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WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT!
PLEASE READ BEFORE WATCHINGAs a warning to women that have trauma or problems with it like me, around episode 3/4, the main male lead assaults the female lead. He kisses her without permission and pins her against the wall, knowing she has trauma and an emotional disorder, then laughed at her fear and anxiety. Up until this point, the story had been quite good, but this was definitely a deal breaker for me, especially since they were actually talking about the importance of consent earlier in episode 3. The acting was incredible though, and it was a very high quality drama, which I'm sure many people would enjoy.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Choice between Wonderland and A Cage named 'Royal Palace'
🍁OVERVIEW OF PLOT:-The plot looks promising and lived upto it.....
There's a kingdom named DaYu ruled by Li Family. The kingdom has three Great Generals: Sun Jing, Pei Xian and Cui Yi. Sun Jing rebelled against emperor and massacred Royal Family, Pei Xian is loyal to emperor, and Cui Yi is loyal to himself and country but not to emperor. All of them have their own army.
The story follows the seventeenth grandson of emperor LiNi (Xu Kai), who was nowhere near to become a heir for throne, and Cui Lin (Jing Tian), the sole daughter of Cui Yi.
LiNi lost his mother just after his birth, despised by his own father and grandfather because of his mother's humble background and exiled to borders to guard the country.
Cui Lin is a lieutenant in Cui Army renowned as 'Lieutenant He' and lost her mother while she was young in a war as her mother sacrificed herself while guarding the city with bravery.
🍁CHARACTERS:
🌿LiNi (Xu Kai) : Also known as 'Shiqi Lang'. A clever, loyal, brave and free-spirited person. He is a kind, warm-hearted and emotional young man. He lead Zhenxi army to quell the rebellion of Sun Jing and intended to make world at peace by assigning throne to its real heir. Not an ambitious person and never wanted to return to the palace, let alone to be emperor. He just wanted a peaceful life (as he never had a loving and peaceful family) with his brothers in army, his wife and children, far away from royal court and politics. His intelligence, capabilities and war strategies are second to none. He loves Cui Lin with his whole heart and wishes to travel the Wonderland after marrying her.
🌿Cui Lin (Jing Tian) : Also known as 'Lieutenant He' and A'Ying. A cunning, strong, prideful, ruthless but a practical and warm-hearted lady. She is ambitious and wanted to rule the kingdom if there is not any suitable person to rule in the royal family. Her cunningness could be considered as a cut above LiNi's 'cause she knows how to manipulate someone and make use of them. As she lost her mother in war so her motivation of life is to make world at peace by stabilizing the court and end the sufferings of common people caused by continuous wars. One of the best female leads I've seen in dramas so far. The only person who can match upto her is LiNi and she loves him but wanted him to shoulder the responsibility of throne to make peace to the world.
🌿Liu Chengfeng (Gao Han) : An orphan, raised by Cui Yi as his own son with the identity of Cui Lin (means he is the fake Cui Lin) to deceive the court (as he only has a daughter and court would not accept his daughter as leader of Cui Army). He grew up with Cui Lin and was obsessed with her. He wanted her to be by his side all the time. He turned into a toxic person and I lost all the sympathy I once had for him.... I wanted him dead throughout the drama.
🌿Gu Wan'Niang (Zhao Jia Min) : She is a shrewd lady, wants power and a powerful husband i.e., LiNi. I would have admired her character if she loved LiNi sincerely but she is on verge of becoming a toxic person who just wants her own good.
Other support characters like Xie Chang'er, TaoZi, Lao Bao and the people in Zhenxi army are decent characters, not very interesting but good ones. I hated LiNi's father the most.... He is the most stupid person in whole drama. LiNi's elder brothers are greedy and after their father and Liu ChangFang, they are the ones I hated.
🍁ACTING AND CHEMISTRY:
Xu Kai is great as always... He did exceptionally beautiful job portraying his character. It's my first time watching Jing Tian's work and I'm impressed with her acting.... Their chemistry is on fire....the flirting and fighting, their bickering with support & love.... though it sometimes feel boring whenever they meet in Wonderland.
It's a long since I feel Xu Kai get a great deal. Their characters are a perfect match to each other in terms of intelligence and capabilities and as actors they also made a perfect match in appearance, acting abilities and everything else. There are a lot of sweet moments when you can't help yourself feeling butterflies in your stomach.... and emotional moments when you can't hold your tears back.
Other actors also did good job especially the old actors and I'm impressed with the actors who played Sun Jing and LiNi's father.
🍁OSTS AND COSTUMES
OSTs are good. I loved the costumes and armors of main leads when they are in army but the womanly costumes for female lead... I didn't like it much. Designers could have done more better in costumes of other actors too.
🍁PACE OF STORY:
It starts with an engaging plot and keep its pace maintained. Story drags a little in the midway but pick up the pace again after few episodes. The thing I have complain about is, makers made Cui Lin as a weak and dumb lady while dealing with Liu ChangFang and her actions didn't make sense despite her being a cunning person.
🍁ENDING AND RECOMMENDATION:
After a lot of ups and downs its finally a happy ending. If you're considering to watch it then go for it without a second thought.... It's not perfect but definitely an amazing one....
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Strong start until ep6. Then things gradually go down.
The velocity of good start got me high until ep6. After I figured out that this story has no more element than a love story between two grudged exes, my curiosity and interest levels decreased. There's no more interesting conflict, so things are flattening down along the way. I had no more interest to watch this until the end after finishing ep12, esp. when being compared with Snowdrop that is on air during the same time and kind of competes for the audience's attention. I came to watch it until the end, though. After the last ep has broadcasted, I came to pay my due. And yeah... I was right, it isn't interesting anymore after ep12.In terms of acting, I don't feel the character of grown-up Yeon Soo in Dami. Grown-up Yeon Soo portrayed by Dami was intentionally stern and kind of melodramatic. I'm not very satisfied with Dami's acting. Come to think of it, she also felt off in Itaewon Class. Among the three main leads in Itaewon Class, Dami was the weakest (her character was more challenging to act than the 2nd female lead, though.) Anyway, naughty, young Yeon Soo in Our Beloved Summer was still fun and enjoyable to watch. Only the grown-up version that was lacking. For Choi Woo Shik here, his acting was also off from scene to scene. All in all, I don't feel the lover vibes between them. Toward the end, they started to kiss a lot, and I felt nothing in their kisses at all.
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(You'll only understand how deep this sentence is after you watch the drama yourself)
Honestly speaking, I was reluctant to watch this drama at first. Based on the trailer and summary, I half expected it to be an overwhelming drama, and not the good kind. I thought it will be a mess, and the plot would be all over the place because the theme of it sounded too complicated to be put together elegantly.
Boy oh boy was I wrong.
The drama not only captures you in, but makes you live as the characters. A lot of times, you will forget that you are a mere viewer. You will be so indulged into the story that it will make it hard not to think about the characters and feel sympathy or happiness for them. The fact that it is all an act will fly out the window. Why?
Hm.... where do I start?
Firstly, I must throw in a standing ovation for the cast. They played their role so believably that I'm still having a hard time not thinking this drama is actually their story. I am also mind-blown at how believable their crying is!! My heart would break into tiny little pieces and scatter all over the place just by seeing one of the characters cry. I would be surprised if they didn't end up with puffy eyes for a year after this drama. I would be surprised if I MYSELF didn't have puffy eyes for an entire year after this. (Nope, still hasn't checked the mirror. Not ready to face facts). You should also see the amount of folded napkins I have beside me right now. I am writing this review while my emotions are still fresh out of the oven.
Also, ji sung (CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS GUY IS 38???)... I have no words to describe this actor at the moment. I swear if he did not make the absolute amazing first impression on me, I would've shipped for the lead to end up with the other guy (whom I also fell in love with. But not saying who he is because I will spoil. You'll figure it out on your own and have your fair share of loving for him).
Seriously though, Ji sung's acting is so breathtakingly convincing. Every time his character took on a different personality, I completely believed it! I would no longer think "Oh this is just Cha do hyun doing this and that" Instead I'd be like "OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS PERSON DOING" or "HAHAHA THIS IS JUST TOO PRECIOUS" or "LOL I JUST LOVE THIS PERSONALITY!" I fell inlove with Cha do hyun's different personalities as if they were played by other characters. I would view them as their own individuals, because the convincing acting made it obvious they were not the same person. Those different personalities will make you cry your eyes out, will make you laugh your head off and sometimes... even squeal at the utmost adorableness. Oh God I grin to myself just at the memory of certain situations.
Letting those personalities go..... it will kill you. Just for heads up.
The lead actress Hwang Jung-Eum is also amazing to say the least. She performed her part very very well. She's adorable really. You''ll instantly like her. It's hard not to! Her personality in the drama is downright DEABAK! (Meaning awesome haha). She's a strong willed, kind heart-ed person. And of course, she makes a good match for the lead. Sure, her screams can be deafening, but it just made her hilarious. She also handled the situations she was in really well. At least in my opinion.
As for Park Seo-Joon..... Oh my God that boy was just downright adorable. He would just kill me with personality. The problem with this person is, if I started stating my thoughts about his character, I will easily spoil a lot for you. And as much as I would LOVE to talk about him, I will restrain myself. However, I'm telling you for short. He is downright jaw-dropping.
The story, the characters, even the secondary ones are great. I am personally glad that although there was a bit of love triangles in this drama, they were handled good. They did not reach a point where you would absolutely hate a character for being annoying. Thankfully enough, there were no such complications.
Also, I have to say, I fell in love with the OST of this drama. I don't think I hated any song or instrumental at all. That's completely a first! I already have 3 songs of the OST downloaded on my phone, because even without them having anything to do with this drama, they are amazing songs.
All in all, before you watch this drama, make sure you're buckled up tight because you're up for a quite a ride. Be careful not to watch this drama in public though. There's no guarantee you will not seem like a lunatic for suddenly laughing out loud. Just saying :)
Oh! One more thing: Don't forget to have napkins at arm's reach. Trust me. You'll need them.
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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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Traffic actress with an awful acting quality
this drama use too much marketing to gain viewers, and it drive me to watch as I thought the drama must bee good the more when I saw the score was 8.6,, but after finish watching half of the whole episodes, the score is overrated, the story line just soso and the female lead too much over acting and annoying, but I love the Male Lead, he look good, his acting on point.. I made a research about the cast and found that said the FL is a traffic actress who often use billion marketing to boost her popularity, and probably the marketing I was seeing maybe from the FL side, so im not surprised then why the score is high but doesn't match the quality of the drama,, It seems like recently the quality of the Chinese drama industry has been undermined and ruined by traffic artists who doesn't have good acting qualities.. It's awful,, I wish c-drama back to it sense with the right actress/actors, good storyline and stop using traffic actress with awful acting qualities to gain viewers.Was this review helpful to you?
I personally liked it but it’s not everyone’s type
Tbh not a lot of people like this drama but I really liked it .it made me feel all kinds of emotions i cried so much .I loved the main couple and even the side couples .I like the fact that it’s a relatable story and I love the fact that unlike other dramas they don’t make their relationship seem perfect like in fairy tales in the end they show that they fight for dumb stuff like couples in real like . I also really liked their chemistry and the ost’s were so good . But it does depend on the type of drama u like usually I’m not a fan of these types of dramas but I really loved this oneWas this review helpful to you?
I like WOL a lot more upon its completion! Definitely, a must watch drama series for all seasons!
While I typically steer clear of costume dramas (not really my cup of tea), this particular WOL series has managed to captivate me in ways I didn't anticipate. It effortlessly earns its spot on the "must-watch" list with a compelling storyline that keeps viewers hooked to their seats. The pacing is well executed, complemented by breathtaking cinematography that adds an extra layer of richness to the story. For someone who's used to Kdramas 16 eps, finishing WOL's 40 eps is a personal feat to me now. Can't help it, I was hooked!The leads as well as the rest of the cast have delivered great performances. Each actor brought depth and authenticity to their characters. The chemistry between Xu Kai and Jing Tian is definitely excellent with energy that enhances both the dramatic and romantic elements of the drama. In fact, what sets this drama apart is the clever and often humorous banter exchanged between them which is truly delightful to watch. The wit, fun, romance, clashes of ideas, and political interplay keep me eagerly anticipating each new episode installment. And Xu Kai's natural yet deeply heartfelt acting especially in eps 30, 31, 38 & 39 is highly commendable. This gentleman is truly a versatile and top-notch artist, in a league of his own. I am so glad they gave us a very satisfying and worthy ending! It's definitely a super feel-good ending to me!
A huge thank you goes to the creators and actors for delivering such quality entertainment. Kudos for crafting a series that not only breaks the mold but also leaves viewers yearning for more. May the success of WOL lead to even more exceptional dramas especially for Xu Kai and Jing Tian in the future.
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Overall series review
Really enjoying this series so far. The story feels mature and also has more mystery than what I am used to seeing in most GLs, which is different but also very interesting, and the revenge plot keeps things in suspense. The chemistry between the leads is strong and makes every scene engaging. I also love the darker tone and the way emotions are handled. Definitely one of my favorite GLs this year so far.Was this review helpful to you?
One word - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - I SURVIVED in a Sunk Ship
Some stories are better left untouched rather than being making into dramas. This one was meant to be a melodrama but completely missed the mark landing somewhere between mediocre storytelling and unnecessary angst.You can start watching this drama with good expectations especially with Seo Kang Jun and Ahn Eun Jin as main leads alongside promising actors Jo A Ram and Lee Joo Ahn. But apart from the cast there was absolutely nothing worth holding on to. There's a famous saying that good acting can save bad writing but for this drama even the acting couldn't saved from sinking in the angst. A promising cast cannot compensate for a script/story that fails to give them convincing character arcs exploration and meaningful scenes.
THE CORE REASONS OF DISAPPOINTMENT
- Forced Emotions instead of building them
- Prioritising angst over character development
- Confusing sadness with emotional depth
We all know Kdramas have evolved so much in terms of storytelling and giving in genre bending dramas but the writers of this drama seems missed that evolution. Honestly writing feels frustrating from the beginning like the writers have no intention of giving the kind of story or drama that a Kdrama fan would expect.
The biggest problem is how the writers tries to force emotions into certain scenes instead of letting the viewers feel them naturally through the characters, story itself. Rather than building emotional moments that make sense they keep pushing unnecessary emotions into random scenes. In my personal opinion the emotions should come naturally from the characters and the story not feel like they're being forced on the viewers.
Literally at some point you might feel please just stop this already and end it. Keeping viewers engaged emotionally the unnecessary angst and emotions only test our patience..
Cinematography and OST are at their own good.
Overall a disappointing drama that had a promising cast but failed to deliver through its writing and emotional execution.
This is my personal opinion & review.
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This review may contain spoilers
Utterly boring
I get the age gap of the characters but the FL portrays as a very inconsistent character. One moment, she portrays a level of maturity the next, she’s throwing tantrums at her boyfriend due to “not spending enough time with her”. ML has been giving in to her time and time again and honestly, he deserves better. He did try to justify as to why he chose her which I understand but it seems that they have a communication barrier. The Actors and Actresses and both very good in acting and I’ve been looking forward to this drama as I’m a huge fan of the both of them.Tried very hard to make through all the episodes. It was gruelling, to say the least. Don’t quite understand why they would get married cus they can’t even communicate, only banter.
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My favorite Kdrama
I loved this drama. I was sad when it ended. I loved every moment. I'm now starting to read the Manhwa of it because I loved it so much. Its cute, funny, and original. I love the lead actor in every kdrama I've seen him in and he plays his roll perfectly. This one goes down as a classic to me. The love triangle really gets you hooked. If your looking to start watching kdramas, this is a good first watch. If you've already watched this kdrama,I highly recommend reading the manhwa of it. There is a lot more to the story that wasn't in the kdrama.Was this review helpful to you?
I hope for the last, but given what it’s to come, I can’t be too optimistic. This show has one quality in my book: it prompted me to finally watch an Asian drama to completion, after months of going over all my repertoire of already known by heart dramas. And what better way to come out of a slump, than jump happily into Melo at its highest... or lowest?
Relax, I'm not going to bore you with long explanations as to why I find this drama ranges from interesting to mediocre - suffice to say that it has all your average paraphernalia attached to a melodrama: cancer, stabbing, abandoned children, scheming side characters, the mob, the corporation with its shareholders and a complete absence of logic.
This said, if one enters Meloland with a clear head, one is also prepared for all the above and more.
However, I'd lie if I said I enjoyed the descending curve of both plot and acting, which started well and ended horrible. Beautiful Song Hye Kyo suffered a pitiful case of DAS (Degenerative Act Stiffening), to the point in the end I couldn't help but wonder if there was a real person under that perfect skin of hers. Her behavior was at times so random I had to check whether I was watching the same drama or had been catapulted into another while I blinked.
Jo In Sung is like a shot of hormones through the veins, hence making every other consideration a little hard, at least until my female mind has fully cleared from the fantasy of his km long legs and other amenities. But while I think he’s great in portraying his desperation, I do believe there was just a tad too much desperation as a whole. Why not simply make him play poker, fight and interact with yummy Kim Bum? The ending of the drama would have made just as little sense anyway.
Therefore, the acting as a whole was good, at times incredibly intense, but at others over the top or repetitive. Not the best I’ve ever seen. And as superficial as the issue may be, I found the kisses, all of them, highly disappointing, almost a relapse into K-drama wall-kisses after a series of dramas that made us all hope for a change.
I loved the piano pieces, not so the songs.
On the positive side, there’s a plot that keeps you curious as to what will happen, a wonderful cinematography – I do believe this feature should be given a mark of its own, That Winter would get a full 10 – a pair of lovely side characters, well portrayed by Kim Bum and Jung Eun Ji, and Moo Cheol, one of the most complex and appealing villain I remember . It’s definitely worth a try, granted you like makjang and don’t really care for plausibility in a work of fiction.
Oh, and please someone give me the name of Oh Soo’s coats’ designer, because they are all absolutely gorgeous and I want them (yes, before you ask, I know the coats will not come with Jo In Sung inside them…)
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Lee Sang Yoon, Kim So Eun and Shin Sung Rok are great as the main leads Woo Jin, Da Jung and Do Yeong respectively. However, the character and actor I enjoyed the most is Lee El as Jamie. She was too much fun. The other actors were good too.
The music is appropriate.
This is definitely rewatchable.
If you like psychological thrillers, then you will like this.
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The Pretty Mess and False Advertisement
**there are plenty of reviews that say nice things about this drama. i even agree with some of it. this is not that review. **Of all the things Dali and the Cocky Prince tries and fails to be about (which is a lot ) it fails the hardest at being about art. This is about Art the way any office drama is about the industry it takes place in. If I'm being honest I've seen office dramas do better in that regard. Any time one of the characters has to talk about art in a way that does not apply directly to their job they sound like 12 year olds being asked why art is important to them- in front of their art teacher. For a show that takes place largely in an art gallery there is very little attention paid to the art. This would not be a problem except the show sort of sold itself as being very much about art. if this was the biggest problem they may have been able to over come it but this is just the beginning.
Both the show and Dali were advertised and quirky and upbeat. For most of the show Dali is a wet rag of a person sullenly trudging through her problems, dragging the viewer along with her as we wait to see which male character is going to solve the thing for her this time. That's not fun. it's not quirky. it is NOT up beat. it's dull, repetitive and disappointing.
The plot is cluttered and groaning under the weight of so many characters it might even give a daily drama writer pause. the central conflict isnt really central, being itself about too many things and offering a patch work of villains. Because there are so many of none of these villains get enough development so their motivations stay shallow and often don't match the vitriol of their actions. A similar problem plagues some of our good guys too. Won Tak for example exists solely for plot convenience. his development is thin and his relationship with Dali is incredibly inconsistent with the development that they do have.
given these other issues weird editing might seem like a nit pick but i assure you it's not. there is at least one, often more, distractingly bad editing choice in every episode. We've got pointless and poorly executed spit screens, we've got flash backs the reek of ret con, we've got really weird effects and pacing that is constantly being wrecked by waaay too long close ups of the aforementioned sullen Dali. like, i get it, she's sad, her life sucks. but i got that three episodes and fifteen lingering close ups ago. stop. PLEASE. And for the love of all things holy step away from the photo shop painting texture brush or whatever that abomination is. If this show wasnt supposed to be about art it might not bother me as bad but simply applying that texture over scenes completely misses the point and the beauty of highly textured brush strokes.
the chemistry is good though...and the over all production design is spectacular. if only they had put as much effort into the substance as they did into the looks.
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