Reviews

The Main Takeaway: A lot of unnecessary tropes (and a few characters) shoved in but they are forgivable, beautiful friendship and family, amazing acting, positive and accurate look at fangirls, and a cute but also hot love story (so overall I would recommend!).

I was honestly just looking for another drama to binge, something simple and light with no dramatic storyline that was difficult to follow, and this drama did an excellent job of fulfilling that. Although (to my pleasant surprise) it was also so much more than that.

Right off the bat you are introduced to Deok Mi, a strong and independent female lead living a double life; part time fan page manager and part time gallery curator. I loved this unique combination and fell deeply in love with her. Park Min-Young does an exceptional job delivering the excitable emotions of a devoted fan, while not playing up the stereotype of fanatic idol fans. One thing that many other reviews have complemented is the chemistry, and I have to agree. The chemistry was AMAZING. I was smiling like an idiot for Doek Mi and Ryan's relationship because it so effortless, natural and hot.

This drama is a great watch for idol fans, you are able to connect to the main lead instantly and are able to understand the happiness she feels when she gets to take a selfie with her bias.

I have to compliment the friendship goals between Seon Joo and Deok Mi. I LOVED ALL OF THEIR SCENES TOGETHER. I also liked Seon Joo's side story that was happening, it showed a different situation in terms of romance as she had a family and I gotta say, I genuinely learned some stuff from her.

Unfortunately, one thing I REALLY wish they didn't do in this drama is have the fate trope. It was only revealed in the last 2 episodes, though foreshadowing via dreams was included in earlier episodes. When the two leads already have amazing chemistry and the audience is already sold on the fact that this is the perfect couple, shoving the fate trope down our throats felt so unnecessary and incredibly boring to watch, especially if you've seen the same thing in multiple other dramas. The only positive thing I can say is that it definitely hits you in the feels (but like in a 'you may almost cry' kinda way) and you get to see the relationship begin to form between Ryan and Deok Mi's moms, as well as the anticipated art exhibition. ALTHOUGH I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THE LAST 2 EPS UNLESS YOU REALLY REALLY WANT TO SEE HOW THE LOOSE STRINGS GET TIED UP.

Another thing I personally dislike in dramas is when a brother-like figure is the second male lead. It feels uncomfortable and you have to watch a period of time when the main female lead and "brother" have an awkward relationship with each other until they sort it out. Luckily the whole second male lead thing wasn't played up too much here and they fairly quickly resolve the awkwardness. Although it did feel very unnecessary (especially because as I mentioned, the chemistry between the Deok Mi and Ryan was so undeniable).

It also gave off a few of "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" Vibes but I wouldn't let that stop you from watching it, in fact I would use that as a reason to watch it. Kinda like secretary kim upgraded?

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This show has become one of my favorites and I highly recommend it. There was so much to like. Good story line, the interaction between the characters and a good ending (though a wedding would of been nice) rather then the soft endings seen in many Kdramas where the viewer is left hanging, meaning the viewer isn’t given closure. The supporting cast was good. I’ve become a fan of Kim Mi-Kyung who plays Sung Deok-Mi’s mother.
I like how the male and female lead characters stayed with each other throughout the entire show. No painful brake ups and separations.

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1-The reason i watched this : i was so bored then i found this movie so i decided to watch it in a try to cheer up but i end up getting even more bored, i was mostly attracted by the numerous stories .

2-Storyline/Plot : At first i thought that the story of the movie is going to make me love it since it have 5 diffrent love stories in summer but i was wrong i end up hating it, i usually fall for movies with numerous stories but this movie's story wasn't that good it was fair not the kind of story that will grasp your attention from the first moment.

3-Acting/Cast : the only strength point in this movie; it got some great actors that knows how to deliver feelings.

4-Music : i don't actually remember it so it got to be that bad.

5-Rewatch value : i couldn't stand watching it once and kept skipping some parts how about rewatching it i must be crazy if i do so.

6-The ending : the kind of ending that everyone want to see, i was expecting it anyway so there isn't much to tell about it because i hate it when i expect the ending and it turn out to be the same as my expectations. I was hoping that they will surprise me or something yet what i was anticipating actually happened.

7-Overall : i won't say watch it or not because that's up to you but if you're bored and looking for a movie to cheer up please avoid this movie, i really regret wasting my time on; it so not worth watching.

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Divide and conquer.

Qin Empire 2 or Qin Alliance on Netflix is about Ying Si or King Huiwen of Qin who reigned from 338-311 BC. More than a century later, Ying Zheng or Qin Shihuangdi succeeded in unifying the Warring States(221 BC). In an interesting parallel, Ying Si was the first of the Dukes of Qin to name himself 王/Wang or King. His more well known descendent subsequently declared himself 皇帝/Huangdi or Emperor. I watched this out of order after completing Qin Dynasty Epic, which is Ying Zheng's story and the final installation of this four part series that doesn't have to be watched in order. This review is going to be short as there is an excellent comprehensive review by @Skibbies. I will try to avoid repetition and focus on incremental observations, especially on how this differs from the final season.

What is most striking is that Ying Si really had it hard. When he came into power at eighteen, his father's clan and advisors were not fully behind him. And the Qin state was not especially powerful and existed in imminent danger of being swallowed by one of the other Warring States. Survival, much less ascendency was by no means a foregone conclusion. But Ying Si was a true conqueror - cunning, shrewd and utterly ferocious. Fu Dalong's masterful performance captures the remarkable indomitable spirit of the character and the sheer enormity and necessity of the task in front of him. This makes Ying Zheng, though so much more renown in history, seem like a lesser conqueror by comparison. For by then, Qin was already a superpower where the outcome was already inevitable.

The best parts of this drama are about how with the aid of his advisor and lifelong friend Zhang Yi, Ying Si was able to prevent five states from forming an alliance against Qin. They did this by some brilliantly crafted divide and conquer strategies that involved trickery, diplomacy and outright brutal and bloody warfare. Even though I was moved by Ying Si's deep relationship with Zhang Yi, I detested all of the so called genius strategists in this show, including Zhang Yi. I just could not stand their arrogance and sense of intellectual snobbery and how vile and evil these turds of history were. Their loyalty is not to king and country but can be bought by whoever could give them the most chess pieces to play with with little respect for the sanctity of life. To them, war is just a giant chess board where they can showcase their talent to the world. In the end Ying Si prevailed over all of them not because Zhang Yi was smarter or more loyal but because for Ying Si it was a battle for survival won by blood and sacrifice. His army would have gone to the ends of the earth for him because even while he took them to victory and glory, he truly felt the loss of and grieved for his fallen soldiers.

Even though I am sure it is heavily romanticized, I loved the portrayal of Ying Si's passionate and tempestuous relationship with the wild and wanton Empress Mi. What a woman! She lived life large, loved and hated and was at the end the bravest most loyal custodian of Ying Si's legacy. The drama lost momentum for me after Ying Si's death but the final two episodes where Empress Mi was both ruthless and compassionate at the same time ends this on a strong note.

While this production looks dated and lacks the aesthetic and cinematic appeal compared to more recent historical dramas, the acting of the main characters is top notch. The telling of the story overall, especially in the art of war is well done, not overly complex or difficult to follow. I could have done without knowing so much about Zhang Yi's personal life but there were some decent moments. This an 8.5 for me largely because I cannot praise enough how Fu Dalong's Ying Si is unforgettable and everything a Qin conqueror should be.

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yeaahhh , for me this movie is 10! wehh WHY ? because for me it is worth watching!!! well i think i watch this 4 to 6 times already the only reason is every time i watch this... i still cry in the end, haha :D well except that i love sad stories i just appreciate the movie if it has there own uniqueness and reality that happening in real life! for me the most touching stories filled with power of emotions that in the beginning it has cute and happy but then it has huge twist in the end... it was help the movie so much to became better because it was more sadder to the fact that you cannot say every one is just SOFT bcoz they crying watching this movie! believe me ... you will cry unexpectedly? wahaha well that's why i appreciate this movie a lot! T_T The Movie is Name SAD MOVIE but it is actually SAD MOVIE 'O' try maybe you like it?! as i do!

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I kind of am in a love/hate relationship with this show. I like how this is a show in which the main female lead can be considered "evil". You know why she's doing the things she does, you pity her for it, but also grow to hate her for it and keep saying "Haven't you had enough girl?". Which brings me to my second point. I love the acting, Lee Duk Hwa plays an excellent role as King Injo. He is portrayed very human, he has emotions too. He knows (in my opinion) very well what every one around him is thinking and planning, but he also wants to have someone around him and someone to love him, which makes him, to me, a very complicated and human character. Also Kim hyun Joo plays her role very very good. You pity her for being in her position and fully understand her reasons, but also hate her for her actions. There really is more to all the characters than meets the eye, if you're willing to look deeper and try to understand why they are doing this. If you're planning on watching this show, make sure to put yourself in to their shoes and try to understand their reasoning. Than this show is worth it.
One big problem I stepped on was the repetitiveness and slow progress of the story.

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Yes waiter, I'd like every single dramaland cliché on my plate please...

I'm shocked that no one wrote a review for this absolutely amazing, show-stopping, one of a kind, beautiful masterpiece. It is an utter disgrace.

My overdramatic self aside, I do believe everyone who has seen any of the titles that comprise of the name and plot for this one NEEDS to see this! Even if you haven't seen any of the titles this drama (yes, I believe this has earned the right to be considered that) parodies, you should still definitely check it out. Whether you're a fan of Monsta X or not, you will definitely find yourself laughing to no end.

STORY: I personally think it's genius how despite parodying the living heck out of multiple dramas, the story and characters still seem to have some individuality of their own, which is huge considering how quite a few proper dramas lack in this aspect. The ladies especially, take the cake here.

ACTING/CAST: Yoo Kihyun shines and is absolutely gorgeous as the naive, yet well meaning female lead Yeo Joo. He looks stunning in dresses and I really want him to act in the future. Im Changkyun (I.M) however, takes the cake in terms of acting. Portraying the evil mother of our bumbling yet somehow super cool male lead Nam Joo (Shownu), I.M shines and steals every single scene he's in. Definitely deserves a lot more recognition. Of course the rest of our cast, Joo Heon, Min Hyuk, Won Ho, and Hyung Won did well with their respective roles too.

MUSIC: There was tons of music, from classics to Monsta X's own discography, and it was cleverly placed, adding to the comedy.

Rewatch Value: I never really rewatch anything. But this I definitely will, anytime, anywhere.

Overall: I treated this like a parody of a serious review because this deserves that much attention and more! Definitely watch it if you have 30 minutes to spare. You will surely not regret this!

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Honest bits of gold in a sometimes-befuddled narrative

I really wanted to make this spoiler-free as possible, but there are a few spoilers in this review.

Let me start off by saying this is one of those rare drama where I wanted to hug every single one of our core characters for one thing or another, and in all my drama watching days, I truly don't think that has ever happened. These characters felt real and honest, and I truly cared about each of their plights, albeit in varying degrees. This is very much a character-driven drama.

It's also a drama where I found the dialogue to be so vivid in instances that it would immediately evoke images in my mind as if they were polaroid's. For example, in one of the earlier episodes Zheng Da Qian's father used a pancake metaphor to describe the heart. "Our hearts are like pancakes. You need to open it up before it can hold all the fillings (read: feelings) in it."

Or

When Da Qian asked her mother to paint her toes in the dead of winter in thick, thick layers, so much so, that the polish would remain for months after so that every time she looked at her toes she would remember her mother. Absolutely disgusting visual, but oddly sweet.

Or

When Da Qian and Mu Zi Li were talking about them reuniting decades later when they're old and gray and trembling when they got their marriage license. I pictured them with walkers heading into a city hall of sorts lol.

While on the topic of dialogue and the general script, I just need to give a shoutout to how self-aware the script is and how self-aware the screenwriter wrote our two protagonists, Da Qian and Zi Li. This was not a drama where our protagonists expected to change anything for their present or future life. They were completely aware that this was not their world (more Da Qian than Zi Li for the first half of the drama). That in all possibilities, this could very well be a dream, so whether they woke up or returned, nothing would change.

This was a drama about closure for Da Qian and possibly self-discovery for Zi Li. This made watching their actions almost tangible, more so than watching characters in similar dramas who believe that this fantastical thing they're experiencing is real and they can incur changes to their present or future when 99% of the time we as the audience know that it'll end as a dream or coma. This made the situations in this drama that our protagonists, their families, and other characters were in feel much less abstract and rooting for them to overcome obstacles much more tangible.

Speaking of obstacles, for the most part, a fair number of them didn't feel stupid or trivial. In general, this drama wasn't bogged down by problem after problem. The problems that were presented I could understand on some level. I totally understood the confusion Zi Li had about his feelings for "Baihe" Da Qian after his memories returned. I understood why he pulled away because he knew that he was 100% in love with his world's Da Qian. I understood why other characters thought Da Qian was different, but Zi Li, even without his memories, thought that she was the same as always because she was in fact the same Da Qian he's always known. I understood the brief rift between Da Qian and Mi Lan when her dad was taken advantage of even if he played his own part. The way problems were handled with levels of care from not only the scriptwriter, but also the characters, made wading through the problems do-able.

That's another thing, even if there was a problem between characters or obstacles presented, the characters at the core cared about the others. They'll be mad their father was taken advantage of, but they'll make efforts to find a person they hold responsible as a rag-tag group in the middle of the night in a snowstorm. They'll come back home after experiencing what feels like disappointment after disappointment with a husband who won't try, even swearing it's a good thing if something happened to him, after the husband goes missing. They'll continue to put up the ruse with someone who doesn't want them to know they're dying from last-stage prostate cancer because the last thing they need to do is comfort them. Or they'll trudge through a snow-filled forest for hours to find someone they told to find a place and die because it's something they said in he heat of the moment because they've worked their butt off to find them a job they're just willing to throw away. Or they'll ask to forgo chemotherapy to go home because it's hopeless and all they want to do is be with the person they love.

I've watched a ton of dramas in my years, but I don't think I've come across a heroine with such a deep-level of empathy as Zheng Da Qian (at least in the c-dramas that I've watched). She's stubborn, but also empathized with pretty much every character and actively tried to repair relationships that had nothing to really do with her. This drama required a lot of dramatic scenes from Qiao Xin and she did extremely well here. Her crying scenes were so good and so heartbreaking for me. But not just her, everyone had their moments to completely shine and you empathized with all of the core characters. No character was perfect and that's why they felt lived in and resonated with me so well. So much heart this drama had and some truly beautiful moments.

As far as the romance, it was there, it was good, but it never felt like it was at the forefront of the drama so I'm not gonna put it at the forefront of the review. In fact, there were a couple different developments for potential relationships, but that's not really what this drama is about so going into this expecting some grand romantic plot will probably lead to disappointment.

Before I wrap this up, I also appreciated how both Da Qian's changed things for each other, repairing relationships, With this drama it felt like plot points weren't just left hanging in either worlds (even if we spent the majority of out time in the Baihe world). Every plot point got proper endings even if they weren't wrapped up in nice little bows. Not everything in life is wrapped up pretty.

So often fantastical dramas like this fall under the weight of the parameters of the world that they built, but happily, this did not. The ending made sense. Everything must eventually return to its rightful place. This is not a time-travel drama so this is how it got around Chinese censorship and this already puts it ahead of a lot of it's predecessors in my book. The idea of changing things not for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor, but for another you is beautiful.

As far as the befuddled narrative I mentioned at the beginning, I personally didn't care for the plot line with Zheng Da Qian's ex, no matter how brief it was, it was unnecessary imo. Since this is the only thing that I really feel the need to nitpick, this drama did pretty damn well for me. I did struggle with whether or to I wanted to give this drama an 8.5 or 9 rating and I decided to go up to 9 because of how emotionally invested in the characters I was.

This drama has a lot of heart, characters to root for, and it's goddamn funny to boot!

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If I'm honest, I think I liked the message more than the show...

"Hello, Me!" is a drama I have mixed feelings about. Although I did love the concept and self-love theme a lot, I could feel myself losing interest in this drama towards the end. In spite of dealing with serious things like grief and guilt, this drama tries to stay lighthearted and "feel good" which I think stopped it from becoming as deep as it could've been. I think playing it too safe and relying on tropes is what made me less excited about what was going to happen, but there was still a lot that I did like, and I'm glad I eventually watched it until the end.

I'll start with Ban Ha Ni, played by Choi Kang Hee. I think she is a great actress, and this character reminded me a bit of her role in "Heart to Heart", which I really liked, but one petty thing was driving me crazy. Sorry, but I just couldn't believe she was 37. Since so much about this drama is about her age, as opposed to Lee Re who is Ban Ha Ni at 17, I just kept wishing they bumped the time difference up to 25 years, which would have been way more realistic. Still, I did like the idea of the major contrast between her past self and current self and thought they were a great match. Lee Re is super cute and obnoxious but likable, which is the perfect contrast to Kang Hee's passive and worn-down version of Ha Ni. I won't go into the details of how and why their paths cross, but the idea of not being a disappointment to your past self was an inspiring theme, and what kept me initially engaged. Many of Ban Ha Ni's moments, at both ages, are silly and over the top which stops the story from ever getting too heavy, but I think that also backfired and made the story feel too repetitive and cliché at times. Convenient connections and "fated" situations became this drama's crutch. I appreciate that this drama wasn't too dark, or depressing, but the over the top comedy was sometimes too much.

Speaking of balance, this drama also stars Kim Young Kwang as Han Yoo Hyun, who was my favorite character even if his storyline was all over the place. He also played a similar role in Pinocchio (another favorite drama of mine) as a spoiled rich heir who is still sweet and considerate. In this drama he thankfully isn't the second lead. He's also cute and cheesy in "The Secret Life of My Secretary", so this is definitely his lane, but any romance in "Hello, Me!" is definitely just implied and that was very disappointing. The chemistry between him and Kang Hee is cute but super platonic. They have cute teamwork moments, and the way he supports Ha Ni is like a loyal puppy more than a love interest. I guess I'm glad they didn't force the romance idea too much, but I wish they made them clearly just friends instead. Any small attempts at romance between the two just seemed too awkward, and forced. He did make me smile whenever he was on screen, which was another thing that kept me watching even when I stopped caring. He has such a great smile! More than with Ha Ni I loved his chemistry and banter with his dad, played by Yoon Joo Sang. Some of my favorite scenes in this drama were random moments between the two of them more than any moment between the leads. If romance is your reason for watching this, definitely lower those expectations.

The rest of the cast was also good but because so much of the story lacked depth so did many of their performances. Ha Ni's classmates and family are all great. Eum Moon Suk as Anthony is considered a lead, maybe even an intended 2nd lead, but as much as his story works as a direct counter narrative to Ha Ni's story, I just never cared as much about him and what happened to him. I also didn't really care about the drama in Yoo Hyun's family, beyond his back and forth with his dad, the fighting for company control trope felt really out of place in this drama. Then there is one Shaman character who feels completely unnecessary. A character that weird and random should have had much better scenes. In contrast, I adored the lunch lady duo. In fact I liked them way more than many of the more prominent characters.

Would I watch this again? I don't think so. I didn't even feel motivated to finish this drama but I still wanted to know what would happen to Ha Ni. I do feel like that part of the story ended well, and I was satisfied with that, but the ways that so many other parts of the drama were resolved were extra corny and predictable. I feel like maybe to counter the sad parts they made sure the ending was extra positive, which felt a little like overkill. I only learned after watching that this was a novel so I'm curious which parts were added to fill in the 16 episodes, because that's what a lot of it felt like.

Overall this drama is Ok. I think I liked the message and idea of the show more than watching all of the episodes. Some parts made me laugh, and some parts made me really cry, and I loved the theme of making peace with who you are no matter what. I wouldn't call this a must see drama by any means, but there are enough good things about it to make me recommend this to anyone looking for something that's not too deep or completely frivolous. If you're a scene skipper, this is the kind of drama that has many skippable scenes. Also, if you are on any kind of diet beware! Snacks and snack love are a major factor in this drama, which felt a little overdone, but I can appreciate the sentiment as a snack lover. This drama itself is kinda like a snack more than a meal. It may not be filling but if you're in the mood for comedy sprinkled with nostalgia and self reflection and with just a slight (very slight) hint of romance it might just hit the spot.

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Prescribing a dose of hope

Every so often in drama land, I would come across a gem of a drama that’s so low key, unassuming and totally under the radar. This drama truly is one of those rare gems, and I’m so fortunate and glad to have discovered it. When I chanced upon this show, I thought it was going to be similar to say Doctors (SK), Surgeons (China) or even Grey’s Anatomy (US), but with the focus on pharmacists instead of doctors, which piqued my curiosity because it’s never been done before as far as I’m aware. It turned out to be so much more than that.

Unsung Cinderella is adapted from the manga series "Unsung Cinderella Byoin Yakuzaishi Aoi Midori" by Mamare Arai. I’ve not read the manga but because of how fantastic this show is, I might just be tempted to pick up the manga, which comprises 5 volumes and still ongoing at the time of writing. This is a story about the pharmacist Aoi Midori’s experiences working at Tatsuya General Hospital. Unlike her colleagues including her peers and the higher ranked health care staff such as doctors and nurses, Midori has a big heart of gold and she’s not afraid to show it, even at the expense of crossing the boundaries of expected code of conduct and hospital regulations. She doesn’t treat her patients merely as case files, but she views them as human beings with unique circumstances and who are in need of genuine care and concern, beyond the routine impassive facade and superficial interaction when administering medication. Going beyond her scope of duty in no way diminishes her professionalism, and over the course of 11 episodes we see how her unorthodox approach actually brings added value that benefits those under her care.

Do not be fooled thinking that this drama is purely goodness and heart. From the very first minute in episode 1, I was completely caught off guard by the fast and furious action. Every episode addresses a particular medical condition concerning certain patients and is filled with action packed and fast paced scenes involving life and death situations, before slowing down to focus on the complexities of human drama. This episodic procedural format works very well by incorporating enough urgency and agency that it never gets dull or monotonous, while cases are neatly resolved within each episode.

The overarching storyline and the different cases are very creatively conceived, while the main and supporting characters are superbly written to be realistic and relatable that I cannot help but empathize with them and hence become totally invested in the show. Kudos to Mamare Arai for creating this masterpiece, and the screenwriter for adapting it into this well made production.

The producers couldn’t have selected a better cast for this production. This is my first time seeing Ishihara Satomi in a drama, having seen her in various films over the years and what a talented actress she is. She brings to life the role of Midori and in fact, she does resemble the manga character to a certain degree. Her ability to convey the nuances in the emotional moments as well as her portrayal of a health care professional is utterly convincing to me. Narita Ryo’s Onozuka Ryo is also very interesting as his role is probably the most layered and multidimensional among all the characters, with a depiction of conflicted emotions within a somewhat tortured soul, especially at the initial stages. The many guest stars also add much colour to the production with their respective portrayals of patients and their families who carry the burden of pain and suffering. I honestly thought everybody did such remarkable work, even the child actors for that matter.

Overall, this drama has been an emotional ride personally for me. I hardly ever watch slice of life but this drama has done an amazing job of depicting the despair that patients of chronic illnesses go through, only to emerge with hope and optimism, thanks to our heroine, Midori. The beautifully crafted poignant moments throughout the series certainly bring out a tear or two, I admit. I’m aware that there are concerns or even criticism over perceived lack of realism in certain scenes, which perhaps do have some merit. However, being based on a manga, I understand that this drama isn’t too engrossed in the finer details and technicalities on the roles of pharmacists and hospital administration, and I can accept that. I have truly enjoyed this live adaptation and the performance by the cast. Give this show a chance, and I think you would too.

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Lots of mystery, suspense, and great acting! Waiting for the second season

Particularly, I am not used to watch mystery and suspense movies and series, but I confess that I decided to watch this series because it has some actors that I like a lot.
At first, I thought I would not like it, but the acting of each one of the characters is so good that it caught me in the story and aroused my curiosity. And of course, each character has their own particular issue, which makes it even more interesting.
Watching this series, I felt all kinds of emotions possible.
Each character aroused a different feeling in me. I felt a lot of anger in several moments with the character Anan, who always likes to keep control over everything and everyone, and give orders, without taking into consideration the opinion and feelings of others, regardless of whether they are colleagues or girlfriends. The moments that touch me the most are the scenes with Krit, Jack and his sister Jan, they were amazing in every scene and have a lot of chemistry, it's really involving, I cried a lot! And also, I felt very tense in several other scenes with other actors.
There are many moments and situations that leave us confused, but, considering that it is a series of mystery and suspense, it is normal, right? And also, we have an open ending, which leaves us with a lot of expectation for a second season.
I hope that in the future there will be a second season with all the same cast, and I wish a different ending for Krit and Jack.

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Dai Gao Zheng

I will shamelessly admit I watched this drama for the ML Dai Gao Zheng. Standing still with those smoldering, soulful gazes and his kissing scenes. He's simply gorgeous. The SML and the brother were easy on the eyes as well, but their characters were not appealing to me at all.

Equally unappealing was the FL. Whether it was the way her character was written or her acting, it's hard to tell. There was very little chemistry between she and the sizzling ML. He carried all the intimate scenes on his own. After a while I wished I could have muted every time she said his name (which was almost the entire dialogue for Episode 22. The writers must have run out of lines for her). The character was silly and clueless and just plain blah, and she played it that way.

The story itself had promise, DGZ could have done a little more acting and the villain could have been a little more dimensional than he was. He was just so bitter I couldn't feel any pity for him. And the female character attached to the brother was kind of one-dimensional herself. Not interesting at all.

So... if you're looking for a riveting story with award-winning acting, this isn't it. However, the eye candy is well worth it, and there is a lot of that!

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The cycles of history

Set during the latter half of the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Swords into Plowshares endeavors to condense several decades of turmoil into a cohesive story. For the most part, it succeeds as a well-produced historical epic, anchoring the story around a few historical figures - Qian Chu of Wuyue, his wife Sun Taizhen, Zhao Kuangyin of Song and Guo Rong (Chai Rong) of Later Zhou.

The first 12 episodes or so are some of my favorite - bold, devastating and moving in its depiction of the wanton slaughter and abuse of the common people as the Central Plains exchanged one ruler for another. There are also moments of human triumph some to arise out of that destruction and usher in a semblance of peace and order. But mankind is fickle, and human nature is not easily overcome. Until the final frame, our main characters face struggle after another in order to bring about a "year of peace."

A few historical figures are unfortunately whitewashed to fit an overall narrative of unifying the lands for peace, but the drama is overall still a respectable attempt to faithfully depict an often overlooked period of Chinese history. The script at its best waxes philosophical regarding varying viewpoints regarding human governance, and its strong use of classical Chinese is a much needed breath of fresh air in this age of idol dramas. It may too dense for some, but the cast deftly bring their characters to life, and one can simply follow their emotional journey fairly well even if much of the detail in the dialogue escapes them.

As a longtime enjoyer of historical dramas - from any country or language - I hope to see more in this vein from C drama land.

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