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I would give up my golden core to watch this for the first time again
Where to even begin? This is the first ever drama that I have watched that I consider to be completely perfect. Everything, from the acting, to the CGI, to the costumes, to the BGM, to the plot is so perfect.Story:
This story takes many twists and turns but somehow manages to feel so coherent and bring back central focus effortlessly. This is definitely a character-focused drama, which is amazing as all of the characters are so compelling and beautiful written and acted. A few episodes at the beginning are dedicated to a flashback, which for some reason I found really funny. We were just inside of Su Yishui's memories for three years. The only parts that I would say were weak were Wei Jiu and Tu Jiuyuan's storyline, although that had its own charm, and the whole ending of the plot with Prince Ping, because it ended up just going to nowhere and was kind of confusing. I understand why it wasn't explained as there was no reason for Su Yishui to info-dump during his flashback, but a little more exposition would've made the situation a lot clearer. This drama took me on the ride of a lifetime, and I'll never forget it.
Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran:
I honestly don't know whether to categorise them as two different characters, or the same character. From the moment I saw her I loved her, to be completely honest. Mu Qingge has such a fun, playful yet straightforward charm that is just so attractive, while Xue Ranran's bright, lovely energy brightens up the screen. It is a bit of a pity that we didn't see more of the actual Mu Qingge, as she only got all of her memories back in the last few episodes, but the amalgamation of their two characters was also so compelling, and excellently handled, in my opinion. I've seen some complaints that Mu Qingge basically died and never came back, which is of course valid, but I don't share the same opinion as 1. I believe she did come back after she regained all of her memories and 2. It wouldn't be a fun or engaging story if there were no consequences to events. I think the direction that they went with her character is the most reasonable, as technically she never should have been revived according to Heaven's will. Her just coming back exactly as she was before would've made Heaven's will something to be taken much less seriously than it actually should've been in the story. Another complaint that I've seen is that Xue Ranran is a boring character, and I just can't accept this. Xue Ranran is a little bundle of joy and nobody is allowed to hurt her. And, she's an extremely relatable person because yes, I would also be thinking about my master that much if he were Su Yishui. If there is one thing that I dislike about both of their characters, it is their tolerance of Su Yu. However, I can ultimately see where their feelings come from, as he did treat them well for decades. I just hate him too much...
Su Yishui:
My favourite character hands down. It used to be Mu Qingge at the start of the story, but Su Yishui quickly stole the show for me. He is the standard for every single male lead character and I stand by that. He is a perfect character, but not in the sense that he is a perfect person. He's made plenty of mistakes and bad decisions, and yet I can't bring myself to hate him for any of them, exactly like Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran. He is a perfect blend of cold, straightfoward, brutal and no-nonsense towards others, and soft, sweet, playful and loving when it comes to the people he cares about. I genuinely have nothing else to say about him, he's just so perfect to me! Although can I just say that he really had me fooled when he was pretending to be the Mortal-Demon Lord.
Su Yu:
Possibly one of my most hated characters ever. He's just genuinely so insufferable, is willing to do whatever it takes to gain power and get what he desires at the cost of everyone else, and then turns around in the last second and gets to die an honourable death. I don't believe it. His passive-aggression and condescension is genuinely so infuriating and I was cheering for Su Yishui every time he tried to kill him, and every time he was suffering the effects of the poison. The scene where he got kicked out of Su Yishui's body and his spirit was being brought back into his own body, I was just saying, "Yes! No! Yes! No! Yes! No!!" the whole time. The fact that he threatened her into marrying him is absolutely despicable and he doesn't deserve anybody's sympathy, respect or affection. He doesn't deserve any of them, Mu Qingge, Xue Ranran, Mu Ranwu or Zhou Feihua. I think that he is at the center of one of the only problems with this drama, which is his constant infantilisation. The number of times Xue Ranran, Mu Qingge and Zhou Feihua said that they wanted to prevent him from making mistakes really pissed me off. He knew exactly what he was doing, including all the unspeakable consequences, so therefore it wasn't a mistake. I understand that there were decades of good feelings between him and those three, but it gets to a certain point. Especially after he invaded Su Yishui's body, I was shocked that Xue Ranran/Mu Qingge had any concern for him left. Genuinely about to punch a hole through the screen every time he spoke, especially when he had the audacity to imply that Su Yishui is interrupting his conversation IN HIS OWN HOME.
Mu Ranwu:
Just an annoying character overall. Feel infinitely worse for her than for Su Yu any day of the week, but she's still not good by any means. Even if you hate your sister that much, doing what she did is unforgivable. I believe that even if she was constantly compared to her her whole life, a genuinely good person wouldn't have blamed Mu Qingge for being talented, or for the choice she made to save the lives of innocent people. The only thing I respect about her is how fast she switched up on Su Yu. However, her switch up on Wang Suizhi was completely out of left field and felt so unnatural to me. Maybe I accidentally skipped a few lines in her scenes out of annoyance, but I didn't see any warmth from her side until the very last moment. Pretty in-character, though. Losing her sanity is what she deserved in the end. Living neither a happy or horrible life.
Other characters:
Let's start with positive ones and end with negative ones. Bai Baishan, Gao Cang and Xi'er were so funny and perfect as the three comic relief characters. Gao Cang was kind of weak but Bai Baishan completely subverted my expectations, he showed the most growth out of all of the three and was quite a pleasure throughout. Xi'er was just super cute, I adored her dynamic with Ranran and she was even able to save the chemistry between her and Gao Cang. Yu Tong, like Bai Baishan, subverted my expectations. Her unconditional support of the leads was heartwarming and refreshing. Zeng Yi's nickname for Su Yishui was super cute and their dynamic together was super entertaining. something that I appreciate is that his "protectiveness" of Xue Ranran was not at all dragged out, again subverting my expectations. Wei Jiu was an irrelevant character to me, the only thing I liked was his dynamic with Su Yishui and Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran. I could not bring myself to be compelled by Tu Jiuyuan, she did all of that for Wei Jiu? (strong doubt) The weakest major character (that I'm not forgetting about) might be Zhou Feihua. I wasn't paying attention when she was first introduced, and I continued to not really pay attention throughout all of her scenes. Her childhood backstory with Su Yu came of nowhere for me. They could've done some more with her character, but then again she's not really that important. Her insisting that Xue Ranran end her relationship with Su Yishui, and constantly going back to Su Yu really irritated me, though.
Overall, one thing that I appreciated in this drama, that maybe besides the Mortal-Demon Lord, nobody was evil just for the sake of being evil. This drama really cares about and cherishes its characters.
Rewatching:
I'm writing this review immediately after finishing the drama, but I am already excited to rewatch. It's the type of drama that's super nostalgic for me because the story came so far from where it started and so it's going to be such a blast to rewatch and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch... Will probably skip the scenes with just Su Yu, Mu Ranwu, and Dun Tian, though.
Romance:
The chemistry is immaculate, the writing is immaculate, I love everything about Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran and Su Yishui as a couple. I wish there was some more affectionate moments between them after they both regained all of their memories, though. Mu Qingge is stronger than me for sure. Something that I've seen about them and that I definitely agree with is that their dynamic and relationship throughout the story is very equal. They both sacrifice a lot for each other, both lose their memories, and even switch the master-disciple relationship. I can't possibly put my thoughts into coherent sentences, I just adore them so much!
Overall, the first and maybe the last 10 star rating I have ever given to a drama. Xian Tai You Shu you absolute masterpiece. I love art made by truly passionate people, and this drama screams passion, love and care to me. And by the way, what was in the air when Deng Wei and Xiang Hanzhi were filming? They look breathtaking.
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Story wise, Lost in 1949 is about a woman who was going to visit her Communist husband but later found out that her husband was dead and afterwards she got involved with a street smart funny guy. There weren't a lot of "twisted" plots like any spy drama, as for me it's more of how two people met by chance then became the best friend that everyone wishes they would have in their life. It's not a refreshing plot, but the dialogue and script would make us sit tight and had great laughs.
However, I must admit, what really carries the show is Chen Kun's acting. He played polar opposite twins and he acted so well you will think that they are two diff persons. For Regina, I have never watched her drama before, I didn't know if she always carries that sad face or her character in this drama demands sad face all the time. But she is decent.
Well, if you are coming from TROP, you will also recognize several faces in this drama.
Notes: Bad guy will still play bad guy (duh!)
Music in a drama has never been something I focused on, because a lot of time I find that I love the drama first then I will learn to enjoy the music later. One thing I can comment on Lost in 1949's music is it carries a lively catchy tune that will make you hummed along.
Overall, Lost in 1949 is a hidden gem for me. It is an underrated drama, since I have never heard anyone mention about this drama before. I am thankful that someone subbed it on youtube and I urge everyone to check it out. Lost in 1949 will make you laugh a lot and tear a bit while it is all worth it.
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Story :
Basically it's a love story between so many people. She love him, he love her, she love another, that another loves another.
It seems cliche but trust me, you would somehow be wrapped into the whole drama and you would find yourself getting into their conflict like as if you're experiencing it yourself. I dont know how the drama made it that way, maybe it's the way how 90s dramas present themselves. But it just works so magically well and you just want to watch it more, to satisfy your curiosities.
Though, one thing i love in this drama, is that it doesnt go out of the way and just stay realistic as it can be.
Acting:
Can i just say how much i love everyone in the cast?
I dont know any of them at first but I just want to fangirl suzuki Honami . She has done a good job in portraying the cheerful friendly girl in the whole story . From the start, she has already got me to like her. And probably 100% of the time, I continued watching because of Akana Rika (her character), She is so relatable in so many ways. Plus, that million-dollar smile she does when she is actually hurt.
And this is my bias opinion, but I believed many japanese actress have the same character with the same persona, but Suzuki Honami has this uniqueness in a way that I dont think others can beat. I can't seem to find the right words.
I would go on more about praising her, but really, the whole cast of this drama definitely had their own charms and has contributed to the drama which make the whole thing a success.
Music:
The soundtrack is the best. Even though it is old school, it touches the deep of my heart like no other songs in this generation can make. Such an up beat melody but the emotion it brings , really makes you like as if you yourself are experiencing the issues in the drama. The song definitely deserves the 9th most best single that has sold in Japan. I could just repeat that song forever.
Over all:
I love it so much ! I never thought i'd be this obsessed with a drama,especially a drama that is older than I am. Such a classic gem that everyone should try and watch . Tokyo love story made me wish I was experiencing the life style during the 90s , and the way how people love during that time. Totally worth watching, even in the midst of our busy real lives. And for a classic-oldschool drama lover like me , this has definitely over-meet my expectations and how I wished there's more dramas like this nowadays.
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If you are thinking of watching this, read this
PLEASE PLEASE go watch this. This drama had me laughing, crying, and then again laughing. The casting for this drama was perfect. The chemistry for whole cast was so good. They are times when i don’t really care for the second couples in dramas but the whole couples in this drama were so entertaining and cute. I became a bigger fan of gong yoo after watching this drama. I think the chemistry between the main lead couples was also so good to watch. Please don’t hesitate to watch this. I would totally rewatch this if i had the time.Was this review helpful to you?
Usually I enjoy Roy Chiu in dramas, but felt some of the scenes required ranges of emotions that didn't quite fit with either the characters or the main plot. Also, it didn't feel like they allowed his character's persona to continue the positive development he started out with in the first 10 eps., such as his breaking free from conventions imposed on him by others, etc. which would have made his character and imo the whole drama that much more interesting to watch and his emotions that much more believable. (I think writers/directors were trying to put too much into it to make up for lack of storyline) If this drama had ended at 18 episodes, I would have probably given it a solid 7-8 rating, but unfortunately it didn't!
Finally, I will say there was definitely more chemistry and warmth from the 2nd lead couple than the first, which made the viewer feel like it must be a very tough acting job for Roy and Megan. This is my first time seeing Megan Lai in a drama, and I felt she did a great job in her character and the emotions she had to portray. If you have a lot of free time on your hands, go for it, otherwise The Office, which is a similar storyline and characters would be a bit more entertaining.
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Starts with so much potential, then goes downhill with so many unnecessary and dramatic fillers
I was enjoying the first 12 episodes or so. The pace was nice, the story was good with some seriousness blended with just a nice amount of humor. Then it goes downhill from there. The writers seem to lost their direction and the plot just gets down right stupid from then on. Using a bird as a mean to keep the story moving then once against, using the bird to clear up all that random misunderstandings that made up half of the show, like, wtf? This show could've been a lot shorter without all that unnecessary plot twists, and it would deserve at least an 8/10 to me. But nope, we were forced to sit on an arduous rollercoaster ride with a bunch of silly pranks mixed with sudden life-and-death situations in a span of one episode, then more scheming and more random life-and-death catastrophe and bam, super happy ending for everyone 🙃 and I don't think FL actually ever gets to know ML's true identity and the actual reason behind his scheming. Oh well...Was this review helpful to you?
A fun retelling
I clicked on this movie for two reasons: 1) The Netflix algorithm knows me pretty well and 2) I was bored and didn't have the energy to start a whole new show so I thought a movie was perfect.And boy, was it. This isn't just a re-imagining of Red Riding Hood and Cinderella's stories, it's basically fanfiction just using the characters and giving them entirely different stories (but still using key plot points in a clever way). And I mean that in a good way. As the other reviewer said, Hashimoto Kanna played Red Riding Hood really well. I loved that they turned her into a detective that has flashes of inspiration - though I'm going to be honest that even now I'm not sure if they're visions or her mind just connecting dots. But even not knowing that, it was really cool to watch.
Everything about this re-imagining - from having two witches instead of a fairy godmother to the murder Red Riding Hood solves - made these classic stories feel fresh and new. And our prejudices of what we expect to happen in this story is clearly expected by the writers since they play on that in a fun way.
But it's not all solving murder and fairy-tale magic - there's love and humor and wit, too. I wouldn't call this movie a masterpiece, but it was really good in a lot of ways, and one I'd enjoy rewatching for sure.
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Decided that it's been long enough and I wanted to watch another CSB drama so I fired it up. I wish i'd watched this one sooner, it was SO good. Watched the whole thing in a fairly short space of time (2 days i think) and was driven to keep going to continue to find out more about how the situations evolved and the characters developed.
There are lots of little stories going on in here, there's more than two couples - with two of them being at the forefront and another one or two sneaking in the sidelines. There's actual real development in the maturity and growth of at least two of the characters as they evolve from the way they are at the beginning to being better human beings. There's one moment that starts to smack of "oh god here comes the stupid breakup", but it's on something like Episode 15 so... you can kinda guess it's not going anywhere, but it does go further to re-enforce the strength of the characters involved and their resolve to help each other.
Chae Soo Bin is marvelous as always, a strong and independent character who takes charge of her own life and safety of it numerous times. It's always good to see when a story has both the male and female leads being strong, it's too easy to have one strong character (whichever gender) and one weak leaning on them. It's much harder to have two strong characters who lean or support as each situation requires - but it's so much better when it works that way I think, the best relationships have strong independent people in them.
Music - one track stood out, Must Have by Jang Jae-in, I need to listen to the rest of the OST but I love that track, it kept notably popping up and now i've listened to the whole thing on YouTube it's just a great song overall with a beautiful voice in some quieter moments without much backing track, and others with a much more full sound. Brilliant.
Hmm, another bit of the OST comes on in the background while writing this, The End of the Day by Na Yoon Kwon - that ones a cracker too.
The story overall is a bit of a david vs goliath. It's really interesting as they start out with the food alley in the situation it's in and then the evolution of idea after idea to improve and change things combined with the challenge and response coming from the "goliath" in the story. I really appreciated the business elements of this one and the creative (but quite reasonable) solutions they were putting forward, along with a reasonable reaction from the consumers to the idea.
There is a bit towards the start where she thinks that he's a transvestite which makes some some hilarious bits.
Definitely recommend a watch if you like romance, nothing really bad-heavy happens, characters emotionally developing - and if you're a fellow Chae Soo Bin fan, then it's really a no-brainer, stop reading this and get watching.
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Let me start by saying the synopsis here is absolutely not true! the synopsis is what made me set this drama aside for years, lead character being so evil to attain her ambitions? I guess the person who made the synopsis in this site never watched it. The main character is very beautiful, it can display innocence and it can show a scary look. She never killed or schemed someone because of her ambitions, she does not have ambitions to be an empress or empress dowager for her own interest. her evilness as the synopsis says is not even 1/5 of the other villains in the drama. All that prompted her to do what she did is a reaction to what the villains were doing to her, to protect herself, to avenge her lost love, to protect her children and herself, watch this, and even if you're fond of any drama genre, you will never put this down!
i've been watching so much asian dramas for the past 5 years or so to the point that I never have tot urn on the TV to watch anything else and I must tell you, this drama has been one of the most well made drama I have seen.
the plot is simple, very simple:
It's just some story of concubines and empress scheming, 76 episodes and the story only revolves within the harem. You have your emperor, empress and the concubines. Oh and it does have a love story
If you think of it, it does not deserve 76 episodes for such a simple plot. You might start wondering what they have done that it has to be 76 episodes, must be dragging, repetitive, boring.
let me tell you, I watched ten miles of peach blossom , SFD, Nirvana 1 & 2 , they're top notch when it comes to story line, plot and execution. since i watched these dramas, it has always been my standard if i should watch or drop a drama. I wqtched countless chinese historical, fanstasy cdrama, and many more kdramas, even thai dramas. I never had plan to watch Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan thou i've seen it many times when i search here what to watch next. I was watching Lgend of fuyao and i have to find somethign to kill the time while waiting for the next eps to be uploaded online. well guess what, I can stand not watching fuyaos eps till end of the week when all weekly eps were uploaded since i watched Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan.
must I say more?
let me compare it to top rated cdramas like TMOPB, ten miles has a very nice storyline + yang mi of course but it lacked luster when it comes to the most anticipated scenes like the fight scenes and the leads' supposedly moment of stardom. Fuyao has a great great storyline + yang mi, great costumes etc, name it, but let's admit it, it's toooooo draggy, too much reminiscing, crying scenes, in short, it has too much fillers it made the drama so bad that there are episodes that you ca skip entirely and still be on the loop. SFD, you can skip few mins. The only drama i can say that is at par with Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is Nirvana 1, but Nirvana has it's advantage over Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan, its story revolves around so many people while Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is only about the harem. while I was watching this drama, I thought about the talents of the writers and scriptwriters of this drama, the director, stage manager, idk but all that made it so beautifully executed I don't dare skip a scene,.. well i tried once but i ended up going back to what i skipped.
Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is not your typical drama that follows every scene, it always conclude it. what i mean is, if a character asks her servent to get her a cup of tea, it no longer shows unnecessary scenes like servant bringing in the tea, if you know what i mean. this made the Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan one of its kind, fast paced but you'll not be left wondering unless you skip a scene. there's absolutely no boring moment and just like the other reviews and feedbacks, after you finish it, you will learn, you will learn how to be articulate with words, it grows in you while watching.
Nirvana has a very good rating here. I must say and Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is very much at par it does not deserve 8.6 !!
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This review may contain spoilers
About conscience & courage in a society that appears democratic, but is ruled by authoritarian force
He only wanted to do taxes. Draft contracts. Earn money. Song Woo-seok is a pragmatic lawyer — smart, efficient, unsentimental. But when the son of a woman who once trusted him in hard times is taken by the police, the man who once only saw paragraphs begins to see people. The Attorney tells the story of a man who thought he knew his place in the world — and only begins to truly live when he takes a stand.Based on true events — the 1981 Burim case — the film follows the early journey of future president Roh Moo-hyun, without ever naming him. We witness a successful attorney becoming the defender of students branded as “communists,” tortured, and tried — simply for reading the wrong books at the wrong time. What unfolds is a courtroom drama that reverberates far beyond the trial itself: a story about conscience. About courage. And about the painful awakening in a society that appears democratic — but is ruled with authoritarian force.
Song Kang-ho, in one of his most compelling performances, carries the film with an intensity that makes anger, shame, and resolve palpable in every gesture. His transformation is moving precisely because it isn’t heroic — it’s hesitant, searching, deeply human. And it’s in this quiet where the power lies: when he rises and says, “I’m his attorney,” it isn’t a flourish — it’s a vow.
------------------------------ A historical side note: The long shadow of dictatorship ------------------------------------
In South Korea, the memory of Chun Doo-hwan’s authoritarian rule remains an open wound. The Burim case stands as a stark symbol of a time when civil rights existed only on paper — and disappeared into basements. The state’s orchestration of paranoia, the systematic torture of alleged dissidents, and the suspicion cast on intellectual life: The Attorney captures all of this with devastating simplicity.
And it shows: not all complicity comes from conviction. Some from fear. Others from habit. The film asks what it takes to break out of that cycle — and offers an answer that’s not political, but personal: empathy.
A major box office hit with over 11 million viewers, “The Attorney” is a landmark of Korea’s cinematic reckoning with its past. It reminds us that justice is more than a system — and that sometimes, justice begins with a single line: “I’ll take the case.”
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The thing I really loved with the movie is that everything that happens is connected and it actually is a quite scary story if you really look into it. What the kid did in the end... actually gave me goosebumps. It gives you a whole new prespective at the end. I would really recomend it to people that love thinking a bit when they watch a movie. It's not really the simple love story-movie, it's more to it.
Also the cast is on point too. I don't really have anythign to say there because they really did an amazing job. That's why I give them 10/10.
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I want to vomit blood
Brace for the most annoying second male lead (2ML) and second female lead (2FL) characters. This drama practically has the most annoying supporting characters and yet they are very prominent in the story. The story started off pretty decent with an unconventional princess and a great male lead played by an actor I have come to love. To watch, viewers need to have a lot of patience. If not, you would want to strangle many characters here, maybe even including our FL and ML at times.The acting by the two main character is actually not too bad - Ju Jingyi is her usual self with pretty the same kind of demeanor and unconventional costumes and head ornaments, and Zeng Shunxi (Joseph Zeng) is very lovable and convincing. But poor writing has made them look very bad at times, and resulted in their inconsistent acting and dialogues.
Both the 2FL and 2ML are super super annoying with a lot of screen time. The 2FL is obsessive with no dignity and the 2ML is also obsessive, super annoying and dumb. Though there are multiple lovable second couples, they are mostly one-dimensional and have rather poor acting skills.
My Verdict
Everything seems to have gone wrong with this drama, starting with a baffling English title, Rebirth For You (what the heck does it even mean?) The writing is so bad, lazy and inconsistent. The directing is haphazard and continuing angering me as the director doesn’t seem to care how viewers feel. The dialogues are boring and predictable. The war scenes are lazy and unconvincing with repeated scenes. For the supposedly final “big” battle for the finale, there are only a few people standing around. Plot holes everywhere with flaws that the editing team doesn't even bother to hide. The whole thing is like a non-serious, half-baked, kiddie costume drama that makes me roll my eyes until they hurt.
Watch it for Zeng Shunxi and Ju Jingyi if you’re their fans, just be prepared to protect your computer/TV screen so that you don’t accidentally smash it.
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It Doesn't Matter If You Don't Know the Plot, Watch It, But Don't Read The Spoilers!
"A Lucid Dream" is a short-length series (around 3+ hours total) with a clever story-telling, full of surprises, and a plot twist. You'll definitely enjoy the fun ride, IF (I capitalized the word for a strong emphasis) you don't read spoilers anywhere on MDL. It is as the native title 不知剧情也无妨 suggests: it doesn't matter if you don't know the plot. Although this review doesn't contain spoilers, I know romantic drama watchers always want to know if the leads get together in the end or not, so I will only spoil their romance, not the big secret.STORY:
Who said that short-length series only copy the plots of mainstream (normal-length) dramas or are full of cliches to milk profits? This drama plot is rather unique, and the story flow is well-written. By reading the synopsis you got the idea that the Female Lead Zhang Yi Meng (Wang Ya Jia) is delusional and thinks she has time-traveled to the past. To cure her mental illness, the Male Lead Song Jing Cheng (Cheng Yu Feng), a psychiatrist, plans drama therapy, a psychological treatment process that contains a reenactment of the ancient time Yi Meng believes she's in.
But as we watch the drama, we start seeing strange things and surprises. Adding to those things are funny incidents behind the scenes, for example, script changes that make certain characters confused about how to act in their roles. We are entertained by surprises at almost every (ending) of each episode, cliffhangers so to speak, until a plot twist is introduced. Then when the audiences look back, things make sense.
There is slight romance, but because the topic of the plot is the drama therapy/reenactment, romance is not the main focus.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the 'behind-the-scene' process shown in the drama. For example, the selection of the cast, the choice of the script (the additions and deletions), the filming, and the (uncomfortable) costumes and props (that we see as funny cos we know they're fake). And mostly what urgent measures they took when incidents or unpredictable events happened.
CHARACTERS:
People wrote the leading actor and actress were not charming or their acting was so-so, but imo actors and actresses have to start somewhere, right? I don't remember seeing them before. The only thing I say is actress Wang Ya Jia looks like Chinese actress Chen Yu Qi. And I found out the actor Cheng Yu Feng was in the drama The Inextricable Destiny last year, playing the Female Lead's second brother. But if you watched that drama you know why we don't remember him being there, lol.
The funniest character imo is Li Mu Yu, who played the Third Prince in the reenactment. Although his character is supposed to be the annoying Second Male Lead, it's hilarious for us because he practically knows nothing since nobody told him anything, including his dad, who is the reenactment director, lol.
VISUALS:
Although they made a reenactment, surprisingly the visual designs are decent for a fake 'drama'. I was mostly surprised by the cinematography. It's well done for a short-length series.
OST:
I'm surprised that they put several nice songs for the ending themes:
1. "Fireworks Fragments" (烟火碎片) by Xin Wen
2. "Parting Sequence" (离别序) by Xin Wen
3. "Waiting for Mist and Warm Rain to Stop" (等烟暖雨停) by Wang Xin Yi
ENDING (only for the romance part)
Happy ending. Zhang Yi Meng and Song Jing Cheng got together in the end (real world). There is also a secondary couple.
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A Paced, Feel Good Show
Taiwan clearly outshines its Thai and Korean counterparts in quality, story and acting every time. Exceptional quality and character development make each Taiwan drama memorable. Even the OSTs always seem like quality songs that are well thought out. Saying 'quality' over and over cannot be helped. It defines the whole show's experience. Both couples provided interesting and unique story lines. There wasn't a second couple as a filler. Both were equally valuable to the show and developed nicely.As bonuses, bringing in the characters from Be Loved in House: I Do and History3: Make Our Days Count was very cool and a nice surprise. Both excellent shows in their own right and neither felt forced into the story. Anything that can help me forget the horrible end of Make Our Days Count should actually get an 11 for that moment alone. Not listing Huang Chun Chih and Wayne Song on the guest credits must have been an intentional surprise. Thanks for that.
For those getting to binge watch, it will be an even better experience. Especially for good shows, that week of waiting between episodes is tough.
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I was captivated on minute 1 and enjoyed the whole ride till the very last.
The true strength of this show lies in the characterization. I love the speedy way in which each character is introduced, without unnecessary premises: the viewer is immediately catapulted into the birth of this new police division and the methods which are going to be used by the team to solve each case.
The staff members come to life so swiftly and clearly, I was eager to see the next episode just in order to hear them interact with each other. They are hilarious, over the line like any true Japanese character and yet so believable and endearing.
And then there is their BOSS. Yuki Amami is a wonder here. She's determined, beautiful, self-ironic, tremendously intelligent. The kind of woman I'd like to be at forty - honestly, if I could only look like her at 44 I'd be the happiest woman on earth.
Her character is a riot and a model of what I call class.
This is an episode drama, therefore it can be viewed either in one raw or taking time between one episode and the next. I did a marathon because each case left me wanting for more, but there isn't a main sub-plot which requires steadfastness.
I liked the music too: it isn't an unforgettable original soundtrack, but it highlights the scenes with due pathos.
If you're looking for a clever detective story, with some profiling/psychology, lovable, funny characters and intriguing crimes, watch this.
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