I'm here for the free food.
One Dollar Lawyer is pretty good. It's got unique cases, some memorable characters and NAM GOONG MIN.I love these types of shows where he's a hero who investigates some corrupt element present in his world… The thing is that ODL allowed NGM to be both a serious investigator and the funniest man on earth all at once. This show is super funny, I couldn't predict everything that would happen so it might surprise you. Definitely a fun watch. Great for passing time between fantasizing about a reality where bad people actually get punishment.
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Omg its really good.
When I first started this show I was a little wary because of the low rating. A 9.3 on Viki usually means a lack of quality, but this show really surpassed my low expectations.This story is a historical costume drama that has a sci-fi based time travel gimmick, and it SLAPS. It's really entertaining.
I watched this right after finishing The Double and a lot of the smarter writing I was craving in The Double was present here. This was a show about politics before anything else. Everyone has a faction and it fighting to get a leg up over every other faction. The constant conflicts and mental battles always make this drama feel fresh. If you liked Cheng Shaoshang's big brain in LLTG then you'll love Li Rong. Zhao Jinmai does an exceptional job (as always) communicating that she's a jaded and cold woman who is just trying to survive and do what she thinks will make everything better.
I also love the ML Pei Wenxuan. Dude has got the sauce. Zhang Linghe has been in the corner on the shelf since I first saw him in Maiden Holmes… but my guy made himself a true heartthrob with this show. His understanding of the FL and being able to anticipate her plans made for some of the most satisfying scenes.
Love all the side characters! The regular villains can be a little hard to take seriously, but the main villian was a total boss who actually felt like a true threat.
My ONLY valid complaint is the fact that this show looks AWFUL. The costumes aren't too bad but the cinematography lacks substance and personality. In rare and heavy moments some scenes are filmed intentionally but that just makes the rest of the drama look even worse. It looks like a cheap morning drama sometimes it's so bland.
It's a complicated story where there isn't an easy path or answer. Great story, acting and music. Will definitely watch again.
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Ah mannnnnn!
Oooo boy!If you have watched Princess Agents then KNOW that this show is nothing like that. It feels like They knew the fans of these leads could not take another sad ass drama with an ending that would make you end up in an asylum.
THIS is the FIRST Chinese Xianxia drama to make me more invested in the immortal/demon realm plot than what had happened on the mortal plane. Usually I'm gagging for that mortal trial trope 10 episodes in but not THIS time. I thought the meet cute was pretty well done and I loved the chemistry between Shen Li and Xing Zhi. I really enjoy it when the FL is the straight man in a relationship. Although Xing Zhi is a wise and elderly deity, he's also the youngest one of his kind. He's capable of being powerful and playful all at once. Shen Li's direct personality and serious nature mingle so well with Xing Zhi's. Her nature doesn't relax until she is with him freely.
It's a star crossed lovers story that works well, the romance is top tier and its progression is very natural and enjoyable. I can totally buy why they can't be together and yet it's so satisfying to see them attempt to do it anyway.
This show has some great side characters who all have their own mini arcs where they grow as people and end the show as better individuals, they also add a lot to the humor because the show is HILARIOUS. The music was so good that I added some tracks to my ost playlist!
The bad thing about this drama are the villains…
Nothing any of them did was particularly compelling to me. Theres a betrayal that was supposed to be surprising… but it wasn't… Nothing relating to villians goals or actions seemed logical and I found myself skipping through their scenes late into the drama. I also didn't enjoy the flash back/ back story… I was curious but that too was kinda meh.
I adored the ending though, it's such a relief to watch my leads be happy AFTER all the melodrama is over. This show is rewatchable… but only for the romance.
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Rare good J-drama
It's a case of the week show with a central story that is very compelling. It's more than just serial killers every episode. There is a wide variety of cases a d it's satisfying to see how they'll be resolved. I love the dynamic between the character and I'm a big fan of the lack of romance.Just really solid in a way that J-dramas struggle with these days…
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Damn good
This show was an insane roller coaster that makes use of sooo many old school tropes all at once.The crazy part is that it works.
This drama is a hilarious and wild ride with an overarching mystery that involves every main and side character. The story makes perfect sense and progresses as logically as it can allow itself to…
I had a lot of fun and will certainly revisit it in the future. OMFG it's so cheesy and satisfying. The action and music are great and it's vibe reminded me of Chief Kim at times. Imagine Nam Goongmin in heels.
That's the show. It's great filler fodder while you wait for something else to update.
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A cut up
I'm not sure why but it took me FOREVER to finish this show.Overall it's really good for a costume drama… My biggest problems were the costumes. Some of the fabrics look like they were printed polyester and that always took me out. The secondary villain is also a huge problem for me. Every action he took just made me wanna bang my head against my tv because I could never understand his line of logic… Why even try to understand crazy people I guess?
The drama is just really engaging and consistent. I found myself always caring about what was going on. When the leads experienced loss then I did as well. I cried while watching this show, it made me feel true anguish at times and lighthearted at others.
Its also the first Xu Kai led drama that I have liked since 2019's The Legends which isn't as tightly put together as this is.
Give it a chance.
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This review may contain spoilers
It made me angry.
The leads enter into a marriage contract, but I was not a fan of how condescending the ML was towards the FL. Unlike most people I didn't have an issue with him liking another woman at the start. I only hated how he treated the FL like she was stupid right from the start.Then I started to agree with him.
FL causes so many problems for the people around her... but you're still meant to like her because she tries to make up for it... Over the course of the drama most of her issues are caused by her trying to go above and beyond to please the ML or his family but she just ends up cause grief instead.
Then she sulks... she's like "I know I messed up again, but he shouldn't brush me off." Honey... I'd do the same thing.
I hate the fact that she falls for him first for the most superficial reasons.... Complaining that she's being mistreated by the guy but you're getting hurt and jealous within 3 episodes? Please.
Also the misunderstanding at the end was dumb.
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Its like eating a communion wafer
This is the most Bland drama that I've watched this entire year.There are multiple plot twists that have no payoff and hold no bearing over the story.
You'll be told the most sad or depressing thing about a character only to find out in an episode or two they'll be fine and it never really mattered anyways.
Its strange.
Relationship takes FOERVER TO GET GOING. Too much back and forth and the side stories were not compelling.
I feel like the show would have felt fresh and mature maybe like 10 or 20 years ago.
But we know how childhood romance dramas go, we've seen a hundred and this was one of the blandest.
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Amazing
This show is so good and I was not expecting it at all. A lot of the things I wanted from Lovely Runner were given to me (finally) in this drama.The cast is filled to the brim and I still love every single character. The work that the writing put in to make SURE you know every character is so apparent. I loved the leads and ALL of the secondary romances. For once we don't have an awkward ending for the 2nd ML, he gets his own happy ending that is set up so well. This care is put into every storyline and I appreciated it so much.
Also this show is so freaking funny.
My main compliment is to the meaningful commentary that this show makes about the entertainment industry and fandom culture. It does a great job of highlighting how fandom culture strips a lot of celebrities of their freedom and humanity in exchange for the fame and wealth that they enjoy. There are multiple episodes that touch on that while cleverly utilizing its setting and premise to facilitate that… This drama also talks about celebrity depression and how fandom behavior contributes to that. While watching the characters reconcile their feelings about the tragedies of life you do the same… I did cry, I felt better after.
Anyways, great STUFF.
Will rewatch soon.
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......
At first I thought that this would be another reincarnation drama but it's actually rather refreshingly a time travel story with Supernatural elements. There's an overarching mystery and plenty of Comedy to balance the tragic moments. I liked how some of the characters had dual natures that the audience couldn't really understand until more information was revealed. I loved the pretend marriage trope, it's just not done enough these days.On the flip side.... I was hard to care or focus towards the end.... Its got another jealous 2nd female lead of course, and there are still reincarnation tidbits.
Lee Seyoung can do no wrong.... and this drama was a cute watch...
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I'm ashamed to admit that I liked it
I was ragging on this show for the first couple of episodes. Then episode 5 came and I did a complete 180. I think it's really funny that this B grade drama has more commentary on societal issues then a lot of the biggest melodramas right now. It was surprisingly fun and I will definitely rewatch it. Also the chemistry was hit or miss but the hits were really hitting.I love that this isnt 16 episode. I'm so glad the creators were self-aware and understood that not everything needs to be dragged out for for two or four more episodes
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" Are you okay? You haven't touched your reincarnation."
One of the more interesting ideas that just kinda landed flat?I genuinely had a lot of admiration for the drama and liked it quite a bit at first… The concept is so cool but the backstory and lack of chemistry between the leads was what ended it for me. The mysteries were intriguing but once you get to the later episodes things fall apart…. It's okay but I'd never take the time to revisit it.
The cast was amazing though. Like... really good. Its worth watching for the spectacle.
I'm just really tired of reincarnation.
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NO.
This show is one of the biggest disappointments I have ever watched in my entire life.I'm not even sure how you mess up a concept this easy to make entertaining? But somehow the writer and director managed to do that. The beginning of the show had so much potential and they squandered all of it for absolutely no discernible reason whatsoever.
Despite the bad reviews I decided to go in mostly blind, and I found myself actually enjoying the beginning of the show. I thought it was going to be simple, the two leads work in close proximity to help the FL in her job while the ML gets something he needs from the FL in exchange for helping her. Over time they become closer, they learn more about how their lives intersected and eventually they will fall in love.
Every 2 episodes should be about working on a new task while the leads slowly get closer and work on themselves as well. They both have trauma and issues that are introduced but tells me why nothing seemed to have been worked on the entire show? The writers are in such a hurry to have these two make out that they forgot how to write a STORY. At the time those two people had barely even known anything about each other and you're already having them kiss?
I had to drop it after their second? kiss. I could not physically continue watching. Sometimes you just have to choose happiness before the frustration kills you.
Don't talk to me about these boring a** annoying side characters.
Terrible. I hate it. I might never give a low rated drama a chance again…
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This review may contain spoilers
Final boss
I could not stand the leads in this show, personally I felt no chemistry, and I wasn't excited by their romance. I have seen a lot of reviews saying that there aren't any scenes that are a waste of time. This is completely untrue, I need someone to explain to me the purpose of the dice, knife, poetry fight from the 10th episode?I was fine until she met Ouyang and things got dumb.
I hated the cinematography in particular. So many cuts for a simple conversation and weird ugly handheld shots that follow. Shots should be deliberate and meaningful. Sometimes the editing was so overzealous that I would get physically angry. I once counted 15 cuts in the span of a minute. Why? What for? They were just standing around talking casually but its edited like a fights broke out.
I skipped to the end and her fiance was the final boss.... So boring. Never again.
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Good stuff
Are you the one is honestly surprisingly good.Although it took me a while to finish this show I can say that I would recommend it and will probably rewatch.
The best part of this show is definitely the humor for me. The show is about a woman with amnesia trying her best to cope with the man PRETENDING to be her husband. There's a lot of absurd humor and it's pretty good. I found myself laughing every episode.
The characters were all pretty great, side characters included. Everyone had meaningful roles and their own stakes in the story. Once the main couple resolved their conflict, I found myself actually loving the side couples.
The costumes were also pretty good, despite the obviously low budget. I liked that no one had overzealous accessories or outfits. Everything looked just fine and I'm okay with that.
So to get into things I don't like.
This show is not LLTG… it doesn't have snappy pacing with a constantly intriguing plot. Characters can be intelligent but the pacing gets bogged up. There was a whole chuck of episodes where I felt nothing really happened. The ML has a moral dilemma and deliberates over it for multiple episodes, BUT THEN the decision is taken out of his hands all together.
I also HATE the “love triangle”.
It was wholly unnecessary to have the triangle go on for as long as it did, and since it was taking its SWEET time getting resolved, I found myself getting more and more irritated about it…
Another weak link was the ultimate villain and how lackluster the resolution was. I think the ending could have been a little stronger.
It's better than The Double (for me) but not as good as The Princess Royal or Wonderland of Love.
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