Dream Garden is a must watch!
Dream Garden's pacing is excellent, making great use of every second of the run time for each case. The interactions and development of the interpersonal relationships is organic. I love that Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao get to know each other through working together and communicating step by step with no forced moments. Gong Jun's acting in particular is so natural and expressive, he leads the drama very well and has great chemistry with Qiao Xin. The theme songs and music used in the series sets the tone very nicely. I highly recommend this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Prewritten as the story went along.
--
Story: So, this is a story that has been done before well.. in a way. The school element has been done, which isn't a bad thing when you add new elements. Eun Bi is a twin to Eun Byul and there is a bunch of mysteries surrounding their lives as they start to become one. ( Mini plot summary sorry :0) But yeah, the fact that I haven't seen something like this makes me even more excited to watch. Although I don't particularly like suspense, once I watch I get so captivated into the story that I don't even mind my interests because It is indeed interesting to the VERY end.
OST/Music: Amazing. I even added some of the music to my iphone, I love when I can find good songs out of dramas that fit the mood perfectly. Trust me, the music doesn't mess up the vibe of the story or scenes.
Characters: Kim so hyun.. wow. She has made me a serious fan, I seriously enjoy her acting! While watching this I didn't realize how young she was, but that doesn't even matter because she has the maturity and the skills to act the part she needs to, I look forward to more of her work. I also love both her characters Eun Bi and Eun Byul, there is more to their story that meets the eye and I enjoyed trying to figure it out myself and finding the answers to my questions. I also loved the male leads. I didn't have second male syndrome or any of that, I couldn't choose any shipping to be honest.( Edit, after episode 14 had second male syndrome)( Edit 2: Then.. when i got to episode 15 i Couldnt choose anymore xD) That's how perfect both the characters were to me. I was also happy when there wasn't even any romance in certain scenes because the chemistry in this drama is on point, ( this comment says something because I normally can't watch a drama that doesn't have alot of romance). I do wish that there were parrings.. you will understand when you watch.
Overall: Should you watch? yes. Yes. omg I can't get enough of how much I loved this drama, you even have people reviewing the drama before It was even over that shows that this drama was really good and anyone should be able to enjoy It doesn't have alot of drama but it does have important life messages with a bit of romance and more drama to top it off to make it interesting. You wont regret watching the drama, it may make you pull your hair out and the ending may not be what everyone was expecting, but overall i can say its a worth watching drama.
~Ari
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Life Imitating Art In Amazingly Realistic Detail
Tissues, tissues, and more tissues. This show absolutely blew my mind. I knew the premise but still the acting and accuracy were unforgettable. I wasn't familiar with the leads, just a few of the support but they took this show to a whole other level. For me it was life imitating art in amazingly realistic detail.Pros: I know ALS well as one of my great aunt's had it and ironically I diagnosed her a day before her doctor did at the nursing home. But she was in her early 80s and it was her leg for 4 out of the 5 years. We lived in different countries so by the time she was diagnosed, she only lived several more months. But here was different; you had a young guy and taking on something so devastating just absolutely broke my heart. I love how they handled it with professionalism and grace. Both lead actors did a superb job as did most of their loved ones and coworkers. Plus bringing in an actual ALS specialist as opposed to just an actor to play the part was very smart.
Where I said life imitated art was because I've got a chronic illness though without an expiration date; when LT's disease was getting bad I felt like he was living my life. I was bedridden for 2 years, it nearly killed me, I know wheelchairs, ambulance trips to the ER 6 times a month, crawling on your hands and knees to the bathroom, falling, tremors, all of that. Even now when I've had a setback and when he had given up all hope and rolled into the river and AZQ stopped him, it was like my mom and me. Her yelling at me not to give up and me saying I want to meet my grandfather in heaven because like LT, I lost my grandfather over 3 years ago but to a tragic accident that every first responder in my city still remembers; it was the catalyst for this setback. Like LT, my grandfather raised me so he was a father and grandfather though I have a great mom unlike LT who's mom needed tweaking. So many similarities, you can imagine how hard watching this was but at the same time, it was too beautiful not to. When the setback occurred I had just finished all of my classes in my PhD program, was/am an honor student and was set to start my dissertation; now I've spent 4 years nearly trying to get back to school to finish my degree without success...yet. Just like LT having to see his dreams go down the drain; it's too much. In case people are interested, the illness I have is called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME for short; I've got a slew of others but this one is the life/death sentence without treatment or a cure and affects 20 million people worldwide (for further information please visit www.MEadvocacy.org). Enough about me.
It was refreshing to see how LT's company and boss stood behind him and with him every step of the way. The OSTs were wonderful and LY's perfect portrayal of LT especially towards the end as I saw a lot of Stephen Hawking's mannerisms in his performance. I would absolutely give him some best actor award. LLY (AZQ) was super woman; her quiet grace was so poignant even when she was constantly quietly crying; she would be the voice of reason even towards adults. Wise beyond her years. I'm so glad how parents evolved and understood their negligence or their children's strength. Also CGP, I mean my lord, this man had to shoulder his best friend's secret for so long, I was afraid he was going to have a mental breakdown. He shouldn't have ever been given this burden, which I'll talk about in the cons.
Cons: This story would have gotten a rare 10 from me though I wouldn't be able to rewatch it, but a few things I feel just could have been changed. For starters, I understand not wanting to be a burden to your loved ones probably better than many but when you're living on borrowed time and you can see things getting worse, those loved ones like your girlfriend deserve the choice of staying with you or not. That breakup was so unnecessary and than the best friend has to shoulder it all, isn't fair to people. LT wasn't given a choice with ALS but then he turns around and shuts out the one he loves the most? Is there a difference? Everyone in his life was devastated when they found out and angry and they deserved to be. He should have said something. Because they could have mitigated things 6 months earlier. He wouldn't have worsened so fast as the doctor said, mental stability is everything in these kinds of situations. I don't agree with his choices then. If it was an illness like mine, ok sure, time is all we have even when our bodies spiral out of control but ALS is a ticking clock, no luxury of time.
Secondly, I'm sorry but I couldn't take XHD. She never spoke normally, not once. She was either whining, yelling, or acting like a self righteous know it all; that time she blamed LT for cheating and CGP threw her out of the restaurant and told her to get lost was the best thing he did. She was out of line and just a mess. Than throwing them together romantically was unnecessary and zilch chemistry between the two to boot. They made her character way too over the top and it was jarring. Couldn't our FL have a sane friend?
Lastly, this was small but it would have been less confusing if they posted the time jumps on the screen. No need to make a big deal out of it but just subtly noted because it was confusing where we were especially once LT was diagnosed.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely; just with a whole stock of tissues. It's like one of those artistic films that just takes a place in your heart forever. I know it did in mine.
Was this review helpful to you?
On the downside, I do wish the antagonists in the show were as multi-dimensional as the protagonists. The shadowy gang of leering oligarchs plotting EEEEVIL in back rooms felt preordered from central casting, with master plans that were too over-the-top to be really believable. I kept expecting them to start stroking Persian cats or feeding their piranhas. If you’re watching for the action thriller/romance elements, you probably won’t mind, but their cartoonish-ness undermines the credibility of the crusading journalists out to take down corruption strand of the story. It doesn’t diminish the fun, but it does make the show less socially relevant than it would like to be. There is also an odd casualness in the way that all of the characters, both good and bad, roam in and out of each others' lives and lairs with impunity. I guess courage is virtue, but I’m not sure I’d curl up and take a nap in the heart of enemy territory.
This is a show though where the emotional through-lines not the plot mechanics are the real draw, and those deliver with a vengeance. You’ll laugh and cry and smile and fall in love. In an entertainment world full of lots of explosions but few real sparks, that's reason to rejoice.
Was this review helpful to you?
An After-School Passion For Crime...
The message of the Extracurricular becomes clearly evident for viewers over the course of the show ; South-Korean society can become a “ dog-eat-dog” world if individuals are impoverished, or if they do not match-up to the expectations of being “ successful ”( succeeding in school, being rich , going to university and getting a good job), and none so are these pressures more apparent than for our main protagonist, Ji Soo.Kim Dong Hee ( Itaewon Class , SKY Castle) ventures once again into another South-Korean social critique as the high schooler Ji Soo; a model-student who soon falls from grace when he becomes involved in illicit after - school activities in order to attend and pay for his fees to go to University .
Directed by Kim Min Jin ( Time Between Dog and Wolf, Lawless Lawyer) and written by screenwriter Jin Han Sae ( Irish Uppercut) , Extracurricular undeniably addresses many realistic issues typically glossed over by mainstream South-Korean high school dramas; delinquency, prostitution, violence, the poverty gap, crime and academic stereotypes, are refreshingly neither “played down” nor ignored over the course of the series.
Nevertheless, despite its realistic topicalities and issues, Extracurricular was severely flawed by its characters, plot inconsistencies and overarching storyline as well.
Whilst it is hard to really fault any of our main cast within their performances, the character progression around many of our main protagonists was fairly lacklustre to say the least. By default, Ji Soo should have been an intriguing protagonist; hardworking, impoverished, a tragic past and who becomes a victim of the forced social pressures in order to “ succeed” by partaking in numerous shady crimes. However, in reality, there were few prominent or truly captivating traits or elements present within Ji Soo as a character. Although he arguably had some form of strength within wanting to survive in a cruel world, his impassivity at key moments often made him hard to feel any strong sentiments towards as an individual.
Arguably our female main lead Gyu Ri ( Park Joo Hyun) had some elements such as coming from a well-to-do family , holding a nasty grudge against them and her mysterious reasons for getting close to Ji Soo which made her a more intriguing character than our male lead. On the other hand similar to Ji Soo, Gyu Ri lacked a lot of character depth during key moments, making it hard to hard understand both her initial enmity towards her parents as well as exactly how she became so interested in Ji Soo in the first place. Similarly, the second leads of the series, school bullies Min Hee ( Jung Da Bin) and Ki Tae ( Nam Yoon Su) were undeniably intriguing characters, however, their lack of emotional depth and backstory often made them feel more like “ stock” leads simply used as plot devices, rather than actually intriguing individuals.
To summarise, it’s fair to say that the series Extracurricular, isn’t your run-of-the-mill high school drama; it isn’t afraid from offering a deeper insight into tricky issues, themes and topics, as well as having an intriguing plot, however, a fairly inconsistent ending , several badly-written characters with poor depth and backstories and lacking realism at times, often made this series feel a little lacklustre in comparison to other psychological high school dramas out there. Worth a watch if you’re looking for something to pass the time, but certainly not worth actually investing time towards.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting was incredible. I have never seen anything of Lee Jin Wook's, so I was kind of weary on how well he'd deliver, but I gotta say I was both surprised and pleased with his performance. Same goes for Jo Yoon Hee.. I didn't think she'd be as good as she was, since the only drama I've seen her in was "Lie To Me" and she wasn't one that stuck out, in my opinion. Even the 1992 counterparts played their roles well, so as far as acting goes this was a really well chosen cast that I must commend whoever's in charge of casting, because it's good to see that some people don't rely on just the most well-known actors to get good ratings, and actually focus on the particular actor's skills performance. As for the music... Nothing that really stuck out to me. A few good OST's here and there, but nothing too special.
Overall, I had to give this drama a 10. Just looking at the story plot and acting was enough on it's own, nothing else mattered. Although I probably wouldn't rewatch this as soon as I could, since every episode was like added stress that I had to agonize over for a week, but definitely a drama I highly recommend you check out! Especially if you too like those deeper meaning endings... I mean I don't know what it is, but they make me so happy I can't explain it. This drama sucks you in from the get-go, so I hope you all give this one a chance!
Was this review helpful to you?
We’re all familiar with the Japanese sense of creativity that knows no limits and this film falls under that category. Takeshi Miike is surely a genius director but he comes up with pretty crazy films sometimes, that’s why I understand people who think of this as unwatchable and I also relate to those who consider it another creative work. What’s for sure is that this film isn’t directed for everyone.
This is basically a school film; one of those J-films where there are lots of delinquents and a badass male lead and of course, there’s a little romantic interest as a spice. But then things get ultimately awkward and irritating when they add singing and dancing to those elements. I don’t know what this film’s makers were thinking about when they did that. I thought that they were trying to imitate a Disney musical or something but if that was the case, then this was a drastic failure. I believe that the film would’ve been more enjoyable if they excluded the meaningless singing and dancing, I had to skip those parts to be able to follow the story and that was somehow successful. But then again, you can’t consider this as a pure delinquent film since it was interrupted with pointless romance without any chemistry that grabs your intention.
The acting was pretty alright. I mean there’s Satoshi as the male lead and let’s not forget other good actors such as Sakura and Ihara who were quite good as actors but I can’t say the same about any character in this film, most of them were all over the place especially the female lead who was utterly annoying and badly written. So you can guess that this is a film where you have to set a thin barrier between acting and characters; even though the former was quite good, the latter was a hot mess.
The music department was extremely bad, I do believe that it ruined the whole film no matter how much you try to ignore it; it will pop out in front of you out of nowhere to destroy any sort of entertainment you expect from this film. I think this is the worst musical film (if that what the makers were trying to accomplish) ever made.
Taken as a whole, I wouldn’t dare to recommend this to anyone because I am sure that most people would hate the frustrating singing and dancing but if you can disregard those elements and watch this as another weird school/delinquent J-film mixed up with some romance then this could be to your liking. However, remember not to have any expectations for this one or else, you will end up awfully disappointed.
Was this review helpful to you?
I began watching this movie because of Okada Masaki, an actor whom caught my attention by being brilliant in most of his roles (He has a minor role in this movie but still managed to get an acting nominee for best supporting role). What made me keep watching was the thrilling story, something I did not expect (I didn't even read the synopsis before I began watching), the dark feeling and the overall fantastic actors. One would not think that 37 middle school students can create such an atmosphere. The woman who played the main character, Takako Matsu, was amazing in her role. But, let me quote "let's not forget the amazing ensemble cast of young Japanese actors who ultimately steal the show from Matsu's cold as ice teacher with their riveting performances as existential youth gone wrong".
This masterpiece was completed by their use of Radiohead's Last Flowers.
All I can say is: "Watch and be amazed" because this will mess with you.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great acting, disturbing scenes, for a hard story
The story is interesting and the acting is great by everyone involved, but there are some plot holes and the story starts getting messy. There's not warning for torture scenes, specially torture of kids, and it was very disturbing. At the end, everything was connected to this crazy man and that feels a little lazy. Is worth watching, but not memorable.I particularly appreciated the work of the main leads, they deffo deliver all the emotions involved in their roles. That being said, their love story is kind of rush, they could have added more development for that enemies to lovers.
There are more hatable characters than the usual so that's a downside, and also the "invencible man" character of the ML. Seriously he can kill 20+ soldiers alone? Please.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I Liked this drama. A journey to a happy ending (explained)
A revenge plot with a single inside man.The drama narrates the story of Prince Jing He (MRJH) whose army was killed alongside 100.000 civilians in the Qinzhou Great arson. In order to take revenge, MRJH decides to train the female assassin, Mei Lin (ML). She will be tasked of the killing of MRJH.
For the readers, who wanted to watch the re-enactement of the novel : bad news. The drama diverges completely from the novel. MRJH does not rape Mei Lin and all the questionnable actions he did in the book wasn't included in the drama. In my opinion, this is a good thing because, this way MRJH is redeemable and can be loved by the viewers and acces a happy ending.
The pros :
- The violent encounter of 2 strong leads:
I liked that the story started with Prince Jing as an anti-hero paired with a strong female assassin. The first 3 episodes were breath taking. And that sadomasochistic scene in the pool was the climax of this encounter.
Because behind all the stabbing and the stranggeling, I could see Prince Jing's attraction for Mei Lin and her relentlessness.
The acting is that good, that LXY and WJY was able to convey two emotions at the same time; wrath and attraction.
- The character development psychologically believable :
I was even more seduced by the drama when I witnessed Prince Jing's development.
From a cold and frightening "master of shadow works " who had to supress his emotions to survive killing attempts.
He is now, slowly openning up his heart to love thanks to Mei Lin.
Love blooms without him knowing it. And that's marvellous and poetic.
From the moment the hidden message of his mother freed him from resentment. He started to open up his heart to love. And this is beautiful.
- The forshadowing of the happy ending during the all show :
I believe in an happy ending. The undying flower is a very important element of the plot. It is showcased in the opening credit several times. More than a symbol of resilience and strength. The leads talk about their next life all the time. More than that, MRJH and ML almost died several times during the show. This was done to prepare the viewers to see their next life via reincarnation. Now that we know that. It is not difficult to see that the last scenes of the drama, tell the viewers that they were reborn and meet again in a different time and space.
- The beautiful visuals :
The aesthetics of the show, it is just gorgeous. The colours, costumes, make-up. Everything is beautiful.
- Great acting and directing :
LXY (MRJH) and WJY (ML) are giving us such great performances. That those characters are alive thanks to their talents. The rest of the cast is great too. And the camera moves are very good.
BWJ (Prince YQ) was excellent. He managed to portray this cunning and tormented character amazingly. The audience either hated him or pitied him.
BC (Crown Prince MRXL) was excellent, at times I couldn't stand the sight of him. So brilliant.
- Flavor of a BL couple Su Muo and Yin Que:
YQ and Su Muo : One of the few times YQ was really patient and loving. I heard some people saying that they had the vibe of a BL couple. I did felt the kindness of each of them toward the other. I felt the genuine love and admiration Su Muo has for YQ. But, Su Muo still lost his life to make sure the love story of his master could leave the dream stage to become a reality. This couple has no status and no real "lovers" feelings. A marriage would be impossible. But the sweetness of their interaction lingers.
- The duality :
There is a duality between : what is seen as the truth on the surface, and what really happens behind closed doors.
MRJH has multiple personalities : "The playboy", "The Master of Shadow Works", and the mischievous MRJH.
All of these personalities are regarded as dark and hard to deal with. Whereas his quest is virteous and he acts for the greater good.
Prince YQ on the contrary is a dignified heir of Xiyan state, best friend of the emperor and benevolent before every one. Whereas, he colludes with CP Murong XuanLie and tries the frame MRJH from the multiple murder of 10 Xiyan beauties.
- Fighting scenes :
Mei Lin is such a badass. All her fighting scenes were amazing. I only regret not seeing more of Luo Mei's martial arts skills during the drama. Generally speaking all the battle was great. They even add CGI sometimes, and that's for the best.
- Yin Que, more of an antagonist than a Second Male Lead :
Yin Que was always cunning and he lied when is vowed to give to Mei Lin the freedom of choice. I spotted his dark personality from the very beginning and I was waiting for him to show his true colours.
He is not an average SML with an unrequited love for the FL.
He is cunning and evil. Moreover, Mei Lin doesn't even have a clue of his obsession for her. He is more of a powerful antagonist to me, who does all is misdeeds without anyone knowing it.
- The symbolism and foreshadowing of a married life :
This is role playing time at Jeinbei: MRJH is a lustful playboy and Mei Lin is a lethal "femme fatal".
In this white troubled water pool, after Mei Lin, (very seductress) told Prince Jing that she just wanted him.
The latter pierced her throat with her own hairpin. The same hairpin she wanted to use to assassinate him. Suddenly a drop of blood fell in the water.
Like the virginal blood falls on the « proof of virginity » on the wedding night.
We had there a hint (through this symbol) of the marriage between the two.
MRJH's hint is delicious :
« Bleeding should be on the wedding night in ZhaoJing »
This foreshadowing of their wedding amazed me :)
- Mei Lin Must not die, a promise to her moribund father :
While exfiltrating her from the fire, her father tells « Live, You must live well! »
This represent a promise done to her dying father and we know how important are moribund's last wish for the ones they left behind.
This is why Mei Lin kept repeating it. She respected her dying father's last wish. "She must live".
The con :
- The unfair death of Crown Prince Murong Xuanlie :
His death was too peaceful. CP was a criminal against humanity with more than 100.000 casualties. This is not fair that he died drinking wedding wine with Luo Mei, his wife-to-be. It is even annoying. Easthetically the scene is beautiful, but how annoying it is.
I was so pissed. But like in real life. People with higher mobility don't face the same justice *sigh*
And unfotunately, this is cast-iron truth.
Thinking about it, I think that, this is the message the writers wanted to convey.
- The disgusting romance between the Old Emperor and the Teenaged Consort Yan :
I know that it is historically accurate but I don't want to see it. They at least avoided the kisses and the two were never together in the same frame with longing glares at each other. I am thankful for that. At least they spared us.
- The destruction of a great Female General Luo Mei:
I was first amazed by the righteousness and the strength of Luo Mei. And I had high hopes for her character to bloom in this drama. Unfortunately, even if I understood that beeing rejected by the love of her life demolished her spirit. I was disappointed when I saw her willingly surrender to the so-called love of the main antagonist, the Crown Prince Murong XuanLie. It was almost inconsistent. How could she, out of the blue, fall so deeply in love with that murderer. Mystery o_O
- Not enough sexual tension :
I would have liked the sexual tension and the push and pull to last more that 3 episodes. Although I loved the chemistry of the Leads. The great sadomasochistic start fell short on that aspect. And that's unfortunate.
- Side stories :
The side stories are almost non existing. Too bad, this would add to the quality of the plot. Big guy could have had a story of his own. I would have liked to see his romance.
The ending :
On Episode 1 we saw that, as soon as Mei Lin appears asleeped and her father saves her, she wears the same outfit she wore in the happy ending sequence. We also see the Weibei army and Qingzhoun in fire.
Wich means that it is really their story that begins again in the ending of the show.
The drama ends with a happy ending. After all the hints about rebirth in the credit song, the allusion to their next life during the conversations of MRJH and ML. We see the Lead Couple together when snow starts to fall. And we know that the "Momai Poison" in them can be cured by the ''Snow dragon whisker seed" that blooms only in the snow. Now the snow is falling and the two of them are alive. We did not see anybody dying. This tells me that, they might have send people to harvest the Dragon Flower and cure themself.
Then jump in time. The color palette is yellow-ish. This indicates another reality. MRJH and ML are younger. There is no war in Qingzhou. They meet in a happy time when they are younger. And those who died in the previous paralell world are alive in this world.
This is the next life MRJH and ML spoke about so many time during the drama. They meet and fall in love on the spot. This is the happy ending.
Then the drama announces "The End"
Then jump to 15 years after that snowfall. MRJH is alone. And we understand that ML has died during this period. We don't know when. MRJH dies looking at the red fruit tree and dropping her hair pin. The color palette is blue-ish.
The maid servant refers to Mei Lin calling her the Empress. It means that Mei Lin survived at least 5 years until MRJH's coronation as Emperor. She was crowned Empress and received the decree while she was alive, because the only title that can be bestowed posthumously is the title of Dowager. So Mei Lin was alive at the Emperor's coronation. She might have died during MRJH's reign between 5 years to 15 years after the first snow. Consequently they lived a married life after their marriage for at least 5 years being Prince and Princess and then they became Emperor and Empress.
I have the impression they gave viewer a happy ending followed by a bittersweet/ kind of happy ending to please everybody. So there is 2 endings.
Overall :
I really liked this drama. I was moved by the endearing relationship of the Leads.
From the violence of a dark encounter to the beauty of love after healing from the past. Moreover, the drama is very satisfaying visually. I recommend this drama if you understand the concept of past life and you want to follow the epic love story of this couple to there next life, this drama is for you.
PS : I know that some viewers felt discouraged by the lack of sadomasochistic and gore scenes in this drama.
But, let's just be honest. Do you really think a S+ drama would feature : BDSM, gore and the sadistic MRJH's actions like the novel did? .... Really
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
promising start that fizzled (watch suggestions)
Overall: I was excited after watching the first episode, but the thin plot swam in circles. 10 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4205/at-2500-in-akasaka-2024-e01Watch Suggestions
- watch episode 1
- watch episode 7 until 21:50 or the whole thing (this explained why a character liked another character)
- watch episode 2 at 17 to the end if you enjoy dating scenes/montages
- can skip episode 3, there is a short cuddle around 15 min
- can watch ep 4 at 6:30 for a sensual gnocchi making scene and 21:30 for a brief kiss
- can watch ep 5 around 10 minutes for a hot bod and 19:20-20:40 for meh kisses
- watch ep 6 beginning to 10 minutes
- skip episode 8
- watch episode 9 at 3:30-5 and 10:20-12
- watch episode 10 (can end at 14 minutes or watch to the end)
What I Liked
- premise was set up well, the end of episode 1 was awesome
- the kneading dough scene was sensual (needed more scenes like that)
- managers cared about their actors
- that they looked realistically sweaty in episode 10 during the NSFW scene
Room For Improvement
- voice over for plot set up and voice overs in general
- slow pacing
- waited until episode 7 to show why one character was extremely attracted to the other character, this was much too late
- in episode 6 nearly doing something when the other person was sleeping
- cliche overheard something, made a stupid assumption, then ghosted/refused to communicate (communicated halfway thru episode 10 which was too late)
- a character said he had no idea how to reach the other character....I don't know maybe try....talking... #sarcasm
- some lackluster kisses
- odd wide shots during intimate scenes made me feel detached, I couldn't feel the characters' emotions
- episode 10 had a natural stopping point and then the ending half felt anti-climactic with the behind the scenes part, them acting in the series, them watching the series, then suddenly a different scene.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fascinating Study of an Antihero Demon and the Heroic Immortal
Wow, this blew me away with how good it is so far even though I'm not a Xianxia die hard. This is no fluffy youth drama and even the romance is not really emphasized in the initial episodes. It's high budget with big name stars that live up to its expectations of an engaging storyline that is a complex character study of the ML. The relationship between the ML and FL is also complicated as she needs to save him to prevent future calamity even though he had harmed her immortal family and sect. The storyline, plotting, and pacing are done fairly well and my hope is the quality will be maintained for future episodes.The initial episodes are dedicated to examining how the Antihero ML was bullied, was considered an outcast and a harbinger of bad omens. He is shunned and tossed off by his father who is the king of the Jing Kingdom and becomes a hostage prince in the Sheng Kingdom. I've seen the ML in Love like Ashes and he knocks his role out of the park with this one. He fits the Bryonic antihero character like a glove. His mannerisms and facial expressions reflecting the darkness, moodiness and the numbness from the betrayals and lack of love in his life. The morally grey leanings and his pale physical appearance of being emaciated paves the path for his eventual rise to become the Demon Lord. I've also been impressed with Bai Lu the FL, she seems to have picked some good projects in the last few years (one or two bad ones) with storylines that have depth and are not conventional (Arsenal Military Academy, Beautiful Bones).
A must watch in 2023 for Xianxia Cdrama fans who like dark storylines.
Was this review helpful to you?
There's nothing to say much about the cast, they played their characters perfectly to the point where it was easy to get irritated, to laugh, cry along with them. Each and every actor brought their characters to life in style and color.
The Music was just a perfect match to each of the situation they were supposed to be matched with.
I would totally recommend this drama if you are looking for a well adjusted drama about life that's clean funny and relaxing. Even if you are not in your 40's this drama is written so beautifully that it's easy for anybody to actually relate to and be like "oh that could so totally be me."
SO in clear if you are looking for a funny well adjusted and well written drama there you have it try this one just take a sit back and be charmed by all those oppas who are going to make you feel like life is just oh so well good ...
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
Are you interested about DESIRE4 BOYBAND?27 minutes ago -
BL Drama Lovers Club32 minutes ago -
Romantic chemistry that leaps off the screen2 hours ago -
-
Last Drama You Completed? #22 hours ago
