launev

the subreddit tip is the best thing - have been using it non-stop now - thank you!

SOOO many! I hope someone with better tech skills than I can figure it out. The cross- referencing alone between streaming platforms will be headache. I cant even find half the ones I have watched on MDL and most platforms don’t list actors/actresses. But it would sure be great to have as I mostly would love a place to comment/discuss/review them.

is there a way to search this list? to scroll through over 4000 titles is a but much. I am also running into the issue of verticals having different names on different platforms. There is also the issue of it might be listed with Chinese name vs translated/English name. Feels like a whole separate database or MDL page is needed for these given the quantity.

just stopping by to let you know you aren't the only one who and your description of the leads is spot on

as far as shorts go - this isn't bad - but pretty standard fair. Lots of usual tropes (spoiled princess who is obsessed with ML and does crazy shit to FL, power hungry uncle who thinks he should be on the throne and does crazy shit - you know, that kind of thing)
I really wanted to like this FL - she was somewhat smart, no baby voice (ALWAYS a huge plus) - but then goes and does the usual - I can solve it all myself and runs off and makes really poor decisions and then, of course, has to be rescued by the ML.
On the flip side - they did have some good communication and worked together pretty well.
Stupid ending that was kind of random
I dunno - it just only left me with a 'meh' feeling

I started this cause it looked kid of interesting and a different kind of republic era drama (which I generally dont care for) - but this had this supernatural twist - so I though, what the heck, give it a try.
Interesting concept - but just executed SOOOO poorly and I pretty much hated the FL character right out of the gate. Trying to act all tough and wanting revenge for her sister - but just kind of dumb most of the time. Agree with most of the commenters here - the ML is the only saving grace - but even he cant save it all that much.

started off strong and interesting with the whole corporate/family intrigue - but then the writing just goes off the rails when the FL goes to Muchang - like, it made absolutely no sense most of the time. Her identity gets discovered almost immediately, romance didnt romance at all, she gets discovered by the villains pretty quickly after all the planning to hide her - it was all just so dumb and such a waste of all the actors.
I liked the main couple - but it was clearly just an afterthought - like they felt they needed to have a romance, but then didnt really know how to execute it. So it fell completely flat.
Attorney Lee was probably the best.most constant character, along with the his sister, the principle.
Baek Hye Ji could have been a good character - but they made her so weird and stalky with no real clear understanding of why she was this way - so she wasznxt that enjoyable for most of it. And we soooo didnt need the romance with Seo Tae Min - it was kind of weird and added nothing to the story.

Am trying to watch this as I hear its closer to the novel than the long version. Leads are good, but man the editing is so choppy, subtitles suck and the horrible sound effects - especially the loud, breathy gasping going on all over the place - like, I dont need to hear every breath they take, its distracting.

Had good potential - just failed in execution.
Leads were good together, but some really dumb plot holes
I think the biggest problem for me was the whole - leaving a baby in a basket int he alley - like, WTH?!?! I dont know if this was an editing issue or what - but I missed why the mom leaves her daughter in the basket in the alley in the first place and just doesn't take her with - I didn't get that AT ALL? Then the ending to loop it back - like WTH?
She then treats her son horribly after losing one child - so was never really there for her redemption arc - she was just kind of a bad mom all the way around.

this had potential - but just didnt do it for me.
Let's start with the horrible cross-dressing FL who has been made by her family to become her twin brother - so she spends her whole life being a boy. Nothing new there - but she then goes to the capitol as a 'hostage' and her whole mission is to stay out of the power struggle, not take sides. So what does she do - runs around being the overly-rakish boy, constantly causing trouble so that now everyone is paying attention to her. And because she over does it - our two male leads figure out pretty quickly that she is not a boy. So much for staying under the radar. If they had just toned this down bit - it may have worked - but all I kept thinking when this character was around was - 'the lady doth protest too much' - who wouldn't have thought something was off and who ffs couldn't tell this wasn't a guy!. It also doesnt help that they constantly put red/pink/glossy lipstick on her - it just didnt work.
I found this character totally obnoxious and couldn't figure to what the two male leads even liked about her. Honestly, I fast-forwarded through most of these scenes.
The whole last story arc was dum and trope - fall off a cliff, get amnesia - blah, blah, blah. And the ending was crap.

that just made m laugh so hard - thank you!

Not too bad for a short.
I mean the usual issue of plot holes and things you find in a short - but they more than make up for it with the steamy kissing and half-naked ML. I always appreciate a couple where both people actually know how to kiss - so, kudos to these two.
If you are looking for a good filler that is fantasy/rom-com - give I a go - I think you will like it.

Just coming here to say that I loved your review - spot on and made me giggle a bit!

I just finished this and will say I mostly liked it - but there wee some huge flaws
Lets start with with I liked:
Hou Ming Hao is lovely in this - he alone made it worth the watch
While I enjoy the actress who played the FL (loved her in My Journey to You) - I had some really bi issues with the character (will get to this later)
Loved the companion animal characters - they were fantastic
Granny Xun and Master Shen were wonderful
Things I didnt care for:
Mu Tian Ji- just did not care for this character - it was probably the too much pouting early on - she just never grew on me
SOOOO tired of the childhood connection stories - especially the ones where the person becomes obsessed with someone they met once. They become obsessed while the other person doesnt even really remember them. Of corse - this went exactly how we all know it's going to go, which makes it predictable and kind of boring.
Things that bothered me the most:
From the get-go, I had problems with the FL character and how she was written. First off - she has spent her ENTIRE life being a boy and in two short moths at the brothel - she is now super-girly - yeah, no, I dont think so.
FL lying and betrayal. While all cdrams have the inevitable couple gets together and immediately breaks up - this one was bad and had me struggling to the very end to have them come back together. It wasn't just about the lying (although this went on for way too long - all because of her pride). It was the absolute level of betrayal she enacted - she had lied, lied and lied again. He finally lets go, gives her three days to decide, takes her to confess in front of his master, released the Millet Dream in front of her (showing his absolute trust in her) - she then sleeps with him (which is her answer to his three days question that implies she chooses him) - only to immediately after sex go and try and steel the Millet Dream potion. This goes far beyond just - oh I lied to a little bit - it was pure and utter betrayal on her part . To then have him forgive her pretty quickly was just wrong.
And, I get it - she is desperate - but this went to far - especially given - if she had just said she was the one who was poisoned and needed it - he would have just given it to her. I know, I know - that's not as dramatic - but it made the character so unlikeable and I honestly dont see, how anyone would get past that - fiction or not.
This drama starts off pretty good and I enjoyed their initial sassiness with each other (something that gets lost half-way through). Gets messy in the middle and wraps up ok by the end
This character was also annoying with the constant running off in a fit about something - no plan, no ability to protect herself and ALWAYS having to be saved

Oh and then there’s the -lets put the person who has made ALL the wrong decisions in charge cause she’s depressed and needs something to do - like WTF!

Beyond the tearful confession to her brother, so she mouthed the words -but then she runs off and puts herself in danger again - so we dont see any action. She was hopeless

Chen Zhe Yaun NAILED this role - he embodied the first prince. And the carried his story very well though the whole series.
Had mixed feelings about the FL. She nailed the Commander Fu portion of her character and did good win her fight scenes - but she was hit or miss for me in the romantic partner part of her character - sometimes she was good, but in other parts, very stiff.
She also had a very 'robotic' cadence to too many of her line deliveries - just felt like she had memorized a bunch of lines and then spit them out.
Susha Emperor was an interesting character - pure shit of dad and person, but at least he was interesting to watch.
HATED the sister/princess character as soon as she pulled the - I love this guy who I have only met once in my life because he saved me in the desert - I knew I wasn't going to like her. Then moved on to - 'I can change him' - no, no and no! Then comes the betrayal of her family for this guy who has repeatedly told her he doesnt love her - she just never got any better for me.
And I was actually annoyed at all the hate/anger/blame towards Jiangshie for choices SHE made. He didnt ask her to help him escape (she did this all on her own, thinking it would make him like her), he didnt ask her to stay in Jiunxu (in fact he kept trying to get her leave). And while he didnt return her affection - he never treated her badly. Meanwhile - she loses her mind because he doesnt like her and then what does she - more BAD decisions. I had NO sympathy for her at all
The Jiunxu Emperor and Prince - were both really interesting villain characters - both products of a really awful mother
Stated off pretty good - but lost me during the Storm Alliance arc (this just went on too long and most of it felt so unneccesary). Then got messy at the end - usually rushing to wrap things up because they spent too long on other parts of the story that they didnt need too.
Lord Ling and Lady An - hysterical!
Susha Empress - usual story of a family that wanted power - kill off previous empress so she can take her place and then mad that the emperor never loved her and kept things from her - like, seriously, lady - your family killed his first wife - she was such a" tropey' character in that way.

SPOT ON! about the sister - you wrote exactly what I was thinking about her the whole drama

mostly enjoyable - and a bunch of plot holes you have to just let go.
Enjoyed the twist on the rebirth
But was frustrated with relationship with new and old FL. She comes back and acts like she has no idea who this original version of herself is. I mean - she is trying to stop herself from making the same mistakes and, yet, cant seem to figure out how to convince, what is essentially herself - to change her ways. She spends all her time trying to change external forces instead of dealing directly with original self and acts like she has no idea what this woman is thinking - I mean COME ON! its you! you should know exactly what she is thinking and how to change her mind. Had to work hard to just let that go - cause it comes up ALOT.
Rest of it was pretty enjoyable.

one of Zhao Lusi's better modern drama roles - especially the first half. Her portrayal of the person who has based their life on lies and then it all falls apart is done so well.
Middle part once she falls and goes through finding herself - I get it, but it wasn't that interesting to me Them finding their wayback to each other was pretty good.
Could have completely done without the whole sister and the romance - but this is a pretty standard crdrama obsession with second couples - it just wasn't needed for the story, didnt really add anything to it and they spent way too much time on it.
Really - the only part for me that was worth watching was the relationship between the two leads - they both did this so well. Two people who cared for each other - but lied, lied, lied. It all falls apart and they have to find their way back. I pretty much FF'd through the rest of it.
The only part that did annoy about this was her being mad that he lied, while acknowledging she also lied - her excuse was that she loved him - so, for some reason that made her lying more acceptable??
on the flip side - if he had just said earlier that he loved her an apologized - the angst could have ended sooner - but, hey, its a drama, so they have to drag it out.