Tanky Toon

I had high expectations for this drama because my fave Leo Luo is in it, but sadly it didn't live up to them, though no fault of his. Leo Luo Yun Xi and Bai Lu have sizzling chemistry as Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai, childhood friends turned rivals due to a misunderstanding.

The boardroom drama at the first half of the show was amazing, especially when the FML tries to battle investment experts as a fresh-faced rookie. Even after a few setbacks, Jiang Jun's determination finally won her a permanent seat in the investment company she works in, with her friend-turned-rival as her boss. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuai attempts to worm his way back into her life after harboring a decade-long crush and Jiang Jun mistakes those gestures as an attempt to throw her off her game. She gets the unlikely help from Du Lei, an industry expert from a rival company, who may or may not harbor more ulterior motives.

The main story-line is what made me finish this drama, while the secondary couple was forcibly thrown together and their chemistry is non-existent. Xu Li was ingratiating that I had to skip a lot of her scenes together with Xiao Chuan. As for the rest of the supporting characters, I feel that they were handled poorly. For example, Qiao Na could be an evil bitch but she wasn't. Shen Xin and Linda I believe were forgiven too quickly for my liking, despite having inflicted harm on other people. Same goes with Du Lei, his narrative weaved from bad to good to bad to good as if the writers didn't not know what to do with him. Even Tai Mo, who was supposed to be this big villain, was underutilized, and his defeat came too easily. The 36 episode length did not accommodate the possibilities, and instead, the last 6 episodes were unnecessary.

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I was excited by the premise of a love-hate relationship between celebrity and commoner that I ignored the lukewarm reviews. After watching it though, it was neither here nor there. What I did enjoy was the idea of a kpop idol and a rookie journalist being at odds in the beginning due to misunderstandings. It was their story that made me finish the drama. What I did not enjoy was the secondary couple who should not even be together due to the toxicity of the relationship. I wish that they casted a real kpop idol to play the male lead who could actually sing and dance, but instead they casted a kpop idol for the female lead who did not require her singing/dancing skills.

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I am a sucker for gender bender dramas, and this one is done well. Park Eun Bin is solid as steel as she maneuvers the political machinings of the royal family as a pretend monarch. Rowoon is decent but not outstanding as the Royal tutor loyal to his King. The supporting cast did a better job than Rowoon, even the child actors playing their younger selves. Kudos especially to rookie actor Nam Yoon Su who played the brooding noble pining for his cousin. The plot, while intricate, was a bit predictable, especially the anti-climactic ending. Despite this, this drama was an easy and enjoyable watch for me.

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After a slow and sluggish start, this drama gets better after a few episodes in (you just have to be patient or skip the side/artsy-fartsy parts). The dynamic between the two best friends are great, played naturally by Ariel and Bolin who have great on-screen chemistry. I finally came to like Ariel Lin in this drama and Bolin Chen is suitable to play the love-lorn guy who secretly loves his bestfriend about to be married. Can't get enough of this couple whose characters have so much history together. I know it might not be the best T-drama out there, but it is one closest to my heart.

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First mainland Chinese production in the 21st century that I've watched and it trumped most of the Taiwanese dramas of modern times, IMHO. I love the juxtaposition of the real world and game world and how the characters act in either of them. Yang Yang is a dreamboat and the other characters are mostly easy on the eyes. I also love the brewing bromance between KO and Hao Mei. Watch it for all the elements: plot, characters, costumes, scenery, pacing, romance...and it will not disappoint. Only downside is the lackluster kissing skills of female lead but Yang Yang could kiss a tree and it will still look hot.

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Light and fluffy romantic story that finally has its leads not at polar opposites. Hate those stories about most popular, handsome, smartest guy falling for the dumbest, weakest girl in school (I blame you ISWAK!) They got one end of the spectrum, with a genius but socially awkward scientist paired with a girl who has some brains on her head. No desperate clinginess from the female character which is a bonus. I docked half a point because the second couple annoys me, because they "settled" into the relationship after being rejected by their love interests. Otherwise, cute drama.

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I was glad I gave this tropey drama a chance, as I'm not into ISWAK vibes (cold but smart man, warm but clueless woman). But their story was too sweet (without being too saccharine) to pass up. Miles Wei does justice to his character, an upright, socially-awkward and emotionally-stunted university professor. And so hot too boot! Xu Ruo Han manages to portray the naïve, "unfortunate" student without pissing me off, by being too whiney or clingey as other "dumb FLs" ought to come across. Together, they make an adorable couple who navigates through their contractual marriage and growing feelings for each other. Their marriage of convenience is mostly due in part of the ML's grandfather (a great supporting character!) whose dying wish is to see his grandson happily married, and circumstances led to Yun Shu as the chosen wife. Other supporting characters are also well-fleshed out, including the secondary coupling of the ML's Best friend and FL's sister. The love rivals in this drama weren't hateful and even the "villain" of the story (FL's cousin) served as a catalyst to bring the two MCs together. All in all a cute Rom-com that includes steamy kisses.

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I was interested at first until the actions of the FL towards the second half of the drama irked me. Her self-righteousness became overbearing, and I don't think it's the fault of the actress. Just the way the characters are written are mostly one-dimensional, particularly the side characters. Towards the end I have very little love left to what could have been a good drama. Loose ends are forcibly tied and I didn't like the way how the "bad" characters ended up getting redemption, and some even receiving praise for the necessity of them being mean. I guess I should be more forgiving and carry with the thought that there are no bad people, just bad decisions made by people, but somehow this didn't fly with me in this drama.

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This is the second drama I've seen of Rosy Zhao; her popularity as a young and up-coming actress is solidified by her acting prowess. She fits the bill of the female character who can be quirky and serious at the same time. Ryan Ding tries his best to catch up with the female lead and plays the love-lorn villain-turned hero decently enough. I like the well-roundedness and multi-dimensional characters in the drama, despite some of the show's plot holes that try to pin them down.

Not sure what I need to say more about this drama, except that it is a delight to watch and I am excited to see the sequel if it is the same cast. Hopefully, this time set in the modern era.

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I would have given this drama a lower score if it hadn't been for the amazing chemistry between Xing Fei and Tang Xiao Tian who carried most of the show. The premise of a boy crushing on a girl for over 20 years despite not having been together for most of their lives was interesting; however, it was less credible for me IRL. But keeping in mind this is a drama after all, I had to suspend disbelief, like I did with Wen Rang and Cheng Cheng's relationship. The episodes could be cut in half and still convey the same story. A lot of filler scenes especially towards the last few episodes.

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Another drama about a celebrity and a commoner. Not necessarily an anti-fan but a non-fan. Add to this a dash of the supernatural, body-swapping and you get a tropey drama. Stephen Zhang and Liang Jie were brilliant as the aloof idol Jiang Yi and the spritely entertainment reporter Yu Sheng. Their meticulous performance continues when they were purportedly inhabiting the other's body. What made me give this drama less than a full mark are a variety of factors. For one, the pacing is uneven, very slow in some parts, and quick to escalate on others. Secondly, the supporting characters had their own backstory and also, their own selfish agendas where I cannot feel for any of them, aside perhaps from Yu Sheng's parents. The second pairing is not a pairing at all, and it seems the writers tried just to grasp at straws to make the 2nd couple feasible. And finally, the most glaring error is the last 5 minutes of the drama, which threw the whole narrative into whack, and hence unforgivable in my eyes.

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I thought that no C-drama that would rival my fave, The Untamed, but WOH is giving The Untamed a run for its money. The world building may not be as complex as The Untamed, but there's no shortage of duplicitious and intricate plot twists. Secondary characters are also well-fleshed out and are important figures in their own right. Fighting scenes and cinematography are also breath-taking. But I think what pushes this drama to the top are our Male leads.Soulmates Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xing have an adorable push-and-pull kind of relationship, and magnified by the flirtatious gestures of Gong Jun and the stoic expressions of Zhang Zhe Han. I am amazed at these productions adapted from same-sex works, how they were able to skirt Chinese censorship but yet manage to drop hints, whether by slight touches, lingering eye contact or subtle references to source material. But also because of the censorship, tension between two characters needed to be nuanced and left to the imagination. It is a great way to bring mainstream and BL viewers under one roof.

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Story: I was pleasantly surprised at how much content was packed into such a short film: there were elements of romance, drama, tragedy, family, youth, and also along with it a message to boot. The dynamic between the mother and the two men were palpable, and although conflict arose between the two men and the mother and son, they were tackled in a realistic manner.

Cast: The mother's acting stood out in this short film for me, but then the story and also the production (though not big budget) helped propped her character up to be a mother who has to choose between her happiness and her son's happiness.

Music: Nothing that stood out.

Re-watch value: I could only because it's short, but I wouldn't as I don't re-watch, and usually move on to the next drama / movie.

One of the lead characters also directed and wrote this short film, which is really something to me. Not that he did something super amazing, but at least he tried and did not end up with a bad film as some bigger productions do. It was even nominated at the local London Film Bunch, a net-working community based in London that features mainly short films. I was mainly happy that this film did not end up like most BL films, especially coming from China.

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