I had my reservations before beginning this show, since I'm no fan of religiously oriented stories. Should you hesistate for the same reason, rest assured that, aside from the beautiful temple that plays as a setting and a few sutras read in the background, the monk hero is less religious than me - if possible.
In fact, here's one of those rare examples in rom-coms where the leads have physical desires. That a monk has to take more icy showers than your average CEO to suppress his wordly lust is an entertaining concept. Not to mention that, if you're a fan of Yamapi you may find this habit of his very pleasing.
As I said, there's a lot to laugh about while watching. Indeed, I'd say this is a rom-COM, where the comedic aspect wins over the romance. The romantic aspect, on the other hand, is seesawing, and I found myself laughing at the couple, hating the couple, loving the couple, re-hating it and re-loving it. There are in all respect more couples to enjoy here, even though I personally loved the side characters as a whole, not paired, if that makes any sense.
Don't expect some deep characterization because, in perfect from-manga-to-live-action style, the stress is on the characters' present actions, rather than how they came to this point. Hints, however, are given now and again, and I personally found those touching and well played out.
Out of the lot, I found the best acting performance to be that of Satomi Ishihara, solid, elegant and believable. A pity her character undergoes a few unwatchable tests that made me cringe on my womanly seat, but that's the plot and the actress won the challenge whether she had to be spunky or sad.
Yamashita's character requires him to be hilariously robotic, something he does very well, since he manages to convey quite a lot through his eyes. I appreciate this trait of him and loved it here. This monk can stretch your patience to its limits, but it turns out he's truly endearing and I'm very happy at his decision by the end - and I'm not referring to the very end.
Music? Nothing to talk about.
I think I'll rewatch this one day, either because I'm a rewatcher by nature or simply because it managed to draw me out of a slump with some welcomed laugh and a deserved (?) Yamapi fix.
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1Favorite cdrama in years
I've been watching chinese dramas for YEARS (probably over a decade), and this is the only cdrama I've watched on repeat ever. The characters are well written, the romance is believable, and there's also an endgame/political setup that is emotional and worth cheering for. The female lead's setup is already intriguing, since it involves a female lead that has to (re)navigate her life decisions in a a thought-provoking way, and generally a male lead that is supportive of her throughout this navigating of the court intrigue/personal relationships. For me, the elements that make a truly wonderful and rewatchable drama are as follows:1) Strong female lead - the female lead has to be written in a way that I want to cheer for her. There are a lot of characters out there, but the female lead has a strong drive/ambition and has a reason for wanting to accomplish her mission that to me reads as noble and worthwhile, while also being spunky and fun (and I absolutely love Bai Lu's acting, she is perfectly cast for this role). It's just super fun to watch a female character acting in her own agency and trying to navigate life
2) Excellent chemistry between both (all?) leads - really good believable chemistry always gets me. enough said here, their scenes speak for themselves :) this also links to that I want both leads to be believable in their chemistry. Good acting to me is where I forget they're an actor, but truly believe they are the character they're portraying, which is definitely done by both here!
3) Good pacing & political intrigue - love me some plotting for the dramatic tension in the storyline, and I think dramas really shine when both leads have a brain and work together, and get to know each other over a shared interest/smarts rather than just a love at first sight. the dramatic tension of first life vs. fixing things in second life also drives the plot and kept me on the hook; when I watch a drama, having it be interesting and an easy watch is v important
4) good quality costuming & scenery - I hate when other historical dramas look cheap or over the top, but I've aesthetically loved the costuming here :) one of the things I appreciate is seeing Chinese-style costuming and scenery, love that aspect of cultural exchange.
The whole support cast is excellent too, hope all the cast members get lots of awards for this show!!
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It's clever, thought-provoking, surprising and entertaining. It engrosses the viewer from the very beginning, accompanying one through a journey which is at the same time thrilling and disquieting.
The direction seems to have the quality of a dream in mind, what with the dark colours mixed with splashed of blood red, shiny yellow and electric blue. The acting follows the same pattern, constantly over the lines, like a classic theatrical piece, with exaggerated costumes and close-up shoots of frozen expressions.
Characterization is strong too. The main characters and the recurring secondary ones are vivid, clear cut, each one growing and yet remaining the same in substance.
Liar Game is a perfectly staged metaphor of life, with honesty vs. gain at the centre of it.
The music is perfectly chosen, building up when required by the scene, retiring to the background when more attention from the viewer is needed.
Rewatching is almost necessary, to pick up on elements overlooked on first viewing and to concentrate on the overall atmosphere and acting of the show.
Highly recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
“The song that I madly, deeply wanted to sing... That song should've been mine.”It's been exactly 3 weeks since I completed this movie, and I've made sure that I'm not emotionally attached or blindingly giving full scores. I can't find any fault in this piece, still. I never had such a hard time trying to put my amazement into words. I hate to spoil or guide you to view this film in a certain way, but I believe that the synopsis and the trailer are already a huge spoiler, so here's my attempt to elaborate:
Let me tell you first that this is not a “journey to stardom” kind of music movie or a story about two girls pulling each other's hair and fighting over a guy. Of course it does revolve around the themes of music and jealousy, but there are more to this than just being another love triangle story between musicians.
There is an absolute charm to how its English title accurately describes what this film has to offer. “Love, Lies” speaks for its entire composition: 50% hope and 50% despair, and I don't say that lightly; this film boldly runs for 1 hour telling the story of love, friendship, hope and dreams while building up the tension, then, later at its 50% mark, turns into a story of lies, jealousy, betrayal and broken heart for another hour. It also wraps up with guilt and consequences at the end, leading you to fully sympathize with every decision made by the main character no matter how crooked she’s become.
The setting in 1943-1945, the very end of Japanese occupation era in Korea, was fully utilized here and it intertwined so well with the music theme. It was the last two years that “gisaengs” existed. It was the most modern period of those Japanese backdrops. Also, Korea's liberation at the end of the story plays a good part. Here is where it could become difficult for some people to give this film a high score; the movie does require a little understanding of “musician mindset”.
Music is a form of art, and by art, it means there's no correct answer. It’s very subjective and personal. One may view music as something suitable for high class, but on the other hand it’s never wrong to think that music should belong to people in every social status. This conflict will set lover conflicts in motion in the story. So, think: What if your musician lover prefers someone else’s voice rather than yours? It’s unfavorable, but it’s not wrong, right?
Because the man in question is a musician – a pop music composer, it somewhat allows his unfavorable choices to slip through. It’s quite a given that his mind does not (need to) function entirely logically. He makes choices based on his artistic hunch. When he, according to the synopsis, “falls in love” with his girlfriend’s best friend, I came to fully accept the fact, although I didn’t support his decision either. And that was just one of the many reasons I loved how thoroughly planned the writing for this film was.
The Korean title for this movie “Hae-eo-hwa” is another old term for “gisaeng”, women who received high education in music to perform in front of and entertain men of high social status. “Hwa” means flower, so “haeeohwa” also means “a flower that understands human’s words”. The term represents how women (gisaengs) were treated as social inferior. This “haeeohwa” theme plays a big part in the film more than just suggesting the leads’ profession. One woman is willing to follow the guidance of a man she loves, and another goes against her own beliefs and throws herself at another man to gain power to take back what she loves.
All of these are combined into great storytelling, and in the end, you will see for yourself whether it was the “artistic mindset”, the social derogation of women, a man’s swayed heart, a friend’s betrayal… or it was entirely something else that ruined it all.
“Why did ____ not know back then that it was good enough?”
Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on the minor character Kim Okhyang. She doesn’t appear often, but she’s another character that will leave you with many thoughts in the end.
--
I was stunned by Han Hyojoo’s acting as the sweet yet heartbroken Jung Soyul. Facial expressions were the key to this character’s portrayal, and she was utterly perfect. Casting Chun Woohee as Han Hyojoo’s best friend who needs to look and feel smaller and a bit inferior was also a great decision. Yoo Yeonseok’s laid-back demeanor was definitely suitable for his music composer role. He also deserves compliments for his months of effort in practicing piano just for this movie. Everyone including the supporting cast really made this movie come to life.
As for the music, there are plenty of music movies that fail to deliver an excellent result in the music department. This movie did not just reach my expectation but surpassed it to an exceptional level. Traditional “Jeongga” music and 1940’s trot are not what would appeal to everyone’s ears, but this movie made their music very sweet, easy to listen and memorable. For additional points, the two lead actresses performed every song themselves, and they were spectacular.
Lastly, the artistic department deserves great compliments. Locations, costumes and props were top-notch. Cinematography presented this film in vibrant colors, and the composition was beautiful from the beginning till the end. Everything was grand and aesthetically pleasing here.
I usually don’t rewatch, but I will definitely watch this one many times.
I absolutely recommend this film to everyone.
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This can be considered one of the best, if not the best, Korean BL serries ever setting a very high bar for all other KBLs to follow.
Lets be objective for a minute. The show didnt give us anything new -University themed BL, check! Enemy to lovers, big check! A questionably straight(!) guy suddenly falling for another seemingly straight guy, double check! Is there anything new, big X!
The camera work is your typical Korean - clean with an almost always early morning filter/vibe (you know, its like the main actors are always sparkling) The pacing was a little off for me and after a few episodes, it felt a little repeatitive. I even suspect that the budget is limited and everything was shot within just a few days.
However, despite the unassuming, overused plot, lies an entertaining, panty-dropping, 3 drops of pee and butterfly-in-the-stomach inducing execution that no matter how predictable the show is, you just cant help but long for the next episode. Actually, this may even be the most excited i felt for a Korean BL.
Its greatest strength, and lets also not kid oursleves, is the 2 actors. We stayed because they are absolutely gorgeous, and as cliche as it sounds, their chemistry is electric. Park Seo Ham played Jae Young perfectly and Park Jae Chan's newbie acting worked with what the show needed - his acting was so robotic I half-expected them to reveal that this is infact a scifi BL show and that Sang Woo is an android at the cusp of learning new things. Alas, he wasnt.
I would have liked to see their actual game working, i guess the budget and the time didnt allow for it.
Rewatch value, 9.5stars! It is so addicting ive seen each episode 3 times. Overall, its a 9.5!
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the BEST costumed BL from China ( THIS IS A BIASED REVIEW, SEE RATING FOR BETTER ASSESSMENT)
Does it really deserve 9.5, no; in a critical sense. But I can't be unbiased in this, because this drama has made me laugh out loud and cry like a baby.For a drama that is known to have a low budget and with two leads having not much a fan support before this drama, this drama has achieved way more than what other big budget production has not. I do think as fans of BL, especially from China with it's censorship, we need to reward productions who do not skew from the original story, who do non add random female characters, who do focus on story telling with intentions and a POV.
The story is adapted to television and flows through quickly and is evenly paced, the actors brings the life and blood to their characters (leads and side characters), For any viewers with keen sense, this is not a BL adaptation, it's BL. The chemistry between the two MLs are palpable in every scene, as they play back and forth with their words, their gazes, and their body language. They are playful and true to their characters, and I cannot praise enough of Gong Jun's acting in this. At first, I was hesitant to receive his "overt" "eye" acting, but it just conveys so much of his character as being the naive "cat" without it being overacting or farcical. He handles it just right. And ZZH is so good playing the reluctant role of the "mouse" with such subtlety and finesse, that you will find new hints of his intentions at every rewatch. Not to mention all the dynamic supporting roles, written with back stories and characteristic intent that supports this Wuxia JiangHu.
All in all, the script writer deserves the most praise, because for once it's handled by one lady Xiao Chu, who is a Wuxia fan and a fan of Priest. Her love and understanding of the Wuxia genre and the original text really shows how she organically expanded a what is considered a short story in Priest's world. Her adept handling of the subject and the challenges the topic of BL in her homeland is just so perfect, not to mention her knowledge of Chinese literary culture and history brings so much more to artistry to a laymen's entertainment such as tv drama.
After finishing the drama, I can say this drama has brought the standards of not just BL dramas, but all recent Chinese Wuxia drama standards, up, in terms of story telling. This production has told us you do not need big budget, main leads with rabid fans, all you need is good acting, good direction, and good script to capture the audiences' hearts.
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Ding Yu Xi to the rescue
I will start off by saying this.. The FL would have ended up dead in a ditch somewhere in the name of investigation if she hadn't been married to the ML.. The characters in the drama are not well developed.. The ML literally carried the entire show.. Should have been a 30 ep drama at the max.. The cases and investigations in the second half were just plain stupid.. And she was getting promoted in every few episodes while all she managed to do was almost getting herself killed or her husband.. Lu Chui Chui was miserable.. Apart from Jing Lin every other side characters were just meh.. And as always there is a pathetic pervert hitting on a married woman in this one as well.. I dont understand why such characters are glorified..The first half of the drama was good.. It had a good pace and made me wanna watch.. But the second half just went downhill.. Losing its momentum and falling flat compared to the beginning.. The pacing in the second half dragged and it felt like the drama was stretching beyond its limit.. There were no plot twists in the last few episodes.. Just some stupid power moves which actually was pretty stupid.. It was just a poorly thought out conclusion..
Still you cant expect every drama to be Blossoms in Adversity or Who Rules the World.. The biggest disappointment for me was how the ML's character completely failed to do himself justice.. He started off as this badass intimidating figure feared by everyone.. But by the end he was reduced to someone who was being taunted by the FL’s friends and even a random kid.. It felt like all his strength and presence just disappeared.. Overall its just a one time watch.. It’s not something I’d rewatch..
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I wasn't too sure about the story in the beginning, and I'll admit that throughout this drama there were moments were I thought it would go south. However, after I finished it, I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. The writers pulled off the storyline wonderfully. Even when the plot seemed a bit too complicated to execute well, the writers did a great job at it!
Now, I just want to talk a little about the acting in this drama. Honestly, this is one of the most well acted dramas I've seen so far. Park Bo Young and Jo Jung Suk have AMAZING chemistry. I would find myself playing certain scenes over and over again, just because these two are so great together! The way their relationship grows from beginning to end is so sweet. I also want to say that these two share the most real and believable kisses I've ever seen in a drama. Seriously! Whenever they were on screen, I would always look forward to how they would interact with each other. Part of that is because this drama has really down to earth acting. You can tell that all the actors have fun with their roles (especially the kitchen crew), and they bring that excitement to the screen. Not only are the interactions between Na Bong and Chef very real and believable, but the interactions between all the other characters as well. I loved watching the kitchen crew going through their day, bickering and cracking jokes at one another. Their acting was so real that I would forget what they were saying was actually scripted. It was fun watching them, especially during the moments where you could tell they were about to break out of character and burst out laughing! I especially loved Sous Chef (Kang Ki Young). Some people might find him a little annoying, but honestly he made me laugh numerous times throughout the drama!
Im Joo Hwan is also amazing in this drama. His portrayal of Officer Choi was spot on, and I was really moved by his character towards the end. The same goes for Kim Seul Gi (Soon Ae). There were times where I was a little confused and annoyed about where her character was going plot wise, but toward the end I'd come to understand and appreciate what she did for the story.
This drama does have some minor flaws, like pacing issues in the last few episodes and sort of a rushed ending. Despite all that, this drama is still a perfect 10/10 for me. I don't normally do reviews, so the fact that I came here to write this immediately after I finished it is saying something. If you're looking for a great romance/comedy/mystery drama with amazing acting and lovable characters, then give Oh My Ghost a chance!
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One unique Thai drama! + THE BEST CHEMISTRY EVER!❤️❤️
I've been watching American and asian dramas for the past twelve years, I can assure you, its something I've never seen in my life before! STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!It is so amazing that it gives you a total roller coaster ride - especially in the last few episodes. Make sure to watch it with subtitles!
The story is a big plus for the drama, and the main leads - Mark and Mew did an amazing job. AND THEIR CHEMISTRY IS JUST MIND BLOWING!!! I can't imagine any other actors playing the characters.
You may find the first episode nothing extraordinary, but the last few minutes of ep1 will make you go on with the drama. By episode 6 or 7, you will be hooked on- its totally addictive and when the drama is over be ready to get delusional, watching their off-screen and bts videos in Instagram, trying to slap yourself out of Tian and Muey’s world!
Mark and Mew portrayed the emotions of Thien and Moei perfectly! The male lead is handsome, smart, arrogant and stuck up but cares for the female lead without knowing it himself. And when he realises his love for her, it's just sweet and emotional. The female lead is Not your typical drama character but she's cute, funny, energetic, sassy, smart, bold and really caring and totally lovable. Her selfless care for her loved one is just adorable ❤️.
And I don't have any words to describe the scenes when they confess their love for each other. Mark and Mew's acting is just out of the world!! Believe me, Mark and Mew literally make you laugh when they laugh and you'll cry when they cry.
Also the dialogues of the female lead and the little poem snippets are just sassy and lovable❤️. The scenes shot in Myanmar and Mew in traditional Myanmar dress are just beautiful and worth watching! Plus Mew nittha's bright smile really suits Moei's character!
Not only the main leads, but also the TPC gang, Hammock gang, P'Ri, P'Mon, and Thien's mom, Yada and Co. (also Ohuya dog and Snow cat) did a very good job . You won't find any annoying characters in the drama, and the plot doesn't involve Revenge, kidnap, forced love unlike typical Thai drama (no offense to those who like them though!)
On the whole every character in the drama makes it enjoyable. The cinematography is really good! And the music is also amazing! Loved the Ost by Sin (singular). Also don't miss their promotional interviews and special events, its all over Instagram with subtitles. (People went crazy asking for subs even for promotions !)
The only minus I could point out is the editing in some episodes was a bit sloppy when they tried to add the flash back scenes, but it doesn't affect the story. Also, there's a bit of drama in last couple of episodes, however the director aptly justified it in an interview, quoting
'love doesn't end with the word LOVE,
love doesn't end with loving each other,
but love needs understanding and confidence in each other.'
Overall the drama has humour, romance, hot scenes, but also emotional and very sweet. Don't miss it! This will be that one drama I'll never be able to forget in my life! Hoping to watch another drama by mark and Mew soon. MARK AND MEW HAVE GOT THE BEST CHEMISTRY EVER!! And they'll be my favourite on-screen couple! (I do respect their personal life!)
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Shining as Each Other's Light
Love Like The Galaxy (星汉灿烂) is adapted from the novel of the same name (星汉灿烂, 幸甚至哉). Love Like The Galaxy narrative revolves around Cheng Shaoshang, daughter of the Cheng family, who was left by her parents when she was a baby; and Ling Buyi, a general who’ trying to unfold the conspiracy behind what happened in the past. The drama narrative then starts years later, during the return of her parents.Love Like The Galaxy storytelling is executed nearly to perfection; the story unfolds at a casual pace, with a gradual development of the characters, unravelling their background story and relationships. The drama also has an interesting storyline with a really well-conceived and realistically written character, every character is multi-faceted and complex, with their own background story. It also has a lot of interesting characters and relationship dynamics; their relationship dynamic is realistically and convincingly portrayed.
The first 10 episodes of the drama started off with a hint of comedic and light-hearted note, which is really pleasing. I absolutely adore the comedic elements in the drama with the storytelling approach. The drama's comedic elements are not forced nor cheap, it is genuinely light-hearted and funny, and I adore how they use wordplay. I especially love how Shaoshang is always on her wits to fight back against others who bully her or people around her. The first 10 episode shows Shaoshang's family dynamic, her relationship with her mother, father, brothers, and more. Some scenes were really heartbreaking to see but also heartwarming at the same time. Moving on, the drama gradually shows Shoashang’s growth, how she learns to rely on herself, find love and more. There are happiness, sadness, anger, disappointment and all.
It is comforting to see a drama that focuses on the family dynamics, not all on romance. I personally love how the romance between Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang is taking time, instead of both of them falling in love at first sight. We can gradually see how Shaoshang starts to develop feelings for Ling Buyi because of his gesture and actions, which is more realistic. Though they have very different personalities, it is very pleasant to see how they learn to love, learn to grow up and face problems around them; they are made for each other.
The drama is directed by Fei Zhenxiang, who is known for directing Candle in The Tomb series. This drama is his first time directing a historical drama and he did a really remarkable job. He is able to show his unique and distinct style, and deliver the picture he has in mind. Also because of his experience in tomb raiding dramas, he is able to portray those bloody scenes really well.
Love Like The Galaxy also has really impressive cinematography and sets, it has beautiful wide shots, immersive tracking shots, and many more pretty shots. For now, I especially love the one-long take on episode 7 and the lantern festival shots! The shot is really fluid and immersive. Moreover, the cinematography and colour grading really reflected every atmosphere and situation, it will leave a deep impression on the audience. Through the cinematography and set, you can see that this drama has a big budget and it is allocated well. The fire during the lantern festival is not created using CGI, it is real, the production team spent 3 days creating a new building and for it to be burned down.
The characterizations of each role in the drama are immensely elevated by the excellent acting of Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei. They deliver such an in-depth and rich character arc, with a myriad of emotional expressions. Both of the actors are able to convey their emotions through micro expression and the way they articulate every scene is really praiseworthy. They have small actions that reflect their emotion, for instance, how Ling Buyi’s eyebrow slightly raised when he saw Shaoshang; and how Shaoshang looks away when she saw her mother being close to her cousin instead of her.
The character, Cheng Shaoshang was stellarly portrayed by Zhao Lusi. She did a very good job, it is unimaginable that others can pull off Shaoshang’s character in such a compelling way. Through this drama, she also manages to show everyone that she can also play dramas other than tianchongs drama. She manages to show the character’s sincerity, but also complex and intriguing at the same time, not compromising on what the character experienced. Zhao Lusi manages to infuse her character with kindness and righteousness, also with a sense of pragmatism. Throughout the drama, she also was able to portray layers of Shaoshang; Shaoshang’s facade of being ignorant and unruly but also her fragility and her longing to be loved by her family. Zhao Lusi also uses her own voice here, I love how she has this milky and soft voice that is really soothing! But also, because of her milky voice, some part with heavier elements makes falls short, due to her lack of emotional line delivery.
Wu Lei also did a very notable job! Seeing him in the drama, really makes me feel that he has really grown up, he is no longer the kid in Nirvana in Fire. Ling Buyi is a hard role to play since he has a cold and indifferent exterior, but at the same time he is also complicated, he is sincere and sinister at the same time. But Wu Lei managed to execute it to perfection with his articulation, bearing, stance, and his micro-expressions. He especially displays a remarkable line delivery, which shows Ling Buyi’s authority. Some might dislike how he only has this one expression throughout the drama, but I love it. Because you will gradually see how his character starts changing, how he began to smile more because of Shaoshang’s presence.
Love Like The Galaxy also has enchanting music scoring and realistic yet sweet lines. The drama has bold music scoring with traditional Chinese instruments that match every situation so well. The diegetic and non-diegetic sound is very fitting to every situation. Moreover, the dialogues in the drama are also very realistic. Though realistic, it still didn’t take away its romantic essence of it.
The drama also has some very interesting detail, such as:
1. Ep 11: Yuan Shen broke the shaoshang string while he was playing the guqin, foreshadowing that he’ll not end up with Shaoshang.
2. Ep 12: Shaoshang used a shaoshang string to save Ling Buyi. The string was drenched in blood, which also becomes a red string, connection to 月老, god of love
3. Shaoshang and her fiancées carriage detail:
- Luo Yao-open cart. He won’t be able to go through wind and rain (difficulties)
- Yuan Shen-carriage. He sat in main seat (self centered)
- Ling Buyi-big stable carriage. SS sat in main seat, he sat on side guarding her.
4. Ling Buyi is often framed in a wide shot and positioned in a high place. Showing that he has high and influential power, but also makes him look lonely. And It was only after he met Shaoshang, that those wide high angle shots gradually lessens.
Love Like The Galaxy is considered to release early, they released the drama and also working on the post-production at the same time. LLTG team still did a notable job in editing, but I can’t help to notice that in the latter episodes the CG was not as good and as smooth as in the beginning episodes.
All in all, do give this drama a try! After watching the first two episodes of the drama, you'll find yourself wanting more. The drama visuals, story, and emotion will pull you in deep. And every episode keeps on getting better and better, with unexpected comedic and heartbreaking twists and turns. You would find yourself watching back some of the clips just to appreciate the dialogue and actions.
P.s. I also love how they especially edit their trailer, unlike other drama where they just edit a 1-minute scene of the next episode, LLTG team especially meticulously edit their trailer, leaving the audience to guess and interprets what is going to happen in the next upcoming episode.
“Might as well expect less from others, and be better to yourself. You’ll live more comfortably.”
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How to Date a Single Mom with a Child
I didn’t start watching this drama when it began airing because I couldn’t get over the image I have of Liu Xueyi as Hao Chen in “Love and Redemption”. But one episode in, I was completely drawn in by the acting, the storyline and the humor. It's exhilarating and funny, at the same time, rather serious, dark and oxymoronic, with a hidden super villain, mysteries, conspiracies, murders and plenty of hot kisses. This drama beats many other dramas which are concurrently airing.Yu Qingluo (Wang Ziwei), a single mom with a 6-year old boy, Nan Nan (Zhang Zihan), is trying to find a father for her child. Time and time again her dates are being sabotaged by the little boy until she falls in love with Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Strangely Nan Nan also takes a liking to her lover, as if they have some sort of an invisible bond. Indeed Nan Nan has earlier made Ye Xiudu his disciple who has to pay with the price of unlimited supply of crispy fried chickens.
Yu Qingluo is a brilliant so-called “ghost” doctor (“guiyi”) as opposed to an “angel” doctor (“shenyi”) because she uses poisons to heal. She is strong, calm, unpretentious and fearless. She is always flanked by 4 very young, good looking and formidable leaders of prominent organizations/sects as protectors who vowed to protect her and her son with their lives because she has saved all of them under different circumstances. Though kind and vows to save lives, she also kills as a tit-for-tat. She pays back anyone who has come to harm her or her child. This quality really thrills the viewers (well, at least me).
Wang Ziwei is beautiful and mature, and her acting is top notched as a young single mother. She makes motherhood look excruciatingly fun with her super intelligent 6 years old son. And what an adorable bundle Nan Nan is. I am so impressed by the child actor Zhang Zihan’s acting. He brings to life the little Nan Nan’s character, adding a lot of joy to the drama, making the viewers love not just the little boy himself, but all the characters around him, in particular Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Nan Nan’s favorite food is crispy fried chickens and there is no lack of chicken dishes in almost all Nan Nan’s scenes, that would certainly make many viewers salivating (I feel hungry watching the crispy fried chickens, KFC is of no match). I adore the mother/child relationship here. Their dynamics are heart warming and really funny; ear twisting, face squeezing and pony tail pulling are norms. Throughout the drama until he finds out who his birth father is, Nan Nan has been sabotaging his mother's relationship with any men whom he finds overly intimate with his mother.
A fearsome general and a royalty, Ye Xiudu has unbeatable martial art skills. On the surface, he is serious and upstanding, but at the flip side, he is quirky: he has vasovagal syncope and faints with the sight of blood (imagine that for a general who kills in battles, also reminds me of husbands who faint at their wives' childbirths. That's why he has to blindfold himself when he fights because he cannot look at blood), and he is narcissistic and bombastic. All these traits make the Ye Xiudu character hilarious, laughable and very lovable too. Calling his romance with Yu Qingluo super funny is an understatement. There is a pattern for the OTP: they meet, fall in love, lose memory, meet again, fall in love again, lose memory again, multiple times. I have been prejudiced by associating Liu Xueyi as an antagonist. But here I come to really like him. His acting is superb, capturing all the quirkiness there is of his character. He is a wonderful actor.
There are many very lovable and funny side characters and the acting by the whole cast is authentic and fabulous. At the most tensed and dangerous moments, conflicts are resolved in the nick of time; the hero always appears at the very last and crucial moments.
My Verdict
This is an amazing drama with a hilarious storyline. It is action packed, fast paced but balanced by the romantic moments. With only 24 episodes, it wastes no time with fillers. Having said that, the pace slows down a lot towards the last 2 episodes. There is a lot of kissing scenes, intentional or accidental, in almost every episode. Everything is crazy and over exaggerated, including the romance. The whole drama is like a mash-up that mixes “Butterfly Lovers” to the giant flying mushroom, to the blind wuxia fighter of Gu Long's Hua Manlou, with tropes like multiple memory losses and multiple falling-off-cliff-and-survive scenes. Random uses of random music and jingles add on the light-heartedness. Imagine hearing a Christmas song in a Chinese historical drama (at the end of Episode 10, the tune “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” is played, cheekily, to create a cute mood). Animal sounds, such as a cockerel's crow or a goat’s bleat, are played to signify a blunder made. And modern vibes are inserted here and there brilliantly. It is as if the writers try to make the whole thing as preposterous and as outrageous as possible to poke the viewers for fun.
Despite the fun and non-seriousness, the writing is pretty tight and the editing is quite good, even the CGIs are rather well done. I’m particularly impressed by Yu Qingluo’s pet scorpion which is also her weapon. This doesn't seem like a run-of-the-mill production.
I give this drama a very high rating because it makes me laugh out loud so hard. We know it's a dumb story as it constantly reminds us that this is a crazy drama with a lot of silly stuff. A viewer puts it succinctly, "It's not the comedy nor the music, but the whole thing so lame that makes it laughable." I agree. So one mustn't take it seriously. The whole thing is like a cartoon, with comical music to egg it on. So folks, lighten up! We all need it.
A great watch for the family and to fight off the pandemic lockdown blues. A delightful show you don't want to miss!
BRAVO!
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The story is not a very complicated one. You have an obsessive school girl who's crazy about her teacher and thinks what they have is love. The teacher wavers slightly and pays the price for it with his family at stake. A simple setting but what sets this movie apart are the layers of complexities in each character's personality. More so than the obsession, the film makes you see these characters as individuals whose stories you are watching. A really well directed and written piece.
The actors did a splendid job. Jang Hyuk and Jo Bo Ah were completely engrossed in their roles. I really need to mention that these people have a huge age gap in real life and to portray such a tender and hard-to-digest topic with such realism is commendable. There were times when I was too repulsed to watch the scenes but couldn't take my eyes off of the screen because the actors were doing such a brilliant job. Worth the watch for the actors' work if not anything else.
It is definitely not something just anybody can see. You need the appetite for this sort of movie. When they say there's lust, betrayal, obsession and revenge, they mean it. There's no sugarcoating anything here. Just raw emotions. In fact, I don't think I'd be able to watch this movie again even if I wanted to. Everyone gave such a powerful performance, It's going to stay in my head for a long time.
I might not have enjoyed this movie in the true sense of enjoying a movie, but I sure respect and admire the work. It's a really good movie. Not made for everyone though. It's also rated R because of explicit scenes that are shown, but there's nothing extremely offensive about them. So that's another thing to consider before watching the movie if you're not ready for that sort of content.
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QUEEN OF IDIOCY AND HER BIGGEST SIMP.
A show that looked quite interesting and engaging from its trailer and previews only to end up as a total dud. The episodes get boring with each case and rarely are moments of anything exciting. It is draggy and even gets annoying sometimes especially the entire relationshit arc between the leads.One of the most dumbest female leads to ever exist. I still don't know how she even managed to become a lawyer. From the previews it looked like she will be one strong willed and badass lady but all you get is an idiotic damsel in distress who just keeps putting herself into dangerous situations, only to be rescued by ML. In almost very ep, she just keep crying and lamenting.
Kang Ki Young finally getting a lead role but just the wrong show. His character is a huge doormat of a simp who just cannot move on from a lady who dumped him to marry someone richer and influential. The entire past love arc was pure crap and would have been better if not kept in the show. Dude keeps on getting hurt by FL's decisions and keeps coming back wiggling his tail.
There is no chemistry between the leads and neither is any character progression. I would say the relation arc between Sara and her ex husband was way better than the ex boyfriend turned coworker dude.
I would say the antagonists were way better than the leads and at some parts I even wanted them to win be it the ex husband or his mother. They did really well with their part.
If you are looking for some exciting law and thriller stuff, this show ain't worth your time.
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This movie is not a comedy. Although there are some funny moments, it is a very deep, beautiful, and touching story. I don't think anyone but Yeo Jin-Goo could have so thoroughly brought Soo-Myung to life - his every expression is PERFECT and seriously this boy tells stories without ever opening his mouth. His character is the perfect foil for Lee Min-Ki's Seung-Min, and their bromantic chemistry is just amazing.
The way the two main characters interact and influence each other leads to perfectly executed character development. I'm trying to write a serious review here but all I want to do is gush endlessly. This is very much a character-driven movie, but the pacing is just right, and you certainly won't ever be bored!
I have a weakness for stories focusing on friendship and another weakness for anything psychology related. I think the way the film handles the topic of mental illness is appropriate - it shows you hardships but it also doesn't leave you feeling hopeless.
It doesn't get too into detail with the side characters and their problems, but instead focuses on Soo-Myung and Seung-Min's issues and growth, which I actually think is a good thing, because it allowed them to fully develop - which is not to say the supporting characters are flat, because they aren't, and they are able to shine in their own right without taking the spotlight away from the mains.
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This drama is in some ways your typical historical Chinese palace drama which as expected, revolves around rivalry between concubines and endless plots to take each other out of the picture. However, Yanxi Palace provides a less conformative story line with an independent and smart heroine who is loyal to those who genuinely help her and doesn't take BS from anyone (even the emperor). The plot twists within the drama were also unique and often unexpected, when watching I never knew what was going to happen next. It is these minor details that differ it from other palace dramas and make it worth a watch.
I'm sad this is over especially as who knows when I'll next find a drama that can match up to it but I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone who doesn't mind seeing all the male characters with the half shaven head hairstyle (doesn't matter how many dramas I watch, still not a fan) and likes a sassy and smart heroine who stays true to herself.
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