Khun Chai Taratorn is the first part of the very popular Suparburoot Jutathep series. It’s somewhat an exclusive Thai way of making dramas where three, four or five plots are connected by a main thread. In this series’ case, it’s the story of the five noble brothers, set in the after-war times in Thailand.
The first part of the story started in a promising way, it gets extra credit because it introduced us the main characters, their relationships and the general atmosphere. The premise of the plot seemed interesting; antiques robbery, cross-dressing and so on. However, the writing didn’t manage to keep things captivating. I think that’s the main issue with most Thai lakorns, they usually have interesting topics and characters but they tend to mess things up in the middle and near the end.
I found too much Indecisiveness to tolerate. Many main characters kept avoiding the obvious for the longest time that’s why the lakorn could turn out to be a little boring. Of course, the bromance moments between the brothers surely kept my interest, the way they eavesdrop on each other or plot against each other just for fun was priceless. I believe that’s the main strength of this series.
This may have been the non-interesting brother as some may call it but I surely liked Chai Yai’s character, apart from his indecisiveness of course. He was calm, caring and well-worthy of the eldest brother’s title. The acting was, not bad is all I can say. As many of you would know, Thailand doesn’t contain the greatest actors out there but they can be good enough. Grate did well with the character, at least more convincing than Preem’s acting. You see, beside Grate and Pope (playing the first and the second brother) who are well-known actors from Channel 3, Jame, Bomb and James (playing the other brothers) are newbie actors who made their breakthrough with this series so they deserve encouragement.
The female department was nice; I especially liked the two grannies. The triangle was also good, at least there’s no evil second female lead that you would gladly throw in hell. She had your average next-door neighbour girl feel into her despite being in the noble class. She was also a great friend of the female lead (something you would rarely see in lakorns or in Asian dramas in general). It’s her two sisters that I am worried about when Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories come; they will be the obnoxious type for sure. The second male lead in this part was also very nice and no, he wasn’t friend-zoned since he never grew a crush on the female lead in the first place.
Watch if:
-You like Thai lakorns.
-You dislike slap/kiss lakorns and prefer the other genres.
-You like good chemistry.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for something great.
-You’re not familiar with Thai lakorns; I wouldn’t recommend this as your starting point.
-You’re very impatient for developments to happen.
Khun Chai Taratron love story wasn’t that great to be honest, but as usual the chemistry in Thai lakorns is something you’d gladly watch. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, hoping that the other brothers’ stories will be more interesting than this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Pretty well done and very, very tragic all at the same time. This show had some of the best casting I've seen in a drama yet, and Dong Chi (Choi Jin Hyuk) and Kang Soo (Lee Tae Hwan) stole it away pretty quickly. The secondary cast was simply amazing in their roles, and they were almost more important than the leads to me. To be honest, I think of the leads, Kang Soo was the best all around actor although Dong Chi certainly did a wonderful job. But considering that Kang Soo is still a little new, he never once failed his role. They kept in character and made you feel that the emotions they displayed were real and honest. I felt like they had great chemistry, bouncing well off of one another and the rest of the cast members. The relationships between Kang Soo-Chang Gi and Dong Chi - Chief Moon were very well developed. The secondary cast also worked wonderfully with each other, and the script successfully used them as both plot developers and stress-relieving comedy at all the right places. Jang Won (Choi Woo Shik) and Gwang Mi (Jeong Hye Song) were dazzling in their roles and played their parts exceptionally. Without them, the story would have been far to dark and depressing, but with them it was the perfect mix of comedy and serious thought-proving storyline.I didn't actually really care at all for Han Yeol Moo (Baek Jin Hee), and she took away some of the points I would have given the show. I'm not sure if it was bad acting or bad scripts, but her character just didn't really work. I'm used to the female stars being, well stubborn sure, but mostly good-hearted, solid morals, and someone who thinks of others first. But Yeol Moo has little patience for other people, actively and deliberately hurt her mom, and had no respect for the rule of law or her superiors. I mean, I understand that the point is that when bad guys are in control, you may have to work the system. But she actually was willing to sentence another girl to death or to sacrifice up evidence just to get her and her boyfriend out of trouble. Although the show never dealt with it, she was sometimes quoting basically the same thought processes as the bad guys she wanted to stop. It didn't help that her expressions were non-existent or just felt off, I never felt that her feelings (anger or love alike) were actually real.
Korean Dramas usually focus on personal relationships, with the political message in the background. However, Pride and Prejudice definitely pulled its themes forward, with the romance and friendships being largely a secondary plotline. The show questions the theory that "the ends should justify the means" with both good and bad characters trying to argue their point using this premise. Is it okay to do bad things for a good ending? Or what if you only do something wrong because it is the "lesser evil?" The show pulled in themes of Corruption, Pride, Self-Entitlement, Good v. Evil, Bad Leadership, and knowing when to draw the line. I thought one of the most interesting points the show brought up was the question of what to do when you can't defeat the evil. Most shows want to portray the bad guys as defeatable, but that isn't really true. Whenever one bad guy is defeated, another one is probably going to follow shortly. Furthermore, if the bad guy you want is only a middle-man, is it worth your career to stop him when you know the leader will walk away? We want to put everything on the line only when the person we're chasing is the ultimate evil. But what if he isn't? What if there are 50 others worse than him running around waiting to be stopped later? Will you still risk everything to stop the one? I liked this show just because it made me think, and gave us some interesting things to talk about when it was over.
The plotline was somewhat standard KDrama fare, but also threw in a bunch of unique elements. For the first time ever, there wasn't much of a triangle. This wasn't about the romances; the show wanted you to focus more on the philosophical questions of morality and good citizenship instead. The crime itself was actually well set up and had lots of new or unique little twists and elements. It wasn't the simple murder; there were about ten layers to even plot development, with each character having their own side to tell. The bad guys who weren't really bad guys, the good guys who made horrible mistakes, the bad guys who were just bad guys, and the good guys who were so good as to be little earthly good. The show pulled them all in, asking you to look at humans, our ethical systems, and the important question of when can the right go wrong.
There were of course a few plot holes (especially with the ending being so rushed), but overall, I wasn't too disappointed with it. On the one hand, the weak ending was a really, really weak ending. It went too fast, it left a lot of loose ties, it didn't finish things at all. On the other hand, t was well written and well-designed, even if it left me crying and largely unsatisfied at the end. To be honest, I think it needed an unsatisfying ending, because that's the point. The battle is never over, the next generation simply takes over the reigns and pushes on.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cha Seung Won and Gong Hyo Jin's chemistry was palpable. I loved the hilariously charming arrogance of Dokko Jin, and that Gu Ae Jung was a secure female lead. I felt my heart flutter, and break with them throughout. I guess there is nothing really new about their relationship scenario, but it still felt fresh, and was exciting to watch.
I also have to say that Yoon Kye Sang, was one of my favorite second leads ever. He was so great as Yoon Pil Joo (aka "Mr. Perfect"), that I felt myself starting to root for him [team pil-line!]. My only complaint is that Dr. Perfect started to seem a little too repetitive towards the end. It seemed like the hong sisters just didn't know what to do with him after a while.
Speaking of the Hong Sisters, I think they did a great job making this drama fun. The music played a large role in setting the mood, and the cast was great, but it's the script that played the biggest role in what worked (and what didn't). Even though I knew how things would generally turn out, there were many rewatchable moments, moments that made me swoon, moments that caught me off guard, moments that brought unexpected tears, and moments that made me laugh out loud.
I also have to mention little "Ding Dong" who was so cute. The bromance between him & Dokko Jin were some of my favorite moments.
I'll admit I didn't have much interest in the girl group backstory, though I do think It was funny watching them mask the fact that Gong Hyo Jin is not the greatest singer. The fact that such small things could cause such huge scandals for Hallyu stars felt exaggerated to me, so It was hard for me to get too invested in that part of the drama. I think that has a lot to do with my cultural differences than anything at fault with the drama itself. It still swayed my overall opinion of this drama, and made me lean more towards 8 than 9.
Although it sometimes reminded me of other dramas (and not just because of the shiny tracksuits), I think "The Greatest Love" still holds it's own. I can easily see why it is high on so many people's favorites list, and I certainly never expected to love "The Greatest Love" as much as I did. Add me to the bunch of people who highly recommend this Rom-Com. If the romance in this one doesn't get to you at all, you might want to check to see if you still have a pulse.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
besides the story, i believe the true treasure of this drama is the actors' ability to make their characters shine. this is the first drama i've seen of gakky and i don't think she was a "turn-off" at all.. she may lack superior talent, but she also isn't a horrible actress that brings everything down. okada masaki is one of my favorite actors so it may be that i carry a biased opinion of him, but he really did a great job in this one. i really felt that he let himself be "free".. his expressions were always on point and he knows how to create a mood. he can make you laugh, but he can also warm your heart.
the music was great. i'm not one that normally pays much attention to it, but it was nice and fit the drama well.
i'm also not one to rewatch dramas, but i think i would watch this again if i ever got the time.
overall, this is a good drama to watch when you need something light. i don't think it's a complete must, but i think it's a drama that will definitely make you feel something for awhile.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Dark Side of the Moon.
This drama is about how a power couple that is well matched in terms of cunning, ambition and capability scale the upper echelons of banking and finance during 1930s Shanghai. The narrative vividly captures the wild, morally ambiguous, highly speculative, wheeling and dealing nature of the mafia dominated banking and finance industries during that early period of industrialisation.Cheng Yizhi is a scrappy, enterprising, self educated young orphan with a knack for numbers and finance who is raised by a kindly shopkeeper. He starts out in a lowly position at a bank but his talent propels his rapid advancement to become the protege of banking magnate Huang Ruhong. Wu Lizi is the pampered daughter of a distinguished banker whose world falls apart when her father is framed and commits suicide. Hell bent on revenge, she marries Yizhi and ruthlessly uses his access to banking circles to investigate her father's downfall. Mutual lack of communication and a terrible, irreversible decision by Lizi ruins their marriage but leads to a very rewarding business partnership where they build a bank together.
Wu Lizi is one of the most selfish, devious, manipulative, ruthless and utterly charming female protagonists I have come across. It is such a treat to get complex and fascinating female characters like Lizi. That is why I kept watching this even though at one point I was enraged and disappointed to the point of almost dropping. I still don't like how they wrote Lizi to lash out so viciously and vindictively with such heavy consequences but I am glad I kept going because she really moved me with her stoic remorse and acceptance later on. Even though there were some rough edges to Cai Weijing's performance, overall she is tough, willful, curiously vulnerable and so charismatic that I could literally see how she tied Yizhi, Charlie and Xu Du up into knots emotionally.
Zhang Xincheng delivered a most excellent performance in this drama as Cheng Yizhi, a cynical character that well understands the dark side of the moon due to his upbringing on the rough side of town. So he is the ultimate nemesis of dark characters like Huang Ruhong because he can get into their heads and narrowly manages to stay one step head of them. In sharp contrast, he seeks the light in all of his dealings and finances some of the most promising industrialists of the day. At the onset Yizhi goes toe to toe with crooked businessmen and corrupt politicians with equally scheming and wily tactics. But as the story advances and his dark secrets are revealed, the character is whitewashed and becomes too perfect, so understanding with such shiny plated plot armor that I had to roll my eyes. I needed more flaws or to see him be a little bit petty or selfish and to play dirty sometimes. Instead Charlie, a far more interesting and lovable character rises to the occasion to do all the slightly shady things that need to be done in order to stymie their unscrupulous rivals. Nonetheless the lead couple has superb chemistry and the way their relationship blossoms from mistrust and suspicion into an incredible partnership on multiple levels is one of the drama's strengths.
The business subplots are quite interesting, well written and the financial concepts are kept at a simple enough level for laymen. The characters however are less well written and notably Lizi, is not consistently written. For such a smart character she does some retarded things that can only be put down to sloppy writing. Huang Ruhong's somewhat creepy and unfathomable hard on for Yizhe is also unconvincing and not in character for the leader of the criminal underworld. Indeed the true love triangle in this drama is the one between Ruhong, Yizhe and Lizi. This was such a promising antagonist at the start but gets sidelined as the ending arc digresses into yet another patriotic fight the Japanese invaders plot. I would have preferred to see a more satisfying cat and mouse takedown of this smart antagonist play out properly. Towards the later episodes, many key characters are gratuitously killed off to squeeze out the obligatory tears expected of a Republican period drama. This backfires as I only felt very sad for two of the deaths which only highlights that the other characters were two dimensional ones that I never got invested in.
There are many enjoyable and unique aspects to this drama that make it worth watching even though it falls down on messy plot, sloppy character writing and a lame ending arc. Charlie was my favorite character and his wit, style and wisdom saved the show. Overall this is just a 7.5 for me despite strong acting by the leads. And MVP Charlie (Wang Zijian).
Was this review helpful to you?
THE CHEMISTRY in a short drama!
"Forever Love," a Chinese drama, showcases a sizzling chemistry between its leads with its realistic passionate kiss scenes.The drama is short, with a revenge and death plot depicted, yet the story development is weak. Just watch it without having any expectations lol
The chemistry is everything. The leads are like magnets. Their kiss scenes are deep as if these two are made for each other.
Similar to other short dramas, the drama is not of a high quality, yet this drama is exactly the type to unwind with and pass your time, especially if you crave for romance :)
.
Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Historical and/or political drama are not necessarily my cup of tea, so I usually avoid these genres. I started watching this drama solely because of its popularity, a recent show, a romcom genre, and the ending. I surprised myself I binge-watched it in 3 days!Like:
- Eye-catching front cover (see my comment on costume below)
- Straigth-forward story line, no plot twist, no shocking surprises, no betrayal. Secrets here and there revealed little by little like pieces of puzzles.
- Not dragging, no filler scenes or conversation.
- Perfect casting, every actor/actress fit their roles well.
- Great chemistry between ML and FL
- Some reviews/commentsI read about actress Shin Se Kyung, that she was bland or stiff in her role as FL. IMO she nailed it perfectly. Hae Ryung role is non-chalant and no-nonsense, which distinguished her with from most women in the drama Joseon Era. We can see her character intro in the beginning when she prefers to read a thriller novel to a group of women who prefer to hear romance instead.
- Some reviews/comments I read about actor Cha Eun Woo's bad acting skills especially in the beginning of the drama. IMO Prince Rim is supposed to be socially inept being confined all his life and only communicates with his subordinates whom have been with him for a long time. There should be a character growth for Prince Rim once he is introduced to outside world thru Hau Ryung, other historians, the French guy, the epidemic area, and Seoraewoon. and how the plot develops. Cha Eun Woo did an outstanding job acting the character transition. I actually cried when Prince Rim broke his heart due to the King's banning him writing romance novels and confiscated his writing tools.
- No love triangle (although there are potentials), so no Second Lead Syndrome
- Amazing friendship and family relationships, and loyalty.
- Happy ending for OTP and most other roles. No death.
- At some point of the drama, some roles become ambiguous , you will be uncertain if they are protagonist or antagonist. The ambiguity adds the spice.
- Beautiful cinematography
- Brilliant costume: I like they chose pastel colored costume for the OTP, symbolizes their delicate and sweet romance. Even the light blue color for the female historian uniform is distinguished from the male historian uniform.
- The OST is easy on the ear. Some notable songs are "My Dream" sung by Yoon Mi Rae, the queen of OST; "Come Here" sung by Lee Seok Hoon, and "Please Remember" sung by the ML Cha Eun Woo.
Dislike:
- I have not found any
Note:
- Probably should add a tag of noona romance, as ML is 20 and FL is 26. It does not seem a big deal in the story since their age gap is never opposed in the drama, and one arranged marriage candidate for ML is older than him (Sa Hee).
Was this review helpful to you?
History enthusiasts should not miss this
As the old adage goes, save the best for last. How appropriate, as this is the final drama that I’ve completed before 2020 draws to a close. Personally for me, I consider Qin Dynasty Epic as the best historical non-fiction C-drama production of the year. Aside from being extremely well made, there is simply no other similar non-fiction historical produced this year capable of competing with this drama. Hopefully this brief review provides potential viewers a general idea of what to expect.This is a big budget production and it really shows. The high quality cinematic colour grading, exceptional cinematography and camerawork, elaborately constructed sets, lavish costumes, well-executed action choreography and battle scenes, as well as beautiful vast landscapes, among various other aspects. Principal photography took place at Hengdian World Studio along with gorgeous locales such as Nalati, Sailimu Lake, Changji, Wuerhe, Xiangshan, Duyun, and Xianju. It had been reported in Chinese entertainment news outlets that over 11,000 sets of costumes as well as 4,000 sets of armour were produced for this show alone. Everything looks visually stunning on a very grand scale.
This drama, the fourth and final series in the Qin Dynasty franchise, chronicles the humble beginnings of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, up to the point of unification and establishment of the first imperial dynasty of China, the Qin Dynasty (around 259 BC to 221 BC). The plot follows very closely the Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian, as I understand from more knowledgeable viewers on the subject matter. How certain events truly transpired, no one will ever know. But, at the very least, the major events recorded are generally covered, with some degree of dramatization as expected of a drama. It’s worth mentioning here that unlike the first 3 series which are based on the novel, The Qin Empire by author Sun Haohui, critics noted that the script for this latest instalment is not adapted from the novel.
The performance of the ensemble cast is nothing short of remarkable. Aside from Zhu Zhu, whom I’ve come across in American productions, I’ve never seen the rest of the main cast previously but their acting in this drama is testament to their immense talent indeed. The trio of Zhang Lu Yi, Duan Yi Hong, and Li Nai Wen are outstanding in their portrayal of the central characters of Ying Zheng, Lv Bu Wei and Li Si. For me, those three actors carried the entire show. In particular, Duan Yi Hong’s unique version of the complex character Lv Bu Wei deserves much praise. The huge supporting cast, especially the veterans, also deliver an impressive depiction of their respective characters.
The screenplay involving the numerous convoluted political power plays and complicated stratagems used in court machinations and on the battlefields is very cleverly written and deftly executed throughout the entire show. Nothing is ever as it seems and no character is above the use of tactical maneuverings to gain any sort of advantage.
However, the drama is not without flaws, the major issue being the casting of a 40-year old man as a 13-year old boy. I don’t think I need to elaborate more here. For a big budget production, this falls short of the required standard and therefore, a deduction of points for this glaring error of judgment.
In addition to that, certain dramatization of major events, particularly the story arc concerning the infamous pseudo-eunuch and the Queen Dowager, lasts longer than is perhaps necessary. As a result, other more meaningful historical events are not fully fleshed out or shown in greater detail.
Although 78 episodes represent a massive investment of viewing hours, Qin Dynasty Epic presents an utterly compelling insight and in-depth exploration into the origins of China's first imperial dynasty and the long and arduous journey to unification of the many splintered ancient kingdoms and vassal states. For enthusiasts of history, particularly ancient Chinese history, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Being the final installment of the highly successful Qin Dynasty franchise which started back in 2009, it might be a very long while before another epic historical production based on the warring states era gets commissioned, if ever again.
Was this review helpful to you?
I don't usually watch Chinese rom-coms but this one slipped away when I was watching too many romantic comedies.
2) Storyline/Plot:
The general story isn't something special or new but the way everything was mixed together made the film's story interesting somehow.
Positive points:
*The film's introduction was a good intro for what will happen next.
*There were two well-written twits that you don't usually find in romantic comedies stories: that was a nice change.
*Leads mixture was really cool even though it wasn't that intense.
*Finally and most importantly, there were several hilarious moments to make the film lighter.
Negative points:
*Although there were a respectable amount of negative points but I will only mention that the revenge plot wasn't that great, it would have been much better if it was written otherwise.
Story: 7.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Zhang Ziyi: It was a surprise to see her in a rom-com film since I only saw her in Wuxia productions before. I was convinced by her acting but I can't say the same about her character.
*Other actors were good too, they knew how to make it really enjoyablespecially Fan Bing Bing she grasped the evil role perfectly but So Ji Sub was a disappointement here (mainly because I rarely like Korean actors in Chinese or Taiwanese productions).
*The chemistry was believable but not that enjoyable.
Cast: 7/10
Acting: 7.5/10
4) The ending:
Although it could have been much better but script writers chose to make it expected. It wasn't bad overall.
The ending: 7/10.
5) My impression (How did affect me):
*Although it wasn't a special film, it was entertaining and I had fun while watching it.
*Considering the fact that I don't watch Chinese romantic comedies, this was pretty good.
My impression 7/10.
6) Overall:
*If you like romantic comedies then you would like this.
*Ifyou like revenge plots then don't expect much from this.
Overall: 7/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The best thing to happen in a BL industry
If I could, I would give this show 10000 stars, but MDL only allows me to give it 10. It's worth much more. Beyond more, and nothing would be enough.I have to say, I started watching this show from the first episode just for fun, not expecting much. I expected a cute, enemies to lovers storyline, something to kill time. Instead, I got more - so, so much more. Maybe I'm still a little bit too overwhelmed to put all my feelings into words, and that is because this show is it for me. It does everything right, from head to toe. And just when you think it's going to fall under your typical BL tropes; it doesn't. Instead, it fights them, even subtly makes fun of them at some point, and it's just so, so wonderful to watch, from start to finish.
First off, the plot.
It might seem very basic at first. It might seem like you know exactly where it's going to go and where it's going to take you. But the thing with Bad Buddy is, it took a basic plot, and turned it upside down. The basic enemies to lovers trope suddenly became so much more, and oh, look! They aren't really enemies, they aren't really friends either. But they are something . Then we have their parents who absolutely despise each other. And again, we think we know the story here, thinking it's something cliché. We hate on Pran's mother, thinking she's just a crazy hysterical woman, when, in fact, there's so, so much more depth to that whole plot and her hatred towards Pat's father, it leaves you astonished. Now? I want to give that woman the world.
Second off, the characters. Because I can't write anything else without mentioning the superiority of the characters.
Pat and Pran. What a perfect, absolutely stunning match. You can say whatever you want, but those two are just a perfect couple, played by superb actors with the chemistry that's out of this world. These two... they have drama happening around them. So, so much drama, never having a moment of calmness. But them? No, they are complete opposite. They are a steady, sure thing, not letting the drama around them affect their relationship at all. If everything around them is chaos and drama, they are a calm breeze keeping everything at bay. Sure, there are times where they get shaken up a bit and their relationship goes through small trials, but they resolve it quickly, with COMMUNICATION, and understanding and care for one another.
But you know what they refuse to let it affect their relationship? It's the biggest trial - their parents, and everyone around them who don't want them to be together. Breaking up looks like a typical, logical thing to do, to make things easier for everyone. But do they do that though? No, they don't. Instead, they find a way to still be together, to ease up their parents to the idea, even when things didn't look so bright. This is exactly why I never doubted them and didn't for a second thing that they broke up. That preview was a bust and it was obvious. It wouldn't be Pat and Pran if that happened.
Another wonderful fact about them is, they've been officially together from episode 7 till the end of the series, which is RARE. It's so rare to see a BL do that, and I am SO over the moon they did because it's the least they deserve. OhmNanon delivered their characters perfectly and I honestly cannot see anyone else doing it better than them. It's so refreshing to see how genuine they are and how it looks as if they seriously enjoy acting together and have a blast. It shows, it truly shows throughout the whole series.
Ink and Pa. What can I even say? I just want to thank the director for bringing such a nice, healthy, adorable GL relationship to a BL drama. It was such a nice surprise, I was doubting they were truly going to go with it till the very end, but I'm so glad they did. They also serve as a nice contrast to Pran and Pat, in a way where it's obvious that homophobia really isn't the main conflict as to why their parents don't want them together. It shows how their relationship could've been, if they weren't from the rivaled families. Even the dinner scene in the last episode, it's something Pran has imagined happening. Pat and Pran can't have that yet, while Ink and Pa can.
Hopefully, in the future, Pat's parents will call Pran their second son as well.
Korn and Wai. Listen. I am so glad, SO GLAD, we didn't get a typical "Oh, they are together as well!" Instead, they made them become good friends and colleagues, burying their old rivalry and deciding to do something together. It's nice. Even though I still didn't and don't forgive Wai for the way he outed Pat and Pran. That was a shitty and pathetic move and I'm glad he's become a better person since then, and I hope somewhere, behind the scenes, Pat and Pran got their much needed apology. However, he still didn't apologise in front of us, viewers, so I cannot really condone his actions. That being said, the complexity of his character plays a really important role in a better part of the series and I guess it's a good message. Each one of us makes some bad decisions, each on of us has prejudices that sometimes take over us. Not everyone is a good person. But everyone can change to a better, and do better. And I guess Wai kind of did that. Korn, though, Korn is a legend. Enough said.
Such tridimensional, well-written characters is what makes this BL what it is. If it weren't for that, it wouldn't be half as good. Characters make this story not basic, it makes it for what it is. God bless all of the characters, honestly.
Third off, music.
Goddammit, if I could sell my soul for Nanon's voice, I would. Bad Buddy incorporated music so, so well within the story, there is not one moment where it's awkward. I have three of my favourite scenes which are related to music. First is the one where Pat plays the xylophone, the second one is Pran singing Our Song in ep 11. Third one is in the last episode, where Pat and Pran are playing around, playing their songs, and their parents hearing them, and finally showing some kind of acceptance. Everything around them is related to music. Music plays such a huge part in their relationship. Music is what broke them, but it is also what mended them together. Even though Pran's mum took him away when he was playing music with Pat, years later she smiles and lets them have their music. Together.
There is so much more I could write about this wonderful series. I could talk about it for days and why I think it's as impactful and downright amazing as it is. I would strongly recommend everyone to watch it, although it did ruin other BLs for me and raised my standards even higher, but we're going to ignore that.
Thank you, Bad Buddy. Thank you, PatPran for making my fridays better. It was a wonderful journey.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting: It's beyond the perfection, i was so inmersed in the movie, they were perfect in their roles, all the cast was amazing, I hated the parents and it was a movie that I'll never forget (because it was perfect)
The music was fine, nothing that I'll remember forever
Rewatch value: I have seen this movie 3 times and I'm not a person who likes to rewatch dramas or movies.
Overall: if you have a good cast, little bizarre things that are typical in japanese movies, two leads with a dysfunctional family then JACKPOT! If you're looking for a good movie you must see it, you're not to wast your time
Was this review helpful to you?
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!
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
BL Drama Lovers Club9 minutes ago -
Vertical Short Drama15 minutes ago -
BL female viewers are you attracted to 'real' men?17 minutes ago -
Any Asian dramas people can recommend?21 minutes ago
-
What video games you are currently playing?27 minutes ago
