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One of the best K drama
This drama started really slow. The ML is slow and shows no emotion in the beginning. But FL is so lively - this scenario is very typical in most Asian dramas.I initially skipped the first 2 episodes, not understanding the purpose of the drama. But after the ML and FL formed an alliance to make the movie, the drama became so interesting to watch as the ML grows in his emotion and frees himself from the past and just live his life one day at a time.
The entire premise of this drama is that true love is worth everything that it demands of us. It makes life worth living even through the heartache of loving someone who is dying. It doesn't make sense but it's better to love and lost than to not love at all.
The writing is so good that as a parent, I totally empathize with the FL's father. As someone who had changed through the power of love (various forms of it), I can understand that love is everything: it hurts, it elevates, it is transformative. Without it, I am not complete. I was born to love and through it, I became a better person than I was before I found it.
The other aspect of this drama is the story of an undervalued person who is seemingly worthless because she is dying. Death doesn't define our quality, our dreams, and our story. Everyone deserves a chance to realize her dream regardless of her physical/emotional ability. We all can learn from each other. Never underestimate the quality of any human.
I also like the theme of redemption. Hey, everyone makes mistakes. We can all learn to forgive each other. Forgiveness allows us to collaborate and do great things.
I don't like sad stories. But some how this story is very elevating and enabling. Yes, I did shed some tears. But there was laughter too. There was a feeling of joy to understand that people die, but as long as we love, our lives are better through experiencing it truthfully and fearlessly.
People say that the last eps drag out for no purpose. I feel it does have a purpose: it allows me time to say goodbye to a beautiful love story. It's a soft landing. It enables me to feel that death is slow and not so terrible after all.
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The type of anti-hero story
The saddest ending is that the heroine prefers the anti-hero because he would do anything for her ... anything that even her mom wouldn't do for her! Basically, a slave.Throughout the story I got the sense that she likes TJ because he represents safety and the "deepest" love that transcends even parental love. She said it herself in ep 62 that her mom wouldn't do something for her but TJ will ...
Without this love, she feels insecure. Well I don't know if TJ represents love or anxiety medication? But whatever.
Overall, the acting perfect in this drama. The song is beautiful.
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Plot is not interesting - Review up to 20
This is a review up to eps 20. I will be dropping the drama because the story is not interesting to me. Please don't comment/attack my review because this review is not attacking you, "your actors," or your values. It's just about how I feel about the story up to 20.I like both actors. Up to episode 8, the drama was great.
However, the script can't hold my interest. The love story is not compelling, especially when the ML disappeared for awhile. Then he lost his power. The SML seems to have equal screen time.
I normally like TSY. Here, when she was in the Princess role, she looks beautiful. However, in the XY role, her hair always looks unkempt. I love her when she was in Under the Power. She was really funny and cute there. I think it's the script.
The resolution of the Sui Meng Xian Jun [Dreamshard immortal] story doesn't make sense.
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A Classic Remake kind of watchable
I don't know how many times I have read the book while I was a teenager and then seeing the HK version for countless times. So, YES, definitely I am biased. I thought I would be dropping this drama because as DH said, it's been done too many times. And I know the story backwards. And yet, I am still watching it ... partially for old's time sake and partially because of the new special effects.Let's begin with what's wrong with this drama ... and why it's NOT rated higher:
1) Wang Hong Yi as Yang Kang cannot capture the complexity of this character. He doesn't have the look/presence of Yang Kang, who is supposed to be handsome, tricky, good/evil, and so charming.
2) Bao Shang En as Huang Rong falls short of the iconic role by Barbara Yung, who has the personality and the presence of this beautiful and smart FL. BY (although a little bit too old for HR) could capture the essence of HR from the book. Bao Shang En doesn't have the look and also the acting capability for this role.
--- although after watching her more and comparing her with other Chinese actresses from other remakes, she does a decent job. Watchable.
3) Ci Sha as Guo Jing ... Looks-wise I think he does look like Guo Jing. However, acting wise, he doesn't have a lot of expressions. Guo Jing is again not a straight forward person. He's gullible, honest but he's not dumb. Felix Wong as Guo Jing was a better actor. And when paired with Barbara Yung, they had so much chemistry.
4) Huang Yao Shi also failed because the way he acts was like a parody of the character! Not as I remember from the book. For example, when the GJ's teachers challenged him, he puts hand on his head as if to say, "you've got to be kidding me"! Seriously, HYS shouldn't have this type of gesture. He doesn't make jokes like this ... He's dignified and serious.
Same thing goes for the beggar king ... Yeh, they are not acting like the characters from the book.
Like a lot of other reviewers say, this drama glosses over A LOT of scenes and character development. It's like telling a summary of the book. For people like me, it's kind of ok because I just need a summary- I've seen it so many times. For others, please watch the HK version. It's just like the book ... so good in storytelling and acting.
Why I give music such low score? Please just go and listen to the HK version. OMG ... I don't speak cantonese but the music was amazing. And the singers too!
After looking at the other 2 Chinese adaption of this drama, I decided to give it another chance. The FL is not too bad relative to the other previous ones.
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A Remake of a Classic - FAILED
I don't know how many times I have read the book while I was a teenager and then seeing the HK version for countless times. So, YES, definitely I am biased. I thought I would be dropping this drama because as DH said, it's been done too many times. And I know the story backwards. And yet, I am still watching it ... partially for old's time sake and partially because of the new special effects.Let's begin with what's wrong with this drama ... and why it's NOT rated higher:
1) Wang Hong Yi as Yang Kang cannot capture the complexity of this character. He doesn't have the look/presence of Yang Kang, who is supposed to be handsome, tricky, good/evil, and so charming.
2) Bao Shang En as Huang Rong falls short of the iconic role by Barbara Yung, who has the personality and the presence of this beautiful and smart FL. BY (although a little bit too old for HR) could capture the essence of HR from the book. Bao Shang En doesn't have the look and also the acting capability for this role.
3) Ci Sha as Guo Jing ... Looks-wise I think he does look like Guo Jing. However, acting wise, he doesn't have a lot of expressions. Guo Jing is again not a straight forward person. He's gullible, honest but he's not dumb. Felix Wong as Guo Jing was a better actor. And when paired with Barbara Yung, they had so much chemistry.
4) Huang Yao Shi also failed because the way he acts was like a parody of the character! Not as I remember from the book. For example, when the GJ's teachers challenged him, he puts hand on his head as if to say, "you've got to be kidding me"! Seriously, HYS shouldn't have this type of gesture. He doesn't make jokes like this ... He's dignified and serious.
Same thing goes for the beggar king ... Yeh, the are not acting like the characters from the book.
Like a lot of other reviewers say, this drama glosses over A LOT of scenes and character development. It's like telling a summary of the book. For people like me, it's kind of ok because I just need a summary- I've seen it so many times. For others, please watch the HK version. It's just like the book ... so good in storytelling and acting.
Why I give music such low score? Please just go and listen to the HK version. OMG ... I don't speak cantonese but the music was amazing. And the singers too!
There is a version with better actors ... I think I will try this one: https://kisskh.at/2529-legend-of-the-condor-heroes-2008
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So far So Good - very surprised
This rom-com is actually pretty decent. The actress, although much older than ML, is convincing and funny. They are convincing as a couple. They do have chemistry.The story is a time travel one where the FL, who just won a French culinary competition, was transported to the era of the king who has sensitive taste buds to food.
Every step of the story is simple but convincing. It's fun and funny to watch the story of the couple unfolds.
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Review up to 11
I am only interested in the story of the aunt and uncle of the narrator. This part is about the pre-communist era. I am not interested in subsequent stories as I grew up in a communist country, escaped it: watching stories about the oppression of the system is depressing and not entertaining for me. Brings back too many bad memories.As I am heading to Shanghai next month, I am interested in the old Shanghai before the communists took over. It's a typical story of gangsters except this one took on the communist theme - all for the country.
The chemistry between the ML and FL is amazing, unlike (Legend of Female Gen - no chemistry and story was terrible). I think ML acted well in this story.
I dropped the rest of the episodes after the story of the old shanghai ended. I gave the story full marks - not that there was nothing to complain about - but as a whole, it was entertaining and convincing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Rewatch Value is a 10
I just rewatched it for the 4th time and it's still fresh. It's a classic. I don't know if there is a drama that I can rewatch it almost every other year and still find it so fresh and amazing.They just found the perfect actor for every role here. I don't think there is another actress who can give the innocence and intelligence of the female lead of this drama.
Yes, it's a feel good story. Yes, not every autistic person is going to be like this, and this drama shows it! I think it's ok to have a superhero who can showcase the genius of a autistic person. It reminds me of Justin Hoffman's Rain Man. Both Hoffman and Park Eun-bin show the contrary/endearing human and superhuman quality of autism.
I love that everyone is shown in a good light. Everyone deserves to be loved regardless of his/her handicap.
PERFECT SCORE
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Good solid comedy
Ever since Glory, I stopped watching K drama ... I feel it's getting too graphical and having needless violence, gearing towards abusive relationships. I saw Castaway Diva ... again it was more skewed towards abusive relationships, which took over the drama and made it unwatchable for me.So I am looking for comedy without the trendy abusive stories. This one seems to have the good acting, the story line, and all the funny jokes. I like it so far after 2 eps. The audience is being surprised with unexpected events. The jokes are not physical jokes so the writers are doing a terrific job here using irony to make me laugh.
Of course, the story is going to be predictable with happy ending because it's a comedy. But the writing makes it entertaining and not too stressful to watch.
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Repetitive
This is the problem with C dramas (and to some extend, K dramas too)... if a person is famous for a role, she/he gets to repeat it as many times as there are fans to watch it.I was a huge fan of YM in Eternal Love ... amazing story, actors, chemistry, songs, ... everything... perfect 10+
But do I need to see it in re-iterations and in a plot that's so trite? Probably not, especially, the same actress playing a similar role.
I gave up after 3 episodes ... she acts very wooden in this drama. Side-by-side, she looks like his teacher or older sister. While mismatched age in itself is not a problem if there is chemistry, I just don't feel it ... story is predictable.
I guess what it is that the plot is not fresh - same old story that has been shown many times. And the intro doesn't make the story engaging ... I didn't feel invested in the characters ...
I guess I am NOT some one who watches drama because of an actor/actress ... I watch for content and acting. So even if my favorite idol is in the show, I am not going to waste my time. I rather rewatch the show that she/he was good in than watching new ones. Yes, I have rewatched Eternal Love at least 5 times. :-)
I am going to wait for better ones in June ... meanwhile, K drama is killing it this year with 2 amazing shows: Queen of Tears and Lovely Runner.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not watchable after 2nd episode
People said that if you don't watch the entire story, you can't give review. I disagree. Well, this is NOT a review of the whole story. JUST the first 3 episodes (I didn't lie - all the information is marked according to kisskh specs) that turned me off regardless of the fact that I like both actors/actress.I don't randomly sample dramas. I don't watch dramas with actors that I don't like and then give negative reviews. For example, I am not watching the current Immortal Ascension and Sword Rose. I already know I will not like them so I won't even try.
Please don't challenge my review otherwise you will be blocked because I don't have to time to argue. Let's face it: it's just a drama. It's not your life or anything so important that we have to spend time defend the drama.
Reason why I dropped this story:
The framing around the story is ridiculous:
Ep 3: FL said, "only reason I let you live is to hear your story"
Ok so why did she harm him before giving him a chance to explain? She is supposed to have grown up in an investigative home, understands how investigation works, loved him for a long time, understand him so well, etc ...
And what's so annoying is the doctor giving the "wrong" poison. Very contrived!
She didn't give him the benefit of the doubt...
Then as soon as he tells her the real story, she says I don't believe you.
He even said, there should be at least 1 person, who can believe his story -well he's right! rolling eyes!
I feel like this is a rewrite of THE SMILING, PROUD WANDERER when the ML who loves the master's daughter is framed. In this case, the framing is believable. She's not in love with him and believes her new boyfriend!
When the FL acted so illogically, I don't think I can change my perspective to believe that they have chemistry and love each other. Not convincing. Watching 20 more episodes will not convince me that they chemistry.
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Can't get over the First Actress
I've tried to watch this drama a few times because I think the story is really good. It's about true love regardless of the facial appearance.After the first 2 episodes, I realized that I love the chemistry and acting of Zheng He Hui Zi and Liu Xue Yi. They just look like they belong together regardless of the scar on her face. She embodies wholesomeness and goodness. She looks natural and like a healthy woman. She interprets the role convincingly.
I have enjoyed Ju Jing Yi's dramas before. However, I feel she doesn't belong in this drama. The hair, her thinness, and acting just don't match up with LXY. They don't seem to have chemistry. This role belongs to the first actress, whom I have NEVER seen before this drama. She just matches up with the acting of LXY better.
Ju Jing Yi fits a less serious drama. She always acts the same too.
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Story is good. Main Leads don't have chemistry
I know why the chemistry is not evident in the relationship of the main leads. It's the ML ,Sung Joon. The way he looks at the FL is not too authentic. He always has a reserved/sarcastic expression.The 2nd ML is better. He acts as if he likes her.
The FL actress also has no expression in her eyes. It's like "dead eyes". She's pretty though.
The story is decent.
Second leads act very well! Look at their eyes - very expressive and lively!
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Not Watchable and dropped
Sorry I am not an antifan: this story is not for me. I knew it and dropped early.There are many time travel plots/writers writing themselves into the stories, etc. But this one is not as expected and just not entertaining for me.
While the ML and FL are attractive and good actors/actresses, the plot is just not to my liking. I hope to see them in the future dramas.
Please don't bother to argue with my review. Everyone is entitled to give reviews. I have seen enough to know I don't like the drama. And I've said as much. I didn't lie. If you like the drama, good for you. Go ahead and write what you like. I promise I won't waste my time arguing with your review.
Those who want to take away my right to give an honest reviews will be blocked. Sorry I don't have time to read or deal with your negativity.
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