Reviews

Great concept, bad execution.

This show is an example of how to ruin a drama with great concept and potential into a mess. The first 5 episodes really really impressed me to the point where I made my own storyline that could have made more sense than the original show.

Acting: I wouldn't say I loved the main character's acting,both dan oh and haru. But lee jae wook, he was extremely good. His character deviates between frustrating and depressing every few episodes, and he showcased that so well. Other than that, I felt absolutely no chemistry, no emotions and no feelings about any character, was dissapointing. April naeun really surprised me though, she acts pretty well and is so beautiful!

Characters: The writer failed in this department. Literally no character has depth, especially haru. He literally has no personality except for ...well.. he like dan oh. Dan Oh's character was bearable for 5 episodes, actually she was cute. But after that I found her lines and expressions extremely cringy. She was trying to sound a little too cheerful, didn't enjoy that. Dan oh starts off as a strong character, then she ends up crying every few episodes, was hard to watch. The other extra characters like the bullies and other classmates were really annoying, they keep doing same shit every day. Every interaction of the main three characters I started to skip by the end of the show, except for juda and lee do hwa scenes( they were cute).

Script: I have actually never seen a drama with so many plot holes,repetitive (even though there is a reason for some of the dialogues being repeated)and extremely cringy dialogues all rolled up into a package so perfectly like this one. After the good 5 episodes, we got into a really bad phase for like 5 episodes and I thought that the show was getting better, but no it ends with nothing.This show explains nothing. We reach nowhere.

Music: The osts of this show are really good though. They had all these idol group like april, stray kids and verivery to sing.

In conclusion this show is extremely frustrating and nothing much to watch. Watch only if you have absolutely nothing to do in life.

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Hi friends.
I have a habit of watching shows which no one watches and giving reviews. So I started this show after seeing there is no review in MDL about this show.

This show starts with college life and goes to after 7 years. But college life scenes are not looking fresh bcoz the actors are older enough to play college students. Then after the leap both leads still fight for various reasons but they love each other deeply too. Which we can easily guess.

I like Jia Wu and Ke San couple more than Yu fei and Chen Yi. Jia Wu looks very friendly and approachable. George Hu is another reason for me to complete this show. Songs are okay. The scenes which made me really angry are, the unnecessary plot at the end. And she leaves him and comes back after getting better. Those are not needed, since they wanted to drag the episodes, they used these plot twists.

There is nothing much as art in this show.

Rewatch - no no never
Music - k
Acting - could be better
Overall 5/10

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STORY: This was definitely the biggest problem with this drama. The beginning I think was great. It was cute and interesting. The main couple had good chemistry together. And then halfway through, they decide to separate the main couple for 11 episodes. Not even separating as in they're fighting and are upset with each other, but LITERALLY DO NOT INTERACT FOR 11 EPISODES (minus one scene where he saves her, but neither of them even know it's the other person.) I honestly was going to drop during this point because the chemistry between the leads was what I thought made the drama.

Ending - I figured the whole thing was a ruse by Chen Yu and the emperor - even before they actually showed that it was all an act. So it was better than in Story of Ming Lan, where you don't find out it was all an act until the very very end. However, I think the biggest issue was all the deaths by the end of the drama. Yes I know C-dramas love to kill people off, which isn't the problem. But at least make it meaningful and worthwhile to die.

1) Male lead did NOT have to die. He wasn't severely injured and if Dong Fang Shi could pull both BuQi and Chen Yu out of the hole, there's no reason why Chen Yu couldn't have tried a little harder instead of just giving up. Again. He wasn't SEVERELY injured.
2) Mo Ruo Fei - Glad s/he died by the end of it, but I really don't like how they changed the story for this character by the end. Throughout the drama MRF was very loyal and cared about HBQ. Yes, s/he sided with his mother after she poisoned HBQ, but throughout it all, MRF did still care about HBQ and wanted to right his mother's wrongs. Now that the king killed his mom, he could care less about everyone around him? No way. MRF betrayed her multiple times and at the very end willingly tried to get HBQ killed to -potentially- get revenge on the king. Meh.
3) So many people died in the last episode, that it really took away any sentimental value for it. Really only Xiao Xia (HBQ's guard) got a meaningful death (kind of, I'm still annoyed that she didn't even actually die for HBQ but for a fake HBQ).

ACTING:

Personally always love Ariel Lin and think she does a great job with her roles. You can tell she actually cares and she's not afraid to ugly cry - which always feels more realistic.

Zhang Bin Bin - normally I'm a little hit or miss with him, but overall think he did a good job. I don't think he was dubbed in this drama, so I think it was a little weird that towards middle/end of the drama, he started sounding super breathy while he talked (compared to the beginning when he was the proper/powerful Prince and had a super strong voice).

Everyone else - No one else really stood out to me. The actor who plays DFS I can't unbiasedly judge cause I disliked the character lol.


OVERALL:
Overall, I did like the drama. But it definitely wasn't a favorite just because of the story choices the writers made. Literally 11 episodes where the ML and FL are separated (and they were definitely the heart of the story for me). I skipped through most of those episodes and really could care less about them. It was way too long and the story got really boring (almost dropped the drama at this point).

I also really didn't care for Dong Fang Shi. Yes, he loved her and was trying to "protect her" but even up till the end, seeing how sad and unhappy she was, he still forced her to stay by his side (literally tied her up so she wouldn't run). He -barely- redeemed himself the first time his grandfather tried to take HBQ and he was willing to sacrifice himself for her. But again, he played the typical "I'm doing this for you (even though it wasn't even really what was best for her).

Also kind of annoyed that Liu Qing Wu got a happy ending. She did nothing to deserve it, IMO. She originally was a bad guy who killed HBQ's uncle. Then she was a traitor and tried to take over Liu Ming Shan Zhuang. Then she continually kept trying to cause trouble for HBQ and CY. Then she betrayed CY and sold out HBQ to the king. But she gets to have a happy life and get the power of being a beloved concubine? Pass.

But I do think Ariel and Zhang Bin Bin had some great chemistry and would definitely like another collaboration between them!

Most likely wouldn't rewatch though just because of the negatives I had.

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WATCH THE DIRECTOR CUT!

Normally I don't write reviews but I think this time I have to write one or not really writing one but just draw attention to it, so pls read that before (or during) watching the series.

This series starts so beautifully. The main actors Leo and Tai (Tan and Oil) did such an amazing job by representing the main characters. I really was into it during all the scenes and the chemistry was on top. I really enjoyed every single scene.
BUT and this is the main point that I really don't understand. In this series there are two important scenes between Tan and Oil and they just cut them out. I don't want to spoil but just look up (EP 1 and EP12 directors cut) and watch them. Because I think when you miss these scenes you will be a bit upset after finishing the series. With the scenes I think it is well done. Nothing special but worth watching I guess. All in all the story is pretty basic and sometimes a bit frustrating but when you watch the whole series with the missing scenes you will like how it ends.

I wasn't really into the other main couples but I think everyone has a different point of view and I guess you could like the other couples too.
Also the ending was a bit .... ÄHHHHM OK?! But yeah.

For me personally, it wasn't that new and some plots and scenes are a bit unnecessary. Although this series hasn't a special story line or an important message but I think as a BL fan you can still watch and enjoy it.

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Arc Toward Justice

Wow! This drama is amazing.

You have to watch past the first episode. The first episode is disjointed on purpose. It withholds information from the audience. Episode two presents a plot twist, and the missing shards of her begin to come together as the series unfolds.

This drama is part mystery and thriller, but more about how sexual violence impacts an individual, a family, and an entire community. It shows how people respond differently, including victims but also their loved ones.

Quite poignantly, the drama explores and condemns the cultures of silence that develop around acts of sexual violence. This silence allows predators to get away with their crimes and then commit them again. Meanwhile, victims are blamed and left without justice.

While the subject matter is serious, the drama is redemptive and moves toward justice and hope. The ending is presented with sensitivity and realism. I can’t praise it enough!

The acting is outstanding. And the OST is crazy good!

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Unbelievably funny, cute & sweet drama

"Unbelievable", this drama is what you need after watching all the serious dramas with heavy plots. You will find something lighthearted to relax a bit and also enjoy this unbelievably funny, cute, and sweet romance.

Story: The plot summary in MDL makes you think twice to start the drama. You saw this story so many times. A typical cliche story. Also, this is a web drama with a low budget. So, I hesitated at first but later gave the drama a try. After watching the drama, I must say that the drama is surprisingly good. The plot is a typical CEO rom-com plot but It is a well-made funny rom-com. A very predictable plot, but who cares. You come here to spend your time enjoying something. No doubt, the drama will give you enough enjoyment with a very sweet romance.

Acting/Cast: The chemistry between ML and FL is surprisingly good. Both are exceptionally funny, and all their interactions are hilarious. Both actors did a tremendous job portraying their roles. You will start loving both of them in no time, from the first episode. I didn't care about the other supporting characters. But all did very well in their roles. Overall, the Acting and Cast were very good for a low-budget drama.

Music: Nothing too special, but good enough. The background music was on point and OST was also good.

Rewatch Value: A good rewatch value. A funny drama, so if you feel like watching something funny to spend some time, you can rewatch it.

Ratings: 9/10 from me (maybe a bit high). I wanted to give it more as I genuinely loved it. But, that's the max rating I should give.

I recommend this drama. I hope, the viewers give this drama a chance. This drama will be a funny and enjoyable watch for you.

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Let's just start out by saying that I normally don't delve into shows that have any kind of existential crisis plot. I normally watch dramas to distance myself from my already hectic life and don't need to watch something heavy.

This show is the exception to that.

I started this show because I saw an article talking about how this new show is a must watch and really takes you by storm. That was a solid statement. Everything from Rainie and Yu Lin's acting to the plot itself is so complex, so amazing that you forget what's happening around you. They bring forward the essential questions and make you think, is there a right or wrong choice in life? Both versions of Rainie's character Ru Wei go through their own journey's and viewers are left with a choice of their own, which decision and life they approve of, one with her sacrificing her career for family or the opposite?

Quite honestly, this show really made me not only think of the choices I've made in life, but also taught me that things don't work out exactly as one plans and thats okay. I binged this show all day on Saturday and when the final episode ended at 4 am, I couldn't stop thinking about how moving this show truly was. It's been a long time since I've seen something that deeply effects me (not just in the typical romantic drama way).

Rewatch? Hell yeah! This show needs more recognition, it's actors and plot are truly amazing and I don't know about the other reviewer's rating but don't let that stop you from watching. You won't regret it!

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Passionate kisses, save the damsel in distress, hilarious

This drama has the most passionate kissing scenes in both count and intensity of all Chinese dramas I had watched – I meant really passionate kisses not those obviously fake moments. As with most romance stories, there were plenty of save the damsel in distress scenes accompanied by endearing gazes as the hero held the damsel in his arms.

It is a lovely romance story with emotional and hilarious moments. The hilarious moments really made me laugh out loud. Unlike Hollywood comedies which mainly play on words, some of these comedic moments were based on suggestive actions of the actors.

The drama is quite straightforward with some small, but not totally unexpected, twists in the story. It has the usual hygiene factors – handsome lead actor, pretty actresses, excellent acting, lovely costumes, lovely music, beautiful cinematography and endearing romantic moments.

What I appreciate most about this drama is the lesson on courtship and early marital life - instead of the usual unrealistic romance dramas. At moments when they were trying to figure out each other, the XiYue princess had her confidantes giving her some silly suggestions which she refuted with some sensible corrections. Similarly for the ninth prince, Song was always giving him some creepy suggestions while Zhen would refute with some sensible analysis. Zhen played the sensible relationship guru here.

The adjustments to life together were comical but not unlike real life when married couples live together for the first time and discover the bad habits of their spouses to their horror.

I noticed some flaws – for the production team to learn from if they should ever read this review. The piece of music chosen for the hilarious moments was too modern for this period drama and a misfit – sound like a piece adapted from some old Shanghai movies. There are some illogical moments, for example, the ninth prince was always turning up alone for dangerous investigations, and covering up for the rebel leader, which was essentially obstructing justice. And he was always lying to the emperor – although with good intent, it still made him a liar.

As I watched this drama right after ‘Goodbye my princess’, I could not help but draw a comparison, as both involved a marriage of prince and princess from different countries. The ninth prince in this drama was supportive of the princess and allowed her to make her choice, in sharp contrast to the fifth prince in ‘Goodbye..’, who forcibly kept the princess by his side regardless of whether she was willing. The two dramas were antithesis of each other, including how they ended. This drama leaves a warm cozy feeling which of course elevated my rating of it above ‘Goodbye my princess’ although the latter has a more interesting and convoluted story.

Finally, a title of ‘Love by Hypnosis’ may be more grammatically correct. Hypnotic is a drug to induce hypnosis or a person susceptible to hypnosis.

As a whole I enjoyed this drama a lot and would highly recommend it.

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An arrow of pain and cuteness that hits you right in the right spot.

This is a beautifully portrayed tearjerker, the kind that hits you right in the heart, or is it the stomach?

This movie does an amazing job inviting the viewers in to the world of a child who neither can see or hear. A child otherwise abandoned (by death and choice), manage to find her way in to the heart of a man who was brought to her by some sad circumstances. Though they may look like a total missfitt these two complete each other perfectly showing us what a little tactile communication along with love and affection can do to change a persons way of living. While staying away from scenes that may dehumanize, exotify or give out the feel peoples misfortunes as inspiration. This movie feels real, and makes the viewers feel at home in a way.

The way this was shot really conveyed the emotions as well as the perspectives of both the leads. This movie addresses important issues while showering us with fluffy animals and cute smiles. This actress may not say much but boy/girl does she portray her role well, hats off to this kid and the directors. To be honest most of the movie I was going between a 8-9 but the way the end scene was shot pushed the score to a 10.

All in all definitely a must watch!

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This drama follows the Japanese "older woman-younger guy" trend. It seems as though every Japanese idol has to pass this test at least once in his acting career.



Despite the premises though, there is something about this drama which made it into one of my favourites in its genre.

Perhaps because on further analysis it doesn't deal with falling in love with someone, but with learning to love oneself and appreciate the little, daily things one gives for granted.



Esumi Makiko is so beautiful here, one soon forgets the age gap. The story revolves around her, her internal struggle, her doubts, her self-esteem. Yamashita Tomohisa plays his part very well too, portraying a young man in that fragile phase between adolescence and adulthood in a very believable way.



Overall, a delightful, suave drama.

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Overall entertaining, and gave me great laughs.

I went in for the theme. The idea of having time for your own, to do things alone and enjoy that time fully. It is something that is important to me, and here they exploit it perfectly. The way prof Jin enjoyed his *drinking solo* felt like he was my kindred spirit.

I think the best thing about this drama is that screen presence was evened out among the cast. It isn't just the main love story and those that surrounds it. We have a setting, and we explore the different lives and experiences of those involved there. The setting is an institution that gives classes for people who want to pass the civil exam and be employed by the government. The drama tells us two different stories in that setting, that of the teachers there (pretty similar to typical romcoms) and that of the students and the things they do cause by the pressure.

I won't rehash what everyone is saying, but I agree the trio were hilarious. First time I watch Key in a drama, but really he was effortlessly the heart of it. My favourite was Kim Dong Yeong, I could relate to him the most. He felt the most realistic person there, naturally down to earth, and a total sweetheart. I gotta add I totally enjoyed all the scenes of the impersonator, he was pure fun. As for the other teacher, she wasn't bad, but too petty for an extended period of time. The director was hilarious as well. I actually wished for him to divorce since he seems so miserable with his current life.

For me it lost points on

-Inefficiency: Not only were the episodes long, but there were many dragged out scenes or events that are there to fill the time with no purpose of advancing the story. I think the drama would've benefitted being cut to 12 episodes

-The last 2 episodes: I do hate Noble Idiocy, but the was it was done here was the most nonsensical, to the point I didn't want the couple back together. And I actually was very forgiving of the lead, and maybe one of the few that found him cute while dating. Also the secondary couple were left out too last minutes. In the end they were cute, but it would've been better to explore the relationship better.

Despite my remarks on the pacing and the ending, I'd say it's still worth checking out for the laughs, as well as the heartfelt moments here.

p.s. I do wonder though is it normal for women to be this irresponsible when drinking outside this often?

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To be fair, this show is one of those shows where you have to shut off your brain and just let it happen. It's really cute and sweet and literally has no context and I kind of like watching something like that here and there sometimes because It really is just sweet. I like that the FL is just goofy and pretty sweet, the ML is handsome, pretty sweet and a simple guy tbh. I liked the friends, I like the family, I liked that there wasn't crazy insane drama and even if there "was", it wasn't terrible and it was just a fast and easy watch. Good story, nice acting, easy to like, good show overall.

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The Hands Behind the Power

This drama portrays the life story of Liu E, one of the most prominent empress dowagers in Chinese history (b. 969 – d. 1033). She became the regent of the Song Dynasty for Emperor Zhenzong (reigned 997 – 1022) and later, for Emperor Renzong (reigned 1022 – 1063). Here, Liu E is depicted as intelligent, benevolent, decisive and visionary, far exceeds her male counterpart. Her journey from rags to riches based on historical facts, is interjected with fictional stories and figures.

The production cost for this drama is undoubtedly high with well know veteran actors, Liu Tao and Chou Yu Min, and the quality and acting are good. However, the editing is horrendous, in particular, for the first 10 episodes, making everything feel disjointed. There, events move very fast, from one big event to the next, supposedly unravelling over a span of time in days or weeks, even years, but the way the drama was cut, it feels like multiple events happening within the same day or hour, confusing and frustrating many viewers. The drama is said to have 80 episodes originally but drastically being trimmed down to 61 episodes.

Liu E has been portrayed as an evil woman in some literature which contradicts what historians think. In historical records, she was a very smart and courageous woman and had implemented many impressive projects that benefited the nation; her contributions were undeniable. Liu Tao's portrayal here is elegant and strong, and yet not lacking her feminine charisma. Whether or not this depiction is historically accurate, it is anybody’s guess. For me, compared with “Serenade of Peaceful Joy” where Liu E was portrayed in the first few episodes, I find some of the events in “Palace of Devotion” more plausible while others rather far-fetched with the writer’s imagination running wild. For example, how Liu E loses her biological children here seems over dramatic, but the request of wearing the emperor’s attire to a ritual ceremony seems out of place in “Serenade of Peaceful Joy” where a great deal of time is spent in arguing over the subject, whereas here, it becomes a brilliant idea by the Emperor himself to grant the Empress Dowager the status and privilege without much ado. Also how Cao (Empress Cisheng) comes to the life of Emperor Renzong is more believable in this drama than the previous one. However, I do love the dialogues in the former drama (“Serenade of Peaceful Joy”) which are more poise and humorous and the costume there perhaps more accurately depicted given Emperor Renzong was a very frugal person.

My Verdict
This is a rather well-done drama with decent CGIs despite the disjointed editing in earlier episodes and some inconsistencies in the logic of the fictitious events which are meant to spice up the story. Compared with “Serenade of Peaceful Joy”, “Palace of Devotion” is action packed with epic war scenes, spectacular warriors from Song and Khitan-Liao, and the settings are more opulent. The encounter of another great empress dowager, the Khitan Xiao Yan Yan, gives viewers two historically great women with strong personalities and powerful characters that leave deep marks in Chinese history; their intelligence and wisdom well supersede their contemporaneous male counterparts.

This is not a drama of great romance, and yet, Emperor Zhenzong is devoted to his Empress Liu. If not for the need of having a male heir for the throne, he wouldn’t have agreed to sleep with other women. This is pretty rare for a custom notorious for harems with thousand beauties.

Many viewers are also critical of the age of the main actors and complaint of their chemistry, Perhaps, these viewers are very used to having good looking young actors and fireworks type of romance. If so, this drama may not be their cup of tea.

“Palace of Devotion” comes with great character development and nice OSTs, at the same time, not lacking a sense of humor, tragedies and connivance.

Women have been an important force in shaping up societies and in politics. Seeing the two great empress dowagers of the time, a what-if question runs through my mind - what if women were given equal power, would we have a more peaceful and better world today?

Though not 100% perfect, this is a good historical drama for history buffs. I have enjoyed it. Great watch and recommended!

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This show is pure, distilled joy.

It’s like sunshine on my soul and rainbow skies with fluffy bunny clouds.

If a television show could be a child on a rainy day playing with a dollhouse and making up a story in their imaginative, marshmallow head while drinking hot chocolate and getting hugs from their puppy then this would be that show.

I could devote part of this review to its pacing problems, its thin plot, its treatment of its minor characters, and some of the questionable decisions the writers made in the name of a humour that was at times a little broad. But when you smile for 16 episodes straight and a chicken regularly wanders through, who cares?

The music is wonderful, the cinematography is at times spectacular and the writers have fun - loads of fun - recreating visual odes to films, especially horror films. Show is fun and show has heart and that's really all you need from a rom-com in the end.

Shin Hye-sun is delightful as Woo Seo-ri, the 17-year-old girl who comes out of a 13-year coma to find she's suddenly 30. Yang Se-jong is delightful as Gong Woo-jin, the man who hides his guilt over the accident with a misanthropic grumpiness. And Ahn Hyo-seop is delightful as Yoo Chan, Woo-jin's nephew who is 19 and just on the verge of adulthood. In fact, I'd love to think of another synonym for 'delightful' right now but that describes almost every character in this show - major or minor.

The main trio is rounded out by the robotic, classics-quoting housekeeper, Jennifer (Ye Ji-won) whose rote delivery and deadpan randomness is... delightful.

Every one of these characters is delightful but what I really love is the show’s underlying message about control and our ultimate lack thereof. It's not actually about trauma so much as the fact that growing up means reconciling your dreams with the reality of life and your own limitations. You can't control your physical limits any more than you can control whether a bus crashes.

As you grow older, doors in your life close. But if you have the patience to wait through the intermission, a window will open and the amazing second act can begin.

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Well, at first, I didn't expect much from this drama and watching it just to kill the time. But unexpectedly I enjoyed it, a lot. The male lead, I watched him for the first time in One and Only and even I don't like his role a the crown prince, but I like his acting. And I was so shocked when I knew he's only 19. Omo!! He's going to be big someday I bet. And I hooked with his role as Mo Qing Chen, the 2nd Prince who exiled himself from the palace because of his inability to feel or to taste anything. And I love the FL also. Instead damsel in distress formula that almost every drama follow, Lin Chi is a clever and witty girl. And I love love love the ML and FL interaction, their chemistry is over flowing. You would never know there's quite an age gap between them (ML 19 and FL 27). They're sooooo lovey dovey.
But I kind of sorry to Prince Rui. Yes, he is bad, but he is kind of lonely also. And (I forgot his name) the one who play the role of Prince Rui, I watched 3 of his drama and his role is always like this.
Overall, this drama is worth to watch. And yes, it's a happy ending drama. I myself replayed a few scenes of Mo Qing Chen and Lin Chi. Love this couple.

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