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A Purest Kind of Love Story That is Full of Fluff Then Make You Sob Uncontrollably
This is my all time favourite modern Cdramas. I never thought it is possible to replace Nobuta wo Produce as the best school drama in my heart but this drama did it. This is one of the most beautiful and poignant love stories I have the honour of watching. It made you cry a river and made you question is that possible to love someone so selflessly like that without asking anything in return. It is a purest form of love and this drama portray it beautifully with many surprising twist and revelations.The most beautiful thing about this drama is their portrayal of love -- it is poignant, deep, pure and profound. I never thought I will get this kind of love story while watching a school drama but this drama did it excellently. Here we got a female lead who has been in love with someone else for so long. She got a chance to redo her life by 'time travel' to the past and she discovered that there is another boy who has been loving her for so so long and the boy has been protecting her in silent for all those years without her knowing.
The drama started off with the female lead is crazily in love with someone else but when she finally snapped and learn the truth about her fiancee, she never look back. She finally decided to live for herself and redo everything back. She get close to the male lead after figuring out that he is the cause of her time travelling and while getting close to him for selfish reasons, she never thought he ended up taught her many things in life; taught her how fun life could be, taught her to dream and also taught her to find herself and in the process, she ended up falling deeply in love with him. She finally understand that in order for people to love her, she needs to love herself first and things like the unknown, fears and uncertainly can only be overcome by oneself to finally become a better person.
The female lead is really awesome. She is fun, funny, interesting and her confidence is overflowing. She fights for her future and keep saying how she will protect the male lead confidently. Such a refreshing character! Lin Beixing is now my most favourite female lead in Cdramas. I wish all female characters are written like her. Such a strong and admirable young woman! Flawed but very lovable at the same time.
I always thought fun and extrovert male leads are my favourite but Zhang Wansen proved me wrong. I never though such shy, timid and introvert person can be so attractive and compelling. His pure love, sacrifices and selfless actions are portrayed delicately that you cant help but to fall in love with him. Plus, I love how stubborn he is when he refuse to concede to her requests lol. They boy might love her unconditionally but he is not ready to sacrifice his goals, beliefs, perspective nor personality for her which is also part of the reasons that made him so attractive.
The first 16 episodes are pure fluff, fun and hilarious. I love how simple it is with just pure fun without any misunderstandings. The leads are absolutely adorable & lovable together and they had this beautiful beautiful tacit understanding with each other. It is such a peaceful and healthy relationship. They face adversities and challenges together and it is absolutely fun to watch them. Then when the truth was revealed about the fall from 10 years earlier, this is when the drama become more serious and heartbreaking. When it was revealed what really happened -- something that we never knew from before -- the sacrifices, the regrets, the what ifs, the possibilities, coupled with how the reminisce scenes are structured, it tugs to your heart strings like no others that you ended up crying a river. Even during the happy scenes when she travelled back to year 2007 to save him, tears were falling profusely on my cheek while laughing or smiling at their happy and funny scenes. I guess knowing all his sacrifices to her, you cant help but to feel helpless how they can't end up together. Knowing the truth really put everything into perspective. The way she look at him while he's not looking -- just feeling grateful he is healthy and alive are just so relatable that you ended up crying just as much as her.
9.5/10 is the only appropriate rating for such a great drama. I love how fun and addicting it was and how it made me sobbing like a baby later. Plus, the OSTs are really great! The songs' lyrics told their love story to a T and it fits all the scenes perfectly -- it perfectly describe their relationship from each other's point of views. Love the ending as well!
EXPLAINATION ON THE ENDING
The ending were pretty much cemented Wansen is alive especially with how they keep going on in the whole drama that NO ONE actually know what happened to him. And for someone like Gao Ge who is both his childhood friend, neighbor and sit beside him in class who is still after 10 years didn't know what actually happened to him, I was adamant that he survives the fall even before the ending scene. Plus, if a student committed suicide or killed, they will surely hold a memorial for his class to attend but what we got here? Nothing and literally no one exactly knew what happened to him. Because a writer, wouldn't purposely make his death so ambiguous if she wanted to tell us that he's dead and the umbrella scene in the end is only in Xing Xing's imagination. In movies/dramas, every actions and words meant something and when it is made purposely so ambiguous (like Zhang Wansen's death during the whole duration of the drama), its actually a clue to the viewers.
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Missing a lot of beats along the way
A modern woman fell into a river and wakes up in the Joseon period inhabiting another woman's body, Hae Soo. She gets involved with five princes whom she becomes friends to lovers, whilst enduring all sorts of palace political stuff. This is her story of being a very naive woman with modern sensibilities struggling to survive in palace life.The show is really beautiful and the music is really good, it's very emotional and elevates this show as a whole. The first 11 episodes are the best in my opinion. I like how believable all the character's motivations are, even the villains you understand why they're doing what they're doing. Afterward, there are a couple of time jumps and characters change, relationship dynamics change quite a bit, and it feels very detached from the first 11 episodes. Everything just kind of gets murky and lost its' focus. I don't think the time jump is suitable in this show because the first 10 episodes built my interest to see these characters' journeys in progress. I lost a lot of interest in the show and just stuck it out because of all of the goodwill for the characters. I needed to watch the to the end but the ending just wasn't satisfying. I was just unsatisfied with the conclusion of the relationship. I like their dynamic in the beginning much more and then it sort of changes like it just kind of happened. I didn't see her go from one love to the other, I didn't appreciate it. I feel like they're wasting such a great foundation they have built in the first 11 episodes.
(Spoilers ahead, rants ahead... XD)
I feel that the show as a whole is kind of missing the point as I don't feel like there was a reason for our female lead to go through all this hardship. She goes through so many sufferings and it just at the end there is no point in it all, especially if she wasn't gonna end up with her true love interest. Yes, she learned about ambition and the consequences of power but that is more relevant for the 4th prince. So it's just like I can't pinpoint exactly how the female leads character arc was. The show changed a lot and I am sad that it didn't leave a good impression on me at the end.
To not end up on a negative note, some of my favorite moments from the show. These are actually the little moments... so the first one is when Hae Soo makes the decision not to tell the 8th Prince when the king has died and she actually tells the 4th Prince I really enjoyed that part because she has some agency for herself in making that decision. I thought about the moment between her and the 4th Prince when she looks at him and she's like yes I'm gonna tell him the truth and like he recognizes the significance of her telling him the truth, I loved that entire scene!
OK, another moment is when she cuts herself to give herself a scar so she can't be married off to the 1st King. Oh! like the sound of the vase breaking and then she got a cut. That whole moment I thought it was really well done, it was so juicy. There's a lot of agency there that I really appreciated because she found a solution to her problem even though it wasn't the greatest solution but solved the problem.
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When I started this drama I wasn't even sure if I'll like it or not. I haven't seen anything with the leads except for Jo Yoon Hee (The King's Face) and therefore had to get used to the male ones. First impressions were good but not overwhelming, though interesting enough to keep watching.
And man, was I glad I continued this one!
What about the story... It's basically about a small negotiation team that doesn't have much recognition from the public and has to kinda prove its existence every single time something happens. But it wouldn't be a kdrama if there wasn't a bigger story behind it - the story of Pied Piper. And here is where the impressive part starts. It's not necessarily the story itself but the way it was delivered that makes it so worth-watching. Step by step revelations and each of them just makes you more curious. Add a very captivating and skillful cinematography and incredibly top-notch actors to it, then your dessert may be served.
Shin Ah Kyun and Yoo Joon Sang were at their best (their interacting was purely epic) and I'm not exaggerating here. Their characters were wholly shaped by the writers as well as their development and growth during the drama. Jo Yoon Hee tried her best, too, but in the end couldn't keep up with them completely. But she wasn't bad either, just sliding out of the light sometimes which was kinda sad, imo.
As for the cinematography. I don't even know how to describe it the right way. It's just the way how single scenes are put together, underlined with precisely accurate music. The beauty of it just leaves you speechless and shocked at the end of an episode.
My rating's not a whole ten but don't be bothered by it. I for myself did find some tiny flaws and couldn't overlook them - as well as for some cases the team had to take on. Sometimes, they just seemed to be a bit overdone.
I still think this drama is underrated. There's even a message delivered that you can pick up - or not.
So, let me give you an advice: If you have some free time and are in need of a really good crime drama, start this one. It's worth its 16 hours.
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This review may contain spoilers
The story, the chemistry, the actors, and the directing all came together to make this a quite enjoyable drama. Who knew? I didn't have any expectations of The Three Musketeers and I was pleasantly surprised. I like the story telling, comic book type of directing. The drama writing had some lame moments, but the story more than made up for it with some excellent twists and specific emotional scenes. For example when Park Dal Hyang is talking to Mi Ryeong in the prison and she goes through every trick she has and he still stands firm and what he says back to her is just daebak!!! Even if you don't watch any of the drama...watch that part. I also like how Yoon Seo was strong and confident when she needed to be the most. I absolutely loved the writing of that character. Ok...I have to stop now or I will quit being vague and write spoilers. The acting is good too. I know a lot of you don't like idol actors, but Jung Yong Hwa is too adorable in this. He may not be the best actor, but he isn't horrible either. Lee Jin Wook and all the other actors are good also. Seo Hyun Jin portrayed my favorite character, Yoon Seo. For once the leading lady wasn't stupid and weak. She cried and was naive, but when it was time for her to step up, she was perfect.
I liked the music.
I may rewatch this at some point...especially if there is a sequal.
I recommend this because it is entertaining. There is no epic story or deep meaning, but I was fully invested in the story line and the charcters.
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It's not just about love, this drama is about overcoming your own fears and problems with the help of people who understand you and are having their own personal problems, too.
The way they treat mental illnesses is great. They all have their own and the writers where really respectful during the whole storyline. Maybe you'll find some of the character's actions shocking, but then the backstory explains everything and you find yourself loving them.
The soundtrack is also amazing - i'm sure you'll download the songs to your phone the moment you finish watching it! they're perfect for every scene!
The acting is AMAZING. The way they potray the character's so real, you'll find it strange to watch them in other dramas!!
So... what are you doing if you haven't watched it yet??
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It Was Good, But Left Us Disappointed
I really like the story and the chemistry was very great especially with the second couple but I was disappointed when they left the romance of the lead couple until the last episode. The story between the leads was really good but for a short drama they forgot to give them time to really have a romance. There was so much of the push and pull game between them and I am shy, I do not know how it feels that left us with a dissatisfied feeling at the last episode. It was, "will finish it quick, we do not have to make any sense". The actors performance was really good. All 4 main actors did a great job in getting us involve in the story. The writer let us down. To bad a cute story.Was this review helpful to you?
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A silent love amidst a turbulent time
Allen Ren and Bai Lu give us their best performances yet!Shiyi is subject to a political chess game when she is sent to be the disciple of the Jr. Nanchen Prince who is a threat to the throne of his nephew emperor. In her time with him, she grew into herself and fell in love with a great man.
Jr Nanchen Prince Zhousheng Chen is an unambitious but kind leader. Yes a leader. This is what he embodies to a T. I wrote somewhere else that if I was a subject at that time, I would want him to be my emperor but me as a viewer loves him so much and understands that being emperor would be a lonelier journey that the one he is currently experiencing. The Nanchen prince understand his duty, and loves his duty as well. He understands what his existence means for people (peace) but also what it means to the Palace (a threat) and he struggles to balance the two. With his sheer intellect and military power, he could be a force to be reckoned with but his weakness is his kindness. He wants peace and is willing to be the sacrificial lamb to make this happen.
Shiyi, in some ways, is like this as well. She understands her role more than anyone and I am happy with her characterization. Very often in dramas, the girl who supposedly should understand the duties she was born into, flouts her responsibility without caring about the consequences to others around her. But not Shiyi. She gets it and never once even complains about them. She is unhappy by her constraints but knows she must follow the rules for hers and her clans sake. Her strength becomes more apparent after she falls in love with the Nanchen Prince. She loves him but still understands her duty.
I saw someone mention that the feelings they have for one another is not exactly love and more of a familial bond and I want to agree but also disagree. Love, for me, is not deep enough to explain the feeling they have for one another. That might be because the word is so basic and I'm desensitized to it. But their feeling is deeper. What is love? You like the person that you want to stay near them, be with them and accompany them and that's what Shiyi feels for him. But if you asked Shiyi if she wants to marry the Nanchen Prince and have his kids, she would say yes as well. So its more than just a familial bond for her. Same for Nanchen. It might seem like he is too married to his responsibility but given a situation where her life was in danger, he would give up his life for her. They are often times one in thought, and seem to be so in tune with one another.
Their chemistry is palpable. Every look and action showed their feeling for one another. Its so well done that I could sense the moments it started to change from master-disciple relationship to romantic. That's how good their chemistry and synergy is. No one words are spoken at times but you feel the joy, sadness, elation and sorrow in their expressions. Like when Shiyi sees the Nanchen Prince again after he returns from battle. I'll give props to the Director for that moment as well. I could see how happy she was to see him again but I could also tell how glad he was to see she was doing well. That's why I'm not bothered that Allen Ren might not be comfortable doing kissing scenes. In fact, this drama I think does not require kissing. Its already complete.
On that note, I just want to commend Allen Ren's performance as the Jr. Nanchen Prince. He embodies a prince and every action of his tells me that he was born and raised a prince and is not just some actor who they put clothes on and was told to act. Every single action of his harkens back to the fact he is a noble character. His best performance yet and I look forward to more of his works.
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This review may contain spoilers
Spies and Assassins Amidst Perfidious Imperials.
This is not a simple love story but a dark complex world of court politics, power hungry Monarchs, treacherous relationship in imperial family amidst revenge, strategies and plots.
:::::::::::INTRODUCTION:::::::::::::
Since the fall of the previous dynasty there have been nearly a century of chaos, constant friction between Northern Province(Beipan) and Central Plains.
The nine kingdoms of Central Plains each hold their own territories but they have been in constant conflict for many years.
Among them, States of An and Wu are the most powerful. The Emperor of An - Li Zhun loves war and is greedy, he has annexed countless cities from neighbouring territories. The Sate of Wu is rich and people are strong. The Emperor of An covets States of Wu.
In the sixth year of Yongyou the Emperor of An launched a military campaign to seize the GOLD MINE in the West of Wu. The Emperor of Wu - Yang Xingyuan welcomed the battle South of (Tianmenguan) Tianmen Pass.
The army of Wu faced a major defeat at Tianmen Pass, they lost three cities(Xu, Cai and Jing). The Emperor of Wu believed in slander and underestimated the enemy. The Emperor of Wu has been captured and taken hostage by the State of An.
With the news of the Emperor's defeat, there is a major upheaval in the state of Wu and struggle for power has started. Prince Danyang the acting regent and brother of the emperor wants the throne, The Empress declares she is pregnant and may give birth to the future heir, The Prime Minister - Zhang Song doesn't care who sits on the throne as long as he can control them and retains his power.
Marquis Changqing of the State of An, Li Tongguang {Chang Hua Sen} sends a messenger on behalf of the State of An demanding a ransom of 100,000 teals of gold to be delivered by a person of The Imperial Prince Status in order to release the Emperor of Wu.
The ignored sheltered Princess Yang Ying {He Lan Dou} volunteers to go as The Imperial Prince Li, fourth son of the former Emperor Jin with the envoy in return of Money and Status conferred, that it would give her some independence upon returning back. She naively ignores the dangers of posing as a male prince, if discovered she is a fake, the consequences will be dire for her. Chief Clerk Du is the person responsible for negotiations, he is a loyal but inflexible person, later proves to be a knowledgeable and compassionate person.
The special team to join the delegation/envoy is formed of the few guards of The Heaven Path including Ding Hui and others as mentioned below:
1.Ning Yuanzhou(Hell path){Liu YuNing} : the former deputy chief of the Liudao Hall. His mind is full of brilliant strategies and unparalleled tactics. Now wants to lead a peaceful life away from court politics, agrees to join the convoy to protect princess Yang Ying and also to clear the good names of The Heaven Path men who were branded as traitors.
2.Qian Zhao(Heaven Path) {Wang Yi Zhe}used to be a former member of Heaven path was transferred to Yulin Army by special order due to his meritorious service. He is now the commandant of Yulin Army. Is very good at medicines and life saving skills. He is versatile. He appears stoic but is most invested in clearing the names of fallen soldiers of The Heaven path especially Chai Ming.
3.Yu Shisan (Asura Path) {Alen Fang}: former commandant of Asura path,who had been imprisoned for abduction of minister Liu's daughter, he seems frivolous and a person only interested in pursuit of pleasure and beauty but is the most emotional, caring member of the group.
4.Yuan Lu {Chen Youwei}, the greatest genius of hungry ghost path whose martial arts skill is average but is great in building mechanical devices useful is spying and warfare. Due to a congenital illness, it is predicted that he will have a short life. He believes in living his life in a carefree manner without worrying about his sickness.
5.Sun Lang {Li Huan} of Human Path is great at defense. A person with tough exterior but abundant love for furry creatures like rabbits, dogs and cats.
**6.Ren Ruyi/Ren Xin{Liu Shishi} - former top assassin of State of An, now a discarded piece on the chessboard, considered dead and believed to be a traitor of Scarlet Guards. She was directly promoted to Purple Emissary from a mere guard, later his Majesty personally named her Left Emissary of the headquarters. She is trying to find the killer of Empress Zhaojie of the State of An of whose assassination Ruyi was accused of 5 years ago. Ren Ruyi joins this delegation group to teach Princess Yang Ying all about the State of An in exchange for Ning Yuanzhou's help to find the real assassin of Empress Zhaojie and on a personal level to conceive a baby with him.
Along the way the group has to face many obstacles & treacheries. Their bonds are tested and new alliances are formed. The weak people have to become strong and The Strong people find others on whom they can lean on. New promises are made and some promises are broken.
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::::::::::::::Review:::::::::::::::
Each person going on this journey is on a QUEST. This is a journey of finding love, getting exoneration for the fallen comrades of Heaven Path of Liudao Hall who are accused of betrayal, hope for a better future and most importantly discovering Self-worth and Self-love.
This series seems so much different than others because all flawed characters are learning to embrace the reality and their shortcomings, all the while striving to live their life to it's fullest potential.
As per my perception, the story can be divided into three major storylines, the main love story, growth & development of Ren Ruyi's disciples and Internal Political struggle within the Sate of An and state of Wu.
The main love story of Ning Yuanzhou(Liu Yu Ning) and Ren Ruyi (Liu Shi Shi) is handled in a very mature manner. Both the protagonists' age in the series is about 30 years and they have been in a prominent position in their respective Spy organization for a very long time and are now tired as well as disillusioned by power hungry Emperors' using their organizations' members as disposable pawns in their political ambition. They find solace and companionship in each other. In spite of their contradictory future plans they respect the other's choice, endeavouring to find a common ground acceptable to both. Their love story is a perfect standard of mutual love and respect in a healthy relationship. Other minor love stories are also quite engaging, there is brief connection between Yang Ying and Yuan Lu; Chu Yue and Yu Shisan.
The other major story arc is the growth and development of two disciples of Ren Ruyi, A shrinking violet, Princess Yang Ying who had initially agreed to be the head of this rescue envoy to free The Emperor of Wu for some wealth and recognition in the court, during the journey under the tutelage of Ruyi gains confidence in her ability, discovers her self-esteem and wants power and glory instead of being happy with her previous mundane existence. Even though she realises the path to acquire glory and fame is fraught with dangers, she chooses to go out with a bang not a whimper if and when her death comes. First disciple, of Ren Ruyi was Li Tongguang. The story also focuses on his rise to power, surrounded by ambitious, duplicitous royals. Li Tongguang is depicted as a peace loving person wanting stability for the country, also is more efficient and capable than the two royal princes.There is brief sub-plot of Li Tongguang transferring his gratitude and affection for Ren Ruyi into obsession to possess. However Ren Ruyi wishes both her disciples' success and happiness like a true mentor.
Final and the most interesting aspect of this story for me was the jostling for power and the depiction of ruthless power hungry Emperors. The Emperor of Wu whose reckless personal expedition ended in the loss of three cities of State of Wu. Due to Emperor's gullibility a hundred thousand people died in the war. The original journey was undertaken to pay the ransom for the Emperor of Wu, however none of the teams members are keen on The Emperor returning back to the power the only thing that is keeping them in the righteous path of saving their Emperor is their honour and hope for the Emperor to exonerate their fallen companions of Liudao Hall. The Emperor of Wu is a selfish, greedy, tantrum throwing grown adult without any sense of responsibility. If the Emperor of Wu would be out of the way; the current acting Regent, Prince Danyang Or the Grand Secretary, Zhang Song would be better ruler for the state. On the other hand there is The Emperor of An who is scheming, plotting, manipulate individual whose soul is as dark as Erebus. He colluded with the Beipan people that led to the heart break of Empress Zhoajie who chose death in face of betrayal from her loved ones. The Emperor of An is a devious ruler who knows his two sons are incompetent and continuously balances power in his court to maintain his position. The only capable person to take on the future leadership is Li Tongguan but the Emperor keeps his ambitions in check by limiting his authority. Both the State of An and Sate of Wu would benefit from change in leadership.
Will the Central Plains get a stable ruler? Will the whole team survive the journey and live to tell the tale?...... That is for the viewers to find out. (If anyone is interested in end spoilers, see my post for episode 35 to 40summary and key points written as comment to THIS review)
Overall: A solid series with a good cast of actors, a minor criticism that I have is for the series is the unexplored direction of both the spy organizations. They were outlined in such detail that I was looking forward to their operations. However the spy organizations faded in the background giving way to the political intrigue.
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:::TWO spy organizations of States of An and Wu:::
FIRST SPY ORGANIZATION:
SCARLET (Vermilion) GUARDS of State of An
The recruited white sparrow members are controlled by the organization through poison, the members have to take an antidote every six months so escaping is not easy. The Scarlet Guards are called by their code names instead of their real names. Their structure seems more Hierarchical Organisational. Their tasks and roles are not quite clear.
_____________________
Hierarchical Structure
*Commander Deng Hui(ep 9)
*Left Emissary - (Ren Ruyi/Ren Xin), Chen Gui(ep4)
*Right Emissary- Jia Ling(ep9)
*Scarlet Emissary
*Red Emissary - Zhu Ji( Jia Ling's trusted) (ep9)
*Purple Emissary - Yue Sanniang (ep1 to 4)
* Flying Flower Formation - assassins (ep 20), According to Liu Li their south west position is the weakest.
*White sparrow(Baique) - adept at seduction and investigation. Ling Long (ep1) , Ren Ruyi/Ren Xin
*Shadow Scouts -
______________________
Organisational Structure(Branches/Departments)
*Head quarter
*Yuheng Branch to investigate police officers and Yue Sanniang's death (ep9)
*Kaiyang Branch (ep 4) sends messages through pigeons. (Has a secret chamber.)
*Tianji Branch (ep3) -
*Guideyuan Branch (ep 22) to carry out the order of murdering Ruyi and to inform Wu's delegation gas arrived in Guideyuan.
*Wu Capital Branch- (ep22) Guideyuan Branch received a message, Ruyi was a traitor from Wu Capital Branch.
1.Jumen and Lianzhen department - investigation of Wu delegation's background. (ep9)
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SECOND SPY ORGANIZATION:
Six Daoists, LIUDAO HALL - Wudu Six Hall(Six Realms Hall) of State of Wu
It was created by Taizu, it specializes in investigation and espionage. A total of SIX factions are there, THREE considered Good/Virtue Paths, their members called calvaries and THREE Evil Paths, their members called Scouts (chazi) .
:::::Good/Virtue Paths:::::
* Heaven(God) Path ; in charge of protecting Royal family.
* Human Path; monitors officials at all levels.
*Asura (Demigod) Path; engages in bribery and seduction.
:::::::Evil Paths::::::
* (The Way of Aguis) The Hungry Ghost Path ; creates mechanisms
* Animal Path; specialises in espionage.
* Hell Path; is known for assassination. {Ning Yuanzhou has turned this into an intelligence gathering unit, Palace of Hell(Senluo Hall).}
PS: If interested in more details, check out below mentioned posts:
1.Adding general information about the State of An political Scenario as a comment to this review.
2.Also included in the comment section of this review are the Clickable links to SOME of my comments for this drama, if anyone is interested they can read those as well.
3.For End spoilers of episodes 35 to 40, see the comment to THIS review.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's not easy to love this, but its harder to not love this.
Its always the way the characters look at each other, the look of love in eyes that makes one fall in love with the characters. It's same here too, its just that she falls in love with a bad bad guy and you kinda end up falling in love with them. I was stunned, moved and touched by the way their relationship molded over time. The script doesn't offer you with much shocking plot twists but does give slow burn twists that you would have expected for a long time but it still make you feel shocked when you see it. The aspect of finding someone you feel like you belong with though you shouldn't - that drives the movie. The gore killings, yah can weird you out. The slow burn sexual connection and emotions are put out in an excellent way by the actors.The script and the acting makes it feel so raw, the essence of the movie.
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This review may contain spoilers
"A perfect spring day! Enjoy it while it lasts because you don’t know what’s coming.”
It's a quote by Marty Rubin in my titleSnowdrops are the first flowers that bloom in the spring. It is a sign of the end of long and cold winter. This white and delicate bell-shaped flower symbolizes purity and hope. The title itself us a glipmse of the content of the drama and that itself is compelling enough to convince you to watch the drama. I originally watched this for Jisoo and to find the meaning of the title. I had doubts as well as great expectations for this drama and I can assure you that it vanquished all by doubts and overcame all my expectations.
Snowdrop is adapted from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a prison camp in North Korea. This is director and screenwriter of this drama are Jo Hyun Taek and Yoo Hyun Mi respectively, who also worked together in the drama SKY Castle. Due to the drama accussed of being set against the backdrop of the 1987 Democracy Movement in South Korea or the June Struggle, which is an important historical event for the South Korea as it led to the establishment of democracy is South Korea, and it bringing the people of Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) to good light, it faced many controversy before and after release. JTBC released their first official statement on the controversy on March 26 that read, "The drama is not distorting the pro-democracy movement nor is it glorifying the Agency for National Security Planning. It is a black comedy drama satirizing the political situation between the two Koreas under the authoritarian government in the 1980s. Also, it is a romance drama showing young people who sacrifice their love." On March 30, JTBC released a second statement regarding the controversy that read, "Snowdrop is set around the 1987 presidential election, and not a drama that deals with the pro-democracy movement". Also, the Blue House did not intend to interfere in its production adducing the protection of freedom of expression in South Korea's Broadcasting Law, which guarantees broadcasters' independence and prohibits extrajudicial regulation or interference.
To simply put the plotline, Eun Young-ro is a freshman in Hosoo Women's University in Seoul and Lin Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in), a North Korean spy sent on a mission to South Korea. They first meet during a group blind date and Young-ro falls for him at first sight. After this incident, they kept running into eachother, which led to Young-ro hiding and taking care of him in her dorm despite the strict rules and dangerous situation, whithout knowing he was a North Korean spy, when he jumped into the dorm injured while being chased by ANSP agents. She also helped him to escape from the dorm without suspecion. The period when Young-ro took care of Soo-ho was the time when he started to have feeling for her. Again, while being chased while accomplishing the mission, he enters a shrine, without knowing that it led to the dromitory. This inadvertantly led to him keeping the students hostages, to escape. From here, the pair's story begins to unfold against a political disruption.
There are other main characters other than Young-ro and Soo-ho in this drama. Jang Seung Jo plays Lee Kang-Moo, a NSA agent who dosen't obey orders from his superiors. He has a fiancée Jang Ha-Na played by Jung Eugene, whom he left for some reason and joined NSA. She too later joined NSA to find him. Yoo In Na plays Dr. Kang Cheong-Ya, a National Medical Center surgeon. She is also Nam Tae-Il's, Secretary General of the Democratic Aemin Party, mistress. Yoo Se Ah plays Pi Seung Hee, the strict yet caring housemother of the Hosoo dormitory. Kin Hae Yoon plays Kye Boon Ok, the telephone attendent of the dorm, who was at first friendly to Young-ro. All these characters have an important part to play in this drama. There are many supporting characters too who are indispensable for the progress of the story.
Snowdrop well succeeded in deceiving the audience at first. Most of the charactres in this drama have secret or hidden identities and a back story to tell us, which changes our perspective of the drama and the character. All these makes the character and the story rich and intriguing.
Although most of the drama is made in one set, the dorm, it is really interesting to watch. The mood of the drama changes episode by episode. In the first episode, it felt like Snowdrop was going to be a light and fluffy rom-com but, the whole mood changed as the episode ended. This drama is an emotional roller-coaster which takes us through each and every emotion possible to be felt by a human. The drama became serious and dangerous as the story went on. This drama is a slow-burn romance drama with political and melodramatic elements. Also, unlike someother dramas, the story started intersting and it didn't cease being interesting. You can't guess that they are going to show next. I was hooked from the very star till the very end of the drama.
And when we come to acting, I don't know what to say. As I said before, I came to watch this drama because of the cast. As I recently wandered into the k-dramaland, among the actors of this drama, I was only familiar with Blackpink's Jisoo and Yoo In-na from Goblin. Some of the actors like Jung Hae In and Kin Hye Yoon are the ones I have only heard of and always wanted to watch their shows. So, I took this opportunity to satisfy all my wants and wishes.
I have heard that Jung Hae In expresses his feeling through this eyes and smile. Through this drama, I realised that it is ultimately true! His eyes spoke so much emotions that I could have watch his eyes alone to understand the whole moods of the drama. The character of Lim Soo-ho needed aura of mystery and secretiveness but really caring and warm personality. Jung Hae In had it and gave his all too make his character perfect. I have become his fan through this drama and he is now my favourite k-drama actor!
I came to watch Snowdrop, mainly to watch Jisoo's acting. I wasn't really ecpecting anyting but, the usually average idol acting. But, I was really astonished and stunned watching her performance. At first, I didn't even believe my own eyes! I really can't believe that it's her first time acting in main role. She just nailed her character perfectly. Throughout the drama, she had to act many emotional scenes and she acted like a professional veteran actress who have done many projects!
Do I have to say about the other actors? They were all amazing. Yoo In-na as usual and nailed her characted perfectly which her acting skills and charms. As I had said before, she was the only actress whose acting I was familiar with. So, I don't know how the other actors are usually. But, in this drama, they were flawless. I wasn't disappointed with anyone's acting. Everyone were perfect for their roles.
Jung Hae In ang Jisoo's chemistry is beyond words. It is one of the most convincing and heartbreaking chemistry I have ever seen. Although, there were some inadvertant misunderstanding between them, their love was deep, pure and passionate.
The makeup and costumes in this drama have a key role in setting the mood and vibes of the audience regarding the story. Costumes and makeup give the audience perception of the character wearing it and the time period the story is set in. Depending upon the role, the costumes and makeup may reveal truths or hide secrets. The makeup and costumes of the actors were really nice. It made them look like the people from the 80s. The cinematography of this drama too is ideal.
The drama have many nice OSTs in both Korean and English that takes us to the 1980s ambience. Some of them are:
"If You're with Me" by Sung Si-kyung
"Friend" by Kim Hee-won
"Looks Like a Real Thing" (Korean and English version available) by JeHwi
"Wishes" by Jamie Miller
"Memories More than Love" by Kevin Oh
Among these amazing OSTs, Friend and Memories More than Love are my personal favourites.
A quote from Harry Potter goes, "It is choices that shows us who we truly are far more than our abilities". This drama too is about the choises that the characters take. Though Soo-ho was forced to make many choices which were against his will, he choose what is right in the end. He was a righteous person from the very beginning but, his obligations to his nation made him desperate. There are many other characters in this drama who was like Soo-ho, on whom choices were imposed, making them hopeless. They too changed and stood with what is right.
This drama shows the political dispute between Noth and South Korea. It's hard to explain their relationship. I was really confused about the political part of the drama at first too. As this was my first historical political-fiction drama, everything seemed too difficult for me to digest. But, it got better.
I know that I truly and unquestionably like a drama if the skip botton lies idle throughout the drama. Such a drama was Snowdrop for me. Throught the course of 12 episodes, there wasn't a dull or boring moment for me.
"Your future is whatever you make it" - this is a quote I liked form Snowdrop. Altough the person saying it didn't say it in a good sense (I won't say who said it. It will be a spoiler), what the person said is undoubtebly true. This reflect the Harry Potter quote I said before.
"Of course, love is more important than ideology or principles. Whether you are man or women this is the truth of lofe"- this is another quote I loved.
I won't say anything about the ending. I don't wish to spoil anything for the future watchers who are reading this review.
Overall, this is one of the best dramas I have seen in my life. Of course, this is not perfect, it had its own flaws. Well, nothing is perfect in this universe. But, this dosen't keep me from giving this drama a perfect 10. It has all elements a drama should have to make it enjoyable and emotionally engaged. This drama is amazing through and through. I will certainly recommend this to anybody who is in need of a well-written, amazingly directed drama with amazing actors and chemistry.
Note: Let me know in case of any mistakes or faults.
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The story evolves around this guy that can see ghosts and even touch them - therefore also fight them as they continue to bother him through his daily life. There then he meets this female student ghost who gets on bad terms with him, but in the end ends up fighting other ghosts together with him.
Most times the story is held lighthearted, although the ghosts appear to be really scary sometimes - remember the movie "The Grudge"? You'll certainly encounter some of those while watching the drama. But in the end every one of their unique stories seem rather pitiable or just sad than frightening and sometimes have a deeper meaning to it.
The acting was solid, convincing and also charming at some points. The fights were really good, enjoyable and even funny. They did a pretty good job on those. Also, CGI effects thumbs up. Quite the sight here. So, when it came to those dramatic scenes, they pulled those off really well.
When it comes to the final, be prepared. Suspense, intensity, thrill... you'll get everything. The whole story isn't stalling one bit but has a smooth flow and the way the mystery surrounding the leads is unraveling only bit by bit, keeps the tension.
So, like I said in the beginning: Recommended if you look for something like "The Master's Sun" or "Oh My Ghost". Have fun watching it if you haven't done it already ;)
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1"I love dreaming, because in my dreams, you're actually mine"~ Victor ( Pov )
WARNING - This is my review according to my own feelings , if you don't like it then I have nothing to do . Don't come here to argue with me .Shine is shining brilliantly . MileApo's " Kinnporsche " created a STANDARD for every BL watcher, so we had high expectations and look they actually haven't disappointed us . The cinematography was top tier , sometimes felt like watching a hollywood movie.
This is a tale of 1969-1971. Apo Natawwin's acting deserves all the awards. He literally gives micro expressions in every episode. His role Trin holds aura. But the most interesting part is Tanwa , how did Mile play this beautiful and unique role ? In Kinnporsche, he was a scary mafia but here is a free spirit. The duality is insane. Once again proved, how professional he is .
I have to talk about another important character Victor. You will naturally like him . He deserved the honour of a MAIN CHARACTER. The chemistry between him & Trin , Gosh this pair stole the spotlight for me . Sometimes I felt , Victor and trin had better chemistry than Tanwa and Trin . Not as a MileApo fan but as a BL watcher I really wanted this couple badly. Why not ? His love for Trin is pure but poor him .
Although shine is shining but in a corner of a dark room probably Victor's soul is screaming
"I love you like a silent movie loves a talkie—I can feel every emotion, but you can never hear me."
Give this drama a try , you will not regret.
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Today? Iris is in my top dramas, with a 10 as note.
Why? because for me it was absolutely amazing.
*Acting: FLAWLESS and impressive
*Music: Great
*Story: Great, with a lot of suspense, cuteness, humour, real emotions
*Couple: incredible chemistry
*Kisses: OH MY GOD! (my favourite kiss EVER is in this drama (Ep 3), equally placed with the tiptoe kiss of Queen In Hyun's Man)
I laughed, cried, smiled with the characters. It was hard not to watch the next episode just after finishing one as it was very intense.
and you know what? when I rewatched Iris, I had the exact same feelings and reactions! isn't that amazing? ^^
in short: REALLY love it!
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