Alen Feng is a great male lead!
Seriously funny and unexpectedly really good! Nice to see Alen Fang in a lead role, and he's well matched by Lin Yun as the FL. She's cunning, clever and has the sweetest smile. She also manages to find solutions to problems even at the last minute. Some of her greatest triumphs felt really innovative and new in terms of staging.Great soundtrack and a nice mix of characters combined with great pacing and swift resolution to our lead couple's challenges made this a really enjoyable watch. I've not laughed so much in a long time! Overall, this drama punches above its weight.
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Really sweet - love the leads together ♥️
This was in my watchlist because I'm a big Tan Song Yun fan. This was so much fun and awfully sweet! I've not seen Xiong Zi Qi in anything before but they make such a cute couple, the way his face lights up when he sees her is totally adorable. The cast of supporting characters add a lot of humorous moments and some tension at times, we also have a second ship!One of my favourite moments was realising that the leads have a duet on the soundtrack. I knew it was TSY as I recognise her lovely singing voice but I had a good feeling that Xiong Zi Qi was also singing - I love it when they do this in dramas, all the feels!
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Not just your average rom-com
I enjoyed this so much. At first I thought it was just a cute rom-com but I’m so glad it had way more depth than expected! Kim Seon-ho did such an amazing job, acting in multiple languages in the same scene - incredible dedication to the craft 👌 I’d only seen Go Youn-jung in Alchemy of Souls before so wasn’t sure what to expect. Her performance blew me away! I think it must be really fun for an actor to show more than one side to their character and she totally delivered. I also think showing her reaction to overnight fame was very realistic. Fab soundtrack too!Was this review helpful to you?
A modern classic ?
**My review is based on parts 1 + 2**I think this is quite possibly the best thing I’ve watched on Viki. Here are some of the reasons why:
- high production values overall
- excellent attention to detail, well dressed sets
- costumes felt authentic in terms of colours and fabrics, very little that felt obviously modern like you get in some historicals
- great cinematography, lighting and framing, some shots you’d just want to frame large-scale
- excellent music and sound design
- appropriate use of time slips
- great characters that develop and grow through different experiences but always make believable choices
- huge range of tone from humour to pathos deftly handled
- well-thought out plot, I didn’t get annoyed at any last minute drama that often gets thrown in for no reason, the whole thing was very well paced
- satisfying ending
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A modern classic ?
**My review is based on having seen part 2 (no spoilers)**I think this is quite possibly the best thing I’ve watched on Viki. Here are some of the reasons why:
- high production values overall
- excellent attention to detail, well dressed sets
- costumes felt authentic in terms of colours and fabrics, very little that felt obviously modern like you get in some historicals
- great cinematography, lighting and framing, some shots you’d just want to frame large-scale
- excellent music and sound design
- appropriate use of time slips
- great characters that develop and grow through different experiences but always make believable choices
- huge range of tone from humour to pathos deftly handled
- well-thought out plot, I didn’t get annoyed at any last minute drama that often gets thrown in for no reason, the whole thing was very well paced
- satisfying ending
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Not your average workplace drama
Absolutely loved this! Great performances from the whole cast, nice mini Eternal Love/Rattan reunion for ML and main female antagonist, there were a series of antagonists but none of their storylines/screen-time was overdone, they weaved in and out just the right amount.Flashbacks (which can get annoying if badly deployed) were used well to help explain backstory/reasons for our leads taking actions in the present and you got to see things from their different perspectives, deepening the understanding you have of the characters.
ML is obviously a complete dreamboat, smart, kind, noble, funny and sweet, also good with kids. I really liked the FL's character development, she applied herself and took on the challenges that presented at work, always trying (and generally succeeding) to make a success of things. The romance between them is really good and there were some hilarious scenes that had me laughing out loud as well. A real treat!
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Vampires + Republic Era: the combo you didn’t know you needed
Loved this right from the start, great casting, gorgeous costumes and period setting (the cars!), cinematography is beautiful and a pretty good credit sequence which is usually a good sign.I actually think this might be Gao Wei Guang's best role - genuinely couldn't imagine any other actors fitting the role so well. Ouyang Nana really impressed, I've seen her in Yong An Dream which I highly recommend.
Some great twists, the plot didn't drag and in some places it was laugh out loud funny. The ending suited the drama and the last scene between our lovely lead couple felt realistic and fitting.
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A proper drama that makes you think and weep
This is probably not for everyone but I'm really glad I finished this finely observed drama about humankind. It provokes big questions like what makes someone good or bad and examines the consequences of decisions and actions. Apart from the FL who is just genuinely a really good person, you need to watch to the end to be able to make your mind up about 2 of the other key characters.It's beautifully shot with a slightly washed out colouration which really suits the serious/dramatic mood. Strong performances from the fine cast. The tempo slows down (but doesn't drag) and then speeds up to some exciting action. Overall very well balanced.
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Who knew a zombie could be so attractive?
I added this to my watchlist after seeing Choi Jinn Hyuk in Miss Night and Day and he does a similarly excellent job here. He captures the zombie's physicality perfectly. I don’t think it can be understated how important movement is in acting and the scenes where he shows the initial challenges of being a zombie and the transition to gaining strength and dexterity were fantastic. If that wasn’t enough, he also pulls off the zombie make-up extremely well (props to the hair and make-up team!). At 12 episodes this was the perfect length, didn't drag and good momentum throughout. Absolutely loved this, it's hilarious!Was this review helpful to you?
Attention to detail and effects are top drawer ?
One of the best C-dramas I've seen in ages. Initially drawn in because of Ding Yu Xi, fresh from Melody of Golden Age (another excellent production). It's always great when you can see someone get to demonstrate their range across several dramas and not just play the same character again and again. Once again, he does a fantastic job of portraying the complex character of Mu Sheng. I was delighted to see Zhu Xu Dan (Cute Programmer, Eternal Love) as the 2FL and I thought she was also excellent. Overall, casting was really good right down to supporting roles. I'd not seen FL or 2ML before but both did a good job with their characters and the contrast between the couples worked really well.What made this drama really stand out was the effects. I'm used to watching Chinese historicals where you wish they had decent effects/CGI but you either give up or overlook the poor quality. This is one of the best I've seen, in most of the drama I'd say on par or not far behind Alchemy of Souls - quite spectacular. I also liked the attention to detail and how they carried through the effects associated with certain characters to their costume, hair and make-up. Fight/action sequences were also great. This drama was so good I only watched it on my laptop (decent size screen) because it would have been a waste to watch it on a smaller screen (ie my phone).
Pacing and story - at 32 episodes I thoroughly enjoyed this, we had a good amount of comedy, it didn't drag and things were nicely tied up at the end. There were some great twists which kept my attention and gave some characters the opportunity to play different characters/their characters in a different way. If you haven't watched yet, make sure you watch the last episode through to the end of the credits / if you've watched but missed the credits, go back and watch to the very end!
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A beautifully woven tapestry
This drama was just fantastic with multiple layers, great cast, great costumes, great plot, great cinematography, great music - at 40 episodes it didn't drag either.I started watching this because I'm a big fan of Tan Song Yun and she delivers another excellent performance here. I also think it's kind of neat that she's in both dramas on Viki with 'brocade' in the title.
I didn't think I'd seen the ML, Zheng Ye Cheng, before - until I discovered he was one of the bros in Love O2O. I think it's testament to his acting skills that I had no idea and I was genuinely impressed with his performance. He handled the serious, romantic and comedic scenes with equal aplomb. At one point where another actor might have gone over the top he played a scene so believably with his controlled performance that it made it all the more powerful.
I think the writing must be good because there were points where the subs conveyed the tremendous affection and noble character of the ML superbly. That said, there were a couple of mistakes in the subs where they refer to the second ML instead of the ML lead or the wrong city so watch out for that.
Beautifully shot and some fantastic action scenes, some of the best I've seen. I also liked that the second FL got to show her fighting skills too. Overall the staging was excellent.
Costumes - I'm sure my fellow crafters will appreciate that a drama where fabrics play such an important role, the quality of the costumes added to the atmosphere. I also noted several costumes with patterned fabric where they'd taken the trouble to pattern match across different parts of the garment, love the attention to detail.
Music - I realised at one point that Tan Song Yun was singing one of the songs and honestly it just added to the scene and made it all the more touching. Soundtrack is good all round.
Set / production design - the main city is painted in mid and light blue with red and it's so pretty. Really well done and scenes felt as though they had depth, which added to the realism.
I also liked how there were some characters who were clearly good or bad but others who were more complex. I'm not sure you can say they redeemed themselves but more a case of making good decisions in the end. Definitely made it more interesting to watch. We got a good supply of villains, both male and female, and as different ones took the stage at different points it never got boring or felt drawn out.
Lovely supporting cast and some nice bromances going on. A few side romances although they aren't major plot points.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this drama. It's got it all!
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Relatable, slice of life, extremely well done
Don't be put off by the number of episodes, this is not the typical drama where the main characters have a clear goal (e.g. launch success business or defend against evil general etc.) and you end up waiting for things to be resolved. This drama delivers a slice of life starting from when our main 3 ‘siblings’ are about 6 to 8 years old, through high school (16 to 18) and then into adult life.The pacing is good, there are dramatic points to the plot but none of it is overdone. If you're here for the romance it gets started towards the middle but it's so enjoyable before that it doesn't feel like you're missing out. Along with more serious moments there's a lot of laughter.
Great casting all round from the little kids, the main actors and their parents plus the few friends rounding out the supporting cast. The relationships all round feel very relatable between parents and children, friends and how the dynamics change over time. Well worth a watch!
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This drama has it all!
What a treat! I love Chinese historicals but sometimes I don't have the stamina for a 40+ epic. I was not expecting such high production values but this has it all. Great cast, the perfect balance of drama, action, humour and romance, beautifully shot and choreographed fight sequences (look out for the red umbrellas), fab soundtrack - what more could you want?I'm a long-time Gao Wei Guang fan and I think this is one of his best roles and possibly one of his best looks, the hair is really working for him ;)
Xuan Lu is a feisty but not irritating FL and a worthy heroine. It was great to see her slowly regain her martial arts skills and you can't help but root for her.
They both sing on the soundtrack which really added to the tender moments. I knew GWG has a lovely singing voice and he’s well matched by Xuan Lu, really lovely duet ♥️
One of my favourite couples and because of the short episode count, you'll ship them right from the start as they are thrown together in life/death situations. Also, a fair bit of fan service (mainly GWG bathing) but not gratuitous and all part of the plot - honest! Also I appreciate the reasonable age gap between the leads (only 8 years) and nice to watch a couple in my generation for a change.
Plotwise - I did work out a key plot point relatively early on but I think maybe the viewers are supposed to and it's just the characters who are meant to be in the dark. Either way, it didn’t bother me as having a strong sense that things would be resolved satisfactorily kept me going through some episodes whereas otherwise, I might have felt things were too bleak.
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