emberzmars

Interesting premise ruined by frequent ads

I got curious about this series when a reddit user requested a link to the drama. Since it's less than 40 minutes, I decided to watch it. I have mixed feelings.

What I liked:
1. Plot - I liked that both FL & ML worked at a matchmaking agency. This is a body swap story so it was amusing to see them coping being in the other people's body.
2. Supporting characters - I liked the photographer & painter couple. Very short screen time but their story spoke volume.
3 Tone - It's very light hearted.
4. Duration - Less than 40 minutes.

What I disliked:
1. Product placement - I get it that JD.com invested in this drama but the ads were excessive and overshadowing the whole story.
2. Writing - Because of the constant ads, the story of main couple is heavily affected. I couldn't connect with them.

Favourite scene
At the art gallery

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Second chance romance with sexy ML & wise daughter

I watched this drama because a reddit user requested for a link to the drama. I thought Wei Fan Shu resembled Gina Jin in the poster. I had watched her drama with Huang Bo just a few days ago and enjoyed her acting. I had not seen any Nie Bo Xuan drama so I got curious. I enjoyed this drama immensely.

What I liked:
1. ML characterisation - He was a sweetheart. He was dumped by FL but his love ran deep. Instead of enacting revenge, he supported FL by the sideline. I liked that he listened to her and was respectful of her decisions even though he didn't necessarily agree with them.
2 FL characterisation - Overall I liked FL despite her not being truthful. It was a defense mechanism. Anyway my favourite moment of her character is when she questioned Vice President's announcement of best employee award winner. In other dramas, someone else raised concern, never FL.
3. Romance - This is a second chance romance and the reconciliation did take time. I liked ML's subtle moves especially when they stayed over at his grandma's house. I loved that ML wanted to talk about their relationship. That scene of them playing pool was emotional and sensual.
4. Acting - I was impressed by Nie Bo Xuan's acting & aura in this drama. The child actress who played their daughter was awesome.
5. Styling - I liked the clothes worn by the cast. Wei Fan Shu was very pretty in this drama.
6. Supporting characters - I really liked the daughter, ML's assistant (his inner monologues were too funny) and ML's grandma.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - SML was manipulative and envious. Hated her for wanting to harm a child.
2. FL's action - I didn't like that she kept her daughter's identity from ML for too long especially after ML had proven that he's on her side.

Favourite scene
When ML spoke French to FL and then FL responded to the crowd

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Gullible FL who kept getting bullied by relatives

I watched this drama because I was in the mood for Huang Bo's dramas. Sadly this drama didn't meet my expectations. I don't recommend watching this drama.

What I liked:
1. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandma and subordinate.
2. Grief - I think this scene was done well thanks to the actress who played FL.

What I disliked:
1. FL characterisation - She was gullible and easily fooled by her uncle & cousin. She was a damsel in distress that required saving by ML.
2. Romance - There was no romantic relationship between them. ML might liked FL thus caref for her but FL seemed indifferent to their romantic relationship. She never made any effort to be his wife - she's convinced that they only married because of the baby.
3. Bullying - There was too much bullying in this drama and most are outrageous & violent.
4. Antagonists - Uncle & cousin were atrocious & materialistic.

Favourite scene
When FL & ML had a conversation about their child

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Sizzling chemistry made this family dispute drama enjoyable

I watched this drama early 2025 when I just got into vertical dramas. I was already a fan of Zhang Chu Xuan and have watched Xie Yu Wang in another drama. I enjoyed this drama.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Zhang Chu Xuan and Xie Yu Wang's off-the-charts chemistry made their characters' romance believable. Good balance of push & pull dynamics. There were good kisses, sweet gestures & cute banters.
2. Main characters - Both main characters were likeable. There was vulnerable side to FL's character.
3. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandma & brother (by now June 2025, I have seen him in many supporting roles I need to get his name). I also liked FL's accomplice Ye Qi & master.
4. Antagonist - I liked the mysterious antagonist trying to bring down ML.
5. Hidden identity - I actually enjoy the way hidden identity was employed in this drama.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - This drama was released in 2023 so the plot is typical of that year. FL's family waa terrible. Gosh it was nice to see Wang Yun Yun playing SFL green tea because my first drama of hers she was already playing FL. Her character in this drama was mean.

Favourite scene
Secret weapon

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A story about a female pilot: her career struggles and romantic relationships

I watched this drama on 3 June after dropping another drama of Han Jia Hui, which had too much negativity in the first 40 minutes. Love at 30,000 feet was an enjoyable watch.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - It is sad that she never sought promotion because of then boyfriend but I was delighted that she pursued her dream of becoming the first female pilot for that specific aircraft. I liked her confidence and determination. It's wonderful to see Han Jia Hui in this role.
2. ML characterisation - He's such a sweetheart. It was my first time watching Zhang Xuan. I'll definitely watch his other dramas.
3. Romance - Overall sweet and slow burn. ML knew when he could be playful with FL but without going over the boundary.
4. PSA - There was a great scene involving the police. I loved it when the officer stated "whether you've broken up or not, forcing a woman to have sex is rape." Such a powerful line.
5. Supporting characters - It's wonderful to see FL getting recognition from her colleagues especially after she was promoted to captain. I like her first officer. Oh I liked ML's family too - they were supportive of him and his relationship.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - I hated FL's ex for stopping her from promotion request and for cheating on her but then claimed that he had always loved her. Despite that, he was remorseful of his action towards the end of the drama. I was impressed by the performance from the actor playing second male lead. Back to antagonists, SFL was extremely irritating and dangerous. Wouldn't she be considered a terrorist for that action she made in the third act?
2. Fat suit - That was the most horrible fat suit I have seen on short dramas. Maybe there was a budget constraint but my gosh, his face makeup was too obvious even on 360p video quality.
3. Aviation errors - I love aviation so certain parts were too illogical. How could former staff have easy access to aircraft servicing & ATC tower?

Favourite scene
The assault and police arrival

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Quiet and mature handling of jiejie romance

I watched this drama at the recommendation of a reddit user. Older woman-younger man romance or fondly known as jiejie romance is my favourite trope. It has a different vibe to the other jiejie romance that I have watched. I liked it.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - It's interesting to see the ups and downs of FL's life. At the start of the relationship, she was a well-to-do career woman who could financially support ML. However life happened and to avoid dragging ML into her problems, she dumped him. It may sound harsh but I understand her decision. He was young and full of potential.
2. Romance - Their relationship is different from other jiejie romance that I've watched. There were good kisses and puppy moments but the thing that strikes me most about their romance is the quiet and mature handling of it.
3. ML characterisation - I liked that he had her back and did not meddle in her life unless she requested for support. It was great to see him go against his irrational father.
4. Acting - It's great to see Han Yu Tong portrayed a vulnerable woman because I have seen her played strong or vengeful woman most of the time. It's my first time watching Qiu Hong Kai's acting. He was good in his role.
5. Competition - It's always fun to see scenes of slander and plagiarism accusation.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - It's unbelievable that FL's father would do such a thing to his daughter. Her ex and the mistress were horrible persons as well.

Favourite scene
When FL declared her love for ML in public

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Heartfelt Chinese BL with thought provoking dialogue & fiery chemistry

I saw this poster on MDL's newly added dramas search results. I don't watch many BL but this caught my attention again when I noticed MDL user Jelena Petrovic's rave comments on my feed. I enjoyed this short drama immensely.

What I liked:
1. Qin Jialin - Wow his acting impressed me very much. His micro expressions were on point that I had empathy for his character from the start of the drama. Gosh, Qin Jialin was damn sexy not just the physique but also in the way he spoke. At times Qin Jialin resembled Korean actor-idol Park Hyung Sik.
2. Chen Xi characterisation - I knew he was a troubled soul from the first moment Hao Yu threatened him. He was nonchalant about life after being abandoned by former lover.
3. Hao Yu characterisation - He seemed tough but he was a softie & green when it came to life experiences.
4. Romance - There was sexual tension between the two men right from the start - well maybe that shower scene at the very beginning prompted us the audience. The first intimate scene was 🔥 even though Hao Yu was resistant.
5. Writing - This story had heart, genuine affection. There was a chat about the meaning of life. I liked it that way because most BL dramas that been marketed on streaming platforms heavily emphasised on lust.

What I disliked:
1. Ending - I felt like it was abrupt. In addition to their growing relationship, I also want to know about their individual growth after they got together. It seems like hope will drive them to get out of the funk that they're experiencing.

Favourite scene
When Hao Yu found Chen Xi at the beach contemplating life

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FL was reborn but remained unlikeable till the end

I am determined to watch as many Huang Bo dramas as I can for my next assignment. I chose this drama because it was less than 100 minutes and uses reborn trope. I have mixed feelings about this drama.

What I liked:
1. Reborn - I liked that both ML & FL were reborn and took separate paths from their past lives.
2. Makeup - Kudos to the makeup artist for creating a realistic aged look for FL. She looked haggard with wrinkles, dark circles & pigmentation as the harmful medication took a toll on her.
3. FL characterisation - I'd say she's anti-hero instead of villain here because this drama is from her perspective. I liked that she is an unlikeable character but with pitiful moments. The actress who played FL did very well with her role.
4. Ending - I was surprised by how SML & his wife's story was wrapped up.
5. Supporting characters - It's great to see SML being the bigger devil than FL. I was also surprised by his staff supported him in his quest to dupe FL.

What I disliked:
1. Screentime - It's a shame that Huang Bo got little screentime despite the top billing. Wish we could see more of ML's life journey because I don't watch many ML reborn stories.
2. FL's actions - FL was so materialistic that she did not care about her responsibilities as a company president. Such a silly girl!

Favourite scene
When FL realised she had been duped by SML

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“Being kind to those who hurt you, is cruelty to yourself”

I watched this drama a few days ago as I was preparing a reddit post that celebrates Father's Day. A gem that is highly recommended.

What I liked:
1. Family theme - This is a non-romance drama and it heavily focuses on family. There are 2 different families shown in this drama: i) FL's adopted family and 2) FL's biological father.
2. FL characterisation - I loved how she grew up and changed her approach once she was given a second chance. One thing remained constant - she was kind-hearted, cool and level-headed. She helped to extract a stranger from a car wreck even though there were risks of car blowing up. However with people who treated her badly, she wasn't kind which is great.
3. ML characterisation - Despite no romantic element, ML here is FL's biological father played by Sa Gang Yun. He started off as a serious, no-nonsense business man. Despite being skeptical & awkward with FL at first, it's wonderful to see him making effort in getting to know FL. He supported her without smothering her.
4. SML characterisation - FL's adopted father has a complex arc that made me go through an emotional rollercoaster. He wasn't a bad person from start till the end - there were moments in which he was genuinely kind. He made bad decisions that affected FL's welfare.
5. Supporting characters - I liked the grandpa who rescued FL and wanted to know more about his backstory.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - FL's adopted family were atrocious. I couldn't believe her adopted / stepmother for the inhumane treatment.
2. Assault - I couldn't believe that FL's adopted brother assaulted her for something petty. He should be sent to the police for his crime!
3. Father - daughter relationship - I wish there were more scenes of FL & ML spending quality time together. FL looked indifferent sometimes when she was with biological father. I wish she would lower down her guard.
4. Ending - A cliffhanger. I want to know what happened next.

Favourite scene
The contract bidding

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So much potential but writing was a letdown. FL got bullied too many times

I was in the mood for Huang Bo so I chose to watch this drama. The video had more than 2 million views and the title stated that he was allergic to woman. I had mixed feelings about this drama.

What I liked:
1. ML characterisation - It was good to see Huang Bo playing Mr Nice Guy. ML was protective & respectful of FL.
2. Romance - Sweet age-gap romance. FL was still university student at the start so she called ML "uncle". ML fell for FL at first sight and entertained every single request of FL. However the kisses weren't real, I wonder if Li Jing Ye's request for no real kisses because Huang Bo does real onscreen kisses very well.
3. Supporting characters - I liked ML's assistant. Smart & knew when to intervene.
4. Ending - The last 5 minutes was suspenseful. I liked the ending and how FL reacted upon hearing news from ML.

What I disliked:
1. Bullying - FL were bullied too many times: her family, her love rival, at her graduation ceremony, ML's ex. These scenes bored me so I watched it at 2× speed.
2. Allergy plot device - I was disappointed this plot device wasn't properly used in this story. It was only done very briefly at the start and then briefly mentioned in the third act.
3. FL characterisation - FL was quite timid for my liking. I disliked that FL had doubts about ML when his ex appeared. At times I felt she received more than she gave to the relationship.

Favourite scene
The ending

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Solid historical revenge drama with captivating ML

I don't remember how I came across this drama - was it because I missed watching Wang Zi Jia or was this drama recommended in a sub-reddit? I am glad that I watched this drama because it was good.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wang Zi Jia continued to impress me with her acting. This is my first drama of Yang Yu Bin and wow, I was impressed by his facial expression and posture. He was captivating on screen!
2. Revenge - Both characters sought justice for their families. ML's revenge plan was more subtle. It's cool that FL executed her plan without help from ML. She was smart.
3. Romance - There was a good mix of sweet and spicy. I loved how affectionate they were with each other. ML being playful with FL was cute then hot.
4. Styling - I really really liked ML's styling. Their wedding gowns were beautiful.
5. Supporting characters - I liked FL's older servant because she was protective of FL. ML's righthand man was good too.
6. Length - Great that this drama is less than 1 hour 50 minutes.

What I disliked:
1. Abuse - Pity FL for enduring abuse from relatives & sister wives/concubine. That punishment she received in the past was nasty.
2. Antagonists - A few were introduced. They were horrible people.

Favourite scene
When FL tended to ML's wound

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When antagonist reigned supreme

I was going through iQiyi shorts collection until I saw the poster of this drama. I clicked play because I am Huang Bo fangirl and I was curious about Xu Dan's acting. This drama was an OK watch despite its many flaws.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - I liked her resilience in facing hardships. She was on her own so I understood why she never openly fought back.
2. Acting - I was impressed by Xu Dan and the actress who played Tang Si Han. Huang Bo did good with his role too. I disliked his character at one point.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Wow Tang Si Han is the most vicious antagonist I have seen in vertical dramas. She was a psychopath who has no moral compass. Her biological mother was another vile character.
2. Abuse - There were so much physical & mental abuse endured by FL. I was stressed.
3. Romance - Even though FL & ML were together in a romantic relationship, there was hardly any romance in the drama.
4. Mrs Tang - Gosh she was mean and dumb. She should have done a DNA test to confirm Tang Si Han's claim.

Favourite scene
When Tang Si Han visited ML's father at the hospital

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Writer & director were too indulgent on FL - ML chemistry that they forgot how to tell a good story

I wanted to watch something on Youku so I picked this drama because of mini drama format and jiejie romance trope.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wang Jun Hao and Feng Xi Yao gave good performances and had sizzling acting chemistry.
2. Romance - There was so much sexual tension at the start. I could sense desire felt by them. It was great when they finally got together. Nice kisses though I wish there were more kisses once misunderstanding cleared.
3. Styling - Beautiful outfits for both FL & ML. Their visual chemistry was off the charts too.
4. Supporting characters - I liked Tuan, ML's colleague and FL's bestie.

What I disliked:
1. Second half - The drama started going downhill when ML's father told FL that FL & ML were biological siblings. I hated that FL didn't talk about it with ML - instead she demanded a breakup. I watched the second half at 4.0 x the speed to ensure I could mark this drama as complete. Indulgence could have been done in standard 24-episode format.
2. Car accident - I thought FL would focus on car accident that caused her parents' death but nope, this task was put on hold because other things happened.
3. Antagonists - Main antagonist was badly written. Too much screentime given to Qiu Yu & Shasha. Shasha is niece of Aunt Yun but she isn't wealthy nor working. I don't understand the value she brings if she had married ML Her character didn't add value to the story.

Favourite scene
When they first kissed

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Likeable main characters but the romance was underdeveloped

I was going through iQiyi's shorts catalogue and found this drama. The synopsis intrigued me and I am a fan of Zhao Guan Yu.

What I liked:
1. Main characters - Both main characters hid their true identity from one another because they were rich and wanted to avoid gold diggers. Both FL & ML were likeable but I found FL was too nice to allow someone else to use her identity for too long.
2. Humour - Light-hearted comedy.
3. Uncle - niece dynamic - This dynamic was interesting because there were ups and downs. There was a time uncle was competing with FL for company succession / inheritance but they worked together on bringing down impostor.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Too much time given to the impostor. I was surprised she could get away with her fake identity after the exclusive lift scuffle.
2. Romance - Underdeveloped. Hardly any scene of them developing a romantic relationship.

Favourite scene
The starting was hilarious

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Must see romantic suspense drama with great acting and fiery chemistry

I discovered this drama when I was going through Huang Bo's filmography to update his MDL profile. This drama's synopsis intrigued me. I enjoyed this drama a lot and could watch this drama on repeat.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - She was a drone developer. Great to see a female scientist in vertical dramas. She was smart to use her strength to save herself in difficult situations. Lun Rui Xue impressed me with her acting.
2. Romance - At first the relationship between FL and ML was more physical for survival but it's great to see it transition to love as both trusted and depended on each other to catch the villain and get out of that place. This is one of few dramas in which main couple works together on a common goal. There were hot kisses and sexy seduction.
3. ML characterisation - A complex character wonderfully portrayed by Huang Bo. ML is anti-hero trapped in an undercover mission waiting to finish and get out. I liked that I couldn't read him at first.
4. Antagonists - There are two types of antagonists: FL's family and the people behind human trafficking & drug smuggling. Both types were nicely developed though I wish there was more screentime for the mastermind behind the those big crimes.
5. Legacy - Legacy is one of the themes explored in this drama and I liked how it was written in many ways such as from perseptives of FL, ML and antagonists.
6. Fitness - I have been into keeping myself fit after a health scare. So I appreciate whenever a drama has scenes of physical training & fitness. Appreciated that this was shown as part of main couple's preparation to bring down the mastermind.

What I disliked:
1. Abuse - This story involves human trafficking which for me is hard to watch. Innocent women being duped then abused physically and mentally by heartless people.

Favourite scene
When ML revealed his identity to FL

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