Reviews

intriguing start - confusing middle - unispired ending

Storyline:

this one started promising with the lead actress being a special kind of introvert autist forced extrovert if needed, being beautiful and highly intelligent in the field of programming. The idea of the new chatbot she invents fits the current times and often hopelessly automatized behaviours of modern humans.
She herself uses her chatbot and one evening decides to meet the creepy chat match instead of the normal nice guy she is talking to at the same time.
Meeting that obviously creepy guy is weird and intense for her, the cinematography and music in the first episodes is really good, artsy and fitting the entire mood it wants to transport.
So while we find out the very first episode that the creepy looking guy is indeed a creep and crazy serial killer for that, we undertand that somehow he likes our female lead too and does not intend to kill her (or at least most of the time I guess).

So the pictures, the tension and the music are really well done in the first few episodes. The side characters are - ok.
The shaman friend seems interesting but her story isn't well explored, sadly she remains pale because that lack of background.
The other friend of our progammer lady is a female detective who, after an accident, is wheelchair bound.

Our serial killer seeks the cop lady out specifically on the chat bot luring her in with pretending he is in a wheel chair too. (how he is able to do that we don't know) For some unknown reason he does not kill her though, but leaves her out in the wild without her wheelchair. I did wonder though why did he not kill her as she could have easiyl intentified him? Also, why did she not check the police records for his face she being a police woman?

By the middle of the show it gets all rather slow and several things that happen seemed forced and incoherent to me and I started feeling a little annoyed.

It seemed like the creators wanted to put certain things into the story no matter what and how.
So the shaman woman is into women and it seems kind of forced that they almost artificially create a situation for her to meet a woman and get it going with her. No problem with that if it fits the story and you feel a connection to the character. That chance was missed in my opinion and so it just seems like they wanted this to somehow happen in that show.

Same thing goes for the handicapped cop lady. So she is a cop but although being in a wheelchair and thus comparably helpless she goes to a blind date with an unknown guy she just talked to per chat for a bit, and she doesn't meet him in public but is gullibly being lured into the wild to a forsaken swimmingpool sowewhere in the great nowhere? Would a cop, let alone a handicapped cop do such dumb thing really?

So then you have to just accept that quite accidentally, in a multi million city like Seoul, the serial killer gets involved with programmer girl and at the same time with her disabled cop friend. Not enough accidental things, he is even able to orchestrate a kind of rape game in a vacant industry hall at night, where programmer girl unknowingly meets a group of men who where made to believe she is meeting them for that rape role play. She doesn't know of course and despite being a very petite, untrained small woman she is not only able to escape all of them (unlikely) but even kills one of the with just one strike of a razor blade (very unlikely).
Meanwhile Mr. serial killer goes on killing while the police... hm, well it seems he can just go around killing in Seoul, the CCTV extreme city, and not only not being caught, but not even being sought after. (very, very unlikely).

it starts on dragging then, feeling like the creators couldn't decided what to do with the characters.
All of a sudden our autistic programmer girl is obsessively in love with the serial killer, but we don't really get to know why that happens all of a sudden.
The handicapped cop lad is out for revenge and instead of this time being wiser and getting backup when she wants to confront the serial killer, she - again - is dumb enough to be lured to a remote place, this time a whole vacant housing estate that is about to be demolished when she is there. And she really goes there alone again, with her wheelchair, into uneven demolishing ground, where this time she almost dies and is just being rescued the very last second. That was when I was annoyed because I thought how could someone with the police be that idiotic two times in a row? How did she even get to the police with that lack of intelligence in the first place?

Anyways, it then gets more artsy and abysmal, serial killer killing, programmer girl acting like a 12-year old obsessively in love with him ignoring all sensibility, and in the end deciding to kill the killer. That, sadly, wasn't done in any realistic way.
She still just has that small razor blade, and with it is able to make a slash through one eyeball, the nose including bone and the other eyeball. For this she would have neede something else, a mere small razor blade is not able to do that. But again, the creators wanted that effect of cut eyeballs, physics out the window. And again, no police while in a few weeks there are brutally murdered people everwhere and programmer girl happily celebrated with her friends.

Conclusion:

I did not know this was an adaption of a book and I do not know that book so I can't say if the adaption went well or not.
As mentioned in the beginning, this was promising and it could have been rather good, but somewhere in the middle the creators somehow lost their own plot. it got more and more confusing and the characters acting unlogical or plain dumb.

Creating a good storyline with this content is probably comparably difficult, but the downward tendency was just too steep for me from the middle of the show.

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Pure Entertainment!!

I am not usually a wuxia fan and have not many shows so the entire review is from my personal enjoyment of the show. No major spoilers as such but may have some minor ones. My motivation to start this was pure Lee Jae Wook tbh. I had seen him in WWW and the moment he came to the screen I was drawn to him the entire time.

Watching the initial episodes, I was half heartedly expecting this show to be a political scheming war between a destined king (Jang Uk) Vs Wannabe King (CP) Vs Actual king who is soon dying, with some magical elements. Yeah I had my biases going in but I was wrong. The setup was beautiful and I was actually drawn to the story for about 4-5 episodes. The show had some cool cliffhangers which make me crave for the next episode. The CGI elements were dope and whenever Naksu drew her sword made me major goosebumps.

That's where my complaint started. It had an interesting setup, Jang Uk born under King's Star and destined for greater things and on the other side deadly assassin Naksu soul swapped as Mu Deok. Their journey to start from scratch to finding about their truths was an intriguing plot for me which despite not being an unique one however if done right makes it interesting. After a point it became a battle of mere words. The storylines being reiterated for God knows how many times. One by one each character got to know the secrets and repeating the same thing made me scream like dude we got the story now move on. The whole Ep 19 was a summary of the story line for the nth time, no kidding.

My highest disappointment with the show is how they underplayed Naksu. They gave us a badass heroine who eventually became nothing but a maid. I get the motive behind it as they wanted to come up with the whole arc of hers but they did a major injustice. Not only hers, infact so many other characters who were supposed to be this great mages protecting the Capital and what not became a meek observer of the plot. They bought 0 contribution to the story which makes you question their purpose. During emergent situation the mages like Yul, Park Jin and even the Crown Prince did nothing making me scream like aren't you suppose to be powerful? Now for the king, I mean they take the most competitive "admission test" to appoint a servant seriously but chose the most stupid person as the king who was the last to find out what was going on. I know they added all this for drama purpose but I can't help laughing at this absurdity.

The cast did justice to their roles and no complaints on the acting front. For the romance aspect honestly I was not interested and majorly skipped all the scenes except the ones with the main couple. It was unnecessary and cringey to some extent. Action scenes were cool but were limited like Jang Uk and Naksu using one only Tansu move whenever they fight. Maybe we will see more in S2 as the setup is different here.

Overall the story was repetitive and was cliched down a lot to attract the crowd however it was still an entertaining watch for me. I am up for S2 and not taking the loopholes of the story tooo seriously.

*Ending Spoiler here*
I wonder how will they bring up Naksu's body which was burnt earlier. I suppose it was Jin's family who saved Mu Deok at the end as the mother was giving instruction to bring her alive, so I think maybe one of them saved her body or something. And Jang Uk rising from the ashes was my favorite scene of the show. Ahh LJW eyes!

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The story has great potentail and was realy well built until all the mystery started to reslove honestly I was kind of disappointed and the writer focused so much on the love line and kept dragging the love triangle until the last minute it realy affects alots of the chrachter development

The acting and the cast was amzing everyone is a perfect match to the role the actress who played sooyoung was realy amazing it's hard not to hate her Kim Sohyun surprised me she is that good and she's only fifteen it take only one gaze to differentiate between the twin Sungjae did well he made taekwang too lovable joohyuk was decent too.

the ost are realy good it's one of the best especaily reset and return

rewatch value I don't realy rewatch drama unless it was super good it only happened 2 or 3 times before so I shouldn't judge this category

overall it was fun to watch this drama

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A Love Forged On The Edge Of Hatred, Tempered By Silence And Pain

"Feud", also known as "Lin Jiang Xian" (Lament of the River Immortal), presents itself as a xianxia drama rooted in misunderstanding, but beneath its surface lies a haunting, layered tale of how grief can blur the line between love and hatred.

At the heart of the story is the tragic bond between Hua Ruyue and Bai Jiusi: two souls once intertwined by fate, only to be torn apart by pain and betrayal. Their relationship, rich with longing and unresolved devotion, forms the emotional backbone of the drama. Their journey was never about romance, but of healing — a reflection of how love, when wounded deeply, can either wither into ruin or be transformed into redemption.

STORYLINE ₊ ⊹❀
The drama opens with a deceptively lighthearted tone, focusing on the fairytale-like romance between Li Qingyue and Bai Jiusi. Their sweet, almost innocent dynamic hints at a familiar setup. At first glance, it feels like a typical love story within a xianxia setting, and yet, something about it feels quietly off. There were no backstories offered, no clear exposition given, especially regarding the main leads. This deliberate withholding of context created a sense of mystery which piqued at my interest. I thought this choice of narrative is one of the drama's strength because as the story progresses, it unravels into something far more tragic and complex.

After the illusion of simplicity fades with the revelation of Li Qingyue's true identity as Hua Ruyue, the tone of the drama takes a dramatic and somber turn. Her reemergence is not merely just a shocking twist, but a pivotal moment that reframes everything that came before. What once appeared to be the beginning of their love is actually just a continuation of a deeply fractured bond. For me, this arc marks the start of their true story, it is what made the drama more emotionally engaging and narratively unique. Each revelation drew me deeper into their twisted entanglement.

The transition from the first half to the second half of the story was seamless —it felt organic rather than jarring. The pacing struck the right balance, and the nonlinear structure of storytelling, through the use of flashbacks, added richness and layers to the characters and their relationship. What stood out most during this part was how the drama avoided a simplistic narrative of right and wrong. Instead, it carved out a space for both Hua Ruyue and Bia Jiusi to exist as flawed, grieving individuals — not heroes or villains, but as two souls shaped by their heartbreak and longing. The moral ambiguity embedded in their contrasting ideologies became the lens through which their pain and conflict were explored. I appreciated how the drama didn't ask to choose sides, it rather asked to understand.

Furthermore, the side characters weren't merely added as background figures, each of them carried enough weight and nuance to feel real rather than one-dimensional. Fan Linger wasn't confined to the typical trope of an annoying second female lead ; her arc became one of self-love and growth. The Jingyuan Sect deviated from the usual portrayal of a hypocritical or power-hungry factions in xianxia dramas. Even Xiao Jingshan, who walked the darker path wasn't portrayed as inherently evil but as someone affected by the weight of his pain. While the romance wasn't the central focus of the drama, the chemistry between the main leads was palpable, and the few moments of affection and tenderness they shared felt both authentic and heart fluttering.

The drama's conclusion wasn't a conventional happy ending, but one far more meaningful and symbolic. It didn't erase the suffering and tragedy Bai Jiusi and Hua Ruyue endured, instead it illuminated their long emotional journey towards healing. It was deeply moving to witness each character learn to let go of their hatred, resentment, attachments, and obsession. In the end, it wasn't about neat resolutions, but about choosing peace after pain, and choosing love even in the aftermath of loss.

The CGI in the drama wasn't anything groundbreaking, it was more in line with what you'd expect from older xianxia productions but it did serve its purpose. The cinematography, on the other hand, was visually pleasing and managed to capture the tone of the story well. As for the costume designs, what particularly stood out for me was for the main leads. I especially adored the intricate details in Hua Ruyue's hair pieces, and the soft, elegant color tones of Bai Jiusi's hanfu which suited him perfectly. I only found one aspect lacking, it was the sound effects. At times, they were overpowering the dialogue in certain scenes. Also, the comedic sound cues felt misplaced and distracting, like the glass shattering sounds.

CHARACTERS & ACTING ₊ ⊹❀
Bai Lu as Hua Ruyue | Li Qingyue
Hua Ru Yue is the most compassionate immortal god to exist. From the moment she first opened her eyes to the world, her heart was already soft. Despite her divine status, she never turned a blind eye to mortals suffering. She saw their pain, recognized their worth, and treated them not as lesser beings, but as lives equally deserving of dignity and care. Beneath her gentle spirit, lies an unshakable will. Hua Ruyue doesn't confine herself to the rigid laws of heaven, nor does she flinch at the face of fate. She is strong minded and unyielding, she follows her own truth even when the cost is great.

Meeting Meng Chi, a mortal whom she saved, marked the beginning of Hua Ruyue’s fated entanglement with cause and effect. His life was like a mirror — one that reflected the eternal divide between immortals and mortals. Birth, aging, sickness, death… the joys and sorrows of mortal life pass like fleeting shadows in the eyes of gods. But in an instant, Hua Ruyue came to understand the weight of those fleeting moments. She saw how "love" — that fragile, flickering flame, is what mortals cling to even when knowing they are destined to fade. And in that, she realized how divine power means nothing if it’s only used to look down with pity. Its true meaning lies in the courage to share in the pain of all living beings.

Though Meng Chi's life was brief, his impact on Hua Ruyue was profound. She came to see that if immortals are eternal but unfeeling, then they are no different from stone. Mortals may be fragile, but their suffering, born of love and foolish hope, weighs heavier than the sky. Hua Ruyue’s sword did not only slay the drought dragon — it shattered the cold, unyielding rules of the heavenly realm. For only by loving the fleeting can one become unafraid of the impermanence of life.

But even the kindest hearts can break. Hua Ruyue’s descent into hatred was never born of malice, but from heartbreak. A grief so vast, it devoured her light and twisted her love into vengeance. Losing her child, Shi An, was a wound deeper than any suffering she endured afterward. Her hatred towards Bai Jiusi blinded her to the truth, but before she was an immortal god Siling, she was a grieving mother. Hua Ruyue was trapped between the thin line of love and hatred, and though her anger burned fiercely, it was clear she still only loved Bai Jiusi. Each time she tried to kill him, she wasn't afraid to die along with him, because deep down, that love never left. And if proof was ever needed, it lies in Li Qingyue. Although she wasn't real, she was still Hua Ruyue, a part of her untouched by time, pain, and betrayal. How can someone who has endured so much still carry a version of herself so loving, so pure, so tender? That alone speaks of a heart that never fully closed — of a love that, no matter how scarred, still quietly endured.

Hua Ruyue was able to let go of her hatred through the quiet acceptance. It was the time artifact which Xiao Jingshan gave her that allowed her this final journey. She wasn't returning to the past to alter the future or reverse her pain. Instead, she was rewriting it as an act of healing, a way of finding peace within herself. This time, she chose to reunite with Bai Jiusi once more, not as someone who is broken by grief, but as someone who had lived through it, carried its weight, and slowly learned to lay it down. She approached him no longer as a mother ravaged by loss, but as Hua Ruyue, a woman who had loved deeply, suffered greatly, and finally made peace with both.

Hua Ruyue is now undoubtedly one of my most favorite character that Bai Lu had portrayed. She didn't disappoint. She delivered a performance that was both powerful and deeply moving. I have always admired her talent, especially in angsty and emotionally charged scenes, yet she still managed to surprise me with her stellar performance here, particularly during the revelation of Hua Ruyue's suffering in the mortal realm. Those scenes were gut-wrenching, it reminded me of the same emotional devastation I felt when watching her in One and Only. This truly stands out as one of her finest performances to have ever come around. Although, it is a pity that she didn't dub the character herself, her raw acting carried every scene with grace and intensity.

Zeng Shunxi as Bai Jiusi
Bai Jiusi is the opposite of Hua Ruyue. He is bound by the laws of heaven and carried the immense burden of guarding the infinite steel. He had a great sense of responsibility and never wavered from his duty, he was someone more restrained. Unlike Hua Ruyue, he doesn't resist the wheel of fate but accepts it. This wasn’t because he lacked the courage to fight, but because he believes in a natural cycle governed by karma and heaven's order. But that acceptance came at a cost.

Beneath his composed exterior lies a soul full of ache. He loved Hua Ruyue deeply, yet he never once voiced it aloud. Instead, his love was reflected in the way he remained steady, like still water, quietly enduring the storm of her resentment. Every part of him belonged to her. That love never wavered— not even when he lost his memories, not even when his soul was shattered. Even his sword remembered only the love he bore for Hua Ruyue.

Bai Jiusi's tragedy is that of a man who loved too deeply but spoke too little. He often chose restraint over expression as a way to protect others. But in doing so, he unknowingly built a wall between himself and Hua Ruyue. His passivity, though rooted in care, became the very force that allowed distance and misunderstanding to take root. He was not without flaws. Every time he withheld his truth, every time he let the moment pass without reaching for her, the space between them grew. His understanding became a substitute for confrontation, and in trying not to hurt her, he ended up letting her hurt alone. The weight of things unsaid, pain endured quietly and love never spoken became the very ache that defined their bond. In the end, his greatest flaw wasn’t a lack of love, but the silence that cloaked it.

After he learned the truth of Hua Ruyue's suffering and his unintentional role in Shi An's death, he became consumed by overwhelming guilt. That realization shattered what little composure he had left, however, he didn't try to justify himself. His redemption came in the form of self-erasure — allowing Hua Ruyue to strike him down if it could ease even a fraction of her grief. And even in death or near-death, his love remained resolute, never tainted by bitterness or resentment. He let himself become the villain in her story because he believed her pain mattered more than clearing his name.

Yet, his ultimate redemption was not in dying, but in surviving long enough to be there when Hua Ruyue finally let go of her hatred. He was still there, quietly enduring, when she returned from the past having found her peace. And that quiet reunion, free of drama or grand declarations, was his final offering. His love was the kind that asked for nothing in return, a love that didn't seek to be seen, but only to remain.

Zeng Shunxi's performance is remarkable considering this is his first time starring in a xianxia genre drama. His portrayal of Bai Jiusi's inner turmoil and quiet devotion with subtlety spoke volumes of his emotions even in silence. The expression in his eyes which often held more sorrow than words could express added depth to his character. He absolutely also gave an impactful and memorable performance with his heavier scenes. I am looking forward to see him act in this genre again.

OSTs ₊ ⊹❀
The drama didn't have any powerhouse OSTs and the rest of the songs used were not that memorable. The only two songs which I really ended up loving were the ones sang by Bai Lu and Joseph, both these songs had lyrics that matched with the story and characters too.

OVERALL IMPRESSION ₊ ⊹❀
Feud is a compelling tale that goes beyond romance and traditional xianxia. It explores the fragility of love, the devastation of grief, and the moral ambiguity of choice. With its rich character depth, emotional storytelling, and quiet reflections on healing and forgiveness, it's a drama that lingers, not because of how dramatic it is, but because of how deeply it makes you feel. This drama was worth every emotion it pulled from me. I genuinely hope to see Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi reunite in another project, as their chemistry and performances left a lasting impression.

FAVE SCENES ₊ ⊹❀
- Li Qingyue proposal to Bai Jiusi
- Fan Linger using her shadow to kill Li Qingyue
- Revelation of Li Qingyue being Hua Ruyue
- Sweet moments of Bai Jiusi and Hua Ruyue during the first time they descended to the mortal realm
- Hua Ruyue seeing Meng Chi's painting of her after he passed away
- Hua Ruyue walking to awaken Bai Jiusi who was frozen
- Bai Jiusi learning how to coax his wife from his friends
- Bai Jiusi's amnesia and search of his wife
- Hua Ruyue and her masters late night drinking talks
- Hua Ruyue time with Shi An
- Bai Jiusi soul guiding Hua Ruyue during the final fight

˖ . ݁❀𝜗𝜚❀. ݁₊

"In the long endless night, only the sun brings light. The warmth of the sun is like hope at the end of darkness. And that radiant warmth is what the color gold is like" — Hua Ruyue

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Where are all of these 5-star and 10+ reviews coming from???

This show was the most drawn out, repetitive and absurd thing I've watched in a while.

I genuinely wanted to give this show a chance, but by ep 25, the ML STILL doesn't know the woman he's given up his career for and has fallen in love with multiple times, is an alien. Not even an inkling. There is SO LITTLE transparency with this couple. No communication ever.

The female lead has also yet to even say the words "I love you" to him. Not once! This couple has more chemistry when they're not together than when they are lMAO. the kiss scenes are awkward at best, and it's ironic that the ML, who is married irl, was putting more effort into their scenes than the FL in all her scenes combined. I can understand why it would be awkward, but their kisses are hard to watch, and I would have much preferred 1 or 2 excellent ones, to numerous bad ones where her eyes are wide open and their lips are pressed together while the camera spins around for 5 minutes. But anyways, I always forget to start with the positives so here we go.

I LIKED:
- chemistry. Their on-screen chemistry was good, mostly due to the ML. he was very convincing. I can appreciate the effort he put into seeming like he was genuinely enamoured by the FL.

- The story-line, I guess? While not unique, it was very promising. It's a shame it was pulled down by unnecessary tropes like greedy-in-laws, sinister exes/second female lead, mad evil scientist, and many other minor things. You can't ask me what any of them have said, or even what their motives and personalities are like. I've skipped about 70% of each episode since reaching the 10 ep mark, and the time spent focusing on these boring, melodrama tropes, could have been spent fleshing out the FL's feelings, motivations, and logic. She doesn't want to be discovered as an alien, yet in at least every ep, she's using her powers. ;-; Something's not adding up.

I DISLIKED:

- The supporting cast. Every single supporting cast member was a stumbling block, with the exception of 3. Mr Han, Dr. Zheng, and FL's Jie. Oh right, the FL's Jie, and basically a sister/mother figure at this point, DOESN'T KNOW SHE'S AN ALIEN EITHER? This show could have been a deep, profound exploration into the differences between human and aliens. She could have developed even deeper relationships with those around her. It could have covered Xiaoqi coming to terms with the fact that she might have to stay on Earth forever, and making life-long companionships, confiding in humans, and growing to love them. If not the ML, her jie, making deep, life-long bonds. But nO.

- The FL. This is no fault of the actress who played XQ. Xiaoqi was just all over the place, and at the end of the day, she feels, empty? Not full? Like something's missing. Anticlimactic. She hasn't grown, she hasn't changed fundamentally since ep 1, and frankly, I'm disappointed in this character.

- EXECUTION ON A WHOLE.
THIS SHOW HAS MADE ME WANT TO WRITE MY OWN SPIN-OFF OF THIS DRAMA, AND RIGHT EVERY WRONG THAT WAS COMMITTED. That's how aggravated and disappointed I am with it.

Long story short, My Girlfriend Is An Alien, was a show with a simple premise, that could have been so much more. So much more profound, and heartwarming, but instead became a shallow romance, with an ambiguous female lead, and too many plot points, to know what it really wanted to do.

DNF @ep 25. Maybe I'll return some day. Maybe not.

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Never believe in the dramas / movies set in the 80s and 90s

The plot is somewhat typical, a story about first love and friendships in adolescence, at first I felt that it was a bit slow but then it improved, really what is most striking is that you do not expect the ending and the fact that the love story from Bora and WooHon it ends before it started it hurts, at least they would have had another kiss
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The performances were good, Kim Yoo jung and Byun Woo suk in the train scene where they say goodbye will always be a memorable scene, it was impossible not to cry and Han Hyo Joo in the last scene where she sees the tape... Damn she didn't even have to speak so that I would be destroyed
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The best movie of 2022 and here the phrase that destroyed us all "I want to see you, Bora of the 21st century"

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A review. My fingers were tingling.

Different doesn't always have to be good, but in this case it's exceeded that level.

I may speak on behalf of a lot of people when I say "Of all those years of watching kdramas It's the first time I'm coming across a show such as this."

We may have seen similar story lines, but what makes Heartless City a "masterpiece" is they created their own element and flow throughout every episode. Their own personal amazing touch to it.

This doesn't even have to be your genre of liking and you'll still be pulled in. It alone is praiseworthy that it's different from the usual kdrama.

I can't even focus one main point that makes this show so good because there's a ton of things that contribute to making Heartless City what it is. There's never a dull moment. This is the first drama that has kept it's momentum. It never breaks the seriousness. It doesn't drag. As you progress one episode after another your addiction sky rockets.

The dark noir feeling. Boy, do they deliver or what and sometimes you just want it to even go darker and grittier. There will be scenes that will give you the chills then they'll be scenes that mess with your mind.

There's not much light scenes to this show which I love because it's consist and stays true to the noir theme.

The action is top notch. I love it. The action alone gives you so many vibes. I fangirl when the action starts! They make it look so effortless and classy.

The music. The music flows in perfectly with this show. It was designed for this show. The music represents the depth and emotions of the scenes going on. It's addicting.

The acting. The cast is genius. The relationships. The complications. The character development. You're invested in every character whether it be a supporting role or a character that is barely there.

I can't get over how amazing the cast is. Every character is thought out and brilliant. This show has introduced me to an amazing actor Jung Kyung Ho. That's a name I won't be forgetting. I somewhat have a girl crush on Nam Gyu Ri at this point.

This drama shows you a lot of time and effort went into making it. Doc Son is a brilliant invention. I don't know how they came up with such a character, but this is a character that pulls you in so hard and how hard you try to understand him you won't be able to.

Heartless City 2013 is yours.

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Intriguing plot, fantastic acting and high quality production

I generally reserve my thoughts and write a review after watching all the episodes however I just couldn't wait this time to share my initial impression so that people who discover this drama and come here will be interested in watching it.

Dramas that play with the element of time (time travel or time loop) are tricky to get right. There are more chances of plot holes and incoherent storytelling than other dramas. Also, it's important to grab viewers attention in the first episode itself without perplexing the audience. Reset excels in this and the first episode sets up the drama nicely and kept me on the edge of my seat. I am hooked!

Moving onto actors, most of us know Bai Jing Ting after his stellar performance in You Are My Hero and he certainly lives up to good standard in this as well but the real show stealer for me is Zhao Jin Mai. The actress from 'A Little Thing Called First Love' fame delivers impressive performance as Li Shi Qing. I was mesmerized by her. She is pulling off difficult to show emotions such as anxiety, fright and delirium with ease.

Cinematography and edits are also crucial for such a drama and they have nailed those aspects of filmmaking along with good background score. You can feel the tension. The overall production quality is top notch as is the script and you can see that they have paid attention to the details. Additionally, no voice dubbing which is a rarity in C-drama world.

Ending felt a bit forced but it doesn't take away anything. This drama is sheer quality.

Start watching, it's well worth your time and only 15 episodes long. Enjoy!

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The most fun fated lovers have finding missing dragon parts - Xianxia evolution!

Indulge in the rom-com aspects of Back from the Brink, from the interactions of the lead couple (both inhabit their respective characters with charm, wit, and delicacy!), the side characters, not to mention the cute and fluffy CGI creatures, and then there are the kiddies! Naive yet tongue-in-cheek feel at the beginning, and at the same time all deadly serious if our eye-candy Heroes (Yan Hui and Tan Yiao) are to succeed on their Quest (rescuing not only themselves, but their supporting cast). A light-hearted identity misunderstanding begins their journey (through different lands), but our romancing couple soon sort out who is who (and who's boss!) and work to help each other (with a bit of assistance from a relationship-testing character obliged to help while hindering!) in life-threatening situations. They have some well-intentioned friends to support them, some arch villains to thwart them, and some unexpected obstacles to try their resolve and commitment to each other (which they have in buckets!). All of which are intertwined as they progress from xian to human to demon realms and back (with some enchanted side trips for good measure).

Early costuming is entirely appropriate to their wandering-in-search-of situation, together with a penchant for steamed buns and gambling away the money that's made (although no shortage of means to make more - they are resourceful, after all!). Their costumes become more gorgeous as their circumstances improve, black has a special meaning, as does bathing in moonlight and cold water! Music is very much in sync with the slightly gamed feel to many scenes in drama; elements of RPG run rampant in very charming ways, but as the angst ups, more orchestral melodies can be heard and the game aspect tones down. The OST is one of the most refreshing and appropriate to be paired with a drama recently.

It's Xianxia, there is heart-wrenching angst, there are knife-edge decisions being made, there are multiple sacrifices (this couple ooze a deep heart connection) and much misdirection...if all goes according to their entangled fate, despite overwhelming odds Tian Yao and Yan Hui will win through to their happy ever after.

Spoiler ALERT!!! - Keep reading only if you are willing to be spoiled!

The drama is NOT the same as the novel . . . scriptwriters have added in very different subplots and motivations and depowered Yan Hui at the commencement of the drama. Still recognisable from a personality perspective but from a power perspective - entirely dependent on the other males to help "activate" or "rescue" or whatever verb you want to use when a female has her agency removed, as the means to kick-start the action. A pity because the novel really has a tightly knit structure with internal consistency in both motive and plot devices - neither overpower the other, and all characters don't require particularly much suspension of disbelief to agree with their actions. The drama on the other hand starts out with some shaky premises and then veers into some very la la land motives, reactions, consequences. If you come to this after having read the novel, it's fun, the leads are ever so easy on the eyes, and Yan Hui eventually becomes a powerful force of nature (although you may gnash your teeth until she does), but the novel has been dismembered more or less like TY and his body bitz, without the redeeming arc and journey. The other characters are less characters and more caricatures of the novel originals, to their detriment.

JLFX (novel author) was ostensibly involved with the script for the drama. It's not unusual for an author to want a second bite at the cherry and her presence legitimises changes. The variations of the drama from the original novel rely heavily on some worn out tropes, but when this drama stays true to the novel it shines (in no small part to the two leads sensitively inhabiting their characters, despite the dialogue and out-field plot development). But the online reactions that have occurred to various episodes suggest that Youku/producers/pursestrings in the background were always aiming at maximum notoriety - and by the time the drama was one third through they achieved that aim spectacularly: heat indexes, weibo, tik tok, twitter charts/comments/whatevs stratospheric with activity. It's entertainment, so engagement with viewers is a sign of success, but the sense of cynical manipulation suggests the plot twists and turns, the deviation from the novel, the speedy reaction to online uproar, were all a calculated effort to keep this drama in the glare of the spotlight, not because of storytelling excellence and the integrity of the original material, but as a vehicle of sheer obeisance at the temple of advertising revenue. For this novel reader, Back from the Brink wasn't so much an adaptation as a compromised adoption of misinterpreted aspects of Hu Xin. Oh for what might have been.....

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A Drama That Goes Nowhere

This show is the textbook definition of wasted potential. From start to finish, it’s a flat, lifeless experience with no real story to tell. The pacing is sluggish, the plot is practically nonexistent & not a single character leaves an impression. Most actors weren't particularly charming either (but it could be just to do with the screenplay & unintriguing story).

Sehun character, as one of the male leads, is especially underwhelming. With the entire narrative supposedly built around his character, you’d expect some level of depth or charisma but sadly he brings zero presence & painfully disengaged throughout which makes you feel super annoyed as a viewer.

The rest of the cast doesn’t do much to elevate things either. Plenty of moments with unwarranted over the top acting. There’s not much chemistry anywhere, no standout performance, & definitely no reason to care about what’s happening on screen.

Releasing all episodes at once was the only mercy as you have the option to FF. Go for it, if you have time to kill but to me, not worth the time.

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OVERRATED

I was really looking forward to watching this drama especially when I heard Kim Soo Hyun was playing the male lead, however unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.
I suspect it also has to do with my high expectations of this drama but honestly not only was the storyline average but also the soundtrack and character development wasn't intriguing.
I feel like it got so much attention because of the good looks of the main characters but I felt that their chemistry wasn't amazing and their relationship was overly complicated.
I didn't feel moved at all watching this and the ending wasn't satisfying. It has an interesting concept however lacked thematic value.
Overall it was an alright drama and there were some heartwarming moments however definitely did not deserve the praise that it had received.

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This show really started with potential but shot in all kinds of direction. To give you a background the male lead is a street lawyer the female lead is a fashion designer. Throughout the story there are three storylines running in the story.
You can skip this drama if you think there will be romance. There is romance but hardly between the female and male lead.
1) first story line revolves around Sheng Xia ( female lead) she has her own fashion boutique in NYC. She is working hard to try to achieve her dream as being a more well known fashion designer. Through her journey she has mostly bumps which require the male lead for help in court cases.
2) second story line revolves around the male lead trying to become a laywer ( he's currently just a street lawyer). At the same time he is trying to re- investigate/find evidence for a case that has caused his defendant to get murdered.
3) The third story line revolves around Sheng Xia ( female lead's) childhood friend. She is also into design ,but back in Beijing. Basically it talks about how she went from selling clothes on the streets to getting hired and working as a designer. ( i totally just skipped that storyline)
4) technically there is four storyline. This is the female lead's boyfriend and the female lead best friend. They end up falling for each other. To keep it short the boyfriend never respected Sheng Xia's dream and only wanted to make Sheng xia his wife. Sheng xia felt really insecure about him and didnt like that he kept pressuring her to get married. The second female lead ( her best friend) works with her at her boutique. He sees how caring the bf is to Sheng xia. The second female lead take cares of the bf when he is not feeling well .... so you know what happens...


What was kind of annoying was how they showed three storyline at once....
They tried to pack too many things into one... I definitely would not rewatch.

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I had really high expectations due to the hype and the cast. I actually quite liked the first two episodes and the romance between Sae Ro Yi and Soo-ah as students and also really liked the MC's father. The series had a really promising start and did live up to my expectations for a while.

Really like Kwon Na-ra (I find her super beautiful as opposed to the other girl) and I rooted for Soo-ah although her joining Jangga and helping the old man was a huge turn off and frustrating to watch even after her intentions were revealed (to betray them and help Ro Yi).

The other girl was refreshing at first. She had very serious flaws yet likable in her own ways such as being "badass", smart and capable. She soon turned into an obsessive girl who clinged to the MC too much. I liked the crew as well.

The acting, especially the villains' in the first half of the series (old man and f***boy son) really made me hate them and I was curious to see the old man's past and thoughts. The cast's acting was good all the way through but was eventually ruined by the forced romance and shitty overall plot. The life lessons the series tried to convey at first didn't really work out due to the messy plot and ruined characters. "Stay true to yourself", "live with your head high", "power", "logic and schemes vs people and feelings". All empty words in the end.

The series was bearable until maybe episode 10 and had somewhat of a plot going. With lots of typical "drama" and twists, cliches, etc.. However, the old man was not that great of a villain anymore and eventually got cancer (lolz?) The nice, innocent but spineless younger brother got negative "development" and lost himself. He became the same as the father he hated. Older son went to jail and got out...

By episode 14, after the 4 year time skip the Ro Yi suddenly falls in love with the manager girl and changed ( staying true to his way of living and not changing no matter what was his whole character and motive). Soo-ah, despite her flaws and stupidity, was still a better pick IMO as from the start they both liked each other and she was always there for him (even working for Jangga was to help him - stupid writing, i know). She was always the second lead female but was winning for 13-14 episodes until the other girl just won (horrible writing).

Crazy older brother got out of jail and kidnapped Yi-seo and the younger brother. At the end of episode 14 or 15 MC kneeled before the old man just to save his "romance" that came out of nowhere. His character was far gone. All that vengeance, hatred and negativity was useless and meaningless in the end as he kneeled before the character that ruined his life and caused him pain for 15 years, to save his new found "love".

I haven't seen the last episode yet, but I have no expectations left. All the characters are ruined, everything is shitty at this point and the forced couple will form in a cliche way somehow. In the end, among the many horrible things, the plot, the characters' backwards development and the disastrous romance stood out as the worst things about this drama.

UPDATE: finished the last episode and everything wrapped up the way I expected it to after seeing the first 15 eps.
Things settled down and it was a "happy" ending but the previous issues were obviously still there. Soo-ah and Geun-soo didn't get the development and closure they needed.

The scene with the old man at the end was not satisfying at all and just really sickening. The old man was a wicked devil, sure. However, the MC just pulled a "I'm a business man" move and acts tough and cool after the old guy kneels and cries. From the start, this series was always full of toxicity: violence, power abuse, early death of the father, etc...
However, there was no real positive message in the story in the end. They won the war and MC got his revenge and became rich, but that's all. It's just like nothing happened at all and all the drama was just there for the sake of it. A very, very shallow approach to appeal to the bitterness and hatred in audiences.

I usually don't write drama reviews but hopefully this will be helpful to some people. In the end, if you want a drama that makes you feel good watching, AVOID this so that you don't end up wasting a weekend and also feel miserable because of how unhealthy the story and the characters became. This is a very naively idealistic story that tried very hard to be inspiring but failed miserably.

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1) The reason I watched this:

I watched all versions of Hana Kimi, thus I wanted to discover the Korean incarnation.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*I already knew the general story which means that I didn’t try to discover it (predictable). I will basically compare storylines and plot changes.

Positive Points:

*Unlike other versions, this one focused on the romantic side; there were too many fluffy moments that would make the drama more enjoyable. Moreover, this Korean adaptation gave the romantic elements its right to be intensively present.

*This version had the best visual cinematography; yes I had to admit that since other versions didn’t focus on this aspect. I am glad that this one took it into consideration and actually pulled it off in a good way.

Negative Points:

*The huge negative point that I found in this version was the absence of friendship and relationships inside dorms, it was the main element in other versions that’s why I felt betrayal when I didn’t find it here. Yes, the version should stand out but cutting such an important element made the drama lose its taste.

*Another important negative point: The lack of humor; It was an important element too, maybe it wasn’t present in all other versions but here, it felt absent or maybe “left behind”. That was annoying; the lack of funny scenes was simply bothersome because it created many boring moments.

*I hated the fact that script writers wanted to cover up for everything by showing the cute romance the whole time, it felt like cheating the audience and creating fan-service scenes by using Choi Min Ho’s body and Lee Hyun Woo’s face.
*Dragging: The drama fell into dragging especially near the end; that wasn’t nice to watch.

Story: 4/10.

2) Acting/Cast:

*This drama’s cast is mostly singers so you can’t expect to have strong acted scenes plus the storyline didn’t allow actors to show their skills since it focused on the cute side. However, that doesn’t deny that Choi Min Ho, Sully and Lee Hyun Woo did a respectable job in this.

*As for characters, Tae Joon’s Sano was a decent portrayal out of all versions I’ve seen. Goo Jae Hee was average: no love, no hate.
Eun Gyeol character was the worst Nakatsu portrayal mostly because it lacked humor and took the triangle side way too seriously, yes, there were some cute imagination moments but they didn’t last for long. That being said, I have to refer that Hyun Woo was the best actor in this drama, it wasn’t his fault that the storyline made his character more serious than it’s supposed to be.

*Side characters were uninteresting most of the time which was the storyline’s fault for cutting and changing many important characters.

*Appreciated character: Min Hyun Jae because he had a different character from what I remember plus his presence was always good to watch.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: On terms of chemistry, I can’t say that it was the greatest ever but there were many cute and fluffy moments all over the place.

--->Friendship: None! I haven’t felt any friendship between characters except some moments with Eun Gyeol and his roommate. Other than that, it was annoyingly absent.

--->The triangle: It was taken way too seriously than other versions so it felt bothersome to watch.

Cast: 6/10.
Acting: 7/10.

4) The ending:

Finally! I kept waiting for the drama to end ever since the 10th episode. It was a normal ending, no special feelings.

The ending: 6/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I was really excited at the beginning but after three or four episodes, I just lost interest somehow.
*This was a disappointing remake for me, I expected a lot from the K-version but I end up watching something pretty and shallow.

*Is this drama memorable: No, I can’t possibly remember this drama because it dragged a lot which made it pretty boring but I may remember the vivid colors and the cuteness overload.

My impression: 3/10.

6) Overall:

*If you’re looking for a cute school drama then you may like this.
*If you watched other Hana Kimi versions and want to see more romance then you would like this.
*If you want something pretty to look at then watch this.

*To the Beautiful You was a cute drama that dragged a lot and delivered nothing when it comes to friendship and school relationships. As a remake it was a disappointment.

Overall: 5/10.

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