KingC

Dark Historical Tale with Excessive Frosting.

You know that PQRST waves of the heart? The RST segment of the graph is an exact representation of my feelings towards this drama.

I don't consider dramas such as Prisoner of Beauty or Goodbye, My Princess as “Idol dramas” per se. So, I'll review it with the gravity of a serious one.

They clearly put some effort into shaping a good story and chose actors with skills without going overboard with all the nonsense that comes with aiming for popularity and fanbases rather than quality. (I'm looking at you Till The End of The Moon, which sacrificed its script for whatever that end product was.)

Now, this is out of the way, I'll begin my ramble:

☆ As usual, the story isn't new as far as CDramas are concerned. Basically, an intelligent girl is sent as a bride in hopes of repairing her family's past mistakes that led to the fall of the groom's clan. There she uses her wit, wisdom and charms to earn her husband's trust and his family's approval while attempting to save her clan from their wrath and navigating the turbulent political and social landscape.

☆ The star of the show is Xiao Qiao, who is portrayed convincingly as an intelligent, yet highly empathetic character by Song Zu Er, who has yet to disappoint me with her performances. I had seen her first in Legally Romance and I'm glad to see that she hasn't lost her quirky charm.
This is my first drama with Liu Yue Ning, and l he embodied the role of a General to tee. I don't think I'll go around squeaking rumours to him if I had been alive at that time, because he legit looks like he could snap you in half if he is enraged. The complicated relationship between him and his mother, his duty as the lord, his inner turmoil and confusion when it came to his family and Xiao Man were conveyed effectively to the viewer.

☆ I can't assess how bad actors are unless they are at a terrible level, but the entire cast was excellent. Particularly the maids and the generals who provided comic relief when necessary.

☆ The friendly banter between the advisor, the four generals, Wei Shao and their brotherhood, the bromance between Wei Qu and Wei Liang, the simple and heartfelt love between Wei Liang and Xiao Tao were some of highlights of the drama.

☆ And the romantic struggles between Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao is definitely one to remember as its incongruence was extremely hilarious and funny.

☆ The antagonists came and went as they pleased when the script required, particularly during the latter half. I didn't particularly care for the Qiaos, except for the younger generation and Qiao Ping.
Xiao Man loved her grandfather, but I found him odious until the end.
It's not right, but I was annoyed that Xiao Man was going to extreme lengths to ensure her clan's survival because I despised their spinelessness.
Some of what irked me was addressed during the final six episodes, so I'll let it go.

☆ Are the costumes alright? Are the fight scenes done well? Are there conflicts to impel the characters? Yes to all three.
To be honest, I am not a huge fan of romance dramas, particularly CDramas as they tend to drag plotlines to excessive lengths in order to get the point across. Which might be why I have so many mixed feelings.

● As for the cold pricklies?

☆☆ •• The drama doesn't seem to have a lot going on when boiled down to the bones and this is one of those times I felt that the episodes could've been fewer.

☆ Personally, it seems to have the potential to be something very much better than it actually is. With this type of cookie cutter plots that already have superior predecessors, it's not surprising that I was expecting something more magnetic.

☆ I can see why there are people comparing this to Love Like the Galaxy or Blossom since the basic premise has a revenge driven Male lead and a smart female lead; but the major difference is definitely the romance.

☆ It was satisfying for the first 12 episodes or so, balancing out the romance with political subplots and scheming. The push and pull was adequate enough to keep me engaged and the dark undertones still existed, bringing some amount of tension that compelled me to go forward with the next episodes. Then, the drama changed tones entirely for around 15 or 16 episodes. And that too, there were a couple of moments sprinkled in between them that made me feel as excited as the first few and that was the only reason I stuck on till the end.

☆ The last few episodes in the late 20s, particularly 28 - 36 did revive the energy of the first few. It's not that I dislike the romance between Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao, but I almost felt bored watching those episodes. It did make me laugh and enjoy them, but I started to lose interest in the story as a whole, if you get what I mean.

☆ Do I dislike romance? Not at all! This one deserves a 9/10 for romance alone.
But, they depended on the actors' performances a bit too much. The story dawdles as a result of all this cute stuff in between, which was not what I expected. The last time I felt that the romance could be toned down was for Shinsengumi Youth Chronicles from last year, which deviated from a strong script and resorted to painful pining. Prisoner of Beauty reminded me of that.

☆ Yet, there are characters such as Wei Yan, Lady Xu, and dare I say, Da Qiao who don't have much screentime, but left a memorable/powerful impression. This is more than enough to convince me that you don't need multiple episodes focused on the Main leads alone to get your point across.

My favourite were Lady Xu, Wei Yan and the four generals along with their advisor. Even Da Qiao stole my attention.

☆ Da Qiao, who fades into the backdrop with just glimpses in between the episodes, was true to herself until the end. Her character felt underutilised to me.

☆ Lady Xu is my absolute favourite. I adore her interactions with Wei Yan and can understand how difficult her choices are. She is also the most empathetic and intelligent character in the drama to me; the second would be Xiao Qiao. (Because she suffered a much greater loss that most people would probably never heal from, yet she continued the Wei Clan's legacy.) She doesn't outright confront Xiao Qiao or Wei Shao when they are up to something - instead she plays a game of Chess. I loved how she set Xiao Qiao on the right track when she realized that the marriage was becoming a game of tit-for-tat between the two.

☆ I love Wei Yan a lot. Li Duan Duan was powerful in portraying multiple facets of the seemingly lazy cousin. Also, he was much more sharp when it came to making decisions. Even at times,more than Wei Shao.
He and Lady Xu's relationship was golden and an absolute delight to see.

☆ As for the antagonists? The cast did well, but the characters left no impressions for me.

☆ Something just seems to be missing, but I can't put my finger on it. In the end, the writers went overboard with the frosting for a drama that began with the right amount of tension and romance. On the bright side, it is perfect for romantics due to the same reason.
The final episodes felt out of touch as a result with the original tension returning, but it made me feel that there was insufficient screentime for certain characters. EP34 has an important scene, but the way it was handled was off-putting. The final few minutes of the last episode fell flat and rather hasty for me.

☆In short, if the story is divided into three parts, it has a strong start, mediocre middle and a weak ending. With more focus on romance.

☆ It's not a bad drama. But, the poor pacing and excessive ‘frosting’ took away my enthusiasm.

I don't think I'll rewatch this anytime soon. So, it's an 7.5/10 for me for now.

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Beauty is In the Eye of the Beholder.

Blueming is not your typical short KBL – It is a painting. Honestly, there is no other way I could find to articulate it. The entire drama is like a mysterious work of art that has to be viewed in person to prod your emotions.

And I feel like Jin Moo Hak from 'Dali and Gamjatang'. I'll get to that later, but this is definitely one of the most difficult dramas to score. It would be somewhere around 8 - 8.5 for me.

Si-won, having been bullied for being chubby when he was a child and following his dad's abandoning their of family, has had a rough time. He values keeping up his external facade of a cool and handsome young boy. Until he stumbles into Da-Won, a new classmate who is automatically God Gifted with everything that he worked hard to attain. Despite feeling jealous of him, Si-Won Inadvertently gets stuck around the enigmatic Da-Won.

Blueming is a drama that floats due to the very interesting characters and their insecurities. There is a high chance you won't like it if they don't grow on you.

I initially cringed so bad at Si-Won. He appeared like a typical hero with an inferiority complex who landed in several highly embarassing situations which directly got him in front of Da-Won, the object of his jealousy. But, after you get over the cringefest, Si-Won starts to become a really realistic and lovable character.
However, there was a constant air of sadness and pain in him. This is explained really well in the latter half of the drama.

Da-Won takes the cake for the most eccentric character I've ever seen in a KBL. He falls for the insecure Si-Won and attempts to treat him in the best way he could. Dude creeped me out a lot, unfortunately, during the first half of the drama. But, I found his pursuit of Si-Won a highlight.

The characters are flawed. A lot. But, aren't we all? That's the charm of Blueming. At one point or the other, we get to interpret their actions/misconceptions and even relate to their insecurities.

Si-Won had a couple of friends, especially Boom Mike guy and Yun-jeong. Despite having little screentime, we got enough to know that they are more than just one dimensional characters.

The framing in Blueming is one of the major highlights. I don't know anything about filming, but this drama was just plain beautiful to watch. It had an almost abstract quality that reminded of Utsukushii Kare and To My Star (which is directed by the same director).

One major issue that I personally had with this drama was how we needed to conjecture certain details about characters. Particularly Da-Won. I felt like a lot of his life is a huge fill-in-the-blanks. And I felt that certain emotions that the director/writer wanted to convey to the audience did not reach me. (I had the same trouble with Utsukushii Kare.)
So, some of the subtle hints and beauty of this show where wasted on me. Hence, why I compared myself to Jin Moo Hak, who never understood art.

Looks like I wrote this while I was half asleep. I still feel like a dizzy squidward after watching this, but I'll rate it an 8.5 for now.

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Beauty Behind The Madness.

This was an abrupt watch from my side with absolutely no expectations except for the synopsis and that one clip on twitter. Japanese crime drama world is rather unfamiliar to me, but the first episode and the very questionable technology of "MRI Scanning" someone's brain was too intriguing and I binged the entire 11 episodes in one night.
Himitsu reminded me a lot of the Taiwanese Drama 'Oh no! Here comes trouble!' though they are both drastically different from each other -- maybe its because both these dramas' strengths and mysteries are steeped in human emotions, particularly of the deceased as well as the people whom they left behind.

And I'm not kidding when I tell you this -- the drama might mess with your head a bit. There are quite intense and emotional scenes. Unfortunately, I chose to watch it during the wee hours before dawn and ended up dreaming about some old guy who claimed to be Jack the Ripper trying to give me an in-depth explanation about the Whitechapel Murders while I shut the door on his face and tried to lock him out. (Thank you, Kainuma-sensei.)
Now, I'll get down to business.

When a special Department called the "9th" is established with the cutting edge technology of scanning the brains of victims to identify the true nature of the crime, it evokes a sense of intense resentment as well as awe amongst everyone in the Police Force. Leading the team of five, is Chief Maki, backed by his trusted Deputy Chief Suzuki, and three other subordinates, all under the tutelage of the renowned neuroscientist, Professor Kainuma.
However, the members soon learn the unpleasant side of the seemingly glamorous mode of investigation and it isn't long before a shocking death plunges everyone into darkness.
Three years later, a new recruit, Aoki Ikkou, joins the team and begins to learn the ropes under the disapproving eyes of Chief Maki, with whom he gradually develops a complex relationship.

---- The mysteries are the very backbone of Himitsu. Pay attention to the first two episodes in particular, because to me, those were the 'basement' cases, particularly for Chief Maki. The remaining ones where more cemented on emotions and aided in shaping as well as gaining insights into the character's actions. I have to say, Itagaki Rihito kicked the ball off the park with his performance here. Apparently, he fits the manga's description of his character, but even so, giving off the superior aura around him is not so easy.
Maki is definitely one of the most loneliest characters I've seen on screen. So, the sense of relief I felt by hearing his final words was intense.
Which brings me to Aoki. I liked how his character countered Maki-san's and tested his limits, bringing him unwillingly back to life. I wanted to bong him on the head and ask him to come to his senses, shape up and spill out his emotions, but I can guess why he stumbled along the way.
This brings me to the coroner Yukiko-san. She was strongest character, second to Maki. I liked how well in tune she was with her emotions as well as her duty. Girl definitely had some guts, particularly at the end of EP6.
And special mention to Okabe San for his existence. His reactions where a mirror image of mine and his protective attitude and care for Maki made him an instant favorite of mine.
The supporting cast, particularly the episodic ones gave impactful performances.

---- The Ending song, Iris by Buddiis, captured my attention. Also, the BGMS! Special thanks to Kate for the subtitles.

This is no flashy drama with over the top aesthetics or mind blowing scenes. But, the intangible relationship between the characters, and the rather human emotions that were depicted at times amongst all the insane mess made 'Himitsu ~ Top Secret' a worthy watch for me.

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Dark Xianxia With Emotional Performances Impeded by a Plot that made me Squint.

I was never planning on watching this one, but my friend began narrating the episodes for me while it was airing, so I finally caved in.
If I'm being honest, I don't know what to feel about this drama. Is it a good Xianxia? Yes, definitely.
Is it perfect? Nope.
I've been hearing right from the very start about how the drama had deviated very much from the original novel, "Black Moonlight Holds the Bad Ending Script". Yes, it's the English's translation of the original title and you have to keep it in mind.

But, I really wish that the book is much more legible in terms of characterization with plenty of in-depth analysis of each character’s motivations, because in that aspect, TTEOTM falls far off the mark.

Long after the Gods had sacrificed themselves in an attempt to kill the Devil God, a new Devil God mysteriously arises, wrecking havoc and destruction across the immortal sects. When the Xiaoyao and Hengyang sect are attacked, Li Su Su, the daughter of the sect leader of Hengyang Sect, accidentally sees the origin of the Devil God through a magical artifact which he was attempting to steal. The immortals learn that the Devil God was a mere mortal named Tantai Jin 500 years ago. The sect leaders decide to send someone back in time to kill the to-be-soon young devil god by removing the 'evil bone', which makes him destined to become one after his demise.
Li Su Su agrees to the mission and is sent back, but not without witnessing her entire sect massacred .
500 years in the past, she wakes up in the body of Ye Xi Wu, a spoiled daughter of a General of Sheng Kingdom… and learns that the person who Tantai Jin, now a captive prince from the Jing Kingdom, fears the most is her. And that she was also married to him due to her own evil plans going down the drain. Now, she tries to keep Tantai Jin alive despite her deep hatred for him as she plots a plan to remove his evil bone.
But, the more she gets closer to him, the more she realizes how the world has failed him.

That's the basic plot for the first 30 episodes or so, or 18, if you take away 10 or 12 episodes that are part of a dream arc which is literally the characters role playing as Gods from 10,000 years ago before they vanished.

I'll get straight down to what I liked about this drama:

***The Story: Takes place across a span of several years and has certain "arcs".
The beginning of the Mortal Arc, Tantai Jin's past and Cang Jiumin arc (first two episodes) and the Bo're Arc are my personal favorites.
To future viewers, I request you to view the Dream Arc as a part of the drama within a drama. It has the most solid and purposeful plot line out of all 40 episodes and it was highly satisfying and reached a conclusion that made sense and did not drag on unnecessarily.


***The Cast: Honestly, if the actors were just average, I would never have stuck past episode 24, or was it 25?
The cast were spot on, delivering immaculate and heartfelt performances that I would not be forgetting soon.
I don't remember exactly. Leo Yunxi had been on my radar since Ashes of Love and he never disappoints in pulling such villain/pathetic helpless roles. I hope there were people to take care of him on set because the amount of tears he shed in this are too much. He managed to portray four different characters with ease: the mysteriously alluring Ancient Demon God 1.0, the Demon God Tantai Jin 1.0 and whatever version we see in the drama, the abused mortal Tantai Jin, and the majestic God of War Ming Ye. His costumes were a highlight of the drama, in all shades of colors and hues.

Bai Lu, I finally found a drama of hers that I could actually complete. It's not that her acting is bad, but I've never managed to find her works captivating enough to make me sit through all the episodes. As for her character… that's another rant entirely. But, I could tell the difference between the occupied Ye Xi Wu and the free Li Su Su.
Supporting characters were portrayed well by the relatively lesser known cast, but they managed to steal the scenes several times - particularly Ye Qingyu and Pian Ran. I liked Deng Wei as Gongye Jiwue and Shang You a lot more than Xiao Lin. (His mortal avatar.)

***Costumes and CGI: Whoever was behind the computer screen lost his mind cause the CGI was stunning for a Chinese Xianxia. It did fluke at some points, but overall, it was a highlight. Costumes were inspired by traditional Dunhuang paintings and the characters looked like real God's in the posters. It came in all colors and I coveted several headpieces worn by many of the cast. But, my favorites definitely are from the Bo're Arc.

***Soundtrack: Plenty of Original Songs, but my most favorite one was Mysterious Bird by Sa Ji. There were several action scene soundtracks that I loved.

Now… let’s get down to the cold pricklies:

***The Character of Ye Xi Wu and Plot:

Tantai Jin is heavily softened for the drama, and apparently, Ye Xi Wu was too. I don’t know what the original treatment looked like, but I was confused by her. I was never once convinced that she truly loved him - particularly during the mortal arc of Tantai Jin. Except for a few well targeted words spoken by Pian Ran that unsettles Xi Wu, and a handful of scenes, she seemed to be hell bent on getting her mission accomplished and had no time for romance. Granted, their fates were pre-determined and she was on a mission. But, how am I supposed to believe that these two were fated to be together at some point in their life regardless of the ending? I'm not sure because it was all 'tell' and no 'show'.

It’s understandable as she had witnessed the destruction of the world via this dude’s hands, but she appeared almost cunning and insincere in most of her actions even after she found out that she was his Achilles heel. Her character seems to have been under utilized. At one point, it turned into a "Tantai Jin" show. We see his motives and reasonings in depth, yet I do not think the same attention was paid to Li Su Su's character. She appeared to be fooling around a lot in the Mortal Arc, which made no sense. Then, boom! She gets an epiphany and things just plunge into a dead end. The story went around in circles for the first arc and by EP 24, I lost all hope.

Bai Lu and Leo Luo’s explosive chemistry helped to elevate their “romance” to a phenomenal level, but it was painfully obvious that the script was leaning towards Tantai Jin’s backstory. I could tell when he began to thaw and when he began to truly care for Ye Xi Wu.

For someone who was abused throughout his life and did not possess an ounce of trust in anyone, I could not understand why she underestimated Tantai Jin’s actions. He had proven his sincerity over and over, but how come she never saw through it? She did prove herself, but her duty outweighed her trust and love.
Personally, Li Susu was better than Ye Xi Wu.
But, had many novel and dramaland characters had her temperament, I doubt that there will be many happy endings.
Bai Lu is an excellent actress, and she attempted to give it her best shot for sure. But, till the very end, I did not know what was going on in Li Su Su’s mind.

Even in the final episode, I just couldn't help but feel terrible for Tantai Jin.

As for pacing, the first 20 - 22 episodes were definitely the strongest ones for me. Even the Bo’re Dream which I loved. Then came the latter half of the mortal arc and boy… I feel like I missed swathes of character development or should I call it regression? Everything can’t be attributed to editing, but also, to inconsistent writing.

I found it an absolute chore to follow through after EP24. There were several questionable decisions and miscommunications that seemed plain awful and squeezed in to somehow conclude that part of the tale.

[As usual, we have brainless immortal sects like any standard xianxia, so it was of no surprise. And what's a xianxia without a pesky God of War around?]

One particular plot point legit seemed like a deux ex machina that was a gateway for the drama’s flamboyant ending, which just irritated me. A very regular xianxia style ending, which barely lasted for 3 minutes. An attempt was made to make it emotional, but too late, I grew used to the drama’s reliance on their powerful cast and music to make up for damages.

Side characters appear and disappear as they see fit - and apparently, several scenes were cut, though I have no idea how it would have impacted the story. Pian Ran and Ye Qing Yu in particular were just forgotten.

That being said, I still do not know how to rate Till The End of the Moon. The cast and crew obviously put their heart into it. I’ll have to go through a re-review before finally rating it, but for now, I give it a solid 8.

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Forbidden.

This is not my first brush with an art form related to incest – back when I was in high-school, Tabitha Suzuma’s novel titled Forbidden (the same as my review's) created a stir in Goodreads, Cassandra Clare's Dark Artifices features two characters (though not blood related) bound to be forever in a sibling like relationship with each other due to circumstances.
The most recent one is the currently airing Taiwanese drama, Unknown, based on the novel Da Ge by Priest.

I don't condone or encourage incest by any means, but I have to admit, I would be in the exact same predicament as the leading characters’ friends’, had something as such happened before me.
I view almost everything from an objective point of view or through the eyes of the characters, which might be why I did not find this as abhorrent as expected.
Plus, the immaculate performances by the leading and supporting cast was an added bonus.

The Plot:
The story opens with two supposedly newlyweds moving into a neighborhood for a fresh start. We soon learn the shocking truth: Akira and Keicchi are not husband and wife, but siblings by blood. And hence begins a flashback into the past, which step by step explains what finally leads them to this point.

My Thoughts: Typical Japanese style, this drama is simple with an excellent cast, and a slice-of-life calm ambience whose very power lies in the hands of the characters.
A common aspect that I've noticed in such dramas and novels hinting at sibling relationships going awry is the children being forced to grow up as adults way too soon.

From the get go, it's clear that Hirose Akira, the younger sister was the mother of the household – it's not that anyone assigned her to do it, but their neglectful and absent mother, combined with a distinct alienation of Akira from the family pictures speaks volumes.
She automatically accepts the role and takes care of her elder brother Keiichi. However, somewhere along the way, she begins to realize that she has reached a point where she just can't let him go.

The same goes for Keiichi, who is heavily dependent on his younger sibling to take care of him. I have to point out, Keiichi had no idea about Akira's feelings towards him and it's not until she confessed multiple times that it finally hit a nail across his head.

Another common theme revolving around characters growing up too soon seems to be this – they seek permanent safety, happiness and warmth from someone whom they know will never be able to abandon them rather than try out transient emotions. Both Akira and Keiichi had only each other to seek out during difficult times. They are burdened by insecurities and responsibilities. (I did feel that Akira was a bit too stringent, though.)

Their friends, particularly Takumi and Go-san, are two other characters who have a fair share of their own dilemmas. Impossible unrequited loves, dysfunctional families, growing up different… Saraba, Yoki Hi had quite a lot going on.

The Cast: Is the real reason why this drama is a success. Hirose Akira in particular, has one of the most emotionally draining performances I've seen in such a subdued drama and I applaud Yamashita Mizuki for taking on such a role. One minor flaw would've changed the entire vibe of the drama from real and raw to plain creepy.
I'm familiar with Suzuki Jin's work and he did a decent job here. Kato Konatsu and Ito Asahi, Takami and Go-san, were excellently portrayed for supporting characters.

The Music: Was not too memorable for me. It was rather mellow and blended in with the scenes, without overpowering it.

Many thanks to massterchef @Tumblr for the subtitles. It was a different experience from my previous watches as it directly dealt with a taboo and sensitive topic.
As for that part… I'm not one to judge, and will not do so in this case. But, Saraba Yoki Hi was indeed a pleasant watch for me.

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"And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door..."

The repertoire of folk tales and mysteries has once again arrived... it is a direct continuation of the first season, just that it's simply split into two parts.

But, the story, as compared to the first, was much more powerful and compact and delved directly into Akira-sensei's past, something which we did not see in the first part. Moreover, it's a chain of events or web instead of a simple mystery in episodic format.
It did not pull any punches and relied a lot more on the background of the characters, particularly Takatsuki Akira-sensei. It is this season which proves why he is the eponymous character of the show. We see a different side of his in this one and focusses on his emotions and vulnerabilities.

Plus, there is a prominent 'antagonist' - Hajime. Kudos to the actor for portraying a completely eccentric, sad and psychotic personality. He really gave the lead mystery cracking team a run for their money.

The story is still see through Fukamachi Naoya-san's eyes, but he is no longer as subdued as before. While he still has the requisites that come along with his "rare gift", he is much more in control of his emotions. Reiko-chan and Ken-chan tag along as usual and hasn't lost their essence from the first season. I appreciated both of them a lot in this one.

As usual, the strength of friendship is as strong as ever. And the emotional connection between Naoya-san and Akira-sensei is even more pronounced. It was heartwarming to see their raport develop from trepidation to trust.

The supernatural vibes is particularly undeniable as usual, particularly with sensei.
It took me almost two years to complete this as there were no easy accessible subtitles available, but when I did continue where I left off, and I was happy to find out that I hadn't forgotten about the first season either. [Many thanks to sametakunai and Kate.]
The ending was personally satisfying for me. I for one, strongly believe that some mysteries remain as they should be. And Akira-sensei deserves to keep his secrets.

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Short, Strong and on Point.

Future Chinese dramas can take a leaf out of this one. With only 37 minutes, it managed to convey a lot of emotions. This should've been atleast an hour long. I loved both Po Xiao and Feng Ran a lot. I liked how the two different contrasting characters learnt to trust each other. The basic plot is very Wuxia. It would've had so much potential and been a good one. My only complaint is that everything was so rushed! Skip a sentence and you don't know where the story is heading.
The cast was the highlight - they acted their hearts out. I hurt for Feng Ran and Po Xiao. It was so realistically portrayed! Kudos to them! I hope to see them in future works.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth a watch.

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When you have no idea what the plot is...

Does this drama deserve such a low rating? Technically not, but in a critical sense, yes. I've seen a lot of Youku's light hearted dramas and how this one managed to make me regret the time I invested in it is kinda surprising.

THE PLOT:

What makes me upset is that the drama had a strong start with just the right amount of cheesy and fluffy vibes. Its premise itself sounded promising. Luo Yan, a supposedly cold-hearted bully from Fang Li's high school memories reappears once again, only for her to find out that he had completely forgotten about his past at the school. Through various coincidences, she slowly realizes that he may not be the bully she had assumed him to be.

THE DOWNSIDE: I enjoyed the first twelve episodes immensely. The flashbacks to the past and the cliche stuff that happened in the present didn't seem draggy or over used, thanks to the excellent portrayal of the characters by the leads. Then came the downside. If there is one thing that I absolutely dislike, its a plot device. Characters were introduced just for the sake of making the plot move forward, only to disappear for a couple of episodes and then re-appear whenever the script requires it. Half of the cast we see in the MDL poster don't even play an important role. (Except Luo Yan and Fei Fei.) The story veers off tracks multiple times and there were episodes that I felt got filmed only cause they had too much budget left/or had no idea what to do with the script.
Another thing that I noticed was that they had cut several scenes. The last episode was the only one that gave off the initial feelings of the first 12 episodes that I wished the people behind this drama had tried to maintain. The last few episodes were painful to watch. The mood switches felt off and rushed. (Particularly the scenes with Fang Li's Grandma.) But, the finale was done so beautifully, and the last episode managed to somehow bring back the initial fluffiness.
Luo Yan's past was sort of scraped up after EP12 and the story took a lot of time in developing useless subplots and wasted a whole episode on side characters that do nothing to the plot whatsoever. Hsd they stuck to a single plot thread, this drama would've been much better. Or it would've been nice if it had just 18 or 20 episodes with more substance.

CAST AND MUSIC: I loved the soundtrack. It looked as if the music director was aiming to purposefully make fun of the plot/over used tropes and it worked well. (In a good way.) The cast was not too bad either. They did well with what they were given.

OVERALL: It was particularly disappointing after a strong start with some quality fluff. It has its own sweet moments. The story had a lot of potential to be genuinely good in its own right, but unfortunately, it fell far off the mark.

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An excellently paced drama that is worthy of a watch.

One of my 'palate cleansers' of this month, I absolutely loved every minute of Semantic Error. The storyline is not uncommon, but I was amazed by how each episode was shot.
Considering that it only has 20 minutes per episode, the pace never falters -- we clearly watch the characters, Jaeyoung and Sang Woo, develop their hate to love relationship and I'm impressed by how nothing seemed rushed or unconvincing.

I admit, I grinned like a fool whenever something happened. It had the perfect mix of comedy and romance. (Guess this is going to be a guilty pleasure watch for sure.)

A shout out to the script writers and the actors without whom this drama would've definitely landed somewhere in my 5 - 7 scale.
I adored the lead characters and Jaeyoung's friends in particular. Their presence was necessary to highlight the extraverted Jaeyoung's emotions. Sang Woo, being the loner, handled all his emotions himself. (Or tried to... the first 10 minutes of episode 7 will forever remain iconic to me.)

It's highly enjoyable. Not a masterpiece, but not a completely average drama either.

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A No-Nonsense Old School Short Drama.

I had seen the official videos uploaded with no subtitles on YouHug's Youtube channel and did not think twice about this one until I stumbled upon the comment section of this drama, so thank you, users.
If you are used to watching a very typical CDrama style time-travel sans the nonsense fillers, this one is for you.
For starters, both the FL, Qian Jin and Huang Xiao are 'smart'. Frankly, the stock/investment/ and business talk was lost on me, but aside from that, this truly is an enjoyable drama. The romance was natural and felt nice as both of them truly "knew" each other.
The one downside was a character, who seems to have had his plot suddenly changed in between the script. I felt zero sympathy for him even with all the sob story nonsense and felt that they added all that just to fill up 24 episdoes.
The ending is very, very cliché and something you ought to expect from dramas such as these. But, it was emotional and I forgive them for this minor blunder.
All in all, this is a well made, no-nonsense short story which utilised its runtime well. It saved me from the Chinese Drama drought that had taken over the past year and made me pick up some major ones. [Special thanks to SoonSetra for her subtitles.]

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Will you erase your memories and re-live your life if given a chance?

This is a good, simple story which you can watch as a stress reliever. I got intrigued by the title, but the meaning might lie a bit deeper into the story.

Jack o' Frost is a very cottagecore drama set around two working individuals, Ritsu and Fumiya.
Though they've managed to maintain a good relationship, strains soon appear and Fumiya suggests breaking up. Ritsu leaves enraged, only to get into an accident. Fumiya realizes that Ritsu has lost his memories after waking up. Not just any memory, but those that were specifically related to him. Fumiya takes this opportunity to erase his errors and give their relationship a second chance.

What I liked the most are the characters: they were not annoying, but understanding and was ready to give space to the ones they cared about. I doubted Fumiya's intentions because he seemed to be trying to help Ritsu, but trying "not" to fall in love with him again. But, during the last few episodes, I felt that his decision was the safest. Had ot been something else, things would look ugly.
But, the reason he broke up with Ritsu was plain stupid. It's literally he who is Jack Frost to me. Suzuki Kosuke did well, but his character was wtitten a bit too... pettily? But, I like his inner turmoil.

Ritsu's character (as well as the actor) was my favorite. I appreciated how he genuinely loved his work. He was confused, but still trying to give his all. Honda Kyoko knows how to act well with his eyes.
There were only two supporting characters, and this allowed the story to focus more on the main characters' alone, despite having only 6 episodes.

All in all, Japanese dramas have that quality which makes even the most plain dramas absolutely beautiful. This is not groundbreaking by any means, but give it a try if you feel like it.

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"Dura Lex, Sed Lex."

Cassandra Clare's books were the ones that introduced me to this term, popularly known as the Brocard Law, which when translated from Latin means "The Law is harsh, but it is the Law." Thankfully, she found a strong counterpart against this which is the family motto of the Blackthorns: "A bad law is no law."

Not Me reminded me a lot about this. If you are looking for romance in particular, then this drama might not be for you as it deals more with politics and justice than with love.

It delves into the depth of the social injustice faced by humans in the hands of law and the higher officials. Personally, I did not find it as 'dark' as viewers had said. Moreover, it brought forth certain shady topics that one would not dare to openly do so in a country. I applaud the production team and the whole crew for their bravery in putting this forward.

Four university students who work part time in a motorcycle garage decide to push the limits of law and commit acts of delinquence in order to shine light on the illegal activities being done by the major influential personalities, with businessman and politician, Tawei as their main target. When Black, their ringleader gets beaten to the point of unconsciousness, he is replaced by his more capable and refined twin White, whose existence is hidden as a result of his parents divorce.
As he seeks too find the culprit who caused his brother's injuries with the help of their mutual friend Todd while on incognito mode, White slowly starts to realize that Black was not whom he had known many years ago.

First and foremost, Thai dramas are literally the only ones listed on MDL where I feel genuinely like a useless pile of snack wrappers while watching them. All the characters are students who are passionate about their studies and what they do —- may it be Political Science, Law, Art or even Dance.
They really work hard to study and knows very well the consequences of their actions, right upto the years they would be sentenced to, once they are caught. They are purposeful and know their cause, fight for their rights and want their voices to be heard.
Issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and the loopholes of the Law of Impunity are discussed in detail and for once, I sat down to actually listen instead of fastforwarding. I aspire to be even as half as brave as them.

The entire drama follows their chronicles. And they do it as a final resort since nobody would help them. They are not the bad guys, per se. I even rooted for them. I predicted the ending since the very beginning, so I was not let down by the final episode.

The cast was spectacular, particularly Gun Attaphan who played the dual role of Black and White. It was so well done that I'm convinced that these were two different individuals instead of the same person. Same goes for Sean and Yok. The actors practically made the characters alive. Minor supporting roles such as Eugene, Namo and Nuchi and their rapport with the main characters were interesting to watch. I did not feel that any character was added in as a 'waste'.

The OST was beyond amazing and captured the essence of the drama perfectly. The opening song is so beautiful even without understanding what was being sung. (Not Me by Kang Songks.)

This was an experimental, yet a didactic experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and would not mind rewatching it again.

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Short, Cute, Sweet and Unconvoluted.

If you want something to uselessly make you grin at your phone, this one is for you. It gives me the same feelings that I get by watching two British Shorthair kittens having fun.

Warning: it has a rather stale start. Hae Bom, the adopted son of the Jo Family, always felt indepted to them. What makes this worse is that their son, Tae Sung, is the exact opposite of him. Rather smart and strong compared to the sweet and small Hae Bom, their differences builds an unintentional wall in their relationship -- until they are put in the same class together.

The episodes start to get significantly better. Or it might be that I became acclimatized to the overall vibe and characters.
It's not too deep, and has that prim and polished vibe that most Korean dramas have, regardless of their length.
The one thing that is the true highlight of this drama is Hae Bom's character growth. He grew up from being a scared baby to someone who is not afraid to fight for himself. It was by the final episode that I truly understood why he was the leading character.
Tae Sung was rather an introvert, and I rarely saw glimpses of his mind. His two best friends, Ji Ah and Young Hee are the ones who weedle out the truth. Their relationship starts out awkward, but then slowly became fun to watch.
Oh yeah. That reminds me. EP5 had a scene that I did not expect at all to be included in such a fluffy drama.
I personally felt that it attempted to shed light on the prejudice and dilemma that the LGBTQ+ community face, even though it lasted for only a short while.

The cast did their best , particularly Ok Jin Uk for his performance as Hae Bom. He was very expressive for a rookie actor with not much experience. Both Hae Bom and Tae Sung were plain cute, if not, one of the cutest pairing I've ever come across in a drama.

If you are looking for something to watch as a short palate cleanser, I would recommend that you give this one a try.
I'll probably forget the names of the characters, but I will definitely remember the transient joy I felt while watching this.

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A fatally beautiful saeguk.

I'm not a fan of Saeguks. Or extremely political dramas which involve power play and betrayals. My first Saeguk was 'Moon Embracing the Sun', which I sat through solely due to my sudden interest in watching Kim So Hyun's works. Though it was a unique experience, I would not say that it was excellent. Same goes for 'The Tale of Nokdu', where all the interwoven politics went over my head.

I started The Red Sleeve purely after being impelled to do so by reading the exalted emotions on the kisskh comment section. (The first GIF I saw in Tumblr was the one where Deok Im says that she has a cold.)
Never did I expect to flash through all the twelve episodes released at that time within two days. Based on real historical figures and incidents, the drama follows the life of Sung Deok Im, a happy-go-lucky young court lady who is destined to serve the Crown Prince for the rest of her life. Content with her future, she finds joy among her friends and doing the things that she loves the most, enjoying the freedom that she got.
Until a chance event leads her right to the Crown Prince, Yi San, who although initially annoyed by her antics, slowly warms up to her.
Struggling to untangle herself from schemes of Yi San's rivals and attempting to navigate through her duties and protecting the Crown Prince, Deok Im soon starts to realize that life within a palace is not as she thought it was going to be.

What made this drama win me over was the solid script which equally divided the screen time between palace politics, the court ladies and the angst-inducing romance of the leads. Although the initial episodes leaned more towards the style of a comedic romance, the ominous foreshadowings of what lay ahead are already planted right on the first episode. Thanks to this being based on real individuals, I was prepared for what lay ahead.

I've never seen the lead actors before, so I am unable to evaluate them based on their previous works. But, every single characters' performance was captivating.

Deok Im is hands down one of my all time favorite characters. Aside from the romantic aspect, she is a strong lady who is unafraid to say no when required. Considering that this drama is set during the early 1700s when common women had little to no power, I loved how she went against the social norms of those times.
"The Crown Prince is dear, but myself is dearer."
As a result, her relationship with Yi San is of the excessively slow burn type, but it never once hindered my enjoyment as the subplots had almost equal importance as their personal tale. I had seen several comments about how her character went overboard multiple times, but I vehemently support her very tame outbursts as Yi San himself refused to often understand his boundaries. Lee Se Young almost perfectly portrayed Deok Im's slow decline into despondence. Her bright smile and sunny attitude was nowhere to be found after the initial episodes. Sometimes, I would rewatch an episode and then wonder how things went downhill for her so suddenly.

Yi San is the one character who had the most pivotal role. We see him slowly take on his responsibilities and start to grow from a slightly carefree prince to a ruthless King. This tone shift is starkly represented, particularly after EP11. I admit, he scared me often with his actions. He would be empathetic during one time, then pretty much ruin that by unfurling his deepest emotions and having sudden bursts of anger. But, I can understand why he reacted the way he did. According to fans/viewers who know history, their love story was not an easy one.

Lee Jun Ho and Lee Se Young delivered stunning performances. I will be keeping an eye out for both the actors' future works from now on.

I loved the friendship between Deok Im and her friends; also her relationship with Wol Hye (a senior court lady) and Lady Seo (her mentor). The final episodes in particular made me realize why they were an integral art of her life and how they helped shape her choices.
Lady Seo knew Deok Im the most. It pained me to see her cry.

Special mention to Yi San's personal guard and the eunuch, who were a regular presence straight from the start. The duo and Lady Seo provided the bit of comedic relief that I wanted.

(One unexpectedly touching moment was a brief conversation between Princess Hwahan and her adopted son. It made me tear up surprisingly. Hong Deok Ro was another muddled character whom I couldn't hate.)

The Red Sleeve relied on visual portrayal rather than verbosity. Deok Im and Yi San's real romance barely lasted for four episodes before Deok Im starts to realize that giving up her confined freedom for life as a consort was not worth it.
The drama has politics, but I wasn't disinterested or muddled about what was going on. Though there were episodes where I failed to trace out who was whose sibling/aunty/uncle/brother, it was understandable and engaging. The main King, who has a very strange man, made me feel like either something was wrong with him or with me. Breathe on him the wrong way and there is a high chance we will be leaving the palace without our heads. I could feel the urgency and tension of the characters whenever something happened. The scenes between him and his Grandson were highly emotional.

And the million rules…. I'm suddenly happy that such a Monarchical system has ceased to exist or else I would've self exiled myself. The stiffling life of the Concubines was hard to watch. The Queen Dowager was a regular character who was the most insightful and enigmatic person to me. I realized by the end that she was a wise woman who was worthy of her title.

Yi San and Deok Im's love story is what someone on tumblr mentioned, almost Austen-like. (I'd say Bronte type too.) I understood why it was drawn out. The original story had the king wait for Deok Im for 15 years. This drama somehow managed to stuff that into 17 episodes. Though, I personally feel that it should've been drawn out to some 18 or 20 episodes for a smoother transition.

Scratch that. After finishing EP16, I wanted the drama to end as quickly as possible. It left me with a tumult of mixed emotions. I didn't know if there was anyone to be blamed or hated. I wished that fate itself could get undone. Watching the final episodes was like watching a train wreck.

The background music was enchanting and haunting. Though I was not a huge fan of the songs, I did notice that they progressively went from light hearted to plain heart breaking as the intensity of emotions attained a peak.

The scriptwriter did not resort to any forced scenarios and tried to stick to the book as much as possible. While half of the Red Sleeve is a nerve-wracking mess, I do not regret spending my time for it. It also solidified my opinion on why I hate palace dramas so much.

Definitely an outstanding production that deserves every bit of love.

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"Love and Loyalty Run Deeper Than Blood."

I borrowed this tag line from the cover of "Vampire Academy". If you have read that novel, you may get a gist of why I chose that as the headline.

I had a hard time rating this drama. It arose very conflicting emotions in me. Was it well written? Yes, personally. But, what I find disconcerting is the mixture of genres.
The story revolves around a small town, Gifu, where a University student had mysteriously disappeared. What's more, the MIA student is accused of sexually assaulting and drugging several girls. Fast forward 15 years later, his own father is found dead soon after his missing son's body is found buried.

One of the people whose life/passion got ruined by the case happens to be Miyazaki Dai, a police officer who had been present at Gifu during the event. When the case is handed to him, he discovers that the prime suspect was Sanada Rio, the gifted president of the Sanada group... who also happens to be his first love.
Delving for the truth, he is forced to question everyone whom he once cared about. But, what exactly was the Sanada family hiding?

This is perhaps the first blended drama I've ever seen. It goes from Family, to Life to Mystery, Crime, Law and Thriller all at once. What makes it distinctly stand out from the others that I've watched is the how the writers managed to make us care for the characters one by one. It made us understand why certain difficult choices had to be made and why certain truths had no option, but to get hidden.

Romance is not an integral part of Saiai. Dai-chan was completely professional when it came to the investigation. I was surprised by how he managed to juggle both his emotions and loyalty to his work. Sanada Rio was as assertive as him. No one allowed their emotions to get the better of them.
I initially disliked Kase-san, but he was just doing his job. Perhaps, being a lawyer is not as easy as it looks.

The BGMs were constant. Someone would be chasing a suspect, but the music never switches to a thrilling vibe. I personally did not find this annoying. But, the choice in music affects the aura of the drama.
Kimi Ni Muchuu by Utadari Hikari is repeatedly used throughout and now it has become one of my favorite songs, even though I rarely like soft music.

A sir who once came to my class asked a question to a girl who was trenchant in her opinion about how justice should be served and criminals should be arrested: "If the person is someone like your own brother, would you do it?"
She replied: "Yes, ofcourse! I will punish him!"
But, all he said was: "No, you won't. You have never been in such a situation, but when it comes to you, you won't do it."

I do not know how true Sir's staement was, but this drama is the closest to what I could find to corroborate what he had said.
The title "Dearest" is the most fitting. At the end of the day, everyone are someone else's dearest.

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