When the snow fell, you came... breaking my lucid dream to pull me into yours
~~~***~~~"Because letting go is the best choice for memories~"
PLOT:
A broken vase of porcelain is always regarded as a bad omen. The shattered bits on the floor are often discarded. But what if this broken vase is her unconfirmed future? You can’t throw it, you can’t keep it. But isn’t what’s gone, gone forever?
She is a person who dwells in the dream like past unknown of the ways to mend it. At the same time, she is scared to be unbothered and let go. The heart can’t get away unscathed. She was left with questions unanswered and her probable future hanging on a cliff fighting to either survive or fall. I was reminded of 'Kintsugi’ while watching this drama. 'Kintsugi’ is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold. Now what’s broken is repaired, even more beautifully so… That is to sum up this story.
Jiang Xuening, a girl with a twisted fate right from her childhood, originally happy-go-lucky, helpful and an enough kind-hearted little girl is raised with an ambitious brain. She does what she can to achieve her aim. In the process, she lost herself. She lost the ones she loved, she lost the ones who loved her as well. Karma is a boomerang. It comes back to you the with the same momentum. She rose, she fell- as ugly as she went up, she came down. But, the writer of her fate has other plans- “give her a chance”. It’s not like she received none, she did- most often used for the wrong purposes but now she was given a chance in her full state of mind; when she was still HER- her 18 year old self.
She now has the chance to resurrect the broken porcelain with the gold in her hand, and more so- carve it even better. She does it! For she had experienced the price of an act. She does her best, like she has to- to begin with. Forming relationships of heart instead of her aim. Tasting the glory of love than power. She weaves this story like a grandma weaving a sweater for her grandchildren- with love and patience, overcoming the hurdles of the inevitable and slowly weaving into a pleasing garment that saves her loved ones from the cold of misfortune. Ning’er weaves and saves, hugs and safeguards everyone!
I hate palace politics. I always skip scenes with the palace drama. All the schemings, conspirations, plan-hatchings are not my forte. BUTTTTTTTTT I was interested in every palace-noise of this drama. It was interesting, not boring and also not too heavy. I love my manipulative Xie Wei and foresighted Ning playing things on their fingers.
A promising plot that wasn't let down.
~~~***~~~
“I really want to ask you, why?
In the plots we missed, was there any sincerity?”~
CAST:
Bai Lu as Jiang Xuening. Bai lu’s acting skills will never be a let down. I can bet on to buy a theatre of tickets, as her expressions sell out every single time. Being the one who remembers the future while being able to re-live a different past, she expresses her every fear, every trauma, every love, every hate, every collusion, every dilemma, every wit, every guilt, every irk, every loyalty, every thankfulness, every togetherness, every naughtiness, every incivility, every pain, every joy with grace and finesse. The story revolves around her, so she naturally has so much responsibility shouldered upon and she doesn’t disappoint a second. Her feelings are evident, her wit is ushered. She still cries making me cry with her, she still laughs making me laugh with her. The villainy side was villainous as it should be, her innocence was innocent likewise. Ask of balance in acting while juggling a whole bunch of different characters in one drama, you can’t find a better cast than her. I saw Jiang Xuening the rise, Jiang Xuening the fall; Jiang Xuening the Empress, Jiang Xuening the Second Lady; Jiang Xuening the forest girl, Jiang Xuening the capitalist; Jiang Xuening the seductress, Jiang Xuening the untouchable; Jiang Xuening the friend, Jiang Xuening the foe; Jiang Xuening the love and Jiang Xuening the regret. I saw Bai Lu as Jiang Xuening.
Ling He as Xie Wei. I saw every minute emotion in his beautiful expressive wide face. That of hate, that of resilience; that of love, that of innocence; that of a human, that of an evil; that of torture, that of patience; that of kindness, that of remorselessness. As Xie Wei, he spew what ran in his brain, at the same time hid his plans monotonously as well. He expressed his valour but also his modesty. Xie Wei is a very wise man who can outwit anyone. He pre-plans. He is quick witted. He thinks, he strides. It’s difficult for a quintessentially fit man like Ling He to seem more brainy than muscular and he nailed it. He looked like an intellectual in every angle, yet seamlessly hiding his monstrous bigger half. His eyebrow lifts were a treat to watch. He expressed his suffering in one scene and in the same scene he switches to show his boiling anger. And in the same scene he acts pitiful while conveying his mountain of love. He despises in the same scene and appreciates as well. In that very scene he daunts his fear while flaunting his courage. He switched his expression accordingly with every line of the same paragraph in the script. Ling he nailed Xie Wei.
Wang Xing Yue as Zhang Zhe. I'm a huge Bai Lu fan, I saw all of her dramas and if you do too, we've already witnessed Xing Yue's phenomenal acting prowess through "One and Only". That was just a trailer! He performed very well here too. He fits like a glove for Zhang Zhe. Zhang Zhe is silent and judicious. He is brave enough to tell what is the truth in a palace full of manipulative liars. He dares to pay the price for sincerity if it requires. A righteous man like a lotus in a dirt pond. Xing Yue did justice.
Zhao Jun Wei as Yan Lin. My favourite! I fell in love with him. Boy looks naughty being a hottie. When he was slaying with his armour on as the Viscount, I could not take my eyes off him. At the same time, when he expressed his love towards Ning Ning not only through his words but also his eyes, I was like- "Ning bae, if you won't have him, I shall^_~" I was squeaking with coy. He legit made me blush. I love his character more than anyone else's. GEM. GEM. GEM.
Liu Xie Ning as the Princess. My sweetieeeeee, my cutieeeeeee... I shall call her with all adorable names cuz she was A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. She was the apple of my eye like Ning's. She looked like a Swan bro. Beautiful as hellll! From a bratty Princess to a reliable friend and a responsible royal kin, she transitioned like water. Was I watching Barbie in any case? I guess. I'm fanning more than a fan (┬┬﹏┬┬).
The whole cast was a tailored pick meticulously embroidered to create a masterpiece.
~~~***~~~
“The abyss is in front of me,
I know I’ll be smashed to pieces if I jump in.
How could I go for it knowing this?” Ning’er pitches
“What if I jump in?” Xie Wei replies.
BONDS:
The chemistry between the mains is lit! Like as soon as you see Bai Lu and Ling He side by side, you see two incredibly pretty people looking like a match of the cupid. They do not need a script to look hot together. Though I was like- "bruhhhhh... I'm sailing the wrong ship" in the beginning, the ship overturns and we sail the right ship. Yeahhhh! LOL. I was not just having a treat, I was having an unlimited buffet seeing them together. The romance starts very slowly but as it starts, the heat is felt!
The friendships are my treasured part of this drama. Ning'er being the center and these awesomesauce friendships she forms around her were UwU. Not just the leads, the whole effin cast has sizzling chemistry duh! I live for these bonds! Especially, Yan Lin-Ning Ning and Princess-Ning stole my heart.
~~~***~~~
"The reflection of light will one day swallow you and me~"
APPRAISAL:
I know that the story is that way but I can’t fathom characters vanishing for half of the drama and then suddenly appearing. It’s like they serve a purpose, but like to talk that they serve a purpose than actually show the purpose they serve. So one moment you feel like a character is no longer important but the very same character pops on screen being the need of the hour. I do like the use of all these many characters but at the end of the day I feel few of them appear so okay-ishhhhh to me.
However great job with the main characters in hand. I love the dynamics, the friendships, the relationships. I love how complex they are, yet have a light airy calmness.
The camera angles were okay. Sometimes though they felt like they focused the wrong things, when I observed it better I see why that happens. This added a lot of depth to the scenes in my opinion. However, sometimes the cuts during the scenes to show different angles were not smoothly videographed. It feels kinda raw. For the time Kunning had in between the filming and release, a lot could’ve been perfected. The transitions were okay. They are not over the top minding that it’s not a high budget god-demon realm fantasy Xianxia.
I really love the makeup. I always feel so triggered with c-drama makeup which only aims towards whitewashing the actors which most of the times make them look pale and that often overshadows the acting and the little expressions that the actors try to make it appear on the camera. In Kunning, I see that the makeup nicely helps in bringing the features of all the actors at the same time being very subtle and minimalistic to go with the theme. There were also scenes and characters that required heavy makeup- like Bai lu in the empress era to show her cruelty or viciousness. Also when Xie Wei wilds out in the snow, a devilish kinda cold makeup is given with a nice red eye shadow to differentiate his emotions better. I not only love the character development arcs but also the makeup transition game that is evident in the drama. It’s nice and clear in the Princess’ case. Her makeup becomes mature as her character does. All those beautiful faces of a starry cast and not one face disappointed either with their expressions or their makeup.
The costumes are so-so. The styling is so-so. There is nothing new and nothing you see for the first time in a historical drama like this one. However I still appreciate the intricacy and the nice jewellery which went well with the theme. A job done is still a job done. I appreciate that it was nowhere seen underdone. Nevertheless, not a high on costume and jewellery drama. There’s nothing that goes par or under par your expectations.
The sets were fine too. Won’t say mediocre as they served the purpose. It doesn’t feel like there was no effort put in as the story doesn’t call out for huge settings. So again, no disappointment.
~~~***~~~
"Looking at the sky
anxiously waiting for winter
reminiscing my memories
I forgot that my four seasons don't have you~"
OST
How to even express my satisfaction that I received through the OSTs? Melodious music with eloquent lyrics paired with worthwhile voices stringing into a harmonious enticement. I heard it for the first time and I guarantee that there will never be a last time.
1. Borrowing Dreams sung by Zhou Shen. All Bai Lu and Keep Running fans are well aware of Zhou Shen and his amazing vocals. Why would this song be an exception? What makes it sweeter to me is the fact that they are good friends in real life too and Bai Lu personally thanked Zhou Shen in Keep Running for lending his voice to this masterpiece in her drama. This is also the closing song of the drama and also my favourite from the list. "Take a willingness to lose to exchange for my other half" is my most favourite part. Whether it played during their romance scenes in the drama or during the end credits, this song didn't fail to make me sing even though I sang it in gibberish due to the language barrier. And the song break where Zhou Shen harmonizes "HaaAAaaaaaaaa... HaaAAaaaaaaaa" .... man, I always transport to the Kunning world.
2. Snow Season sung by Bai Lu. Talk of a multi-talented queen who can act, dance, sing so beautifully! Snow season is a lullaby to the soul. Its like a sweet dessert that satisfies the soul after a scrumptious meal. Bai Lu sang "Entering A Dream" in Arsenal Military Academy along with Xu Kai and I got its vibes with this. I'm telling you, when Bai Lu sings such melodious slow songs, its the end of the world for me. I still couldn't take Entering A Dream out of my mind, now this adds to the list. Not kidding, the moment I listened to her sweet voice, I cried. IT IS SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
3. Three Thousand Worlds Not Meeting You sung by Jing Long. A breath of fresh air. I think this music and Jing Long's vocals drift from the typical Xianxia music to slightly the current R&B side and it's such a refreshing transpose. Yet, it still feels to be within the theme adding to its ambiguity. The main chorus is very catchy and ran in my mind 24/7 during the whole period I watched SoKP.
Honorary mention: Like a Dream sung by Zhou Jun Wei (We hail a multi-talented king too.)
Other OST include: With Love sung by Jane Zhang
~~~***~~~
REWATCH VALUE:
I'm really satisfied. Definitely re-watchable. It has a calm feel to this drama (idk), I'll definitely re-watch.
~~~***~~~
RECOMMENDATION:
“Mr. Xie, your ambitions are high
as the clouds in the sky
While I’m shallow and short-sighted
like the mud on the ground.
The sparrow will not know the will of a swan.
A miner’s lady is stranger to the sea.
A mortal hopes for nothing else
but to live peacefully.
Mr. Xie, please have mercy on me.”
⁃ Jiang Xuening to Xie Wei
could Xuening really live peacefully? You gottu watch!
Just watch it y'all. It's worth giving a try. But go with no expectations, you'll enjoy it better.
Also folks, do not miss "As You Wish: Story of Kunning Palace" with few of the cast of this drama. I gushed at every episode with the sultry chemistry between the leads and lovely rapport with the whole cast. It's worth your time.
~~~***~~~
P.S: Was I writing a review or a whole new story? I'm tired X﹏X
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pleasantly surprised
I started watching the drama solely for Jin Ki Joo and the time travel aspect of the plot. But sci-fi dramas, especially when it's around time travel, tend to fall apart pretty quicky so I decided not to get my hopes up. Which might be why I'm left with this warm feeling while finishing up with the last episode.The relationships between the characters' past versions and the leads were really interesting to see develop, and the murder mystery was entertaining enough to stay engaged in the story.
I loved the fact that the romance wasn't at the front, but rather developed in the background, although I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two. I felt the same way Find Me In Your Memory, and I think I'm just having a hard time getting used to Kim Dong Wook's acting.
There were a few things left out at the end that I would've liked to have an answer to, but overall I was surprised with how solid the story was compared to what I thought at first.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Underneath the science and math, it's about human frailties destroying mankind or Earth or both
Plot Summary:(In chronological order, as opposed to the sequence of events in the drama)
During the Cultural Revolution in China, a budding astrophysicist witnessed a horrific incident that made her lose hope in humanity. Armed with research data and basic math, she was able to figure out that the Sun may be used to amplify radio signals from Earth to the vast space of the universe. She sent a signal through the Sun that was picked up years later by a pacifist alien who advised her not to answer otherwise his less peace-loving colleagues would conquer her planet. Had she regained enough hope in humanity to heed the warning, thus stop exposing Earth's location to the aliens, or did she still think earth couldn't sort its problems out itself and needs to be saved by an alien civilization?
Several years later, top scientists in China are committing suicide, seemingly due to frustration over failed experiments and the dread that physical laws known to man don't apply to the whole universe after all, thus making their life's work pointless. Might the shooter theory supposing that seemingly universal patterns apply only to limited areas and not the whole universe, actually be true? Might physics really not exist?
A nanomatter expert suddenly starts seeing a number in his line of vision and realizes it's a countdown. Countdown to what? He witnesses the universe seemingly blinking. He is invited to participate in a virtual reality game simulating a planet ravaged by a three-body problem causing its civilizations to get obliterated every now and then, haphazardly, with no pattern in the intervals between chaotic and stable eras. The object of the game is to find the pattern, i.e. solve the 3-body problem.
The failed experiments, the countdown and the winking universe are actually caused by photons sent to earth by an alien civilization, Trisolaris, whose inhabitants have given up on their fight against their 3-body problem and are currently on their 400+ years trek to Earth. The photons are monitoring earthlings' progress, making sure, with the help of humans who have joined Trisolarians' impending invasion, that human technology does not advance far enough to rival or even surpass that of Trisolaris by the time they reach Earth. Thus, they are driving scientists suicidal with frustration by tampering with their experiments. When a scientist agrees to stop his experiments, his countdown stops.
What happens when the countdown goes to zero? Is this when murders that look like suicides happen? Would humans, called bugs by Trisolarians, be able to ward off this threat of an alien invasion? Would they be able to help solve the 3-body problem thus obviate the need for Trisolarians to leave their home planet and invade Earth? Would Trisolarians, who cannot abide lies, be able to work with lying humans?
These and other questions may or may not be answered in this drama but they drive the narrative. It will be noted that this drama is based on the first book, "The Three-Body Problem", of a trilogy written by Chinese author Liu Cixin. So, sequels are likely to follow.
Review:
This is the most engrossing Chinese drama I've watched. It's much better than the Netflix version. Aside from the scientific and mathematical discussions, the issues covered - humans treating other humans and the environment despicably to a point that would raise the question of whether man deserves to continue living in this beautiful planet or not - are presented in such a thought-provoking manner that powerfully draws the viewer in. The production, acting and music create a haunting, mysterious and sinister mood that fits the subject matter.
The story emphasizes the fallacy in the conventional belief that more advanced civilizations are likely to be friendly. In fact, history has shown that advanced civilizations tend to subjugate more primitive ones. This drama made me pray that those searching for extraterrestrial life would be circumspect about letting aliens know Earth's position in the universe, much less invite them in.
This drama also revived my awe at how blessed we are to have such a beautiful planet to live in. In this violent universe, planets are more likely to have uninhabitable conditions similar to Trisolaris than Earth. Yet, how are we handling this blessing? By acting like only certain humans have a right to be here, disregarding how our actions affect other occupants of this planet like humans who look different, other animals, plants, land masses and bodies of water.
Three-body is such a drama that can make viewers feel strongly about our beautiful planet as well as human moral frailties such as cruelty, selfishness, pride and dishonesty that could spell our doom.
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Coming of Age
This is a great series exploring coming of age. Who am I? And what is my goal in life? If you look at this as a stricktly romance series I can understand that you miss a lot of the interesting underlying plot lines. I personally love how strings and crumbs were given in episode 1 and with a red thread throughout the episodes became clear how each character had multiple hidden agendas with their actions and experiences.The series explore self-awareness into adulthood, how ties to family changes from childhood into young adulthood and romantical connections. How past experiences are carried with us and impact our future decisions and reactions in various situations.
Personally I loved how Dunk’s acting showed parrallels in scenes from the beginning of the series to the same scenes happening at the end of the series and you can clearly see his character growth. (Zo is supposed to be an awkward character in the beginning before he grows into himself over the couse of the series. We see Joke grow and learn more about himself as a person and how to approach his friends, family and situations.
The side couple wasnt showed much, but Aou and Boom did amazing in the few scenes they were present. And gave the perfect counter-balance to Dunk and Joongs characters.
Also, we cannot deny that Joong and Dunks chemistry carried in the low plot parts of the series.
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This review may contain spoilers
That was a BIG disappointment!
I gave it a go, as I loved SI1&SI2 - how could the producers put this as season three?!Nothing worked for me.
Cast - largely boring and shallow characters - both women and men. In previous years we had a great mix of ages, professions and personalities. This time on women’s side these was team Miss Korea vs one basketball player (who were the rest of the men again?)
Location - in season 1&2 the participants had much more space - I appreciate it’s the inferno but turning it into Bog Brother is not very interesting for me. The hotel was not that nice as the ones before - had a tiny tab and they had to eat around a coffee table…something just didn’t add up..
Stories - generally very bitty; the only story I kind of liked was cafe owner&young model. The basketball player triangle was centre of all proceedings out of desperation for me - I’m sure that should there have been more interesting men characters, this would have not happened! He was portrayed as shallow, unconvincing and unreliable man - what got omitted from the edits that is SO charming about you?!
I’m not sure if the editing was bad or this season was generally just boring, but there was no much really interesting relationships. For the first time I actually rewarded forward a programme just to see key moments..and these extremely long pauses - who needs that many and that long?!
The best thing - although painful to watch sometimes - was the studio team who was commenting..
Bring them back!
What a disappointment!
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I felt seen...
I felt like I could belong. This series not only help me realize what kind of F*d up world we live in, It also helped see understand myself and Love myself.I just read a comment saying how the male lead is effeminate and creepy and they just dropped the series because of it. I'd like to say to that person, good riddance. Because how people react watching this series is literally shows how society also treats these characters that are based on real people that exist.
This world makes us think that we need to fit in somewhere and do things how they want us to do. But in reality, this world is made for the entitled, elite that made all these society rules and those of us who recognize it and never succumb to fitting in know how difficult it is to be ones self but at the same time, how empowering it is to say "This is Me, I was born this way and if no-one comes into my life loving me for myself, then I dont want it". This series was exactly that.
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Honestly just read the Novel.
Its honestly disappointing. It disrespected the original source material to the very point where it's completely unrecognizable and different from its source, from even the overall messages and symbolism that ORV tried to convey, everything had been completely butchered. But by peeling and stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. for all I could say it's quite disappointing and unimpressive to say the least. This is setting a supremacy for future and prospective Live action adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by extracting all the aspects that make it great in the first place. You can't even call it an adaptation, it fails in every aspect. the cinematography is incompetent, Additionally some actors with major supporting roles are just completely sidelined for no appropriate reason. This exactly isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation and depiction" anymore.Was this review helpful to you?
Lets face it its not great but its not bad either. ( lots of flims out there that are not great but perfectly fine to watch)
I was reading the other reviews...i question the scores....either they are being bais or i just have compelety diffrent view.
I'm scoring this based what i saw ...
Comedy: It was enjoyable, It was fuuny. i laughed :D
STORY: It seems simple..but quite the twsit you face at the end. The story was meant to be one of those that you laugh through the goffiness then bam! you realise what was really happening . HOWEVER .....I think it wasn't told in the best way. the end i thought was rushed. i was left totally confused with everything being revealed at once with not enough time to comprehend. I suggest rewatching the end.
ACTING: JJ i would say did a great job. i'm impresssed.lol maybe his got personal experience...SJH however...did not do a good job with her character . can't say i understood her very well.(acting aside..she was super cute)
MUSIC:(IN THE MOVIE) the songs themselves are fine. However the way that they are pesented was just...chessy(?)..it felt forced.
Would i rewatch?
No. not really maybe cuts from it..there were some funny bits i would rewatch.
Overall-
Not the best MADE film. The actors were fine nothing horrible. it was more of a for the fansmovies... so if you love JJ or SJH or both..GO FOR IT....all others hmm if you have time.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Justice is served
When you play a game of cards, the outcome is never 100% guaranteed. It can be predicted based on the players moves but it is never really absolute. It can change in the blink of an eye. One is expecting something and at the very last minute, the perceived unexpected happens. Why? To show that a person’s life path can be challenging and though? What is the point of climbing a mountain, through treacherous terrain, temperamental weather and conquering altitude sickness in hopes of enjoying a spectacular view at the top only to discover a cemetery instead?It's almost as if drama production teams were compelled to discreetly push and motivate the audience to continue watching the drama, building up hopes that it would be worthwhile and that fans would enjoy it, just to deliver them tombstones.
Blossom's production team, thankfully, delivered their implicit promise that the view from the top of the mountain would be incredible. In fact, the view was breathtakingly flawless, with the ending seemingly crafted in the stars. After going through the pits of hell with and for one another, Song Mo and Dou Zhao would finally be able to live happily together.
The deliverance of their wedding fairly early in the drama has allowed viewers to experience their marriage life for a significant number of episodes, which the majority of dramas tend to overlook in favour of unnecessary fill-ups that devalue the quality of the visual storyline and irritate viewers. Story quality over number of episodes worked extremely well as the 34 episodes perhaps minus one or two that could be condensed in the later stages of the drama were just right to tell a good story from beginning to end without dragging it out to 40 episodes with boring material that added nothing to the plot.
The story’s introduction was an epic masterpiece with Song Mo in a lengthy white/greyish hair, saving Dou Zhou and an orphan child from harm. His softness, tenderness, sensitivity, empathy and kindness were as riveting as the fated arrow that later pierced through them, binding their life stories together. It was so unexpected and mind-blowing that made the audience thirsty for more and did not let it down throughout. As they are pierced by the arrow, they fall through a large mirror, and travel back in time, waking up as children to begin their lives again.
Song Mo is a strong man, a powerfully humble, righteous male lead with an unquestionable sense of justice and loyalty who has been betrayed by a number of people, most notably his father, a duke who despised him in favour of his younger brother, an illegitimate love child whom he desired to be his legal heir. To accomplish this, he had no qualms in hurting Song Mo as much as he could, displaying his public contempt for the son who took a beating for him in front of soldiers. However, the father no matter how wicked and terrible he was, was a known enemy. Song Han, the seemingly soft studious brother, however, plotted Song Mo’s demise without publicly opposing him. The worse kind of opponent is the one that hides in the shadows and the most dangerous one is usually a family member. Betrayal after all never comes from an enemy. The most intriguing aspect of Song Mo is that, despite everything he has endured from his father and paternal relatives, his heart has remained pure and his honour has remained intact, as evidenced by his commitment and dedication to justice and determination to find the mastermind behind his maternal uncle’s demise.
Dou Zhao is a phenomenal strategist who, unlike Song Mo remembers everything about her previous life, and works tirelessly to remedy the mistakes that have led to their demise. In the present, with the red line of fate intertwined with Song Mo’s, they embark on a journey of mutual assistance, support, trust and love that transforms them into allies and converts them into a loving husband and wife, united against the world, literally transcending both time and space. Through her decisive actions Dou Zhao is able to achieve her goals and avoid repeating her past life mistakes, thanks to her strategic, decisive measures. Despite being unable to prevent her mother’s death or her best friend from becoming her stepmother, Dou Zhao is able to move in with her grandmother, grow up in peace, and build prosperous business ventures that provided her with financial freedom. She was also able to choose who she married, accepting Song Mo marriage proposal and becoming his wife, rather than marrying Wei Ting Yu as she had in her previous life and getting poisoned by him and her sister due to their simplistic idyllic love for one another.
Blossom is full of twists and turns with various demises as the story progresses including Dou Zhao’s sister Dou Ming and Wei Ting Yu who not also marry in the present but also die tragically, and her stepmother, who ends up living the rest of her life paying for her sins, among other characters like Song Mo’s father, to mention a few.
It almost seems like after a supporting character’s arch has served its purpose in the story, the character dies. Thus, death serves both as a karmic, tragic ending and a beginning to another uncovered plot, which continues until the very end with existing personas i.e. Ansu, Dou Zhou’s childhood friend who is granted the title of princess by the emperor and marries Song Han. She debuts early in the story, then goes about her life for a number of episodes before taking centre stage as Dou Zhou’s high-ranked sister-in-law, second only to the male leads, to propel the storyline forward. She stands by Song Mo, because she loves him, ignoring his distorted mind and sordid inner nature. A man who was willing to hurt another person in order to prove his physical superiority had a black heart and a corrupted spirit, as a result of his inferiority complex with Song Mo. In the end, Ansu serves justice by taking her husband’s life, showing that there is love and hate on opposite ends of the spectrum and their combination is fire and ice.
Yuan Tong / Ji Yong was an interesting character. In the first life, he was a monk, in the second, a game-changer strategic healer mastermind who strived for power to implement the changes in the empire that he saw as necessary, and aimed for Song Mo’s death to be with Dou Zhao, whom he admired and loved to the ends of the earth, whom he saw as an equal, and the ideal match for him. Yuan Tong was kind and light-hearted. Ji Yong on the other hand, was kind, deceitful and grey, a magician of fates, using people as pawns in his chess match to gain authority. The first wanted peace, and strived for good; the second wanted peace and aimed for war, believing that revolution was necessary and could only be achieved via force. He eventually achieved his professional goal of becoming the new dynasty’s chief grand secretary but loveless. Love, however had never been his main priority anyway.
Even though he was mentally in love with Dou Zhao, Ji Yong was more focused on his career than actively chasing her, unlike many second male leads. However, the character could not really be regarded as a second male lead in the first place. He was a dynasty manipulator who used Prince Qing and Song Han like his disposable pawns, who ultimately paid the price for their wrongdoings, demonstrating that even though they had the means to accomplish their goals, those things mean nothing in a conflict between evil and right, darkness and light, war and peace, hate and love. Karma should be fulfilled and love should ultimately triumph. That's what took place here. Justice was served, love prevailed and karma was served without the possibility of redemption but then love and redemption is another story.
All things considered, Blossom was refreshing sans the cliched storylines. As per usual troupe, the leads did not meet, fall in love, break up, and then reunite at the very end. They met, became allies, friends, fell in love, married, endured hell together, remained devoted to one another, and had a daughter they watched grow up. Since Song Mo and Dou Zhao only had eyes for one another and did not want to be with anyone else or put up with any interference in their relationship, there was absolutely no love triangle. Kudos to them for sticking together through everything life threw at them, for helping and caring for one other, for demonstrating what a healthy, stable, and loving relationship should look like, and for the happy ending.
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TharnType Season 2 Special: The Wedding Day
19 people found this review helpful
Wrapped up fairly well
I really enjoyed how this episode revolves 90% around Thanrtype as it should. Their story was wrapped up with a bow on top. It was really emotional seeing them finally getting married after two seasons of watching them grow together. I usually don't cry from being too happy but seeing them finally saw their vows made me shed tears.I would have been very interested to know how Champ and the doctor's relationship were progressing, but it was nice to see them at least acknowledge the relationship. The only real letdown was how Khlui and Seo were treated completely as comic relief; I would have liked to see at least one serious conversation with each other rather than making everything a joke.
All in all, it was a very happy finish to this story, and although not everything was perfect, it was rewarding to watch.
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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.
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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.
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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!!!
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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
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This review may contain spoilers
A love to be jealous of
Two enemies that could only be together bc of amnesia, and yes it's the first time I come across the amnesia trope almost 3 times and I loved it!JinAn/Annan/Man in black:
Cheng Lei ate all three roles with Jin An being my favourite. He is a dream boyfriend, his love is shown, not just articulated and, even when he was ruthless Annan, the writer made sure we know that Jin An is Annan and his principles are the same, it was never an act. He showed his prowess as a general, his etiquette as a prince, his affection as a brother even when he was Jin An with lost memories. And the Man in black is the alter ego, justice fighter that protects the world. All the personas merged into one at the end and you wouldn't wish for anything else
Li Shuang:
Song Yi is an underrated actress. She personified a role that had a job: she works as a general but she is also a woman, a lover, a human, a sister and a daughter, an adopted orphan thoughout the story(and not some long lost princess).She is amazing and her tears, her pain, her cries ripped my heart in the last 10 episodes. I mean I was literally crying for the duration of almost 8 hours, her acting is that good. And gosh how moist her eyes are, I'm jealous. Her relationship with Jin An was a revelation to witness bc she is us, every woman in the throes of love, flirting and being happy. And she didn't turn into a puddle when she found out he's her enemy. Captured, she delivered acid and sparred with him as equals, and you could see her heart breaking. It was so real you could almost hear the sound of it.
Chemistry:
100% achieved. The actors are familiar with each other and at times I got the feeling sth's underfoot. Lots of hugs, Cheng Lei's sculpted torso, lots of kisses and heart eyes. There wasn't any real skinship but we were delivered the BEST ending in cdrama so far so I won't whine, there's still hope in the industry
Friendship, family, death:
The fist ever drama where the ML forms a FRIENDSHIP with two of FL's friends, loses one and MOURNS her! We got a mourning scene of both the ML and the FL, her death wasn't brushed off with a nod, they cried for her! Also we witnessed the ritual of her father's funeral, so touching and real, I didn't know I needed to see it till I did!
Now her father is the best father in all cdrama land and he is not her read father. She is adopted and here we see a man RESPECTING his daughter! Have you ever heard of that before?
Her brother starts as a brat who grows into an adult and with him our FL grows too into a better sister.
Secondary characters:
Yes, and they move the plot forward each in their own way and have their own merit, they are very important and there wouldn't be a story or plot without them. Watch it and you'll see
Ending:
The last 10 episodes achieved what nth so far in cdramas has been achieved: an escalated interest, a gradual peak in the plot that kept you glued to your seat, waiting anxiously for the next episodes to drop and a constant ache in the heart. I couldn't stop crying, it was so painful till the all inclusive happy ending(and what a happy ending!) that I knew right there and then why all the previous episodes were so sweet and romantic:To FEEL their love, not just witness it. To BE Li Shuang, to experience it ourselves, to get in her shoes so it's us that are BETRAYED by fate, it's us who lose the love of their lives. Bravo writer!You have my tears and my heart. And 10 stars.
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