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Where lays the line between good and evil?
As someone who's a fan of the novel and hugely loved the audio drama and anime adaptation, you can say that I have HIGH expectations for this drama. Cause with such great adaptations already exists, the bar will be extra high. Especially since live actions do not have a great reputation, so I am gonna be straight to the point. There were parts that are terrible, there were parts that deserve to be praised, but overall, it's a worth it drama to watch.Before I start with my review, I will answer a few questions that I've seen people struggling with before deciding to watch it or not. If you do not have this struggle, you can just skip these and immediately go to my review
*The plot is confusing, is this a romance story or not?*
I can't say this enough, but this drama ain't a romance story! This drama/novel is much more than that. This story is about the life of Wei Wuxian and the world he lives in. Romance might be a part of his life, but it ain't everything. The original novel maybe had about 20% (which is also extremely loved by fans), but that's it. There is romance, but it is not the main point of the story! This story is about the boundary between good and evil. Where exactly is the line between these two categories and is Wei Wuxian who is considered to be the most dangerous and evil person in history really as evil as people claim him to be? We'll follow his story in his previous life, his life after his reincarnation and follow his adventure what has happened between the 16 years he was "Dead".
*Will we see gay romance or not?*
I've seen so many people (especially guys) who avoided to watch the anime or this drama because they are afraid to see gay romance. I also believe there are a lot of people who are hesitating to watch it cause they want to see gay romance and are afraid that Chinese censorship will ruin it. I can tell you that both sides have nothing, literally NOTHING to be worried about. Wei Wuxian was bisexual in the novel and is STILL bisexual in the drama, but will not have a romantic relationship with any guys. However there is fan service here and there (Basically everywhere) for those who loved the novel and you can see them clearly if you pay attention to the details, you'll easily recognize them if you have read that the novel. So yeah, those who do not want to see romance, you'll be fine. I mean there are some twilight longing stares once in a while, but you can just go forward a few seconds or just easily ignore them. And for those who want to see romance, you'll find plenty enough hints, cute moments and fan service in the drama to survive. And with plenty I really mean PLENTY. So no matter if you want to watch it for the gay romance or avoided for the same reason. JUST WATCH IT!
*REVIEW*
*Plot* 8.5
I'm gonna be honest, the first 6 episodes were just terrible. It was bad, like REALLY bad. But that was exactly why I enjoyed it with popcorn and all. I was enjoying dissing it so much. I would have rated it a 6 MAX. However, after episode 6, it actually becomes okay. After episode 10, it actually becomes fun and after episode 13, you won't be able to stop anymore, cause suddenly it becomes SOOOO good and it doesn't stop there. It just went up so fast and it doesn't seem to stop till the end. I hesitated for a long time if I should rate it so high, but the plot just gets better and better. I might have even given a 10 if the first 6 episodes weren't so bad. So if you think you can survive a good laugher about a crappy plot for some episode before you get in the rollercoaster of emotions and addiction. Give it a try. But if you really can't stand the horrible acting, just read a summary somewhere and just start from episode 10 LOL. I was surprised how loyal they manage to be to the novel and the novel is definitely 10 worthy! It really shows how much effort they put in and even if they are lacking here and there, the moment you get used to it, you just can't pull yourself out of the story anymore.
*Acting* 8.5
I'll put aside about how much they were alike to the original novel and judge them purely on their acting. Some actors did a REALLY good job, some actors become better over time and some just stay awkward and terrible till the end.
Amazing actors like Wei Wuxian, Shijie and Wen Chao were just wonderful! They are such great actors and my cry moments were all given to them. They made me completely forget about the outside world and just pulled me into theirs.
Some actors were really awkward at first but gradually becomes better and better over time. Actors like Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. Lan Wangji REALLY showed a lot of difference between episode 1 and episode 6. It was as if he suddenly understood his character and just immediately went to perfect, despite being so awkward at the beginning. Actors like Lan Xichen, I couldn't stand them at all at first, but when I got used to them, it was actually not that bad (Perhaps due to my impression of them in the novel). And there's also Jiang Cheng. Oh my boy, he is actually a pretty good actor... except when he cries? Yeah, I immediately went back to reality and actually had to hold back my laughter at really emotional scenes due to him. It DID become better and I actually feel kind of proud of the actor as well (Despite knowing nothing about the actor), but like I said it all becomes better the further you are in the plot
AND there are actors who were terrible till the end. Actors like Jin Zixuan, Wen Qing and Xue Yang. I'm so sorry, but I can't focus when you guys act. I'm glad that they aren't big roles, cause it was really distracting to see them act.
So yeah, there were terrible actors and really good ones. If it wasn't due to most of the actors becoming significantly better over time, I think I would have only given a 7 MAX for the great actors out there, but over time it will become better and some terrible actors will also die at some point so LOL.
*Music* 9
Up till now, I've not seen anyone complain about the OST's, cause they are all REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD. Everyone even has their own character theme song and the lyrics are all related to the plot. Even if you end up not able to finish the drama, I'm sure you will keep at least the ending track with you, cause the songs are THAT good! One little thing that could be a bit distracting is the fact that their movement on the instrument are not in sync with the music LOL.
*Rewatch Value* 9.5
I have barely dramas that I rewatch, but this drama, this story, it makes you think about a lot of things in real life as well. Even if you do not completely rewatch it, there are just certain scenes, certain episodes that you WILL rewatch again. For emotional reasons or to experience things, you have not realized before.
*Overall* 9
I was actually planning to only give it an 8.5, but the plot just becomes better and better and I couldn't help but increase my rating every single week. However, I will not give it a 10. Some of the acting and first 6 episodes are still terrible. You cannot ignore them
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This review may contain spoilers
Everybody can't stop bashing on the drama. Guys, make your own advice and watch the drama, then if you don't like it, drop it. But don't ask people to not watch it. For me, The drama was fine. An advanced reincarnation's concept. (similar to Goblin)
It's about :
-strong love
-jealousy,
- memories,
-hard life conditions,
- how far people are ready to go to be rich, why being rich ?
- travel , time travel,
-adventures
- work's life, work's motivation..
-and to love forever
The drama is so rich ! How can you hate it that much. Yea, I agree , the drama don't deserve a 8/10 but at least a 7/10. It's not honest to give it a 1/10 or 3.
The show started strong ! But was finally slow, sometimes complicated. The characters were well done ! Shin Se Kyung improve a lot, her chemisty with Kim Rae Won was not a joke.
The end was pretty interesting, he choose to live forever to keep her with him. I really loved the end.
As Goblin the drama was about Love through the time , and the Ost were pretty good !
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A Well Made Thriller
Simply Awaken was a really good drama to watch. Not unfamiliar or a new different kind of a story narration but here it has a quite decent balance in both thrilling and emotional scenes which was very interesting to see. The genres were completely stick into mainly three Mystery, thriller and a bit of fantasy. and there were no unwanted or forced romance or anything like that.In The past few years Nam Goong Min Made a big impact in drama industry he was particularly very selective for his works. Especially his last 2 works before this. He is one of the most promising actor we have now. And he has done it again here as well. His performance will be one of the main highlight of this whole show, Just awesome, Very smoothly handled a very complicated role which was outstanding.
Coming to the story and screenplay, by the way i don't want to look further into that part because you can read the synopsis and find the plot and all, but as i mentioned earlier they have a good balance in every aspects so its a kind of a very interesting screenplay also it makes logical.
Also one of the good thing that there was a very good finale Episode which so many other dramas failed to make, but here they done it brilliantly includes a very satisfying Climax also . Nothing more or less needed then that. Overall if you are a thriller fan awaken will be a best choice for you. I loved every bit of this drama without any boring. Try it
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could have been amazing
Overall: imagine if Muffin was actually a police officer and we saw her beat up some baddies in one of her outfits, or what if the mafia boss was actually a secret huge romantic at heart? There were so many ways the writing could have been innovative with this premise, but the cliche writing really ruined it, especially in episode 6. It is based off of "The Ideal Relationship" which I have read but I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: deaths/murders, non con touching/attempted sexual assault, violence, drugging, manhandling, stalking, attempted murder, kidnapping, manipulation
What I Liked
- the intro credits style was an homage to the source material
- how Guy was set up as a queer character from the beginning
- the video gaming sequence, unfortunately we only saw 1 sequence
- cute/sweet moments
- Guy showed agency
- laughed a few times (although mostly at huge plot holes/nonsense writing)
- Wahl's girlfriend in episode 6
- (neutral) comedy noises
Room For Improvement
- cliched/nonsense writing (i.e. Tew's idiotic "plans", Guy probably had 6 bullets in his revolver but seemed to shoot waaaayyyy more than that in episode 8)
- Kenji's backstory makes zero sense, maybe if Tew had used him as a human shield then it would have made sense, they made him into a cliche cartoon villain with nonsensical actions/motivations, even episode 7 didn't make enough sense for his motivation, also way too much screentime taken by Kenji
- the voice over was a fast way to set up a character/beginning but not my favorite way to start a series
- the music was sometimes not what I would have preferred, also think they could have removed the comedy sound effects and just let the comedy come through on its own
- tropey (ie multiple accidental fall and catches)
- avoiding physical affection in episode 5 (although Guy was better by the end)
- cliche plot point in episode 6
- Wahl had way too much screen time, needed to devote some of that to Guy/Tew building their relationship
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This review may contain spoilers
*****This Reviews contains SPOILERS****I discovered Korean dramas after discovering and falling in love with Rain in 2010. I've seen many a k-drama and Misty is now the best drama I have seen in my 8-year k-drama life. IMO, it is perfection from the beginning to the last frame.
Every episode of this masterpiece is brilliantly written and acted. From a super compelling who-dun-it to complex, multi layered relationships. not only betweeen Go Hye Ran and Kang Tae Wook, but between Go Hye Ran and her younger rival Ha Ji Won, her boss/director, a female colleague, the protagonist Kevin Lee, and the devoted Byun Woo Hyun. Kang Ki-Joon, the tenacious homicide investigator, is one of the very best of the great supporting cast. This is a mature, sophisticated, complex, suspenseful drama that tackles marital strife, revenge, obsession, freedom of speech, corruption, class, justice, and workplace politics. I feel privileged to have seen it and I LOVED THE ENDING.
While everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, I find many drama lovers' need for some bullshit happy ending idiotic and infantile. The ending of Misty is 100% consistent with the narrative of the 15 episodes that got us there. I mean, did you really think they were going to move overseas and live happily-ever-after given ALL that occurred? Seriously, WTF did these people complaining about the ending expect? IMO, it really could not have ended better or any other way without compromising its integrity and greatness.
Again, best drama I have ever seen and I have no idea what I am going to watch next. CANNOT RECOMMEND HIGHLY ENOUGH.
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PM: a jewel produced through the lens of art and aesthetics.
Shakespeare wouldn't feel embarrassed signing this brilliant series. Really Perfect!Many have tried to reduce and drag PM into a small, unfounded discussion about misogyny, when what is really in scene are the dichotomies of human nature, light and darkness. What is most curious about this criticism is that it is an unequivocally matriarchal story in which men, naturally arrogant and oppressive as a reflection of the education and culture of the time, when they get married, they become docile husbands to their wives, all of whom are very strong-willed women. This transformation does not harm the dignity of men, but balances the forces between man and woman.
The series manages to bring together all human virtues, innocence, honor, compassion, generosity, in counterpoint with villainy, misunderstandings, family intrigues, compromising pasts, murders, revenge. I identify, in PM, traces of Shakespeare's comedies and tragedies. But if you ask me how similar these works are, the answer is simple. Shakespeare's work builds plots exploring virtues, human flaws, intrigues and surprising twists, whose stage is the intra-family and palace life, of society in all its shades. Perfect Match has the same atmosphere.
The plot has the merit of, from a single thread (the Li family), weaving an intricate network that begins at home and expands to other layers of society, until reaching the powerful.
The series is a light and very fun comedy, with a dynamic rhythm that unfolds in many twists. Like all comedy, it also has its space for tears, whether in lyrical scenes that address the sensitive side of human beings, or in scenes that bring out the painful side of life.
The PM scenes are constructed with theatrical logic, in small spaces and intimate actions, such as the garden, the rooms, the meals, even palatial and noble environments, is framed in a small spatial perspective, giving the feeling of proximity that we have in the theater. I also highlight the theatrical way of acting of three burlesque characters in particular: Madam Li (Ni Hong Jie), Le Shan (Huangyang Tian Tian) and Fan Liang Han (Huang Cheng Chi), with their facial and body expressions, vocalization, reactions, gestures, temperaments, performed with exaggeration, exacerbation, are theatrical concepts that enrich the characters' dynamics and color the narrative. The scene cuts resemble the curtain closing. This combination takes us into the scene, as a local spectator.
I could not fail to mention the first daughter Shou Hua in the context of the non-negotiable defense of woman's dignity. This character does not seem to be understood in her human greatness, and this incomprehension has made her the target of many unfair criticisms, since what some viewers consider to be resentment, grudge, inability to love is, in fact, the non-negotiable defense of woman's dgnity. Shou Hua has a monastic aura and deserves to be understood as a woman who asserts her dignity at a time when women were nullified and according to the law of the time, they were worth less than men. The ironic detail of this criticism made against Shou Hua is that precisely the women who accuse the series of misogeny are the ones who most criticize this character who gives stature and dignity to women. In my opinion, she is the best-crafted and most beautiful character in the series. It is very rare for series to portray women with this depth and delicacy.
The family is the microorganism that constitutes society, PM shows these entrails with mastery. PM is a precious mosaic of microstories that involve a sophisticated cocktail of successes and mistakes inherent to life that gain dimension and life of their own in the expansion of family ties. These microstories have no other theme than virtues and human miseries. In this complex cocktail, everything related to human behavior is on the screen.
In addition to PM having visual beauty, with photography that offers aesthetic pleasure, its narrative interweaves the best of Chinese literature (present not only in quotations from works, but in the deep and delicate universe of Chinese Poetry, recited throughout the series), painting, philosophy. This artistic conception amplifies the beauty of PM's messages.
PM portrays the daily lives of ordinary people, like us. The seesaw of the characters' human flaws and virtues oscillates, and this gives grace and life to the plot, but at the same time, it leaves open the possibility of everyone redeeming themselves.
Why should we be such strict judges? We all deserve this chance.
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A substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story
For me this is my highlight of 2023.As a phenomenal firework of quiet nuances, “Tell Me That You Love Me” is exuding soulful warmth in graceful silence while creating a soothing atmosphere that takes root deep in the heart. Accompanied by a soundtrack with pulling effect, that could hardly be more harmonious, sincere feelings are conveyed via looks and gestures, while words and thoughts are frequently communicated in sign language, thus telling a story, that knows how to gently touch the audience.
It's not about appearance, facade, coat and make-up, but about essence. Approaching the substantial is exactly what makes this production so exceptional for a KDrama. With Jung Woo-sung, who is once again breathing pure authenticity, certainly a perfect casting for the ML. He also seems to having actually communicated in sign language most of his life. But Shin Hyun-been was also able to effortlessly impress me with her reflected presence. What a couple!
Calm aesthetics and gentle pace intensify the profoundness of the encounters, which opens up spaces for the essential. Even if trenches between the worlds of the hearing and the deaf may be deep and ample at times, loving encounter is still possible. Even if the feelings for each other may be deep and honest, specific barriers inevitably remain. “Tell Me That You Love Me” is gently approaching the dilemma - a desire to face the challenge with confidence, but on the other hand the fear of failure considering the barriers and therefore wanting to run away.
I´d say, anyone who can open up to this rather idiosyncratic “language” of this KDrama will be rewarded by a substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story.
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Characters here are never out of tricks
And finally a great female lead that stands out unique to other female characters strongly…The female protagonist here Mu Wan Qing (acted by Jingyi Zhang) suggests them ideas, shows bravery when needed & do not hesitates to help or take risks to get something. She's cool, gives answers to insults, not your typical crybaby. Male lead & second male lead are there to help her but she isn't a burden on anyone. She knows many languages, is hardworking & knowledgeable not only for problems in life but also in business. The way she deals with her evil step sister is so pleasing to see like originally female leads must be sobbing in some corner but this female lead makes that evil one cry instead. The way she supports Xuan Lin unconditionally is also amazing.
Male lead — Tan Xuan Lin (played by Chen Xing Xu) is also a good character. He is always cool, fun & cracking jokes. Even when situation is complicated, he has the time to joke around & bicker with other leads. But the deeper part is that he has an emotional side too. He has his own reasons & rules. He is quite intelligent too as he tackels his problems in the best way possible. His relationship with his sister is adorable.
Another Male lead — Xu Guang Yao (played by Evan Lin) my poor boy Evan, it's just his second work as an actor & he has been really acting so well but why you gave him a second lead role. Poor him T_T… then this character Xu Guang Yao is a righteous man who doesn't know much to play tricks but he's still intelligent. He is like the definition of Nice male lead. He's caring, kind & protective towards our female lead, Wan Qing… he has 2 best friends who try their best to support him. I liked their bond too.
The positive part of this drama is that though there's a lot of politics but it's not so boring, I was actually enjoying people tricking each other like that. Every character is important, has their own background story & are clever. No one accepts defeat easily & comes back with new ideas. Overall, the drama gets more interesting as we go ahead… well, everyone wants to save their position but who will save the people? That's a nice point presented here…
MUSIC / OSTs
♪Eyes like star♪ — by Si Nan (the lyrics is beautiful, so is the voice and music. Soothing & slow… it's the opening theme song)
♪Clearly know♪ — Cai Yisheng (I liked this song too)
♪Horse ride♪ — Zhang He Xuan (this is the ending theme song)
♪Your promise♪ — Dai Yutong
♪Swaying♪ — Liu
Rewatch value… No, I am not rewatching this again. Well, I am not a frequent rewatcher and It's kinda lengthy so… though I enjoyed it, its a one time watch drama only.
TO CONCLUDE… it's a 9.5 out of 10 overall. There's politics for getting power, good supporting roles who keep us entertained throughout. Interesting characters with their own story & stuffs to deal with & how the leads make their bond more stronger while sorting out the complications is what the story is about.
Reasonable characters knitting a wonderful story…!!
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There's also the cute side characters/couple that are so adorable.
I love how both the main lead would do anything for anyone they cared/loved n how much they loved each other it was just so sweet many dramas always have something where there's some kind of trust issue or where ones a little too jealous to the point of overboard but this was just amazing.
Now onto my lovely prince zhan many may not like his character bc of what he did but then i felt like he's such a sweet boy he was willing to do anything for Qing Chen but sadly he's just a second lead :(
The only thing that I didn't like was like slow subbing which is not the dramas fault at all but then I had to wait forever bc dramefever the only one that got the licenses for it took a whole moth to freaking start subbing the first few episodes n that the director had to add duo xia who wanted so desperately to be with ling at one point but it was good that he never swayed for her or anything lol cause I would've flipped out if he broke Qing Chen's heart in anyway when she did all of that just for him.
Overall I'm just in love with this dramas so yes I definitely recommend this drama if you want to watch something that brings out all your emotions but not annoyingly bad or just sad like some other shows that I've watched. Btw the music tho it's amazing I've noticed that Chinese dramas always have amazing music to accompany their shows lol none of it are like ever bad.
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1This review may contain spoilers
DOMUNDI HAS FINALLY DONE IT!
The best Thai BL this year!Good things comes to those who wait, or to those who try and try until they succeed - thats how i feel about Domundi/Mandee. Yes, they produced quite a lot of BL shows over the years, some are just plain crap and some even almost veering to goodness but nothing they did before really reached the greatness level - until Khemjira came.
A perfect mix of good production value, good visual effects, the richness of Thai culture and a slew of cutie pie cast.
Its a slow-burn series - maybe not even slow-burn but just plain slow, but it does work on a show like this. Quick recap. Set in a rural Thailand setting, Master shaman Pheem was asked to help save a cursed Khem against an avenging ghost. While Pheem seemed initially reluctant to help, its evident that he cant just say no considering Khem is his wife from their former lives. Keng is just the perfect mysterious yet charming Pheem while Namping is the lovely damsel in distress. Tie and FirstOne( i love his uncanny resemblance to Mixx) are scene stealers as Chan and Jet. You also cant help but emphatize with the villain through the very effecting performance of Green as Ramphueng.
It should also be noted that its from the same team that worked in the also recently concluded The Next Prince. Both shows clearly got huge budget backing that enabled them to create great set pieces and exquiste costumes. While i dont understand why the fictional kingdom in The Next Prince was European inspired even though the country is clearly in Asia, this show, Khemjira, fully embraced the richness of Thai culture, beliefs and traditions. I even loved the songs and the occassional traditional Thai music.
What surprised most fans during the airing of this show is its varying runtime as some of the episodes are like full-length movies at almost 2 hours. The good thing is even the longer episodes doesnt feel like its dragging the story - it is evident thay they have carefully and successfully mapped out a storyline for the entire duration of the series that didnt loose track of what the focus should be so you will not feel like some episodes are there just for fillers. They have achieved a balance between the supernatural fantasy aspect and the things (and tropes) that BL fans love - plus i loved that Domundi has greatly lessened the clickbait sex scenes (hold your horses, there are still some to those looking for it).
I hope Korean BL production companies have watched this series and realize why 15minute 8-episode series just isnt enough .
And while the show is beautifully executed, it is not without faults. However, i loved loved loved that Domundi is clearly investing a lot in improving their contents. I just hope they can keep their next shows in this level (but truth be told im already underwhelmed with the curently airing Me and Who). Other companies (ahemmm GMMTV) should watch out because if they keep spewing the same old sh*ts all the time, clearly Domundi is ready to take their crown.
Will i recommend? Hell yes, the cast alone is enough to watch it. Will i rewatch? After watching almost all episodes twice i think i will give it a rest for now. Overall its a 9.5!
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This review may contain spoilers
Sisyphus in a Suit
You stare at the screen and can’t help but think: Oh, humanity. Always longing for a restart because, predictably, we messed it up the first time."The Judge Returns." It’s 2026, and the world remains a damp cellar filled with greedy old men. At first glance, it feels like an echo of 2022’s "Again My Life". Has South Korea not moved on since then? (Looking at the current geopolitical landscape, neither has the rest of the world...)
The message is so sobering you’ll want to retreat into a dark room: Without magic, without some metaphysical glitch in the system, you can’t knock these corrupt fossils off the board. It takes a time-reset just to summon the courage for basic decency and integrity. What a pathetic indictment of our species. You take a few pieces off the board, but the Game itself just laughs. Corruption isn't a bug in the system; it is the system. An endless war, a tiny victory—but in the end, does everything stay grey?
Then there’s Ji Sung. He carries that unshakable face of his through every frame. As a judge on his second attempt, he seizes his chance with absolute consequence. For a moment, it feels good to believe that something could actually move.
The Verdict?
• 10/10 for Ji Sung (honestly, just watching him is enough).
• 3/10 for Hope (which, as we know, is merely a lack of information).
But it’s not just about his face. It’s about what that face embodies.
(And thankfully, he isn’t entirely alone in this.)
Amidst the mire, there are these delicate moments where the series actually reflects on the Law. This KDrama (based on the webnovel Pansa Lee Han-young) bows before the Idea of Law. Not because it’s perfect—heaven knows it’s as full of holes as Swiss cheese—but because it’s the only thing standing between us and total whimsy. It is Sisyphus’ work: rolling the stone of the rule of law up the mountain every day, only for it to roll back onto our feet. But that doesn't mean the work is meaningless.
The Koreans have a beautiful term for this: Cheon-myeong (천명). Literally: The Mandate of Heaven.
Embracing the burden of destiny as a call to action, however bleak the odds.
So, would I recommend watching it? Yes. Even if—or especially if—those lying men in suits are increasingly getting on your nerves. It’s an act of defiance to watch someone tirelessly roll that stone up the hill, if only for those few episodes. (I think anyways.)
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Silk Knives
A Splendid Match unexpectedly became one of those dramas where I kept waiting to be annoyed…and somehow ended up finishing.
This is a family drama wrapped in romance, household politics, complicated loyalties, unfortunate timing, and people repeatedly making painfully understandable mistakes. Less political chess, more emotional consequences.
Think family grievances, household loyalties, emotional debts, and people repeatedly trapped between duty and feeling.
This is also the kind of drama where soft words frequently hide sharp consequences.
The politics are not exactly:
“everyone gather around while I execute a 14-dimensional chess move.”
The writing frequently wanders into melodrama territory.
And there are frequent moments where the plot politely asks you to suspend disbelief and simply continue moving.
But somehow?
I minded it less here.
Because even when people behave dramatically, and occasionally irrationally, I could usually understand why.
Messy?
Absolutely.
Emotionally recognizable?
More often than not.
And perhaps most importantly:
these people occasionally look like they have lived through mild inconvenience before.
I know.
The standards are in hell.
But seeing actual skin texture, shadows, and lighting that occasionally remembered human faces are supposed to have dimension felt oddly refreshing. Nobody looks permanently trapped inside soft-focus perfection.
Thank you.
Beneath the drama, there is something slightly more mature than expected. Less interested in exaggerated romantic fantasy, more invested in complicated loyalties, family tensions, political obligations, and people making painful decisions for reasons that feel emotionally believable.
The Jinzhao / Chen Yanyun / Ye Xian situation worked better for me than expected too. Not because this becomes some dramatic “choose your favorite man” competition, but because each relationship quietly represents something different emotionally: longing, timing, emotional dependency, partnership, loss.
The romance itself works less through dramatic intensity and more through the quiet accumulation of trust, consistency, and emotional safety.
Meanwhile, the Fu Huailian political situation slowly collapsing into tragedy gave the later episodes more emotional weight. Watching loyalty gradually turn into collateral damage ended up more compelling than the drama gets credit for.
Does everything work?
No.
The scheming is far from brilliant.
The pacing stumbles.
Parts of the drama absolutely could have been stronger, especially toward the end.
But truthfully?
I still ended up enjoying it more than expected.
At this point, a costume idol romance where people mostly behave according to recognizable emotional logic already deserves partial credit. Add an atmosphere that feels appropriately grounded for the world these characters inhabit, without constantly exaggerating itself for dramatic effect, and I found myself appreciating the restraint.
Recommended for: viewers who enjoy slow-burn romance, complicated loyalties, emotionally messy relationships, unfortunate timing, and watching emotionally complicated people make painfully understandable mistakes.
Not recommended for: viewers expecting flawless plotting, high-level scheming, or enough emotional maturity to prevent half the problems in this drama.
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Peter Ho and Janine Chang are very good actors that had great chemistry together. They were intense which was what was needed for their characters.
The music is perfect. I have been trying to find the music on youtube and itunes, but so far no luck. If any of you out there know where I can find it then please let me know. :-)
It was quick to watch the first time, so I can see myself rewatching this in the future.
If you like melodrama, then this is definitely a drama to watch. It only takes about 2 1/2 hours.
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They should have just made a 1 ep special with the new stuff.
I love 2gether. It was the first of the modern thai BL series that i got into because of the pandemic. I say modern BL cause the first thai BL i got into was Love of Siam. Anyways, 2gether and still 2gether hold a special place in my heart. And after watching other BLs from around the world after 2gether, i've realized that there are far better quality BLs than 2gether, but again, Sarawat/Tine still had a special place in my heart.So when they said a movie was in the works, i was hoping for a continuation of the story with a better budget and production akin to like Gameboys the movie or Hello Stranger the movie (both of which upped the production, story and everything from its original series). Unfortunately, 2gether the movie is 90% a recap of the series we already know, with footage from the series stitched together as a montage with new voice overs to give more context, and for 10% parts that were new was probably shot all on a single day.
I know the 2gether stans may seem like this sounds harsh but im just speaking honestly. This was utterly disappointing. It was like someone took the original source material and decided to make a fluffy fanfic epilogue/conclusion. I skimmed through the whole movie and watch the last bits and it felt unsatisfying. And this earned a Thai cinematic theater release? This just felt like a low effort cash grab. It felt almost like a slap in the face to the fans. They could have done a single ep special with just the new stuff and it would have achieved this conclusion just the same, if not better. Ill prob get flamed for this, but again, im just speaking honestly.
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This review may contain spoilers
Nothing new.. but watchable.
This drama had been one of my most curious dramas of 2022 . The drama being a BL, I was really surprised that China let it happen. But, I didn't have much expectation, knowing well about the bans and censorships that China usually impose on its shows. I watched it out of pure curiosity.Honestly, I did like the first episode. But, the story didn't seem to keep a fixed pace. Some parts felt too fast, while some felt too slow to me. This is nothing new and I didn't seem to enjoy this as much as I would have watching a BL.
The acting was meh. I didn't feel it at all. Hu Shi Wen, who played Cheng Yi was alright but there is, of course, possibilities of improvement. Anyways, Hu Bo Wen seemed like a robot. The supporting too didn't do the job of making this interesting.
The music was good. This is the only thing in the whole drama that I wholeheartedly liked.
The editing was terrible. Sometimes, it makes the drama unwatchable. That is SOMETIMES. Overally, the drama is fairly watchable, in spite of some substandard elements.
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