Reviews

An epic fantasy immersed in island lore and mystery

I am basking in the afterglow of this drama as I write this review but I shall try to be impartial or as impartial as I can be considering I have given it a perfect score.

So with no further ado, here are the reasons why I loved RLIAGL:
1. It has a mix of genres: fantasy, mystery and romance seeped in mythology.
2. The leads are working adults. (I am old and if you are too you know why this point is a good thing)
3. Great script writing and intriguing story board. Every episode brings a new meaning to the overarching storyline and keeps you hooked. The format of the episode also lends well to the mystery and keeps it interesting.
4. Good acting by everyone involved. Also, leads are cute eye candy.
5. Amazing score! The OST for this show is really really good.
6. Production quality is high and the visuals are also good. I loved the cinematography of this show.

The reasons why you may not like RLIAGL:
1. The romance is a slow burn. Its slower than a sloth climbing a tree. Its so slow that you might think there is no romance. And that would be because the romance is not the main part of this show, it's the mystery of why it ain't gonna rain in this land no more.
2. The story also starts of slow. It takes the first few episodes for this show to grow on you and while it does it might bore the socks out of impatient people.
3. The female lead could have done certain things better (a lot) . But that is no fault of her own it's because of the script writer.
4. The audience as well as secondary characters get the drift way quicker than the main leads. A few times I wished people asked the right questions instead of going about in a tangent, but that was the fun of the show and I didn't mind it as much.
5. It's quite melodramatic. Everything has an epic consequence like the world ending or people dying.
6. I was dissatisfied with how they resolved the environmental degradation issue. (You'll know what I'm talking about only if you watch it. :P )
7. It is not a Kdrama. It is from Taiwan and a lot of people don't watch shows from here. On the other hand, I have no idea what you are doing reading this review in that case.

Story/Acting Overview:
A woman believes in the stories her grandmother taught her when she was young and before she was abandoned by said grandmother. This is her journey as she navigates through life, meets & parts with people and begins to question her beliefs.

With a great cast, production and unbelievable scriptwriting, this show has all the right elements to be a blockbuster in my book. I enjoyed the acting by the entire crew. Toem was my favourite actor with Fali coming a close second. Loved the layers in their character.

As mentioned earlier, the story is infused with island lore and mythology with small folk tales at the beginning of each episode which portend some major events which might occur in each episode. The format was great and lends to watching it one episode a time as it feels like each episode is a chapter in the RLIAGL book.

While the romance is a slow burn, I enjoyed it as I never thought of this story as a romance but as a fantasy mystery. I was more interested in understanding the characters and Kawas than I was in Tian-Di & Orad's love story. As we move further into the story line, we also come to understand why their romance is such a slow burn. Past events and future situations play a vital role in their romance.

Overall:
Overall, I enjoyed this show way more than I expected to at the start and by the end it had grown on me. As the story reaches towards its climax the pace also picks up leading to an amazing ending. There are plot twists that I wasn't expecting and therefore, was quite blown over with the revelations.

A perfect 10 from me (9.5 ~ 10 all the same) as I know I will end up rewatching this and it's perfect OST.

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Love helps finding your wings

If you liked the first season, you'll love this series. The continuing story of Novoland The Castle in The Sky is set in the same fantasy world, only with different characters, and another plot that can be seen in its own right.

Story
Season 2 follows the love and adventures of Feng Ru Che, daughter of the blue-eyed, golden-winged Feng Tian Yi and his earthling wife Yi Fu Ling. Just like her parents Ru Che falls in love with another specimen, that is the famous and never aging magician Xue Jing Kong. Their love story reminds me of Eternal Love of Dream (2020) and Goblin (2016). Magician Xue rescued baby Ru Che eighteen years ago, their fate bound forever. There’s a second love story as well that goes beyond enemy lines, with a few episodes about military training and bonding in war time.

Acting/Cast
It seems a mission impossible to surpass actor Zhang Ruo Yun as the dashing Feng Tian Yi, but I found Xu Zheng Xi very capable of acting the part as Magician Xue. He has this demure, stone face, that brings to life the stoic Master of Ru Che. Yes, he is good looking, but we mustn’t forget he’s eighty years her senior according to the myth. Actress Wang Yu Wen matches him perfectly as the quick silver Ru Che who seems to combine her mother's spontaneity with the whirlwind energy from her father. I loved their chemistry and interaction. The other cast members were good as well, all though I didn’t see any character development in Yun Mu Yang, the foster brother of Xue. Last but not least the anorexic boy Xu Yu who constantly fights against Xue is pretty interesting, but what exactly is his purpose in this story other than oozing with fairytale vibes? I hope his origins get more attention in the next season.

Music
The soundtrack is built further on the theme of the former season, so if you liked that, good for you. The soulful melodies pulled at my heart strings for sure.

Rewatch Value
I’m a sucker for old fashioned romance with hot kissing scenes, so I will definitely rewatch not only the second, but also the first season.

Overall
I liked the beginning better than the ending of this series, but if you're in the mood for Intense- Soulmate-Destiny-Willing-To-Die-for each other- Love, look no further. The story shows true love helps finding your wings.

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Overall, this Chinese drama was well-made and it didn't have as much cringy scenes as other Chinese dramas. The production values, dialogues, and CGIs were great quality. Now, onto the storyline, the story started out interesting, hooking us in with young leads. The young leads were so cute and honestly, I always looked forward to the flashback in the beginning of each episode because we were able to connect with the characters and how they grew over the years. I liked the first half of the series, when the leads were building relationships step by step and getting closer to one another. But for the second half of the series, the writing somehow changed direction, there were so many plot holes. Especially ep 24, it was totally unnecessary and the biggest plot hole was when Helen was able to see during day times. Then, ep 25 rolled around, the ending felt out of place and rushed. Not only the drama finished with a huge cliffhanger but the leads were pretty much strangers in the end. I don't know if the series renew for a season 2 because if not, I'm really disappointed. The ending could be nicely wrapped up if only PiPi's ex-boyfriend and her "best friend" did not take up much screentime (I always skipped whenever they popped up on the screen).
All in all, this drama would be in my top 20 favorite Chinese drama because of the plot, pacing, and chemistry but I don't think I will rewatch it anytime soon.

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So at first I had my doubts about this drama because I half expected it to only promote outside beauty and you that you can only find happiness if you're pretty. I was pleasantly surprised however, that it was more about learning how to accept yourself, overcome obstacles using your own strength, and standing up to your fears. The romance in this was beautiful and I liked how the writer emphasized the two leads finding strength in each other.

plot: So the plot was brilliant. I loved the whole revenge vendetta thing. It kept you glued to the screen waiting to see what big revelation would be unspun next or whose dirty secrets would be revealed. I especially loved the chemistry between the two leads. They made the cutest revenge duo ever. They had so many cute moments together I often found myself laughing out loud and simply grinning from ear to ear as I watched their ridiculous yet heart warming encounters. They made you really want to cheer them on as they struggled and overcame their obstacles together.

characters/actors: First of all, I just want to say, the female lead was gorgeous. I didn't find it hard to believe at all when everyone was calling her a beauty. I also found the female lead before she got plastic surgery adorable in her own way and thought she was a brilliant actress. I loved how the female lead was strong and could handle herself and that she even had the desire and ambition to grow strong and independent so that she could take on her challenges without having to burden anyone else. She wasn't whiny or needy which sometimes happens in dramas so I didn't find myself overly annoyed with her. As for the male lead, all I can say is he was amazing. I loved his and the female lead's adorable little conversations and found their witty banter charming. I especially loved the compliment game.

music: the music was really good. Nothing really caught my attention or stood out but it was appropriate and suited the drama very well. The instrumentals for the super intense/crap just got real scenes were amazing and really built up the intense mood.

overall, I'd say this drama is a must watch! Although i'm still kind of waiting for that very late apology from that grandma (you'll know it when you watch it and then you'll be waiting too) but other than that, it was a beautiful drama about finding yourself and overcoming your obstacles as well as delivering the much deserved justice to a bunch of douchehogs who need to take a few years off to rediscover their humanity.

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So I'll be writing my first review so cut me some slack
I found this movie on Kissasian by sheer luck and I do not regret watching this at all not even one bit
watch it.
I think it's a good movie accurately showing one of the worst sides of the business, especially in Japan. It deals with suicide and generally being at a low point in life
The plot was meaningful and moving and it touched on some important issues in our society regarding work, family connections, depression & suicide. The two main characters did well in their roles and were believable
If you are pondering whether to watch this movie or not, just watch it
why?
Because it is a film that I truly believe everyone should watch
a movie that can change your perspective
It deals with seeing hope in the midst of all the harshness of reality against you and seeing what matters to you in the end
I am a very bad critique when it comes to movies but this movie struck a chord in my heart because of Jonghyun that I actually shed a tear or two in the end
watch it.
Some may not enjoy it as much, some may find it even better than I did
There is no romance FYI altho there is bromance but it is not BL
so with this
Do watch it'!

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We Are: Entwined Hearts & Uncharted Paths

Should you watch "We Are"? Honestly, it's a bit of a mixed answer. The storyline is quite simple, without much depth or intense drama. But if you're looking for a show that emphasizes healthy friendships and relationships, "We Are" does a great job of that. This was something I was really hoping for, and it delivered well in that aspect. The genuine connections and positive interactions between the characters are refreshing and heartwarming.

While there are some enjoyable moments, the pacing really becomes an issue, particularly between Episodes 9 and 13. This section felt especially slow and could have been condensed, making the whole series tighter and more engaging, probably fitting better into 12 episodes.

So, while it might not be the most thrilling series out there, its charm comes from its simplicity and the heartfelt bonds it shows. If that sounds appealing to you, it’s definitely worth a watch.

"In this group of friends, even though university life is tough, life's ups and downs, plus love's twists, keep things always stirring.
We are... friends who argue but care so much about each other that sometimes, we end up flirting."

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Confusing and Tiring

Just to be clear, Im only giving this show a 6 because of Kim and Copter, the show is a big confusing mess taking itself too seriously and tried to give us a big smorgasboard that didnt really work.

Let me talk about KitMark first, cause they are the main reason why i watched this show. Kim's acting can sometimes be silly but as silly as it is he is still lovable, and Copter is, as expected, always a pleasure to watch. Put them together in a scene and they just complemented each other well. The sad part is the series lacked consistency and at the last few episodes it felt like they were donwgraded to support characters.

Now lets discuss Bas and his character Wayu. I didnt enjoy him in 2moons but at least he was tolerable there. Here, the constantly crying Wayu is just annoying. His character was written like a princess who is more delicate than a real girl and is almost always vulnerable (and fainting or falling) and in need of assistance. He even needs help in washing his own hands for crying out loud. Girls act tougher than this guy in real life, its frustrating.

Whats with the supernatural element in this show? Thanu and Phai's destiny premonition or whatever you call that came out of nowhere but acceptable. But doing the same exact thing for Thanu and Wayu just pushed it to the edge of ridiculousness.

And then there's the fact that this show featured hundred thousand actors that everyone felt like minor characters. I hate shows that feels like nothing is happening after an episode, but this one tried to cram too much that you end up forgetting what and whose show it is in the first place.

One thing i also have to comment is the fact that this university has almost non-existent straight characters. I know this is a BL show, but for for the love of the goddess all girls were treated as shrieking accessories that oggles for cute guys even if he is obviously gay. I think in the finale they even forget that the real world has girls in it.

Will i rewatch, hell no, not even the KitMark scenes. Will i reccommend, maybe for tweens and for those who are still stuck at home and nothing to do but watch, but lower your expectations and i mean really low. Yes im glad that i at least get to watch Kim and Copter again, but i hope producers in Thailand realize how ridiculous it is to produce exactly the same low quality university themed BL stories over and over again - gay life is not this black and white boring.

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I highly recommend this drama for anyone who is searching for something sweet, funny romantic but not really dramatic. The actors and actresses in this drama are all beautiful and above all, our main character can sing really well. I can’t help falling in love with Si Tu Feng’s angel voice and the catchy rhythm of all the soundtracks, especially the song named “Star”.
The best part of this drama is the end of episode 27/30. When Si Tu Feng had to engage with a girl he did not love to prevent her from suicide, he suffered a lots and felt guilty with his real girlfriend Chen Qing Qing. However, with the support of Quin Quin’s grandfather – he encouraged her to chase for what she liked and dreamed of – QuinQuin decided to stopped the engagement party. The most epic moment of the drama was when QQ came into the cathedral, using the “shake hand ticket” with Si Tu Feng to shake hand in 5 seconds with him. (For every album there was a ticket designed by QQ, which offered a fan can shake hand with their idol in 5 seconds). However, QQ not only had 1 ticket but she had hundreds of them ? All the tickets fell down from the ceiling right in front of the amazing reaction of all the guests. Meanwhile, Si Tu Feng was so touched by this moment so he decided not to let go of his real love easily. He held QQ’s hand and ran away before apologizing to the girl he did not love at all. He couldn’t lie to himself, his friends and family anymore.
For me, I consider this scene is one of the best stunning moment which makes me replay many times to watch it again. The song “Star” was played right in this moment made it more romantic than ever.
I really hope for more and more drama like that. I think I would recommend this here for everyone. Hope all of you will give this drama a try.

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NO SPOILERS . Is it stockholm syndrom or can love bloom from overcoming hardship together?

The story : On his quest for revenge, Wei Zhao crosses paths with Jiang Ci, who spoils every plans he makes.
However, getting to know each other they are drawn to one another.

First of all, when I saw how Male Lead treated Female Lead, I could not help but wondering if Female Lead suffered from stockholm syndrom ? How can she fall for someone who harmed her like that ?
Then, as the story progressed I understood that those two share a special / unspeakable bond.
They managed to find love and had a great chemistry in the middle of such dire situations. And this, in it-self is a challenge.
ML and FL still brought me with them as I witnessed their slowburn romance, full of attraction, riddles, subtile messages, amorous glares...
So as much as I was shocked by ML at first and also feared for FL's life, I was rooting for Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci's love in the end.

Pros :
- Smart countryside Female Lead .
- Smart high ranking court officer, Male Lead.
- Good action scenes.
- Mortal Enemies to lovers trope. Male Lead's killing spree goes far, as he is aiming at Female Lead and that's surprising.
- Great acting.
- Great revenge quest for the hero whose kingdom's population was slaughtered and enslaved.
- The plot is complex. That's a good thing because it is promising and can surprise the viewer. At times your blood might boil for witnessing injustices. But this is proof of a good story.
- Very emotional topics are dealt with : genocide, slavery, fight for survival, conspiracy, rebellion, human trafficking...
- Sprinkle of romance, which I think is great because the emotional and political story make the romance more endearing.
- Well written script filled with symbolism and duality (every plot point faces its opposite) : slavery/freedom, conceal /show, belitteling/praising... So you can have different level of understanding of the narrative because the writer thinks that you are smart enough to piece them together. I like that.

Cons :
- As the drama aired, I thought is was one of the last performances of Jeremy Tsui as a Second Male Lead before retirement. I was sad ?! And hope to see him again. Good news, he is coming back to acting. My wish was granted, I am very happy. He is such a great actor.
- Sadistic assassin Male Lead who supresses his emotions and live like a machine. That's a Red Flag.
- There are some glitches in the CGI. For example here : they stopped the CGI before finishing the scene (^_^) I laughed so much o_O
Are they saving money on CGI budget ? This is weird to see the raw images with subtitles.
https://postimg.cc/Z0WqXVqy


Overall this is a good show : I laughed, I was afraid, relieved... until the very last minutes. The ending was a climax.

It was the most satisfying ending to me, it did justice to the drama and it was also very realistic. I could always dream of a season 2 with an alternate ending that would have sparked even more conspiracies than this one. But the writers did justice to the story of a hero. And I liked it.

Highly rewatchable because there is hidden meaning everywhere, you will discover new clues and symbols at every rewatch.
If you like enemies to lovers stories with intelligent leads, this is for you.


The songs of the OST fit the story perfectly : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PngeJrUTSVo

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I'm gonna say this straight up: this is probably the best wuxia/fantasy/adventure/epic drama I've watched. Multiple factors add to this such as cast, script, BEAUTIFUL cinematography, actually good CGI and so on.

Story: The story was very fleshed out and complex, and did the novel justice. Each character, even the minor ones felt like they were placed wherever they were for a purpose and not just as a tool for the plot to move on. The plot was a little draggy in some parts but as I don't really pay attention to these things I didn't take any points off for it. One thing I can say is that I never felt like I wanted to take a break from the series (as I do with a LOT of Chinese and Korean dramas) or drop it. In fact, if I ever missed something accidentally, I would go back and rewatch it in case I missed something important. I also fast forward and speed up my other dramas, but I didn't for this one which I think expresses my devotion haha. The plot is also quite original and there are certain things that set it apart from other wuxia fantasy shows. For example, the fight scenes are very realistic. The opening scene really shocked me as you can see the work the crew and actors have done to make it look and feel real (it worked). Also, the regular tropes that other dramas used are completely changed in this drama. For example, in one of the scenes, the Emperor says (I can't remember exactly what he said oops) "A child born of royalty can live and take revenge, but the child of a doorkeeper can't? What sort of rubbish idea is this?" And this actually made me think...

Acting/Cast: Chen Feiyu, being quite young, filled the shoes of the complicated NingQue very well. He was good at expressing happiness, shamelessness, and quick-fire retaliation with his words. His smug face when he won something from someone is so endearing. I would give him personally a 9.5 for acting as just a few scenes (mostly of negative emotions) felt off. Song Yiren was absolutely amazing, and I would say she is the best main character of the show, She was perfect at expressing child-like dependence and admiration for NingQue as SangSang. She also showed off SangSang's practicality and work ethic very well, as well as her underlying love for NingQue. The romance between the two is extremely subtle in the first half, but from episode 40 or so when NingQue returns with Mo ShanShan, it begins to show as the two are forced to confront each other with what they really want from each other. I loved the endearing way NingQue treated SangSang, you could tell that even though he made fun of her and treated her as a maid sometimes, he really cared for her and would do anything for her. In one scene, he says "SangSang isn't the door to my life, she is my life." Oh God. The other side characters did very well in their roles. I found YanSe and WeiGuangMing particularly astounding, and I'm glad some veteran actors had big roles in the drama (unlike some dramas which only focus on the young actors to attract more audiences). Other characters I loved were ChenPiPi (and his bromance with NingQue and his cuteness), YeHongYu (as NingQue said: "You are THE strongest woman I've ever met."), LiYu (the princess of Tang, an ambitious woman) and every person in the Upper Story.

Music: I like most of the songs in the OST and some of them are very suited to a particular character or setting. For example back in the army they would sing the song "Take your life" and so on. However there would be a song for a particular character but then used for another character which was awkward (but it was a nice song so I didn't mind).

Rewatch value: Okay so the only reason I won't rewatch this is because it's kinda long. Also there's a second season, so I'll just wait for that. BUT the second season won't have Chen Feiyu, which is a shame as I grew used to his face and acting style. The romance and other relationships won't be the same... I've heard news that the main lead in the second season is going to be Dylan Wang, who played DaoMingSi in Meteor Garden. I found his character childish in that and kind of restricted to a few emotions (I didn't even finish, stopped at episode 30) so we'll see how it goes.

10/10 recommend!!

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It didn't give what it was supposed to give

*Sigh*
I was really looking forward to this one.

I rewatched Go-Go Squid just before I watched Dt. Appledog's time, and I wish I hadn't.

In short, it's no match for Go-Go Squid. My head hurts from how BORING it was. The plot was just okay. I was really hoping for more, but I think the original Go-Go Squid cast is what made it so GOOD. This cast just didn't have the same chemistry as the old one. The sets also didn't feel the same, KK headquarters felt... Cold? The GGS KK headquarters felt like home, but the set they chose to felt so empty.

I was glad to see Hu Yi Tian finally saying sentences, and his chemistry with Li Yi Tong wasn't too bad either. I was rooting for them the whole time but couldn't bear to watch their story through.

I think this drama might be interesting to people who have not seen Go Go Squid, but if you haven't seen it yet watch GGS first! Don't bother with this one :p

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For a movie buff like me, watching this Thai BL series is a stretch but a good one. I can continue raving about it from the beginning.  But let's start with the story.

The story seems cliche if you look at it on hetero/straight perspective especially when this type of storyline has already been applied in many telenovelas(Latin and Filipino) and even Asian.  However, the good twist is that the gay storyline is the main focus, in which one of the characters is a hero who tries to win the love of his best friend after a random tryst due to intoxication. At first glance, it was not really a tryst because, both, as mentioned were intoxicated. But from there complication arose, including the surprise appearance of a girl friend  of one of the main characters and then the development of love between two college-educated young adults who are both male.  

This is a kind of romantic comedy series that I wouldn't get bored watching for many times, if time allows. Aside from the "main lovebirds", one character I really love is Yihwa.   All cast, even the villain, portrayed their characters very well. The acting is "superb" (IMO) especially Yihwa's , and of course, Korn and Knock.  Even though I tend to hate the villains, their characters have been played well that it is difficult for me to ignore them. Although it is possible to pinpoint the neophytes in acting, I have come to familiarize all the supporting characters.  They've all managed to invoke emotions in their characters, which, I believe is very effective in stirring the emotions of the viewers.

It is not only about having to see the main characters to feel good throughout watching the series. The supporting cast really managed to bring out different types of emotions in me. So, I think this BL series is very effective in incorporating the characters, which I initially thought would just be fillers and uninteresting. But then, they did a great surprise.

And one thing I have to point out in this series are the kissing scenes(of course).

Max(Korn) and Tul(Knock) managed to portray natural kissing scenes, even the most intimate ones between two male lovers in a BL series. I can only watch this in gay movies which are rated for adults. But considering this has also been shown on Thai TV( I think) and online, they have managed to capture a big audience because of their kissing scenes.

I thought I'd be satisfied with just one love scene, but the series kept on surprising me. They really put intimacy of two male characters to a new level. And for that, I commend the actors, the producers, the writers and the directors.

Musically, the timing of the background effects is good. Some are over-the-top but understandable. I love the soundtracks though. Hearing them makes me appreciate Thai pop music more. This is coming from an international fan and viewer of the series.

Overall, this series has done a great redemption to the BL industry. I rate it first on my list.

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One of the best Chinese Drama for me. So much love for ShangGuan Qui Yue. His love for Chun Hua is so great, He is willing to sacrifice everything for her. Just the 2 of them makes the forty episodes worth watching. Even without subs, I was hooked to watch it over and over again. Makes you laugh and wanted to fall in love. Li Hong Yi is very credible in his role, his eyes will mesmerized you. Zhao Lu Si is very funny and adorable. They have great chemistry in the screen and this is more enjoyable for me than their first team up. My favorite episode is episode 30, the moment that Chun Hua realized that his destined man was Qui Yue and of course their kiss was more passionate. Although it took that long for her to realized it, but along the previous episodes she can feel her heart beating especially when Shang Guan Qui Yue will kiss her and she even cry after dreaming that He died. I highly recommend this drama.

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