bojojoti

Unfortunately, this drama focused on one of my personal taboos: a person who feels entitled to the love of another. After FL's confession to the clueless object of her affection, ML merely said he thought they were unsuited to one another. He didn't say he hated her or she was repulsive; he wasn't angry, mean, or disgusted—he was taken unaware and was confused and perplexed. After all, she was the girl who had tried to fix him up with another woman. How was he to know she'd had a one-sided love affair with him for four years?

After the unsuccessful confession, FL sexually assaulted the ML, forcibly kissing him and holding him in an armlock. I don't condone this action when done by males; why is it permissible for females? When this didn't change the ML's mind, FL turned into the classic scorned woman, full of anger and bitterness. All the love she'd previously held for the ML turned into loathing.

She should have been fired from the company. Instead, the ML discovered he loved her and began to pursue her. I guess that sullen face grew on him. FL was manipulative, deceitful, childish, and mean-spirited. She continued to be spiteful, contrary, difficult, and disagreeable. ML forfeited his dignity and became her pitiful doormat.

I hate-watched the rest of the drama simply for Miles Wei and Yang Shi Ze's sakes. I realize I'm not the typical romance viewer, so your experience may differ greatly. I'm of the opinion that romance/marriage should be of a balanced nature with respect and power on both sides. No one is entitled to own someone else's heart, and a rejection of a confession (especially when it comes unexpectedly) should be accepted gracefully.

I added an extra star for the MLs.

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So Many Questions!

What happened to Wei Qing's mother? She doted on Ning Fei, but she didn't make an appearance in the entire show. Why did the sweet, kind, effervescent FL become an angry, sullen difficult woman? I admit she had due cause to be angry at the circumstances, and I wouldn't have blamed her for breaking off a relationship that was toxic, but there are better ways than ghosting a person and still wanting to be a part of his life afterwards. I began to detest a character I'd cheered on in the first season. How could she let her best friend live in limbo when she knew her loved one was alive? Worse yet, when directly asked by the friend, she lied and said she didn't know anything.

The manufactured drama and ridiculous nature of this season made me cringe. Did amnesia really need to make an appearance? Worse yet, all the villains were left unscathed and even had their hideous actions glossed over. I guess attempted murder, corporate espionage, blackmail, slander, libel, and theft aren't that big a deal; invite the black-hearted psychopaths to our wedding!

The first season had a light-hearted aspect that the angst-ridden second season lacked. I suggest stopping at the first season unless you are addicted to the ML's torso (it makes a frequent appearance, so there's that).

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Dark, Rich Wuxia That Keeps One Guessing

When I think of darkness, spies, and poison, Esther Yu is not the first actress that comes to mind, but she did an admirable job navigating between good and evil, safety and danger, and love and hate in this wuxia drama.

The Good:
• Esther Yu was athletically mesmerizing to watch in her fight scenes. I was so pleased to see her in a mature role, and she did it well.
• The friction between the MLs was riveting to watch. Gong Shang Jue was a pit bull to Gong Zi Yu's golden retriever. Ryan Cheng evoked massive disdain with a slight narrowing of his eyes! And who had puppy dog eyes? It was Gong Zi Yu: he's a good boy.
• Loved the growth arc for Gong Zi Yu. I relished the scenes of his rebuttals to Gong Shang Jue's accusations. With his intelligence, he was able to turn the tables with irrefutable logic, much to Shang Jue's disgust.
• Beautiful cinematography.
• The supporting cast was composed of interesting characters. Shoutout to Tian Jia Rui. I wanted so badly for someone to wipe the smirk off of Gong Yuan Zhi's face!
• I loved how off-kilter the situations and people were. Who to trust? Who was a spy? Were the fellow spies telling the truth? Were they helping or hindering? And was that tea poisoned? I'd get skinny in a hurry in the Gong residence, because I wouldn't trust any food or drink!
• I'm not certain the Wufeng need to take over the Gongs, as I'm convinced most of them were spies anyway!

The Bad:
• The poster. I was never interested in the drama, because my eyes skipped over the poster. It was so dark, the two people depicted were indistinguishable. It's moody, but it didn't appeal to me.
• Can we please retire the horrible trope of the parent who demeans and destroys his child because he loves him and wants to make him strong? Belittling and torturing a child doesn't make him stronger: it makes him traumatized, resentful, and incapable of reaching his potential. I'm strict and stern with children when necessary, but I take the time to explain why I insist on certain behavior without calling them names. Conversely, when they do well, I let them know how pleased I am that they are growing into competent people.
• Idiotic assassins. Why sword fight, when you have access to guns? Why did the poison expert with the secret shooting weapons seem to never use them against the bad guys? I was left inwardly screaming, "Shoot your poison weapons!" when he'd idly stand by watching his friends in a fight to the death.
• The ending. There really wasn't one, as it seemed the story was meant to continue to a second season that likely will never happen. There were many loose ends and unresolved situations. In some way, I understand the ending being left open as realistic, but it came too abruptly and could have been handled more deftly for greater impact and understanding. It left this viewer frustrated and unsatisfied.

I'd love to see a second season. I want resolution with the Wufeng. I want closure for all my characters. I would have given an extra half star if not for that non-ending.

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Flawed People

A girl who'd been partially abandoned by her parents schemed to change her life, no matter the cost. Through underhanded methods, she usurped her favored sister's summons to the palace and plotted her way to power only to end in ruin. Given a miraculous chance at a do-over, she fought for a different outcome only to be thwarted at every turn by persistent fate.

The Good:
• Everyone was stunning on screen, especially Bai Lu, Zhang Ling He, Wang Xing Yue, and Zhou Jun Wei. I can't complain about a love square that was written so well. The writer didn't sloppily use the trope to gin up manufactured angst, but allowed the motivations and emotions to naturally manifest on screen. All of the MLs were admirable in their own way. And Bai Lu was ethereally beautiful (especially in Empress regalia), in addition to being brave, smart, and resilient.
• The writer respected the viewers' intelligence and rewarded us with characters who didn't make stupid decisions simply to move the plot along. The FL's actions and feelings were understandable, as she had lived all this before and had preconceived ideas of what had happened and what would happen.
• I appreciated thinking how differently the story ended just because of one person's choices. Each of the three MLs had very different outcomes because the FL fought fate and made choices that changed the trajectory of all their lives. Bad things still happened, and she couldn't "fix" everything, but the lives of people she touched positively made all the difference in the grand scheme of things and to them personally.

The Bad:
• This is just a tiny quibble, but I laughed out loud when the diagnosis for red Satanic eyes, drinking blood, and an uncontrollable murderous rage was... schizophrenia.
• I disliked Xie Wei's favoritism for a daughter over a son, and I despised the casual abuse for comedic effect. Disrespecting a child isn't funny.
• Due to reincarnation/time travel censorship, the drama began and ended in modern times, and the drama was presented as a story within a story. It was disruptive and unnecessary, but I've come to accept it in Chinese dramas. It's a small price to pay for an otherwise riveting story.

Current culture loves to talk about red flags. Both the ML and FL were schemers with agendas and waved red flags the size of Texas. If you want a sweet drama with perfect people, this isn't it. If you want an entertaining story with intelligent people who lived with personal darkness, you'll appreciate their journey.

Add an extra half star for Bai Lu's make-up, costuming, and attitude as the Empress.

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Nearly Perfect Drama, but I Worry About the Writer's Childhood

Nearly every mother in Go Ahead was a nightmare, but the way the children grew, adapted, and supported one another made this a rewarding watch. GA had everything: humor, heartache, struggles, triumphs, and healing. The family relationships were everything, as they sacrificially watched out for and supported one another. Family in this context didn't necessarily mean blood, as the closest individuals weren't related at all.

I'd just watched Shine on Me with Song Wei Long in which he played an attractive, competent CEO. He didn't have to work at being attractive and that role seemed an easy one for him, but he surprised me by his portrayal of a traumatized soul. He depicted the dead-inside, long-suffering young man well. Tan Song Yun was perfect as the free-spirited Li Jian Jian; Zhang Xin Cheng did admirably as the cautious overthinker; and Tu Song Yan was superb as the kind-hearted father figure of them all.

The drama never stayed dark for overly long. Sweet moments were interspersed among the serious scenes. The children as teens had many warm, loving interactions, some of the best parts of the drama. Beyond relationships, the drama featured many of my favorite things: food, books (I've put Our Starry Starry Night by Jimmy Liao on pre-order), and children.

There were so many relatable situations and characters. I was once asked for a metaphor for my parents, and I said "a black hole." Ling Xiao made that same comparison, and I could identify with his reasoning.

It took me a long time to decide to watch GA, because it had a "Melodrama" tag, along with "Depression," "Child Abandonment," and "Mental Illness." It didn't sound like a good time! I generally avoid melodramas, but this had enough sweetness and light to balance out the heaviness. There were tears, but they were mostly good ones, and there was plenty of laughter to counteract the sad times.

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Mischievous Fox and the Elegant Emperor

Eternal Love (the parent story) was mostly drama with comedic relief supplied by the exuberant fox and her crush, the Imperial Emperor. The sequel, Eternal Love of Dream, began with mostly silly comedy and very little drama. It was too great a departure from the feel of the parent story, so I put my viewing on hold. When I finally resumed the drama, the story switched to mortal tribulations, the FL matured and was less cutesy, and it became interesting to me once more.

The Bad:
• There were far too many foolish misunderstandings that lasted way too long. One would think people who had lived for millenniums would have learned how to communicate with one another.
• As for FL being the leader of her clan, I'd like that job: she never led anyone, didn't serve on a committee, and was absent from her country 97% of the time. When she was home, she was either drunk or getting into trouble!
• The villain was disappointing, and it was hard to believe all the different leaders couldn't have dealt with her over time.

The Good:
• FL had character growth. She retained her stubbornness, playfulness, and impulsive nature, but she tempered it by listening to counsel and being willing to accept what she couldn't change.
• ML retained his narcissistic manner, but he learned to defer to the FL. His greatest change was realizing he shouldn't protect the FL from harmful knowledge; she had the need to know what was happening, if only to prevent more misunderstandings!
• The romance between the ML and FL was charming to watch. Gao Wei Guang and Dilraba Dilmurat each gave life to their roles and made their characters memorable.
• It was bliss watching the ever elegant and reserved ML become petty and spiteful over the tiniest things he felt encroached on his love. His expressions and snide remarks were deliciously amusing.
• The OST was enjoyable. I especially liked "Deliberately" by Dilraba Dilmurat and Silence Wang.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=c_aSzeG4b5U

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Daring Speed in Thailand; Sputtering Love in China

Thrills and romance set in Bangkok, Thailand? Sign me up. I relished the change of scenery with the opportunity to view the dilapidated elegance of a major city. The day scenes showcased colorful waterways, and the night scenes were magical in neon. I'm not a fan of brutality, so the boxing wasn't for me (and, thankfully, was limited), but I relished the racing scenes and wouldn't have objected to more, especially if the FL were the navigator.

The FL was adorable, but how could she not be when played by Esther Yu? I didn't realize until I double-checked that the continually smiling, sweet boy from My Fated Boy was He Yu, who now played a dark, dangerous, desperate man. Who knew such a cute Golden Retriever pup could transform into a snarling Pit Bull?

I was enjoying the drama (even the love triangle wasn't overly annoying) until the act of Noble Idiocy hit. I felt the momentum slow and sputter, and it never revved up after the ensuing time skip. I will begrudgingly admit that I could understand this instance of sacrifice more than most dramas, because of the FL's age. ML didn't want to take her future away when she hadn't even attended college yet, and he didn't want to saddle such a spoiled young girl with a handicapped husband.

Add a nice supporting cast and excellent music to round out my review.

Offhand remarks: I was visibly relieved when the ML got a haircut after the time skip. I had wanted to snip those uneven strands so badly! And the mother's outdoor garden in Canada in winter with tropical plants... they would all be dead after one night. Not only that, but the mother had all the doors and windows open in the house. They'd be celebrating the New Year with burst plumbing pipes and pneumonia! Canada is frigid in the dead of winter.

TL;DR: Romance and racing in beautiful Thailand, but the drama lost its momentum, sputtered, and stalled once it relocated to Nanjing, China.

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Those Were Scary Monkeys

Bai Lu did a masterful job of playing the kind, broken-brained killer, Ye Li. She had solid reasons for her revenge, and I wanted her to succeed in unraveling her four little death dolls, even when I was concerned her actions would cause her to self-destruct.

An arranged marriage paired her with an equally traumatized individual, Mo Xiu Yao. He had every reason to question why he'd been paired with a politically volatile wife; his life had been made miserable by the Empress Dowager, and she'd been the one to assign the marriage. Ryan Cheng shone in his portrayal of a bitter, suspicious husband. The struggle for him to accept and understand Ye Li was the most engaging part of the drama. I especially enjoyed when he was secretly observing Ye Li: his quizzical looks when she was talking to herself; his amused looks when she was being endearing; and his tender looks when she was interacting with his family.

Many dramas instantly "heal" trauma when the protagonist faces her fears and embraces reality. Ye Li confronted the horrible truth of what had happened to her, and she accepted that she'd led a life of fantasy in order to cope; she would be able to maintain a seemingly normal life (with the support of loved ones) from then on. But she was far from normal. As long as she had the love of Xiu Yao and life went well, she could function well. But nobody better impinge on her loved ones, or I believe her psychopathic tendencies would lead her to remedy the problem by making them fertilizer for her flowers.

The OST was outstanding. I loved the song song "Love isn't Just Romance."
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hlFJ6UlqrCc

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Ryan Ren Smolders

I needed a short palate cleanser after long dramas, and Ryan Ren's tiny dramas fit the ticket. In this one, Ryan Ren did what he does best: look dangerous and kiss passionately.

Liu Nian was stunning in her chunky heels and gorgeous Qipaos. She's a tiny thing; Ryan Ren could pick her up and carry her about with one hand!

The less said about the plot, the better. The noble idiocy wasn't noble, but it scored high in the idiocy range, as an anonymous phone call would have accomplished the same without instilling angst and hatred. But that would have forced the writer to come up with a different scenario—wait, what am I saying? A writer? I don't think so. These Republic Era shorts are all cut/paste from other dramas. No originality needed. Writers optional.

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Love Hurts

I love the Republican Era for the sets, fashion, and neon, but I wish they were less titillating and had better story lines. Maybe I just haven't found the right ones yet. This did offer a compelling couple with plenty of chemistry. I'd love to see them star together in something more substantial. Both lead actors suited their roles admirably.

Circle of Amnesia, er, I mean Love, put the FL through horrible memories, total amnesia, reverse amnesia, and then full memory again. Every time she got Whack-a-Mole'd, she'd have a different personality: sweet, young girl; hardened assassin; helpless victim who grew into a more confident woman; back to innocent, young girl again; and, finally, murderous avenger.

ML was shockingly cruel and violent, but his downfall was that he was a habitual liar. If just once, he'd sat the FL down and told her the truth, there might have been a different ending than the Circle of Bullets. And what the heck was that time skip after the ending about? I despise time skips, but this one was beyond weird and unnecessary. Know when to stop, director.

Watch if you want to watch two attractive people with chemistry, and your cringe level is high.

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Beautifully Packaged Angst

As much as I adore watching Bai Lu onscreen, I developed compassion fatigue in this drama. The actors were fabulous, the visuals were superb, and the music was outstanding, but my heart can't take that much angst.

The Good:
• Color was a visual cast member. The sets were every color but beige, and the costuming was rich in jewel tones. The CGI was pleasing purples, teals, and blues. Even the FL's magical fulfillments left her with sparkling multi-colored eyes.
• The costume designer draped the actors in exquisite clothing and accessories. Kudos to the actresses who played their parts seemingly effortlessly in heavy wigs and ornaments, and mad respect to the actors who avoided getting impaled with all the hairpins each time they hugged the actresses. They were forever in danger of losing an eye!
• A pleasing OST enhanced the drama: the relentless "Flowers Fall Without Trace," and the plaintive "Under the Moon" and "Embrace and Never Let Go" complemented the scenes.
• I'm forever indebted to the writer for making the main couple steadfast and trusting of one another. Even when people tried to drive a wedge between them, they believed in each another.
• Ao Rui Peng's voice was dubbed by voice actor Wai Wai, and what a beautifully deep tone. I'd watch this drama just to hear that rich voice!

The Bad:
• Too much angst. Do you love that character? Well, I've got bad news. Everyone dies. Repeatedly. There's very little breathing room from one anguishing situation to the next. The only death that gave me relief was when Mo Li commented the Lanling immortal was too noisy and quieted him permanently. He was such an annoying character! It's the one time I could get behind a villain's actions.
• The ML was powerful and dynamic in the beginning, but he got relegated to a supporting role after he and the FL got together. His role changed from dangerous Demon King to being beautifully bedfast or being hugged while dying. I'm exaggerating but not much.

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Hou Ming Hao Was Riveting as a Demon

Fangs of Fortune was a found family of humans, gods, and demons fighting against outward evil and inward trauma. They came together to save the world while overcoming their internal hatred, misunderstandings, guilt, loss, and cowardice.

The Good:
• Hou Ming Hao had an excellent portrayal of a sympathetic demon. His expressions were spot on and he emanated an other-worldly aura that was fascinating to watch. Then he'd switch from his commanding presence to faux-roar at Bai Jiu just to see him scream and jump for his amusement. What a nuanced, memorable character.
• I hadn't really noticed Tian Jia Rui in any previous dramas, but he could certainly cry on cue, and his tears flowed from exquisitely beautiful eyes.
• It was a visual feast: the cast, the sets, and the costumes.
• Some excellent music. The song about the bird with the broken tail traumatized me, and the fight music was equally effective.
• I generally skip the intros (after the first episode) and outros, but this had the cutest cast dances during the credits. So fun to watch the villains dance and cavort!

The Bad:
• Too many tears. I'd expect demons and demon hunters to be a bit more stoic, but they cried incessantly: when sad, when regretful, and even when eating porridge. I give it to the cast: they were all prolific, excellent criers.
• The angsty scenes were excruciatingly long to the point that they didn't ratchet up emotion but left me saying, "Die, already."
• The stupidity factor was high. When a demon hunter was reviled and hated by the public, the team thought it was a good idea to take him into the midst of a crowd. I kept thinking they couldn't be that stupid—they had to have an alternative scheme—but, no, they were that foolish.
• I hate when the villains refuse to stay dead.
• Fangs of Fortune had so much going for it, but I never really connected with it the way I should have. It was like a fabulous feast that smelled delicious and looked amazing, but it just didn't suit my taste.

For those traumatized by the ending (all of us?), please watch the special episode of the drama afterward for a bit of hope.

I added a half star for Hou Ming Hao's demon portrayal.

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A Visual Treat

Zhang Lin he and Tian Xi Wei were captivating on screen. Any other man wearing ginormous pheasant feathers could have looked Dr. Seuess-ish, but Zhang Lin He looked majestic with the feathers waving in the wind when he triumphantly entered the city on his horse. That visual may be worth watching the entire drama.

The villains were mesmerizing in a unsettling, dangerous way, but they still managed to evoke enough humanity and brokenness that I couldn't help but empathize with them (but they needed to be dead, asap). I'm going to have to look for further dramas featuring Deng Kai and Lin Mu Ran.

The entire cast was excellent. I especially enjoyed the village scenes at Lin'an. The community felt authentic. I missed when action was moved from the village to other sites, because I missed Uncle and Aunt Zhao, the neighbors, and the restaurant staff. The drama suffered when it strayed from Lin'an.

If I have a quibble, it's that the huge build-up of political intrigue which drove the entire drama resolved itself in a relatively quick whimper instead of a bang. But I didn't watch the drama for the court conspiracies. I watched to see an orphan girl fight her way from poverty to success, and that was achieved.

I'm adding a half star for those pheasant feathers.

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Gukgeuk Is Fascinating

This is hard to rate for me. Let me list the good and bad and go from there.

The Good:
• I like Kim Tae Ri, and she does a fine job here. So does the entire cast.
• The drama subverted my expectations; I never really knew where it was going.
• Jeongnyeon introduced me to pansori and gukgeuk, which I found fascinating and extremely interesting. So much so that I looked up the history of each. Pansori was storytelling with one singer and one drummer. It could be as long as EIGHT to TEN hours long. These productions were very limited; twelve are known, but only five have been passed down. Gukgeuk was an all-female performing troupe that performed pansori with costumes, acting, and sets (similar to opera), but in a shorter form more palatable to the audiences of the 1940s and 1950s.

The Bad:
• I found it hard to sympathize with Jeongnyeon when she was suffering at her worst. When your best friends beg you not to strain your voice, when your mentor warns you against overusing your voice, and common sense tells you not damage your voice, then I guess you live with the consequences when you disregard them. The drama lost me at that point, and my enjoyment decreased greatly. I'd been in Jeongnyeon's corner up to that point, even though she should have been booted out of the company numerous times for her antics (self-centered grandstanding onstage), but that was it for me. Seriously, she was an exhausting character: stubborn, strong-willed, irrational, and inconsiderate. Even so, I liked her!
• The drama subverted my expectations; I never really knew where it was going. When a drama introduces a main character early on, I expect something monumental to happen with that character. Jung Eun Chae played Moon Ok Geong beautifully—easily one of the most memorable characters of the drama—but then she just disappeared and was never heard from again. As for the ending, the bad guys won; the good guys lost. Everyone was to be scattered, and that was presented as a happy ending.

Final analysis: it's worth the watch to see the performances of gukgeuk.

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