Ooooooooh..Trailer looks wonderful.... I knew Wallace and Maggie would be dynamite ... Finally he's paired w/ an actress that can act ...
Haven't seen that since him and Janine Chang...
Btw, this trailer reminds me so much of Best Time, and the best character portrayed by Wallace Chung: Lu Li-Cheng ..... He's playing another perfect prince charming .... let's hope the writers don't mess this up like they messed up Best Time by being indecisive and giving the heroine that stupid childish obsession.
EDIT:
the trailer I saw, listed above in profile of page, is a very well-done fan MV (I am convinced)... using images of Wallace Chung as Lu LiCheng from Best Time.... No wonder it was so familiar ..lol.
Very good job superimposing images ... Him leaning against the wall, the dance sequence, I think they even superimposed a tux in one scene .. very well done... but now that I know, it's become obvious.
Thanx for this article...I Luuuuuuuuuuuuuv him !
He is a scene-stealer, unique face, great charisma, versatile and talented!
Wonderful characters.... Most memorable are QSD, Chuno and Iljimae!
I started this due to all your raving about the hero ..... I thought I would check it out and drop it .... Surprisingly, I really liked it and marathoned it in last 3 days ... I am very pleasantly surprised especially considering how much I dislike fluff, cutsie scenes, and rom-coms in general ... but this was genuine and appealing, due to all the reasons u list :D
I especially like the portrayal of when they started dating... so realistic, the way they couldn't keep their hands off each other... so happy to see that for once in a youthful K-drama!
My favorite would have to be Joon Heong (and Nam Joo Hyuk's portrayal, very natural).
@Dounie --- the actress is not that bad .... I really liked her at first, then she had moments of over-acting, especially the unnecessary hysterical weeping just for dramatic effect :P ... Typical only in K-dramas, I find ....
Nonetheless, she was cute in general, and likable overall.... besides, she is good-looking, that's a big plus for me.
This drama is haunting me since the time it's aired. And your review is bringing it closer to the CW list.…
@bettyboo ... I have been in minor slump for 6-8 weeks .... I started Goblin, and it quickly turned me off ... So,
I rewatched a C-drama, watched and/or re-watched old Hollywood films, HongKong films, International films .... Discovered new films ... still no appeal for dramas... or Asia.
However, last few days, my mood has changed, stress is gone for the moment ....So finally , I got curious about the ideal hero mentioned in the feeds and started Weightlifting Kim Bok Joo, expecting to drop it, as fluff and rom-coms really turn me off .... surprisingly, I really like it and am enjoying its light fare ... probably because is it is good script, but more likely, I just happen to be in the right mood.
Conclusion: Sometimes the most unexpected can bring us out of a slump! ... I hope this theory works for you :)
I strongly agree w/ #3
Better to fake a Kiss w/ camera angles (like in Thai lakorns) and let our imagination flow than to ruin it all w/ a frozen lip-touch ...
I disagree with #1.... I don't mind tragic endings as long as they are befitting of the entire story arc .... It is not the end that matters, but my enjoyment of the story all along!
A "Sad ending" does NOT necessarily equal a "Bad Ending"!!!
Feeling "Sad" for the hero or couple is not the same as feeling "Hopeless" or "Lack of Enjoyment"....
-- people object that tragic endings make them sad .... To me if a drama is hopeful about humanity, I don't leave feeling disheartened about my hero's death or that the main couple did not end up together... I will cry, but it does not lessen my enjoyment!
Example: The classic movie Casablanca ... Not a spoiler to say the lovers don't have their HEA ... But I still get lots of enjoyment from the film.... I am glad they separated, it is befitting!
-- Shows that have an overall negative view of humanity can make me feel disheartened much more, even w/ a happy ending ....
Example: Movie Oldboy .... I don't remember our hero's exact end, but he finally got his revenge .... I still left w/ a depressed mood at the sad state and disheartened view of humanity.
-- Happy Ending can still be a Bad ending if it does not fit ....
Example: the only examples I can think of atm would be major spoilers... but u know, when a couple still end up together, even if it does not make sense w/ the rest of the story.... To me, the whole story was weak all along :P
P.S. Good article ... It is getting a lot of people talking on the feeds.
I have just finished watching the first ep raw and am liking what I saw...but why oh why did they dub Wallace´s…
As a Hong Konger, he's always dubbed (most main-landers are dubbed anyway) ... How's his Mandarin?, considering his career took off from Taiwan, I would imagine it's more Taiwanese than mainland accent.
Very good story ... good consistent writing ..... not much filler (a lakorns plus) ... No Unnecessary Craziness…
Yeah, I saw raw the lakorn they were talking about, I wasn't too impressed w/ Johnny..
Off Pongpat on the other hand, I watched a raw slap/kiss and he's an excellent actor!
Btw, I watched raw, but the girls at asianfuse explained many scenes and dialogue
As for Ra Rerng Fai: did u find it subbed? .... I am waiting for Ken's version w/ Noon ... but not too excited since his wife produced it .... She played Nang'ek in the original u saw.
I like:
-- Characters ... well-developed .... interesting ... even the evil characters have something likable
-- Their relationships and interactions.
-- It concentrates on the family dynamics of what makes the Yang Clan human, not just historical heroes.
-- The original historical story of General Yang, his sons and the Yang Clan is tragic and compelling <3
I don't like:
-- Guan Hong -- female blacksmith., annoyingly stubborn and feisty ... Yelu Xie is too good for her!
-- Bad fight scenes ... bad special effects .... bad dubbing .... and sometimes bad acting.
-- writing is not very good .... sometimes needless dialogue slows the pace... not continuous flow.
-- Contrived plot ... general plot and progression is good ... but details seem Irrational and forced just to fit the story arc ..... ---> Worst thing about this show.
I Love:
-- The strong clever women ... Even little 8th Sister Bai Mei is clever (and very cute.)
-- Madam Yang! <3 .... Love her character, her strength and resilience ... Love her relationships w/ each of her sons!
-- the actors XD ... Peter Ho, Justin Yuan, Eddie Peng, Hu Ge, Liu Cecilia, and all the others .... I even like the actor who played Pan Bao ..... Not just eye candy, but sentimentality for the All-Star cast!
--->> Eddie Peng ... Love his acting and charisma!
--->>> Yelu Xie and how Justin played him ... The most romantic (sometimes outrageous) gestures out of this very clever, sometimes brutish, bad-guy ...lol.... Love him !!! .... and a major reason to watch <3<3<3
I want to rate it higher for the characters and actors, but contrived writing and old-style production .... However, due to the power of the Yangs' story and the memorable characters I rated higher: 7.5/10
Welcome back Ahjummas!....You were missed!....Welcome newbies, Nihon and City Ahjummas, great answers!
@Bookish Ahjumma --- Wonderful reply to a complicated question ... beautifully said, and well balanced, walking a fine line ....
@AmandaMarta...and @City Ahjumma --- changing countries and/or genres is good for getting over a slump ... Or switching to movies for a while....
If you are in a romance genre slump, and more specifically, a "cheesy romance" slump, I suggest to switch to Drama or Melodrama Romance instead of Romantic comedies ...
Also, Chinese tend to do Romance very differently ... Still idealized true love like K-dramas but more realistic development, complimentary personalities .... Chinese historical dramas tend to have strong and smart female leads, not the dumb doormat types.
Although if you like cheesy, C-dramas have plenty of that too, especially in productions of last 2-3 years.
1 
Love the trailer, story looks good.
Haven't seen that since him and Janine Chang...
Btw, this trailer reminds me so much of Best Time, and the best character portrayed by Wallace Chung: Lu Li-Cheng ..... He's playing another perfect prince charming .... let's hope the writers don't mess this up like they messed up Best Time by being indecisive and giving the heroine that stupid childish obsession.
EDIT:
the trailer I saw, listed above in profile of page, is a very well-done fan MV (I am convinced)... using images of Wallace Chung as Lu LiCheng from Best Time.... No wonder it was so familiar ..lol.
Very good job superimposing images ... Him leaning against the wall, the dance sequence, I think they even superimposed a tux in one scene .. very well done... but now that I know, it's become obvious.
He is a scene-stealer, unique face, great charisma, versatile and talented!
Wonderful characters.... Most memorable are QSD, Chuno and Iljimae!
I especially like the portrayal of when they started dating... so realistic, the way they couldn't keep their hands off each other... so happy to see that for once in a youthful K-drama!
My favorite would have to be Joon Heong (and Nam Joo Hyuk's portrayal, very natural).
@Dounie --- the actress is not that bad .... I really liked her at first, then she had moments of over-acting, especially the unnecessary hysterical weeping just for dramatic effect :P ... Typical only in K-dramas, I find ....
Nonetheless, she was cute in general, and likable overall.... besides, she is good-looking, that's a big plus for me.
I rewatched a C-drama, watched and/or re-watched old Hollywood films, HongKong films, International films .... Discovered new films ... still no appeal for dramas... or Asia.
However, last few days, my mood has changed, stress is gone for the moment ....So finally , I got curious about the ideal hero mentioned in the feeds and started Weightlifting Kim Bok Joo, expecting to drop it, as fluff and rom-coms really turn me off .... surprisingly, I really like it and am enjoying its light fare ... probably because is it is good script, but more likely, I just happen to be in the right mood.
Conclusion: Sometimes the most unexpected can bring us out of a slump! ... I hope this theory works for you :)
Btw, that is a powerful and insightful review, I love it!
Better to fake a Kiss w/ camera angles (like in Thai lakorns) and let our imagination flow than to ruin it all w/ a frozen lip-touch ...
A "Sad ending" does NOT necessarily equal a "Bad Ending"!!!
Feeling "Sad" for the hero or couple is not the same as feeling "Hopeless" or "Lack of Enjoyment"....
-- people object that tragic endings make them sad .... To me if a drama is hopeful about humanity, I don't leave feeling disheartened about my hero's death or that the main couple did not end up together... I will cry, but it does not lessen my enjoyment!
Example: The classic movie Casablanca ... Not a spoiler to say the lovers don't have their HEA ... But I still get lots of enjoyment from the film.... I am glad they separated, it is befitting!
-- Shows that have an overall negative view of humanity can make me feel disheartened much more, even w/ a happy ending ....
Example: Movie Oldboy .... I don't remember our hero's exact end, but he finally got his revenge .... I still left w/ a depressed mood at the sad state and disheartened view of humanity.
-- Happy Ending can still be a Bad ending if it does not fit ....
Example: the only examples I can think of atm would be major spoilers... but u know, when a couple still end up together, even if it does not make sense w/ the rest of the story.... To me, the whole story was weak all along :P
P.S. Good article ... It is getting a lot of people talking on the feeds.
Soft voice or not, he's always manly to me :D
Off Pongpat on the other hand, I watched a raw slap/kiss and he's an excellent actor!
Btw, I watched raw, but the girls at asianfuse explained many scenes and dialogue
As for Ra Rerng Fai: did u find it subbed? .... I am waiting for Ken's version w/ Noon ... but not too excited since his wife produced it .... She played Nang'ek in the original u saw.
I like:
-- Characters ... well-developed .... interesting ... even the evil characters have something likable
-- Their relationships and interactions.
-- It concentrates on the family dynamics of what makes the Yang Clan human, not just historical heroes.
-- The original historical story of General Yang, his sons and the Yang Clan is tragic and compelling <3
I don't like:
-- Guan Hong -- female blacksmith., annoyingly stubborn and feisty ... Yelu Xie is too good for her!
-- Bad fight scenes ... bad special effects .... bad dubbing .... and sometimes bad acting.
-- writing is not very good .... sometimes needless dialogue slows the pace... not continuous flow.
-- Contrived plot ... general plot and progression is good ... but details seem Irrational and forced just to fit the story arc ..... ---> Worst thing about this show.
I Love:
-- The strong clever women ... Even little 8th Sister Bai Mei is clever (and very cute.)
-- Madam Yang! <3 .... Love her character, her strength and resilience ... Love her relationships w/ each of her sons!
-- the actors XD ... Peter Ho, Justin Yuan, Eddie Peng, Hu Ge, Liu Cecilia, and all the others .... I even like the actor who played Pan Bao ..... Not just eye candy, but sentimentality for the All-Star cast!
--->> Eddie Peng ... Love his acting and charisma!
--->>> Yelu Xie and how Justin played him ... The most romantic (sometimes outrageous) gestures out of this very clever, sometimes brutish, bad-guy ...lol.... Love him !!! .... and a major reason to watch <3<3<3
I want to rate it higher for the characters and actors, but contrived writing and old-style production .... However, due to the power of the Yangs' story and the memorable characters I rated higher: 7.5/10
@Bookish Ahjumma --- Wonderful reply to a complicated question ... beautifully said, and well balanced, walking a fine line ....
@AmandaMarta...and @City Ahjumma --- changing countries and/or genres is good for getting over a slump ... Or switching to movies for a while....
If you are in a romance genre slump, and more specifically, a "cheesy romance" slump, I suggest to switch to Drama or Melodrama Romance instead of Romantic comedies ...
Also, Chinese tend to do Romance very differently ... Still idealized true love like K-dramas but more realistic development, complimentary personalities .... Chinese historical dramas tend to have strong and smart female leads, not the dumb doormat types.
Although if you like cheesy, C-dramas have plenty of that too, especially in productions of last 2-3 years.