Klio

Yes. It's a great light-hearted feel-good drama. There are some tragic events sprinkled here and there but they are mostly in their past and not too emphasized. I would recommend watching.

There is a small misunderstanding regarding ML's past but it's not annoying and they resolve it quickly and in a satisfying way. It's not something I could compare to real misunderstandings that happen in other dramas, so you're good! :D

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. It's such a great feel-good drama. The whole community was beautifully portrayed and I ended up loving all of them; not a single character was annoying. The relationship between the main couple is also one of my favorites (no annoying misunderstandings, love triangles, breakups, nosy family members etc). They were ready to meet each other in the middle, give up some things in order to make the relationship work, and it was done in a mature way. Really, kudos to the writers!

Ah, I see. I think it has a good plot, but I'm not very judgemental so someone with higher standards may not be completely satisfied. After two months I don't remember many details, just the general impression it left on me 😅.

As for Mouse, I have it in my PTW list so I'll definitely watch it one day, but currently my k-drama watching buddy wants rom-coms and similar stuff so my own interests are put on hold 😅

Hmm, I haven't watched Mouse yet so I can't compare, but Memorist is like an onion. There are so many layers to the plot, what you think is the main issue in the beginning is just a small part of a lot bigger thing. In that sense it's a plot-driven show. Characterisation is good (in my opinion), and the relationships between some supporting characters and the ML are heartwarming, but it's not a character driven show. The mastermind behind everything is revealed in the last episode and nothing too important happens after that, they just tie up the loose ends and that's it.

I don't know if this helped at all (lol) but since I can't compare the two I'm afraid I can't be any more specific. It's a good mystery show without a doubt, but I don't know how it stands against the Mouse.

First of all, amazing action, especially fighting, scenes! I needed something like this after a long time of watching other genres. When it comes to the plot, it was actually good. Convoluted and hard to follow at certain points because I didn't binge watch it, but in the end it all worked out and fell into place. OST was okay. I didn't notice anything other that the main song (and some BGM) tbh, but that one worked so well whenever they used it and enhanced everything that was happening on the screen.
I also loved the characters and the actors did a good job. Nothing to complain in that department either. I never watched Namkoong Min before this, but I'll definitely check out his other works now.

So, while it didn't blow my mind away, it was overall good in all departments. 9/10 from me. I would recommend it if you like spy/secret agents dramas.

The Untamed
Nirvana in Fire
The Wolf

But I also like Love and Redemption, The Long Ballad (Ashile Sun the best ML ever!) and Joy of Life. There are still some from this list that I want to watch, but they're also mostly costume/period dramas.

This is a good article! I study history so I don't really have this issue because I'm used to putting myself in the shoes of people who lived in the past. Looking at historical events from their perspective has become something normal for me. However, what I do dislike seeing on screen are historical anachronisms. Modern ideas and concepts presented as something normal in historical settings where they weren't 'normal' is something that irks me. I can tolerate and even enjoy it if the drama is not taking itself seriously, but I much prefer realistic depictions. I can understand why people don't like it, but I personally like watching how humans lived and behaved in their times. Context is everything! And I actually find palace intrigues and everything that follows them, violence, tragic endings etc. interesting and engaging to watch (that may sound weird, but I promise I'm normal lol).

Np :). Second season is not confirmed as far as I know but hopefully it will happen.

There is no love triangle and it's pretty light when it comes to romance. The focus is more on their friendship in this season.
The ending is not bad, but it's open for a second season. One part of the season 1 story is concluded with the ending, but like I said, it's open for a continuation.

He dubbed his own character, so it is his real voice.

There's this: https://twitter.com/takewithsalt/status/1457454042242633729?t=3C9-tiLXn-FXllfzOEWBQg&s=19

I have yet to see ep. 14 (maybe I won't like it either) but for now (first 11 episodes) I think it's an alright drama. When I watch romance dramas I don't expect too much so maybe that's why I'm not too disappointed. But yeah, maybe last 5 episodes really are bad, I've noticed most people complain about that part.

I feel like everyone had high expectations so they ended up being disappointed with what they got. I don't think this is a bad drama. It's watchable, the acting is good, and there are some really nice moments (the CGI is atrocious tho) but it's far from being one of the best, that's true. I'm only on episode 11 but I rated it 8 because I do enjoy watching it and the whole thing about painters is different from what I'm used to, in a good way.

Yes, it does have a happy ending.

I also hate what they did with Jiang Cheng and the core reveal scene. It left a bad taste in my mouth that not even good WangXian parts could fix 😓

It's a fun watch. 8/10

Yeah. I'll be happy with whatever role he chooses next because I'm certain he's capable of bringing them to life with his acting, and I believe in his ability to choose a good script too *fingers crossed*. Just, waiting for these c-projects to air is a PAIN. The process is so unnecessarily long and complicated.

I don't speak Chinese either so I don't know what's happening on the C-side but some of the rumors melon accounts brought to twitter were about the movie with Ma Sichun, and drama "Sunshine with U". According to them filming was supposed to start in September (for the drama) but since it didn't happen I wouldn't take any of these seriously. Most of these accounts just say he's in talks with directors without specifying anything. It's fun to read them and guess, but trust only the official sources. We'll know once he starts filming.

He's doing just fine. Antis are running wild trying to "prove" how his career is over but when you look at things more clearly you'll see that those claims are baseless.

This year he had Douluo Continent; it came out in February and had 2 re-runs on CCTV8 while holding highest discussion and viewership ratings.
He finished filming S+ drama (The Longest Promise) not long ago and is also busy with highly acclaimed theatre show (A Dream Like a Dream) which is being performed in numerous Chinese cities. He's also being praised left and right for his role of Patient No. 5.

Just this year he had 20+ new endorsements and all of them are topping sales charts.

I would say his popularity has never been higher despite him not showing up in public too often (he does perform from time to time; just last month he appeared at the celebrations of the one-year countdown to the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, performed and became the Public Welfare Dream Ambassador of the Games) and only his birthday post on Weibo has 15M+ likes. No one else can achieve that.

So, despite some people trying to make it look like he's over, it simply isn't the case. To me it looks like he's trying to change his image from an idol to a serious artist/actor so he's choosing where and when to show his face, but every time he does show up his popularity is undeniable.

He'll probably take a new project soon. I've seen some rumours on twitter but until he starts filming no one will know for sure.