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Quick watch for those who miss the old crew - but not of the same quality

Completed - 1/12/2022

When I first saw the title, "Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures", I thought this drama is a historical rom-com which rides the coattail success of "Story of Yanxi Palace". Well, I was wrong, this is not a rom-com. Although it is also not as serious a drama as its parent story, there are some parallel storylines that remind you of what happened before. All I could say is: Like Father, Like Son.... Like Mother, Like Daughter.

I was very happy to see Wei Ying Luo and Emperor Qian Long again, along with other familiar faces. Ying Luo and Qian Long are just how I remembered them from a few months ago. On the other hand, the introduction of their spoiled daughter was definitely different than when we first met Ying Luo. I've never seen the actress, Rain Wang before, but I think she did a pretty good job. Her character was more than what meets the eye and Rain Wang was able to portray the multi-layered princess well. Wang Yi Zhe as FuCang An was an interesting character. Although Wan Yi Zhe is no Xu Kai and his beautiful, expressive eyes, Wang did a pretty decent job as well. The weakest link out of the leads would have to be Wang Yu Wei, the Mongolian Prince. His facial expressions were a little bland compared to the others. He's one with the least experience and it's probably unfair to compare him with the others.

There is certainly an interesting plot twist towards the end of the drama. And with only 6 episodes, the pacing is fast. One can also say that it's too fast and I wish to have more episodes to develop the romance a little more and make the two romance storylines more believable.

We also get to see the same production value and dedication of beautiful sets, costumes and head accessories. The quality is quite on par with what we've seen in "Story of Yanxi Palace". I am also glad to hear the same OST as well.

Overall, I recommend this to those who miss "Story of Yanxi Palace" and need a quick fix. Just don't expect the same quality in acting and script writing. I don't think you need to watch the 70-episode long prequel to watch this. You just need to pay a little extra attention to the dialogs in Ep 4 or 5 to understand the history of Fu Cang An's family. Other than that, I don't think you will be lost if you only want to watch these 6 episodes.

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Never thought the 3 words "We are Friends" can be this annoying ...

Completed - 12/22/2021 - 7.5 (subjective); 8.0 (objective)

The general plot is nothing extraordinary. It's a typical teen first love drama started from 2nd year of high school to 1st of college. I was looking for a cute and fluffy drama, but I ended up being very emotional and cried more than I expect to (I am a crybaby). If this drama is a like a typical J-drama that is about 10 episodes long (60 minutes each), the pacing would have been a lot better. I would also give it a higher rating.

I was initially annoyed with the over-the-top acting in the first episode. It's really not my cup of tea, but after a couple episodes, I got used to it and was able to enjoy the drama better. I like that we are introduced to a strong and independent FL. She stands up to bullies and defends her friends. She is honest with her feelings and not afraid to be vulnerable and expresses them. I also like our ML initially and understand his background story that affected him tremendously. I really quite like this drama in the first 5 episodes. I would have given it a solid 8.0-8.25.

However, in the middle of the drama between ep 6-10, I became annoyed. Our FL suddenly cries all the time because of a boy. I understand her sadness, but this lasted way too long. I initially like the reasons why ML turned down FL's affection. After all that he went through, being cautious and serious about his feelings is very admirable and understandable. But his wishy-washy behavior becomes annoying and it drags on forever. This is when I thought, if the drama is shorter, we might not have this problem. I really like ML in the beginning as he's my favorite type of ML - quiet, caring and shows affection through actions without much fanfare. But towards the middle of the drama, I wish our FL would just go out with 2ML. Our 2ML is just as good a catch - outgoing, adorable and caring. Oh and Riley Wang (2ML) has a cute dimple! :) I love that 2ML uses the caricature drawing to comfort FL. That was a great scene.

The supporting cast also took me a little while to like them. 2FL is cute as a button and has decent character growth throughout the drama. FL's parents are over-the-top hilarious, but I needed their absurdity to lighten the mood. Same goes to the 3 color-coordinated high school girls. Basically, everyone except our ML and FL are funny and provide colorful humor throughout the drama. Though there are minor annoying characters, there isn't anyone that I hate.

I don't mean to sound like I hate the drama or ML. I do enjoy the drama's unique way of demonstrating ML's inner thoughts and inner world by using the black and white room. It comes full circle when ML and FL both leave this room together at the end. The leads got together pretty late in the drama. I would have loved to see more cutesy scenes between them to compensate for my patience.

Other observations:
1. Too many flashbacks
2. They overplayed the theme song - though it's a lovely song
3. Love the weird "Negative Energy" teacher
4. "We are Friends" means I like you but I can't tell you right now until I am 10000% sure I really like you, or 10000% sure I can stop liking you secretly and forget about you
5. Same writer for "Someday or One Day" and "Rainless Love in Godless Land" - no wonder we see so many guest starring roles in all 3 dramas.

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Plot twists and repetitive betrayals

Completed - 12/8/2021

Princess Silver is a lot more complicated than what the synopsis said. It also doesn't seem to be a highly recommended drama. It's not a bad drama, esp. if you enjoy revenge and betrayal plots. However, it's not a perfect drama as the pacing is a little uneven, and there are some weird illogical scene inconsistencies. I was thoroughly enjoying this drama in the first 25 episodes . But at 58 episodes, I think it's longer than it should be (which is quite common in Chinese historical drama). The sets and costumes are nice and elaborate. Girls look beautiful and Guys look handsome. Overall acting of the cast is pretty good as well.

This drama has a very romance-focused plot and all the "excitement" is because of these romances.

1) Rong Le/Man nYao (FL) + Prince Li (ML)
This is the lovely main couple. They love each other so much that they would suffer and die for each other. After the initial "surprise", they never doubt each other's love. However, I personally am not feeling the passion. I actually think our FL has the least chemistry with ML out of the other male leads. I am not sure if it's because I don't find Aarif Rahman very attractive, thus, affecting my perception of his acting/love for FL. Towards the second half of the show, I find it difficult to recall scenes in the first half that would justify his selfless actions.

2) Rong Le (FL) + General Fu Chou (2ML)
I find the chemistry between them the best, even though FL doesn't like 2ML. However, Jing Chao as our 2ML is such a good actor. I am so glad I got to know him here. In the bath tub scene, his acting was SOO good. I cried for him. It was so heartbreaking when he discovered who was in the bath tub and his eyes are full of emotions - or hard to control emotions. There are other monologues that he's done that were so heartbreakingly sad. The rare quiet times that FL and 2M spent together eating dumplings and watching fireworks, were my favorite scenes of theirs. Even when they were fighting, there's so much more chemistry.

3) Rong Le (FL) + Rong Qi (3ML)
If you are watching this drama because of Leo Luo, you might be disappointed. I would not classify him as a main lead, but more in a supporting role. He doesn't really have that many scenes in this drama. However, when he's there, you can see the usual Leo Luo elegance and sadness. This romance was sweet and sad at the same time. Rong Qi has to be the saddest character in this whole drama. However, I do find the love/hate relationship between the 'siblings' a little too repetitive. I would have loved the drama to spend more time showing us their earlier relationship and not wait till the end of the drama.

Other Observations;
1. Leo Luo is the only lead that uses his real voice.
2. Nice sets and costumes - but I find the clothes too big on the actors, esp. male actors.
3. Many pretty ladies in this drama!
4. There aren't too many fight scenes, but the choreography is quite good.
5. How come Prince Li can touch women all of the sudden, even when he's not in love with them?
6. FL's amnesia lasts a VERY long time - too long for my taste.
7. Abrupt scene changes
8. After watching "Sweet Teeth" I can't help but focus on the actors' teeth and find FL's crooked teeth a little distracting. LOL 😆
9. Most characters are pretty smart. There isn't any dumb, annoying character in this drama.

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It's not perfect but I get the hype and high rating - Very Binge-worthy

Completed - 11/14/2021 - 8.75 (my gut says it's not quite a 9.0)

I am adding my LONG review to hopefully help someone who is on the fence about watching this drama (that is, if you can find this review among the hundreds of reviews). I debated whether to watch this drama because it was so popular and overhyped, and I was concerned that I would be disappointed. I am glad to say that I enjoy this drama very much, though it's not perfect. But I can see fans of Yang Yang and Dilraba would definitely love it. I am not a big fan of Dilraba, especially her voice (though I am not going to dock a point because of that since it's a personal preference). Her voice is a little too young and whiny for my taste, so I have to rely on Yang Yang's visuals to help me out (and gosh..he is very attractive in this drama and the drama does not fail to remind me of this fact).

I would recommend this drama to:
- fans of Yang Yang and Dilraba - they look really good together and have great chemistry
- fans of sweet and fluffy romance with a decent amount of believable kisses and hugs
- fans of gaming (though you can't treat this as a e-sport drama). It's not on the same level as "Cross Fire", "Gank Your Heart" or "Fall into your Smile". It does have great graphics.
- those who are interested to learn about Chinese aerospace field
-who likes a slow-burn mature romance with no misunderstandings or love triangles

I would NOT recommend this drama to those:
- who do not like a CONCENTRATED heavy dose of fluffy sweet romance
- who do not enjoy gaming (there's a lot of gaming in the first 15 or so episodes)
- who find the aerospace industry boring (it's our ML's profession and has a good portion of that in the drama).
- who don't like Chinese propaganda - as the showcase of aerospace engineering and technology could indicate that

Even though the drama starts with Dilraba/JingJing/FL's shenanigans, this drama is very much about Yang Yang/YuTu/ML's character development. It starts with ML's indecision about his current dream career after 10 years, when he is forced to face with financial reality, and ends with his dream coming true with the support of FL. The first half of the show has a lot of gaming and the slow-burn romance of our leads. ML's aerospace profession is sprinkled throughout the drama. I am actually happy to have a drama focus on such a unique profession and for me to learn a little more about the challenges that staff and family face. I don't know how accurate its depiction of the profession is, but I generally enjoy it. I do find that it could have done a better job to introduce the profession regarding the Xi An shuttle incident with more layman's terms. It was quite hard to follow all the scientific and engineering jargons and explanation. The super sweet fluffy romance starts at around Ep 22 when they get together. This is a heavy dose of concentrated sweetness. It somehow can make viewers think that this is arbitrary sweetness for fan service, to overcompensate the lack of it in the first half of the show. My main complaint about the plot/main story is the uneven distribution of gaming/aerospace/romance/fluffiness. I also feel that the drama could be 24-28 episode long, instead of 32.

We all know the romance is the main selling point of this drama. It definitely does not disappoint as our leads look great together and have really good chemistry. All the kisses and hugs seem natural and sweet. This is a very mature and healthy romance with witty dialogs and banter. We don't have to worry about love triangles/squares or misunderstandings. I do find FL acts a little too young for an almost 30-year woman in the beginning of the show. Her little girl voice doesn't help either. However, I am glad to know that she might sound young, but she's witty and smart and has a high EQ. Dilraba looks beautiful and she acts well (maybe she's just being herself). I just don't like her heavily white foundation/makeup on her face. I read reviews of people not liking Yang Yang's acting and thinks he's wooden. I have to respectfully disagree. In the first half of the drama, he's in constant internal conflict with himself about his career and relationship with FL, and I think Yang Yang acted really well. I can see that turmoil in his eyes. You can see how he's changed once he is in a relationship with Jing Jing and his witty and more outgoing personality comes out. I applaud our FL for taking the initiative to profess her love when they're in high school and at present. I am also glad that ML takes the initiative after they are in a relationship because FL has done so much already. You can say it's a personality change or character growth for him - from a somewhat distant, logical and cool guy to a passionate and lovey-dovey guy. So much better than the ML in another show who has a personality change all of a sudden when he's in love (looking at you ML in "Falling into your Smile") LOL

Other Observations:
1. Did I mention Yang Yang looks hot in every single scene? LOL. He looks so cool in the gaming scene that it reminds me I need to watch "King's Avatar"
2. This drama keeps on telling us that our leads are good-looking - like every single chance it gets. It has too many slow-motion shots to show us how beautiful they are.
3. I love Janice Wu as Dilraba's BFF
4. I enjoy the voice chat during gaming and wish to have more of that.
5. There isn't any annoying characters and the supporting cast is great.

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Big Production, Great Acting but very SLOW

Completed - 11/1/2021

"The Rebel Princess" indeed is a big-budget production, where Zhang Zi Yi herself invested in and recruited many world-class experts that she works with in the movies. The costumes, music, cinematography and sets are beautiful and elaborate. There is nothing you can criticize in its production value. The drama boasts a huge cast and their acting is superb. My #1 complaint of this drama is the slowness. It's not the plot that is slow and draggy, which happens in almost all long, historical C-drama. But I find the show itself is full of slow movements and dialogues (too many pauses). To binge-watch this slow 68-episode drama is very difficult. Maybe if I am watching this when it's broadcasted live and follow along week-to-week, I might have enjoyed this more.

Plot:
I enjoy the overarching main plot. There is a lot of court politics in this drama. Everyone wants a piece of the throne, whether they are royal or entitled to or not. All parents sacrifice their children for power, and they all do it in the name of "love". It's ironic that our main leads are not one of them, and yet they are probably the most qualified to bring peace to the nation. There are many subplots and I do enjoy how they weave together to contribute to the full story. As mentioned above, I personally find this drama to be too slow. If everything is sped up a little bit, it might be easier to binge-watch. However, I do understand that directors and producers are not making dramas for binge-watchers. But if you are a binge-watcher like me, just be aware. The drama also is narrated from FL/Ah Wu's point of view. It's a little interesting/weird that her monologues happen quite often, instead of just the beginning or ending of an episode. I feel that the pacing of the last 20 episodes is faster. Since the assassination, there is a lot more action. This event also started the strong finish of the drama. I greatly enjoy the ending (last 2-3 episodes) and feel that it brings closure to almost all storylines and characters.

Main Romance/Leads:
There are so many complaints about Zhang Zi Yi (ZZY) acting as an 15- year old girl. It is somewhat hard to forget that she's 42 (even if she's a beautiful and young-looking 42-year old woman). However, she only needs to act like a 15-year old for about 6-7 episodes. Once she's forced to marry our ML and all the events happened around that time, she is forced to grow up and doesn't act young anymore. In fact, I feel that her character grows up too fast and she becomes too mature, to match our older ML. A big selling point of this drama is our awesome male lead played by Zhou Yi Wei (ZYW). He is an amazing general and and an even better husband. The leads have a very mature and trusting relationship. ZYW brought this character to life. A minor complaint that I have is that we need more ZYW. There aren't enough scenes of him, and even less with him and ZZY. Our leads are separated from each other most of the time. Although the chemistry was good when they are together, their romance doesn't give me the same feels as in my other favorite shows "The Rise of the Phoenixes" or "Legend of Fu Yao". When they are together, they are too calm and mature. It's lacking some playfulness and lightness to this romance to hook me in.

Costumes & Production:
They must have spent a lot of their budget on costumes. I feel like ZZY has a new outfit each day or each episode. You can see they are elaborate and expensive (though I do not always like her style). I also particularly enjoy ZYW's black casual outfit. It fits him like a glove and he looks so dashing it in. Additionally, the red and black court officials outfits might be my most favorite court officials costumes in all of the historical dramas I've seen. It's such a nice combination - simple colors but work so well together when layered. All the ladies also have very nice costumes, but none can be compared to our female lead's. On the other hand, I am most impressed with the war and battle scenes. You can see that they spend money in hiring extras to be in these battles. When they say it's a big battle, you see a big battle and not CGI fake people or comics (looking at you "The Long Ballad"). The Mount Lianyu battle is especially amazing and greatly shot. That battle is one of my favorite events - from the white horse running to the black horse and towards the enemies, to the tragic death and self-sacrifice of the general, and the black horse kneeling down to get our male lead on its back. Everything is perfect.

OST & Dubbing:
I really enjoy the background music in this drama. The music complements the scenes so well. The few songs that were sung were nice as well and I especially like the duet. I don't feel that the songs were overplayed but just enough at the right time. One of my personal pet peeves is when the music is so loud that it overpowers the actors dialog. For the most part, we don't have this problem here. However, because of the live recording, I feel that at times, the music is a tiny bit louder than I like. Speaking of live recording, it's a pleasure to be able to listen to almost all actors real voice, either live or post-production dubbing. Only a few actors and actresses were dubbed, mainly because they do not have the Mainland Chinese accents.

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A Crazy, Funny, Heartwarming drama

10/26/2021 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5

It's always hard to know whether I enjoy a jdorama that's adapted from a manga or anime, as sometimes I find the acting or the story to be too dramatic for my taste. This drama is just crazy enough that it hasn't gone overboard. But if Minase Aoi acts a little more childish, I might have lowered my rating.

This drama's main focus is the mother/daughter relationship and the meaning of family (blood-related or not). Aoi and Sora's relationship gives me a very Gilmore Girls vibe. Both moms and daughters are witty, funny and sarcastic in their own ways. Both families have gone through a lot of hardships to form such a tight bond. I really enjoy how Aoi and Sora grew throughout the show. It is a little hard for me to stomach how childish Aoi could be at times, but then I also enjoy some of her crazy dialogs. The way these two ladies are so honest and speak their own minds is very refreshing to see in an Asian dramas. Oftentimes, there are too many quiet pushovers, but I'm happy to see that more Asian female leads are showing more power and strength and ready to fight back in this male-dominant drama world. Additionally, the extended family from Odaya is a great addition to the mom/daughter dynamic. Family is more than blood. The way Gon and his dad are there for them is very heartwarming.

Aoi and Sora have their own separate romance storylines. All the potential suitors are decent guys, and I do like the main love interests for both ladies. The secondary love interests are a little bland comparatively and there's definitely no second-lead syndrome for me. I actually would have loved to see more scenes of them together with the main love interests in the end. The last episode only very casually and indirectly shows us who then end up with. I would love to actually see them together, esp. Sora + Hikaru. They are so cute together and I wish a little more time is reserved for them and a more direct confession from either one of them.

Speaking of Hikaru, I would like to learn more about his relationship with his family. We only got a snippet through his phone call with his mother. I was hoping we know more, and then to have Sora be by his side to support him. Alas, we didn't get anything.

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More than just a regular Rom-Com

10/5/2021

I randomly came across this drama while browsing a MDL Friend's watch list. I have never heard of this drama nor see any promotion of it. When you just look at the poster, this is probably not something I would watch, as it seems like just a regular rom-com about boy bands and cutesy/fluffy romance. This is by no means a perfect drama, but it's enjoyable (to me) and I enjoy the romance, plot twists and mystery.

What I Like:

1. Smart and strong female characters: Both of our female leads are smart in their own ways, and pretty much kept their brains throughout the drama. We oftentimes encounter female leads that started off as smart, but then make dumb decisions and lose their intelligence as the show progresses. Jiang KeLe is street smart. She can talk her way out of any situation and still be lovable. Guan QianYa is more mature and business smart and in critical thinking. The both of them are a highlight of the show, especially their strong friendship.

2. Secondary romance: I enjoy the romance between Guan QianYa and XuNian more than the main romance between Jiang KeLe and Lu Xiao. The Guan/Xu romance is a little more mature and it's developed more logically. I believe how their feelings are developed through their special 1:1 interaction in the game, and love their conversations. They communicate their feelings honestly with just the right amount of physical affection and kisses. I've seen better kisses from Zhang Ling He/Xu Nian in "Maiden Holmes" though. =)

3. Plot: As I said, there's more to this drama than a regular romantic comedy. There are surprising plot twists that I didn't see coming. The drama is not all rosy and light, but touches on the darker side of the game/business and the background stories of the 4 male characters. However, there are just enough comedic moments and one-liners that made me chuckle, esp. from our villains, without being over-the-top.

4. OST: I enjoy all the songs in this drama. Music is used appropriately without annoying, overplayed songs. One of my pet peeves is the volume of the BGM and I am happy that the music does not drown out the dialogs. I tried to find the OST on Spotify, but couldn't locate them. Too bad.

5. Acting: The acting is surprisingly decent for such a young cast. I've seen Zhang Ling He in his debut drama "Maiden Holmes", and he has definitely improved since then. I've seen Dai Lu Wa in "When we were young" and "Cross fire" and I think this is her best performance out of the 3 dramas. Her character here has more range the other two, and does not cross my personal line of being overly annoying and cutesy. This is my first time watching He Luo Luo and Fan Shuan Qi, and I think their acting is not bad either. He Luo Luo is definitely good-looking and portrayed the different personalities of his character well. I really like Fan Shuan Qi and will look out for more of her dramas in the future.

Minor things I don't like:

1. Minor illogical incidents: I am never a fan of C-dramas and CPR. They are never done correctly and can kill someone than save someone. Why are the compressions done on the heart? I also don't think having a fever and going to visit someone in the ICU is a good idea. Our 2FL has no money and can still afford to buy our FL a scooter?

2. Ending: I like a happy ending, but giving the 3rd and 4th male leads (Luo Ke and Qi Chuan) girlfriends in the last episode seems somewhat forced and rushed. If the drama wants to give everyone a happily-ever-after ending, maybe the two romance storylines should have started a little sooner to give it more credibility. The drama could have gone into their background stories a little more as well.

Other observations:
* The air balloon rides are a great idea, but the CGI is awful.
* Still have accidental kisses and slow-motion romantic shots with the sun behind the characters
* Hard to imagine the two female leads are of the same age.
* Can they really fight so well? Able to escape each and every time without getting caught?

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More enjoyable than the Korean version

9/26/2021

This review will have some personal thoughts in my comparison of the Korean version vs Japanese version. I have not watched the Chinese or Thai version. Overall, I enjoy this version more than the original, "She was Pretty". Because it's only 10 episodes, the pacing is good and there isn't any filler.

I definitely enjoy the Japanese ML, FL and 2ML more than the Korean version. They are all cute and adorable, and very easy to root for. I cannot stand the how loud Huang Jung Eum was as the Korean FL. Unfortunately, I've watched a few of her dramas and there's a lot of screaming. Koshiba Fuka/Sato Ai, on the other hand, is a lot more mellow comparatively speaking. She is still inexperienced and clumsy, but she comes off as more adorable. Sosuke's character is also a lot more tolerable as the male lead than the Korean version. He is rude in the beginning, but we see his character development a lot sooner, thus, you don't hate him as much. The main romance develops better without many fillers. You can see how ML used to just hate FL, then tolerates her, to really enjoy her company. I might like another 0.5-1.0 episode to see how he slowly falls in love. 2ML in the Korean version gives everyone second-lead syndrome, and I bet many feel the same way for Akaso Eiji/Higuchi here as well. Overall, I liked Higuchi's character more as he's a little less over-the-top, but just as sweet and caring. As for Risa, I think I like the two characters about the same in both versions.

The Japanese version focuses more on the romance plot. There isn't a whole lot about the inner workings of the editorial department. It's not until the last few episodes did the focus really switch to the demise of The Most magazine. If you like mostly romance, this version might be better. On the other hand, because the Korean version is longer, there are storylines about the supporting cast/editorial staff, and the magazine business. I actually enjoy learning more about the editorial process.

Even though it's hard to pretend that our FL is ugly, it's also a great message that our FL changes not because of a man, but for her own sake. It's also nice to know that she wants to achieve her own dreams, and not just to follow her man, no matter how much she loves him.

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Mature drama with a good combination of romance and thriller

7/31/2021

Saw a MDL article recommending this show and I thought I would give it a shot. This drama does not seem to have big stars in it, and not being talked about a lot. However, I quite enjoyed it and thought it has a good combination of romance and thriller. This is a very short drama, 16 episodes and about 30 minutes each. I am glad to see more recent modern C-dramas that are shorter. This contributes to a much tighter plot and no dragging. I even felt that the drama should be a little longer to give us more of the story that happened 5 years ago.

What happened 5 years ago was introduced through flashbacks in the beginning of each episode. Though the flashbacks were not in chronological order, I didn't find it confusing. I would have liked to see more and longer flashbacks, to see what really happened and how the love between ML and FL developed. Since they still love each other 5 years later, they must have a pretty amazing past for that to happen.

This is my first time watching any of these actors and actresses in a drama. I felt that the acting is pretty good (not amazing). I enjoy FL's portrayal of a mature and smart woman, who despite being in love with ML, did not make stupid decisions but somewhat rational ones. I always have a soft spot for MLs who are cold on the outside but warm on the inside (but not acting like a jerk). Our ML here is quite handsome with nice abs (LOL). His acting isn't bad but also not amazing. I do enjoy those smiles and loving looks he has for the FL. He looks especially handsome in suits and when he's fighting. Actually, I felt that this drama has many good-looking actors and actresses. 2ML is especially adorable and it's a good contrast to the cool-looking ML.

I enjoyed the romance development of the leads. There's a decent amount of push-and-pull but you can feel the chemistry.
They also have great and realistic kissing scenes. Their love feels mature. However, it took me a little while to get into the secondary romance. I do not like the stalker-ish and persistent behavior of how 2FL is chasing 2ML. I really wish dramas would stop doing that. On the other hand, I understand it takes a character like 2FL to break through the walls of 2ML.

I also enjoy the OST and the background music. I am so glad that the music did not appear at inopportune times, or played extremely loud. I also like the wardrobe selection here. Actors look dashing in suits and actresses look great in the respective outfits. Oh, and the little girl is quite cute and sassy. She is quite a scene-stealer!

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Unique Story , Beautiful Cinematography and Amazing Costumes

7/21/2021

The reason for me picking this drama is mainly because of Zhang Bin Bin (ML). I first saw him in "Ten Miles Peach Blossoms" and had a minor crush on him. I've been trying to look for another drama of his with good reviews and a happy ending. This led me to Rattan.

Plot/Pacing: This is a unique and weird story, that is quite different from other C-Dramas. It's a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I find that you either really like the story or you hate it because it could be confusing. I liked it but I do find certain areas a little confusing without enough explanation. All that happens is probably due to love + obsession + stubbornness + revenge. I found the twists and turns quite un-predictable esp. the revelation of who Bai Ying is. I enjoyed the first half of the drama, when Si Teng (FL) is trying to piece together what happened to her and what happened after her death. The pacing was done well. I got a little bored towards the early 20s episodes but the pace picked up again towards the mid-20s episode. There are some plot holes and illogical parts of the drama. Did ML ever find out the real identity of his best friend? If FL told him about her fight with his best friend, did he not care at all? Never confront him? On another note, he's a successful architect but he never really went to work? Even if he was there, he wasn't really working. When he's hurt and almost dead, did they really transfer him out of the hospital to his home without any lifesaving medical equipment? I know this is not a medical show, but you gotta at least do the bare minimum and give him some IV and an oxygen tank!

Romance: There are several romances in this show and that's where all the hate and revenge started all the drama. First we have Qiu Shan betrayed by his Tribe Yi lover, thus started his hate for all Tribe Yi and Si Teng. We also have the unfortunate romance of Bai Ying and Shao Yan Kuan which ended with the death of Si Teng. But of course, we have the main romance of the leads. I would say FL and ML have decent chemistry. I wouldn't say it was off-the-charts. I personally enjoyed a slow burn romance, and theirs is slow burn. But I feel that it's lacking something to make me believe that they are so in love that they would die fo each other and go through what they did in the last couple episodes. I feel that I need to see a little more passion in that slow-burn romance to believe in it more. I also feel that ML is too perfect of a character. He's good-looking, rich, sweet, caring, attentive and rarely shows his temper. Is he a perfect guy? Probably. But not as multi-layered as I want a male lead to be. FL, on the other hand, is a much better written character with development throughout the show.

Acting: The overall acting is not bad. I enjoyed FL's sassiness and ML's sweetness (gosh, he is such a joy to look at..LOL). The supporting cast's acting is not bad either. I particularly enjoy the two child actors. They are so cute and adorable. Young Si Teng did a great job in showing her sassiness and facial expressions at such a young age.

Cinematography/Setting/Music/CGI: What a beautiful show! I love all the sceneries, the village, the forest and the architecture and set designs. It's refreshing to watch a modern show not set in the glitzy city setting. The majority of the show takes place in the rural part of the country. All the accommodations at the rural areas have their own distinct architecture and design. The sweeping views of mountains, lakes, grasslands and forests are beautiful. I also enjoyed all the songs in this drama. There seems to be quite a number of songs and you don't get that same annoying song played over and over again. However, one BIG negative for is that the music is just way too loud. I watched the show on Viki and also on YouTube, and I found the volume of the actor's voices are drowned by the background music. When music or songs are played, I have to turn down my volume, and then turn it back up when actors start to talk again. I am not sure if it's because of the version that I was watching, of just a problem with editing. I also quite enjoy the special effects of rattan whipping and fighting. It was especially beautiful when FL builds this canopy/umbrella for ML when he was crying. What a beautiful use of her talent in this touching scene.

Costumes: Si Teng's wardrobe deserves its own category. I read that this is not a big budget drama and I think most of the budget is spent on costumes. FL looks amazing in her collection of qi paos, and also her more modern looks. However, towards the second half of the show, I find myself missing seeing her in qi paos. Not that she's not pretty in her other looks, but there's just something special when a gorgeous Chinese lady wears this traditional dress. I even find the cross-dressing June Wu looks great in qi pao. ML's costume changes when he's in the rural area vs when he's in the city. He dresses so young and casual when he's in the village. But when the setting changes to the city, he looks so handsome and dapper in those long coats and dress shirts. Oh, one more thing, why is there so much makeup on ML's face? He look so white and it's not attractive. He looks SO much better with a more natural tan look.

Ending: I have mixed feelings about the ending of this drama. I felt that the show could have ended at Ep. 27 when FL disappears and the show ends on a sad note. Yes, it's sad but I think it's more fitting and more beautiful this way. But then, there are a few more episodes with rebirth and a young Si Teng. In a way, it's also fitting that FL and ML ended up somewhat together and went back to nature. I guess fans were not happy with that ending and we got Ep 31 with a happier ending. As much as I love seeing ML with a happy ending (since that's my main reason of watching the show), I felt that the Ep 31 ending is my least favorite one.

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Could have been great with better writing, acting and execution

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

I can’t help but compare “Century of Love” a little bit with “I Feel You Linger in the Air”. Even though they have completely different plots, the historical context and the main house give me a very similar feeling. Unfortunately, IFYITA is so much better in every single way - acting, writing, chemistry, production quality and cinematography.

“Century of Love” is unique and a breath of fresh air among the sea of Thai BL’s with a focus on high school or college students. The plot is interesting but unfortunately the writing is not. There are so many plot holes and unexplained storylines. You will have to suspend reality to truly enjoy it. How can a 100-year old man who couldn’t ‘perform’ have grandchildren and a family? How come Vee can help reduce San’s pain when he first moved into the house, yet never ever repeat that again? Who are those villains? What is their background story? How did the sick guy come to know of the stone? Is the reason for the betrayal due to debt and nothing else? How come the other character does not have the same healing aftermath of the stone? I have so many questions and I can’t seem to calm my brain to ignore them.

But I am not surprised there are plot holes. After all, it’s hard to do that with a supernatural/fantasy plot. I might overlook some of these shortcomings if the acting is good. Unfortunately, I find Daou and Offroad’s acting only average and somewhat inconsistent. I think Offroad performed a little better, except for a few crying scenes. He looks great as the fox demon. Daou’s grumpy personality is a little awkward and his acting is not subtle enough. The exaggerated ‘thinking’ is all over his face. However, I do think he got better as the drama went on, especially when he doesn’t have to act like a grumpy old man anymore. Among the cast members, I am most impressed with Pond (Doctor Third) and he gives me a little bit of second-lead syndrome. Pond almost made me want to check out “180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us” just for him. Cookie (as Wat) also did pretty well. Luckily, there aren't any annoying characters. I like San's descendants. The 3 generations are quite fun and provide some pretty comedic and heartwarming moments.

The chemistry between the leads is decent with a few good kisses. I was more interested in the first half of the drama before the leads are officially together. The pace starts to slow in the second half, especially the last few episodes. The plot becomes predictable and there’s more repetitive crying. I think the drama will benefit from a couple episodes shorter.

It’s unfortunate that an interesting general plot was not executed well. The drama seems to be of a lower production value (maybe that’s why there are so few product placements), with poor CGI. Luckily, the fight scenes are decent, even though they are not of good C-drama or K-drama quality, they are better than other Thai dramas.

“Century of Love” is not a horrible watch due to its more mature and interesting plot. If you have time and are fans of the actors, it’s worth checking it out.


Completed: 9/1/2024 - Review #480

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Excellent writing in executing a great mystery investigation and redemption from Start to Finish

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.75

I cannot believe I am typing this out. “The Wanted Detective” is an underrated drama starring Wang Xing Yue!!! Wang Xing Yue!! Can you believe that? There are less than 8000 watchers at the time of this review. Why? Possibly because viewers were alerted that there’s only a ‘slight romance’ tag, and it was airing when the highly anticipated “The Legend of the Female General” was airing at the same time. Maybe many just finished watching “The Coroner’s Diary” and had enough of crime investigation. Ok, that poster is awful, too.

However, if you are a fan of mystery, thriller and crime investigation, this is a rare, well-written drama from start to finish. Each case/subplot and death is tightly connected back to the original mystery in episode 1. The drama never loses its focus, and as you watch episode after episode, you get little clues here and there. You try to find out what really happened on that boat and who was the villain. The journey was full of thrills and plot twists. I had no idea who the real villain was until it was revealed.

Wang Xing Yue played our wanted detective, Xiao Bei Ming. This is a great role for him as he navigated the different stages of Xiao Bei Ming. Starting out as the genius, beloved and a little arrogant detective, WXY shows off a more animated side of the character. But as his character goes through injustices and life-threatening events, we see a different side of WXY. I also really enjoy Julia Xiang’s portrayal of the fierce and badass heroine, Zhong Xue Man. It’s refreshing to see her character development from a young detective wanting to prove her worth, to suffering through the death of a family member and needing to grow up fast. Zhong Xue Man can hold her own in front of all the men, and for the most part, kicks their butts. She never lost that quality until the very end when she was the one who made a crucial and dangerous decision to save everyone.

The supporting cast is also likable and well-acted. Each has their unique skills and advantages that complement this 5-person group in uncovering the mystery. I like that the drama showcases how each of them contributes to the success, and is given sufficient screen time for us to know them on a personal level. I also really like the veteran cast and many guest roles. There are so many intelligent characters with interesting backstories.

If I have to pick on the drama, unsurprisingly, it is the romance. I totally understand that romance is just a small part of the drama. As much as I like the couples, I just needed a little more, given how they navigate many life-threatening events. Wang Xing Yue/Xiao Bei Ming and Julia Xiang/Zhong Xue Man give me a very strong sibling or friendship bond, but not as lovers. The secondary romance is also very light with a few scenes here and there to show that feelings are mutual. There aren't any secret gazes or longing for each other, nor do the actors convey a deep romantic love for each other.

But on another positive note, I really like the action scenes. Despite a few slow-motion moves, I really like the fight choreography. I was especially impressed with Julian Xiang. She looks amazing as the badass detective. The drama poster is so bad that it gives off a low budget vibe. But in reality, the sets, the costumes and production quality is pretty good. I even enjoy the cult dance and the non-skin smoothing (just need to tone down Wang Xing Yue’s white powder a tiny bit here and there). I think except for Julia, the main cast all dubbed their own voices. Props to Wang Xing Yue who does that quite often.

I definitely would recommend this drama, especially if you enjoy mystery, thriller and crime investigation. It’s rare to find a well-written drama that keeps the mystery going from ep 1 all the way to the end. Despite my minor criticism of the romance, I am giving this drama a high 8.75. I was going to round it down, but decided to round it up to 9.0 to give the rating a little boost. It deserves more attention, especially when acting, writing and execution are good.



Completed: 8/20/2025 Review #615

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Broken People, Beautiful Relationships

Slice-of-life healing dramas can be slow-paced at times which makes binge-watching challenging. Therefore, they can be a hit-or-miss for me. But with “Our Unwritten Seoul”, I did not encounter this problem at all. At first glance, there are really 12 episodes, pretty short for Korean standards, right? However, each episode is 1 hour and 20 mins long and the amazing thing is that, I kept on pressing “Next Episode”. I was not at all bored or found the pacing to be slow, not even in the middle of the drama. And because of this, “Our Written Seoul” deserves a high rating for me.

As I mentioned in the title of this review, this drama is full of broken people. Each character’s story breaks my heart, fills me with a sense of protection that I want them all magically healed to 100% by the end of the drama. Of course, it didn’t work that way, and it shouldn’t. Some characters, such as our main female leads (Mi Ji and Mi Rae), male lead (Ho Su) and restaurant owner (Kim Ro Sa), we got a deeper look into their struggles, challenges, and eventually being at peace, being loved, healing, learning and discovering a better life. Others we get a sense of their past, their present and their future.

Aside from these characters' individual unique and touching stories, I love their relationships with each other, and I am not just talking about romance.
1) Mi Ji + Mi Rae - Twins sisterhood, their different personalities, lives and career paths, their experiences of each other’s struggles, and support for each other.
2) Mi Ji + Mom, Mi Rae + Mom - parent/child relationships and different expectations, different treatments and different ways of show love & affection, and disagreement
3) Mi Ji and Grandma - the beautiful loving bond and their support and trust
4) Ho Su + Lawyer Lee Chung Gu - mentor/mentee relationship, mutual admiration despite different philosophy and way of handling cases.
5) The Mothers - total opposites in everything you can imagine, yet an amazing bond between them with shared similar children experiences. One wears her heart on her sleeve and is quick to explode. While the other has a forever fake/forced smile and happy face.
6) Mi Ji + Ho Su + Restaurant owner - Love this trio so much, and really love how their friendship has evolved throughout the drama.
7) Mi Ji and BFF Gyeong Gu - BFF for life and they understand and support each other

Of course, I cannot not mention the romances. I really enjoy the story between Mi Ji and Ho Su. I like how their history was told via flashbacks by two talented young actors. It’s heartwarming to see how Mi Ji brought Ho Su out of his misery and was with him when he was in doubt and hurting as a teenager. Their shared internal and external brokenness and the road to healing and recovery are beautiful to watch. I also like their slow burn romance and do think Park Bo Young and Park Jin Young have good chemistry (and kisses!). I like their awkward transition from friends to lovers, and glad to see the drama focuses on some of the self-doubt and challenges of this new transition. If I have to nitpick, I would love to see a few fluffy scenes when they’re dating (just pure happiness for a little bit) before all the serious plot dampens it a little.

On the other hand, Mi Rae and Han Se Jin are such a cute and odd pair. This couple brought some fun and adorableness to the drama. Unfortunately, I agree with other reviewers that we don’t see enough of them as an individual and as a pair. They were not given the same amount of screen time, especially for Se Jin. He had a history that was not fully explored and also seemed to serve as the inspiration, mentor and maybe a minor love interest for Mi Rae. I want to know more of Han Se Jin as a person. Romance might not be in Mi Rae’s brain as she was going through so much, but it's undeniable that she likes Se Jin enough and maybe had a little interest. I just wanted a little bit more of this romance.

“Our Unwritten Seoul” also strikes a good balance between character-driven plot and business-driven plot. The finance company stories are enough to shed light on Mi Rae’s struggles and Mi Ji’s experiences without being too business. The legal cases are just deep enough to make us care about the characters, but didn’t bore us with legal proceedings.

Last but not the least, the acting is amazing. Park Bo Young is WOW. Two characters and she played them so well. You can tell when she’s Mi Ji and when she’s Mi Rae. Park Jin Young has quite a few emotional scenes, yet he also brings this calm to a character who has gone through so much but has evolved and worked hard to become such a good person. The actors who play the younger version of the leads did a great job as well. I would just nitpick on the young actress not looking like Park Bo Young at all and seem to be taller than her! The veterans are amazing, especially the mothers, grandma and restaurant owner. The side characters are not too annoying and provide just enough townsfolk friendliness and nosiness, or business evilness for comic relief or someone viewers can hate.

I had high expectations for this drama due to its glowing reviews and I was worried I would be disappointed. But I am happy that I like “Our Unwritten Seoul” as much as many of you. If you are in the mood for a slice-of-life healing drama with excellent acting, this is the one for you. This drama reminds me a little of the characters in “My Liberation Notes” (not the vibes but the characters). They are all going through some stuff and are so broken. In the end, viewers root for every single one of them and wish them a happy life.



Completed: 7/7/2025 - Review #598 (completed titles) #600 total reviews (include dropped)

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Learning about love through excellently-written unique court cases

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.75

Trigger warning: Violence & Abuse

“Beyond the Bar” is definitely one of the more underrated K-dramas in 2025. It started and ended without a lot of buzz, possibly due to the airing schedule of another lawyers-focused drama. I also wouldn’t have checked it out until I heard the good reviews.

I think all the court cases are the strength of this drama. It showcases unique writing for some pretty common themes that we see in similar genres, e.g. abuse, bullying, domestic violence, divorce, disability and infertility. Despite the episodes being over an hour long, they go by quickly. “Beyond the Bar” has excellent pacing and each episodic case is interesting and the storytelling feels fresh. I actually enjoy all of them, which is rare. As the series go on, the cases become more personal and start to challenge the lawyer's moral and ethical codes. I had such a great time that I *almost* don’t miss the lack of romance.. LOL.. almost… I still want some more.

ML and FL have great chemistry as boss and subordinates, mentor and mentee. I’m glad to see that ML is not the typical cutthroat and cold lawyer who would do anything to win a case. He’s just professional, a great mentor and at the top of this game. FL is introduced as a genius but someone clumsy. However, she was never too innocent or naive. Throughout the drama, you can see how she becomes more and more mature and professional. I enjoy watching all her court scenes. Both Lee Jin Wook and Jung Chae Yeon deliver good performances. The supporting cast is lovely as well. The litigation team has great camaraderie and is probably one of the lowest-stress-to-watch legal teams I’ve seen on TV. However, I still wish we can get to know each of the team members on a more individual level and give them a little more screen time.

Despite loving all the individual cases, I was disappointed about the downfall of the evil Lawyer King. The case chosen for his arc is quite boring. The writing on those last few episodes about that case is not as coherent as the rest of the show. In fact, his end is quite anticlimactic.

If you are looking for romance, well, don’t bother. There’s a small bit about another couple (and they are cute), but not between ML and FL. The leads do have moments that could have developed into more, especially towards the few episodes. But we will never find out what could happen, unless there’s a season 2 in the future. There are so many theories of love and marriage in the last episode, but the drama actually lacks romance, but not love - it has all types of love.

I will recommend “Beyond the Bar” if you are interested in episodic court cases written in a new light. The acting and pacing are great, and it hooks me from start to finish. There are some pretty graphic scenes of violence that can be disturbing. So be careful if that’s a red flag for you.


Completed: 9/9/2025 Review #623

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Slow burn romance of a Kickass Power Couple with decent chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I have not watched “Princess Agent” for obvious reasons (the ending sucks), so I went into this drama without expectation from Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin. I am not looking for a continuation of their previous romance. I wonder if that’s the reason why I don’t feel that their chemistry is amazing, but still good.

The big selling point of this drama is the two leads. The majority of the drama focuses on the romance and relationship, before going into the real plot towards the second half of the drama. I am a die-hard romance lover, so I am not going to complain (much) about it. It’s really lovely to see their interaction and romantic development when they’re in the mortal world. Their conversations are full of subtle and not-so-subtle sarcastic remarks, which help with building their attraction for each other. I enjoy the not-in-your-face and not-second-hand-embarrassment comedy. I feel like you need to pay attention to what’s going on to fully enjoy it, otherwise, you’ll miss a subtle dig here and there. However, I do think the drama spends way too much time setting the stage for this slow burn romance in the first half of the drama. As much as I enjoy their conversation, I also am missing the plot. This is a xianxia drama, so I am sure there’s a villain out there plotting against the ‘good’ guys.

I’m glad to see another kickass power couple as we really don’t see that many in C-dramas. From the top of my head, I could only think of the leads in “Who Rules The World” and “Wonderland of Love”. But Sheng Li and Xing Zhi are on a whole other level. They are the best of the best, the top 2 of the 3 realms. I am glad Shen Li remains intelligent, cool-headed, and powerful from beginning to the end. In a way, we have a reversal of gender. As the drama says, a reversal of who is the yin and who is the yang. Xing Zhi is also an interesting character. He’s being held in such high regards, has the whole world on his shoulders, yet he’s petty and jealous. He also is a know-it-all and doesn’t communicate much out of necessity for the most part. It’s also hilarious that once he’s given up restraining himself, he has such a love brain. He’s more clingy and emotional than Sheng Li and it’s both frustrating and fun to watch.

On the other hand, I am greatly moved by the romance between Feng Lai and Liu Yu. They have very limited screen time. Even though their romance is not unique, it leaves a more lasting impression on me. They are both such pure and kind-hearted people, but they break my heart. I might be partial as I am a big fan of Xu Hai Qiao, and his portrayal of Feng Lai is impeccable. The other romance that receives an awkward amount of screen time is with the sultry Ms Jin, the serpent. More on that at the end of the review.

The acting is solid but not exceptional. The veterans are great - Zeng Li as Shen Li’s godmother Demon Lord, Liu Guan Lin as the Heavenly Emperor, Zhou Xiao Chuan as General Shang are all great veterans. Comparatively, Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin did fine. There are moments when I thought ZLY did a really good job. I also feel that LGX’s acting is a little uneven. There are times when I feel that he could emote really well with subtle microexpressions, but other times I feel that he’s very wooden. Maybe that’s why I don’t quite feel the chemistry between them to be as great as other reviewers have said. Xin Yun Lai sorta played a dual role as Mo Fang and along with He Yu as the Heavenly grandson. They both deliver average acting. My favorite is Xu Hai Qiao as Feng Lai. His screen time is limited but XHQ never disappoints. He is such a scene stealer.

This is obviously a pretty big budget production. A large amount of CGI and green screens are used in this production. The very first fight sequence in ep 1 sets the CGI tone for the rest of the drama. However, I do find that fight scene shot like a video game. But throughout the drama, I really enjoy the special effects of the different light/power blasted during any battles. Sometimes production runs out of money and they start to fade out the special effects towards the end of the drama. Not this one! The final big battle was amazing. Despite my praise of the fight scenes, there are quite a few very fake-looking green screen shots.

Costumes and set designs are quite nice. Zhao Li Ying looks absolutely stunning in all of her different costumes, hair and make up. I love her simpler getup in the mortal world, but also enjoy her more girly looks with flowy hair. Some of the Heavenly Realm sets remind me of “Ashes of Love” and “Ancient Love Poetry”. I guess they all look the same to me after watching so many xianxias. “The Legend of Shen Li” also has a beautiful OST. However, they are played quite loudly and at times I couldn’t hear the words spoken very clearly. The drama also likes to blast this suona background music (it sounds like the suona song played in “Small Town Stories”) whenever something exciting comes up. It gets annoying after a while. One thing I am a little disappointed about is that the main leads are all dubbed. None of them uses their own voice, and at times the words don’t match the movement of the lips.

Another thing that annoys me is the large amount of inner monologues by Shen Li. There are times I wonder if these are words spoken, or all in Sheng Li’s head. Zhao Li Ying doesn’t really open her mouth wide when she speaks, so I got confused at times.

Let’s talk about the ending. I think the drama should have ended at ep 38. Ep 39 is more of a side story or an easter egg episode. It’s cute and I enjoy it, but this filler and fan service episode somewhat changes how I remember the ending of this solid drama. The kiss scenes at the end are definitely for the fans, and this fan did not enjoy the kisses. They seem awkward.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable watch. The pace is decent despite a little slow down with too much time spent on the set-up of the romance in the beginning. The power couple is fun to watch and I enjoy their interactions and conversations. The romance is slow but mature. Acting and production are solid, though not exceptional. I like (not love) this drama and will recommend it to those who enjoy xianxias and great CGI battles.



Completed: 5/12/2024 - Review #438

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