Reviews

Hermès! Served exactly as intended: a (rarely pure) rom-com delight.

Most romance stories, in my experience as a lover of the romance genre (and as somebody who aspires to write in the genre), will follow a very specific pattern. It typically seems to go something like:

-two people who are well-suited to one another meet
-who want to be together
-and share moments of growing emotional, and often physical, intimacy
-but who struggle against internal and external obstacles
-that build up until there's a major complication
-which gets resolved happily.

Romance, as a whole, does not tend to deviate much from this structure; it's why a lot of people return to it, time and time over again. And in terms of being exactly this – a very, very sweet, wholesome, lighthearted and funny romance, in my opinion, this drama excelled.

There is no secret serial killer or hardcore thriller plotline, and in this way, it feels like a "pure" rom-com – most misunderstandings are easily resolved, and a lot of the drama consists of different scenarios involving the leads being sweet and falling deeper in love with each other, supporting each other when the relationship is tested.

The drama wastes no time in having the leads fall for and get with each other – it's certainly no slow-burn where the characters' hands brushing against each other will leave you gasping for air, but I personally found a lot of beauty in this drama's simplicity. Rather than missing the aching slowburn, or yearning for the higher stakes, this drama's low stakes kept me focused on the relationship, kept me believing in the strength of its foundations, and got me attached to them. Though these are perhaps not the most complex or layered characters, I found them well drawn out, acted, and lovable. In a lot of ways, it became my weekly injection of sunshine.

I admired how much it kept to its theme and heart in the pro-worker throughline. The ways that (especially service) workers are often mistreated, and especially how that interplays with the power/wealth disparity between the two leads as boss and employee felt like it was given the kind of treatment I'm not used to seeing just yet. I ended up liking how I felt the respect the female lead got in her romantic relationship was not only extended to her in her professional life, but to the professional lives of many in her line of service work.

To some, it might be slow, boring – I've even seen "lazy" tossed around, but to me, I don't think it was lazy at all. There were bits of symbolism, love shown in small, almost unnoticeable acts (like him closing the gate up to her apartment behind her, or them saving their names as stars and angels) that all add to the larger picture – there are themes and undercurrents of pro-worker sentiment and of the role of women, the links between their personal and professional lives (exploitation at work, and exploitation in the home – divorce, too, as a cultural taboo that threatens a woman's professional life) rippling throughout. There was meaning in their names – the male lead's full name, Gu Won, meaning "salvation" – a part of her name, Sa-Rang, meaning "love" (I'm not sure how the context/meaning is changed with her family name Cheon) – with salvation and love being the foundation of their mature, adult relationship. I found a great deal of small personal meaning in this drama.

Overall, in terms of the acting (Lee Jun-Ho's acting especially; I look forward to digging into his acting from before too – but Im Yoon-A I felt like did a very believable job of a woman working in service and of selling the chemistry too – the side cast of characters, and especially the woman who played the villainess Hwa-Ran, Kim Sun Young, who gave dimension to a character I feel like could have fallen quite flat, the direction, the writing, the music (my personal favourite from the OST being 'Confess To You' by Lim Kim) – I feel like they did a very very good job in delivering exactly what they promised: a fluffy rom-com.

While in terms of other, more complex and nuanced dramas that have captured my heart, it might not compare with my other 10/10s, which is why I will not rate it as such, but within its own genre, I think it deserves to be seen as extremely well crafted, and I do not believe it deserves a low rating for being what it is. For the other people this kind of lighthearted story will appeal to, I hope they feel just as well served as I do.

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A Light Hearted Rom-Com — but so much more!

It feels like a 2013 drama that was remodeled for a 2022 audience.

To sum it up in simple terms, The Law Cafe is a very unorthodox law drama with a sheer sense of community and heart at its core. Even though it seems like a rom com do not be fooled as it also has slice of life aspects, political intrigue and mystery.

I adored all the characters and the effort they put into their roles. Kim Yoo Ri and Jeong Ho’s story felt special but I enjoyed the incorporation of the clients stories at the law cafe even more so. In the earlier episodes, specifically the ones that covered child abuse and school bullying, really touched my heart. I appreciate all those young actors / and actresses because the emotions they evoked to truly bring the story to life was powerful. Lee Se Young nailed the part and brought across a true authenticity that you almost felt like you were in her shoes / witnessing real accounts.

I feel like it started off strong in the earlier episode but then fell off midway and towards the end. For me, the true essence of the law cafe lost its meaning after Yoo Ri and Jeong Ho entered a relationship. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy their moments and thought they were cute — it’s just that it felt super rushed. I understand that they had memories from 17 years ago and since college that was understood / implied offscreen but Jeong Ho being in love with her for so long and then feeling like she did not reciprocate his feelings was just a bit too much. Him then basically still going along with his proposal plans even though he knew her reasons for not wanting to get married, just put a little bit of a strain on the relationship dynamic for me. They eventually worked it out but I feel like the drama would’ve been more powerful without them being so close so that Pyun Woong had an angle to strike at. That is to say Yoo Ri was Jeong Ho’s weakness and vice versa. It was very predictable at that point as the villain knew that wounding / hurting one would result in action / serious measures taken from the other.

Jeong Ho’s character felt insufferable at times because he sucks at communicating. Had he told Yoo Ri the truth instead of dedicating his life to research and writing novellas all of this could have been avoided. Him continually trying to push Yoo Ri away and making her cry was also annoying especially when you hear him admit to the camera that he’s been in love with her for 17 years. In essence it seems like he dedicated his entire life to serving her and like she was his main focus. Kinda stalker-ish fr considering he knew her plans to set up a law cafe and bought that exact building… it’s almost like he laid the groundwork for her to come back to him (I guess everyone in that family shares some kind of psychotic tendencies) That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy Lee Seung Gi’s portrayal of Jeong Ho it’s just that his character arc could’ve had more substance. Through and through he was a silly character and it made you empathize or understand his reasoning a bit.

I really enjoyed the supporting cast. Eun Kang nailed the whole mysterious brooding just-released-from-prison / ex convict vibe which I just ate up. Honestly I’d like to see him as the lead in a drama. The ajumma’s were hilarious but kind of annoying sometimes. Honeybee / Bae Joon had that naive impressionable young person thing going on. I liked at the end how he was likened to Yoo Ri and shared a similar sense of spirit that she had when she first started working for Hwang & Gu Law Firm.

I loved the doctor (Woo Jin) I felt like he too liked a Yoo Ri from the get go… even before Jeong Ho expressed his feelings towards her and I felt sad that he had to restrain himself out of respect for Jeong Ho. I’m not a fan of triangles but I wish Woo Jin had gotten a fair chance or at least his own love interest. His story with his patient was so sad and I really felt sorry for him. A+ for Kim Nam Hee’s portrayal. His emotions translated well across the screen.

I want to also applaud Jo Han Chul’s acting as Lee Pyun Woong. I have enjoyed every drama I’ve seen him in but finally seeing him undertake the role as a psychotic villain was something else entirely. He made me hate him so much I just knew he was doing an awesome job. He did the role justice and was super convincing.

The final episode could have been wayyyy better but I think the fact that the ended with Jeong Ho and Yoo Ri’s wedding says enough. The fact that Yoo Ri got married in a bright red wedding dress just shows how “unorthodox” they wanted this show to be. The typhoon no less was a metaphor for their tumultuous relationship. Imo funny but also highly unnecessary. I literally found the supporting casts love stories more interesting — Do Jin Ki and Seo Yeon as well as Eun Kang and Song Hwa (not portrayed but implied) Those two couples left me wanting their dynamics to be explored.

Overall the drama is a solid 7 out of 10 for me. It wasn’t meant to be deep or intense so if you go into it just know you’re just there for a good time. There are important takeaways from each episode for sure (at least in the earlier episodes) and that’s what I appreciated about the drama. I didn’t think such a light hearted show would evoke so many different emotions but it was truly refreshing and left me entertained for the most part.

Watch this drama if you’re looking for something with a perfect mix of everything. Comedy, romance, drama, politics and a little bit of mystery / thriller.

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Overrated

Stop writing fluffy reviews about this drama. It's not that good you'll just have backlash because it WON'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS. I went to watch this after seeing the unusual 9.2 and was highly disappointed with how cliché this is. The fans of this are too ride or die and idek why. Probably because of the cute graphics that resemble Tim Burton style but besides that and the autistic character there's nothing special about this show, it's tropes galore and honestly Kim Soohyun performance in this in kinda dull. Yes he's a good crier but besides that his character is not captivating.

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A refreshingly sassy KDrama, critically reckoning with the South Korean education system (and love)

“The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” promises a love story with its international title - and that's what we get. Jung Ryeo-won and Wi Ha-joon are creating the relatively adult, authentic aura of a tender but complicated love relationship between a former graduate and his former tutor. Yet, the two are more than a couple. Today, as teachers, they inspire each other to teach didactically creative. And in doing so, they also inspire their students.

Thus, the KDrama, which in the original means something like “The Graduate”, basically offers more than a romance. It is rather a quite critical reckoning with the South Korean education system. The criticism: It's less about education than about grades -and a lot of money is involved in getting good grades. The students learn the correct answers to their questions. They therefore receive any effective support outside of school, mainly in the tutoring academies, provided their parents can afford it. However, there is one thing, the students don't learn: how to ask the right questions. They don't learn to question or get to the bottom of something. They know their material they have to memorize and what formulas they should be able to apply. Everything else is not part of the entrance exam or a prerequisite for qualifying for admission to one of the three large SKY universities. It has to be Seoul National University, Korea University or Yonsei University (S, K and Y), if anyone in South Korea is to become something...

"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" aka "The Graduate" takes stock of the prevailing, dubious, even misleading values of a society, still trying to convince the people that they have to obsessively achieve something in order to be valuable of some sort.

When it comes to the academy teaching staff, it is about tailor-made exam preparation, courting parents an acquiring new students. Looking to the right or left, seeing a student as an individual human being with dreams and needs, let alone respond to them? Oh my! Whether it's students or scandals, it's never about the people. It's always about the money. A lot of money. The competition is enormous. The South Korean education market is a lucrative economic engine that is humming along happily.

This KDrama offers a wonderfully staged, emotionally sensitive and vivid approach to these issues, using the fate of various ambitious, highly motivated teachers who would like to try something different, but are not allowed to. They are surrounded by elitist parents who are ready to do anything for the glorious future of their beloved, dearest offspring. They are also surrounded by fiercely competitive academies that are just waiting for someone to make a mistake, because then those protégés can easily be poached and their own coffers start ringing instead...

What a refreshingly sassy KDrama, dealing with all those issues...

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Too good, might as well be the best xianxia this year

This drama is phenomenal. It quickly climbed to my top one rewatch series, and it will surely stay there for a while. I can say that this is the first time I am not utterly disappointed with the FL losing consistency in her mission when she meets the ML. The first time i see a FL so determined to finish her mission and not give it up for love. LYX really is a masterclass actor, he is able to showcase so many different characters and not even one of them looks or behaves the same. Bai Lu also did phenomenally well in bringing me close to her characters. No stupid ML nor FL.

ACTORS/ACTRESSES
LYX plays Tantai Jin, Ming Ye, Cang JuiMin and one more character that i will let you find for yourselves. Every character is totally different from the others, you can differentiate them from one another just by the way they walk, talk and look at the female lead. Let me break them down below.

Tantai Jin is our male lead and to an extent, the antagonist. He is a mortal born as the vessel for the Ancient Devil God, aka devil fetus, and he possesses the evil bone needed/ for the resurrection of the ADG. He is a complex character, and the same goes for Cang JiuMin. He was born without feelings and love thread, born to live miserably and get betrayed; all for the ressurection of the Ancient Devil God. And he does not know that truth, he just thinks the world is cruel and ugly, especially to him. Born in Jing Kingdom, he was sent as a hostage prince to Sheng Empire, where he spent the majority of his life in the Cold Palace. He got married to Ye Xi Wu, and continued to suffer. He is utterly cold and unmoved, sinister and calculating, willing to do anything for his survival, and ready to pay you back ten fold if you betray him. He is evil, but we are shown that side of him a less compared to the novel. When Tantai Jin dies, he becomes the Devil God, and that is another character all together. More ruthless and evil than Tantai Jin, the ultimate Devil God that will destroy the four continents and three worlds, not carrying for anything or anyone. More about the Devil God after Cang JiuMin's section.

Ming Ye was the God of War in the Shangqing realm, who was alive 10 000 years prior to the current timeline. He is a dragon from the East Sea. He was the typical XianXia God, detached from worldly desires, but determined to save the world. When he was on the brick of death, he was saved by Sang Jiu, whom he later married. Due to a misunderstanding, he divorced Sang Jiu, ready to die in the upcoming God x Ancient Devil God war. He was again saved by Sang Jiu, who looked after the injured Ming Ye and healed him. You would think after all the misunderstanding they will have their happily ever after, alas their fate had other plans.

Cang JiuMin is an immortal that was saved from the bank of the Nether river by the Xiaoyao sect's master Zhaoyou. He was taught immortal arts, and missed his wife for 500 years. In order to find her soul and resurrect her, he stayed in XiaoYao sect to look for ways to bring his dead wife back to life. He is different from Tantai Jin, but has his memories and is ultimately a changed Tantai Jin. He no longer sees the world as cruel and ugly, he is not evil or sinister, he is a changed person that misses his wife. He meets Li Susu and discovers she was his wife 500 years ago. Alas again fate has other plans.

Devil God TTJ/CJM - this character can also be broken down to 2 different characters - Devil God 2.0 that we see in episode 1, and Devil God 3.0 that will greet us around the last 5 episodes of the drama. The difference between 2.0 and 3.0 is like the moon and the sun. Devil God 2.0 is more cruel and ruthless than TTJ, he cares about nothing and no one, he wants to destroy the world as the world only showed him cruelty and misery. Devil God 3.0 is a Devil that loves the world and loves Li SuSu. A Devil God that has only one mission - save the world that Li SuSu loves so much.

Bai Lu plays Ye Xi Wu, Sang Jiu and Li SuSu. Here again you can differentiate between the three characters, with the difference that Li SuSu goes back in time and resides in the body of Ye Xi Wu.

Li Susu is our female lead. She is the daughter of the Hengyuan sect's leader Qu Xuanzi. She is the dearest daughter of Qu Xuanzi and she is protected and spoiled by him. She is called The Lady of Spirituality as her body is the purest immortal body that cannot be tainted by evil. Li SuSu is a complex character. She witnessed the wiping of the immortal world and the death of her family first hand. They could only send her back to time to stop the birth of the Devil God. When she goes back to 500 years ago and meets Tantai Jin, she is even more determined to stop him and finish her mission. Bare in mind she does not have to kill him, but destroy the evil bones. And she does everything she can to finish this mission, even if it costs her life as Ye Xi Wu.

Sang Jiu was the clam princess that lived 10 000 years ago during the time Ming Ye lived. She was in love with Ming Ye as she witnessed him defend the Mo River from the demons. She is born a demon, but with divine essence, meaning she can ascend to godhood. The clam clan is neutral towards both gods or demons. After Ming Ye almost dies, Sang Jiu saves him, but pays a price for that decision. She marries Ming Ye, but due to misunderstandings she ends up getting divorced. She saves Ming Ye yet again, but ends up paying a greater price for the decision of saving Ming Ye time and time again.

Ye Xi Wu is the body that Li SuSu ends up in when she goes back to 500 years ago. She is the daughter of the Ye family - a noble family. She is also the wife of TTJ. The original Ye Xi Wu was cruel to everyone and utterly spoiled by her family. She was also bullying TTJ. When Li SuSu ends up in her body, she is determined to finish her mission. She may seem cruel to TTJ, but that all is because she needs to save the world from the destruction TTJ will bring if he dies with the evil bones intact. It is thanks to her we end up seeing Cang JiuMin in the immortal world.

CDL plays Ye BingChan, Tian Huan and Mo Nv, she is an antagonist throughout her 3 roles.

YBC is the sister of YXW and a daughter of aconcubine. She loves no one but herself, and is the reason for so many of the things that happen to TTJ, YXW and Xiao Lin. She is married to Xiao Lin, but she is constantly insecure and paranoid Xiao Lin will leave her.

Tian Huan was a fairy in the Shangqing realm, who was in love with Ming Ye. She is the daughter of the previous God of War and Ming Ye's master. She is utterly despicable and the reason for everything that happens to MY and SJ.

Mo Nv is a drought demon that was saved from the immortals by the Ancient Devil God and made into an umbrella. She was send to the mortal world for 10 lifes so she can rebuild her soul. She has memories of her life as YBC and is in love with GYJW.

DW as Xiao Lin, Sang You and Gong Ye Ji Wu.

Xiao Lin is the crown prince of the Sheng Empire. He is righteous, honorable, and a pure person. He is married to YBC, whom he loves.

Sang You is the clam demon prince and brother of Sang Jiu. He is the closest to Sang Jiu and often ends up protecting her from harms.

Gong Ye Ji Wu is the senior sect brother of Li SuSu. His character goes through a change that makes us as an audience not stand him.

SZN as Pian Ran

Pian Ran is a nine tailed fox demon that once loved a mortal. She lost her love thread when he died. She is alluring and cunning, sweet and cute, and all in all behaves like a fox. She meets Ye Qing Yu and gradially falls in love with him. Pian Ran lost 2 of her tails when she escaped the Barren Abyss, the place where demons reside.

GYT as Ye Qing Yu

Ye Qing Yu is the second brother of YXW, a comandable general on the battlefield. He meets Pian Ran and falls for her. He is also the type of person that will wake you up if you try to delude yourself - the wake up alarm if you will. He is really honorable and upright.

Every point from acting, costumes, OST, CGI, FX is really well made. This drama brings the whole genre one stage up, not level but stage up. It is so well done that you would not get bored as every character is intresting. The main plot has almost no plot holes, but due to it being cut down from 54 episodes to 40, there are many scenes missing in the immortal part of the drama. Nevertheless, i would say the drama follows the novel for about 65 to 70%, with changes here and there, but the overall main plot is consistent with the novel one.

Rewatch value: 10/10

You can try the drama for yourself and see if it's your cup of tea. Happy watching!

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the ending ruined it all

To be honest, I didn't want to write any reviews yet but after seeing this drama either rated way too high or (unreasonably) too low, I'll give it a try. Please note that I will neither comment on the removed BL (as the endless and to nothing leading discussions are honestly exhausting) nor the casted rapist. I also did not include them in my review as I'm trying to be unbiased (in this regard!).

The drama started off strong but finished weakly. I really liked the first two episodes and couldn't wait for the others to air but my excitement didn't last long as I got slightly bored in the middle (tbf, I tend to get bored easily) and was left highly disappointed at the end.

My biggest issue lies in the fact that while representing several mental illnesses the drama failed to successfully capture and confront (!) the struggles of those affected. Instead of dealing with the issues, they just threw them in and have left them that way. So, what's the point of this drama then?

[Spoilers]
I'll start off with Yiheon: This boy is suicidal and severely depressed, has one shxt of a 'father', is being brutally bullied in school and gets verbally abused by his mentally ill mother who is a heavy drug addict. Deuk Pal (a gangster with a good heart) actually SAW his struggles and wanted to HELP him. That's great, right? To kick some bullies in the ass und make them pay for everything. He worked hard to make Yiheon's life better... only to actually HAVE his life at the end. Who are you kidding man? Why destroy the whole purpose of Deuk Pals hard work by getting rid of Yiheon in order to not have to deal with him anymore? They did him so wrong. Depression doesn't go away that easily. Yiheon didn't want Deuk Pal to have his life just because he was the one who changed it, made it better and therefore deserve it. He believes that even if he returned, he cannot be as strong as deuk pal and his life will be shxtty again. Deuk Pal has proven to be wise, so he should have known this. At least he hesitated. But he shouldn't have taken over his life. The end couldn't have been any worse.
Moreover, there's no way his mother could have recover this fast. Addiction is no joke and her internalized anxiety was way too deep for that. If you decide to portray a drug addict (and his healing) then please give it some second thought, especially if you won't be able to elaborate on it.

I believe if the producers didn't limit the number of episodes to 8 they could have focused more on the struggles (adapting to his new life) and healing of Yiheon (regaining energy) in the second half. The actor, Chan Young, did a great job, although he could work on his crying more.

Now Se Kyung: The potential regarding his character is HUGE. In my opinion, the portrayal of verbal abuse and its severity was a success. The feeling of regret and guilt towards Yiheon was also successfully captured. But, again, what was this end? Se Kyung wanted Yiheon to be back and Deuk Pal promised him to bring his friend back. Then why the hell is he so unbothered at the end?? Without ANY remorse. His regret and guilt just disappeared after talking to Yiheon. Man, but that's not how people's minds work. And where was his father at the end? Did he just give up and Se Kyung is now free? As if.
I know the story focused on Yiheon but it would have been great if they also focused more on Se Kyung so we can watch them both heal and begin a new life.
Jae Hyung did a brilliant job portraying him. I really like him as an actor.

I also have to give Yoon Chan props (i believe it's his first drama). His acting was great and I look forward to see him in more dramas.

Conclusion: I enjoyed watching this drama and would have recommended it if there wasn't such a bad ending. The story could have been much better if they focused more on the actual struggles and issues of Yiheon and Sekyung, make them both slowly heal without throwing one into the sea and remove all the deep feelings of the other towards his friend and father. I guess this should have been a happy ending but it wasn't for me.

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I've never wanted amnesia until this bl

I want to address the fact that some reviews are saying "it depends on what genre you like" how does that make any sense? The genre has nothing to do with how most of us feel negatively about this drama right? So, I'm going to be blunt about how much I hate this series. Also, at episode 10 I couldn't take how slow this show was going so I watched it in 1.75 speed.


STORY- TW: Pedophilia/Grooming, Non-consensual Sex

The story is dry, and the script is so shit. The same problems were repeated over and over again where the characters keep lying to one another. They put in some sex scenes so we can ignore the fact that they're in a toxic relationship of lying, abuse of power, pedophilia/grooming, etc. However, the sex scenes still fall flat cause there was no build up and it's just Lian forcing Kuea to have sex with him. This drama is a BL it's not a porno, so a sex scene was so unexpected. Also, the people who were praising this show for "consent" are absolutely wrong because after halfway through the show they throw consent out the window because whenever Kuea kept telling Lian to "stop it" he never stopped and just kept going. This is also true for Hia Yi, and Diao cause their sex scene was so out of the blue and came just after Hia Yi confessed to him and there was no verbal communication, just did it without even saying anything.

About the pedophilia/grooming part, Lian was 7-12 when Kuea was born so there is a big age gap. If I can re-call I think Lian said something about loving him since the day he was born which I find really weird because I assume the type of love he is talking about is romantic and not platonic. The abuse of power comes from how Lian forces Kuea to live with him and doesn't take no for an answer. They're lying to each other because they can't trust the other. Trust is an important factor of a relationship, so this just further shows how they don't have a healthy one.

At the beginning of the show, they made it seem like Diao also had a fiancé but that wasn't even close to what was going on between him and Yi because they weren't even in a relationship. The plot was dragged on and on and didn't develop till the last 2 episodes either.

The arranged marriage part wasn't necessary since there was no reason for the adults to arrange one in the first place. Also, the way Kuea's father just arranges a marriage for them even though Kuea is just an infant is so odd and gross to me.

Diao interfered in Kuea and Lian's relationship after being told he shouldn't which is so childish. Diao and Hia Yi have a major plot hole in their relationship because their past relationship and how they met and what happened to Diao wasn't cleared up.

Lian says to Kuea "I don't think it is love yet" so Lian didn't love him but after Kuea says he's going to call off the engagement he suddenly loves him? They also didn't explain how Lian and Kuea's family became friends. It's also just insane how they make Lian hide the fact that he bought the Keerati family's property from Kuea because something as important as that I think Kuea should definitely know. Honestly, this show is just absurd.

CHARACTERS-

Kuea:
Lian proposed to Kuea, but Kuea rejects him and even after all the "misunderstandings" are cleared he still won't accept his proposal because he wanted to propose to him instead which shows how selfish Kuea is. Kuea is also one who doesn't clear things up and just makes assumptions like, "they didn't tell me because they think I'm a kid". Kuea assumes that Lian doesn't love him despite Lian CLEARLY repeating that he loves him over and over again. He also overreacts and cries way too much. A good example of a character crying a lot is in Theory of Love where they made me actually feel the pain the character is going through and for good reason too. Also, Kuea's real character wasn't elaborated on enough cause the only things we know is that he's a biker, a singer, wears cool clothes, and an engineer student. And once Kuea revealed his true self to Lian he hasn't changed at all and still acts somewhat like a doll.

Lian:
He thinks that Kuea is a "bad boy", who needs to be forced into an environment where he has no choice but confess who he really is. Lian has a small set of facial expressions and is supposed to appear as a cold boss of a big company but clearly doesn't seem to appear that way. Lian at the start of the drama payed little to no attention to Kuea and was cold to him. At the end he has completely fallen for him and acts like a puppy desperate for the other's affection. Lian also is someone who does things behind his lover's back like stalking and getting information on him from people he knows which is really weird.

Diao:
Making it seem like he is a kid who needs to have someone look after him and keep him in check. Diao acts like a kid and still does things like interfering in someone else's relationship. Making NC scenes between him and Yi uncomfortable.

Yi:
A man who pities a guy he loves. Hia Yi got in an accident with Diao at some point and pitied him for what he had done so he gave him a house to stay in. Hia Yi is possessive and controlling to the point where he wants to know where Diao is almost 24/7. Hia Yi and Diao can't properly communicate (which is really bad for a relationship) so Yi buys Diao a dog instead hoping to make up with him.

University friends:
Kuea is a university student and studies engineering. seem familiar? bet it does. Well although his university life doesn't appear a lot in the show there is a side couple of Syn and Nuer. Syn and Nuer had chemistry but barely any screen time at all. The show showed one scene of Kuea's university friend Nuchy where she stood up for how when a woman is mad it doesn't mean they're on their period. This drama has made 1-3 attempts to show how they "care" about lgbtq+ people and women. However, I don't see it as how they care they're just trying to gain likeability.

ACTORS/CAST-
The actors are all good looking and some have great acting experience. I like the cast but their acting in this show wasn't their best. NuNew's acting was.. it was good enough, but he doesn't have any other experience in acting and also the only times he didn't seem cringe to me was when he's at university and when he's on stage.

CHEMISTRY-

Lian and Kuea:
Their chemistry was practically non-existent for me. Only during NC scenes did I feel like they had some tiny bit of chemistry.

Yi and Diao:
Not a lot of chemistry.

Syn and Nuer:
They had good chemistry and a healthy relationship, but I feel like they could pull it off better if they had more screen time. I hope they get to act in a different series together with more screen time.

MUSIC-
2 birds with 1 stone. Thats what it was. NuNew is a singer and an actor he is also good looking. They made him sing the opening song (which I didn't like). He also sang a lot of other songs in the show, but I only liked 1 of them. I feel like they could've just made him the singer and have a different actor for Kuea.

PRODUCTION-
Production quality was definitely great.

TROPES/OVERUSAGE-
The childhood friend trope is definitely an overused one to be honest. Also, Kuea is in university and does engineering which is obviously overused and anyone would know this if you've seen university based bl's. Like they could've made Kuea be in computer engineering and that would honestly make me feel better about this.

OVERALL-
This series is a waste of budget and a waste of your time. This show makes people think being controlled and manipulated is "hot" when it isn't.

P.S.-
Why is an 18+ rated drama on YouTube? that makes no sense whatsoever. If I could give this show a lower rating I would.

If you actually read all my nonsense then thanks. (This is my 3rd review, so I bet it's really shitty)

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One of the better dramas of 2024

There are some dramas that I shelved after watching several episodes only to go back to when I have nothing to watch but this is not one of them. I look forward to every next episode. The later episodes are angsty and I wanted to get over them faster.

This story is of several young people from the Merchant class of varying degrees of wealth during the 9th century Tang dynasty. We don’t often have a storyline solely of the merchant class though there is the inclusion of the 2nd male lead, a Prince Bai who is fashioned after a real Prince/King of that era. Both male and female leads and secondary leads performed excellently. I really liked the character Zheng Ye Cheng played and with his excellent performance here, I’ll look forward to his other dramas. As for Seven Tan, she did not disappoint. As usual, Brocade Odyssey is full of drama, romance, fight scenes, humor and Steven Tan feistiness and charm. It also has a good ending in case that’s important to you as it is to me,

The costumes, hairdos and jewelry were stunning but some hairdos and makeup did not do Seven Tan justice. In some episodes where her makeup was more subdued, she looked gorgeous as her natural looks are already flamboyant. Cinematography was also good so I enjoyed this drama very much.

There is also much to know about the Silk and brocade manufacture during the Tang dynasty which I had not known about. Silk was prized all over the world = remember the silk route? An inch of Shu brocade is said to be equivalent to an inch of gold even during that time. There is a wonderful Brocade Odyssey Campanion piece that a fellow contributor, Frost_Edelweiss, had posted. It is below this review section, under ‘ recommendations’ . . It’s a weath of information about the drama, the silk brocade industry and the Tang dynasty as it relates to this drama. After reading her postings, I realized how much rich culture was presented in the drama. I encourage everyone to take a look. Here is the link
https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece

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I continuously tried to justify Blood's shortcomings to myself - I wanted to like it, I really did. Then came the one part that was just too much for me to excuse: the ending. Within minutes of finishing this drama, I took to the internet to have the finale explained to me. What was I missing? Every minute of the last episode made less sense than the one preceding. Reviews and recaps confirmed that the ending was nonsensical - I hadn't missed a thing. In the comments, fans of Blood ignored logic, trying to rationalize the shreds of a story viewers were left with.

The lead acting was mediocre at best. I compliment Goo Hye Sun on her improvement, but it wasn't enough to warrant another lead role. I desperately wish Ahn Jae Hyeon had stuck to modeling and minor roles, because I'm left with a sour resentment towards his involvement in this drama that will take a long time to heal. The supporting cast was average and unmemorable, bordering on uncomfortable to watch. The exception is Son Soo Hyeon, who made the best of a lack luster character.

Musically, Blood neither excelled nor stood out. The scores were overused enough that when a certain tune began, you could predetermine the outcome of the accompanying scene. The OST features boring ballads, certainly nothing I would want hear of my own volition.

In order to re-watch Blood, I would have to be offered money. Even then, it would take a heavy amount of consideration based on both how much money I was being offered, and how little else I had to do at the time.

I'm left with feelings of resentment, but at who, I don't know. Maybe the writers, for attempting to pass of this untenable excuse of a story. Maybe at myself, for excusing Blood's flaws until it was too late to quit.

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Tune in for laughter & second-hand embarrassment! Starts off with a bang but eventually peters out.

Ep 1: The leads look so good & they are funny! It starts with a fake police (our FL) handcuffing our sweet Mobster with toy handcuffs for a crime he didn't commit. The FL is really gutsy and crazy! First meet, she mistakes him for a guy who tried to harm a waiter with a broken bottle. Second meet, she thinks he is stealing money from the kids! As if the handcuffs were not enough, she hits him in the head from the back and runs away! She is waring a mascot getup for her part time job. The ML thinks she sells drugs because he mistook the kid candies she had for drugs. You know a drama is good when you want the first episode to be longer than 1 hour. The SML also seems to be connected to these somehow, we'll find out how. The Thirsty Deer gang is so fun to watch.

Ep 2: Damn the FL has a very overactive imagination! I still can't believe she let go of him when he was about to fall. Poor guy can't seem to catch a break when he is around her. And he is already falling for her. Wow, his guy gang just couldn't take a hint that he wanted them to get out. Okay this episode was a little less crazy than the previous one, but it was nice. I honestly like the leads a lot, all three of them. I wonder what's up with the SML. Is he really the Hyeon U, she has been searching for. Their history sounds interesting. I wonder what happened between the two & if he remembers her.

Ep 3: I was watching binge-watching the cdrama "Story of Kunning Palace", so catching up on this episode was a sudden change of genres & language for me. I thought the intensity of Kunning palace might make me loose interest in this drama (I didn't want that to happen), but thankfully the ML did something that was in character for him to do, the map of India no Indonesia. He clearly was so bothered that Yeong asked her to call him if she wanted to go on a drive sometimes. Yeong knows the effect he has on women and he uses it well. Oh man, he is so adorable with the coat thing! Okay this episode was lovely & next one looks even better.

Ep 4: Okay both ML & SML made me laugh at the strangest things they did. The slide scene reminded me of Lovely Runner's slide scene where Sun Jae was trying to hide from Im Sol. I don't like FL's coworker who tried to humiliate her. Even though she is doing good career wise, she wants to bully FL because she holds something against her (No reason has been provided so far) Here's to hoping that the Thirsty Deer Crew doesn't hire her but chose to work with FL because she truly seems to care about the children.

Ep 5: These two cuties are making it so fun to watch. I'm sure no one watching the drama is Kang Ye Na's fan. From the way things are going, it is clear that Ji Hwan is Eun Ha's childhood sweetheart. But the change of name and another Hyeon U taking fancy to her needs to be explained so have to wait for the revelation. The names of the gangs are so funny, we have Bull Dog & then Meow/Kitty. That kiss was so unexpected, I wish all of it was shown from the front and not back but we'll make do. Ji Hwan's reaction was worth watching!

Ep 6: Oh, I wonder if the thing between Ju Il Yeong & Koo Mi Ho is going anywhere. He did seem like someone who has a way with women so it is hard to figure out if he is looking for than a fling. Koo Mi Ho was attracted by his looks so not yet sure she feels anything tangible as well. But they looked good together. That one flashback we got was so damn steamy & far too short. Ji Hwan is one of a kind, with the way he started flaunting his shoulders. The preview for next week's episodes look sad, I wonder where it is going.

Ep 7 & Ep 8: Ah so there's the explanation about how he is her childhood sweetheart. So the prosecutor with the same name is such a big coincidence. The gang is all so silly. Ju Il Yeong pulled the it was a mistake card! (facepalm) Poor Mi Ho was so embarrassed. I wonder how she ended up in the same hospital room as he did in the first few episodes. Ji Hwan trying to protect Miss Minnie but it is in vain. What have we learned from watching countless similar plots? They end up admitting their feelings anyways! Next week's previews look exciting, however, they seem to need liquid courage to kiss each other.

Ep 9 & Ep 10: Ji Hwan is being so frustrating. I love Ko Mi Ho, the way she confronted what made her uncomfortable was gold. I wish they had focused more on this second relationship. Oh my, episode 10 gave me lot of second hand embarrassment. Wow there, even though I like corny scenes some of these were too over the top. At least, they did not fail to give me shivers or make me laugh. I knew it was Mi Ho's test! Whose else could it have been? Ji Hwan can barely kiss Eun Ha without fainting (Lol). We finally see some sort of reciprocation of feelings from Ju Il Yeong, even though right now they are borne out of jealousy. The pregnancy might complicate things or help them out.

Ep 11 to Ep 16: Right now, I'm more interested in Mi Ho's and II Yeong's story than the main leads, because it is getting a bit too corny even for me. I think they missed the right balance here. The last two episodes were kinda sweet for the main leads, they were finally back to adorable. I think halfway through the drama lost its appeal for me. This should have been a shorter 10 or 12 episodes drama. I did adore the dynamics between Hyugnim and his bros. Enjoyed Mi Ho's love story till the end. Had they toned down the crazy a little bit the leads story would have been better. I hope to see more of Uhm Tae Goo from now on.

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I shouldn't love this, NEVERTHELESS...

Whew, I am most likely going to be in the minority on this one, but I LOVED THIS SHOW FROM START TO FINISH. It was well-paced, cozy, and suspenseful. This is peak romance.

I think a lot of the webtoon readers are upset because they came in expecting one thing and got something different. They were expecting certain subversions of tropes and two dimensional characters instead of ones that are morally grey. To be honest, Song Kang's Jae-On is NOT a complete fboi—he's a poor communicator above all. He was haunted by a bad reputation and neglectful upbringing; Nabi became suspicious of him before he really gave her reason to. He feebly attempted to go back to his old ways when she ran away and continuously pushed him away, and it didn't successfully distract him. I don't want to excuse all his behaviour though; he pushes boundaries and the whole Seola dynamic was sketchy. He never truly said no to Seola, even though it was clear EVEN TO HER that Jae-On's attention was no longer hers to hold captive. This is a story of setting people free to let them make their own decisions, and Seola's decision to set Jae-On free allowed him to finally set his own butterflies free. If there's one thing I didn't like, it was how the Seola storyline got tied up without ever clearing up the ambiguity of their relationship. Somehow, I can't even hate her though — she clearly stood up for herself when she realized it wasn't working for her. As for Nabi, she is frustrating with her mixed signals, and yet her behaviour is so clearly expected of a young person who's suffered with abusive relationships and astonishingly low self-esteem. She's too afraid to define the relationship early in fear of losing it, but lashes out when she doesn't receive the validation she so desperately needs. Throw in the confusion of another hardcore suitor in Potato Boy, and I understand how she was so confused.

I think that's the best part of this series: I loved allllll the characters. Normally, some side characters (or worse, the main characters) get on my nerves or I simply don't care about them. In this case, I was gripped by the suspense of the will-they-won't-they between Nabi and Jae-On, I was invested in Potato Boy's success, and I LIVED for Bitna/Gyu Hyun, the sunbaes, and ESPECIALLY Sol/Jiwan. Can we talk about how refreshing and progressive this drama felt?!

This show is best if you don't spoil the ending for yourself. Knowing that there's the "expected kdrama path" vs. the "subversive webtoon path" brings so much suspense to the last few episodes as long as you don't know which direction the story will go. So if you're reading this review to decide whether to watch the show, please do not read the next paragraph. :)

Ultimately, I was satisfied with the ending. I am sure this opinion is controversial. The only other ending I would've been happy with is if Nabi went off to Paris alone and thriving, and WHO IS TO SAY THAT WON'T HAPPEN STILL? But I would not have been happy with the webtoon ending because the chemistry and timing was all wrong between Nabi and Potato Boy. He pushed her because he liked her so much, and she accepted his affection for a while because she was so vulnerable. You can argue that chemistry isn't everything; that having a good, dependable relationship is better than a passionate one. But they are so young, and it's so not fair to him. Potato Boy doesn't deserve to be with someone who pines over someone else. And between Nabi and Jae-On, the best part to me is that they finally COMMUNICATED. They made their choices without any disillusions. Nabi doesn't expect things to last forever between them, but she owes it to herself to see things through — perhaps to get him out of her system, or perhaps to give him a chance to surprise her. I truly believe the drama version of Jae-On has done enough to deserve that chance. As the side characters underscored in their closing scene, what's the point of a relationship if you don't love the other more? The truly romantic point of view is that both sides should feel lucky. They are too young to settle — arguably, we should all come to the same conclusion in our lives.

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Such Wonderful Characters

The Story:

The Long Ballad follows the journey of Li Chang Ge, the daughter of the previous Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. After her beloved uncle massacres her family and takes the throne, Chang Ge finds herself fleeing for her life. During these events, she encounters and befriends Ashile Sun while both are using different identities. Ashile Sun is a general and foster son of the Khan of the Ashile Tribe who also happens to be one of Tang’s fierce enemies. After defeating Chang Ge in battle, Sun takes her back to his camp to save her life and eventually makes her his military advisor. After a series of unfortunate events involving shattering losses to both, Chang Ge and Sun are separated with Chang Ge lost to how she should move forward. After discovering her new path and finding their way back to each other, Sun and Chang Ge begin to fight for their life together and for peace for their kingdoms.

The Cast:

Wu Lei as Ashile Sun was quite a wonderful casting choice. I haven’t seen him in anything since Nirvana In Fire so I didn’t know what to expect or hope for. His styling as Tegin Sun was beautifully done and complimented him so much. I was so happy every time he was in his grassland outfits instead of the bland Tang outfits. His acting was very impressive, especially for someone so young. My heart broke with him at his losses and I felt his pain and frustrations whenever Chang Ge would turn away from him after he continuously sacrificed so much to keep her safe. I now have high expectations for Wu Lei and wish him luck in his future projects.

Dilraba is someone I’ve followed since Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and I think The Long Ballad was a personal best for her. Dilraba is no doubt gorgeous and I think that hurts her sometimes as an actress. I’ve never felt enraptured by her acting, compelled by her crying scenes in the past, nor have I ever related to any of her characters. However, her portrayal of Chang Ge was just so well done. You can tell she put care into her portrayal and she brought life to Li Chang Ge as she transformed from the privileged princess to exiled outlaw to Eagle Division’s military advisor to just being whoever she wanted to be. Her journey encompassed heart break, disappointment, loss, self-reflection, and discovery and Dilraba played it all perfectly.

Special shoutout to Zhao Lusi as Li Leyan as well. Like Dilraba, I’ve followed Zhao Lusi for a while and The Long Ballad was also a personal best for her. It was quite a different path from the usual comedies she usually does and I’m so happy she got a chance to flex her acting skills. Leyan was perhaps the only other character who truly went through life-altering changes throughout her journey. Zhao Lusi did a wonderful job portraying the meek, naive princess who was forced to wake up from her privilege and work for something in her life. Her struggles pushed her into realizing being a princess was more than a name and because of it, she came out so much stronger and more resilient. I look forward to more projects that challenge her acting in the future.

What I love:

The cinematography was so well done!! I loved how scenes were captured from every angle. It added so much depth to the drama. The styling was very pleasing overall as well. I do think I preferred the Ashile Tribe stylings to the Tang one just because the Tang styling was quite bland and no one really stood out in those outfits. The fight scenes were spectacular! Starting from the Cuju game in episode 1 to all the fight scenes afterwards, I send lots of praise to the choreographer. Their hard work truly paid off!

The soundtrack is beautiful! Zhou Shen’s “Cocoon” is still on repeat for me. Each song perfectly reflects the characters’ mindsets and convictions and are played strategically throughout the drama for when they are the most poignant.

The Relationships:

The selling point of this drama were the relationships present (excuse the long post):

My 3 favorite relationships in this drama:
1. Chang Ge-Ah Sun:
I really loved the relationship between Chang Ge and Ah Sun. The drama itself wasn’t romance-focused but I think that was one of the reasons I loved the romantic parts. It was a slow-burn romance with Sun falling first but their journey together and all the trials they faced made it so their love wasn’t just based off of meaningless encounters. Sun fell for Chang Ge because of her resilience, intelligence, and stubbornness. Unfortunately, those are the same reasons why they had to separate for a period of time.
Normally, I feel like separation between leads is just unnecessary filler..but that wasn’t the case for these leads. Chang Ge was brought to Eagle Division against her will and although she eventually came to see them as her own and tried her best to protect them, she never thought of it as her home. Because of this, she was constantly trying to leave while Sun was tethering her to him. This caused a lot of tension between them and as a result, they both paid the price over their stubbornness. I felt they were suffocating each other too much and although I hated Chang Ge for just leaving him, I knew it was necessary if I had hopes of them coming back together later. Because she left, she was able to discover herself and when they were reunited, they were of the same mind and heart.
It was obvious when the shift happened because it was no longer him fighting to keep her beside him, it was also her telling him that they will face every thing together as a united front.
The main reason I love this coupling so much is also because of their convictions. While they love and would die for each other, they won’t compromise their loyalties and beliefs for the other. Despite standing by Sun, Chang Ge makes it clear she will not betray Tang. Likewise, when Sun leaves his position of Tegin of Eagle Division for her, he states constantly that he will not do anything that’ll cause harm to Ashile Tribe. It’s beautiful because they are aware of their different roots and are conscious to the fact that their decisions will impact many other lives.

2: Chang Ge-Le Yan:
The perfect example of sisterly-love. If any drama wants to portray a good sister-sister bond, then this drama should be used as a template. Chang Ge and Le Yan’s relationship is so beautiful and heart-warming. Growing up together, Chang Ge was always Le Yan’s champion and protector and when everything went downhill, it was so painful to see Chang Ge so defensive against Le Yan due to Le Yan being guilty-by-association. Despite all this, Le Yan and Chang Ge still sought each other out when they heard news of the other. Once misunderstandings were cleared and each found their own paths, it brought tears to my eyes to hear Le Yan proclaim her intent to protect Chang Ge from that moment forth. Le Yan continuously warning Chang Ge of potential dangers then Chang Ge volunteering Sun to fight for Le Yan’s hand so she can avoid a marriage to Sh’er showed just how much they loved each other and I appreciated their bond so much.

3. Ah Sun-Sh’er:
Ah…the exact opposite to Chang Ge-Le Yan. What could’ve been but wasn’t. Unlike the previous two, Ah Sun and Sh’er, despite also growing up together, were not taught to love and protect each other. Rather, they were forced to compete and hate each other because they knew well that one of them would become leader to Ashile Tribe. There’s so much to dig into their relationship that 1 page wouldn’t be enough lol
While Sun is intelligent, far-sighted, and cautious, Sh’er is the exact opposite. Impulsive, foolish, and only living in the moment, Sh’er causes a lot of grief for Sun, the Khan, and Sh’er’s own mother. His only goal being to surpass Sun, Sh’er’s inferiority complex causes him to make an irreparable mistake which causes him to lose whatever was salvageable between himself and Sun. Sh’er is by no means, an evil person. Unfortunately for him, he reacts too slowly to events that transpire around him. Their brotherhood could’ve been epic and at the very least, Sh’er does redeem himself and he and Sun are able to part ways with closure.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama very much. It was not perfect and there were times when I felt the chemistry between Wu Lei and Dilraba wasn't there (many of the physical scenes between them, whether it be hand holding or hugging, didn't make me feel that romantic pull). I loved Wu Lei as Ashile Sun and I loved Dilraba as Li Changge. I even loved Ashile Sun and Changge together...but I didn't care for Wu Lei with Dilraba. The romantic chemistry was just nonexistent.
I did give it an 7.5 rating instead of a higher number because the ending made me feel . . . empty. I was neither happy nor unhappy. It just felt like it ended ... there was no lasting impression and no desire to rewatch except for a handful of scenes I thoroughly enjoyed.
If you like a drama that's not overly dark/heavy and pretty much provides closure to every character, then check this one out.

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Frustrating and Wholesome

Fantastic, give me 14 of them right now.
As an eternal single/introverted and awkward person in my 20s myself, I absolutely adored this show and related so hard to most of the cast. I need to be these girls’ friend. Cried so many times especially for Yido and Jiyeon.

I like how the makeovers in the beginning were not focused only on visuals but on what they personally wanted to work on and be better at, and I think for the most part every had there own coming of age story. Also I appreciate that the main message seems to be that everyone is deserving and capable of love.

My main and only complaint/things I think can be improved on next time if they do a second season, is for everyone to get the chance to have a one on one date with everyone (lowering the chance that they all like the same person), and that the mentors should be able to talk and help them throughout the week.

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This drama reminded me why I watch dramas. It was so amazing and I thnk I will remember this show for a long time and watch the ost to replay the feels. Storywise I was really surprised at how they handled the body switch and the show let me experience such a warmth that I felt like I was being healed and became a better person by just sitting and watching. Overall, it is a drama worth watching AND the ending is quite well thought out. The epilogues at the end of the episodes were also hilarious and felt like a breath of fresh air because they kinda told a diffrent story which still had connection to the drama.
That said, I have also felt that the actors were so commited to their roles that they left an deep impression on me and I would not be lying if I say that this drama conveyed to me how importand the actors are in order for you to feel the situation.
The music played also an essential part in creating an interesting vibe and the choices vary much. I would say that the reason for that is the stroy. The show is partly a comedy and melodrama but both genres are fitting and it doesn't seem out of place (for the most part).
Hope I got you motivated to give it a try :) haha. Thx for reading

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Beautiful yet Pretentious; Great character development but poor plot writing

“Fangs of Fortune” is no doubt the product of director Edward Guo. I enjoyed his other drama “My Journey to Love” so much that I wish I could feel the same about “Fangs of Fortune”. Unfortunately, just having a good-looking cast and beautiful cinematography are not enough for me.


What I Like:

1. Characters
The main reason I am not rating this drama lower than 8.0 is because of the characters. I like each of them, main cast, supporting cast and guest roles. Each character’s story is unique and I had a good time getting to know them and following their journey of growth. They are interesting individually and together as a group. “Fangs of Fortune” is able to make me care about each of them and their stories touched me.

2. Acting
I am happy to see a much-improved Neo Hou. He is able to convey more than just a blank pretty face. I am most impressed by Tian Jia Rui. This is only his second drama after “My Journey to You” and he has so much potential. Chen Du Ling is fine. Cheng Xiao improved from her blank look in “Falling into Your Smile”. The rest of the cast also did an admirable job and I don’t really dislike anyone’s acting.

3. Cinematography
Edward Guo’s signature beautiful cinematography and camera angles make every actor and actress look good. Screenshots of this drama flooded the Feeds with many posts throughout the airing and after the completion of the drama. But…..(to be continued below)

4. OST
This drama boasts a huge soundtrack of beautiful songs. I enjoy them all, especially ‘Spring Breeze Does Not Ask’ 春风不问 and ‘Broken-Tailed Bird’《斷尾鳥》. However…. (to be continued below)

5. Production Value
I love everyone’s creative, unique and beautiful hairstyles, costumes and accessories. I also like the use of natural lighting and the realistic sets in the indoor scenes. The fight choreography is unique and the actors did a great job with their wire work and moves. It does a great job in using Chen Xiao’s dance background in giving her excellent moves and she did not disappoint.


What I have Mixed Feelings and Don’t Like:

1. Slowness
This drama is SLLOOOWW. The characters talk slowly, they move slowly and the pace is slow. This could have been a 30-episode drama (instead of 34) if people would just walk and talk at normal speed. The last episode is a waste of time. Everything could be told in 15 minutes. What pisses me off the most (my personal pet peeve) is characters standing around during important battle scenes. The good guys would be talking amongst themselves or crying or staring at each other, and the villains just stood there waiting. I just want to shout at my screen for them to move or do something! So much time is wasted and it doesn’t make sense!

2. Plot Holes
There are so many plot holes in this drama. Actions that don’t always make sense. Why parade a suspected murderer in front of a crowd to be easily recognized and then humiliated? If you knew you were the cause of a pandemic, why not kill yourself sooner? You already knew the solution! There are powerful demons and genius human beings yet you can’t detect someone is hiding around the corner eavesdropping? I thought you could smell their scent from a mile away! Plot logic becomes secondary (or sacrificed) when the drama focuses so much on the characters and making them look good. A good drama must be able to balance both plot and character development. Even if you can’t balance it well, it can’t be so lopsided.

3. Close-up/Camera angles
I complimented on how beautiful this drama is. But if you repeatedly show me a close-up look of a pair of attractive eyes every 5 minutes, it becomes really pretentious and fake. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed but if you give me the slow-mo version of it, it interrupts the flow and the excitement. I don’t need to see them posing when fighting. This drama also loves the fog and wind machines.

4. Non-stop Music
I also complimented the OST, but gosh, the music is overplayed. Song after song, music after music. It doesn’t allow the viewer to decide how to feel in silence, but manipulates my feelings with the non-stop music. I counted one scene (one conversation between the leads) when 2 songs + 2 more instrumental music were played non-stop! At times, the music is so loud that I could barely hear what the actors are saying. I really don’t need the fight song being played at every single battle, no matter how cool it is.

5. Romance
Disappointing main romance. I enjoy the initial bickering between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao. A battle of wits and sarcasm! But then, not much happened and not enough chemistry or longing looks. It was boring. I had more fun watching the guest roles suffer in their forbidden love than or sad romance than the main leads.


OK, if you are a fan, don’t hate me. Go back and read what I like before throwing stones at me. LOL🤣 I will still recommend "Fangs of Fortune" because it’s a well-acted darker story with a good-looking cast, beautiful cinematography and likable characters. If you are a big fan of character development, you will enjoy this. But if you are like me and can’t stop your brain from noticing plot holes and things you don’t like, you might have a harder time enjoying this.


Completed: 11/27/2024 - Review #521

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