FDiyF

Your Past, My Future

Shen Buyan was a history researcher who had written a book on Sheng Dynasty, one of a kingdom in the nine kingdoms era. His publisher was pushing him to write a sequel because a tv station was ready to produce tv series based on his book, so he was pressured into making up stories as there was little documented material of the era. As he was looking for inspiration, he came upon a jade broken into 5 pieces at a wishing tree sold by an old woman. He decided to buy the broken jade, and as his nose bled onto the jade piece that night, he found himself transported into the past, looking at a woman playing konghao as the people cursed her Demon Empress. Thus starts his journey to uncover the real history of the Demon Empress and Sheng Dynasty.

This is truly a hidden gem! I have never seen a miniseries written and shot as perfect as this! I couldnt find any loophole to the story. There was no sketchy plot even each episode only had about 25-30min of runtime.

Although the ML and FL had only a brief moment of several days in each encounter as ML travels back in time, i could really feel the deep connection they both had each time they look into each other’s eyes. The longing in FL’s expression was truly genuine at the beginning of the show as ML acted prejudiced towards her, and the regret and pained look of ML as he travelled further back in time to meet the FL younger in each encounter was also able to strike deep into my heart. This is the first time that I saw both actors, but i am truly impressed at their striking performances.

The cinematography doesnt look like most miniseries on a budget. They were stunningly shot with amazing scenery and colour gradient. It really didnt feel like i was watching a miniseries, the quality was superb. Action choreograph is also impressive, FL being the badass warrior compared to the scholarly ML. And lets not even mention the makeup. Theyre excellent! FL looked mature and domineering at the beginning of the show as the Demon Empress, but they really nailed it to make her look more youthful with each encounter (as the ML was moving back in time) and finally that teenage look at the final encounter took my breath away. They were so dang good!

Gosh I wished it could be made longer. And to think that it was based off a fanvideo was even more mindblowing. It’s truly a fresh idea of a love that seemed fleeting and separated by thousands of years, compared to the usual love in multiple lifetimes that usually has a more fulfilling happy ending.

Honestly it was an interesting ride. I am truly and extremely satisfied and impressed with this show. I think the mainleads had an off-the-chart chemistry and i really hope to see more of them in the future.

Read More

How to Shape Your Heir’s Future without Him Knowing

Picked this up on a whim after reading some of the reviews here.

It’s basically a walk of growth of the ML Xu Fengnian, the heir of King of Southern (eh was it northern?) Liang. He was against the idea of succeeding his father, Xu Xiao, and practicing marial arts, until he heard the death of his travel companian, the groom Old Huang, who is also the world reknowned swordsman Jiu Jian Huang. Only then did he realized he needed power and martial capability to bring back his Old Huang’s sword box from the walls of Wudi City, and his sisters and brother whom Xu Xiao sent away in order to strengthen ML’s heir position. Thus upon agreeing to be King of Liang’s successor, his father told him to go on a quest to visit his siblings in various regions outside Northern Liang, during which the ML inadvertently acumulated martial art in the various assassinations that he was subjected to.

Xu Xiao is probably most unpredictable king-cum-father figure I’ve ever seen. He looked formidable enough to make people cower around him but in the presence of his heir, he was not ashamed to cower under ML even in the presence of others, just to quell Xu Fengnian’s dissatisfaction. Everything he did was calculated to the minute possibility of Xu Fengnian diverting off, and i would say it looked brilliant at first, but later appeared too staged. Despite being a loving father who dotes on his heir, Xu Xiao was so ruthless that he would not mind having his heir almost killed if it meant for ML to survive with better prospect of kingship later. Looking at their love-hate relationship, i can’t help but thought about Fated Hearts’s ML relationship with his father the emperor. If only Susha emperor was a bit more like Xu Xiao, the broken relationship with his heir wouldnt have been so. And that is why Xu Xiao earned my respect even more!

I am also surprised at how meticulous the makeup team is. Lord of Jing’an’s son was slapped by ML when his assassination attempt failed, and several scenes later the red mark still apparent on the right side of the cheek. It was not an obvious red like most would do, but a faint hue of redness like a real slap would look like.

The songs were great. I love the CGI too, those adorable baby hukuis were definitely better than Legend of Shenli’s cartoonish chicken-looking-phoenix despite SSS being produced earlier.

However, the choreograph is rather mediocre especially when they rely too much on inner strength battles than the actual physical battle. I also failed to ship the Fengnian-Jiangni relationship. Honestly they looked like brother and sister rather than couple attracted to each other. Jiang Ni looked too childish while Fengnian too cunningly predictable. Predictable in a sense that all his actions are laid upon this particular sense of fake righteousnous that seemed out of this world for the era he was in. It’s like seeing Joy of Life’s Fanxian with his quirky acts but in a different setting. I just felt like the writers got his surface personality mixed up with the from-the-future-Fanxian.

It was the supporting cast appearances that kept me interested, really. I was thrilled to see Little Fanxian appearing here! That boy’s acting was superb in Joy of Life, I really liked him. And I was also excited to see Ah Mai from Fighting for Love, Zhang Tian Ai as Nangong Puye. Too bad her scenes were just in those first few episodes. how I wished for her to follow ML’s journey instead of the death guard Qingniao just so i can see more of her. And boy was I feeling giddy when Liu DuanDuan’s Zhao Kai made an appearance. He is definitely one of my favourite actors, i always get curious with the roles he takes up, cuz they were always of the eccentric kind. Like here Zhao Kai was infatuated with ML’s sister and keep telling people that she was his wife, but at the same time had no problem going on a rampage killing for his future brother-in-law’s life. What a disturbed mind.

I liked the plot up to the last 10 episodes when they started to intensify Fengnian-Jiangni relationship. Also the way Fengnian eventually found himself right back into the trajectory that Xu Xiao has planned for him looked too damn staged that my interest started to wane. I enjoyed Sword Snow Stride but I dont think i’d be eager to watch season 2. I might even skip it altogether 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Read More

Great Start but Got Draggy towards The End

Fu Yixiao was a commander under Jinxiu’s First Prince, Prince of Zhennan Xia Jingshi, both being in love with each other and planning to get married. However at Battle of Pingling, right after FL secured a win for the Jinxiu by shooting the enemy’s general, the first Prince of Susha, Feng Suige right in the chest, FL went missing. It turned out she was shot down a cliff and hunted by assassins, at which she encountered Ling Xueying, daughter of divine physician Ling Feng, revered by both emperors of Susha and Jinxiu. Xueying brought her back for treatment, and while she was left to soak in the spring for recuperation, she met with ML who was sneaking in to recuperate in the pool. Due to a head injury during the fall, FL did not remember who she was and her life before, so ML took this chance to lure her into his trap by saying that they were friends. Once captured, ML tortured FL for revenge and intel as he believed Jinxiu had Susha’s people working as a spy. Unable to extract intel from her due to her amnesia, he brought her back to Susha under the pretense of a concubine. Meanwhile Xia Jingshi was frantically looking for FL when he heard she was spotted with ML. With the marriage arrangement between Susha and Jinxiu in return for peace, Xia Jingshi rushed to Susha under the guise of the bethrothal to Princess Feng Xiyang, when in reality he was determined to bring FL back with him to Jinxiu. As FL’s memories started to come back in bits and pieces, she realized there was a more sinister reason for her falling off the cliff, and eventually decided to work with ML to uncover the truth.

I truly prefer seeing Li Qin as a badass character than those demure, soft ones (like Lin Waner in Joy of Life). So far I have only seen Song of Glory where he was also a badass there, and i loved it too. In here, I love how resolute and ruthless the FL’s nature is. She doesnt hesitate to pay back every single lash that she received during interrogation by the ML, very unlike some supposedly badass FL who conveniently forgets the torture they had been subjected to a few episodes before just because they was starstruck by him. And you know how when the high and mighty minister started to pull ranks and bicker with the ML and in most situations the young one had to concede to the old villainous minister? We can all get pure satisfaction from this show because our ML doesnt take no nonsense at all. He actually swung a fist at the old guy’s face when the old hag won’t budge. Pure satisfaction!

Although i liked the plot where they deviated from the trash novel’s, I couldnt fathom how childish the court politics theyve written. It is disappointing that ML had no vision of his future beyond avenging his mom, of how much the court and the kingdom would be thrown in turmoil after he got rid of the trecherous minister who also has ties to the royal blood and then refuse to ascend the throne as his father wanted. For a brilliant mind who had been tiptoeing around people who keeps trying to kill him growing up, he was sure damn short sighted and never planned ahead. As for the SML, how is he so naiive and stubborn in not treating Xiyang courteously even as nominal wife? He had no connection and power in Jinxiu’s court, how could it never crossed his mind that a good relationship with a princess that represents a foreign power who is also infatuated in him would add considerably to his advantage and road for revenge? All his life he was trampled upon and used beyond measure, subjected to countless humiliating situations all due to his lowborn status, and when he was scheming against the court for survival he thought he’d just toss off this foreign power backing just because he was in love with a commoner who had turned against him? How laughable. If ML was shortsighted and never planned ahead, then the SML is double triple that! I just got off the brilliant Nirvana in Fire so the political scene in Fated Hearts seemed practically kindergarten level, giving off how stupid the characters are written. They couldve made the plot more interesting with better scheming characters, but nope, they went with the dull and stupid plot instead.

And just when i thought the plot could not get any worse, then bam they proved me wrong. Who the heck buries corpses in the middle of a route? 🤣 even if it’s in the forest, it’s still in plain sight accessible by carriage. Truly a joke.

And what even more laughable is how characters could survive multiple sword slashes and strikes through the midsection and chest like theyre freaking Terminators. Gosh, they really pushed the odds to the limits with ML’s supposedly assassination and later Xiyang’s 🤣 basically the good characters will survive while the bad characters wouldnt survive even one strike of sword. Lame-ass writing.

Despite the cringy plot, I am impressed with Feng Chengyang, ML’s pure-hearted brother. At first i thought he would be easily manipulated by both his mom and grandfather, being the soft and crybaby that he is, but it turned out he changed drastically after assuming the throne. Now this is one of the brilliant and pure soul that the screenwriter didnt manage to botch. Honestly i think he would be a thousand times a better ruler than the dense and stupid Xiyang, like seriously.

Love the fight choreography. Love the songs. Love Sa Dingding’s cameo. Love FL’s badass character that stayed true to the end. Love all the lead and second lead casts, theyre all beautiful people that impressed me with their acting (of all the cast I am only familiar with Li Qin and Sa Dingding, and a few support roles that i regularly see in other shows), but somehow I had a hard time finishing the show as quickly as when i binge great shows before. Even the last episode it took me 2 days to finish. I even got sleepy during the final battle. I cannot explain it, maybe the cringy and draggy plot in the last 10 episodes got to me more than my love for the overall plot? Somehow they failed to keep my binge attention.

Read More

Sweet Revenge is Best Served Cold

Jiang Xueying and Jiang Yuer were siblings who had been at odds with each other due to a prophecy by a monk that their fates would always inverse from each other, and Jiang Yuer made sure to keep all the good fortunes to herself. The first life they had ended with Jiang Yuer dying after being discarded as a wife by the Heir Apparent of Lu family. Both siblings woke up in their do-over rebirth to the day of their wedding, and Jiang Yuer coerced Jiang Xueying to swap grooms, with Yuer becoming the second young master, Lu Liang’s wife, whom she already knew from her previous life would be a jinshi scholar with a bright future as Prince Ning’s aide, while Xueying marries the playboy and wayward Heir Apparent, Lu Junxing. Little that Yuer knew, being Lu Liang’s wife isnt all rainbow and sunshine, and Xueying was determined to create a destiny of her own without clinging to Heir Apparent’s status. On their first night, she proposed to have a fake marriage with Lu Junxing by signing a divorce agreement where they will divorce from each other at the end of the first year of their marriage. Lu Junxing was baffled by her straightforwardness but welcomed the gesture as he too was against the marriage all along. But as they interacted more with each other, they realized the person in front of them was not who they really was. Proximity naturally breeds attraction, and soon enough, they found themselves falling for each other, all while navigating the treacherous path of deceit and jealousy in the Lu Manor and outside.

No silly-ridiculous scenes, no repetitive-clumsy proximity staring contests or accidental hugs, no prolonged squabbles, almost no plotholes and no draggy bullying scenes. Sounds like impossible for a miniseries but that is exactly what this show is all about. The screenwriter was awesome in combining the episodes, as short as they are, without making the audience question what, why or how come anything happens. Each scene was threaded seamlessly to the next without much choppiness that is usually common with miniseries.

But then again, excellent screenwriting is meaningless without talented cast, and again this show nailed it in that department. Nobody overact and everyone successfully carried out their roles immaculately fine, even the small insignificant roles like a manor steward or a showgirl.

I especially love the FL, Jiang Xueying. She is firm, resolute, intelligent, and on top of that, she is a brilliant strategist. What i love the most about this character is that she doesnt fall head over heels for her husband to the point of losing her head, after they professed their love for each other and didnt turn into super clingy and weak woman. Coming from The Eternal Love which i set my bar rather high based on the ratings and comments but later became so disappointed to the point of dropping it altogether because of the steadily declining FL character, this show somewhat filled that void due to the disappointment with its excellent cast and brilliantly written characters.

I love the 2nd FL character development, which conveyed that the act of humanity pays off. All in all, this show satisfies me after dropping lousy dramas one after another before this one.

Although I love how the story came together without coming off as cheap and a waste of time, i must say the plot actually contain the usual reborn tropes that we most see on vertical dramas. Although it sounded kind of lame that multiple characters were eventually reborn together with intact memories of their last lives multiple times, i just couldnt hate this show too much cuz it is truly one of the good ones out there due to the strongpoints that i have stated above.

Read More

The Jagged Path of Lone Wolves

The story opens with the ML - Jang Siyul, waiting for work detail at a dock controlled by bandits. They had to pay the bandits to be eligible for work permit, then pay taxes after the work is done at the end of the day. It was a harsh life strewn with corruption from the top (the governement) to bottom (the bandits), and it was these common people who had to bear the brunt of it. ML laid low most of the time, not wanting to draw any attention to himself, thus turning a blind eye to all the injustices that unfold in front of him despite his righteous heart. The final straw was when the bandit controlling the dock, a known coward called Mudeok, pocketed the fee from a merchant family, leaving the labors with no pay at all for their work. Siyul, who had starved for 3 days, decided to demand for payment from the merchant family as Mudeok claimed they did not receive any, and that was when he met FL - Choi Eun, daughter of the Choi Merchant Guild head. After some verbal altercation, FL gave him a bolt of silk, thinking he would pocket it all for himself. To her surprise, ML tore one small piece from the bolt and gave the rest to the workers waiting for him outside the merchant residence. It was also due to him chasing after the FL that he got into a brawl with another local bandit controlling the town, making himself a mark for others. Mudeok, aggrieved by ML’s defiance at his dock, decided to stalk him and eventually stole an article that linked ML to Jung Chul, a newly appointed assistent officer from the government office. With the letter, Mudeok threatened ML into becoming his loyal follower, or the letter would be exposed to the corrupt authorities which could jeopardize Jung Chul, his childhood best friend cum adopted brother. Thus begun ML’s days as a thug doing all Mudeok’s bidding. Despite that, he tried to improve the working condition of the workers, such as taking lesser tax, abolishing ridiculous taxes such as toilet break tax, and providing free shade for the workers to rest from the scorching sun. Although these actions angered Mudeok, he could not stop ML as he relied on ML’s muscle which his gang astronomically lack of. Later, a new threat raged into town as a defected Jurchen (Mongol) army officer stepped into the picture, who ML realized was his mother’s killer, becoming one of the thumbs (bandit boss that deals directly with govt official) under a corrupt government official along with Mudeok when ML won against Mudeok’s thumb.

The show practically depicted what a treacherous path it could be for singular people trying to change the world. Jung Chul tried to clean up the town’s government office, great General tried to clean up the kingdom, Choi Guild head (FL’s father) tried to clean up his merchant path by opposing corrupt officials discreetly, FL tried to stand tall as the first female guild head, and ML tried to clean up the bandits. Everyone had their own struggles with an oppressive surrounding suffocating them into submission. I could not help but think perhaps the endings of each persona would not have come to that point had they worked systemically together. I felt that Jung Chul couldve easily defeated Wang Hae the Jurchen had he fought him together with his childhood friend, ML. I really liked his character.

Honestly this wouldve been very enjoyable had not for the 5 stooges of the Mudeok bandit gang. They kind of took away part of my reverie for the character Jang Siyul. This character is great standing on its own rights, but when its thrown into the ragtag gang of halfbrains, with the suddenly developed camaraderie, this character also seem to chop its brain in half. The cowardly gang, although i knew their existence is partly for the comic relief and to make Siyul stand out from the rest, i just could not feel sorry nor find anything comedic about them, especially when they showed no mercy to the labourers before Siyul walked into their life. Theyre thugs through and through, and just because they were missing half a brain it doesnt make them any better than the rest of the more notorious thugs. And for Siyul to suddenly to hold them dearly to his heart just because a promise he made under duress is rather spontaneous and mindblowing.

I liked how this show downplay the romance which emphasizes it being a serious piece that shows the reality of life, and not what we expect of it. Other than occasional curious or surprised stare between ML and FL, romance is practically nonexistent. Worth noting that both ML and FL are very beautiful people, even with ML in his ragged, unkempt appearance of rough labor and later bandit.

I commend the makeup artists and wardrobe department, they successfully achieved to embody the harshness of common people’s life onto the actors. I felt hot and sweaty when the labors and thugs appeared on screen, with their torn clothes, dirty hands and faces with single layer clothing. And i felt as if the weather suddenly turn cold and breezy whenever the merchants and or nobles appeared, with all the clean look and multiple layered clothing on their backs.

The story is kinda slow paced in the beginning, and frustrating when ML had to lay low despite the injustices unfolding in front of him. I keep waiting for the moment he would pounce to save any of the bullied workers, but he never did. The pace and action only picks up after ML demanded for labor fee from Choi Guild.

Action sequence is marvelously executed. Nobody escape unscathed like Hollywood heroes would have. We see blood and cuts, even on the victor. It could get kinda gory for the weak-hearted, so be warned. The only thing that ticks me off about it is many of the fight scenes were done during nighttime and the production only relied on natural light, which makes it hard to see. I almost dropped this out of frustration, but decided to push on since it was only 9 episodes and i’m already over the middle of the show.

The ending looked as if it was prepped for season 2, but knowing that most kdrama don’t really do multiple seasons, I wouldnt put my hopes up. Overall it was an enjoyable ride if youre into reality instead of fantasy.

Read More

Don’t Mess with Moms

This is truly an underrated hidden gem! The show took off right away from the start. What seemed to be a wife going after a cheating husband turned out to be a butt-kicking action gripping conspiracy intoxicating hunt for a group of gang criminals working for a conglomerate. The story follows the life of three women struggling with parenthood. Samantha was an ex secret agent who had communication problem with her beloved only daughter, despite her presence around the daughter 24/7, both seemed as distanced from each other as the rarely present father. Zheng Meihui was a promising inventor who gave up her overseas university offer for her only love but ending up struggling to adapt to the life of a daughter in law, constantly being criticized and condemned by her husband’s mother. Shufen was an ex-boxer turned park ranger who carried the guilt for her non verbal son, a condition she believed due to her selfish choice during preganancy. The three women had an uncanny encounter as Samantha was looking for her supposedly cheating husband in the small town of Chenggong, that forced them to become a team in taking down a conglomerate that was aiming to amass profit and benefits by spreading a virus to the population.

I really liked Zheng Meihui character, she was so adorable and her antics with her adorable husband are sooooo dang adorable! Although what seemed to be a cheerful and loving couple turned out to be not all cheerful behind closed doors. Shufen was the serious one among the three, while Samantha the hardcore one. I love their dynamics and how they complement each other. Despite the action storyline, the story took a dive into each of their couple conflicts too and how they overcame the stumbling blocks. The husbands, although not extremely good looking in terms of chinese look, they do look macho in certain aspects. I had a hard time adjusting to the Taiwanese faces though, my only show involving actresses remotely Taiwanese had been the american sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, so I keep seeing them 3 main female actresses here to look very alike and keep confusing between them in the first few episodes, especially the characters Meihui and Shufen. It’s like when I watch kdrama (I mainly only watch period cdrama) and keep confusing characters because in my eyes they all look the same unless they have very distinctive features like Ma Dong Seok 🤣 Took quite a while for me keep up, but it’s worth it.

I’d like to consider that the M in the title would most suitable to be ‘Mothers’. It’s a Mothers’ Mission of a bunch of young women towards finding their true self worth after seemingly losing themselves upon venturing into motherhood. A very relatable theme that plagues most women after drowning themselves in the responsibilities and expectations as a wife and a mom that they gradually start to lose the sense of who they really are, and who they used to be.

The story was really gripping and heart-stirring with the notable and very relatable family struggle and values, along with great action choreograph. I really enjoy this very much and I wouldnt mind if they made a season 2. The trio was explosive, in terms of comedy and action. Excellent performances by all the casts.

Read More

Catch Me if You Can

It all started with NT Life Insurance Service’s employer Na Jaehee who was trying to collect some merit by proving a high-paying claimant case as suicide to forfeit its payment. She hired her senior in the force, ex police who was wasting her life playing videogames, Koo Kyungyi to investigate. KKY was enticed by the computer set offered by NJH, thus agreed to set out from her home and look into it. The trip that was supposed to turn a missing person case into suicide proved to harbour a more complicated story, which led them to a series of suspicious deaths that KKY believed to be perpertrated by a serial killer. As she and her team chased after this killer before they commit the next murder, they were plunged into a deeper plot that was related to KKY’s past.

Lee Young Ae looks undeniably marvelous as a woman in her 50s, they could barely hide her beauty even by making her act as a slob. Lee Young Ae definitely nailed it as the eccentric ex police inspector turned into a waste Koo Kyungyi, always dressed in colourful bright sweatpants, baggy T-shirt with loose collar due to overstretching, and oversized dark overcoat, coupled with messy, smelly hair which makes up to her unkempt appearance. She really looked like a total waste, spending all day and night drinking and playing videogames when she was not out investigating. It’s a real different look cuz i have always seen Lee Young Ae act as an elegant beauty. Despite her appearance, KKY is a very sharp investigator who literally thinks a dozen steps ahead of the criminal, even when she met her almost-match Song Yikyung, a young adult with super twisted mind whose sole purpose is to kill those who deserved it. This character is way from perfect, she can’t really fight even when her life depends on it, she is frequently physically overpowered by Song Yikyung whenever they crossed paths, and she doesnt come out unscratched from any fights. All those ‘ouching’ and ‘owwing’ whenever she strained herself physically seem so relatable to reality. She is not formidable in all aspects like most heroes in a story, but she pulls through everytime relying on pure survival instincts, clumsy as it may be.

The one who played Song Yikyung successfully embodied the total emotional wreck serial killer, who literally has no friends but those who owed to her when she killed for them. On the surface, Song Yikyung looked like a happy go lucky young woman, although lost her parents at a very young age, she was raised with all the love she could be given by her maternal Aunt. A natural loner, her aunt had always worried that she would tumble down the rabbit hole. Intelligent as she is, she proved to be KKY’s match as they keep ouwitting each other.

Somehow it is hard to see actors with poor performance in kdrama. From all that i saw (though cant say i watch many kdrama), their acting performance is always exceptional and top notch, with the only downside being the plot and the written character itself if i ever had to rate lower. The same goes to Inspector Koo. Everyone performed exceptionally well even the smallest part on screen. The songs are very catchy and kinda got stuck in my head (yeah im gonna add it to my running playlist).

One of the other thing that impressed me about kdrama is they do not have any qualm about hiring actors in late 40s or 50s as their lead cast. It’s great to see these great actors still donning the leading hat and not find them only in supporting or guest roles, especially Lee Young Ae who remained in my heart for so long after Jewel in the Palace.

Read More

Ordinary People with Ordinary Wishes Forced to take Extraordinary Action

Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue was an ordinary couple living in the capital. One day, a corrupt official, Gan Liang, went to harass Wen Yue in her umbrella shop, and was about to manhandle her when Zhao Buyou arrived just in time to intervene, though he ended up getting beaten. A while later, as the family went to have fun at an amusement park, Wen Yue received a message which compelled her to meet with the sender. It was Gan Liang, threatening Wen Yue with her secret to force himself on her. Left with no choice, Wen Yue stabbed him with her hairpin which killed him on the spot. Zhao Buyou found her just as the official died, and they both scampered to hide the body. While they were trying to hide their traces, they got caught up with the local authority led by Commissioner Gu Zhen who was looking for Gan Liang. Zhao Buyou realized his wife was hiding something from him, and as he tried to keep her from getting sniffed by Gu Zhen, he offered himself to help Gu Zhen investigate a high profile case involving the disappearance of Mei ship during Qingming festival, which led to numerous queer cases that inadvertently affected the whole family’s life.

This is a very close-to-heart concept as it features a very ordinary family of the common folk, the breadwinner being a lower-tiered government servant who is often bullied and ostracized by his colleague and bosses. Zhao Buyou is in his late 30s who has worked as a scribe in Court of Judicial Review for more than 15 years, while his wife Wen Yue owns an umbrella making business. The family of 5 consisting of ML,FL and ML’s father and a younger brother and younger sister get by with ML’s meager salary and FL’s humble business income. I really love the family dynamics, it is not perfect as we hoped for. Theyre very ordinary with a father who is often sick but love his liquor too much, while the younger sister and brother still looking for their life purpose and having difficulties in keeping their apprenticeship posts.

Zhao Buyou is depicted to be very timid and cowardly, while Wen Yue is shown to have the final say in the household. We can see how much Zhao Buyou loved and adored his wife when he always gives in to almost everything she says. Zhao Buyou, although seem to be weak and easily bullied in the earlier episodes, turned out to be very eloquent, clever and resourceful, especially so when it comes to the safety of his wife.

Wen Yue, although shown to be weak and reserved in the first episode, turned out to be somewhat the opposite. Laying low for almost 15years from her pirating life, she was forced to shed her skin when Gan Liang decided to threaten her with this secret. Wen Yue was indeed a far cry from a weak woman. She wears the pants in the household for a reason, that is because she has a very strong personality and even physically more capable than her husband thanks to her hidden past life. Wen Yue acts like the glue for the family, she runs the household and manages their spending, and she knows how to handle each member of the family.

Commissioner Gu Zhen and his deputy Wan Fu are the real treat of the show. From officials filled with suspicion and wariness towards ML, their relationship progressed to be buddies in arms. Their characters aren’t perfect, Wan Fu takes bribes just to provide for their fallen comrade’s family, while Gu Zhen does not hesitate to kill a criminal when he sees there is no way they could be found guilty in the court of law due to their steel backing.

There were many villains in the show, corrupt officials and strong-backing figures pop up like mushrooms after the rain as cases emerged one after another, but the most cunning and twisted one is none other than Su Zheng, FL’s long lost brother. Initially pictured as a good natured scholar, he was about to win everyone’s heart in Zhao family had he not tried to snatch FL for himself, resorting to despicable acts.

It’s a real fresh look for a show to me, as the main characters have been husband and wife for more than 10years, a seasoned couple approaching their middle life as opposed to the budding romance between beautiful people in other shows. The ML here isnt quite as handsome, and the FL, although a beauty, they manage to make her look very ordinary as how her character should be, a very different take from the usual cheesy romance of exceedingly handsome young men with ethereally elegant young women depicted in other dramas.

I totally love the anecdote of facts about Song Dynasty at the end of each episode. It’s a real different approach of attracting viewers’ attention, this definitely impressed me very much.

SPOILER BEYOND THIS LINE
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I dont get why people are so worked up about Wen Yue not being a good sister to Su Zheng. First off, she had suspected something fishy about him right off the bat, like he was hiding something from her. Then later he admitted that he was the client who was also behind all the other incidents regarding Zou family since the boat incident. If you realized the little brother you doted on back then turned to be a bloodthirsty vengeful monster who doesnt even bat an eye about sacrificing innocent people which they deem as mere collateral damage, can you really embrace them like they were the innocent little boy from back then? Those who died were not even accidental, he literally instigated them to make the move, making them kill, that eventually cost their lives. And this guy also tried to rip apart your family just so he could have you all to himself. Like seriously? You guys can really love this person just for the way he is? What Su Zheng experienced after he escaped the killing was no worse than Wen Yue, how did he turned into a monster and Wen Yue the opposite? It’s lame excuse to blame traumatic childhood, because what they experienced was the same. The difference is Wen Yue still had some humanity in her because she found warmth and love from ML’s family, and deemed that this family is more important to let go for revenge, while Su Zheng placed revenge on top others. He is a monster with a twisted mind, and he could never choose love over revenge. Wen Yue saw this, she even advised him as she saw fit, but he still went on to choose to be evil. How is Wen Yue the bad sister now? Get real. 🙄She had already accepted him into her family despite her suspicion and even tried to please him, now tell me what amount of doting could she have given more to Su Zheng for him to stop doing what he was planning to do? Should she have celebrated his birthday and ignore Zhao Mo Er after she knew Su Zheng had instigated him to do something horrible? There’s literally nothing she couldve done to prevent Su Zheng from inducing more damage. He just wanted everything to go the way he wants it to be because he had a bigger backing.

Read More

Mind Over Matter

A murder of NDT supervisor occured, with the suspect none other than his own temp worker a.k.a secret agent, Chen Duo - The Poison Saint. This directed the microscope over the rest of 6 other regions’ temp workers/secret agents whose position as such due to their mysterious backgrounds, hence endangers exposure of Feng Baobao’s identity. The highest management of NDT was leaning towards confining them indefinitely, but after further discussion, they decided to make the secret agents to track down and apprehend Chen Duo. For the first time, all agents from various regions was supposed to work together as a team and this made Zhang Chulan nervous about exposing Feng Baobao to them. The rest of the group wasnt keen about working together either, so none stepped up to plan anything with each other. But as they closed in on Chen Duo, they were forced to work together and inadvertently reached concensus to cooperate. Zhang Chulan began to calculate and devise a plan to protect Feng Baobao from pending danger that could lead to her identity exposure.

This second season moved at a much faster pace than season 1, with many new faces introduced which i suspect would be the key roles in future seasons. I dont get why people freak out about not seeing most characters from season 1. I mean come on, it’s an ongoing story, and with the incoming calamity that could doom the world, ML would definitely need more people at his disposal.

The comedy got toned down although still entertaining enough, but the action remained packed. Zhang Chulan became more calculative as he realized how important Feng Baobao is. In everything he does, it was always about FBB’s wellbeing and protection, although their relationship is a far cry from romantic. Since he keeps calling her erjie, and with her being maybe close to 100yo already, i never saw them as a lover couple but more to bro and sis. I’m fine with shows without romance, so i cant get why people keep yapping about their chemistry. I dont think theyre supposed to be lovers at all. And their chemistry as complementing partners is off the charts. I totally love this duo.

It’s also the first show that I saw about the growth of a hero that did not plant the ML at the centre of its universe. In here, the FL seemed to be a more prominent character where the ML did everything in his power to pave the way for her safety because her origin and role is greater than his.

More questions arise in this season, as to the origin of the people manipulating the antagonist became the highlight. What was their purpose? How is it connected to Feng Baobao? What other calamity will occur? Is Wu Gensheng still alive and where is he now? I wouldnt say these as plotholes since it would be the continuance to the next seasons, but it just irks me out that it would take so long to unravel.

All in all, this season definitely did not disappoint. The action is more packed than Season 1, but i can’t help but feel it was just too short. Only 13 episodes? Whyy? And i heard another production house has bought the rights to the next season adaptation, it’s just too bad cuz the casts might change.

Read More

An Exhilirating Ride

Zhang Chulan is a university student whose life turned upside down when he discovered he is an Outsider, a person with supernatural ability, coveted by many who believed he inherited a supreme skill from his grandfather, the one who wielded one of eight supreme skills of the outsider world - Qi Apotheosis. He was whisked away by NDT Express, an Outsider entity that is like the police force controlling the Outsiders posing as a courier service company. Zhang Chulan’s grandfather, Zhang Huaiyi, died from unknown cause back when he was 10yo, and he had always wanted to know what happened. To do this, the NDT told him to join the Outsider Championship organized by a monastery on Mount Fulong, where the victor will inherit Tianshidu which will reveal the answer to all his questions. With the ever so relentless Feng Baobao, he embarked on a journey to find himself and help Feng Baobao regain her memories back.

This is one of rare dramas that i saw so entertainingly comedic and yet gripping at the same time. Because it’s like a wuxia in modern setting, it is really fresh to see ancient-like characters with modern demeanor. It is really funny to see elders in monk robes donning handphones and even hilariously took photos during their supernatural battles. The first few episodes were rather boring that i even put it on hiatus after ep 6, but it picked up the pace when i decided to continue a few months later. Oh god what show i couldve missed if i really dropped this one. Watching I am Nobody reminds me a lot of A Dream Within a Dream. You laugh like heck at one scene and the next right after they’d make you cry with a sad scene. It would come totally unexpected and you just laugh and cry like it’s on command.

I have never seen the actor playing Zhang Chulan, but he is so exceptional in his embodiment of the character, a person who acts cowardly and never put up any fight against anyone, but deep down wields a supernatural power that could knock down those bullies in a blink of an eye. Because his grandfather had told him to hide his powers, he decided to become a coward, one who would run when he can and beg for mercy when he couldnt escape a fight. But just because he would not fight, it doesnt mean he could not fight, even without using his supernatural powers. His cowardice, shamelessness and underhanded tactics could make the audience suffer from secondhand shame. It is his antics that made up most of the hilarious moments onscreen, other than ever so oblivious and straightforward emotionless Feng Baobao. This is also the first show i saw the actress in, and boy she nailed it perfectly well. In fact, all the casts did a tremendously great job at their roles, even the smallest part. The dynamic duo, Feng Baobao as the muscle and Zhang Chulan as the brain, is explosive.

The CGI looked lame in the first few episodes, too overpowered in some, which also contributed to my lack of interest to continue back then. But when i picked it up again, i realize it was not really bad. I mean, it kinda grew into you. Some of the CGI is really eyecatching like the boulder monster conjured by Wang Ye and the spirits by Feng Xingtong during the outsider championship.

To be honest, I never really watch modern cdrama nowadays, I used to during covid lockdown but lost interest as i found modern kdrama more appealing, but somehow i picked up this one on a whim cuz i am a nerd of shows on superpowers, and this one turned out to be exceptional as it progresses. Can’t wait to start on season 2. It’s just a click away but i decided to write down the review now before starting on next season lest i forget the storyline.

Read More

Best Xukai’s Show

Li Ni is our ML, the grandson of the emperor, who was banished to the borders at Yaoyan Pass when he angers both his father Lord Liang and the emperor at one point of his teenagehood. Being born to a maid who died giving birth to him, he was never favoured in the mansion, and he never had a memory of his father hugging and being kind to him. But at Yaoyan Pass, he found kinship with his troops, fighting battles, dining, having fun with them, not putting up airs as a royal at all. The experience tempered him into a brilliant, calculative strategist who is revered by many among the army. One day they received news that one of the great generals of the dinasty, Sun Jing revolted, killing the emperor and the crown prince, while the son of the crown prince went into hiding to escape the coup. Left with no choice, Li Ni raised the Zhenxi Army to march towards the capital to reclaim the throne for the crown prince’s son. On the way there, he met our FL Lt. He, a strategist for the Cui army whose army was also marching towards the capital. They clashed a few times, experienced the spark to fall in love with each other while battling each other, and ended up working together in siezing forts after forts towards the capital, while ML at the same time trying to locate his royal cousin.

I must say, this is definitely one of Xukai’s best series. The story is interesting enough, the plot although not without plotholes, is exciting and engaging. Although I must say, for an army marshall entrusted to reclaim the capital, ML sure has a lot of time to indulge in romance. But I have to admit this is probably the best of Xukai’s performance i’ve seen so far. ML’s anguish was really real after he survived the ambush. He can really cry convincingly good, that it made me cry at that scene. Although, i totally despise his hopeless lovesick puppy character whenever he argues with FL.

The SML, Liu Cheng Feng, turned from just a person to long for his childhood sweetheart to a total psychopath who wouldnt accept that his love was rejected. While still in Cui army acting as the commander, he was shameless enough to claim as loyalist army when you collude with the traitor against another loyalist army? That’s the Cui army for you. Truly despicable. And to think that the commander isnt a Cui is even more comical. What kind of commander would sell out his own principle because of jealousy? The SML is truly despicable despite his supposedly frail look. And for a sickly man, he really was hard to die. He got stabbed with swords with two spears, and is still very much alive. Guess that’s the privelege of being SML, he’s got plot armour! An annoyingly thick one at that.

As for the FL, she lies so much sometimes i cant even figure out when she was lying and when she was being truthful. At first i thought she was toying with ML’s feelings, but gradually it looked like she really fell for him. However, FL is too caught up by her ideals and ambition that she doesnt care if forcing her loved one to be the emperor would mean a lifelong unhappiness. She doesnt like when her dad tells her the kind of life he wants her to have, but is very content about dictating how the ML should live his life. Such hypocrisy. I got so mad at that episode. I fast forwarded many of their supposedly romantic scenes afterwards because i hate seeing ML giving in to her advances every single time without her relinquishing that selfish thought of hers. Really hate seeing her leading him around like a dog so i keep wishing for them to break up. Just go separate ways already. She should feel the heartbreak and regret her decisions instead of ML every single time. I am so glad ML put his foot down when she insisted him to fight for the crown prince title. Her attitude is too horrible, always throwing tantrum when things dont go her way. It’s really a pity because ML sacrifice so much for her. She was the one who is adamant about ML becoming crown prince, and she was also the one who is mad at him when she had to marry him in a way that she didnt approve of. Most of the time this character is very sensible and reasonable, but somehow it is written to be very proud and cranky when she argues with ML.

The main leads definitely has chemistry, though I truly hate it when she was throwing tantrum and ML give in to her every time. Their romantic scenes is fun to watch when they’re sincerely happy with each other, but hard to watch when FL throws tantrums and ML gives in. It’s like ML was trying to make her happy while he himself was generally sad and angry. FL is kinda selfish and unreasonable despite being an intelligent strategist who can see through the enemy’s plans, when ML refuses to do things her way. Honestly their arguments are generally needless as even if FL lets everything go with the flow, ML would still had to become crown prince based on the circumstanaces. There was no need for for her to pressure him to do anything, really. They wouldve had a happy time in the capital had she not do what she did. What a needless and senseless argument.

The battlescenes are impressive, especially the attack on the capital. It’s the first time that i saw foot soldiers scaling the wall with parkour-like skills, and it’s also the first time that i felt any of their deaths are a huge loss to the force. They looked like minor pawns but their skills are definitely impressive.

The amount of people getting poisoned is astronomically high in this show, but sadly none really die from it. Too comical when they keep getting poisoned like flies getting sprayed. The FL suffers the brunt of it, always getting sick or injured in every other episodes 😆 too cliche.

I totally love the OST. They really didnt hokd back on getting the best in this category.

Anyway, it’s a happy ending, though i really have a hard time liking the FL in some parts of the show.

Read More

Twists and Turns of a Strategist

Yun Xiang is a direct disciple of Yuntai sect master, who came down the mountain to save his benefactor Wen who was imprisoned in Nandu. Wen saved ML’s life when his village was massacred 15 years ago, so other than saving Wen, ML was also looking for clues to find the real perpertrator behind the massacre. Equipped with nothing but his brains, he entered the Jiang Hu and later befriended Warrior Jin and Shu Yanan, inadvertently turning them into his bodyguards in his quest for the truth.

I can’t say I liked the ML, this character is too complexly calculative and conniving, but he gets the job done indeed. FL isnt any better, although she has many secrets in her sleeve, one thing I was sure of is their love for each other. But i liked the side couple better, Warrior Jin and Tianhu. Tianhu isnt all that pretty, but she is very cute and appealing in an innocent way. The combination of the brute and the beauty is what makes it spark. I am impressed with the one playing Warrior Jin, i just realized he was actually Heavenly King in Legend of Shen Li. What a contrast from his character here. They actually aged up the actor to play the king i never thought the actor had been in his early forties!

I am not sure in which era was this story is supposed to be, but heck the costumes are so hedious, the men look like theyre stuffed into ragbags and the women had unappealing long dresses too. Even the Su family who are supposed to be the richest family in Nandu didnt look good in their clothes. I thought women costume in Blossom had been ugly enough, it’s even worse here.

The songs sound so soothing, i especially love the Cloud Farewell song by Liu Yuning, gosh the lyrics are so nice!

Although the story is okay, i dont think i will be watching season 2. Im not all into strategic/political genre cuz i have a hard time concentrating to details.

Read More

Bluffing your way to Survival & Victory

In the first season, this special talent of ML, Zichuan Xiu, did not come into light much, but when he was stranded in Yuanzhou after feigning loyalty to North Clan just to seek revenge, ending up getting branded as traitor by the kingdom he served and criminal by the enemy, this uncanny talent of his became the major highlight of the show - bluffing and acting his way out of hurdles and coming out as the victor. With his batallion being hunted down as they too was branded as traitors as they failed to report back to camp when they decided to wait for ML for regroup, they resolved to becoming bandits before reuniting with the severely injured ML after his narrow escape from North Clan capital. No where to go, no one to turn to, ML had to lead his men to survive in the desolate land of Yuanzhou, fighting off North Clan and hiding from Zichuan, and along their path, they somehow reunited Yuanzhou under a free banner. This was their amazing journey.

Honestly I don’t get the low rating cuz I seriously think season 2 is waaaaaaaay better and more engaging than season 1. There’s more action and more screentime of ML and his troops, and less of the political struggle in Zichuan capital, navigated by his 2 sworn brothers Di Lin and Si Yilin. S2 has a wholesome intro for those who did not watch S1, which i think they shouldve done for S1 as well. I feel that S1 had been rather messy with so many question marks (which can be seen as plotholes) that are only answered in S2. We finally know how and why ML was exiled to Yuanzhou at 13yo too. Initially I thought he was framed for something that he didn’t do, but it turned out he did do it, Yang Minghua only twisted everything to be against ML’s favour and turn it into his crime instead. That political bastard had wanted to take the 13yo boy’s life, but failed because Ning and the revered great general Ge Yinxing pleaded for him.

I especially love his love-hate relationship with his deputy Baichuan, most notable dialogue of hers is, “My Lord, after so many years with you, I’m truly reluctant to part from you. But at the thought that you’re finally going to be someone else’s trouble, I am somewhat relieved,” Omg 🤣 these two are my favourite characters indeed. Although Baichuan is the most serious character in his troops, she is definitely loyal and able to play out good acting to carry out ML’s strategies against the enemy while he was absent. I really had fun seeing her trying to reign in ML and keep up with his antics.

Zichuan Ning grew a lot in this season. From the childish, naiive, spoilt young lady, she emerged to be quite resourceful as she finally steps into the clan’s political scene. Baby steps, but impressive nonetheless, compared to how her character was framed in S1. I hated her interactions with Ma Wei though. Fastforwarded most of their scenes. But I’m glad she stayed true to ML.

S2 is where Liufeng Shuang finally makes an appearance. A young female general of Ning’s peer, she was like a version of ML but with Baichuan’s countenance. She was very quickwitted and intelligent, it’s like she was made to spar with ML intellectually. It didn’t take long for her to figure out ML’s identity both in Zichuan and Yuanzhou. Honestly i feel she would make a great 4th xiongmei in the young generals brotherhood.

Although the ending wasnt as cliffhanger as S1’s, i still think they should make S3. This Zichuan novel sounds so exciting, especially when ML’s true origin hasn’t been disclosed at this point of the adaptation, it’s just too bad I couldn’t find an english translation of the novel. It’s gonna be hard to move on from. But the ending is truly not bad even if there never will be S3. There were many loose ends, considering they didnt finish adapting the whole novel, but acceptable still with lots of room to continue from if they ever decided to pick it up again.

The songs really stuck in my head. Dangit i need to search them on youtube and add to my playlist!

Read More

Brothers for Life.

Zichuan Xiu is one of the 3 great generals of Zichuan known as Flower of Xichuan due to his mischievousnous and cunning. He is aided by his 3 loyal subordinates, Lou Jie, Lu Ming and Baichuan. Some time in his teenagehood, he was accused for something not diclosed, hence exiled to Yuanzhou, where made his name as a promising commander, though much to Zichuan clan’s leader disdain, Zichuan Canxing due to disapproval of ML’s close relationship with his niece and heir of the clan, Zichuan Ning. Xiu batallion had just scored big victory in a battle against North Clan, and he was called back to the Capital in the name of receiving reward, but in reality to eliminate him as potential threat. Facing the impending rebellion planned by Yang Minghua the minister of war, ML with the help of his 2 sworn brothers Dilin and Si Yilin made their move to counter this and later North Clan’s invasion of Yuanzhou.

ML always shows a mischievous and reckless front, but everything he does usually has an outcome he desires. This smoke screen of having people see him as incompetent, reckless fool actually made his hidden enemies let their guard down that in turn makes it easy for ML to outmaneouvre them. His methods are unconventional, giving off the idea that he was fooling around and doing shady business that always get misunderstood by his deputy commander Baichuan, ending up getting reprimanded and questioned by Baichuan the moment she felt that he was straying off their main course. Although ML looked like a loose cannon and nobody really takes him seriously other than his sworn brothers and his childhood sweetheart Zichuan Ning, he is actually very intelligent and meticulous leader who knows how to manipulate, strategize and make use of the people around him to serve his purpose. On top of it, he has a clear conscience with a genuinely good heart, and isnt as ruthless and cruel as Dilin, so he never actually manipulate people in a bad way to make them in the losing end. His manipulation actually brings the better side of these people instead.

As for his sworn brothers, the other 2 of the 3 great generals of Zichuan are Di Lin, the ruthless Executioner of the Battlefield, and Si Yilin, a very honest and upright man who knows only Black and White and nothing in the middle.

Zichuan Ning is ML’s love interest, they grew up together as ML was adopted by Ning’s father at a very young age. But because of ML’s dubious background, he never felt he was good enough for Ning, especially when the clan leader disapproves of their relationship. Ning is a very sheltered young lady who has never known any hardship at all. She was raised to become the next leader of the clan, hence her future husband should be of similar status, which sidelines ML. She is spoilt by both her uncle, and ML. It is rare that I come to like a character as dense and childish as Ning, but somehow her rash antics of always chasing after ML is entertaining and understandable even. I never likes this type of cutesy, bratty, rash, weak female character, but somehow i felt her character is hard to hate especially when she treats Princess Ka Dan with sincerity. I somehow ship her relationship with ML, but I have a feeling they might not end up together. It’s frustrating that I can’t find the novel’s translation.

My favourite character is Baichuan, a very straight forward and honest young woman, she is like the one who keeps ML in check. I feel that she is like a protective big sister looking out for a little brother who always gets in trouble every chance he’s let out into the world. She would not put up with his nonsense antics but would always be the one to help him whenever he is in a tight spot.

The flow of the story is rather slow paced as political struggle is a major part of the plot, so i don’t mind doing things in between episodes, unlike other engaging shows that makes it hard for me to put down the phone. The ambience is kinda broody-gloomy like My Journey to You. The action is nice to watch though, and the relationship between ML and his sworn brothers and his 3 deputies are really fun to watch.

The songs are rather nice and kinda lingers in my head too. They made a good job in that department. The costumes are nice, not too showy and dangly. Overall its a good show and quite memorable.

Read More

Bloody Throne that Haunts.

Kang Chul was a serpent diety who was thrown back down to earth during his ascension to the heaven to become a Dragon because a human baby saw his ascension. Due to this, he loathed humankind and created mayhem in the world, cited in legends as an evil diety. Fast forward 100 years later, come Yeo Ri, granddaughter of a powerful shaman who inherited her grandmother’s shamanism talents. Kang Chul caught sight of her and went to pester her, as becoming the guardian spirit of a great shaman would help him ascend to heaven. When Yeo Ri then told her grandmom about him during one of her purging rituals, the townspeople began to label her as the jinx who had attracted an evil diety, hence she was blamed for her loved ones dying around her and any misfortunes that befell the town. Left to fend for herself at a young age after her grandmother was killed during a ritual which she was convinced orchestrated by Kang Chul, she came to resent the diety in her entirety. 13 years later, Yeo Ri now makes a living as spectacle maker, while far in the capital the royal family got riddled with spirit possession. Royal Scribe Yoon Gap, the only friend and first love of Yeo Ri, remembered about her and thus went to fetch her in pretense of becoming the king’s glasses maker. On the way to the capital, Yoon Gap was killed and Kang Chul decided to possess the body so he could latch on Yeo Ri. When Yeo Ri realized Yoon Gap had been possessed by Kang Chul, a fight ensued and both fell down a cliff, but fate had a better plan for them as both ended up in the palace upon rescue. And there starts their journey around palace conspiracy and intrigue which would unfold the real reason behind the possession of the king’s son.

I am not really a fan of Khorror cuz i find all the jumping and dancing ritual very disturbing and ridiculous, but because I’ve read so many positive review about it, so here I am. I can’t say I hate this show, but can’t really say I love it either. The storyline is okay, but somehow I really dont like this Kang Chul guy. I liked Yoon Gap, but Kang Chul really gets on my nerves even though both had the same face. Although I like his banter with the king, i really am not crazy about his personality as a whole. Something about his bearing just irks me. And i can’t feel the spark between him and Yeo Ri when they ‘supposedly’ realized that they liked each other. Urghh. The idea just didnt come through. I basically fast forwarded all their romantic scenes after that.

Yeo Ri is typically straightfoward, naive girl who longed for companion after years of being alone, so she jumped right up when Yoon Gap invited her to the capital. She was determined to save Yoon Gap’s soul and would stop at nothing to ensure the people she care about is safe. She lacked proper planning and strategy though, it’s like she bulldozed her way through disregarding possible risks that couldve improved the outcomes had she mitigated it. Urgh since i got here right after watching cunning and scheming FLs in Blossom, Queen Woo, Prisoner of Beauty and Qingchuan’s Veil of Vengeance, i really felt Yeo Ri lacks so much and wouldnt have survived the palace intrigues had not for the serpent diety next to her.

I really love the king and the queen though, and was looking forward to see their romantic scenes more than main leads’. The king and queen’s chemistry is so striking, i can really feel how deep their love for each other is. The King is probably the star of the show for me, he is righteous, selfless, down to earth and good, a far cry from the usual selfish, domineering and power hungry king/emperor on screen. And with the queen being so kind, gentle and demure, and strikingly beautiful, they made a perfect pair. I love it when they came up on screen. And I teared up when the queen fell victim to the eight-legged spirit, and then when the king sincerely seek for forgiveness from the vengeful spirits for what his ancestors had done 100 years before. The actor playing the king is so dang good, he could really pull off playing two different characters. I could feel his remorse as a king who uncovered the family’s skeleton, and i could also feel his resentment and fury when he was possessed by the spirit. And he is so dang handsome too 😭 hey why am i talking about this side couple more than the main leads? 😆😂 i failed to feel anything when mishaps happen to the main couple, thats how ‘meh’ i feel their relationship is.

I can say that I only stayed to the end because of the royal couple and the mystery behind eight-legged spirit. Take out these two, i wouldve dropped this so fast.

Read More