sulkytofu

So I expected to like this a lot more than I thought I would, and I was surprised by how parts of the show didn't work for me. Eleanor Lee does an incredible job as Nuannuan, by making her worries, fears, and anger feel incredibly relatable. I loved watching her grow, and it makes feel a sense of pride at seeing not only Nuannuan's failures, but how she increasingly gains confidence and experience through these hardships.

And that's perhaps where the issue is ⁠— that the ML Han Che is so much less well-developed than she is. In a way, I feel as if Nuannuan is a lot more likeable than he is, and this could perhaps be part of a writing issue or an acting issue, but it's frustrating watching someone so petty with an unwillingness to reflect/communicate effectively about himself. From the first episode, Han Che makes a big "mistake" as a form of "compensation," but it's frustrating seeing how he doesn't really question (regardless of whether he got the right person or not) if his involvement in this is morally right or wrong. I also feel frustrated at seeing how Han Che never really suffers career-wise, and his personal issues are limited to a couple scenes at best, despite the obvious difficulties and consequences that having hyperthymesia may entail. In other words, Nuannuan's characterization is so well done that it makes Han Che look a lot more bland, and in some ways I feel as if she is (character-wise) so much more interesting and introspective than he is. While I feel that they do have good chemistry, it's this problem which makes it hard for me to like their relationship development.

I was really looking forward to this, especially as I thought it might be a really cute and more fluffier rendition of Sound of The Desert. From the comments I'm a little wary now, especially as I really dislike watching shows where ML has a harem. I think it would be a lot more interesting to focus the stories on the implications of building relationships amongst the tribes, rather than a focus on internal political maneuvering, as some commenters have also mentioned. I'll probably wait until all episodes are out so that I can binge watch it, and hope that perhaps maybe the latter episodes are better.

Yes! I'm a little tired of watching dramas with angst and conflicts, when all I really want to see are the fluffy scenes and the build up of the ML + FL's relationship. I also agree, I think it's clear we're all getting bad feelings from the ML's mother. I think I may have missed the part about the other son, but if this is the case, I hope he turns out to be on the ML's side (and not a way to create more conflict).

Totally agree! I think that's why the chemistry between ZQ + HYW are so interesting, because it's clear both deeply respect each other and like each other's company, but for reasons neither is willing to take the next step. I really, really hope that he doesn't get delegated as a second lead (I have a feeling right now he sincerely cares for Xunxun as a friend, but is also doing so because he in fact actually likes ZQ). I hope they end up getting together eventually, because both are such great characters and deserve their happy ending.

I don't believe the drama is actually finished airing yet. I'm actually not sure how many episodes this drama is going to be, because I'm getting conflicting information (I believe Chinese sites say its 36, others say it is 26.) I do think that 26 is definitely long enough for the series, and so I'm hoping that this is the case so that we don't end up with draggy angst or the incorporation of conflicts for the sake of extending the drama.

Surprisingly, despite some of the weaknesses of this drama, such as how sometimes the ML's acting can be a little stiff, I actually really like this so far! Currently on Episode 8 and it's a very tropey and light office drama. I think what's really great about this series is that the FL Ling Xunxun is so likeable, and it's hard not to root for her — especially after having to experience such a huge transition in her life from being a housewife to gaining confidence in her work. I have high hopes for this one especially since it's only going to be 16 episodes long, and because so far pacing is quite good and there aren't many draggy/filler scenes.

I really do hope that Hui Yi Wang and Zhou Quan get together — I love both their characters quite a lot, and it's clear that he harbours feelings for her. I hope that he doesn't end up being a "second lead," especially because I think the drama is already foreshadowing to problems between the ML + FL in the future (particularly the meddling by the ML's mother.)

Also, despite the age gap the ML + FL have in real life, you really can't tell (which may be disappointing for some viewers, and a good thing for others.) While you definitely can tell that theML looks young, Jiang Meng Jie in fact sometimes looks the same age as him. I do like how the relationship is currently developing however (him noticing her more in a romantic light, while her treating him as similar to a little brother), and I love the way they are gradually developing the romance.

Another one of Priest's works! If anyone wants to read the novel, it's available here: but not yet fully translated: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/faraway-wanderers/

I think the start is quite rocky. It was hard for me to really suspend my disbelief in some of the beginning events, and even before I had chosen to start this I felt like there was some miscasting going on (I was very surprised, for example, that Su Jin Bei has a "cutesy" personality, when I think Zhang Yuxi could have really pulled off a "cold" personality, and Ryan Ding with "warmer" characteristics.)

I will say that if you want to focus your expectations, that this drama is pure fluff and focuses on the relationship between the two characters. What I think it does uniquely is that both characters have interest towards each other very early on via their contract marriage (Episode 3/4) but it's also nice to see them learn more about each other and grow together throughout the series - especially without added drama or external meddling. Is there much plot beyond the relationship and the cute scenes? Not really. Will it be difficult to watch if you really aren't interested in the characters? Likely. But it is a drama that's light, for you to turn your brain off, and to see moments that make you feel "squishy" with their chemistry, then maybe it's worth continuing to watch.

It's interesting to see the changes to the novel, and I'm actually not surprised as Mo Bao Fei Bao made a lot of changes to Go Go Squid to make the series a lot more patriotic (especially compared to the original novel, which was pure fluff.) I have a feeling since GGS already covered the use of online gaming to represent China, and also combined storylines from MBFB's other novels, the use of robots and technology will be another way to show this element.

I have faith in the script as MBFB has been adamant about not accepting the adaptation of her works unless she is on as the scriptwriter. But I do admit we'll likely see a lot more changes, especially as it's been clear through GGS that significant modifications were made from the original novel, especially to make the series more socially reflective and relevant.

Luo Yunxi's casting is absolutely top-notch for Chu Wanning, and after his performance in Ashes of Love as Runyu I thought that he would do incredible in a BL drama. Feiyue wasn't really an actor who I envisioned as Mo Ran, and I do have reservations about his casting especially in light of his recent works, but I'm looking forward to seeing their chemistry together. Likely most shocking is the decision to change Shi Mei into a woman, and it will be interesting to see the reception to this and how they handle this character in such a manner.

Most of all, there are A LOT of elements on the novel (beyond the relationship between Wanning and Mo Ran, including questionable sexual content and elements of the supernatural) that would almost certainly not pass censorship restrictions. But considering the clever ways in which producers of The Untamed created subtext and creatively depicted elements of BL romance within the series, I have a lot of hope towards this one and am really looking forward to it.

Episode 16/17 is the confession scene!

I'm so sad to see that Cheng Xiao's acting hasn't been a hit in this production, especially because she's starring in one of my favourite novel to drama adaptations, Falling Into Your Smile (with Xu Kai as the main lead). I know that many were wary about her being the casting choice as the FL especially due to the popularity of the novel, so it's unfortunate that this is the case. I was going to watch this one but considering the comments, I think I'll have to pass and take this off my watchlist.

I'm so glad that you loved the drama as much as I did, and that you found my review helpful! I really wanted people to be able to centre their expectations, so that they wouldn't be disappointed, but to also take a chance on how much I loved this show. Happy you decided not to skip and that it's now in your favourites list!

I'm actually really glad to see the discussions about the actor in this comment section. You can simultaneously recognize the terrible things that the main actor has done and raise discussion over them, while also recognizing the impact of "slanderous" comments on Korean actors and idols especially on mental health. In other words, raising attention towards the allegations about the main actor is not necessarily equivalent to hate comments, as these two things are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, to be honest, I think it's important we have these conversations ⁠— because clearly from the fact this man is still receiving projects and acting roles, the so called "slanderous comments" have done little to impact his career. Moreover, some of the incredibly misogynistic and out-of-touch things he has said, especially in his recent press conference, can be quite demeaning towards the very audience of the show. At the end, it is your decision to watch the show or not, and I completely understand if people do for many reasons (including the work of many producers, writers, and actresses like Go Sung Hee!) But it should also be important that we can question and consider how such an actor can continue to achieve success in the context of the serious concerns and allegations against his past behaviour.

I'm still trying to think about exactly WHAT made the Shangguan Xi and Da Yang loveline not work. I loved them both individually, and thought they were great characters by themselves. But for some reason, something about their relationship just didn't click with me. I'm not really sure what that is, but maybe it's that the main love line was too great (although I admit my next favourite relationship was the one between the general and his wife when they were trapped in Hangzhou, especially how commandeering that she was!)

I especially loved how you could see the love between the main couple without them having to explicitly say that they liked each other (especially in the early episodes!) I definitely think that the pacing of the relationship was excellently done, and both of them had such a healthy relationship where they continued to communicate and rely on each other for support. I really wish we could have had an ending where we saw them with their children, especially as that was how Lu Yi had "confessed" to Jin Xia. However, I'm still incredibly satisfied, and also agree that I loved how this drama depicted their relationship.

Apparently, Hu Yi Tian's screentime in Go Go Squid was limited because of his audio recording scandal where he said some misogynistic things (particularly about his former co-star Shen Yue) when the series was filming last year. The scandal itself wasn't confirmed to be true or not, but he also wasn't on set very often I think - which was why such an important character (Xiao Bai) was so heavily sidelined.

I actually started watching this after hearing the sequel to Go Go Squid would be starring him, and I was pleasantly surprised by how his acting has improved. Conversely, I absolutely love Leon Zhang as well, and he made Chusheng's "mafia" character incredibly likeable. Wish that Chusheng had more characterization in the series, and that the drama had gone a lot more into his backstory, but I know that the series is really focusing on solving cases.

No, I totally understand if you're not into her personality! I also recognize I generally love all female leads, and it's definitely valid to not like her or the ship in this series.

To be honest, I'm in the mid-stretch of the drama now, which was a lot better for me than the beginning as the cases are better. I admit it's pretty obvious Luo Yao ends up with You Ning (they will have a happy ending together) and I think the drama does a good job showing why (especially with a focus on how both are from powerful families, and bond over unique familial difficulties.) In this sense, I would say if this is something that might turn you off from the drama, to maybe just skip these scenes which occur in between cases. Although the romance is light and both go from enemies to friends to lovers, it's still there and it's obvious that both have a loveline together.

I do agree with you on the romance aspect — I am starting to warm up to Luo Yao/You Ning more, but there are sometimes ambiguous scenes of "brotherhood" between Luo Yao and Chu Sheng, and I personally like their relationship a lot more. I wish more of the focus was on them, but at this moment I still really like the "trio dynamic" and it works for me, so I'm okay with it for now.

There are also a lot of connections and choices made under the production's discretion. For example, in The Untamed, Yibo and Xiao Zhan had been idols for a while and had not yet seen the amount of fame they've received following the series. XZ was casted specifically at the producer's request, while Yibo was casted for his "cold" demeanour. Moreover, many of the side actors of the series were little-known, despite already having debuted as singers, idols, or other types of performers for years with not as much success in China already.

Chen Feiyu obviously is the son of the internationally acclaimed Chen Kaige. This is not to say that he's not a good actor, but instead that clearly he is well-connected in his acting career, and therefore may be luckier than others in being casted for projects. There are many actors and actresses who are incredible, yet more selective with their series and therefore have less projects (i.e. Hu Ge) and others who are great at acting yet may not receive the same fame for other reasons (i.e. smaller agency, less promotion, etc.) I've never seen any of Feiyu's works so I can't comment objectively on his acting per se, but considering how China produces so many dramas, the casting process is obviously impacted by many factors (many of which can be considered more important than "talent" itself).

I dropped this! The story had so much potential, but the main issue was that I was starting to tire of the relationship between San Hyuk and Young Jae. There were moments where they had chemistry, but the constant bickering eventually became messy, and I felt like instead of healing each other their miscommunications became increasingly immature and boring to watch. I particularly found Jo Boah's acting in this one difficult to watch sometimes, and felt like it was either over-exaggerated or unrealistic, even though I've been a fan of her previous works.

One of the main complaints was also the amount of genres packed into the story. I think this would have been much more interesting if they had just focused on the rescue team, instead of making it a backdrop for broader business and corporate conflicts. I felt like the drama was missing focus, which was unfortunate because I LOVED the setting of the series.

Oh, that's a relief to know! I was really excited to see Luo Yunxi in a BL drama, since immediately after his acting in Ashes of Love I thought he'd be a perfect pick to star in a BL series. Many fans have also praised the casting of Feiyu and Yunxi, and so I'm hoping as well that he has lots of chemistry since the relationship in Immortality contains quite a lot of depth.

I think it depends on your taste! If you want something that's more fluff-oriented over plot, Dr. Cutie and the Sweet Girl are good picks that are short and easy to watch. I was also a fan of the Love by Hypnotic, but I've seen some comments finding the latter stretch to be more boring, and would recommend you read some reviews first.

If you want something that's romantic (even though there are no kiss scenes) but also has a lot of brotherhood and a broader plot/conspiracy, I'd definitely suggest Arsenal Military Academy. It's set in the Republican Era and not the Ming Dynasty, but it's still a very well-produced drama and Bai Lu and Xu Kai obviously have incredible chemistry.