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If you enjoy Ding Yu Xi, watch this drama
==Breakdown==Background plot / palace intrigue - 85%
Romance - 15%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
Let's be honest, if you watch and enjoy this drama, it's because you like Ding Yu Xi. This is my first drama with this actor and I'm now watching his entire backlist.
There is nothing else exceptional about the drama. Thus, you have to set your expectations appropriately. The story isn't the worst. It's mid / fine but I found it convoluted at times and boring most of the time. The production value is fine-- not mind-blowing, not bad, just fine. The rest of the cast is pretty good and plays their parts well. I liked the FL-- the actress and her character-- quite a lot and look forward to her future projects.
But Ding Yu Xi is BY FAR the best part of this show and I have re-watched his scenes because he's just so dang mesmerizing. He eats this role and the character of Shen Du is exceptional / interesting / captivating because of the actor who plays the part.
I'd say it's 30% palace intrigue, 55% solving mysteries, and 15% romance. The leads had great chemistry (for their 15% of the story), but if you watch Cdramas for the romance, maybe just watch some compilation videos on YouTube and skip this one.
Then again, if you're a fan of Ding Yu Xi, this one is worth watching for him / his scenes alone.
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There's a reason this one is everybody's favorite
==Breakdown==Background plot- 35%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value and direction - Excellent
First, the script. The script and story are brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. There are a few people who point out the age difference between the main characters. This didn't bother me for a few reasons:
1) There's no romantic chemistry between them until she's older, but I loved the bickering friendship chemistry between them in the early episodes. And her young age at the beginning contributes to the absurdity and therefore comedy. You're not supposed to see adult love between the characters (at the beginning). You see a bickering, frustration, growing respect, empathy, eventual admiration and like between two humans, which is appropriate.
2) The main premise of the story is he's a hundreds-year-old Goblin; you're going to have to be willing to suspend disbelief, people! If the part of the story you're hung up on is the "age difference" between a 200+ year old Goblin and the "bride," then that's odd.
3) His character, honestly, wasn't very mature. LOL! I mean, he was old, but his maturity level wasn't commensurate with his age. He seemed petty and kinda tired of life when the show started. He continued to be petty (but less tired) as the show went on. The character was stuck (mentally and emotionally) at the age of his "death," likely 30 or so. That was made very clear. Thus, she grew up and so did he, eventually coming together when they were similar in mental and emotional age.
Second, third, fourth . . . one hundredth, the cast. Holy moly, there has never been a more perfect cast. My Drama List should allow users to apply a "11 star" option once. If they did, this show would've received it from me for its casting. Obviously, all the main leads were incredible. This was my first introduction to both Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo, and I have become a big fan of both. Their chemistry with each other was incredible. Their chemistry with other characters was also incredible. The way they look at each other in later episodes (just look) will give you butterflies. AAAHHH!!
The music must be mentioned. This is the first (and only) drama where I still listen to the entire soundtrack. Each song is worth listening to on its own. 10+++ stars for the music. It has become the drama against which all other OSTs are judged.
I want to go back to the script for a second. I can't say enough about how great the dialogue was. Obviously, the actors' delivery was essential to bringing it all to life, but some lines / interactions were so brilliant. Funny, poignant, witty, engaging. So good.
Direction was good. Art direction, cinematography, and production values were also good.
Overall brilliant. Loved it. Have watched it 2x so far. I'll probably watch it 10 more times at least.
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How could they mess this up so badly?
==Breakdown==Background plot - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - terrible
Romantic chemistry - terrible
Misc comedy - terrible
Production value - Good
Note, the 6.0 for the cast include the guy who played Ryu Shi Oh (which is a 10+). Everyone else plus Ryu Shi Oh averages out to equal a 6.
I've never watched a show or read a book where I was actively rooting for the villain to succeed as much as I was rooting for Ryu Shi Oh. The only other example I can think of is 'Black Panther' and even then, I liked the hero a lot and felt conflicted. Not so with this show.
Ryu Shi Oh was the only good thing (other than the cameo from the original show). And it's not like he was just okay. He was AMAZING. What the actor did with this character was nothing short of miraculous. Thus, when you compare all the other characters and their nonsensical journeys and lack of chemistry to Ryu Shi Oh, it made this show so difficult (and frustrating) to watch.
How did the creators not understand what was happening while they were making it? It seems so obvious. If you have a villain that is 100% more interesting and compelling than the hero, you re-write the script and you reshoot scenes. You make the hero the second lead and you redeem the villain. Come on, people. But, no. We (and Ryu Shi Oh) were robbed. We were so, so, so robbed.
The other storylines were over-the-top and incredibly boring, to be honest. I tried watching them but ended up fast forwarding any scene that didn't include Ryu Shi Oh.
In summary, I can't recommend watching this show, not even for Ryu Shi Oh. Instead, save yourself the frustration and just watch edits of Ryu Shi Oh. You'll get the picture and save yourself the brain-numbing exposure to the rest of this tepid drama.
What a colossal waste of time.
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It was good!
==Breakdown==Background plot - 30%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Great
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
This is so cute.
I really enjoyed how low stakes, sweet, and fluffy this is. If you're looking for a fun and sweet rom com with a straightforward story and chemistry between the actors, this checks that box.
In addition, there's something about Chae Jong Hyeop's performance that is both adorable but also super sexy, and that takes the drama up to a new level. I've never gotten butterflies in my stomach when a character merely smiles. His smiles are making me feel things.
Kim So Hyun is just a delight to watch. She's one of those actresses who makes every scene feel effortless. She comes across as "a girl's girl" in this one and I love her character. She's straightforward, honest, kind, and intelligent. Love her.
Also a big bonus: everything the characters do makes sense. At no point have I yelled at my screen or turned it off in frustration.
The SML and SFL's story was sorta boring at first, but it's (eventually) cute and eventually grew on me.
In summary, so far, if you're looking for a fun show to keep you engaged with low stakes where romance is the central story, highly recommend this one.
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It's just too long
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60% (more and more as the show progresses, but averages to 60%)
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
There are a few scenes that take place between the end of their high school days and the start of their college days that are complete gold, and that's the only reason I'm giving this a 6.5
The first half was fine, the 3 episodes referenced above were FANTASTIC, and then it was pretty bad starting episode 12 forward. That's a lot of bad episodes.
The ML and FL did a great job, and I honestly would've dropped it if it hadn't been for the actors. But the rest of the cast was not great. Another super irritating thing about this drama was how the friends were so stupid. I mean, everyone but the mains were morons and didn't know how to listen, especially the lazy guy friend from high school and the FL's best friend. Ugh. They were SO ANNOYING! I skipped so much of episodes 20-28 because of these two characters.
Chemistry between the leads was great, romance was good, support cast and story were extremely *meh* 6.5 is generous.
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It's FANTASTIC!
==Breakdown==Background plot - 35%
Romance - 50% (it's romance heavy and I would definitely call this a romance)
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - EXCELLENT
Romantic chemistry - EXCELLENT
Misc comedy - EXCELLENT
Production value - Pretty good
I recommend this drama for people who love: Love stories, complex characters, twists in the plot, supernatural / fantasy elements, he falls first and harder, enemies to lovers.
First, I feel *so sorry* for anyone who dropped this masterpiece early on. The first ten episodes are absolute fire; and then it slows down to a simmer, building and building, until episode 26 when everything is insanely awesome until the end. AND THE END!! One of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen.
Other reviews will likely go over the basic plot, but what I wish I'd known before going into this drama:
1) Don't look up spoilers. Go into it blind because there are so many AMAZING twists and turns. Just let yourself enjoy the story, the pay-off is MASSIVE.
2) You will become a massive Cheng Lei fan after watching this drama. Accept it. Embrace it.
3) You will have a huge drama-hangover when it's over and nothing will hold your interest for a long time. I can't seem to watch anything else because I keep wishing I could watch this one again for the first time. :-(
This show now lives in my top three CDramas of all time, which are (in no particular order):
'The First Frost,' 'One and Only,' and now 'Shadow Love'
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Incredible performances from the entire cast make this heavy drama worthwhile
==Breakdown==Background plot - 85%
Romance - 15%
Misc comedy - negligible
Background plot - Quite good and important
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy -NA
Production value and direction - Good
I hope Zhang Jing Yi and Zhou Yi Ran star together again. Their onscreen chemistry was absolute fire, but they had few interactions in this drama. Since I watch C Dramas mostly for the romance, this show has no re-watch value for me, but I'm glad I took the time to watch it once. The story is an important one, told with a well written script and powerful cast.
Liu Dan (who plays the mother) was also standout in the drama. Super impressed with her acting.
Overall, worth a watch. Just make sure you're in the mood for a heavy story.
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Biggest disappointment of 2025 / Cringe-fest / I blame the casting director
==Breakdown==Background plot - 20%
Romance - 80%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - THE WORST I'VE EVER SEEN (despite the ML attempting to carry the show by himself)
Production value and direction - Excellent
I really loved Liu Hao Cun in 'Derailment,' but this role is not right for her at all. I would go so far as to say this is the most miscast role of all time. The title of this is 'Be Passionately In Love' and the FL is neither passionate or (as far as I could tell by episode 18) in love. Reading through comments it seems this actress doesn't feel comfortable doing any kiss scenes or physical intimacy on screen? Then... why the heck did she take this show? She singlehandedly ruined what should've been an epic modern romance.
And what a total waste of Wang An Yu's talent. I felt so bad for the actor during literally *ALL* of their scenes. It's like he's acting all alone in this one. Poor guy. :-\
Basically, it's a great story, great music, great cinematography and direction, etc. etc. etc. ruined by a flat and soulless performance by the FL. Despite my admiration for both actors' previous performances, this one was legit hard to watch, I was cringing more and more, and ultimately had to drop it.
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Really good!
==Breakdown==Background plot / palace intrigue - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
Overall thoughts: This is my first drama with Zhang Wan Yi and my second with Wang Chu Ran. I *really* enjoyed Wang Chu Ran in Fireworks (with Yang Yang) and was excited to see her in a historical Cdrama. Zhang Wan Yi impressed me! He has such an interesting voice, I'm so glad he did his own dubbing as I think his inflections added a lot to the overall story.
Highly recommend for: Romance focused watchers in search of great chemistry paired with decent production values in a historical Cdrama.
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There is no love triangle (or rectangle) but it is the slowest of burns
==Breakdown==Background plot - 55%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Excellent
Dear Romance Fans: don't be discouraged by the early episodes, the love story is a MAJOR part of the show (eventually). This drama is definitely a case study in a slow burn romance leading to an extremely explosive endgame.
Contrary to what some folks might've stated, there is really no love triangle (or rectangle, or hexagon, or whatever). Yeah, the FL has a few storylines with other menfolk, but those only serve to enhance her character development (and the ML's character development later on) as well as drive the plot forward. I despise love triangles, but this didn't bother me one bit.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED this one and will definitely re-watch it again, especially episodes 30-38 :-)
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The failure of this drama was the direction.
==Breakdown==Background plot- 65%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 5%
Background plot - Pretty good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - None to mention / speak of
Production value - Pretty good
Direction / editing - Not great
The casting for this was quite good, and the story wasn't bad (it was also quite good). The script was also good. The failure of this drama was the direction. Some of the direction choices were, quite frankly, terrible, which led to problems in pacing and characterization.
Scenes that should've been short were drawn out for no reason and scenes that might've increased tension and viewer interest were glossed over and rushed.
However, despite the poor direction choices, the actors still shined. I can only attribute this to their natural chemistry and insane talent.
Overall, this was worth a watch for the story and actors. You will have to fast-forward quite a bit, but there are some scenes that are gems, especially between the two leads.
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Excellent performances paired with a substandard script
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Good
As always, Park Min Young was excellent. Na In Woo was new to me and I was impressed. He really sold his part. Everyone else was cast perfectly. The "bad guys" were fully committed, especially the best friend, and their performances were often disturbing (which was the point, I think).
The problem was the script and, therefore, the actual character development. I'm usually fine with cartoonish caricatures in fluffy / silly shows, but the good guys were nauseatingly good and the bad guys were over-the-top bad. Like, moronic, no redeeming qualities bad guys.
Given what the actors and director had to work with regarding the script, I thought it was the best it could be. Thus, 6.5.
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The lead actors carry the drama
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Not great
For what it is, it's pretty good. My favorite short format CDrama is 'Familiar Stranger.' This one is just pretty good in comparison.
Overall, the story was a little out there but still fun, dialogue wasn't bad at all. The FL has great comedic timing which I wasn't expecting. The script also played to her strengths, which was great. The ML played his role perfectly and was quite adorable to watch. I'd say he and the FL were the best part of the show.
Their chemistry was pretty good (longing looks) but the skinship / kisses were very *meh*. (In comparison, 'Familiar Stranger' had both top notch chemistry and better / more realistic skinship scenes than most full-length dramas.)
I'd say it's worth a watch if you're looking for something fast where the central story is the romance.
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This is my favorite Yang Yang drama (so far)
==Breakdown==Background plot - 45%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Really good
I tried to watch O2O and . . . no. For a lot of reasons, no. But mostly because the two main characters were the most boring main characters I've ever had the displeasure of attempting to watch. Then I watched 'You Are My Glory' which was okay for a while but then it was very *meh*
But this one was SO GOOD! I loved the story. I did not find the main female lead / character at all wishy-washy. Her perspective and actions made sense to me, as did the unfolding of their story together. Unlike most modern CDrama where things tend to drag in the middle episodes, this one did not.
And their chemistry was top notch. You could tell the actors were really comfortable with each other. This is the best chemistry I've seen (so far) anyone have with Yang Yang.
Also the side-plots were also quite good. I loved the supporting cast.
But watch it for the chemistry between the two leads. SO GOOD
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Honestly, this was just boring.
==Breakdown==Background plot - 50%
Romance - 25%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - Mid
Misc comedy - Okay
Production value - Fine
The KK team was the best part.
As with most CDramas, they broke up, and got back together, and broke up again, and got back together, and yada yada yada. I generally liked the FL, but she was a complete doormat with the boring hero, and not because she was "young." I didn't think she was "too young," I thought she was spineless and lacking in self-worth with the hero, which didn't make any sense because she came from a loving home, was brilliant and kind, and seemed to know her worth in all circumstances that didn't involve the ML. Also, it was never clear what she found attractive about him other than his looks.
Sadly, the worst part of this drama was the ML, who was straight up boring. I think he was supposed to be one of those cold / aloof male heroes-- which I usually have no problem at all with-- but he wasn't aloof, he was a snoozefest.
I did like his younger cousin, though. He was interesting, and I might give the spinoff a chance because of that character.
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