Victoria is my Queen, but there's just that.
I will pretty much watch any show that my queen, Victoria Song, is in. I will continue watching the show, solely because she is in it, but that doesn't mean I will enjoy it. My poor Victoria, why do they give you these shows all the time? All of her shows have her as this headstrong queen who is loyal and will do anything for her loved ones, but that's kind of it. She's such a good actress, but her storylines are quite boring. This show was so predictable and full of tropes that were not needed. Honestly, it could have ended halfway through and would have been fine. The only thing that saved the second half was the side couples and storylines. The 0.5 I gave extra is for introducing me to Chen Heyi, who is now a favorite of mine because he is so good. He was really good in this too, and now I love him, so that's what the 0.5 is for.Was this review helpful to you?
'Forbidden Crush' the actual name of this drama
I stand by the fact that 'Crush' is a bad name for this drama, and there were so many better options. There is nothing inherently wrong with this drama, especially with it being a shorter one. The acting isn't bad, but don't have high expectations. There are three overused tropes in one show here, and yet somehow, you still find yourself wanting to make sure there is a happy ending. I do like the female lead, I think she is a good actress, and I'd like to see her in better roles. The main couple does have good chemistry, but it's nothing new and different. Good timepass.Was this review helpful to you?
You watch for the love, you stay for the family
I saw so many clips on YouTube that eventually I decided I had to watch the whole show, and I am so glad I did. First of all, so many people I love in this show: Zhang Jingyi, Johnny Huang, WANG ZIQI <3, Zhang Linghe, I mean...so even as side characters, they made a difference. The chemistry between all the characters was huge for me, because that is something I really look for when choosing shows I want to finish watching. The found family feels like everything in this and I stand by the fact that this is a family I would want to be part of. There was something about this show that felt relatable and human. I don't want to say this is my favorite show, but something was life-changing about this show. Maybe because I enjoyed it so much, even though nothing about it was terribly unique. We have other shows with similar tropes and storylines, but there was just something so real and comforting about this show that makes it such a heart-warming show. On the other hand, I love Zhang Jingyi and Wang Ziqi a lot, so I am biased. Yes...Jingyi and Johnny Huang have great chemistry, but you know who else has great chemistry, WANG ZIQI AND JOHNNY HUANG, but this is not the review I will talk about that in. All I can say is that, for having a supporting character role, Wang Ziqi steals your heart in this. Anyway, you should give it a chance.Was this review helpful to you?
The Double but ROMANCE YES, Revenge Less
Don't get mad at me for comparing it to 'The Double', because in my eyes, it's a huge compliment. I just got familiar vibes from this one, and some scenes reminded me of 'The Double'. First of all, this is a solid story that makes sense, doesn't have major plot holes, and works cohesively, which is not always easy to achieve. However, I think everyone can agree that the chemistry between Li Yunrui and Meng Ziyi is fantastic. I feel like I haven't enjoyed the acting and chemistry between two actors that much in a while. Maybe it's the story, maybe it's the actors, but they really just did so well in making us root for their love story. I was so emotionally invested. If you liked Li Yunrui before, you're falling in love with him in this show. He was made for these kind of characters, and I would watch him play this kind of character, episode after episode. Meng Ziyi always plays a badass, and she's great at being an absolute queen. Nonetheless, there were times that her character annoyed me, which is a personal problem, so whatever. I don't love characters who always think they're right all the time, so that sometimes ruins things for me. But overall, I was emotionally invested in this couple in a way I hadn't been for a while.Was this review helpful to you?
A wholesome story with a little darkness for fun
I decided to watch this because I like Wang Churan, and honestly, I'm glad I did. It gave me another Chang Huashen character to love, and introduced me to Zhang Wangyi, whom I enjoyed in this role. As the audience, you know more than all the characters do, and that is always fun and frustrating (in a good way). This is a sweet love story, with a splash of angst, to keep it interesting. Although there is darkness and political intrigue, it doesn't take away from what is a romantic comedy. I thoroughly enjoyed how all of the story played out and how well Wang Churan and Zhang Wangyi played their chemistry; it made you want to root for them. The side characters were also, of course, darling and added to the romantic humor that comes with a romcom. Additionally, as is typical of most of his characters, Chang Huashen gave you someone to both root for and hate, depending on the time and place of the story. There was always a bit of mystery that kept you from getting bored, and I truly appreciated how everything seemed to fit into the right number of episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
A Big Step for BL in China, but that's it.
As an avid BL watcher, this is a huge step for BL in general, not just China. However, I would have NEVER imagined this being a Chinese Mainland BL. That thought still sits weirdly with me. ABO becoming an on-screen trope seems insane to me; however, I think they (kind of) did a good job of capturing the main tropes and themes that go with ABO, which was a concern for me. I think a lot of people were just so surprised by this kind of show, which is why many people like it. However, as someone who has watched a lot of BLs and seen some really good ones, I was disappointed with how many gaps there were. There was a lot to the story that could have been better developed and revealed. A lot of the story could have been made more important. The characters overall were good, and truly, the chemistry between the main leads, Hua Yong and Shao You is genuinely really good. I wish the relationship and storyline were more balanced between the two couples, because the justice the main couple got would have been nice for Gao Tu and Wenlang too, especially with the fact that their relationship had way more to unpack. I think this show, like almost ALL BLs, needed more episodes to fully develop both relationships in a way that was balanced. Most of my score is going for the chemistry between Huang Xing and Qiu Dingjie (and as someone who has only seen Qiu Dingjie in 'My Lethal Man' this came as a shock) and for the ABO factor.Was this review helpful to you?
A Good Introduction to a Main CDrama Genre
This is one of those shows that everyone tells you to watch if you're new to CDramas, and I totally agree. It's not the best storyline, it's not the best acting, it's not even the best chemistry (though I would watch Shen Yue and Hu Yitian in a show together again). Everything about this is extremely predictable and generic, but I'm not saying that in a bad way. I think it is a show that does justice to tropes like unrequited love, friends to lovers, college romance, childhood friends to lovers, and so on. Every trope, idea, and character trait you can imagine is in this, and you could probably tell the whole story by watching the trailer. However, Shen Yue is a queen who always does her best with roles like this. The height difference is adorable and serves to help the chemistry. Hu Yitian does a good job of playing a character that has ZERO EMOTIONS. I mean, you'd think it would have developed over the episodes, but even in the final few episodes, I felt like I was trying to squeeze any emotion out of him. The story is exactly what you want from this kind of show, which is a good thing. It provides you with all that you need for a classic C-drama, which is why everyone should watch it at least once.Was this review helpful to you?
This was an emotional roller coaster you don't want to get off
This was an emotional rollercoaster, and with my whole heart, you'll want to keep riding. I hated every single character in this show at some point, and that's what proved to me how good the acting was. I can always tell whether the acting is good if I feel so strongly about a character that I forget it's just a...character. Every single character in this story had their chance to shine, and they did. There are no minor characters; everyone matters, and they made sure they showed that. Few female characters are of consequence in this show, and every single one of them showed up and showed out. This is the only Liu Shi Shi series I've watched, and I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed her acting. Ruyi is a badass, and she is a strong female character who does not need a man to influence her story. With or without it, she would still have her story. This show made me fall in love with certain actors, and they have not become my absolute favorites, starting with the one and only, Alen Feng. This man is in my Top 5 C-drama actors, and this was a side of him I hadn't seen, and I am pleased to say, I am still in love with him. He is SO GOOD, and Yu Shisan is probably the only character you love all the way through, no hesitancy. Next of all, this introduced me to He Landou and Chang Huasen, and thank you for that. Chang Huasen is easily now in my top 10 C-drama actors of all time. This was also my introduction to Liu Yuning, which I'm very happy to say, he lives up to the hype.Moving on to the story itself. This did feel very long to watch, and it took a lot out of me. No spoilers, but it's a tear-jerker and emotional for many reasons. There are a lot of emotions that were pulled out of me, not limited to anger, sadness, annoyance, and devastation. But make no mistakes, the story is good, but it's the chemistry between the characters and their acting that is great. I easily wouldn't have rated it this high if the chemistry and acting weren't doing everything for it.
If you like a bestie squad takes on the world, while romance is blooming, then yeah, this is the story for you, and I definitely did not do it justice with that tag line.
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