This review may contain spoilers
Great job on almost everything in this drama: great leads, interesting storylines, fun characters
*No major, specific spoilers. Only vague, broad points!*This is likely one of the best dramas of 2025, maybe even one of the best in the past few years. Ever since China limited dramas to only 40 episodes back in like 2023(?), dramas have struggled to feel coherent all the way through. This drama truly pulls together all the threads, brings all the characters, to the end. It is quite the feat.
The highlight of the drama is the main leads. The master-disciple dynamic that gets switched later on makes everything more fun and hilarious and tragic.
Mu Qingge is talented cultivator who can essentially ascend to become immortal, but chooses not to because she loves life too much. She seeks someone who can inherit her skills and comes across Su Yishui, who has the same kind of "root/core" as she does. So, she forcibly takes him to be her disciple. This sounds really evil, but Su Yishui, actually, isn't a damsel-in-distress. He's an illegitimate prince who works for his Prince Father and harbors his own bad intentions and goals. He fights Mu Qingge every step of the way. Mu Qingge allows him to do so and even gives him a chance to leave if he can kill her. He tries, he really does, but he's not strong enough. So he reluctantly becomes her disciple.
Thus, their destines were tied together, with Mu Qingge thwarting Su Yishui's destined path and then Su Yishui will also change her death ending by bringing her back. He ends up becoming the "master" when she is revived with no memories of their past connection and became Xue Ranran.
They are truly that couple that will sacrifice themselves to save the other. It's great and it's tragic. Their romance is well developed with many memorable scenes. Despite some other characters who might try to get in their relationship, they are pretty much committed/obsessed with each other only, so it's never a true threat (but makes Su Yishui full of jealousy, lol). And Deng Wei is the standout in this drama, with his ability to act out soft or vengeful characteristics. He looked great on screen, too. For Julia Xiang, I had never seen her in a drama before so it was refreshing to see her as the female lead. I think she did a great job and balanced the two different personalities of Mu Qingge and Xue Ranran. She also has the brightest smile. I loved her!
The supporting characters are fun or interesting, which is great even if they don't have huge character growth. Some do, but for the most part, they are there to support the main characters.
For Su Yu, one of the antagonists and someone who is in love with Mu Qingge: He can be infuriating since he annoys Su Yishui, but I quite liked his character. He's flawed, he can be cruel and selfish, but I think his behavior is fitting of a royal crown prince. He has to do what he has to do while also being aware of tricks and lies. He has a character development that is quite intense and interesting and pitiful.
And, this is against popular opinion, but I also enjoyed Mu Ranwu's character. Mu Ranwu was the younger sister of Mu Qingge who started hopeful and sweet, but became obsessed and vengeful. Thankfully, she's not in love with Su Yishui, but Su Yu. I loved hating her, and I also understood her to some extent. I wished the storyline had given her a bit more character growth and reflection, but I'm also okay with how her character turned out. She was murderous and obsessive and harmed many people, but she was also desperate, scared and pathetic and fighting for herself even if it means going about it in immoral ways. She was a pitiful character.
Wei Jiu was quite a scary character in the beginning as an antagonist, but became quite fun--like a frenemy--and I deeply enjoyed his dynamic with Tu Jiuyuan, his sect sister (NOT blood sister).
I think my ONE thing to criticize about this show is that sometimes it feels like there are a lot of "convenient" solutions to some problems...it doesn't ruin the show, but it does feel a little too easy sometimes. Overall, plot is still pretty solid.
Overall: You'll enjoy this if you like the main leads! Their romance is fun and they sacrifice themselves for one another A LOT. There'll be a couple of "annoying" characters who show up, but it doesn't dampen the overall enjoyment of the leads and the story.
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Smart leads, beautiful cinematography, and well-paced
Plot-wise, this is closer to a 9.5. There is a sub-plot that develops in the later third of the drama that I wasn't too keen on, and the acting (from that specific character that the plot was focused on) was just okay. But, it is a 10/10 for me in terms of enjoyment.This drama was directed by one of my favorite directors right now: Zeng Qing Jie. He directed short dramas before, many that became very popular like A Familiar Stranger, Butterflied Lover, The Killer Is Also Romantic, and Provoke. You can tell he knows what angles and scenes to make the romance come alive.
And so, this drama does romance very well, with smart, competent, and mature leads. Their scenes are full of tension, and when they finally get together, their scenes are so sweet and loving.
Story-wise, it's about fighting fate and trying to change destiny. I love this kind of story, and I love that Dou Zhao also have setbacks--times when she questions if she can really make a difference. But she does! Her acts alone saves Song Mo, which changes his entire destiny. It's a typical story, but it's written well, with memorable lines.
This was Li Yunrui's biggest role yet, I would say. He's been in mainly supporting roles, and so this drama really gave him a chance to shine--and he did amazing. He's not super rugged or handsome like some other actors, but his boyish innocence and charm really worked for this story, especially since his character is also younger than the female lead.
I think this is also Meng Ziyi's biggest role since The Untamed. She became fairly well known from The Untamed in 2019, but she wasn't a main character then. She's done a couple of main roles since, but none of them gained this amount of attention. She really is beautiful in an ethereal way. I enjoyed her acting.
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Solid story, acting, cinematography. More PG-rated than the poster indicates
From the director of other strong short dramas "A Familiar Stranger" and "The Killer is Also Romantic," here's another story that delivers incredible visual storytelling with the plot.It is 20th century Shanghai, meaning this the Chinese Republican era, which is a transition period after the end of the monarchy but before the Cultural Revolution (so around 1910s-1940s). During this time is full of warlords fighting over territories and also the major issue of opium destroying a lot of people. This is the historical setting of the fictional story.
Jiang Ying is a local singer at a club who attempts to get close to Du Jingchuan for revenge. In her way is Jingchuan's son Du Xunyu, who is suspicious of her motives. However, Jiang Ying knows his secret: that the real Du Xunyu is already dead. So who is this man pretending to be Jingchuan's son and what is his end goal? Their entanglement unfolds...
The actors did an incredible job and the two leads have amazing chemistry. I've seen Zhao YiQin in older dramas that I didn't care too much for (I think he doesn't look that good in historical dramas) but he looks incredible here. Daisy Li is also the perfect female lead for this role, to be cunning but also able to play an innocent type. Overall, the whole cast did a great job.
The chemistry is sizzling, but it's definitely more tame than I hoped. Rather than going straight to sex and lust, there is a deep bond between the characters. I think the characters don't ever actually have a real kiss in this drama?? So as you can see, they are playing a deeper relationship than just physical.
About 2/3 of the way, I got a little bored once they knew who each other's true identities. However, I think it's still worth a watch!
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50% adventures, 50% martial arts politics, 100% BL
For all the hoops that this production has went through to become what it is today, major props to everyone involved. It deserves all the adoration and love. It's a low budget drama but, with the love of the script writer (who is an actual fan of the original novel and cares about the work deeply), the hard work of the crew and the actors, this drama pulled off some amazing chemistry, good acting, and beautiful props and designs. Not to mention that all of the actors are eye candy.I don't need to talk about the love between zhou zishu and wen kexing since I'm sure other reviewers have done a great job of that, but I'd like to give TWO WARNINGS for folks in case they came into this drama thinking it's ONLY about those two.
1) SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY. Please note that although the adventures of Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing (and by extension: Zhang Chengling, Gu Xiang, and Cao Weining) is a major part of the show, a big part of the show is also dedicated to a lot of the supporting characters and the politics of the martial arts world. You'll either get bored of it or you'll bear through it for your love of the supporting characters (like the Scorpion King).
2) Around episode 29-30, there is a major disruption of the pacing of the drama and pretty much continues on to the end of the drama. I've been told that this happened because of the low budget of the drama (and also, I heard it was supposed to have 45 episodes? But then, due to money reasons, they could only do 36.) Whatever it is, you can really feel the change around those episodes and can feel some of the impact on the characters' arcs and growths. Unfortunately, it is what it is.
Fortunately, despite some of these shortcomings, the ending is good enough and, considering everything we've been given throughout the show, it's been very enjoyable. I didn't have as much passion for the show as I first started since I was waiting for the YouTube releases, but I found myself still unexpectedly smiling at some of the later episodes. The main cast--all five of them--are so critical to the success to this show. Their chemistry and relationship are fantastic.
Ultimately, you can enjoy this BL drama because the love and chemistry between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing is quite obvious, but if you want to understand the full depth of some of the metaphors and literature, then you'll have to do more digging around Tumblr and Twitter and whatnot.
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Battles of the Sexes: Ancient Marriage Edition
This drama is half family drama, half romantic comedy, with an overarching question intertwined throughout all the storylines: Who is more important: man or woman? Son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother?The premise: The Li family, without a male figure in their family (a dead father and a long-lost brother) escapes their money-hungry relatives to the capital to start anew. The protective and sometimes brash mother seeks good matches for her four daughters (a fifth one is already married) and adopted daughter while trying to make a living and make enough money to provide dowries for the daughters. The sisters and mother stand strong together in the face of trouble and danger, navigating out of different schemes to a peaceful and happy end.
With this kind of story and setup, the story heavily emphasizes on the sisterhood and mother-daughters bond, supporting each other fiercely. Because the father died when they were fairly young, they have faced all kinds of misogynistic, societal, and hierarchal problems, and know they must sometimes trick people. It's not always nice, but it's a method of surviving and gaining a better hand. It's also a way to get justice and revenge for their family because they sometimes can't fight people outright due to their low status and identity.
IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE POINT ABOVE, then I think you will enjoy this drama because you are sympathetic towards the Li family. And you can understand why the Li sisters (and mother) take certain actions or behave in certain ways toward the male leads.
IF YOU ARE THE TYPE OF PERSON TO "PITY" THE MALE LEADS for any little wrong thing that happens to them, then I don't recommend this drama for you. The female leads often have to take certain actions or make certain plans that aren't beneficial to the male leads. Especially since the male leads are mainly all leads who have a certain high regard/reputation or high status (noble or royal, typically), and they are men in a patriarchal society, so the odds are always in the men's favor. My advice? Don't feel (too) bad for them. They get humiliated at times, but their reputation won't be completely destroyed the way it would for women. Also, they aren't helpless. Because they're smart, they know how to scheme as well in subtle ways to protect their pride, too. So don't feel (too) bad for them because they will always end up fine.
A few warnings and reminders:
-This is ancient times, where physical abuse is tolerated and even expected if an elder needs to discipline a younger person or a wife needs to be rough with a husband to get him under control. So, expect that a certain level of physical punishment is okay in this time.
-The men WILL do some annoying schemes in the beginning of the drama--especially in a few of the couples' storylines. Be prepared to be baffled and annoyed, but if you can get through that, the latter relationships are quite enjoyable!
-The men on this show will say one thing, but do another. This drama shows the complex layers of marriage life and of men and women. Men, in public or in front of other men, will put up a front and try to be all tough. But men in private will not be quite so.
Overall, watch it if you support women's rights (and wrongs). Don't watch it if you're a men's rights activist. (JOKING. But also, I'm half serious.)
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This drama proves how much mini cdramas are improving
I have so much to say but don't know if I'll be coherent enough. If you've been keeping an eye on the Chinese drama entertainment world, you'll know that they've been venturing a lot into the short series world. Just in the past couple of years, the short series have grown tremendously and have ranged from being 2min-14min long and varied in production quality.Usually, the 2min-per-episode kind of dramas are low in plot and acting, but hit all the fun clichés and tropes. The dramas that are longer in length are typically better in all areas: soundtrack, acting, characters, plot, and production. I put the dramas "Queen of Attack," "The Killer is also Romantic," and "Night of Love with You" on the list of better short cdramas. Now, I am also adding this drama to the list.
This drama is directed by the same person who did "The Killer is also Romantic" and that can already tell you a lot about the cinematography and quality of directing and editing. This person does a fantastic job and I trust them wholeheartedly. They understand how to tell the story VISUALLY and there are many memorable moments in this drama that I adore. (Fireflies! Scene!)
I love the soundtrack and listen to it weekly.
The acting for these fairly unknown actors are prett good, but I especially have to applaud Cheng Lei. I was one of his first fans since his first drama in "Queen of Attack" and he also did great in this drama. I suspect that he'll make it big in the future. He has the charisma for these kind of roles: the stoic or cold male leads who have a vulnerability to him. But overall, I think all the actors did a good job. Their characters, too, were intriguing and there was nobody that I found annoying or unnecessary. (It's a short drama so the plot is tightly woven throughout.) Best of all, the main couple was SO good. (The tension!? The kisses!?) The male lead was such a good kind of male lead where he was trusting despite otherwise and was protective and loving. The female lead was smart and always tried to do the right thing by the male lead. I loved her.
The only reason why I didn't give it a full 10 was because of 1 plot choice that was done near the end of the drama. I thought it was a strange decision, but it didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the show.
If you're looking for a good short Chinese drama, this is it. Tip: watch it on Viki. The channel mgtv on youtube generally sucks with subtitles so I wouldn't trust that. Happy watching!
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Will have you grinning!
For a short drama already, I felt like this drama was almost a slow burn? It really built well to them getting together later in the series and I enjoyed that a lot. This drama made me cackle and smile so hard, it was 85% romance and humor and cuteness with a dash of angst--which is a good balance for a short drama. There was one part where I felt like it was resolved a bit TOO easy but I'm ultimately fine with it.The cliché tropes felt fun thanks to the chemistry of the two leads and it was just an overall good time. Definitely a fun one to watch if you're into the romcom genre!
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful sets & costumes w/ some enjoyable stories told, but also feels convoluted
As someone completely unaware of 红楼梦 aka Hongloumeng (Dream of the Red Chamber) while I was watching, I wondered why there were so many side characters' stories in this drama. It makes much more sense now, thanks to other reviewers explaining how this drama is somewhat based from that novel. To get some cultural context about the book and how it connects back to the drama, you can check out the other reviews.Overall? It's enjoyable enough but not as great as it could've been. There are many things to love: the great costumes and overall production, the strong acting for the ensemble cast, and an aching soundtrack. Unfortunately, the plot can feel jarring because you can feel the distinct arcs and storylines--which, reading from other reviewers, is due to the influence of the novel.
Anyway, you can see how Sun Yulou and Lin Shaochun's relationship takes over the first like 1/5 of the drama (about 15 episodes or so...) and then it starts shifting into essentially to Lin Shaochun as the fixer within the Sun family, solving things like the relationship between the First Young Master & First Young Madam, the lack of relationship of Second Young Master & Second Young Madam, & the greedy Third Young Madam and her useless husband the Third Young Master.
Because I enjoyed their relationship a lot and liked both actors Wang Yizhe and Bai Lu, I was disappointed that as the drama went on, they would sometimes fade into the background as other supporting characters' storylines were prioritized. It wasn't all bad though. Some of the supporting characters and their relationships were also a lot of fun. I was just as emotional about their relationships as I was with Sun Yulou and Lin Shaochun. However, I really missed them.
Ultimately, this production did good overall with most aspects (I really liked the cinematography and directing too) but the part that lacked the most was the plot itself and how disconnected it felt in trying to tie the characters all together.
The ending of the drama itself was also...well. It was happy but not satisfactory. That's all I'll say about that.
I didn't regret watching this drama as I got to see so many beautiful faces in this drama and enjoyed the heartbreak and emotions of the relationships, but just wished it had a stronger plot to tie the characters better together.
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Hilarious and cute with fun commentary on BL
It's a shame it's so short. I hope it will get a second season!This is a short series about a man who realizes he's living in the world of Boys' Love (BL) and actively avoids typical tropes so that he doesn't in love with a man because, well, he's straight.
With this premise, you might think it's homophobic but trust me, it's not. Our main character "Mob" doesn't care if men are falling in love in front of him. Well, he thinks it's a bit dramatic, haha. Anyway, he's just frustrated by the tropes and criticizes how every little thing, like bumping into a stranger, can cause a chain reaction toward romance. Because he's self-aware, everything is just machinery; he can predict accurately how the world works and so he's trying to live quietly as a background character, maybe find a girlfriend, and just live his life without it turning into a romance.
This show pokes fun at BL tropes through "Mob" and it truly makes me laugh because, well, he's not wrong about some tropes being just ridiculous. It's just fun to see "Mob" work hard at not becoming a main character. It's important to note that "Mob" isn't against male/male romantic relationships. He's against the tropes and the mysterious world way that forces every interaction toward a romantic path.
The actor Inukai Atsuhiro was absolutely perfect as "Mob." His expressions were so fantastic and extra, I laughed so hard every time he panics about a situation.
Anyway, you'll enjoy this greatly if you like comedy, especially meta comedy, and if you enjoy dramatic visual acting.
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This IS a love story. No doubts about that if you watch the uncut version.
Look, a major problem with (most) BL viewers is that they DEMAND that a male/male couple kiss or have sex explicitly for it to be actually BL. Well, that's now how it works, especially in China where productions have to work around censorship. Have no doubts: this IS a love story and it IS designed through romance lens and music. It may not have kisses and sex, but this show still works in every romantic aspect as possible, which I had no problem with. It was obvious enough for me and well done.The only problems I have are to do with the things that crossed over from the novel (I assume). We all know that BL novels have certain archetypes and tropes and some of that did make it into the drama which I didn't care too much for. It made the drama absurd at times but you just have to shrug it off. There are also supporting characters that kind of fell off toward the end and so they could've had a better closure too, but alas.
And, of course, those last few minutes of the ending is weird and can just be ignored as not even being a part of the drama. I enjoyed the drama just fine and those last few minutes didn't make stop my happy feelings about this drama.
What carried this show is the main leads' chemistry and relationship. Yuan Zong and Xia Yao started on a rocky beginning, but they definitely become very cute, especially Xia Yao towards Yuan Zong. (Yuan Zong is your stoic cool guy who cares for his beloved through food and actions, so he's cute in that kind of way.)
Overall, this is a good BL drama as long as you adjust your expectations. This isn't a Thai BL production; this is a Chinese one that had to go through censorship. What we got thought despite censorship was pretty damn good. So, make sure you're watching the uncut version.
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strong start, great leads, good supporting cast, but ending seemed rushed.
Opinion for this drama will vary depending on if you've seen the original and the other adaptations. I have never watched the other adaptations and only vaguely remember the plot of the original. I did watch the original when it first came out and got about halfway through the series, but because of the wackiness and dragging drama, I stopped.The only reason why I started this drama is because of the two main leads who are also the main couple in The Eternal Love series. I had just started The Eternal Love and learned that they were also in this drama, so I watched both alongside each other, and they are one of those perfect couples who fit so well together. Their visuals, their chemistry, their scenes--just perfect. (Their real voices too! Always appreciate it when cdrama actors get to use their real voices.)
The premise is an old one, of course, since it's an adaptation, but it's been modernized to fit the times. The absurdity of some scenes and characters from the original was toned down and so everything felt more logical and more realistic. For example, there's a scene when a character accidentally goes viral on the internet, making her into a meme, and revealing the truth about her situation. That part was hilarious but also too real in today's times where anything can go viral.
I love the main leads. I love Wang Xiyi. I think in the original, he was more of an asshole, but in this one, he felt like a realistic guy. I never felt like he was a complete douchy guy, but just a guy trying to deal with a complicated situation. From the very first episode, it's shown that he has a cold exterior, but is a pretty kind person on the inside. So, that made him so much more likeable in this version and made me care about him.
I love Cheng Jiaxin so much. She's a bit old fashion and has low self-esteem, but so kind and caring. She's a good person and her growth into a confident person, though painful, was very good to see.
Unfortunately, for the supporting characters, other than the family figures, I didn't care too much for the supporting characters like Dylan, Anna, Anson, and Liu Siqi.
The problem with Dylan, as much as I liked him as this gentleman type, is that he makes very little appearances and his backstory and his plotline is sidelined until the end. So, it felt lopsided. I was interested at first and then didn't care very much.
Anna: decent at first and I did feel bad for her, but of course, later on, she was just too much. And then barely faces the consequences of her actions, so. Really didn't care for her, sadly.
Anson and Liu Siqi: they're the funny side couple and I do enjoy that dynamic, but they felt a bit too extra. Anson felt too much like a comedian, especially, that it was too hard to take him seriously when he's in love. Liu Siqi was chill, but since her storyline was tied with Anson, I had a hard time caring.
These four characters seemed like they were just filling in the archetypes and the plots rather than being fleshed out characters.
The best side characters are the family figures like the grandmother, the aunt, the cousin, and, especially Cheng Jiaxin's mother. The true MVP is Jiaxin's mother. One of the best relationships on this show is Jiaxin and her mother. The portrayal of a mother and daughter, a parent and child, is so good and complex and just really well done. The grief, the ache, the love--it's all there and acted so well by both of them. Their scenes are some of the best on this show.
As some other reviewers had mentioned, the last maybe eight episodes start to get a bit clunky. So, my recommendation is to enjoy the beginning and middle of this drama and then when it starts to get annoying later on, just fast-forward.
Overall, I still enjoy this drama very much, a lot more than I thought I would since I typically don't watch modern dramas. I really loved the main leads and the familial members. I also appreciate all the the info about pregnancy because, truly, people don't think about how much of a toll it takes on the mother and how much support she needs. I'm so glad that this drama continously emphasized how important it is for a pregnant woman to have support and good health and didn't praise a father/husband who was only doing the minimal work. Fathers/husbands need to step UP!
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emotional whiplash with some payoff; lesson: miscommunication will be the death of you.
I came after watching the main couple in Legend of Yunxi and I can say with complete confidence that they are much sweeter and cuter in this drama. This story in general is not as politically intense as Yunxi, but that's good for folks who aren't very interested in the politics.It's funny that I learned that this drama script and production took a long time to get going because it makes a lot of sense now that I've seen the whole drama. You can tell that the drama is in three distinct parts--I assume from a bunch of rewrites and changes. It wasn't really finalized until 2019, which makes me even curious if they imitated some scenes from the popular drama Goodbye My Princess (aired in 2019) as there are a couple similarities lol but I don't mind. Also, I assume that, because of all the troubles this show went through, there's also strange editings especially for the main couple. Sometimes, it feels like their scenes got cut short. I assume we'll never know truly what happened with this.
This drama can be split into three parts:
1) the first third was establishing the foundation for conflicts later on and groundwork for relationships, especially for the main couple and second couple. The main couple, strangely, doesn't get much screentime together during this part although they do meet many times. This part was the more romantic comedy sense and was a lot more lighthearted and simple. Unfortunately, this is the only time where the "power" of the dreams really come into play. It appears later, but not much.
2) A bit more angsty and drama driven but finally more screentime with the main couple and deeper development into their relationship. The political/serious plot during this time is kept to a minimum, honestly, as I think there was a time where the antagonist barely showed up at all for several episodes lol. So this was the part with more development of relationships like the second couple as well. There were some angsty and emotional moments that were very good and well done.
3) The final third part of the drama came back to the political/serious plot, but definitely felt a bit chaotically put together, seemingly as if the writers fell back on old tricks/illogical moves just to create emotional tragic scenes and move the plot along. Ex: more misunderstandings that made me rolled my eyes and strange plot turns that, by the last 5 episodes, I was just like "Okay, this might as well happen."
Overall, although the story kind of spluttered out by the end, this drama delivered on what was expected of it. This drama, I believe, understood its audience and what they wanted: cute and sweet moments with the main couple (and even with the second couple); tragic and sad emotional scenes to enhance our feelings for the show and characters (no matter how illogical we got to those points); pretty faces and pretty scenes.
This drama wasn't completely a romantic comedy but wasn't solely a political drama. It's a fun mix between, which was good, although I think the drama spluttered toward the end because they wrote themselves into situations that they didn't know how to get out of and so took easy solutions out.
In the end, this is a drama to enjoy for the pretty faces, the main (and secondary) couple, and their sweet and angst scenes. I didn't get too invested in the political/serious plot once it became too ridiculous and instead just enjoyed the emotional ride, the highs and lows, of the main couple--because seriously, this couple can be so sweet but then also frustrate me so much that I had a lot of emotional whiplash--from feeling teary and so sad for them in one episode to the next episode being so glad and happy for them. I still love them very much but I think the writers utilized the 'misunderstanding' trope a little too much toward the end that it was more frustrating than sad. Fortunately for this show, the sheer couple power of Zhang Zhehan and Ju Jingyi took me to the finish line.
I think that's the bottom line. If you're here for zhehan and jingyi, you'll enjoy many parts of this drama and finish it for its happy ending. You'll get pluses, like the cute secondary couple. If you're here seeking a strong and logical political plot alongside the romance...this is not the drama for that.
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A low key, curious drama with a unique main couple and interesting side couples
Note: this drama was decently English subbed on YouTube until around episode 9 and after that, the subtitles were awful. The only reason why I was able to keep watching was because I was able to discern the general idea of what was going on and I also understood some phrases every now and then. So, I didn't get to watch this drama with full emotional investment. Regardless, this is a pretty decent modern romance drama with a bit of futuristic technology involved and a bit of the supernatural. I recommend that if you know enough Chinese to get by, you can still enjoy many things about this drama. However, if you're completely new to Chinese language and typical plots/dialogue in Chinese dramas, I don't recommend starting this drama due to bad English subtitles.In the way that the drama "My Girlfriend Is an Alien" only explored the FL's lead's alien identity on a basic, surface level & doesn't enter the realm and consequences of "What would the world do if they find out there are aliens?", the FL in this drama and her "superpower" ability is also in this similar vein. The FL is born with an ability--something to do with the energy and waves of her body which can become dangerous when heightened--and the consequences of the reveal of her ability is limited to the world of the FL and the ML. Groups like the media and government don't get involved in this modern romance drama because that would go out of the scope of this drama.
Anyway, because of her ability, it affects her past and created her current personality as a mature, cool-headed person, which makes her quite refreshing from the typical "cute quirky" modern FL lead in a romance drama.
The ML at first gives off a playboy vibe and comes across as goofy and unserious, but it's intentional on his part. He quickly becomes adorable and likeable.
With a mature FL and a cute ML, their encounters and growing relationship carries the strange beginnings. The first several episodes will be very confusing due to the mention of her ability and how it isn't explained right away. I only kept watching because I was fascinated by their dynamic--FL wasn't interested at first and ML was deeply curious about her and so their chanced encounters became more interesting. I adored how he always wanted to know more about her and was subtly jealous but wasn't an asshole about it. Most of the times, he was honest about it.
The supporting characters are interesting too--and in this drama, they do get a pretty good amount of screen time.
One of my favorite supporting characters is the FL's guy friend Junhao. I love how his relationship with the FL is never seen as romantic. They're platonic friends for over twenty years and so they care about each other as friends do.
Minzhen's growth from a whiny princess type to a more open-minded woman is so good.
Yuesheng gets a lot of flack as he does mope a lot, but if you really consider his perspective, you do feel bad for him.
Lu Qiao, the female antagonist, does get quite annoying but I'm glad for the ending that she does get.
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Well done typical modern romcom w/ refreshing leads, subplots, and secondary characters
A modern romcom with many memorable moments and strong cast, you'll enjoy this if you are a lover of this genre! There are many things this show did right with a good amount of nuances. (I typically have a hard time finishing modern cdramas because they can get so illogical and dramatic, but not this one!)1) Not trivializing the FL's mental illness: I'm always wary at how cdrama dramas tackle mental illnesses and this show does good in not turning completely into a medical show but also not just brushing off her mental illness. It's the FL's driving force as she tries to cure it and it's handle with a good amount of seriousness.
2) FL is so adorable!: I love the actress so much for being able to portray so much range as Fang Yan! Fang Yan is such an adorable character and the actress did so well in some incredibly hilarious scenes. I'd say she's the best actor from this drama. I was really impressed.
2) ML is soft and strict at the same time without being a complete asshole: I really enjoyed this aspect of the ML. In some extreme dramas, the ML is just a very mean-spirited jerk and that is such a turn off. This ML, however, is shown to misunderstand FL and so is, at first, cold to the FL (despite his initial good impression of her) but he isn't super unreasonable and softens soon enough.
3) The FL and ML's super cute love: the premise of the show is based on their (somewhat unwilling) cohabitation and that's a very typical premise for a romcom, of course, but what I loved about their love is just the cute domestic portrayal of it and how, once they both accepted their feelings, they were just so cute. The way that the FL and ML will just hug each other or give each other quick kisses or how the FL will pout about wanting a physical touch--I love it so much. It's a realistic portrayal of a couple that isn't overdone with super dramatic romantic gestures; it's cooking for one another, praising one another, and teasing one another. I'm very satisfied with this. (Also, there's something to do with a goose...and I loved that so much. I laughed so hard and also delighted in it so much!)
4) The second ML is a flawed complex character: his character and arc is very memorable. I won't spoil, but I enjoyed the reveals about him and how that relates to other characters. There was a moment where I really disliked him but I grew to like him again.
5) The second couple leads, Zuo Yao and Hao Ying Jun (and Zuo Yao's son Zuo You): characters with distinct personalities, I enjoyed them a lot and their kind of love.
I love that Zuo Yao was a strong independent single woman raising her son. That itself was such a refreshing move for me from a cdrama. Of course, in true cdrama fashion, it shows some of the downfalls of not having a second parent or a father--in which a child can be insecure about it--so there is a push for her to find a husband or find a father for Zuo You. Most of this pressure is mostly coming from Hao Ying Jun though, lol, who is still adamantly in love with Zuo Yao. Their past history, though, makes it hard for Zuo Yao trust him and so they must learn to trust each other again.
This is a drama that definitely focuses more on the romantic plot and there is a suspenseful serious plot, but it's less to do with their jobs and more to do with something else...that I won't spoil. Anyway, it's a good romcom drama to watch when you're looking for cute actors and cute scenes. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
beautiful faces, designs, props, potential plots but boggled and ruined by terribly storytelling
I tried so hard to finish this--for wang zhuo cheng and meng ziyi--but I just couldn't. There are two kinds of bad dramas: 1) ones that are so ridiculous that it becomes endearingly funny and enjoyable, and then 2) the ones that are so ridiculous that it's just frustrating and angering. Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos is the 2nd one, sadly.There are several things that I couldn't deal with this show.
1) The characters had ONE defining trait and that was pretty much it: it was like the story writers just needed to fill a trope or character type and then just did that instead of fleshing them into real and logical characters. This was most obviously frustrating when it came to someone like Fu Jinzhan who is possibly one of the worst FLs I've ever come across. The writers wrote her SO bad. She is ~good at fighting~ and short temper and literally nothing else. Almost everything about her decisions are SO bad. The writers tried to make her come across as "someone with a code--helping whoever in need; not killing needlessly" but even THAT doesn't come across organically. In the end, Jinzhan becomes one of the most confusing and frustrating characters as she, at one point, SET FIRE TO THE PALACE AND PRETENDED TO BE DEAD FROM THE FIRE so that she can escape her current union to the King. What the fuck? It was so thoughtless, so stupid, so emotionally damaging to everyone else just because she couldn't wait. Sure, you can argue that it's in line with her personality, but at what cost? Her character makes such illogical decisions that it's so hard to care about her. (Many other characters are like this too, so. I just chose Jinzhan because it's what I remember.)
2) Inorganic sudden love and feelings: I'm truly not a fan of main couples falling in love with each other right away because it's usually done badly. When it doesn't feel organic, it feels very forced, and that's how I feel about the two main lead couples. (Maybe it's also due to a chemistry thing too; they are pretty faces, but they don't feel in love...)
There are shows that makes 'suddenly in love' interesting:
"Love in Lost Times" - The main couple falls in love fairly fast in the beginning, but due to a plot point, it is only the FL who remembers their love and not the ML, allowing them in a way to re-learn to love each other.
Or, for example, I started (and didn't finish yet) the drama "Legend of the Phoenix" where the FL falls for the ML first and the ML seems resistant at first but actually likes the FL too, and they decide to be together early in the series to go through trials together--no back-and-forth, pointless angst. (They also had really good chemistry.)
In this drama, I disliked so much how Fu Yuzhan apparently liked Xue Rong already by like ep2?? (And some of their scenes were very illogical. I believe in ep2, when assassins were coming after Fu Yuzhan, Xue Rong told her to run away while he fought them, but then she just STOOD THERE WATCHING IN FULL VIEW OF THE ASSASSINS--putting herself at risk STILL and so he had to do some super move to save her (and got injured). I couldn't believe it because she's supposed to be intelligent! And yet??? She couldn't, I don't know, hide??)
Or how Jinzhan and Jiang Shao already had feelings for each other by like ep10??? When they barely knew each other for like 2 weeks?
The romance just feels so forced.
3) So many characters that you grow to not care about: this goes back to how the characters are written badly, and so, when supporting characters are introduced and given a tragic motive to turn into villains and whatnot--like Huaijin--I didn't care.
4) The Princess lady--Huaijin's mother--the big villain is killed and shown through a flashback: I couldn't believe they did her dirty like that. She was literally the main, conniving villain of the first half of the show and then they just killed her off like that. What was the point of having a Big Bad Villain like that when you don't even give her the storyline and screen time she deserves?????
Ultimately, this drama had some high potential, but the execution and story in general was just to wonky and frustrating.
Maybe one day when I'm bored, I'll return back to finish this drama for wang zhuo cheng and meng ziyi, but, at this point I have no desire to finish it.
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