50+ episode dramas can be extremely tricky. Sometimes they are so bad that you lose your faith in dramas and vow to never watch another 50 episodes drama again. But sometimes they are so brilliant, your faith is restored completely in one stroke. Thankfully, Five Children falls in the second category. The story was brilliant and there were no dull moments at all. The main leads had a wonderful story and all the characters surrounding them had their own great sub-plot. The female lead was badass and the male lead was the touch of kindness she needed in her life. They were perfect for each other!
Sang Min was definitely the highlight of the show and his romance with Yoon Tae was the cutest. Sang Min reminded a bit of Tae Joo from What Happens To My Family. He was so funny and both of them were so adorable.
Tae Min and Jin Joo started off as a little annoying (especially Jin Joo) but they became really adorable in the end. Jin Joo had the most character development, in my opinion. She started as a spoiled brat and became a responsible adult in the end. I think she won a lot of hearts. And their relationship was really interesting to watch in the last 10 episodes or so.
The rest of the cast was equally great! Sang Tae's In-laws were annoying and overbearing at times but they were also one of the most interesting characters in the show. They cared a lot and had their own (crazy) way to show it. Sang Tae's parents were complete opposite of the in-laws. They were sweet, caring and gentle people. The father was so supportive and wise; he was awesome! Sang Tae's brother was handsome but such a swindler in the beginning. His character got better halfway through and he didn't lose his funnyman act anywhere. Soon Young was a sweet presence in the show and a key character to bring more excitement.
Mi Jung's grandma was a force to be reckoned with. Loved that strong lady! Mi Jung's ex husband and his wife and mother-in-law were annoying at one hand but on the other hand, the wife seemed like such a harmless airhead, you just feel like "Whatever, let everyone be happy". Her mom seemed like an evil lady but you realize how human she is. Imagine if your daughter bringing a married man home and declaring she cannot live without him. She was prepared to be cursed and be strong for her daughter. I think I liked the mom more than the airhead wife.
All the children were a delight to watch! In fact, the whole time you feel excited about the kids moving in together (one day) and being one big squad of siblings. I had my moments where I liked all kids. But if I have to think about it, Woo Young was my favorite kid. He was so caring and protective of his mother and sisters. He helped out and looked out for his mom. He was too mature for his age. Loved that kid! Woo Ri was a brilliant actress. Woo Joo was adorable! Soo and Bin were immature at times but I grew fond of them too at some point.
The OST was awesome. I have it in my phone. It was bubbly and catchy and soothing all at once.
I can't imagine rewatching this right now because of it's length but it is highly rewatchable. I will probably get down to watching it again a few years down the lane.
Overall, it was wonderful and would highly recommend it even if you are wary of weekend family dramas. It doesn't have any makjang and it's low on excessive melodrama. It's a nice family drama, almost has a slight slice-of-life feel to it.
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I watched this purely for Kim Young Kwang, I was thinking i'll just skip through to see his face and itll be fine but honestly? this wasnt a bad drama at all!
Don't get me wrong it is not a Perfect drama nor is it up in my absolute faves but it delivers every aspect of a great drama with a decent simple storyline.
The acting isnt too bad, it's actually pretty believable..!
Each character no matter minor they were, played their part very well and fulfilled their character's role.
This drama had it's comedic moments, family teary moments, a bit of mystery to it which isn't dragged out, secrets are let out at the right time and it helps move the story a long, there's a bit of tension, the romance is cute and it was an enjoyable watch.
I didn't have to skip any of this drama, I was content with the beginning, middle and end. But I was thoroughly affected by the comments I saw below and I'm glad I still went ahead and watched it!
I probably won't watch this again no, purely because I know what happens in it now and the pull isn't strong like my 10 score dramas but it's one that makes me happy to be reminded of it, a chilled out easy drama to watch :)
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1Story: This is a character-driven story, not plot driven. This is the story of how they met and changed each other's lives, and how they individually grew, and I couldn't have been happier that this was it, without any cliches or contrived plot points.
Characters: On one hand we have Cha Soo Hyun, a chaebol through and through who has never had a chance to have a live of her own, because of the deep love and commitment she has for for family. On the other hand we have Kim Jin Hyuk, an old soul who loves poetry and has a very positive way to look at live, not to be confused with naiveness; he is also a man who is completely free of the toxic masculinity that has been so talked about in recent times. He always respects Soo Hyun's decisions and backs her up, and encourages to empower herself, without pushing her.
There are good side characters throughout the story, but this is a story about these 2, and the drama doesn't waste much time focusing anywhere else.
Acting: Song Hye Kyung and Park Bo Gum have great natural chemistry together; they pulled the drama all on their own, and did a great work while it. With them we were able to see 2 people fall in love, especially in the small details. They were able to convery their emotions and story without having to talk at all. Their scenes felt so real that sometimes we as the audience even feel like voyeurs by watching something so intimate.
Music: This usually is not a very important part for me, but the music in this drama really lifted up the story and gave it great ambiance; it was also great to hear music in Spanish.
Overall: I loved almost everything about this drama, from the simple story to the great chemistry between Soo Hyun and Jin Hyuk. I loved that their story wasn't overly dramatic but instead very realistic. Each time it could've turned into a cliché, the drama subverted it and went the other way. If I have one complain is that characters, especially antagonists, talked a lot about creating havoc but never actually did anything, robbing some momentum to the plot; however, the cute scenes more than made up for it.
Watch this if you're feeling down or just want to feel fuzzy all over; it'll help you remember your first love, and all the small moments and feelings that you go through when you first fall in love.
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Here is the more positive review you were looking for
I guess the reviews are mostly so negative because a lot of people had high expectations in the cast and the fact that it is an adaption. Not saying that the drama is bad, but that people probably just expected something much different.I mainly knew what I was getting into, though I hadn't watched the original adaption, but there is not too much of a twist to expect about a drama that focuses around rich people. The Greatest Seducer was a good drama. I loved it. I felt a whole lot of emotion from happy, anger and sadness. It is definitely not the greatest drama that is out there, but it has all the qualities all good dramas have. A good cast and good acting, and an interesting plot.
I know a lot of people hated Joy's acting, but she did very well, actually. Most people just dislike seeing popular idols in lead roles, what I get to a certain point, but I could also give you the names of three "veteran" actresses who are in my opinion worse and loved by millions.
The storyline was nothing new, a lot of intrigues, tragedy and drama but also a lot of cute romance and funny side characters. Since it's an adaption after all, I am really surprised by most of the reaction to the plot, besides that, just the fact that this drama is about chaebol problems gives you enough information about what this drama was going to be - like I said.
What I liked the most was our female lead. TaeHee is a strong character from the beginning, and she mainly stays true to it. I read quite a few reviews about TaeHee being annoying and dumb, but I guess the world is just not used to a female character that is strong but also vulnerable. I never doubted TaeHee's decisions because it all fitted with her experiences and morals. SiHyun was a character with very good character development, and it was very nice seeing him grow up and embracing his problems. The romance of the leads is built very nicely and in my opinion pretty realistic for a first-love type of story. As much as I loved most of the drama, I do disliked some parts. My biggest problem lies with the side characters. For me, it seems like the writers gave much thought about how they wanted to develop the main couple, but gave very little thought about every other character. Especially our antagonists, they were all just driven by love which blinded them to a point that it was ridiculous. Even though they had major story lines, a lot of characters were just so unreasonable that it was difficult to understand where their problems, angst and difficulties lied with. Also, a lot of the problems stay unresolved, and I feel like even quite a few characters get forgotten throughout the ending.
After having watched the original, this is still better.
Overall, The Greatest Seducer did stress me out at parts, but I kept coming back for all the tea. I don't regret any minute of it.
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So what is this about? It’s a story about “Benri-ya” which literally means “handy men”. The two main leads are given certain jobs to accomplish and they get involved in various adventures through their clients’ requests. It’s a concept that’s not very unique since I am sure that many of you saw dramas where the main leads are “problems-solvers” where they get into contact with many characters and go through various situations to achieve their missions.
However, what shines in that episodic pattern is that our main leads don’t get involved in their clients’ lives to be sacred savers, heroes or creators of happy ever after endings. Even the side characters are Mahoro’s ordinary people and job requests don’t demand anything heroic to pull through. In this drama, the situations are handled quite realistically than any other non-detective episodic drama I saw, it deals with some of the life’s dark cases such as prostitution, stalking, AV’s, Yakuza, alcoholics, etc. I was actually surprised in a good way with its pattern.
Another point that attracted me about this drama’s screenwriting is the great slices of humor; I always appreciated Japanese style of comedy and silly hilarious situations so during this drama, I always had to pause and laugh out loud for a while.
The acting is realistic and very believable; I wouldn’t choose any other actors over Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei for the main roles; they did great jobs with their characters’ portrayal. Even guest actors delivered good performance although I am not familiar with half of them.
The characterization is top-notch. As a stated above, the main characters in this drama aren’t sacred saviors; they’re actually anti-heroes without dreams, ambitions, a real life or even families and friends. In short, they have nothing so they need to take job requests that allow them to eat meals even if many of them are hard to accept. Although Tada is a straight gentle character, Gyôten is a real slacker who’s always hanging around in pajamas pissing Tada off just for fun. He’s also a rudely honest character who throws his words without counting the consequences but everything he says is practically pure joy and he always make me laugh whether it’s the way he runs, the way he talks or the way he imitate zombies. That guy is surely going to get a spot in my “favorite characters list”.
The music managed to catch my intention although I don’t really focus on drama’s music but the “Happy Janai, Lucky Janai” and “Matomo ga Wakaranai” songs were really enjoyable and perfectly suited for this drama’s theme.
Watch this drama if:
-You like Japanese style of comedy.
-You like to watch light-hearted drama with great life-like situations.
-You like Eita, Matsuda Ryuhei or both.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike Japanese silly sense of humor. I know that many people don’t appreciate it.
-You dislike Matsuda Ryuhei.
To make the long story short, Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi is an enjoyable piece of Japanese humor with greatly chosen life-like situations and realistic acting skills that deserves to be watched by the fans of this genre. It’s definitely one of the best dramas made this year.
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This review may contain spoilers
Editors Chopped This Sh*t Up! And Youku Gave The Final KO.
I honestly feel that all the other fantasy dramas of 2022 have got to thank the editors of this drama for giving them a chance. For those that don’t know and are just reading the editing is bad, the show lost 11 episodes to pass the censorship review that all cdramas must undergo; taking it from 36 episodes to 25.
That’s a lot of content lost. Most of the first part of the story is gone as well as the last part. This means the setup is awkward and so is the end, and only a severely edited middle is left.
The usual answer to this usually to re-edit but a re-edit seems to require another review and in the current precarious climate, it’s possible a show already on thin-ice due to a scandal and some of the show’s content didn’t want to risk potentially not passing the review at all and decided to air as-is, which gives us the current version of SJFY.
So what’s wrong?
It’s obvious from the start there’s been more than one editor. Scene quality is random - some scenes/sequences are high quality and some no better than home video. Post production is also high and low suggesting that the scandal may have affected post production as well, especially if the later editor had to use raw footage.
The biggest loss with the edits, however, seems to be to the characters themselves. Very few of the main characters have full storylines. Only the vice couple seems to have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Ye Lingshuang/Bai Lu and Yu Xiuming originally had an enemy to lovers storyline but 95% of the revenge angle has been cut. To make this work, many of PXR’s scenes were either cut, rearranged out of order, or redubbed. This has led to a character with fragmented motivations and to some viewers, a mediocre performance. However, the fault in this also seems to lay with the editor/post production as the BTS videos have several powerful scenes of PXR’s acting and yet those scenes either didn’t make into the drama or the post production doesn’t keep up.
Yi Wuyou has it even worse. His scenes have been cut to the point that he is more of a cameo role rather than the lover who turns into an enemy like marketing suggests. When he does appear, he has also been redubbed and his appearance is so small in the drama that it feels unfair to judge him because there isn’t much to judge.
These cuts heavily damaged the interrelationship between the two and greatly weakens the love triangle Youku sold. Viewers might have gotten by on the main leads love line which is very good but most of the more passionate moments between the leads have been cut down or deleted as well to a point that has led to complaints throughout the show.
So what works?
The main leads chemistry is the key driver for the story. They may not seem a match at first glance, but their acting makes it easy to fall for their relationship which despite the cuts, is very well done. Its step by step and slow burn nature may not appeal to an audience used to hot and heavy sensuality but the gradual process of the leads love story feels the most realistic out of the many Cdramas I’ve watched over the years and as a viewer, there is a sense for why they fall for each other and that the years between them are quiet. They’re quite addicting and the lack of scenes between them makes every interaction feel precious and I’ve actually rewatched their scenes together several times.
It’s also a relatively healthy relationship considering the trope and in comparison to other dramas. Yu Xiuming, the male lead, is emotionally intelligent and values the female lead for her intelligence. From the beginning, there’s a constant sense of him guiding Yezi to be a better version of herself. Yu Xiuming also walks the talk as Yezi’s protector and actually protects/saves Yezi throughout the show. And, Yezi challenges Yu Xiuming and while some viewers may not like her decisions or opinions, it shows that she’s got a mind of her own within the relationship.
The other thing that works is the acting. Feng Shaofeng’s veteran acting skills bring Yu Xiuming to life with a delicacy not often seen in fantasy Cdramas. And PXR, when her scenes, haven’t been butchered, is able to keep up. They both bring characters who are as interesting to watch alone as they are together. The older cast members such as Minister Fan and Minister Jie also deliver stable performances. The actor who plays Cheng Wu is also a delight.
The music although not profound is very good and suitable for the show. The opening song is especially pretty.
The costumes and sets are also nice, although some of PXR’s most beautiful sets, the empress sets, did not make it into the show. But the costumes and sets that did make it, have their own flavour and fit the star theme threaded throughout the show. In my opinion many of the complaints about the quality of them actually seem to be filter issues.
Finally, in the scenes/sequences that seem to be the original cut (One way to check is the filter. The better scenes usually have a blue or golden filter), the cinematography, shots, and acting are really well done. Hence my early comment about the other shows of 2022. Just from these few shots, the quality feels high. You have great acting, good chemistry, good cinematography, decent script and plot, novel pairing, interesting concepts, and a good flow. It feels like a properly thought out grown folks fantasy in those moments and those moments, despite its cuts, make it the only fantasy drama I’ve felt excited to watch this year. Based off these few good scenes, it really feels like if the show maintained the same level of quality throughout, then SJFY would have definitely have been a heavyweight contender this year. Believing this, I can only hope that the audience will one day get to see a more complete version.
Giving this a 9.5 cause they did cut down on Yebei towards the end and that deserves a star on its own.😂
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From the start it should have given you an idea on what you should be looking for, the every possible EFFECTs of the things we say or do. As for Newton's Third Law of motion states: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". For every EFFECT there is a CAUSE. One does not do an action without a reason behind it. The reason may be obvious, deliberate; but it could be also hidden or unaware to the person doing the action.
When the world you know suddenly was turned upside-down, will you able to handle it even as if the problems of the world rest on your shoulders? How can you recover when your world is seemingly shattered into pieces? Will you be able to rebuild it the way it used to be, or even better?
STORY
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This is a 10 for me.
The show unabashedly and in an unadulterated way features topics that seemingly people just sweep under the rug. (1) rape, (2) rumor mongering on social media, (3) suicide and (4) implied mental issue. Yes, number 1 and 3 have already mentioned in other BL series, but the way this series presented those is raw, graphic and it did not sugar-coat it. For the forth topic which is "mental health" is not that obvious, you need to analyze every detail from the start down to the very last scene. One needs to be very objective and it will be hard to do it with this very emotional show to see things through. It is presented in a way to raise awareness. The kind of EFFECTs any of the mentioned above could have is what the series wants to focus on.
This shows the rape also occurs in the same-gender world and not only exclusive to the male-female relationship. It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.
The power of social media. This is what consuming the society nowadays. With the information age at hand, it can bring out the bests in people as well as the worsts. It can be a tool to create a beauty or destroy. The problem with social media, specially with pictures, it does not show the whole story. It just capture the millisecond. Even shared videos aren't 100% accurate if it doesn't show what happened before and after. Social media can rally for a cause, or spread rumors like a wildfire. The question is, will you share right away something that is not validated? This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.
They say the people that commit suicide does not want really to die, but just want the pain to end. Often times, they think that ending one's life is the easy way to end the suffering. We should not judge people that commit this kind of act as we never walked in their shoes, lived the life and fight the everyday battles. Rape does not necessarily result to death, it is the depression the one goes through that would make someone to take his/her life.
Episode 1 is the very typical love story, the beginning, the progression of the feelings and finally, saying the three magical words, "I love you". But is life really all rainbows and sunshine? After all, that is the vibe you will get from the premier episode. Or is there a storm brewing in the horizon?
Yes Episode 2 ended very dark, darker than the night. But if you bother to stop for a while and analyze things, things that happened before the despicable action, you will see that it is not just one event that led to commit such horror. From the home, where you should be the safest, to your school, where you spend most of your time, in the hope of finding your happiness in the person you love. Tragically, when jealousy, gossips/rumors and rejection come become a factor, no one can tell what a person affect by it will do next. Especially if that person have not experience that situation before one tends to ease the pain the best and easiest way he/she thinks can.
Episode 3. Just when you thought things couldn't get any darker or painful as Episode just felt some did a gut punch to you. As you progress the episode, you will realize that is it not only the bruises or swelling of the punch, but a bleeding cut that you didn't notice at first. You tried to put a bandage on it, only to be ripped away and pour alcohol on it. It is that painful. It will be a long time for me to get over the series of events happened in this show.
On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.
This show struck very near to my heart as I had a cousin who was raped that eventually bear a child, my nephew. And now, that nephew of mine is suffering from a mental condition that at a tender age of 11 is already taking medicines to control his behavior.
(Addendum, after watching Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 5, when Dr. Jo Karev is in session with a therapist)
I found this written on the board:
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful
You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.
ACTING
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Unlike novels or something you read, where every action, reaction, expression can be told, when watching you are limited on how the actors convey certain emotion and image.
That is why I applaud OAT as KENG. His features will sway you to think that he is incapable of any such evil thing with his charming, innocent looks and unassuming behavior. As they say "Don't judge a book by its cover", could be more appropriate for him here. Is he really capable of a dispicable actions? Or events triggered the inner demon in him that he for eternity tried to keep it at bay or prisoned? HOWEVER, Oat could have shown more emotions when he is annoyed. When a character is the antagonist, and you feel disgusted with the character, this mean that the actor who played the role did a great job.
JAMES as SHIN - you can really see in his face the admiration to Keng without saying anything. And the time he felt betrayed, the pain resonates in his eyes. Opposite of a antagonist, when you feel the pain and happiness, then you know that the actor was able to deliver what is needed of him.
MUSIC
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I like the piano accompaniment on the key scenes. It heightens the emotion. But it could have been better if a voice is heard as it can further the emotion of the listener.
REWATCH VALUE
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This is way too traumatic that even myself would not dare to watch this again. Perhaps after a year or so, I will revisit this.
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This review may contain spoilers
A realistic portrayal of modern day relationships
The last 10 minutes of the movie will leave you mind-blown. That's where the twist is, and you need to watch it again to get a complete grasp of the story. Thank goodness it's on Netflix! We can rewatch the scenes until we fully understand what's going on (lol). This is a well-executed film, with three equally talented stars at the forefront. It has a good balance of seriousness and humor as the characters matter-of-factly tell their story, a characterization of why relationships in this fast-paced world are short-lived. This is rated 13+ by Netflix, but it tackles a more mature topic apt for, perhaps, a more open-minded perspective on dating and relationships. If you are expecting a feel-good happily-ever-after romantic comedy sort of thing, this, without a doubt, will disappoint you. Watch something else.Chae Soo Bin impressively portrayed her role as the lively and cheerful turned lonely and weary nurse, Da Eun. She's one of the younger stars whose acting prowess is commendable. The camera immaculately captures her sweetness. A real beauty who's a class act of her own. Jang Ki Young (Jang Hyuk), nailed his role as the struggling young professional climbing up the ladder. An imperfect guy with a perfect smile. Such a charming young man! I've watched him portray different roles in dramas, he never disappoints, always a pleasure to watch. His scenes with Krystal (Bo Young) were fun and light in contrast to the serious and heavy scenes with CSB (Da Eun), yet he wonderfully delivered. He's got good chemistry with both CSB and Krystal, too. Krystal as Bo Young was exceptional. She playfully and brilliantly brought the character to life.
I love this movie. I like how it ended. I let out a satisfying chuckle at the final scene yet, at the same time, heartbroken for the sweet romance that turned sour in the end. I was left with an afterthought of what could have happened if they had done things differently. The main leads are not bad, they're just young people who still have so much to learn--perfectly flawed humans who are newbies in the real world and still have a lot of growing up to do.
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Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
Sword Snow Stride evokes all my best wuxia memories; action, adventure, chivalry, an old murder mystery, political intrigue and a dash of romance and a medley of eccentric surrounding characters with astounding martial arts capabilities.Set in a fantasy world, Xu Fengnian is the son and heir of the fearsome warlord Xu Xiao, king of North Liang, Liyang's largest and most powerful fiefdom. Adapted from 烽火戏诸侯 Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou's epic 20 volume novel The Snowy Path of the Heroic Blade 雪中悍刀行, this first instalment focuses on the coming of age of main protagonist Xu Fengnian.Anchored by Zhang Ruoyun and adapted by Wang Juan of Joy of Life fame, this was one of 2021's most anticipated dramas and for me, it did not disappoint. The leisurely pace at which the plot unfolds gives the viewer the time to imbibe the rich complexity of the interplay between characters and their relationship dynamics. Wang Juan has taken his writing to a new level, delivering a crisp dialogue that gives the first impression of wit and occasionally irreverent humour that masks profound layers of hidden meaning, wisdom and emotions in conversations within conversations. This is most evident in Fengnian and Jiang Ni's delicious repartees but it also underlies multiple exchanges between Xu Xiao and Fengnian and belie numerous other superficially adversarial relationships. This requires a level of sophistication and nuance in the portrayals that is only done justice by the more experienced actors.This is unfortunate for Li Gengxi whose lack of experience is evident in her immature and shallow rendition of the marvellously atypical Jiang Ni. Despite some endearing moments, she does not "own" the character quite the same way Zhang Ruoyun is Xu Fengnian but he is a tough act to follow and not a fair comparison for a young actress. She warms to the role considerably in the latter half and I would be happy to see her return for the second season.
Do not be deterred by the fact that this drama did not live up to the high expectations of Chinese viewers, whose main issues are with the slow pace, the choice of female lead and the slo mo action scenes. It is true that the direction of some scenes, in particular action scenes could have been better. While the director wanted viewers to appreciate the grace, artistry and difficulty of the actors movements, the end result is the scenes lack the intensity and thrill of imminent peril. This is understandably a dealbreaker for some hard core wuxia action fans but it didn't really bother me. As the drama progresses, there is some speeding up of the fight scenes that are boosted by Marvel universe like CGI. The final encounter is spectacularly ferocious, thrilling and violent enough to satisfy most critics.
The drama opens with the roguish young Xu Fengnian living in the moment while traipsing the world with his groom Old Huang. He is not comfortable with his father's ruthless tactics and eschews his legacy, one that puts him in the crosshairs of those in the highest circles of power. While Fengnian draws inspiration from many mentors, Xu Xiao and Old Huang are by far his most important early influencers. An unconventional thinker, Fengnian refuses to compromise, strives for win win outcomes but does not hesitate to be ruthless when he needs to be. As he steps up into his role, he starts out as a mere chess piece in a high stakes game where his father Xu Xiao is many steps ahead. Along the way, he grows to be the chess player, not the chess piece. He also better understands his father's choices and become more like his father in some aspects. Zhang Ruoyun and Hu Jun have great chemistry and I found their unorthodox banter and relationship hilarious and moving; we really didn't get enough of them together! This must be Zhang Ruoyun's best role, I enjoyed both his portrayal and Xu Fengnian the character even better than his fabulous Fan Xian in Joy of Life.
While Fengnian starts out protected by his father's retainers, he manages to win hearts and minds using his own unique methods and inducements and finds himself surrounded by a formidable entourage of martial artists, retainers and maids with mysterious pasts; leaving a string of alliances and favours owed in his wake. These are classic wuxia archetype characters that make me shiver with delight at their single minded obsession with the quest for supremacy that comes with inevitable sacrifice and regret; who willingly barter their swords and their lives to advance or to honor past promises or debts. While the story revolves around Xu Fengnian, so many of these surrounding master swordsmen captured my heart and imagination with their prowess and their backstories from the laconic and lethal White Fox, Old Huang, Qing Niao and of course Sword God Li Chungang. The many awe inspiring female swordsman makes it hard for Jiang Ni to really shine and leaves the indelible impression that Fengnian is a man with a fleet of many ships.
It is said that a hero is only as good as its villain and in Zhao Kai, Liu Duanduan explores a deeper villain, a riveting opposite character to Xu Fengnian.and pulls off an oddly empathetic antagonist that practically steals the show. They are both scheming and ruthless characters who attempt to escape their destiny but that is where their similarities end. Zhao Kai is utterly lacking in moral fibre and can only win by foul means ,regardless of consequences or how many must die. He is dangerously and humorously self aware of this and stalks Xu Fengnian looking to exploit a moment of weakness. He won my heart with his unabashed appreciation of Xu Fengnian's brilliance and insight; were their goals not in such conflict, Zhao Kai would be Xu Fengnian's greatest fan. It is a great pity Zhao Kai is not an out of box thinker that could have found a way to align his interest with that of Fengnian. Even though Zhao Kai is far from the most powerful antagonist, a big chunk of the season one plot revolves around his pursuit of Xu Fengnian.
Season one draws to a very satisfying conclusion with an epic and very satisfying showdown and major immediate tasks achieved. It leaves me hungering for more but not in that awful cliffhanger kind of way. It will undoubtedly take a few years for season two to materialise but even if it doesn't, we can still think of this as an immensely enjoyable and very satisfying slice of life kind of drama. This is the second 9.5 from me for 2021 that closes the year on the same high note that Word of Honor started it on.
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DO IT FOR THE MAIN COUPLE & THEIR CHEMISTRYY
Please, PLEASE, if you're thinking about watching this show, DO IT. START NOW.The main couple's chemistry is off the charts. If you hate bad kiss scenes, this is the drama for you. Not a fish kiss in sight, and the intimate interactions between both couples were perfect. And there were sooo many ;)
Luo Yunxi (Leo Luo) was AMAZING. I saw him for the first time in My Sunshine (one of his first roles) and let me tell you, the boy can ACT. He was hilarious, and the perfect mix between a serious, childish, and romantic male lead. Bai Lu did really well too, I loved her character!
I was hyper-focused on the main couple, and the other side stories were just okay. To be honest, I skipped around the actual drama scenes, as it was uninteresting and unnessasary, which is why story/plot got a 4/10. But it's got tons of comedic moments, and barely any drama between the leads. Bonus, there is no evil second female lead so the couple barely has any misunderstandings between them!
Trust me, this is one you'll definitely want to give it a try!
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It was a pleasant surprise to see these young actors who don't have much experience as leads under their belts - yet they carried the story so effortlessly. So much so that I completely bought the story about life in the world of comic books.
The main characters' side swipes at the overused tropes of romantic dramas were what got me hooked in the beginning, but it was the heartfelt acting - especially from our two leads, that kept me going.
I felt every smile, every tear, every fear that went through their faces. And I prayed as hard as they did to writer-nim to please make this a happy ending.
Yes, it's not perfect, there were some threads left hanging and some sub-plots that were too conveniently solved. But it didn't ruin the story for me.
Most of all, I like the overarching message in the drama - that we have the power over our own lives, we just have to have the courage to take control.
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What a fun ride!
I never enjoyed any drama as I enjoyed this from the very first episode till the last episode. It was a roller coaster ride for me filled with so much laughter. I don't think so that any drama can be this hilarious with perfect execution, script, cast, and everything, I loved every aspect of it and surely Mr. Queen has become one of my most favorites.I was hooked from the first episode. It didn't leave its track even for one episode. It was consistently good and hilarious until the very end. It was a beautiful journey which I enjoyed very much. I guess it had set up pretty much high standards for Korean historical for me.
Hat's of for the Shin Hye Sun I don't think that anyone could have done a better job than her. She was perfect for this role she nailed it. The whole cast was amazing everyone did a great job portraying every character, the acting was excellent and top-notch. It couldn't be this better without this cast. All dynamics of every character were great and three-dimensional even the villains did a great job as I hated them with whole my heart. The King's character was really great though it was a bit confusing in the start things got clear later The changes we did see in Queen in every episode her journey was phenomenal. The chemistry between leads was amazing it was the perfect pairing. I also loved side characters and their interactions as well.
The story was indeed well written and executed. The soundtrack and ost were perfect and the cinematography was brilliant.
Overall it was wonderful drama though it's not everyone's cup of tea if you like historical and comedy then definitely give it a try. It was a wonderful experience.
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This review may contain spoilers
Warning: Beware of Diabetes, it includes so many sweet moments. Wanna have some good laugh, a full dose of fluff with adorable pairing with excellent supporting characters? Falling into your smile definitely won’t fail you… to fall for its charm.
The story isn’t magnificent itself (it offers nothing new) but I fancied its pace, progress, relationship dynamics, the portrayal of friendship, how characters are written and their interactions happen. I wouldn’t consider it as fully plot-driven drama, it focuses more on the characters’ life-development-problems they face. There isn’t a specific evil antagonist here but it portrays the cruel reality of how social media, obsessive fans can play the role of antagonist with being so much toxic to the extent.
It’s not necessary to have information or have much interest in gaming to watch it, you can take it just as an individual romantic comedy.
In terms of chemistry, I felt the spark and they are just so cute together. I can’t imagine Chessman or Smiling without Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao. A classic example of a bickering couple, their fights are entertaining, the quintessential foundation for their relationship. The fact the progress in the relationship between them is very realistic surely adds more points. It does have an arc where it becomes more serious but it’s just for short time... it never stops being rom-com.
Tong Yao is just ambitious, hard-working, not to forget soo adorable, though due to her expressions she seems oblivious :’). But her development, the way she reacts to situations is genuine, I would rather say her character is rational plus human-like (The thing many drama writers forgot to make characters who can be considered as humans). Lu Sicheng can’t be considered a cold lead at all, he is just straightforward and honest. He does have different shades in nature...He can make mistakes but also admit when he is wrong. He has flaws as any normal human being can have with being a three-dimensional character. He can be very lovable, warm, tender when he is with Tong Yao but very austere and responsible as a captain of the team. Ah I forgot the important thing he is such a tease lol xD
Loved Xu Kai’s performance, was vigorous, lively. His smile is icing on the cake. I’m not fully satisfied with Cheng Xiao’s acting. As she has almost the same expression (Which looks like she’s confused) most of the time. I’m not so sure about her game ID as she doesn’t seem to be Smiling much (no pun intended). But I can let that slide as most of her previous works are in reality/variety shows and relatively she’s new in acting or maybe it’s her character that doesn’t allow her to have many expressions. Though there are particular scenes where she impressed me. Special mention: Ending scene of 26th episode and opening of 27th episode.
In technical aspects, it doesn’t have any problems when it comes to camera angles, editing, color palate/grading. Though I’m not a very big fan of dubbing and it bothered me here, it is overdubbed (Means without the original voice of actors), Especially with Xu Kai, It’s ME because it’s hard for me to hear three different voices from the same person as I have seen him in Court Lady and ALP very recently. Korean dubbing it all out of place. Sound effects are on the point with being funny many times, really liked the OSTs they wouldn’t have been more adequate. 'Heroes' give me goosebumps with its bg music, 'Follow the light' is my favorite among them with Chen Zhuoxuan's vocals
I really liked the animations of games, it has a different feel and vibe. It’s more satisfying than just listening to the commentary and actually visualizing what’s happening in the game, plus the graphics were good so more than enough. Talking about the cinematography of the show it’s not stunning but definitely decent, and as it’s about gaming it doesn’t need to be very beautiful.
This drama has one character without him… sure it wouldn’t have been this fun, and he is no other than Fatty (do I really have to explain the reason why?) His expressions and reactions are priceless plus he encounters some situations all time where he’s like ‘Is this dream?’ ‘Am I sleepwalking?’ ‘Why me?’ He just makes the drama more funny and enjoyable. He is unquestionably a show-stealer for me, and one more reason to smile. Not just him but I love all team members of ZGDX every character is colorful and with an interesting secondary couple that is like the cherry on the top.
Fun facts: After ages, any C-drama managed to stay on the trending list (on MDL) for a long time.
The end credit song 'Soulmate' is a duet by our leads Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao.
This was the end of the review.
Now if you are curious about different information as drama is facing a lot of dispute from c-netizens (Its douban rating is 3/10) some basic information about it:
It is adapted from the web novel that is implicated of plagiarism, the writer added real-life events without any consent from the people. Professional players spend 16-17 hrs every day training. They don’t really have any time to do other things as they have no time left, let the fact of having a romantic relationship aside. Unreliable portrayals and lots of inaccuracies of professional Esports players, the online gaming community, how things work out there. It is written by people who totally have zero idea about professional gaming. China has one of the largest gaming communities and Esport is becoming more widespread day by day. It has become a delicate topic to handle and for all these causes, drama receiving hate from c-netizens and gaming communities.
But people forgot at the end of the day... Its main purpose is entertainment as it's just a drama.
See you next year ;D
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As a viewer of 'Individualist, Ms. Ji Young,' I can say I was able to connect to it's likeness in portraying mental illness on a personal level. I found myself hearing the female lead spout words I have said before myself. I have struggled with mental illness my whole life, and although it is not directly mentioned in this show it is blatantly there in it's rawest form. The need of being in a relationship with someone...or the complete opposite... The need to protect yourself by pushing everyone away...Wanting a relationship but having the fight or flight response kicking in the moment you feel you could be hurt. Flight always being the end result because it seems easier compared to being hurt. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Watching this series was extremely personal for me and I feel that it was done beautifully. I am not sure how the experience of watching will be for those who do not understand or have a mental illness... but I can be sure that anybody who can even relate a little bit will definitely love this show. Hopefully this lazy and short review might help one of you out there. If you decide to watch, I really hope you enjoy!
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Brilliant Scheming Drama Full of Smart Characters, Equally Matched in Term of Wits & Mind Games.
I always want Ren Jialun in heavy scheme political drama and I finally got my wish with Love of Nirvana. I love how clever and matched everyone is in this games of wit and how everyone literally aware of everyone's scheming and mind games. The steps are either 2 or 3 ahead and you only see it when it happens. Some of the chess moves are really unexpected, surprising and also served as plot twists. I usually can only guess the first step as the 2nd step usually comes later when you see the water repels on the course of the actions.THE PREMISE
At first, you need to understand the premise of this drama on how the ML and FL first met each other. The ML is from Yueluo, a slave nation while the FL is from Liang, the nation that enslaved his people -- so obviously, he only has contempt and hatred towards the Liang people. The point when you watch this drama is see the leads as enemies at war instead of love interest since that is what they truly are -- all they wanted to do is to kill each other, genuinely. The romance only come much later when they finally see each other for who they truly are -- which is the same kind of people of the opposite sites. They did not romanticize it at all which I appreciate. It supposed to be seen as torture and nothing else -- she is a Liang woman assisting a Liang official and mess up his missions again & again -- its as simple as that. If you can get over this part, then you gonna enjoy the ride since this drama is full of twist and surprises.
THE COMPLEX CHARACTERS
All the three leads are characters who is not only complex, but also full of layers with very clear motives. You are not supposed to judge them at first glance since they are all wearing masks intended to misled your first impressions. The 'mask' that Wei Zhou is wearing is a symbol not only used literally to hide his identity but as well as figuratively for the audiences not to judge him and perceived him on the surface -- the cruel assassin mask he put on during his missions, then another façade he is putting when he is in his official robes in front of everyone and his real face -- the look of sadness and helplessness like how everything inside of him is crumbing down when he put the names of his fallen people inside the box after failed missions. The same can be seen with Jiang Ci, our female lead -- on the front she is just this bubbly girl who smile a lot but she is actually one of the cleverest characters on the show. She knew she being used but regardless of that, she wont let anyone used her as can be seen in this drama -- Wei Zhou can used her as a pawn and looks where it got him. Same with Pei Yan trying to control her freedom -- and look how she ended up doing thing exactly where her heart tells her to. Same with Pei Yan -- do not be fooled with his nice and gentle demeanor as he is as manipulative and cunning. Under his good guy persona, he fools everyone to get what he wants. But at the same time, his concern towards Jiang Ci is genuine which add to the weird complexity of his character. Between his loyalty to his country and his filial piety towards his mother who raised him, its all adds up to make him the man that he is.
THE SMART & BRILLIANT SCRIPT FULL OF SYMBOLISMS, METAPHORS, ANALOGIES, HIDDEN MEANINGS, FORESHADOWINGS & THE USAGE OF UNIQUE & CREATIVE STORYTELLING
The scheming and mind games in Love of Nirvana is so well written as it involves really high level chess game moves from both sides. They are all shades of grey which makes everything even more interesting since they basically have no limit. How brilliant is the scheming? It even involves planting a wrong thoughts on innocent person to give misleading impressions towards the enemies. And the drama does a lot of ''show'' instead of ''tell'' so you have to be aware of every clues, smirk, moves and objects as they are used to show the characters motives and actions as well as their thoughts.
The symbolisms used in this drama is really a lot. I love how they show Wei Zhou kept a white bird in a beautiful big cage as the bird represent himself -- the hidden identity of lavish lifestyle with richness and adoration but actually trapped and wanting to get the freedom and justice he longed for his people who being sold as slaves and prostitutes and they humiliation they faced under the Liang's tyranny. Also, the symbolism of Pei Yan repelling the water in a calm pond of fish is the literal things he did to his corrupt family members which turning their peaceful world upside down like he has the hands of God. Aside from that, the use of object to show intention of the character is done marvelously. In one of the scenes, they show Wei Zhou rejected Madam Ronggue's offer of collaboration with tea; 'The tea is quite nice, but it's not to my liking' then the camera proceed with the focus of Madam Ronggue pouring the tea anyway inside his empty cup after he leaves and said 'It's not up to him to decide.' -- thus we knew what is her next chess moves after that.
Also, I love the metaphor of the black orchid seed which being used and described by Jiang Ci -- again, figuratively and literally. The black orchid seed can't be washed no matter how you try to get rid of it which she used on Wei Zhou to track where he goes as evidence. Just like the seed of doubt she planted on Pei Yan or the Emperor (no matter how much Wei Zhou try to wash it later) and these doubts will kept on growing and will crack with times if they managed to read her letter.
Aside from that, the foreshadowing -- there are so much of it all over the drama. From the song lyrics (which has hints of the ending) to all the leads' conversations with each other like the conversation that Jiang Ci had with Pei Yan about the big responsibility or big picture and how admirable Pei Yan is for holding out to that one. No, it wasn't to show where love blooms between them but it is to give us the insight of what's inside her head -- the understanding and admiration she has towards people who fight for what is right which is what Wei Zhou is doing for his people. It wasn't the red flag where he torture her that made she fall for him, but she finally see him beyond the façade he put or the masks he wears -- he might fool other people like the sword dance he did in front of everyone but she truly see him as what he is beyond the act he put in front of her. I thought the directing is great for the particular scene and the point of turn where Jiang Ci finally see Wei Zhou in different light.
The drama also trust you as an audiences to remember the details and make the connections and compare on the actions and behaviors of the characters. For an example, the contrast of actions of the characters of the 2 male leads -- it is done so subtlety to show to the audiences the swift change in state of mind of Jiang Ci. For starter, we all know how free spirited is Jiang Ci -- while Pei Yan clipped her wings, Wei Zhou in the other hands lets her fly and spread her wings. Pei Yan will limit what Jiang Ci wants to do while Wei Zhou will praise her and ask her to show more of her skills and abilities. Also, when Jiang Ci wants to join any investigation, Pei Yan will stop and forbid her while Wei Zhou will open the door for her. And while doing good deeds to the poor people, Wei Zhou did it at the back without anyone knowing while Pei Yan doing it openly and get adored by everyone. Apart from that, when Jiang Ci gave them the food of the poor, Wei Zhou accept and eat it while Pei Yan left it untouched. This all have the same situation but produce different kind of results between these 2 characters. As to why this 2 gives a very different reactions to the same situation? It comes back to their childhood. While both of them are caged birds, Wei Zhou grew up in a loving family during his fundamental childhood development years where he is taught compassion, love and also understanding -- he only caught later and become slave after that. While Pei Yan grew up in a completely toxic environment the whole of his life which build this very obsessive traits inside of him. While Wei Zhou only become ruthless and unhinged when he's in a mask, he is become kinder to everyone once they are in his intimate circle just like what Jiang Ci has becomes. Thats why Jiang Ci is no longer afraid of him since she seen him without the 'mask'. While Pei Yan in the other hand become completely different when someone become closer to him -- he ended up becoming controlling and taking away their agency just like the 'love' he knew from his mother. Thus, this completely different results of the same situation from the two of them.
Also, the use of deceptive storytelling. The fun part of scheming drama is for you to guess the outcome and Love of Nirvana done this part really well. They will show misleading scenes but at the same time giving different clues so you can guess together with the main characters until the truth is revealed. A lot of plot twists are happened this way that totally caught you off guard but once you know it, it made complete sense and how those clues aligned like pieces of puzzles.
Aside from that, the use of poems to convey emotion are done brilliantly. The prime example of this is the Poem Banquet at the Eastern Palace. All of them are speaking in riddles with flowers as the topic but actually sending their personal message to Jiang Ci. And Jiang Ci, the clever girl that she is responding the opposite and burnt them with her replies. The whole scene is like a smart people conversation with each other -- poetic, seemed unharmed exchanged of literature piece to outsiders but laced with poisonous message to those people it directed to. Not to mention the conversations full of riddles. Like the conversation that Wei Zhou have with the Emperor. They are talking in metaphor but both understand each other clearly.
THE THEME OF REVENGE, FREEDOM, HOPE, PREJUDICE & FILIAL PIETY
From how restricting on 'freedom' did to people and the baggage they have to carry and live with -- which can be seen with Jiang Ci's characteristics (a free bird) and both of the MLs' characteristics (caged beautiful birds) and how they turn out to be. Also, the message of 'Hope' is all over the drama -- how the Liangjiu flowers has stopped blooming for 20 years due to the mass grave but has bloomed again. And also the theme of prejudice -- how Wei Zhou is also shedding his prejudice slowly towards the Liang people and also helped them fighting against their corrupt officials.
This drama also deals with really heavy themes, decisions and choices. And the complexity of it makes it a very good watch as they are not sugar-coating it. We see Pei Yan's dilemma when he wants to stop the case only at corruption only at Nanling. Did he made the right decision to cast aside the SA victims? Of course not. But if the case go beyond corruption only, his clan, hundred of people will be annihilated since rebellion is a huge crime. Do you hate him? Of course! But do you understand his reasons? Yes as well. This also can be seen when Wei Zhou has to make the hard decision of opening the city gate or let all the hostages die. Not to mention in the last arc where he need to chose his own wish or the safety of his people. All these difficult decision making are done carefully without taking lightly of subject matters.
But despite this, there so many silver linings in the drama -- like the Lingjiu flowers that blooms again at Yueluo. Or the friendship that Jiang Ci form with all the Yueluo people -- at first they hate her but then they ended up really adore and love her. The hope of message is everywhere. Wei Zhou once told Jiang Ci that she cant change people -- him or anyone else. But we see how untrue is that. The irony of that statement and how its killing him later to make that difficult decision to deceive her. The drama deals with lots of heavy stuffs. It certainly not for everyone but it made sense, you understand the characters and why they are making those choices.
THE ROMANCE
While the romance is really slow burn, the progress of the 2 main leads' relationship was done delicately. Ren Jialun has amazing amazing chemistry with Li Landi. Lots of their scenes together involves staring into each other but instead of it being awkward, all those scenes glows beautifully. I love how she touched him with his childhood swing and tease him with it or how he drew on her face to cheer her up or just their interactions with each other -- it was really wholesome and sweet.
And I love the scene where Wei Zhou is having a nightmare and Jiang Ci pet his hands to calm him down. He was so restrained even when he's in his private time -- he just grip his blanket tightly and still suppressing whatever things that haunt him in his sleep. Then you realized that Wei Zhou as a character is actually very restrained even in his crazy and unhinged phase -- he could make a new wound on Jiang Ci everytime he faces her but instead, he just poking her wound instead to remind her. I love the consistencies in the writing and you can see how its all adds up to the layers of his character.
Also, the depiction on how Wei Zhou slowly wear himself down around Jiang Ci is a joy to see. In the straining of his shoulder scene where she is putting medicine on him, the stare that he gave her is the confident stare -- like he had her on the palm of his hands. But later, all those confident stares are gone -- when she falls down on him or when he saw her washing his face and neck or when he found her hugging him in his sleep, it was 'Oh noes, I'm in deep trouble!' face since now it is him who is at her disposal.
On top of that, I love how even when they are at their angsty part of the relationship but the show still managed to make it healing as well. There is thorn, but there is hope as well. Just like when Wei Zhou was given the poisonous flowers by Jiang Ci, but he gave her back small red flowers that she placed on his hair at Yueluo to show that all flowers will bloom again just like their love. I love how this small red flowers are used as their language of love towards each other as he used the same red flowers later to tell her that he will protect her. I really love all this hidden message that we can get from the subtle storytelling.
Aside from that, I love how many of their scenes together conveyed so many things despite many thing are left unspoken. For an example the scene where Wei Zhou fainted after the war and woke up on the bed and Jiang Ci is feeding him the orange. The way the Director focus on his trembling hands and the way Jiang Ci cries silently beside him -- it is to show that she knew he was poisoned but she didn't say anything since she knew he doesn't want her to know. And him looking guilty but also chose to stay silent since if they actually say it out loud -- it will be too unfair, thus not saying anything at all is the kinder way for them to cope with the tragedy. I'm so marveled at how the writer, director and both Ren Jialun and Li Landi conveyed that scene -- it made the scene more heartbreaking and devastating somehow.
CONCLUSION
The drama is so well written with lots of heavy themes and they were handled brilliantly. I love how it did not shy away to show how all these characters are making really hard decisions and they are not sugar coating or give them the easy way out. And all the scheming and mind games are top level but most of all, the amazing script! The conversations full of riddles, the use of symbolisms, metaphors, analogies, foreshadowing and deceptive storytelling made it such a fun ride.
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