I laughed, I cried, I swooned...I loved it!
For me, this is a work of cinematic art! ✨ I loved everything about it, and honestly it's hard to come up with highlights, because it seemed like everything was a highlight!
What immediately comes to mind that left an impression were (i) the performance of the main couple, played by CXX & LYX, and (ii) the way the story flowed & came to life so beautifully. CXX portrayed XZY so perfectly, with depth & nuance. I loved the range of his expressions, from distant & aloof to warm & caring. He is a stellar actor! Very dashing & handsome in this role, determined & clear but vulnerable too. I have become such a fan! Then, there's LYX who brought her acting skills to another level as HX. I already thought she was great after seeing her in MJTY, but here she played kind of an opposite character, very bubbly, positive, and kind, and like XZY, is very determined but can be vulnerable too. How they fell in love was so real and entirely believable, which is interesting seeing how it started in the VR world. I was amazed how they went from playful teasing to mutual affection & concern to fiery passion & back again. Their chemistry was so good that it felt like they were together IRL! I so enjoyed seeing their friendship & love blossom, them overcoming all odds, & of course being together at the end. My favourite modern Cdrama couple 💞.
Actually, there were so many moments while watching LBL when it felt more like an award-winning film rather than a 28-episode drama. Aside from the amazing acting (not just by our MC but really the entire cast was great!), the way this drama was filmed was too beautiful. From the opening credits with the very cute cartoons layered on top of the MC's more memorable scenes plus the theme song, to the closing credits with the architecture sketches & closing song, and every frame of each moment shown to us in between, everything was beautifully and thoughtfully done. The BGM & OST perfectly complimented the scenes, the framing & angles, the cinematography, the nature scenes, examples of modern & traditional architecture in Shanghai - it was a feast for the senses. The director & his team really put a lot of thought & heart into each still / frame of each episode, giving a certain feeling as I watched, a warm and cozy ambiance. There is a continuity in this feeling throughout the drama despite going from different settings (virtual to real world) and moods (playful, hilarious & romantic moments, flashbacks, stress & angst). So I really loved this connection and flow in the story. Maybe that's why I felt like it was more of a cinematic experience.
They say the devil is in the details and here the details elevated LBL. A beautiful sense of aesthetic permeated every scene, from their outfits (especially loved HX's Republican era outfits in Rongcheng!), interiors, exteriors, cars, buildings, streets, balloons - really everything was selected with purpose. I even liked the beautiful simplicity of the picture frame HX got for XZY with its clean lines. I also loved how they showed how much the MC cared for each other with the little details during certain moments (where if you blink you`ll miss), like how XZY charged HX cell while she was sleeping.
Definitely can go on and on...I mean the plot, character development, script/dialogue, everything was great! No real plotholes, no overdone tropes, no prolonged tangents. I appreciated how they focused on the MC throughout, with the side characters & revenge back story serving more as vehicles to develop the relationship & character of the MC. I also liked the parts in the script where they left a lot unsaid, leaving it up to us viewers to figure things out.
Thank you to the cast, crew & direction for gifting this absolute gem of a show! 👏👏👏 I am definitely coming back to this, I'm sure many times.
What immediately comes to mind that left an impression were (i) the performance of the main couple, played by CXX & LYX, and (ii) the way the story flowed & came to life so beautifully. CXX portrayed XZY so perfectly, with depth & nuance. I loved the range of his expressions, from distant & aloof to warm & caring. He is a stellar actor! Very dashing & handsome in this role, determined & clear but vulnerable too. I have become such a fan! Then, there's LYX who brought her acting skills to another level as HX. I already thought she was great after seeing her in MJTY, but here she played kind of an opposite character, very bubbly, positive, and kind, and like XZY, is very determined but can be vulnerable too. How they fell in love was so real and entirely believable, which is interesting seeing how it started in the VR world. I was amazed how they went from playful teasing to mutual affection & concern to fiery passion & back again. Their chemistry was so good that it felt like they were together IRL! I so enjoyed seeing their friendship & love blossom, them overcoming all odds, & of course being together at the end. My favourite modern Cdrama couple 💞.
Actually, there were so many moments while watching LBL when it felt more like an award-winning film rather than a 28-episode drama. Aside from the amazing acting (not just by our MC but really the entire cast was great!), the way this drama was filmed was too beautiful. From the opening credits with the very cute cartoons layered on top of the MC's more memorable scenes plus the theme song, to the closing credits with the architecture sketches & closing song, and every frame of each moment shown to us in between, everything was beautifully and thoughtfully done. The BGM & OST perfectly complimented the scenes, the framing & angles, the cinematography, the nature scenes, examples of modern & traditional architecture in Shanghai - it was a feast for the senses. The director & his team really put a lot of thought & heart into each still / frame of each episode, giving a certain feeling as I watched, a warm and cozy ambiance. There is a continuity in this feeling throughout the drama despite going from different settings (virtual to real world) and moods (playful, hilarious & romantic moments, flashbacks, stress & angst). So I really loved this connection and flow in the story. Maybe that's why I felt like it was more of a cinematic experience.
They say the devil is in the details and here the details elevated LBL. A beautiful sense of aesthetic permeated every scene, from their outfits (especially loved HX's Republican era outfits in Rongcheng!), interiors, exteriors, cars, buildings, streets, balloons - really everything was selected with purpose. I even liked the beautiful simplicity of the picture frame HX got for XZY with its clean lines. I also loved how they showed how much the MC cared for each other with the little details during certain moments (where if you blink you`ll miss), like how XZY charged HX cell while she was sleeping.
Definitely can go on and on...I mean the plot, character development, script/dialogue, everything was great! No real plotholes, no overdone tropes, no prolonged tangents. I appreciated how they focused on the MC throughout, with the side characters & revenge back story serving more as vehicles to develop the relationship & character of the MC. I also liked the parts in the script where they left a lot unsaid, leaving it up to us viewers to figure things out.
Thank you to the cast, crew & direction for gifting this absolute gem of a show! 👏👏👏 I am definitely coming back to this, I'm sure many times.
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