Pretty Typical High School Drama
I’ve watched several High School dramas and can say that this one doesn’t stand out from the rest. The premise is setup the same as most of the others….The FL, who has poor grades, is in love with the ML who is one of top students, aloof , most desired and doesn’t know much about love. I wouldn’t really consider this a romance drama as this was only a small subset of the overall story. There were only bits and pieces of romance sprinkled in. In my opinion, it’s more of a coming of age story that deals with school, social pressure, family, friends, etc.The good
As expected, Ding Yuxi did a really good job as He Xinliang and stood out from the rest of the cast. I wouldn’t say everyone’s acting was great but some did a decent job. The overall show had a feel good story with a happy ending which is good to see in CDramas.
The bad
Everyone’s acting wasn’t great. 2nd FL who plays her sister was very stale and monotonous throughout. She had no real expressions. The same goes for the 2nd ML who was her original love interest. He also didn’t do well with expressions. There are more to name but will switch focus…too many misunderstandings throughout this drama and situations that seemed very exaggerated to me. The main conflict between the 3 girls seemed way too childish even for high schoolers and could have been resolved if they just all talked it out. Also, there was a sense of predictability in this drama and it’s probably because it’s a basic plot that is somewhat recycled. Next, the ending seemed rushed. Would have been nice to see more before the time jump on the final episode to answer some questions to things and situations that were mentioned. Lastly, the OST wasn’t much to write home about. Songs didn’t really stand out.
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A little disappointed in this drama but decent enough
I started this drama in 2022 not knowing anything about it or not knowing any of the cast as I was new to CDramas in 2022. I finally finished this drama in July of 2023 after having watched a lot of CDramas and several other shows by the 2 leads. Why did it take me so long to finish? I initially stopped watching this drama after about 6 or 7 episodes in the beginning because it wasn’t keeping my attention but decided to revisit it for the 2 leads.The Story:
Despite the odd English Title for the drama, I was originally intrigued by the plot and thought this would be a great Wuxia and hopefully without a lot of the CDrama tropes we see in romance Wuxias with the strange falls leading to random kisses and the predictable love triangles. It was nice to see that they didn’t focus so much on those aspects in this drama although we may have seen 1 or 2 instances of the long stares and the awkward contact between MLs and FLs. It’s still not a romance heavy drama and focused the main story on the self discovery journey of the 2 leads.
One downfall to this drama is there were a lot of throw away episodes that made this drama longer than it needed to be. It could have been cut down to 24 to 30 episodes max. There were some side plots that dragged out too long and could have been summed up in 1 or 2 episodes but dragged out over 5 to 6 at times. Also episodes 29-34 were filler episodes as they seem to try to play more on the unnecessary romantic stories they forced on the MLs, leading to drawn out boring conversations. I enjoy a good romance, just was done poorly in this one. I did not like the ending of the final episode, it just sort left things hanging.
The characters
This is a loaded topic because you have some good with some bad. I’ll start with the female characters… none were that interesting.
Tie Xinlan was sort of just there. She was in the way most of the time and didn’t add any real value to the overall plot. Not much character growth from her as she didn’t add much in the beginning either. Her acting was also subpar…not much in the way of facial expressions.
Su Ying… I don’t even know why they added her character at the end of the show. Though she was supposed to be the match of Jiang Xiaoyu, their “love” story was very forced and the 2 actors had 0 love chemistry. Their back and forth banter was okay but still unconvincing. I adore Liang Jie in The Eternal Love series as the connection she had with the ML in there is worth a watch.
For the male characters…
Jiang Xiaoyu carried this story as his character was fun and charismatic. So much character growth from him while still staying true to himself. Chen Zheyuan did an amazing acting job here. He embodied the character well with his troubles expressions and lightheartedness throughout the show.
Hua Wuque only showed slight character growth and Hu Yitian seems to take on a lot of emotionless character roles. I thought he could have done better than hat was betrayed because he didn’t portray many emotions here. I can compare his character to Wang Yibo’s character, Lan Zhan in the untamed but although dull and tough, he expressed so many emotions without having many spoken lines.
Production/OST
Overall production value was average. Some camera shots were grainy and blurry at times but had decent fight scenes and CGI. The OST did not stand out.
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Dull
This took me a while to get to the halfway point of this show. The story is dull. I think the biggest fault I had with this show is the characters lack depth and everything seems surface level with the main 2 characters are just going through the motions of the script.The Good
It has some decent acting from some of the supporting cast. It was one of the reasons I kept watching. I was hoping they would give more story to some of the other characters. The main characters were mature and had a healthy relationship up to episode 23. Although there was the cliche hidden identity storyline, it got resolved quickly once it was out in the open. There were decent fight scenes for the few I saw.
The Bad
The two leads were the most problematic characters. Both were dull, almost robotic with their scenes. Neither of them displayed more than 2 emotions and/or facial expressions. Their characters didn’t feel like real characters in the story, whereas others like Shao Yao did. I couldn’t connect with them at all, their love story was uninteresting. They didn’t seem like they would be a couple unless someone told them to be, no chemistry. Almost seemed awkward. Both characters were predictable in how they handled situations, no fluctuation or deviations. It became repetitive. The next problem was the lack of character building with most of the other characters. There were so many characters in this show but who are they really!? After 23 episodes, we know hardly anything about any of these character’s stories and motivations. Lastly, there is no actual world building, we only see them in like 4-5 limited view places; the dungeon, palace hall, Prince Ling’s meditation room, the tree, and Hua residence. This limited view makes us have to rely on the characters but they barely built that up so it all falls flat. Barely any interaction out in the town or world. This isn’t always a bad thing but can be if they don’t build up the characters. Production value was basic and not much to talk about.
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Story Dragged
This show was way too long. The story lost me around episode 20 but I held on until about episode 30 and couldn’t continue. The plot isn’t anything new but it’s a mini drama and fast paced so I assumed it wouldn’t be a drag. I was very wrong.There were so many redundant repeated scenes and it got very old and tiresome. They dragged the main misunderstanding for far too long into the story so it became boring to watch. The overall acting wasn’t that great but not necessarily the worse. I felt that mostly everyone was overacting and didn’t come off natural.
I would say the main couple were passionate kissers and that was the only natural, decent thing about the show. Outside of that, the characters weren’t written that well. The decisions they were making were unnecessary and cliche. Too many tropes.
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Unconventional Love Story
I think the English Title is somewhat misleading because it makes you think this story is a romance drama. This is a melodrama first with very little romance. There is a mixed bag of reviews with some hating this and some loving but I quite enjoyed this story for what it was, as it displayed the downsides to relationship, showcasing that relationships aren’t fairytales, like what we see on tv.The good
The highlight of this drama for me was on the meteorological aspect because it was a fresh idea that I hadn’t seen in a drama before. I actually found this part of the story to be very interesting. Not sure how accurate it was to the profession but it gave us a look at how stressful this profession could be and how it could have an impact on relationships, both romantically and familial. I also found enjoyment in seeing the relationships unfold because each story was different. Although it was quite odd that this drama focused heavily on the cheating couple, it still gave us a different perspective. Although I wasn’t as vested in that couples ending, there was a very real take on how their decisions led to the turmoil in the relationship and how they still impacted the main couple’s relationship. It was refreshing to see not so fluffy mature, realistic relationships.
The bad
I would say the acting overall met the high bar but did not exceed it. Each character brought a fresh take to the story but the level of good acting definitely did not add up among the characters which caused some people to be less interesting than others. I found the main couple's relationship problematic as this story didn’t showcase much of their time together as a couple. We got a few little side flashbacks of their time together that apparently occurred but wasn’t shown in realtime during the show. This actually made me feel less involved in their relationship and disconnected from their breakup towards the end.
This drama does not have a high rewatch value but if you like the lead actors, watch and make your own decision on how you would rate this. For me, it’s a one and done.
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Just no…
This show is for children. Episodes are only about 6 minutes long and after watching halfway, I had to call it quits. Everyone in here was acting like they were 8 year olds. So many unnecessary scenes that made no sense as to why grown 28+ year olds would be doing them. The comedy is just corny to the point of cringe. Cringe factor was turned up to 1000. Disappointing because the plot seemed interesting for a quick watch. If you like whiney women, grown adults who act like they are 5, people who do things that make no sense because of inexperience in relationships, then this is the show for you.Wouldn’t recommend.
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Underwhelming
I didn’t find this drama very interesting after watching 10 episodes. The story is very underwhelming, though some may enjoy it. This one is not for me and I can’t continue it.The Good
I watched it for the cast since they are all decent actors. This has a good line up that will definitely attract fans. The actors are also not dubbed which has been a positive to see in CDrama lately.
The Bad
It has a weak, predictable plot. This xuanhuan is definitely not a new idea. I quite enjoy xinxia’s and xuanhuan’s but there hasn’t been many good ones in recent years as most just recycle the same things and this one has done the same thing. Character arcs are cliche. They are bland and have no complexity to them. You have the peculiar girl with a bad reputation, the cold main guy who’s hiding his identity, the 2 friends, one who isn’t trustworthy and quick to betray and the other who just serves as comedic relief. The enemies are also cliche. I’m also finding this to be very boring per episode. Not much is happening in most of the episodes I’ve seen and I notice they are only filmed in 2 locations, FL’s house and market. It has an average production quality with bad sound quality. CGI isn’t that great either. Sometimes the lighting is overdone to play up romantic scenes. Also, the few times something did occur and when it seemed the story was progressing, it wasn’t that exciting due to its predictability and they seem to backtrack to nothing happening again. I also find the humor to be misplaced. There is so much dry and odd humor in here but doesn’t seem to balance well with serious moments. Wasn’t very funny either. Wasn’t feeling the constant background music in every scene. It became distracting especially when most of it didn’t fit the type of drama it is. Lastly, the acting didn’t stand out. Didn’t evoke any emotions good or bad as I watched. It was hard to connect with any of the characters.
Watch for yourself and make your own judgement. It’s watchable but not one I’d continue.
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Typical
This one is not it for me. I’ve read other’s reviews about who had more screen time and chemistry and have different reasons as to why I dropped this drama. None of that mattered to me.The Good
Costumes are nice with bold coloring. The production is decent and on the higher end. All star cast which makes the acting salvageable but that’s where it ends.
The Bad
Weak plot! This is an overused story with typical character arcs: overzealous empress, paranoid emperor, weak crown prince, lovesick 2nd ML and our main leads who continue to drag out misunderstandings. It lacks any real depth. People just plotting and vying for the throne but with no real twists and turns. Not once have I felt an “aha” moment and thought, I didn’t see that coming. The first story arc actually would have made for a more interesting story with the rise and fall of the main couple. Other weak points in this story was the acting. I’m a fan of both main leads and both have much stronger dramas. They were unconvincing in this one. Both had pretty flat affect and not once did either one of them move me or make me feel any sort of connection to their cause and/or any of their emotional scenes. Action scenes were very bland and done poorly but I overlooked it as I don’t see this as much of a Wuxia. Lastly, I found the story boring and constantly losing my attention. It didn’t make me excited to continue watching. Most of the conversations between the main leads lacked real substance and could have easily been cleared up if they took the time to hear each other. They could be a power couple and really shake things up in this second life, more so than they are now since they know the outcome but they are too busy bickering every five minutes on unimportant things. Makes for a very uninteresting story. This drama doesn’t even need to be 40 episodes as they can cut out a lot of unnecessary filler and tell a more crisp story of love and redemption.
If you are fan of the cast then watch for yourself and make your own judgement. This one just doesn’t stand out from the rest.
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This one isn’t for me.
I was really excited to see this drama as I’m a XZ fan and have enjoyed his dramas. He’s a great actor. I’m not as familiar with Ren Min but I think she was doing a decent job in this show and I will definitely check out more of her work. In the end, I still dropped this after 11 episodes.The good
All the cast members did an amazing job. I’ve seen most of the main/supporting leads in other projects so I had no doubts here. The production value is really high with really great visuals. Their costumes are typical for Xianxia but they fit pretty well here too.
The bad
The story is dragging for me. I find myself falling asleep during each episode and if that happens, then the drama isn’t strong enough to hold my attention. It’s one of those slow build up type of shows which if done well, can work. I just didn’t quite like it with this drama. The story also has a typical Xianxia feel from what I’ve seen so far. It’s a love to hate story that we typically see with Xianxia following a forbidden love/doom. Lots of CDrama tropes with the way they set up the camera shot for the romantic scenes and you will find this is most Xianxias. Story doesn’t stand out from the others.
If you are okay with these things then definitely check it out or if you are a fan of the leads, then watch. Make your own judgement on the show.
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Watchable
I couldn’t really get through this one because it just wasn’t much to my liking and bored me but it’s watchable for sure.The Good
The plot was interesting. I loved how it was shrouded in a lot of mystery. The actor choices were good since there were tons of traffic stars to get people interested. It’s an easy watch with a story that isn’t over complicated. It had a decent enough production quality with okay lighting, sound, sets and costumes. The OST was decent as well.
The Bad
Although the plot was interesting, I didn’t like the execution of it. It was very slow and bored me quite a lot. The first half of the story focused a lot on the main couple playing house with not much romance but I would have preferred to see more of the overarching story play out instead. Next, the actor choices were good to drive in traffic but the acting wasn’t good. I couldn’t connect much with the characters and their plight because they weren’t expressing themselves very well. Finally, there was a lot of predictability to the story, even from the first episode. I don’t even need to keep watching to understand how this story will flow. It was cut and dry and didn’t offer many twists. I put this on hold and came back months later thinking I would see it differently but wasn’t the case.
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Best story of the 3 related shows….
Comparing this to both Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, I would say the story in this one was the best of the 3. Although all the stories are interconnected, they are all still written as standalones and can be judged separately.The Good
The character building, development and world building is what stood out the most to me in this show. I appreciate that each important member received a backstory, from Bai Shuo, Fan Yue, Cang Shan, Tian Huo, Qi Feng, Mu Jiu, Bai Xi and Chong Zhao. The directors allowed us to be able to connect with each character through their separate journeys which does elevate this story of the 3. The acting was also decent in here. Everyone did a good job at portraying genuine emotions with some characters shining throughout (Dai Lu Wa was definitely the star of this show). I enjoyed both sibling arcs of our main leads with damnation, redemption and sacrifice. It was truly heartbreaking to see. The relationship between our main leads was also written much better than most xianxias. No random break ups or misunderstandings. The two characters relied on and trusted each other throughout the whole show which was nice to see. I definitely enjoyed the soundtrack in this show. It helped elevate the scenes.
The Bad
There were some plot holes for sure. These were plot holes independent of the other 2 shows but things the director probably messed up on or just forgot the logic on. Happens in a lot of fantasy shows though. Wish the CGI could have been consistent. For the most part, it was decent because the production value was higher but when it came to the hidden power, the black goo looked terrible. Some of the characters lacked depth and were too one dimensional as an example, like most of the eternals were and especially characters like Mo Li. It makes some of those characters uninteresting to the story and hard to connect with because their motivations are too basic, making them hard to relate to, care about and unreal. This xianxia still followed much of the same formulas of past xianxias. I’m still patiently waiting for something new and fresh because I like the genre.
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Odd writing or choppy editing
This story has the potential to be decent but there are major flaws in either the editing or the writing.There seems to be scenes missing or situations that have been referenced but we never saw them happen. Even the leads getting romantically closer seemed to come out of no where because there was barely any build up or moments from them until all of sudden they were a couple!?
The time travel aspect isn’t written very well either. It’s almost as if it’s an afterthought and no one seems to question her behaviors.
The last failure would be in the 2 cases I have seen thus far. The details to solve the cases are choppy at best and a little reach. I grew up watching American shows like Law and Order, Criminal Minds, CSI, etc. I’m a fan of these sort of dramas but I find that with some of these historical case solving cdramas, they fall victim to having only far fetched murder cases. Becomes a little over the top. Not every thing needs to be a murder and not every case needs to be unrealistic. I will continue to watch to see if it improves but so far I’m not impressed.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some things I couldn’t get past
Okay so I had to drop this drama for a couple of reasons. The story in itself is okay, a typical coming of age school CDrama. The usual tropes. Mediocre acting, odd chemistry between the 2 main leads and weird colorism that seems to be plagued in CDramas.What was a little strange to me were their ages and the cousin arc. I never usually comment on the real actors and actresses ages because I typically don’t care but when the entire main cast are minors except one then it starts to feel a little weird. Wang Run Ze who plays Lin Kai Tuo is very much in his late 20s while the rest of the other 3 cast were 15-17 at this time. To top it off, they added him as a love interest and to have a crush as well. They couldn’t get another underage person to be in that role… second thing that didn’t sit well was the cousin arc. Chai Wei who plays He Xin is the cousin of our main male lead and she was in love with Lin Kai Tuo who happens to be the step brother of our main male lead. Whether it’s biological or by law, they are still cousins and it’s a little odd to push that arc on a tv show. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I think the drama may be better suited for teenagers than adults.
Overall, I ended up dropping the drama halfway through since it really didn’t stand out to me either way and couldn’t really get past some of those things. If it doesn’t bother you, then check it out for yourself.
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Snoozefest
I’m probably in the minority here since the rating is so high but this was absolutely overrated, at least for the 12 episodes I could get through. I found this to be very boring and it couldn’t hold my attention. Disappointing since I was anticipating this drama.The Good
Visually, looks great. It’s a very high production. Some of the characters seem interesting since there are a variety of demons/goddesses. Of the characters, Bai Ju and the Mountain God were the most fun, interesting characters.
The Bad
Everything else. The acting was mediocre, poor executed story, the constant slow motion was way overdone but seems to be standard for this director. Every fight scene was shot in slow motion for a weird dramatic effect that just put me to sleep. Too much talking and not enough action for this type of show. Honestly, I felt like the trailer was better than the actual show because it seemed like it would be more nightmarish action, almost horror. This show is just filled with good looking people but their characters had no real substance to them. I could barely connect with any of them. There’s also not enough character and world building for the first half of the show. I typically don’t read the synopsis for shows so it doesn’t spoil the story before watching so I really didn’t know what it was about but really disappointed me.
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Surprised this poorly written story was written by women.
This story was written poorly! The first episode alone had multiple plot holes. I made it through 11 episodes and surprised that I did because it was getting worse as the story progressed. The acting was bad, the plot wasn’t very logical and the characters weren’t very interesting.I’m actually surprised this show was written by women screenwriters because they don’t seem to grasp the basic idea of a woman with a crush; even more, the directors are male but didn’t grasp the concept of how to act like and pretend to be a male. They didn’t even try.
The FL character seemed to have low self worth as she accepted the ML character’s poor treatment of her through out the show and built her whole existence around the ML. The ML wasn’t even remotely like-able and it was hard to understand why she even liked him since she didn’t really know him.
I don’t usually mind the contract marriage tropes but this was one of the worse.
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