I do not know what it is it with China churning out amazing historical dramas and this one is no exception. From the cinematography, plotline, character and cast, LBFAD showcases the strength of Chinese story-telling. Typical of Xanxia dramas, we see the fight for domination and/or peace among the three realms, where the immortals in heaven are depicted as good, while the mortals on earth or hell are depicted as bad.
Dylan Wang is versatile as Dongfang Qing Cang, the supposedly supreme evil who terrorized the world to gain ultimate power, that even the God of War could not defeat him. Yu Shu Xin is lovely as Orchid, the free-spirited fairy who sees the good in everybody, so she does not equate that a person being imprisoned in a tower could be the same evil that she has been hearing about. The two are sweet and lovely together. The scenes where the oblivious Orchid befuddles the emotionless Dongfang are adorable and funny.
The relationships in this drama are also deep and meaningful, such as the bromance between Dongfang and his henchman Shang Que, or the bro-buddyship between Chang Heng and Rong Hao, the sismance between Orchid and Jie Li. Speaking of which, characters here are multi-dimensional, for example Jie Li, who is as complex as she is simple, neither black or white, and it is indicative of how the realms actually are, rather than what they should be. We learn that not one person is all good, or all bad, be it if they are fairies or demons.
I also loved this drama because the characters go through gradual development, and the plot, though intriguing, is not too intricate to follow. Though there are a lot of fantastical elements, they are believable and logical within its context. The transitions between scenes are also seamless, without jarring flashbacks that are out of place. The CGI is breath-taking and not laughable as in some other dramas I have watched. The production team really outdid themselves with this one. But most of all, LBFAD proves that you do not need over 50 episodes to tell a compelling story.
I am normally not into slow-paced dramas, especially when it tries to hard to be serious and funny at the same time, but not quite achieving both. What started out to be as a burgeoning romance (quite rapidly) between a gynecologist in her mid-30s and a happy-go-lucky young man, became more than that. The show tackles many issues surrounding life and death, including people's choices when it comes to childbirth, how people cope with loss, and how people deal with their own insecurities. Also prominent in this drama is the topic of found family, how blood may not be always thicker than water, and there is no prerequisite when it comes to loving someone.
There's a few things that irked me about this drama, manely (pun intended) the bad hairstyles sported by many characters. If they were meant to be endearing, they were not. Also, everybody seems to be up in each other's business and coincidentally run or know someone who knows someone. I guess this is typically true of small seaside towns. There are loopholes in how people show up suddenly without any logical reason, because "they just happen to be there."
The saving grace for me is Kitamura Takumi's portrayal of a deaf/mute man who doesn't let his lack of hearing/speaking deter him from enjoying life to the fullest. Hiragi Issei is the anchor that holds everyone together; his big heart injects everybody else with warmth. Issei believes that even broken people are only mean, because they are hurting and deserve love too.
I genuinely thought this drama will end tragically, judging by the title, playlist, and the beginning episodes.…
I must say I loved two things about this drama: Satoh Takeru's acting and Utada Hikaru's songs. Those were enough to propel this drama into better than mediocre. There's very little chemistry between the adult FL/ML since they were mostly apart, but the younger versions of the couple more than make up for the lack of romance between Yae and Namiki. I'm not sure if I buy into the "fate" that they keep talking about in this show; there's too many coincidences that happened for me to consider them believable. Also the flashbacks were kind of confusing, but watching Satoh's pining away for his first love was worth it.
I genuinely thought this drama will end tragically, judging by the title, playlist, and the beginning episodes. The summary didn't help either as we know that the FL was in a serious accident and many, many years passing. And this show indeed had a lot of sad moments; the only happy ones where in the past and in someone's memories, but I still end up watching the show anyway, because I am a sucker for tearjerkers.
Though this drama isn't on par with the Untamed/WOH, it has its merits. To preface, this is NOT a censored adaptation of same-sex original work as many believed, so do not expect any lingering gazes or subtle references to a potential romance. . If we discard the non-existent "blooming bromance," then you will see the show as it what it is: a who-done-it, with Lan Jue and Zhang Ping acting as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
I loved the unraveling of intricate plots and unsolved mysteries as deciphered by Zhang Ping despite some inconsistencies. In some instances, I was amazed how easily a commoner can obtain access to the Empress, and how fast the higher ranking officials believed Zhang Ping's explanations. But if I overlook some of the loopholes, I find this drama entertaining to watch.
I did not expect to like this drama more than I did, mainly because I was ho-hum about Yang Zi as an actress despite watching a few of her dramas, but she was much better in this one, IMHO. The show definitely benefitted from the acting prowess of the cast, with Cheng Yi in particular. He was more subdued here and not a long-suffering idiot like he was in "Love and Redemption," which I liked.
Though a bit convoluted, the drama was fast-paced and rarely boring. There's a few downsides though: I do not know how much more repeated reincarnations that I can take. This seems to be the go-to tropes of historical dramas, but this one is a bit much, especially with the same evil resurrecting a few times, it became annoying AF. Also, the CGI is not the greatest, I would say even to the point of particularly bad and laughable in some instances. But all in all a good story about love and sacrifice.
I did not expect to like this drama more than I did, mainly because I was ho-hum about Yang Zi as an actress despite watching a few of her dramas, but she was much better in this one, IMHO. The show definitely benefitted from the acting prowess of the cast, with Cheng Yi in particular. He was more subdued here and not a long-suffering idiot like he was in "Love and Redemption," which I liked.
Though a bit convoluted, the drama was fast-paced and rarely boring. There's a few downsides though: I do not know how much more repeated reincarnations that I can take. This seems to be the go-to tropes of historical dramas, but this one is a bit much, especially with the same evil resurrecting a few times, it became annoying AF. Also, the CGI is not the greatest, I would say even to the point of particularly bad and laughable in some instances. But all in all a good story about love and sacrifice.
Easily becoming my favorite contemporary Chinese drama, "Falling Into You" does the Noona-romance trope right. Coming on the heels of "Why Women Love", Gina Jin again plays as the "older" woman being courted by a much younger man, it's no wonder that she has this role down pat. It's my first time watching Wang An Yu and he's pretty convincing as a love-sick puppy who's chasing around his master/mentor. Bonus points that he also acts the part of an all-around "jack-of-all-sports" who has to overcome the prejudices of being short-statured to compete in an event that usually favors taller profiles.
This drama maybe about the romance between an unlikely couple, but it focuses on the hard work and determination of athletes to turn their dreams into reality despite obstacles. I also liked the fact that they included a secondary pairing that's based more in realism.
I almost passed on this drama because of reviews that say it was boring, the FL looking too old and homey for the ML, etc. etc. But I gave it a chance, and I was glad that I did. Right of the bat, I must say, that it took some getting used to the style of the drama, particularly not so much as the FL isn't your typical hottie older noona with the unfashionable clothes. But I have to put her wardrobe choice down to its context, and when we see the FL as the unmarried lady, who single-handedly took care of her mentally-challenged brother and her young niece since she was a teen, with very little money to her name, we can see that her lack of fashion sense was befitting. She had no time to be up-to-date with current trends, with so much responsibility in her hands. Kudos to the writer and production team to cast Jeon Do Yeon as Nam Haeng Seon. She was down-to-earth and at the same time quirky.
The rest of the cast were amazing as well, in particular Oh Eui Shik and Roh Yoon Seo as Nam Jae Woo and Nam Hae Yi. The drama carried a hodge-podge of themes: the noona-romance, the bestfriends-turned-lovers trope, a murder mystery, the political machinations behind the private education system, the prejudice towards "lower" social classes, the adverse effects of rumor-mongering, the treatment of those who are mentally-ill.
Some may claim that the FL does not deserve the "princely" ML (because of the disparity in looks and age), but I have to disagree. Choi Chi Yeol was set up since the beginning to be a person who values emotional ties, than superficial ones. He gets teary eyed just from eating the familiar flavors of Haeng Seon's cooking, despite not knowing who the chef is. He rejected the blind date set up for him, even though the woman's qualifications look good on paper and she was easy on the eyes. People bashing on his taste in women is the typical reaction of some fans who took issue with the FL's "unattractiveness."
News Flash: Not every body can look like a model and have a "perfect" personality. I like this drama that is rooted in realism and it is about time that we get more of these type of shows.
Unfortunately, for every excellent drama, the bottom level of the standards chart keeps falling ever-lower with…
Totally agree with you there!!!
On a side note, I knew that "Unforgotten Night" would be bad just by watching 30 seconds of the trailer alone. And people blasted me for criticizing it before the show even started. But hey, I called it.
I did not expect this drama to be so good. I subscribed to Gagaoolala to watch other shows but stumbled upon this.…
And it is also because of Wang's argument with his mother regarding the type of work she directs, that in life, nothing is as perfectly coordinated as in the movies/drama, that everything is not neatly tied with a pretty bow in the end, that clued me in that this drama will not end happily. Also, Wang's narration solidifies that fact because he talks as if he was recalling memories that do not include his Uncle continuing the story. But despite this, how the story culminated in their parting is the only recourse for the show. IN could never forgive himself for abandoning Siam, therefore he did not want to take risks in hurting the son. Until he can come to terms with his feelings, In will never step over the lines that he made in the sand.
2 
Dylan Wang is versatile as Dongfang Qing Cang, the supposedly supreme evil who terrorized the world to gain ultimate power, that even the God of War could not defeat him. Yu Shu Xin is lovely as Orchid, the free-spirited fairy who sees the good in everybody, so she does not equate that a person being imprisoned in a tower could be the same evil that she has been hearing about. The two are sweet and lovely together. The scenes where the oblivious Orchid befuddles the emotionless Dongfang are adorable and funny.
The relationships in this drama are also deep and meaningful, such as the bromance between Dongfang and his henchman Shang Que, or the bro-buddyship between Chang Heng and Rong Hao, the sismance between Orchid and Jie Li. Speaking of which, characters here are multi-dimensional, for example Jie Li, who is as complex as she is simple, neither black or white, and it is indicative of how the realms actually are, rather than what they should be. We learn that not one person is all good, or all bad, be it if they are fairies or demons.
I also loved this drama because the characters go through gradual development, and the plot, though intriguing, is not too intricate to follow. Though there are a lot of fantastical elements, they are believable and logical within its context. The transitions between scenes are also seamless, without jarring flashbacks that are out of place. The CGI is breath-taking and not laughable as in some other dramas I have watched. The production team really outdid themselves with this one. But most of all, LBFAD proves that you do not need over 50 episodes to tell a compelling story.
There's a few things that irked me about this drama, manely (pun intended) the bad hairstyles sported by many characters. If they were meant to be endearing, they were not. Also, everybody seems to be up in each other's business and coincidentally run or know someone who knows someone. I guess this is typically true of small seaside towns. There are loopholes in how people show up suddenly without any logical reason, because "they just happen to be there."
The saving grace for me is Kitamura Takumi's portrayal of a deaf/mute man who doesn't let his lack of hearing/speaking deter him from enjoying life to the fullest. Hiragi Issei is the anchor that holds everyone together; his big heart injects everybody else with warmth. Issei believes that even broken people are only mean, because they are hurting and deserve love too.
I loved the unraveling of intricate plots and unsolved mysteries as deciphered by Zhang Ping despite some inconsistencies. In some instances, I was amazed how easily a commoner can obtain access to the Empress, and how fast the higher ranking officials believed Zhang Ping's explanations. But if I overlook some of the loopholes, I find this drama entertaining to watch.
I did not expect to like this drama more than I did, mainly because I was ho-hum about Yang Zi as an actress despite watching a few of her dramas, but she was much better in this one, IMHO. The show definitely benefitted from the acting prowess of the cast, with Cheng Yi in particular. He was more subdued here and not a long-suffering idiot like he was in "Love and Redemption," which I liked.
Though a bit convoluted, the drama was fast-paced and rarely boring. There's a few downsides though: I do not know how much more repeated reincarnations that I can take. This seems to be the go-to tropes of historical dramas, but this one is a bit much, especially with the same evil resurrecting a few times, it became annoying AF. Also, the CGI is not the greatest, I would say even to the point of particularly bad and laughable in some instances. But all in all a good story about love and sacrifice.
I did not expect to like this drama more than I did, mainly because I was ho-hum about Yang Zi as an actress despite watching a few of her dramas, but she was much better in this one, IMHO. The show definitely benefitted from the acting prowess of the cast, with Cheng Yi in particular. He was more subdued here and not a long-suffering idiot like he was in "Love and Redemption," which I liked.
Though a bit convoluted, the drama was fast-paced and rarely boring. There's a few downsides though: I do not know how much more repeated reincarnations that I can take. This seems to be the go-to tropes of historical dramas, but this one is a bit much, especially with the same evil resurrecting a few times, it became annoying AF. Also, the CGI is not the greatest, I would say even to the point of particularly bad and laughable in some instances. But all in all a good story about love and sacrifice.
This drama maybe about the romance between an unlikely couple, but it focuses on the hard work and determination of athletes to turn their dreams into reality despite obstacles. I also liked the fact that they included a secondary pairing that's based more in realism.
The rest of the cast were amazing as well, in particular Oh Eui Shik and Roh Yoon Seo as Nam Jae Woo and Nam Hae Yi. The drama carried a hodge-podge of themes: the noona-romance, the bestfriends-turned-lovers trope, a murder mystery, the political machinations behind the private education system, the prejudice towards "lower" social classes, the adverse effects of rumor-mongering, the treatment of those who are mentally-ill.
Some may claim that the FL does not deserve the "princely" ML (because of the disparity in looks and age), but I have to disagree. Choi Chi Yeol was set up since the beginning to be a person who values emotional ties, than superficial ones. He gets teary eyed just from eating the familiar flavors of Haeng Seon's cooking, despite not knowing who the chef is. He rejected the blind date set up for him, even though the woman's qualifications look good on paper and she was easy on the eyes. People bashing on his taste in women is the typical reaction of some fans who took issue with the FL's "unattractiveness."
News Flash: Not every body can look like a model and have a "perfect" personality. I like this drama that is rooted in realism and it is about time that we get more of these type of shows.
On a side note, I knew that "Unforgotten Night" would be bad just by watching 30 seconds of the trailer alone. And people blasted me for criticizing it before the show even started. But hey, I called it.