Minalapinou

Sex, drugs, and denial

So I was pulling my hair out of frustration watching Half-Awake, that minidrama has a very solid cast, loved the aesthetic, premise was my catnip (twisted mutual revenge) but the writing is just abysmal, to the point where nothing could save it from being a rage-inducing trainwreck with no reward in sight. Feeling deprived of my hate-love romance crack, my attention was caught by this drama : it has Wang Kai Mu, is made by director of critically acclaimed What a Good Girl and Please Tell Me If You Are Moved, and features a sexy scumbag ML I will inevitably root for (my bar for fictional ML's redemption is very low).

It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me, I liked every minute of it (and it's not a short vertical at 3:40 hours), it surpassed my expectations, even surprised me at times. I find it so well written, appreciate it didn't shy away from some truly dark places. The hero is the anti-prince charming, he is absolutely two-timing his recovering fiancee and blackmailed mistress, turning both crazy, one with his lies and the other with his hypocrisy and mixed signals, he is caring but distant to his fiancee and abusive but all over the FL in the classic madonna/mistress complex. I find the drama made him feel very human by showing how he's trapped by guilt, self-loathing, and loyalty, until he's finally able to admit he should be more blunt to his fiancee who's spiraling out of control and gentler to his lover who's just trying to survive (I live for the moment these antiheros become sweeter, and the hospital scene ? Amazing) . The FL was also great, first I discovered a new favorite in Ma Le Jie, she's a bombshell and a talented actress, and second the character was truly moving. Yes, it's again a poor girl in a tragic situation where she's alone in the world with no support and a dear sick family member she will sacrifice everything to save, but it's well written and effective : her sister is such a sweetheart you understand why FL wants so desperatly to protect her innocence and save her, even if it means shredding her dignity (the scene where she begs under the rain : oof), the subplot about her reporting job gives her another dimension (and confirms that she does have a savior complex that puts her in very dangerous situations) and, something that too many of these love-hate romances never dare to do : she's not innocent in the deal, she does chase the ML, she wants him to be her support, even if he's clearly not willing, and yes, she weaponizes his sexual attraction to her to get what she wants. Yay for multi-dimensional characters ! The plot starts because of money, and is later moved by the magic pills that cures her sister, but the ML is nothing like your usual sugar daddy who provides the goods, falls head over heels for the FL and pampers her, noooo, their relationship is way more complex (and more interesting IMO) than that. I was glued to my screen to see how it was going to evolve, and the drama over-delivered. SFL was also very well written, not your usual green tea, she herself was dealt an unfair deal, and her excessive codependency to the ML made her more tragic than infuriating.

To be clear : the drama isn't trying to be realistic or feel like big TV, Zhai Shi Fan obviously adores the format's freedom to be over the top and soapy and she's a true master at it, shooting crazy but powerful and memorable scenes. This is an acquired taste obviously, I don't recommend it to anyone who isn't at least a bit into slap & kiss or makjang, and knows what to expect (or, you never know, let the show introduce you to a new type of crack !).

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Me, my husband, and...?

Short and fun, but it mainly works thanks to the charisma and talent of its main duo. The plot tries to juggle way too many ideas. She's the best andrologist, he can't get it up, and only her can have his babies ! Cue arranged sexless marriage to the CEO because of course her sick mom is taken hostage by the token evil step-family who wants the bridal gifts ! But suddenly, his twin brother replaces him during their wedding night and it's a success ! But wait, it's actually him, he has dissociative disorder and is having an affair with his own wife ! Or does he ? Anyway, whoever she's sleeping with, they better continue because evil uncle is scheming against them and doesn't want another heir in the family ! It's fun at first since they keep us guessing what is actually going on, but I wish they had picked a theme and stick with it, because once the novelty fades it ends up being very scattered and superficial. As I said this is very much a power couple kind of romp, Wang Yi Lei and Zhai Yi Ying are having fun and are a delight to watch, but the secondary cast is very tepid and underwritten, and the story is all over the place. I only recommend it if you're a fan of the main actors or if the story really appeals to you.

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Your prince charming will be the first man you see when you wake up

Very OTT, but so good. I sill watch extracts from it on Youtube from time to time. The best kind of tropey romance and my favorite Zhao Lusi drama (I find that she works best in this kind of absurd romantic romp). The male lead played by our Resting Bitch Face King Li Hong Yi is a total snake but he's irresistible and Zhao Lusi is perfect as the young and delicious dumbass who follows the first guy she sees in the new world like a baby chick. The drama lives on their chemistry, and...not much else. It has a very low budget (bad wigs, bad wigs everywhere) and the actor who plays Xiao Bai can't act, but the writing is just sharp enough to keep things interesting until the end (and sometimes suprisingly moving, it does have things to say about outcasts, duty, love, and sacrifice). Also this is totally a covert remake of Devil Beside You where the heroine tries desperatly to get with Mr Right but keeps being interrupted by hot fake Ge Ge who wants to do naughty stuff with her when others aren't watching. The show kinda tries to be a love triangle but Xiao Bai can't compete with Ge Ge's magnificence and he gets eaten by his rival's charisma and sex-appeal. Ge Ge is the Way.

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The abuse part went on for too long

Listen, I absolutely get the appeal of this subgenre of romance, it’s one of my guilty pleasures since I discovered questionable "kidnapped by the mob boss" stories like Haou Airen back in the 2000's, but this one didn't do much for me. It's just endless suffering for the FL. It does work on a visual and conceptual level as Meng Na and Ma Xiao Yu are very attractive people put in juicy situations, but the writing doesn't make a lick of sense, and it reminds me too much of some older melodramas that were just torture porn meant to be watched with morbid interest. At some point it's clear the heroïne has a self-sacrifice kink (or is a full-blown masochist) as she keeps putting herself in harm's way with zero sense of self-preservation. It's not even that hot as the actors are awkwardly fake kissing. I have to admit though : the fake bestie from hell puts to shame many green tea bitches, instigating the craziest evil plans only fueled by pure greed and jealousy, and is super entertaining to watch. Special mention to the CEO's family and housekeeper who are like "but he's a good guy inside" while our hero keeps torturing the FL for no good reason. There are better versions of the "CEO having an affair with his own wife" plot out there and better Ma Xiao Yu dramas.

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Dual cultivation took place

Aaaand it's yet another banger from director Xi Zi. I love tragic phoenix boys since a certain xianxia I will not name to avoid spoilers (bonus points when the FL is constantly screaming her phoenix lover's name while said phoenix is busy sacrificing himself for her for the umpteenth time) and also have a big softspot for pariah heroïnes, so this was right up my alley. I wasn't very convinced at first, the girl's obviously fake red wig was distracting and I found the opening a bit much (FL jumps from a deadly trap to another, to yet another, with no break) but from the moment the "dual cultivation took place" I was in. When he starts being summoned when she sneezes, I knew this was going to be a favorite. The aesthetic of the show won't be to everyone's taste, they were aiming for ambitious fantasy with limited means, but I grew to love it. They did achieve an ethereal, mystical atmosphere, and the charming newcomer actors were fairy-like, looking the part of mystical creatures out of a storybook. The plot was a bit all over the place but it never lost me, and I was enthralled until the very adorable ending (best groom attire ever by the way, can we have all male leads get married bare chested with painted skin from now on ?). Kisses were plentiful which made me a happy camper. Yes please, and I want more.

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Blunt and efficient toxic mob boss romance

The drama is exactly what you can expect from a vertical show called "Captive Love From the Mob Boss". Hot mob boss played by Ma Xiao Yu whose great physicality works wonders for this kind of walking red flag (with hidden vulnerability), sizzling chemistry with gorgeous actress Zhang Chu Xuan, who matches him in intensity, appropriatly scummy second male lead so that the ML can get his redemption arc, hilariously bonkers scenes where the mob boss tries everything in his power to force the heroïne into marriage (including tying a bomb to a priest), dumb evil meimei and stepmom who get their deserved comeuppance, expensive looking sets and costumes, etc. My only gripe is that I don't really know why she falls for him at some point beyond pure lust. I mean, I get it, he's too hot to stay sane, there is some grovelling, but I would have liked a bit more time spent on that part of the plot.

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Mediocre prod that nails the enemies-to-lovers romance perfectly, actors are on fire

I love this mini so much, it's the gold in a sea of mud I was searching for. This is what I'm really hoping for when I see enemies to lovers and love/hate relationship in the tags. The leads are no saints, and they genuinely hate each other for half of the drama while having wild chemistry, a delicate balance to achieve that most dramas ruin by switching to cutesy romance too fast. This show is savage, the heroïne is a true nutcase and will do anything to escape doom (with no prior knowledge like a rebirthed one), the hero is (for once) on her level, and the sparks, oh my, they fly. It's even crazier this works so well when you consider that the drama is a broken production with some truly mediocre camera work and special effects (I swear the director is addicted to these aweful fake thunderstorm lights), confusing subs (they feel machine made and barely corrected) and a weird third act that has a character rising from the deads. So, it's a testament to the show's great sense of rythm (zero dull moment), cleverness in using tropes and the cast's acting that it is so addicting and good. The end is an absolute delight, it pays off the slow-burn wonderfully. It's not the steamiest mini ever but the romance felt so real, it made every move feel raw and sizzling hot.

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Belated but still enjoyable climax of a drawn-out story showing its weaknesses

I was initially glad the drama could keep its 56 episodes length, but after finishing the second part I'm not so sure it was the best decision after all. FP lost its momentum after the break and rehashed the same leftover plots, like Mu Dan's business being dragged through the mud before flourishing again (it became a running gag, they even use the same inspirational song every single time). The princess and Lui Chang were never letting go of their obsession whatever happened, running around in circles, while our main couple was still pretending that they were not into each other, totally platonic friends for sure, which, after almost 45 episodes, was not fresh anymore. Thankfully once romantic rivals came to spice things up, the show was back in business, gorgeous, fun and well-acted, and the slow-burn romance finally paid off (it came so late I was starting to ship her with her asshole ex). The plot's weaknesses were more apparent this time, some arcs felt overly preachy, Mu Dan kept saving people with the power of business left and right, and the villain was still a cackeling cliche straight from a kid's cartoon. I longed for a more nuanced version of this story, less naïve, but overall I would lie if I said I didn't have a blast. It's just not that clever or deep. I am also ashamed to admit that Miles Wei as an obssessive, violent and possessive ex-husband awoke something in me and now I kinda want to watch a romance where he's a problematic lead.

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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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Tragic but hopeful scholar romance with zero budget balanced by sincerity

So, the plot is more or less the answer to : what if the husband in the Double didn't betray her ? Even with many tweaks, that route is also very tragic in a different way, as the heroïne has to watch her man (well they are not really an item yet but still, the vibes are there) become the unwilling boy toy of an unhinged princess. It's made even more cruel in this as the heroïne is a slave (later a commoner), and she doesn't get reborn in a shiny aristocratic clan where she can win contests and catch the eye of a powerful official. She's just trying to stay alive and honor her debts to the poeple who saved her. The beginning is absolutely gut wrenching, even more so since this mini is going for realism without special effects (it feels like a short indie movie at times). The story is full of twists and turns, the production is broke as hell but as an upside we get to see pretty actors who look like real humans without the usual aweful filters (we can see pores ! hair !! the true effect of warm light on their skin !!!). Plot wise, the drama made the very weird choice of getting rid of its main villain (and hook) seven episodes too early, and I'm not sure it's worth watching beyond that (I fast-forwarded to the ending and called it a day).

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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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Amazing high school romance that goes nowhere

Great performance by Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk was my dream boyfriend, lovely directing, but I'll never forgive the show for being such a huge bait and switch. Maybe I'm wrong but I have a theory, and suspect that two ideas were at war for the script : someone wanted this to be a subtle queer romance paying hommage to yuri stories of the 70's with rival lesbians fencing, and someone else wanted this to be a straight romance spanning decades and crises paying hommage to The Way We Were and the Before Sunset/Sunrise/Midnight trilogy. I think both ideas were good, but obviously doing them at the same time is a huge challenge and 2521 is no Rose of Versailles, so as a result the story ends up somewhere in the middle, cutting both stories short. The ending is also a big middle finger to those of us who were invested in Baek Yi Jin's story arc as he ends up after so many hardships and heartbreaks being reduced to a side-note and memories. You can also make a case of the show trying to be : a "Reply" like romance that kept us guessing about the future (that went nowhere), a social commentary on the 90's crisis and the evolution of sports and journalism, a friendship is magic tale, a family drama...and in the end it all crashed with a tepid conclusion, leaving me wondering what was the point. I still adore the Na Hee Do/Beak Yi Jin high school friendship and romance but I can't ignore how the drama *completely* wasted the potential of their adult relationship (I didn't even need them to end up together, I just needed their adult story to make sense !).

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Love, money and danger in Macau

Eh, this one didn't do much for me. The drama is gorgeous : gorgeous actors, sets, costumes (her wardrobe is to die for, so elegant), even the music is good, direction is pro-level, I was taking screens all the time. They nailed the atmosphere. I like the story, it's about a rich heiress whose throne is threatened by the search for her dad's secret son in Macau (not named but it's clearly the reference), and by an arranged marriage with a lame family friend (she's in love with his older brother). She escapes to Macau, finds herself in dangerous situations in the gambling world, and gets involved with the shady mobster her dad hired to find her brother. They make a pact : he will give her some intel so she can get to her rival before her dad, while she will pose as his new girlfriend to escape the control of a powerful family who wants him as an in-law.

I don't know why I was so lukewarm about it, the pacing was perfect, the hero's story was about redemption and escaping the mafia's claws, themes I adore, the drama didn't overrely on cliffhangers every two minutes to hold our attention...maybe I'm just not a big Zhang Jin Yi fan ? She's perfectly fine, even good, it's just that I didn't find she had much chemistry with Zhao Zhen Dong, she looked distracted in their scenes, not fully there, and too often I saw the actress, not the character. I'm also not sure about the way Wen Ning was written, the drama wanted her to be this powerful princess of Beijing circles out of her element in gambling dens, but truth to be told, she feels more like a brat most of the time, not really grasping the danger she's in, making impulsive decisions. Her motives and the way she wants to accomplish her goals felt very selfish, down to the way she flirts with the hero, oblivious to consequences. I guess it's supposed to be part of her charm, but I didn't find it very endearing. The fact that she's in love with her fiance's older brother does give her a bit of dimension, but it's revealed way too late to have an impact. As a result I wasn't that invested in the main romance, even if it had all the usual delicious trappings of forbidden lust (and ZZD crazy charisma). I wonder if the other versions of this plot have a better written Wen Ning, and romance. It's a shame because I love the drama's direction, subtle sensuality, and luscious visuals. A beautiful drama, but somewhat hollow.

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Steal the bride

This was surprisingly cute and entertaining ! The plot is nothing to write home about, it's yet another take on the girl who is over being a mistress, wants more, flies away, tries to have a normal life with a normal guy but is chased by her obsessed, powerful lover who's not over her. She won't yield until he makes a decent proposal, tale as old at times, successful and addictive since forever. I find this one a bit better than the usual bottom of the barrel fare about possessive CEOs and their runaway kept lovers : the cast is young and charming, their characters have a very active libido (it's like the writers had a timer and knew when to throw a make out scene to keep us awake, I won't lie : it works), and they (kinda) talked about their problems. SML and SFL were the usual scum of the earth treacherous, slappable bitches. The way the main conflict is resolved feel like the writer just gave up, but it's also fun : dad in law is suddenly okay with our couple simply because she was pregnant once with his son, and goes from electric chair murder to giving his blessings in minutes (I'm not even joking). Talking about blessings ! The reason why I clicked on the video was because of an extract of the ML kissing the FL during her wedding ceremony right in front of her groom, and then creating an excuse on the spot about the very well-known western tradition of the officiant blessing the couple by kissing the bride (yes of course, no wedding in the west would be complete without the officiant kissing the bride instead of the groom, that makes total sense ?? The fact that everyone was nodding along cracked me up). Overall it's a fun watch, not very clever or anything but the cast is charming and the endless chasing is less aggravating than usual thanks to plentiful sexytimes and some fun randomness.

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