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Revenge best served vertically
I'm going to start with a confession. This is my first vertical format mobile-first drama. It is certainly an eye-opener. Very watchable but also a little unsettling. ;)As a regular consumer of "normal" long form dramas, 60-100+ tiny eps is mind boggling. How does it even work? Once you discover one, you will see them everywhere.
Let's focus on this drama for now. It is fast, brash and entertaining. Eps flash by with no intros or outros. Some are no more than 1 scene long. Even longer ones are only 2- or 3-minutes max. It is perfect for the daily commute or when you wait for your decaf soy latte.
A breakneck pace is necessary when the run-time is measured in minutes. It makes the pacing of a regular 40 eps drama feels glacial.
The production value is decidedly patchy though. It can go from decent to laughable. Some backgrounds are blurred. It feels like they were done in post-production. It is probably just as well as the overall budget must be limited. The least we see, the better.
In terms of acting, our leads are the highlight. The key support actors are ok. The rest is a mixed bag. I won't be surprised if they rounded up some members of the local drama club as extras.
The ML has a hint of Xu Kai about him, and he dominates most scenes. The FL acted her heart out and the camera is kind to her. Our OTP have oodles of chemistry and are not shy of skinship. Plenty of passionate kisses and more. The first few eps set the scene.
This pairs well with the vertical format. As it always has a sharp focus on the subject of interest. It is almost voyeuristic. There are few wide shots and no panning ones. Everything is tightly framed. This is their way to maximise the feels. A phone screen is surprisingly well suited for that purpose.
This brings us to the elephant in the room. While the pacing is fast and furious, the script and direction has to run to catch up. There are quite a few WTF moments when the script seemed to have gone rogue. You just have to roll with it. If you like your show tight and logical then you will groan. I share your pain. ;)
The revenge story is decent, but it is as old as time. There are plot holes, inconsistencies and continuity issues. To fully enjoy this drama, you really need to switch off your frontal lobe. Ask no questions, chingu.
In the end, I appreciate the need for this new format. I suppose it is more evolution than revolution. TikTok showed us where such short-form videos fit into our daily routine, the rest is inevitable.
Is it for me? I'm still fence sitting. It is a mix of TikTok, Mills & Boon and manhua. Love, desire, confrontation and revenge will be on high rotation. I won't mind sampling a few more. It is a form of fast food. You will be hungry soon after the last scene fades to black. Peace.
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Anyway, the ML put in a lot of effort while playing this role and kudos to him. The support cast are there to move the plot along and they did it competently. There is a hint of romance but it is not a major plot point.
I'm thankful that being a movie, there is no time for long detours or side plots that are angst trains. It moves along at a good pace and most comedic moments landed, which is never a given. The 3 act play is done and dusted right on cue.
BTW, do look up Tootsie(1982) starring Dustin Hoffman. He is the OG unnie. ;)
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Epic revenge saga with bonus romance.
As I'm late to the party, there is no point for me to add to the hundreds of reviews already here. Hence, this will not be a detailed review but rather some thoughts about this series (part 1 and 2 combined).When I say this show is epic, it is not an exaggeration. The revenge plot spans a generation. It also took years for our leads to complete their romantic journey. This is a long and bumpy ride for all involved.
In many ways, this series is true to its roots. The ML is stoic, brave, overflowing with martial prowess. The classic hero with a capital H. On the other hand, when we first meet the FL, she was a teenager barely 15. She was deprived of a formal education because of a scheming aunt. She is intelligent, feisty, has an affinity for mechanical things but unruly and wilful in the eyes of her elders. In short, the perfect foil for the ML.
Their romantic journey is fraught (of course it is). There are plenty of second leads and naysayers. At one stage, the FL told the ML to his face that he engineered their romance the same way he plotted the downfall of his enemies. The most generous you can say is that he doesn't leave things to chance even though he is 100% dedicated to the FL. He knows what he wants, and he can be ruthless . . . in love and in war.
There are many good performances in this drama. The Emperor and Empress are very understanding and supportive of our leads which is a nice change. Most antagonists are a bit one dimensional but it is par for this genre. At least they don't run amok all the time. All the young maidens are crazy for the ML, but he only has eyes for the FL so the amount of jealous/poisonous looks can power a small town. ;)
Our OTP are the bedrocks this series is built on. While The Romance of Tiger and Rose is the breakout role for ZLS, this pretty much cements her position as a S tier traffic star. The ML has master the stoic, heroic stance. They do have their swoon-y moments which is appreciated.
Nevertheless, the show can feel manipulative as well. For instance, the FL broke up with the ML towards the end of the drama and yet she refuses to forgive him even though he laid bare his soul to her and saved her life repeatedly. Then suddenly, she has an epiphany and all is forgiven. Just in time for the final epic battle and the series conclusion. ;)
The funny thing is after binge watching this show, I felt drained, but I also don't feel that I have much to add to the discord. It is well acted and beautifully crafted with epic scenes and an intricate plot. I could wax lyrical about that, I suppose. However, it is fundamentally tropey in the classical sense. We have seen many examples of this genre before. Aye, few are of this calibre, but it is a well-trodden path nevertheless.
What more can I say? It should be in every c-drama aficionado's watchlist. It needs to be experienced . . once. Peace.
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Epic revenge saga with bonus romance.
As I'm late to the party, there is no point for me to add to the hundreds of reviews already here. Hence, this will not be a detailed review but rather some thoughts about this series (part 1 and 2 combined).When I say this show is epic, it is not an exaggeration. The revenge plot spans a generation. It also took years for our leads to complete their romantic journey. This is a long and bumpy ride for all involved.
In many ways, this series is true to its roots. The ML is stoic, brave, overflowing with martial prowess. The classic hero with a capital H. On the other hand, when we first meet the FL, she was a teenager barely 15. She was deprived of a formal education because of a scheming aunt. She is intelligent, feisty, has an affinity for mechanical things but unruly and wilful in the eyes of her elders. In short, the perfect foil for the ML.
Their romantic journey is fraught (of course it is). There are plenty of second leads and naysayers. At one stage, the FL told the ML to his face that he engineered their romance the same way he plotted the downfall of his enemies. The most generous you can say is that he doesn't leave things to chance even though he is 100% dedicated to the FL. He knows what he wants, and he can be ruthless . . . in love and in war.
There are many good performances in this drama. The Emperor and Empress are very understanding and supportive of our leads which is a nice change. Most antagonists are a bit one dimensional but it is par for this genre. At least they don't run amok all the time. All the young maidens are crazy for the ML, but he only has eyes for the FL so the amount of jealous/poisonous looks can power a small town. ;)
Our OTP are the bedrocks this series is built on. While The Romance of Tiger and Rose is the breakout role for ZLS, this pretty much cements her position as a S tier traffic star. The ML has master the stoic, heroic stance. They do have their swoon-y moments which is appreciated.
Nevertheless, the show can feel manipulative as well. For instance, the FL broke up with the ML towards the end of the drama and yet she refuses to forgive him even though he laid bare his soul to her and saved her life repeatedly. Then suddenly, she has an epiphany and all is forgiven. Just in time for the final epic battle and the series conclusion. ;)
The funny thing is after binge watching this show, I felt drained, but I also don't feel that I have much to add to the discord. It is well acted and beautifully crafted with epic scenes and an intricate plot. I could wax lyrical about that, I suppose. However, it is fundamentally tropey in the classical sense. We have seen many examples of this genre before. Aye, few are of this calibre, but it is a well-trodden path nevertheless.
What more can I say? It should be in every c-drama aficionado's watchlist. It needs to be experienced . . once. Peace.
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A tale of two shows
Please allow me to set the scene. My Fated Boy (MFB) is my all-time favourite romance drama. I was excited when I found out the same writer penned this show.Rather than just writing a review of Wanna Be, I shall contrast it with MFB because I think the comparison is illustrative.
Let us begin at the beginning. Both shows are very focused on the romance of our leads. I'm thankful for the consistency. Both relationships took a bit of effort to get going and the meet-cute are poles apart but once it happens, their love is rock solid and unshakable. It is not all plain sailing but at least there are no silly breakups. Now, let's talk about where the shows diverged.
MFB is relatable. Even though the ML eventually became moderately famous, his focus is always on his noona. Their little exchanges are cute and swoonworthy. We can focused on their romance with minimal distractions. We can laugh and cry with them. They are like us. The classic scene in EP.28 when the FL found out she has a white hair and their subsequent conversation about growing old together is grounded and heartfelt. Swoon!
On the other hand, Wanna Be was set in the rarefied world of super models and the fashion industry. Yes, the writer didn’t take it to the extreme and most characters are quite “normal” but is this realistic? It feels almost too clinical. Playing it safe, so to speak. It is a double-edged sword.
I can sense the writer wanting the characters to be relatable hence the ML works as a fishmonger. However, when you mix everything together, the world building feels stilted. It is real . . and not real. Of course, this happens a lot in the dramaverse, it is a necessity. When it works, we get an impactful and engrossing world, but here, it feels derivative and bland. There are glimpses into that rarefied world but they are insubstantial.
This extends to the support characters and secondary plots. As I mentioned before, MFB has a relatively small cast. Everyone knows everyone else. Even secondary characters are interesting and their relationships are relevant. I do feel that the writer tries to be more ambitious with WB. That is totally understandable and a worthy goal.
While the smaller cast helps MFB, the larger roster was a hindrance to WB. To keep them all gainfully employed, there are more side plots which took the focus away from the OTP. Many of these subplots are tropey and feels like smoke and mirrors. It is telling that there are no villains . . . just misunderstandings.
Don't get me wrong, whenever our leads are together, we swoon. What is lacking are other viable CP’s. Even after 29 eps, both 2/3CP remain ambiguous. To be honest, I don't ship them. There is little chemistry between any of them. It is particularly stark when compared to the OTP's. Speaking of which, there is a 3.5hrs OTP romance cut on YouTube. Say no more!
In the end, Wanna Be is watchable and a solid production. I just don't feel fully engaged. It is one of those show that ebbs and flows depending on who is on screen. There are wasted opportunities with subplots as we are delivered a harmless ending.
I still loved the OTP’s journey and their growth. I did have high hopes, my bad. The DNA is there but it mutated and not in a good way. I can happily rewatch the highlight reel and maybe the last episode. Peace.
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Sweet love story ticking all the boxes
Whether you have heard of NEET or Hikikomori spectrum is unimportant for the enjoyment of this drama. You will find out about them soon enough but I’m afraid it is only scratching the surface. This drama is not about addressing social problems. This is a love story first and foremost. As such, it is very well told.Watching Marry Me is like participating in a script writing class. All the tropey elements are present and accounted for. They pop up on cue and play their parts to good effect. We have SM/FL and they stirred things up before moving on. The ML’s parents showed up unannounced and the stress level jumped as expected. Reconciliation arrived just in time and we find out that they are good people but they do need to work on their communication skills. This is the one True Way.
I know it sounds humdrum, but this show is better than that. This is largely because our leads are so adorable. They do not have a mean bone between them. They have total trust and love for each other. Time and again, they express their happiness just being in each other's company.
This means most plot developments are window dressing. They move the story along and our leads have their growth and mini breakthroughs. We watch them fall in love and use their commitment to overcome whatever obstacles placed before them. This is not high drama by any means but a steady and satisfying march towards the HEA ending. All the boxes are ticked methodically. Those little ducklings line up with military precision. Huzzah!
This show is not for everyone. If you are a romantic then this is a must watch. I certainly enjoyed it a lot and I'll binge watch it again over a wet weekend.
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Totally irrelevant but enjoyable romp
As a 2 eps bonus extra I'm not sure the rationale behind its production. It is set in the No Gain, No Love universe but it is a branching subplot that has no impact on the original storyline. Maybe they just have all the people standing around and the B-listers are on the clock so they just throw something together. Seeing the original series was only 12 eps long, the production team needs to get their money's worth. Of course, it would be nice if these 2 extra eps are focused on our OTP but it is a first world problem. ;)The production is definitely more cheeky and fanciful. It is modelled on a saucy web novel so anything goes. I think what I enjoyed the most is the self awareness and 4th wall breaking bits. I loved the bed scene where the FL shouts "Again! Again!" because she can't remember the actual sex act! Then we hear the voiceover saying they have to bump the show down from R to PG. That's why we ended up with the ubiquitous blanket over the head and the fade to the next morning scene. So meta. ROFL That is worth the price of admission. There are several other references to tropey plots and other silly devices. It is almost a satire on itself and the genre as a whole. I appreciate the candour.
In the end, It is a bit of irrelevant, fluffy romp which brought a smile to my face. There is no point in judging it too harshly. It is what it is. BTW, I'm sure they had a blast making it. I wish I was a fly on the wall. ;)
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It is blooming good! Serious
The title of this show basically summed up the drama. It is all about one girl and her family's rise above terrible adversity and the many challenges they faced. It starts simple enough. All the main characters are introduced and the world building begins. Once the show hits its stride, calamity hits. The FL's family literally went from a position of power and influence to object poverty overnight.Rather than just accepting her fate, the FL comes to the fore and takes charge of the situation and changed her family's fortune. Along the way, she found love and changed the lives of many people she touched.
The series is full of positive messages, and they are delivered quite effectively by an engaging storyline. Yes, the plots are tropey but the way they unfolded is well scripted and its pacing is good. You won’t feel bored nor confused.
It is a good drama overall and quite enjoyable. A large part is attributed to the solid FL character. She faces every challenge head on and uses her initiative and intelligence to overcome them. Of course, the ML is there to do the heavy lifting and lend a sharp sword. In that sense, the show is a bumpy ride, but the trajectory is always upwards. We are never left in utter despair. This is a double-edged sword as we are almost conditioned to see a silver lining around every storm cloud. The show does go dark from time to time, with death and suffering just around the corner. It is just our leads who are mostly Teflon coated.
There is a good deal of fan service in the second half of the last EP before the HEA ending arrives on cue. All the main threads are tied up with pink bows and most characters have their arc concluded satisfactory.
I am pleasantly surprised by the acting abilities of the large support cast. It would not be an exaggeration to use terms like cast of a thousand. There are so many actors with speaking parts! It ranges from highly regarded veterans to young green actors. There are the odd hit and miss but, overall, they lifted the series and provide able support to the leads when the going gets tough. The production value is good but not quite S rank. They didn't cheap out on the sets and costumes.
I believe this is the FL’s first historical drama. I have seen her in contemporary dramas. I not a real fan before this show. I find her other performances to be a bit stilted. However, she is good in this drama. The style suits her and the low-key makeup as well.
While the ML is handsome and the fight scenes are decent, his performance did feels oddly detached at times. To be honest, a bit wooden. All the actors are dubbed but his dialogue just feels too measured and flat. It is as if the lines are recorded in a vacuum. It is odd when almost every other aspect of the series is solid.
I started with low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. It is tropey and a bit cheesy. A guilty pleasure for me. That’s entertainment!
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This review may contain spoilers
Not impossible but they need to try harder
The FL has a breakout role in the film Burning. I jumped at the chance to see her in a proper drama series.The initial set up of her character was encouraging. Her character is hard working, resourceful and has a laser focus on her career. She might be down on her luck, but she has a backbone of steel. The potential for growth is writ large. So much so that I can overlook the tropey contract marriage/cohabitation plot if she is allowed to play to her strengths. Unfortunately, it is where the engine kinda stalled.
To wit, once the show simple premise is lay out for us, the FL's role actually diminished. She has flashes of brilliance but soon her role is overshadowed by the male lead aka Moon Sang-min. For half the series, she is the "meek" fiancée of the 2ML. At one stage, her character was forced to go into hiding and lay low. Not exactly the ideal setting for scene stealing performances.
To be fair, I don't have a problem with the acting of Moon. He is handsome and charismatic as ever. The show is pretty much his starrer. Our leads do have good chemistry and their on/off romance is what sustained my interest. However, the paper-thin plot needs more to make it work. So far, it is not much more than a cavalcade of tired tropes.
Alas, that memo didn't land on the right desk. Most characters are straight out of central casting. Side plots are tropey and boring. Antagonists are more meddling than evil. It is all so samey and predictable. Even the writer-nim recognised this. There are multiple references to "trashy drama” plots in dialogues. Self awareness . . I get it! Ha ha . . indeed.
Even when we are served a sugar hit just after the 3/4 mark. It was immediately followed by the ubiquitous breakup with not 1, not 2 but 3 lots of Noble Idiocy. Predictably, that send our leads straight to purgatory but served little other purpose.
This is further confirmed in the last EP when after a mandatory 1-year time skip, our leads threw themselves at each other within hours of a chance meeting. What is the point of the breakup? This leads to 15 mins of decent fan service and HEA endings for all concerned whether they are good, bad or just silly.
I am not saying the show is bad. It is quite watchable and entertaining at times but the wasted potentials just irks me.
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A do-over done right . . With caveats
I think I shall call 2023/24 the Year of Do-overs. Quite a few shows have the lead(s) shuffle off the mortal coil only to come back as the much improved Lead(s) 2.0.To be fair, if anyone deserves a do-over and right some serious wrongs, our beloved PMY should be at the head of the queue. We are left with no doubt that her life has spiralled out of control and death is a blessed relief.
With her demise out of the way, the show completely changed tone. The FL was confused and stressed for the moment but once she accepted her situation and got her little grey cells working overtimes, she was on fire! She re-evaluated her life from high school onwards and noticed all the red flags she never noticed before. It was obvious in hindsight that she was manipulated and gaslighted constantly by someone with a singular purpose.
The middle section is the highlight for me. It was gratifying to see our OTP join hands and outsmart the antagonists at every turn. Everything seems to be going swimmingly. If you think there is a BUT coming then you have obviously watched too many k-dramas. ;)
Within a few scenes around episode 12, our writer-nim turned all the best made plans of our OTP into dumpster fires. It was makjang with a capital M. Every tropey subplots are dusted off and threw into the witches brew.
I know most viewers will feel aggrieved at this point. The show giveth and the show taketh away. It was as if a switch was flipped. The drama was injecting angst just for angst’s sake.
However, I do see some method to this madness. It largely comes down to the plot getting out of control as more and more characters are introduced which stretched the simple idea of diverting your worse fate to others difficult to sustain without creating a small singularity. I'm sure our writer-nim planned it all along but it was not a good look when the proverbial hits the fan.
With this in mind, the writer-nim basically did a hard reset, allowing her to set the stage for the final confrontation. It might feel like a hack job but the show gets away with it because it is a dark fantasy. Paring back the modern trimmings, it could have been a tale told by the OG Brothers Grimm. Gruesome deaths are far more likely than singing woodland creatures.
Thankfully, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and there is much rejoicing when the inevitable all happened on cue. This leads us to one of the most detailed and sweetest fan service episode for many moons. It is not brilliant writing but the little lumps of sugar just kept coming and we stop caring.
In terms of acting, I’m happy to report that PMY has got her mojo back. As a fan, it pains me to say that her last few dramas were (cough) patchy. It certainly was not on par with earlier shows like Secretary Kim or Her Private Life. While this show is still not up there, they definitely share some DNA.
This is further helped by the acting of the ML and their chemistry. He might not be the classic handsome lead but he more than made up for it with other attributes. He complimented her evolving character well. On the other hand, the antagonists are one dimensional and predictable. That's ok because this is not a convoluted mystery drama, their actions are all laid bare from the start. They are there as focus of our ire, this they managed to do with single minded efficiency.
In the end, I had high hopes and the series mostly delivered. However, it did stumble in the last 1/4 of its run. It almost stole defeat from the jaws of victory. I’m glad that the show recovers and ends well. It was a close call. I gave it an extra ½ point because of PMY. Fight me. :)
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Who said only bad girls have all the fun
Do-over seems to be the plot du jour at the moment. While most shows in this genre would focus on righting wrongs and get revenge on antagonists, this one took a different approach.In this case, the FL was a cruel and ruthless Queen in her past life. Her path to the top was awash with the blood of both friends and foes. In that sense, she is trying to stop herself going down the same path again and right her own wrongs! This is certainly a more novel take on this genre. I’m excited to see how will the writer spin this yarn.
This review will look at this drama from two different angles. On one hand, the series is very entertaining, full of engaging characters and it is gratifying to watch the progress of the FL in her “new” life. However, if we look at the series with more critical eyes then we can see issues with the pacing, narrative and acting.
There is no doubt that this is a S class production. Sets are lush (love to see their Hengdian bill), costumes are beautiful if a tad generic. There is a big cast so important scenes are well populated with extras.
Bai Lu has the titular role and she owns it. She plays both the evil and good roles with aplomb. My only reservation is that while she is supposed to be a maiden about 18 years old in Life 2.0, she can look and feel a lot older. I suppose that is because in Life 1.0, she did and saw things that would age any mortals. It does make her character a little out of focus in earlier episodes as she dances between an innocent teenager and the ghost of an evil Queen. The question of whether she would flip to the dark side cannot be ignored.
This highlights one of the major issues for me. The show is filled with flashbacks of Life 1.0. This is particularly true during earlier episodes where it is almost like watching a mashup of two dramas. The drama tries to distinguish them by dulling the colour palette of the L1.0 scenes. Nevertheless, this can be quite jarring as the trigger for a lengthy flashback might be a simple chance meeting and suddenly, we are watching an epic battle. Even if we don’t get a flashback, she might pause and have an internal monologue about what she did wrong and what she should do now.
These sudden scene changes can give you a whiplash and it slows the forward momentum. It is also confusing when we try to decipher the significance of each event based on snippets of dialogues and jumbled recollections. What is worse is that Life 1.0 is actually more intriguing and exciting compared to the early part of Life 2.0. She is trying so hard to be good, she is boring. I almost want to watch L1.0 more than L2.0 until about the 1/3 mark. I understand why they did it but by making Life 1.0 so dramatic and impactful, it takes the wind out of Life 2.0's sails.
What I have to say next is not going to be popular. The ML is tall and handsome but his acting left me cold. Most of the time he is stoic and occasionally he gets angry. That’s about it. His dialogue delivery feels flat. Another issue is his approach to romance is quite caveman like. It makes him looks brutish when he isn't. The sad fact is that the two other 2ML's radiate serious second lead syndrome.
On the other hand, acting from the ensemble cast is good. There are the odd weaker links, but the more senior members have certainly earn their keep.
To be honest, the series is much more enjoyable in the second half. By then, the FL's plan to change her destiny is finally in place and she surrounds herself with a group of fast friends. The last few episodes are the best. Packed with epic battles, court intrigues and swoon worthy moments. What more can you ask? The ending is satisfying with all the loose ends tired up nicely.
I commend the writer for being innovative and I did enjoy this drama. However, I was distracted by issues which I can't ignore. It lost a point because of that.
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A glorious blend of the good, the meh and synchronised flag-waving
This is a very watchable show, but its plots and tone change so often that you feel exhilarated and exhausted in equal parts. This makes it hard to give a concise rating. When it is good, it is heartfelt and stirring. But it can also get cheesy with a side order of jingoistic flag-waving. I suppose my rating is between 8 and 8.5.At its core, this is about the aborted love story of a pair of teenagers who met towards the end of high school. Their budding relationship was torn apart by the FL’s domineering mother. They met by chance ten years later and things develop from there. If the plot sounds tropey then here's your gold star. This show walks on familiar paths but it does set a cracking pace.
During early episodes, our leads would "chance" upon each other repeatedly. When you realise one is a firefighter and the other is an ER doctor it means they only meet at emergencies. Consider even a small city in China can house millions, that’s a very small but dangerous corner they live in! It feels so contrived and is almost farcical.
All these entanglements finally brought them back together and this is essentially the glue that held the show together. Once we get past the push-pulls and denials, we have a very romantic pairing. Our leads have good chemistry, and they are certainly photogenic. It was gratifying to see the FL grows a spine and stands up to her controlling mum once she is all in. Amore trionfa sempre!
While both stars are beautiful people, Yang Yang is the face of this show, and he is everywhere. This can cut both ways. Fans of YY will rejoice but someone who is less enamoured might start to notice some flaws in his acting.
The other star of the show is the firefighters and their daily grind provides most of the subplots. A shoutout to the ensemble cast who filled the ranks. They must have trained hard for their roles. Some of the action/training scenes look very challenging. They are ably supported by the staff of the ER department where the FL works. However, these plots are a mixed bag. It can go from inspiring and exciting to banal. I appreciate the work of first responders, and I'll not begrudge their moments in the sun. However, some of the dramatisations are over the top. Plots and pacing is uneven. There are a lot of nationalistic messages aimed at the local audiences. Your mileage will differ.
The mother of the FL is straight out of central casting. She is the personification of a rich, immoral, domineering matriarch. She can probably trace her matrilineal line to a Tang Empress. She is a force of nature and rules with an iron fist. The only problem is that her role is very one dimensional. Her only goal is to obtain power, wealth and a total control over her serfdom. She never has a moment of self doubt or regret. It is tiring to watch her do the same thing over and over. Her “Death Bed” conversion feels particularly contrived.
In the end, fans of the leads will be happy, the production value is high, particularly some of the action set pieces. There are impactful and poignant moments that will stay with you. The romance is sweet and swoon worthy. Once the OTP get together, they skipped the handholding and went straight to home base which is rare in a c-drama. However, it is an inconsistent grab-bag of highs and lows, original ideas and contrivances. This annoys me because I really wanted to recommend this show unreservedly, but I can’t.
I can certainly rewatch some of the romantic scenes (repeatedly) but not the whole 40 eps. OST is very nice.
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It is not always about the OTP
This show is a rewarding watch with a nice positive message and a fluffy, easy going style.Ok, now that the review is over, let’s talk about something else.
There is a well-thumbed rom-com playbook that is passed between writers with reverence. On page 2 of the sacred text is this rule. “A second male or female lead must be unlikeable and possibly despicable. He or she shall do all within their power to break up the OTP.” I don’t know how many shows have followed this golden rule to the letter, but I have ran out of fingers and toes a long time ago. Once in a long while, a show will break this rule.
The characters in this show feels real. They are far from perfect, and they will act selfishly when the need arises. They are just normal people who are reacting to circumstances. Both the second leads are in love with the respective leads so they gave it a red-hot go in their pursuit of happiness. However, once they knew the race is lost, they bow out gracefully. It is sad and the scene where the SFL proclaimed that she just threw away her own happiness is gut retching. However, you have to give them their dues and respect their honesty and dignity. It might sound trite but that is a lot closer to reality than the same-y win-at-all-cost type being dished up nowadays. I won’t go as far as saying that I have 2nd lead syndrome, but they are worthy contenders. Speaking of which, a good example of second lead syndrome can be found in She Was Pretty. Salute!
BTW, the side characters in this show are all nice, decent people. Solid friends and co-workers whom you would be proud to associate with. Even in that sense, the show is refreshingly different.
I can’t give this a perfect score because it is just an unpretentious, fluffy little rom-com but it has a special place in my rewatch list. This show will recharge your emotional battery and make you swoon. Peace out.
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This show is unabashedly sentimental with the focus on the overwhelming grief suffered by the college age FL. She recently lost her grandmother who is more like a mother to her after the sudden death of her father through misadventure 5 years previous. It is a blow she is ill prepared to handle. Her life grinds to a halt at that point.Sharing meals is a common device used to signify a bond between friends and family members. We see flashbacks of meals happily shared in her humble abode with her closest friends and small family unit. It contrasted starkly with the scenes in the present where she ate bento boxes bought from convenience stores in silence with the TV providing nothing but background noise. The loneliness and heartache are palatable.
However, her seemingly unrelenting despair began to lift once she started to work at a cafe called Finland Papa. The whole raison d'etre of the establishment seems to be the healing of those who work there. The writer-nim certainly took some liberty with the narrative here. Just don't ask too many questions. ;)
FL is the focal point of the show, and she has to display the broadest range of emotions. I think she did well, and she was ably assisted by the ensemble cast. Speaking of the ensemble, I'm not going to spoil their stories. The writer-nim doesn’t have time to paint with a fine brush, so we have to settle for some broad strokes surrounding their tropey backstories. Nothing untoward and certainly within the realm of plausibility. I almost forgot to mention, the grandma character is the underpinning of the main plot. She dispenses wisdom and bonhomie to all who would accepts her hospitality.
This leads us to the other key motif of the show. The found family trope is a favourite for a good reason and it is used to good effect here. The motley crew working at the cafe started with a love-hate relationship. Their growing bond is what gave them strength to heal through their various wounded psyches. While the process is a foregone conclusion, its steady progress is nice to watch, nevertheless.
The show will hit you with the feels as long as you are not too critical about the simple story and straightforward delivery. There are no high dramas nor funny gags. But sometimes you just need a show like this to give you an excuse to step away from our crazy world for just a moment. I'd like to think of this show as is a soothing salve to the soul. It won't appeal to everyone but that's ok too. That just means there are more Xmas parfait for me. :)
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If Xianxia rom-com is a legit sub genre then this is a very good example
I don't watch many Xianxia nowadays because a lot of them, in recent years, relies too much on (questionable) CGI and lazy scripts that have tropey paper thin plots and are devoid of fresh ideas. Hence, it is with some trepidation that I started to watch this show solely based on personal recommendations. I'm happy to report that this Show is good, very good.The basic story is nothing new. Multiple realms exist between heaven and the underworld. They alternate between warring with each other to an unstable truce. Enter the human emperor who decided to buy time for us weaklings by marrying one of his beautiful and smart daughters to the empyrean prince while farm off the unloved one to the crown prince of the underworld. So far, so tropey.
Forsooth, not exactly LOL material, right? Well, hats off to the writer. She managed to inject a lot of fun and comedy into this show. It is a revelation. It runs the full spectrum of jokes, innuendos, slapstick and sight gags. All this hijinx is integrated right through more than 3/4 of the Show. Of course, there are serious moments, but it is just as likely the next scene will drop you straight into an elaborate sight gag that will makes you LOL.
This includes a very long and elaborate mid show story arc that have the ML play three completely different roles. Forget second wind. This is third and fourth. The audacity! Naturally, not every moment is golden but it kept the momentum going long after similar show would have suffered serious mid show drag. Bravo!
Acting is great from our leads. It was a revelation that the stoic Xuan Shang has a comedic side which is well matched by the minx like Li Guang Ye Tan. Their love-hate relationship is worth the price of admission. The second pairing of Chao Feng and Li Guang Qing Kui pales a little by comparison. It is largely due to their story is being set in the dark and oppressive underworld. Their characters are also a bit more traditional Xianxia compared to the OTP. Both CP have swoon worthy love lines and decent amount of skinship.
The big ensemble of side characters is a bit of a mixed bag. Some have real depth like Man Man and Wu Dai while others are just punchline for the many gags. It is an above average ensemble and they helped to move the plot along and entertain us with their antics.
Is the Show perfect? Not quite. The setting of heaven and the underworld is very cliché. Empyrean realm is quite artificial. Lighting is too bright, and colours are washed out. It might look “ethereal”, but it is also boring. On the other hand, the underworld is too dark, and the theme is confusing. It swings from gothic grandeur to dank subterranean without a strong sense of coherence. It is supposed to be oppressive and foreboding but does look a bit cheap at times.
CGI is the bread and butter of Xianxia dramas, and this show doesn’t disappoint. There are a good variety of effects to signify different types of powers. There are also some practical effects and stunt work. Overall, it is a respectable effort and complemented the story well.
While the general screenplay is a cut above, it is still a Xianxia drama at its core and some of the plot holes are hereditary. It really comes down to “ask no questions and you’ll get no illogical answers”. As long as you don’t hate Xianxia dramas, the engaging plots, swoon worthy love lines and abundant humour will carry you to the end.
Speaking of the end. The ending and the several episodes preceding it are probably the closest the Show got to high drama. It is impactful and emotionally charged. I won’t give the plot away other than to say that the ending is generally considered a happy one, but I would prefer to call it encouraging rather than HEA. Its interpretation will be up to the individual.
40 episodes is too long for a rewatch and the jokes will be stale by then but I’d have no problem watching a highlight reel. The OST is nice but some songs are on high rotation and it can get a bit repetitive.
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