pammo1949

I feel like a Monday morning quarterback writing a summary of my feelings again. Another Chinese drama that starts off with so much potential and a talented male lead actor, but unable to find a pathway to credibility or viewer satisfaction with the outcome. First, the story, -- It had a fairy tale feel in the midst of a very serious subject - drug trafficking. Most of the plot was unbelievable and the viewer typically abandons -- but I am always hopeful that there will be a point of redemption with a story this complicated yet written as if the viewer is simple minded. The acting - tortured because of the female lead. The first time I watched a drama and wanted the lead eliminated violently and early. Poor casting of the leads in this drama. The music was okay - repetitive OST for opening., not a drama that would be infused with music. Wouldn't recommend re-watching. Overall, would not recommend this drama unless you have time to waste. If you have already started watching and invested more than 75% of your time, , I do recommend finishing it so you will understand why you should always wait for some genre's of drama to be completed and reviewed before diving in -- it is called the river of no return.

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Just a warning. This drama has the most luscious male lead I have seen in a drama. That said I felt the rest of the cast lacked the chemistry and skills to make the story lines work You almost begin to hate the people around him (save two sidekicks). There are some unexplained transitions, unrealistic transitions and most of all the cruel part is generally watching each episode waiting for the writers to stop doing flashbacks to fill up time. I am new to Chinese dramas - trying to transition from K dramas after watching Nirvana with Hu Ge but I am not giving up. 40 episodes is too many for weak story lines. Watch it if you are just bored.

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An Outstanding Must See Action Movie with a Story

I have to confess I saw the 1954 Godzilla movie with Raymond Burr when I was a little girl and I fell in love with the whole idea of Godzilla, Mothra, and other monsters over time but as time went on the series faded into cliques and boring plots with this mechanical looking monster that did do roaring and fire breathing. So the interest faded. However, heard this movie had gotten the highest Rotten Tomatoes ratings and highest customer reviews ever, so I had to go see it. Was not disappointed - from beginning to end. There was everything you wanted in a drama, action movie. Great graphics, good character development, impeccable editing, and a screenwriter who did not compromise telling a story that was believable and so good that you even forget that 2 hours have passed because you are so engrossed in the story and its outcome. It is worth every dime of movie dollars to go see and it is beyond a masterpiece and brings the Godzilla franchise a new life if not exploited with cheap plots like the past 60-plus years.

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A complex analysis of the effect of trauma - AMAZING

This drama was so unique in its storytelling that it took more than two episodes to fully immerse myself in the essence of the story. However, once you begin to understand the writer's intention you begin to understand the mind is so delicate that it can be fractured into parts that interact with the future and the past. This drama should be a college thesis on dealing with trauma and documenting how incidents of unimportance to others often scar an individual to the core. It was so deep you have to reflect on all misfortunes and misgivings that occur in a lifetime and how you filter these misfortunes from the past into your current psyche. The acting was magnificent, the transitions in time were placed smoothly and not confusing, the ultimate conclusion was amazing and believable, and gave the viewer pause to reflect on the mental process of healing the mind. I was completely blown away by this drama. It could cause PTSD for any victim of any type of assault but this drama helps you to understand why so many people suffer unresolved fractures in their personality or suffer mental stresses or mental health diagnoses. The music just kept that feeling of despair for the protagonist in sync and each scene's change. Definitely a must-see and a short drama of substance. Highly recommend.

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Pick an emotion - this drama has every emotion you can think of with no lack of intensity. The best part of the drama - it was well written - it allows the viewer to become invested in each character and the actions taken by that character. You feel for the characters because the actors are so good. I am new to Lakorns and the idea of Karma was explained strongly and convincingly. It is a drama about consequential choices and ramifications of those choices on yourself as well as others both negatively and positively. The actors were chosen well for their roles - kudos to whoever was casting director. The scenery felt authentic and the cinematography and camera angles were all good.

Another important part of this story - it did had the best ending. No character was left with a story dangling -- it was told from beginning to end so as a viewer I was totally satisfied.

Would I recommend watching -- most definitely. I haven't watched many Lakorns but this is already on the top of my list as my favorite. Definitely not a slap and kiss drama but a well founded story of personal life experiences centered around a family environment.

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Inspiring and empowering drama about women

In this period of history, women were definitely little more than shoe horns to men. The rules and regulations they suffered through were so tragic and unjustified that the story writer must have cried through much of the recapping of this period of history. Nonetheless throughout the story telling women are the backbones of family life and even the changes in history that we all have experienced through even modern times. This drama is an "epic" drama that ends in various chapters, but begins in other chapters to maintain continuity and filling of any plot holes. The underlying thesis of "overcoming" is a theme that begins and ends to the point that the viewer must begin to channel his or her thoughts to compare the past versus current realities.

What is most enjoyable about this drama is not only the women - but the interactions they have with the men in their households, the men that control their destinies, and the men in power that they encounter. The most satisfying drama I have watched and definitely a hidden gem. It is now in my top 10 list of dramas that must be watched.

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I started watching this drama more than 6 months ago - it was different from many historical dramas and focused on a female lead during the period Samurai's reigned in Japan -- definitely unique.  However, subbing was so slow I became frustrated and gave it up -- but checked weekly to see if any progress in the area of subbing.   Finally, in 2018 my dream came true - all 20 episodes were subbed.  I watched without subs having no idea what was going on but the story just seemed appealing.   The story -  very unique and it spans a significant portion of the female leads younger life-- every emotion you can name can be attributed to her but the drama really focuses on "clan loyalty."     Once you start watching you can't stop -- in the end -- I felt a lingering sadness for this character.   This is not an action drama but a romantic story that moves your heart.  In the end, I researched the purposes of a Shogun and the governmental system during the 17th century.  It is best to marathon if possible because there are so many characters and week by week it is easy to forget their role in the drama ---  worth every minute watching and felt this should have been translated immediately and shared on many more streaming sites.  One of the top historical dramas with a focus on a woman -- a capable one.

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A Mind bender but Complicated to Watch Drama

"The devil is in the details " because this was one hellish movie to completely enjoy. Week after week after week the viewer is challenged to remember intricate details of the lives of multiple characters in two dimensions and in two kingdoms. After 13 episodes the drama seemed too complex and convoluted and the temptation to drop or give it a low rating was in my heart. However, I realized that the questions I kept asking were "Who is this character?" " What Dimension or Kingdom? " and "What Time frame Is This ?" This is the quandary I was in and it needed to be asked constantly. and while watching it was often unanswered. The writer had brilliant ideas but the execution of them were lost -- first in translation (simple translation notes or aides would have helped the viewer understand what as going on each week. Helpful also would have been a refresher summary since the drama was so convoluted. Having criticized the production and visions of the director I must now explain why in the end I found enjoyment in the drama.

The Acting - A+ The expressions and chemistry were extremely good for the leads and supporting actors did an excellent job. Many had to play dual roles in two worlds and had to exhibit different character traits to carry out the distinctions of the two worlds. Kudos for their efforts.

The Story -- B- Unable to follow consistently. I had to binge watch (rewatch) after 7 weeks. I also needed to use other websites to find reviews and recaps to try to follow each episode during the rewatch. I also needed to read several comments to try to find hidden meanings and clues to the stories progress throughout the drama. Basically could not watch without a CHEAT SHEET

Once I had my Cheat Sheets and Techniques -- well the drama felt like I was watching Inception. Time twisting, parallel universe, mathematical principles and theories all were worth researching in an attempt to understand this jewel in the rough. The only question as a future viewer (if you haven't seen this drama) is - are you willing to research and study recaps to get a full understanding because the editing the story just makes you frustrated. Living on the rewind button during the rewatch to understand was no fun.

For the Future Viewer -- Watch - it is a beautiful drama and a good romantic drama. The ending was satisfying.

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This drama is unique in several aspects. It is a story well told, well written, it has clarity, it is original, the editing, directing and camera work was disciplined and highlighted the quality of acting that is award quality.

First the story. It is a patriotic masterpiece and as a viewer, I realized the energy for the drama comes from the "youth" of resistance. There were lessons to be taught in so many situations that I wondered whether the writer was a revolutionist in his/her youth. Often women are put in roles to portray men and it is so unbelievable the drama is a bust. In this drama the actress was a powerhouse -- man or woman - she could be masculine and feminine without question -- which added to the quality of the drama. The historical period was worth researching just for edification of the "times and circumstances" the Chinese were facing.

The romantic backstories and bantering backward and forwards added to the success of telling a story with a military background.

The use of enough extras to add to the story and move the story forward was extremely pleasing and made the 48 episodes addictive and worth binging throughout the night time hours.

The added emotional investment in the lives of the students, teachers and all of the main characters and their lives or deaths or romantic encounters was the icing on the cake.

Acting - flawless - main, support - no weak links - total professionalism and immersion into the character played. Xu Kia was pure eye candy throughout and you had to fall in love with him.

There was nothing I disliked, I did not fast forward one second, I didn't increase the speed of the drama playing, I rewound often if I missed a sentence. I savored all of the dialogue. I didn't get frustrated because there was an unnecessary filler killing time. There were no moments of saying "that was stupid". This was not a CGI type drama -- it felt so real that you will believe they are actually in 1911 or circa. The authenticity of costumes and cars and building and almost everything was carefully studied and again added to the "10" rating.

Music was appropriate and coordinated with the theme.
Rewatch -- a YES!! This drama shot up to one of my top 10 and will be one of my most memorable ones and one to recommend to others. Quality is rare in drama land and it is often overshadowed by compromises. I felt like there were no compromises made to tell this story. The spirit of justice and patriotism is a worthy winner.

Definitely WATCH!!!!

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First - why I watched a year later. After suffering through 120 plus episodes of dismal writing and poor acting in daily dramas I decided to start watching dramas with over 50 and under 100 episodes that are at least 45 minutes to an hour long. This would fill in the void of the poorly written daily dramas that have permeated Kdrama land over the past 2 or 3 years. I love to marathon dramas since I am retired so this one kept me glued to my chair for about a week.

The story. The story was extremely entertaining and imaginative. It had that Jang Bo Ri feeling and the viewer will enjoy the evolution and retribution of more than one evil and demented minded character throughout. There are serious flaws in the storyline - the usual class conscience mothers, the low IQ police, the failure to do what naturally would come to mind if you have common sense, but all of these flaws keep the story moving forward at a pace that does not cause boredom, although you begin to fast forward through some of the scenes that seem superfluous. An attempt at light comedy in many situations made the drama more entertaining, but sometimes I found the humor unnecessary or burdensome to the situation it was applied. This drama focused more on romance for the older generation and let the younger generation barely involved in meaningful relationship development. . Just wish the writers would have tried to focus on more meaningful encounters between the younger actors.

Acting -- Veteran actors that truly did an amazing job in all of the scenes they were cast. They truly carried this drama to the very end. The newbies did well because they had to rise to the level of the veterans. No one did a lackluster or flat role portrayal. Probably awards were given out at the end because of their performances.

Music- the soundtracks did not distract and were appropriate to the mood of the scene.

Rewatch - no-- 68 hours is a long time. If they had compressed this drama into 32 hours it might be but unless there is absolutely no Kdramas or Chinese dramas to watch in my lifetime - no way.

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I only watched this as a binge watch because of a drama mania recommendation for February 2018 listing 4 completed dramas you should watch (including Money Flower, Black Knight, Bad Guys and Bravo My Life). Since I don't have Netflix I decided to check out Bravo My Life. The good -- it was a good story initially - and had a unique perspective -- a drama using the filming of a drama as the backdrop. A drama within a drama type of scenario -- pretty cool. The ugly -- a lot of repetitive and illogical romantic attractions and outcomes. The bad - it was too long. It must have been extended -- so the stretching and pulling teeth to get to an inevitable conclusion became worse than going to a dentist without anaesthesia. If they had stuck to 50 episodes the rating would have been higher. The ending was poor (not rushed) just a sorry ending. I found myself screaming -- JUST DIE ALREADY!!!! That amazed me since I am really a sympathetic person and a major crybaby. All in all -- I wouldn't recommend it unless you are in fast forward mode. The directors wasted the talent of these actors and actresses with a subpar script that lacked substantial rating value.

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The writers of this drama were extremely skillful. It is a "but for" drama that continues to weave tales that can be answered by the "but for" statement. Although extremely lengthy for a daily drama there were enough cliff hangers to keep the viewer interested and "hooked". Also the introduction of new characters and new life situations kept the drama from being redundant. The female lead was a poor choice for role but eventually she grows on you. The two male leads are extremely handsome and talented. What really kept me drawn to this drama was the mother who was mentally challenged. She played that role impeccably and so believably. Her performance was award winning. A drama to watch daily with multiple episodes to maintain interest -- otherwise you will become bored because there are 159 episodes and want to skip episodes. Good family drama.

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This drama is engaging because it reflects time honored social mores of a 2004 society that leave the viewer questioning the value of these traditions in a modern society. Especially a society that treasures immigration and education of its children in the U.S.---the liberal land of free expression of thought, word and deeds. This contradiction is befuddling but the contrasts are what hooks you to the drama. The role of parents in a child's life (a child over 25), the disclosure of -"too much information" but failure to disclose the most important information, the need to lie, lie and more stupid lies with the same outcomes. The most entertaining part of watching this drama was comparing it to several current dramas (2014-2015) and realizing - not much has changed -- except the year. The performances of the actors/actresses - (all well known) are outstanding and the writers do a good job keeping to the theme of the drama.

If you are a k drama addict and have almost exhausted your list of top dramas -- add this one to the list. Long but worth the time spent.

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Definition of Love - A classic for all times.

This story started out as one that a viewer would ordinarily tend to reject. This very pretty young girl pursuing a strange older man after what she feels while her hair is being shampooed. The pursuit was relentless and mindless and initially began to turn me off because of the obvious age difference. The visuals appeared to be a teenager pursuing an old man. However, each episode debunked this visual and made the viewer feel the growth of a true relationship only tarnished by "other" women who desired this extremely handsome man and had no qualms about showing their desire.

Not a unique story but the story is told with musical interludes and English lyrics that were integrated magnificently into scenes and scene changes. Without looking at the scream you felt emotion. Without reading the lyrics you felt emotions. This is the first time I felt the music was the drama and the drama was integrated and woven into the fabric and tones of the music.

Each episode became more and more addictive as the introduction of additional storylines and scenes and locations was shown. The most memorable and award-winning scenes were from the Qiang province. The village, the people, the love, and the commitment to love were just awe-inspiring.

I would watch this drama again and again except for the illness of the FL (my sis died from this diagnosis) and it was painful to watch her go through the struggles of illness. The uplifting part of this drama is asking yourself - what is love? The answer can be easily found in this drama. A must-watch and definitely my top ten modern drama in the past 10 years.

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A 100% failure of a LAKORN

This is the worse Lakorn I have watched. I always measure the quality of storytelling and writing by the number of times I ask the 5 W's and 1 H. This is an endless drama that begs the viewer to ask" WHY, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO and How? This is the underlying problem for this Lakorn because the storyline is unrealistic, the tolerance of injustices is unrealistic, the need to create "sexual" drama was unnecessary; the element of "revenge" was unnecessary, the failure to report crimes raising to the level of felonies is unbelievable, the use and the situational insertion of the "villian" - female and male were unrealistic. Then the writer tops it off with the element of "forgiveness" ---unrealistic. I can go on and on. There was hope for some reality at pivotal points in the story but the writer wasn't mature enough or creative enough to ask him/herself what would be the next logical reaction of a "NORMAL" person. The 7 deadly sins were all thrown around like a shuttlecock in a badminton game. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. The writer didn't fail to exclude one of these sins in this work. I would not recommend this drama to anyone and I truly felt sorrow for the translator who spent hours devoted to this piece. Just a piece of garbage at the end.

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