romantic-at-heart

Romance done right!

With a lot of heart and humour and without the usual drawn out misunderstandings.

The ML steals the show for me as he shows much more range in this role and pulled it off all beautifully! FL was good but her long fingernails were a bit of a distraction for me.

Instead of the common 1 person transmigrating into a book, we have a few this time and it creates for some unique touches to the storyline.*

I love it when a story can give me few little extras that I haven’t seen before, like the second FL, doctor and little mute girl.

So glad to have a nice happy ending that did not seem too abrupt.

Note: The OST reminds me of Love Between Fairy & Devil - both the singer and the way the music crescendoes dramatically in a nice way.

* spoiler: can you imagine growing into an adult trapped in a different world? So so sad when this was revealed.

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Such a waste

Good actors, great sets and mostly nice cinematography let down by an unbelievable storyline with responses to suit the story rather than common sense.

The highlight was watching the ML.

It was a bit too much to keep hearing the FL say she needs to buy more time for the ML on so many occasions. The point which I completely detached from this drama was an unrealistic costume and hairstyle change for the FL when they went to Beiyuan. One scene shows the ML telling the FL’s protector to look after her & change her clothes often as there’s a higher chance for the plaque since the war just ended. FL is unconscious at this stage. ML goes off to get the antidote and gets caught in an explosion. FL rushes to the scene in new clothes and an intricate hairdo that is riddled with braids and dangly bits… this happened within minutes? Just to have us see her at her best while she shows us her grief at “losing” the ML.

So unbelievable to know how the evil Empress managed to get to where she was and her motivation for doing the things she did. Why does she have so many loyal followers? Also a little bit creepy if you try to think about how and at what age the prince fell in love with her.

At least it was a happy ending. I was almost afraid they would follow the usual sacrifice route but instead they gave us big bright lights hahaha

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The usual mix of good and silly told differently

Good that it didn’t have the usual unrealistic fluffy romance but it overdid it for me as the first 15 episodes were devoid of any sparks. How the SML turned obsessive was nothing new but I appreciated that he didn’t stay that way. How he and the FL and ML worked together in the ending episodes were the highlight for me.

The epitome of silliness for me was when the group of bad guys were sent in to kill the beggars that were locked in a compound. This beggars were starving and could barely walk. After slaughtering some of them, the bad guys heard the good guys coming and said that they should stop killing and just take the remainder beggars away… It takes less time to drag people who could barely walk then to use their sword to strike them down?

Lots of little things like this that don’t make sense but I laugh it off then continue as I love the FL. So carefree and not lovestruck. ML was good enough for me and excels (naturally?) at showing a puzzled-dumbfounded look during some of loving moments. A bittersweet but fitting ending.

The other couple involving the SML’s advisor was lovely yet sad as they were both realistic and knew things would not work out for them. Glad to have this instead of some unbelievable love conquers all romance which most dramas are fond of doing.

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Brilliant FL & ML with smart realistic dialogue

Story is over the top as usual but the dialogue is fantastic! Smart realistic responses instead of the usual misunderstandings due to bottling up feelings.

FL was superb! Make up was fantastic to show the difference between when she was a slave and when she was Lady Ok. Her acting was fantastic as well and I loved how she rattled off all the lawyer talk as much as I cried with her when she was sad.

ML was mesmerising when he was dancing! Watching his range of emotions as he was torn between going to her and keeping his distance made my heart ache repeatedly.

Unfortunately, the story of the real husband was too vague in the last episodes - he became a convenient tool for the fake husband to step back in and provide us a happy ending. Why couldn’t he talk? As someone who was shown to have a strong character, it didn’t make sense that he was so traumatised that he couldn’t talk. What was he suffering from that he died? Was he injured when trying to get help? No sign of blood or wounds unlike his companion.

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Familiar formula but still enjoyable

Once you’ve watched many dramas like this, it is hard to be surprised by the storyline as most of them follow the same pattern (unexpected meeting, grow to fall in love, have to part, death which leads the other one to forget their principles, back to life, overcome evil) but this drama added it’s own spin on this pattern with an interesting though hard-to- believe* opening where the FL injures herself while fleeing an arranged marriage.

Thankfully, this drama is on the new trend to give us happy endings which are not short and even used the last episode to play out a little side story which was enjoyable and let me have my feel good vibes for a whole episode as I loved seeing them live their happy life for a full episode!

The ML carried himself well as the last ancient god but I was struggling to see him he as a sickly mortal. Interesting to see how the drama chose to have a role reversal where the ML is the one who pines after the FL. It was fun to watch the FL being more matter-of-fact and let’s move on after having sex but it was a bit of out character for the ML to suddenly be so clingy & willing to throw caution to the wind when he was shown to be such a strong selfless character who put the 3 realms above his own interests during the first half of the drama.

As long as I turned off all these questions that kept popping up in my head, I was entertained with the above average CGI and sweet love story between the FL’s parents (I saw that coming a mile away so was just waiting to see how that part of the story would unfold and this drama delivered nicely)

*hard to believe on so many levels as the FL is shown to be the best fighter so how can she be so badly injured that she loses her human form. Also, she has a good relationship with her master so why were they not able to discuss the marriage alliance the same way they talked about other important issues? Didn’t really make much sense to send all the generals & soldiers to hunt her down and bring her back for the marriage as she can easily just not go through with the wedding by saying no in person during the wedding. Unfortunately, most dramas have this problem where logic is usually the first to go as long as it moves the story along in a nice way.

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Scent of Time - a truly apt title

Little hints are dropped throughout the drama and I am so happy to be surprised with the twist during the final episodes. Heartbreaking as it was, it felt so much more real in many senses and so very well grounded when compared to Story of Kunning Palace.

While this drama and SOKP both have a do-over storyline, I was more touched with this storyline and how it was told. Not overly dramatic and more relatable showing the FL as a real person - hair completely down and no make up when sleeping - something SOKP wasn’t good at as they seemed overly focused on giving us a FL and ML to drool over all the time.

The romance between the FL and the various men were very well portrayed and provided just enough angst to keep me watching to find out how the events would unfold.

Some minor things left hanging and I would have liked a longer happy ending but overall, I am surprised by how much more I liked this compared to SOKP. Once the twist is revealed, it’s best not to think too much as certain events doesn’t bear close scrutiny. Bittersweet ending…

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Rollercoaster Family Relations on the Farm

The beginning episodes made me wonder if there was any love in this family but still I was entertained with this drama through all the plotting, selfishness and blatant favouritism.

I liked the FL’s cheerful personality and her never- give-up attitude despite being plotted against so many times. Her character was well written to be someone smart with a heart of gold and she played it beautifully. Her chemistry with the ML was a joy to watch and the way they looked at each other made my heart melt more than the few kisses that they shared.

For all the evil plotting that the FL’s cousin did to her, it was a bit of a let down to not have her realisations fleshed out better and for her to give a meaningful apology to the FL.

One of the best moments for me was when the FL knew she would be exiting the game and she went around silently saying her farewells to everyone. Lovely music that made her expressions even more touching.

I’m a little bit lost at the very end. The FL exited the game as she and the ML were approaching each other. She was shown to be back in the real world but then, the scene cuts to being back in the game where both of them talking and having a sweet moment together as if she didn’t exit the game… if the drama had provided some explanation of how this happened, it would have given me better happy ending vibes.

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Lovely drama for some light romance & comedy

The basic story line is nothing new but with some refreshing touches like the FL pretending to be a weak beauty. This was a good way to inject some humour into this drama and she did it nicely. I also enjoyed the cute animal art work.

I liked that this drama didn’t try to be too smart with a vague ending and instead had an ending that was happy and not rushed. At the same time, it wasn’t too unrealistic (ie have all couples work out) but instead showed one that parted and others in the beginning / middle of their romance.

The chemistry between the main couple worked well and the way the ML confessed his feelings to the FL was something new (and not involving fireworks) so I appreciated it even more. The love triangle was not overly dramatised and it was good to see the other love interest not go overboard to protect or win the favour of the FL.

What suffered in this drama was the villains - not properly fleshed out in terms of their motivation and ability to carry out their plans. When she came into the room with more glamorous dressing and make up, I was at a loss as I thought it was a new character. Then you find out all this could have been avoided if she had spoken up before her marriage… so take this into account and just enjoy the romance part of the drama.

The ending that saw them speaking to the audience reminds me of some old old dramas / movies that do this and it was a nice playful touch.

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Healing the heart with Episode 25

Episode 25 is not a continuation of this drama but a wonderful alternative scenario of what ifs. What if he didn’t learn embroidery? What if he didn’t become a policeman? What if she got a divorce? What if she didn’t become a courtesan? What if she didn’t learn embroidery? It was an episode which I was happy to watch to heal my heart from the sad story.

One of the better produced dramas with realistic sets and costumes, this drama was also well written to have a more realistic feel. There wasn’t a fake super climax where the FL pulls everything together and the villain is punished. Instead, she suffers setbacks and plans accordingly.

The story goes back and forth between present time and 7 years ago as well as even earlier to the villain’s childhood. An interesting format that was well done and gives us so much detail into what Rulan had to go through as she tried repeatedly to seek justice and what led to her demise. The relationship between her and the FL was beautifully explored and fleshed out.

A reasonably good drama that would have been great had it fleshed out the villain’s motivations better. Was him being cheated out of a normal bride the reason for him preying on countless girls?

Random note: perhaps something got lost in translation as I am not clear about the analogy of the plum blossoms where the villain is said to prefer the fallen flowers compared to the blossoms still on the branches. All his embroideries of the plum blossoms look like they are still on branches to me…

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Espionage at every turn

Superb acting and fantastic attention to detail made this fictional world of spies extremely intriguing especially since it wove in historical elements. One of the smartest dramas I’ve ever watch and I also enjoyed the little catch up at the end of each episode.

Lots of twists, turns and reveals in each episode and you are left wondering what is the truth and what is a lie. Is he a single agent, double agent, triple agent? What was real was his love for his sworn brother and wife and it broke my heart when the final reveal was made just minutes before the last episode ended.

A thought provoking drama which makes you wonder how far a person will go to achieve their goals. What is their bottom line? So sad to see so much sacrifice made for the greater good. Is the greater good worth that much loss of innocent lives and resources? A question that each person has a different answer to and unfortunately so very real in this current day and age as we are now living with a war in Ukraine that sees no end as of 3 October 2023.

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Love that grows from strength to strength

A beautifully told tale of a love story that started out as an accident and evolved into a relationship of trust and genuine love. No unnecessary misunderstandings and jealousies to tear them apart was much appreciated. Instead their obstacles were the situations they were placed in.

A love triangle of sorts, the villain turned out to be victim of circumstances but the flashback sequences of him with the FL was sweet and gave you the usual “if only” wishes hoping he had it better growing up. The reveal during his end was not unexpected but good enough to tie up his storyline.

The star of this drama is the ML. Watching him grow from a carefree, playful person to one who sacrifices himself to fight for the good of the people was the highlight of this drama. Kudos to the scriptwriter for some of the most intelligent and interesting dialogue for this character. He delivers it so well and righteously in keeping with his character’s personality.

It was also nice to see the FL transform from originally resigning to her fate of just being a typical wife to having her own aspirations in business. However, this changes seem too jarring at times, one of which was when she went from crying on her wedding night to suddenly being extra gung-ho as she led men to the entertainment house to chase down the her husband. Brandishing a sword to get him was a nice humorous touch. However, her revealing all her marriage aspirations and how the ML ruined it in front of the many people in there felt so wrong. A normal person would have some reservations about sharing such private information in public, what more she had just spent years learning about a family’s code of conduct. Overly dramatic. (also found it strange she had no reaction when she saw her original target husband in the crowd there)

Watching her start her first business showed some smart moments but not fleshed out enough as she quickly turned things around after 2 weeks of slow sales. Not enough moments to make me believe she is this super business person especially when she was in the capital and when she was lying low during the 3 years.

One of my favourite parts would have to be in Wangdu and how the ML defended it with just 10,000 men against an army 10x bigger. I loved both his confrontations with his uncle here - perfect lines perfectly delivered!

Didn’t care much for the palace storyline with the new Emperor suddenly being sick all the time compared to when he was just a Commissioner. Liked the Empress Dowager and her daughter even less especially their senseless meddling. The twist here became too convenient and a few extra scenes on how it happened would have been better.

The ending was good enough, showing us what happened with all the main characters and how some of them still go on despite not having a spouse. A definite must watch if you are a fan of the ML as he was truly in his element in this drama.

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Heartbreaking yet beautiful romance

A short drama that tells its story well without unnecessary fillers or characters. This unique time travel storyline tells you it will break your heart right from the start as the leads meet each other in a reverse order so the first time the ML sees the FL, he has no feelings for her whereas she has already loved him for the longest time. The next time he travels back in time, she is younger than when he first saw her. And so it continues. His love for her grows with each meeting whereas her love for him is less.

If you are after a romantic story that will tug at your heart strings and make you cry, this is it. As the ML starts to fall in love with the FL, he desperately tries to change the events leading up to her death every time he travels back in time.

Bittersweet ending in keeping with the reverse order time travel. So don’t look for any miracles where they can both grow old together. Needless to say, I finished the drama with a heavy heart (but appreciation for this unique storyline).

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Captivating & EPIC!!!

Brilliant story, fantastic production, stellar acting and seamless CGI brought this fantasy drama to life and I can’t wait for Season 2!

Thank goodness Part 1, 2 and 3 were all together as one drama so I could binge continuously. The way the characters evolved were nicely written and Episode 1 made so much more sense watching it a second time right after finishing Episode 18.

Kudos to the actor who pulled off playing the naive twin and savvy twin - so well done you’d think they were two different actors! However, what impressed me more was the King - so many conflicting and complex emotions as he made his way to the top. I found myself empathising more with him and wished he didn’t have to suffer so much.

I loved all the twists and turns the story took. Some took me by surprise and some didn’t. It was sad to see so much similarity to real life - fear of the unknown, greed of capitalism, exploitation, slavery, supremacy, sacrifice and more…

A good end for Season 1 that juxtaposes the 2 different worlds that will soon have their showdown in Season 2.

* Unfortunately some change in cast members and I’m personally not a fan of the actor who will play the twins for Season 2 so I hope his acting will change my mind. I do wish they would cast someone more similar looking for continuity purposes.

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Action packed wuxia with fantastic martial arts!

It was a joy to watch nicely choreographed fighting sequences that didn’t have CGI for a change. Gave me a bit of an Ip Man vibe but with added fantasy elements of poison experts and fantastic sounding moves.

I enjoyed the first part of the story much more when the ML and FL were together and fighting for justice. It broke my heart when they had to part and I’m glad I read some reviews before watching this so I could brace myself for this heartache. I did wish they would end up together in the end but it was not meant to be.

The ending was brief and sad. And didn’t really shed any light on the twin boys whom the ML was entrusted to take care of. Overall the story was a 7.0-7.5 and I bumped it up to 8.0 because of the nicely done martial arts sequences.

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