Reviews

This is by far the best screen adaptation for HS&DS that I have seen and read. The story line is very good, it was executed perfectly under a good Director. Scenery is also amazing, the choice of places are exceptional and highlighting all extraordinary places that you can only find in China. This include the choice of Wudang Mountain and the whole temple is just awesome to watch. The wardrobe are also worth complimenting. You can see Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min and Zhou ZHiruo in the most dashing clothes which in my opinion rise to the occasions. The music score were heartwarming and help with the mood as we watched the characters playing it. It helps us understand the emotion underwent in the characters during the particular scene. It is also helpful that the Main Theme is by Emil Wakin Chau. Perhaps this is the only series that I watched and listened to the opening theme every time I am watching.
The special effect are also exquisitely done, not overly doing it so still acceptable to watch but able to relay how good of a Wukong Zhang Wuji has, perhaps the best Fighter of the time. The character building was also very good, something that I have never see in any adaptation. So we can be in touch with the character struggles as well as understanding why they did it. I would like to make a special remark for the kid actor who played Zhang Wuji age 10 from the beginning he really stole the show! The relationship between Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo at that age was entertaining to watch to say the least. No wonder some people were hoping that this time Zhang Wuji will be with Zhou Zhirou, but based on the story line, it was not compatible. Zhang Wuji contemplated a lot on this, until he decided to be with Zhao Min for good. It took him a while to reached the life changing decision. In which Zhao Min knew all a long the hardship that they will endure. Imagine, the Head of the Rebellion against the Mongol occupation and the Mongolian Princess? These were pictured and played perfectly throughout the series, you can see details here and there.
Last but not least, the ending, ultimate test of their relationship was a bit too fast as I had hope but still acceptable. As for the end, I am hoping that we can see more of Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min realizing their dream as Zhao Min pictured during their travel.
My deepest thanks for the team behind this project, if there is anyway I can buy the whole complete series please let me know as that will be the least I can do to show my support.

Sincerely,
Hartanto

PS. I am 49 years old Wuxia lover from Indonesia and I have read almost all Jin Yong, Gu Long and Liang Yu Sheng

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Beautiful Production, Puzzling Plot

The Rise of Phoenixes kept me hooked from start to finish, and for me this is a serious act of binge watching, but... I tend to disagree with fans on the internet comparing this show to Nirvana in Fire, or even Game of Thrones. This show wasn't up to par compared to those two. I think what mesmerized me were the stunningly filmed scenes and actors. I just love to look at beautiful faces and places. The leading couple took my breath away sometimes. Although Ni Ni was forced to play a Mary Sue, completely different from her character in the original novel, I easily forgot all this by just looking at her. The same can be said about Chen Kun. He sometimes fell into the trap of emotional, hammy playing, with eyeball rolling and all, but compensated this with good scenes that made him a true anti-hero. I loved their flirting scenes and their love scene beneath a water surface. Also the supporting cast did a good job, especially the old emperor.

So why do I feel unsatisfied after 70 episodes? I think it was the script. With historical drama there’s usually the choice between (a) the “man meets woman/they fall in love/they have difficulties/their love survives or not”- storyline or (b) the “man meets woman/they support each other/one of them choose to break up for the common good”- storyline. I guess this production didn’t make this choice. It started as a love story, and abruptly hopped off to version (b). I wonder why, because we didn’t see the suffering of the common people at all, they were absent during all scenes.

There was also an inconsistency in characters. Normally there are outright heroes, villains, and anti-heroes in a show. Ning Yi is the anti-hero type, who should have become more defined as the story fleshed out. It didn’t happen. In the original novel his life experiences made him another man. In the end he dares to choose for his personal happines. In this production however, although he’s portrayed as a highly intelligent man, Ning Yi only wants to win the throne above all other things, turning him into a Macbeth type. This makes his character difficult to portray. How can this prince be a romantic anti-hero, a highly treacherous schemer, and an intelligent person at the same time? The same goes for Feng Zhiwei. She’s the protagonist/heroine of the story. She’s young, intelligent and she becomes an imperial adviser, she doesn’t know her origins and is highly naive, although she can be plucky and daring at the same time. The moment she knew about the fate of several people who gave their life for the sake of her heritage and dynasty, she should have thought about her purpose, her goal in life. It would have been a call to action for her type of character. This happened in the novel. In this production however, after a few revengeful thoughts, she became like many heroines in other c-drama: a brokenhearted, passive love interest.

This production could have been a complicated love story. In stead it became the story of many people whose lives became intertwined. They just happened to meet at the same place, at the same time under difficult circumstances, namely the struggle for power at the imperial palace. All actors did their very best, this makes it worth your time. There are many questions left about certain events, and characters, so it feels that even 70 episodes is not enough. Perhaps a remake will meet the challenge.

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Let's begin with technical things -

The storyline is fairly everyman. The story pretty much literally revolves around 4 men with unique personalities and lives mixing with each other. There isn't any mind-blowing plot or intricated scheming. There's nothing you "can't see coming." In some places, the story appears rushed and underdeveloped. However, the reason I gave the story aspect such a high rating was because this is definitely a character driven story and the characters are amazing. The characters come from different walks of life, with vastly different personalities, with vastly different goals, hidden agendas, open agendas and complicated psyches. It captures the nitty-gritties of relationships and love. The undercurrents in relationships that noone wants to talk about, the kind of stuff everybody wants to pretend doesn't exist  and it captures every feeling beautifully.


Acting is spot-on. The cast is all eye-candy and handsome. There's plenty of gorgeous bodies and man on man action. ;) But, less superficially, I think the actors did well in capturing each character's individual charm, flaws and emotions. Jimmy's actor nailed the seemingly happy-go-lucky facade (with a sensitive and deeply emotional side). Yan Fei's actor nailed the stoic, in command and forward thinking marketing director who is very filial to his mother (yet he is insensitive and he is not loyal to his partner). Hai Qing is artistic and apparently highly talented, but he has a dark (easily angered, depressed, easily upset, possessive and jealous) side.  Ping Jun is the simplest character - he's pretty much just a nice guy the whole time, to the end. (And he finished last, haha)


Music is lovely. Yeah. I'm going to be downloading the track. The music matches the theme/story so well.

Definitely a whole truckload of heartbreak, unfairness, conflicting character values. It's awfully realistic in that sense. Every character has needs that just aren't met. In that sense, I do think that Yan Fei and Hai Qing complete each other, but it's not going to be a healthy relationship because they're both emotionally and mentally unhealthy characters.

My biggest complain about this drama is the casting and the chemistry mismatch, actually. Tom (Wang Ting Yun) is drop dead gorgeous, but he's reserved/hesitant person/introspective in real life and he can't 100% pull off the dominant/aggressive character Yan Fei is supposed to be. Charles (Lin something) is an outgoing, aggressive-ish and intense personality in real life - great acting, but he isn't 100% pulling off the clingy/desperate-for-love energy Jimmy should have. Jimmy/Charles&Tom/YanFei has insane chemistry, but Tom/Yan Fei could not even remember Aric's (Hai Qing's actor) name and other than some courtesy fan service, would never touch Aric....this absolute lack of chemistry shows, okay? The YanFei/Jimmy scenes felt natural, romantic and sexy. The YanFei/HaiQing interactions... I can tell you guys don't dig each other.  

But, for what it's worth, this is still one of the best BL shows out there due to all the stupid censoring that happens to mainland China ones.

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This drama started out so promising. I loved the chemistry between the main couple. They were too cute for words for the first six -eight episodes. I loved the interaction and blooming romance. But the drama really went downhill after the halfway point. It turned into a melo melo, and not the cute noona romance I was first sold on. The heroine was so annoying and made one stupid mistake after another. It was like she was trying to sabotage the relationship by episode 12. The ending was just so unsatisfactory, with the last two episodes seriously depressing me. Overall, I liked half the show. Loved the cutie main lead. But would never watch this one again!

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When it rains, it pours , washing away doubts but leaving behind a storm of desire!

At the heart of this drama is an exploration of longing, love and the complex emotions that arise when loyalty is questioned. The story is an emotional journey of Hagiwara and Nakarai who navigate their changing feelings towards each other while each being in a complicated relationship where neglect and denial have the front seat. In 7 episodes it somehow manages to explore the grey areas where desires conflict with rationality and norms and also focuses on the delicate balance between self-preservation and vulnerability in the right place, to the right people.

The drama in its portrayal of cheating doesn't simply just present it as a plot twist or spicy storytelling tool, but it digs into deeper emotional undercurrents that pushed the characters to take those drastic actions.
Here, it was an expression of emotional turbulence and crisis that stemmed from being disregarded for too long. It felt like a cry for recognition, for understanding.

There is something beautifully tragic in how one person seeks solace in the arms of another, not out of malice, but out of a desperate need to be seen, to feel valued in a world that seems to disregard their worth.

Character Description :

Nakarai Sei was a walking emotional paradox. His character was a mix of emotional detachment and the tragic yearning for something more, something he can't quite grasp but desperately craves. He feels all this stuff brewing inside but he’s also scared of it, building walls to protect himself from emotions he can’t fully understand or accept. He hides behind logic and rationalization, using it like armor to push away the chaos within but it is obvious that the storm inside was only getting bigger. His ability to express conflict without words makes his character all the more compelling.

Hagiwara Kazuaki had a certain duality to him, assertive yet gentle, a man caught between his deepening feelings for Nakarai and the hesitation driven by his own fears. His care goes beyond mere tenderness, it was a constant awareness of how delicate their bond is, as though even the slightest hint of force could break it.
There’s a quiet vulnerability in him, an openness that stands in stark contrast to Nakarai’s guarded demeanor, offering a softness that Nakarai sometimes didn't know how to embrace.

The chemistry between them was both subtle and had a palpable intensity crackling beneath the surface. They had this unspoken tension between them that grew with every glance that lingered a little too long. Hagiwara’s tenderness met Nakarai’s emotional walls, creating this push and pull that felt almost magnetic, yet painfully distant. Their connection is raw, real and messy in the best way, as they tiptoe around what they both want but can’t fully reach.

The side characters Kaori & Fujisawa just didn’t click for me. There wasn’t enough time spent on them to really understand who they were or why they did what they did. It felt like they were just there to move the plot along, not adding any real depth to the character. I didn’t feel any emotional connection to them, like I didn’t like or dislike them, they were just there. They came off more like a plot device than an actual character and honestly, this lack of emotional investment left me pretty indifferent overall. They did give reasons but it was a little too late for me.

The pace was a bit too fast for my liking but I have watched now too many J-dramas to know this is how it is considering the run time.
Also, the last episode felt bit underwhelming but the drama was too entertaining for me to rate it lower!

The performances of both leads brought an emotional battle to life. I can nitpick but overall they served! Cinematography was beautiful and felt very gentle and poetic! It has that perfect J-drama vibe to it , rain serving as main progatanist !

Overall, I would definitely recommend this drama for its emotional depth and its exploration of complex emotions. While this definitely has flaws, the overall story is very gripping, engaging and thought-provoking, with an intensity that lingers long after every episodes end. If nuanced character and emotional turmoil are what you are looking for, this drama is worth your time.

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Surplus Princess was a drama with great potential.

And don't get me wrong. It delivered in all 9 of the 10 episodes. My only concern was the last episode.

In terms of story, it was a brilliant idea. A mermaid who has a crush on a human she pretty much knows nothing about, solely because he has nice assets. All puns intended. It had infinite potential and the comedy was fantastic. The lead character was bubbly and took nothing from anyone: If someone said something mean to her, she bit them right back! It was quite refreshing to watch; She was also more perverted than most characters tend to be, there were several moments when I was gasping from the things she was doing/saying/thinking. Fantastic! If I had to be picky, I'd say she made a couple of dumb decisions every now and then, but that's to be expected. If she was perfect, there'd be no plot.
The rest of the characters were great too, the girl best friend is a wonderful actress and added even more flavor to the drama, along with the funny and quirky ways of the other characters. So. Much. Potential. I'm still sad.

The acting was great, the humor was great! It did not lack in that department in the least bit! The music was also cute, very upbeat and adorable, suited the feel of the drama.

Honestly, I would probably rewatch 3/4ths of the drama again, with friends. It was so funny, and I would love to see their reactions to the outrageous and perverted humor the lead character has.

My only issue is that this drama was cut due to low rating in Korea (even though it had high ratings abroad). Because of this, we lost 4 episodes of development! 4! Which means the ending was rushed and nonsensical, which is typical of dramas that get cut. It's just so sad because this drama had such great potential. This actually reminds me of what happened to Nail Shop Paris. Oh gosh. It just struck me. IT'S THE CURSE OF SONG JAE RIM! Hahaha!

Anywhoo, still, I would recommend it to friends for the humor and wonderful acting. Go ahead and watch it, it's only 10 episodes anyways, unsatisfactory ending or not!

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One of my favourite contemporary dramas

Rising With The Wind explicitly presents the reality in both the investment and manufacturing industries, and the unruliness that comes with it. It explores the conflict of interest that arises as two people with different nature collides, and also exhibits the difficulty of keeping business and personal life separately.
 
The script writing is compelling. I thoroughly found the dialogues refreshing, and the variety of flawed (or rather dynamic) characters make for a more interesting viewing. The plot knows its theme well and did not go astray into any unnecessary tropes. It gave perfect balance between the following genre: business, romance, and life. The business aspect was intriguing and got me emotionally invested throughout. I enjoyed the flirty banters that the leads had from the beginning, the friendship that they formed while being business partners, and ultimately their seamless progression into being in a relationship. I like the chemistry between the leads, but I had to admit that their relationship was not ideal given their career situation.
 
What I like most about this show was our heroine (Jiang Hu) and her resiliency. She’s smart, capable, passionate about her work, and true to what she believes in. She’s not someone who puts romance first. She sets her priorities straight and someone who could quickly come back up again after every obstacle. SHE’S A QUEEN!
 
The performance of the cast was exceptional. I had a bit of a prejudice with Gong Jun after watching him in The Love Equations. But this drama made me a big fan!  He nailed his acting as the ruthless investor from BaoXing, while on the other hand giving out the most loving expressions after falling in love with Jiang Hu. The portrayal of Chu Xi as Jiang Hu was also amazing -- her natural acting as a fallen heiress was perfect and made me sympathize with her character throughout.
 
I love the friendships that were interwoven with the main characters. These supporting characters were not just there to take up some of the screen time. You could see how they were used as emotional support in multiple ways. Not often do we see such healthy family/friendship/platonic relationships be presented in dramaland, so yes this is very much appreciated.
 
The production quality was above average, and the only problem I had with it (as always with the censorship) was how certain scenes had to be cut, which eventually resulted into awkward scene transitions.
 
Overall, this has been an addicting watch and 40 episodes seemed like nothing! I could see myself rewatching this again some time in the future.

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IDOL I THE KDRAMA OF 2025-2026!

oh my goodness this show was perfection, it was bittersweet, sad, cute, suspenseful.. who woulda thought Like was HER FRICKING SECRETARY OR WHATEVER? and on top of that, the kissing scenes? Chefs kiss. I usually rank every kdrama I watch above a 8-10 because I’m polite, but if I could exceed 10 this and a few others would definitely take the spot. I don’t get some of the hate because this show is seriously realistic coming from a kpop fan themselves, maybe the people who don’t like it need to humble themselves. anyway IDOL I WAS AMAZING DONT CARE WHAT THE HATERS SAYYY

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THE BEST JAPANESE DRAMA EVER!!

I won't spoil the story because I don't want to ruin it if you haven't watch this yet.

To be honest, I had't seen any Japanese dramas recently, but some of my friends were really into this drama, so I decided to give it a try.
I watched Ep.1, then binge-watched up to the most recent episode. it's great, It's amazing, the whole story made me thrilled and excited. I was really curious what’s going to happen next, what happened the day Tsubaki's father was killed, and whether Tsubaki and Nao will be together or not.
This is a bit fast-paced drama, but neither too fast-paced nor too slow-paced. Some casts might be overacting, but most casts did a great job and match with the vibe.
The props such as kimino (Japanese robe) and wagashi (Japanese confectionery) were absolutely exquisite. This is not a historical drama, but we can also enjoy scenery full of quaint atmosphere.

Overall, the series is definitely worth a watch. Great cast, great story line, great music. If you are thinking about whether to watch this, just try it! I guarantee you'll never get boring, rather will have a serious craving for wagashi.

here kimino and wagashi pics :)
https://www.ntv.co.jp/watadou/kimono/nao.html
https://www.ntv.co.jp/watadou/wagashi/

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It’s been a solid period of time since I decided to allow this confused mess of a drama sink into my nerves, and seeing how the reviews are scarce in number, I thought I’d give potential viewers a rather large piece of my mind.

If you’re here and considering watching this, I’ll assume that you at least somewhat enjoyed the show to which this is a sequel. Master Devil Do Not Kiss Me sits somewhat high on my rom-com list despite being littered with Asian drama tropes (my favorite of which has to be "cohabiting rich guy and poor girl who refuses to take his crap but sometimes takes his crap anyway because dramaland"). It was youthful, cliched, yet endearing.

This sequel, though, was absolutely terrible in comparison.

There are cliches like in the prequel, which the writers delivered as cute and gave you some giggles. And then there are cliches like in this one, which will have you laughing psychotically as you sharpen your metaphorical knives and prepare to hunt down the people who turned the plot into absolute - for lack of a better word - horseshit.

It’s important to compare this sequel with its predecessor because it is a direct continuation from where MDDNKM left off. There are many problems to be resolved, particularly the one where the relationship between the two main characters remains very ambiguous. Yet, frustratingly, the second season never delivers satisfying closure to any of the questions you may have and instead piles on dilemma after dilemma that don’t serve any real purpose other than pissing you off.

If you have disdain for any of the following cliches (contains spoilers; but who’re we kidding, this show isn’t worth watching anyway): lying ex-girlfriends, clingy third wheels latching onto the male and female main characters, a lead couple whose most effective form of communication is giving one another the cold shoulder, ridiculous birth secrets, "the girl you like is actually blood related to you", etc.; ditch this drama now. It’s pathetic how bad this all became. Every single episode of this show became the longest 20 minutes of my life and I just about wished that I would spontaneously have responsibilities to attend to so I’d be put out of the misery of sitting through them.

The acting is okay. I liked the actors way more in the first season; which might have had something to with the characters’ quirks. Some aspects of them were endearing in the first season, but rapidly became extremely annoying in this one. See reference: Qi Lu deciding that every single time Chu Xia gets pissy with him, he’ll call her stupid or some other variation instead of asking “what did I do” like any normal human being would. Gets old when it happens every episode for 20 straight episodes, boy.

Also, I’d like to mention that the editors confused the hell out of me. Why on earth would you play fun, happy background music during a scene in which two antagonists are plotting how to get rid of their rival? Whenever this happened, I half-expected a squirrel to jump out and maul them or something else that would be entertaining, but nope. It would just be a possibly suspenseful scene, ruined by a playful little jingle in the background. It seriously ruins the mood.

In a way, I consider it intelligent that none of this content was included in the first season. The quality falls so short that it’d be a real shame to drag down the fun of the first season with this trash.

tl;dr: did the director hit his head during production and decide to continue being the director?

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Polyamory

What started as almost a typical cheater-husband-discovered-and-wife-struggles-to cope-plot quickly became a heartfelt drama about not only society's judgement of the not "normal" but also one's internal judgment, the struggle to fight for one's own happiness, and the willingness to open oneself up to new possibilities, all featuring genuine people trying to do the "right" thing. And beyond just that, the scale of "like."

If you're looking for an exploration of relationships that is complicated but worth it in the end, then this is the drama for you.

I only want a monogamous relationship. I may not understand--I say "understand" because I myself have felt some annoyance hearing Straight people say they "understand" my being Bi, because, to me, you can't truly understand something unless you live it--what it's like to be polyamorous. But I can accept the reality of it because it is someone's reality, I can learn about it, and I can widen my understanding of the world past my own nose. I feel that's what this was trying to say in the end: You don't have to "get it." Just try to grow and see more than yourself.

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ON the surface this looks like a typical cliche rebirth story; however, if one looks closely enough and understands the dialogue, you'll be surprised at how sweet and satisfying it truly is. The chemistry between the main actors was also a nice cherry on top to this drama. Often BL dramas are cringe worthy because of the "robotic" like relationship between the characters, but here you have two young men who truly try to convince the audience/viewer that they are attracted to each other and not just on the physical level and that kissing or touching does not make them want to pull away or react in a "I don't want to do this for longer than ten seconds" either.

Overall, it's an okay drama. Did not give it a ten because it's too short. Hoping they get a second season.

If you like aggressive male lead, you will like this.

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A masterpiece lost because of the haters

I don't know where to start lol
For me, it was a very wonderful drama, I enjoyed every moment while I watched it .. It was really a luxurious drama ..
I don't understand the reason for all the fuss about this drama as it was badly criticized! And the biggest reason for criticism was the large number of ads! Is this really a convincing reason! Is the story really badly complicated! For me, it is a distinct drama in that the story is written with a plot, and this is what distinguishes the writer, and also you must follow the episodes at every moment in order not to miss a new secret .. Really amazed me by the beauty of the story so that it was not just a fairy tale about love and revenge, but rather a well-written story ..
As for the ads, that did not bother me at all, because because of the large budget of the series, they had to compensate for that through advertisements, but the director tried to place ads in several ways, but they were very visible, but that's okay. This is not a convincing reason to hate the series ..
As for acting, the whole crew has excelled in acting. I really lived in the series hahaha
If you like special, luxurious and extraordinary series, follow this series. I promise you will not regret and Do not take the words of the critics into account .. Really, this series has been wronged by some of the haters ..
I fell in love with the series and the entire cast. It's a show for high-end minds only, not for the trivial ^^

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