Short hot diamond in the ruff.
Considering this is a short drama it has decent acting and likeable characters. As the story begins with a major tragedy that sets up the plot and intrigue for the show., Shao Yu Qi, who plays Li Cong Huanwho is a princess from a bordering small country set to marry a neighboring country. Thus the revenge plot begins in the first episode. The FL is beautiful and does a nice acting job. The ML, Li Dai Kun who plays, Mo Jin who is equally handsome and quite sexy. He also does a decent job of acting. I name him one of the top 10 kissers in drama land after this drama.Begin that this is a short drama the back drop is simple along with the set and cinematography. So, for a log budget film they did well for what they had to work with, assuming it was a low budget. There are not many special affects so there is not much to note there. If you are looking for a drama with a big budget and big CGI this is not the one. ML and FL have most of the scenes trying to solve a mystery and misunderstandings.
This is what I call a short, sweet mini drama with a splash of romance. There are plenty of kissing scenes and romance that is hot and steamy. So my review is based on the mini drama scale which is a lot more lenient that the bigger dramas.
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Interesting story not so much cast.
The story: This is the story of a girl (Cho Yeo Hwa) who was in an arranged marriage, and you could say a somewhat forced marriage as she did not have any family to support her. As luck would have it her husband to be dies on the wedding day before they even get a chance to meet. Thus, she becomes a virgin widow destined to a life of solitude and repentance with her not so nice in-laws ultimately leading to following her husband to the grave. (The entire time watching I just cannot believe that this type of thing would ever happen in the world. It made my heart hurt for her.) Her brother who is now missing taught her martial art skills at an early age so she is somewhat restless and does not sit still waiting to die. She becomes a masked vigilante at night helping the poor find what they need and during the day praying to a shrine of her late husband. During this time, she has a run in with a Captain of the Guard (Park Soo Ho) who is somewhat fascinated by the masked person.This all happens early in the drama so it should not be a spoiler. I found this story interesting and different from other dramas of this nature. It has a comedic flare and will make you laugh out loud at some of the antics of the characters. This is where the charm starts to end because some of the things are somewhat hard to believe and the pace is a little choppy and slow.
The Acting: So, the acting is fairly good, with a host of characters which all play their part well. The exception to this is the casting. The cast of characters is a little off in my opinion. The FL (Honey Lee) which I do like seems too old for this part and throughout the entire drama I find the pairing with the ML weird. They have a chemistry of brother and sister more so than realistic couple. The older brother (Lee Ki Woo, 42) who is paired with her best friend (Park Se Hyun, 25) and the casting seems off there too. So, to me the characters never fit to make the drama more enjoyable.
If you can look past the obvious and not be bothered by the slow pace you may find this a good watch but not a re-watch.
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Nice love story, but!
Full disclosure: I have not read the novel and am unlikely to, so I can only speak from the drama's point of view. The First Frost is a nice love story that could have been a better drama. It is an unconditional love that spans years of lost time. The two leads are high school classmates who are clearly in love with each other, but for some unknown reason at the beginning of the drama, they separate. I truly liked the drama, but this is where I found my first flaw. It was a bit too slow-paced getting to the reasons for the separation. It is not what I would call a slow burn, but a question of why it is so slow. If the director intended for it to be a slow burn, then they missed the mark. This was the biggest disappointment for me, the dragging on. Other than that, I liked it.It is a good story that deserves to be told. The bitter taste of life and family abandonment should be told to help people heal. You will be disturbed by the suffering the FL must endure. Which will make you an instant fan, and you will want to embrace her. It takes a draggy turn in the middle for a few episodes. I don't know how to rate the production because I am not sure what to think. The production felt low-budget and small. However, that may be intentional. I could not believe some of the living conditions. This drama can be a bit of a "Debby Downer" at times, too.
As far as acting, the ML and FL do a good job. Especially the ML, he is fully invested. His love for the FL feels real and underappreciated. The chemistry is there, but because the story is so slow and sad, it is hard to feel it. The cast of characters is sufficient, their acting is just okay. There are a few side stories and couples. Some are more interesting than others.
The soundtrack is good and fits the drama nicely
If you are romantic, this is a good watch. The devotion the ML has for the FL will leave you breathless and wanting for yourself.
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Savor the first episode.
Wow, this opening battle scene is epic. The swiftness of the moves is spot on, making it realistic and exciting. What a way to start a new drama. Damn, there is nothing better than a beautiful, fierce woman and a handsome man in battle. The FL is a formidable master archer. You will appreciate her fight scenes.Story
The story is original as far as I know. The epic battle in the beginning fully captivated my interest. I enjoyed the backdrop for the story and the mystery behind it. There was so much happening in the first episode alone, setting the stage for the rest of the drama. It was my hope that it would hold up through 38 episodes and keep my interest. For the most part, it did. Although around episode 24, I almost forgot how it started, what it had become. The story moves at a good pace, but there are some obvious plot holes that I have questions about. For example, why are there no guards outside of the Emperor’s place when he is sick? Also, did the first Empress really think she was going to leave the palace with the children? (Really, who wrote that)
Production
The production value is extremely high. The costumes are lovely and represent the historic era. The scenes are massive with what seems like many extras, and bring a real feel to the drama. The cinematography is stunning. The way the wind blows, the costumes, and the close-ups almost take your breath away. You can tell they spent time on the special effects, making everything seem authentic.
Acting
The acting is okay; nothing seems really out of place. However, there isn’t anything that makes me feel the chemistry that leads should have. The ML has a youthful, boyish look, and the FL has a more mature, sophisticated look. This, I think, makes it a hard sell for chemistry (IMO). It is not bad, I just don’t feel anything from them. Everyone is playing their part as best they can or were directed to. Chinese dramas seem so micro-managed these days, so it is hard to tell.
Soundtrack: It is a hit or miss, and it is a miss for me. I am sure it is good when you listen to it, but it is always noticeable when it starts playing, which is distracting from its purpose.
In conclusion, I thought it was an average, okay drama. It has romance, a decent storyline, and some great fight scenes that will entertain you. The cast is in great shape, and the wirework looks good. It was a good watch and I recommend it, especially since dramas are recycling themselves. However, nothing stands out, and I feel like I have seen it before.
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2020 drama underdog that I surprisingly found entertaining!
I was surprised and actually delighted by this short C-drama. Eternal Love Rain is 24 episodes which move along really fast. With that being said, you will notice some editing problems that may seem like you missed something but if you have been watching c-dramas you can fill in the gaps. Of course, this drama has the usual romance drama with basic conflicts and villains for 2020.This will be a pleasant break if you have binged any long complex and tragic c-dramas.
The actors seem underwhelming at first, but they start to grow on you, I mean really grow on you. I found myself getting into the characters after a few episodes.
What I really like!
There are some laugh out loud funny moments in this drama. Things that other expensive dramas seemed to miss. the FL is energetic and annoying in a good way. The ML is the typical young actor they do not give many lines to because of the inexperience but he gets better as time goes by and you start to genuinely like him. The second FL (side kick) Her character is sweet and likeable and is bad ass with a capital "A". Which brings me to the martial arts. I loved it! The martial art action scenes are done in a spectacular way within interesting spin and make the cinematography look great. The fight scenes are fast paced with some really unique moves that made me hit the replay button a few times. I have seen a lot of wuxia dramas and I was a little impressed. One "Con" to this is, you can tell there is a stunt double.
The second ML was so, so not impressive but he grows on you. Some of the other side characters are really funny and likeable they could have used more scenes. Probably budget problems but it does not get boring.
The special effects well for a low budget film they did an ok job. I have seen worse on bigger budget films. So the fighting and the dragons are not bad. The make-up for the dragon horns well, use your imagination it is fantasy after all.
This drama is simple and uncomplicated don't take it too seriously and I think you will like it. Some things are never explained, just go with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Woo Do Hwan, surprisingly makes this drama. Okay the most positive thing I can say is that there is some nice eye candy in this drama. However flat, the drama may be. I also like the main plot with the Parallel Universe for the most part. However, the delivery falls short in almost all other aspects.
The acting.
To start the beginning of story actually starts of well and explains a lot. But then it loses everything when the actors open their mouths. The acting is terrible (or should I say over acting). I have never been a fan of Lee Min Oh and I could not really figure out why. I mean he is good looking and everyone loved him in (legend of a deep blue see). Me not so much and it is because he cannot act, at least in my eyes. He never has any expressions on his face as if someone told him he should look subdued and stark or did he get Botox? He does not ever raise his eyebrows while delivering a scene, it is quite annoying to watch. His voice is completely monotone, no up down it makes it hard to believe his character.
So, Kim Go Eun, is not any better. One thing Go Eun is good at is her stares that is the positive. I have to say they put two of my least favorite dramas stars together. They are very handsome people but not much more in this drama. So, Kim Go Eun, overacts in almost every scene. Her expressions and body movements are all wrong. Her lines seem to be way ahead or too late. Probably because she cannot read Min Ho, expressions. The other distracting thing is she is constantly either flipping or tying her hair. Oh, this makes me not like her or her character at all. Doing this while trying to deliver her lines. So, I am not sure is this is the director, writer or actually part of the story or just her vanity. Whatever it is, it makes the drama look really cheap and low budget. Beautiful women don't have to constantly flip their hair. Then her wardrobe, not marketable at all. I never understand why in Chinese dramas the women dress to a "T" (American expression for Great) which I love, but in Korean dramas they tend to look homely with baggie clothes just unkempt not a good selling feature to me.
Woo Do Hwan, surprisingly makes this drama. His character is handsome, light, funny and a joy to watch. I think he would have been a better match for the female lead.
There are some gaps in the story line which may throw you off at times and it is a missed opportunity for the director to make an impact. The romantic moments are awkward and rushed. There is not reason why the should love each other the dots do not connect. The first kiss does not have an impact at all.
I am not a hater I have watched over 300 dramas from all genres and I am a fan. It just makes me mad when directors, writers, producers miss the mark and forget to entertain the fan.
Supporting Cast
So, on the up side of this movie the supporting cast is somewhat entertaining. There are some truly funny and light moments to this dramas. I found myself laughing out loud at times. This part has kept me watching.
Action
There is some action and fight scenes in this drama that are entertaining. There are some climatic moments that make you want to root but they do not quite connect the dots for a awesome moment. It is as if the editing was cut a few minutes too short.
Sound Track-
If there was a sound track or great music it went over my head and I missed it.
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It was a good start, then it got lost.
This drama was mediocre at best. Other than the tender romantic moments between the couple, it was an average drama. The storyline was neither new nor original. I think I have seen this troupe a few times before. It had most of the same old things a costume drama usually has.I had a hard time following the plot. I mean, there was a powerful demon and a weak girl, some cultivation with some yin and yang. The plot did not evolve beyond the demon breaking free. This was disappointing because I truly like both leads. I think one of the worst decisions Arthur Chen made was deciding not to finish “Ever Night”. If you watch it, you will know why. I believe that drama was helping him to grow his skills, and after that, his growth slowed down. IMO.
So this drama had a good start and was cute in the beginning.
The production was decent, and the costumes, although a bit bulky at times, were also decent.
In short, there was nothing that stood out about this drama. With that being said, it was still an okay watch.
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Another Romantic Hidden Gem with Heart
Luo Ling Yu is a young woman determined to escape neglectful foster parents and an arranged marriage. She wants to live freely with her younger sister and protect her parents' family fortune. Along her journey, she repeatedly crosses paths with Lu Yun, and their fates gradually become entwined.
It’s a classic costume drama rom-com, filled with humor, charm, and overwhelming chemistry between couples. This was so well written, directed, cast, and acted. Alen Fang as Lu Yun and Jelly Lin as Luo Ling Yu have electrifying chemistry and camaraderie. The two together leave you wanting more of this couple pairing. Alen Fang, whom I have seen in a few dramas, has really matured into a better actor. His puppy dog eyes and gestures are totally believable and swoon-worthy. Jelly Lin is absolutely beautiful and a strong FL worthy of the part. I have not seen her in many dramas, but I am sure she has matured also because she did a spectacular acting job. They make you want to follow their journey of looking for justice and love.
What makes this drama more interesting is that most of the cast has straight forward and simplistic characters. They are easy to follow and easy to love. The side stories are interesting and actually go somewhere. Lately, I have found myself fast-forwarding through side stories in dramas but not this one. There is brotherly love and a side romance; I dig it.
On another note, I really liked the costumes worn and the production. Although the costumes were a bit vibrant as far as color, the way they were put together was beautiful. The set felt warm and not congested like some of the sets are, and this made the production feel bigger, although it was obvious that it was a small budget.
The soundtrack sounded nice even though I did not understand the words, so I cannot speak much on that.
What I would have liked more would be to add to this storyline a bit. Put in some fight scenes and special effects and so on. But it was okay the way it was.
In conclusion, this was light and sweet for the romantic at heart. It was also a well-made drama. Not to cheesy.
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Great chemistry! Be prepared to read between the lines.
I was impressed in the first episode with the cinematography and how grand it all appears. Everything looked like the makings of a great drama and for the most part it was but it fell short by about 2.5 points. First, let me say the wardrobes were spot on beautiful and flowing for the women, strong and fierce for the men. The production was done well and made you feel as if you were somewhere real instead of a green screen. Thumbs up to the casting directors because they picked a great cast of actors. Each of the characters big and small does a great job of bringing you into their world. From Gu's father to the Goa's father. The only character I never connected with along with all of his scenes was Chi the gangster. I fast forward most of his scenes which were actually quite a few. They could have skipped those storylines and put back many of the ones they edited out.The FL and ML have great chemistry and if you like romance there is a lot of it. Now this is also where they loose points with me for bad editing. It seems they edit out some key points in this drama. You will have to fill in the gaps, holes and even make up some episodes on your own. Don't bother going back to see if you missed something (You didn't). It was cut somewhere when back on the editing floor. Who ever the editing team were which would include the director they left out a left a lot of key elements on the editing floor. Which made me really angry. They spent too episodes trying a create love triangle that just fell flat, flat , flat. It was quite annoying.
Even at the last two episodes you may be confused because what could have been good for the drama and made it better got cut.
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A Near Miss!
To start, the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series has been somewhat disappointing, and “Sword and Beloved is no different. Was this because of bad acting, directing, or poor writing? I think writing and directing should share the blame. The acting, I thought, was not too bad, with some overacting and some underacting. Initially, I thought I was watching an anime, so I was confused. Once I realized it was still a drama. This reminded me of one of those vertical short dramas you can watch on YouTube. Once I settled on that thought, I didn’t mind it so much. I felt the CGI was just okay, but the FL stayed a spider too long. Uncle Fie was the only character who had or made any sense.This was like someone took clips from other dramas and tried to piece them together. However, for the sake of plagiarism, they never completed any of the back story. It would have made more sense to take the four Ancient Primordial Powers, then divide them among four righteous people to conquer evil and darkness. It doesn’t make sense for one person to be responsible for the fate of evil.
The cast worked hard and did their jobs it just did not come together well in the end. Neither ML nor FL did not connect; there was no chemistry. A love story that in the end was not love at all but duty. The other couples were good and a bright spot. The one characters that stood out to me were Uncle Fei and Rumu. Guo Jun Chen (Rumu) did a really nice job. Sometimes, I think, the main stars are roped into giving lesser stars the spotlight, because honestly, Guo Jun Chen had more of a leading role than Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi seemed somewhat demure.
On a positive note, the sword fighting is particularly good and entertaining.
Also, the soundtrack was good.
In conclusion, it was okay, just okay. If you want a more specific review, check out (bailang). His reviews are always on point and make my day.
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Sorry this is so bad it is almost funny.
I will start this on a positive note. The cast is selected well. The actors have done their part in identifying their characters. I found all of them likable in this drama. The FL is adorable, and the 2 MLs are handsome like eye candy. There is obviously an ML, but if you decide to watch, you will see why I say 2 MLs.I also think that the costumes are done well.
The storyline is not original and is almost an imitation. but this particular storyline is popular right now. So, you may either like it or be annoyed by it. Another good quality is that the drama is short and to the point, which makes it an easy watch. They move it along quickly. making the pace of it smooth.
This Low-budget film, although bad, did have some bright spots. The ML is a constable assigned to the case. The FL is a servant girl accused of a crime, but who has detective skills and god like strength. The ML pretty much falls in love at first sight. There is FL's lost identity and murder cases to solve. This has a good storyline, but everything else is bad. The special effects are bad, the wirework is so bae it is laughable most of the time. The fight scenes have very little to no choreography, it looks like a Saturday afternoon playdate with kids. The production is bad. The love story is cute.
In short, because it was so short and the characters were likable, I kept watching until the end.
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Did not give me a full cup of tea!
So, I just finished season 2 and it did not give me a full cup of tea.Keep in mind I have not read the novel so I my review is based on the Chinese drama only. To put this bluntly it did not flow for me. There are so many parts to this story that made me question the story the entire time I am watching it, and not in a good way. I just kept asking what is the point?
First. I still do not know where the plot came from. Is it a time travel they say no but clearly there are so many things that point to time travel. Is it based on some writing a novel? Well, this would make more sense and would explain the oddities of dancing, comedy and erroneous songs. Is it an alternate dimension? This would explain some of the obscure things such as: The city under the ice, the temple to nowhere and the high-powered gun. All in all I am still confused about the premise of how this story is supposed to make sense. I mean, I can go with any fantasy element but, please connect the dots. Not just who is the smartest in the room.
Second, the there are some editing issues and breaks in the story that left me dumb founded. I can only surmise that you would have to have read the novel to understand. If this is the case then the directing and editing should be slammed for not giving the audience clarity. I mean, it cut to Jianghan and the Ming family, but I don’t remember them giving us a lead into the Ming family and its characters which would have been nice. Also, it would have been nice if at some point they had given a spent time on the background on the Masters and their skills. Instead of the slow-paced long pauses between sentences for more airtime. Some of the dialog and political scheming was unnecessarily long.
Third, Fan Shian’s relationships with the female characters. I felt the story spent more time on his relationships with Lili and the maiden then he and Wanger. This was disappointing to say the least.
What I did like was the cinematography and depicting the massive set and era. Some of the images are breathtakingly beautiful. This made the production feel on point with the reviews. I liked the wuxia elements and fight scenes or lack of. The way they can make you feel like you have watched an intense battle when they only touched hands. The wardrobes are hit or miss, somewhere better in the first season and some where better in the second season.
I liked that the story does have potential. Also, I am a fan of the ML and FL who in the first season had electrifying chemistry.
In conclusion, I did not like the ending, but it was better than season one. I will continue to watch the until the end. Mainly because I want to see if they can finally put it all together for me to be satisfied.
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Lacking in most areas!
I just felt this story did not have a lot of substance to be worthy of a good score. The ML is handsome and his acting is getting better but far from there. The FL just fell flat acting wise. She has a very pretty smile and it lights up but that is all that saves her. FL's character was lacking the strong FL element she was not really good at much. This had editing issues in many of the episodes that just made you do a double take ask what happened, what did I miss. It was annoying. going back to see if I had missed something. Tried to mix in modern elements which felt awkward and they did not flow.On an upside "Pinger" her maid was a highlight for me. The actress was cute as a button and played her part well. She and her friend played their part well. Another character that made the story better was the ML mother for her small part I felt she played her part nicely.
All in all it was what it was a small mini drama with a low budget.
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Face swap success!
Face swapping, changed identity, murder mystery, and a take on child abuse. This drama was interesting from the trailer. The actors were on point and intriguing. I thought the casing was very good and each one fit their part. Although I must admit the initial Yang Cai Wei (woman with the scar) was so good that I did not think the FL Shangguan Zhi would fit the role. I was wrong, she took over immediately and owned the FL role.This drama had a lot of depth to it in that some of the focus seemed to be on abandonment and child abuse. It becomes sad at times. The detective cases were handled quickly so it was not boring.
I like the production the costumes were great, especially ML who wore something different every time you see him, and it looked good. FL's wardrobe was so, so. In all of the movies I have seen the FL she seems a little anorexic (IMO) so her clothes do not look great.
The soundtrack was good, nothing I remember.
The ending was a little underwhelming but still satisfying as it was a happy one. They left room for a 2nd season but not a watch for me.
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Prisoner of Beauty: A Romantic's Dream
Prisoner of Beauty: A Romantic's Dream.Just so you know, I am not quite finished yet.
To start with, so as not to confuse readers, this is truly a love story that delves deep into filial piety and loyalty. With that being said, there is a little for everyone but more for the romantic at heart. After the first few episodes, I am loving this drama. Kudos to Song Zu’er and Liu Yuning for doing an excellent acting job. I am already invested in the characters, including the selection of the cast. This is not a slow burn in the romance department but an anxious longing for the next scene. This is a well-written script that flows. This has two smart, cunning, and decisive FL and ML characters who play each other too well.
There are some minor editing issues with scenes that needed more, and scenes that could have been cut. These are barely noticeable to the point of distraction from the storyline.
Production:
The scope of the production is quite moving and fits well with drama. The costumes are attractive and suit the characters. There are scenes in this drama that will make you make you take a continuous loop to replay them. There are so many original moves in the Fight scenes, just not enough of them. I am enjoying the emotional roller coaster this drama has me on. I am truly invested in the characters and plot of the story. How could a drama that moves at a snail's pace make me savor every word and NOT fast forward? This is a truly well-made drama. I am so glad they resolved the controversy surrounding FL. I would never have wanted to miss this.
I appreciate that this drama actually took the time to develop the couple and their relationship. I mean, how long can you hold a grudge, and can transgressions be forgiven? I think your soul will answer the question once you finish watching this drama.
The soundtrack is amazing.
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