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Be open-minded about this taboo topic and you will find a beautiful story
Completed - 3/20/2022Before you start watching this drama, you should know that it's about a forbidden love story between a 25-year old teacher and a 15-year old student. If you have a problem with this and can't be open-minded enough to appreciate this drama, it's best to not watch it.
I am usually not a big fan of infidelity, older woman/younger man tropes and such a taboo topic. But reading some of the reviews, I am willing to give it a try and not to judge a book by its cover. I am so glad I did. This is a beautiful and emotional story about growth, consequences and life's challenges. It doesn't gloss over the fact that this is a taboo subject and that it's not accepted by family, friends and society.
It is without a doubt that our female lead, Suenaga Hijiri, should not have reciprocated her feelings and really put a stop to all of this. She's a teacher after all. However, as the story continues, it's really hard not to root for Kuroiwa Akira to grow up faster, so that they can be together officially.
I really like the fact that the drama does not portray Kuroiwa as super mature and use that to justify this romance. The drama did a great job in showcasing the emotions of a 15 year-old teenage boy. He's passionate, impulsive, immature but oh so in love. He doesn't know what to do with his feelings. His love blinded him from seeing anything else, thus, creating all sorts of problems. Actor Okada Kenshi did such an amazing job in showing raw emotions with his eyes. I see innocence and uncontrolled passion. Although Kuroiwa has matured as an 18-year old, he is not quite mature enough to handle all of his emotions. His mother is correct that he could be so out-of-control when it comes to Suenaga. He doesn't know how to act and respond maturely and is unaware of the consequences to his actions in the adult world. But I do applaud him for still having the self-control to not get too physical with Suenaga. I really enjoy seeing him grow up from a 15 year-old impulsive teen, to finally realizing what he needs to do as a 18-year old, and then as a 23 year-old.
Suenaga also has changed throughout the drama. As an inexperienced and young teacher, she is unable to do the right thing and control her feelings. She should have put a stop to all that until Kuroiwa is 20 years old. Because of her decision, she has to face the aftermath and consequences throughout the rest of the drama. The drama never makes this taboo romance to be all rainbows and roses. There are realistic consequences, and some very serious/extreme ones courtesy of Kuroiwa's mother. The drama does surprise me towards the end with the decision Suenaga made regarding the pledge, and I'm glad she did what she had to do, and finally realized what's best for both Kuroiwa and her.
As much as I root for the leads to be together, I can totally understand where Kuroiwa's mother is coming from. While watching this drama, I asked myself what I would do if I was his mom. I might not have used such drastic (surprising) measures at the end, but there's no way in hell I would approve my son's relationship with his teacher. It could be difficult to watch how Kuroiwa's mom treat Suenaga, but watchers have to understand where she's coming from.
Lastly, I also enjoy the secondary romance and how it all develops. Machida Keita is just as handsome as ever, and this drama came out before the popular "Cherry Magic". I enjoy his dynamic with both Suenaga and Haraguchi Ritsu in two very different relationships. Haraguchi is such a badass female character. She's so cool, eccentric but caring in her own ways.
I would have loved to see the 23 year-old Kuroiwa a little more and have a longer ending/epilogue but I am satisfied.
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A miracle under the Cherry Blossom Tree - a simple but beautiful premise to this short Jdorama (8 episodes at about 30 minutes each). This is a drama about second chances and healing. Our ML, Kota, died in an accident 7 years ago, and magically came back to life when the tree blossoms in the winter. His re-appearance brought his group of best friends back together to start the healing process. After Kota's death, they led separate lives, some are living better than others. Life was especially difficult for our FL, Mei. She was devastated when her crush passed away. Kota's best friend, Iori, was not living life to its fullest for a very different reason.
I was surprised that I didn't cry as much as I thought I would. I was ready to cry every single episode. I really like the premise of the story, but I was expecting more heartwarming and heartbreaking moments between Kota and Mei. I feel that because the episodes are so short, the drama cannot properly devote enough time to develop and tell each story: the past romance & friendship, the present romance, the present healing process, and the present investigation.
However, I still recommend this short drama if this is your cup of tea. The acting is solid, the scenery is beautiful and that the Cherry Blossom tree really is nice. What a nice location to be confessed to! ❤️
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I wanted to watch a fluffy romance to make up for the lack of chemistry in the drama I watched earlier. I chose “My Love, Enlighten Me” due to its pretty high MDL rating at 8.3 at the time of this review. For a C-drama romantic comedy without any superstars, this is a pretty high rating. I am disappointed to find out that I didn’t like this drama as much as others.
I would recommend this drama for those:
1. Who love a silly, cute, fluffy romance with many hugs and kisses
2. Who enjoy common cliches and tropes in a romantic comedy
3. Who enjoy watching about the fashion and entertainment industries
4. Light-hearted and simple drama
What I Enjoy:
1. Chemistry between the leads is really good. Once the leads get together, they have many sweet and fluffy scenes, full of hugs and kisses. Kisses are more cute/sweet than passionate/steamy. I enjoy their cute bickering. Others might not like it, but I like that they are both petty and get jealous easily.
2. I like the female lead, Nuan Nuan. She is funny, outgoing, smart, stubborn, hardworking and really perseveres to finally achieve her dream. She has great character and career developments in the drama. I don’t think I’ve seen a character with so many different jobs in such a short drama.
3. Eleanor Lee - this my first drama of hers and I am quite impressed with her acting. It’s easy to portray a cute and sassy character. But she also does a great job in emotional scenes. I felt her emotions in all her crying scenes and the argument she had with her mom during mom’s visit.
4. I enjoyed the secondary romance, though the fake dating part lasted a little too long. Han Xue and Gu Li’s romance is kinda cute and I am usually not a fan of noona romance.
What I Don’t Enjoy:
1. Super bright white scenes. The drama has the common rom-com backlighting shots to show a romantic scene. But additionally, there are so many daytime scenes where the whole background is so bright. I am blinded!!
2. Tripping, accidental falls and the overuse of slow motion forced romantic scenes,
3. Wrist grabs - so many of them especially from the male lead.
4. Misunderstandings between the leads because of the Love Square.
5. Fang Han Chen really needs to back off. FL repeatedly told him she’s not interested and he still persists throughout the drama. Even Lin Jia Yi backed off after she had a honest but sad conversation with ML.
Other Observations:
1. The plot is actually quite predictable and nothing surprised me.
2. I am still unsure about the initial setup in the first episode. Did ML contact the management company to promote Lin Jia Yi, or was he hired by the company to do so?
3. I’ve seen Connor Leong in two other dramas (“Be Yourself” and “Definitely Not Today”) and his characters are quite similar - introverted, shy, or cold. I wish to see him in a different role.
4. They are really “creative” with the product placement of Oreo cookies and Wine/wine bottles.
5. There’s no way ML can spot FL climbing up the muddy hill in the pouring rain.
6. Shout outs to “10 Miles Peach Blossoms”
7. Hot Pot! Hot Pot! Hot Pot! They really like hot pot.
8. Connor Leong (ML) is the only one who didn’t use his own voice.
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A drama full of complicated relationships
Completed - 2/24/2022I can't help but compare this drama to "Six Flying Dragons" which I have watched 29 of 50 episodes and then put on hold. There are a few common historical figures but with very different personalities. The production value and acting of both dramas are of high caliber. With my experience with “Six Flying Dragons”, I also realized that I cannot binge-watch this drama. This drama is intense with too much going on. The episodes are quite long as well (about 1 hr and 15 mins) and I lose focus and get bored when I binge-watched almost half of the show. I had to slow down and watch 1-2 episodes a day.
There are many different complicated relationships in this drama: Bromance, friendships, camaraderie, romance, father-son, and siblings.
Seo Hwi + Seon Ho (Bromance) - The friendship/bromance between our two male leads is different from other bromances I've seen. We actually don't see many scenes with Seo Hwi and Seon Ho together - mainly the first and last few episodes. They have been friends since childhood and through thick and thin. Their friendship is deep, even though they are from very different backgrounds and have very different life experiences. Throughout the drama, you can say they both have a common goal, but they go about achieving that through very different (bloody) means. They harbor sadness, anger and seek revenge, while pushing away the other's support and care. It's quite a push-and-pull relationship. They seem to hate each other at times, but in the end, they never kill each other when given the opportunity. The love has always been there, buried under their hardened hearts.
Seo Hwi + War Comrades - Seo Hwi and his friends provide some comic relief and lightheartedness in this drama. They bicker and beat up each other all in the name of fun and friendship. Without them, this drama would be too dark and too heavy.
Romance - Do not come into this drama because you want a lot of romance. Romance is only a very small part of this drama. Because this drama covers such a long period of time (many years), it cannot devote too many episodes on Seo Hwi and Hee Jae’s initial attraction to create a strong foundation of the romance. Therefore, it seems like they fall in love too quickly. We do see a few romantic and heartfelt scenes, but those are far and few between. On the other hand, the other pair, Moon Bok and Hwa Wol, provide comic relief. They seem like an unlikely pair but they are so funny and cute together.
Father and Son: Seon Ho and his father (Nam Jeong) have a love-hate relationship. Seon Ho found his father’s actions despicable and wanted to take him down. On the other hand, Nam Jeon seems to despise his son and only wanted him as a replacement for his dead older son. But in the end, do they truly hate each other? When there’s a chance to kill each other, can they really do it? Similarly the King and his princes also have some complicated relationships. The princes seek the throne, yet could they really kill their father for it? Will the king kill his sons to keep his throne? Without giving away spoilers, there’s a lot of internal struggles and is also a big part of the political drama.
Siblings: The princes might not want to kill each other for the throne. But circumstances might push them to do so. There are complicated feelings and internal struggles. On the other hand, we also see the tight bond between Seo Hwi and his little sister, Yeon. They have relied on each other since their father’s death, and the love they have for each other is deep. It’s no wonder Seo Hwi will go through hell, pushing his dear friend away, in order to seek revenge.
Other Observations:
1. Seon Ho is the saddest character. He goes through his journey of revenge and bloodshed mainly alone. At least Seo Hwi has his war friends by his side. Seon Ho has none. I think I enjoy Seon Ho’s journey and character development more than Seo Hwi’s.
2. All the characters must have 9 lives. They got slashed and stabbed by swords and arrows so many times, and they still recovered at lightning speed to be stabbed again.
3. Seo Hwi cries a lot.
4. But then, this whole drama is full of non-stop suffering and bloodshed.
5. I never saw Sambong’s face. I was hoping Kim Myung Min, who plays Sambong in “Six Flying Dragons” might show up as a cameo.
6. I like the OST. It’s quite unique for historical drama with what seems like a mix of different genres.
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Quick watch for those who miss the old crew - but not of the same quality
Completed - 1/12/2022When 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 - 12/8/2021Princess 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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This review may contain spoilers
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 8.5It'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
10/5/2021I 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
9/26/2021This 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
7/31/2021Saw 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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This review may contain spoilers
Unique Story , Beautiful Cinematography and Amazing Costumes
7/21/2021The 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: 7.75I 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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