Sunbath12

A Tale of Two Families

Somewhere inside this melodrama is an excellent story about two people who have trouble communicating with each other and their journey to overcome all and finally open up to each other honestly. The use of the phone calls, sign language and other motifs help to tell this story in a creative away.

What is more difficult to achieve in this drama, and where I feel things fall apart a bit especially towards the end, are the more classic drama storylines involving two powerful families with dark secrets and the triller/kidnapper psychotic son. The story simultaneously feels over-bloated and too simplistic - something about the story just does not work by episode 12. However, this is primarily a romance tale, and the superb performances of the cast, particularly Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin as the leads carries the drama to a solid ending.

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The noble fight continues

Set in 2009 Linshan in China, this series depicts a small anti-trafficking police team's efforts to uncover a sex/child trafficking operation. The drama shines when it focuses on the realistic portrayal of police work and the raw, devastating emotional toll on the police and victims and their families. Unfortunately, it cannot fully shake off some of its more melodramatic tendencies (particularly at the end) or the rah-rah support for the police that really is not necessary given the already huge amount of pathos the human stories hold for the audience. Still, I enjoyed it for allowing Dilraba to be in a very different kind of role (at least of late). Additionally, many of the guest/supporting characters (including the child actors) were outstanding.

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Flow like water

Primarily a love story set in a chaotic period of time akin to the warring states period in ancient China, this drama relies heavily on the chemistry between its leads Liu Yuning and Song Zuer. It works well in the first half, but without a better plan for the political story and more imaginative directing, the show suffers somewhat in the second half. Certain matters are resolved too conveniently that a great amount of suspension of disbelief may be required. And any deeper themes revolving around the use of water as a metaphor for perseverance, strength and harmony are regrettably not developed satisfactorily.

Ultimately, there is still much to be enjoyed in this especially for fans of romance. Besides the leads, some of the supporting cast are really great here as well. Liu Duan Duan gives my favorite performance from the cast as the complicated Wei Yan. Xuan Lu also does her best to give depth to a very typical C drama villainess.

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The strength of many

This show is a delightful surprise in an overall lackluster year for Chinese dramas. Much more than an idol romance fantasy drama, this one invites you on a journey to re-examine what true love is - romantic love, familial love, friendship, and even a healthy love of oneself.

Ling Miao Miao is our 21st century heroine who enjoys reading novels written by a certain Fu Zhou. She somehow ends up in the world of one of his novels and is tasked with various missions in order to return to the real world. As the story progresses, we learn about the various characters in the novel and particularly about the intense animosity between humans and demons (monsters) that pervades this world. This tension between races centers upon our male lead, Mu Sheng, who happens to be half demon and half human.

Love blooms between the two, but the story is not entirely focused on their romance. We also have our secondary leads, Mu Yao (Mu Sheng’s sister, though not by blood) and Liu Fu Yi, who have meaningful arcs to their characters as well. The fine line between love and hate, devotion and obsession, are explored throughout the show - and it is ultimately selfless, sacrificing love that saves the day.

If there is anything to nitpick, it would be that the female lead never really changes from the beginning to the end, making her story far less compelling than that of the male lead and even the secondary leads. Fortunately, the story is full of rich supporting characters and themes, making this far less a lead-centric tale and more of an ensemble piece, which, when considering the stirring climax where the entire world comes together to save itself, is a fitting characteristic of the show.

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The future is a long past

Having not read the novel, I had no idea what I was in for in this first installment of the Joy of Life series. And honestly, it took me about 12 episodes before I really settled into the drama. The anachronistic elements and humor were not landing for me yet, and Fan Xian's love-at-first-sight for Lin Wan'er was not at all interesting. Once his friend Teng Zijing is killed, the drama finally finds its footing and a better balance between its heavy drama and lighter moments. As Fan Xian becomes mired in the cesspool of political and palace power struggles, the audience too is drawn in - and things do not let up until the very last shot of episode 46 when you are left with a most frustrating cliffhanger.

The characters are deliciously multi-dimensional, even as some ooze pure evil (Princess Royal Li Yunrui is a standout) as they endeavor to manipulate people and events to their own benefit. Even our determined male lead Fan Xian behind his confident exterior carries a lot of pain and loneliness. My favorite scenes are those where we get a glimpse of his true inner state - the quieter moments (such as Xiao En's final moments, the last scene with Zhuang Mohan, and just chatting in Haitang Duoduo's garden).

Without getting too much into things, this story is apparently a period drama, but it is actually set in the very distant future (I know, is this story sci-fi? Historical? Have to wait and see in season 2 if this gets explained further). As such, it makes the story all the more poignant. Many years from now, what will mankind have to show for itself? Have we been able to overcome our greed, hatred and distrust of others? When will we stop hurting or killing each other? Can centuries of literature, poetry and history truly make us better? These are timeless questions, all the more pertinent in today's conflict-ridden world. I think this story, which has yet to finish, will ultimately take an optimistic stance because we all want to believe in Fan Xian - the seemingly powerless one who can stand up and continue in the endless fight for good.

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Something is rotten in the state of Liang

Nirvana in Fire 1 is a masterfully paced tale of revenge and a fight for the throne in a quest for truth and justice. Its story is mostly linear and thus builds satisfyingly to its climax near the end with a fittingly bittersweet denouement. NIF 2 is a different kind of story. More complex in its character construction and narrative, the second installment gets off to a slower start and because of its story structure, may encounter some bumps along the way for some viewers.

There are essentially 2 major parts to this story, the first part ending with Xiao Pingzhang's death, and the second culminating in Xiao Yuanqi's revolt. As such, although you may consider Xiao Pingjing to be the main character, he has to share screen time with his brother in the first part of the story. At other points in the story, he is either in a coma or hanging out on Langya Mountain, while the plot is moved along by some of the supporting cast. What is more, he comes off as somewhat of a callow youth in the beginning of the drama, although he is very intelligent and quick on his toes.

Once viewed as a whole, however, NIF 2 becomes an epic tale of the frailty and courage of human nature - a timeless tale reminding us that as much as we aspire to be our better selves, we may just as easily fall prey to our vices. There is always a sense of unease when watching this, whether it is watching the creepily Rasputin-like Puyang Ying achieve his devious goals or the pitiful Yuanqi fall further and further to his inevitable defeat. We see the bonds of brotherhood and family tested as the balance of power between the Imperial court and the military hangs forever in a delicate balance. Pingjing's coming-of-age story is interwoven throughout, and I found myself very much moved as he struggles to deal with the deaths of his brother and father and his identity as the son of the Old Prince of Chang Lin.

The older cast definitely elevate this drama with their performances, but the younger cast do a fine job in their roles. The grounded production and stirring music round out this excellent drama worth watching and re-watching.

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Forest of secrets indeed

This show got me back into K dramas after a long hiatus after college. I was tired of watching the usual romcoms and found this one a refreshing departure from what I had been used to seeing. From the outset, the story seems to be a straightforward murder mystery, but as you keep watching, you realize soon that the web being spun if far more complicated. I found myself delightfully second guessing characters and trying to figure out who everything was connected right up until the thrilling climax.

The talented cast give as a whole grounded and nuanced performances, fittingly restrained (for the most part) for the darker tone of the series overall. But it's not a downer of a story; throughout the whole drama, you can't help but root for Hwang Si-Mok, as he charges ahead in search of the truth.

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A butchered script

There was a lot more potential in this story, especially as presented in the first third or half of the drama. Whether it was exploring deeper themes such as divine intervention vs fate and yin/yang, or whether it was exploring the very human stories of a failed marriage and the pain of losing a child, these could have gone in a more interesting direction. The script takes the safer route of maximizing drama in scenes but not taking the time to really plan out the structure of the story or the development of characters and themes in a more polished manner. In the hands of a better director, perhaps this still could have at least looked and sounded more layered. In the end, the whole thing is a bit soulless and forgettable. There are still moments that could be moving (I found Li Mo's story the most compelling) and entertaining, but in a year with already some great xianxia dramas, this is not one the ones I would recommend first to check out.

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Not enough steam to last until the end

This drama starts off in a powerful way but by the middle of the 16 episodes, there is not enough meat to the story to sustain it until the end. The female lead's "revenge" story has nowhere to go because the audience already knows that the king is not the true villain of the story. Perhaps more importantly, the character lacks any real personality to make her scenes compelling to watch, much less make her romance with the delightfully complex male lead at all convincing.

The king (male lead), on the other hand, has a true story to tell in this drama. His journey from Grand Prince to exile in Qing and back to Joseon and ultimately the throne is thrilling, and Jo Jung-suk plays him with so much pathos and intensity. The show could have ultimately benefited from minimizing the romance and female lead's role and focused on the king with a shorter number of episodes. Alternatively, a more interesting romance or more complex political storyline could have justified the full 16 episodes.

I was hoping for more from this beautifully produced show, hoping for a really satisfying, dramatic sageuk. There are some really great moments throughout, but by the end, I was fast-forwarding more than actually watching. I feel as though an 8 is really generous from me - but some of the performances (including the younger child actors) are really terrific and lift up the show. Something to check out for those who love period/historical dramas, but it is no masterpiece.

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