This review may contain spoilers
We’re both finally 19
At first, Part2 felt empty to me. Because we are watching her getting revenge. Part1 was mostly about her teasing and psychologically torturing her bullys. BUT her revenge was so good!It displayed everything i expected!
There is no affair, getting cold feet at the last moment, Dong-Eun feeling guilty about revenge, betrayal plot. That’s all i needed.
Even though her first 38 years were living hell, she met lot of loving people along the way whom showed Dong-Eun heaven is still on her side, god sometimes mistakes too.
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First the music in the series was heartwarming, especially the opening song of the series.
Secondly the acting of all the amazing actors and actresses. The chemistry between the character of P'Met and Thun is lovely, unbeatable acting by both of them. Prince and Kheim playing best friends to Thun, it was real fun having them. The three notable female characters, Praifah, Thun's mother Kwan and Ngoon (the ghost) were awesome. And let's not forget Jeng who made us smile right from the beginning and stealing our hearts too.
I'd like to thank all the people who put their complete effort in creating such a wonderful piece of work.
This series will make us watch again and again, but unfortunately it is very short. (But fluffy and will melt you with the love) Overall a wonderful short series to brighten up the mood with lots of love!
P.S I waited everyday for the episodes to come, and being an Int fan, I need subs. That was one amongst the sad parts in watching the series, plus it was not available on YouTube. LineTV is not available in my country. And I still hope for a season 2!! Or at least a lengthier sequel!
P.P.S: I have watched the last episode without subs... And I stilled loved it. Had a smile on my face and tear in my eye. They'll remain in my heart forever.
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1The road to perdition.
To put it simply, The Knockout knocks it out of the park with its audacious portrayal of an anti-villain as the main protagonist. Spanning twenty years, it is a masterful account of how a struggling everyman insidiously strays onto the road to perdition. The stage is set brilliantly from the get-go to manipulate us into sympathizing with a character who does terrible things. We are blinded by their humanity and blame the system for failing them, forcing the oppressed to become the oppressor.Gao Qiqiang starts out as a humble fishmonger doing his best to raise his younger brother and sister. When thugs threaten their livelihood, he stands up to them but is framed and arrested. An upstanding young officer An Xi suspects he was bullied, books the case leniently, and tries to keep his tormentors at bay. Ironically with small acts of kindness, An Xi empowers Gao Giqiang and propels him in unimaginable ways. The complex and sincere bond of empathy and indebtedness that is forged between the two men is the linchpin of this story. Their most pivotal character turning points and moments of truth play out on the neutral ground of a humble noodle shop. where much is revealed with few words.
It is clear from the outpouring of accolades that Gao Qiqiang is an iconic portrayal that put the hitherto under-appreciated Zhang Songwen on the map. Gao Qiqiang is a visionary mastermind who draws inspiration from Sun Tzu's Art of War. He is dangerously underestimated because of his amicable facade and his disarming affection for and vulnerability with those he cares for. The way he embraces fashion to please his wife to how he willfully blinds himself to his brother's weaknesses is both touching and relatable. When crossed, threatened, or betrayed, he is unforgiving and cruel to the point of depravity - no one is safe from him. He is chillingly ruthless and implacable when it comes to imposing his own brand of loyalty and justice. Like any good sociopath he oozes regret but in truth has no qualms about sacrificing his generals. He "makes it right" by caring for their families sincerely and with deep gratitude. He is bound by a very misguided code; one that is ruthless and amoral yet oddly authentic and honorable. Zhang Songwen embodies this character so well that some believe he is not acting and insist he should be at least investigated, if not locked up.
An Xi is both Gao Qiqiang's savior and his nemesis. More than anything, he is his biggest victim. This character makes me sad and mad. He is well meaning and does the right thing with all the wrong outcomes. Zhang Yi was reluctant to accept the role of An Xi, feeling he wasn't a good fit and wouldn't able to pull it off. But Zhang Songwen's Gao Qiqiang would not be so compelling without Zhang Yi's An Xi. It is their incredible rapport and ability to silently communicate that makes the small screen seem huge. Zhang Yi's expressive gaze and more subtle style is the perfect foil for Zhang Songwen's flamboyance and charisma. While I admired and sympathised with Gao Qiqiang, An Xi is the one that often moved me to tears. His speaking eyes frequently implore Gao Qiqiang to be a good man and convey bottomless dejection that gives lie to the goofy smiles he flashes at Meng Yu. The aging of characters over three distinct time arcs across twenty years is rarely captured as well as it is here. But it is Zhang Yi that simply nails this part - he is wary and tired but not quite beaten; the righteous flame in his eyes are dimmed but at the core still burns hot.
This drama is impeccably cast and is a who's who list of China's best actors, all of whom deliver immersive performances. The director's incisive lens meticulously peels back the many layers of the multi-faceted characters and their intricate relationships. The female characters are written to be strong and impactful beyond their screen time. Li Yitong really takes her acting to another level as Meng Yu; it is by far her strongest, most memorable role to date. Her screen chemistry with Zhang Yi is unexpected and endearing. And then there is Gao Ye's simply sensational Chen Shuting, the ultimate gangster's moll - cool, stylish and fearless. The way she menaces the wits out of Gao Qiqiang is one of the drama's highlights for me. There is a lot more on-screen violence in this drama than I expected. While the worst of it takes place off-screen, it is so well staged that it is more visceral and blood thirsty in my overactive imagination.
The rich plot builds to a shocking, unpredictable and devastating climax about a third of the way through. Then it loses momentum and in the final ten episodes it limps toward a predictable ending. This is somewhat to be expected as this was produced in partnership with the state, the nationalist message is inevitable.I really did not care about the party's anti corruption task force and yawned through their heroic sweep through Jinghai City to weed out the endemic corruption that had seeped into the cracks at every level of the bureaucracy. It is clear that there were some cuts and at least one character is whitewashed but I don't think it changes the gist of the final outcome. The final confrontation between Gao Qiqiang and An Xi saves the entire arc and there were enough characters I cared about including Meng Yu that it was still overall a decent arc. All considered, I am not as dismayed by the way this ends as others are. The fact that the government always wins is a foregone conclusion and not a spoiler in any crime and/or corruption themed Chinese drama. But in this case, I don't really think it shines that great of a light on "the good guys". I mean where were they for twenty years? And I am not sure the "good guys" win here. Poor An Xi is definitely is not a winner; in fact no one wins. Indeed audiences overwhelmingly empathise with Gao Qiqiang. Thus this is actually a very dark crime story with a surreptitiously bold and critical ending.
This spectacular crime thriller is a must watch. The first 30 episodes feel like a tour de force that can easily be rated 9.0/9.5. The rest are more at the 8.0 level so 9.0 feels about right for my final rating.
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A Hidden Gem
The Kingdom of Great Chu is a female-centric world where women’s and men’s roles are flipped. Women hold power and important office, whereas men stay home and do house chores, tend to the kids and are subservient to their wives. Here, we have a female emperor, and all the generals and ministers are women, and a powerful female shizi (世子) who holds the prestigious title inherited through her family. All families’ heritance and titles are to be passed down to daughters, and men are to be married into the women’s households. Courtesan houses are popular where men serve for the women’s pleasure.Shen Ye (Yuan Hao) has fallen in love with Shu Cheng (Jia Ze aka Claire Jia) since they were both kids because she had shown kindness towards him. From then, Shen Ye disguises as various characters and hides within her circle, secretly protecting her. As the intelligent shizi, the Emperor is threatened by her prowess and military power her family holds, and secretly sends out assassins to kill her. Time and time again, assassinations fail because Shen Ye always protects her in the dark, and she always comes out unscathed.
After saving Shu Cheng yet again in an ugly humpback cover that leads to her falling in love with him, Shen Ye changes his identity and reveals himself to her as the owner of Feng Lou, a courtesan house where wealthy women come to drink and to be entertained by male courtesans. Here, Shen Ye is considered as a stunning beauty in the Kingdom of Great Chu. He is charming and fast to please, frivolous and loves money dearly; but all these are on the surface. Under that good-looking skin, Shen Ye is intelligent and schemeful; he is always ahead of everyone around him, and always has a solution for every problem he encounters. He has multiple identities which add additional mysteries to his character. Despite being such a complex character, Shen Ye is devoted and willing to give up everything for the one he loves. He has so many secrets that he says he would reveal to Shu Cheng at the appropriate moment, this has created a lot of hilarious suspicions and misunderstandings by Shu Cheng. How Shen Ye continues to overcome such obstacles and maintains Shu Cheng’s love for him is brilliant.
I am intrigued by the Shen Ye character. I almost spit out laughing when he wears a veil covering his face when appearing in public or meeting with other women (think of ancient women wearing veils). His visor-looking veil is really ugly and looks funny on his face. Perhaps this is the purpose – to make viewers laugh. Yuan Hao’s portrayal of the character is very believable. He has a face that can look feminine (to be called beautiful in the land of Great Chu), and yet he is also very masculine.
Shu Cheng has to pretend to be a playgirl to make the Emperor let down her guard and stop wanting to kill her. So, she frequents Shen Ye’s courtesan house and proclaims he is hers; she tries to look as bad as possible. She is taken by surprise when she finds out that the man she’s being decreed to marry by the Emperor is Shen Ye under a different identify, Su Rongqing, the only son of one of the Emperor’s high ranking ministers. Even after they get married, Shu Cheng still doesn’t fully know Shen Ye’s real identity and what is under his sleeves. She loves him and yet doesn’t trust him, whereas for Shen Ye, he respects and loves her with no holding back. Despite their sweet romance, the secrecy spurs the plot on.
This is the first aired drama for Jia Ze playing a main lead. I find her acting better than many better known names. As the shizi, Jia Ze manages to bring out her commandeering charisma, courage, earnesty and upstandingness, and yet she also shows her feminine side when she is tormented by the conflict of her love for a man whom she believes to be a usurper, and her love for her country that she swears to protect. Jia Ze is natural and convincing.
The second couple is amazing with a very compelling story. Both Li Zhehao and Peng Yaqi (aka Yakisa) put up a fine performance as a heart-wrenching couple, Shen Cong and Murong Wanqing, who endure revenge and love, romance and guilt. The Murong Wanqing character reminds me of the sweet-silly characters played by Zhao Lusi. In fact, Peng Yaqi and Zhao Lusi look somewhat alike in their aura and demeanor under certain instances.
My Verdict
Unusual, refreshing, great plot, captivating storyline, intense, lovely characters, good humor, sweet romance, fine writing, directing and production. Unfortunately, not many viewers are watching this wonderful drama because decent English subtitles are not available at the time of airing, therefore, the rating here is lower than it deserves.
An enjoyable watch. Don’t miss it!
P/S: A sneak peek of next season seems to be dark and even more intense with amnesia, deaths, and protagonists turn antagonists.
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A reflective, authentic watch. *No Spoilers*
This drama deserves a much higher rating in my opinion.What I found most enjoyable about this whole show is how mature, high quality the characters are. Even the supporting cast is excellent in a natural way. All the characters handle conflict in a natural, mostly mature way, true to real life instead of the clichéd sort of characters who are naive, childish, unruly, whiny, manipulative in an over-exaggerated manner and ultimately boring to watch. Instead this cast of characters are brilliant thinkers and dreamers with some flaws. This isn’t a boring watch where everything is perfect and nothing happens in the plot, rather, the characters authentically handle conflict, true to their character, which makes the conflict more interesting.
How well written the characters are really left an impression on me. Props to the writer.
The actors embody their characters precisely. Although in real life, the male love interests greatly differ in age compared to the female lead, that is not the focus of this drama. Rather the tone of this show is to get back on your feet after shortcomings. This drama focuses on how we influence those around us and how we are inspired by them as well, when working towards a common goal.
The directing, camera angles and pacing of the show help the viewer to truly experience the development of the characters and their lives, resulting in some beautiful shots that evoke emotions—not overdone but not insignificant.
This drama has raised my expectations of what makes a quality Japanese drama and it is hard to top.
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The Scooby-Doo Gang Minus A Goofy Dog
I was anticipating the reunion between Jung Il Woo and Yuri after being blown away by their pairing in Bossam: Steal the Fate. So when I saw that one of the genres was crime & mystery, I was looking forward to a detective show where both leads would deploy their abilities and work (and flirt) together to solve crimes and deal with the darker side of humanity.Well, this show was that but not really that either. I can only say that it was a novel, mash-up of genres and had an interesting, chaotic dynamic about it. The show kicked off with great energy and mostly maintained the fast paced action throughout that kept me interested. I knew that there was comedy but I did not expect such silly, slapstick humor and ridiculous set ups. I supposed the opening credits in comic book style should have given me a hint that this show did not take itself seriously. Each episode required one to suspend disbelief, sit back and enjoy the ride which I totally did. I found every episode hilarious and entertaining.
Even though the show was all over the place, with tons of inconsistencies and plot holes, there was still a main storyline with the ML, Eun Seon Woo trying to find the murderer of his mother. Actually a prominent chaebol, Seon Woo opened a detective agency as a front for his investigation. Helping him was his sidekick and probably only friend, Yang Jin Mo, a brilliant lawyer who was also incredibly tech-savvy. I gotta say, Yang Jin Mo had the best lines throughout the show and Eum Moon Suk played this funny character very well.
Along the way, Seon Woo met Don Se Ra and ended up having her as part of his undercover team and while the romance between the two main leads took a slower path, culminating only in the last couple of episodes, Yang Jin Mo and Se Ra’s best friend and baker, Sa Na Hee played by Song San Eun, went on a much faster track.
The four main characters had great rapport and played off each other so well. Il Woo again impressed me with his ability to emote different feelings via his micro-expressions and his eyes, oh his eyes…Yuri took Don Se Ra, a character that I found irritating at first due to her self-righteous stubbornness and evolved her into a likable FL. The chemistry between Il Woo and Yuri did not disappoint! Even though I had hoped for more kisses to make up for the lack of in Bossam, I still enjoyed watching their interactions on screen. Jin Mo and Na Hee, on the other hand, made me cringe but also laughed a lot - their overacting and silly antics never failed to tickle my funny bone.
Really, these four reminded me of the Scooby-Doo gang minus a goofy dog. They even had a van that the real Scooby-Doo gang would be proud of! I was happy to see Lee Joon Hyuk who was also in Bossam as Director Hong. He was another character that delivered the right amount of comic relief.
The antagonists fell flat for me though with some wooden acting but Hong Woo Jin deserved kudos for playing a secret psychopath.
The music track was great - the opening song and the other ones were upbeat and lent an uplifting tone that was apparent throughout the show. For posterity, I added the list of songs below.
Overall, even though I can see why “Good Job” could be a hit or miss with most people, I would recommend that you give it a try. It is watchable, bingeable really with only 12 episodes, has many great moments and ends on a high note.
OST list:
Closer - JAY B & Youngjae (영재) |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rheg1w0k3Us
https://open.spotify.com/album/4RxzSoaDzWmFEeJB2H23br?si=GxbNoKerROeB5f5YvmCEfA
Savior - Baekho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXQAAqjzQbI
https://open.spotify.com/album/1Dvc61AhWBaCxtzWZvNcUh?si=LMSqeE2MQ16yOqsurlpRcw
하루 (A Day) - SUMMER CAKE (썸머케익)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZnAmfnEHo
https://open.spotify.com/track/24thngWyztJ8opjZgam2DE?si=6ae7eb1324f24161
Spring ‘봄’ - Yerin (예린)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOqqlE20x5w
https://open.spotify.com/album/0W13rQuiY4xY5cISSa9uni?si=F5nHO9_1S9GxKwJJJIb3_w
Obvious (뻔해) - SOULSTAR (소울스타)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVvZ7NEvZBw
https://open.spotify.com/track/20eeWxB72UDma9z1nGk3Ah?si=c22c91920c9542e9
Like You 굿잡 - 찬주 (Chanju)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0AqWa-eEA
https://open.spotify.com/album/0dnFHJfAFIirCZkXbu4AGS?si=LF2r3EwbR2qY6XnipPhJoQ
Key - Bryn (브린)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1nB6wwWsmk
https://open.spotify.com/track/54yc7L3u6ZeWofDvlWybZI?si=8e28553e995a497f
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The Chemistry? chemistrying and Censorship? Bet
The MLs dynamic is a kidnapped forced marriage lol, then enemies to "bromance" even when they're enemies they stand up and protect each other they have their own moments. Despite being short it's detailed and done well like any full length drama, even side characters have a nicely detailed style, acting and cast stands out the most they are brilliant and carried well.Plot is very serious a seek for revenge and the events are portrayed in a nice pace, there's a couple funny moments but most of it is angsty and the focus is the male leads, the side female character is a sister figure she's not portrayed terribly thankfully but rather a kind person who supports the people around, so if you're seeking a bromance focus it's doing that.
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If you´re only in it for the romance, than skip that one. This KDrama is actually so much more.
This is a family saga in cross-section. Typically, the list of the main actors only contains Lee Seo-jin, Kim Hee-sun and Ok Taecyeon. However, I think the whole family belongs here because family is the issue. Of course there is a romance (and not just one). However, sooner or later is always about family. And so "Wonderful Days" is the perfect KDrama to study family structures, dynamics and values as well as its impact on every day life in South Korean culture and tradition.Family hierarchies, manners, customs and traditions are presented in detail. The setting for this is fittingly the traditional hanok, in this case a giwajib, a dwelling for a middle-class family. In "Wonderful Days" you experience family as it would like to be and family as it really is, behind the facade - with all its taboos and lies and secrets and flaws. The issues of disability, adultery and flaws of single parents are dealt with. The questions of who is allowed to marry whom and what that means for family life are worked through. Finally, it is also about pride, guilt, shame, reconciliation, forgiveness and emancipation.
I think actress Youn Yuh-jung rocks the entire show. The processes she goes through again and again are numerous and moving. In some places, where she seems very traditional and her decisions seem virtuous in the service of the family, she also turns out to be truly modern. She always makes up for her lack of education with a lot of heart and common sense. She is already a strong mother model. But at the same time she shows herself vulnerable and conveys very vividly that this mother role demanded by society is practically superhumanly difficult and actually impossible to achieve.
With the action location of Gyeongju, you also get a tiny glimpse of the historic Silla city in south-east South Korea. The grave-mounds of the Silla Kings provide a scenic background more than once. The specific, comparatively melodic Busan dialect that is spoken in this region is also acoustically striking in the dialogues.
This family drama, in which everyone works through their own inner and outer struggles within themselves and the family, is told in a compassionate, vivid and multi-layered manner along numerous storylines through the entire family. Accordingly, this 50-episode KDrama has more episodes than usual. You can indeed learn to understand how the individual in South Korea holds back for the family, or what strength one has to muster in order to protect one's self-interest against the (supposed) well-being of the family, especially the elderly. Self-sacrifice and the ability to suffer are a given - as if it were the most natural thing in the world. However, they are sometimes subtly and sometimes openly questioned. The quarrel is conducted within the drama-family, but inevitably continues in OUR heads, hearts and personal worlds, too. Thus, it is a sensitive socio-critcal study and a sophisticated scenario, for confronting South Korean audience with traditional values facing modern life in 2014. Perhaps it is also interesting to know for non-Koreans (in order to understand some other dynamic of the story): adultery has only been unpunished in South Korea since 2015, abortion since 2017. Before that, it was a crime.
Sometimes the family dynamics are almost unbearable from a western point of view. They may also seem exaggerated as far as our (I am here refering to ´my´ western, german) reality is concerned. The decisions of the protagonists sometimes seem to be incomprehensible. But then again - as far as South Korea is concerned - this is not exaggerated at all. These dynamics are real (but in good makjang fashion, they also add a bit more drama for good catharsis effect). In any case, for Western viewers those dynamics are instructive for studying the culture-specific value systems and, last but not least: occasionally also thought-provoking, too.
Ah. Don´t let me forget to mention... it is about a love story, too. Not only one actually. But if you´re in it for only this romance, than skip that one. You will be busy fast-forwarding most of the time - because this KDrama is actually so much more...
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This review may contain spoilers
Satisfying series! Highly reccomended.Binged watched the whole series in one night. Engaging from the start till the end., the twelve episodes were used perfectly!
Coming in, you'd think you are watching a semi-fantasy scifi show. Its a story of a missing IT tycoon whose consciousness was mysteriously trapped inside a mobile phone. The phone landed in the hands of a seemingly unlucky jobless man who wasoffered to be the CEO of the company to solve the mystery of the boss' disappearance
I loved that the male princess cinderella transformation wasnt overdone. I specially enjoyed the main lead's boyish charm and acting and his dynamics with his family. I was also happy about the way they resolved the mystery of the trapped boss.
If there's anything con ts the fact that Chae Jong Hyeop's arms are so distracting, cause the guy oozes masculinity even without taking his shirt off.
Give it a go, you'd enjoy it too. Overall its an 8.5.
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The winds of change.
This slow paced suspense thriller by the director of The Bad Kids is told with such dry humor and irony that it initially conceals the story's intense, almost unbearable pathos. It is about how the irresistible force of the winds of change profoundly affects the lives of two generations of Hualin. Hualin is a fictional Northeastern town where the entire economy was built around a state owned enterprise, Huagang Steel, which is said to be modelled on either Angang Steel or Benxi Steel. The mill employs most of the town in some capacity and runs everything from its schools to its hospitals. This economic model collapsed in the late 1990s, displacing hundreds of thousands of workers across China. Towns like Hualin, where one enterprise comprised practically the entire economy were particularly hard hit.The drama opens in 2016, where the main protagonist Wang Xiang, an irascible old taxi driver helps his brother-in-law Gong Biao hunt down scammers who tried to knock off his taxi medallion. They rope in Ma Desheng, a retired disillusioned cop turned ballroom dancer to aid them. Their determined, bungling poking around results in a murder that Wang Xiang insists must be linked to a cold dismemberment case at the mill that they had investigated almost two decades ago. This takes them back to 1997/1998, which was a turning point in all three lives that they survived but never quite recovered from.
Fan Wei's portrayal of the older Wang Xiang's grief frozen expression and his glittering angry sad gaze is brilliant and evocative. I almost couldn't see Qin Hao in middle-aged Gong Biao, who still somehow manages to hang on to that optimism and naivete of youth. And Chen Minghao never fails to impress with his ability to combine comedy with tragedy - his ballroom dancing left me speechless! I enjoyed the chemistry and rapport of the older cast immensely. Only veteran actors of this caliber are able to stay in character and wear the passage of time and hardship through multi-decade transformations so effortlessly. In the present, they are shadows of their former selves, displaced by the reform and changes that swept across China as it opened up to change. I am surprised by how candid this drama is about how these economic reforms did not benefit everybody.
Back in 1997, the three friends are in their prime. Wang Xiang is the important train driver that transports raw materials to the mill; Gong Biao is a rare young college graduate groomed to advance in the mill's senior management; and Ma Desheng is a hot shot detective in charge of shocking murders that shook the town. The young Wang Yang sees the writing on the wall with respect to the mill's future and resists his father's efforts to help him secure a position there, seeking employment in the nascent and seedier private sector instead. There he becomes fast friends with Shen Mo and Fu Weijun. Unlike the older generation who are still in denial, this youthful trio are quicker to accept and adapt to the rapidly changing environment. The bond of their friendship is just as strong and as real as that of their elders. The younger cast impressively hold their own well up against the veterans. This has to be Li Gengxi's best, least petulant portrayal but I still find her to be the weakest link in the cast overall. While her performance was quite good, I did not like or empathise with her Shen Mo the way I felt compelled by and rooted for both Wang Yang (lLiu Yitei) and Fu Weijun (Jiang Qiming).
In terms of the mystery plot, it is very well designed with a few good twists but is overall straightforward and easy to understand. The clues are intriguing and well planted early on and an outline of what happened emerges at a slow but riveting pace. When all is revealed, everything fits together and makes sense. It is true that this drama is a much bigger story than the mystery itself but the unravelling of the case is the centrepiece that pulls the sub-plots and narrative that spans two decades together. It is a very dark story that unfolds during a time of inescapable change that everyone is helpless up against. At the same time, they go through some utterly devastating events. The passage of time doesn't dull anything; in fact to them decades later it is still as if it all happened just yesterday. Poor Wang Xiang and to a lesser extent, his buddies are in limbo, suspended in this dreadful, long autumn. The drama tries to end with closure followed by a positive epiphany; to move forward and not look back 往前走/wǎng qián zǒu. Yet I can't shake the overwhelming sense of how beautiful but quietly helpless and tragic this story is. Not everyone will be able to understand or relate to the late 1990s backdrop or enjoy the slow pace but for me this is the best drama I have watched this year (as of May 2023). I rate it 9.5/10:0.
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Min Ki is so HOT in here! He is such a gentleman I loved how he was caring toward her and changed her into a better person. Did i tell you his eyes are gorgeous!
Chae Rim one of my favourite female actress, she blew me out of my seat.
A must watch drama that you will never regret ever watching!
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This review may contain spoilers
I decided that I really wanted to watch this not only because it was one of the most highly anticipated Chinese dramas of 2019, but because of the actors/actresses. I really wanted to see ZTao (Boxu) in a drama because I was very curious about him in an active role and to be honest, I enjoyed every second of his character. I loved watching his growth from this misunderstood c-pop star who hid behind his popularity to this soft and funny man who learned what was most important in his life and it was one of the things I loved most about this drama - the chemistry between the two leads. I loved their back and forth banter that was 100% flirting, but both didn't realize it. Their relationship seemed extremely comfortable and natural, which made me ship them from the beginning.
Sorry, Yu Zi Rui. This brings me to my next actor - Niu Jun Feng who placed Yu Zi Rui. It was the second time I had seen him in a drama and he was one of my favorite characters in the first one. When I found out that he was a major-minor character again in this drama, I had to watch. Especially since he was playing the caring and gentle (first) love interest of our main character. Was I a little disappointed in the character he played? Yea, but I think he did an amazing job playing his character. I loved watching his internal struggle trying to figure out what he thought was most important in his life and what he was willing to do to get there. Similar to Boxu, but almost an opposite result, which broke a lot of people's hearts, but made others full.
Finally, there is Janice Wu. I don't know how it happened, but I somehow ended up watching two dramas at the same time, not knowing she was the lead in both. I love what she brings to every role that she is in and ended up being one of my top favorite actresses. I loved that she played this hard-working woman who was not scared of Boxu and always was true to herself and in her relationships with others. We also got to see her in some down moments, but she always bounced back with the support of the people she built strong relationships with.
I enjoyed this drama a lot more than I thought I was going to, but there were a few things that I couldn't get over. The first being the consistency and the flow of every episode. It seemed as if one episode was cut into 2 or 3 parts, so when you watched it, at the end of these eps were abrupt and in the middle of a sentence. I also wasn't a fan of ANYONE that worked at Star Entertainment. Some people had their moments, but it wasn't enough. I honestly wanted Boxu's contract to be terminated so he could go somewhere else. BUT, Star Entertainment did seem like a family....a dysfunctional family.
BUT, the one person I disliked the most, and idk if she just enjoys playing these types of characters, was Xia Yuan, Zhen Zhen's best friend and roommate. I felt like she was too much. I'm glad she did a lot of growing in the drama as a whole, but she was a mess in the middle and took it out of Zhen Zhen for something he has no power over. Especially when she decided that she was in love with Yu Zi Rui for no reason really, but I appreciate the ending that they gave her and Zi Rui.
Overall, I would love to see Z.Tao act in more dramas as well as continue to watch Janice Wu in the future. I hope they collaborate again. I was also in LOVE with every song in Boxu had written, that was in this drama, and extremely happy that they were real songs by Z.Tao and downloaded them all.
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This review may contain spoilers
Still waiting for it to click
My Page in The 90s is about a modern-day love advice streamer gets pulled into a cheesy late 20th century romance novel, she finds herself entangled with a cold CEO archetype and forced to play out a love story she never signed up for.But honestly? This drama spends its entire runtime almost convincing you it has something interesting to say, but then stopping just short of actually saying it.
On paper, this is a classic transmigration setup. Lin Huan’er is initially sharp, pragmatic, and refreshingly clear about her goal: she wants to go back to her own reality.
Huan’er works fine on a surface level. She’s fun, reactive, and decently written. But the second you try to dig underneath that surface, there’s nothing there. Her emotional interior is frustratingly underdeveloped. We’re told she wants to return to her world, but we’re never shown why. What is she leaving behind? A family? Friends? A career she cares about? A life she built? We have no idea. And that becomes an issue later on, when she suddenly decides she might not want to go back after all.
This is, in my opinion, one of the most grotesquely common flaws in transmigration stories: the protagonist’s original life is treated as disposable. Wanting to return becomes a purely logical stance at the start, and abandoning that desire later is framed as emotional growth. Except it isn’t, because there was never anything tangible to give up in the first place. It makes her choice feel hollow because there is nothing to compare it to. Does she truly find something worth staying for, or does the story simply stop caring about the question?
Then there’s Gao Haiming. He is the hyper-competent, emotionally constrained CEO who is secretly warm, loyal, and willing to burn the world down for the woman he loves. Nothing grounds breaking, but decent enough.
Chemistry is another stance in which the story wobbles. It almost works. There are moments, especially in the very last episodesof the drama, where you can see what the writers were aiming for. But for a long time, I felt… nothing. Not even during scenes that were clearly meant to be intense or intimate. Their affection doesn’t feel like it grows, it just appears. One moment there’s emotional distance, the next we’re meant to accept that something deep and irrevocable has formed between them.
A significant chunk of the runtime is spent on Huan’er running away from her feelings, and it feels like a way to avoid doing the actual work of building the relationship. Those episodes would have been far better used letting us watch the affection develop organically, rather than being told it exists.
Secondary characters don’t help. Most of them are painfully uninteresting. Zhu Mengmeng starts off as someone who at least feels relevant to Huan’er’s story, but as the drama progresses, the narrative splits into parallel tracks that intersect every now and then. It ends up feeling like two separate dramas awkwardly stitched together, instead of a cohesive world where relationships actually matter.
Performance-wise, this drama is frustrating. I’m already familiar with Chen Xingxu, and he is undeniably a very good actor. This was my first time watching anything with Wang Yuwen, but she leaves a good impression. Which is precisely why some scenes are so hard to get through. The emotional beats don’t always land, and when they don’t, it feels less like an acting issue and more like a directing and pacing problem.
And the ending? Lazy and emotionally unsatisfying.
I don’t want to get into spoilers, but I have a deep dislike for abrupt endings that simply happen. No explanation, no thematic resolution, no real invitation for interpretation, just a narrative shrug that suggests the writers were tired and wanted to be done. It doesn’t feel open-ended in a mysterious and intricate way, it feels unfinished.
What makes all of this more frustrating is that the drama repeatedly comes close to being good, but it never quite gets there. It gestures at depth without committing to it, sets up questions it doesn’t want to answer, and relies too heavily on familiar tropes without doing enough to justify them.
In the end, this is a drama that had all the necessary components: a capable cast, a workable premise, and moments of genuine charm. But instead of fully committing to its ideas, it settles for “good enough” and for a story about rewriting fate and choosing one’s own ending, that feels especially disappointing.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama was very enjoyable. The female lead is 29 years old, divorced and has a child. The male lead is 23 years old. Male lead is a ceo of a beauty company. Female lead divorced her cheating husband and needs to find a job to get the rights of her child back. She becomes the personal assistant of the main lead. At first they are bickering but slowly they fall in love. I like the female lead because she is smart and thinks quickly off her brain, she doesn't let a failed marriage get to her. She strives to do the best at her work and takes good care of the male lead. The main lead at times can be child like but has time where he is very manly too. ( he looks very young...) Their real life age is the same as in the drama btw :) The male lead had a traumatic childhood which causes him to faint/ lose breath if lights are shut off. I really like the female lead and her best friend's friendship. They are there to support each other through the highs and lows. I wasn't as fond of the best friend and the second male lead's love story because it was kind of stick, lol at least they have a happy ending.
The chemistry between the female and male lead is good too. After they fall in love with each other , there are many sweet moments shared ( kissing scenes >_<). I feel that 16 episodes was the perfect amount of episodes, so that it didnt get draggy. I also liked that they acknowledge each others feeling pretty early on, not like some where they save it for the end. of course their love has some ups and downs ( i'll let you watch that part yourself).
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As implied above, Yakou Kanransha delves into the effects a shocking murder has on two families (and the town in which they live). It is an emotional story marked by highs and lows, much like the ever-rotating path the titular Ferris wheel follows. Other issues tackled over its course include bullying (by neighbors and classmates), ostracization, domestic violence, and societal pressure. Unlike many other Japanese dramas with such a focus, family is not held on a pedestal. Instead we're shown a realistically flawed structure, full of secrets and misunderstandings. Despite this, beauty remains to be found in the connection between friends, brothers and sisters, parents and children; something so imperfect can still be wonderful.
Most incredible might be how deftly these emotive aspects are combined with exciting, cerebral ones. Character development intermingles flawlessly with shocking revelations and startling secrets. Scenes are rarely lingered on; the pacing maintains a seamless stability throughout the series.
Japan excels at the ensemble piece; Yakou Kanransha boasts a large cast which more than lives up to this standard. Suzuki Kyoka clocks in a believable and solid performance as Endo Mayumi. This role is written simply so she might serve as our eyes into this fantastic circumstance; despite this, Suzuki-san completely brings her to life. Among the other adults, Yasuda Shota and Natsuki Mari are of great interest. Natsuki-san plays an especially polarizing part, yet her consistent and complex portrayal makes quite the impression.
But young actors Nakagawa Taishi (15) and Sugisaki Hana (16) completely steal the show. Both deliver honest and affecting performances beyond their years. Particularly Nakagawa-san; it floored me how drawn into his scenes I became as the series rolled along. Definitely a budding career to watch.
If like me, music comprises an important part of your viewing experience: take heart. Yakou Kanransha posesses an immaculate soundtrack, full of richly mysterious strings and hollow piano. There are also fine vocals, such as those from Ai (ending theme "Voice," which exudes action), and Reiko Oshima ("Daydreaming," a hopeful ballad with a bittersweet feel). Other highlights include the masterful use of sound effects; during particularly intense scenes, one can sometimes hear the grinding machinery and clacking carts of the Ferris wheel. Also take note of its use as imagery between scenes; you'll never forget the way it looks, brightly lit at night.
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