One of the better ones for short Chinese dramas and highly entertaining
In recent years, Chinese entertainment have really expanded their list of short dramas and you can start to see which ones are the better ones. This is one of the better ones on every level: production, soundtrack, acting, story, and directing. Compared to bad ones--where there are a lot of inner monologue to move forward the scenes and lack of cinematography (all meant for quick consumption)--this one is longer in episode length and so have more time to develop the relationship. I definitely put this on the higher tier, among other well known short dramas like "Queen of Attack" and "The Killer is also Romantic."Premise: A manga character who typically plays the female villain role in stories gets a new assignment: she is to be the female villain character for the romance story of a domineering CEO & pure-hearted kind girl. However, after she entered the world, she somehow took over the role as the female lead! To survive against the female villain while the male lead is in a coma, she teams up with the male villain.
The chemistry between the characters is sizzling and the story is so fun as the character makes fun of typical cliches and tropes (while being stuck in it) and there's actually several twists that had me on my toes since I didn't expect it. At the same time, there is a bit of a fun tragic/angsty aspect: as characters in a story, you're stuck to follow the story--but what happens when you break from the story? I love these kinds of dramas.
Overall, a very entertaining drama with memorable scenes and several good songs and especially a breakout moment for the main leads: Liu Xiening and Guan Yue. They have great visuals and look really good together!
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A great drama for the angst and hurt/comfort genre
This drama should come with a tiny warning: this drama is not for those seeking light-hearted romance and comedy. This drama is very angsty and occasionally we get the sweet romance between the FL and ML, but this drama overall has a heavy tone. After all, the main serious plot is about revenge and scheming. So, I warn you now: if you're not ready for angst and you don't like a lot of sadness, this is NOT for you.This drama is for those who enjoyed dramas like "Goodbye My Princess" where there is a lot of tragedy and tragic moments. If you like tragedy, tragic characters, doomed fates, fighting against the inevitability, and plotting, I'd recommend this drama. If you enjoy irony, this drama delivers.
Summary: In the first life, Lu Anran falls in love with Mu Ze and have a sweet beginning--but a tragic end. When she gets the miraculous chance to start over, she is no longer the naive woman she was before. Knowing the true face of Mu Ze and how everything will turn out, Lu Anran begins her second life planning her revenge and protection of her family--while also learning who really loved her wholeheartedly this whole time.
I think this drama did well in making you care about all three leads and care about their relationships to each other. Watching this drama, I was really invested in all three of them: Lu Anran's sweet romance with Mu Chuan, Mu Chuan's brotherhood with Mu Ze, and Mu Ze's fucked up yet compelling relationship with Lu Anran. All three dynamics were interesting to watch, which made all the angst bearable.
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delightful historical alien romcom w/ beautiful cinematography, visual comedy, and heartfelt scenes
What a delight this drama turned out to be! I was cautious with the strange title and mediocre rating, but this drama delivered a tight storyline with good pacing, endearing characters, and moving scenes. I started out this drama for zheng yecheng (and he was phenomenal, as always) and am so grateful that I ended up loving many things about this drama.Abu Cha Cha is an alien who, during a crash, falls to earth and has to take over a body to live. This body is Tang Qing Ye who is the half-sister of Tang Qing Feng. (If you are worried about incest, please don't be! The story is definitely not going to be about that kind of thing.) Tang Qing Feng is an upright and capable court official and a master of Jian Wu Academy. He investigates corruption and strange incidents ongoing in the city and also takes on investigating the truth about who is trying to kill Tang Qing Ye. As Abu Cha Cha tries to find a way back home to Planet Duo, her life becomes entangled with Tang Qing Feng as they become involved in ploys for imperial power and must seek out the truth, learn to trust one another, and protect the ones they love.
It's nothing too new about the story and plot twists, but I enjoyed it greatly due to the strong performance of the actors and great directing. The scenes are beautiful, the emotions are there, and I care about the characters. The supporting characters, too, are endearing and have their distinct personalities. I'm even surprised that the CGI isn't too terrible! In the end, the drama delivers a well paced story with a satisfactory ending (of this season anyway; there's a second season that I've yet to watch!). The story is solid.
This is a fun and surprisingly heartfelt drama if you give it a chance. If you like historical romantic comedies, if you are accepting of the alien concept, then you should enjoy this. Of course, I should warn that the comedy is like Stephen-Chow type of comedy where there are slapstick comedy as well as deadpan comedy and just a lot of visual comedy (ex: while this one character was talking about something melodramatic, the characters blurrily in the background sat on the ground and ate food while listening). Or, I guess, the comedy is like if the manga Gintama was instead a Chinese historical romcom, lol.
This comedy can be off-putting at first if you're not used to it and can make the drama feel very much like just a comedy show, but I think it balances the comedy and seriousness well. The drama delivers the heartfelt and serious scenes well with great cinematography and a good OST that allows you to still immerse in the feelings of the scenes and feel moved for our characters still.
I really loved Tang Qing Feng's stoicism, sense of justice, and devotion. I loved Abu Cha Cha's sense of self preservation and obliviousness as it was funny but also cute and she learns to care about others beside herself.
Overall, I highly recommend this drama if you're interested in the above things I've mentioned!
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The comedy and endearing characters carries this show more than the romance. However, the romance is very nice. Bu Meng & the Emperor's bickering dynamic and them falling in love is pretty well-paced. They just lack a lot of screentime (read for possible reason below).
So, if you're here to only care about the romance, you'll be let down tremendously. (At certain episodes, they do focus more on the romance, but I'd say 70% of the entire series is not on romance.)
If you're here to laugh a lot at the shenanigans of the inner palace and from our main character Bu Meng (and how she gets involved in a lot of people's businesses), you'll have an enjoyable time. I laughed so much throughout this series. Gina is great as Bu Meng--her comedic timing is great--and I also love her voice (I heard it's her real one and not a dubbed one? I love it because it's not super soft and high pitch but it's deep). Jiro matches well as the Emperor and I adore his character. He may seem petty as first but he is a pretty kind emperor considering that they are living during peaceful times.
The supporting casts are all so great. I love all the Consort friends--they are so great and complex. I even enjoyed most of the side characters' stories, such as Bu Meng's brother and his love story.
PLEASE BE PREPARED: apparently this show was cut a lot, from its original intended 45(?) episodes to just 36. It was cut down a lot, so it's suspected that some plots got cut out and the romance got cut down as well. For why it was cut/censored, no one seems to know why and at this point, we have no luck of finding an uncensored version sadly.
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engaging serious plot, entertaining enemies-to-lovers; biggest weakness is female lead's development
I started this drama with very high hopes. I enjoyed all three of the main actors (li landi, ren jialun, and xu zhengxi) from previous dramas. The fight scenes looked great, the acting was pretty good, and the cinematography wasn't bad. The conflicts and motivations of each character were clear in the beginning. But as you watch on, you'll see that the female lead seems to have the least depth to her character. The drama felt very much weighted toward wei zhao's story and pei yan's story. They felt like the true main characters by the end, and the true equals of the show, rather than it being between the female lead and male lead.And that's not a bad thing, but the problem is that they didn't elevate jiang ci's character. Her character's agency and fierceness disappeared over the course of the drama. She constantly felt stuck in the same place (literally, sometimes!) and rarely saved herself. Even her anger over wei zhao's white lies (and straight-up lies) felt a bit tamed. Toward the last third of the drama, it felt like so many men around jiang ci were making decisions for her, making decisions about her status and life. She had no say. She could not leave where she was. We didn't even get to see her on screen very much. It was beyond frustrating. I almost dropped the drama.
By the final third of the drama (around 30-35), when one more serious sub-plot tried to surface, I gave up on this dragged out storyline and just skipped a lot of it. I just wanted to know what happened at the end.
The drama started so high, but ended as just 'meh' for me. I couldn't bear how much the female lead was suffering because of the men in her lives.
If you like stories that have less romance and more of the scheming and battles (and sad tragic realities of war), this did pretty good. I was really sad for the state of Yueluo, who have to send slaves to the Liang state and who have to suffer humiliation from the Liang state. That pain is really well shown.
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Fighting against fate! Enjoyable, emotional, and exciting: the triple E's!
An anti-hero female lead fights against her fate as the "villain" in someone else's love story. It's full of twists, it commits to some dark subjects and themes, and female lead is stubborn and cunning. She really does a lot to manipulate the male lead, but fortunately, the male lead is smart enough to eventually catch on. It makes their dynamic very interesting. Truly, this is a short drama that made me feel emotions, made me tear up, and had me excited for the next episode.Daisy solidifies herself as THEE short drama queen in an angsty romance. If you've seen her in Provoke and previous dramas, you'll know she does well in playing both the innocent and the vicious. Her tears make me teary as well.
Unfortunately, the male lead here is a little overshadowed by her. And, with his baby face, it took some time to get used to him in the character of a general. But, I would say about eight episodes in, I was invested, and I enjoyed his character. He wasn't a bland, morally upright person. He could be vicious too, so that was fun.
Overall, I recommend if you are a fan of Daisy Li (the female lead) and a fan of characters who fight against their fates (so anyone who enjoys webcomics, perhaps?). This is a fun, wild ride worth your time. But be warned that there are dark scenes like attemped r*pe.
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Romcom wrapped up in xianxia genre - Refreshing and unique
If you're a seasoned watcher of xianxia dramas, you probably expect complicated storylines, tons of supporting characters, and a lot of tragedy and angst.The Starry Love, for a xianxia drama, is quite unique and refreshing because it doesn't have too much of that. A huge chunk of it feels like a romantic comedy (emphasis on the comedy! It's very cute and silly). There are a good amount of supporting characters but the main supporting characters who go on the journey with the main 4 leads are a very good ensemble, very likeable, and bring comedy and also move the plot along.
My favorite refreshing parts of this drama:
-sisters who truly love and care for each other!!! No envy, no jealousy, just pure love and support.
-male lead comes off as cold in the beginning and there's an actual reason for that, not just because he's an asshole.
-The 'second' life in the mortal/beast realm doesn't involve too much amnesia actually because female lead doesn't forget any of her memories. It's all on the male lead's side.
Also, you know it'll be a good watch if you got both Sa DingDing AND Mao Buyi singing songs for the OST.
Furthermore, Chen XingXu is absolutely fantastic. He takes the whole cake! I knew he was already fantastic from Goodbye My Princess, but wow, he plays like 4-5 different personalities for his character--and pulls it all off! They are also unique with their own speech and mannerisms--something that Chen XingXu put a lot of thought into. I'm so happy for him and that he got to play this kind of difficult role, showing off his talent and skills!
Why am I only rating it 9.5 instead of 10? There are definitely a couple small things that I think could've been better, so I'm knocking it by half a point, but those small things doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the show. Really recommend to those looking for a different style of a xianxia drama!
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enjoyable short series full of all the classic tropes and fun
I started watching this because I heard that it was similar to other dramas in this genre such as "To Get Her" "Unique Lady" and "Love and the Emperor." Though this is a short series, it really does best at what it sets out to do.Riding on the popular trend of "FL gets sucked into a historical setting (from a book or script or game or drama) and tries to survive while developing a love story with the ML," this drama is not about whether this drama is "original" or not or if it's super logical at every turn--that's not the point of this kind of series!--but how well it does in playing to these romantic tropes and still make your heart flutter.
For me, it worked really well! I laughed at her attempts to survive, enjoyed her comedic expressions, and her eccentric interactions with the Emperor, and essentially I was with them along for the ride. (I watched all three 1-hr-long episodes on YouTube in one sitting, which is the better experience and flowed better than watching each of the eighteen 10-minute-long episodes, I'd say.)
For every moment that I was supposed to feel the emotions, I was there with them. For every romantic scene between the FL and the ML--where the cameras are spinning and there are flowers or snow falling and music swelling--I enjoyed it. Loved the OST. Really felt the emotions from the two lead actors Wang Lu Qing and Cheng Lei. They were fantastic.
If you're a sucker for good ol' romantic tropes of a cold Emperor slowly warming up the FL, I think you'll like this drama just fine. Just don't expect it to be longer because it's really meant to be a short series!
NOTE: Do not watch this expecting it to mention the things said on the summary for this drama, lol. Some of the info that it said on here did not even appear in the drama so I don't know what it was talking about, lmao.
(It says "Liang Wei Wei, a track and field student with superhuman strength and an idolater, accidentally entered a historical drama starring the idol Jing Qing." But this info never comes through? We know she's a track and field student but that's about all that really shows in the drama. I didn't even know she had "superhuman" strength or that the drama she entered starred the "idol"...that would've made this drama even more interesting but it never comes up explicitly.)
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Average drama with endearing characters & relationships--and that's mostly it.
What drew me to this drama were two things: 1) Liu Xueyi's handsome face and 2) the interesting premise of a single mother and child. In cdrama land, this is super rare! What kept me watching to the end was the pureness of the relationships and the endearing characters. I grew fond of many of them.Other than that, the drama is average in other departments. It's not great and it's not terrible. It's just fine. The soundtrack is okay but not memorable. The cinematography has no lasting impact but there are sweet and cute scenes. The acting is good enough for what this is: a costume romcom drama.
Overall, this is a sweet and lighthearted drama with typical obstacles in the way of the main couple's love but you watch it because you like the characters and their relationships to one another. It can be boring at times, so again, you have to like the (main) characters and their relationships to be invested and keep watching.
The highlights are Qing Luo and her son Nan'Nan as Qing Luo, though firm on her son, will never let anyone else hurt her child and will go absolutely feral if anyone hurts him. Ye Xiudu and Nan'Nan's relationship is also very adorable as Nan'Nan takes Ye Xiudu as a "pupil" and Ye Xiudu happily indulges him as "Master." And, of course, LiuLi and Haoran's hilarious relationship as Haoran is oblivious to Liuli's obvious affections and Liuli is often exasperated with him and punishes him accordingly (which he deserves because he's hilariously preachy.)
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When the first trailer came out, I watched it and was intrigued but then never watched the show until months later. So, by the time I sat down and watched the series, I had no remembrance of what the trailer showed me and I had no knowledge of the book (which came out in 2013). This was the best preparation I could've had as I ended up really enjoying the show. With no prior expectations, I went in and was pleasantly surprised by the humor, the characters, and the story.
Before I dive a little bit more into what I loved and didn't like as much, I hope audiences remember that this is a Netflix series and, judging by the set and the low number of episodes, Netflix probably didn't give the show a big budget. When you have a low budget, there is only so much you can do. I see several areas for improvement, but first, the things I loved that came through even with a low number of episodes:
-CHARACTERS AND ACTORS: Huang Peijia as Pan Li Lan was a good choice. I've never seen Peijia's other shows before so it was refreshing to watch her play our protagonist who may be a bit too trusting, but has a good heart and is pretty clever in the end. Also, her range of expressions is great and her cryings made me teared up as well, so kudos! Wu Kang Ren as Er Lang was such a delight; his performance balancing comedy and drama is one of the highlights of the show and brings a depth to Er Lang very quickly despite the short number of episodes. Ludi Lin as Lim Tian Bai was wonderful. He was the only actor I recognized and he is such a cute face that matches his role as a man divided by love and duty. Kuang Tian as Lim Tian Ching stole the spotlight many times with his fabulous hair, face, clothes, and dramatics. He played the spoiled and dangerous son very well. Basically, all the actors did a great job with their roles.
-COMEDY: although this show is probably categorized (and advertised) as a horror, it's probably more of a suspenseful mystery with many strong comedic moments.
-VULNERABLE AND IMPORTANT MOMENTS: There are scenes that address the patriarchy and men's treatment of women that are so good. It doesn't get a chance to go too deeply into it, but it definitely deepens this show as more than just a horror mystery. Also, mother & daughter scenes that are so important in revealing one's sense of duty and love to your family. (Overall, strong familial moments throughout.)
-STORY: I assume because of the low episode count, the story was more plot-driven (and thus character development suffered a bit). The premise is familiar to all of us: a girl is called to the heroine's journey because she wants to save someone she loves. Pan Li Lan is forced to make a deal with the worst person to save her father. In saving her father, she must save herself too. Because I liked Pan Li Lan, I enjoyed watching her journey. Was there anything that was super surprising or shocking in the plot itself? Not really, but the execution of the overall story is good.
Things that could be improved:
-MUSIC: The music overall isn't bad, but there were some music parts for specific scenes that just felt out of place or felt a bit TOO much. Also, I had hoped for more incorporation of Chinese classical instruments.
-CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: all the characters just deserve more screen time to develop the audience's connection and investment in the characters. Unfortunately, only the main characters really get this development and care. Not to say that there wasn't any development. There is a lot of growth for most of the characters, but the ones who we get to see with that is our main characters.
-HIGHER QUALITY OF SET, DESIGN, AND CGI: there are a couple shots of the city and you can just tell that it's really fake.
Overall, if you don't take the show too seriously (as this show is a fantasy, mystery, coming-of-age show rather than a very serious piece of work), then I think you'll enjoy the show.
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Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie
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This review may contain spoilers
Wholesome and brave: focuses on their future, which is SO important
I'm no expert, but I think this is a great addition to Asian queer cinema, especially when you think about how same-sex marriages isn't even legal in Japan (as of June of 2022). This movie gave a sincere and wholesome story to a gay relationship and, most importantly, let them have a future of happiness. I think it's a brave movie.This review will have vague/brief comments and then will have more detailed-specific spoilers.
Vague spoilers:
From the trailers, it seemed like the entire plot of the movie was going to be about their separation due to work and how they were going to struggle with communication and not being together. Which, I think, would've been fine too but it would've been a lot of strain and angst for a new budding relationship. Instead, the movie pivots halfway and adds another layer: it's about them, after figuring out what they truly want, moving forward together. It's a coming out story to the people they love. And it is handled so carefully, so beautifully. And the supporting cast makes their appearances, which was a delight, but this story is really about Adachi and Kurosawa's future. And I cried, laughed, and my heart was full. I'm so so happy for them. There is a tiny thread about the second couple that I felt could've been better, but I still enjoyed seeing them again on my screen.
The pacing may not be to the liking of those who wants something more fast-paced and exciting. This movie (and this drama) has never been about that. It's always been a gradual reveal and gradual understanding. It's tender. The quietness of the film amplifies the importance of their expressions, actions, and words. Truly well done.
Please go watch this movie (after watching the drama). You won't regret it.
Now, here is where I gotta be more specific and spoil the movie because I need to address a main complaint that I keep seeing from viewers.
STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE MOVIE.
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I'm just going to say it: we do not get an explicit, lip-to-lip kiss. There. So if you're here to see that, you won't get that. They do kiss but, with the camera angle, you are not shown the lips touching.
People complaining about not seeing a kiss in the movie is a valid opinion, but a lot of people seems to fetishized it more than anything. They just want to see two cute/hot men kiss. That's, well, problematic. Especially when it's coupled with wrong reasonings like claiming that the movie "queerbaited" the audience. Please, stop throwing that word around like that. Please, look up the definition of "queerbait." You are wrong if you think that this movie (or the drama) queerbaited. Oh my goodness. Also, please stop assuming the actors' sexualities and stop assuming that they have complete control over how the movie is made. They're actors. They're not the producers, directors, editors, or stakeholders. Unless the actors have said it themselves that they don't want to kiss same-sex actors, please stop claiming that it's the actors who are "too straight" to do a gay kiss. I beg you.
Personally, I think a kiss could've been cool but I have no issue either way. I think this movie could've championed LGBTQ rights even more than it already does by showing an explicit kiss, thus breaking the taboo of seeing same-sex people kiss. But it didn't do that. Fine. I can understand in some ways considering Japanese's current trend of BL dramas and how Japan literally still don't recognize same-sex marriages.
The movie still delivered a beautiful story that focused on the main characters' growth, especially Adachi, and focused on choosing to be together publicly. It's well done. Adachi in the drama and at the start of the movie has often relied on his power to understand people and to gather the courage to communicate to others. Sometimes, he relies on it TOO much and so the movie focuses on getting Adachi to move away from that. Once they truly settle into one another, they think about their future together--and they do want that: to be together for as long as they live. And they don't want to be hold back by laws and society. So the movie gently shows the anxiety and difficulty in coming out to the people you care about but the necessity in doing so and the importance of it.
I love this movie, this drama, and these characters. It never fails to make me feel a whirlwind of emotions. Also, the fact that they get married--when Japan again literally does not recognize same-sex marriages at this time--is SO important. The lack of explicit lip-to-lip kissing truly doesn't undermine anything in this movie.
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Strong start, arcs, & endearing characters; satisfying ending even if some things are questionable
This was a drama that took unexpected hold on me. I wasn't specifically attached to any of the actors in this production but I gave this a shot and it was pretty enjoyable. It's pretty logical for the most part but toward the end, it starts to get a little questionable and leaves some aspects that I wished was answered or shown, but overall, I enjoyed the characters the most and their adorable relationships. Of course, you do have to suspend your disbelief for certain things to occur, like the main female lead joining Kaifeng office despite being a woman. Maybe realistically, it wouldn't happen, but I enjoyed that she joined and everyone was pretty chill about it.I think what makes this a good drama is the characters. Like, the serious & political plot is okay, it had a strong first arc villain, it's good enough for a 24-episode romcom detective period drama, but the characters are what makes this show worth watching. I really liked that Mo Yan's weakness isn't forgotten after one time, but consistently shows up throughout the show and becomes a reason why a later plot point happens. I LOVE that the main couple consistently talks through their issues and rarely do anything stupid that endanger their loved ones. The side couples, I enjoyed greatly too. There weren't any characters that I thought was too annoying and I was empathetic toward characters who were going through a hard time--so I think the actors did well in this aspect. I am especially proud of the second male lead who has a lot of growth and becomes very competent and reliable.
Toward the end, it did feel like the drama was stretching some of the angst while not giving us enough scenes of some characters/couples, so the show felt like it was too long and too short at the same time. There was also a plot move that I questioned and didn't like. However, I think the ending was satisfying, so I had a good time. This show helped me like Caesar Wu a lot when I previously didn't care much about him. I wished the OST was a bit stronger with more memorable choruses, but in the moment of the scene, it worked. The best track for me is the instrumental track that plays during the detective or suspenseful scenes! There were also a lot of strong cinematic scenes--such as a continuous scene that moved with the characters throughout the office--that was cool.
Overall, a solid romantic comedy detective drama. Not the greatest of all time, not the worst, with good character growth and adorable characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong start but disappointing ending; humor and cuteness sustained it but illogical plots ruined it
Crossdressing dramas are always a fun opportunity for a lot of hilarious misunderstandings, jokes, and conflicts to the characters. This was well done between the ML and FL because I laughed so hard at how much the FL used her wits to keep her real gender from being revealed to the ML. She did some funny tricks that was actually pretty smart.This aspect and duration of the drama was the best part. Although a lot of reviewers and commenters complained about how long it took for him to find out the truth, I actually liked it because it allowed them to develop their relationship and characters without it being "oh, he's just giving her special treatment because she's a woman." Nope, the ML was arrogant and cold and the FL endured a lot but then he came around because of her wits, usefulness, and overall comfort she brought to him. He considered her a friend despite their social status. He learns to appreciate her ("him") and so he does his best to help "him."
This plot move is the first that I've seen in the cross-dressing genre. Every other drama is always like "oh he knew from the beginning and he began to protect her silently; starts to get jealous around other men; gets into conflicts with family members/friends because of her" which can get so dragging and boring, so I'm glad they did it this way as it was a lot more interesting and fun.
Because the ML didn't know her real gender from the beginning, all his protection and motivations was, for me, pure when he was protecting her. For example, when the second ML--who already knew her real gender--questioned the ML if he knew anything "off" about "him," the ML sincerely didn't know anything. He just cared about "him." So then, there is no conflict between the ML and second ML about the FL because of their "romantic" feelings toward her. It was about them trying to protect her in their own way, which was much smarter writing. I appreciate that a lot.
The biggest disappointment actually started after he found out her real gender. The drama became so tiresome. The ML was so happy that she was a girl that he disregarded reputation and gossip. Yeah, he's the master of the mansion so "who dares say bad things about the master?" but what the hell???? You're a general??? Also, you're putting her at risk by being all cutesy romantic toward her?? And she was just so happy about getting together with him that she was careless?? Everything after he found out her real gender went downhill real quick. The main villain, the secondary "villain," everything was just so messily put together. I skimmed through the final 5 episodes.
Basically, it feels like the scriptwriter thought well of the romcom part, but the serious suspenseful plot just fell flat. The payoff wasn't worth watching 28 episodes, sadly. However, if you want to watch a funny crossdressing romcom historical with pretty good faces, watch this with relatively low expectations and just enjoy those parts. Once you get to the end, just shrug your way through because it wasn't worth a lot of my own energy investment.
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A sweet story about finding out what it means to be loved and to have happiness
Despite its low budget production, this drama shines with its core themes on what it means to be loved and to love another. It's a shame that the official YouTube channel didn't give it official English subtitles as there are some really heartfelt scenes and good performance from a couple actors, especially Camille Hua, and deserve a bit more love. It is not a high-strung drama with tons of plot twists and angst but more low-key and contemplative. It maintains its status as a romantic comedy in a faux historical setting while still pushing out some real life questions about the self and love. At the end of each episode, Li Xia has a voiceover of questions that connects back to the episode, which at first was off-putting but also becomes more interesting.STORY: Li Xia is a kindhearted and sweet worker for a gaming company who has a crush on her boss Xiao Ning. She is the type of girl who likes to show her affections through food and care, so she's always taking care of the boss and the crew. When the company runs an initial test of their virtual otome game, Li Xia is chosen to do so, which excites Li Xia as she thinks that this is recognition and special attention from Xiao Ning--until she accidentally overhears him calling her an "ordinary girl" who is in the same expected audience range for their game. Essentially, he says that she is so ordinary, how could she be the girlfriend of a boss like him? He is insincere, essentially, toward her. Heartbroken and crushed, Li Xia still becomes the first test subject of the game and, in a moment of low self-esteem, chooses the hardest setting in the game and begins as an ugly maid. When she tries to get out, however, she soon finds out that bugs in the game have prevented her from getting out. As she tries to find the exit menu, she also meets an eunuch--who is actually the Emperor in disguise--and thus begins a sweet love story with him.
ACTING/CHARACTERS: for this kind of low-budget level drama, the acting is good enough. This is not a complicated drama that requires high level acting of complex emotions, so I just enjoyed what I was seeing. I especially came to love Camille Hua as I really appreciate her character's personality but also Camille herself. I really love how she has a different look from typical Chinese actresses. Whereas they have small faces, Camille has a full, round face and has a very adorable smile. She was the best actor on this production.
Sadly, I didn't feel the same kind of level with the main actor who played the Emperor Yang Mo. Maybe I just don't prefer his looks, but at times, he seemed stiff and wooden, thus lowering the level of chemistry he has with Camille and my investment in him. He does shine at different times, but I'd say it took me a while to get used to him. It might also have a small part to do with his character's personality, which is that he's supposed to be a bit of a suspicious and cold character--even toward his own brother--but he eventually warms up. His relationship with Li Xia is just so sweet. Although he is an Emperor, he is rarely overbearing toward her. At times, he'll do the mischievous thing of pulling the status card--"I'm the Emperor. What is the punishment for lying to me?"--but this is all in good fun. Their bonding over food, too, just makes my heart soar and is so satisfying to see. Because with Xiao Ning, she felt more like a maid making food for a master, but with Yang Mo, she is making food for someone who appreciates her, her food, and care--someone who reciprocates.
For the two generals, Fan Ru Xiang & Xie Qing Shu, I thought they were also good enough. I liked their modern and historical looks and enjoyed their dynamic. Fan Ru Xiang's friendship with Li Xia was also a positive thing about the show.
SOUNDTRACK: music is really important to me in a drama and although this drama had one or two good songs especially during the emotional scenes, about halfway through the drama, I started to notice this one specific instrumental melody that they used during contemplative moments. It bothered me that they seemed to play it 20 times in an episode, but had to just shrug it off. Low-budget dramas, you know?
OVERALL: Feeling disillusioned at first about love after Xiao Ning, Li Xia learns to love again and what it feels like to be loved. I recommend watching this if you're looking for something funny and sweet. The story is straightforward with a few twists and the ending is happy for our main characters. I don't think you'll get super emotionally invested in the story, but I think you'll still appreciate the sweetness of the characters and their relationships.
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This review may contain spoilers
Came for the compelling four main leads, fastfowarded to see how it end
Major plot threads spoilers below, although I try to be as vague as possible.------------------
Though I enjoyed many aspects of this drama, such as the cast and characters and the sweet and emotional scenes, I have mixed feelings about how the second half of the drama unfolded to the point where I was no longer actually invested and only fastforwarding scenes to find out what happened and how it will all be resolved. The saving grace of this drama is the acting from the four main leads, especially zheng yecheng and janice wu.
The drama starts off as a detective-type historical with a focus on fantasy as ye yuanan and zhao lanzhi solves cases that happen to intertwin with the life of mu le, an amnesiac servant boy bought by ye yuanan, and ming hui who has her own missions to find the Nine Divine Beads and thus she undermine zhao lanzhi at every turn. That's how it starts and is fine. It was intriguing and compelling (although sometimes it feels like I'm just tuning in to an episode to see which case will come up; each case is only connected by the Nine Divine Beads), especially when finding out more about what mu le's true identity is as he has shown signs of being more than an ordinary person. However, his identity is very slowly hinted at during the first half. The first half instead focuses on building the romantic relationships between mu le and ye yuanan, and ye yuanan and zhao lanzhi, and zhao lanzhi and ming hui--which will lead to angsty moments in the second half, which some decent payoff.
The relationship between mu le and ye yuanan has good tension because mu le is only a servant whereas she is a noble lady. although mu le (and I think ye yuanan) never feels like that should be a problem, society and everyone else does. mu le becomes frustrated at his identity as a servant. ye yuanan is oblivious of her own feelings--as she is tomboy-ish--and instead just opts to showing her care through her actions. mu le also becomes frustrated with his identity because it leads to bullying. he just wants to be with ye yuanan--he's very devoted--but is faced with all these external barriers and the obliviousness of ye yuanan.
ye yuanan and zhao lanzhi's relationship is pretty cute and I'm not even mad why she cares about him so much and vice versa. I'm fine with how it developed, the feelings it went through, and how it ended.
zhao lanzhi and ming hui was an interesting one because I didn't see it coming although I do like enemies-to-lovers trope. Their mutual dislike/distrust is a very fun dynamic, although it starts to become suffocating at a later point as ming hui, being an antagonist-type, becomes super toxic in trying to own zhao lanzhi.
Regardless, the relationships between the characters developed well and the story was interesting until toward the second half of the drama (mostly toward the end).
I was completely happy to see mu le recover his identity and go back to his rightful place and I liked that the setting moved us to a different place in the suoluo kingdom. I was fine with that plot move.
This was a chance for ye yuanan to struggle deeply with her complex feelings for mu le: the sense of betrayal, the sense of care and love. It's a lot to handle and unfortunately, I don't think janice wu pulled it off as well as it could've been. It could've been the fault of the director and editor and script writer too, but this kind of tough and complex situation really needed a great actress and janice wu didn't make me feel compelled but rather annoyed. (If you want to see a great scene that handled the betrayal and love and horror, just rewatch Goodbye My Princess when Xiaofeng realized that her lover Gu Xiaowu is the one that destroyed her grandfather's clan. That scene is just stunning and heartbreaking and incredible.)
ye yuanan was repetitive toward the last like 12 episodes and, although I understand that she is very bitter about the betrayal, she came off as idiotic at times and childish where it wasn't enjoyable anymore. I was also hoping that this second half would be a chance for ye yuanan to grow compassion; as she is now undercover as a servant and is treated badly just like mu le was when he was a servant, I thought there would be some connection there and some enlightenment and empathy toward mu le. Instead, ye yuanan just came off as constantly complaining and still so stubbornly arrogant. On one hand, it's align with her personality, but at the same time, it feels like she just didn't develop as a character.
As I said earlier, I was fine when the plot took us to the suoluo kingdom, but then there was time-travelling, which I threw up my hands and was like "Fine, we're doing this." I was fine with that plot turn too--but then they made it happened three times. Three times! ye yuanan kept saying that she could accomplish the mission back in time, but then fails--and they STILL let her go! I don't care how compelling her argument is--that she's responsible for mu le, whatever--it's just so idiotic that they let her go again and again when it was clear to everyone that she wouldn't be able to accomplish the mission. Instead of having her go back and forth in time three times, they should've just had it happened once and have her go through all of that stuff in one go.
The saving grace of the second half of the drama is mu le in his true place and his identity. he looks really great all dressed up, confident, and elegant. Not much else was very cathartic toward the end, sadly, not even my feelings for mu le and ye yuanan helped me through it. It was just zheng yecheng pulling me through to finish it.
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