Tanky Toon

This is unexpectedly cute and sweet. The joys and confusion of having a middle school crush are being explored in this drama. For years, Takagi has been one-upping Nishikata in terms of jokes and pranks that the latter becomes frustrated. But every time Nishikata thinks he has gotten his revenge on Takagi, she outsmarts him. Despite this, both spend more time with each other than they ought to be, when Nishikata is supposed to dislike Takagi.

I loved the passive-aggressiveness of Takagi, juxtaposed with the naivete of Nishikata. Tsukishima Rui is fantastic as the witty girl who is harboring a not-so secret crush on her classmate. Meanwhile, Kurokawa Souya is adorable as Nishikata. His expressions are on point, especially when he becomes surprised that Takagi always got the better of him.

Their innocent flirtation is the crux of this story, and how they are more bonded to each other than they realize, particularly by the oblivious Nishikata. This drama captures the essence of that first sweet instance of blooming love, that I am too afraid to watch the sequel lest that bubble break.

I know. The age gap thing is really a big deal in some cultures. Usually an age gap of 2 to 3 years is fine, but anything more than that is usually frowned upon. My partner and I have an age gap of 3.5 years and for years, our families complained that we shouldn't get together because of it, referring to the gap as if we were more than light years apart. Even then, I don't consider a big age gap a deal breaker as long as you are compatible with each other, and both are above the age of consent. (Though I will perhaps draw the line at 40 years apart, hahaha).

For me it is ironic, that some of these guys would be more concerned about the age gap , than the stigma of them being gay. IMHO, Both (age and sexuality) should not matter, but hey if that bothers them so much, maybe they should not really be together as it will just cause problems in the future. Better to know earlier than later.

When I picked up this drama, I did not know the hype surrounding it. I just clicked because Cheng Yi is in it, though I was somewhat disappointed at first because it took me about 10 episodes to get used to Cheng Yi’s real voice. After overcoming that hump, it didn’t take long for me to be engaged in this intricate story about the once-glorified martial arts master becoming Sigu’s Sherlock Holmes. With unlikely side-kicks, Li Lian Hua traverses the pugilistic world, solving mysterious cases.

This is the third drama I’ve watched of Cheng Yi’s and he has proven again that he can definitely act. I loved how he portrayed Li Lian Hua’s brazenness with an ample amount of impertinence without coming across as arrogant. His comedic timing is impeccable without trying too hard. His facial micro-expressions were nuanced, but subtle. It was entertaining to watch him at work and the investigations were never dull.

For their part, both Joseph Zeng and Xiao Shun Yao delivered their roles respectively as Li Xiang Yi’s past rival and an ambitious wanna-be hero. It was funny to see how Di Fei Sheng stubbornly clings to their past conflict, to determine who is the best swordsman in the world, while begrudgingly admiring Lian Hua. Fang Duo Bing, on the other hand, is an over-eager neophyte trying to prove his mettle. Together, the three of them form an odd friendship that stands the test of time as they fight against the injustices of the world like the three musketeers.

The rest of the cast were not as memorable, but they were not one-dimensional and served their purpose. The major strength of this drama, aside from the trio, is the intricate plot. It’s thrilling but not too convoluted nor difficult to follow. Explanations brought forth by Lian Hua were plausible and not too farfetched. A drama that kept me on my toes and is not predictable is a plus in my books.

Yes thanks for letting me know. 2 yrs later. 😅

There’s also that coincidence where Cao Mu’s boyfriend, happens to be the brother of Min Hui’s acquaintance, who happens to live at the same orphanage as Xin Qi. Talk about a small (drama) world.

The drama tried to cram so many things in the last few episodes, like we finally see Xin Qi working until he collapses because of exhaustion. Then besides all this, the villains did not get their just desserts, or at least, it wasn’t satisfactory to my taste. Are we supposed to forgive Xi Yue for all the things that she has done to destroy Min Hui? And how about Qi Rang? Yes, authorities arrested and convicted him for the sexual harassment he committed against Min Hui years ago, but what about his illegal dealings? Also, Xin Di’s absence in the main couple’s wedding is a glaring omission. The two secretaries were there, why not her?

I usually avoid dramas where one or both of the main characters has a child, because of my own peculiar reason since childhood, but both instances, including this drama, surprised me as this is the second time where the kid stole the show.

Like in “Unforgettable Love,” the child actor was so precocious and lovely as he became the catalyst where the two leads get together. I couldn’t believe that Cui Yi Xin was only around 6 or 7 yrs old when this drama was filmed. Quan Quan seemed more mature than his young age and perhaps because he had to go through a lot due to his heart condition.

The leads were not too shabby, even though it’s the first time I’ve seen either of them. In the beginning, Wang Yu Wen came across as bland and lacking personality, especially in contrast with Ma Xin Rui’s character, Cao Mu, who is spunky as Min Hui is dry. But throughout the show, she develops a backbone as she fights the injustices of sexual harassment and other political games that people were playing against her.

On the other hand, Wang Zi Qi balances the jilted ex-lover Xin Qi who misunderstood Min Hui’s intentions, and the protective boyfriend he later became to be. Although, at some point, he turned into a bit of a stalker, following Min Hui around the city to get into her good graces, while finding intel on her non-consequential blind dates. Some might get put off with this, but the drama defends this behavior as permissible since there was no malice behind it.

Speaking of which, I find it really laughable that Xin Qi spends most of the drama pursuing Min Hui that I wonder when he actually works as a CEO of a large company. Ru Ji mocks this trope in one of his later conversations with Zi Zhu, that only in a drama world, where a character can be with their beloved 24/7. There’s also a lot of contrived instances I found disbelieving. For instance, Quan Quan had multiple run-ins with Xin Qi because he had the freedom to roam the halls of the hospital or wait outside alone. He was also asked a few times not to open doors to strangers while his mother was out running errands. It was fortunate that all these encounters were with Xin Qi, who he later discovered to be his father, otherwise I would have been terrified by the thought of him being taken away by an unscrupulous person.

There’s also that coincidence [in the spoiler] where you really have to suspend your disbelief.

Talking about Cao Mu and her boyfriend, it was cute in the beginning until it wasn’t. But their pairing was better than Ru Ji’s and Zi Zhu’s, despite Ru Ji’s insistence to the contrary, that no, Zi Zhu isn’t a replacement. I lost interest in these four people after they coupled up and their non-existent chemistry fizzled.

Although the business back story provided the characters with material to work with, it didn’t captivate me as much as I anticipated. The Be Agile tech company serves only as a platform to showcase Min Hui’s intelligence, and the hostile takeover was only a way to bring the antagonist Qi Rang back into the fold. The drama started strong, and the ending was solid, but was mostly soft in the middle.

The absence of Quan Quan in the back half of the drama was palpable. I kept wondering, who is babysitting the child? Where is he and who is he staying with? The drama tried to cram so many things in the last few episodes, [in the spoiler] that I became frustrated.

But all in all, a decent drama about second chances.

First of all, I had this profile pic since I was in my teens and never changed it. That was ages ago. And my profile pic has nothing to do with what I'm viewing. Like my username, I didn’t bother changing it ever since I opened my first social media account almost 20 years ago and I thought that pic represented my username. It's just like if I put a baby pic of me as my profile pic, does it mean that my opinion is invalid because of that?

I kinda thought that Seongmin and Hwi would be one of the "guaranteed" CP based on how they act towards each other but if the age gap is such a deal breaker, then this is less likely to happen.

Young Joon and Hanmin hit it off the first instant they met so I think they will end up together.

Though probably one of the most good looking contestant so far, Myeongkun come across as arrogant to me or at least he seems like he could care less. Maybe he just joined this show not to look for a partner but to be more popular or get discovered. I get the same vibe from him that I did with Chang Min, that whoever ends up with them, will just get hurt.

Immortality took too long to be released, IMHO. If it was released before WOH, then most likely WOH will be banned and any BL adaptations thereafter. But it also depends, if Immortality only went The Untamed way, where the romance is really subtle and can be passed as bromance, then WOH may still be aired. It was I believe where WOH was crossing the lines (as in the love between them could already be seen more than as just simple brotherhood), that became concerning for the Regulators.

Also, when they edited WOH and The Untamed, the regulations then was not as restrictive. But after WOH came out, NRTA doubled down on its restrictions with a whole new set of requirements to be able to pass censorship.

At the time when they shoot the series, the ban was still not in place. only when WOH became popular that the ban came into effect in 2021.

Thanks for the suggestions! I will look into it.

I don't remember, sorry. I watched it months ago and just posted the review recently.

Ep 11 to approx Ep 20. This is the stage where, in their minds, they say, “Yes, we are GF/BF but we are still afraid to hold hands and have our first kiss.” While I quip, “maybe sometime this century.” Time spent on the FFWD button: probably half the time, roughly translating to 3 to 4 hours. Mostly on the first of 3 or 4 prolonged trips with friends that do nothing to the plot but serve as contrived instances so they can shoot star eyes at each other.

Ep 21 to approx Ep 30. Well, they finally got their first kiss out of the way. What now? Let’s just skip to talk about marriage, shall we? Time spent on the FFWD button: I think my thumb is glued to it, roughly translating to 75% of the time.

Ep 31 to Ep 33. Whew, are you sure this drama is at the end of its ropes? No more squeezing in PDAs and prolonged contrivances so they can all couple up and tie the drama with a neat bow? Are you sure there are only three people in the cast who are doctors, who are also voice actors, and are also capable of other things, like maybe singing, cooking, painting, sound-editing, guitar-playing, and what else? And they also happen to be good-looking but perpetually single, even with all their amazing talents? Wow, such a shocker! Time spent on the FFWD button: almost 90% of the time, pausing just to watch the Farewell concert and to check whether Mo Qing Cheng has anything else up his sleeves, maybe to announce he’s also a Nobel Prize Winner who invented the Pill to cure everyone of their illness.

I had been ready to drop this drama before Episode 10, but someone convinced me to hold on to this snooze fest.

My thoughts about this will be better depicted by the time my thumb spent on the FFWD button. Breakdown by episodic stages.

Ep 1 to approx Ep 5. I felt slightly giddy, like a kid at a candy store, looking at all the pastel colors and tasting all the sweetness. Time spent on the FFWD button: 0 seconds.

Ep 6 to approx Ep 10. I was getting used to the slight buzz that went from “Love at first sound” to “Hi, would you be my girlfriend, after just meeting you a few of times?” Time spent on the FFWD button, maybe 5 to 10 minutes.

The rest of the episode breakdown in spoilers, but trust me, you're not missing much.

I had to do a double-take when I watched the first few episodes. I thought it was Cheng Yi playing Xiao Se until I realized it wasn’t. (I don’t check the actor list before watching a drama). Anyway, though Cheng Yi remains a favorite, Li Hong Yi deserves praise for his portrayal for the cheeky and cunning Xiao Se, who is as removed from the Marial Arts world he used to dominate, as he is much embroiled with it because of his real identity.

Also, upping up their games are Liu Xue Yi as Wu Xin and Li Xin Ze as Tang Lian. I’ve seen both of them mostly in support roles, and I finally got to see them shining in their major roles. Not to be outdone, Ao Rui Peng easily portrays the happy-go-lucky Wu Jie, whose naivete is endearing. As for the two other female characters, unfortunately, I find them a little lacklustre. I do not know if it’s intentional or not, but these female characters seemed weaker than their male counterparts, and I am unsure if it’s due to the acting or the writing. Since Ruo Yi had a backstory of being a sickly child, it’s understandable that her martial arts prowess wasn’t as advanced as the others. But for a supposedly skilled fighter such as Si Kong Qian Luo, I am not sure why production forced a love line on her with Xiao Se, when there’s none to be found. They look more like a pair of siblings than a romantic couple. I don’t understand why production forced a love line on Si Kong Qian Luo and Xiao Se when there is no chemistry between them. Removing it would not impact the plot.

The rest of the characters were multi-dimensional and well-portrayed. There’s an abundance of personalities to keep the side-quests intriguing. The main plot itself is rich and intricate, without being too convoluted. I enjoyed the backstories, especially those of the martial art masters and immortal deities who predated the younger generation.

Speaking of the young ones, I admire the camaraderie among the group, especially the unusual bond between Xiao Se and Wu Xin. They are total opposites of each other, in terms of personality, upbringing and identity, and yet they are very in tune with each other’s thoughts and motivation. They may disagree sometimes, but they have the utmost respect for each other. Also along their journey, the team built a bond of trust where they can rely on each other to do their own parts. And it is their journey that I found entertaining, and it’s all kudos to the scriptwriters and the production crew. Also to be commended are the expertly choreographed fights, the carefully-thought-out strategies, the intricate costumes made by the production company.

Overall, this is such a great watch, even if they didn’t incorporate romantic elements. It was so hard for me to even decide where to put this in my top 20 list as China has been producing a lot of amazing Wuxia/Xanxia in the last five years but this one is certainly in my top 5 (as of this writing).

Yeah, seeing those kisses were so weird considering they had sex a few times. At least be consistent.

Spoiler for 3): Are we supposed to believe that neither of them even attempted to contact each other during those years? I get it that both of them are doing what they thought it would be good for the other person, sacrificing their relationship so both can focus on their career. But if Shogo didn’t tell Taku that Sayako rejected him long ago, would Taku have gone back and looked for Sayako? And she’s no better at the end, postponing marriage until when she’s settled? Until what, she turns 50 and is too late to have kids?

I’m not sure what to say about this drama that I neither love nor hate. Maybe it’s easier if I started breaking the parts I enjoyed. So what I liked:

1) Hirose Alice’s acting as the thirty-something year old woman who got a fresh start in life by entering a college to study what she missed out on a decade ago because of an unfortunate accident (apparently, she had quite a few of these). Her quirky expressions when she’s excited, and her stern face when she’s focused, were all captured on film.

2) The various characters living in a shared house. Their camaraderie, despite their distinct personalities, was refreshing and natural. They supported each other in their school work and their respective career paths. When there’s a disagreement, they talked it out or gave advice when requested, but mostly they listened to each other.

3) The inspiring messages the show imparts about not giving up, nor is it too late to pursue your dreams at any age as long as you strive for the path you created.

Now on the parts where I thought were disappointing:

1) I love noona romances, but the main pairing lacked chemistry. I’m not even expecting sizzling or hot-for-each-other attraction. But it wasn’t even lukewarm. Not to say Michieda wasn’t adorable as Taku, but it seemed like forced attachment on his part when paired with Sayako. So it was difficult for me to buy into their romance. All I see are two people who play a lot of rock-paper-scissors.

2) There are half-baked characters in the drama that don’t really serve a purpose for me, and are easily forgettable.

3) The time skips that flashed rapidly at the end. Spoiler in the reply below.

Anyway, watching this drama is like expecting a firework display but ended up with just a birthday candle.

What about the opposite? People rating 10s with just 1 episode?? Are you not going to complain about that?

bahahhaahahahaha