tsuyoi_hikari

I agree with you. :D I actually enjoy romance more in costume or historical dramas despite the lack of skinship. I personally feel the love demonstrated there are shown more beautifully and more heart fluttering -- accompanied with those beautiful costumes, everything just look much prettier. Plus, guys in historical dramas are more dreamy and much smarter in general and you know how intelligent makes men more attractive lol. And of course the lack of stupid female characters is just an added bonus.

She didnt trust him enough that he could protect her and her baby. Thus lying to him was a better option according to her. I really couldnt get this kind of thinking tbh..

Do you want me to tell you the ending? It seriously doesnt feel like an ambiguous one -- which left you feeling you waste your time. It can also count as a good ending. Like a perfect end to a good drama about spies which stays true to its theme until the very end.

But have you watch any republican drama with a clear cut happy endings? It is an unrest time for decades during the era, so scriptwriters almost never gave this type of drama happy endings. A hopeful endings are much better than bad endings imo.

I thought the nerve-wrecking storyline should be the drive to watch this one. Plus, all the characters are so smart and capable except the female lead so its a good drama. :D Another plus, the female lead is so dumb that you actually wish she doesnt ended up with anyone so its actually a good ending to me haha.

You made the lol with your review. Thank you so much! Your description of the female lead is what I felt when I watch the horrible female lead from Sparrow. Now I wonder is all female leads in spy espionage dramas are bound to be extremely stupid? OTL

I love the thrill and nerve-wrecking plots but I always wonder whether these spies actually cause any real damage to the enemies. Most dramas usually center around the plot of them circling each other out -- trying to get away from being caught red-handed -- I was so frustrated watching them tbh.

Since you a are fan of this genre, can you recommend espionage dramas with a good plot and script?

It is an open ending. Bear in my the events in this drama took in year 1941 so it was during Japanese occupation and before the WWII ended (1945). China has long history of unrest since their civil war (Communist vs Nationalist) followed soon after that. So to expect a clear cut happy ending for this type of drama was a bit difficult but it ended with a hopeful note. Bear in mind that both of the 2 male leads are from different political parties. One from the Communist and another one from Nationalist. But during the Japanese occupation, they both join hand since both have common goal which is to driven the foreign forces out from their country.

I have to agree on this. After watching Kdramas for years, I will always ended up having major withdrawal then I had enough and stop and will watch a bunch of Jdramas or Cdramas to cure my withdrawal. I think most probably because the episodes are toooo long and stories are too predictable. Some even 1 hour plus which is such a drag to finish. They should opt for 12 episodes or 40 minutes per episodes so it made an easy watch.

I always feel I need more episodes of Cdramas (like recently Sword Snow Stride which I felt too short despite it being 38 episodes) while I will struggle to finish 16 episodes Kdramas. If writers are not too keen to follow the usual formats, it will become a remedy for seasoned watchers like me. Like Circle: Two World Connected or Happiness for an example are perfect for 12 episodes. I'm sooo glad they didnt drag the stories.

lol! That drama is so famous though X'D

I forgot about this drama. Will surely watch it since I did watch the Sinking of Japan movie starring Kusanagi Tsuyoshi & Kou Shibasaki. When they show all those historic sites sinking one by one in the movie, my heart sank. I wonder whether this drama has the same ending or not.

Thats the reason why its hard for me to enjoy Kdramas nowadays. Grey characters are not allowed to have happy endings. It made their dramas very predictable..

Yes definitely as good as Nirvana in Fire. Nirvana in Fire basically very serious but Joy of Life is more light and funnier. I rated both 10/10 since the political schemes are great and the writing is very smart & brilliant but to be honest, I love Joy of Life more since it has the perfect balance of happy and sad plotlines. While Fan Xian may lead a chaotic life full of turbulence, but at the same time he had great support systems in term of his family, friends & love life. So you will enjoy watching him VS the evil world as he is at the same time a very happy person. Plus, he is sooo awesome -- my all time favorite drama character -- no contest haha

This drama set to be 3 seasons so this is only the 1st season so we had a cliffhanger ending. But if you read the thick novel, yes it has a happy ending as Fan Xian lead a happy life with his family at the end. :D

Yes I think I can do that as well lol. Chinese dramas in general are highly addicting esp the XianXia and historical ones

I love thriller dramas! I actually lose interest in watching Kdramas in general last year but Flowers of Evil brings me back. There are so many thing I liked about the show esp the relationship between the leads despite them from the opposite side. This is one of a case of melodrama done right as the writer balanced both the happy and sad parts. The lead wasnt too tragic and only experience bitterness of life but he had abundance of happiness as well. I think its important for writers to understand the importance of 'silver lining' in dramas and not only writing their characters tragic all the way through till the end just to gain sympathy from the viewers.

Recently I watched Sparrow and it was amazing since both the good and bad guys are brilliant. Zhang Ruoyun gave a brilliant performance as a spy from the Nationalist. I lose sleep watching it since its too nerve-wrecking and addicting. I never thought espionage type of story would interest me (I blame it on Hollywood for that lol) but they do. :D I wish Kdramas will do another dramas like Gaksital or Capital Scandal -- dramas done during that era always turned out excellent.

Thanks for the recs. I havent watch Memorist and Kairos so will put both on my list.

Happy to be here :D

PPL is such an interesting topic to discuss. Because some dramas did it so effortlessly like you dont even noticed the PPL (I guess you call it PPC) while others done it so blatantly that you cant help but to roll your eyes. I wonder how that works with the companies tbh. If it is put like it was part of the drama (lead character driving expensive Porsche) VS blatant advertisement (explaining the benefit of the drinks that the characters about to consume 🙄), will the company pay more money to the latter?

Goblin for an example has the best of both worlds. Some PPL were put effortlessly like it was part of the story like Gong Yoo owning iloom and Yoo Inna owning the chicken shop but some others are done so blatantly that it really takes you away from the scene. Anyone remember the scene where Kim Goeun is having nightmare and Gong Yoo comes to her room and lifted the bed? That was so random lol. I was like 'What is that?!! O_o??!!' totally take away the supposedly sad scene. I'm not even amused haha

Reading the comments ,its like the ML is the one keep sacrificing for the FL all thorough out the drama. Is there any part where she actually fights for him? Or its just him doing everything for her and bam she realized in the last episode that the one she looking for has always beside her all along? I really dislike uneven romance drama so I need to know before i start watching.

There are many signs left by the Director to show that its only in Surin's mind. There's a reason why the Director chose 'to make them feel watched at the house' or 'for them to find the dragon carving'. These clues are not just there with no purpose -- it is there for a reason -- and the purpose to say that the movie can be interpreted into 2 things.

It actually made the movie more brilliant and a masterpiece as we can make our own endings on what actually happen. Not many writers are gifted to write this kind of storyline but this one certainly did and I appreciate that.

9.5/10 - I seriously love this movie. It was really awesome since you can come to 2 conclusions by the time it ended. First, it exactly happen like it was told in the movie that the time stops because of the goblin's egg and second, it is literally all in Surin's mind.

Take note on how the story is told. Surin is someone who is obsessed with supernatural occurrences and went back to the cave to take her hairpin. Then when she comes out, the 3 boys gone and she is the only one left. Then she met the man who claimed to be Sungmin and believe it because of the code book that he gave her. But, the code book can never be a solid evidence to prove the vanishing time as it was throw into the sea. So, Surin can make this all up as there is no book to prove that. And bear in mind that the grown up Sungmin could know all the little details as the young Sungmin when he abducted him and get the information from the young Sungmin directly. There's literally a movie that show how when someone talks so much about their personal life, the one who listen to it could mistaken that it is his/her life instead just from the story. And at the end, when Surin woke up at the beach, there's explanation of that since people do survive from jumping off a beach cliff. If Sungmin really stops time and save Surin and the police, they will wake up on the cliff or their house miraculously and not wet. Yet, they woke up on the beach wet as they were pushed to the shore after the fall by the sea.

So in the end, both story makes sense and its up to our own interpretation on what we chose to believe. I would like to believe that the 'grown Sungmin' is just a stranger who is obsessed with Surin and not the real Sungmin. Remember the time when they both at the house and Sungmin said he felt like someone is watching them? Its could be the 'grown Sungmin' watching them from behind -- which explain the big carvings of Surin at the house. The 'grown Sungmin' has always watch her from the back and he also knew that the carving that young Sungmin made for Surin got lost between the floor so he took it as further evidence to prove that he is the real Sungmin to Surin. And it also explain that the first time Surin & the young Sungmin entered the abandoned house, Surin saw the beautiful dragon carving which explain that the 'grown Sungmin' has always talented in carvings. Now that I think it again, it creeped me out lol.

My tolerance for stupid characters are pretty high tbh but even I cant stand her so it means she really is stupid. :( I never want bad thing to happen to good people but for the first time, I actually do. I just wish she just disappear so she stops being a burden to the 2 smart main leads. I think the only saving grace of this whole thing is watching how the 2 main leads used their brains and skills to salvage the situation each time. The CCP's influence in this drama is pretty high lol but I still can take it due to the nerve-wrecking plots.

I havent watch City of Streamer but since you said its good, I will give it a try. Thanks! :D

I see... Sorry, I'm just so frustrated lol

But to me, she was even more stupid as the drama progressed. I think you should remember when Shanhai dies. The exchange was supposed to be perfect with Old Bi and everyone agreed to exchange information with the Nationalists. But last minute, she knows that the intelligence is to kill 2 communists important people then she go ahead to mess with the plan. Then we know what happened after that, that decision cost Shanhai's life. I would rather Shanhai made that decision himself to save the 2 innocent lives rather than her making that decision for him. I mean, how heartbroken he felt that she still chose strangers' lives (with merely connection to Chen Shen's communist party) over his? Its really bizarre how the writer wrote her character as messed up like that. Then trying to kill Sanxing with bomb instead of revolver. I have never encounter such dumb character lol