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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Not very interesting
This drama is plagued with lots of issues that caused me to drop this one after 11 episodes.The Good
Actors are mostly using their own voice which is nice to hear. Production quality is a little on the better end down to the costumes, wigs, makeup, lighting; although, the production still isn’t the best. The story is fast paced so it keeps you engaged. OST is decent. Lin Hai Ru’s character was a refreshing addition to the storyline.
The Bad
The plot is recycled, at least up to the first 11 episodes that I watched. Even though reused plots are very common in CDramas, some of the others are a little more interesting than this one due to better acting in those. The biggest issue I had in this drama is with many actors seeming like they are just reading a script. It also comes off very dull and monotone with the two main leads. No emotion shown with them, like they are just going through the motions. Up to this point, it’s been difficult to connect with any character. Lastly, the schemes are anticlimactic since they are the usual tropes.
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Strongly written historical drama…
One of the best historical dramas of 2024 and one that came out of no where. A highly recommended watch!The Good
The plot is strong and executed very well. It’s one of the most fleshed out stories that lack plot holes and cliches that we see in dramas. Most of the characters were well rounded and motivations were clear. With the two main leads not being traffic stars, they both carried this drama excellently. I also appreciated the slow burn romance displayed in this drama. The pacing and growth was definitely well received and refreshing. A very mature love story as well. Next, the cinematography was amazing. Although this had a lower budget, the money was spent in the right places. Hats off to the director for the well shot scenes and quality production! The OST was beautiful and tailored well to each scene. Lastly, we finally have a proper ending. I personally don’t care if it’s a happy or sad ending but what I want is a complete end that makes the most sense for the story and I’m glad we were able to achieve that through this show.
The Bad
My only complaint is for the 3 characters, Wang Yingxue, Miao Ansu, and Wei Ting Zhen. I would have liked to see their characters fleshed out a little better. These were the only characters that were very black and white, one dimensional with no real motivations for their deeds. Would have liked more of a backstory into their emotions and reasons to understand them better. Otherwise, every other major character made sense.
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One of the better schools dramas
This was a cute watch, although it had a couple of odd moments for drama sake. It’s one of the better high school/college dramas.The Good
The overall plot was strong between the couple meeting and their relationship progression was natural and sweet. They had an even balance of misunderstandings and happiness in their relationship and it showed how dedicated they were as a couple to make their relationship last. The acting was decent in this drama and everyone played their role well. The drama was the perfect amount of episodes and provided decent closure to the story.
The Bad
The dubbing wasn’t always the best, especially during some more emotional scenes. I also wasn’t very fond of the ending being shown at the beginning. It sort of spoils the drama for me if I already know how it ends. I didn’t like the huge focus on FL’s family and ML’s family just sort of disappeared. I also feel like we didn’t get closure from the 2nd ML, he sort of just disappeared as well. Lastly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the lighting in this drama. It had a very washed out tone through out.
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Fell a little short because of the romance
This story would have been much better if they left the romance completely out. I get that romance is CDrama’s kryptonite and without it, maybe some people won’t want to watch it but it is not needed in every drama. CDrama’s tend to try to force romance no matter if the situation is murky and it takes so much away from the story sometimes.The Good
Started strong steeped in some mystery with a murder/revenge plot. The original plot was actually engaging and intriguing. The main characters were all setup nicely, had strong acting and were a great fit for their roles. Costumes, makeup, wigs and sets were decent as well.
The Bad
The romance. I love a good romance story like the next person but the connection between main leads felt lackluster and partly due to the extreme treatment he put her through. This caused a huge disconnection of even wanting to see romance or even believe it. Again, the romance was not needed or warranted after all he had done. It became forced and became the identity of the story as it went on towards the end. They could have been great allies since their stories intertwined but the shallow romance left the ending for the main FL unsatisfying for me. I also did not like that the two MLs were dubbed. I don’t think it was necessary since both can dub themselves.
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Beautiful Story
This was a beautiful watch and one I’d highly recommend. The plot was a creative time travel drama and loved how they connected all the dots without leaving holes in the plot. The acting was done very well from each of the major players of the story. I was very drawn in and invested in the highs and lows of this drama as it’s very relatable since everyone wants to be accepted, loved and to find their happy ending. The OST was beautiful and paired well with the drama. The production and visuals were pretty standard but doesn’t take away from the show.I know there is also a remake Korean version that I’ve also seen bits of and there are some minor differences but overall either story is a recommended watch.
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Very Odd Show
I was excited about this show because I am a fan of Bai Lu, Wang He Di, and Wei Zhe Ming but this show was very odd and disappointing. The overall story was all over the place and I don't think the best actors in the world could save this script.I felt like most of the casting was out of place. They didn't seem to fit the roles or the characters were just poorly written. There were many instances in the show where the characters just didn't lack consistency with the type of character they were portrayed as and thus their dialogue, choices and actions didn't make logical sense. As an example, Bai Lu's character is this very smart, highly intutive, highly praised woman who is a top Financial Journalist, though she didn't seem to read situations very well. I guess they had to make her character very romantically awkward for the sake of the typical domineering CEO C-Drama trope.
Production wise, this show wasn't the best. Nothing to write home about with the visuals, music, lighting, or costumes. Pretty basic, definitely not a high budget but that doesn't always make or break a show.
For me, this show didn't have a clear direction on the plot and seems like a bunch of random things were just happening to the point where there wasn't any clear character building, growth, story growth, etc. I was at a point of just watching it to watch them because I'm a fan.
I would not rewatch this show nor recommend it to others. If you are fan of the main cast, check it out at your own discretion.
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A wonderful sports drama
Definitely one of the top sports CDramas out there. This was an amazing watch and highly recommended.The Good
This show had no throwaway episodes because of a well executed plot. This is something that can be hard to come by with shows that are longer than 20 episodes but they managed to pull it off. The story had a strong focus on the sports with an even balance of family issues, romance, relationship issues, comedy, etc. It had a great slice of life presence throughout. The acting was done well and the chemistry between the leads were strong and natural. The production was decent for this sort of drama.
The Bad
It still fell victim to some CDrama tropes (unreasonable mother, misunderstandings, love triangle, contract relationship, etc) but it seems that’s unavoidable in CDramas. Hoping that we get more fresh takes on the relationship side of CDramas. Sometimes the volume of the conversations were too low which made it difficult to hear.
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Enjoyable and frustrating
This slice of life, coming of age drama was a nice watch. The plot wasn’t a new concept for high school, college dramas but this one ranks high among dramas of this genre due to the great acting, relatable topics, and realistic ending. The English title was a great choice to sum up the happenings in this show. There were many joyful light hearted and frustrating heavy moments that kept me watching. I was highly invested into each character and their story. For the time period, 90s to early 2000s, definitely brought back some nostalgia with the clothes and technology being used. The time period was well represented and the OST was very nice.The main negatives were the overuse of misunderstandings being dragged out. This is a staple in cdramaland though.
A definite recommended watch.
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Just Why
A lot of these revenge CDrama stories are steeped so far from reality, even for a fictional fantasy story, that I’m not sure why these writers keep recycling and remaking them.The Good
Li Jiu Lin is eye candy. That’s about it.
The Bad
Promotes Stockholm Syndrome as a lot of these CDramas do. Sometimes it’s nice to get dramas where the victim who was abused, killed or almost killed by their former lover actually gets revenge on that person. I can overlook it when it’s a misunderstanding. I ended up skipping to the end of this story after 17 episodes to watch the final 4 and see how it would end. Very predictable. There is no reason that the writer should force a person to continue to love a person who physically harms them to the point of death and they still end up being with them. Super weird and pretty sad. It’s a scary thing when you think about it and I hope any woman or man watching these dramas know that these sort of relationships are not okay and should not be your reality. Oh and the acting wasn’t great and overall story was bland.
I think I’ve watched too many of these types of CDramas over the years that I’m starting to view the writers of these type of little fictional stories as odd. Sometimes I can over look these things and accept for what it is if the story is stronger but I couldn’t with this one. I might need to change genres and avoid revenge plots, xianxias, etc where this type of thing happens frequently. Disappointing because I love CDramas but they seem to be getting worse by the year.
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The last act sort of ruined it for me…
This story started strong with the feud between the two leads at the forefront. The many twists, at the beginning and middle, had me caught up in wanting to know how the story would go. It was initially uniquely written, with the main couple and their lifelong love/hatred but introducing a third party, ruined it.The Good
The characters were interesting and complex. I appreciate that there wasn’t a right or wrong side (until the intro of the final boss) and each of their stories centered on love and hate which blended them perfectly into the theme of this show.
The pacing of the show was done well. They fed us the main couples story little by little, keeping the audience guessing and allowing us to form our own opinions about the point of the feud.
The true pain both of our leads felt that kept the feud going was very relatable. At one point, I felt that there was no coming back and no way they would end up together after that.
The Bad
Intro of an external party behind the scenes, feeding the feud. Wasn’t needed! It basically undid everything that happened between our main couple and became a plot device to force them to a “happy ending.” Quickest way to ruin a story. Same thing with what happened with Bai Juisi at the end, another plot device to undo the hatred in basically a couple of episodes. Why couldn’t the story have just taken a natural flow of these two complex characters!? I will also say this, I felt as if their hatred had more passion than their love. Maybe it’s because 90% of the show was about hatred and then the forced love of our FL at the end, was unconvincing. Lastly, I didn’t like how some characters just basically disappeared from the story (heavenly emissary, four venerables). What was the point of them besides being filler. Other characters were also fillers in the story as well.
Other bad parts included production value. Sound was off in lots of scenes (background music was too loud, misplaced sound effects) and CGI wasn’t good. Spiritual power was just wisps of air and fight scenes were okay-ish.
Gets a 7 from me. It’s above average but not very memorable, nor much rewatch value. There are better Xianxias.
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