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The Leads Have Amazing Chemistry
I just have to say that this drama is absolutely amazing. The FL and ML are super sweet. Ive seen so many dramas about an actor dating someone who is a profile status, but this blew me away. First let's talk about storyline. The FL and ML are in an arranged marriage with each other. I hope this isn't a spoiler but the FL lead does chase the ML, but the ML is loving it. One of the episodes was just amazing, full of sweet kisses and hugs. The leads obviously have to keep their relationship a secret from the public because the FL is an actor, but that does not stop the romance. All these things don't just apply to the Main leads but also the second couple. They are absolutely adorable. I don't want to say too much because I might end up spoiling everything . But I highly suggest to watch this.Was this review helpful to you?
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Great 1st half, disappointing 2nd half and confusing/complicated ending episodes
Completed - 1/23/2022First Half - 8.5
Second Half - 7.0
Overall - Very Generous 8.0
When I first read the synopsis of this drama, I was expecting a mature romance centered around a contract marriage (my favorite trope). But I was pleasantly surprised that there's so much more to this drama than just about our main leads' romance. It's a drama about friendships (bromance & sismance), business, recovering from tragic pasts and revenge. This is no t like the usual rom-com contract marriage. Imagine my delight! But the ratings of this drama tanked after the last episode is aired. I think many watchers are just as disappointed as me.
It took me a couple episodes to get used to the personality of our leads. Our FL lead is mean and cold to our ML, and the ML is a little too over-the-top childish and carefree. But once I am used to it, I believe they complement each other and I am enjoying this very slow-burn romance. There's plenty of comedic moments, thanks to our ML, and also bickering between the couple. I would not call Zhu Ya Wen (ML) handsome at all, but he fits this role so well. Yang Zi Shan (FL) is really pretty in this drama and she got a great wardrobe of clothes for her business and evening attire. They are both mature adults and handle crisis and misunderstanding (and secrets) in a sensible way. I would have loved to see more cute scenes as a couple but I am satisfied. Our secondary romance develops a little more organically than our main romance. Li Yuan (2FL) really looks like someone who can box and run a gym. It's hard to find an actress who acts the part as someone who is so strong physically (thought she's quite skinny). Mike He (2ML) looks handsome and dashing. He's probably the best-looking guy in the whole drama. Both couples have great chemistry.
I quite enjoy the plot in the first half. We started with the contract marriage, and then we got to see how our ML supports and solves problems for FL behind-the-scene. I also enjoy the business talk and crisis (though I am still not quite sure that FL's company really does). When the big bad wolf pulls strings to get the three former soldiers back together, and the revenge plot officially starts, that was fun and entertaining. With the three friends back together, we also learn of ML's tragic past and how it continues to affect him to this date. The bromance is strong and they are fun together.
However, I feel that the story went downhill once they went to Thailand. It feels like a completely different drama. The trip is an overly complicated to find out who the big bad wolf is - the battle to takeover the orphanage, sex trafficking, drugs dealing, etc. Whatever happened to the lost document of the orphanage? That was such a big deal to steal it, and then what? It seems like everything happened in Thailand is for them to suspect Li Mo as being alive when he killed the big bad wolf.
Speaking of Li Mo, I am still not sure if he was trying to seek revenge or not. Was all that happened his way of just using ML's hand to kill the one who's controlling him? Or was he really mad at ML for leaving him behind, and actually wanted him and his other comrades to suffer? In the end, was it revenge to involve him in the arms dealing, or just really needs the help? Was he really still the same person at heart, who would sacrifice himself to save his friends? I am not quite sure.
Other Observations:
1. It is quite mean for FL and her friends to use fake kidnapping to force ML to confess his feelings. He has PTSD!
2. Too many secrets hidden from FL by ML and their friends for the sake of protecting her.
3. In the second half, I guess no one has to go to work anymore.
4. Really enjoy the bromance and sismance in this drama.
5. English dubbing is poor and inconsistent and it has nothing to do with the nationality of the characters.
6. It's implied that FL knows that she's the girl in ML's picture, but I can't find a logical way for her to find out.
7. In the end, FL still doesn't know she had a childhood connection with ML. Poor ML.
8. I like the songs in this drama.
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Drama Special Series Season 1: White Christmas
17 people found this review helpful
Another side note, it helps that the people are very attractive, so that kept me watching as well ;)
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Along with the Gods 2: The Last 49 Days
17 people found this review helpful
In this instalment you will learn all about the guardians and where they came from. They tied everything in perfectly and the visuals were just as great as the first. Acting was superb and like the first one you will laugh and cry sometimes simultaneously.
A must watch and would rewatch without a second thought.
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Love, Intimacy and the Courage to Live on Your Own Terms
I went into this show expecting to roll my eyes. K-rom-coms and I have never gotten along; I find them immature and naive, and I only pressed play because I was bored. For a while, nothing grabbed me except two things: the FL's family, who look like they time-slipped out of Joseon, and the ML running a sex toy company. Those kept me watching. But the real plot only clicked for me in the last episode, and once it did, everything before it rearranged itself in my head.What I finally understood is that this is a drama about people losing inside their own families and homes, who have to go out into the world to find themselves because nobody at home let them. Both leads carry that wound, dressed differently. Yeon-su lives surrounded by grandparents, parents, a brother, an aunt, and is still alone in that house. Dal has only his father, and doesn't even recognize him as a father. His father married repeatedly for his son's sake, and none of the new wives treated the boy well, so the marriages ended. The current wife is genuinely kind, which makes the history sadder, because it shows what Dal could have had. Different environments, same result: two people who suffered alone and learned to live like orphans with addresses.
They carried that damage into romance in opposite ways. Dal kept everything surface-level, one-night stands, deciding love was just another ingredient of desire and opting out. Yeon-su did the reverse: a long relationship with no physical or mental intimacy, a year of dating a man she never wanted to sleep with. Both were lost inside their relationships. Whose fault it was doesn't matter; they simply didn't succeed. There's a saying that if something belongs to you, the universe rearranges things for you, and this drama is that saying in script form. They entangle by accident, walk together by accident, and inside that entanglement find themselves and heal. The show makes the healing mutual rather than one person rescuing the other, which is why it works for me.
The supporting characters are where my feelings get messier. Nam-su is not, at first, a boy of his age at all. He has no gut, just endless obedience, grinding through civil service exams he doesn't want. Then Shi-eun gets pregnant and he changes, and I have complicated feelings about it. I don't recommend that immaturity beforehand, and I'm not praising the circumstances that forced him to grow up. But this boy became a real man after that pregnancy. I've heard a person can mature in a single second, that it doesn't take a long period, just one incident, and Nam-su is that idea walking around on a bad leg. His pivot, hiding a construction job, lying about the pregnancy book, is messy and impulsive, and I respect the mess because it's the first choice he ever makes for himself.
Yeon-su's mother is the best person in this drama, a whole green forest of a woman, and I still think she was wrong. She spent thirty years as a daughter-in-law and missed her own children while being dutiful, missed a lot of her life while chasing tradition. She's pitiful and admirable at once, and the show refuses to flatten her. Her finale arc, stepping back as a daughter-in-law and forward as a mother, is the emotional spine of the ending. The scene at the tomb wrecked me, and Yeon-su reframing the hairpin her mother gave her on her twentieth birthday, the burden that felt heavy but kept her grounded, is the most elegant writing in the drama. It lets the mother be both the fence and the person who kept them safe inside it, without pretending the fence wasn't a fence.
The aunt, Mi-young, is the one I see myself in. She's funny, loud, the safe space Yeon-su breathes in, and I read her as someone carrying a great wound under all that noise. I know that type because I am somewhat that type: the easiest way to reduce suffering is to laugh loudly and be funny. Her claiming the confiscated massager at the memorial service, her half-serious campaign to remarry, all read as armor. The show knows it too, which is why it gives her that quiet beat at the tomb, and you see the joke pause.
What surprised me is how seriously the show takes its own premise. The arguments under the banter are real. Dal's defense, that relationships are financially and emotionally expensive, that casual sex carries risks but people still have needs, is coherent. Yeon-su's counter, that the industry is opportunistic and focused on pleasure instead of people's love lives, is equally coherent. Neither is a strawman. What elevates it is that Yeon-su's conservatism is conditioning, not stupidity. She was told women and dishes should never leave the house, told to marry since her college entrance ceremony. Her narrowness isn't a punchline, it's a scar. Her confession that she got into marketing to protect herself, hoping seeing the world differently might give her courage, reframes her whole personality as survival strategy. Her arc becomes a woman unlearning fear.
The sex is treated with unusual honesty. Their first time, Yeon-su wakes satisfied then deflates because Dal's side of the bed is empty; Dal comes back with breakfast to find a note that makes him feel used. Both are wrong and both are understandable. That miscommunication leads to the funniest detour: Yeon-su deciding she'll take whatever crumbs she can get, proposing a friends-with-benefits contract, while Dal, who was about to ask her to be his girlfriend, sits there amused. Her fear that the uncertain future will swallow what they have is the most honest thing she says, and also a deflection, and the show knows it. Maeng-na, the mother who teaches safe sex then blows her top on discovering her daughter is having it, who lies about working at a car company, isn't a hypocrite to be mocked. She's a realistic portrait of performing one set of values in public and another in private, and the drama lets her apologize, which is more grace than most shows give that archetype.
What doesn't fully work is the structure. The real emotional architecture, the parallel loneliness, the family as shelter and cage, only becomes visible near the end, and I spent early episodes without a reason to care beyond the quirky premise. That's a genuine weakness, because a story that hides its thesis until the finale gambles that the audience stays for the banter. It worked on me, barely, but the love-versus-sex bickering gets repetitive, and the misunderstandings, Dal's sexuality, the pregnancy book, the hospital call, are coincidences a tighter drama wouldn't need. The show earns its ending through character work rather than plot, which is why I forgive it, but I notice the seams.
The ending crystallizes everything. Yeon-su moving out, standing on her own, telling Dal not to carry guilt because she chose this, insisting she left because she finally found strength to stand by her choices, not because of him. Dal going to the grandfather to stir his feelings on purpose, admitting he doesn't need approval but Yeon-su does, then being rejected on three grounds including azoospermia right after telling the family the truth, is exactly the absurd, tender, stubborn gesture this show does well. The grandfather painting orchids again, the rain on the anniversary visit possibly being the dead father sulking because his son didn't come, the couple rings, the skating rink, all of it lands because the show made these people specific. The final voiceover, about today's butterflies making tomorrow stronger and bodies knowing we'd fall in love before we did, is sentimental in a way I'd normally reject, and it got me anyway. The thesis is the least romantic and most practical idea possible: two people can build their present while waiting for the future, and that's a love story too.
I came in expecting immaturity and found a drama naive only in its belief that a conservative woman and a progressive man can genuinely change each other without either being destroyed. It's not perfect. It knows what it wants to say about families that love you and suffocate you at once, about people who find themselves only after leaving home, and about the difference between choosing a person and choosing a life. That's more than I expected from something I put on out of boredom, and honestly, that's enough.
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Kim Ji suk at his best!! LOVED the ending!!
Never thought this cliche drama will grow on me after every episode I would watch.Kim ji suk as Top star! well he really seems like a real top star.
His character as Yoo Baek is wounded soul who is bitter and rude to everyone around him. Yoo baek is send to a remote island when he is involved in a scandal. Without the comfort and amenities of city life, Yoo beak starts to adjust to island life. And then his character slowly learns the values of life because of people on the island. Cold Yoo baek becomes most warm-hearted person you can ever imagine.
What seemed an annoying accent of FL in first episodes, in later episodes, I found myself saying it's cute. Jeon So Min was cute as Oh Kang soon. She really seems like island girl. Oh Kang soon is a diver girl who changes Yoo baek's life through her warm-hearted personality.
The leads delivered awesome chemistry after ep.7. Last 3 eps were Gold.
Ma dol is so cute. I loved how his story ended.
I loved every single character in the series. EVERYONE!
DON'T DROP THIS DRAMA! You can fast forward the parts you won't like, but this show takes grip after ep.6.
Music is AWESOME!! I loved how they reignited old songs.
Last 3-4 eps. are definitely REwatch!
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Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability
This drama is made for those who want to take their time and enjoy the content.Xin Yun Lai, who played Luo Fei, was a good fit. Unlike his true character, he passionately played the role of a calm and taciturn detective with the thorns of a past case in his heart.
The supporting cast, including James Yang as Bai Ya Xing, was also excellent. However, Merxat, who has a reputation as a villain, could have brought more tension and depth to the drama by enhancing Bai Ya Xing's personality.
Today's viewers are more interested in simple, easy-to-understand dramas like New Life Begins, which was a hit last year.
This drama is based on an original story, so it is impossible to make major changes, but to summarize it in 24 episodes, the seven deadly sins are seven cases, and each case is solved every two episodes (two episodes were aired each day), with the main character's hypnotism leading to the resolution of the case in 14 episodes. If the plot had been as simple as a Hollywood drama, with the remaining 10 episodes to reveal the truth of the main character's mother's death, the mastermind's motive, etc., and finally solve the case, it might have been more acceptable to a wider audience. It would have cut down on the depth of this drama...
In this, Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability. Even in scenes without dialogue, he is able to express detailed emotional swings.
In Chinese drama productions, the romance category has the largest number of viewers and becomes a blockbuster drama, whereas these dramas are in a minor category and are usually unlikely to become a hit. However, Desire Catcher has become a hit in its own right, with a seeding volume of over 500 million.
Zheng Ye Cheng is, in fact, also good at romcom dramas. Despite its low budget, The Sleepless Princess and My Sassy Princess were near S-class hits.
Although his popularity would have exploded if he continued to appear in romcom dramas, he has chosen not to appear in this category, instead appearing in Enlighten your life, a national policy drama about the pioneering era of nuclear power generation, and Stealth Walker, an undercover investigation drama.
Zheng Ye Cheng belongs to a private agency, so he has not been able to appear in S-class dramas as a leading actor, and his fame is not as high as that of popular young actors (many people have not seen him since loveO2O), but his acting ability is probably one of the best among actors.
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1A masterpiece, an almost flawless crime drama with brilliant & intelligent writing.
First of all, I’m contemplating whether I should rate this drama 10/10 as its almost flawless in term of everything. I almost never rate a drama full 10/10 so this is a huge compliment and a big thing for me. However, after sitting one whole day, sinking in the whole drama and its resolutions, I believe it deserved this score and here’s why:The most important thing for a crime mystery drama is the mysteries and plot twists so I’m not going to reveal anything in my review. Here, I’m just going to objectively review why this particular crime mystery drama is brilliant in my book with no spoilers at all.
MASTERFULLY WRITTEN WITH COMPELLING AND INTRIGUING PLOT
A compelling mystery drama is defined by perfectly balancing the intellectual puzzle of a mystery with the emotional depth of its characters. Unlike pure question of ‘Who did it?’ which focus entirely on clues and mechanics, an excellent mystery drama prioritizes character psychology, stakes, and atmospheric storytelling which Abyss truly excelled at.
The mystery is solidly written with great pacing. Very intelligently constructed with many details and clues and trail of evidences. Some clues are mind-blowingly subtle but some are as clear as the clear blue sky and can be seen as early as Episode 1. And no false narratives to misled us so what you see on screen are all clues that contributed to the end revelations including all the snippets from the novel, as confusing and random as it might be.
So the fun part is the guessing games and the list of suspects that you come out on your own based on the evidences so during revelations, all your efforts feel earned since all the clues already being there no matter how small it is. It seemed like watching a movie with how tight is the plots and how fast paced is the story with literally no filler scenes at all.
Also, making Li Cheng as a novice police officer is a brilliant decision as it did help to make viewers more immersive as you see the drama from his lens without years of police experience. Here, you will find yourself asking the same questions as him -- its almost like a dejavu how things that comes out from his mouth mirrored mine.
THE ‘FAIR GAME’ ELEMENT
The best part of the drama is that its playing the ‘fair game’ of a good written mystery story as what the police know is what we know too so no surprises that only they know. So here, we are actively solving the case together with them. This establishes an honest social contract between the story and the viewers as hiding critical clues until the final scene feels like cheating rather than a clever twist which Abyss clearly avoid.
While viewing this drama, it transforms our passive viewing into an active intellectual puzzle where the audience has a genuine shot at solving the crime alongside the police. Some writers sacrifice this element by concealing some information in order to make the main character as a genius and know it all or the smartest in the room. While this elevates the character, it also eliminates excitement for the audiences as we always know the said character going to pull some unknown information which made the story less intriguing and impactful.
SHOW INSTEAD OF TELL
Another favorite of mine is how this drama depends on showing instead of telling since it trusts the audiences’ ability to grasp the complex story and narrative. It is a very smart and intelligent crime story that didn’t take the audiences for granted — either our understanding of the story and our the ability to grasp the complex web of crime. What made it so well written as the story has staged for everything since early on so when it happened, it clicked to you right away.
And the acting truly made the show as the drama rely heavily on the acting of all the characters since some clues are reflected straight from their reactions and actions. For an example, we know right away that Li Cheng has a relationship with Bi Dehua with the way he lashed out in one of the earliest episodes. We don’t know anything about their relationship at that time but we knew they are somehow close. Also, some revelations are only shown instead of the characters spelling it for us. For a drama to trust the audiences to collect all this little clues one by one is such a breath of fresh air. Every single thing that happened in the drama -- they already provide us the answers we just have to read the story to get all the connections. They might not explicitly tell us some things but focus on the expressions of the actors that basically tell us the real truth. You just have to be extra attentive to catch all of this nuances in the story.
PERFECT PACING AND ‘BREADCRUMB’ TRAIL
This is what the writer truly excelled at which is the ‘breadcrumb’ trail -- a meticulous distribution of information scattered throughout the story. Clues are dropped consistently, logically, slowly and subtlety so the audience can actively participate in solving the puzzle. And despite the abundance of information and clues, it still always feel that they are bigger and greater truth that we still haven’t figure out yet -- constantly looming in the background.
EFFECTIVE USE OF RED HERRINGS
Red herrings are used so marvelously in this drama. The red herrings that are scattered all over the drama are used to smoke screen the real truth. But instead of making these red herring as something that totally deflected from the real truth, it also contains some truths or clues to the big revelations at the end. This what makes it very compelling when you realize everything shown on the screen are the truth, but how all of it comes together flawlessly at the end without any inconsistencies is what makes it very compelling.
UNEXPECTED PLOT TWISTS
Another excellent part of the writing is that halfway through the drama, you basically can figure out what happened already. However, the fact that the plot twists are still very surprising and unexpected and still making sense — ALL at the same time made the writing truly memorable and excellent.
NO PLOT HOLES OR INCONSISTENCIES IN THE WRITING
Some crime dramas have this problem when writer wrote their stories into a corner and start leaking some plot holes in the storyline just for the ‘shock’ factor which Abyss clearly avoid. If you see any inconsistencies in the story, characters’ narrative, props -- its all are clues instead of mistakes made by the production team. As someone who pay attention to details and very familiar with crime dramas, I found many inconsistencies in the story and thought it is a mistake but no, its actually clues for us which made me respect the writing even more. For an example the tore picture between Bi Dehua and Han Pinmu -- it is a solo picture of Bi Dehua in his room (Episode 1) but it was a trio picture in Han Pinmu’s room (Episode 3). At first, I thought it’s a mistake but it wasn’t. This picture is one of the biggest clues that connect the whole mystery together. You will also find yourself asking why this and why that. Why the novel only surfaced now? Why the murder stops for 8 years? Why rape and murders are inconsistent in the 5 cases? Why they let the last person to survive? All this MO didn’t match the normal serial killers and YES, all these inconsistencies are clues to the mystery.
NO INTROUDCTION OF NEW CHARACTERS AT THE END
People might said that there is one character that suddenly made an appearance near the end, and no, it isn't really a ‘new’ character as his presence has always been there and serve as a ‘ghost’ entity that being discussed and brought up subtlety since the beginning. You thought its just some other random character but its not. He is always there hiding behind all the other red herrings.
BRILLIANT CLIMAX & EMOTIONAL RESOLUTION
Abyss has a payoff that feels both surprising and inevitable. Everything that happened in the end are carefully constructed and planned since the beginning so you can see the connection since early on. As a good mystery drama, the story answers the core question while providing emotional closure for the characters and gives you the ‘gotcha’ moments. The drama also explored thematic subtext in its storytelling on family dysfunction, friendship gone wrong and how one wrong moves led one crime to another.
NO UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
By the time the drama ended, literally all your questions will be answered no matter how small it is. Why the crime stopped? Why now? How Song Laifu knew Xiaofei home? Is Li Cheng meant to be part of the games since the beginning? Why despite working so close with the murderers, Chen Chunli never in danger? Why there is inconsistencies in the crime? Why the victim survived? Literally everything will be answered. Some answers can be traced back in the first episode. You will be surprised on how many clues are there in the first episode alone. Every clues and inconsistency that seemed to be out of ordinary made sense at the end. Everything just flows beautifully. I applauded the writer for closing all these loop holes at the end.
TOP-NOTCH ACTING THAT SUPPORT THE DEPTH OF THE SCRIPT
I love how committed is Ren Jialun for this role since even his teeth has natural color like a normal joe. I’m used to watch his sparkling white teeth so its interesting to notice this. Also, he always has this regal or ethereal aura in his dramas but here all those are gone since he is playing a rookie police officer. Even the awkwardness and out of place attitude he sports on is refreshing to watch. He is known to always embodied his character fully so you can see the only times he overacts is when he is with Han Pinmu at the café since he is indeed ‘acting’ as an unemployed collage graduate. But aside from those scenes, he gave a particularly a nuanced and grounded performance as a rookie police officer. One thing that made Ren Jialun’s acting special is that he always feel authentic and genuine like he meant every words that comes out from his mouth. Like the first time he said ‘Thank you, Shifu’ you can see how he meant it truly – he always look at his Shifu with full of adoration and his Shifu also always look at him with such kindness and warm. This is what quiet chemistry feels like. Ren Jialun and Zhao Qianzhe have this unspoken sparkling chemistry that is so beautiful to witness. Qin Junjae also gave a very compelling performance and Han Pinmu. His conflict and how he lives in a shadow and his double lives can be reflected everytime he strokes his rings – this to give clues and the personal internal struggles and dilemma he faced everytime he has to lie. And these conflicts are portrayed excellently with no words at all.
The real truth, the whole casts’ acting is particularly amazing especially all the veteran actors. You see them as their characters, totally immersive with the kind of conflicts and struggles they face. The whole police force is especially lovely especially Li Cheng’s Shifu and his constant smiles. I literally can feel Chen Chunli’s pain when she testified on her hospital bed. Then the death of Xin Jiran’s son is another excellently directed scene, you basically can feel how he is slowly dying trying to catch up his breath. Then the excellent directed emotional scene in the drama hits different on how they mostly shot in silence which add more heartache and emotional weight to the whole scenes.
HAPPY MAIN CHARACTER
I know this is funny but I felt for the first time, we actually have a main character that is actually have a happy personal life. It is so refreshing and almost non-existence in crime Cdramas to have this type of character. Li Cheng has a happy family and supported by countless of really lovely and friendly police superiors and colleagues. This resulted with this drama having this calm and almost serene effects despite its dark subjects. The chemistry between the casts is effortlessly the glue that made this drama shining brightly. This is what perfect casting feels like – every character served their purpose whether it is small or big regardless of their real life status or popularity.
CLUES IN THE OPENING INTRO SONG
As a good mystery drama, even the intro gives you some clues for the mysteries. There is the important date flying through the screen which gives you the clue on who is the real mastermind. The number of falling people, the number of people in the building, etc. etc. Also, there are clues in the intro song all along -- Ayanga's title song is actually from the mastermind’s POV. Also, the intro shows at the end 3 chairs changed forms — from wood chair to gaming chair to police chair. It reminds me like The Bad Kids’ intro where the plot twist is in the intro after all.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it’s a brilliant drama through and through with great writing, directing and acting. Literally no plot holes or inconsistencies in the script at all. A strongly written drama with excellent pacing till the end with clear end resolutions and unexpected plot twists. Watching the drama is like playing an interactive game where your brain actively spinning to connect all the dots.
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A Mixed Bag of Everything
"Gone With the Rain" presents a diverse mix of elements right from the start. It combines comedy, wars, romance, sisterly love, murders, forced marriages, conspiracy, sacrifice, unfulfilled love, war games, strategies, suspense and thrillers. It's like experiencing a buffet of genres in one story. However, the romance aspect of the story leaves a somewhat unpleasant taste. Brazen atrocities are committed with impunity, and the suspense and mystery elements resemble an Agatha Christie whodunit set in a schoolhouse. At times, the logic of the plot feels a bit childish, as the storyline takes unexpected twists and turns to fit the writer's desired ending.Based on the romance novel "Storm and Rouge" (Feng Yu Nong, Yan Zhi Luan) by Ni Luo, the drama revolves around the lives of Tang Moxi (played by Zhang Nan) and her first cousin, Bai Fengyao (played by Wang Yuwen). Having grown up together in Bai Fengyao’s home after Moxi loses both her parents, they navigate through a turbulent era of wars, scarcity, losses, forced marriages, hardships, betrayals, and nearly every challenge imaginable. Their bond is defined by their unwavering love and devotion to each other, overshadowing the traditional romance aspect that serves more as a subplot.
Tang Moxi defies the conventions of a typical heroine. She doesn't fit the mold of a delicate flower waiting to be saved or a Cinderella longing for a prince. In fact, she lacks education, refinement, and even exhibits selfish and greedy traits in her pursuit of goals. Nevertheless, she demonstrates a care for love and morality, alongside her fearless and untamed nature. She fearlessly shelters a wounded young officer rumored to be a spy, intimidates creditors with a kitchen chopping knife to protect Bai Fengyao, and skillfully negotiates with unsavory characters. Moxi's strong-willed and passionate character is akin to a torrential rain that is difficult to ignore.
Moxi, portrayed by Zhang Nan, appears as a young girl, around 15 years old, reflected in her clothing style, with shorter skirts paired with long pants. Initially, this may seem odd if viewers are unaware of Moxi's young age, possibly due to the actor's tall stature. However, as the story progresses and Moxi reaches marriageable age at 17, she looks stunning in her adult costumes. Despite her constant sour expression, her smile radiates warmth, which Zhang Nan portrays wonderfully.
Bai Fengyao, played by Wang Yuwen, contrasts Moxi's character. She embodies gentleness and strength, occasionally displaying stubbornness and possessing extensive knowledge from wide reading. Wang Yuwen convincingly brings the character to life, with Bai Fengyao appearing younger than Moxi due to the actor's youthful-looking face. The heartfelt sisterly relationship between Moxi and Bai Fengyao is portrayed with heartbreaking sacrifices and unconditional love.
Moxi falls in love at first sight with Wan Jiagui (portrayed by Zhao Yingbo), a young and handsome officer who initially hesitates to commit due to his unwavering dedication to the country. However, he eventually falls for Moxi, captivated by her courage, intelligence, and selflessness as she saves him without expecting anything in return. A big applause to Zhao Yingbo's portrayal of the Wan Jiagui character.
Early in the story, Moxi encounters Chen Wende (Sun Yizhou aka Sean Sun), who is significantly older, around 13 to 14 years her senior. Contrary to others' fear of him due to his unflattering reputation, Moxi boldly insults and chides him, leading to continuous banter between the two characters throughout the drama. Moxi's forthrightness and unpretentiousness intrigue and amuse Chen Wende to the extent that he falls in love with her. Sean Sun's excellent portrayal of the character adds believability to their evolving relationship.
The entire cast delivers commendable performances, although some actors may have slightly overacted, making it difficult to discern if it was intentional for humor or a result of their acting abilities.
My Verdict
The series comprises two narrative layers. One layer delves into the emotional entanglement between Mo Xi and Chen Wende, Feng Yao and Wan Jiagui, while the other layer explores the story of four individuals protecting each other and serving their homeland. These two narrative layers intertwine, merging personal emotions with feelings of family and country.
The story beautifully captures the essence of self-preservation, mutual support, and understanding within the two main female characters. Although the sisterly relationship takes precedence, unfulfilled love becomes a central theme, amplifying the committed relationship between the two cousin sisters. The pain and torment experienced when the two lovers are forcibly separated by fate and events create a bittersweet romance. However, romance enthusiasts may be disappointed when the direction of the romance changes by the end of the story.
It may take some time to adapt to the storytelling format of the drama, as Moxi's wild imagination often takes the form of playful and silly scenarios on screen. This is understandable, considering Moxi's young age and her tendency to engage in immature thinking.
The entire story is built around a conspiracy to overthrow the throne, with wars, deaths, separated lovers, and a hero unjustly accused. However, all these events seem somewhat futile, as Moxi effortlessly exposes the conspiracy's flaws in the end. The climax of the story disappoints and is hardly worth mentioning. Plot holes and logic conflicts are prevalent, but viewers are advised not to take them too seriously.
Although left to be desired, the overall plot is quite intriguing, the acting is commendable, and the attention to costume and props is evident throughout.
A rather fun watch! Recommended!
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Wuxia show featuring friendships, youth and ethics
I loved this show so much, i was watching it on VIKI and then paid subscription to YOUKU so i could watch the latest episodes! The actors playing the characters did a great job, and I enjoyed all the fight scenes/CGIs. Every episode has been nail biting and i havent felt it has dragged on at all. I usually fast forward drama shows with annoying jealous 3rd parties thankfully theres none of that here. The show focuses on friendships, integrity and forgiveness towards self and others.I feel the romance between Qianluo and Xiao Se is a bit extra, not feeling any chemistry between them. Ao Ruipeng is the perfect actor to play the gullible but loyal Lei Wujie. Li Hongyi captured Xiao Se's disdainful looks and elegance well. Lie Xueyi gave a moving portrayal of Wuxin, who is plagued with a troubled past. Some scenes really moved me, like when Wuxin saw his master before he departed for good. There seemed to be many lessons on life in this show. All the side characters and stories enriched the show without being too long/complicated either.
Overall a great show which i had stumbled upon and im so glad i started watching it!
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I wanted so much to love this drama. I don't think I suffered from inflated expectations, even though Yoo In Na is one of my favorite actresses. This drama was just an absolute mess. The characters were mostly ridiculous. I think Yoo In Na cried in every single episode, sometimes several times an episode. Now, I don't mind a good damsel in distress every once in a while, I don't mind characters who have weaknesses. But that is all Yoo In Na's character was, weak. She was indecisive and allowed herself to be pulled in two different directions constantly. And I mean that quite literally. On more than one occasion, both boys each had a hand and was telling the other to let go. I was just hoping that she would tell them both to go take a flying leap since she wasn't a toy for them to argue over, but she never did.
That's not to say that I didn't pick sides. I was all for Goo Hae Young from the beginning. I know a lot of people love Nam Goong Min, but his character in this drama was absolutely insipid. He was a trope, and nothing more. Someone there to create friction and cause conflict, but not anyone who the writers care enough about to fully develop. Goo Hae Young, on the other hand, you understood what drove him. You understood his motives and the reasons why he wanted Sang Hyo so much. And more than anything, I think once you meet him, you just know they deserve to be together.
The other characters were all a joke. Used only for comic relief and as the impetus for Sang Hyo's interactions with either ends of the love triangle. It was a drama that was obsessed with love, but didn't really know how to piece it all together very well. They could have cut out 5 or 6 of the middle episodes and the drama would have been much better paced.
The murder, which could have been a really interesting focal point, was reduced to minor story points, usually used to just further the relationships. Did anyone really care who murdered those people? I certainly didn't, and the drama did a horrible job of trying to make me care about it.
All in all, it's hard to find something redeemable about this drama. But that's not to say that it isn't worth watching. There were times when it as genuinely fun, and Goo Hae Young and Nam Sang Hyo had some seriously sweet moments. Jin Yi Han is an amazing actor, and I am seriously looking forward to a more serious future role for him. While the surrounding characters were mostly shallow portrayals, they were still a lot of fun to watch their antics as they guess at the murderers and scheme to make romance happen. The love that Si Chan felt for hi boss and how much he wanted to help him be happy was adorable. And the competition for Sung Gyeum, Eun Joo, was a feisty, confident character that I legitimately liked.
If you aren't a fan of weak characters and weaker storylines, then I'd say avoid this. But if you are looking for fluff and fun, and a lot of crying (by the actors, that is), then I would say give this one a shot! It will require a lot of suspension of disbelief, but there is at least a thread of a story here that might be worth your time!
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This Is Not Omniscient Reader. This Is an Insult
I don’t know who this adaptation was made for, but it certainly wasn’t for fans of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. This movie feels like someone skimmed the Wikipedia summary of the story and decided, “Yeah, I’ll make a movie out of that.” Zero depth, zero emotional payoff, zero respect for the source material.Kim Dokja—one of the most complex, layered, emotionally rich protagonists ever written—is reduced to a bland, confused side character in his own story. The plot is butchered beyond recognition. Important arcs are skipped, relationships are flattened, and the entire thing feels like a rushed cash grab riding on the name.
And don’t even get me started on the pacing, the cringe dialogue, and how they tried to condense 500+ chapters of brilliance into a soulless 2-hour mess.
If you care at all about the manhwa or webnovel, skip this. And if you’ve already seen it and felt the same disappointment? Give it a 1-star rating. Loudly. This kind of lazy, shallow adaptation deserves to flop
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honestly, after repetitive sadness, and draggy plot lines, I barely laugh or tear up with dramas, but this made me cry and laugh at the same time!
I envy their friendship so much and I really need to adapt their life lessons.
life doesn't always follow your plans; they all had a different "job" they dreamt about yet life had other plans and non of them stayed in the same field.
they thought life was fun and games yet they faced so many different struggles and hardships..
now, I do feel like the stories kinda felt like dejavu, but at the same time it felt refreshing, especially with Siwon as the ML xD
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This review may contain spoilers
Ts is garbage
It's not even the actors that are the problem here (idk any of them and its my first time here lol)The changes are too much, and it sucks ass. Nothing is salvaging this flop adaptation. I've heard about all the changes they made to the movie, and it's enough for me to know that it's THAT bad.
First of all, they made KDJ too OOC, He's not some goody two shoes that wants to save the world. In the early chapters of ORV, it was established that KDJ wants to get an ending that he wants. He does not give a fuck about intentionally saving anyone that he doesn't know or care about or if they aren't useful to him, ppl just get saved in the process when he does smth. I was told that he just hates the novel TWSA, You mean the literal novel he's been reading for 13 years? The novel that literally save his life?? what the fuck. WHY IS HE A MURDERER AND A BULLY????
They also changed the TWSA novel's protag from YJH to JHW, I love my girl JHW, but she wasn't even in the novel, KDJ didn't even know who she was at the beginning, and also the movie removed her trauma as a SA victim?? Wow, like it wasn't a major part of her character. YSA was changed to be a healer when she literally does anything but healing?? Talk about misogyny, just because she's a woman, she's supposed to be the healer? We already have LSH for that.
Don't even get me started with LSK, she was changed and got turned into a sick mother who's getting taken care of by her son when she's supposed to be in prison for standing up for herself and killing her abusive husband. What the fuck happened to that?! We aren't even gonna get the mother and son beef that I love. Absolute Trash, Just read the Novel
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I am not here to critique the appropriateness of how things turn out, after all, this is a fiction. It may or may not happen in real life. If I am going to question if the outcome is fitting, I will be taking away the charm and magic of the story...
Now let me begin the review itself.
This is how a sequel should be. Sequels should note be done because it gain popularity or cash in a lot of money, but rather to continue and perhaps end a story that was left hanging. And that is exactly what this movie did. In fact, it intensified what Toey and Oat had.
It didn't add "filler" actors to make it more interesting. Kenta played a crucial role when he talked about that bad is relative, depends on the person who is saying and seeing, the realization after. And Jen as the devil's advocate for Toey. Both serve their purpose but equally necessary to make the story more cohesive and meaningful.
The setting helped too as it focus on the interaction between Toey and Oat as to compare to "Present Perfect" in which they roam Higashikawa. By containing the characters in a limited and confined space, the two characters becomes the highlight and not the surrounding.
Their acting greatly improved as well. Comparing it again to "Present Perfect", it is understandable that they are holding back that time as they are still discovering each other 's personality and feelings in the said prequel, that goes for the actors and their respective characters. It feels that in the prequel that they are taking cue not from each other but from the director. This time around and pointing the exchange of lines between Toey and Oat is more fluid and natural. They are taking the cue from each other and not from another person. It is like continuation of their love story. How each character matured and developed and how they are when they are together. But Tonawanik is definitely better in acting than Kritsana. Imagine delivering a barrage of lines with all sorts of emotions, Tonawanik clearly pull it off.
I wish they include a more heart felt music or sound as it will enhance the feeling of the audience. BUT, the lack of iconic musics can definitely be overlooked as it doesn't ruin the experience.
Rewatch value, not really for me to watch it again as I was in Toey's situation sometime in my past and it does not feel really good. I felt my gut being twist and pull apart the time when they are "arguing". I really feel what Toey was feeling as I shared the same. This story hits pretty to close to home.
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