This review may contain spoilers
Healthy relationship between the leads, good chems, no breakup n unnecessary angst...
What I like:- The leads chems was good... they look comfortable with each other n they look natural... the skinship r lots n there r even some steamy ones...
- The leads have a healthy relationship, they trust each other, it’s an adult n mature relationship... so eventhough there r some other parties trying to mess it up, it never works, their luv is strong...
- There is no breakup or unnecessary angst... yes it took some time for the leads to be officially together, till halfway I think, coz FL’s ex keeps wanting to reconcile... but ML fell for FL early, n the pursuing part was already an interesting thing to watch...
What I’m not satisfied with:
- The sidecouples... one is FL’s bro n her BFF... their story just took too much screentime for something so uninteresting... it’s an older woman kinda story, which I don’t like, plus the bro is just so childish... the other one is ML’s assistant n ML’s pursuer... it’s boring n she is just too annoying... so honestly their stories I skipped most of the times...
- I wish the leads didn’t have the relationship a secret till the end... there could’ve been more potential cute office romance scenes...
- The business part is not that interesting... I’d prefer to have the leads n even with their colleagus, work together side by side facing problems/a crisis... they mostly have separated work scenes, esp after they r in a relationship... when actually ML is the investor of FL’s company n they r even working at the same building... I wish it was mixed up a bit more, in a light fun way...
- The ending... it’s a HE so don’t worry... it’s just that they were building it up to have FL’s ex last final effort to mess with ML, so I had expected something more... but in the end it fell a bit flat to me... there r some major consequences, but for me the way they tell it is just mehhh...
Anyway, I enjoy watching it while ongoing... IMO just watch mostly for the leads, n u’ll enjoy it more... it’s almost angst free, just both exes popped up here n there, but they r irrelevant since the leads’ luv is strong... so it’s a suitable drama for u who just got out of a max angst kinda drama...
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1. No overglorification of a single character.
2. Good romance and chemistry between the lead pair(s).
3. Decent CG.
4. Good costumes.
5. A somewhat good ending (All those "see you in the next life" endings are annoying when they pop up without warning)
Story: It is yet another adaptation of Si Da Ming Bu by Wen Rui'an. The title literally means "The Four Great Constables" and chronicles the journey of the Infamous Four of the Divine Deputy Bureau as they try to maintain peace, investigate cases, destroy the great villains and put an end to the devious plans of the Royal Lord An Shi Di.
Characters:
"Cold Blood" Ling Xie: The leader of the Infamous Four. Rude and indifferent on the outside, but it all stems from his tragic past. He is the prince of the wolf tribe who lives for vengeance on those who killed his people. Though his life span is shortened by the wolf poison in his heart, revenge is his sole purpose in life till he meets Chu Ying Xue (as expected?).
"Heartless" Wu Qing: Kind and gentle - in many ways the opposite of Cold Blood, but is eternally suffering due to a tragic love. But is his lover actually dead? Can they be still reunited? Or is she the one actually destined for him? The questions are answered as the story progresses. Keep your napkins ready though.
"Chaser" Zhui Ming: A jolly fellow and also a friend of the princess. Has been in love with the princess, but she is infatuated with Cold Blood.
"Iron Fist"; Tie Shou: Gets his name from the iron gauntlet on his hand and a prodigy as hand-to-hand combat. Has his own romantic interest.
Chu Ying Xue / Chu Li Mo: A seemingly naive girl, who is actually the daughter of the Holy Moon Sect's leader and has the ability to read minds. Her stepparents force her to become a royal concubine, but she escapes and is taken in the Divine Deputy Bureau as a maid. Initially dislikes Cold Blood, but starts caring for him after learning about his past and eventually falls in love with him.
Ji Yao Hua: Member of the Divine Deputy Bureau and grew up with the Infamous Four. Has been in love with Cold Blood despite knowing his secret. In her own words, "When he dies, I wish to die with him." One character we really learn to love and pity in the first half. But does she really give up on Cold Blood? Or is this the beginning of something sinister?
An Shi Di: The primary villain in the series. Wishes to obtain the divine skills and would go to any lengths to do it. But what is his aim? World domination? Or something more?
Others: There are others who might be considered primary characters, but in my opinion, the story revolves around these 7.
The main reason I finished the drama so quickly is Janine. She looks absolutely adorable in traditional Chinese dresses. Her on-screen chemistry with Zhang Han is pretty good as well. Jia Qing did her bit very well. There are so many times one wishes a better future for her - but Janine still comes first :| The four male leads do justice to their roles. Though Zhang Han and Yang Yang get more screen time, the others are not neglected either. A couple of the other female leads are downright irritating, but I guess we just oughta live with it. Loved the costumes on the actresses. Always feels good having multiple romantic threads in the story, with most, if not all, having happy endings.
Music: Fits the story, though nothing great about it.
Rewatch: Yes, it is lengthy and yes, it might get repetitive at times. But nevertheless, it can be watched again and again if you fell in love with the characters (which I did).
PS: I feel this review is kinda lengthy yet inadequate in places. I'll try to edit it later when I have time. Thanks for reading!
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Right Or Wrong shows us a cute and pure story of a university teacher and one of his students who he met a few years back but didn't remember that exact encounter.
I really love that YoYo was there as one of the main characters too because it showed that kids don't care who are their parents as long as they love them and take care of them. I ruined the typical stereotype that some people say that this kind of a relationship will reflect on kids or something like that or ask "what will children think of this" but actually all you have to do is to explain as Shi Yi Jie did.
I know that it may look pathetic to give 10 in all of the aspects but this story really deserves it.
STORY: It was pure and sweet. No unneeded things and no big drama. It showed few problems that couples may face nowadays as having a bigger age gap or being in a same-sex relationship.
ACTING/CAST: The caste really was great and did a good job in the series. Steven (ShiYiJie) and Hunt (XiaoFei) showed their emotions really well and the girl who played YoYo was doing such a great job 'cause as we know it's not that easy for kid such a young age to be at their highest point but she really did her best and overall was really cute.
MUSIC: All I can say is that the ending song is one of my favorite songs at least right now for sure. These series didn't have many soundtrack songs but 2 main ones and the ones that appeared in the middle were really well arranged and fitted the series aura really well.
REWATCH VALUE: I'd rewatch this one for sure at some point, the same as I did with Obsessed 'cause it's not that long to take all of your time away but it's enough to feel happy for someones :) This story really did touch my heart and "the scenes" were G-R-E-A-T!!!
OVERALL: I really do think that this story desrves a 10 due to the all of the aspect i mentioned in this review. I woudl write evn more but it's hard to put all of my emotions for this into words
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1Buns of Steel.
Blossoms in Adversity / Xī Huā Zhǐ/惜花芷 is the story of superwoman Hua Zhi's feel-good romp through feudal China. When Imperial Censor Hua dares to criticize the monarch, he is exiled along with all the men in his family. A bevy of helpless women and young children are left to fend for themselves. Hua Zhi takes charge and rallies the women together to triumph against overwhelming odds. When she flexes her buns of steel, no feat is beyond Hua Zhi! She parleys a candied hawthorn business into a pastry and restaurant empire, picks up stray royal children, foils a few palace plots, build schools and a canal, rescues the Hua family men and even manages to find time to fall in love! All in the space of a 2-3 years!!! Phew! Even superwoman would surely stagger from sheer exhaustion!This narrative paints a distressing picture of how oppressive life was for women in hierarchical ancient Chinese patriarchal society. The best part of this drama is how in order to survive, the women defy social conventions, set aside petty differences, learn to trust each other and work together towards shared goals. While the sheer scale of their financial and other achievements are preposterous, there is something very cathartic and satisfying about how flamboyantly they flourish. The storytelling is squarely centered on Hua Zhi and speeds through many of the supporting character arcs, leaving their motivations and struggles under-developed. This is a pity because family dramas like this are most compelling when important supporting characters are given enough agency to be the main characters of their own arcs.
This is one of those dramas that is best enjoyed superficially and with heavy suspension of disbelief. Upon closer scrutiny, the overarching empowerment theme is contradicted by some of the sub-plots. I was disturbed by the different treatment of domestic abuse in Hua Jing and Hua Xian's case. But what I disliked most was what happens to Hua Rong and her child. It is as if she learned nothing from her family's struggles about resilience in the face of adversity. There are a few poorly developed sub-plots like this that the writers raced through without thinking carefully about the messaging.
As much as I like Zhang Jingyi, this is not her best role. Her interpretation of Hua Zhi is too perfect, too calm, too understanding and too reasonable. This has led to many Mary Sue comments about the character. But Hua Zhi is actually written to have many flaws - she can be over confident, she cannot mind her own business, she is reckless and like her grandfather, she cannot hold her tongue. In the canal arc, she is the architect of her own downfall but because everyone unites around her, she never suffers any consequences for her actions. This character has too much plot armor and is already so smart and capable that she shows virtually no growth from beginning to end.
Hua Zhi's relationship with Gu Yanxi is similarly whitewashed to the extent that it appears too ideal to be true; it lacks passion, conflict and intensity. Hua Zhi lets Gu Yanxi off too easily for deceiving her in the beginning when any normal person would be at least a little bit angry at him. She also never communicates any discomfort with his role at the Security Bureau; indeed she seems quite happy to use his authority there to serve her purposes. Thus, it came as much as a surprise to me as it must have to Yanxi that it could be a deal breaker for her! So much for their so called mature, open and communicative relationship! I don't know why young actors like to make their characters so perfect all the time and have such a hard time embracing more complex but perfectly natural human relationship dynamics and emotions.
Hu Yitian delivers a more nuanced portrayal of Gu Yanxi as the emperor's sharpest knife. His fight scenes are phenomenal and he is menacing and ruthless as the commander. He shows us he is a different person; more open, at ease and happier when he is with Hua Zhi. While this is one of Hu Yitian's better roles to date, he shies away from showing us the true extent of his affection for the emperor and his inner conflict. This is a missed opportunity because Hai Yitian delivers a compelling portrayal of the lonely, paranoid and manipulative emperor. Because Hu Yitian's portrayal of Gu Yanxi does not meet him halfway, the emperor's affection for his nephew comes across as borderline obsessive and a lot more one sided than it really is.
Even though it seems her character Shaoyao is dumbed down from the novel, Lu Yuxiao is once again a scene stealer in this drama. This kind of beguilingly innocent, simple minded savant kind of character is extremely difficult to portray well but Lu Yuxiao pulls it off brilliantly. She doesn't get enough screen time to steal the show but I was more invested in her character than I was in Hua Zhi who is too perfect to be relatable.
The ending of this drama really cracked me up. It is one of the few times that the villain actually saves the day by doing what Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi could never have done. Although it is also possible that Gu Yanxi learned his lesson not to look for needles in hair stacks and had the good sense to show up a just a tad late at the ceremony. Despite some flaws, this is a very appealing feel-good drama for those seeking light entertainment. My rating 8/10.
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They did us dirty with the way it ended
I’ll preface this by saying I haven’t seen Addicted, nor have I read the piece(s) the series is based on. I am not going to compare it to anything, but I will simply judge it on its own.The plot is interesting. It’s not something we often get in BLs (yes, I know this is a censored version, but it’s still a BL), and even if we do, it’s rarely done well. Stay With Me has executed it amazingly! The plot is not nearly as simple as it seems at first, which was a really pleasant surprise. While the development of the relationship (romantic or not) between Wu Bi and Su Yu is at the front of the series, it’s not the only focus. We also get to follow how other relationships change and develop over time, mainly those of their family members and close friends.
Wu Bi & Su Yu: I love seeing them together. The two might be quite different but they have an amazing influence on each other. Wu Bi might appear cold, arrogant, short-tempered and uncaring, but in reality, that’s all a front he puts up to protect himself. We get to see him open up more once he gets closer to Su Yu and his family. Su Yu lives only for school because that’s his ticket out of poverty. He is not a demanding child, he never asks for help or anything from his father, because he knows his father is trying his best. He does become more carefree as he gets closer with Wu Bi. He becomes more open and willing to talk about his wants and needs, especially with his Wu Bi. The two might have started off as enemies, rivals, but the way things change was done very well. It was well thought through. Their actions had clear intentions and reasons, as did the way their relationship progressed. I think both actors did great in their roles, they had great chemistry.
Now, this might have been a censored work, but it didn’t really hide what kind of relationship the two have. Their looks, their touches, the little kisses, the way they gravitated towards one another, the innuendoes that were being thrown left and right… they might have left a lot up to our imagination, but they made things as clear as they could.
I absolutely love Su Yu’s dad, miss Zhou and Duo! With all the flaws that Su Yu’s dad had, he has always been immensely proud of his kids – Su Yu, Wu Bi and Dou – and all of their achievements, no matter how big or small they were. He was incredibly supportive of them and always there when they needed him. The same goes for miss Zhou. As for Duo, she was a little ray of sunshine who is always ready to share her words of wisdom with her two older brothers. This was the found family all of them needed to thrive, not just the boys. Not all of them were blood related, some not even by law, but they truly showed what it means to be a family, to love each other, to support each other.
On the other hand, I don’t think Su Yu’s mom and most of Wu Bi’s family have any redeeming qualities. There is something about the cousin that I disliked from the start. Might be his arrogance or just the overall vibe he had, but I don’t think he cares about anyone but himself. His uncles are horrible. They treat everyone around them like dirt and that didn’t really sit well with me. Wu Bi’s father lost any right for redemption once we learned he has been abusive towards his son after his mom passed away. And Su Yu’s mom lost the right for redemption the moment she decided to abandon her child. I don’t care how much they tried to make us sympathize with the two, I think both of them are bad parents.
Which brings me to things I disliked. One thing was Su Yu’s dad saying how all parents love their children. Not all parents do and not all of them deserve to be respected as parents. Children do not owe love and respect to their parents if that is not something they received from them. I know Asian cultures are big on respecting your elders, but it’s actually a very damaging idea. I think certain scenes were very bizarre and didn’t make much sense or were done in an over dramatic way that just made them hard to watch. There are also certain things that I feel lacked proper closure or explanation why it happened like it did. Or how it was even possible. And I am not even talking about the ending here.
That ending though… they better give us a S2, because I am not happy with how it all ended. It does feel like it was a setup for another season, especially how it was all left in the air in the end. It was a scene I knew was coming based on the trailer, but I did not expect it to be left unfinished like that.
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*Story (10/10)
This drama has done a wondrous job keeping faithful to the original story while incorporating parts of its spinoff "The Pillow Book" about the secondary lead pairing.The Chinese title of this drama is "Three Lives Three Worlds: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms" and like its name suggests, tells the story of Ye Hua and Bai Qian - gods who are separated yet bounded by fate to find each other in their lives again throughout the course of three arcs, for a memorable journey of emotional highs and lows balanced with good action and drama. Though there are 58 episodes, it is filled with plots to leave one consistently guessing what the next development is from beginning to end.
Just as one score settles, another rises.
Characters are fleshed out and although the main couple gets the bulk of the focus, secondary characters and their relationships are not cheated out of a good storyline either.
*Acting/Cast: (9/10)
Yang Mi's Bai Qian may be the protagonist, but Mark Chao is the highlight. To express so much with so little is what Mark does wonderfully, and his ability to portray two similar characters (Ye Hua & Mo Yuan) so differently with their set of own characteristics, mannerisms and reactions is impressive. As for Yang Mi overall she did well portraying the different personalities of her characters - from playful,mischievous Si Yin to naive and innocent Su Su and finally the aloof with an attitude Bai Qian - by far her best performance. Together these two produce the chemistry to keep audiences thrilled and satisfied. Overall the cast is well put together with several other memorable faces (Zhang Bin Bin, Dilraba etc) making the drama that much more enjoyable
*Last thoughts?
- All the sets, props, scenery and people are simply eye-catching, which keeps one visually interested all the way through.
- Aside from the visual fest and story, Mark Chao is another reason to rewatch
It's been a while since I enjoyed a romance-fantasy genre this much, this will be going straight into my archive of favorites. No doubt one of the best Chinese dramas have to offer
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Before watching this, I would consider a drama on how good it is based on how addicted I was, but even if I wasn't super addicted to Answer Me 1997(maybe part of it is that I didn't watch it while it was airing so I wasn't left hanging every week), everything in the drama was full of meaning and everything just fit together perfectly.
I applaud the writer and director for making such a work of art altogether, I must say.
This drama was different from others, in the aspect that it wasn't the typical cliff hanger every episode and there wasn't really a FIXED storyline, if you know what I mean. It was the story-telling of two first loves that succeeded and their growth together. From high school to adulthood, it was just lovely seeing all the characters grow.
It was full of sweet moments and what I like about this drama is that there isn't some annoying, cockblocking antagonist that was only put there to have a base conflict. The conflict in the drama was more personal, realistic, and relatable which made this drama just seem more "real" I guess. Even if I wasn't into kpop in that time exactly, I still felt the nostalgia and warm fuzzy feeling when they play a 90's or early 2000's song in the background. This drama always got me all emotional all the time haha. The writing was also amazing and even I learned a few lessons watching this drama :)
THE CAST AND ACTING WAS PERFECT. Everyone was so natural and even if Shiwon was a delusional fan girl, I still loved her character. Yoon jae was just sooo.. soo.. dreamy at times. You can see his emotions through his eyes and his intense gaze that's only for Shiwon. When he cries I just cry with him, because it seems so genuine and the pain is visible through his crying. Again, I loved the fact that there was no crazy ass villain in the drama.
The music they played seemed to fit so well with every scene and even if j didn't even know some(most) of the 90's Korean songs I still felt nostalgic. I'm currently looking for all the songs used in this drama because it's that good.
I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who is a sucker for sweet and 'fuzzy' love stories as well as people who are just looking for a drama that's not too heavy. This will take you down memory lane as the beepers and cell phones with antennas are re-introduced. I mean, who DOESN'T love the feeling of nostalgia? Well this drama will definitely give you that feeling.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA!
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XIAO DUO & BU YINLOU IS THE BEST PART OF THIS DRAMA
Okay first thing first I’m the type to give review on mdl just for dramas I found really entertaining to watch from ep1- to ending. Now that the show had ended, I will give my review for this surprising very engaging drama to me. I watched this drama because of the dark trailer vibe and angst I thought gonna happened 90% of the time due to the eunuch-concubine love story but nope, this drama surprised me with romcom moments and I love it so much. Watch for super non-toxic and hot-cute couple. It’s serious yet not so serious drama I must say. And I love it!This is my first time watching both main leads on a full drama, before this I did know them from drama clips on YT etc so it’s not that I’m entirely new to both of them but this is their first drama I watched in full until the end. And I love Yukee Chen (Bu Yinlou) and Dylan Wang ( Xiao Duo) so much on this drama. Sure, I can’t say their acting are perfect from beginning to the end but the definitely improved so much throughout the show. Yukee Chen is good with emotional scenes and she can cry naturally & easily imo. Her best scenes that are so memorable to me from this drama were confrontation scenes with the Emperor and emotional scenes with ML Xiao Duo and her father. BYL is very strong, smart, cunning and calculative. She’s not good at martial art like XD but she’s definitely strong willed and not the type to be bullied as well. In fact, the bullies are the ones who need to be scared with her comeback. If people hit her, she will definitely hit them back on the spot. I love this kind of FL in cdramas. I will drop dramas I’m watching if I feel like FL is too stupid, I only like smart people. And BYL is exactly the character I like to watch in dramas. I’m so satisfied to get this kind of FL who’s actually useful to the plot and helping the whole scenes along with ML.
Dylan Wang as Xiao Duo is a good match! He indeed looks suave while doing martial art scenes. He just nailed it with his posture and movements. Dylan is still young but I can see great potential in him. His memorable scenes in this drama are of course his fighting scenes whoa I repeated few times before I moved on to next scene, and his lovey dovey scenes with FL. He also has mature looks, so he can look older than his age with correct expressions. I think he did so well as XD. ML is a very smart, cunning and calculative person as well. XD and BYL actually have so much similarities in character imo, so their synergy are really good and they can simply understand each other’s plan when they’re scheming something. These two are too smart that they can’t even fool each other. Yet despite how cunning and calculative they’re, I like that they’re not toxic to each other. At first they did used each other for support but that’s before they fall in love. I love how these two didn’t have stupid misunderstanding because they just know each other very well. I’m satisfied with the romance despite the cuts (yes there’s many cuts due to censorship) but even without those cuts, the romance is still there. Despite all this ‘forbidden love’ thingy, don’t worry, these two especially XD didn’t even try to hide their relationship😂 He only tried to deny BYL’s feeling once but after that, he’s on full flirting mode with her till the end. He’s so hotly ‘dark’ looking on the first few episodes but once he started to have feeling for her, oh my this cold-hot-ML trouple turning into hot soft-husband to his wife will always make me melt. He didn’t even care if anyone in the Imperial City knows about them. Their romance is the best thing in this drama imo, I stick to them till the end because they totally worth my time. I think their chemistry is really convincing, no one can convince me otherwise. They’re cute and hot together. XIAO DUO AND BU YINLOU IS THE BEST PART OF THIS DRAMA!
okay plot wise, I’m majorly attracted to this forbidden love between eunuch-concubine because I had watched Serenade of Peaceful Joy and damn the angst between the Princess and her eunuch there was heart wrenching but I love that this drama made some plot twist. They made it lighter romcom, yes there are very serious moments here and there, you will get scared and creeped out by the Emperor because damn he’s SO CREEPY! Too obsessed with FL. Peter Ho did amazing job here because I cursed him so much throughout the show. Like seriously, he’s good!
But everytime there’s serious scenes, this show will manage to lighten the mood with comedy after it, so you don’t get traumatized. It’s light not light, serious not serious to me. I like it that way.
About the cuts, at first I was mad but after knowing how they only passed the censorship after 3rd time, I’m just thankful that they managed to release this. You can check out the discussion section here, the cuts to fill in your imagination will be there. That’s some high quality cuts YOU MUST WATCH (lot of kissing😏) or else you will miss out the good stuffs, this is important!
I will assure you that you will be fine with the ending. Some plot holes here & there which is expected to me but as long as my CP is okay I don’t really care about anything else, as simple as that. To me this show is a MUST WATCH for news stans of Dylan Wang and Yukee Chen. Good performances from both of them and shout out to Peter Ho for being effective psycho.
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2
1This review may contain spoilers
Character-driven drama with campy humor and titillating romance
Plot Summary:Zheng Shu Yi (Bai Lu) is a pretty, brilliant and hard-working 25-year-old reporter who hopes to write the front-page article of the Financial Vision magazine for at least the 9th time. And her ticket to scoring the latest cover article is to land an interview with the CEO of a venture capital company, 27-year-old Shi Yan (Dylan Wang), who, as it happens, has taken an interest in her, insisting the magazine send her to interview him.
Before that happens, her boyfriend dumps her for a girl surnamed Qin whose uncle owns impressive cars with impressive plate numbers. Having found out that Shi Yan has a niece with a surname of Qin and that he owns a roll royce with an an imposing plate number, Shu Yi concludes that her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is the niece of Shi Yan.
Armed with a desire to use her rejection as fuel to succeed in her career as well as with her dream of upgrading the online version of Financial Vision magazine, Shu Yi pursues Shi Yan to get him to agree to a series of interviews for the online magazine. That is, as she makes herself believe. But might she be harboring some other reason for pursuing the handsome aloof bachelor?
For some mysterious reason of his own that will be revealed later, the cold CEO, who would have likely spurned such advances from any other girl, humored Shu Yi. Frequently thrown in each other's company due to the interviews as well as their jobs, they develop a deeper bond that propels them into a rocky journey of growth necessary to bring about a lasting and happy relationship where honesty and effective communication prevail.
Review:
This drama is character-driven thus requires a good understanding of the characters to be thoroughly appreciated. Skipping scenes would jar one's ability to be drawn into the characters and understanding them. In addition, skipping scenes could make one miss the campy spoofing feel throughout the drama, such as Shu Yi's pursuit of Shi Yan, the blind-leading-the-blind attempts of Shu Yi's cocksure but clueless best friend to give her advice, Shi Yan's seeming ability to hear Shu Yi's thoughts which could be a device to show they are on the same wavelengths, the phone conversations that everyone in the room can hear, the phone interruptions, the over-the-top riding clothes and many more. Those who recognize the campy humor in these situations would laugh. Those who don't would grumble.
Therefore, if you skip scenes or don't pay attention to the story, don't blame the writer or director if you can't find, much less understand, the plot.
This drama does not describe characters by having somebody directly point out that, say, Shu Yi is brilliant or that Shi Yan is a visionary. The drama SHOWS the audience, another reason skipping scenes is a no-no.
Shu Yi is not the conventional sensible-can-do-no-wrong cdrama female lead. She is smart, kind, friendly, playful, a good sweet daughter, hard-working, cannot be bribed and stays cool when a conniving work rival plays dirty tricks against her. But having been pampered by her parents, she is spoiled, self-centered and not above using people to attain her goals. Most of all, the drama shows her tendency to lie, causing her to do things contrary to what she feels and to make excuses to avoid facing up to the consequences of inappropriate actions.
It is intentional that Shu Yi sometimes throws ethics to the wind. Those who think smart people never do stupid things have unrealistic expectations of people. A lot of intelligent people make unwise decisions. Shu Yi's ethical lapses are part and parcel of the story which is unique to one particular reporter who does some things she should not do. So, complaints about degrading her profession are terribly misplaced. It is highly improbable that the drama would make viewers think reporters do this sort of thing all the time. In fact, that's why this story is told - it deals with a unique character.
I understand why Bai Lu bravely took on this role. Shu Yi would have been a challenge to portray because not doing her right could have made her obnoxious. I was amused at her flaws, scrapes and outrageousness, indicating Bai Lu portrayed her well.
Shi Yan is another complex character. The viewers' first impression of him is his stoic demeanor which is likely the amalgamation of his reserved and taciturn nature plus his upbringing and grooming to take over a company that would have made him resolute about appearing proper and older than his age at all times. The business scenes show how intelligent, competent and forward-thinking he is by letting us see how he handles meetings with business associates and how he chooses business partners. For example. he concurs with a startup's philosophy to put quality of technology ahead of production. These scenes also show the challenges he faces from senior executives who undermine his capability to lead the company due to his youth and inexperience. To delineate his sincerity in helping startups, the drama shows us that through thick and thin, he stands by a struggling chip producer he has been helping to establish. He gets personally involved in the chip industry and time and again defends his company's stand to finance the startup.
The business scenes also show how compatible the leads are in terms of interests and values. They are both hard-working. Shi Yan's passion to give back to society by helping startups is matched by Shu Yi's passion to make a contribution to society by creating an online version of her company's magazine that would allow more people access to information about finance. They both agree in doing the right things such as when Shi Yan, with Shu Yi's support, refuses to work with a corrupt battery manufacturer.
As he gets to know Shu Yi better, Shi Yan unlocks other parts of his personality - his thoughtfulness and dependability, his gentle and caring nature, his jealousy and his vulnerability that he only shows in her presence. Reserved by nature, Shi Yan's love is shown through his actions - making sure Shu Yi has eaten or has a ride home, even cooking for her. He is a natural nurturer, the best person who can help a spoilt girl in her journey to maturity.
This drama also shows how lack of communication can exacerbate couple issues. This is another hurdle the leads must face and overcome. Those who are intently watching would actually welcome a rift between the leads to knock some sense into Shu Yi. She has a lot of growing up to do and Shi Yan is prepared to take that journey with her as long as she wants to. All he wants is to love her, if she wants that love. What hurts him, more than the thought that she used him, is the thought that she loves another man. He is heartbroken as he muses, "what you wanted was never me". Though it devastates him, he loves her too much to force her to be with him while she is unsure of her feelings. So he lets her go and gives her space and time to sort her feelings out.
One of the things I admire about this drama is how subtle it showed Shu Yi's growth. She was self-centered before she met Shi Yan. She treated her ex-boyfriend like a driver, choosing to do an interview rather than celebrate his birthday with him. When he broke up with her, it was her pride more than her heart that was hurt. Shi Yan's unselfishness must have rubbed off on her. When she received her bonus, the first thing she thought of was to buy her parents gifts. When Shi Yan blocked her, she did not try to make excuses for what she did as what a spoiled child would have done. She felt guilty and remorseful thus felt resigned to losing him. She remembers Shi Yan's loving care and was ready to talk to him in person. When she saw him with another girl, she most probably took that as punishment for what she did and accepted the heartbreak. When news of Shi Yan's shareholders broke out, she first thought of Shi Yan's feelings instead of the effect the news would have on her online magazine. When she finally broke down, she did not care that her fierce work rival was there to witness her anguish. She did not whine or complain about her heartache but got sick due most probably to intense mental and psychological pain.
But the starkest manifestation of Shu Yi's growth was that, when her relationship with Shi Yan stabilized, she stopped lying.
Finally, to complete this multi-dimensional characterization of Shu Yi and Shi Yan, one needs a good idea of the world they're living in. Their friends, families, work, hobbies and other activities provide that additional dimension to their world.
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This review may contain spoilers
What a ride!
I find that many dramas have male leads that are jerks in the beginning, and Cheoljong is no exception in that he makes some very bad choices. However, the drama contextualizes those choices in a setting of violence and upheaval that would naturally instill a "dog eat dog" mentality in anyone. There are flashback scenes, but while they are sad, I didn't feel that they were there just to make me feel bad for the jerk male lead and to excuse his behavior. It actually wasn't difficult for me to come around to understanding Cheoljong, which is not something I can say about the male leads in many other dramas. I appreciated that the writers didn't make him unattractive in the beginning in the typical chaebol-arrogant way, but rather by making him seem like an idiot. Most importantly, it was also refreshing to see that his change in thinking is not spurred by "the power of love" but by hearing the powerful truths delivered to him by his would-be victim.I love Kim Jung Hyun and Shin Hye Sun so much!
I was amazed by Shin Hye Sun's ability to embody such different personalities within the single body of Kim So Young. She felt so real in every episode, no matter how ridiculous or outlandish her situation was. While all of the actors in this drama were wonderful, I felt that her performance stole the show. The drama makes her character selfish and lovable. I rooted for her to be better, and I loved watching it happen.
Kim Jung Hyun really took me on a journey with Cheoljong. He plays the fool king so perfectly that I really did not expect him to be the romantic male lead. This was unusual and refreshing for me. Perhaps I missed the tell-tale signs, but it really caught me by surprise to see the gradual change in my feelings towards this character as more of the truth is revealed throughout the drama.
The leads have wonderful chemistry with each other, and it is honestly one of the most believable enemies-to-lovers journeys I have witnessed in K dramas.
The story is gripping, but the drama keeps a good balance between humor and drama. I loved watching all of the main characters vacillate between good and bad, right and wrong. They felt human.
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The first few episodes seemed to deliver on the promise. In my rush to judgement on MDL I even posted an early rating of 9.5, in part because I wanted other BL fans to know that this was worth a look.
The series started out by exclusively taking Tine's POV, allowing Sarawat to develop as a character who was at times funny, charming, prickly, seductive, and above all, unpredictable. It was mainly because of Sarawat's interactions with Tine that the first few episodes of '2gether' were so enjoyable.
Then, about halfway through, '2gether' took a wrong turn and never found its way back. Around this time in the series Sarawat and Tine finally became boyfriends, and along with that the two boys took the momentous step of moving in together -- sharing an apartment, a bedroom, and (of course) a bed.
Now, the definition of 'boyfriend' can vary from person to person and even across different cultures, but for most of modern civilization, when two people are romantically involved to the point of living together, certain assumptions apply. One of those is that the relationship has evolved to the point of physical intimacy.
Once Sarawat and Tine had advanced past the flirting stage and become a couple, this became '2gether's' biggest problem. From that point on, one detail after another clashed with the everyday experiences of everyday people. While cohabitating, the boys would share the bed, but they slept fully clothed and never cuddled. They would stand together romantically under a starry night sky and not put their arms around each other or hold hands. They would comfort each other with words but not with a warm embrace. And a kiss, even a quick peck on the lips? Not happening.
The bottom line was that despite being two college-age guys in a m/m relationship, Sarawat and Tine showed no signs of sexual attraction. In fact any physical contact between them came off as awkward and uncomfortable. Somehow, whether at the behest of GMMTV, the director, the actors, or some element unknown, the decision had been made that despite Sarawat and Tine's boyfriend status and shared living arrangement, there would be virtually no displays of affection on-screen.
It was a wacky decision, and it showed in the final product. Time and again, a scene between the two guys would work its way to a point where the mood was clearly set for a moment of physical affection (whether it be an arm around the waist, a held hand, a tender hug, or a kiss), and '2gether' would veer away at the last second, often resorting to a substitute gesture that was more suited to best buds or actual sibling brothers. The substitute most frequently used was a pat on the head from Sarawat to Tine (which with each occurrence looked more and more condescending), but sometimes they didn't bother with any substitute at all. A scene would just end.
This is simply not how real boyfriends interact, and I think it's safe to say that everyone knows it, even adamant supporters of the series who have defended it for its 'purity' (as though the purpose of '2gether' was to depict a divine love unblemished by anything as sordid as hand-holding.) When a work of fiction deviates from commonly perceived reality without first establishing a believable reason for doing so, viewers get confused. When it happens over and over without explanation, viewers get frustrated.
What bothered me personally was that I sensed an agenda at play. I grew disillusioned, and found I was now watching each episode mainly to see how they'd keep screwing with reality. Along the way I noticed that Sarawat wasn't so endearing anymore, and Tine had become a paranoid bundle of nerves who forgot how to smile. The joy I found in their relationship -- and in the series -- was in ashes. When the final episode approached and the script deployed the trusty "ex-girlfriend who's still in love" trope to stir up some drama, the result just lay there like the stupid and insulting tactic that it was. You can't revive a patient who's already dead in the ICU.
By this time I'd finished mourning the loss of what '2gether' had started out to be, moved past my anger and resentment, and settled into amusement. I looked back on how much I'd anticipated the series and laughed at how I'd been fooled. This was a production presumably written and directed by experienced professionals who are familiar with the BL genre. It was mind-boggling how they'd squandered the fantastic beginning and ended up with something so phony and awkward. For me the plot had gone completely off the rails, so whatever story the series was trying to tell didn't matter anymore. What I became most curious about each week was how they'd finally pull this mess into the station, and what kind of shape it would be in when they did it.
And the way they ended it, of course, was with the high-five between Sarawat and Tine that has already gained near-legend status. I must admit that this was where the series, which had already established itself as a mockery of BL, proved it could still surprise me. It was as though the production team had gotten together to brainstorm and find a way for '2gether' to deliver a final, unmistakable "F U" to fans of the BL genre -- a gesture guaranteed to become the ultimate meme.
In this I think they succeeded, but it makes me fearful over what GMMTV will do with their future BL productions.
ACTING
In general I think the actors did a fine job with the script and the direction they were given.
Win's work as Tine deserves a lot of praise since he had no prior acting experience, whereas almost all of the rest of the cast did. His first foray into a series was a tremendous success for him personally and promises great things for his future career.
Regarding Bright, it's hard to tell if Sarawat's detachment and wooden affect was a result of Bright's inability to act or the fault of the director. Given the way the entire second half of the series was botched by the director, it wouldn't be a stretch to blame him for Bright's performance, at least in part.
That said, I get the sense that Bright did not enjoy being in a BL series. He was smart to agree to it because it provided the perfect target audience to rocket him to fame. (His previous acting gigs didn't result in anything close to this fanbase.) From here I'll be surprised if we ever see him play any other role other than a heterosexual male. And honestly, that's fine with me.
MUSIC
Scrubb! Awesome band, great songs. You don't even have to understand Thai to feel what the lyrics are saying.
I suspect that Scrubb might have also written the song that plays over the end credits of each episode, sung by Bright. It has their vibe and Bright does a nice job with it.
I'm not a fan of the song sung by Bright that was released as the series ended, but this opinion is probably tarnished by my disappointment over everything else.
REWATCH VALUE
I will never rewatch this series. While the beginning episodes are wonderful, there'd be no way to enjoy them knowing what comes later. In fact I'd probably start to pick apart the good episodes too, looking for hints of the lameness to come.
THE 'PORN' DEFENSE
A lot of diehard fans of the series have defended it by saying that anyone who criticizes the lack of physical affection between the leads is looking for a series that depicts explicit sex.
All I can say is: if this is your best argument then you have already lost. Nobody in their right mind wants explicit sex or porn in a BL series. When you have to misrepresent an opponent's argument in order to counter it, you're only saying that you don't have an intelligent response to what they are actually saying. You are admitting defeat. You are admitting that '2gether' is a failure.
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Arghh... and don't get me started on the FL!
What a waste of drama. What a waste of the actor talents like Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young.I was so excited for this drama because of the both male leads. I have loved most of their previous works, especially LJY. But here I am, frustrated and disappointed in this show. The unnecessary love triangle is the first drawback of this drama. Even by just putting it in the back of my mind hoping to focus on the revenge and all the scheming the main lead would be doing, all we get is some discussion here and there and no action. Very boring... Whereas, we are shoved in with the infuriating love triangle which honestly doesn't make sense, like as if the FL is the only woman in this world for these two male leads. I don't even get what these two sees in her. It's more like, they just want to win her over the other than actually want her for herself.
And don't get me started on the FL. How did this lady even get a main role? HOW? Did no one make her audition or ask her if she can act? Ya, I know it sounds harsh, but gosh she is so bad in acting that I just skip her scenes rather than watch her trying to emote nothingness. And before any of you come at me saying, hey it's her first role and cut her some slack... I would understand if it was a supporting role, I would agree she is learning but to land a main lead and to do a horrendous job out of it. Yikes. Give it to some other talented person rather than ruin it for everyone else. I am sorry but she really is so bad I would not recommend this drama to anyone. And also will be staying away from any of her projects in the future. Argh!
Rating: 1/10
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Love Can Melt Even the Coldest of Hearts
If there is a must-watch Xianxia drama every year, Love Between Fairy and Devil (苍兰诀) undoubtedly earns this honor for 2022. The novel with the same name is written by author Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (九鹭非香), who is a proclaimed writer in China for many of her famous novels, a few of which have been adapted into successful dramas, including The Legends and The Blue Whisper, and a few more on the way. The Chinese title of LBFAD directly translates to “The Legend of Cang and Orchid”, which is exactly what the story is about, a romance between the lofty Moon Tribe leader Dong Fang Qing Cang and a girl with the true form of an orchid flower.However, don’t fret! Love Between Fairy and Devil is not your usual tropey Chinese fantasy romance. Instead, the introduction of a unique plot and characters is wonderful for veteran Xianxia lovers who have begun to become tired of Xianxias with cold and powerful god male leads and naive and pretty much powerless female leads. The love story between Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua is pretty much a beautiful forbidden love, as there are over thirty thousand years of hatred between the Moon Tribe and Immortal Tribe, where these two lovers are from, respectively. While other Xianxia male leads are busy “protecting the world” and “ensuring eternal peace”, Dong Fang Qing Cang has set his world on destroying Shui Yun Tian, the home of his enemy tribe, the immortals. An emotionless man, he only knows of hurting and killing.
That is, until he meets Xiao Lanhua, a pure soul who believes that every little life is precious. Unfortunately for the timid little orchid at the beginning, fate ties her to the terrifying Moon Lord. One glare from Dong Fang Qing Cang is enough to make her shiver for hours, but even DFQC wasn’t an exception to her immense love for the world. A few viewers have even mentioned that their romance gave off a Beauty and the Beast vibe at the beginning, and I can totally see it, however, Xiao Lanhua quickly became the only person that could make Dong Fang Qing Cang, smile, laugh, and scream his heart out for her.
Even if she was a mere orchid. And this is the beauty of this forbidden romance, how this emotionless man who killed without hesitating warmed up in front of Xiao Lanhua, showing that human relationships can indeed help heal and recover from painful pasts. True love does not have boundaries, nor does it care about status or nobility.
Before gushing about the talented cast, it is crucial to talk about the production of this drama. As with most dramas, the production of a series can either destroy or bring the story to light. The latter was the case for LBFAD. From the ethereal beads that glistened against Xiao Lanhua’s hair to Dong Fang Qing Cang’s golden branch-like crown, it is clear that everything, from hairstyles to costumes to the sets has been meticulously planned to enhance the entire drama experience. The director of LBFAD, Yi Zheng, once mentioned that preparation before filming took more than 4 years, the reason for the gorgeous production quality. Costumes embodied every character’s personality, from the hyper Jie Li with a dark past to Xiao Lanhua’s pastel translucent dresses. The interior of Dong Fang Qing Cang’s Moon Palace is also very appealing to the eyes, including a bit of western influence, as apparent in his grand canopy bed and busy inner courtyard. Although a Chinese drama, the Moon tribe sets surprisingly gave off a rather early European vibe.
Character and location names were added to the side, and were immensely helpful to both new and veteran Xianxia watchers, as we all know, a large majority of Chinese costume dramas tend to have countless characters, and it takes quite a few episodes to remember who is who. That being said, the different locations in the drama each have different feelings for their unique appearances. Shui Yun Tian is home to these supposedly “good” immortals, the vastness of the palaces and hall bereft of friends and family, while the small villages filled with Moon Tribe women are filled with love and care as they grieve for their dead husbands, brothers, and sons.
When I first learned of the cast of Love Between Fairy and Devil, I admit, with full guilt now, that I scoffed at the lead pairing. But please, please do not give up the thought of watching this drama because of Yu Shuxin (Esther) and Wang Hedi. In fact, I believe that Director Yi made one of the best decisions by casting these two talented actors. If you, like me, have watched a few of YSX and WHD’s previous dramas, you will be blown away by how much their acting has improved. Not only have they perfectly embraced Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua, but they have also truly brought them to life. When they smile and laugh, we follow along. When they cry, bawling their tears out, the audience can’t help but do the same.
Here’s an important heads up: If you’ve watched Yu Shuxin’s Moonlight, you have already gotten a sense of her voice, which she dubs herself. I myself do not find her voice annoying, however, many have expressed their opinions when it comes to her rather high-pitched voice, which is not very appealing to some. Xiao Lanhua’s high voice does not indicate a naive little girl, or what we would call a ‘Sha bai tian’ (傻白甜) in China, but rather shows her character growth in the series, which will become more apparent in further episodes. Yu Shuxin started as a very talented singer, and she was blessed with the talent of being able to change notes and pitches flawlessly. Xiao Lanhua’s higher voice at the beginning is an indication of her carefreeness as an unimportant orchid as she travels on this journey.
The personality contrast between the leads is interesting, but what’s more special about this pairing is how different they are from what one could call your ‘usual’ Xianxia pairing. It’s about time we got a badass evil sexy male lead who was trying to destroy the Three Realms. No more wonderful Three Realms saver! The female lead doesn’t need saving every time, either. Although she is much weaker than Dong Fang Qing Cang, Xiao Lanhua’s broad understanding of love has taken her a long way. As she’s said before, “I love all beings, but I also love one person.”
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of LBFAD, however, is how much the leads’ have improved with their acting. Wang Hedi and Yu Shuxin were absolutely BOMB in a way that no one saw coming. When DFCQ and XLH swapped bodies, it was still clear as ever who was who. Wang Hedi immediately embodied Xiao Lanhua’s bubbly but panicked appearance, while Yu Shuxin became a stone-faced character in a pastel-costumed girl. Furthermore, as the story advanced and the leads experience more together, their acting drops mouths as our leads smile and laugh, and eventually, cry and scream. It is simply astonishing how much Dylan Wang and Esther Yu have improved that it’s pretty much hard to describe in words. And their chemistry? Hands down a flammable perfect. I’m sure all of us who have watched the entire drama would agree that it wouldn’t be fair for them to not win a prestigious acting award for their roles in LBFAD. This drama is truly their drama breakthrough, winning them millions of followers on social media platforms, not just in China, but all around the world.
It was also nice to see the spotlight on supporting characters in a balanced way. They weren’t given too much screen time nor were they not given enough. All the stories of the more relevant supporting characters were addressed in very well-rounded ways. No matter good or evil, each character showed significant growth, prompting the audience to cheer them on. This is another beauty of the series, how each figure was given a bit of screen time with an understandable and apparent growth in their experiences and personalities. Even the so-called ‘villains’ had their own backstories and reasons. (cough cough, besides Yun Zhong Jun, aka Lord in the Clouds) I myself have a selection of favorite supporting characters, from the ‘stupid’ black dragon Shang Que to even the villainous Rong Hao. Li Yitong even acted as Xiao Lanhua’s master, Si Ming. Although she was invited as a guest role, she has had an immense impact on this drama.
Finally, this review would not at all be complete without a description of this amazing OST. It’s been a long time since a Chinese drama has had such a well-rounded soundtrack. By well-rounded, I imply songs with smaller stories woven in, with a multitude of well-known talented singers. Zhou Shen, Liu Yuning, Faye Chan, twins Jing Long and Jing Di, Shuang Sheng, basically any famous Cdrama singer you can think of. Do you want a song of longing? You got it. A song of the happy romance between the leads? Here you are, sung by our wonderful leads. Each melody was beautifully written and sung, and you probably won’t find a better 2022 Cdrama OST than this one:
1. Finding You (寻一个你) - Liu Yu Ning
2. Remaining Feelings (余情) - Zhou Shen
3. Cutting Off Love (诀爱) - Faye Chan
4. Shore (彼岸) - Jing Long & Jing Di
5. Longing (念) - Shuang Sheng
6. Amnesia (失忆) - Yu Shu Xin
7. Cang-Lan’s Oath (苍兰契) - Li Chang Chao
8. I Still Remember That Day - Shen Yi Cheng
(我还记得那天)
9. I Want To Be With You - Yu Shuxin, Wang Hedi
(想和你)
All in all, if you’re tired of the cliche Xianxias that have been aired over the past few years, you’re in the perfect place. The drama is also ‘only’ 36 episodes, which is quite short for a well-produced Xianxia romance (which tend to be 50-70 episodes long), but is so well-rounded in all aspects that you will be longing for more when you finish the last episode. The romance between Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua is so pure, yet so beautiful. With a nice little ending, you will certainly fall in love with LBFAD.
“My Xiao Lanhua, there is no reasoning to love. No matter good or evil, immortal or mortal, if you love him, you love him.”
-Si Ming
Update: Btw, check out my article with Cho na about LBFAD!
https://kisskh.at/article/how-to-make-a-romantic-xianxia-love-between-fairy-and-devil
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Imagine watching a rainbow after a long day :)
As usual, Japan is a CHAMPION in the slice of life genre. This is no different, from the heartwarming characters to the heartwarming conversations. In one word, this was UPLIFTING.This is a drama that touches upon the lives of those living in a small village known as Niji no Mura. The FL relocates to that village because they are the only ones that hire her after she loses her job in a reputable hospital due to the discovery of her illness. She is distraught intially, but after moving to the village, she grows thankful for her illness that allowed her to meet these people in the village. While her job primarily is to cure them & help them out as a doctor, the relationship grows beyond that on the very first day that she relocates. The villagers are welcoming and warm. So are the surgeon and nurse, who she houses with in the clinic. As the drama progresses, we see how these people in the village are not just one community living together. They are essentially one big family that love and care for each other. They support each other on the darkest & happiest days. No one tries to exclude anyone. Everyone tries their best to understand & help each other.
The entire cast was perfectly casted & while there wasn't much of a plot, I tuned in each day to watch these people interact and support one another. The acting was BRILLIANT. This drama is all about human interaction & reaction. From the random to the heartfelt & meaningful conversations, to the tears & joy that just overflowed. It wasn't overtly sentimental or melodramatic but I found myself crying (both out of happiness & sadness) in each episode because of just how much I connected, and felt the characters & their conversations. For those of us (like me) who live in modern cities where we do not even know our neighbors or the people living on the same floor, this drama will have you craving for that sense of community support.
Special mention to the relationship between the FL, the nurse, and the surgeon. I have rarely seen a drama focus on such a beautiful platonic bond between two men and a woman. You even hear her say that she wants to hug them both & kiss them both because she just loves & treasures them so much. They support her on her toughest days & they argue like Tom & Jerry almost everyday. It was just such a WHOLESOME relationship.
The OST was an icing on the cake, especially the flute theme that made me emotional each time it played.
I don't want to give away too much about this drama. It is really an experience. I would recommend everyone to watch this. It will teach you a thing or two about being kind & compassionate to the people around you. Much needed in times of COVID where not only are people feeling isolated & lonely, many are being cast aside on the basis of their race or religion. This will show you what INCLUSION really is, & how inclusion is important for a mentally healthy society.
It is a 10/10 in every aspect.
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A different kind of pandemic
Much like how we’re all wearing our face masks to curb covid-infections these days, the folks in Dark Hole are doing the same but for a different outbreak - the kind that turns human beings into mindless zombies/ monsters/ mutants, though with varying effects for each person. So what makes this drama different from other similar stories and should you really be watching it? Let’s find out...What is it about?
On the surface, it’s another zombie/ monster apocalypse story that draws parallels with the likes of Kingdom, Sweet Home, Rampant, Train to Busan, and even Joseon Exorcist. I haven’t seen #Alive and Peninsula but based on the synopsis and trailers, they appear to share a very similar premise).
But where Dark Hole differs from the rest lie in 3 aspects:
- The original source of the infection is extra-terrestrial
- The method of transmission is via a rather ominous black smoke (as well as bites/ scratches, apparently)
- The intended purpose of all this, which I won’t spoil here (to be honest, I’m not completely sure myself)
It’s an inventive spin on a well-loved and long-established genre. South Koreans sure love their zombies.
The Plot
Far-fetched with seemingly endless sub-plots and countless characters. As far as apocalypse stories are concerned, this one infuses far more elements than I’ve noticed in other dramas. It’s set in modern-day South Korea in the small town of Muji. The scope of the story covers the entire town and in addition to the overarching mystery, we have mini character arcs, of which there are plenty. The notable action takes place at 5 main locations - the forest where the titular chasm lies, the local high school, the hypermarket, the municipal hospital, and one more which I won’t reveal to keep the suspense alive.
Speaking of story arcs, we have plotlines relating to a female police detective with a tragic past who is in pursuit of a serial killer who caused said tragedy; a “disgraced” former police constable with a sad family tragedy of his own which inadvertently resulted in his expulsion from the police force; a scorned female shaman who rediscovers her spiritual powers including the gift of precognition; a high school senior who is a victim of conspiratorial cover up pertaining to her father’s fatal accident, in addition to being bullied by her schoolmates led by a high school dropout who constantly harasses her. It doesn’t end there. Many more secondary characters with their respective mini arcs are featured throughout. The one thing most of them have in common, is their respective tragic backstories.
This drama is certainly not uneventful - the many characters and side stories make sure of that. The screenwriter is trying to interweave all these stories into the main plot but I think somewhere along the way, the overarching story very nearly got completely overshadowed. After a rather promising start with much potential, I found myself getting a little restless around the halfway mark. Having introduced the new characters into the story, their side stories eventually fizzle out without the slightest connotation of how they are connected to the situation at present.
For the most part, the script and characters are adequately written, with the main issue being that too many elements are included. Even for a 12-episode drama, it does feel a little dragged out with too many unnecessary sub-plots and characters. 8 to 10 episodes would have sufficed and probably 3 or 4 characters and their story arcs should have been left out. In the end they amounted to nothing anyway and I found myself hard-pressed to develop much, if any, emotional attachments to.
The Production
Dark Hole is an OCN production and billed as the fifth entry to its Dramatic Cinema Project, which is an initiative by the broadcast network to showcase the essence of well-made genres via productions that combine the format of movies and dramas. I think what this basically means is dramas that are the crème de la crème of OCN productions. I’m not exactly sure if this drama is deserving of that billing but for context, the first four entries to this project are Trap, Hell is Other People, Team Bulldog and Search.
The first ever drama directed by Kim Bong Joo, the screenplay is written by Jung Yi Do. Those familiar with his works would be aware that highly rated dramas Save Me and Strangers from Hell were written by him.
In general this is a decent production with regards to the technical aspects. The down-to-earth action sequences appear realistic while the use of visual effects in particular for “that thing” is appropriately utilized. The production design and use of multiple filming locations are seemingly well rendered. However, there isn’t much of a soundtrack or musical score of note to write home about. The stock music and sound effects used are serviceable for their intended purposes.
The Acting
One of the main reasons I watched Dark Hole, aside from the fact that I love this genre and to ease my bitter disappointment from seeing Joseon Exorcist being cancelled, is Kim Ok Bin. It’s my first time seeing her drama in its entirety. Having caught glimpses of her in The Villainess and other productions, I’m aware of her reputation and credentials as well as recognition of her previous efforts for which she has received a great many acting honours. For this drama, being the FL Detective Lee Hwa Sun of the Seoul Regional Investigation Unit, I have absolutely no complaints with her performance. Understated, nuanced, and charismatic, she is good value for her portrayal and I’m a new fan.
Lee Joon Hyuk is an interesting choice for the role of ML Yoo Tae Han, although at times his character feels more like a supporting role than the lead. I’m more used to seeing him in suits after Stranger 1 and 2, but he was convincing as a decorated soldier in Designated Survivor as well. He gives a satisfactory portrayal of his role here, where he does carry the persona of a likeable character who would be great in a leadership role during times of crisis.
The rest of the cast, including the child actors, give a decent account of themselves. Special mention goes to Oh Yu Jin who plays the schoolgirl Han Dong Rim. My first time seeing this 21 year-old actress, I thought she did a remarkable job in projecting the chilling aura of mystery and eeriness surrounding her troubled and complicated character, which is one of the few in the show that I truly relished.
Overall
In my humble opinion, Dark Hole is not the best in the genre. But if you’re a fan of zombie apocalypse stories or any of the cast or even an OCN follower, this drama might appeal to you despite its flaws. It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger and I doubt there would be a sequel or continuation to the story, therefore providing viewers with a closure where everything is neatly wrapped up.
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