Reviews

A beautiful series!

A beautiful series, one of the best I have lately seen. The two lead actors, in spite of being rookies, are outstanding, with a special mention for Title, who is able to express the most subtle feelings just with the eyes. The filmography is beautiful and interesting, with a vintage patina when showing the earlier life of the two leads; the many flashbacks are functional to the general storytelling, but perhaps they could have been cut by at least 25%, especially in the final episodes, which largely consist of flashbacks, although this is done in an intelligent way, showing the same scenes from a different camera angle, or with new micro-scenes, to better depict the feelings of the other partner. The general pace is slow, but never boring. On the whole, the mood is quite sad, but not excessively so: the prevailing feeling is that of calm and nostalgy. I also liked the parsimonious use of makeup (the actors do not look like clowns, as it often happens). A plus are the comments of the actors at the end of each episode. The positive ending (for the two leads) is a nice counterweight to the generally sad mood of the other episodes. The abrupt ending for the secondary couple looks strange, perhaps it hints at a continuation. It seems that they are planning to release the series as a movie: this could be the occasion for fixing some evident problems, such as the excessive use of flashbacks.

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I’ve never written a review before, but since I’ve been waiting for this drama since the late summer of 2021 when Byeongkwan teased it so why not!

TO NOTE
-the budget is very low. Low budget =barely any sponsorships, not enough money for longer episodes, not enough for location changes. Many people came into this drama upset that it wasn’t long enough, which is pretty understandable but it is also understandable as to why it’s not. There simply isn’t enough funding for the drama to be longer than what it is, which sucks :(. Thai bls are known for their product placement, which is the major reason why the dramas are so high quality. Thai bls also usually release a teaser a year before the drama releases to attract potential sponsors. Hopefully more potential sponsors see how in demand KBLs actually are! Korean BLs can be really profitable so hopefully in the future we can see hour long episodes!

-I’ve also seen people compare this drama to LOM, which was a really good drama. This drama was in production around the same time as LOM, it wasn’t made after. It was in production before A.C.E’s (Junhee’s group) Higher comeback. I would understand the criticism of the length of each episode if this drama was made after LOM, but considering the time of production it was common for KBLS to be around that length. I just wish instead of releasing this as an 8 episode drama, it would have been much better for it to be a movie instead. All episodes combined is movie length, and would have made everything go more smoothly and probably more in depth. I understand why they made it into eight episodes as it’s more profitable, BUT I won’t be surprised if they release a movie version like with other bls.

ANYWAY MY REVIEW!

*Knowing this was low budget, I took it into consideration with the factors, “was this good enough with what they had to work with”*

This drama wasn’t anything EXTRAORDINARY, but it wasn’t anything bad either. It was simple and good. Compared to the dark and complex stuff that I usually watch this was a breath of fresh air to just watch something light and cute. In a way it was like taking a break from all that darkness. The gist of all this is
IF YOU WANT FLUFF HERE IT IS^ ^

The acting was pretty good as well, however it was pretty obvious that the actors who played the crown prince and bodyguard were new to this by episode 2. However I did notice their acting get much better as we went on with each episodes. Junhee’s acting stood out the most (he is the most experienced) he understands well that small movements and expressions COUNT as well as big. Many actors forget that when acting it’s not all about big emotive expressions to get you by. You are playing a human, not everything goes by the same 5 emotive expressions to show you are feeling something. When you aren’t the focus of the scene you are still in character. As someone who loves film and wishes to study it that was something I took notice on!

The story…. No it wasn’t awful or bad, but I wish the writers did more. At some moments I felt bad for the actors because they had just had to work with it. And boy did they work it. There were some scenes that I thought were a missed opportunity, like they could have done more with the scene were Eunho slaps that dudes butt, or when they are all sleeping in the same room could have been way funnier. For all I know maybe they did, and just cut it out but maybe they didn’t. If the show could have been longer I would have loved to hear more about the prince and bodyguard’s life. Hell, even Eunho’a friend somehow.

The romance! What I loved about the show is that the romance didn’t happen abruptly. It all felt so natural. By maybe episode 2-3 you could tell that Eunho was starting to like the crown prince from the glances he would take. They both felt drawn to one another and it felt right. An observation I made is that there wasn’t any moment of Eunho or the crown prince questioning their sexuality, which leads me to believe that Eunho was already out or just fully accepting of himself which is sweet to see :)

Production… I quickly understood how low budgeted
the drama was after hearing the outside noise ;-; there is a lot of outside noise… take that as you will

Overall the drama is pretty good! If you want something fluffy to watch and you got time to spare definitely give it a watch!

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One of the most amazing short series I watched

OMAIIIGGGOOOTTT! I watched this as 'Rules Were Never Her Thing' in DramaBox. This short series is so good! I can't explain how much you guys that haven't watched this should watch it cus honestly I watched most short series and most of them weren't really good but this one is just wow! From the acting and most of the short series doesn't bother with the details and stuff but this one does.

The actors did a perfect job on showing/expressing the roles and like even when they cried it was so real. Not to be comparing but these days most actors would just put tear drop to make it seem like they're crying and stuff but not this one. From the gazed of Yu Yin seeing the painting of Dawn to Ke Chun looking at Yu Yin with his eyes showing so much emotions especially in ep. 62 when they tried to shake off the cars that followed them. It was too good! I'm also in love with the background music they really did a great job at making it climax by putting the perfect OST in each and every scenes.

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Oh my Goblin... I've always been a Gong Yoo stan since his Coffee Prince days, so there's no way I'm letting this show go without me watching it. Before I met oppa Ji Chang Wook, because of Gong Yoo's hiatus in the drama land, my heart got swayed, but he will always remain as my first love. LOL. Obviously, he's the main reason I watched this show. And to add icing to the cake, the writer is Kim Eun Sook! I personally believe she's one of the best rom-com writers out there.

What I love most about this drama is their comedic antics especially between goblin and the grim reaper. Their chemistry is on point, even much better than the chemistry between goblin and his bride. Sadly, for me, GY and Kim Go Eun didn't have that much chemistry. But don't get me wrong, their acting is good. It's just that they don't have that vibrant chemistry. Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na's chemistry is even better than them! So love their love story.<3

Some say, the series went downhill after ep 14 and the ending was forced and I somewhat, quite agree. But I also don't know how to end it any other way that would satisfy the viewers, so I have accepted the ending as good enough.

Rewatch Value - If I will watch this again, I will only watch this because of goblin and grim reaper. And Sung Jae, too! lol

P.S. This drama has one of the best soundtracks ever! I Will Go to You Like the First Snow lyrics is so heartbreaking.
I also love how the writer added a poetic touch to the script.:)

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Enemies, Lies, Amnesia Bring Forth A Formidable Power Couple with Great Tacit Fighting Skills

This went into my Watchlist because of ZWY; after seeing him in LYF, I was wondering if he could be versatile. I was pleasantly surprised here. I know WCR from various other series and this was such a great character for her as well. I knew some of the other CP's and supporting characters from other shows. But though according to novel readers, it deviated significantly from the novel, I still found it a good watch. It had a little bit of everything; enemies, lies, amnesia, fake identities, palace intrigue, that ultimately brought forth a formidable power couple with nearly psychic tacit understanding and fighting skills.

Pros: I gotta say, that fight sequence in episode 40 with the leads in the jail against the antagonist's goons was my favorite part in the whole show. It showed that both flowed as one unit, uniting and parting; almost dancing together as they annihilated the enemy. The show originally stemmed from CXZ finding LMT who he thought was the leader enemy's concubine but in reality she was the actual leader of the enemy. But because after suffering a betrayal and severe injuries that left her with amnesia of her past 3 years of life, ML decided to use her as bait to draw out the rest of the enemy. This first arc, though it seemed to have gone on for far too long, was the calm before the storm and comedic at times. It made CXZ essentially and for real fall in love with her but each time he wanted to tell her the truth something got in the way. When her memories did return she of course was angry and betrayed and took it out on him. Though what he did wasn't right, who she really was and did before all that was worse so it made them even.

The other characters to love though all were flawed in their own way were ZY (who had a yen for LMT) but he was a morally grey protagonist. His story with the empress was absolutely the best and I think by the end it was clear he had feelings for her and let go of the past aka LMT like the empress told him to do which was beneficial for him. I loved how she finally stood up to her bullying family and greedy father who was also put in place by the emperor. Just those two couples, would have been enough. The third couple I'll mention below, though I liked ZQ on his own because he provided comedic relief and he didn't need to be part of a couple. Also Li Mama, Moru, the two maids, the shadow guard leader and the rest of them, were the best little family. CXZ's brother in the wheelchair was a great support system (and I'm glad that they didn't make him into the evil guy like in the book), mom needed to endure hardship to open her eyes to the real world and truth about those around her. But she too was a kind soul. Grand Empress Dowager was also a big plus especially towards the end. As were LMT's family like grandpa, uncle, and others. Also the CXZ's main guard and everyone who supported LMT as the "madam" of the house.

We knew who the ultimate antagonist was and it was just about getting rid of him that took the time because he had a lot of backers and corrupt officials under him but he was a believable villain throughout. The wedding was fun but too short in my opinion given how long the previous arc was. Should have been grander. Costumes, locations, and OSTs were all very good.

Cons: This series had the fastest palace coup in history; literally a black screen with words saying it happened and a new ruler aka ZY (heir to the throne as the late crown prince was his father) had taken the throne. This was one of several whiplashes I got from this show. The 2nd couple was probably one of the most unnecessary in any series; they had zilch chemistry and it seemed like they were forced together. Furthermore, the actress was miscast because she always plays highly intelligent, kind, and gentle roles but is never a pushover. Here she barely spoke up, created misunderstandings from her own incorrect deductions, pouted a lot, always had a long face and was too pompous for her own good though she was insecure as hell. I fast forwarded her as much as I could. They even stuck that CP randomly at the end of the series even though the way it was done stuck out like a sore thumb because after this massive event at the palace, without warning it cut to a scene of them in the woods digging for special soil and they announce wedding plans; another whiplash. They should have closed them out before that whole capital thing ever took place. Totally lacking in cohesion.

Next was probably the draggiest portion of the entire series where LMT was holding on to her grudge for way too long while CXZ did everything in his power to win her back. That arc took forever and everyone was exasperated by it because LMT though supposedly "softened" still treated him in a very harsh and cold way that had many of us cringing. Like get over it already! He has told you on multiple occasions that he sees you as his equal and will only marry you in this lifetime; what more do you need? She only panicked when her grandfather committed a faux pas and declined the engagement on her behalf. Once it was ironed out and they signed the wedding certificate she went from an ice cube to melted butter in five minutes and again it was incohesive. These transitions need to be smoother not whiplashing the audience around. It honestly made her look like she had multiple personalities while CXZ was being turned into a simp as he even got himself hurt for her to break off a stupid engagement (x2 in this series). I have no qualms about the actors themselves as they acted their hearts out but this is where novel material comes in real handy and screenwriters need to have their heads examined.

Two of the most unnecessary characters were the old bat aunt and cousin that was originally meant to marry CXZ. Only good thing about that old bat was that she finally made the Consort Dowager open her eyes to reality and stand up for her son and daughter in law. That was a very well deserved slap. Otherwise, they were a waste of space and time. The obsessed with ZY daughter of the villain, I couldn't stand but in the end her own obsession was their downfall so kudos to her for being that blind and dumb as a brick!

Would I recommend it? Yes; the cons notwithstanding, the acting was awesome, comedy just right, real love and connections as well as the amazing tacit understanding of the leads. That ending fight was one of the best choreographed in a drama that's not a Wuxia, I've seen. There it is!

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Delightful and entertaining.

This is becoming my favourite series to watch in the evenings. I normally only watch a series after all episodes have been aired, but i don't want to wait.
I really like the ML and FL i think they have good chemistry together. There is intrigue, investigation, enough danger to make things interesting.
The story so far is good, but i have only watched 21 episodes so far.
since episode 16 they have switched the translation i think to a machine, and it really doesn't work. the first 16 made sense when reading the subtitles but on occasions now it is difficult to piece together the conversations, so i hope they go back to the same team who translated in the beginning.
i will update when i have finished watching all the series.
Ok i have finished watching and it was worth the wait. It did not disappoint. It was delightfully entertaining. I could pick some holes in the story that is why i rated it for me a 9 however it was overall worth watching. The music seemed to fit quite well, cinematography was good. the fight scenes were well crafted. what's not to enjoy. many thanks to the crew and cast for such an excellent series.

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watch it, you won’t regret it !!!

This has to be one of the best dramas I’ve ever watched. The actors did such a great job portraying their roles. I’m one of those people who don’t mind clichés, but sometimes I just need something “new” and different, you know ? Well, Hidden Love didn’t disappoint. The plot is unique, so bonus points for that. Just a heads-up for those who don’t like the age-gap trope : the ML was 19 when he first met the FL, who was 14 at the time, but it’s important to note that they DID NOT have any sexual/romantic interactions until much later in the show. The FL was of legal age when the ML started developing feelings for her. Personally, it didn’t bother me much, but I get why some people might find it icky.

Now I’d like to talk about the main characters a bit.

Sang Zhi (FL) : She’s childish at the beginning of the show, but I promise it’ll get better (they skip 2 years foward to when she’s 19 in 8 ep, so dw). She’s quite shy and introverted, which isn’t much of a problem, not every fl has to be badass or wtv, but even after she gets with the ml, she has issues with intimacy and i’m not even talking about sex, just simple things like kissing. I found that a little annoying, because Imagine getting the man of your dreams, who’s not only hot af, but also respectful and considerate and not wanting to kiss him. Even when she did it, it felt kinda forced, like girl, kiss him like you mean it 😭 Aside from that, I liked her character and the way she stood up for others and herself.


Jia Xu (ML) : He’s the most considerate ML I’ve ever seen in a drama, he literally pays attention to her every little move. He’s too good of a man to be realistic tbh. Their relationship is healthy, no unnecessary fights or arguments, just pure love. He’s like a fatherly figure to Sang Zhi, but not like in a weird way, it’s just the way he cares for her so much and always puts her first.


Overall, I loved this drama and I’ll never stop recommending it :)

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The love bond between two lovers manifests in opposite ways, in the way they show to each other. It seems to each other, the other didn't care at all. its the Korean version of the Ali Macgraw/Ryan O Neal Love Story with a back to the past and future twists. Yet it has managed to retain a flavour on its own. I have watched it twice and each time it gives me a different feeling. Though sad, I'm hopeful true love will withstand test of time. If you are a fan of the JJangs, their chemistry shines again here, pls don't get upset bcos this love story is different. After this, I hope they will continue to work together.

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Such a Masterpiece!!

I haven’t watched such a good historical drama for a long time after Nirvana in Fire. I feel like I would have regretted if I didn’t watch it. Here are the reasons why I like Story of Ming Lan

1. Strong Chemistry
Though I know that Feng Xiao Feng and Zhao Liying are husband and wife in real life , I never thought that they would have such strong Chemistry. I love to see Gu Tingye teasing Ming Lan everytime.This strong chemistry between the two main leads is what took me from the beginning to the end.

2.Casts
As a C-drama addict, I saw so many familiar faces in this drama. Like Zhu Yilong from Guardians, Xiao Tao (Wang Zi Wei) from A Love so Beautiful, Gu Si Ye from Battle of Changsha and Surgeons, the new emperor from Nirvana in Fire and even Gu Tingye’s step-mom is from Surgeons. All of these supporting casts portray their characters very beautifully.

3.Cinematography
If u love the best cinematography, this is the right drama for you.The costumes and manors are very beautiful, Action scenes are done very carefully, and even the polo scenes are done with less CGI. Among the series I have watched ,Story of Ming lan is said to be the one of the few dramas with such great cinematography.

4.Strong Female Lead
I have always been a fan of Strong Female Lead and Ming Lan is one of them. Ming Lan is intelligent but had to hide her talents in order to survive. She is normally calm and pleasant but she will attack fiercely when one of her friend faces injustice. Zhao Liying portrays the character of Shen Ming Lan amazingly and as a fan of Zhao Liying, I would say that this is probably her best work since her debut.

5.Director
I was impressed with Zhang Kai Zhou in Battle of Changsha, Ode to Joy 2 and Love Me if You Dare, he did even a better work in Story of Ming Lan.

6.Strong Plot
A strong, tight- woven plot is everything that matters in a drama. This drama not only has a strong but also realistic plot. Unlike other typical dramas, the two leads didn’t fall in love at first sight. I love that their affections for each other grow with time, Ming Lan firstly calls Gu Tingye as second uncle, then Husband and Er Lang. There are also many funny scenes, like Tingye doing the make up on Ming Lan’s face.

7.Moral lessons
We want to gain something after watching a drama,right? I liked a quote that Ming Lan said “Being Moral is in itself a privilege”. She also taught us to be strong, brave and love your family.

8.Music and Rewatch value
I notice only one song by Yisa Yu and Hu Xia but it is not bad.I’d definitely rewatch after some time and enjoy it again.

Most importantly, you need to have patience while watching Story of Ming Lan. This is not a usual drama that will reach climax after 6 or 7 episodes and the character build-up indeed takes some time, but never drop this drama halfway, or you would definitely regret.

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Seoul Mates

The first time I watched it, I stopped around the 15-minute mark—I got distracted and went to do something else. But then it suddenly hit me that I had just watched Your Name Engraved Herein a couple of days earlier, and I was really craving a girl/girl story, whether romantic or platonic. I had high hopes for this one, but honestly, the messy pacing kind of ruined it for me.

I see a lot of people blaming the guy for ruining everything, but in my opinion, while he did play a part (unintentionally), the best friend also sabotaged the relationship herself. Why is no one talking about the dinner scene where her stunts pushed Ha-eun to storm off back to her room—and then the best friend just left? That was wild.

There were so many moments that could’ve been resolved with a bit of communication. Ha-eun also misunderstood things twice: first during the kiss scene, where she probably thought her best friend and boyfriend were in love, and then again when the boyfriend brought her drunk best friend to his place after the lover’s suicide.

Let’s talk about the boyfriend—he literally decided to marry Ha-eun while still being in love with Mi-so. He apologized and said he would make up for all his sins by staying with Ha-eun for the rest of his life. But honestly, I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Did he really love her, or did he just settle for her because he couldn’t have her best friend?

And then there’s Ha-eun, who realizes on her wedding day that she loves her best friend more than her future husband. And instead of confronting anyone about it, she just... leaves. Another case of running away. Guess they're truly soulmates, because both of them are pros at avoiding things rather than facing them.

Aside from all the unnecessary worry they caused others, I had mixed feelings about the movie. There were moments I loved and others I hated. And what was with the strange blending of future and present timelines with no clear transition? One minute Mi-so has long hair, the next she’s getting it cut—and I couldn’t even tell what was real, what had already happened, or what was just imagined.

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Don't miss out on this excellently written, acted and paced slice-of-life Family Drama!!

If you love “The Bond”, you will love “Romance in the Alley”. Both dramas are directed by the same person, and you can see a lot of similarities between the two. The drama title is a little misleading as romance is just a very teeny tiny part of this drama. Family is what it’s about. This is a well-written, well-acted, well-paced slice-of-life family drama that even someone like me who prefers plot-driven dramas, falls in love with “Romance in the Alley”. It reminds me of a hybrid of “The Bond” + “Go Ahead”. In fact, it’s actually a little easier to watch than “The Bond” as it doesn’t have characters that make my blood boil.


Family
This drama focuses on two families who live next to each other in the same alley. If you ever want a BFF or a good neighbor, look no further than the Zhuang and Lin families. We follow the lives of the adults, working hard to provide for their children. All they want is for their children to go to a good school, graduate and find a good job, have their own family and buy their own houses. A stable and happy life is what they want. However, you will find that each family takes a very different approach in supporting (or not supporting) their children. Their approach puts pressure on their children in not disappointing their parents and shouldering the responsibility of taking care of their siblings, parents or any family member. As I follow the lives of these children and watch them grow up to have their own families, I feel like a proud parent myself watching them from the 1st episode to the 40th episode.

Neighbors & Friends
Friendship in the alley is complicated. I bet many Chinese viewers resonate with all the complicated dynamics and relationships in this drama. One day, you support and help each other. Next day you scheme and try to take advantage of others. When there’s a common enemy (system change, rules change or company complaint), they band together and fight together. At the end of the day, you are still friends and neighbors, trying to live the best life you can. The dialogs are so well-written: heartfelt speeches, subtle digs here and there, sarcastic and condescending remarks. All of that gives the drama so much flavor.

Character development
As I said, I feel like a proud momma watching the three main children grow up. Tu Nan (the older brother) is a top student who is mature and responsible. Dong Zhe is the mischievous kid who is a little smartass with a good heart but lazy. Lastly, we have sweet and quiet Xiao Ting, the little sister who is perceptive and sweet. Watching the three of them grow up into responsible, mature adults without losing their tight bond is lovely to see. I was especially proud of Xiao Ting for growing up to be a more courageous, independent and sensible woman, who is not afraid to speak up and protect those she loves. Aside from the three main kids, you will follow the lives of other children growing up in the alley. Some you will love, some you will hate. But each one is a product of their family and upbringing. You might not like them, but you understand where they are coming from and empathize with them.

Sismance
The friendship between the two mothers, Huang Ling and Song Ying is the best thing about this drama. These two women are so different from each other: upbringing, marital relationship, personality, family lives, and child-rearing philosophy. Yet, they complement each other so well and support each other in their own way. They accept each other’s flaws, defend each other and unconditionally step up to help each other.

Acting
I applaud the casting director for doing an amazing job. From the youngest child actor, to the oldest veteran, there is no weak link. There are many child actors and actresses in this drama, and each one of them performs so well, especially those three who play the naughty little Dong Zhe. Many of them are actually experienced actors who started acting at a very young age. Before watching, I was hesitant about Fan Cheng Cheng’s performance. But I’m glad to report that he did a pretty good job as well, so much better than when I last saw him in “Once and Forever”, also with Guan Xiao Tong. In that drama, Fan Cheng Cheng is definitely the weakest link. His chemistry with Guan Xiao Tong as siblings here is so much better than when they played lovers in “Once and Forever”. Wang An Yu made me fall in love with him. He is so good in looking smitten and in love, just like in “Forever Love”. Guan Xiao Tong and Lu Yu Xiao are talented and beautiful. Of course, the veterans are amazing. I bet they help keep the younger ones on their toes, as they have many scenes together and the young ones can’t slack off.

Pacing
Slice-of-life dramas are a hit-or-miss for me. I prefer plot-driven dramas rather than character-driven ones as I often find the pace to be slow. But not “Romance in the Alley”. This drama is well-paced with enough to keep invested and interested. The writing does an excellent job in making me smile, laugh, cry, and shake my head in disgust throughout the whole drama.

Minor Criticisms
As much as I love this drama, “Romance in the Alley” isn’t without fault. There are two main areas that I would have liked to see better writing - the passage of time and romance. Because this drama spans a long period of time, about 20 years. The drama doesn’t always tell you what year it is. Viewers have to pay attention to changing lifestyles or the addition of new household appliances starting from TV, fridge, home telephone, microwave, etc. Because it’s sometimes hard to tell time. For example, I would see one scene when the parents are disapproving of their children’s decision (a BIG decision) and then the next scene, the conflict is resolved and it’s not a big deal anymore. Or in one scene Tu Nan and Li Jia would be arguing about their relationship, and then time passed and they openly spoke about it, as if the previous conclusion of their relationship didn’t matter anymore. Regarding the romance criticism, I would have loved to see Xiao Ting and Dong Zhe’s transition from friends to lovers more clearly. The realization of feelings and subtle confession were so short that in a blink of an eye, you could have missed it. I miss the early days of their courting/dating.


With a Douban rating of 8.2 at the time of this review, I can totally see how Chinese viewers resonate to the family values and struggles, and a trip down memory lane with change of times in this drama. International viewers might not agree with the values and decisions made, but that should not stop anyone from appreciating an excellently written and acted drama. “Romance in the Alley” will make you smile and laugh, cry and frown. It has put me through an emotional rollercoaster. I cried so hard when the Lin family moved away from Suzhou and when the two mothers' tight friendship was put to the test because of their children. If you read all the way to the end of this long review, I wish you would give this drama a chance.



Completed: 12/1/2024 - Review #523

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I really enjoyed the concept of this show. It reminded me a lot of Side By Side With You on many occasions. Though Our Glamorous Time was not as intense as Side By Side With You. I really enjoyed that there were no obnoxious love triangles.
The beginning and end of this show feel disconnected. The first half of this show was almost entirely focused on Lin Qian as the main character, but the at some point it felt like her story line became second to all the other story lines they tried to introduce with many of the secondary, and even tertiary, characters. The second half og the drama felt like a handful of smaller story lines with no common direction. Story wise I think that it started strongly. Part of the initial story kind of surrounded Lin Qian trying to figure out who saved her. I actually think that this issue, among other initial incidents, was resolved too soon, causing the rest of the episodes to kind of branch off into less interesting stories. I also feel the issue of Li Zhi Cheng’s brother was glossed over a little bit. Like, it could have been a little bit more prominent and deeper than it was.
I did enjoy the fact that this drama avoided a few overused tropes. -There were no extenuating love triangles. -No extremely overbearing parents (mostly, Li Zhi Cheng’s father could be a little much sometimes but in more reasonable ways.) - I really loved Lin Qian’s relationship with her brother. He is super protective of her. Despite having his own opinions of what would be best for Lin Qian’s life, he is generally accepting and respective of her own decisions. They argue and butt heads but just about always make up.
The best part of this show: there are a lot of of fluffy romantic scenes between main and secondary characters respectively. Many of the characters have really great chemistry.
There are two characters towards the end of the show that show up a lot that are not Chinese. I am pretty sure that, like most Chinese shows, this show was dubbed over. But I really have to give it to the two actors and who ever did their voice dubs because I hardly found times were the voices and the movements on their faces did not match. They did a really good job. The voices also fit the characters nicely.

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Indigo no Yoru is my all time favorite drama <3

Most people are unfamiliar with the type of drama. It's a midday drama, so it's targeted towards housewives and stay-at-home-moms. It's a drama that touches on a variety of themes such as marriage, family-life, homosexuality, etc. Not only is it a moving drama, but it is also funny and entertaining. The best part is the cast though. Moriguchi Yoko is a powerful actress who leads the rest of the cast. Along with Kato Kazuki, who as usual is his sexy self. Then there are a variety of fun actors like Takagi Shinpei and Takagi Manpei, Mayame Akihiro, Amano Kosei, Wada Masato, and Kaji Masaki. This is a drama that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for something different and fun, but with lots of plot twists and a detective-style feel. Oh, and bonus, it takes place at a host club. How much better can it get?

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