One of the loveliest romcom ever!
When I first started this, I didn't expect to like it this much. They skillfully maintained the comedic elements from the beginning till the end.I must be in the minority who didn't dislike the FL. Actually, I loved the FL very much. Mi Kyung's nagging was actually another form of caring and showing love to people who mattered in her life. She was a devoted lover, true best friend and a passionate potato enthusiast. No way could I dislike or hate her character.
Baek Ho is the smartest, handsomest dimwit in this potato universe! No matter how much he tried to look cool, in the end he ended up being silly again and again. Loved his character arc. His transition from a stern, solid and emotionless career-oriented man to a "softie sweetie" smitten with love won my heart. His cold interior and exterior were melted by the love and affection he never got as a child.
Leads' chemistry was off the charts. They've become my favorite couple. Loved their bickering, loving and caring sides. Them being friends in real life makes it feel more natural and entertaining.
The side characters were also very entertaining. They kept it all together. No character seemed extra or could be skipped. All of them were equally lovely and supportive of the MLs.
Once in a blue moon, I got to enjoy a romcom without nitpicking little details and fully indulging myself in the laughter and fluffiness of the characters, and it was that kind of drama. Not complicated, no murder mystery, pure comedy and romance as the cherry on top! Delicious ^o^
Overall, if you are looking for a brainless and enjoyable light romcom, then this is definitely for you
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Queer Movie Butterfly: The Adult World
20 people found this review helpful
compared to most man love movies,i have seen This wasnt the greatest but it was a very nice good watch. Had a meaningful ending compared what the title may say, if you are the type that judges at first glance.
(BTW BE SURE TO STICK ALL THE WAY TO THE CREDITS )
Yes ,yes "The Adult World" gives you an insight of what you will see with its multiple love scenes it shows a way of life that these men have to deal with working at an underground bar. It captured there daily reality to live day by day in trying to make a living off these places. It tells the story of a man (along with the other men) that all have something in common most cannot find jobs even with the qualification they do have.
Faced with real life struggles they find the only way they can make money is by getting it fast, but with a price. I like how it touched on the reality in terms of the struggles and emotions they feel on how they wish to be excepted whether it be by society, or just in the group in the bar often wanting to believe they are a
"Family" as well in trying to find someone that will love them. Even in that type of industry where love can be sold so easily that you dont know if its real or not,They all still have a hope to finding that pure love in a man that would try to love them and just maybe save them from that place.
But again i liked how they touched that although the industry maybe dark it also is full in light in terms of wishing they are a family and in some ways they are .But again you can never really believe it (just like the men all know no matter if they say they are family they really are not )this will be clear in the movie when the boss snaps you back by the lines time and time again that he repeats . I liked the ending surprisingly nice , not my favorite but its up there with the good movies. for the short 36minutes it did a good job on what it was trying to capture. I think the only down fall from this film is that they focused so much on the over all picture you didnt have enough time to connect to the main character truly until the end when you began slightly feeling for him. thats why my rating was 7.5 it was a great movie just lacked on the connection but everything was well done. and the meaning behind the ending was nice i like how the main character begins to lose himself but realizes this and begins once again to find meaning in his life and experience the Start of a New life.
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Charming & Excellent actors
I watched this on Viki RakutenEngaging & charming story
It contains LBTQ+ realness that’s hardly present in most BL series
Talented casts, always a plus when I come across a BL series that has actors who can actually act.
Charming casts
Awesome wardrobe
For its budget, the soundtrack, cinematography and editing is exceptional
You can tell a good production team from this series
The series credit sound/song is truly catchy.
What I didn’t favor:
The way the Director started the series in a confusing manner when it wasn’t necessary.
Relationship evolved at a perfect phase but showcased at the end: it felt short
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I fell for each and every character presented. This is how everyone should write interesting, fresh, original and flawed ones. I hated so many of the choices they made and actions they took, but I could understand why they did them. All the bad behaviors were never excused, but always explained. And I found it extremely refreshing.
The story slowly presents to you that whatever happens is almost never just one person's fault. At the end of the day, it is your choice to stay in a bad situation and turn a blind eye to what happens in your surroundings.
The drama has a lot of really meaningful and deep messages, including: consent in a relationship, understanding your worth, impact the past struggles have on your current self, fear of happiness and losing it. You learn as you watch it. More than once I read a line a character has said and just simply nodded my head in agreement.
Any flaws? The ending was too good. I was quite honestly hoping for some twist by the end. I was sad with how Maru and Soo Kyung's story was dealt with. There clearly were hints left, but they never followed with any conclusion. It's worth mentioning the painfully unnecessary Dong Goo's story line. From the beginning till the end, I was not even slightly interested in his character and the romantic subplot he's got.
Overall, I believe it's an extremely underrated drama and I wish more people would give it a shot. The first two episodes might leave you speechless and it's hard to understand the characters and their motivation, but as we get to know them better, they start to feel like old friends. The familiar feeling just calls you in.
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This review may contain spoilers
A critical look at "Kpop Demon Hunters"
Narratively fractured and creatively barren, "Kpop Demon Hunters" reassembles genre conventions into a spectacle of commodified affect, where the promise of cosmic struggle is subsumed by performative decadence. Consider the hunters who, paralyzed by lust, pervert the moral architecture of their sacred duty and salivate over the demons they are sworn to vanquishThe movie incriminates itself through the imposition of non-platonic paradigms on male-female idol dynamics and the transfiguration of malevolent entities into archetypes of desire or victims of circumstance. Among the demons, Jinu being a salient example, many owe their damnation to a consistent disregard for the welfare of others. They have forsaken their familial bonds in pursuit of self-preservation and manipulated the truth to cultivate a favorable self-image
Rumi: "I know your story. You were a good person, and you still are"
Jinu: "I lied to you. I made a deal with Gwi-Ma to get myself out of that miserable life. I left my family alone while I slept on silk sheets in the palace with my belly full every night. I left them" (1:9:50)
Having condemned his family to destitution and starvation so that he might live in safety, Jinu endures punishment in the afterlife. Why would we mourn his suffering? No amount of retrospective remorse can rewrite history or nullify the ethical transgressions he committed
To forgive, or not to forgive? This is not a question posed to courts or the public, but a war waged behind closed doors and in the chambers of the wounded heart. Should Jinu's family, the aggrieved parties, extend forgiveness, it would be an act of courage and a near-divine suspension of justified anger. Should they withhold forgiveness, it would be a dignified reclamation of agency, a solemn tribute to what was lost, and a refusal to be coerced into premature reconciliation by societal or doctrinal demands. However, they could very well have departed to heaven. We are left with no clarity on where they stand in the matter
The story still performs a psychological sleight of hand. It acknowledges the demons' past atrocities only to repress their significance. The audience is conditioned to internalize a distorted moral hierarchy that valorizes temporary catharsis over justice, and conditional empathy over accountability. "They didn't deserve it," they would insist. The truth is, the demons in question are not misunderstood or fallen angels whose small errors brought about their condemnation
Rumi: "If this is the Honmoon I'm supposed to protect, I'm glad to see it destroyed" (1:14:42)
Rumi, who seconds ago endorsed the destruction of Honmoon, appears at the Saja Boys' concert with a newfound determination to protect it. Her abrupt shift in sentiment and subsequent behavior remain unexamined, to the detriment of character believability and emotional payoff
"Kpop Demon Hunters" suffers from a systemic breakdown across all creative domains. The characters, the dialogues, the songs. They dissipate into mediocrity
A critical divergence in reception has emerged regarding the songs, with fans asserting their qualitative superiority over the works of established Kpop groups. This position is one I do not share. Established Kpop groups, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, MAMAMOO, ITZY, FIFTY FIFTY, etc, have released songs characterized by melodic sophistication and lyrical depth. They are amenable to repeated, ritualistic listening. On the contrary, the songs from "Kpop Demon Hunters" are intolerable and unbearable to listen to beyond a single auditory exposure
Measured against the refined standards set by established Kpop groups, I believe the widespread popularity of "Kpop Demon Hunters" is disproportionate to its merits
TL;DR On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the movie a 2
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Will the REAL Hero Please Stand Up!
This was the first real wuxia drama (not a romance) I have ever seen and I've always been very interested in what a traditional wuxia would be like. Because every drama is marketed as one but really isn't. Other than that, I was watching primarily for Liu Yu Ning and secondarily for Meng Zi Yi as they're two people that I follow. I also knew of Joseph Zeng from previous works. As I'm not a novel reader, I can only review from a viewer's prospective.Pros: My favorite character was Su Meng Zhen, followed closely by DFJ because both were complex albeit totally different characters. One was righteous from the moment he appeared on screen to the last breath he took while the other was very morally grey but fiercely loyal to his loved ones and went out like a champ on his own terms. I loved the brotherhood when it was formed and all those at Sunset House that surrounded them. Just about every character was complex and evolved in their own way; some took longer then others.
The story was more dark though they definitely had their happy moments. The fight scenes that were shown were pretty good though I wish there were more of them. Another fantastic point that many dramas fail to do is gradually introduce characters so the audience can understand what their purpose is. More often then not, characters are thrown in and no one remembers their names or why they're there, but here it was a very nice and even keeled introduction of each.
LC played by MZY was done fantastically; she went from sheltered flower to losing just about everything and everyone she had ever known overnight. She had to grow up fast and figure out how to survive without losing every part of her soul. She never gave up on SMZ until the end and left with him in a sense. Their love was just that strong. XY was another terrific female character; the woman wore many faces but she had a strong iron will and loyalty. Plus a much more realistic connection/chemistry with the ML than the FL. Other favorite characters were SMZ's advisor Wu Xie and other members of Sunset House, WXS' Master, the guys from the North like Big Beard, official Liu, and Martial Uncle Zhang.
The lead of the drama was a younger version of SMZ but it took him a while to grow into his own. Still, WXS did end up being one of the heroes of the series as the writers wanted him to be. For me, personally though, though he was a hero he wasn't THE hero, that title would have to go to both SMZ and DFJ as together they made the perfect hero. But that's just my personal opinion.
Now, to the man for whom I was watching this series; BCF was a great character in the beginning. He never hid his ambitions nor his true intentions. The problem was that everyone around him chose to ignore them or thought they could change him. When he whiplashed into a complete maniacal nutcase (that I'll talk about below), LYN was still very convincing as one so I cannot stick him into the cons, though I do wish it was done totally differently.
I really loved the OSTs, they were incredibly powerful especially the hard rock one and the one sung by LYN and Joseph. Costumes, sets, all of that was very detailed and beautiful. The ending was a complete surprise from what I had expected and for once I actually didn't look at spoilers before watching. But even though it wasn't a blood bath or a copout like many different sides theorized, I actually do like the way it ended; I'm glad every evildoer got their comeuppance even though some took it upon themselves to finish the job. But the flashback to all characters come and gone as the group of travelers ride through mountains and waterways was a very nice touch to the end. And even the person coming to run Sunset House, made the right kind of sense.
Cons: Let's start by saying that hair department was smoking something heavy because most of the leads and some of the support ended up looking like animal control K9s; it was a hot mess and looked absolutely horrible. Truly wish they had just kept things typical costume drama simple and didn't need to over complicate things with some avant-garde Westminster applicant do. If they wanted to show that a character had matured or changed, a simple edition of an extra braid down the back or something like that would have sufficed. It just made the person look comical and it threw the entire look off.
Whatever the hair department was smoking rubbed off on the screenwriter because she turned a great potential villain into a nut job. Now while LYN did a great job playing the nut job, he could have just as well been given an actual villain to play. That's why I solely blame the screenwriter for this unmitigated debacle that took the majority of the score away from this drama. Furthermore, instead of gradually developing him, the switch was flipped and he just lost all of his humanity. There was no rhyme or reason for how or why it happened so quickly and this was done within the last 8-10 episodes; the excuse was flimsy and didn't hold much water. Afterwards, when he was on screen be it for his bizarre as hell wedding or killing innocent people out of spite while he would cackle maniacally (that evil cackle belongs only in witches in Halloween shops, not dramas), felt like a completely different series. How can an antagonist with so much potential be so epically screwed up?
If that wasn't bad enough, we had an FL that spent more than half of the series pouting, crying, whining like a self-entitled spoiled brat. Most of her scenes up until the time she and WXS got married I had to ffw. I questioned the necessity of even having her in the series because it was about a sworn brotherhood after all. Every other woman was there as needed and powerful and this character was almost like an afterthought. Even when she was helping save WXS' life, it was like if she just kept quiet, things were a zillion times better. If she wasn't in the scene or episode, she wasn't missed in the slightest. Even in the last episode when SMZ got his wish and died, everyone was crying and it was such a raw, powerful moment and yet as soon as she opened her mouth to pitifully cry, it made one cringe because it sounded like one of those windup old dolls. Why couldn't she just cry silently like XY was doing? WXS was howling with grief as was Wu Xie and they deserved to do so. By letting us hear that baby-cry in such an overwhelming moment was a real shame.
Slimy playboy dude was a real psychopathic villain; the trouble with him was that he spent too much time talking and bragging though his depravity was evident until his dying breath just like Hannibal Lecter and his brother. It was also obvious that he was the rapist from the moment it happened. I stick him in the cons because though he ended up being the most disgusting villain that everyone hated, he still didn't have enough proper screen time to showcase who he was. It was like he had multiple personality disorder but even he didn't understand it. Also really wish the battle between him and DFJ was shown. That was a real miss by production. I understand their whole thing was to make WXS be the "hero" to kill slimy playboy dude in order to get the paper, but the majority of the damage done to him was by DFJ and we, as the audience, deserved to see it. A lot of fight scenes were either copouts or just not shown. I'm going to guess that it's because production didn't have a large budget but they could have definitely figured out a way around that since this was a wuxia after all.
Would I recommend it? For novel readers, probably not because there's a heavy diversion and not a lot of cohesion between the two. But for people who like wuxias, have never seen one, like a story of brotherhood that goes wrong, I would. This was my most anticipated drama of the year and though it had a lot of pitfalls and massive shortcomings, I still enjoyed it very much and therefore have no regrets.
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VERY CRUCIAL PART THAT ALL XIANXIA, WUXIA, XUANHUAN NEED FOR THEM TO HAVE A PROPER CONCLUSION
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MANY XIANXIA AND WUXIA NEEDED TO COMPLETE THEIR ENDS. I HOPE IN FUTURE SCREENWRITERS COULD LEARN THIS ND IMPLEMENT IN THEIR OWN SERIES IF NEEDEDThe marriage scene how jxn said to xw that it's their marriage they can have it anyway they want... Imo they must have celebrated it again next time with everyone around... When she expressed to XIE WEI that I have seen you completely I might even know you better than yourself I have seen your darkness your struggles your light your care now I will slowly and properly teach you how to love properly and receive it... This convo was so much needed from JXN to Xw. If someone is not rating it 10 idk I can only think that they aren't SOKP LOVERS
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This review may contain spoilers
A very different take on the genre
This is the first time I’ve ever written a review for a drama (more of a characters analysis and acting appreciation). I don’t even do this for dramas I love, however this is an exception I had to make because certain things had to be said.I’m going to be honest, I have a hard time being engaged in the fantasy world Cang Yue has created. I was bored out of my mind watching Mirror Twin Cities but kept on because of Zheng Yecheng. Although admittedly, her concepts are definitely refreshing and different from the usual Xianxia/Xuanhuan genre. And watching MTC turned out to be a good idea because it paved the way for me to better understand the world of Yunhuang in TLP.
The Longest Promise is adapted from the novel Zhu Yan by Cang Yue. It is the prequel to MTC and spans a 70 years difference, however some pivotal characters from MTC makes an appearance in TLP (i.e. Su Mo). I have not read the novel but skimmed about the details and understood that the drama stayed pretty faithful to its original source with a few exceptions that I’ll get to later. As everyone is mostly familiar the story I’ll just get right on to the good part:
Xiao Zhan + Ren Min — this is my 3rd XZ drama, first being The Untamed then Oath of Love. I won’t say I was impressed by him in these two dramas, especially The Untamed which funny enough was what brought him international stardom. I felt that his performance was great, but nowhere near excellent, of course this is just my humble opinion. He was also great in Oath of Love, but did not leave much of an impression. Speaking of impression, I actually first noticed him years back (before The Untamed ever came around) from the trailer of the drama The Wolf. I was quite smitten with him just from the snippets in the clip even though I knew he wasn’t the Male Lead. Nevertheless, he definitely caught my eye and I always thought he’ll probably caught someone’s eyes in the future too, and he did because The Untamed happened. Obviously when the filming happened, a lot of people were unimpressed with the introduction of Ren Min as the Female Lead due to the Xiao Zhan’s rising popularity at the time. And indeed, after a 2-years long wait, TLP finally aired. I, like a lot of folks, were skeptical about Ren Min and not only because of her aesthetics but also her acting ability. Master-disciple relationships is a trope that has been done to the death dating back from Jin Yong’s Return of the Condor Heroes. And not just Ren Min, I had worried how Xiao Zhan was going to carry out his role (given that there were some similarities to Gu Wei from OOL) and how they’re going to pull off that tension and chemistry due to the characters’ nature of relationship. But turned out I had worried for not because both leads were amazing. Their loveline is completely different from the usual tropes in these kind of relationships; XZ’s Shi Ying does embody the usual traits with this type of character: handsome, cold and aloof. However this only scratches the surface. Shi Ying is a complex character; he is handsome but humble and unassuming, he is aloof but not cruel, cold but not unkind, and he is this way because of his past tragedies. He is singleminded and devoted to his craft and whatever (or whoever) it is that he chose, and he can be hard and ruthless when he has to be. And just like XZ, RM’s Zhu Yan also embody the usual traits of a spunky heroine, cute and bubbly but thankfully not nauseatingly so, heroic but with a touch a willfulness and stubbornness. She can sometimes grate on one’s nerves with her righteousness but she is not unreasonable and is very understanding. Zhu Yan’s fiery nature and Shi Ying’s cold disposition do make them clash at times, however, underneath it all is always a need to protect one another. Zhu Yan is completely oblivious to her master’s feelings and thus this makes for some humorous moments when they try to get together in the future. As for Shi Ying, due to his decisive nature and devotion to his priesthood, he initially drove her away. However, because of an event later on, he realizes he wants to be with her, but because of many things that happened concurrently, he was never able to fully confess his feelings before tragedy strike.
I can still remember the look of disappointment and hate in Zhu Yan’s face when Shi Ying killed A’Yuan, and the pain in Shi Ying’s eyes when Zhu Yan screamed her hate for him. It broke my heart to see him so hurt, and when she told him that she never wanted to see him again, I think it was the straw that made him choose to end his life. Shi Ying is a type of person that understands responsibilities very well; he does what needs to be done even if it’s the hardest or at times impossible task. He will feel guilt but above all he’s practical. And so I know that even had he killed A’Yuan, he would not choose to end himself because he feels guilt towards Zhu Yan. He did it because he would rather die than live with her hatred. That’s how much he loves her. And this where XZ’s characterization of Shi Ying shines; even teetering on the brink of death, he still has his own selfishness. He stabs himself to allay Zhu Yan’s rage yet he still harbors hope that she’ll miss him and mourn him when he’s gone, thus his “Will you be sad if I died? More sad than when that person died?”. What an acting master.
The chemistry between XZ and RM is very subtle and nuanced at the beginning. Both characters are crushing and unable to express themselves about it. Later, as each comes to terms with their feelings, that subtlety amps up to real romantic tension. It is funny yet also sweet and almost swoon-worthy at how Shi Ying goes about chasing after Zhu Yan, and later as they’re beset by tragedies and misunderstandings, this tension becomes more palpable with pain and longing mixed in and it’s almost beautiful to watch if it’s not so painful. It’s interesting to note TLP shares quite a bit similarities with MTC and not just because they’re in the same universe but also the way the relationship between the leads are handled. Both are plot-heavy dramas with romance indisputably taking a back seat. But that’s where the similarities ended. I could care less about Bai Ying and Su Mo, in fact I shipped her with the Crown Prince Zhen Lan. There were no chemistry whatsoever and I was wholly glad that they barely had any romantic scenes together. Whereas with TLP, I lament that Shi Ying and Zhu Yan did not get to spend much time together especially once everything started happening.
So besides the main leads, most notable mention goes to Alen Feng’s Zhi Yuan. His story arc is just as tragic if no less than the leads. He was such a sweet and gentle soul who fell for a woman that died 200 years ago. He stayed on to fulfill her wish despite his identity as a merfolk. He cared for her descendant Zhu Yan and yet somewhere along the way for him, the lines became blurred. He did his duty to his people and died as a result. In hindsight, I realized Zhu Yan tragically loses both of her beloved one right after the other, twice. The ending was an explosive feast to the eyes in terms of special effects, music, action and most of all the top-notch acting from the 3 leads. I can’t help but go back to XZ at this point, as he unarguably pulled out all the acting chops he’s accumulated in his entire career and spilled it all into this one moment; teetering between demonic possession and love for Zhu Yan, begging her to kill him and ending in a climactic, beautiful and bittersweet farewell for them both. XZ and RM have outdone themselves in this drama. I am completely and emotionally drained from the last episode and though I’m heart-sore, this is a drama that I will come back to because it’s just so beautifully made, from the acting, music, characters, cinematography, and lastly the expensive looking CGI. TLP has definitely set the bar high for CGI in future dramas. And TLP has irrevocably turned me into a XZ fan.
*** Now this where I have to decry the finale a bit. According to the novel, Shi Yu dies, Xue Ying is widowed and pregnant. Shi Ying is heir to the throne however he chooses to pass it on to his future nephew and in turns spend the rest of the remaining years with Zhu Yan elsewhere. As Zhu Yan had sacrificed half her life to resurrect Shi Ying this means their fates are tied, should one die so will the other. I was extremely gutted at the way the drama ended but I will choose to believe Shi Ying truly came back to her. The writers can’t choose to have Zhu Yan sacrificed half her life for Shi Ying just to have him die again for nothing, and as their fates are tied, this is one detail viewers will not overlook. So for me, this is a wide OE even if it’s not outright HE.
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Not Like Other Korean BLs That's For Sure!
I would say watch it if you're hesitant to do so, the actors had great chemistry and the story line was good.I know Korean BLs existed before 2019 and gave us better kissing scenes(e.g: long time no see)than the recent Korean BLs(e.g: Mr heart and Where your eyes linger). To My Star set high standards for the next Korean Bls to come when it comes to kissing scenes.
I was expecting the characters to just place their lips on one another and just stand still, so imagine the high pitch scream that flew out my mouth when the boys gave us lip action. I fell off my bed and turned into a happy wiggling worm because WOW! I'm blushing as I write this tbh! To prove that they set the standards high, You Make Me Dance did not disappoint as well when in came to the kissing scenes(AND THEY EVEN DID A WHOLE: IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE, SO TAKE OF ALL YOUR CLOTHES!! I AM GETTING SO HOT I'M GONNA TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF!)but enough of me talking about the kissing scenes, the show was more than that.
I'm not gonna lie though, I had to rewatch the last 2 episodes in order to understand what happened. Out of nowhere this reporter showed up to warn our main protagonist. I was so confused but after I watched it the second time it all made sense(not saying it'll be the same for you though).
The antagonist and the reporter talking in English was also very weird and somewhat funny for me. No let me be honest, I laughed my head off because it was so sudden and awkward.
I wish we found out more about why our main lead was terrified of breaking glass. That's (I think)the only thing they didn't explain and I feel it would have made the story even more wholesome.
I would recommend this bl.
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Prisoner of Beauty - just WOW!
I’m honestly blown away. I’ve never been a huge fan of period dramas, but I decided to give this one a try after seeing the good reviews. I honestly expected to drop it after ep 1 - but I was completely hooked from the very beginning.Acting is top-notch, and visually an absolute feast for the eyes. Very palpable chemistry between the leads. The way they looked at each other melted my insides each time without fail. Despite the lack of skinship until the last few ep, it was still insanely romantic - every episode made my heart flutter like crazy.
Plus, plenty of funny moments to balance out the drama. Honestly, I either giggled, ugly cried, or sat on the edge of my seat biting my nails through all 36 episodes - but mostly giggled.
What I loved most was the strength of both main characters and their unwavering devotion to each other. They went through so many challenges, but their love just kept growing stronger. The awful things they endured only made them closer. No silly misunderstandings or over the top drama - just two people who were refreshingly honest about their feelings and never afraid to express them.
I’m the kind of person who usually skips the side plots or any scene not involving the main leads, but not this time. I watched all 36 episodes straight through, no skipping, no fast-forwarding - which is quite rare for me. That hasn’t happened since Hidden Love. Every second of this drama is pure gold. Pacing is just right. Binged all 36 episodes in 3 days, while working full time - well worth my panda eyes.
This is going straight into my rewatch list.
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Total run time: approx 5h 23m. Each episode is around 18-22 minutes long but have 5 minutes of credits and in some cases another minute of what happened last episode. Take that all out and the run time is a lot shorter. Easy to binge in one setting with the fast-forward button.
ACTING/CAST: Same basic cast that is in Love Is More Than a Word. So it was nice to see them in different parts. They all do a great job. I totally loved Lu Zhou in both dramas and in this one he's a gun-wielding bad-ass. Also, the villian, Gu Han, from The Fairy Fox makes a cameo in one episode; see if you can spot him.
MUSIC: It was great actually. It made this show seem like a sweeping epic.
REWATCH VALUE: Of course! This is a great show with so much intrigue I need to watch it again.
OVERALL: Amazing production value. Shot in full 1080p! The sets and costume design are spectacular. It's a gorgeous production. I wish each episode was longer: credits just chew up so much screen time. For those looking for the BL aspect, there isn't anything overt but maybe something will happen in season 2.
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This review may contain spoilers
When I first read the plot I wasn’t interested in this drama at all. Per coincidence I watched the first episode and was instantly hooked. The atmosphere of the show was amazing. Calm, lovely and honest. The leads deal with their very own problems and lived their lives by the rules.Lee Jung In, the female lead, knows what she wants. Her happiness grounds in staying independent. That’s one reason why she dates the selfish bank employee Gi Seok. But when he’s interested to tie the knot after four years different views crash. The characterization of this relationship is very honest and brutally cold told. The motivations of each collide with their happy relationship. When Ji Ho enters the stage Jung In experiences for the first time deep emotions that make no sense at all. Her inner fight is worth seeing and reflects realistic behavior at his best.
Ji Ho is a single father in a conservative society. His role symbolized the tolerance in korean society. It was interesting to see the moral standards of Koreans and how they deal with strange problems. The whole portray of this society was exciting to watch and made me fall in love even more with the characters.
The family members of both symbolizes different point of views and have to deal with problems of their own that aren’t less interesting. I loved everyone besides her dad. He was annoying from the start.
Seeing every episode made me happy. Each one was worth 10 points. I wasn't Ever invested in a drama like this one. I also give rarely 10 points but this drama clearly deserves it. I can just recommend it and will watch it again...soon. It’s a delight!
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This review may contain spoilers
I have just finished watching this drama after 20 days of happiness I got from them. I have watched ever made me this addicted. What really made me first watch this drama was I did have love at first sight with Han ShangYan character in the PC Room. At first I thought this was going to be a typical drama with cutie girl and cold ass boy and girl that can never stand up for herself and needs the guy to protect her but it was totally different. It was beyond my expectation towards this drama. STORY:
The plot follows your basic, this made the drama a lot more watchable because I wasn't constantly frustrated and think a lot with the characters and story. The story-line also progressed very smoothly and still in their pace without changing or adding character's point of view. I love how they chose the flashback and telling a story of Han ShangYan's past that made his emotions unstable. Nian Nian is a lovely girl who really damn smart and its really hard for her to not get in touch with someone she is really idolize the most. So we can feel the barrier of communication, feeling development and each moments of their relationship growing up beautiful together. I love how The actors were very convincing in their role and the chemistry was offcharts. The friendship bond between Nian Nian and her friends&family or Han ShangYan with K&K, family and Solo Team. Their friendship felt so real. It was simply gorgeous . Although we are ready knew the story ending but still this drama is full of surprises and still making us craving for curiosity about their romantic scenes and humors.
ACTING/CAST:
The characters have their own color and very much relatable. They have advantages and disadvantages that we dont have to mind since their advantages covered their disadvantages. There were many times when he was clueless about how to please her or what to do in a relationship, so he needed someone to tell him. I enjoyed the character development of each actors episode by episode.
MUSIC:
I love the BGM fresh and have a fighting mood since it is for a competition drama.
RE-WATCH VALUE:
I don't think I can re-watch the entire series from beginning to end, but I might re-watch some cute scenes
OVERALL: Overrated drama but Korean and Japanese drama cant beat Chinese simplicity drama with just a simple actor and acting .This drama was definitely a refresher for me in the abundance of dramas, that I can't seem to find interest so much, premiering nowadays. The storyline was simple yet beautiful and was one that guided the audience through the life of the main character's love story. honestly didn't have any problems with the storyline until the end and I enjoyed every episodes since the begining till end.
HANDS DOWN TO CHARMING HAN SHANGYAN.
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Dedication, Devotion & Sacrifice
This is a story of a dedicated friendship to an Emperor, a devoted love to a “shifu” (teacher) and the sacrifices of the main characters for the greater good. The romance is heart breaking and the bromance is heartwarming. Adapted from a novel which I haven’t read, some of the characters are said to have tamped down to make them less ruthless and more likeable according to some readers. All in all, this is a high quality production with recognizable actors and a beautiful storyline.In recent months, there have been a few dramas with the theme of romance between teacher/shifu and student/disciple. This is one of them, and I can’t help thinking, “Is this a recent fad?” I don’t want to get into the morality of such a relationship and will leave discussions to the viewers. Without having read its plot in the novel, how the adaptation turns out here is very plausible and palatable for most viewers.
Ye Hai Shi (Yang Mi) is rescued and adopted by Fang Jian Ming (Chen Wei Ting aka William Chen) when she is very young. Under adoption, she's disguised as a man and changes name to Fang Hai Shi. He teaches her everything from academics to combats. In the process, she admires and falls in love with him, and he is also attracted to her as she grows up. Whenever he detects danger, he always comes to her without fail, as she is precious to him. But he cannot be what she wants, a lover or a spouse, because he is a “baixi” for the Emperor, an invisible link whereby he would endure harm, pains and death for the Emperor. It is this type of love-and-pain relationship that propels the story and makes the characters lovable and the viewers empathize with them. Together with Zhuo Ying (Wang Sen), another Fang Jian Ming’s adopted disciple, they form a spy ring cum secret service for the Emperor.
I love the young actor who plays the juvenile Ye Hai Shi. She has an innocent face, and yet exudes a charisma of a boy - among others, strong, forward, fearless. Yang Mi plays the adult Ye Hai Shi / Fang Hai Shi with a different charisma, giving viewers a different feeling for the character. Here under her, Fang Hai Shi is still headstrong and valiant, at the same time, very feminine even when she dresses as a man. When leading her soldiers fighting the enemies, Yang Mi’s acting is passable but lacks the robustness of a male general. When facing her shifu, Yang Mi is like a little girl secretly admiring a lover, peeking at him under her lush eye lashes - that, she scores 100%. Many complaints of Yang Mi stem from her using her own voice in the dubbing. Though she has a very unique and nice voice, as a commanding general, her voice sounds too girly, and as a woman, she sounds too mechanical and lacks the spontaneity a woman normally possesses.
As a veteran actor, it’s not a coincidence that most of Yang Mi’s co-stars for her major works are not from mainland China. In this case, Chen Wei Ting is from Hong Kong. Though part of China, Hong Kong has its own movie industry and actors, and has very different values and styles. Very popular as an actor, however this is my first Chen Wei Ting’s work. I love the Fang Jian Ming character he plays here. I also love his styling though some viewers complain about his look as well as his acting. Despite not being 100%, I still like Chen Wei Ting’s portrayal as a calm, scheming, dedicated, strong fighter character with great physique cladding in white.
Xu Kai Cheng’s portrayal as the Emperor seems on and off. The strong friendship he has with Fang Jian Ming is heartwarming but at times, confusing due to the inconsistency in Xu Kai Cheng’s acting. Playing a supporting character Zhuo Ying, in fact, I’m most impressed by Wang Sen’s acting. I love the dynamics he has with Fang Hai Shi as siblings. I also love the devotion and commitment he has with his shifu and the Emperor, and not least, I love the undying love and dedication he has for a woman he secretly admires. Acting also as his cruel look-alike brother, Duo Luo who has a totally different personality and demeanor, Wang Sen aces in both characters he plays. I am particularly impressed by the scene when he has a hand-to-hand combat with his brother. The fighting is so real and heart-pounding that it is one of the best scenes in the drama.
There are multiple villains here, most are right there in the open with blatant disguises. Compared with the original version in the novel, these villains seem to have died of easy and quick deaths.
Perhaps what I love the most about this drama is how they have adapted for the fate of both the main characters, Fang Hai Shi and Fang Jian Ming. From the novel, the Emperor somehow develops feelings for Fang Hai Shi and forcefully takes her away from his best friend to become his consort. Such action does not go down well with today’s viewers. The adaptation is swift and brilliant such that, though Fang Hai Shi still becomes a consort, it is a plan by Fang Jian Ming to protect her by stashing her away with the Emperor for safe keeping. So in the end, both couples - the Emperor/Ti Lan (Chen Xiao Yun) and Fang Hai Shi/Fang Jian Ming - are still faithful to and for each other only. This is a big relief for all romance buffs.
I just wish the sub plots are more prominently told especially with the Zhuo Ying’s arc, instead of the scenes being played out in his communication with his shifu and Hai Shi. Zhuo Ying is indeed a very impressive character and his story captivating.
My Verdict
This is a fantasy story that involves supernatural beings like a talking mermaid (and a few others), and dark magic. The CGIs are very good with very convincing sceneries, people and fighting scenes. There is no need to watch other Novoland series before this one as they are not related. The pace is very fast especially with the wuxia fighting scenes executed with heart throbbing beating drum.
Half-way through airing, the drama has a very low rating of 4.9 on Douban. It’s gone up slightly at the end of airing at 5.1. Many viewers do not like Yang Mi for various reasons - her look, her acting, her voice. Others don’t like Chen Wei Ting. Online criticism is ferocious. Don’t be disheartened by such poor ratings and negative comments because, flaws there maybe, this is still a wonderful and beautiful story with amazing characters, a lot of great scenes and commendable cinematography.
A great watch! Don’t miss it. Two Thumbs Up!
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This review may contain spoilers
More disappointing as expected and as overrated as expected
Cherry Magic (Thai) was bad enough, but it can get worse with this remake.I don't get the forced comedy with it's stupid soundeffects and the over-acting. This series has the charm of a bulldozer. The most annoying thing was the overall childish acting in most scenes. There are only some scenes where you can think, this could have been a good show, but sadly it wasn't.
I don't need to compare to the japanese "original" verison, because on it's own merrit this show is not good, but fangirls are fangirls and they overrate as hell because of two actors they like. I also bet my review will be downrated, as it happened with Cherry Magic (Thai), but I could not care less.
Objectively this show is not good, the characters are mostly one-dimensional and childish. The actors had no script to work with which couldn't challenge them in their acting. Besides that, also the chemistry between the MLs was nothing to write home about. "My School President" had a good story, good acting, good chemistry and an grandious OST and all the other things a good BL should have. This series had only lot's of advertisments up your face (again). I don't get it, why they need to do that. Are the actors that expensive or are japanese rights much more expensive compared to thai novels? Even compared to Cherry Magic (Thai) the production quality was not top notch, so I guess it's just maximizing profits.
Other reviews will depict the show in more detail but I'm too lazy for that. It was a grand disappointment and I would wish the fangirls would objectively rate such shows, because as long it is upvoted that high, such crap will be produced again which is sad to the whole industry and unnecessarily lowers the quality of such shows. You should skip it and watch "Only Boo" instead which is not brilliant on the acting but makes up with cuteness and also a very good OST.
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