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Slice of life of the late 20th century of Shanghai, China
This is a slice of life drama that brings back the nostalgic late 90s of Chinese high school students set in Shanghai.Personally, this isn't amazing or nor is it bad. It just shows a day to day life of the main characters.
There are a lot of teenager issues that happens universally within the main characters circle. For example, one-sided love, secret crush, and forbidden love because China forbids young love in high school it seems. There's also characters who had to deal with weight issues, mother-daughter relationship problems that were quite relatable. Other topics this drama touched upon is remarriage, adult friendship and jealousy, etc. There's basically a plethora of topics this drama touches upon, but there's barely any romance if anyone is here to watch romance.
Personally, I think this was filmed very well cinamatography wise. I also love the use of Shanghainese to make this drama more authentic.
Acting wise - everyone did their part quite well, there's nothing phenomenal per say. It feels like the adults were more unserious and humorous compared to the kids.
Unfortunately, mid-way through the drama was when I was beginning to wonder if I should have dropped it because of how boring it became. I usually like watching 90s-inspired Chinese dramas, but I think there are way better 90s inspired cdramas than this one.
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Perfect Off The Path Drama From Your Typical Idol Drama.
if you're serious about acting, non-idol dramas, and slice of life genres of the old days, this is the drama to go for.Romance in the Alley focuses mainly on two neighboring families through hardships and growth. Personally, this is my cup of tea, albeit the 70s-80s Chinese household policies were quite confusing to me.
With that aside, I love watching what the 70s and 80s of China would've looked like, and loved it when they gave us a glimpse of the 90s. The hairstyle, fashion, and environment change tickled my brain. ^^
The acting of the veterans were superb.Everyone felt natural and embodies their characters well. I particularly really enjoyed watching Song Yi and Ms. Ling's sisterly bond. Also how realistic they were towards certain neighbors LOL.
Initially, Zhaung Tu Nan(Fan Cheng Cheng) had a more reserved, studious role as the eldest in his family. I thought Fan Cheng Cheng's acting was quite good because the actor himself is typically loud mouth, and unserious. The actor's personality is the exact opposite. Suddenly, he brought back a bit of Fan Cheng Cheng in him in Tu Nan's adult years and it just threw me off course. This wasn't the Tu Nan I watched growing up. o.O Granted, people can change but I can see the awkwardness of Fann Cheng Cheng in the character, Tu Nan. It's difficult to explain, but it eventually felt like Fan Cheng Cheng was being himself and I'm not sure if it was intentional or not. Overall, his acting was passable, this was my first drama of his. He just needs to work on it imo. Unfortunately, his love line was pretty short and it really disappointed me. I was expecting more between Tu Nan and Li Jia (Lu Yu Xiao) but it just didn't go the way I was hoping it'd go.
Wang An Yu's character, Lin Dong Zhe, is for comedic purposes and boy was he a rebel kid and annoying. LOL At around 8-9 years old, the kid wouldn't stop complaining, butting himself in places he shouldn't be, or crying. I was so fed up with him. Wang did a great job maturing his character into a more responsible adult. He still embody the mischievous personality of his character and acted quite well. I believe this was my second drama of his and he improved a lot.
Zhuang Xiao Ting played by Guan Xiao Tong. Tong acting was okay. For a child actress, I kind of expected her acting to be really good but her crying scenes were cringe if I'm being honest, but other than that everything else was pretty good. she also embody her character quite well, there was a smooth transition between her and the child actresses.
The connection between Zhuang Xiao Ting and Lin Dong Zhe was adorable. Usually people don't like it when two characters grew up to be together because of the sisterly-brotherly bond. However, the gradual feelings for one another was very natural that you can not help but be supportive of the childhood sweethearts.
Li Jia (Lu Yu Xiao) is a confusing character. one minute she likes Tu Nan then she flakes. Understandably, she believes that she needs to find a specific significant other and Tu Nan wasn't checking it off. Granted, all of it was due to family pressure and it is quite relatable in Chinese society. This drama didn't really showcase Lu Yu Xiao's acting ability as she's barely in it so I don't have much to say.
Speaking of Chinese society, this drama touches upon many Chinese family topics that we suffer from today. The eldest baring all the responsibility, and being expected to take care of all their family members disregarding whether or not it's a selfish request. The expectation of being the perfect child, studying well, having a good future is what all parents expect.Of course, not all kids ended up following what their parents expected of them and I like how realistic it is. Some kids weren't able to fulfill their wishes because of the financial status which was disheartening to watch.
The youngest being in the shadows of their older siblings. Favoritism.
Family drama always end up spreading everywhere nobody how low your voice was.
The acting kind-and-polite-but-is-the-opposite personality really speaks to me because I don't like those kind of people. And I've experience these kinds of people in my own family.
Anyhow, I love that the drama showcase their financial struggles, and difficulties caring for their children, and juggling crazy family members. Extremely relatable imo.
Overall this drama was one of the rare dramas that's off the beaten path, a drama not many cdrama fans would enjoy or look at today because it's not xianxia, wuxia, modern romance, nor is it historical romance.
Its a historical family, and slice of life drama.
if you watched The Bond, which I have thoroughly enjoyed and one of my favorites, then this drama is for you!
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Dark Horse of Youth Dramas 2025
Reborn is the dark horse of 2025 youth drama, at least for me!I did not expect such a dark, gloomy theme from this drama, granted it says thriller. To me it feels more like revenge, mystery, investigation type of drama. Youth is added because the main leads are in high school, but it shows people with a different family backgrounds and the hardships each family try to hide from others. I personally enjoy dramas that touches upon mental illness, or anything that's not normally talked about in c-dramas so this was right up my alley.
This drama is very much catered towards the Asian community, because it would be difficult to understand anyone or why they act a certain way unless you live through this culture. Saving face, and having a reputation is a major thing in the Chinese communities, anything involving less than the perfect portrait would be looked down upon. The mystery behind Qiao yu's sister's death is something that Qingyu's parents and entire Qiao family has been trying to hide. They believe what happened to her was a disgrace. In reality, it was deeper than what we saw on the surface, this is why Qingyu insist on bringing the truth to light. It was about giving her sister the justice she deserve instead of disgrace she was given post-death.
Initially we think the parents are at fault, or just have no empathy. But in reality, the villains were not the parents per say. I can even understand why Qinyu's dad was more obedient towards his parents instead of his wife. This is the Chinese community, being filial is a very important thing. Respecting elders is also very important, but this drama teaches us that there is a line one must not cross. There is a limit on how far you could push someone to doing something they don't want to do. I don't want to spoil much, but I really enjoy all the topics this drama touched upon. It brings light to mental illness, more specifically depression and suicidal ideations. Perhaps this could bring light to many viewers as well.
I really enjoyed the acting of all the actors here, they were all very natural. Both Zhou Yi Ran and Zhang Jingyi were so cute together! During the moments where they just stare at each other, I could see the longing they have for one another. I loved the fact that Ming Sheng would promise that he will always be by Qingyu's side no matter what happens, and is always reassuring her. Depite being pushed to the side and all, his love for her was strong. I didn't expect much romance from a youth drama, but I did wish we had more episodes of them together as a couple. When Ming Sheng (Zhou Yi Ran) was eating the bowl and crying.. I felt his pain.. :( He held it in for so long, and finally let it go. It was heartbreaking to watch. Another scene that stood out for me from Zhang Jingyi was when her character had to confront someone who kept harrassing the family, and she kept pushing him back - I was like, " YOU GO GIRL!" LOL You can see how much emotions she placed in every push and I had to repeat that scene a couple times just to see her expressions. Like damn SHE WAS MAD MAD!!
I must applause Liu Dan, who portrayed the mother Li Fang Hao. Her emotions felt so raw, it truly felt like she had to bury her child in real life rather than acting it out. The emotions she felt after the event, the depression she went through, and so on was very poignant, and palpable. I'm so glad she was able to slap the b*tch when she had the chance cause honestly she was talking too much for way too long. The audacity and self absorbed lady thinks her "son" is important than Qiao Family. I'd rather slap her to Mount Everest peak and leave her there. I think many people also misunderstood the father, he does love his children very much. You can tell that he was also depressed by the loss of his daughter. He also shows how much he cares by protecting his children from oncoming physical assaults; the little microexpressions on his face says a lot.
Let's just say many of the main characters have multiple layers to them. You will have to peel each layer to realize what they truly feel. I think this is why I enjoyed the drama so much, granted the support characters were great but they're weren't as developed as the main characters. The characters growth was very satisfying to watch... 10 out 10 would watch again. lol
Is this a happy ending? YES!
I would definitely recommend this drama if you like investigative dramas, a bit of thriller, mystery, high school crush type of dramas. If you're looking for romance, it's not the best romance youth drama as this focuses more on the mystery behind the death of Qingyu's sister rather than the leads' love for one another. It also focsues more on family dynamics, perhaps the audience could relate to, I know I did.
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Tearjerking, wholesome, and educational drama of the year.
Angels Fall Sometimes is a melodrama not for the faint of heart.The plot is mainly focused on Lin Tuo, the male lead, who started this drama as a healthy, intelligent, young man. Until his mobility began to waiver each day and everyday.
He was diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Lin Tuo ( played by Lin Yi) if you watched 1 Litre of Tears back in the mid 2000s, this is somewhat familiar. Similar yet different diagnosis. Honestly, I have not watched Lin Yi's dramas since his first one, Put Your Head On My Shoulder. I must say this drama has showcased how much his acting has grown, it really tugged on my heart when he finally cried out and accepted his diagnosis. His struggles, and determination to try and be able-bodied instead of fully accepting himself was quite relatable and understanding. His will to live and or to just end it is incredibly heart retching. The amount of tissues you need for this drama is crazy honestly.
An Zhi Que (played by Landy Li) The biggest supporter of Lin Yi has to be his girlfriend, An Zhi Que. i LOVE HER PERSONALITY! She's not your typical modern, girl crushing on handsome male and giggly type of female lead. She's like, "You listen to me because this is better for your health, this is what I think is right and logical." Zhi Que aka Xiao Que basically talks like a mother sometimes even to her own father. The way she has to count to 3 to Lin Tuo's younger brother made me repeat the scene more than once. She doesn't play, she's very reasonable! It's not to the point of nagging but just enough to shut people up. You'll have to see for yourself because I love her character so much in this drama. Landy did an amazing job, her acting IMPROVED SO MUCH! Oh my god, I can tell she embodied her character very well, I've watched only two dramas of hers before and her acting never really stood out to me. Like it wasn't terrible nor was it good. In this drama, however, she's definitely done a great job embodying such a strong character.
This review can't leave out the best support character in the drama
Chen Guang Pu (Sun Tian Yu) He was one of the first to find out his best buddy, Lin Tuo, was incredibly ill. And my god, I was crying when he was crying because damn he can freaken cry. He was so heartbroken, and felt very helpless because he just thinks Lin Tuo is going to die and there's literally nothing he can do. However, he was able to help his friend in many otherways and that's a good example of what friends should be. I love him for sticking by Lin Tuo through thick and thin and not judge him or treat him any different! He's also very funny and..loud. LOL I think his sudden proposal with someone in this drama was out of no where. I did not see any romantic sparks, the scriptwriters should've left it as platonic friends.
My only gripe is He Xin Di as a character can be irritating throughout most of the drama because she's incessantly loud, and wants to get in your business type of character. Would not leave the guys alone when she was clearly not invited; and she assumes the worse in people. Did I mention she's a little controlling? She's basically a toxic character despite being a supportive friend of Zhi Que.
There's a lot more I want mention but I don't want this review to be too long or else I will end up spoiling everything. Needless to say this drama is only 24 episodes so if you enjoy watching anything related to medical diseases, crying(ahaha...), melodramatic genres, friendships, and family bonding dramas - I would recommend to try this. It's even better if you have a disease or medical condition of your own because you could definitely relate to Lin Tuo in many ways. I know I did for sure hence the bawling which btw disclaimer: I RARELY CRY WATCHING DRAMAS! BUT THIS DRAMA MADE ME CRY! :( It is about an incurable disease, which I'm sure a lot of people should know about by now because of a viral trend back in early 2010s or so. If not, please go watch it and learn about it!
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This is your typical kind of school related cdrama but with a slight twist of wuxia snippets. The main female lead tend to write about a wuxia fantasy world of her crush and herself and those around her. - All in her diary. The main story does not revolve around this though. Again, its your typical school idol drama - recycling the smart, no.1 male lead Zuo An and a not academically talented female lead, Xiao Man.
Another thing that makes this drama different from others is Xiao Man can defend herself whether it be verbally or physically. However, when it comes to emotions, she gets tossed around a lot and is gullible to the antagonist's antics.
This drama is easy to watch because the main leads knew who they love and fought hard to be together despite some family and friends' disapproval.
I like the character of Zuo An, he likes Xiao Man for who she is despite her being the total opposite of him. He's very chill and reasonable. He definitely puts Xiao Man first despite what everyone else says. However, the actor playing him wasn't strong. He seemed awkward at times.
Xiao Man's character is strong and sometimes she speaks with her emotions instead of being reasonable (which is usually where Zuo An comes in to help.) Although she's not smart academically, she still managed to become one of the smartest of all "smart male, dumb female leads" dramas I've seen so far. The actress Lu Zhao Hua who plays Xiao Man isn't an amazing actress, however, one of the scenes in the final episode really showcase her potential in acting. I was really surprised by her emotions there.
There are some characters that were very irritable; the characters Su An Ning played by Han Xinyu and Shen Chen Yang played by Xie Zhi Xun. I must say Han XIn yu played Su An Ning very well especially during her psychotic moments. Shen Chen Yang and Su An Ning are both irritiable because they wouldn't stop bugging the main leads and wanting to break them apart. Su An Ning is your typical jealous, female friend while Shen Chen Yang is just that annoying, very irritating, non-stop smiling as if he can get his way kind of character. I did not like Shen Chen Yang's character at all despite he has something that I'm able to relate with. However, I had no sympathy for him because he still plays around and uses it to his advantage. At least, Xiao Man wasn't 100% clueless about his antics.
Story starts from high school, college then short and quick adult life.
Recommend to watch if you like this genre, otherwise skip if you're picky about the acting.
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Recommend to watch!
This web drama has to be one of my top favorite c-dramas of 2018! Its plot is quite deep if you understand the characters. The storyline, the characters, the settings is just really nice. I grew to love all the characters, except for one toxic guy. However, each and every one of the character had major character development especially Qiqi - the main female lead! Her smart and sassy mouth was what kept me watching cause she can be quite hilarious even when she's serious.One of the aspects that drew me into this drama is that Qiqi has depression which is usually misunderstood by the rude and rebellious behavior. You would think she being rebellious because she's spoiled but in reality she has issues of her own. Qiqi is always alone, she was an orphan but is currently raised by her adopted, rich yet estranged father. You would think she loves to be spoiled because she had everything a girl would want, However, she wasn't happy at all. Loneliness is what she always felt, and it made her very depressed. She didn't trust people because she knows they are temporary thus she didn't have friends. Its because of the lack of parental love from her father, she tries to make a huge noise by always running away from home multiple times or leaves without telling her dad and she tends to act very rude and mean to others.
The drama revolves around Qiqi and how she met her new friends. These friends are the ones she met while running away from home, as usual. In the beginning, she decided to renovated these new friends' bar and house without their permission = basically flaunting her money, etc. You would not like her yet but again her lines are the best in the drama. Within these group of friends came her character development in learning to be friendly, passionate, and finally open up. She found love, she learned to help her friends a lot. Eventually she learned to talk to her dad more and develop a good relationship with him. Of course, not everything went smoothly. It was a bumpy ride.
Enough about the main character. The drama also focused on the main lead/supporting characters' lives as well: the main lead Li Nanyi is a singer of the band. He is a composer; he just had to learn to go after his dream instead of holding on to the past. Another friend is actually really nice to Qiqi whom she opened up to first. There is a couple.. let's just say their relationship was toxic and it was hard to watch the girl keep crying over boy. But of course, there is some development there.
I really recommend this drama, maybe you guys are able to relate to one of the characters, I know I did. It was very touching.
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A Must Watch of 2025! Checks off everything I would want in a modern C-drama
I started Love's Ambition with not much expectations, the more I continued watching it the more love I have for this drama. Every single arc, plot, story, character, styling, detail, and even the songs was done with PURPOSE.It seems the drama split into different arcs:
First arc focuses on Xu Yan, our main female lead played by Zhao Lu Si. She is a complicated female character, I think many people would definitely misunderstand her behavior. We need to keep in mind that in her perspective, she grew up without feeling geniune love and care from her own parents. She is definitely not a gold digger, she's more of a ....love digger. LOL Jokes aside, she yearns for love, and she thought she found that in her spouse. They seemed perfect for each other in the beginning, but of course it's all a ruse. Needless to say, it took heartbreak just to repair the relationship the two leads had. Xu Yan does not give in that easily, she has proven over and over that she can move on with own capabilities. I really enjoyed watching a strong, independent woman create a path for themselves especially after a marriage. Xu Yan taught me that if one door closes, another will always open. You just need to think outside of the box. It's also okay to not forgive your parents, it's okay to go no-contact with people who did you wrong, etc. Zhao Lu Si did a phenomenal job portraying Xu Yan, she really embodies her character quite well.
The second arc focused on Shen Hao Ming (William Chan), Hao Ming felt like a background character in the first 10 episodes or so. As I said in the comments, he felt like an accessory to Xu Yan. When the truth came, his motives were also exposed. Long story short, he also put on a play for Xu Yan. But there's a saying "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." and that is exactly what happened with Shen Hao Ming. It took him a very long, long time to figure out where his heart lies. Initially he didn't realize he was in love with his "ex-wife", and he used a ton of excuses to try and keep her by his side. It was disgusting; I absolutely hated whenever he uses money to bribe people especially Xu Yan. Xu Yan has told him multiple times she don't need his money, she doesn't care - all she cared about was him. He has said multiple times that it was his arrogance, his pride, and selfishness that caused a rift between the two and FFS HE WOULDN'T SAY IT XU YAN UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE OF EPISODES. Anyhow, I did like his growth, his realization of what kind of person he was and he changed for the better all because he wants his wife back. :) The second arc is basically the rom-com section of the drama, I laughed so hard!! I was having such bad days during this period and Love's Ambition really helped me through with the comedic scenes. LOL
I started to like Hao Ming again as a character when he finally accepts and respects Xu Yan's boundaries. He eventually learned to help in way that she is able to accept not through money, but through supporting her.
William also did a great playing a enigmatic character, arrogant, and/or silly hopeless-in-love character throughout the drama.
The final arc focuses on Shen Hao Ming's family scandal and business, etc. It's interesting because the first arc focuses so much on Xu Yan, her family, and her hardships and now we see Shen Hao Ming's family struggles. It's the details that just perfect.
The side characters were interesting to say the least. I think Qiao Lin is a wonderful sister, despite some people thinking otherwise. Unfortuantely, she did not know what Xu Yan has gone through growing up because Xu Yan was always seen as an obedient, quiet daughter. Meanwhile, Qiao Lin treated Xu Yan as a typical little sister, and had always protected her in ways she could. Xu Yan never voiced out loud the neglect and favoritsm their parents had made. That is why we see Xu Yan easily accepts Qiao Lin back into her life, and not their parents.
There were definitely some psychotic characters that made my blood boil especially in THE FINAL 3 EPISODES FFS!
There's a lot I want to say about this drama, but this review is already too long. I loved the details, PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS! The OST is PERFECT! I also felt like this drama was very realistic especially when they're talking about business. I usually don't pay attention nor enjoy business or corporate dramas, but I was watching every minute of it in Love's Ambition. Then again it was about fashion, and I love fashion especially anything related to traditional clothes. I loved every song that came on! More love for one of my favorite singers, Eric Chou! <3 Whoever was in charge of the OSTs, may your pillow always be cold. Thank you!
Happy ending? YES!
Would I recommend it? Definitely if you love romance, angst, comedy, drama - it literally felt like they used every single genre possible for a modern drama. It was totally unexpected, but I loved every minute of it.
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3 Families Under 1 Roof - Poor Adaptation.
I did watch Go Ahead when it aired and really enjoyed the drama and it's poignant storyline and acting. When I heard there was a Korean remake, it prompt me to start watching it when it aired as well.Overall, it's okay. I think what disappoints me is all the important parts of Go Ahead was watered down especially the talk between Sanha and his mother after Sanha started dating. However, both mothers were definitely a pain in the ass. The Korean mother seems to be screaming way too much. She seemed to be screaming over every little thing.
Yun Ju Won played by Jung Chae Yeon is a bubbly girl who tends to be very positive about her family dynamic. I enjoy watching her act. Unfortunely, due to how short of a length this drama was, I felt like her relationship with Sanha was not natural. One minute, she feels digusted by Sanha's confession, the next minute she had a pivotal moment, and suddenly she's in love with Sanha in a romantic way. It just felt like something was missing, in my opinion, they should've just stayed siblings. I couldn't find a connection between the two, in facts its the same for all couples.
One moment they're being rejected, the next they're together! The pacing is just too quick for me to connect with their emotional scenes.
Sanha played by Hwang In Yeup. There's not much to say about his acting, he has subtle facial expressions which he portays nicely. But overall, his character is just bland. Not to say the Chinese counterpart wasn't bland, both were bland. lol But what makes the Chinese counterpart better is the scriptwriting. For example, as aforementioned, the argument between Sanha and his mother. In the original, the mother argues that Ling Xiao cares more for his neighbors more than his real family, Ling Xiao shouts, "They love me, why don't you love me?" That was the heartbreaking moment for me, and I was expecting this to happen in the Korean version but it didn't come. The Korean version was lackluster.
Kang Hae Jun (Bae Hyun Seong) seems to have anger issues compare to his Chinese counterpart. I understand he felt abandoned, and angry that everyone was trying to protect him in their own way. But anger is not needed in certain scenes. The actor's ability to cry was very natural though.
Overall, the acting of everyone was okay.
Due to kdramas being only 16 episodes, everything was cut short so it made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. I felt like they should've marinate the emotional scenes a bit more.
I also want to point out something. Was this a low budget drama? Why are 2 of Sanha's classmates ALSO doctors and why is it always these three treating the main and second leads? Yun Ju Won's cafe feels like it's her home cafe because barely anyone is ever there! LOL??? The setting felt unrealistic basically.
Overall, what really made this adaption fall short, at least for me, was the poor script and pacing.
I wouldn't recommend this version if you watched the Chinese version.
If you didn't watch the Chinese version, I would recommend that if you want better script and emotion connection with the characters compare to a fast pace adaption of it. The choice is yours.
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Non-traditional wuxia strikes again!
My Journey To You was an amazing drama to watch from beginning to end; There was suspense, thrill, hints of romance, and sibling bonds with a touch of comedy from a specific character I adore so much.The cinematography was very movie-like and I don't think we see this in a lot of dramas. That's fine, it just sets this drama apart from others. The martial arts choreography was very AMAZING TO WATCH! I was floored, especially how Yun Wei Shan, the female lead, attacks her opponent so graciously.
Each and every character within this drama were multi-dimensional hence I was very touched by their back story. Each character had something they loved and lost at some point in their lives. Some other characters work hard to make their parents feel proud. It was quite relatable!
The acting was phenomenal especially from Esther Yu, who typically plays very naive, cheerful characters. Here she plays a demure, strong, protective spy, Yun Wei Shan. Despite her cold demeanor, she can be quite emotional, and vulnerable when Gong Zi yu (male lead - Zhang Ling He) shows how much he cares for her. Although Yun Wei Shan is a spy, she actually yearns to be freed from this lifestyle and Gong Ziyu tries his hardest to make it come true for her. As a character, I really enjoyed watching her use her brains - how quick witted she can be to get out of difficult situations - albeit it's not always going to work. As aforementioned, I really enjoyed watching her fight because it was very elegant and gracious, granted it seemed she wasn't as strong as she looked.
Moving on to Zhang Ling He who played Gong Ziyu. A young man known to be the crybaby and naive kid of the family because he doesn't want to take on the responsibility of being a Gong. Turns out he is quite the grown man we would expect from Gong family. Very observant, seems to have photographic memory, and quite intelligent in his own way as well. I know a lot of people disliked him for being oblivious to his surroundings but I'm sure we're all surprised because it was the total opposite.
The second female lead, Shang Guan Qian, is what you would call a scheming two face b*tch. Boy, she played her part extremely well! Someone needs to give Lu Yu Xiao an award for her acting! The way she played Shang Guan Qian makes you think TWICE about her intentions every single time! It's the way she acts with her voice and the micro expressions! AMAZING! Albeit, she can be quite nice when she needs to but only for a price.
Have I mentioned the amount of eye candies in this drama? There's a lot of handsome men and women in this drama, but mostly men. LOL Eyes candies are great but, "Can they act?" is the most important question. There's many handsome actors I can name off the top of my head who are just strictly handsome with no acting skills whatsoever. However, in My Journey To You, there is no black sheep.
Let's begin with Gong Shang Jue played by the actor, Ryan Cheng! This man is handsome, but he supports it with his acting very well. On the surface he is seen as very cold, hot tempered man. Known to be one of the best martial artist in the MJTY universe, even Wufeng is afraid of him, however he is quite the opposite of what he portrays. He has a very gentle, and caring side - truly loves and cares for his family. His backstory was very tragic but it didn't change him completely. He is very intelligent and capable of leading the Gong Family. I loved his micro expressions as well, you can tell when he's in disbelief, or suspicious of someone. And despite of his cold demeanor, his secretive smiles just makes my heart flutter.
Gong Yuan Zhi played by the actor Tian Jia Rui is the "younger brother" of Gong Shang Jue. He can be very cunning but unlike his brother, he is not trusting of others. His ability to create unique poisons makes him an asset of the Gong Family. A prodigy if you will. Although his personality seem to be cunning, and hateful of others -with good reason. He is an orphan. His history with Gong Shang Jue was a bit emotional to watch because Jue is someone he looks up and cares for deeply. He loves the attention he gets from his brother, it's rare to see brotherly bond like this in dramaland. I like it because it showcases what Yuan Zhi lacks prior to Jue and how much Jue means to him now and vice versa. Yes, I would love to slap the grin off his face sometimes but that just proves the actor did his part very well. Props to Jia Rui!
Young Master Yue played by the actor Zuo Ye, quite handsome and great acting as mature elder. Albeit, maybe too mature because it seems he aged 50 years after his backstory was revealed. :( Zuo also uses micro expressions, his tears were real and convincing. The way he speaks was filled with sorrow, it's difficult to explain without spoiling his plotline. Best to watch it with your own eyes!
Notable actors would be Gong Zi Shang played by Jolin Jin. Oh my lord, help me..girl gave me laughs for days with her exaggerated and dramatic acting. Lmao She was definitely the comedy relief within this serious, dark concept drama. I typically do not like overexaggerated acting but it grew on me in this drama - just a tiny bit. Gong Zi Shang is the way she is because of the lack of parental attention. Hence, she acts dramatically in front of others. When someone shows her care, she will care and side with them. I feel like she should've been with Xiao Hei, another mysterious character in the drama, because of how his energy matched so well with hers. They're both quite hilarious to watch! Then again, their backstory were quite similar and it's understandable why they got along so well. I wish Zi Shang knew how much he cared for her.. :( Justice for Xiao Hei!
Towards the last few episodes of wrapping up the drama, it felt like I was watching Twilight where everything was a lie. LOL But at the same time, a relief that the characters weren't as bad as they portrayed to be.
How was the ending of the drama? It was ambiguous. Hoping for season two because that was just a cliffhanger at this point. There's so many questions left unanswered.
I'm not disappointed entirely because wuxia are typically like this - albeit this isn't traditional wuxia but when you watch a lot of wuxia dramas - you shouldn't expect a happy ending. It can be an open ending, sad, or even ambiguous ending. And I'm glad it ending very enigmatically because there's a possibility of a season 2.
Might have to wait 3-4 years like I did with Joy of Life unfortunately. :( But overall, amazing drama definitely a must watch if you want some martial arts action, thrill and suspense!
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Forbidden love, strong-willed characters, amazing sisterly bond, what more can you ask for?
The Starry Love was a phenomenal xianxia with multiple twists and turns. The cherry on top is the strong sisterly bond between Qingkui and Yetan. Even if the world turned against them, they still have each other's back.I went into his drama not knowing whether it will be this amazing because I had watched the main leads only once before - wasn't a huge fan of Landi's acting before but I must say she has improved a lot in The Starry Love! it was a huge rollercoaster of emotions honestly. Prepare your issues, prepare to laugh your ass off, enjoy the bond between the characters, and you might also want to stab some characters along the way.
The story revolves around fraternal twin sisters, the older twin Liguang Qingkui and the young twin, Liguang Yetan.
I don't want to spoil much, but do pay attention to the first few minutes of the first episode. It is very imperative to the last arc of the drama.
Liguang Yetan is a very outspoken, domineering female lead. She is also an aspiring Void Queen and ruler of the four realms. Or so we thought..
Yetan's (played by Landi) character development over the course of the drama has been poignant to watch. She went from being arrogant, and indifferent to others other than her sister and her childhood friends, to extremely caring and kind to those around her. I believe this is the influence of not only her sister but her love for Youqin. She grew up treated like a pariah, jinx, and evil being because of the royal officials' influence on her father due to the state world during her birth. Her father was always absent and indifferent towards her and it affected her personality greatly. Without her sister, she wouldn't even know how to care at all, but she truly cares for her sister and that's what I love about this drama. Typically dramas don't allow sisters to care about one another even if one screws up, but this shows unconditional love through and through. Landi's acting has greatly improved in this drama, I had previously watched another historical drama of hers and she was extremely cringey to watch there. However, it felt natural here- especially her cries, and heartbreaks really hit me.
Qingkui (He Xuan Lin) is the most caring, kind, and selfless character you would encounter in this drama. She cares deeply for her younger sister, and while everyone else hated Yetan, she was there for her no matter what. She's essentially Yetan's pillar. She would share her hobbies, books, and gifts with Yetan, Protect her even if Yetan was wrong, she would stand by her sister no matter what - after reprimanding Yetan of course. You would think Qingkui is a doormat due to her selfless nature, however, she's able to stand on her own, she's caring, protective and intelligent. She is not a damsel-in-distress, she is also very strong-willed like her sister. Despite the mix-up of carriages, she made a place for herself in the void realm and found her one true love. Qingkui is the definition of unconditional love because even if one of her loved ones made a mistake, she will forgive them. She believes they can do better and that belief inspires them to be better people. The acting by Xuan Lin is very natural, I haven't watched any of her other dramas before so I don't have much to say but she acted well overall!
Shao Dian YouQin (Chen XIng Xu ) was Initially a stoic, socially anxious empyrean but grew to show more emotions and love after a very important event happened. He was raised somewhat similarly to Yetan because his father expects him to have no emotions to prevent any distractions from protecting the world and becoming the heavenly ruler in the future. He volunteered to isolate himself in order to train a perfect celestial body. In doing so, he would be able to protect the world against the chaos, Guixu. Youqin is another character who defines unconditional love, he does protect the world but he also wants to protect Yetan against the world. He showed empathy and care for Yetan and it was just so sweet to watch! Especially when he learned of her past, and took a small revenge behind her back. I had watched a drama by Chen Xing Xu before, and he did act well there and it was the same here. His acting is quite versatile, I quite enjoyed watching him act like a primitive human. It was adorable. haha
Chao Feng (Luke Chen) was also raised somewhat similarly to Yetan - he had no fatherly love, and was a pariah because of his birth mother. With that in mind, he is still the third prince but is treated less than a prince. He initially fought really hard for the crown just to get respect and better treatment from his clan. He would do anything to get the crown even if that means hiding his motives from Qingkui. He was the reason for the carriage switch-up because Yetan witnessed what he did before the day of the marriage. However, despite that, he found care and love from QIngkui and eventually learned to deviate from the crown and would prefer to settle down peacefully. It was a difficult task as someone is always on his ass, trying to assassinate him. He, like Youqin, would do anything to protect Qingkui even if it means defying his father. Chao Feng was definitely not a good character initially but his character development definitely redeemed him. I like that he and Youqin banter with one another like brothers. It's quite fun to watch opposite realms interact like family. I have not seen any of his other dramas but I think Luke Chen did pretty well here needless to say. Although, in terms of crying, or sadness - I feel like he was missing a bit of emotion honestly but other than that his acting was pretty good.
I think one of my favorite characters would be Man Man played by Wang Li Na, she's like the comedy relief in the drama, her expressions and sarcastic replies are hilarious. haha
How was the ending? It's a bittersweet ending. The last 10 episodes were a huge emotional ride, so prepare your tissues.
The Starry Love teaches you a myriad of things like don't judge someone by their appearance, don't judge people by their lack of education, and don't judge period. LOL, Another thing I learned is OPPOSITES ATTRACT IMMENSELY! Even if you don't have the same initial beliefs, there are some things you can compromise for the sake of love. You can also learn from one another despite different beliefs.
Again, I truly enjoyed watching this drama because of the comedy initially, the strong and unbreakable sisterly bond, the wonderful character developments, of course, the husbands' love and protectiveness for their wives. AND the friends and family who supported them, even the worse parent redeemed himself!
I would definitely recommend watching this if you like twists and turns, comedy, and historical fantasy dramas. There are definitely some characters that would pull your hair out, but other than that a phenomenal drama to watch!
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We all know the story of Itazura Na Kiss so I'll cut to the chase. For a 2 hour movie, they did their best with the storyline. It was nice, cringey, comedic, and cute! The actor Wang Da Lu was quite stiff in this movie? It felt like he was a robot when he walked around. Although, his smile will always be the death of me. You could totally see his various expressions of care and love for Xiang Qin just by his actions and face expressions.
Jelly Jin, the main actress did a great job on her role. Yeah, I have nothing more to say about her. She embodied the character well. As somene who watched the drama since the OG Taiwanese version, its nice to see how well Jelly did in her version of it. She seems a lot more braver than the OG.
One thing that I really love about this was that we didn't have to deal with another love rival - even the girl he was suppose to be married to didn't feel like a love rival to me. At least when I look at it from Xiang Qin's point of view. It's like Zhi Shu like Yang Qin all along.
THE ENDING WAS A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E! The way he set up those posts all about her while she over here like "Who the hell is this new gf of his?"
Overall, this movie may have similar story to the manga but the adaption is quite refreshing to watch.
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Patience and understanding is what everyone needs to watch this drama!
Do you like watching dramas with high school reciprocated crush, years of yearning, angst, and possibly lovingly stalking said crush for years, from afar, just to see how she's doing? Well, this drama is for you!!This drama teaches you a lot about how your environment and the lack of support can affect your life and personality. It is the total opposite of the male lead's family where he gets plenty of support and happiness compare to the female lead.Trigger warning this drama involves SA, and murder.
The First Frost is definitely part of my list of top modern dramas of all times! Mostly because of how complex Wen Yi Fan's character is. It seems many viewers in the beginning did not enjoy how she is, but in reality this is the result of her environment and you just need to analyze and use critical thinking before saying the character sucks or the actress's acting is horrible.
Wen Yi Fan played by Zhang Ruonan is not your average bubbly, outgoing female lead. She seems like an introverted, awkward, and reserved female lead. Even when she opened up and gained more confidence, her personality is still there - awkward and introverted which is what I like about the character. You do not see these kind of female very often! I wouldn't say she is popular but she is seen as very beautiful that girls are even jealous of her. The First Frost is definitely about Sang Yan's love life, while Hidden Love was about Sang Zhi's. However, to me it felt like the story was about Wen Yi Fan more than Sang Yan. I felt so much empathy, and sorrow for Wen Yi Fan because of what she went through. It is so understandable why she is the way she is in modern times because of how traumatic her past is. In addtion, the one family member that she needed the most in her time of need was not there for her at all! Due to this traumatic past, WYF rarely open up to anyone, never asked for help because she thinks there's no point in it. Until she met Sang Yan once again. Throughout the drama, you can slowly watch WYF gain more and more confidence in herself as well as opening up more than before. It is mostly because of SY, he was always there for her even if they weren't close. Plese give WYF a chance before you say anything negative because I need yall to understand she has TRAUMA! I can't stress this enough! Maybe some of you can resonate with her in one way or another - I know I did. :(
This is my first drama of Zhang Ruo Nan, and I am quite impressed because her micro expressions were so good! Her awkwardness is very realistic, she acts like someone who definitely had hardships and suffered immensely through the years of isolation, loneliness, and trauma. Just one look at her and you can tell that she has gone through something. I am definitely looking forward to more of her dramas from now on!
Sang Yan played by Bai Jing Ting. I'm sure we have all seen many, many dramas of female leads chasing after the cold, stoic popular male lead. This is the reverse!! Except, Sang Yan tries to play it off coolly, which makes his character quite hilarious. Anyhow, The First Frost is about Sang Yan constantly running after and supporting WYF, even if they weren't in each other's lives, he still looked for her because he never stopped loving her since their separation. They had a plan to go to the same college to begin their relationship but due to other reasons, it did not go as planned and SY was heartbroken for YEARS. He is also stubborn, he still looks from WYF from afar - giving me the stalker vibes ngl. I suppose this only works in fiction, and definitely not in real life, but it's prob rare who knows. I digress. Sang Yan in this drama is more "cold" compared to Hidden Love's version of Sang Yan. He does still joke around, he's also pretty clueless to what has happened with WYF, but he's very patient with her. He's willing to wait for her until she tells him herself. He's the type of guy, minus the stalking, that every woman would want because he's patient, he reassures WYF when she feels down, he cooks for her (basically disguises it as he cooked too much lmao), cleans, and very protective of her even if he didn't understand everything. What I like about SY is he has so much empathy for WYF especially when he knows she's going through something. He would feel helpless because he's not sure what's going on with her. I think it's very poignant to see him cry because that just means she loves him so much. :')
There would be attempts of cockblockers, but I wouldn't worry too much about it because the leads would just shove them off honestly. They're very straightforward with how they feel and will not leave the cockblockers with much thought. Albeit, someone was quite entitled and stubborn but he will be gone eventually.
I've seen a few of Bai Jing Ting's drama in his early years, and he definitely has improved since then. His microexpressions, THE EYE ACTING!! It was just so good to see how much emotion he can portray with his eyes alone. You can tell someone is a good actor from not just their micro expressions but also the eye acting.
I think both BJT and ZYN nailed it! :]
I wasn't too interested in the second lead so I kind of skipped a lot of it. Their storyline was boring. I do, however, loved it when Sang Zhi came around because I wanted to compare it with Hidden Love and see where the timeline matched. ZYN's family did amazing job at acting though, especially the evil guy. Dude just emanates EVIL when he enters. It scared the crap out of me, even in his eyes it was like WHOA. Even the evil aunt was SOOOO fake from he begining, I could tell from the way she looks and acts - I've seen this in real life before and I hated the aunt for acting so fake and then explodes as if she's right. They did a wonderful job at acting ngl. Applause!
THE MUSIC, my new obssession is from the OST - Silence Wang -Like Sunny Day, Like Rainy Day! Every other song in this drama was amazing as well!!
I definitely recommend this drama if you love angst, melodramas, slow burn, and would like to see a male chasing after the female lead for once.
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From Being A Slave To Business Owner, Duan Wu Deserves All the Love!
The Story of Pearl Girl's storyline is very fascianting one, the fact that it is historically correct makes this drama even better. I love that we are following Duanwu from being a Pearl Slave to becoming one of the best Jewelry Designers in Yangzhou.The script, the acting, the plotline, the antagonists, everything about this drama was deep and complex but was very enjoyable to watch. It's a very unique concept as well, and it definitely showcase a lot of Zhao Lusi's ability to act.
I've been watching Lusi's drama since Love Like The Galaxy and became a huge fan of her acting abilities. Her acting is always very natural-like and the emotion she displays tugs at my heartstrings . Lusi portrayed Duanwu very well, definitely one of the most strongest female characters out there. She's able learn quickly in order to adapt to her environment, she's not afraid to stand up for herself as well as others important to her.
Liu Yu Ning's portrayal of Yan Zijing was great as well. He's able to act cunningly, but also be tender and kind towards Lu Si - of course he can be strict as well.
I think both Zi Jing and Duan Wu's love was cute, it started out as crushes and it felt like watching two high school teenagers flirting with one another. Eventually it leads to true love and care for one another.
Both characters have so much in common from being alone in their childhood years to finding a family and people they love.
I like the contrast between the leads and the antagonists - Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Wu. Both Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Wu grew up with family around them but in the end these families only used them as pawns and lacked familial love. Shi Jiu and Zheng Wu's relationship was bittersweet, although they were not the most amazing people in this drama - which is understandable. I'm glad they found each other, but sadden Shijiu didn't get the love she had long needed.
The Story of Pearl Girl is not truly about the romance between Duan Wu and Yan Zijing, it follows the journey of DuanWu. Despite the shocking ending, it is understandable that it ended that way. Many people may not enjoy it, but personally it makes sense as this journey was for Duanwu and she ended up being successful in life whether or not Yan Zijing stayed by her side.
Is it a happy ending? In a way, yes it is. However, it may not for those who watch it for the romance.
If you enjoy watching dramas that follows a strong, smart female lead then this definitely for you. If you expect to watch comedy, or less serious dramas then this is not for you.
In my opinion, this is what C-dramas were about in the past. Following the journey of a struggling female character and watching her climb her way up to the top. A wonderful story, amazing acting skills, and music is quite nice as well.
Definitely one of my favorites. :]
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