This review may contain spoilers
Starts strong with great characters and back stories, but themes and sublime moments are too watered down by the end . . .The inevitable comparison to 'Go Ahead' is at the end of this review.
Can you have a sunny, optimistic future after a traumatic and unconventional childhood? The answer is a resounding 'yes.' The theme simple: hold tight to the people in your life who want to see you happy and healthy - and run away from people who don't believe in you and wish you would fail.
The romantic suspense is addictive: we the audience can tell that Sanha is over the moon for Juwon. But Juwon has no idea. There's a bit of a 'forbidden romance' factor as well.
Once the primary romantic storyline is resolved, between the two of them, then moves to the difficult bit. How to address the lasting trauma that these characters suffered in childhood? This is completely soft-balled. Sanha's mother just fades away, as does Haejun's father. Sanha's taking of sleeping pills is waived away by learning the joys of drinking.
The acting is great - I especially liked Haejun's characterisation. The production values, music and pacing are all decent, and occasionally there would be a cinematic moment. But, the highlight of the show is the depiction of toxic/traumatic family relationships, finding your 'found' family and the romantic storylines. I just wish it hadn't turned so saccharinely, unrealistically sweet in the last 4 episodes.
COMPARISON TO 'GO AHEAD'
Go Ahead was one of my top dramas of all time until the last 5-10 episodes. It was much more raw, and much more realistic about surviving toxic and traumatic relationships than Family By Choice. So much so that it should come with trigger warnings. It also was less literal and a bit more sublime. While I really hated the plot resolutions, the last scene of Go Ahead will stay in my mind forever.
In Go Ahead there were two strong sources of tension/suspense. One the romance, but the second was whether the Sanha character would be able to thrive or if he was going to sink and drown.
One of the most emotionally touching scenes in Go Ahead, was when he scrambles in a panic to explain to the Juwon character that he'd take anything she is willing to give, it doesn't have to be romance, it can be friendship, it can be anything - that in the years they've been apart the only light in the darkness was imagining seeing her again.
Instead of saying that is romantic, she starts to cry, and she hadn't realised things had been so bad between him and his mom, that she hadn't seen how bad things were for him, how had none of them seen?? How had they let him suffer all these years??
In comparison, in Family By Choice, Juwon goes to her dad and asks if it's OK and normal that Sanha and Juwon feel like no one in the world exists but each other. Instead of her Dad warning her about 'romeo and juliet' type romances, he instead reassures her that it's normal.
Was this review helpful to you?
Every romantic trope is here: from opposites attract, forbidden romance, memory loss, rescues, reincarnation etc. There are fresh conflicts and an opportunity for the women to stand in the rescuing role. I was cheered to see this, but a few things hold this drama back:
1) Too many climactic, should have been the end/resolution moments
2) The acting and chemistry of the main couple is off. Chen Xing Xu (ML) plays a quite stodgy one note character in order to show difference later on - but it makes for a boring first half and a lack of chemistry.
3) Music and production values are sub par. So much so, that I would be taken fully out of the story and clearly could see how they were acting in front of a green screen. When the actors, would struggle or say no - it was really hard not to laugh given it was clear nothing was actually holding them back.
The themes were all over the place as well, though I did enjoy the challenge to an older too rigid generation. This drama is worth a try but just one too many issues to make it into my top tier.
Was this review helpful to you?
The premise is compelling and addictive: Ying Bu Yi - the most feared man in the empire tries and struggles to win over in all the wrong ways Cheng Shao Shang, an abandoned daughter of a military official.
Ying Bu Yi falls hard and fast for Cheng Shao Shang intensely realizing that they have this bond in a painful past and resulting resourcefulness. But Cheng Shao Shang has multiple options in life and being the star to someone else's sun or moon feels too unsettling after being let down and deprioritized multiple times in her life.
Thus sets the scene of the first half of the show. The leads have very little chemistry with each other and Ying Bu Yi wanders around in a very one note, in a fear me as I walk type way. Cheng Shao Sheng is a much more interesting and vibrant character in the first half.
THERE IS A LOT OF RESCUING, JUST ENDLESS RESCUE SCENES, which create the adrenaline, fast paced romance despite the lack of chemistry. The point made over and over and over again is when times become uncertain, wouldn't you want the most fearsome, capable person around?
Credit to the supporting actors - there's tons of them and they all had very unique personalities and I was invested in them as much (if not more so at times) than the main couple.
Music is decent, one of the instrumental pieces was quite nostalgic and wistful. Would not rewatch.
I did go on to watch part 2 - and more analysis will be there.
Was this review helpful to you?
Kang Mi Rae fixes her face but is still the same person: shy, insecure and socially inept. Instead of developing self-confidence, she tries to please everyone and panics at any negativity. Ultimately, she is drawn to the most handsome, outwardly self-confident guy in school . . . at this point I dropped the show. This is 2020, model healthy relationships please!
Granted, it's a realistic portrayal. Insecure people often do fall into relationships with very intense, stubborn and cold personalities. This is usually a very dangerous mix - there is often no space in such relationships to figure out who you are and who you want to be (indeed Kyung Suk's parents' relationship is a prime example of this).
Im Soo Hyang and Cha Eun Woo are very flat but it’s unclear whether that’s due to acting skills or the screenwriting. How many episodes can one take of an actress looking sheepish and the actor looking brooding?
Music is fine, I would not rewatch.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 6
Wasted opportunity to explore the disconnect between one's outside appearance and inner well-being. The three main leads all have this problem but for different reasons, and instead of exploring the why and how to get unstuck, they just repeat over and over. The show did emphasize that while being an attractive woman can have its drawbacks, it also comes with opportunities.
Character Growth: 4
None through episode 13. All the main characters are essentially the same as they were in episode 2.
Complex Women/Relationships between women: 7.5
Kyung Suk's mother and Mi Rae have interesting conversations around expectations for women, attractiveness and career. Hyun Soo-Ah was excellent as someone with borderline personality or some sort of narcissistic personality disorder. But, Mi Rae herself is very two dimensional.
Cinematography/Production Budget: 5
Barely competent for a modern K drama. Very low budget, same sets over and over.
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm finding the pacing and ridiculous story lines hard to stomach. The show has an identity crisis . . not wanting to be an indie slice of life, but not wanting glorious over the top drama style.
The only saving grace of this is the acting. But with every tragic event that can happen in ones life, happening to these 3 neighborhood friends, all in the space of a month, it's just hard to buy in. There is no realism in dynamics between family members or friends either. Adding to that, a romance that is moving at a glacial painful pace with no progress in decades, and still no progress episode to episode . . . I'm just not sure who is enjoying this.
I'm certainly not!
Was this review helpful to you?
Our couple meets and falls for each other in a flash, excellent banter and physical chemistry, giddy in finding someone on holiday away from their everyday lives.
Reuniting causes a huge mess, and it's a very clever idea, beause what are the typical lies people tell?:
1) Lying about their lives back home while on vacation
2) Lying about their background or skills for a job
Our main female character Da-Rim has done both and the traps and miscommunications resulting from this are exaggerated but still within character. Da Rim tries the best she can, and with the support of the women at work, starts to blossom a bit despite it all and you even start rooting for her.
Ji-Hyeok stomps around like a bunch of red flags ogre from another decade but you never doubt, despite the plots and dialogue, that he deeply cares for Da Rim and that keeps the romantic tension going.
Then, about half way through, it was like this drama felt like it needed to get larger than life: ridiculous scenarios, life and death situations, corporate espionage, absurd situations at work, instead of being an understandable cringe . . it jumped the shark.
I literally by end of episode 11 could not bear to watch it anymore.
Which is a shame, it's been a rough year for the romantic comedy genre, and I had large hopes from the first episode that this could, if clumsy, be entertaining through to the end. But nope - I just can't force myself to watch anymore.
Was this review helpful to you?
I too was drawn by the caliber of the cast. But while filmed in a documentary style, there is not a bit of realism between the main couple. They spend two whole months off the grid.... just vibing..... talking about nothing, not getting to know each other at all just relationship via Instagram moments. Unbelievable plot points are waved off as 'quirks.'
I did really like the ease and sweetness of the long term couple, but they get very little screen time.
Six episodes in I didn't see the point in continuing, there was no insight or creativity. For a similar 3 couple concept done much better, see 'Because This Is My First Life'
Was this review helpful to you?
The Story of Ming Lan is not a political drama like Nirvana in Fire or even Story of Yanxi Palace. It's more like a family drama set in a historical era - two good, kind generous people are mistreated by their cruel families. Slowly, eventually after some misunderstandings, they find each other and build a life together.
There is no real overarching plot, just bad act x, counterstrike y, over and over again. The one strength of the drama is the two main lead characters radiate such goodness while also being clever and brave, that you really cheer for them as they try to overcome their bad circumstances.
Acting is really good across the board - you really believe from the main characters to small side characters that they are who they say they are. Music is fine - not particularly remarkable but works.
There might be a scene or two I go back to, but nothing really stands out for a rewatch.
I have other criteria I score by:
Complex Themes - 5
(There are some vague themes on abusive/toxic family dynamics and how to defend yourself whilst maintaining your own moral code - they are not very strong.)
Character Growth -6
(How the main characters relate to each other changes over time in some sweet/interesting ways, but in general the characters are all very fixed and do not surprise)
Nuanced Women -7
(There are lots of female roles in this production, and they often have interesting and complex motives - if rather one note).
Cinematography/Production Values - 7
(Everything is shot in a competent, cinematic type way, but there are only a few basic sets and exteriors, and competent but not particularly exciting costuming)
Was this review helpful to you?
Of the young/new adult 'slice of life' C-dramas I've watched lately, the main couple here is incredibly endearing. They have that shy, cute smile energy from the beginning, and they look like they are having a lot of fun. The secondary characters, such as Tang Yi Bai's mother or his swim team friends, overact but are equally endearing. The cast was really enjoying themselves.
But that's the only 'mode' of the show 20 episodes in. There's no real tension or conflict. There is this big mystery/tragedy hanging in the air, but it's not been revealed in anyway. I kept waiting for the show to pick up...but it just keeps skipping along.
So while the couple is perhaps my favorite, I ended up dropping this one . . .
Music is quite good - there's not much I'd rewatch.
Complex Themes -3
(Maybe this will appear later? But besides be a good person - follow your dreams! Not much going on.)
Character Growth -3
(Characters seem to be very fixed. Even in the flashback scenes, they all seem to have the same personalities. Yun Duo does show more range than the others.)
Nuanced Women -7
(Yun Duo is sweet and bubbly as one would expect in this type of show, but she is also strong, opinionated with good morals. She has a lot of grit/resilience. By episode 20, they had not done much with the other women characters ).
Cinematography/Production Values - 6
(They did find one olympic swimming pool, and one gym to shoot the sports scenes. But the show is fairly claustrophobic between pool, gym, outside the pool, Yun Duo's work and Tang Yi Bai's house. Tang Yi Bai and his friend Qi Rui Feng are in good shape and do an OK job/believability at being swimmers, but the rest of the swimmers do not - and the 'stretching' exercising scenes are a bit laughable).
Was this review helpful to you?
Many Joseon era dramas these days feel like they are just recycled over and over again. It's a shame as I enjoy the dramatic situations available to historical romances, and due to the premise I was willing to give this show a chance.
The scenario that the woman is in the 'high power position' compared to the man is refreshing. But, it doesn't result in more tension or difference in dynamic compared to your standard gender bending (changing clothes, bathing etc.). There's lots that could be done to truly flip your expectations, but so far not much has happened.
Six episodes in, we are still at the show synopsis stage. You could read the summary, pick up at episode six and know exactly what is going on. There's now been episode after episode of long looks, and speculative glances with no real character development or real dramatic tension.
This is a competent effort, but does not add anything new to the genre. At this stage I couldn't figure out a reason to continue watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
I liked the premise. One ambitious woman (Li Hao Lan) and two men who love her - one older merchant (Lu Bu Wei) who has shifty morals and will sacrifice anything to win, and a prince (Ying Yi Ren) who tries his best to act with decency and honor. Which path will she choose?
By Episode 15, however, I had lost patience. Lu Bu Wei had attempted the same scheme numerous times, claimed that he was going to betray and ditch her multiple times, DID leave her behind, and then she still had to help rescue him and appears to be attracted to him.
Ying Yi Ren always protests about Lu Bu Wei 's morals, but always goes along for the good of his kingdom - and the pattern repeats.
As a result, I rapidly got fed up with all of them - and the tension no longer held my interest.
I have other criteria I score by:
Complex Themes - 8
(The themes are introduced regarding ambition, loyalty to romantic love vs. kingdom and family, revenge, betrayal etc. but it never moves forward)
Character Growth -3
(It felt like it was never going anywhere)
Nuanced Women -5
(There were plenty of women in significant roles, but they tended to be all typical dramatic stereotypes)
Cinematography/Production Values - 7
(A lot of money was spent, but it doesn't have the creative beauty of Yanxi Palace or the sweeping outdoor shots of Nirvana in Fire 2. The costumes are all a boring cream/white/gold up through Episode 15 )
Was this review helpful to you?
He Fanxing is figuring out what she wants from life and relationships - to be true to herself or societal/community approval. But, once it appeared all 40+ episodes would be He Fanxing stumbling around unsure, I considered dropping the show . . .
Positives: When He Fanxing and Yuan Song (young love interest) shared a screen there is great energy, and you could see why they are drawn to each other. There is surprisingly little screen time devoted to Yuan Song, and there's a lot more that could be done with the character. . .
Negatives: Ye Luming (older love interest) has 'red flags' written all over him from the start. He lies, stalks her, ingrates himself with her parents, is very physical and grabby, and uses all the pressure in the world. This is excused as just being an alpha/domineering CEO, but his hostility toward women that cry and fantasising/dreaming about stabbing them was a bridge too far. Once I realized he was staying on through the show, I stopped wanting to watch . . .
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
You can find love in unexpected places . . . but do you want to?Due to hijinks, Qin Shi and Yang Hua decide to pretend to be husband and wife. They both 'could do worse' and are attractive . . and so why not move from fake to real? The suspense comes from Qin Shi being a known quantity, but Yang Hua is a mystery to the audience, why does he know so much about finance? why does he have such an odd attitude towards relationships? What makes him tick?
It's not the most compelling plot, but there is an eagerness in seeing him finally lose his cool, or revealing some of the mysteries of the past.
But, I am dropping this series because I absolutely can't stand the secondary couple. They are both miserable, but the woman doesn't want to let go, and the man is incapable on his own. The family tries to encourage the woman to stay as she is a steadying, good influence on him and the family business. This is the story of every dysfunctional relationship ever, and by all accounts has been going on for years . . . what are we supposed to be learning from this? It's beyond the we fight and make up phase.
They are showing every single sign of a completely failed relationship, physical violence, emotional and/perhaps sexual cheating, demeaning and derisive comments about each others characters. It may turn out that there is a relationship lesson down the line, but for now it seems to hint that they are some sort of Romeo and Juliet, instead of a couple who should have split up years ago before people got hurt. I started skipping their scenes, but the pros are small and cons large for this series, and it's time to give up.
Was this review helpful to you?
I loved the premise of this. Two people whose marriage soured and ambitions failed are given a second chance to do it all over again. It's especially sweet and interesting that Pei Wen Xuan, our male lead, is clearly head over heels in love with our head strong, somewhat enfiruatiing, highly capable female lead Princess Li Rong.
But after the initial action paced 10 episodes, the plot curdles. Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong's romance does not progress. The court political plots are all the same and add no tension. The secondary romance has a lot of potential, but then one half is sent off for a bunch of episodes.
This is the first C-Drama in quite awhile were I was excited and addicted to keep watching, but everything fizzled out. I'm dropping . . .
Was this review helpful to you?
Unlike other vampire/immortal concepts, Kim Shin looks 40, acts 40 and he has the power and wealth of someone who is 40. Meanwhile, Ji Eun Tak looks 17, acts 17 and she has no power or wealth at all to her name.
The fact that Ji Eun Tak is world-weary due to a traumatic life, and Kim Shin is currently on a playful/mid-life crisis streak does not solve this fundamental problem. All the cinematography and production budget in the world couldn't solve this problem.
I really liked the character of Wang Yeo (the grim reaper), and his scenes somewhat redeemed the show for me. . . but not by enough.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes - 3
In fairness to the show, I didn't watch far enough to see any complex themes. But, in the first five episodes it is your typical vampire/immortal romance (except more highly morally problematic than normal). There were hints of complexity developing.
Character Growth -3
Not up to the point I watched.
Nuanced Women -7
Ji Eun Tak is competent in her wise beyond her years but still has bursts of childishness. (The burst of childishness did NOT help with the romance hinted aspects).
Cinematography/Production Values - 10
It's really really gorgeous, with lots of real life sets and large production values.
Was this review helpful to you?
