Reviews

Cinematography is giving.

I guess I’m just so used to a certain standard of quality when it comes to Thai BLs that when we actually get high production values—and none of those cringy sound effects—I’m always blown away.

This was honestly a really strong start. It’s clear this series is going to be gritty, raw, and emotional, and honestly? I want that. It’s rare that we get stories like this, so I’m absolutely here for it.

Also, this might be one of my favorite dual-language mashups we’ve seen so far—though, honestly, that dad probably should’ve just spoken Korean. But I’ll forgive it.

I also have to give a shoutout to Top. I know he’s only in a supporting role here, but dang, he’s such a good actor. He blew me away in Every You Every Me, and this just proves even more how talented he is.

And let’s be real—I'm here for the eye candy too. This whole cast is seriously easy on the eyes.

After an intense first episode, I'm officially locked in and seated. Let’s watch this raw, emotional, gritty drama... and probably end up booking a few extra therapy sessions afterward.

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This series is bonkers on so many levels, and I love it so damn much for it.

I don't write reviews but I wanted to at least for my favorite drama and Vincenzo has a special place in my heart <3
FYI: LONG ONE (like really long)! Just dumping my love letter for the show here because amidst all the negative reviews & misjudgement, I wanna voice my appreciation since rarely do I love a show so much I wish for amnesia to experience it all over again.

Vincenzo is an eventful, fast-paced dark comedy and a rollercoaster ride of a drama that had me at the edge of my seat anticipating or dreading what's next to come, crying of either laughter or sadness, or simply wanting to applaud at the sheer audacity of its plot (happened a lot). While there's an abundance of corruption, broken bones and back and forth between protagonists and antagonists, there's also a large chunk of comedy and lightheartedness. Add in some romance & just the right amount of emotional depth and you have a perfect mix. I myself didn't find the start slow at all. It's true that in episode 4, things truly pick up - with one of the best twists I've ever seen in a show - but the beginning is just as fun and crucial in setting up the story, as Hong Yu-chan is a central character in laying the foundation for Vincenzo's and Cha-young's motivation to take on the fight against Babel. Afterwards, it's pure entertainment. Overall, the story constantly keeps you busy and there's barely a dull moment as lots of twists & turns keep it interesting. The ending is nothing short of the definition of cathartic and shows once again that this drama, no matter its funny exterior, isn't afraid to go unflinchingly dark with its approach on retribution and justice.

You just can't wait to find out what shenanigans the characters will be up to next, and when you do find out, it's a joy to watch. Many of the schemes that Vincenzo, Cha-young and the tenants pull against Babel range from absolute tomfoolery to well-thought-out, meticulous plans. The scenarios are yes, over the top, but at the same time ironically believable and more importantly, fun! You can tell how much fun the writer, actors and production team had with this project; tons of creative choices feel like they were handled with some sense of wild abandon, which might as well be the secret as to why it's such an entertaining show. Considering all the improv, this rings quite true. Many of the characters' mannerisms, quirks and some entire scenes were completely adlibbed (and after consuming copious amounts of BTS content, I can genuinely confirm this). It's something I really loved about the show, and which tells you just how well the cast and director collaborated. It also results in a series forming its own unique character, which I think worked really well with Vincenzo.

I feel like many people don't understand it for what it essentially is and thus kind of miss the whole point of it. They claim it's bad for example due to its absurdist comedy which, of course, isn't everyone's cup of tea but that doesn't make it a bad drama, but a matter of preference. Without the jarring contrast of silliness and seriousness, Vincenzo wouldn't be what it's supposed to be. It's about relishing in the ridiculousness of it all and you have to be willing to do that in order for you to really enjoy it. So yes, this show is very contradictive and lots of people did not like or even hated that, but I loved it all the more. It's both parody and homage in the way it reminds of K-Drama, gangster movies and action comedies alike. It can be funny and satirical but also knows when to be badass or tense. And while it's true that the genre mix is blatant, it proves through an engaging script and characters that it's not really a parody after all.
In the end, it does have its own style and you do need to vibe with the writer's humor and/or his intentions, so it's natural that it might be too much for those with more traditional tastes or who don't see eye to eye with his execution and so on. But this show is unrealistic on purpose! The protagonist comes out on top all the time on purpose! I've read some say they liked the show but drew the line at a certain scene in episode 15 for being too unrealistic, which is funny considering it's a drama about a mafia lawyer who accidentally fights for justice while trying to get some gold bars out of a basement. It's bizarre, ridiculous and in-your-face on purpose! It is The Whole Point Of It All. When we get tired of the whole corrupt, capitalist hellhole that we live in, this show wants to offer some escapism and makes it fun while it's at it.

Vincenzo's character himself practically represents what the writer wanted to convey to the audience. Quite specific to South Korea but still widely applicable, it's an answer to the kind of feeling when watching the news and being angry at yet another corruption scandal, nasty politician or powerful figure/group that still reigns at the top and goes on about their unscrupulous business, and you sit there, not being able to do anything about it. In such moments we just want to see the worst of society be uncompromisingly punished for their actions, "whether it is legal or not", as Hong Yu-chan said.
An activist through and through, his character is proof that even the most righteous people can't do much more than just try their best, yet they too may harbor a desire to go beyond their own means to win. In a perfect world, it would have been him to fight tirelessly and successfully against the antagonists, achieving justice by the book. But that sadly isn't the world we, or the charactes, live in. Sometimes just "fighting the good fight" isn't enough, the efforts of the virtuous and pure are trampled on without remorse, and the corrupt system resembles an indestructible wall. And so we wish to see it collapse fully and we want to feel good about seeing that, want to feel vindicated in our desire to rid the world of The Powers That Be. Vincenzo wants to scratch exactly that itch, through an anti-hero without qualms or strict moral compass that hold him back in anything. He's the personification of what none of us can ever allow ourselves to be because in reality we've got laws and morals and couldn't ever justify what he does to be of actual reasoning. Thankfully this isn't reality! He allows us to live vicariously through his persona, who stops at nothing to deliver retribution – whether or not it's a viable solution to corruption & crime – and maybe leaves us a bit of romantic hope for a better future, albeit in his own darkly twisted way.
An interesting point that Song Joong-ki once made is how he found the audience's unwavering support of Vincenzo to be quite sad. So while this show isn't supposed to offer any solution, I think it offers an interesting observation; how easily, and maybe even desperately, we want to cling to outlandish and fictional escapism like this. How bad is our own reality, that we're able to cheer on even a character like Vincenzo with all his brazen, reckless vigilantism, and not even bat an eye - what does that say about us? The show makes us root for him all the way up til the end, then turns the mirror at us and literally and figuratively looks us in the eye. Yes, evil in its many forms is prevalent and vehement in our world and will always be, but what we choose to do with it is ultimately our choice. You might somewhat agree with the show's ideology – that when all else is lost, the only way to fight a monster is another monster – or strongly oppose it. Either way, by the end, you’ve likely understood the societal lamentations echoing through the narrative, and maybe even have felt a tiny bit of satisfaction and relief in watching Vincenzo be unapologetically himself. I know I did.

Besides him, there's lots to be said about Hong Cha-young because people just don't seem to get her. It was intent for her to be "annoying" at the start & Jeon Yeo-been knew she'd get judged for that, yet she took on the role and made it her own. She nailed all her traits, from her weirdness, ambition and anger up to her loneliness and kind heart. Cha-young, like Vincenzo himself, hides her utmost vulnerabilities behind a razor-sharp gaze and only opens up to those she's truly comfortable with. Yet her soft side isn't a contradiction to her loud one at all; both are two sides of the same coin. She too doesn't compromise and is always the most unapologetic version of herself – a rarity in a world that deems types like her "too out there" or "too much", and she looks past such criticisms with but a glance and blows you a kiss while donning expensive sunglasses. If you paid attention, you'd know her character isn't one-dimensional. She's an amazing female lead and one of the most unique out there, fight me at 3 AM in a parking lot about this. Actually, you'll have to fight Vincenzo first.
Both are morally complex protagonists that don't fall into clichés and instead boast a healthy, respectful relationship. It's riveting to watch them go from strangers to partners in crime to genuine friends and self-proclaimed soulmates by the end. The moment they meet they complement each other, in their joint revenge (it helps they're both relentless opportunists) as in all other things. Their connection ran so deep, excessive skinship or dramatic confessions weren't needed. I'm biased, but they're the best example of "soulmates" I know. Despite what some dramas tell you, soulmates are born of choice, not fate and they made that choice for themselves. And above all, they're just fun to watch! They have some of the best chemistry between two leads I've ever seen and I've yet to find a pair I love just as much as them.

Them and the rest of the cast know how to act believably in even the most preposterous situations, another reason why I love this show so much: While it's very farcical, it stays grounded in the way characters react emotionally and accordingly to their goals or motivations. And so you can't help other than just cheer along with – or against them as they go through all of these ridiculous, unbelievable things. By the end, I got so attached that I just sat in disbelief as the end-credits ran and didn't want to believe it was really over. With any good story ending, you don't want to let go, want to spend more time in its world, but are instead left with a giant, bloody hole in your heart. Then again that should be par for the course.
Everyone has a drama that left a big impression on them and for me it was this crime-comedy about a Korean-Italian Mafia lawyer who has arson and murder on his daily schedule, yet is at his wit's end because of a pigeon on his windowsill. I sure didn't expect that, when watching episode 1 with the hope of trying to stay awake during nightshift (needless to say it woke me the fuck up), but the best shows come to you when you least expect it.

TLDR; Vincenzo has much to offer for those who want to be fully engrossed by a show, without sacrificing one genre for the other. But in no way does it play it safe, it 100% goes all in. And if you like to have fun with TV, then it's definitely something you shouldn't miss!

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Not a 10/10 for me

If you’re wondering whether to start this drama, just know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And just because I expressed my different opinion about this drama, I received hate from those who loved it. But that’s ok, it’s contrary to popular opinion and I guess some just cannot have an open mind.

The pace and the storyline is quite fast and interesting. I did not really fancy the first 25 episodes. The general storyline of starting university, facing its ups and downs was fine. However I could not like the ML and the way he treated the people around him. And the way the FL just followed him like a puppy just didn’t sit right w me. Episodes 26-36 was much better as it showed more maturity and development in most of the characters.

The one I felt most sorry for was Lao Gao. Yes, what he did was terrible, very malicious and downright horrible. BUT… I do believe Li Xun had a part to play in how he turned out to be. And the fact that till the very end- Li Xun was not even a little bit remorseful of how he treated Lao Gao during the early days was truly sad.

Li Xun was the most disappointing character of all. At the start of uni, he was arrogant, tactless, self-absorbed and narcissistic. After going to prison for 3 years, you would have thought that he would change, be more humble, learn a tough lesson in life no? Truly.. no. He comes out of prison, he’s still the same incorrigible stubborn a**hole. He even admitted it himself. There were many many things he could have done better:
1) Treated his teammates in his IT club with more respect, more courtesy and be less condescending. That is a mark of a good leader.
2) He should have treated Zhu Yun with more dignity and respect. Instead of doing things his own way, he shld have been open and honest and letting her decide and make her own choices. Not manipulate the situation “for her own good”.
3) Zhu yun- in a way I respect her for sticking by his side. She could get past all his flaws and “help” him become a better man. But in that manner, I felt she lost her own self respect and what could have been a different future.
4) make more effort in trying to convince ZY parents. At least show them how much he loves her, that he will take care of her etc.. after all, that’s what most parents want for their children anyway. That assurance. nope nothing… didn’t even try. Or try harder. Ok the mum was over board and pretty much condescending (just like LX) and prejudiced towards him as well. But I did not agree with them getting married just like that behind the parents back.

The ML had a god-like complex, where he thinks he is the best and he is superior. If he had changed towards the end of the drama (which had some hints of it around Epi 30-34) but come 35/36 again he showed his superiority, I may have liked him more ;)

Anyhow, in conclusion: the drama itself is quite good. I just won’t glorify the ML’s character and behaviour or agree with his actions. So it’s not your typical hero/ fantastic/ romantic/ “perfect” ML, FL.. just watch with an open mind:)

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START-UP IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE "SHIPS", DON'T MISS THE WHOLE POINT.

The story was really inspiring. The viewers can see how much a start-up can really grow as a big company. Seeing the hardships of Dosan and DalMi to reach their dreams welcomed me to "follow my dreams".

Only JiDal shippers say it's disappointing. I get it that you want your bias to win over DalMi, but it's your fault for getting your hopes up too high when you know that the drama is made for NJH and Suzy in the very first place. Also, the poster says it all. Anyway, people who just see and measure start-up based on "ship" missed the whole point of the K-drama. Start-up is a series more than the love story. It is about family, dreams, and friendship.

Set aside what others are saying that it's not good. You'll see, Dosan and DalMi is a perfect match, too! ❤️

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I feel like I have been BL cdrama punched. A franchise who were carried by fans for years . Known as the ONLY asian safe haven for lgbt and their supporters has gone off the rails. The ultimate bait and switch. In no way did the lgbt community need a tragic life lesson. They have real history and real life plenty for that. I feel this production was sold out and forced to do this ending. It’s the end of a franchise. In a year where lgbt marriage is legal there they could have celebrated young love. Instead we get this. No. I’ll give my time to another writer, another show.

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Conflicted Literature

Prologue

My mind never fails to go completely blank right before writing these.It feels somewhat like a line of astounding talents gone ahead before me, and my absent minded ass is up next. No idea what to write, how to portray these thoughts that future me can look back on and feel every word of it as if I’m in front of the television again pressing play for the first time. What do they want to see from this review? How do they feel of this drama? Man, wouldn’t it be so much easier to just be like the rest? Well my dear silent minority, we aren’t like the rest. Our thoughts differ, lights dim out, voices hollow, presence uncertain.

But, every now and then some of us gather the strength to shout our unpopular opinions loud enough for everyone willing to hear. Lights begin to flicker back on as we approach our biggest momentary fear, the stage is ours. Make no mistake, no matter how nor if the audience responds back to you, you’ve done something for us that will always inspire those after. There’s no telling when you’ll feel like this again, nor get the chance to express it.

You then realize those lights that were so intimidating before were never dimmed. At last , a star is born.


Man vs Everything

I’ll get my biggest frustration with this drama out of the way first to make up for the rambling. Jeongnyeon is not a complete drama. In fact, you’ll feel there’s something missing at the very beginning, but it only becomes apparent towards the end. There’s several components to a story, and that one thing you’re having that gut feeling is missing in this one, is conflict.

How so? We’ve seen many antagonists introduced, as well as internal and external struggles made out as obstacles in our leads’ way. Poor upbringings, jealousy, underdogs, loss, scandals, defamation, the list goes on. Well, could you really make these things out to be conflicts when even the characters absolutely refuse to?

First we have our favorite little star Yun Jeong. Dimwitted, until she’s not. Inexperienced, until she’s not. Star of the show, until she’s not. Daring, until she’s not. Determined, until she’s not. Damn near mute with multiple medical professionals’ ruling it as so… until, well.

My surprising favorite that deserved closure and proper writing all around, Yeong Seo. I haven’t seen a single thing from the actress until now with this drama, and i can still tell this is easily the best performance she’s put on without needing to see any other. In fact, i won’t even butcher her character here any more than the writing already had. Just know, she deserved much, MUCH better..

Speaking of deserving better, let’s reel in the last few who deserved worse. Despite my unpopular perspective with the Prince of the stage herself, I’ll admit, Moon Ok Gyeong is hands down the most fascinating character that’s completely open to interpretation. She’s a fan favorite to many, both in and outside the drama. To me? She’s the epitome of toxicity and the most subtle portrayal of an antagonist I’ve seen this year. I know that opens alot of doors for discussion, and to be fair, they’re probably not even opened at all had the webtoon been adapted faithfully enough. But we’re going from the abomination they chose to throw out for us to mindlessly consume, and that being my conclusion.

Now here’s someone i feel for certain couldn’t have been redeemed well enough in the original work to make sense of, Ju Ran. Another popular favorite, but i see no logical reason why outside of some piss poor GL teasing. Her storyline was the sole confirmation that cuts that shouldn’t have even been considered , were made. The heavy censorship behind her relations with everyone was adding gasoline to a forest fire. I see no potential redemption of this character in even the webtoon whenever i decide to pick it up. But hopefully I’m wrong.


To make something clear, this drama is by far Kim Tae Ri’s most innovative and expressive role yet. And it’s clear to me now what she’s been going for all along aren’t good scripts, but challenging roles to take her own acting range another step further. Even her weakest work steps all over 95% of the industry, and that’s no exaggeration. She has been my favorite actress in this drama land since I’ve first came across her, and she’s only reaffirmed my obsession with her work and talented eye for scripts here. If you feel even remotely similar about her, you will enjoy every last bit of this drama as i have, minus the rant after, likely.



Jeongnyeon is a successful, aspiring drama that failed as an adaption. Have i read the original webtoon yet? Not a single word. But i know a cut and rushed mess when i see it, as I’ve seen too many at this point. Want to know what else I’m aware of ? My opinion being the minority , as well as my genuine enjoyment throughout watching this series. I can go longer than this run on sentence about this embarrassment of an adaption as much as i can rave about how even Kim’s worst work is better than your fave’s best and you’d be doing yourself the disservice by not trying this title out as any fan of Kim Tae Ri or even Shin Ye Eun.


I applaud the effort of the impressive cast and remarkable production. Our star has yet to dim, it’s just another was born.

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An objectively bad guilty pleasure drama that’s perfect for a cosy weekend watch

I'm perfectly well aware of the fact that I've given this show a much higher rating than it deserves. However, as it happens sometimes, this is one of those reviews that are based solely on personal enjoyment rather than merit.

You see, K2 is like this beautiful vase; it has intricately exotic designs on the outside but its inside is completely hollow and littered with cobwebs. Now, it's up to you whether you want to put it on a shelf and admire its surface beauty or you want to break it into a billion pieces and consequently end up being utterly disappointed by its stark reality. If you're a person who can momentarily cast aside rationale in the face of glitz and glamour, K2 and you would get along just fine but the moment you stop, tilt your head to the side and think; "wait a minute" all possibilities of friendship are out the door.

K2 is almost reckless in its execution, as if it reached a point where logic just didn't matter anymore. It took blatantly unrealistic happenings, a gigantic cluster of plotholes and downright ridiculous notions and attempted to create a story out of them. It's almost like the creators are poking fun at the audience as if they were idiots blanketed in foolish naivete. Events transpire without any build up, there is little to no attention to detail and honestly, it's a huge fast-paced mess.

This drama is like an arrogant brat who does whatever the fuck it wants, confident that it would be successful, still.
A woman in Iraq who's completely covered in a gown and headscarf at all times, without any second thought decides to cast aside her veil and liplock with her hero just because he suggested they should marry. The same woman is somehow extremely fluent in Korean language (even though she has lived all her life in Iraq) and Korean pop culture (even though she's in the middle of nowhere) and conveniently is killed to produce a motive for our male lead to enter the action.
A girl who's had extreme Sociophobia all her life, is suddenly very confidently striking poses with groups of people in the next second. A man who essentially hates power hungry murderers is shown to sympathize with a woman who is exactly that, if not more. There are so many handy plot devices just waiting to pop out from all sides at the very last moment in order to somehow save and prolong the show and it's all quite satirical.

But ofcourse, the smartarse that K2 is; it's completely in the know of all of its flaws and has the audacity to give justifications. The woman could speak Korean so well because she had been taught to be a translator. The girl never had Sociophobia, she just pretended because she didn't want to interact with people. The man didn't feel anything for the murderer, nope, that was just means to an end. And so, K2 commits many crimes and yet, makes sure to cover all the evidence.

The flow of the story, with all of its nonsensical and out of the blue events, is stroppy at best. Many things are left unanswered and this is the kind of production that will have you shake your head with amused exasperation at every second of its antics.
However, despite all this, for me this was a classic case of "it's so bad that it's good" and I somehow ended up thoroughly enjoying myself.

Jee Chang Wook has proved his excellent acting skills numerous of times and here too, he delivered impeccably. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't given much substance to deliver in the first place. His character is unbelievably overpowered, able to survive situations where even a super human ninja would've been obliterated. He has a butter heart, a hero complex and is very motivated to save the world one distressed damsel at a time. Combine that with JCW's natural mixture of masculinity and boyish arrogance and you get a specimen that is too good to be true. And when things are too good to be true, they mostly take a turn for the worse.
It's painfully obvious that the show is highly monetizing on his looks and name; for most of the show is him being either shirtless, flaunting his abs or doing something similarly badass to establish his "coolness". So if you're here to judge JCW's acting this is the last drama you should go to.

As far as I am concerned though, I really didn't care either way. For me, simply watching him is a pleasure, he's my ultimate bias killer and hey, if the producers want to shove mindless fanservice (involving him) down my throat, I ain't complaining.

Yoona turned out to be a pleasant surprise. She's built to play the helpless heroine who always needs saving, who trusts way too easily, cries even easier and basically creates hindrances for everyone around her. The show really tried to suppress her in every possibly way, they didn't give her character a single moment to shine and did everything they could to make her appear helpless and pathetic. However, somehow Yoona managed to turn the tables. Instead of pity, Anna garners sympathy and I would be lying if I said I wasn't rooting for her. There's an intelligence in her eyes that no matter how much of a putz she was portrayed to be, she still succeeded in speaking with the viewers and maintaining a likable character throughout.

And now comes Song Yoon ah- the heart and soul of the show. What an absolutely brilliant actress. She's one of the best k-drama antagonists; utterly ruthless and cruel and yet harboring deep vulnerabilities. She's a viciously dangerous woman and yet, pitiful at times. She's the most layered character of the show and even though she insists upon it, it's almost impossible to truly hate her.

As far as the romance is concerned, even though it's rushed and underdeveloped, there's no denying that Ji- Chang Wook can create chemistry with a garbage bag, if you let him. And if I'm being completely honest, I enjoyed the lovey dovey bits to the fullest. (Aww-ing and Ooh-ing was involved.)

So finally the question arises: If K2 on the whole, has so many shortcomings, why give it an 8.5 rating? Well, in answer to that I'll say, that I just had too much fun watching it. Plain and simple. For me, it was unadulterated amusement- sometimes at its ridiculousness and sometimes at its unabashed negligence. I anticipated every episode and was fully immersed from start to finish.

The K2 is like greasy junk food, you know it can't possibly amount to anything good but you still can't help devouring. With brilliant action scenes, beautiful visuals, entrancing music and a gorgeous cast that actually knows how to act, it is the perfect cheat meal.

Hate it or love it, you'd still end up watching it to the last episode and as far as the drama is concerned- that's a mission well accomplished.

A delectable guilty pleasure, so why not indulge?

Enjoy!

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Typical Contemporary Romance Cdrama

Modern romance drama that revolves around the love story between Chu Li, an aspiring editor, and Zhou Chuan, a highly successful debut author. This was a drama that I had looked forward to ever since they announced the lead pair. I had enjoyed watching Ding Yuxi's "Romance of Tiger and Rose" and really liked Esther Yu in "Find Yourself".

However, what started as a solid 9/10 drama, slowly devolved to 6/10 for me. Mainly because of how absurd the ML's behaviour was. I tolerated his antics in the beginning because I thought he would change for the better as the drama progressed. But, 30 episodes in, he still behaves like a child instead of the 27-year-old adult he's supposed to be. At the beginning of the drama, he treats the FL as his own personal assistant, even his housemaid at times, and no one seems to even point out how wrong this is to the person himself although certain characters do remark upon it. Later, after the leads get together, he continues to demand the FL's attention knowing fully well that she's busy at her job and not ignoring him on purpose. I get that in dramaland this behaviour can pass off as cute but imagine if this happened in real life?

Other than that, my only complaint is that nothing really happens in the drama. This would have been a much better-paced drama if it had been 24 episodes. Instead, we have to wait for more than half the drama, around 18 episodes just for the leads to get together. The drama had nothing new to offer, except for maybe the glimpse into behind the scenes workings of the publishing industry.

Nevertheless, I liked our FL and almost all of the female characters. Their story arcs were much better written, believable and relatable. Chu Li was determined and stood her ground despite how harsh her workplace was to her. Even though I wish we could see Esther Yu in a more serious and not-so-typical role, she played the bubbly and unintentionally funny FL to a tee.

I may be overreacting here, but I'm just really tired of the unreasonable MLs. If you like slow-paced, slice-of-life-ish romances or if you are relatively new to modern cdrama rom-coms then this drama might be for you.

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The Biggest Waste of My Time

This was probably one of the worst BLs I have ever seen. It has a typical fanfiction soulmate plotline, where the two leads meet each other's eyes and immediately realize they are meant to be. The plot itself seemed intriguing. I think they could have gone pretty far with this plot, but their execution was awful.

The main character clearly has some trauma regarding his mother going missing and he vows to never follow his probe. The part I didn't like, however, was the utter lack of explanation on his trauma. What was the point of it being there and clearly having an effect on his perspective when they won't even explain it or go into the tiniest bit of detail? All we know is that the mother disappeared and the kid couldn't remember the color of her headband.

On top of that, the show moves SO SLOWLY and it's only 8 episodes. But then at the end, all of a sudden they throw a bunch of content in that doesn't make any sense. I thought their chemistry would build and it would be fine at the end, but I was very wrong. The actors had no chemistry on screen and they were so beyond stiff. Their kiss at the end was downright painful. Don't even get me started on the acting. The flat, monotonous tone of the second lead was SO painful I can't even put it into words.

Maybe I'm just too critical and I'm being mean, but after watching a bunch of other BLs, even these short ones, this seriously did not compete. The execution of the plot is half assed, the characters are poorly developed, the acting is complete and utter shit, but at least the music is nice. Would I recommend this show? Absolutely not. If you would like, I can give you some wonderful recommendations for other BLs.

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Sometimes really frustrating

There's few things that i would like to address. In the beginning the main leads relationship was amazing. The teasing, tension, chemistry was great.
But the constant lies and deception make me bored, there's no REAL progress because while Ji Bozai already did everything even sacrifice his life for her, Ming Yi on the other hand keep lying, afraid and just crying looking at him while he got divine punishment in front of her eyes. And from there they keep this cycle of breaking up - lying - noble idiocy (sacrifice) - making up again. Even 2nd couple Princess Tianji and Xiao Yan relationship was so much better in the first half, they were angsty, painful, full of yearning and betrayal but got boring so fast when they start getting together.

For immortals and fairy i notice they didn't use their power that much, or is it just me?. For a supposed to be xianxia drama, they rarely fight something and use their power. ML and FL is supposed to be one of the greatest warrior but they're quite easy to defeat for some reason.

The final villain isn't that great either. We know his struggle and painful life but it's hard to sympathize with him because he keep being so delusional until the end. It's like the build up for the final villain isn't that amazing or powerful. The first antagonist was a better villain.

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Being a fan of TMOPB I was hesitant of picking up this one. While it was airing a lot of people complained, but by the time it was over people couldn't stop praising. Hence I ended up picking it up anyway.

Although it would be unfair to compare it to TMOPB, it just doesn't compare. The lore in this version isn't so big or exciting. It is only worth checking out if you like the leads or love stories in general. The overall cast in the 1st part was clearly superior and I found myself somehow missing Zhang Bin Bin the most lol.

PLOT:
It's cute but it gets frustrating seeing the female - Fengjiu being hopelessly in love with Dong Hua. I was prepared to go in for some real heartbreak as I knew DH is a sort of cold person. But man, I did feel so bad for Fengjiu who got her heart broken so many times within the first 10 episodes. It seems largely due to her playful but naive self but it does make you pity her. The mortal realm was surprisingly lighter compared to other xianxia dramas. When they got back to heaven all was fine except the Dream of Aranya sequence. I had to do FF after ep 36ish. The ending was better than expected because at least we got back the main leads back in one piece and the 'separation' didn't last long.

CHARACTERS:
Fengjiu's character growth is what made watching it worthwhile. She's awfully immature in the beginning but beomes much better later on. Dong Hua was also pissing me off for a while - there's only so many smirks one can win me over with. Neither of them seem as badass as Bai Qian or Ye Hua nor they did they have the same chemistry. But overall it was pleasant to watch. I feel like this story was more on the redemption of Di Jun/Dong Hua because I wanted to sit and see him suffer some as well. I feel like in the last installment and this one, it was majorly Fengjiu having to suffer and prove everything. When it comes to the baddies, they all fell flat to me. I didn't even like any of their acting. I'd have to rate it meh in that department.

ACTING:
Oh BOY this is where this drama lacks A LOT. Neither Dilraba nor Vengo were excellent. Dilraba was good because her character was basic and didn't have to have Oscar-level acting. I'd rate Vengo lower because he had this awesome character to play but it fell flat. I did like his "ice face" and "romance face" but I was just not feeling it with the sad parts. I didn't think this role was totally cut out for someone of his level of acting. I would say he is charming at best because, come on - there is only one Dong Hua in this world! But there could have been someone better at acting. (I am treading into dangerous category here and must be offending a few fans)

OVERALL:
I was guaranteed sugary sweetness which I got but I wanted more. The plot was ok, acting was ok and the overall experience was ok. I don't think I ever lost sleep over this as I recall being obsessed over other C-dramas that I have watched. I have seem some people say that this drama wasn't required at all. I could somewhat agree but then I never would have seen the growth of the two leads nor the redemption of Dong Hua (yes, I am calling that because he always seemed cold to me in TMOPB and the initial 10 eps of this drama). I also watched because of Dilraba - I love her and she is very cute and gorgeous at the same time.

Take your pick - watch it or skip it. I can't find many reasons to do either.

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Orginal plot, but messy plot.

Gun's performance always outsells. We expect and he overdelivers. We can clearly see some improvement in Off's acting, which I'm totally here for. Gawin's acting was and continues to be terrible. Honestly, I have yet to see a decent performance by him. Mond was good! Everyone else was ok. The plot was interesting and original, but they made it messy as hell. Coulda and shoulda have been better written. Definetly hoped for more black/white interactions than this. And would have loved to see the development of sean's and black's relationship after they became "family". Yok and Dan's relationship was terrible from beggining to end. And i liked yok's character, although he was clearly too naive at times. (and a lil stalker, tbh).

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JUST WATCHHHH ITTTTTT... IT'S SOOOOOO GOOOD

everythingggggg sooo gooddd.. everyy episode will make you forget all your worries.. their acting, the story, romance level, fluffyness..everything is soo good..this is my best chinese drama i watched till now... soo good.. i cried alot, i laugh alot, i blushed on every teasing he did...i think the best point of the drama is chen zheyuan smile.. its freaking killed me...i feel so proud like a mom when shan zhi finally got his crush love back lol... i think i got into the story so much, now i can't move on from this.. Sang zhi and Duan jia xu got happy ending..my heart is heavy that this drama is over but also happy it's happy ending for them... I swear you will not regret this watching this.everyy episode is so so good.. i smiled so much in every episode..ahhhh why it's end..i miss them soooo much.. besttt modern chinese drama.. i cryyy withh themm, i laugh with them...i was enjoyed every moment of them.. it's feel like i am the part of their storyy.. veryy veryyyyyy recommended...

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I'm crying with joy

OK so This Drama is not one of the best I watched
It's literally THE BEST ONE I watched. Idk If there will be a drama that's gonna overcome this one.
I dont know If there is any TV series that made me smile so much ( that I got smiling lines and I'm unhappy about that 😩 )
Zhao Lusi played her role to well. I was a big fan of her from 2020 but this Drama actually proved everything I thought of her. Her crying is so realistic that sometimes I cried with her . I never knew that someone actually can be that good at acting. Chen Zheyuan ate his role. I have never heard of him before but now I'm a huge fan of him.
Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan are couple that we never knew we needed. I love how their relationship has evolved over time.
The story line is PERFECT there's no lacks.
Every cast proved what skills they have.
I hope there will be season 2 🙏 when they get married and maybe they will have kids.
I highly recommend 'Hidden Love' 🩷
( I Have a big crush on Sang Zhi's Brother ) 🫣

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