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Still, I thought I'll share my opinion about this as I have slightly different thoughts on it than the ones that already wrote a review.
Despite the quite bad reviews from most of the others, I really enjoyed watching this drama.
I have seen quite a lot of promotions for this drama in which Jun always said that this is a drama that will warm your heart and I cannot but agree with him on that.
It might be not such an inventive storyline, but how the problems of the main roles are written and portrayed makes it very believable to me.
You cannot but feel the grieve of Taiga, who struggles to become a successful actor as his father was. Also, he's so deeply in love with Shiori, the single mother, that is nearly breaks him every time she rejects him and you just want to comfort him.
However, Shiori's role of the single mother that tries to find a way of living with her daughter peacefully is portrayed very wonderful. Takeuchi shows us all the emotions a mother has when she falls in love with a "new" man after raising her death husband's child.
Also, the supporting characters were nicely written. Each of them had a little story around its own that were shown in the drama as well which made them not plain supporting roles, but gave all of them a feeling of authenticity.
The whole cast did an amazing job and it is a pleasure to watch them all.
The music fits nicely into the drama and I am still humming some melodies along with me and I will listen to the sountrack happily as soon as I get it.
I would wathc the drama again one day, just because the emotions were so nicely shown that I could feel them in my own heart. Also, Jun has a pretty cute role here, so if you fancy him, you might just fall in love deeper with him^^
I think that this is a really nice drama andI recommend it to those that like to watch romance and children as well as struggling with real life problems between two people that actually love each other but need time to finally find each other.
And to say it with Jun's words "This drama really warms your heart!"
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There have definitely been a lot of dramas lately that center around a group of female friends, but I've rarely found myself truly loving them. The charm of Delicious Romance is that it explores various relatable issues like divorce/ending a long-term relationship, re-entering the workforce, and changing careers, but also manages to feel light-hearted instead of stressful. The episodes are about 30 episodes and there are also 20! What a rarity! That means this drama never drags. I would actually love a second season.
This drama just surprised me in so many ways. Also, I loved that Xia Meng worked on developing dramas for a streaming site, and had some sharp commentary to offer. A total delight!
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This review may contain spoilers
Exceptional, Unforgettable
Previously when this movie haven't been listed on MDL, and when I was really affected by this movie and needed somewhere to vent my thoughts, I ended up writing a review on the Korean movie 'Silenced', which had a strikingly similar premise as this movie. In my previous review, I wrote about the comparison of 'Silenced' and 'The Silent Forest', by listing some aspects that were done differently and similarly between these 2 movies. I just felt that these 2 movies really complemented each other really well and they're so so so worth watching despite the emotional trauma that they'll leave us viewers with.If you're thinking about whether to give this a watch, my answer to you is: This is a NECESSARY watch.
There's just so much I can talk about in regards to this movie; I don't even know where to start and how to start breaching this topic. All I can say is that this is a masterpiece. It's so rare for a movie to affect me so much that I'm just grabbing fistfuls of hair in the cinema and feeling so much anger and despair at the same time that I don't even know my tears were because of the anger or the despair that I'd felt.
Just to list some things off my head about this movie:
(note: possible spoilers ahead, i tried to refrain from revealing too many details about the plot)
[Villain]
One striking aspect of this movie was the concept of villains. The main antagonist of this movie isn't a conventional 'true' villain. He's what I would call an anti-villain. His character caused me so much dilemma throughout the entire movie, my heart hurts for him. I wouldn't say that Xiao Guang (Kim Hyun Bin) has notable redeeming qualities that made me feel that he shouldn't be punished for his misdeeds, but my heart also ached so much for him that I don't want him to receive a harsh punishment, because ultimately, he is still a broken child. This movie made me ponder about the concept of what really makes up an 'evil' person? There's so many cases of portrayals in dramas and movies that villains are just psychopaths that are born with the inherent desire to harm others. There's not enough exploration into the backstories of antagonists in the majority of dramas and movies in general, and thus I'm really grateful that the producing team wasn't afraid of taking on the challenge of exploring more about Xiao Guang's past. I loved how throughout the movie, Xiao Guang's dark past was slowly being uncovered and viewers were able to follow through that process and were given time to internalize his story and weigh our judgement towards the character. I really love a movie that explores about human nature and how one's experiences can shape a person and influence his behaviour. (!character development!).
[Hearing Impaired in Society]
This movie wasn't afraid of showcasing how the hearing impaired can be disadvantageously treated when they're out and about in society. There were several instances whereby the children spent some days outside of their boarding school, and the experiences they've went through were, well, ugly and heartbreaking. It pains when I'd realized that those children still considered the school as their safe haven despite all the horrendous things that have been happening there, because once they've spent time outside of their school, they realize that they are not 'normal' and struggle to fit into society in general. And society is unforgiving and cold towards them. Personally I've always thought that people in general in this day and age are more inclusive and welcoming in general towards persons with disabilities as compared to the past, but I realized that we are still far far away from being truly inclusive towards this group of people. Something said or done consciously or unconsciously that we might believe is a small, harmless action might have a huge impact on others, and this was brilliantly showcased in this movie.
[Systemic Abuse]
What I believe this movie was trying to convey was the fact that bullying/abuse is systemic and exists in a vicious cycle. Eliminating such a problem is so much more than just removing the one person who's causing all the trouble, or who had started all this trouble, and then expect everything to return to normal again. It's easy to take the convenient way out by just pushing all the blame and punishment to one single person, but when the bullying has spread exponentially to many other people, just like in a pyramid scheme, where there's much more victims than expected; the situation becomes ugly and goes almost beyond salvation. By this stage, it takes a whole lot of resilience and perseverance from someone, or a group of people, to uncover the whole issue and restore justice. Also, often in cases of bullying, the line between the perpetrator and victim is often blurred. After all, most bullies become bullies because they used to be a victim of bullying themselves. In such cases as presented in the movie, where there are so many victims and when the victims themselves become perpetrators, there exists so much resentment, anger, despair, hopelessness and guilt at the same time, and by the time when intervention is provided, who should be held responsible for all this then, when this is just a never ending cycle? This is what this movie leaves us with, and this is a question that we need to ponder about and find a solution to.
There's many more things I can explore and write about regarding this movie, and this review is just a small portion of what had been filling up my head ever since I've watched this movie. All in all, I believe the biggest takeaway for us viewers is to be more observant and aware of what's going on in our surroundings, because what is seen as peaceful on the surface might hide something dark that we can never imagine.
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OMG!
BeOnCloud has done it again! The story line? The acting? the music?Bible and Jes?Amazing!
The story is anything but your typical BL typical plot. No cringey scenes either. It keeps you engaged and absorbed.
Maybe the last scene needed a little explaining? But overall you get it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt the emotions!
Please watch it! It is not time wasted, it is time loved!
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The romance was my favourite thing which almost never happens. But Bai Qi and Lin Xia were so cute and adorable that I easily fell in love with them. I absolutely loved the progression of their relationship, which felt very natural. Bai Yu and Zhen Qui Hong had an amazing chemistry and if they get cast again, I would watch the production for sure! Their hugs, kisses, the funny scenes between them gave me butterflies. Overall, their characters were very well-written and intriguing. They suit each other well qne the actors did a brilliant job portraying their characters.
The second couple was also very charming. I wasn't the biggest fan of Xiao Xiao at first, but with the time I got used to her behaviour and maybe because I like the actress, I began to like her character, too. Yang Jian was indisputably the best character in the drama! His reactions were always the most interesting and unexpected, I loved his interactions with Bai Qi. He and Xiao Xiao were very loveable couple which, even though not as good as the main one, had their amazing moments.
A Li was a cutie! I kinda wish they explored his character more -- I wanted to learn more about him and I wanted to see more of his funny reactions!
The strongest part of the drama are its characters for sure, but the plot was sometimes lacking. The first half was amazing -- I loved literally every episode and I was always super excited for new episodes! The second half, on the other hand, had some good moments, but also okay-ish and boring ones. I believe it got a little bit too draggy towards the end. But overall, the atmosphere was really nice and the pace was okay most of the time. The cinematography was insanely beautiful, too!
Overall, ''Fairyland Lovers'' is a light, fluffy drama that never gets tooo dramatic and it's perfect if you want to watch something to make you happy. I'm really glad that I watched it and I recommend it to everyone!~
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This review may contain spoilers
Rape ignored - Script Writer's shame.
The story is oppressive in its execution, storyboard, and editing. It isn't a romance; it is a reaffirmation of the stereotyping of women and the financially disadvantaged of any gender in society. Meant as provocative entertainment, and not as social commentary. Note: Production missed that mark, too.By episode six social stereotyping begins to irritate and becomes maddening because the story fails to acknowledge rape, assault, and kidnapping in a criminal way (Two of the main leads, are lawyers). Every gender is a target and women are getting the brunt of it. Men's brutality is portrayed as a given. While women are always jealous and the enemies of other females.
This repetitive; out-dated; poorly scripted; decades-old morality play has no purpose and no entertainment value. Even subject matter, couldn't keep the boredom away. The finale, a karmic joke. I blame the writer. I don't recommend it.
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"Before you start complaining, why not start practicing?"
Yu Yu Hakusho had considerable story to tell with numerous characters in a very short amount of time. For the most part, and for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material, it succeeded.The story was streamlined and relatively cohesive. The main characters and their characteristics were fired out with the speed of a 22. Yusuke was the tough rebellious teenager who helped out those in distress but didn’t want anyone to know it. Keiko had been friends with Yusuke since childhood and knew all of his foibles and strengths. Kuwabara was Kusuke's rival who couldn’t help but respect the opponent he desperately wanted to beat. After the accident that transformed Kusuke’s life, a plethora of Yokai and supernatural beings were brought in as well as the requisite human baddies.
YYH covered enemies to friends, training sessions, coming of age, and the old end of the world ploy. I enjoyed the enemies to friends and strangers to friends storylines. There were backstories and characters given short shrift, but in a 5 episode drama they did a fairly good job of forming the characters. The hair and costume colors were bold. I have found it helpful when watching dramas or movies based on anime to think of them like Western superhero movies. The flamboyant hairstyles and costumes make much more sense to me now. At least no one was wearing yellow spandex, although Koenma’s pacifier was truly bizarre. One of those things that might work better in animation than live action. The CGI was well done for a drama and there was plenty of it. The episodes kept things moving with fights using supernatural weapons and abilities. The battles pulled double duty by covering up a basic story. If there was a drawback to the fights, a few of them went on too long. The acting was all over the place, from competent to-adequate, completely over-the-top, and barely registering a pulse.
Yu Yu Hakusho felt more like a long movie in some ways rather than a very short drama. As in a movie, characters were given just enough development to differentiate them and understand their motivations. With a myriad of characters involved, both good and evil, the writers managed to wedge in as much backstory and world building as they could. Overall, I found this supernatural fantasy to be comprehensible and entertaining with the forged friendships and creative fights being the highlights.
27 Dec 2023
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It's not a unique story to say the obvious. It's very cliche, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine to re-watch different versions of this cute story. I've watched the Korean and Japanese version, but I have to say, I think out of all the remakes, I like this one the most. I felt that the other versions lacked something that this one had, and that's individuality. While the others felt like just another cliche, Miss In Kiss acknowledged that it was a story that's been done before and added it's own tune. The vibe this drama gave off was very cute and light hearted; it was easy to watch, especially with the short episodes. No sub plots were dragged out and the pacing this drama had felt right. I actually don't think there's anything I dislike about this drama other than the fact that I thought a few scenes and reactions could have been done a bit differently.
Acting/Cast: I felt that the characters in this version was the most believable. Zhi Shu didn't act like a cold emotionless psychopath like the other versions portrayed him to be, and I was glad to actually see him smile and cry whenever he needed to. He was much more human and realistic while still keeping the stereotype of an intellectual yet cold guy, I really enjoyed Lee Dino's take on this character. I loved Yue Qin in this as well, she wasn't as obsessed like in the Japanese version. She was just a normal girl who had a crush on a guy, but just couldn't let go. She was a very cute character.
Yue Qin and Zhi Shu's relationship was well developed, in no way did I feel their progress was rushed or could have been done better. I liked Ah Jin and Zi Yu in this version the most as well, they had much more character and I didn't feel that they were just getting in the way of the two leads.
Music: The OST was very cute and matched the vibe of the drama perfectly. I usually don't focus too much on the music in a show unless it really stands out, I found the soundtrack quite catchy and original.
Re-watch Value: If I'm ever in the mood for a light hearted and fluffy story, I might consider watching certain episodes than the whole thing, but I wouldn't mind watching the whole thing again either.
Overall: I feel that this drama did a great job in making it's own version of the story. It didn't feel like just another re-make, it felt original and stood out from the rest. I look forward to a possible season 2.
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Not Me is probably one of the best BLs of all time if not the BEST. (Review/Analysis) (No Spoilers)
I just cannot stress enough how much I love this drama. I finally watched it now that all the episodes have aired and it exceeded all my expectations despite me being a little apprehensive at first considering how it was not marketed very much. OffGun really took this drama and just made it absolutely soar. The plot, the pacing, the tone, the cinematography, the message, just really elevated my expectations for future BL dramas. Like don’t get me wrong I love Bad Bunny, Semantic Error, Theory of Love, and a bunch of other well made and great BLs but this is just one of those stories that didn’t require it to be a BL to be great. I’m a sucker for a good political crime drama and this one just took the cake and it being a BL was just icing on top.Plot: 9/10
Boy oh boy, finally a drama not set in a college or work environment. Having a story of twins switching places has been done many times in cinema and tv but the reason behind it was crazy. White switching places with his comatose brother after years of not seeing him who is the literal polar opposite in every way is just iconic. Especially with Black being a modern day freedom fighter and White being a upstanding future politician, you just can’t go wrong with that. The Who done it aspect when it came to Black while great actually wasn’t the overall story of the main plot, but White figuring out he can’t bring true change while being a politician and that some roads have to be bumpier to bring long term societal change. The romance plot while slow was so well done and worth it by the end and while I wish it could of been a 16 Ep series like Kdramas to tie up a lot of the lose ends of the overall story, the romance aspect of it was so well done and just absolutely made my own heart soar which entirely made up for the lose ends. Plus this being a political drama really opens up a lot of avenues for a season 2.
Characters: 9/10
Gun really nailed this big time, and if he doesn’t win an award for this I will be very surprised. His portrayal of Black and White was just phenomenal, considering they are literal twins that embody ying and yang to a T. No light without dark and no dark without light is literally these two characters, which Gun is able to portray perfectly. Black is the rough and tumble gangster/modern day freedom fighter who legit takes no shit and is absolutely a complete asshole but despite all that still has an underlying warmth towards his brother and the people he’s actually close to. Not only that Black is a get shit done kinda guy no matter who he has to hurt to get his point across. While White is the polar opposite who originally believes that most things can be solved through words and non violence, and cares deeply for people around him especially his brother despite his conflicting feelings. Though the two of them are sorta strained, you come to a conclusion that despite their differences they’ve truly rubbed off on each other and this allows them to both grow into such complex characters. The gang member especially Offs character Sean is just so well done. Sean comes off very similar to Black but that’s mainly a façade to hide his past trauma and his reasonings resonate way more with you considering his harsh upbringing unlike Black and White. This is where White comes in and slowly and unknowingly starts rubbing off the best parts of his personality and ideals onto the rest of the gang while also coming to realize that the right way is sorta in the middle of his ways and their ways. The rest of the cast and the other side couple are also great and all their back stories really resonate with you and you come to understand that the law doesn’t always give you peace nor justice.
Romance: 9.5/10
A slow burn enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope and surprisingly this dramas story is so interesting that really it didn’t need it but oh boy am I happy it did. OffGun brings the chemistry hot and heavy in this one when they finally get there. They portray this couple so well it is hard to fathom this show without it after seeing the beautiful development both Sean and White have. Especially with the fact Sean absolutely hated Black and is very conflicted with his own feelings and opening up. Plus the side couples are also well done and even sad at times. I saw a post describe the four romances so well as one of True Love, Love at First Sight, Unrequited Love, and Right Person Wrong Time, and the fact we get these stories all in one drama is absolutely nuts to me. All 4 plot lines are so well done and definitely left some lose ends that needed to be tied up in a season 2.
Themes: 10/10
This is where all of it ties together for me. Despite my love for OffGun and the Plot the theme behind it all is what takes this past my standard of what we consider a BL, and I would go as far as to say that despite it being marketed as a BL, if this was a show here in the states it would definitely be seen as a Political Crime Drama. To see the injustice of societal hierarchy, not just in Thailand, but in so many other countries portrayed in such a way is crazy. The most similar drama I can think of with similar tones as that would have to be Chicago Typewriter, which is a reincarnation piece about 3 friends who were freedom fighters in a past life. While the stories are vastly different, the portrayal of social injustice like this always gets to me and that the rich always wins if no one stands up. While the characters actions at first seem minuscule in comparison to what they are up against we slowly get to see the domino affect of change as the series progresses and while I think the story took away from this darker theme with how it ties up the main plot, the development of this theme is still there and again is PERFECT for a season 2.
Acting: 10/10
My god I cannot gush about the raw emotions some of these actors portray. I cannot stress enough how well Off and Gun KILLED their rolls. The raw emotions and personality switches that Gun was able to portray with White and Black, and the sheer inner turmoil that Off was able to bring to life with his characters ideals being questioned when it comes to right and wrong, just couldn’t be topped for me at this point and you could see how much Off has truly grown when it comes to his acting. Their chemistry and real life friendship just really made these characters come to life so beautifully and even melancholy at times. To see the main pair go through this inner monologue of what justice truly is was made to real with Off and Gun. Plus that one scene towards the end with Gun and Sings characters Black and Tod just really made you feel for both sides despite everything happening. One other person that stole a couple of scenes for me was definitely First, my goodness can that boy portray so many emotions with just his eyes. He has one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve probably seen in almost any Asian Drama and just nailed the agony he was in to a T. Him and Fluke really nailed their story with their own amazing chemistry. You could really see all the emotions that their characters were feeling, whether it joy, love, betrayal, heartbreak. All of it. Not only that Papang’s portrayal of the lovable boss man Gumpa was just amazing he played this big brother role to these boys so perfectly and while I’ve never seen him in many other dramas his portrayal made you feel that he really did care for these boys and wanted all of them to live in a better society then he did. The main cast was all great but these were the ones that really stuck out to me. On a side note Filmshy who played Nuch did such an amazing job portraying someone who truly saw the right and wrong sides of the law and the fact it was her first acting role, I really hope we can see her back if they have a season 2. Lastly that van ride at the end was so well done by every actor involved in that scene my goodness was it powerful.
Tone/Cinematography: 9/10
I woulda done a 10/10 if the ending had matched the rest of the dramas theme and while I did love the ending it just didn’t match the tone nor the theme that the drama portrayed. For most of the show we had a dark political drama about a gang of freedom fighters with romantic undertones and a who done it side plot to boot and while I love that it was a “happy ending,” for our main cast was it really a happy ending overall? Like one of the characters said, just because you take out one evil, their will always be someone to replace it. Plus it just didn’t seem realistic to me the way the gang was handled due to the overall tone of the show. Again season 2 please. I love my dark atmospheric tones but you must stay consistent for what the overall theme is trying to project. The last episode was the only time I felt this way. Plus the cinematography really did this show justice when it came to its tone and showed us a glaring reality through more muted colors rather then the bright more vivid colors we see in most BL dramas.
Overall: 9.5/10
I hope they make a second season following this gang. I know it didn’t do as well in Thailand due to its political themes but us as an international audience need to hype more dramas like this up. It sends a message and I know most people typically watch BL for the love and the drama and the intimacy, but as I said while the main couples are all mostly homosexual relationships, I don’t see this drama as such, and while I do love the BL aspect, especially how steamy it is due to OffGuns performances, they did this story justice just by being amazing actors. And I have to give this show props for literally having the most iconic scene I’ve seen in any show or movie and that has to be the Pride Flag scene, if you know you know. The power and acceptance of what this scene shows for the future not only for society but OffGuns characters is so beautifully done. The lighting, the colors, the facial expressions between the two actors portraying what their characters could achieve is absolutely phenomenal. I have probably rewatched that scene 10 times since watching this drama, just because of how impactful it is if you look past the “BL” tag. Don’t get me wrong I love a good lighthearted BL with all the mush and gush and skinship. But this show made me feel something and maybe I’m ranting or overthinking, but I truly love this show and everything it portrays. Please GMMTV, make a season 2, because hopefully I’m not the only one who saw how beautiful and impactful this show could be.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful and heartbreaking story
This show was amazingly beautiful to watch especially for the first time. It has a great storyline and great actors.I really loved the second lead couple. I think they 100% outshined the main couple. I did not really enjoy the main couple in this show. I thought that the female lead being a highschool student was kind of weird. The ending was also unsatisfying to me as a person who cannot stand bad endings and usually tries to avoid them. The ending was not the worst possible as it is seen that the second lead couple do meet in their next life.
The drama was visually very satisfying and the music was amazing. I love all the soundtracks in this series. Also I enjoyed the comedy in this drama especially scenes between Deokhwa and the two male leads were absolutely hilarious. Overall its a very beautiful classic Korean drama.
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My Cuter than Cute School Band and their President
This drama had me smiling from ear to ear while covering/faning my face with my hands from all the cuteness/cringe/fluff.The story itself is neither new nor revolutionary and there are even a few highly annoying elements that had me rolling my ayes and complaining about them getting in the way of my fluff but they are so few that the overall fluffiness takes over.
This drama is packed with well written PPL, it is in your face ant there is no way one earth you can miss it it and while being completely misplaced it still mangas to add to the story, the humour and the fluff that it practically stole my heart.
The next great thing this drama has to offer is flirting done well. the flirting in this is playful, creative age appropriate and does not seem to cross others boundaries or make anyone uncomfortable. Offering a nice dare I say wholesome feel to it as well as a process to the development of romance not only between the leads but also between the other characters.
The friendships, the ups and downs and the very human reactions to different situations are also well written and fun. and while I will admit that some of the turns of events where more interesting than others, the less interesting parts took little screen time so I am willing to overlook them. At times it can be hard to distinguish between fantasy/dreams and drama plot letting us not only hear the inner thoughts of the lead but also showing us a bunch of different scenarios. This adds a little bit of spice as well as kept me from trusting what I saw on screen. It also made way for even more fluff... and cuteness. It also nuanced the story, showing that life and fantasy can be both near and far apart... Basically saying reach for your dreams while acknowledging the work and people behind it... thee is also a really good depiction of falling down and getting back up again done slightly annoying but also done right.
The parent-child relationship in this drama make way for quite a bit of food for thought giving us both the fluffy side of parents who love and support their kid no matter what... the whole I love you no matter who you love yada yada.. do not bully your kid... if the world is against them make sure to be their happy place nice to see and indeed the way I hope and wish all parents would be....
The show also makes way to acknowledge the society we live in without letting take over from the fluff.
So basically this is 85% fluff, 10% real and important scenes, 5% annoying highly bingeable 99% lovable. But it will have you cringe and thing oh how cute so many times your cheeks may hurt from all the smiling.
I also want to add a few more lines about the parents, however this may be a spoiler for some, it should not be but just in case it is I decided to add it at the bottom so feel free to not read it.
What got to me the most and probably pushed me to overlook all the annoying elements of the show was a particular scene in this drama that was extremely powerful to me where a parent read the room took a step back with the words. "I was going to ask but I have never seen him look this terrified". Being able to take that step back as a parent, to self reflect and try to figure out how to create an environment where your child is comfortable to open up to you about their sexuality, is a way to show viewers not only what they should do but also a how to change and create a more open environment. Parents are human too and part of the society we live in, but a good parent is willing to be part of the change and so on.
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Once upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain
20 people found this review helpful
A drama that lightens up your day and absolutely deserves a 2nd chance!
Once upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain (let me shorten this to Lingjian) is a funny and lighthearted drama that will cheer you up in every possible way. At the same time, you will be seduced by the delicate balance between BG and BL romances between the characters. I can really recommend those in doubt to stick around a bit longer (after episode 12-13) to give it another chance. You will not regret it!I started Lingjian when it was airing around the end of 2019 because it had a high ranking. Similar to many others, my mind was full of "WTH is this?..." I found Sandrine Pinna's acting too exaggerated and the jokes very forced. I also could not stand the cheap-looking CGs and sets. So I put it on hold at around episode 12 and gave it a 6.5. The fact I did not entirely drop the ball is because I did not completely dislike it. Fast forward to early 2020, out of curiosity, I picked up the Legend and fell under the charm of Xu Kai. After also watching YanXi Place and Arsenal School of Military, in which Xu Kai showed utterly different sides of capabilities as actors, I just had to pick up Lingjian again. And I did not regret it. On the contrary, this has become one of my favorite c-dramas. I even watched it twice and I rarely do that with any dramas.
Let me start what I absolutely love about this drama: the courage to make a fool out of itself entirely. The origin of Lingjian is a very long but famous web novel that was adapted into a manga and an anime. The scriptwriters of the drama did their best to mimic the characteristics of the Shonen manga: serious and original main storyline but funny mixing with foolish connecting dialogues. The serious main story touches on relationships, love, family, friendships, loyalty, effort, immorality, and the constant fights between good and evil, questioning what considers as right and wrong in this world (sounds familiar?!). I have not seen many drama adaptations daring to mimic this style because of one simple reason: they are afraid to lose the audience by appearing to be too foolish. Real actors simply cannot make the same funny faces and turn themselves into walking emojis and animated characters! But the makers of Lingjian did it! They deliberately broke walls (e.g., Wang Lu mentions the names of Wei Ying Luo from Yanxi Palace or often declares he has the "protagonist aura"), incorporate parodies from other dramas/famous mangas (e.g., Naruto and Dragon Ball) and even Asian dramas (e.g., Meteor Garden and O2O) and request the actors to showcase the most improper expressions one can recall. Indeed, this is something you need to get used to. But once you do, you will start to adore this drama and be entertained through and through.
The other excellent watchpoint is the sweet combination of BG and BL romance. The brotherhood (BL) relationship between Wang Lu and Hai Yun Fan is something that did not exist in the original story but added by the makers. And they are so sweet. Their bond is very strong, and the two have the most beautiful moments together. I am amazed that some of the dialogues and scenes can even passed the Chinese censorship screening!
Many scenes made my BL-loving heart aching like crazy as there are some unexpected turns towards the end of the drama (I am not going to spoil more, but in my view, they even crossed the level of Untamed!)
Again, hats down to Xu Kai's over the top performance as Wang Lu! Unlike many other young actors, he showed he could step out of his comfort zone and display all types of expressions without any shame. But at the same time, his performance is to the points for all the serious scenes. In terms of the "wifey", I had to first grow into Zhu Yuan Bin's performance as HYF at the start. But as the show goes on, I liked him more and more. HYF has a charming personality but hides some darker obsessions within (does it remind you of someone?!). ZYB was able to show both sides convincingly. I will be looking forward to his future performances and his growth as an actor.
In terms of the GB romance, Wang Lu and Wan Wu's chemistry is not the strongest, but you can understand why and how they are falling for each other. Their romance is very subtle, and even towards the end, it is not very obvious whether there is a mutual feeling towards each other. Therefore this does not interfere with the BL aspect. I have to admit that I needed to get used to Sandrine Pinna's interpretation as WW (esp. the dubbing did not help!). But also here, you begin to like her after a while, and soon you cannot imagine someone else playing WW other than SP. She would just make expressions other pretty Chinese actress would not dare to do, and that is what makes out the charm of WW.
Finally, I would like to mention a few last arguments: the supporting characters are adorable. Wen Bao is absolutely my favorite here. I also really like Zhu Qin. The fighting scenes are surprisingly well made; combined with the FX, they mix well with the humorous side of the drama. The drama has a digestible of 37 episodes. Except for the first few episodes, there are limited fillers, and pacing is good. Finally, I like the ending! We know that many C-dramas have a lousy tail. Though many viewers complain about the open end, I find it just about right. It features a great and unexpected climax in the last few episodes and leaves us viewers wanting more. I really hope they are going to produce a second season! Otherwise, I am going to complain about the hell out of the studio!
I already mentioned a few improvement areas at the start, so I will not repeat them. Also, there are a few unlogical character development and storylining to create a dramatic effect. But ok... this happens so often in c-dramas that I start to ignore them.
All in all, this is an excellent drama that deserves a 2nd chance. In this time of global chaos and downturn, let Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain and its cast lighten up your day.
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A Very Satisfying and Full of Fluff Drama
This drama is without doubt the best romance drama in my book. Full of fluffs, hilarious & crazy chemistry is the 3 things to describe The Eternal Love series. I love how the love story of Lian Cheng & Tan'er are told without any pettiness or games, with a lot of hugs & kisses and most of all, they genuinely look and act like a true married couple in love. If you are looking for a great romance drama with a fun storyline, then this drama is for you.While I love the 1st season, this 2nd season is without doubt miles better than the first one in term of everything. It got better budget, better script, better plots, better acting, better styling, better costumes -- basically better than the 1st season in term of everything while still maintaining the same heart & soul of the 1st season that we all love. I loved the plots involving 2 Mo Lian Chengs, the confusion it caused Tan'er and the hilarity it caused, the butterfly effects, the fight for the throne, basically everything from beginning to end. The plot is very simple but at the same time very fun and interesting.
Lian Cheng is without doubt one of my very favorite drama characters ever. Can you resist his charms? The man is literally perfect! Like the 1st season, he is King of Teasing and in this season, he didn't disappoint either and I personally think he upped his game even more despite being gentler and sweeter. I cant believe how Xing Zhaolin's acting has improved so much than the 1st season in a matter of a year. He acted the 2 Mo Lian Cheng with very subtle differences since they are supposed to be the same person. I can recognize Lian Cheng and the 8th Prince as early as Episode 6 despite both of them wearing the same clothes and donned the same hair styles. Lian Cheng has this gentle and relax look on him all the time while the 8th Prince's expressions are stoic and colder like the old Mo Lian Cheng from the 1st season.
Liang Jie as Tan'er / Xiao Tan is still as awesome as ever. She can definitely survive anywhere and of course where she is, trouble will follow her. Her out of the world thinking and bravery are definitely one of the reasons why both Lian Cheng and the 8th Prince can't resist her. And the 'English' letter he wrote to Mo Yihuai is definitely hilarious -- I'm in stiches while watching the whole scene. When you have this kind of character in a drama, surely, the drama wouldn't be boring and stagnant.
And the ending is literally the best ending for a drama! They dedicated the whole episode solely for the ending. It didn't feel rushed like other Chinese dramas and they gave us enough time and closure for our lovely couple and their happiness. The ending scene is truly perfect! The conversation they had at the lake is literally their relationship in a nutshell. From Lian Cheng brilliant teasing to Tan'er loves for money -- I love the dynamics of their relationship. They are definitely a relationship goal.
'No matter when or where,
Whatever person we become,
I will find you,
Fall in love with you,
Marry you a thousand of times,
For lifetimes, for generations,
Never separating....'
This drama is one of dramas where promises are fulfilled instead of broken. Thus as I stress again and again, a perfect romance drama in my book.
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