6
15
2
1
1
1
The award for cutest character, for me , is nonetheless Hashimoto. It is so refreshing that both here & in Cherry Magic we fans love her & Fujisaki-san. Both girls are the sweetest & most supportive friend the MC can have, and both being so cute-looking is just the cherry-on-top.
This live action is very loyal to the manga, so for anyone who is doubting whether to watch this or not, read the manga first. If you like the story & characters, you will definitely love this short drama.
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I loved it. Favorite cdrama of the year. Finally a couple that is equal in everything (in mental and physical skills), a couple that avenges and kills.
As I am picky, I can't rate it a 10 bc of some 👎🏼, mostly technicals:
👎🏼 direction: the obsession of this director with the blinding lights and odd camera angles! Light in general, bc even at morning scenes the light looked fake.
👎🏼 filter: on the 4 main characters only it seems. Very jarring to see a scene where one was looking like a marble, without skin texture while the other (like an older actor) had wrinkles and underbags. And it was specially distracting when, for example, LQ was crying prettily but her tears disappear in her blurry face, which leads to...
👎🏼 make-up: I know they all have cakey make-up but it was terrible to see, for example, the younger brother crying and his numerous tears leaving a trace in his white face.
👎🏼 the permanent wind in their hair. I supposed for "aesthetics" but it was distracting.
👎🏼 I did not use the 1.5 speed any moment (as the Director wanted! 😅) but around ep33-34 the excitement diminished a little bit with the Storm Alliance and freaking XJS.
👎🏼 the Emperor of Jiunxi was a psycho and I loved him 😑
👎🏼 super personal one... iQiYI. For the 1st time I subscribed to this channel to binge it. But turns out, for the last 4ep I need to be Premium, not VIP. Meaning, pay more $$??? I had to watch the last 4ep illegally and it LQ 🙄🙄🙄
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This review may contain spoilers
I thought I wouldn't rewatch this drama, not even if I was paid, but thanks to the (currently lacking of) bts videos, I am rewatching some episodes 🙈. So yes, I am also going thru a mourning period of a drama that wasn't even that good to begin with... but it was also good at the same time? Memorable? Anyways, my - and + points:❌️ trashy plot: 🙊 like straight out of a fanfic or self-published novel. This one is an excellent example of "written by a woman for women" novel. The things they do and say are what we live for but also, highly unrealistic 😂
❌️ so many 2nd-hand embarrassment OMG. I thought my face was going to combust 🙈
❌️ love tangle: every guy is gay, and having something (emotionally or sexually) with at least two other guys (or girl). One of my pet peeves. Specially CC... he is no LWJ for example, like a guy for one guy only.
❌️ stereotypes: about exes (they are either trash or crazy), gays (no bisexuality in this world building; and they are either a top, if tall, or a bottom, if smaller), etc.
❌️ blowing figure candies: people eat that?? 🤢
❌️ messy ML: he never redeemed himself since that first episode. A giant criminal. And his diet is based on cigarrettes, alcohol and sex, no wonder he is so skinny 💀
❌️ a doctor of 20 years old having his own clinic?? 😑
❌️ editing: typical cdrama. It is obvious they had to cut a lot.
❌️ the waterbed. WTH. It is not comfortable at all, not even for sleeping. And for what they use it for... 🙈 please, a firm place is a must.
❌️ on their own, the doctor and CGY were lovely, but together... nah, wasn't a fan.
❌️ I am not a fan of snakes but the leads love them and that loose importance in the last 8eps or so. Made me judge the leads 😅
✅️ I am completely smitten with TXN 🥰 so professional! And so much confidence in even the most difficult scenes. So it is no wonder why he has so much chemistry with almost every guy... the guy exudes sensuality and intensity, a must for a CBL drama/leads, imo. I think ZY was overwhelmed sometimes 😅
✅️ a ML who is veeeery touchy-feely 🥰🥰
✅️ I had fun with the embarrassing moments 😅 I laughed so much.
✅️ good kisses and good chemistry.
✅️ hella addictive 🥰
✅️ the nickname "WeiWei"... sounds like "bebé" 🥰
✅️ I enjoyed (and am enjoying) the bts videos. The guys are adorable, even more than in the drama. And I absolutely adore the shock factor every time TXN opens his mouth 😂
Recommended? Uhm yeah, not for the script though 😂 but beware, the addiction is real.
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Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
2 people found this review helpful
My standard for Romance is ruined
Re-watched each ep more than a dozen of times (except ep11... too painful). Perfect casting, OST, story, comedy and romance. The chemistry btw Eiji and Eita <3, the secondary characters, the comedy, the little details... top notch. Super romantic, Kurosawa is a man to swoon for and Adachi a cutie to protect. I am a fan of MM romances where we have a man who loves to adore and take care of his loved one, and the other who deserves to be spoiled, so this was right up to my alley.People complain about the lack of skinship and that is homophobic... if words, actions and eyes that express love is not enough then I don't know what it is. I prefer a good storytelling than awkward kisses, and the story here was the most romantic I've seen in Asian dramas.
If I have to complain about one thing, it would be the actor who played Minato, but for his looks only. Because he looks like a teenager, Tsuge is the most hated :( I wish a different actor for Minato was chosen...
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Criminally underrated
Beautiful drama, I fell in love with the story, the script, the actors... so much I can't move on! The lead actress is so good, I felt like Qiu DongNa is a real person, not just a character in a show. And visually speaking I adore this actress, even her clothes matched her personality and situation. May be the 1st time I see in a cdrama where the lead, being poor, actually dresses normally with barely any make-up.Her interactions with the other characters was marvellous, and it helps that there are no villains nor stupid characters. This is what I miss the most, how there are no fillers nor misunderstandigs nor miscommunication. Every interaction (with the mom, the female boss, the frenemy, the ex-cons) is sooo good.
About the romance... maybe not much for romance drama fans but for me it was the best & most wholesome. Gu Fei is truly a husband/mentor material, and Dongna the best student. Both of them listen to each other, support each other and are happy being together. Both of them learn from the other. I know people are wary of watching this wonderful drama bc of the age gap, but I truly only saw a 22-year-old eager just-graduated girl and a 35-or so responsible boss who respects his assistant very much. Their romance is like WangXian... shown through action and words instead of skinship, and that (for me) is even better. They are sooo sweet <3 Best hetero couple in dramaland (for me).
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This review may contain spoilers
Tbh, I struggled the first 20 episodes, which is a lot. Comments say "this is not a romance" but ChuSheng spends 20 episodes in love with the 2FML and even when he is facing death, he is still thinking about her. HHL was, however, a good written character. In spite of being the most selfish person ever, she was human and her hopes and fears were totally understandable, at least for me. But I started this drama expecting the CP of XZ and LQ, which is nowhere to be seen in the 1st TWENTY episodes.Which leads me to the 2nd problem this drama has... the characterization of the 2 leads: ChuSheng, a.k.a, Gary Stu and Xiaomei, a.k.a, Mary Sue. Both are attractive, kind, the most unselfish persons you will ever see; altruistics and never get angry nor resentful. Heck, there are a couple of nasty characters, either jealous of CS or just plain thugs (Heizi) and CS not only forgives them over and over again... he never gets angry . XM is understanding, supportive and mature, never ever thinking of herself. The total opposite of selfish HHL XD
Add to that that both are willing to die for their country and people, and voilá! You have 2 Chinese role models. As a whole, I see this drama as a idealistic cdrama. Even the unlikeable characters that commit crimes and perjury get their redemption arc (except for 2). TBH I don't even see HOW Heizi redeems himself... he stabs, smuggles, lies, betrays and even hires someone to ruin his wife's life (and face) and he still manages to be forgiven **side-eye**.
On the other hand, there are a couple of characters that I really liked, like Ye Fang, QiTian, Yan Qiu and Duan Lei. And the setting was very well done. While the negative points are stronger, it still has its good points.
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If the drama was a 7/10 (for me), the bts is a 10000/10: funnier, spicier, more romantic and more embarrassing to watch 🙈:
✔️ character development: from being awkward that first day (table read) to being freaky.. from "they kiss again?" to "there are no more kiss scenes?" (Tian), and from being overwhelmed at all the kisses to initiate unscripted kisses (Ziyu)
✔️ Script: the things that come out from Tian's mouth... directors, zy and us fans were either 😱OMG or 🤣OMG. And this happens in every single bts (zy also has his moments 😂)
✔️ Chemistry: so much chemistry we even have some unscripted kisses. And drunk expressions after a make-out session 🤭
✔️ Direction: 2 official directors + 1 unofficial director. I love all 3 of them <3
✔️ Tian is a walking uncensored image: he was either smoking all the time (hence, the uncensored images 😂) or cursing like a sailor (hence, the beeping sounds).
I fell completely in love with Director Tian XuNing, who is the daddiest, kindest, kinkiest, unbothered king, most affectionate and most shameless ML actor I've seen in any drama. I will miss him and the things that came out of his mouth so much 😭 It was such a ride to watch new videos every morning and share the shock, giggles, sighs and embarrassment with fellow fans. If it wasn't for him, the bts + the drama wouldn't have been the same.
The release of the bts were done at midnight in my timezone. I used to wakeup randomly at 1, 2am and check Twitter. I got so used to do that, I still wake up sometimes and go to Twitter, hoping for some miracle 🥲
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