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Best Cdrama of 2024 For Me.
I like everything about this drama the music the acting.I really like the bond between zyz and zyc frist zyc hate zyz then they become best friend slowly and I like the chemistry between wx and zyz and also like the story between zyz and lilun and their costumes is awesome specially zyz costumes and the cases is not boring in this drama as compared to mlcb overall it's good drama but I don't like one thing is that male zyz screentime in latest episodes is so few.
I really like evil switch of zyz hou minghao is a great actor his expression is excellent and I'm waiting for his upcoming dramas.
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Story (7/10):
In more ways than not, the premise is unconventional - not only by Chinese dramas standards, but in the realm of romance. If one is even slightly familiar with early Chinese history, then the idea of a forced relationship with a man whose ruthless tyranny is more infamous than his merits in unifying what is now China, has all the ingredients for an interesting romance. A romance tying into real historical characters and their famed personalities, leaves one curious to see how this equally unstable yet devoted ruler thaws his way into the heart of the object of his infatuation, after taking her away from the life she wanted and those she loves.
Throw in a second lead (Jing Ke) whose name is synonymous in history with balls rivaling the Great Wall for his assassination attempts on the emperor, and imaginations be running wild from all sorts of directions this story can go, and the immense potential it has. Sounds very ambitious, doesn't it?
And yet it fell flat. Over-saturated with unoriginal, predictable tropes that take away substantial momentum from the bigger picture, and in the end achieved nothing for plot and characterization. Despite active ingredients for what could have been good storytelling and real conflicts, poor characterization is probably what ruined the drama. Characters that garner neither sympathy nor respect, whose actions make no sense of the insensible, and mostly controlled by situations rather than in control of. Drama begins with a plot only to end with none (minus the part where they stuck to history). Seriously, will someone please think of the plot?!
And then there's flashbacks. The only thing more overused is good ol' flashbacks with the cheesy music, to cement itself as extremely lazy, poor writing at its finest. One flashback in particular has me thankful for helping me realize self restraint levels I never knew existed.
Because everytime it comes up the urge to shave myself bald before pulling my hair out from seeing it for the 100000th time is real. To paraphrase another user, the excessive flashbacks is "an insult to audiences as if the lot suffers from amnesia" couldn't be more accurate.
And ultimately, all is left are frustrating characters, unfulfilled potential and whole lot of disappointment.
Acting (6.5/10):
Not much to be said here. The cast does little to connect the audience, poor characterization aside on writers' part. Dilraba is wholly unimpressive as the leading lady , and proved herself as lacking depth to carry heavier roles like her character here. As for Zhang Bin Bin, he delivers as a mean guy with tender moments, but lacks the magnanimous charisma of a unstable frightening ruler that is Qing Shi Huang. Seriously just read up the guy on Wiki for those unfamiliar with Chinese history. Chemistry between the two however, might be the only saving grace for the drama, if ever is one.
Supporting characters played by actors for Han Shen and Li Zhong are more convincing than mains.
Music (7/10): The OST is good. And by OST I mean two songs for the entire 48 episodes. One in particular is the jack of all trades, used for happier moments to tragic ones, rain or shine, Li Er with Jing Ke, Ying Zheng, etc you name it. One can even guess when it cues and where. The producers of this drama tend to have a single favorite for everything, from music to flashbacks. Besides that, the OST reflects well the tragic theme of the drama, and is memorable. Though may be a function of being hounded into one's memory.
Rewatch: (5/10) only reason I can imagine anyone wanting to bother with this is for the leading pair during more romantic moments. One is better off finding those YouTube MVs for all those "swoonworthy" moments instead.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps. However, as a frequent watcher of Chinese historicals, I can't help but feel unimpressed. Maybe a better writer, production team and leading cast would have brought out a better outcome. Went into this excited but came out with shattered expectations. Unfortunate because the cinematography, filming (minus choppy editing)and costumes are gorgeous, and despite the complaints, I wanted to like this so badly for parts I did enjoy. However redeeming aspects are largely overshadowed by what is not
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1IT'S A GOOD SERIES, NOT PERFECT BUT ACCEPTABLE
This is one review that I have absolutely looked forward to writing, I mean I have read the novel and they have been teasing us with this show for two years, so how could I not be looking forward to this. But my reviews have eight areas:1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes, Specific Issues
3. Story arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value
Introduction
You do not know how long we have waited for more adult themed BLs something happening outside just a university something more intense and that's KinnPorsche. I mean this show makes a lot of promises and so far, it has delivered so well on most promises, they promised to be different, the series promised to be interesting, it promised to be great, and I mean it is giving me a lot of the things I want in a series. it is making me laugh, it is making me happy, it is making me feel towards the character, it is just giving me joy, it has also disappointed and failed in others, but it is all fine. Of course, the theme of this series is a mafia family, but more specifically the son of the mafia and a person that becomes his bodyguard right and the love that kind of develops there. it is easy going it is funny without necessarily losing its seriousness, it has great production, its budget is obviously present because everything is so top notch. so, I absolutely love this.
Now, I won't lie and say this BL is a 100% in all areas because there are certain places where you genuinely need to put your logic aside to appreciate it but on an overall, I give it a pass because of what the series does in so many other areas and what is successfully achieves.
General Review
OK on general this series is beautiful
1. I love how lighthearted this series can be, but at the same time it does not take away from the overall seriousness and danger that is each character faces. we see that it's definitely going to handle very serious issues for example Porsche and Che family story, the things that have messed up Khun and Kim, and so many other societal issues that are very important to address but at the same time they give me comedy they make me laugh, which I think is one of the best things that is series can do because while it's important to have those moments of serious discussions those moments of going into real issues, it's also important for the viewer to get moments of Comic Relief.
2. I also think another thing that is important is the idea that it shows that even though you are born into the mafia you are not born without a heart when you leave in a condition long enough you get desensitized to it. Were Kinn and Vegas the perfect men? HELL NO, if anything Vegas deserves therapy and jail, and Kinn deserves a year or two in prison as well for his actions because a bad environment doesn't excuse the shitty actions that have been done, it just makes me understand the perspective from which the character is coming from and I must say that Kinn and Vegas are fighters. I respect Kinn because of the pressures he must face to survive in the mafia but somehow Vegas' story really made me feel bad for him in episode 12 and 13, and this is coming from me, a person who disliked Vegas as a character.
3. Observable Themes and Issues that can be picked from the series.
ABUSE - This is such an ever-present topic in this series and I know our fandom loves to justify the existence with the fact that it's a mafia series but what most people don't tend to understand or appreciate is that, we can accept the presence of it in the series while acknowledging that it is a form of abuse which in regular society should not exist.
Meaning = In the series, it is all right, in real life, it is unbelievably bad
But presence of abuse we see, Kinn and Porsche first time together, no matter how much we want to use the fact that he resisted Vegas and accepted Kinn, it doesn't change the fact that morally it was wrong for Kinn to take advantage of Porsche and we saw the clear after effects on Porsche and Kinn accepting several times after it was wrong. Another form of abuse is obviously Kan and Vegas asides physical abuse, we have the emotional abuse, it was so deep and psychological and Vegas always saw it as regular and this speaks volumes about how so many victims of abuse don't see anything wrong with the abuse they suffer (Note: I won't lie I was happy every time Kan slapped Vegas, it was like Kan was manifesting all the slaps I wish I could give Vegas for what he did to Pete amongst others).
Obviously, there was Vegas torture of Pete which I just absolutely hated; I will not write any further on that.
a. Social Pressures and Mental Health: Mental Health is a theme that stood out to me in this series from Vegas and Kinn and the specific set of social pressures that they faced especially with regards to the families they were born into. On Vegas' side we see what it is like to have, not just a physically abusive parent but a parent who constantly and consistently degrades their child, we see the inferiority complex that Vegas' suffers from and it is so bad and crippling that it puts him in constant with the main family trying to prove himself and worth. On Kinn's side we see the cost of having to give up your dreams and having to live a life you would rather not, I mean overall Kinn is one depressed guy without realizing it. So, I love that about the novel and series, how they can acknowledge these aspects of their characters making them that much more complex.
b. Getting married to the wrong person: Now, not a lot of people would have picked up on this but from Kan's character and his hostility to his Kids and the way he always insults Vegas, this is why you always make sure you don't end up with the wrong person, for your sake and the sake of your kids, so your parents don't get stuck with a shitty life because their parents couldn't use their head to think and just avoid getting married. Now where Kan was in love with Nampueng, to the extent he could kill someone else for her, he had no business being married to someone else and it reflects in how badly he treats Macau and Vegas.
c. Manipulation and playing with people's feelings: I intentionally did not say led on, because I feel Chay was not led by Kim, but he was manipulated. I hated how much their entire relationship was premised on what Kim needed, like it was really when Kim needed something and, on his terms, and we see the impact it has on Chay after the fact, like it is reflective of what happens with so many persons in reality especially dealing with someone who is emotionally vulnerable. Kim as a character just rubbed me wrong.
d. Value of relationships: Now this was something that particularly stood out to me in one place, I love Porsche but he was not the best brother or friend in certain instances, I mean I wasn't expecting him to be a hundred percent in all angles but there are places where I felt kind of disappointed in his decisions. An example of this was his agreement to bring Pete within Vegas' axis, I mean if he says he knows Vegas did what he did, there is absolutely nothing that would make me bring you into proximity of my friend. This action is paralleled against Pete willing to sacrifice himself to prove Porsche's innocence, I mean it just showed me a difference in valuation of their relationship. This is sadly representative of the reality of life that often people do not appreciate or value things as well as they should.
Any ways, I should end this segment here, so I am not going on and on
Story Arcs
All right so one of the story arcs we have here obviously is the story up of Kinn and Porsche falling in love, which is the main storyline, I think we will also have all trials and tribulations that they would have to face but we have several that are explored:
1. Kinn learning to love and be loved again after being previously hurt
2. Porsche experiencing a relationship that was all consuming
3. Vegas learning how love himself and also how to love and appreciate others as well (the only thing that bothers me in this story arc was the fact I am worried that Vegas might still not have a true sense of self-worth that is tied to his own independent value i.e. his value is lowkey reliant on Pete, hence his desperation for Pete, it's almost a miserable existence, so I don't know if the self-love aspect of this was fully executed well especially if the end goal was for Vegas to discover a new sense of identity. But I must note that because this is not the end of the series, they have said there would)
4. Pete's story arc covered how we can be broken, have our smile and light taken away from us, when we go to the lowest of the low and how often we do not deal with that so well especially after Vegas abused him.
5. Kim had no arc
6. Chay's arc was more of the naive first love, first crush and first heartbreak and how devastating those often tend to be for us.
Now for the storyline and Pacing of the storyline, there were places that I feel like they could have done better. An example is VegasPete storyline, in as much as I did not like VegasPete as a couple or the story arc I knew that would come with them, I feel if they were introduced earlier in the series i.e. an episode 8 instead of an episode 10, their relationship development in this season may have been more substantive. Another thing I was not a fan of in the story was how easy Porsche's character was made and it was such a diversion from how he was earlier introduced. They tried to manage way too many stories and it became a problem for them
But on an overall, I would give them praise for their handling of most parts of the storyline
Characters and Casting
Kinn, the Playboy mafia who surprisingly is openly gay, he has always been serious, he knows he going to inherit the family, so he has never had the time for excessive play. what is the same time we see a level of softness to him, and this is best portrayed by some of his reactions to Porsche? this better portrayed with how he first told his father and brother he loves Porsche as well as the entirety of episode eight. Now Kinn as a character is not the greatest, he is flawed, flawed in fact but what makes it eventually better is that he recognizes this, accepts it, and strives to be better in most instances. So, while I am not saying all his actions can be excused but I think as a character he is acceptable. Also casting Mile as Kinn somehow feels perfect, he embodies the essence of Kinn which was vital to the overall cohesiveness of the character
Porsche is an absolute idiot with zero survival skills or zero survival instincts, like a lot of times I worry for him, I am just like boy shut up. he is such a comedic relief and such a wild character; I absolutely love his character I mean. I think behind all the wildness we see this side of Porsche, where he must put on this happy face so hide all this stress and trauma that he has been through, and we get the first candid of his character when he is drunk with Kinn. When he admits to the struggles both having to care for himself and his brother this gives this level of understanding to why he acts the way he does, he has had to be a parent from when he was young. So, I absolutely love Porsche, Porsche is simple and forgiving, he cares deeply for those he cares for, even though he does not always make the best choice. Apo's casting was also good because he is just as wild as Porsche
Tankhun, our resident fashion icon and psychopath. I mean even in the novel I loved Tankhun but in the series is a breath of fresh air, I love how much he adds to a scene, he is easily my favorite character. Tankhun is the smartest Theerapanyakul brother, he is always so spot on in his analysis, that I am convinced he pretends to be insane to avoid duties. Tongs casting as Tankhun was fine because her embodied the character well
Pete as a character was also another beautiful character I loved, because of how foolish he could be and his beautiful smile and his impressive heart. I mean how this man legit believed Porsche was blocking punches with his neck has me worried, but I chose to interpret that as Pete's pureness, also he just had a really beautiful smile and his willingness to go into minor territory family just to prove Porsche was innocent of being the mole is everything you need to know of Pete as a character. Honestly seeing him break down after the abuse suffered afterwards absolutely broke my heart. On the casting of Pete, Build was a wonderful choice irrespective of all the baggage he came with. I am your Pet turned me off
Vegas as a character was a lot, but I must say, his English always made me question my life and morals potentially, because I know I hated this man but somehow every time he spoke English, my brain went back to factory settings, nah Bible as Vegas was near perfect but honestly Vegas the character was a vile and flawed, he gave me the creeps, which speaks volumes to Bible's casting. Perfect ending with Pete and Macau
I was originally skeptical of Barcode as Chay, but I must say that he did a fantastic job in embodying what Chay was meant to be, young, naive and in love. I absolutely loved when he blocked Kim
Kim, we do not talk about Kim in this house.
Acting
Acting was great on an overall bases, Apo did well in carrying the complex emotions of Porsche and Bible did exceptionally well as Vegas, personally they were the best actors of the series, I might rank Bible slightly higher than Apo but its close. Barcode as Chay was really good as well, especially where he broke down after Kim left him, also Kinn was good as well, I wouldn't say as good as Apo and Bible but the entire bathroom scene (I am not talking about the sex), but the part when he came in angry and smacked Vegas and shouted, I had chills, also his apologies always felt sincere, so there was that.
Misses
While I won't go on listing a ton of misses, one that particularly got to me was what they did with Porsche's character in specific aspects of his development, it's almost like they forgot that they gave him some traits, on an overall it didn't reduce from the character's purpose but it sure gave me a frown in certain places, an example being how easy he gave into Kinn, I was like at least give him a spine. Anyways here are other misses
1. What was the point of Kim's entire investigation? Like they made the investigation to be this huge thing that we should all be intrigued about and yes, for sure they piqued my interest. I was interested in what was going to happen. What would he discover? How would he use that information in the series to affect the dynamics of character interactions, when would he unveil the information? So many expectations from that arena and it just fell flat. Like he found out his father covered up Nampueng and her husband's death and he did nothing with it, he just went back to regular programing. Like what was the purpose of the investigation then? Why the stress over it?
2. Kinn and Porsche relationship/Tawan's return - The idea that KinnPorsche was the healthiest relationship in the series bothers me because they have three key issues; a. their communication is absolute shit, b. the trust is absolute nonsense, c. the starts of everything and this reflects in the Tawan situation. One thing I never understood is why no one ever questioned why and how Tawan was still alive, like he said he has been hiding with the Italians, but like everyone just accepted that he was alive like it was just another business day. which eventually of things, it does not really affect the series, but it was just a miss for me
3. None of their relationships were particularly the healthiest especially how they began. I mean overall of things; I know we like to say this is the mafia and all the other excuses that allows us to shove down our morals and principles while trying to enjoy some media content. But one thing that I did not particularly fancy in this series is the fact that none of their relationships started properly on healthy basis, we had the borderline rape/sexual assault of Kinn (note: I said borderline because legally in Thailand, it is not rape or sexual assault apparently), we had the very abusive abduction of Pete by Vegas and we have Kim lying to and manipulating Chay for his own purposes. Like none of these are particularly healthy and the idea that the storyline always had them falling in love with their abuser, I mean I understand this is meant to be a Mafia fic but honestly there are still somethings that are not so easy to stomach, this was one of those situations.
4. I did not like the Big and Ken endings, because it made no sense, like they did not even try to give a proper motivation for why Ken would betray the main family, just expected the viewer to accept it as given.
5. The explosion budget, LMAO, I was like, did they run out of budget in episode ten?
Production
I do not think I need to say a lot on production, but I will, the budget of this and the dedication of crews to produce a good show was beautiful, watching the behind the scenes and all the effort put in was great. Another thing I loved was the cinematographic shots, like they had angles and views in this production, I am absolutely impressed (but there was episode ten and their explosions, hahaha)
Rewatch Value
Oh, I would rewatch this, it is a good drama and a breath of fresh air in the BL industry
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Two Men, One Storm: The Unexpected Pull of To My Shore
Appendix – After Episode 14Watching up to episode fourteen, *To My Shore* stopped being just a beautifully filmed crush for me and started feeling like sitting with two very real, very damaged people who keep choosing each other in the worst possible ways.
At first, it was easy to float on the smoke and flirtation. Fan Xiao’s voice, the way he leans into Yu Shulang’s space, the pretend coincidences that feel like destiny – all of that still works on a visceral level. But the more the story unfolds, the more it becomes clear that what looked like fate was, in many moments, design. Fan Xiao isn’t just “drawn” to Yu Shulang. He plans, he tests, he interferes. Those dreamy meetings now carry the aftertaste of someone who has never been safely loved trying to build certainty by tightening his grip.
Yu Shulang, too, has shifted for me. In the beginning he read as almost impossibly composed – a man with clean edges and tidy morals. After fourteen episodes, he feels much more breakable. You can see how much of that calm is simply practice: an orphan who learned early that if you keep yourself small and steady enough, you can survive almost anything. Watching him slowly open up, only to realise how much of what he’s standing on was manufactured by Fan Xiao, hurts in a way the early romantic framing doesn’t prepare you for.
And yet, what keeps me invested is that the show never treats either of them as monsters. Fan Xiao is cruel, but his cruelty is legible: a child who watched love fail catastrophically, now terrified of being left behind again, building elaborate ways to make sure people can’t leave. Yu Shulang is kind, but his kindness is not saintly; it comes with tiredness, with anger, with that quiet, tired look of “I thought I was done suffering like this.” They are not tropes so much as two people whose worst habits happen to collide with each other’s softest spots.
By episode fourteen, the tension I once read as deliciously romantic has turned into something more complicated. When Fan Xiao looks at Yu Shulang now, I don’t just see longing. I see guilt, stubbornness, and a fear so old it doesn’t know how to do anything but hold tighter. When Yu Shulang looks back, there’s still that flicker of attraction, but it’s buried under the knowledge of exactly how much was a lie. The show sits in that discomfort and doesn’t rush to soothe it.
For me, that’s where *To My Shore* has quietly grown up. It’s still gorgeous. It still knows how to flirt. But by fourteen episodes in, it’s also honest about how love from wounded people can be selfish, clumsy, and deeply unfair. It’s no longer just a story about two men who “reroute” each other in a poetic sense. It’s about what it costs to change course when your whole survival has been built on never trusting anyone to stay.
As an appendix to my first review, I’d say this: the early episodes made me excited for episode three. Everything up to episode fourteen has made me nervous – in a good way – about how far the show is willing to let these two hurt each other before it dares to talk about healing. It’s still a romance. But now, it’s also a slow, painful study of how hard it is to unlearn the idea that the only way to keep someone is to never let them go.
……….
To My Shore starts like a quiet romance novel that suddenly discovers how to flirt. The first two episodes unfold with a slow, smoky elegance that pulls you in before you realize what’s happening. The dialogue is lush, almost musical, and Fan Xiao’s low, textured voice could convince anyone that gravity is optional. Honestly, half the show feels like a BL audio drama someone accidentally filmed.
The “coincidences” between Fan Xiao and You Shu Lang are anything but. They’re storybook encounters wrapped in fate, like two characters who keep drifting into the same chapter no matter how far apart they begin. Fan Xiao arrives with a teasing edge, poking at You Shu Lang’s overly saintlike calm. But somewhere in episode two, that teasing shifts. The tension turns softer. His gaze stops being a game and starts being a confession he hasn’t said out loud yet.
What makes it compelling is the transparency. Fan Xiao pretending to be lost is probably the least believable lie in the entire show. This man doesn’t lose his way. He chooses it. And what he’s really choosing is You Shu Lang. The directions are just an excuse to get close, to pull this orderly, gentle man into a world that runs on instinct and intensity.
And that contrast is exactly where the magic lives. You Shu Lang moves through life with clean moral lines. Fan Xiao moves like a beautiful storm that refuses to stay outside. When they meet, something shifts. Not dramatically, not loudly. Just a quiet, thrilling imbalance that hints at a love story waiting to tip over.
If these first two episodes are the foundation, then To My Shore is shaping up to be a story about two men who don’t just collide—they reroute each other. It’s about discovering that getting lost can sometimes lead you somewhere you were meant to find.
And yes, episode three cannot arrive fast enough.
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This drama can make you feel happy inside. It's quite addictive so you find that the drama starts and finishes before you know it, like a movie. It was such a sweet story and it didn't have any unnecessary side stories going on. It focused on the storyline and ended with you loving everything about it! A must watch drama.
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Acting/Cast: Everyone acted well.
Music: Suitable.
Rewatch value: Not a candidate for re-watch though there are some scenes between the female lead and male lead that may be nice to go back to.
Overall: Watchable entertainment but with some lengthy scenes that could have been cut short. If they are aiming for a Season 3, I hope they will stop trying to drag the story out...but this is the Chinese we are talking about. They'll probably milk this cow and bleed it dry until it can no longer walk and the audience drop like flies as time passes! Compared to Whirlwind Girl 1, this drama is comparable but slightly on the lesser side.
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I love me some Kim Sang Joong. I have seen many of his dramas and enjoy his characters, but I have to say that Oh Goo Tak is my favorite. He perfectly combined strength and vulnerability. Park Hae Jin portrays Lee Jung Moon as a psychopath of which a person can't help but feel sympathy. Jo Dong Hyeok is beautiful as Jung Tae Soo. I love his character the most. Ma Dong Seok is so enjoyable to watch a Park Woong Cheol. I felt him. They are all attractive in their own way. The other actors are good too.
The music is appropriate.
I will probably rewatch this just before season 2 starts (wishful thinking).
I admit that if you are not into action/mystery dramas that you might not like this drama. However. It is so much more than just that. I recommend this drama to everyone.
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An Epic Drama!
I'm hooked to this drama from the beginning. The production is fantastic. Amazing sound effects, wonderful cinematography, authentic costumes/makeup. Everything feels like one of those high budget productions like "The Great Wall", and other Hollywood movies. The warriors are big and fearsome, and the wuxia fighting choreography is beautiful and real.This is a complicated drama. There are multi-facet developments. There is a lot of manipulation of the mind, rendering one questions oneself what is right and what is wrong, and for the sake of survival, is there such a line (right or wrong), is it (right and wrong) important anymore. These are the questions that keep haunting me long after I finish watching each episode.
The acting by all actors is most impressive; it is almost flawless, to say the least. Each plays his/her role convincingly. I love the seemingly naive but warm-hearted Yu Ran who wants best-friend-forever relationship with her two best friends despite she falls in love with one of them. She would go anywhere to search for them and to ensure their safety. I love the focused Ji Ye who wants to become successful and make a name for himself. He would go out all his way to achieve his dream, except, he would not betray his best friends. I love Lu Gui Chen for his love of humanity, and would not condone anyone who threatens it. His love for his two best friends has never wavered.
The settings of this drama are equally impressive, with the use of large scale human power, costumes, background props, landscape. Everything seems so realistic that you may feel you're actually standing right in front of the dry desert, or the steppes, or the palaces. Even the CGI is very well done and leaves few flaws.
The music is dark and mysterious. The drum and horn of war is menacing. The scale of the battle field is breath taking – I’ve never seen such a grand scale. Only Chinese movies/dramas can produce such grandness. The battle horses and the knights supersede any Hollywood/western productions of similar grandiose. All actors, in particular, the supporting ones, are amazingly convincing – the cunning ones are very cunning, the devious ones are very evil, the righteous ones are unbending, the upstanding ones are selfless.
Having said all these, towards the end, I find myself not crazily in love with any of the characters, including the 3 main ones. Not that they are not lovable, but I find them to be not as well developed; they have not captured my heart. In fact, I find myself loving Ying Wu Yi (aka Li Gong) more than anyone else. He is brave, upstanding, ruthless and yet fair. He does not stab anyone on the back like the others do. He is hated and feared by everyone but faithfully loved by his own men. Even Lu Gui Chen and Ji Ye respect him deeply.
The whole drama centers around warfare and politics, and at times, I feel suffocating. There is so much bloodshed, and men playing politics with others' lives on the line. The use of dark forces, zombie soldiers and scarab beetles can be frightening and yet brilliantly produced with similar vibe as in the Hollywood movie, "The Mummy". It is both dark and mind-provoking. Romance is pretty limited. I don't feel any heart wrenching love, passion and longing. Nonetheless, this is still an epic production.
My final verdict:
Despite what I have written earlier, at the end of the drama when all episodes are aired, I was asking myself, "That's it?" Who wins the final battle? What happens to all these other people? Who is now in charge of the Wings clan (Yu Ran's clan)? Is Jie Ye the leader and protector of the Tian Ju group after Asule entrusts him with the power? Does Princess Xiao Zhou really marry the mentally handicapped prince? Where is Ying Wu Yi? What happens to his daughter who is in love with Jie Ye? So many unanswered questions. There is no closure. After episode 56, I was still checking to find out if I was wrong about the number of episodes. No wonder I saw some comments online asking, "Where is episode 60?" I didn't realize it meant this until now.
Overall:
If you like warfare, politics, dark forces versus the light , this is a must watch!
With such an open ending, I'm not surprised that the production company is planning for a sequel or some sort. For me, I don't think I'm waiting for it as anxiously as I am for others. It is such a pity for this high budget production drama with all the epic scenes, quality sound effects, costumes and everything else, to end up like this, unloved.
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This review may contain spoilers
An Underrated Realistic Love Story.
I first came across this movie in the MDL article, Underrated Movies with Low number of Watchers. Honestly, it deserves to be on that list. I decided to give this a try because I'm watching an airing drama of the FL and wanted to see her other works. Her acting in the drama is very convincing, but in this movie, she was wonderful! And not just her, the ML too was just as wonderful! Their acting, cinematography, and direction are all really good.The storyline might be something very usual but what makes the movie unusual is its realistic approach to the love story. While I'm not really fond of works that don't end on a happy note, this is an exception. What really caught my eye was the title. I've always heard others say, Love brings people together but here, it's the opposite.
Life isn't a bed of roses and despite the harsh work circumstances, Lu Qin Yang stays true to his values and Ling Yi Yao waits patiently for him. They love each other to the point that she is ready to leave her house for him after her mom is not quite happy about their relationship and he goes to great lengths to earn enough money just so he can give her a comfortable life. Eventually, it's the same love that drives them apart.
Although it made me bawl my eyes out, I'm not really pleased with the ending. From the comments, it seems like an open ending and that relieved me a teeny tiny bit.
But I recommend watching this if you don't mind such endings because the movie, in general, was satisfying.
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For me, the MVP of this drama is Kim Woo Bin. He's the reason I wanted to keep watching no matter what. He mastered the charming jerk persona as Joon Yeong, and I was impressed by his range in this drama (from confident smirk to ugly tears). The story is so over the top, so It would've been easy to over act, but his character felt natural and real the entire time, which makes this crazy story work. I definitely became uncontrollably fond of him (sorry, i couldn't resist), and not just because of his shirtlessness. I missed out on Heirs, so this is my first time watching him, but certainly not my last.
He is paired with Suzy, who I think is a pretty good actress (even in one of my least favorite dramas ever "Big"), but she had her work cut out for her playing Noh Eul. Noh Eul is an interesting character, but also a frustrating one to watch. She also has a lot of weird wide eyed moments in turtlenecks, that kept reminding me of Shelley Duvall in "The Shining". Suzy has great chemistry with Woo Bin, but I think his charm deserves most of the credit for that. Suzy makes Noh Eul likable, and easy to empathize with, but there are moments where her actions are pretty ridiculous. That's a reoccurring theme for most of the characters in this show. They do things that make no sense, but the actors are good so it's ok.
That brings me to the rest of the cast. I think they all did a really great job considering how completely unbelievable most of the characters are. Jin Kyung is stellar as Joon Yeong's mom, but the way the character was written annoyed the hell out of me. Im Joo Hwan played his duality well, but the more melodramatic the story got, the less I liked his character. The junior romance subplot was also pretty cute. All the characters were memorable to me only because of the performances, but the characters themselves were often contrived, and lacked any real depth.
Speaking of lack of depth, I think that is what stopped me from really getting into this drama. In the beginning I was drawn in by the flirting, but then story turned into a revenge plot filled with greed, and betrayal, and everything you've already seen in other melodramas. Soon I found myself just watching the boring revenge plot just so i could see what would happen to Joon Yeong. I think that was the one redeeming thing about the plot. The cast's performances in the last 2 episodes got me in the feels so bad I was emotionally exhausted by the end, and was definitely underprepared in the tissue department. I finished the drama satisfied, though not impressed, which sums up this drama pretty well.
Overall, this was a great display of Kim Woo Bin's talent, but a pretty forgettable drama. The soundtrack is forgettable, the plot is forgettable, and even the title is forgettable. Still, I was entertained enough to want to keep watching, and It also didn't feel too long at 20 episodes. It was certainly cliché, but there are enough unexpected elements to keep things interesting. Interesting enough to watch again? No.
If you like melodrama, and tragic romances, there are a lot of things to like about "Uncontrollably Fond". There is not enough actual romance to satisfy true romance fans, or comedy to even justify having that listed as a genre for this drama. You also have to completely suspend disbelief, be able to empathize with horrible people, and be willing to believe the unbelievable... which is not a crazy request in dramaland. I can only recommend this drama with the disclaimer "Buyer Beware".
They also totally missed an opportunity to promote tissue boxes with Woo Bin's smiling face on them.
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What Is there to say,After ive seen the series "Ghost" i gave this one a chance where i would think nothing could be as strong as ghost,This series is TOTALLY OUTSTANDING GOOD!.
From episode 1 till 20 you are sitting on the edge of your seat in this series looking forward "OMG" Whats goin to happen next.Full with emotions i watched these series in 2 LONG nights.The actin/music is really well done and deserve awards.I doubt any North american series can come even close to the emotional "roller-ride"you get from this show.The love and romance is there abit where its needed but this is the ind of series where it doesnt matter at all,words and feelings are enough to tell whats goin on.The ending was really well done and they took there time to conclude the ending which is rare these days normally they RUSH last 5 minutes but here you get atleast a full 40m of a conclusion about what should happen in the future and leaves you with a smile in the end.
For me this is one of best series ive ever seen and the only thing what could miss is re-watch value bcuz i doubt you ever gonna forget this masterpiece :).
DONT ONLY READ THIS! WATCH IT!!!
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I just really got curious of what really happened to the plot of the story so I basically watch the movie one more time and I just found out what this movie is all about though. lol :p
IDK if most of the people who watch this film for the first time felt the same way I had which is confusion.
OVERALL: T'was a great and unique movie I could say since it made me feel curious and had my urge to re-watch this film.
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There is something rotten in Kaifeng.
Riverside Code at Qingming Festival/清明上河图密码 is adapted from Ye Wenbiao's popular suspense novel of the same name. One of the highest rated popular novels on Douban, it draws inspiration from Zhang Zeduan's epic 11th century scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival/清明上河图. This panoramic masterpiece meticulously depicts 814 figures, 60 animals, 122 houses, 28 ships, 15 vehicles, over 30 buildings and 8 sedan chairs going about their daily lives along the grand canal. It is an eerily vibrant, intricate and authentic snapshot of Kaifeng (then known as Bianjing) at the peak of its cultural and economic significance; not long before the city was invaded, captured and largely destroyed by the Jurchens in 1127. It is a miracle that this iconic and magnificent record of the city's urban infrastructure, military instalments, industry and commerce and citizens from all walks of life survived. This visually immersive drama virtually restores the sweeping grandeur and prosperity of Kaifeng when it was believed to be the largest city in the ancient world and brings it to life. The drama opens with the mysterious disappearance of the Mei ship sailing under the Rainbow Bridge, which is the centrepiece of the painting.This narrative examines what lies beneath the glittering facade of prosperity and the elated bustle along the Bian River as the citizens of Kaifeng celebrate the Qingming Festival via the eyes of a common family of five. This ties in with the Confucian concept of the family as a microcosm of the state 家国一体; thus the wellbeing of the family is intricately linked with the success of the state. For fifteen years, Zhao Buyou languished as a lowly assistant scribe at Dàlǐsì, the Court of Judicial Review. Even though he doesn't have everything, he is content; happily married to Wen Yue, a filial son to his eccentric father Zhao Li and a good elder brother to his much younger siblings Mo'er and Ban'er. Wen Yue however thinks they need a bigger house so she makes umbrellas to supplement their income. Their world fractures when Buyou is unfairly dismissed from Dàlǐsì while Wen Yue is extorted and harassed by a corrupt official. Pushed into a corner, they discover each other’s hidden secrets and race to protect each other and their family. Soon the entire family uses their special talents to assist Gu Zhen and Wan Fu of the Kaifeng Court solve a series of mysterious cases beginning with the Mei ship case. As the cases unfold, it becomes obvious that something is rotten in Kaifeng, and his name is Zou Mian.
The design of the overarching plot is fresh and interesting; the main villain Zou Mian is so powerful he appears to be above the law and his identity is known from the get go. But the true antagonist hides in plain sight and uses ruthless means to expose Zou Mian's corruption and misdeeds, including threatening the Zhao family. All of the cases are linked to the overarching plot, which is well designed and ties everything together in a satisfying way. The cases are very dark and disturbing and some of the antagonists are unnecessarily depraved and cruel. A unifying theme is that good people can become radicalised and driven to do terrible, desperate and extreme things when they lose faith in a system that fails them repeatedly. While the cases start out well, possibly because of how daringly they push the boundaries in terms of justifying vigilante justice, the conclusions seem to suffer from heavy cuts that leave logic gaps and loose ends. There is some level of just too much going on with the Zhao family drama unfolding alongside the cases. While I enjoyed their family dynamics and learning their backstories, these scenes could have been tightened. In particular Wen Yue going solo was based on shaky logic and her mid-life crisis was not well articulated and detracted from the cases at hand. I always get excited to see c-dramas attempt dark comedy but in this case, while there were some really funny moments, half the time it just didn't land. Overall, for something adapted from such a highly regarded novel, the screenplay does not do justice to the high production values, the exquisite set and the stellar cast.
As for the cast, it is a veteran dream team. I couldn't ask for a better lineup of favorite actors who deliver commanding performances in supporting roles notably Li Naiwen's disingenuous Dilun, Zhang Xinyu's wicked Qiniang and Hai Yitian's slightly unhinged Xiao Yishui. As expected, Zhang Songwen delivers an empathetic and nuanced performance as a flawed, miserable and oppressed character who just sucks it up while his talent is ignored until his harmonious family is threatened. He is more of a coward than a hero and his motives are selfish but relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed his humorous banter with Gu Zhen and Wan Fu and but was shocked by how cynically and ruthlessly they navigate a system that is so broken from within to find their own brand of justice. While Bai Baihe delivers a few exceptional moments as Wen Yue, she doesn't consistently convey the complexity of the role and the inner conflicts that Wen Yue struggled with. The weakest link by far however is Zhang Yao's Mo'er. This is an important role that is meant to illustrate the poisoning of the well. Unfortunately this young actor who struck me as promising years ago in Love in Between, was not ready for this role. He failed to convincingly portray how Mo'er's sorrow, disillusionment and budding resentment made him susceptible to manipulation. This made his darkening from an idealistic young scholar who wanted to reform the system from within seem abrupt and out of character. After all the build-up, I was also surprised by what a lame, wimp Zou Mian turned out to be. There were many fantastic wild, wicked and intimidating villains in this drama but sadly, the "Big Boss" did not live up to his reputation.
Even though this drama ends satisfyingly shortly after the plot climaxes with the reveal of a well-acted and well-hidden mastermind, Zou Mian's take down was anti-climactic. After all the vigilante justice, it makes sense for rule of law and procedural justice to win the day. However, I would have better enjoyed a more exciting denouement and preferably one that does not bypass the question of whether the ends justify the means. As much as I appreciate the meticulous attention to historical detail and the high production values, this drama falters enough in the writing and execution that I can't rate it better than 8.5/10.0. It is still a riveting suspense drama that is entertaining and engaging enough that it deserves another season, hopefully with a better writing team.
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1Good, but…
The positive point is that the show is marketed as a horror series, and that’s exactly what we get: real, fairly gory scenes, ghosts, etc. The plot holds up, and the actors are convincing.However, the series has two flaws. The first is the romance, which is far too excessive and completely off-tone. We have a love story between a cop and the main witness in a series of murders, so you’d expect passion. Instead, we get long, formulaic, syrupy dialogues about love. It feels out of place.
The second flaw is the ending (i.e., the last two episodes), which is clearly rushed and full of inconsistencies. It’s strange that the writers weren’t able to maintain the same level of quality all the way through.
In the end, it’s a series worth watching, but it’s far from unforgettable.
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Epic Historical Drama | High Quality Production
What an incredible historical story told with a touch (a lot) of humor, initially.When I first started with the drama, I didn't know what to make of it: is it a real historical story, or is it a comedy? Real historical drama because it’s depicting one of the most interesting era of Chinese history from the Yongle reign in 1402 during the Ming Dynasty. Comedy because of the initial dialogues and relationships portrayed in the story – they are funny and entertaining. Nonetheless, a few episodes in, I found myself really enjoying this drama.
The drama is based on some real events and real figures in the early part of the Ming dynasty. It started with Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor, seizing the throne from his nephew in a revolt. In the beginning of the story, it focuses mainly on the relationships between Zhu Di, his sons and his grandson. How these relationships are depicted is humorous and enjoyable. Fictional or not, I’m really hooked watching how the father-son-grandson, brothers-brothers, uncles-nephew dynamics played out here; the relationships are just funny, informal, silly and sweet at times. However, after the demise of Zhu Di, the same relationships become hideous and the mood of the drama turns serious and deadly.
This drama also has some brief references to the expeditions of Cheng He, the Tumu Crisis, and various important figures such as Yu Qian, Wang Zhen and the three Yangs. However, Empress Sun is given a greater influence in this drama than in reality. Her son is such a spoiled brat and incompetent.
25 episodes in, the mood changes from light-hearted into dead serious. Many episodes focus on warfare with the northern Mongol tribes. The informal relationships we see earlier within the royal family disappear. The seemingly silly and funny characters of the 2nd and 3rd princes become devious and dangerous. Even the Zhu Zhanji character becomes unpredictable and sinister.
Zhu Yawen is a seasoned actor and is very good in his craft. His portrayal of Zhu Zhanji is amazing, switching from being timid in front of his grandfather the Emperor, to silly with his father the crown prince and with his uncles, to serious and nasty with his enemies. Zhu Yawen has a magician hat filled with unlimited facial expressions, body language, smiles, sneers and demeanor. He switches from one mood to another with ease and makes his character super interesting and convincing. However, he’s gone from the screen after about 2/3 of the drama. (Likewise with Wang Xue Qi who plays the Yongle Emperor character - he exits the screen even earlier.) Both of these actors are supposedly playing the main roles. One character, apart from Sun Ruowei, that consistently appears from early in the drama till the end is Yu Qian played by Su Ke. He is a wonderful convincing actor and I really enjoy watching his character.
I don't particularly like the female lead Rebecca Tang playing Sun Ruowei initially because I find her stiff and unnatural, over acts in certain parts and under acts in others. I also dislike her voice dubbing because her voice and tone don't match the moods and situations of the events. Everything just seems off with her. The Sun Ruowei character also changes greatly before and after she married Zhu Zhanji, and it (the character) doesn't feel like a lead character anymore. However, I’m pleasantly surprised by her transformation when she becomes the Empress Dowager. Her no-nonsense demeanor which doesn’t bode well initially becomes very convincing at the later part of the drama. As mentioned earlier, Sun Ruowei is depicted as a very influential character in this drama as a regent which may not be totally accurate historically. According to the record, the Grand Empress Dowager (Empress Zhang) should have held greater power than depicted and hence been the greater influencer. The relationship between Sun Ruowei and Hu Shan Xiang has also been fictionalized.
All the other actors and supporting casts are very good in their respective roles. After the demise of the Yongle Emperor and his sons and grandson, ie. the initial cast, the drama turns dry for some viewers with politics and warfare with a lot of bloodshed and deaths. All the comedies and humors are gone. The drama progresses with each episode getting more intense then the last. Despite the fictions, this drama is still very well made with not many holes; it's interesting and wonderful to watch.
My verdict: yes, I'd recommend this drama to all, especially those who love historical stories. This is a wonderful drama worth watching despite its length of 62 episodes! I have enjoyed almost every episode, although half-way through, it gets a bit dry without all the initial humors and comedies, but the tension and plots keep me on. The acting is impeccable and the music is one of the best. This drama goes into my MUST-WATCH list.
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