it !

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Cute mini for xianxia lovers without time to invest in a 40 to 60 episodes epic

Fei Li is Jing Yuan, a demon lord whose powers have been sealed in a world where demons are hunted and killed by cultivators, is protected and healed by Fusheng, the Phoenix Queen played by Ming Jia Jia, who is trying to marry an immortal sect leader. A very fun and cute hodge-podge of xianxia tropes. It's speedrunning various xianxia plots often at the sacrifice of smooth transitions and logic, but manages to feel like its own story (or at least cliffnotes of its own story...). One of its main influence is The Legends so if you want a quick version of that, Seal of Love fits the bill nicely. You can fill the gaps with the meat of other, longer dramas. Problem is, the last arc is obviously missing, but if the second season is never produced you can take the last scene as a typical xianxia open ending. Maybe my favorite Richard Li drama ?

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Great meta romance that holds hup against classics of the genre

The plot is bonkers : an evil novel rival girl gets a conscience and is recast in a story as the female lead, she has a heart disease that forces her to kiss the male lead to survive, but instead she strikes him into a coma and kisses his half-brother who is the villain that will kill her the day of her wedding. It's on par with Extraordinary You and Lost Romance, it just works. It's very funny (the dialogue and meta humour can be hilarious and all the part where Yehan gets confused about his feelings for Luo Qing is great), the leads are rock solid, and if you don't think too hard about it, the laws of the novel world kinda make sense. Overall very refreshing and addictive. It looses steam at the end but stops right in time and doesn't overstay its welcome.

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Straight to the point murder mystery with a delicious serving of romance

The plot is your über classic, you-killed-my-father-prepare-to-die (and let's solve a bunch of murder mysteries along the way) type of revenge story, with some trendy tweaks like the indentity switch, but this show wants to focus on the mystery, adventure and romance parts, rather than the gimmicks framing it. As a result it's very straight to the point, and more importantly, well-paced. The first mysteries are intricate enough to sustain our attention, and the tension escalates when our heroes reach the big city and get into the Prince's murder. I was not sure what to think of the main couple at first, their mutual crush was a bit on the nose, but after watching so many slow burns (some without payoff) I was very happy to see our leads get together faster than expected and all over each other (so many kisses, I was in romance heaven). They are so complementary, a true power couple : she will get sh*t done, and he will kick ass. It didn't hurt that the leads were played by two of my favs. Overall this drama is surprinsingly great at writing romances, and their sweetness balanced out the dire darkness of the cases. The production is not lavish whatsoever, it's a true case of strong writing, acting and directing covering for the smaller scaled budget.

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