A Mixed Bag of Emotions: Ji Chang Wook Shines, but Empowerment and Chemistry Fall Short
I recently immersed myself in Welcome to Samdal-ri, eager to witness the brilliance of Ji Chang Wook's acting prowess after watching him in Healer. While he undoubtedly delivered a stellar performance that left me in awe, I couldn't help but feel a void in terms of female empowerment and on-screen chemistry.Ji Chang Wook's portrayal was nothing short of captivating. His nuanced expressions, impeccable delivery, and undeniable charisma added depth to the character, making it difficult to look away. His acting prowess alone almost carried the entire show for me, and I applaud his dedication to his craft.
However, the storyline left me yearning for more when it came to female empowerment. Despite the potential for a strong, empowering female lead, the narrative fell short of delivering a character who could stand on equal footing with Ji Chang Wook's. It felt like a missed opportunity to showcase a more balanced dynamic between the male and female characters. I guess her wanting to lean on him was literal.
The chemistry, unfortunately, failed to ignite the screen. While both actors individually gave commendable performances, their on-screen connection lacked the spark that could have elevated the romantic aspects of the plot. This absence of palpable chemistry and incomplete storylines (like what happened to Sazal Kim's character Man-Su) left me somewhat detached and wanting more.
While the show had its moments, the missed opportunities in character development and resolution left me with mixed feelings about the overall viewing experience.
Was this review helpful to you?
They threw the whole story into a huge plot hole in episode 78
I give it 10 points.And then I deduct:
-1 for censorship/propaganda
-1 for that horrible ending in the last episode. They crafted such a nice vehicle over the course of 77 episodes and then crashed it into a wall in the last episode. Don't worry, it's not an ending that makes you cry because something horrible happens. It just makes no sense at all. And it is crammed into an episode lasting 6.5 minutes.
-1 for missed opportunity in the bromance department. For me, the bromance was what carried me through the series. They were very good at portraying that the two lead characters are deeply in love without saying it out loud. However, I was surprised how they didn't give us any fan service at all (unlike others censored BLs like Advance Bravely or Stay with Me). There is basically no physical touch between the two leads. Not by accident, not in a platonic way, and no acts of service, like a wet towel bath, etc. And while every "door" forces them to have sleepovers, only in the very early doors do they share a double bed, then later it is always bunk beds or separate beds - why?? Another example of a missed opportunity: in one world, they have to walk in the rain under one small umbrella, and if they get wet, they will die. Wouldn't you try to be extra close? They didn't :(
Which leaves us with 7.
What I liked additionally:
- the actors are all very good, with only rare exceptions
- many lovely side characters
- while it was repetitive, I liked the music
- the visual style
Also, why was the face of the programmer friend from university never shown but hidden inside a hoodie? I expected a big reveal in the end. Didn't happen.
Was this review helpful to you?
The horror of mediocre writing and directing.
If these directors are thought to be skilled in the art of scaring audiences, Thai horror has a long way to go…7AM and Vengeful Spell - 4.5/10
These two are one and the same - extremely similar in all aspects: theme, writing, directing, the atmosphere, ending...
Both had a weird mix of cheap ghost horror, bullying and teen romance, all not blended well.
Beautiful - 8.5/10
Easily the best episode out of them all. It had a low-key modern dark fairy tale vibe to it with the way the scenes were shot and the music choice. It also focused more on the individual characters and not pointless drama between teens. There was still some rivalry between girls, but it was "smaller" and more realistic in terms of motivation. To put it simply - it made sense.
It also has quite a statement behind all the "silly horror" - how beauty standards and social pressure can truly mess up a young girl and how far she would be willing to go, to fit in and achieve what is thought to be the success.
Songsak Mongkolthong - you did a good job both directing and writing wise!
The effects were really good too. Minimalistic for most part - great choice. Put all the heavy work in the last few scenes - great choice. Proper use of practical effects for most shots - great choice.
The Book of Corpses - 6.5/10
Best part of this episode? Acting from Orn and the overall visuals. For sure one of the "prettiest" episodes (excluding special effects). The story was kind of basic and how it was shown was not exactly engaging.
The more they showed the supernatural, the more ridiculous and over the top it got. And cheap... And gross… One scene was just... unnecessary. Special effects, there was legit just one moment that looked good, and I'm sure practical effects had a lot to do with it
The Headless Teacher - 2.5/10
It was 40 minutes of a bullshit over the top slapstick horror comedy with bullshit plot, to end with pedophilia and sexual harassment of students.
Easily the worst of all episodes. This one I don’t even want to talk about. It was borderline offensive, distasteful at best.
Lunch - 5/10
When the episode opens with the main dude being a complete asshole, I kind of lose interest in watching in fear he might actually NOT die by the end. Ton being bad at acting did not help, I wanted the character dead even faster.
This could have been a lot better if they set up the plot twist in any way. They spilled the story with an opening shot, so there was no surprise later.
Curse - 7/10
By the time I got to this episode, I can’t be sure if it’s decent, or my standards just hit rock bottom. One thing I know for a fact - it was pretty and had a good atmosphere, even though the design of the nurse was mediocre.
Yes, the story was nothing new - the bullied student seeks revenge with the help of a ghost, just to get screwed at the end himself. We all know it, but at least it was presented well. Fiat’s good acting helped a lot to sell it too.
A Walk in School - 7.5/10
I think I need someone to explain the timeline for me, because it makes no sense.
That said, except for the confusing ending, it was fun. Had some simple ghost stories vibe, with low-key comedy. The dynamics between the non-believer Boys and believer Tum were great.
The emotional ending felt flat, but it might be because I was too focused on making sense out of it, so the “feels” did not hit me. The set up was good, just the execution left something to desire.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I have not wrote many reviews. When i am done watching a drama (even ones people hate the ending to) i typically have some sort feeling. I hit episode 58 and watch the end then realized it was over and that almost perfectly mirrors my experience watching this show. A lack of attachment or feeling in general. Literally, a waste of time, which is sad becuase i like the world that was set up. Lots of crazy stuff happens but i never really felt connected to any of it. I just don't get why its rated above a 7 at most. There are no blaring issues with this Drama its just not a very enthralling story. In short, its boring and the characters are unlikable and unrelatable. There is no one to cheer for. The show doesn't give us a reason to care for the main character, she is almost unlikable for most of the Drama. Her love interests, are bland and more than stoic. They are stoic and at the same time super irrational (its dumb). Heck, even her child you cannot care about because clearly she doesn't. The child shows up and disappears like its some sort of toy. Oh don't worry mommy got her memory back but doesn't really give a shit about you baby, WTF.
The only character the MC shows any kind of decent connection to is her Master and he is asleep 90% of the show.
I think a 6 maybe high, but i do understand that i am rather harsh on shows.
Was this review helpful to you?
Another plus point was it's music. It's been over a year since I watched this drama and I'm still in love with the entire OST. 'Because I miss You' is like my favorite Korean dram OST of all time. These things kept me going and that's actually the reason I'm giving this drama a 7 instead of a 6 or a 5. Because of it's awesome star value and music. Those who look for nice content and intriguing storyline should skip this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
Misunderstanding that amount to nothingness
Intro of this series was amazing, plot line seemed like something fantastic, i mean who does not want to be sucked into the world of immortals and their crazy power tussle and upside down romances but this drama is a whole bunch of that, that ended to nothingness. Don't get me wrong the storyline was making sense and each episode would keep you waiting for how it all began a 1000 years ago but the moment you arrive a 1,000 years ago the entire misunderstanding the show was built on amounts to nothing!!!You now begin to wonder why you stuck to the drama till the end!!!
With characters that could not be tied exactly to the main characters and it makes you wonder what the writer was trying to achieve.
My honest advice,skip this drama it is not worth your time!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Anywho back to the movie. It is a great mash up of east meets west. A great cast, with everyone acting superbly. It's a cute movie about a girl and her friend being separated for greed. I won't go in to too much detail or else it spoils it. There were some tears and there were some chuckles. Definitely a rewatch just to see the girls relationship with Okja. Don't think there was a soundtrack and the movie seems shorter than it is, it is over 2hrs long. It is a Netflix production, which seems to be more of a thing nowadays. Great production with clear and lovely graphics.
Nice to see Choi woo shik, brought some comedy. Oooo and watch till the credits finish rolling for some more of him lol
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
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!
Was this review helpful to you?
Like chewing gum...
It started out kind of fun, an easy watch with a pretty cool female lead and good looking cast. There was a slight stiff awkward yet playful vibe to the story and most of the characters as well. Entertaining as long as you don´t care about logic, because well there is none. While most of the story and quality is inconsistent there is one thing that never fails and that is the lack of logic in the plot.There are of course some well loved drama cliches, and an abundance of umbrellas but as the episodes passed by I realised that the awkwardness that worked so well in the beginning was actually just lack of direction and/or talent from the leads. Add to that the plot just goes meeh, the slight build up of the first episodes just goes flat there is nothing really interesting to see there and while there are a few cute lines and smiles here and there it all just went bland... like the drama got covid and kept trying all kinds of flavours but had lost all sense of taste... Just like chewing gum bursting with flavour the first 2 minutes untill it slowley turs in turns to this tasteless mass you may be able to make bubbles out of but the falvour is gone...
Was this review helpful to you?
Now the series itself: I love how this series actually is different from what I've been watching its so cute. A pet shop owner falling in love with an author and how their love transpires over the course of the series, it has a little fluffy tone to itself and it is a more fluff based series. The characters were very entertaining, the friendship inside all of it was really nice. Most BL series are high school, a little dark, and little weird and normally just end sad or have an overly gripping story line that yeah you can relate to but seems to become the same staple for a series/movies like how car accidents or getting ran over is the staple in most k-dramas, that doesn't mean that I'm dismissing those staples because many of great works have those. This story line is still relatable, the conflicts are what people have gone through, still go through, and is still alive with others today it. I love the rising actions that take place, I got irritated with Liang Ze of course because most bottoms bother me in BL stuff but his character is a little different than most bottoms. I love the dialogue it's lighthearted and fun, the music was well placed for certain scenes, flat out i would recommend this as a nice beak away from a very serious show that you may have watched.
Now I don't give it praise, but i cant bash it either. Definitely, I love the fact that it's lighthearted and that it ends on a sweet note : (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqp4Ve7qX8) (I do apologize that this has no subs but it's the ending part where someone mentioned that this is one of the BL series that ends happy) but truthfully the reason why i wouldn't give it all 10's is because the story line was simplistic the scenes weren't edgy and it didnt have as many transitions that reopened some foreshadowing in the series to uncover tension or a surprise for the viewers but honestly you don't need that all the time; a simply, delightful story structure goes a long way people. The series is really sweet but not like Moon Lovers, it's not like Diary of Tootsies, it's a short collection of episodes that you can watch when you cant decide on what to watch. It's really cute but then again everyone this is just an overall outlook from my perspective, my opinions. Some from a collective selections of other reviews and my knowledge gained from watching the series.
Was this review helpful to you?
looked good but felt empty inside
Just when I thought Taiwanese BL dramas had set a consistent standard for me, Exclusive Love came along and shattered that streak. I started watching the first episode without much background reading, curious and open-minded. By episode two, I had to pause and actually read the plot synopsis and even then, confusion hit me like a truck.Initially, I thought there was going to be a ghost element involved because of the prank in episode one. Turns out, that was the first and last time any “ghost” even remotely made sense. The entire funeral company concept, which should have been central to the story, was barely shown and poorly integrated into the plot. It felt more like a narrative afterthought than an essential part of the characters’ journeys.
As for the main leads, their performances were serviceable at best. Not terrible, but not memorable either. Their chemistry was almost non-existent. You’d think a strong character background would save them, but the execution was so scattered that you couldn't even enjoy it properly. There was no emotional hook to latch onto between the leads.
Surprisingly, the second leads offered a bit of hope. Their chemistry was more believable, enough to make me wish they had more screen time. Still, their subplot about sabotaging a wedding dragged the quality down even further instead of lifting the story.
There were TOO MANY missed opportunities. Important story arcs felt half-baked. Did Wang Zhan actually overcome his deep-seated fears? Did the brother die or not? Also, what happened to the "training" that was supposed to help the main character? If you call a one-day crash course “training,” then I guess they technically ticked the box, but not convincingly.
To give credit where it’s due, the cinematography was clean and visually appealing. You can tell they invested effort in the technical aspects. The soundtrack, too, was genuinely good. If anything, those were the only things that kept me from quitting immediately.
Overall, I've seen WORSE (yes I'm talking to you Sunset X Vibes), but that's hardly a compliment. Exclusive Love was more disappointing than entertaining. It wasted a decent premise and stretched 12 episodes into what felt like an endless loop of "what is even happening?" I even found myself skipping about 40% of it, and it still felt too long.
Was this review helpful to you?
Save yourselves the time and watch the Untamed again
What did I just watch? I'll save everyone the effort, the endiong is a massive cop-out. The things I waste hours of my life on, for Wang Yibo. That is all. The plot was incoherent, Yibo is in it for about ten minutes and it is clearly a body double with strategic camera angling for the rest. Suuuuper disappointing air styling, problematic storyline aspects, cringey overall. The things we do for our biases. I loooooveeee Yibo but whew. Grab yourself a drink for this one. Seriously.Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
A love story that makes sense.
There were a few epic love stories I watched where the leads are willing to sacrifice themselves for the person they love but I sometimes wonder why and how did they even fall in love in the first place.This is not the case in The Legend of Shen Li. This forbidden love story is beautiful, compelling, sexy and we as viewers saw how it unfolded every step of the way. The progress of their love takes center stage and it just made sense why they fell for each other even when the whole world was against it.
The story is simple with a sprinkle of plotting and scheming and the leads are so adorable together. Loving it.
UPDATE SPOILER: Just completed this amazing drama. They gave us AN EPISODE of their happily ever after and it is what I NEEDED.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
GL Drama Lovers Club38 minutes ago -
BL Drama Lovers Club57 minutes ago -
-
Who Do You Prefer? (Kpop Ver.)1 hour ago -
First C-Drama You Ever Watched?2 hours ago
