such a feel-good, cozy story about life and following your dreams. the best all around cast, warm heartfelt relationships. thank you to mameshiba mashiba and fujino for being the unlikeliest of couples and hitting me in all the feels. every character in this drama was so well developed and came to life through the actors playing them. special shoutout to kouji for being a scene stealer!!!
I haven't seen such a good drama in a while. I think there were several things that really pulled together this drama for me: 1) the tight, fast-paced plot that unravels the mystery behind Si Teng's death and revival, with plenty of twists to keep you on your toes, 2) Si Teng herself and the costuming, 3) the natural gorgeous scenery, and 4) the slow-burn romance that blooms into something spectacular. I also loved all the powerful female characters that were in the drama who had a lot of agency - they were instigators rather than reactionary characters and drove almost all of the plot. Everything unfolded neatly, there was little drag in the plot, and all of the loose ends and plot questions were given enough time and emotional space to be dealt with. And finally, because Qin Fang as a character doesn't get enough credit - it is amazing how Qin Fang is such a loving, warm, and strong character who is not afraid to feel emotions (and get Si Teng to feel them too)! Props to all the cast and crew that made this the dark horse drama of 2021.
All I know is that after the drama ended, I've been re-watching Jing Tian and Zhang Bin Bin's Happy Camp episode over... and over... and over again!
I love that 2020 brought us two marriage-first-then-love jdramas, and that they were both excellent in their own way.
In Marry Me!, we had a warm touching story of the human condition that was innocently cute and thought provoking, and took a big deviation from standard marriage contract trope fair to be something deeper.
In Shanai Marriage Honey, we have something that is classic marriage contract trope - zero plot, all fluff. And yet, despite the lack of actual plot or depth in this drama, it's unabashed embrace of the marriage contract trope and it's simplistic slice-of-life storytelling actually makes it much, much better than you would think. The success of Shanai Marriage Honey is largely due to the electrifying chemistry between the leads, and also a plot that allows this chemistry to be played out to full effect. There's no love triangles and no unnecessary conflict or misunderstandings - just pure fluff and two really attractive actors that are lighting the set on fire - and that is apparently the winning formula to a really good take on the marriage contract trope.
What a gem of a drama. This was the cup of hot cocoa that I needed during this holiday season. Yes, it's an arranged marriage drama founded on a ridiculous premise, but the story is anything but ridiculous. I really enjoyed the slow burn between the OTP because this drama was all about familial relationships and how to find happiness with each other, and romance was something that happened naturally near the end due to how close they had become. Definitely coming back to this drama on a rainy day when I need a warm hug.
I marathoned the drama on Iqiyi's website (yay for eng subs) this weekend in one go. It was what I really needed - it was a light, fluffy, cute college drama that helped to beat the quarantine blues.
I loved Chen Yao cross-dressing as a boy - I think she's one of the better female actresses for cross-dressing, she manages to somehow pull off a cute teenage boy. I also loved the friendship and camaraderie that built between the two leads. One thing I loved about this drama was how much screentime the leads had to develop their relationship, partially helped by their very close proximity to each other. The chemistry, as everyone else has commented, is very sweet. I've only ever seen Guan Hong in softer roles before, so his performance here was commendable. I loved his characterization of Wen Bing. I've never seen a male white lotus before - that's usually reserved for female characters - and Guan Hong really pulled it off.
Yes, this drama is a mixing bag of a ton of old cliches. But somehow, it manages to have a fresh take on different cliches. It also breaks the 4th wall sometimes to address how cliched and unrealistic some of the plot points are, which I had a good kick out of. Also, none of the characters come off as totally hateful or malicious - great props to the screenwriter for making Meng Na one of my favourite characters. There were sort-of love triangles that got respectfully resolved, and everyone ended up with an OTP - happy endings everywhere! I didn't think I needed another cross-dressing drama, but this was a bullseye. I'm still looping the OST everyday at work!
Can't say more good things about this drama than has already been said before. The chemistry between the leads is electrifying. I got sucked in because of the OTP, and gradually got engaged in the plot line. As other reviewers have mentioned, I love that no character in this drama is truly good or truly evil.
Major props to Luo Yunxi, who hard carried this drama with his immensely memorable portrayal of Yuan Shuai. Bai Lu turned in a serviceable performance as Jiang Jun - the role is a tad similar to her portrayal in Arsenal Military Academy, and the character wasn't as fleshed out here so she couldn't go into the full range like she did for Zhao Yao. Anyways, their chemistry saved the day - they were clearly very comfortable around each other, which made for an awesome viewing experience.
Production value was clearly high for this drama. Loved the fashion, they tried with the music, and the sets were gorgeous. I think this caught up to some Korean modern dramas (e.g. Secretary Kim, She was Pretty) in terms of aesthetic and production, which is very surprising for a Chinese drama given that their big budgets tend to be blown on historical productions.
Three episode in and I'm already rolling on my bed laughing.
This is a basic plot line about a magistrate and his advisor that knows its genre really well and doesn't take itself too seriously. I went in with low expectations because this is a low-budget comedy, and somehow came across this little gem.
What really makes this drama shine is the fact that the main couple are perfectly cast in their roles. Unlike other low-budget idol dramas, the acting never feels awkward or forced. The chemistry between the main couple is practically electric. Right now they are essentially the idiot couple that is dating, and everybody knows that they are dating, but they don't know that they are dating. Their interactions are so natural and fluffy, I love this drama so much!
Just finished watching this drama! It's fully subbed on Youtube.
I thought this drama was very well-done in comparison to idol dramas out right now. The cinematography was serviceable, the music was pleasant, and the story was engaging enough that I didn't skip a single scene and marathoned the whole drama. The story line is about the female lead, Nuan Nuan, trying to pick up the pieces of her life after she fails to debut as an idol. It's such a realistic story line, and you find yourself cheering for Nuan Nuan as she tries different industries and struggles to carve out a career path for herself.
The main couple is GOALS. They are the cutest pair on earth. I know the male lead's initial set up is this aloof iceberg, but just wait until they get together - they become adorable puppies. I thought their conflicts were real conflicts, and both sides grew from them and became stronger as a couple. Props to their acting chops and chemistry, because they pulled me into their characters and made me super invested in their relationship.
The secondary couple is a nice counterbalance to the main couple. You can tell the actors for the secondary couple are kind of green, but they make up for that with buckets of chemistry.
I know what the drama was trying to do with the third couple. Long story short, the conflict is resolved at the end and the group remain friends with each other. I think there were a couple of real girl power and friendship moments that could have come out of Lin Jiayi, and it was lost by poor script writing. The script writer made a mess out of Lin Jiayi's character. Nevertheless, it doesn't ruin the overall story line. All I can say is that the third couple really and truly deserve each other.
I watched this drama solely because of Bai Lu and Xu Kai from The Legends. They are such versatile actors - the characters here are nothing like their characters in The Legends, but somehow they have unlocked a new type of fluffy chemistry and I am all here for it.
Things I loved: - There are so many cross-dressing dramas, but what really shines here is that Bai Lu was so f*cking handsome as a guy. I will admit that for the first couple of episodes, I was so blown away by Bai Lu as a suave dude. - Xu Kai. His character was the much needed comic relief in this drama. His friendship with Bai Lu was so special and sweet, the way they got along like siblings was hilarious. I spent most of the drama thinking that Xu Kai's character was set up to be the second male lead, only for that to resolve itself beautifully near the end. - The cast chemistry. There were so many beautiful men in this drama, holy smokes.
Things I wasn't too keen on: You knew it would be there, but the blatant nationalism just blasting you in the face throughout this whole drama was a miss for me.
I don't watch Republican dramas because of the aforementioned sickening nationalistic propaganda, but Arsenal Military Academy somehow packaged an idol drama into a Republican drama and made me watch it from beginning to end. High praises indeed.
p.s. You have to search for BTS clips of deleted kiss scenes. You're welcome ;)
Note: I watched this drama all RAW because I couldn't find any English subtitles. I also never watched the Korean counterpart, so my review isn't impact by it. If you can understand Chinese and you're debating whether to watch this drama, this review is for you.
This a high school drama that doesn't shy away from societal problems, unlike other Chinese dramas of this genre (e.g. A Love So Beautiful). At it's core, it's about a group of high school students during their last year of high school having to form friendships, learn life lessons, and think about what dreams they have for their future. There was some unexpected growth and maturity from some characters that I found so endearing. It's going to make you look back on your high school days as well and remember the times you shared with friends, all those lunches at the cafeteria, the times you walked home together after school. Anyways, here's a couple points I thought really shone:
- Facing thoughts of suicide and depression head on. The female lead's whole journey is about walking away from the abyss of death and trying to find some sort of light to hold onto so that she has strength to continue on living her life.
- Supportive male lead. The female lead throughout the drama is like a mystery novel that the male lead is desperately reading, trying to unravel. He gets frustrated, angry, and jealous at times. But the friendship that develops between the two of them is so beautiful, it's just two people who find each other in this world and go, "Hey, I think I can go on living this life if it's with you." Their bond is really what keeps this drama going. Is there romance? Yes, there's romance. But their bond kind of transcends romance. It's just two lost souls that really need each other.
- High school! This drama isn't just depression and sad thoughts. In fact, most of this drama isn't depression and sad thoughts. There's a lot of comedic points and laughter throughout the episodes as the two leads navigate their last year of high school and pick up unlikely friends along the way. The group cast energy was amazing. I loved the bonds that formed between everyone as the year progressed.
- Supportive female friendships. The female lead gets drawn into a quasi-love triangle with, surprise surprise, the second male lead (and not the male lead). But this isn't your typical love triangle. I would say that the female lead and the other female in this triangle actually have a deeper and stronger bond with each other than the second male lead. Their friendship withstands hell and high water, and they always put each other first, regardless of the men that enter their life. That's some true sisterhood.
Anyways, I made it halfway through the drama in one go and realized I hadn't skipped a single scene. That's when you know a drama is crack.
I hope this isn't about the June 4th massacre. It's just really disrespectful to make a drama during that period of time (80s-90s) and have Tiananmen in the name without acknowledging the pain caused. That's like if the US casually did a drama on the World Trade Centre without honouring 9/11.
Well, good luck to this show getting through censorship. I thought the words Tiananmen or Six-Four were banned...
Disclaimer: This has been my favourite drama of 2020.
I think with the quarantine and the global pandemic, there's been a lot of worry and fear in my life. I really cherished this drama because it's a super light, fluffy watch.
I'll start by saying that you should definitely check your expectations before starting this drama. If you're looking for something with a gripping or novel plot line, you're not going to find it here. This drama is essentially a fairy tale. It's about a handsome, rich prince and a beautiful, rich princess and their happily ever after.
Things I loved about this drama that are quite rare in dramaland: - There's no love triangles and very little misunderstandings or external conflicts. I'm so happy I don't have to watch the FL agonize between two men without making up her mind. - The two main characters fall in love with each other really early on in the story and move full speed ahead towards daily fluff and sweet exchanges. Usually, most dramas dwell on the will-they-won't-they and the ambiguous period of love. In this drama, the main characters start off episode 1 engaged to each other already. - No interfering families. In fact, the families are fully supportive of their relationship. - FL chases the ML. This is so. rare. My biggest critique of most dramas is a wishy-washy female lead who spends half the drama completely clueless towards her own feelings, before being forced by Plot to choose between various male leads. I love love love that the FL here literally just goes "Yup, this dude is mine" and then chases him down. Can we have more of that?
It's one of the most mature depictions of a romantic, slice-of-life relationship that I've seen in c-dramaland. Can we just take a moment to appreciate all those kisses? And they're not close lipped pecks. They actually kiss like people in love.
The plot is quite thin, and the characters are quite flat. Huge props to the actors, who took what little they had and really ran with it. The actors breathed life into Dr. Zhou and Beibei in a way that made them more than the sum of their parts. The epic, swoon-worthy chemistry between them also definitely helped (for anyone suffering from drama withdrawals, you have to find the behind-the-scenes clips for this drama - they're even sweeter than the actual drama itself).
This drama was just the right cup of coffee at the right time in my life. It will forever hold a special place in my heart. I'll be back every time I'm sad just to live vicariously through Dr. Zhou and Beibei's sweet, touching love story.
All I know is that after the drama ended, I've been re-watching Jing Tian and Zhang Bin Bin's Happy Camp episode over... and over... and over again!
In Marry Me!, we had a warm touching story of the human condition that was innocently cute and thought provoking, and took a big deviation from standard marriage contract trope fair to be something deeper.
In Shanai Marriage Honey, we have something that is classic marriage contract trope - zero plot, all fluff. And yet, despite the lack of actual plot or depth in this drama, it's unabashed embrace of the marriage contract trope and it's simplistic slice-of-life storytelling actually makes it much, much better than you would think. The success of Shanai Marriage Honey is largely due to the electrifying chemistry between the leads, and also a plot that allows this chemistry to be played out to full effect. There's no love triangles and no unnecessary conflict or misunderstandings - just pure fluff and two really attractive actors that are lighting the set on fire - and that is apparently the winning formula to a really good take on the marriage contract trope.
I loved Chen Yao cross-dressing as a boy - I think she's one of the better female actresses for cross-dressing, she manages to somehow pull off a cute teenage boy. I also loved the friendship and camaraderie that built between the two leads. One thing I loved about this drama was how much screentime the leads had to develop their relationship, partially helped by their very close proximity to each other. The chemistry, as everyone else has commented, is very sweet. I've only ever seen Guan Hong in softer roles before, so his performance here was commendable. I loved his characterization of Wen Bing. I've never seen a male white lotus before - that's usually reserved for female characters - and Guan Hong really pulled it off.
Yes, this drama is a mixing bag of a ton of old cliches. But somehow, it manages to have a fresh take on different cliches. It also breaks the 4th wall sometimes to address how cliched and unrealistic some of the plot points are, which I had a good kick out of. Also, none of the characters come off as totally hateful or malicious - great props to the screenwriter for making Meng Na one of my favourite characters. There were sort-of love triangles that got respectfully resolved, and everyone ended up with an OTP - happy endings everywhere! I didn't think I needed another cross-dressing drama, but this was a bullseye. I'm still looping the OST everyday at work!
Major props to Luo Yunxi, who hard carried this drama with his immensely memorable portrayal of Yuan Shuai. Bai Lu turned in a serviceable performance as Jiang Jun - the role is a tad similar to her portrayal in Arsenal Military Academy, and the character wasn't as fleshed out here so she couldn't go into the full range like she did for Zhao Yao. Anyways, their chemistry saved the day - they were clearly very comfortable around each other, which made for an awesome viewing experience.
Production value was clearly high for this drama. Loved the fashion, they tried with the music, and the sets were gorgeous. I think this caught up to some Korean modern dramas (e.g. Secretary Kim, She was Pretty) in terms of aesthetic and production, which is very surprising for a Chinese drama given that their big budgets tend to be blown on historical productions.
This is a basic plot line about a magistrate and his advisor that knows its genre really well and doesn't take itself too seriously. I went in with low expectations because this is a low-budget comedy, and somehow came across this little gem.
What really makes this drama shine is the fact that the main couple are perfectly cast in their roles. Unlike other low-budget idol dramas, the acting never feels awkward or forced. The chemistry between the main couple is practically electric. Right now they are essentially the idiot couple that is dating, and everybody knows that they are dating, but they don't know that they are dating. Their interactions are so natural and fluffy, I love this drama so much!
I thought this drama was very well-done in comparison to idol dramas out right now. The cinematography was serviceable, the music was pleasant, and the story was engaging enough that I didn't skip a single scene and marathoned the whole drama. The story line is about the female lead, Nuan Nuan, trying to pick up the pieces of her life after she fails to debut as an idol. It's such a realistic story line, and you find yourself cheering for Nuan Nuan as she tries different industries and struggles to carve out a career path for herself.
The main couple is GOALS. They are the cutest pair on earth. I know the male lead's initial set up is this aloof iceberg, but just wait until they get together - they become adorable puppies. I thought their conflicts were real conflicts, and both sides grew from them and became stronger as a couple. Props to their acting chops and chemistry, because they pulled me into their characters and made me super invested in their relationship.
The secondary couple is a nice counterbalance to the main couple. You can tell the actors for the secondary couple are kind of green, but they make up for that with buckets of chemistry.
I know what the drama was trying to do with the third couple. Long story short, the conflict is resolved at the end and the group remain friends with each other. I think there were a couple of real girl power and friendship moments that could have come out of Lin Jiayi, and it was lost by poor script writing. The script writer made a mess out of Lin Jiayi's character. Nevertheless, it doesn't ruin the overall story line. All I can say is that the third couple really and truly deserve each other.
Things I loved:
- There are so many cross-dressing dramas, but what really shines here is that Bai Lu was so f*cking handsome as a guy. I will admit that for the first couple of episodes, I was so blown away by Bai Lu as a suave dude.
- Xu Kai. His character was the much needed comic relief in this drama. His friendship with Bai Lu was so special and sweet, the way they got along like siblings was hilarious. I spent most of the drama thinking that Xu Kai's character was set up to be the second male lead, only for that to resolve itself beautifully near the end.
- The cast chemistry. There were so many beautiful men in this drama, holy smokes.
Things I wasn't too keen on: You knew it would be there, but the blatant nationalism just blasting you in the face throughout this whole drama was a miss for me.
I don't watch Republican dramas because of the aforementioned sickening nationalistic propaganda, but Arsenal Military Academy somehow packaged an idol drama into a Republican drama and made me watch it from beginning to end. High praises indeed.
p.s. You have to search for BTS clips of deleted kiss scenes. You're welcome ;)
This a high school drama that doesn't shy away from societal problems, unlike other Chinese dramas of this genre (e.g. A Love So Beautiful). At it's core, it's about a group of high school students during their last year of high school having to form friendships, learn life lessons, and think about what dreams they have for their future. There was some unexpected growth and maturity from some characters that I found so endearing. It's going to make you look back on your high school days as well and remember the times you shared with friends, all those lunches at the cafeteria, the times you walked home together after school. Anyways, here's a couple points I thought really shone:
- Facing thoughts of suicide and depression head on. The female lead's whole journey is about walking away from the abyss of death and trying to find some sort of light to hold onto so that she has strength to continue on living her life.
- Supportive male lead. The female lead throughout the drama is like a mystery novel that the male lead is desperately reading, trying to unravel. He gets frustrated, angry, and jealous at times. But the friendship that develops between the two of them is so beautiful, it's just two people who find each other in this world and go, "Hey, I think I can go on living this life if it's with you." Their bond is really what keeps this drama going. Is there romance? Yes, there's romance. But their bond kind of transcends romance. It's just two lost souls that really need each other.
- High school! This drama isn't just depression and sad thoughts. In fact, most of this drama isn't depression and sad thoughts. There's a lot of comedic points and laughter throughout the episodes as the two leads navigate their last year of high school and pick up unlikely friends along the way. The group cast energy was amazing. I loved the bonds that formed between everyone as the year progressed.
- Supportive female friendships. The female lead gets drawn into a quasi-love triangle with, surprise surprise, the second male lead (and not the male lead). But this isn't your typical love triangle. I would say that the female lead and the other female in this triangle actually have a deeper and stronger bond with each other than the second male lead. Their friendship withstands hell and high water, and they always put each other first, regardless of the men that enter their life. That's some true sisterhood.
Anyways, I made it halfway through the drama in one go and realized I hadn't skipped a single scene. That's when you know a drama is crack.
Well, good luck to this show getting through censorship. I thought the words Tiananmen or Six-Four were banned...
I think with the quarantine and the global pandemic, there's been a lot of worry and fear in my life. I really cherished this drama because it's a super light, fluffy watch.
I'll start by saying that you should definitely check your expectations before starting this drama. If you're looking for something with a gripping or novel plot line, you're not going to find it here. This drama is essentially a fairy tale. It's about a handsome, rich prince and a beautiful, rich princess and their happily ever after.
Things I loved about this drama that are quite rare in dramaland:
- There's no love triangles and very little misunderstandings or external conflicts. I'm so happy I don't have to watch the FL agonize between two men without making up her mind.
- The two main characters fall in love with each other really early on in the story and move full speed ahead towards daily fluff and sweet exchanges. Usually, most dramas dwell on the will-they-won't-they and the ambiguous period of love. In this drama, the main characters start off episode 1 engaged to each other already.
- No interfering families. In fact, the families are fully supportive of their relationship.
- FL chases the ML. This is so. rare. My biggest critique of most dramas is a wishy-washy female lead who spends half the drama completely clueless towards her own feelings, before being forced by Plot to choose between various male leads. I love love love that the FL here literally just goes "Yup, this dude is mine" and then chases him down. Can we have more of that?
It's one of the most mature depictions of a romantic, slice-of-life relationship that I've seen in c-dramaland. Can we just take a moment to appreciate all those kisses? And they're not close lipped pecks. They actually kiss like people in love.
The plot is quite thin, and the characters are quite flat. Huge props to the actors, who took what little they had and really ran with it. The actors breathed life into Dr. Zhou and Beibei in a way that made them more than the sum of their parts. The epic, swoon-worthy chemistry between them also definitely helped (for anyone suffering from drama withdrawals, you have to find the behind-the-scenes clips for this drama - they're even sweeter than the actual drama itself).
This drama was just the right cup of coffee at the right time in my life. It will forever hold a special place in my heart. I'll be back every time I'm sad just to live vicariously through Dr. Zhou and Beibei's sweet, touching love story.