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Khun Chai Rachanon is the fourth part of the Suparburoot Juthatep’s series. It had a different approach than the other three parts. Chai Lek and Chai Pee are my two favourite brothers so I was certainly looking forward to the last two stories but that’s not all. Beside the fact that Chai Lek was player and a fun character to follow; the written plot for his part was without doubt better than his three elder brothers.
Chai Lek isn’t a heavy player like Chai Pee; he’s also not sneaky as the youngest brother but he can be very sarcastic and warm in need. The fourth part stirred an interesting turn of events; another kingdom, crown prince-search and a contract marriage within. Although the last idea may seem too repetitive since it was used in Chai Pat’s story but this one was entirely different. There weren’t too much love story going on here since the plot concentrated on the Viangphukham kingdom problems and some birth secrets (that were plain obvious) here and there.
Chai Lek’s character couldn’t shine as much as his brothers’ characters in their stories; maybe that’s due to the packed characters and events. Of course, he stopped being a player and started falling in love but that part wasn’t well-illustrated. There should’ve been more characters’ developments than that.
The acting was okay, Bomb wasn’t that great of an actor to be honest but it was acceptable as your average Thai lakorns’ acting. Taew was better though, she had this way of making her character believable and enjoyable to follow. The chemistry was cool but slow-sailing, it took me some time to connect to their couple. As I mentioned above, this part was packed with many characters and thus we had a nice side love story and some good characters here and there. However, none of them is that memorable.
The bromance in this part was present with strength, the five brothers cared for each other and they were united to fight for a common cause. Although the action was lame as your standard Thai lakorns but the five lions of Juthatep can be quite badasses when the duty calls.
Watch if:
-You liked the previous three stories.
-You like adventurous lakorns.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for an excellent lakorn.
-You’re looking for a gripping love story.
Khun Chai Rachanon is the better executed part thus far but it doesn’t mean it was excellent by any chance. Now, I am certainly looking forward to the last brother and my favourite player of the bunch; Khun Chai Ronnapee.
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Man, I watched this having no idea what it was about. Imagine my shock after the first episode. You doubt me? Watch the first episode and report back to me. I guarantee, your mouth will drop like mine did. But getting past the violence, sometime choppy story line, I had a great time watching it. The action was sensational. I found afterwards that most of the actresses are part of singing groups but then blame it on my ignorance of Asian pop music that I didn't know that. Overall, I was duly impressed with the acting and the action was KICK_A$$!
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1This review may contain spoilers
Don't let the previews fool you this isn't BL
I promise you and not gonna lie... I saw the trailer for this and thought it was a BL drama..Unfortunately no.... It is just Bromance...with them trolling us with a few instances of BL intimacy thrown in.... *Sigh* The famous BL cut from Ep 4 that fooled us all actually turned out to be imagined by one of the supporting casts [a couple scenes in the drama did make me question if this was indeed a BL drama or not]...
The story itself is okay and I could see many liking it, but it was not what I was expecting to watch when i had stumbled upon it in one of the BL forums. This drama falls into those with a bit of BL hints but no real BL. It's about one guy named Ding Ding who is confused but in love with his childhood best friend Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang, however is in love with his roommate who is the female lead. He also had no idea how Ding Ding felt about him until the very last episode.
I was here for Ding Ding and Zhang Liang... but my ship is sinking in an ocean of my tears :'( I cried for Ding Ding. I hope he gets his forever after in the future
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Now, Hanzawa Naoki though is the best written thing (closely tied with Legal High) that I have watched in a while. I think it's my irritation with K-dramas that led me slap bang into this masterpiece and boy was this a thrilling journey.
This is the tale of Hanzawa. A banker embroiled in banking politics (really). The story is told in two parts with Hanzawa constantly in difficult situations. He must outsmart, outplay and outlast. Indeed, I do hate to steal the survivor logo but that is what his life entails.
It is a well written tale full of engaging characters and it's been a long time since I have liked both the protagonist and antagonist (Normally, I like the antagonist). I really liked the antagonist (Owada) in the second part. He happens to be smart, flawed yet quite charming. Kagawa Teruyuki who played his role also did a phenomenal job. The climax of this story gave me chills. CHILLS I tell you. It was powerful, raw, well acted brilliantness that actually stunned me to silence.
However, despite the well written moments, there are feel good moments that are not for the cynic. I happen to be one of those cynics and the feel good moments induced some mega cringing. The declarations of friendship and super hero-esque moments weren't for me. Although, for the most part, the drama manages to create an anti-hero vibe especially in regards to Hanzawa's character. He is merciless in exacting revenge which is exactly my cup of tea. I like them devilish and certain.
I'm all over the place with this review but I get tongue tied sometimes trying to describe stories like this. There's so much to tell yet it's difficult to focus on one thing. Overall, a strong recommendation with minimal flaws.
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Recipe: Loveable characters, relatable stories and heartwarming messages.
20+ minutes long episodes that leave you with hours of reflections and open you up to perspectives you might have never thought about.What the drama does great is showing the variety of issues people who are hard of hearing might have. They are not monolit group - depending on their personal experience, personalities, social circles, environment, they might deal with different hardships. And that’s when communication enters the chat! One of the clear messages of the drama was to speak up - whenever you need something, do not understand something, are curious about something, dislike or like something.
While the hearing disability was obviously on the forefront of the story, the plot was not limited to that. The writing was not stuck in the bubble of presenting the struggles of the minority - for me the writing was clear in showing that even though they have their own unique problems, they also face mundane issues and daily hiccups like any other person. There is far more that we share, than what differs us.
And that’s where the two mail leads shine - Kohei and Taichi obviously shared the same world, and they made an effort to stay connected. Kohei did not blame Taichi for mistakes he made that were the result of his lack of knowledge. Taichi was trying to see the world from Kohei's perspective and understand potential hardships that he himself never had to deal with on a daily basis. It was such a heartwarming story of two people fitting so naturally together, but also working hard to improve their understanding of the other’s point of view.
Even though their connection was clearly deep and obvious for anyone that was watching, it’s hard to call this drama a romance. At some point the writing focuses a little bit too much on Taichi and his personal journey of self discovery, making Kohei seem more like a supporting character in his own story. I’m not sure how I feel about drama that centers around representation sidelining the character that is the key to said representation.
As for the supporting characters - Taichi's friends were amazing. They’ve got exactly as much screen time as needed for me to see them as real people with distinctive personalities and not just fillers for the screen, but I never felt like we are wasting time on them. But then, I do feel like Maya’s story could have been improved. On one hand (this might sound weird), I truly appreciate how they were not afraid to show her as a complete egocentric asshole who is unable to see anything outside of her own perspective, because yes, people with disabilities also have personality flaws. On the other hand, I think they spent too much time on her “annoying phase” and the flashbacks, explanation and development happened way too late.
Performances though - so good. Nakazawa Motoki aced the surprise and amazement every time he looked at Taichi. Kobayashi Toranosuke perfectly presented how bad at hiding his feeling Taichi was, but also how he failed to understand his own emotions, while also understanding others.
On technical aspects, I am still mad about the “fake kiss” camera angle. I do not care how accurate it was for adaptation - some things that work on a still drawing will not on a moving film. You need to adjust to the media you are using.
Overall, with flaws, yet great drama. It’s for sure more than romance, I’d even say romance takes a backseat for the majority of the runtime and I’m not mad about it. Adding one or two episodes to give a bit more fulfilling closure to the relationship the boys had would be preferable, but even with a bit rushed ending, I’m just happy with the journey I’ve got to experience.
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Also the poster is misleading. This drama is vibrant and so beautifully shot. The colors, backdrop and scenery and down to female lead's hanbok is vibrant. With just a touch of fantasy on the immortality issue but overall its quite slice of life of a musician, Joon Woo who is a little reclusive but opens up to the mysterious but smart mouthed lady, Mi Jo living downstairs.
Also the drama has awesome secondary leads in Yeon Ji and Jason. No bitchiness or suffocating love. They are so good that you wished their arc is a happy and fulfilling one too. The characters and story backdrop is sufficiently thick that it could easily be a longer drama and infact i kind of wished it was longer so that there would be more character development and progress of relationship which i felt i needed more after the credits rolled on the final episode.
The music was nice which was a given since its a YG production.i love the R&B track sang by the male lead titled You.
The acting was good and no noticeable cringeness. I find Kang Seung Yoon and Jang Ki Yong shine as their character of Joon Woo and Jason. The only minor blip was Mi jo's makeup and the vivid pores which was distracting and a little unexpected. Plus cant they give us an otp kiss?. Enjoyed the entirety while it lasted.
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There were moments where i could feel my heart break. Even now, 20 minutes after i ended this movie, i can still feel tears in my eyes. I have never ever cried like this while watching a movie. At the end, there was this moment where i cried so much i thought i was going to break down.
I'd love to watch it again but i don't think i can. I already have a headache because of crying so much.
10 points out of 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
Drama about dreams and youth
When I first watched the trailer of this drama, I didn't expect that this drama would be so different than what they promised, but in a good wayThe trailer only show us that this drama is about esports with a little bit of time travel element in it. But what this drama never tell you is that it has a mystery element, strong friendship element, even with a bit a dash of romance which is so satisfying
You started the drama by meeting the two male leads, Xiao Feng and Lu Xiaobei, who seemed to live in different timeline. But you soon enough realize that they're connected through the game called Cross Fire, where it allows them to sort of communicate with each other. Their story started to unravel from there, which reveal the story about chasing dreams, being youths, and also about friendship
Good things about this drama:
1. Strong characters. There are many times I get mad at the drama because they just don't treat their characters right. But for Cross Fire, all the characters are strong in their own way. Xiao Feng's team and Xiaobei's team both have their own shortcomings and also their own problems, but you will definitely come to love them. I was prepared to roll my eyes if they treated their female characters like a trash, like many dramas usually do, but in this drama the female leads are very headstrong. They're capable of standing on their own two feet without having the support of the male leads. I fell in love with the 3 powerful female leads who are strong and capable in their own way. Even Xiaobei's mother is also very good
2. Mystery plotline. Like I said, this drama is not only about esports and time travel. There's also a mystery that's hinted since the beginning of the drama until the end. There's this one bad guy and you are led to hate him, but at the end, I felt some sympathy to him because his life ended in a way that's just so pathetic. And the mystery is actually very intriguing, even though a little predictable, and it will keep you on edge each episode
3. Engaging storyline and clever editing. The plot of this drama is very tight, very good, and also very engaging. Believe me that chasing this drama one episode per day almost make me go insane because my fragile heart can't handle all the cliffhanger they throw us. It feels like they're playing with our hearts with each episode and you would end up screaming in frustration because the drama is just so good that way
4. Realistic gaming sequence. This might be one of the things that make me stay watching this drama. It's so good that it prompted me to actually watch CF championship (it's so fun!) and wanted to try the game myself. But my laptop is too slow and not designed for gaming, so I have to forget this desire
Bad things about this drama:
1. This drama has the time travel element, so somehow, this part itself is not really realistic. I think there are many times when we have to fill in the blank ourselves since it's not explicitly being explained. The VR part is a bit ridiculous as well, and even though it brings the plot moving forward, I still think that it's a bit weird and a little bit of a stretch
2. Episode count. Of course, being 36eps, there are some parts that could be considered as filler, especially the love triangle that come out of nowhere. You might be confused with some of the storyline as it didn't even make sense (like how XIaobei could get better)
Overall, I think that this drama is worth to be watched and worth you wasting your time for it. I wish everyone would have the courage to actually pick it up and sit through it, and I'm sure you'll love the drama as much as I do. This drama will be my favorite in 2020. Even though the drama is not too logical and there are some parts that make you just feel that it's silly, I'm sure you'll end up loving all the characters and would cheer for their success at the end
Score: 8.5/10
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What did I do with the past? You did something right, Kawi!
I think this is one of the hidden gems of 2023. It has been getting a lot less attention than some other series, but it was a great watch. It’s a GMMTV series, meaning my expectations were fairly high as they are well-established, well-known company that produces tens of series each year. And they did not disappoint. I think the cinematography was amazing, I loved how the scenes were filmed, the lightning, the transitions… The OST was beautiful as well. Both Krist and Gawin are good singers and that definitely shows.Pisaeng & Kawi: Kawi is living his best baby girl life. I find him adorable. He can be so awkward and weird at times but dares to be outgoing when he thinks he is dreaming. Or is not sober. Hiding under his covers whenever things are not going his way is a total mood! And Pisaeng being a very reluctant babysitter to a drunk Kawi was cute! I really like his character; he is both serious but also very down to earth. He can easily read the room and seems to be quite good at understanding what is going on most of the time. I think we have seen a lot of character growth from both characters, but especially Kawi when he realized that there are things that cannot be fixed. Gawin and Krist were brilliant. I really loved their chemistry, and how Gawin portrayed so much through his eyes.
Kawi tries so hard to change the future and even ends up hurting the person that cares about him the most, but I can understand where he is coming from. He knows what the future holds, Pisaeng doesn’t, and he thinks that is not the future he wants or is willing to accept. He is stuck on the idea of loving Pear that he doesn’t think about anything else. He is trying to be closer to Pear and keep his distance from Pisaeng, but at the same time, it is obvious that he cares about him. A lot. Whenever he hurts him, he ends up chasing after Pisaeng. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t care.
Speaking of Pear, she took me on a rollercoaster. I went from finding her cute, to pitying her, to hating her and to loving her. Her character is incredibly well written, it has a lot of dimension. Aye did really well portraying her, showing emotions and reacting to what was happening. The way her story unfolded, in both the past and present and possible present, showed a lot of character growth. Even if she technically didn’t know about the (potential) future. She wasn’t just a jealous ex or wanna-be-girlfriend which was really refreshing to see.
I believe that Kawi has never been truly in love with Pear. I think he was in love with the idea of being in love with her and what that represented to him. Pear for him represented a good life, a good future, something better than the life he had.
Max. He might be my favorite. I absolutely loved the way his character was written, how he was always there to support his friends, to give advice and to talk some sense into them. I found his presence very calming. He was realistic and did his best to lead his friends down the right path, but he was never pushy about it. He simply spoke what others were afraid to admit to themselves, to say it out loud.
I think we can all agree that Not is the most unlikeable character in the series. And I am not mad about it. It showed that not everyone is a good person, no matter how many chances they get, some people never better themselves. It really drove home the idea that we are responsible for making the right choices, for being honest and good. That is not up to others, even if their actions can affect us to some extent. Just compare how he never changed and how much growth Pear showed.
The series also addressed a few important issues and I think they took a very mature and appropriate approach to it. They talked about the pros and cons of drinking, of what happens when it becomes too much. They let us peak into what it means to not have your relationship be recognized by the country. The confusion one faces when they realize they might be attracted to someone of the same sex. Coming out to parents. And more. But it was also incorporated into the story, it made sense to be discussed, to be shown.
I do think that they mostly incorporated the humor nicely, especially at the beginning of the series when Kawi went to the past for the first time. I do think that it got a bit strange at some parts later in the series, but it wasn’t too bothersome.
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Short but impactfull, best Korean BL of 2022
Eventhough it is a short series / web drama but this Korean BL did a justice for viewers. Good story, awesome cinematography, heart whelming music and proper acting. The actors did a great job to portray the characters. I can feel their chemistry and emotion especially between Jungwoo and Choco.The themes about being left by someone you love is common in drama. But the story about unconditional love from someone used to be your pet who have died years ago and suddenly appear as human at your front door is uncommon in drama.
Overall I really enjoy this short series. I want to thanks and appreciate all the actors and crews who did great job. I hope many more people watch this series becuse it is so good.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you love Ancient Love Poetry, then you have got to watch this!
Yuan Qi being the Son to the Two True Gods: Bai Jue and Shang Gu in Ancient Love Poetry, The Last Immortal is a story which focuses on Yuan Qi journey to Adult-hood, after he was sent to Daze Mountain as the disciple to Donghua.The Last Immortal beginning takes place after Bai Jue sacrificed himself and before he return at the very end of Ancient Love Poetry.
Yuan Qi in the beginning is 200 years old, which is a bit odd in Xianxia standard that he's fully grown into teenager, but that's okay, since I just take it that it is just the world-building in this story. So when Yuan Qi is under a different identity, named Gu Jin (being 200 years old), would be considered a Young Teen at the beginning.
Some people keep asking whether they should watch Ancient Love Poetry first, or not. The Last Immortal is a standalone drama, BUT if you haven't watched Ancient Love Poetry, then you are surely missing out on it's prequel, since whether you like it or not, knowing what happened in the past, will give you a better understanding to the world building & characters and where this story takes place, since Post Time-Skip (1000 years later), Bai Jue(Yuan Qi's father) would have already returned to Shang Gu, in the God Realm. So the story is connected/tied back with each other.
I am into Xianxia genre, so naturally, when a Xianxia genre looks appealing I would give it a go, and me being a fan to Ancient Love Poetry, and know that the story are linked/connected in the world-building, how can I not give The Last Immortal a try? Since Bai Jue and Shang Gu is my OTP in the Ancient Love Poetry, naturally I would want to watch about their son in his own story/spinoff i.e. The Last Immortal. When I first started watching this drama, I was pretty neutral with Gu Jin (ML), but if I have to be honest, I didn't like that side to him where he doesn't want to cultivate to get stronger. At first I didn't understand why but as the story progresses there are hints thrown in to show why he felt that way, and by then, I came to understand his feelings better.
I actually felt that Yuan Qi's character is quite sad when you think about it. If we look at his past from his childhood until now, it is impossible not to feel sorry for him. People also need to know that the Novel Yuanqi (portrayed in Shang Gu) is different to the Drama Yuan Qi (in Ancient Love Poetry) when he was a kid. The change in the Novel Kid Yuan Qi vs Drama Kid Yuan Qi, is that in the Drama: Ancient Love Poetry, it was an added bonus where the screen-writers give us those moments where Yuan Qi's father (Bai Jue) spends time with him in the mortal realm before he go and sacrifice himself. He have those father-son moments that the Novel Kid Yuan Qi never received in the prequel.
So, if you take this into consideration, you will know just how sad his childhood is like. Since the Last Immortal takes the adaptation of it's Novel (Hidden God), based on the events that happened in Shang Gu Novel.
Why is it sad? Well, Yuan Qi was born without a mother and father. When his mother woke up, he had to call her "auntie" for a while. His father acted like he didn't love him. Just when Shang Gu (Yuan Qi's mother) found out that his father was doing all this for them, she completely lost it. His mother could not take care of him as a result, since she didn't have the heart to take care of Yuan Qi, because she knelt before the ancestral god for years (500 years in the Drama, but more in the novel). When looking at this, it really feels like she ignored him. And then he was sent to Daze Mountain for training. It was also shown that Yuan Qi's lost his god powers due to what happened (in the past). Gu Jin was the name he uses as another identity when he was sent to Daze Mountain.
In all those years, he never properly get to have a family moment, nor did he get to celebrate his own birthday with his parents...
So honestly, I don't blame Gu Jin if he doesn't want to return to being True God Yuan Qi, because looking at his past/backstory, there is no example in front of him, when he's a child that godhood is a good thing. For Yuan Qi, being God means self-sacrifice, loneliness, and leaving loved ones behind, and not being able to live the life he want.
He once said that logically speaking; he understands why his father (Bai Jue) did what he did, but he then revealed his true feelings deep down, and I felt that the actor WAY (Wang An Yu) did a really good job in portraying those subtle expressions of hurt and sadness within him. BUT despite this being said, he still loves his parents deeply, for a child that didn't get to grow up in that kind of happy-family environment, his parents is among those few people that is very important to him (Yuan Qi really deserves a hug to be honest!!).
I honestly don't fault him for feeling this way, because as much as I love his parents (Bai Jue and Shang Gu, in their story), but as parents, they weren't able to give a loving childhood and environment for their son Yuan Qi to grow up in. Even Daze Mountain felt more like a loving family atmosphere than the God Realm that he grew up in so I can understand why he loves being in Daze mountain, those were his carefree moments where he gets to do the things he loves to do.
So when we began watching the very first scene, the producers gave us a snippet of 1000 years later at the beginning scene when Yuanqi(ML) was trying to chase after A-Yin(FL), but we didn't know what happened that lead to that scene, and then it got shifted back to 1000 years ago, the past, before that scene occurred, I do think it was cleverly used because it gives the audience a sense that "we know this beginning scene is going to happen eventually", but we don't know why, and what lead to that scene, so as we got transported back 1000 years ago, this is like going through a journey where we learn about their backstory and what lead to that scene at the beginning.
Acting wise, Zhao Lusi doesn't disappoint in her role as A-Yin and Feng Yin, she really bring out the emotions well! This is also the first time I've seen WAY (Wang An Yu) in a drama, but I felt like he really brought out the feelings of his character: Gu Jin and Yuan Qi well (in his own way), at least he did successfully made me feel sorry for him/through the way he played out those subtle sad/hurt emotions.
Both WAY (Wang An Yu) and Zhao Lusi have great chemistry in terms of expressing their love/feelings for each other, that when they're together on-screen you see how naturally comfortable they are together. FL being born to be the Next Pheonix Queen have to go through her Nirvana/Tribulation as A-Yin, the water divine beast and their story begins from there, where they came to meet each other, what started off as bickering to being the "only one" in each other life.
While in the Ancient Love Poetry (it's prequel) shows me that being a True God is cool etc etc, but in The Last Immortal, it really showcase it in a different light that being a True God isn't fun and games but someone with a heavy responsibility, that needs to consider the well-being of the Three Realms, and how to be fair, where personal opinions doesn't matter. I honestly felt so tired for Yuan Qi during those times, because..... Well, won't spoil it for you - you can see for yourself when you watch it.
Please don't hate Yuan Qi, try to see and understand his feelings... This is a story/journey to adulthood. If we have everything perfect with no mistakes, then it will just be bland and boring, and it will not touch on our emotions the way it did... If you didn't like him at the beginning then he's a character that will grow on you by the end.
Yuan Qi is character that have made mistakes, mistakes that leads to regret and regret that leads to character developments, but in my eyes, no matter he is Gu Jin or Yuan Qi, they are the same person, and he has always tried his very best to protect A-Yin on his end. I can never bring myself to hate Yuan Qi, because I understood the situation that was presented to him, and how much he shows me he cares and values A-Yin's life. But the portrayal of Gu Jin and True God Yuan Qi does present different aura's to show a contrast on the development/growth that after Gu Jin returned to being True God Yuan Qi, he is no longer that same carefree him who just lives his life away, not having to shoulder those heavy responsibilities that he will have when he returned to being True God Yuan Qi
But you know, one of the things I love about Yuan Qi's character is that, although he know he doesn't have much time left, he really just simply want to spend those remaining moments with Feng Yin, so they can have those happy memories to look back to.
This is really difference to his father, Bai Jue, because respectively(each to their own) love the FL, in BJ perspectives, he thought that having his family hate him will be their strength to live on and move on without being heartbroken when he's gone. Since he didn't want the whole short time bliss leads to an long term suffering.
But Yuan Qi, in his own story shows us this in another light, where he didn't want to waste any moments away and he just simply want to create those happy memories together for Feng Yin, so that even if he's gone there won't be any regrets.
I think deep down Yuan Qi is subconsciously impacted by his father's decision and wish he didn't have to go that direction to make them(YQ and SG) hate him(BJ), because that left them with regrets when they found out the whole truth but is too late to go back to fix those regrets because they didn't know BJ real intentions and how much BJ loved them
Anyways what I wanted to say is that I honestly love BOTH Bai Jue and Yuanqi here, they both will do anything to protect the woman they love but have taken different paths to achieve it. If I have to choose here, although I understand BJ intentions were good, but I have to agree with Yuanqi decisions and what he's showing me, since I rather see some happy moments which leaves them happy memories without any regrets IF he have to "die".
Yuanqi in my eyes is a great and loving husband and I feel happy that Fengyin can have someone like Yuanqi who loves and protects her like this.
From the audience perspective, my advise is when you watch this drama, try to take a step back and see it from all sides perspectives, not just one, and then you will see why they did what they did. Whether you like it or not, it is entirely up to your preference, but like I said, when we look at his past from his childhood until now, it is impossible not to feel sorry for him. I do think this is the fate of the god of chaos, the direct leader of the true gods. The same was true for his mother, Shang Gu. In my opinion, the greater the power, the greater the difficulties one must overcome.
Some may love ALP better, due to preference, I love ALP too but I also love this drama as well, in its own way because it is a great story which shows a different perspective to being a True God in the three realms and showing how the characters have grown through their respective story. Each one have their own tribulation they must overcome, both Bai Jue and Shang Gu have theirs in ALP, now it's Yuan Qi's turn in TLI. Being in a tribulation, I see it is obstacles they have to overcome whether it's in love(worthy of being with each other at the end, after going through all these obstacles set for them by fate) or the roles of being a True God (Yuan Qi) and Phoenix Queen (Feng Yin).
As far as the other actors goes, there is quite a few familiar faces, like I recognized Qi Pei Xin who plays as Bi Bo and Feng Ming Jing who plays as the Three Headed Dragon, since they were both actors from The Untamed LOL, so that was a nice surprise to see them in this drama. I do think that all the actors did a great job in this drama!
If I have to say something I don't like is that, they didn't feature Tian Qi or Zhi Yang in the God Realm (or any mentioning of them), and I am still bitter at the fact that aside from Yuan Qi, they didn't keep the canon names for some of the other characters, and have to changed it instead. Di Juan and Yi He, seriously?? (-___-)
In terms of ending perspective, my final verdict is I asked for an ending that makes sense and I got that, they did well in explaining how Yuan Qi can come back instead of just leaving it to our imagination... Thats at least not lazy writing imo.
It's a happy ending for all characters and I'm happy for them. Happy that for all 3 pairings I shipped they got their happy ending.
I will have to express my gratitude to the Devil God, Ming Qi, since he really played a big role in bringing back Yuan Qi, and he doesn't seem as evil/selfish as his character portrayal in Ancient Love Poetry. I also like the bromance between him and Xiuyan!
In terms of the ending for Yuan Qi and Feng Yin, yeah, it's a Happy Ending BUT personally it's not a satisfying one, for me at least, since.... I was like why didn't she run up and hug him at the end???
Honestly, I would be content if they shared one last hug before the end. It would be a nice parallel back to Bai Jue and Shang Gu (Yuan Qi's parents) where Shanggu ran up to Baijue and hugged him and them both being content at the end of Ancient Love Poetry (ALP) in each other's arms... But sadly we didn't get that in The Last Immortal. You know the irony here is that back then when I saw that ending for Shang Gu and Bai Jue, I wanted something more for them, not just a hug, but now in The Last Immortal, looking back at the ending, to Ancient Love Poetry, that was at least a more satisfying ending for the Shang Gu and Bai Jue, at least they can have a one final hug, which we didn't get for Yuan Qi and Feng Yin.
This is why I feel conflicted about the ending. I love that they put in the effort to explain how it's possible for Yuan Qi to come back and not left it to our imagination, but at the same time, I didn't feel satisfied with this ending. I honestly would be content if Feng Yin ran up to Yuan Qi and they have one final hug before the end. If that happened I think it will be a nice parallel back to ALP ending IMO.
IF they can't get that, then, can they not at least close the gap and not standing at a distance like that? Yeah, I can see that they both expresses how happy they were that they're back together, even if there's a distance, they're connected through their mutual happiness (for their well deserved happy ending). It is poetic, but it didn't leave me with a satisfying feeling, this is because I do think that after all they've been through they both deserve a more satisfying ending, you know....
Well, I think that is about me and my Xianxia genres in todays standards.... They always go with the typical "last minute happy ending", where the ML sacrifice for the FL, and the FL wait for the ML and then he return, and they got their happy ending... I really miss the good old days where the ending for Xianxia back then have a more fully satisfying ending when compared to nowadays. This is why for me, when I came to love them as a pairing in Xianxia, I want them to film at least another Drama together but this time in a Modern setting since at least the Modern Dramas are more fulfilling with their ending when compared to Xianxia. Xianxia has always been my favourite genre, but sadly, this is how I feel towards Xianxia ending nowadays, there's only a few Xianxia endings that puts a smile in my face when I watch it in 2023.... Back from the Brink, Love you Seven Times and The Journey of Chongzi epilogue to name a few where I was happy/content with their ending..
Anyways, I won't ramble on, so I will conclude my review here, do I recommend this drama? Yes!!! If you're a fan to Ancient Love Poetry, then do give this Drama a go, but watch this without any biasness. We may have our preference on which one we love better: ALP or TLI, but don't hate on one of them just to make your drama the "better" one since everyone have different preferences, and you're not doing your drama any justice because you're giving a bad rep to the one you're supporting/loving.
For me, I love both Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal. They both have their own unique charm that is compelling, and it will be a sad miss if you don't watch either one IMO!
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Birds of a feather.
The second part of Love Like the Galaxy 月升沧海 (The Moon Rises over the Ocean) is shades darker as Cheng Shaoshang struggles to open her heart and mind while Ling Buyi's secrets and inner demons are revealed. Their romance plays out in the bosom of the royal family, where Shaoshang blossoms under Empress Xuan's affection and tutelage. This subjects our golden couple to much envy and political intrigue.Shaoshang of Part 1 is disappointingly over empathetic and likeable. Shaoshang of Part 2 is immature and frustrating to the point of being dislikeable, This is exactly how she is meant to be depicted and the portrayal I was waiting for. So I must applaud Zhao Lusi for so daringly rendering Shaoshang as a difficult, often petty, unforgiving, vengeful child woman who wallows most unbecomingly in self pity. As an unloved child, Shaoshang is terrified of love. While she tries to figure out what she wants in a partner, she puts up all kinds of walls and clings to any excuse to not allow Ling Buyi in. She is her own worst enemy, fighting happiness every step of the way. Ling Buyi's infinite patience and indulgence of her is so hot anyone else would have succumbed to raging hormones in short order. Not Shaoshang though. She knows her worth and digs in her heels to demand to be an equal partner in every sense and meaning of that term. While highly usual for a woman of that time, it resonates with modern audiences for obvious reasons.
There aren't really good villains in this drama. That is because Ling Buyi is such a chilling character that he is already as close to a villain as can be. He is a man with a secret, one whose entire raison détre is to uncover the master mind behind the Gu City massacre and to avenge the Huo clan. He did not expect to fall for anyone and certainly not Shaoshang. He meant it when he said they were on different paths. On many occasions he merely eases her way with the intent of letting her go but never quite succeeds. He loves her selflessly and indulges her worst instincts, especially her vengefulness. Hence Yuan Shen's blinding epiphany that Buyi and Shaoshang are birds of a feather. They are rebellious and vengeful eye for an eye kind of people who can't tell the difference between a chicken and a duck. They are also at surface cold, unforgiving even selfish but in truth feel deeply. I find Wu Lei's acting in Part 2 more natural and compelling. He is such a patient, warm and tender person but only for Shaoshang. This is utterly different from the cold-hearted, calculating general who is a borderline psychopathic killer to his enemies. Wu Lei's combat scenes are simply the best. The aesthetic camera angles and gorgeous choreography brilliantly captures his stunning athleticism and graphic, muscular, ferocity that is capable of mowing down an entire battalion.
For me, Empress Xuan is the true hero of this story. As much as I enjoyed Buyi and Shaoshang's journey, it is her story and that of Wen-di and Consort Yue that I find so much more complex and moving. Told with epigrammatic dark humor that dulls the edges of their pain and sacrifice, they are nonetheless imprisoned by values that are bigger than themselves. While Consort Yue lashes out with wit and acerbity, Empress Xuan suffers in dignified silence. Do not be angry with Shaoshang for finding it so difficult to forgive Buyi. Although his cause is just and the outcome serves the greater good, it cost Empress Xuan everything. Shaoshang's first unselfish, grown up act is to accompany her, to atone for what Buyi did and for how she unknowingly helped him. That is what devastates her as much as Buyi reneging on his promise to her. Buyi knows and understands this. Without Empress Xuan's forgiveness and generosity of spirit, they may not have found a way to forgive themselves and each other. Her love is truly like the galaxy in its vastness and selflessness. The galaxy owes it to her to make sure she and Wen-di do not meet again.
In terms of storytelling, very much like Part 1, Part 2 wastes too much time on too many delusional love sick women who conspire against the lovers. This comes at the cost of the storytelling. which towards the end suffers from heavy cuts and sloppy editing. As a result, characters like Lou Ben and Tian Shuo are not properly fleshed out and I did not feel that invested in either the Peng Kun or Guo Village arcs, which feel rushed. When they could have simply omitted both the Fifth Princess and Luo Ji Tong's arcs which were superfluous to the plot. It also underscores how nasty, dumb and divorced from reality the vast majority of the women in this drama are. I really do not like this type of misogynistic and cynical depiction of womenkind. Even though the ending is very satisfying, especially when it comes to the character stories, the unfolding of the plot which we waited way too long for is not well done. Considering the stunning production values, it is a shame if they do not go back and re-edit it with some of the cut footage into a Director's Cut.
All things considered, I enjoyed this beautifully written drama immensely. I find Part 2 slightly better than Part 1 and am pleased to rate the drama in its entirety and Part 2 on a standalone basis a 9.0, better than my 8.5 rating for Part 1 by itself.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just finished watching this movie tonight, and I’m pretty much satisfied. The story was just like any ordinary zombie-movie, but this movie had this little pinch of romance, friendship(?) and also something metaphorical about the COVID-19 going on nowadays. The zombies here were much more scarier than the zombies in Train to Busan, but I think the zombies’ gestures were much more realistic in TtB. But, what I love about this movie is the happy ending! Who hates happy endings, am I right? ;) Plus points for that!
Overall, a 9/10, very thrilling and super fun to watch! ⭐️
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I need to watch a cute rom com after this...
slowly the writers turned this into a "how can we drag the hostage situation and make every character miserable as the episodes continue?" the first two episodes were my favorite you got to see the different dynamics between the characters and their banter with each other. they were having fun and it was a treat to watch them interact, laugh, cry, be shy, etc. the beginning of the hostage play was intense and cool but to drag it out till the end got tiring. now at this point i have seen episode after episode with the characters portraying the same emotions of sadness, anger, betrayal and repeat that i as a viewer have become frustrated and it got to a point where the dramas tone was centered on these emotions and the writers refused to make the characters feel anything else, which in my opinion desensitized the story. I have seen many unsatisfactory tragic endings in kdramas (god's gift, cruel city, etc) but this one has by far left a bitter taste in my mouth. perhaps maybe it's because of the script that caused the dynamic range of emotions to remain far from balanced 95% of the show was a stagnant sad fest simply put, that being said, i do hope to see jisoo and haein act together in another drama their chemistry deserves justice.Was this review helpful to you?
An “ Extraordinary” Waste of Time..
It’s fair to say that sometimes certain dramas can be incredibly overrated.Although this isn’t an entirely groundbreaking commentary upon dramas, it’s important to remember that sometimes a lot of these shows are “glorified “ by fans in favour of the “casting” or “ chemistry” between the leading actors or chosen cast of the drama, and Extraordinary You is no exception.
Naturally it is of course wrong to truly say that the actual show didn’t have any good features; it played satirically upon the youth romantic comedy genre with its own parody of the F4 ( “ A3”) from Hana Yori Dango/ Boys Over Flowers, the concept itself of a teenage girl ( Kim Hye Yoon) coming to find her own sense of freedom and control where she is written as an extra in a webtoon ( not an entirely “ brand new” concept when compared to older dramas such as “ W; Two Worlds”) was intriguing and the mystery behind Ha-ru ( Ro Woon) for at least the first couple of episodes added to some early advantages of the show as well.
Yet when taking a greater step back by comparing the overall storyline , character performance and characterisation of the drama, there’s no sugarcoating that Extraordinary You was quite simply a “hot mess” .
Whilst Hye Yoon must be praised for several heartfelt moments through her performance , the irony is not lost that for a show playing upon romantic cliches by screenwriters In Ji Hye and Song Ha Young, Eun Da Oh was the epitome of a “ stock” and restricted female lead with little actual character depth, interests outside of her obsession with “ Ha-ru” or actual intrigue for viewers at all over the whole of the drama. Whilst of course there’s nothing wrong with a female lead making a decision over her own love interest ( in particular with the concept of the show), her apparent declaration to defy fate and become independent through actual character progression apart from obsessions and boys, was tossed out the window after this scene early on in the drama.
Additionally whilst Ro Woon brought a mysterious air of composure to his portrayal as the leading man, Ha-ru, his performance sometimes felt a little lacklustre and wooden at times within the show. Naturally this also partially the fault of the screenwriters as well from transitioning Ha-ru as an actual figure of intrigue and an individual early on in the drama ( parallel to Lee Jae Wook’s character, Baek Gyung) to an overrused plot device. It seemed evident that not even before the halfway point of the drama Extraordinary You became too obsessed with its own cliches and repeating the same cliches over and over not as a statement or joke against romance mangas/ manwhas, but ironically as actual plot line.
This consequently lead the show down a really slippery slope of gradually worse characterisation even with fairly intriguing and comical characters such as “ Dry Squid Fairy” ( Lee Tae Ri) to reverted plot devices and lacking originality by the ending of the drama. Overall whilst Extraordinary You isn’t an unbearable or dire drama to watch, however, after the halfway point, the actual intrigue and devotion towards the drama becomes minimal and by the ending of the drama, there’s that awful lingering relief that it has ended your suffering by finishing it. Certainly a waste of time if you’re looking for something with genuine originality and intrigue .
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