The premise of the story (vampire prince accidentally getting stuck on earth while trying to visit a concert of his favourite girl group) is pretty wacky but also one of the two things that originally drew me to this drama (the other was the cast). It has an episodic format with an overarching story developing in the background. As a sitcom there's not that much plot happening, but the episodes do exactly what they're supposed to - make us laugh (a lot).
The reason I didn't give more than a 7 for the story is that the drama was cut short by a lot. I really liked the direction the writer seemed to take, but with the episode cut we unfortunately never reached the point where the backstory came into the foreground. What we get instead is a wtf ending that raises a lot of questions, but since the writer isn't to blame for that, I actually like what she did with it: Showing us what could have been if people had actually allowed her to tell the story until the end.
On to the cast:
1. I loved every single one of them.
2. Most of them were newbies which results in bad or awkward acting.
In other dramas these two points might be contradictory but I really wouldn't want to see anyone else in these roles for the sake of less awkward acting. The heart of the cast were definitely the 4 vampires landing on earth. I personally loved the vampire prince the most, but Lee Soohyuk as his quiet but loyal and caring bodyguard, Kim Woobin as the not so smart guy with incredible hearing skills and Hong Jonghyun as the nerd with an IQ of 790 were great in their roles as well. Kim Soo Mi was as usual a joy to watch in her role as the temperamental, cursing grandma.
Now the reason why I rated this show a 9 despite the lower scores in acting and story is simply because it's that funny. Starting from the prince's name, the vampires having to adjust to life on earth, the fact that beauty standards on the vampire planet are opposite from those in Korea, the 4 vampires calling the grandma aegi because with her less than 70 years she's still a baby to them to the budding relationships between the girl group and the vampire boys - it was just so much fun all around and made me laugh more than any other drama could so far.
It has a pretty low budget and the sense of humour might not be to everyone's taste, but when it is you're in for a fun watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
First half of this series? Fantastic. Fun. Hilarious. Solid.Second half of this series? Lazy. Cookie-cutter. Overloaded with tropes.
I've had a few days to think about my feelings in regards to 2gether and I have a lot, but I'm going to quickly summarize some of my main thoughts here.
#1: Tine's sexuality
This was the biggest let down for me in this series. Throughout the series there's definitely a few hints that Tine could be bisexual. He clearly finds women attractive, but he doesn't seem all that turned off at the thought of dating a man or being in love with one. I felt that this series could've really delved into bisexuality instead of keeping with the Straight Or Gay tropes that often exist in BL.
Furthermore - I think exploring Tine's sexuality more would've really given a basis to the severe lack of couple-like affection between him and Sarawat. And I'm not talking NSFW scenes or make outs or even just soft kisses - I'm talking the fact that they high-fived at the end of the series when a hug would've been nice. Or just SOMETHING to show us that they're more than just Bros. Because even after episode 13, I'm not convinced that they "love" one another or even like each other that way; it just feels like good friends that live together.
But had the show explored Tine grappling with his sexuality (as a bisexual or if they wanted, a gay man) - it would've made a lot of sense why he wasn't too affectionate with Sarawat or was unsure of showing that affection. It's hard to grapple with your own sexuality much less be openly affectionate with that person. But Tine didn't seem at all bothered by people knowing they were together and that he loves Sarawat (and vise versa). So why so little affection? Why take that element away?
Which brings me to letdown #2: Affection.
Like I said earlier -- I don't need NSFW scenes or even kisses in a romance to feel that there's a connection. I also think Bright and Win are great actors that conveyed a lot of their emotions through expressions and their eyes. However, the only "slice of life" element we got was the montage of scenes after they moved in together. After that, it was mostly shoulder hugging and staring at one another. I really don't remember a time when they held hands, and I don't remember them kissing after they started dating (and the kisses before that were all Sarawat - Tine didn't react).
I just think that there didn't seem to be a point to them moving in together because it didn't really bring any growth to their relationship. They didn't have slice of life moments or sweet talks in bed or breakfast chats - it was more or less the same, but now the writers could bring Type into the picture. It all just felt a little unnecessary and rushed.
#3: Use of women and Mil
Literally -- the use of them. Throughout the series they're used to place wedges between Sarawat and Tine. This just felt lazy to me, and Pam was the most lazy plot line they could've come up with. It didn't even last more than a full episode and it had no real result other than Sarawat and Tine getting back together. If they're going to go with this trope, I would've liked to see more growth and a longer time apart for them both. Also - Mil just get over Tine. Stop. The whole addition of Mil to it felt unnecessary. There was no chemistry there and I still have no idea why Mil liked Tine. Someone please explain what I missed there lol.
Overall - I'm just underwhelmed. I really enjoyed this in the beginning. I thought Bright and Win had good chemistry, and I was binge-watching all of the episodes up until 9. But after watching the last few episodes as they've released, I've found myself less and less excited and more disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. Idk. If there's a season 2 I'll watch it, but I can't say that I'm particularly looking forward to more of the same.
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heartwarming Drama
Today I finished itthe drama is perfect in all respects, and the most thing I liked about it is the romance with a “realistic” character, which many Chinese Dramas Lack of the character of realism, to be Honest.
The Chimestry between the FM & M leads and the rest of the characters,The story, the smoothness of Their LOVE Hints, the Shooting Quality, The acting, and the absence of embarrassing Moments or “Creepy and Gloves” under the name of Love is the best thing in this Drama (wonderful point).
I classify it as one of the top 10 romantic dramas I've watched in my life, not only By Asian Dramas
I enjoyed it very much and Completed it, although it is impossible for me to finish a drama. I always leave the last two episodes and do not watch it
I liked all its details, but what I didn't like was only one thing; It is the bold moments between them .. Because the FM Lead is considered a teenager in the drama, and the M lead is a young man in his twenties, so it is supposed to be pure love until she gets a little older!!
But the Whole drama is a masterpiece and there's no Complication in, I just and Their heartwarming Romance made me fluttering..
The last episode touched my heart and left very deep impact in my heart and Soul
I would say it is the best romantic C-drama ever
Also, It deserves the fame it got, the first places On charts and Congratulations Netflix Bought the drama rights.
Finally.. Any drama, whatever its nationality, the production company for, and the actors, as long as the cast did a great Job, it will succeed and impose its success Everywhere, Like what Happened with Hidden Love
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This drama made me a Miura Haruma fangirl. He is a great actor for his age. As someone who has read the manga (after the drama, though) I have to say he portrais Takagi Fujimaru very very well. The only thing I have to criticize him for is his hacking. Just hitting random keys won\'\'t hack anyone - at least try to make it belivable.
For me the plot for this drama is great. I like that Falcon isn\'\'t some superman with superpowers and unnatural psyche and is \"the one to save them all!\". He is a normal high school boy who gets involved in some really dangerous affairs - and is afraid. I like to see the sense of humanity in it.
To be perfectly honest I don\'\'t really remember the music in this. It\'\'s nearly a year since I\'\'ve watched it, but I remember liking the theme song. :P
This drama actually seems to suit everyone. It has high schools (for the school drama lovers), cops (for the cop-drama lovers), suspense (for the suspense lovers) and Miura Haruma (for the fangirls). There really isn\'\'t a reason not to watch this, and it\'\'s just brilliant in my opinion.
Definitely falls under my \'\'must watch\'\' list.
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This review may contain spoilers
Nice Concept but plot can be develop even more!
I was so skeptical at this series because of the last JoongDunk series that I watched doesn't reach my expectation AT ALL. But this one is much better than the last one. The story started with Zo having a crush on Nita and asking for Joke's help to help him to date her. Though, I like the way they stopped the dating help halfway because of Zo realising his actual feeling towards Joke, I wish they shouldn't stop that way. I wish they could put more conflict like Joke suddenly back to being Nita's boyfriend because of the stalker thing. The concept is good but I wish the plot could have more conflict. The conflict of the series is just love triangle, family issues and thats it. I wish there is more.I have no complain about the characters BUT I just wish that when Zo confront his mom about his feelings of never feel enough, I wish there is more passion, there is more anger. Yes, Zo is a nice person but he has been bottling up his feelings for a long time. I really wanted to see how Dunk's acting with explosion of anger and regret but it seems like that is not going to happen in this series. And both of them facing the same issues are a little bit.. hm.. how do I say... sound like plot is rushed to finish. They could have create conflict of Joke's father is being bias with his siblings more wide range. Like I said, there are no rage and not enough passion in this series that it makes them a little bit boring.
Joke's whole family except for his grandma is A WHOLE FUCKING RED FLAG. I am so mad that no one seems to care about him like ????? How heartless can yall be? Anyway, I still feel that this series have a good concept, moderately develop plot, amazing actors but very little conflict.
JoongDunk deserves better. There, I said it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sceneries are dead; Only meanings from people will bring them alive. An eternal company she wished.
🍁PLOT AND BRIEF INTRO TO THE KEY CHARACTERS:Dahuang is divided into three kingdoms: Xiyan, Haoling and Chenrong. Chenrong and Xiyan are enemies and weighed a war but Haoling plays neutral... Chenrong was defeated by Xiyan but a remnant army still refused to surrender....
Xiao Yao is the princess of Haoling and Cang Xuan is the prince of Xiyan....
Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan are cousins lost their parents at a young age.. had no one to rely on other than each other but seperated because of various reasons for 300 years. Before seperation, they made a promise to stay by each other's side no matter what the future holds...
Xiao Yao went missing after she was sent to Jade Mountain.. without leaving a trace.... She casted a magic spell and changed her gender, face and name to Wen Xiao Liu..was living in secluded place, which did not come under territory of any kingdom.. as a doctor....
Living there for almost 20 years, she saved a person.. who was heavily injured by tortures, and then sheltered him... She named him "Ye Shi Qi" because he didn't wanted to reveal his identity, but guessed Xiao Liu's real gender and fell for her.. so determined to stay with her at any cost...
One day when Xiao Liu went in a sacred mountain to pick some good herbs to make money... she accidentally encountered a Nine-Headed Sea Demon named Xiang Liu... the current strategist and General of Chenrong remnant army.. famous for his ruthlessness, great fighting skills and mysterious identity....
Now the relationship between these leads begun to start.
🍁MAIN CHARACTERS:
🌿Xiao Yao/Wen Xiao Liu (Yang Zi) : The Princess of Haoling, Haoling Jiu Yao.. A brave and clever girl... never gives up and knows how to fight back to survive even after being tortured for many years... Her biggest fear is loneliness.. because everyone she trusted and wanted to depend on, left or abandoned her for various reasons... Aspiring to live a peaceful and carefree life with a man who never leaves her... The one she cares about most is her cousin Cang Xuan...she could do everything to protect him... Xiao Yao developed feeling for Tushan Jing.. and also subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well...
🌿Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi) : The Prince of Xiyan sent to Haoling as hostage... Used to be a kind-hearted person but become tough after the death of his parents.... His ambition is to be King of Xiyan, to be able to protect the ones he deeply cares for.... In the journey of achieving this ambition, he struggled hard.... Cang Xuan became ruthless for others but remained soft-hearted for the ones he cared... Due to his closeness with Xiao Yao, he developed some romantic feelings for her but never confessed, and also reluctantly helped her to being with her love....
🌿Xiang Liu/ Fangfeng Bei (Tan Jian Ci) : Xiang Liu, a white-haired, Nine-Headed Sea Demon... tortured for many years in death battling arena... He managed to escape and was saved by Chenrong's Lord Hong Jiang... After being saved, to repay his gratitude.. he took up the responsibility of recovering the land lost in the war and avenging the soldiers of the Chenrong army.. Lonesome inside but still very calculative, never lose in a deal.... Xiao Liu is the only person who never thought of him as a strange creature, so Xiang Liu found a good partner in her...
Fangfeng Bei, another identity of Xiang Liu as Second Young Master of Fangfeng family... He is quite fun-loving person and a known playboy...
🌿Tushan Jing/ Ye Shi Qi (Deng Wei) : A very soft-hearted person and clever-minded in business as he comes from a prestigious business family.. but tortured for years by his own brother and saved by Xiao Liu.... He wanted to give up everything and do whatever Xiao Yao asks for.. to being with her.. as he loves her deeply... Jing helped Cang Xuan in the path of becoming Emperor a lot, with his business skills and influence...
🌿Chishui Fenglong (Wang Hong Yi) : He is a loyal friend and a calculative person, fell for Xiao Yao after she regains her appearance & status and helped Cang Xuan, to become Emperor, the most. He founds a perfect buddy in Xiao Yao more than love, wants to marry her for her status, beauty and personality and promised her to never marry another woman in his entire lifetime after marrying her and will accompany her always. He finally managed to get engaged with her after his proposal of marriage.
🍁MY IMPRESSIONS:
The plot is quite different from other Xianxias and it's a reverse harem... I am not into Reverse Harem genre but this one got me in. This is a character-driven drama and I enjoyed Xiao Yao's journey.
They all are amazing in their own way and everyone of them hurted Xiao Yao as well as protected her. Their bonds with Xiao Yao have different but special meanings to her.. Cang Xuan broke his promise to take her back from Jade Mountain because he was sent to Haoling as hostage. But, he still searched for her around the world until he found her.. He is an emotional support to her and a brother...
Tushan Jing broke her heart many times by falling in scheme of his fiancee and never succeed in cancelling engagement, even after made her wait for a long time, but he revived her heart to have hopes in life...
And Xiang Liu often sucks her blood and was rough with Xiao Liu in starting but once he started develop feeling towards her, he fell hard... He never broke her heart; instead he always accompanied and cheered her up when she felt down, hopeless and wanted to give up, and empowered her so she could protect herself. He never gave her hope to being in love with him and made everything he did for her to look like a fair deal.
Xiang Liu... he is my favourite character in the drama as well as book... His loyalty and selfless love wins me over... He never confessed his love to her directly, but indirectly in many ways.... And Fangfeng Bei, he is too, though he is Xiang Liu in real, but there is big difference in behaviour and approaches of both of them...
I loved Xiao Yao when she was Wen Xiao Liu more because of her tricks and free-spirited nature... The deep talks between Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu, every time they met.. and the fun they did together.. these are my most favourite scenes of the whole drama... The first two lines of my review's title are from the conversation between Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao... You can see how deep their talks are... She has a romantic relationship with Jing but she subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well.. though she never admitted and thinks of him as her friend, but it is very clear that they're soulmates...
I liked Cang Xuan and Fenglong more than Jing in drama.. I felt very boring whenever Xiao Yao met Jing everytime, just a lovy-dovey couple who has nothing else to do, which is not my cup of tea... though Jing is a good man and I like good men but still I can't help it... I also read the original book after the drama so I have quite a favourable opinion of Jing from there, but in drama he fell short... So I'm stating my opinion about Jing here according to the drama and not book.... Also, I want to make it clear here, all of my takes I mentioned in here about all the characters are based on the drama, so you need not to worry about the opinions formed because of the original book...
I also loved the interactions of Xiao Yao and Emperor of Xiyan.. She's so bold and her grandfather is so understanding of her.
🍁ACTING:
Yang Zi as Xiao Yao has a great chemistry with all of them like you can ship her with any of them. Yang Zi did an amazing job portraying her two characters well... The emotional scenes she gave were extremely good.. I had tears in my eyes watching her...
Tan Jian Ci made Xiang Liu alive... The micro expressions... you can feel all the happiness and pain just looking into his eyes.. Jian Ci managed to create a difference between his two characters Xiang Liu and Fangfeng Bei successfully, like even I doubted at first, whether Fangfeng Bei is Xiang Liu or not...
Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Hong Yi also did a great job with their characters...
But Deng Wei, I found him lacking a little, probably he did best he could, but his expression sometimes feel wooden and his character gets boring, I found, he is the reason of my unfavourable opinion towards Jing...
🍁OSTS AND COSTUMES:
OSTs are one of the best I have listened in the dramas so far. So pleasing and amazing.
My favourite is Xiang Liu theme....by Tan Jian Ci...
"Wait for the snow to fall, wait for fate to nearly love, wait for your lifetime to come;
I can't wait for lovesickness, can't wait for the flowers to bloom, the waiting that can't be waited for....
Nine songs of the world of mortals, everywhere is envy and self-suffering..
Gentleness is deep, every sound is silence, it is imprisonment..
The heart is like a floating map, the scenes are the coming roads, the returning roads...
Fate is like snow dancing, every step is lonely..."
~The Waiting That Can't be Waited For
Costumes did not disappoint me as these are so beautiful, especially the beautiful white robes of Xiang Liu....
🍁ENDING AND RECOMMENDATION:
This was a good ending and not a cliffhanger, Cang Xuan became emperor and Xiaoyao engaged to Chishui FengLong but many things remained unsolved and truth to be revealed so I'm Eagerly waiting for season 2 and loved this one very much.
Highly recommending this to everyone to give it a try. You'll never regret watching, instead may become obsessed with it..like me..haha!
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Season 2 takes us through the lives of residents in a Sejong villa away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. So long story short, in thematic terms it utilizes the same elements from the first season - urban alienation and loneliness, the dangers faced by single women living all on their own, and the way food brings people closer together and forges relationships between the lonely and the lovelorn. But really, what makes Let's Eat 2 much more special is the relationship between the male and female leads. Because nowhere else in the broad spectrum of Kdramas have I seen such an authentic portrayal of friendship between a man and a woman. (Not even in 9 End 7 Outs was the friendship between Su Ae and Lee Jung Jin so wonderfully depicted)
Fat-shaming of women is another important issue which the writer has handled as realistically as possible without becoming overtly preachy about it. I was relieved to see Soo Ji coming to terms with her low self-esteem issues which eventually allowed her to see Dae Young and her own relationship in its true light.
Also that particular bit where Dae Young makes the grand declaration that Soo Ji is a kind and fun and pretty woman who deserves to be loved probably remains one of my favorite indirect confession scenes in all Kdrama history. Way to make a woman swoon and move her emotionally, Dae Young!
In terms of acting, Yoon Doo Joon did extremely well as the somewhat smarmy, somewhat sneaky and sharp but adorable and kind Dae Young. And Seo Hyun Jin brought Baek Soo Ji's earnestness and her naivete to life like nobody's business. Nowhere in the drama did her hysterics or anger seem out of place or unwarranted. The side characters' stories were a bit underplayed in this instalment but the fantastic chemistry between the leads made up for everything else. In fact I wouldn't mind watching this one again. My only complaint is that the angst was kind of drawn out in the last 5-6 episodes. DY and SJ could have gotten together much earlier and we would have been blessed with a few more romantic/cute scenes.
So those who are still hesitant about watching this because there's no Lee Soo Kyung here, no need to worry. Because romance and friendship-wise, this drama serves up a much more delicious offering than its predecessor.
Now for a season 3. Make it happen producers!
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Mansuang Comes Out With a Bang!
One of the movie I looked forward to in 2023 and they delivered every part of the movie well. From amazing production to beautiful cinematography, everything in this movie was beautiful. When it comes to reviewing Mansuang, one of the most important thing to highlight is that every single actor, from main actors to side actors played their role incredibly well. The acting is a 10/10 without any hesitation. One thing that could be improved is that they should release the uncut version as it was reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours. Although the storyline was not impacted by this, it would be great if we can dive deeper into every scene. Overall, an amazing film to watch!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Babe Went Full Savage
Listen. I'm not a sad person who hates happiness, but like, I hate happiness on Charlie, cuz dude was happy all the time. Ain't nobody that happy all the time. Also was he laughing or crying??? Could never tell the difference. And was Charlie necessary for this story? Did he need to be in the drama? Sure, he stole some power Babe wasn't even using and he faked his death one time, but like... he was just there!And what was the point of their powers? Seemed like they disappeared when they need them the most. I was like, okay good for you Babe, you can catch stuff flying towards your head, and?? I see something aiming for my head, I dodge, you are not special.
Anyway, before we start, I'd like to give Pavel his flowers. He was such a good actor in this, made everyone else look like they were being paid to act like trees.
Now to the review.
1) Nothing, and I mean nothing will get me to dislike 'Way'. I love that Mfer sooo much. Like, the moment he popped up on screen, I went, who's that? that one right there, WHO IS THAT.?? I don't know, must be Nut's aura or something, because nothing he did made me annoyed. And everything, and I mean, everything, annoys me.
2) Pavel's tattoo. Full savage indeed.
3) Charlie... well, I mean, he was in the drama. After we learnt of the reason he came into Pitbabe's life, I was like, sure, good for you, you power stealing, death faker, glasses wearing air-breather.
PLOT
Interesting storyline, but if it wasn't for tiktok comments and videos, wouldn't understand half of it. It was all over the place, and the only thing that kept me watching was Pavel's acting and Nut's face. And what was the point of that korean transfer racer person? Was his whole storyline to be kidnap and show us Charlie's noodle arms could hold its own in a boxing? Dude could have been replaced by one of those racing cars and I wouldn't even have noticed. Alan and Jeff's story was nice too. Tony should have suffered in a pit on Mars, or under a mountain, either would have been awesome. Way deserved so much better, deciding to go in the direction they did with him was not it.
And I refuse to talk about the Mama, Papa thing. Mfers out there trying to make me vomit up my lunch!
CHARACTERS:
Loved: Pitbabe and Way
Liked: Jeff, Alan, and that boss person who sponsored them? forget his name. I could look it up while typing this but... nah too much work.
Tolerated: Charlie. Like I said, dude was in the drama, circling around Babe, it was hard not to notice him. He was there!! Smiling.... all the time. Though, I did like that we finally had a top who wasn't the traditional good at everything, cool, arrogant and non-chalant.
Tony: Oh man, dude did all that! All that, and he just up and die. ARGGGGG.
Kenta, oh boy. What a shoe licker. Where to begin. Dude was such a bummer. Like a train crash you can't look away from. I wanted to hug and slap him at the same time. Towards the end, I legit did not care whether he lived or die.
POWERS:
Way supposedly can manipulate people into doing whatever he wants, and he waited all those years to get Babe? And ALAN'S POWERS. Talk about if useless was a person. Dude got the gift of foresight and he did nothing, nothing with it!!
ACTING.
Pavel left everyone in the dust. Pooh was there... smiling and wearing glasses. I guess. that's something. Nut, well, like I said must be his aura, can't find anything wrong to say about him. Everything he did was top notch, bestest boy. Some of the actors were decent as well.
OVERALL:
A decent watch, wasn't the greatest, but I can see a lot of people really loving it. This could have easily been a 5 star thing, but then they off'ed Way and that was when I drew the line. Overall, watch it, if not for anything for Pavel's acting.
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Did not live up to the hype
The whole production was amazing- cinematography, ost, scoring, production design, etc. BUT the love line really did not make sense to me. It felt too pushed for fans’ sake. The writing on the second lead’s ending was too lackluster, it’s like the writer gave up on the character to save Yeo Jin Goo some face, as obviously he got overshadowed by Lee Do Hyeon as a character and as an actor (c’mon, let’s all agree on that).Plus this drama’s ghost stories as fillers were too obvious as fillers. It’s like watching a variety show with an MC introducing the fillers one by one because it’s THAT obvious. It took a lot of screentime too that you’d eventually realize that the main plot was actually very short and so-so if you take out all the ghost stories.
If you came for the hype, then by all means watch it. The cinematography was definitely astounding. Its novelty was also commendable, I truly learned a lot about Korean folklore, thanks to the characters. BUT don’t expect it to watch a Best Drama contender for Baeksang because that’s definitely not what you’ll get, unlike what the rating promises. Acting was so-so too, a bit disappointing actually since you have Yeo Jin Goo and IU as the main leads. Lee Do Hyeon stole the show.
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Strong Start, Beautiful Production, Terrible Pacing and Mediocre Performances
As a long-time Yang Mi fan I was so disappointed, I feel like the best scenes we got from her was the archery and battle moments in the earlier half. The romance and longing plotline was basically all in her mind til halfway through, the performances were ok, not bad, but not their best at all. William Chan's flat hair was annoying at first but you get used to it and he goes back and forth between the bun hairdo and the longer one with the 2 side pieces. He's attractive, but it really diminished his beauty in some scenes. The music isn't the worst but after watching all the eps it barely registers in my brain and is not a stand out for sure. I feel like it's overrated because there's a lack of high budget costume dramas released this year, and after next year when a lot better ones air people will go back and be like yeah this is over rated, but I get how people are overly generous on this platform. I thought by far the 2nd couple's story was the most interesting, mainly just the Emperor's character. He's so interesting and intense, plus has the biggest character developmentNot the worst drama but not the best. Am I harsh because I am a long time Cdrama viewer and now don't have the patience to sit through and enjoy dramas as I once did when I was newer and doe eyed? Sure, but even objectively this drama is a 7 at BEST. There's highs and lows, but in a couple of months I probably won't think twice about this drama, and any drama that I don't think about after it finishes is a BIG MEH to me. If you have nothing else to watch then by all means watch it, but don't go in with high expectations
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WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE DRAMA: The casts of course! Well, I won't really rate the actors and actresses a very high score because they don't really show their acting potential through the drama. But I was totally attracted by the male lead's smile throughout the show, as well as his personality. I don't think I will ever seen a guy like that in real life! I will definitely give a high rating for the plot. The story was really nicely plotted with no draggy parts (well maybe one or two episodes in between) and how they actually not go off the way like other dramas. Overall, it is really a drama that can make people smile all the time without any frustrations. (:
WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT THE DRAMA: However, I was slightly disappointed with the ending even though it was a very happy one. I mean, they can show more progress between the two leads or maybe the relationship between Kaiqi and Ah Jie's family or even with Xiao Yi (haven't been seeing him for quite a few episodes though!).
In conclusion, it is one of the top recent dramas that is really worth watching, as Taiwan dramas nowadays are really getting boring or draggy with no new story plots. (: And and and, if you really want to watch a drama with cute male lead with an attractive smile with dimples. ;D
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"Everyone is lonely. Maybe it's because loneliness is necessary…
It allows you to face yourself."A journey of imperfect people throughout their imperfect lives, dealing with daily struggles in an imperfect manner. The journey of mundane humanity that puts a mirror to our faces and shows us the side we would rather ignore.
It’s easy to criticize the characters and the choices they made while also thinking you would act more holy than Jesus himself in the same situation. I did it, everyone I know did it. And so will you. That’s just part of our nature. It’s far easier to judge others' mistakes than to face our own flaws and I feel like the drama does a great job highlighting that.
Both female leads are complex and lost women, drowning in problems they themselves created, problems they cannot let go. Depending on your personal history you’ll relate more to one over the other, but hopefully by the end of the show, you’ll be able to appreciate how much depth both of them had.
It’s a story about resentment, anger, rejection, doubt, fear, depression, obsession and never ending regret. It’s about making choices and dealing with consequences. It’s about love, loyalty, company, It’s a tale of life.
I want to be perfectly clear - it’s not a drama you want to enjoy, feel good. It’s not a positive slice of life that will leave you hopeful for better tomorrow, inspired to work hard for your dreams. It’s a harsh reality wrapped into 8 impactful episodes.
The performances were stellar. While I for sure related far more to Rebecca, I did enjoy Ariel Lin’s portrayal of honestly low-key unhinged Chien Ching Fen far more. I honestly disliked the character, but I was greatly fascinated in her, her behavior, her motivations. She was the one that made the neurons in my brain fire.
Visually speaking - great. There was a level of simplicity in the way they shot the show which was a perfect contrast to the turmoils the characters were going through. I did have some issues in terms of the storytelling and how non-linear some parts of the story were told, but by the end of the show, it did not impact my viewing experience much.
Overall, it’s a gloomy show. One that will make you feel annoyed and frustrated more often than happy and joyful. But it’s worth it. Some shows are there to make you think. Some shows are there to make you evaluate. Some are there to make you face the ugly - the one that surrounds you and the one that hides inside you.
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This review may contain spoilers
“4 Years of Silence, 4 Minutes of Love. Do the Math.”
** A “New” Drama with the Same Old Rot, Just Dressed Prettier**---
**What the Drama *Wants* You to Think It’s About:**
- A wife from a cold marriage decides to stop living meekly after finding out she has late-stage cancer.
- She starts living for herself, stands up to toxic people, and finally finds love—*supposedly real love*—from her emotionally distant husband.
- A powerful woman reclaiming her life? Sounds great, right? *Almost believable... until you actually think about it.*
---
**What It’s *Actually* Doing (But Pretends It Isn’t):**
- Romanticizing guilt-based affection.
→ *“You ignored her for four years but one soft look post-diagnosis makes it all okay?”* Cute. If trauma bonding had a poster couple, it’d be them.
- Selling “growth” that comes out of nowhere.
→ Four years of being cold and doubtful, and now the ML is Prince Charming because she’s glowing and dying at the same time? Real convenient.
- Mistaking warmth after long neglect as love.
→ Anyone who’s ever lacked kindness will fall for the **first decent act**. That’s human. That’s also exactly why this dynamic feels manipulative.
---
**FL: The Only Real Character in the Story**
- Not a love-struck doormat. Thank God. She doesn’t change for him—she changes because she’s dying and she’s *done being used*.
- Her trauma isn’t a plot device—it’s real, raw, and the best part of the story.
- She was raised to be a pawn for her family’s benefit. Abused, controlled, stripped of agency. But she still created value in the world. That’s real power.
- But of course, no one loved her *until* she started pushing back. How original.
---
**ML: Not the Worst, Still Not Applaudable**
- He didn’t hurt her. True. *Clap clap.*
But he was distant, suspicious, and uselessly uninvolved for **four years**—and somehow gets rewarded with love?
→ *Where can I file a complaint against this plotline?*
- He had every tool to find the truth about her. He didn’t. His brother was awful to her, and he let it slide more often than not.
- His sudden affection? Feels more like a guilt trip than romance.
---
**Logic Took a Vacation Too**
- She has late-stage cancer, but still goes through makeover montages, globe-trotting, and a miracle recovery?
→ *Medical professionals everywhere just fainted.*
- Bone marrow arc? Absolute nonsense. As someone who’s actually been through that process—*no, your hair doesn’t turn white like anime fanfic.*
- Emotional healing doesn’t come from a love confession and spa trip. This isn’t a Pinterest board. It’s people’s *lives*.
---
**Let’s Talk About the Real Problem:**
- Viewers don’t know what they want.
If there’s abuse: *“Too toxic!”*
If there isn’t abuse: *“Too bland!”*
When there’s emotional weight: *“Too slow!”*
When there’s fast pacing: *“Too unrealistic!”*
- But here’s my issue: **Why is love always discovered only when the woman is broken, dying, or leaving?**
That’s not love. That’s guilt. That’s desperation. That’s bad storytelling.
- You gave her nothing for four years, and now you want everything in one week? Sorry, but one flower in winter doesn’t erase the whole damn blizzard.
---
**TL;DR for Skim-Readers**
> Strong FL. Weak ML. Nice acting. Lazy redemption.
>
> This isn’t a fresh take—it’s just old tropes wearing cleaner makeup.
> Emotional weight? Yes. Emotional honesty? Not really.
>
> **Rating: 6.5/10.** And that’s me being *generous*, because I appreciate effort. But effort ≠ execution.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is the first c-drama that I have watched... and I'm not here for it.I'm a big fan of school dramas, but this one disappointed me A LOT. If you haven't finished it yet then stop reading because I'll get spoiler-y.
*I couldn't connect with a single character.
Main male (Jiang Chen): annoying, cold as fuck, terrible, i-don't-even-understand-how-girls-can-fall-for-him, pretty outside but shallow inside, etc.
Main female (Xiaoxi): silly, easy to manipulate, insecure about what she really wants. I actually feel pity for her sometimes, but then she does a stupid thing and I don't feel pity anymore.
Second male (Bosong(?)): had good intentions but was too annoying sometimes. She doesn't like you, get over it.
Xiaoxi's bff (Jingxiao(?)): the only character with a bit of personality.. I guess.
The other friend who's married to Xiaoxi's bff (Lu Yang): clingy, edgy, the cringe I felt.. oof,
* Male characters apparently can't accept a 'No' or a 'Leave me alone'. Jiang Chen treated Xiaoxi like trash for years only to show he ''actually cared about her'' in the last 20 minutes of the series. That's not love, that's fucking toxic.
* They all were jealous, manipulative, what the fuck- I don't understand how people actually wish to have a romance like this (as I was reading Viki comments)
* Acting, again, was bad but I guess it's justified, most of the cast were rookies at the time.
Anyways, I can't tell you not to watch it because we all have different taste. But I think, romance in general, is not for me. The OST was cute, though. The best part of the drama was reading the horny comments by Viki users, lmao.
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