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Bloody Flower — A Drama That Never Bloomed
If you’re looking for a tightly written, emotionally gripping short K-drama, Bloody Flower may disappoint you. Despite having only eight episodes, it feels stretched rather than sharp. The premise shows promise and the cast delivers decent performances, but the writing lacks depth and momentum.There’s little sense of urgency or anticipation between episodes — it’s not the kind of drama that keeps you counting down to the next release. Much of the storyline feels underdeveloped, making the overall experience feel thinner than it should for an eight-episode series.
Watch it if: you’re a fan of the cast or prefer lighter, easy-to-finish dramas.
Skip it if: you’re expecting strong storytelling, tight pacing, or high emotional payoff.
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This review may contain spoilers
A bit cringe, a bit drama and much fluff...
The most amazing thing about this series is, that it's a japanese/thai co-production, even when filmed in Thailand, everyone except "Junji" is thai.The start is rough with the subtitles, but it got better with ep 5... The first episodes are easy to follow even when you don't know exactly what they say, but everyone should get the gist of it. This story is similar to "Our Dating Sim" but with major differences. First the company is much bigger, second the couple did not meet in school, but through a game, even when that is not obvious for some time.
While a japanese production it follows the thai forumla, which means a bit of cringe and funny scenes which are not that funny in my eyes. But overall they did have a good story (not a stellar one), good character progression and even the "side couple" had ample of screentime and did not feel like an afterthought. The only sad point was, that Fluke resembled his acting in UWMA but his character was much stronger and focused. He did a good job and of course he did not need to cry every episode.
Interesting the main couple did not have any BL experience before this series and for their first outing they did exceptionally well. Hill (March Chutavuth Pattarakhumphol) is an inspired game designer who finally lands his dream job and Junji (Mukai Koji) is the CEO of the thai branch of a japanese gaming company and the only japanese working there. The writing of their characters was well done and they gradually show other sides of themselves and reveal that they are not as stereotypical as I have expected them to be from the first two episodes. They grow together in a mature slow way and both overcome their past trauma through trust.
The side couple has the veterans Judo (as Bay) & Fluke (as Phat) and both seem to have fun with their roles. While Bay is a game designer with a big ego and portraited as womanizer, Phat is reserved but a focused chef. Both couples find together due to the research there are doing for their new game which is a dating game but the main characters of said game are only boys. While Junji & Phat are obvioously gay, the other two characters seemed not to be, but this is not the typical hetero to gay trope. Bay sees/feels something in Phat he never felt before and Hill recognizes whom he loved all along (I will not spoil that to you). The only negative is the forced drama in the end, which is imho too much thai influence. They could have solved that in a better way in a less dramatic way.
We will see the side-couple hopefully again, because they announced a second season of "Make a Wish". Koji (Junji) will be back in a BL movie "Love Song" (https://kisskh.at/782204-love-song) this year which is also a japanese/thai co-production playing in Thailand and Japan but sadly with another actor but who look very similar to March (Hill) imho.
The production was good, the actors were good and the vibe was good. I don't know why, but I felt happy watching this. So I see no reason why you should not to watch this series imho.
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Story: The start sets the story. A young woman fell from the sky out of nowhere. A young man dived into the lake to save her, disregarding his own life. She woke up without any memory of her past. But she was blessed with a mother and an older brother who seemed to dote on her. This young woman is Ying Nan, the female protagonist of this story. Her older brother is Ying Qi - a man born to be sacrificed so that his clan can survive. Ever since her near death experience which caused her to lose her memories, Ying Nan was plagued with a mysterious dream. In her dream, she saw the silhouette of a man. This man felt familiar. She was convinced that her dream man is the man who saved her. Nevertheless, Ying Nan led a free and happy life until one day, Ying Nan got lost in a forest while searching for her family. In this forest, she met the man who will forever change her destiny - Bai Gu Yi. He saved her from an attack and she fell in love with him; convinced that he's her dream man. Following Ying Qi in his quest to save his clan, Ying Nan ended up joining the Zu Mountain sect. What will happen when she realized that Ying Qi is not her birth brother? What will happen when the survival of the world is once again threatened and the only people standing between world annihilation and survival are the very ones who may well destroy it? Who is Ying Nan? Where did she come from? Will Ying Qi survive after sacrificing his life for his clan? Who will Ying Nan end up with - Ying Qi or Bai Gu Yi? This is a prequel in that this story happened 60 years before the events of Legend of Zu Mountain (2015). This is also a sequel because this story started and ended after the events of the 2015 series.
I love the story in this 2018 installment! There is some time traveling involved, but the 'time loop' makes sense. The story ends where it started. The love triangle (or should I say square since there were 4 people involved in it?) was nicely done. You'll find yourself either in camp Ying Qi or camp Bai Gu Yi. I also love it that a writer is brave enough to include an imperfect personality (or should I say partially evil?) as one of the main male character. I love that there's character development throughout the story. The ending was just perfect! It wasn't rushed and all events and characters explained. This is one drama where the ending created a strong and unforgettable impact. Watch it till the end and let me know if you are not emotionally affected by it!
Acting/Cast: A mix of young and experienced cast. Despite the lack of experience, young age and lack of star power (unlike the 2015 installment with well-known superstars William Chan and Zhao Li Ying), the cast did an excellent job! Special mention to Nie Zi Hao (as Bai Gu Yi).....I've noticed this young man since The Journey and The Journey 2. I look forward to see more of his work!
Music: Let me gush about another aspect of this series that I absolutely love - the music! All of the OSTs are amazing! I've saved them and am enjoying them now.
Rewatch value: I re-watched this almost immediately after finishing it. Like less than 24 hours later! Partly because I was downloading the episodes to save them into my external drive but also for re-watching some important scenes in this series that became so much more meaningful because of the ending. This is a good example of how having an unforgettable ending increases the value of the entire drama. Boy am I glad that they didn't muck up the ending!...... and yes, Bai Gu Yi, I agree.....this is the best ending!
Overall: I give this drama a rating of 9.0/10.0. Amazing story, cast and music. Enough said. Go watch it!
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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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The acting is really good. I think Joo Ji Hoo does an excellent job of playing Shin. Kim Jeong Hoon also does a good job of playing Yul. I really felt sorry for his character by the end of the drama. Yoon Eun Hye plays Chaeg-Yung. I have seen everything she has been in except The Vineyard Man and she never lets me down. Song Ji Hyo didn’t really impress me. I don’t think the wide eyed stare for every emotion is acting. Chaeg-Yung’s family is great and gives much needed comic relief at times.
I like the music in this drama.
I rewatched it so I would say that you should at least watch it once. It really is a good drama. I just like dramas like Lie To Me where the romantic aspects are different.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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If the only thing that keeps you from watching this drama is the title, just ignore it. Give it a chance and you may be surprised by it. It's a story that tells about doctors who try to protect their ~romantic ideals and about doctors who yet have to come to their own ones as they grow with their difficult tasks day by day (and sometimes have to be pushed into the right direction). It's a story that shows what doctors can be like if society and power-ruling wouldn't interfere and darken single souls. Though this doesn't mean the drama is free from money-driven betrayals that go along with the main plot. It's still a k-drama thing.
Some of you may already know Han Seok Kyu and some of his works. If so, you might already belong to his fans. If not, this drama would be an excellent first try to get to know this wonderful, brilliant actor. His acting alone is worth a 10 and I have no doubt that he will also cast a spell over you - like he did with me some time ago.
His co-actors and co-actresses shouldn't be disregarded either. Though they might not yet reach the level of this acting senior, they did a very good job themselves in supporting the story. I liked many of the face to face dialogues as they gave special light to the respective characters and left quite the impact sometimes. But what I really loved and appreciated in this drama were all those small cases that happened all the time (and that helped keeping the pace and suspense of the story). Most times the guest actors were great with their short appearances and their stories really touched my heart. And I was pleased to see doctors deeply care for their patients in a way I imagine a doctor to be.
But although the drama itself was pretty good, I just had to take off a point. I got irritated every time an emergency occurred and they just stood there, arguing with themselves, arguing with others, having the whole staff watching them while nobody is actually working. I do get that doctors are humans, too, and they can have a bad day or feel bad or whatever. But the whole thing doesn't work when everyone plays along and nobody sees the actual emergency right in front of their eyes. A problem many medical dramas face and sadly, Romantic Doctor couldn't escape that cliché either. Although it's not as bad as I've already seen it in other dramas - this one is still bearable.
So, overall a great show worth watching - either you get bothered by the flaws mentioned above or you just ignore them. Your choice on missing out this wonderful drama or not ;)
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