Lynn

Unsatisfying disappointment!

The costumes, set, and production are well-done in this drama. I the role of the Emperor, the ruthless guard, and the female villain. I believe they were all performed adequately. This had a decent plot; although it was not unusual, it had potential. In this dark plot, not knowing who is bad or good is intriguing and will hold your interest at first.

I really wanted to like this because I am a fan of both leads, but I was never satisfied. The plot, although not unusual, still had a certain appeal and draw to me. I started out as I do with all my dramas, with an open mind. When there is a drama where both leads are masterminds at manipulating the narrative, I am automatically a fan and cannot wait to see how they outsmart the villains. So, I was a little disappointed when it did not happen the way I thought it should. It seemed they kept getting outsmarted, and that was a letdown. From the beginning, the first few episodes were a little too much in the psychological thriller aspect.

The acting was not horrible, but it was not great either. The FL (Liu Shi Shi) was somewhat demure in her portrayal of Ping An. I get that the character is emotionally damaged, but she failed to pull me in. I felt she needed some spunk to show her quest for vengeance and the truth. Also, the torture scene, IMO was over the top, and the only thing I felt was for the one doing the torture. I hated him for sure. Actually, during the entire drama, Jiang Xue Ming) who played (Li Jun was the only one that drew a reaction from me. ML, Shawn Dou, who played Yuan Shao Cheng, never showed any reaction or emotions at all. Note that his character is also emotionally damaged. To be honest, that is not unusual for the roles he plays. At this point in his career, he should be showing more growth.

Needless to say, the drama never picked up the pace. I started getting bored and could not wait for the end, just to see how it ended. That was also a letdown.

The drama never provides a pick me up through its tragic storyline. It may start but abruptly goes back to the undercurrent of tragedy.

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Dilraba should pick better dramas.

So, this actually had a decent storyline, but it never developed or grew into anything. It took me a long time to watch this drama because I had a feeling it was going to disappoint. I was excited in the beginning, waiting for this folklore to triumph. It just fell flat for me.

This had so many plot holes and inconsistencies that it just did not work. Dilraba Dilmurat is the guiding light. This was a basic good and evil plot. The only thing was that the good could not fight well, and also lost most of the fights. So, that was a turn-off from the start. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it did not.

This could have been so much better with the special effects and cinematography. The production was cheap and poorly done. One of the things I dislike most about any production is when the lighting is dark. This usually means they have a lot of flaws to hide from the audience. Most of the scenes looked like they were done on a farm and a factory. So, another film where they did not spend money to make, but made money on the famous names.

Dilraba plays a superhero who has no real superpowers and gets hurt more than she should. The leads did not have any type of chemistry. I am not a fan of the ML. They could have cast better for this drama. However, that would not have made it better.

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Modern-day approach to Vampirism

I really loved this mini drama with a modern-day approach to Vampirism. The cast, although small, packs a decent acting punch. There is plenty of eye candy and mystery for a fantasy lover. The ML and FL have plenty of chemistry and charisma, drawing you into their roles
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The production is small and low budget, but the scenery and costumes are on par with the Chinese Republic era it is set in. So, I didn't mind that it was not a massive production. The use of CGI is smart and well done; it fits well with this mini drama.

The soundtrack is nice and soothing; it does not overpower the drama like some others.

The story as far as far as I know, is original and deserves to be told in this fantasy setting. The writers could have spent a little more time on the origin of the story, explaining more about the Eternal Night Clan and Flame Maidens.

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Si and Jin (Jin completely adores Si)

Si Jin had everything I love in a drama and more of everything I love. Number one is romance: In addition to a good storyline, there was mystery, suspense, humor, a good dysfunctional family, lovable characters, an ML who is head over heels in love, and plenty of eye candy. The first episode starts with an epic cliffhanger where the FL dies, and we don’t know what happened. So, the audience is immediately drawn in, trying to piece together this puzzle. The episodes move at a quick pace, but getting to the heart of this mystery takes some time. While you are putting together the pieces, you will enjoy meeting the many characters, some of which are really good and others really bad.

I have no sense of the novel, so I cannot write my review with that in mind. This is purely from a dramatization perspective and my point of view.

The acting is good, not great, but it delivers a decent drama. There are some over-the-top moments with scream acting and then some demure postures. (acting without emotions) The casting was good. I found most of the characters played a good role and helped develop the story. With that being said, I felt that there could have been more back stories with some of the characters. Because the episodes move along quickly, I couldn’t get into the emotions of the drama. I think you will definitely love the leads and hate the villains.

The production is grand and beautiful, with what looks like a picturesque background, but the cinematography is somewhat lacking and feels closed in at times. (makes a big production look and feel small) There are also some editing issues where it feels like they left out chunks of information. It may be that they couldn’t fit in a lot of the novel. Whatever they left out, it does feel like it could have made a better drama. The costumes are well done and provide a large array of colors.

As far as the OST is concerned, I do not speak the language, but it sounded beautiful and fitting to the scene.

In conclusion, if you are a romance, family drama, crazy villains, smart, strategic and adoring FL, ML you will love this drama. If you need a more specific review, I thought this one was spot on https://kisskh.at/profile/DramaloverPanda, although the score is too low.

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Slow Torture!

To begin the pace of this drama was extremely slow almost as if it was purposely done to drag out 40 episodes. I did like the beginning plot and the way in which I felt the story might develop. It has a smart, pretty FL and a smart, handsome, dominant ML. These two although they start off at odds find a common element early on in their ability to solve cases. Each has a strong moral position and an unwavering penchant for justice. The FL is one of a few that will stand up to the ML and does not seem to fear much. The case-solving tends to move slowly to match the slow pace of the drama.

The set and costumes are done well for the most part you do feel you are a part of the room. However, they did over-decorate some scenes and the room is too congested. I am not Asian, but I notice that many Asian movies are done in the cold where you can see the breath of the actors as they speak, and in this drama, it happens often. This is distracting at times.

Another thing I liked was the fight scenes. They were quick and entertaining moving faster than the pace of the show. The actors handled the action well and did a good job.

There is an interesting cast of characters with political intrigue. With this being said the first two episodes had my interest but then it fell short due to the slow pace of the drama and the lack of connection between the leads. Ding Yu Xi, I felt played his part well as the domineering lead but I felt Ancy Deng could not match his presence. There is not a lot of time spent on the supporting cast. Just some flashbacks to get a sense of the characters. If they spent time on them it may have helped with the slow pace.

So I think I get it now, why I am not seeing any chemistry between the leads. There is a certain immaturity in the FL so when I looked her up I found there is a huge age gap of 10 years between them. Not that age matters but if you have ever seen Yang Mei Mei, who is 19 yrs., but she looks 15 yrs. and she can pull off the coy woman role like nobody's business. the FL in this case, her youth and immaturity strongly come across in this drama. I think that with some agencies popular actors are sometimes forced to act with newcomers to give them a leg up in the industry. What a shame they could have cast better.

I stayed until the end to give Ding Yu Xi the benefit of the doubt because I felt he did a good job. The ending was not unexpected but could have been better.

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Could be a little more realistic!

“Fighting For Love”,

So this a story of two people on merging paths to each other. I am only a few episodes in but the story is well written so far. Some of it is not so much words but the expressions and actions of the actors are so believable. The drama is well written I find myself listening to the dialog and not fast forwarding a lot. So, for me there is some intrigue about where it is going.
Acting:
Now that I am at end of this drama it has been fairly good. There is no shortage of plots and palace intrigue. There is a large cast and what seems like a big production. The story is not new with a strong woman pretending to be a man. The FL handles her part well and her played down looks helps with the part. In the beginning episodes the acting was really good, and I take my hat off to the emperor he is superb. The ML could have been a little better with the acting. He plays an aloof playboy prince that is not mature and does not know anything about responsibility. So, it is up to the FL to guide him. Their relationship does not take long to develop as they become friends first.
This drama has a lot a battle scene a little more than I like, because they lack that wuxia element, but they move quickly. The production of the battles are done well. I would not call this a wuxia it is just more of a drama.
I have binged most of the drama it does draw you in with the curiosity of who, what why and where is this going in he end.
Story:
The story is not original but is written well and does draw you in to watch. It has a lot of twist and turns. The last three episodes are rushed so much so I thought it would be a second season. I don’t know if everyone will stick around for the end or even appreciate the ending. I for one did not like the ending. I did not like the direction the story went in for the final episodes. This I more on a personal level and observation. I am all for the independence of women and that being able to forge your own path. I liked that the writers kept her personality of women in that she always knew she was a woman. She was forced by her circumstances to act as a man. I also liked that she was not portrayed as a woman that was physically stronger than men but she did work at being smarter.
Rewatch:
In conclusion I would not re-watch this. However, being that I binged most of it would suggest that I like the drama overall. It could have had a better ending, but I think that is how most people feel about endings these days. (They suck).

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Do not waste your time

I thought this had an interesting plot, something uplifting about being thirty and it being a good thing, but it was just depressing. It was actually quite predictable nothing that comes out at you. Maybe the music was a bit somber that made it seem to drag on. I fast forwarded a lot. I did not feel any chemistry between any of the characters not even the FL's. I remember thirty and it was one of the best times of my life in spite of bad relationships and barely making ends meat. This should have been about the joy of surviving thirty but I could not find any joy in this drama. Glad it is over. I thought "WWW" had a better take on thirty.

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Sensationalism in purest form!

The only positive thing I can think of is that you will not be disappointed in the FL and ML, they are both beautiful and a joy to look at on screen. Otherwise Don't get your hopes up for this drama, it was a big let down.

The title should have been (A Moth to a Flame).

This was truly sensationalism at its purest. Worst ending ever! Stupid! Wasted my time on what could have been some real healing and truth. They just moved on with no realistic ending.

The FL was some Femme Fatale who could make men fall for her. However, in reality, she did a lot to lead them on. Her actions and lack of sensibility led her to make poor decisions. In reality, the writers just wanted to make a buck on a drama with famous actors. I cannot believe they actually spent money to make this drama, but I bet they made a lot.

Each of the side couples had a partner who was not sincere. Those partners were each crossing the lines of inappropriate behavior in a relationship. If you really dissect the relationships, they all got together for the wrong reasons and should never have been or stayed together. I don't know whose idea it was to put this mess together, but it just made me frustrated and sick to my stomach watching. When I watch an Asian drama, I watch to be entertained with a feeling of being satisfied at the end. Sort of like a good lovemaking session. I like both of the leads, and I watched this until the end because I wanted this to do well. So I am sure they were paid well, but sadly, I was not.

In my opinion, none of this was about messy relationships that no one wants to relive if they have had one. It was a waste of time for me.

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I am in my feelings for this.

I got total feel-good vibes from watching this short drama. The attraction and chemistry between the lead couple are just mesmerizing.

Although the script does not seem to require a lot of emotional acting. It is just the fact that they can ooze such chemistry with each other. The subtle gestures and looks. The cute smile when they think the other is not looking kept me watching. That is good enough acting for me.

If you're expecting a big production with a long-drawn-out plot and suspense this does not have it. Well, maybe a little it does have one of the best plot twist I never saw coming. However, if you are like me a hopeless romantic this will feed your soul. With that being said I feel like this could have been much longer. This leading couple (Ke Ying and Ryan Chen) look so good together and apart. I think they are relatively new to the drama scene and I hope they continue. I will definitely watch some of their other dramas, especially Ryan Chen. As I said this does not have a big production but it does make the most out of what they have. It almost feels big and lets you imagine that there is more.

Face swapping can be tricky in a drama because one face may not hold up in the view of the audience. So, I am not always a fan of this plot-line.

So, I have re-watched it twice and got feels both times. If you are a romantic at heart this is a must watch.

One final note I think when rating they need to separate categories into dramas over 24 with 45 minute episodes because the scoring is a little different.

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This is how a C-Drama should be.

Full disclaimer: I have a weakness for romance. So whenever there is a decent romance in a drama I tend to give it a higher score. So for the serious people take this with a grain of salt with the high score.

A C-drama should have a decent plot, intrigue, mystery, suspense, and good fight scenes. ROMANCE, eye candy, smart ML and FL, good casting, and a good wrap-up at the end. This happens to check all of the boxes. It is not perfect and that is why I did not give a perfect score. With that being said I enjoyed this drama.

STORY: ML and FL on opposing sides fall in love never forgetting who they are. So, the story is slow in parts but that seems to be the norm with C-dramas these days. I think that is to drag out more episodes so I am getting used to it. My one CON, in these dramas is that the plot does get lost at some point. It took a while to get the story going somewhere. So, I found myself wondering when it would get to the point, but then it happened, so I did not take offense and kept watching.

ACTING: The acting is okay or on par with this type of drama. It is filled with a rather large cast. You may find a couple of the characters a bit over the top but, somehow it works out in the end. I have been watching C-dramas for a few years and I do not get the over-the-top FAN thing. Some people do not like (Angela-baby)' but I do. Is she the best actress, no, but she is getting better.

Overall this is a good light-hearted watch.

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Interesting storyline with suspense and a little funny.

This has a transmigration-into-a-novel storyline, which I’m not particularly fond of. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did enjoy the leads. I thought it was good—it held my attention and moved along at a nice pace. The novel they entered could have been stronger. The cast was solid, and the side stories drew me in, though they could have been developed more. There’s court politics between princes and palace harem infighting, with well-acted drama that also includes some funny moments. Amid the leads trying to figure out how to survive the novel’s plot, there’s a bit of romance, which for me always makes a drama more enjoyable.
With this drama being fantasy it did blur the lines between what could be believable or not.
That being said the drama was carefree viewing. There were some hard choice tragic moments that will break your heart, but you move on quickly.
One thing that is unclear to me is how the antagonists knew so much about what the leads were dong.

All in all liked the leads and the drama and gave it a fair score.

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Much better than expected.

Threads of Destiny

I love a rebirth drama that have three things:

1. The leads actually use their knowledge for growth
2. The leads get their revenge, and it is satisfying
3. The leads don’t get stepped on and look stupid.

This drama had all three. I found this drama light and fluffy, with a good-looking cast. There are no surprises in this story it has been done a million times, especially in vertical dramas. So, if you are looking for new and different. You will not find it, except for a twist toward the end. What you will find is a story that is done well for what it was. It was not a big production, but the production was good. It was not a blockbuster, but the writing and directing is decent. It was everything it claimed to be a short, sweet rebirth drama. I enjoyed this short drama. The leads had tremendous chemistry and looked good together. The casing was good for me, and the other actors played their parts well.

If you get sucked into vertical dramas on YouTube, then you will like this. Take it for what it is, and that is better than expected.

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This is a mixed bag of fruit. most sour and some sweet.

LOVE AND CROWN

This “Love and Crown” had so much potential to be a great drama, but the writing and acting just could not pull off the win. This drama had many positive points and good things about it.
"The drama in the end is disappointing. Its narrative suffers from a contrived and unnecessarily complex plot, undermining any genuine dramatic momentum. The characters lack depth and development, making it difficult for the audience to form a meaningful emotional connection. These shortcomings are further compounded by uninspired direction, which fails to bring coherence or nuance to the overall work." (diade68_778)

Production

The production and costumes were done well. The inner chambers looked authentic and gave you the feel of a grand production. It looked like it was the making of a beautiful drama. One thing about the costumes was the overuse of heavy clothing. I noticed with a lot of dramas lately that the cast has been wearing very heavy and layered clothing and oversized fur coats. While this I am sure, it is because of the cold and lack of heat, which could be avoided if they actually used some heat. Since I am not Asian and do not live in this type of culture, I cannot say as to why they film in such cold conditions. They spend so much money on Asian dramas, why not build sets like in Hollywood?

Acting and Cast:

The cast is absolutely beautiful with plenty of eye candy (my favorite part). How does (Ren Jia Lun) continue to look so good? With the cast, I felt like a great drama was going to come out of every scene, but that did not happen. So, again, so much potential but missing the mark. The acting was so sporadic. It was like walking the runway with the best design and falling flat on your face. Everything is great, and then it is not. The times when the camera paused on a face were too many and too long. With this it caused the actors to be a step behind, so the scene did not come together. It was as if they wanted to showcase certain actors with a side story that never truly developed. Honestly, none of the actors pulled their weight. Both leads, although beautiful in appearance, could not carry poor writing and directing. Not to mention they lacked the most important thing, chemistry.

The Story

The story was not bad, but it was far-fetched at times, the writer could have at least made the story believable. The dramas where the spies know everything are getting old. Seriously, they don’t even have social media. How did they know everything beforehand? The story gets lighthearted in the middle, then goes off the rails with a side story that is a bit much.

The Low Rating:

I was wondering why the rating was so low. Now, I know it was not a good watch. It had too many holes and flaws. Which seemed to be because of poor writing, dialog and directing. Perhaps they were inexperienced and did not know how to pull everything together. In conclusion, the rating was well deserved.

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Great start, but ran out of steam toward the end.

The Princess’s Gamit is not an original plot, but it is well performed by Meng Zi Yi and Liu Xue Yi. These actors deliver their roles with experience and skill. I started liking it from the beginning. What stands out to me is that the story isn’t original, but it keeps your interest for most of the run.

The Story

This is a story about a powerless princess who leaves her country for a political marriage with a neighboring prince. Unfortunately, she is framed and ends up marrying the ruthless Left Chancellor instead. It’s suspenseful from the start as the leads use their wit and cunning to navigate this chaos. If you enjoy dramas where both leads are sharp and capable, you'll find this enjoyable. Sit back and watch as the plot twists and turns throughout the series. Although there are concubines, the story doesn’t focus heavily on harem antics. Instead, there’s more political intrigue, palace politics, and a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

The Acting

I am a fan of Liu Xue Yi; the more I watch him in dramas, the more I respect what he brings to a role. He portrays a ruthless Left Chancellor, and when you see his cold stare, it might send chills down your spine. Yet, he can also soften and show a gentler side when he switches gears. Meng Zi Yi has also grown in her acting. She is a beautiful woman who convincingly plays the victim. Overall, this is one of the few dramas where I think the casting is quite good. There’s plenty of cuteness and eye candy. That’s my particular taste because I’m tired of characters who stay grimy and stay in the dark throughout the entire series. That said, the villains could be more convincing.
Since there are only 36 out of 40 episodes, some editing and scene cuts were necessary. This leads to parts of the story feeling a bit disconnected and poorly edited. You might wonder whether they should have included more content or cut more, especially toward the end.

Production

The production quality is solid, even if it’s on a smaller scale. You won’t see sweeping countryside shots, large mansions, or grand ponds. However, the interior scenes appear larger than they are. The costumes are nice, especially the men's, which I find more captivating than the women's.

The Music

The music is good, but since I don’t understand the language, I can’t comment much on it.

In conclusion, this drama seems to have lost some of its initial ambition by the end. The villains didn’t quite live up to their potential. The ending is of a type I’ve always disliked in Asian dramas. If you enjoy the other aspects I mentioned, then it’s an okay choice for costume and historical drama fans. It’s not top-tier, but it’s also not the worst.

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Not quite there yet as a real Romcom.

If you look at the trailer or read the description you will immediately think this a great Romcom. However, this fell short in so many ways. Let me first say the highest rating I gave is for the story. The story had real potential to be a blockbuster hit. It had all the makings to start a good Romcom. It just never got there. If I had to sum it up it was just boring. It never had two parts that go together. You know, peanut butter but no jelly, bread but no butter. The title does not go with anything. So a great story but the leads were not enough to pull it off. Individually they were cute but together no chemistry. I tried to give it every chance I could. I watched objectively until the end. I gave up better dramas for this. But when you start fast-forwarding through most of the episodes, you know something is wrong.

Many of the comments ask why the ratings are so low. This has a slow pace and never really goes anywhere. It reminded me of those short dramas on YouTube that give you different versions of the same plot. I fault the director for not knowing where to go or lead this drama to make it more exciting and loveable. I fault the writers for giving the actors too much dialog that they could not pull off. Thus, making the actors look like bad actors.

On a positive note, it is a rom-com and there were some funny moments. There was a hint of romance but it was barely fulfilled because it took so long. It has a happy ending.

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