Sweet Romance, Great Acting
Since time immemorial, humans have fantasized to possess supernatural bodies, with powers to see through walls, to hear even the slightest sounds, to smell the faintest scent, to speed like a cheetah, to feel nature, and most of all, to stay youthful and to live to hundreds of years. This drama gives the viewers a glimpse of how such powers can bring as in Han Zheng (Bi Wenjun). Together with a love triangle, suspense, and investigation, this is a very delightful story.Han Zheng is a subhuman species (homo “whatever”), Qi people, living in the north. He has come to the south to seek his best friend who has disappeared with the “seed fire” which is of utmost importance for the survival of his species. In the south, he meets Su Jiu’er (Li Yitong) who is a sickly homo sapiens (Qian people) constable, brilliant in solving cases. Through unexplained reasons, they always find it soothing when they touch each other, and each time, Su Jiu’er feels rejuvenated. After some time, they both fall in love with each other. Together hand in hand, literally, they solve one mystery after another, and eventually expose the greatest conspiracy.
I must commend the production team in the selection of the cast. Bi Wenjun is tall and good looking with a face that says he can transform into his “natural” form anytime. He’s the perfect fit as the description of the Qi people are said to be tall and strong. His acting is very believable especially when he is flummoxed by the Qian people’s traditions and habits. In contrast, Li Yitong is petite and cute, and makes a very convincing feisty Su Jiu’er who is intelligent and not cringey. She has amazing chemistry with both Bi Wenjun and Chen Heyi who plays the character of Prince Wen Jun. Despite a love triangle, the friendship of the trio is warm and lovely, and makes the viewers root for both male leads.
All the characters, even the hidden antagonist, are lovable and the use of actors appropriate. The CGIs, fighting, horror scenes etc are believable and still maintain a lot of humors and jokes. Though there could be a few plot holes here and there (such as Han Zheng suddenly knows how to read Su Jiu’er’s letter in Qian language), it doesn’t lower my enjoyment of the story. My only regrets are, the potential of a great second couple fizzles out, and by the end of the story, the antagonist is still missing. It seems there will be a season 2 soon.
My Verdict
Great watch for all. Don’t miss it! Bravo!
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Totally Loved it!
I really loved it because the main actors were superb! They both behaved like adults unlike most c dramas where adults behave like teenagers most of the time! Here the situations were very much real and their reactions too. Just minus 1 point for uninteresting secondary couple. Just skip their scenes!If you like mature drama with ML and FL having a really healthy balanced relationship who actually take time for each other and clear any misunderstanding they might have the very next moment it happens, then here is the show you are looking for!
Music was awesome too! Especially the starting song!
9/10 from me! Highly recommended!
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By the time the end arrives, your brain will result in confusion, however you'll find the film hits a full circle. You'll know this when you see it!
Storyline: Mysterious, dark, and disturbing. The house well sets the setting of the story with its old style furniture and flowery wallpaper.
Acting/Cast: Remarkable applause to the acting of the stepmother. Very convincing! The sisters' relationship is well portrayed. The father adds the extra which he is quite significant.
Music: The OST fits smoothly with certain parts of the story and well done with the spooky and horrific effects!
Since I never watched 'The Uninvited', this is my first horror film done by the South Koreans and I believe the original are always the best! If you're a true horror fan and enjoy stories with a psychological twist, take this movie for a whirlwind ride...
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As I watched the movie I must say that there is no freaking way in hell to tell that this was based on true story because some characters are exagerrated like as if they were straight from a Manga. Like for example...who the hell in real life is that boner guy and who walks nude in their home. Hahaha
About the movie its a feel good movie no boring moment IMO and the timespan was well done. The main strong points of this movie like I mentioned above was the chemistry between characters and that inspiring ending.
The characters
The main guy, the d*ck arrogant friend, the fat dude, the groin corny guy and lastly my favorite and IMO the most funny of them all, the boner guy. Them together is a fun watch...their antics and their favorite hobby(which is masturbation) makes me LOLed so hard. This movie also have lots of reference to manga like hanamichi sakuragi hairstyle and the Dempsey roll move.
The ending
Good or bad you decide but to me its good because of how inspiring it is and I admit being a guy this ending got me it makes me teary eyed a bit.
I recommend this movie to all guys in the world.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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Bumped Into This Series By Chance -
A flame ignites as two FLAWED men cross paths, leaving chaos behind them and many RED FLAGS.Story >> 7.0 >> 5.0
Plotwise, it´s not that convincing for me yet but I think that there was a lot of potential to make their story more interesting and captivating, and by that I mean not with the number of sensual scenes but a deeper dive-in into the morals and flaws of each character. In the end, I hope that "Fahlanruk" will spread an example / be a lesson for the viewers.
Acting/ Cast >> 7.5 >> 6.5
I´m aware that most of the actors have little experience in acting and I am, personally, fine with watching it nonetheless. I also think that there were some admirable shots that took me by surprise. However, it was not totally convincing.
Music >> 6.5 >> 5.5 >> 4.5
I was not okay with the choice of background music because I didn´t find it catchy or captivating. Especially in more sensual scenes was the choice of music rather anti-climatic, felt more like a hassle. Like, who was in charge of the audio?! lmao
Rewatch Value >> 3.0 >> 2,0
Nothing intrigued me as much as I´d like it to for me to rewatch it.
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Is this a quick drama to watch between shows? Maybe. It's okay.
I still wonder if adding a few more episodes (especially with how much they squeezed into the last episode) would have helped with the plot development, and pacing. I'm not saying this was a total waste of time, but I honestly don't know if I'd ever watch it again. I do enjoy Sung Hoon, but it seems he has some bad luck when it comes to the roles he's getting. There were a bunch of fun characters, but Ahn Dan Te and his brother's interactions probably the best parts of this drama, there were times I just burst out in laughter because of the two. The pacing between the leads made sense to me, but I think there needed to be a little more development between the two before they added that ending scene.
What I really disliked, and I mean disliked was Bae Ya Chae. I'm tired of watching these types of characters, aren't drama writers tired of writing them? I mean she has all the making of being a strongly written female character, but nope, she needs to be THAT type of female character.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Irony of Nirvana is the main theme in this tale of conspiracies chaos and corruption
A curious and carefree Ci ventures out from the safety of her village in the mountains to explore the world below only to literally land in the middle of a political firestorm.Ci’s journey led her to the political home of Pei, where she learned medicine , became an enemy, friend then lover of Wei. She traveled to surrounding villages to bring healing and kindness to the people, and justice for women, landed in the royal palace as a princess, and encountered a couple of wars along the way. Her adventures were nothing short of exciting .
The conspiracies and corruption could at times be convoluted but it was interesting to watch the characters investigate and try and unravel the mess. The show missed an opportunity with the Shadow Sect. Their secrecy and strategy made for an intriguing part of the story but was dropped halfway through the series due to the plot turning more towards war and political wrangling in the palace.
Though Pei started off toxic and controlling towards Ci he evolved nicely into a man who recognized the error of his ways and in turn became a fierce ally of Wei and Yueluo. But like other plots within the series, his political endgame of wanting to raise his status in the court was essentially dropped.
The leads, Wei and Ci, had chemistry and a lot of potential but unfortunately that potential wasn’t fully realized. They had some sweet moments but didn’t become a couple until the last few episodes and even then they barely shared any scenes due to the war. I think they kissed once, finally, in the second to last episode and that was only because they had sex. SMH. There were some missed opportunities for them to be physically closer ie hand holding, kisses, hugs, which would’ve given their romantic bond more credence.
The last few episodes got bogged down with too many war strategy meetings and battle scenes. Sadly, the ending was disappointing but not surprising. My heart broke for Ci. She lost everyone she loved most, which was painful to watch. And though I was not a fan of Pei, I felt so bad for him. For in the end he lost everyone he cared about either due to death or by their choice to leave him. Granted much of that was his own fault but it didn’t make him less sympathetic due to the losses. This was a good series. The acting was good and overall the plot was strong. However, if you’re looking for a romance drama you won’t find it here. It’s mostly a political conspiracy and war drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Realistic portrayal of the effects of war in a soldier's life
As someone who read the novel prior watching the drama, I am delighted with the book's screen adaptation. There were brilliant scenes that were awesome and portrayed more than what I imagined those to be. Great job to the TWOT family for a job well done!I'll start with the parts that truly impressed me.
✨ The way Song Ran was thrown backwards during the live broadcast of the war that erupted a few miles away from the hotel where she stayed at - EP.1 This is just pure art and is brilliantly executed, giving me a glimpse of the dangers in a war correspondent's life.
✨ Azan and Ranran's first meeting. I remembered I squeed that time because the main leads' chemistry is just like that bomb - explosive.
✨ Introducing Rina, Sia and Zoro in the drama. These characters were not present in the book but adding them in the drama brings more depth into the story. Rina's death is a good reason for Saxin to become a soldier. In the book, Saxin played a minor character and it just mentioned that he became a soldier (from a journalist) because if he doesn't, then the younger ones will be the one to do it. Sia and Zoro being the kids in the photo CARRY is just perfect. It's beyond my expectations really. And that photo was powerful as just as how it was described in the book.
✨ Acting. I absolutely love Chen Zheyuan's acting here. I've seen him in other dramas but nothing compares to his performance in this drama. He is top notch! Jiang Lie also performed excellent in most parts. Though there are scenes where I think she can do better but overall, it's a powerful performance from her.
✨ OSTs. This drama boasts of great soundtracks that gave me LSS throughout but Te Amo is just on another level. It's gold!
✨ Cinematography. The scenery, the lighting, color, visual effects, everything just blend perfectly justifying its tag as an S-drama.
Now, here are the reasons why this drama is only a 9/10 for me. Some storylines fell short of my expectations. This is a problem with me as having read the book first because I can't turn off my filter all throughout. I know there would always be differences between the book and the series but there were things I wished were included in the drama such as follows:
🤦 Azan and Ben's competitive fight. In the book, Azan requested to join the Special Joint Force but to do so, he needs to pass the training at the American training ground. Btw, Ben is described as an American in the book. Caucasians, having natural advantage in body built and height, were looking down on Azan, Ben particularly. Azan was given a "special treatment" all throughout the training and by the end of the day, he was forced to duel with Ben where he emerged victorious. That's how he earned Ben's trust and respect and they became brothers from then on.
🤦 The school bullying arc. It fell flat for me because this story was supposed to show us the power of a renowned journalist's words, that it could have a ripple effect that's beyond her control. I think there could be a better way to portray that scene.
🤦 The September 26 event. I wish the drama sticked to the original material, i.e. Azan threw the suicide bomber inside the house where a family of six were hiding which is eventually the cause of his first trauma. It is more powerful and will effectively support the later episode's scene about a family inside the dungeon trapped with explosives and how Azan overcame his trauma by saving that family.
🤦 There are a few scenes that are just not making sense like in episode 1, Song Ran removed her helmet and threw it away while running for her life as the bomb was about to explode. Why did she remove the helmet??? 😭 Another one is her going to war sites without wearing any protective gear like helmet and a PRESS bulletproof vest. The battle at Mt. Matuman, it should have been done at nighttime because they were planning a sneak attack on one of the terrorists' strongholds. Why in the daylight when you will clearly be visible from the enemies??? And lastly, Ben's death. Ben died in the book when he tried to save Azan. He was captured and tortured to death in front of Azan's eyes which added to his severe PTSD. In the drama, it's just unacceptable that they killed him just like that. If he already escaped and got back to the base whole, he should have survived by all means. If the plan is to kill him in the drama, then they should have done it in a very convincing way. It's so anti-climactic to be honest.
Anyway, these flaws didn't hinder me from enjoying the drama. It's one of the best I've ever seen and would still recommend it though with caution since it could trigger negative emotions for those unprepared. I, myself, cried a lot the first time I read the book. And even after reading it for the third time, I still feel deep pain inside. It's truly a wonderful masterpiece with a powerful performance from all casts and staff.
Congratulations TWOT family!
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This was like a gift in a time where bromance and BL was banned in China.
After watching almost all the bromance available in China, this was the next thing that kept me glued and entertained. It had the Shizun X Disciple elements, which I sometimes have a hate and love relationship with but this one did it well. It kind of reminds you of the Chinese novel SVSS which is a BL, it feels like a life adaptation of the novel. Anyways, based on acting the cast did a good job and the storyline was very addicted as it's in short episodes which is easy to watch (I binged watched it in two days) but the second season...it was good but I won't spoil it though, the ending felt kind of rushed out and confusing at the same time, though I highly recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
A really nice xianxia GL that shows that you don't need a large budget to make it work
I've been saying since Legend of Yunze Special that their productions keep getting better with each new show. The funding looks to be larger, the costumes better and better (although that's to be expected), and the stories get more coherent. I enjoyed Legend of Yunze season 1 because I could see the potential even if it felt weak on other points. This season 2 is even better than the Special and I can see the potential finally getting somewhere.But let's do it in the right order, shall we. On the technical side, we can see that the scale of the story, but also of the sets has increased. The ambition is clearly higher than for the previous season and it shows. There are some really nice moments in terms of cinematography (notably in that confrontation scene in the last episode which was doing interesting things in terms of colour and light). The costumes are better and better and so are the hairstyles. Some of them are truly a pleasure for the eyes, especially, I have to say, the demon ones of Zhaoyun. I commented in my review of Legend of Yunqian that they clearly had zero budget, but it's not the case anymore and while I don't think their budget is very large, they are clearly doing things right in terms of allocating it. This feels more like some low budget professional short (mid-length) films.
The story is much more coherent. I think part of it comes from the fact that they have a better grasp of the character, as well as because we, as viewers, already knew them, but even past that, I didn't have a moment when I was wondering what was going on or where that came from or thought "okay, that really came like a hair on the soup" (to literally translate a French phrase (meaning "came out of nowhere")). Not everything is perfect of course, but it is coherent. It feels epic on a larger scale than before and I felt much more into the characters and their relationships (both the main as well as the secondary ones) this time. We get some backstory for the different characters, we get some well-rounded-ish side characters.
Wang Laoji and Peng Jingxian once again do a good job as Zhaoyun and A-Ze. They're credible in their role and sell the story. Not all of the actors playing side characters are as good, but overall, everyone does a good enough job that I can suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.
All in all, this stands on its own without needing the caveat of "we don't get a lot of GL so we make do with what we get". It is real xianxia that I would recommend if you want to support an indie group of creators with ideas and ambitions that keeps on growing with every new project. It has demons and sects and choosing your paths even when it isn't the one that was given to you from birth and everyone else is telling you that you shouldn't be here. It is about people choosing each other again and again because that's just what's right. It is far from perfect, but it made me go "dang that's a good story and I want to know what comes next" several times. And that's personally enough for me. It delights me to no end that I can recommend a GL show, even a censored one, as good without a very large caveat. If you like xianxia and GL shows, beautiful costumes and characters who are all in for each other even when the world isn't, if you want to support indie creators who are trying and constantly improving, then this is a great show for you. Plus, it is short enough that the time commitment isn't too high. I, for one, cannot wait to see what comes next (and also more wuxia and xianxia GL, please and thank you).
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the story in the beginning may seem normal to you and similar to political dramas, but its not really the cast were smart in their movements and the tricks and schemes from all sides were good which makes it very interesting to watch, it didnt drag quite the opposite the number of episodes were pretty good and keeps you attached.
The acting for me was flawless, perfect choice of cast, I mean its Nam Gong Min and he is certainly a top rated actor, nevertheless the rest of the cast was just about right.
The script lines, hidden messages, and quotes hanging on the walls were really good. I would recommend this show to anyone without a second thought.
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Why the mind twist?
Undoubtedly, this would have worked much better as a fantasy. Instead, they tried to fool us into thinking it is and then wildly twisting the plot into making it fit into our ‘reality’ only to fail miserably on all fronts. This series is a complete mess, Painful as it is for me to say this, this story should never have been made. This relationship is based upon two individuals who live in an illusion. One created it while the other wants it. It does not mean necessarily that their love is not real or could learn to be real. But it does mean that the foundation and its development were based on false premises and no amount of ‘feel good’ bedroom scenes can make it real. The real notion is they barely KNOW each other! There is nothing normal and in fact real about this series. If only this series had been a fantasy!Was this review helpful to you?
Overall I recommend this drama if you have a lot of free time and are into makjang because the drama is filled with secrets and revenge. It was quite enjoyable to watch but I would not rewatch this again.
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Fewer semantic errors as words really do matter
For those who haven't seen the series it's a KBL, enemies to lovers trope as one student is unable to graduate when the other doesn't put his name on a group project. He seeks revenge and ...I wasn't expecting much from the movie as I'd watched the drama repeatedly but it surpassed expectations. I have to say that, similarly to 'We Best Love' Special Edition, the translation of the dialogues, additional dialogue and the slight changes made a real difference to the flow of the movie and our understanding of both the main and side characters. You actually see how they become their ending more acutely than in the drama. Translations and words really do matter! I think the series suffered from week to week translations so some weren't as accurate but to be fair to the viki volunteers, this also did have more dialogue.
There are a few new moments (I'd hardly call them scenes) as well to give the movie richness
It isn't quite the same as Life: Love on the life (Directors Cut) which had an additional scene from the Manga but as the manhwa for Semantic Error is still ongoing they haven't given us any closure which is great. we are all dying for a second season
Well worth the nearly 3 hours of watching this. Highly recommended
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