Reviews

Terrific scenario spoiled by slipshod storytelling, a problematic protagonist & uneven cast

This should have been an easy slam dunk hit. Lee Dong Wook as a corrupt investigator with a redemption arc, Wi Ha Joon as a looney vigilante and Han Ji Eun as a narcotics detective is a great setup. Layer on the relationship between Soo Yeol and K is all in Soo Yeol's head and there's endless potential for entertainment.

It's potential mostly unrealized unfortunately.

It begins with another corrupt cop as the primary villain. He's all but twirling a handlebar mustache and exclaiming "You'll never catch me! HAHAHA!!!" Sure enough, the initial attempt to bring him to justice fails and he continues his nefarious deeds. But in relatively quick order, he is brought down only to be replaced by a corrupt politician who repeats the mustache twirling, threats of being above the law, failed initial attempts to bring him down and then somewhat surprisingly quick reversal where his malfeasance is brought to an abrupt end. After that, it's another corrupt cop. Or it might be the drug gang enforcer. Or the wild-eyed assassin that works for one of or both of those two. It's difficult to piece together how quickly the show burns through the lineup of villains each of which momentarily appears to The Big Bad only to be sidelined almost as quickly as he had appeared.

Then there's a mind-controlling REAL Big Bad that takes an agonizingly long time to be revealed by which time there's not a lot of time to build to a satisfying climax. It's a frenetic series of arcs through the first half of "Bad & Crazy" that is then swapped for a tedious one.

If the dialogue and character development had perhaps been better fleshed out, perhaps the wonkiness of the plot might have been worth overlooking, but it isn't.

Lee Dong Wook's Soo Yeol flip flops back and forth between spastically fighting with K to pathetically groveling for mercy to scheming for a promotion during all of which the volume is set to 10. It's a disappointing approach as Lee Dong Wook is a masterful thespian at a more dialed down level. But honestly, with the tediously generic and repetitive dialogue ("You crazy psycho!" "You crazy jerk" "You crazy punk" "You psycho"), Soo Yeol was a mess of a character to portray.

Wi Ha Joon was vastly more entertaining as the wildly grinning and mischievous K. Had he been as prominently featured as Soo Yeol, particularly after the first few episodes, this review would likely have been significantly more positive. Alas, Wi Ha Joon is a distant second in screen time.

As for the remaining cast, there's a cornucopia of less than stellar castings (Lee Hwa Ryong), generic characters (Sung Ji Ru, Shin Joo Hwan, Jo Dong In) or promising appearances that turn out to be limited (Park Se Joon, Lee Seo An, Kim Si Ha). On a brighter note, some of the legion of Briefly Appearing as the Big Bad characters (Lee Sang Hon, Won Hyun Joon and espeically Im Ki Hong) are terrifically fun. And Kang Ae Shim and Kim Dae Gon alternate between delivering the most emotional and most comical scenes.

Overall, though, the production fails to realize what could have been and labors to build sustainable intrigue. Not recommended.

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Every vacuous cliché in every vacuous episode

When you’ve already hit the record for maximum clichés in an episode in the first week of broadcasting, you know where it’s going. Recycled cheese.

Accidentally falling into ML’s arms? Check: so many times I lost count.
Toilet joke. Check: in your face x 2
Mean work colleagues. Check: 100% all round.
Ridiculously unbelievable “heroism”— look no rope. Check: (give me strength).
Umbrella in the rain scene. Check x 2
Pulling FL out of the path of an oncoming scooter: Check.
FL carried bride-style for no good reason. Check x 2
Wall to wall, endless, inappropriate PP. Check.

And on and on and on…

I really looked for something original in there but totally failed to find it. (No actually, come to think of it, the fully and explicitly enunciated English language, “What the Fuck!” in Ep 8 was pretty original.) Even compared to other productions in its genre I don’t think it stands up.

The script is the sort of random mess that doesn’t have any highlights except for the obligatory stepping stones of a common or garden romcom which it forces onto the characters regardless of character integrity. It manufactures ridiculous scenarios in order to include endless PP (episode ten was unbearable, just skip it) or linger endlessly on eyes gazing longingly at each other. A teenage dream fantasy fulfilled at least once in every episode and twice on Sundays. I was just sooooo bored.

The majority of the characters were cookie cutters with no discernable defining characteristics and no opportunities in the script to show depth. Were there secondary relationships? Maybe, it was so long between interactions I’d almost forgotten who the characters were.

So is there a saving grace? Well yes there is, but it’s the only one I can find. Fantastic, sizzling chemistry and eye candy. All those years of idol training haven’t gone to waste, Jun Ho is pose perfect in every close up and Yoon Ah knows very well how to melt into an embrace (no ironing boards here). Seeing as that is probably the number one requirement for many viewers it would probably explain the ridiculously high rating for the show (8.4 at time of writing). Will it up the rating as far as I’m concerned? Well… no.

Maybe I’ve missed the point. Perhaps the whole raison d’être of the genre is to be a sucky blanket of repetitive clichés with no discernible plot to showcase pretty faces, and I’m doing that unforgivable thing of criticising something for what it never set out to be. But I’m stupid enough to live in hope that somehow this genre will one day produce something clever, witty, memorable, funny and original. Just give up why don’t you!!

I think my problem is that I really want a funny-romantic sucky blanket too. Who doesn’t? But just not like this. I want something more sophisticated and worthy of the quality of the actors that star in it. ‘Cause I’ve been a fan of Jun Ho ever since “Just Between Lovers” and consider that the guy can act and has taken on some non-standard roles. (He was the only reason for considering watching this in the first place.) I was cringing with secondary embarrassment for both of the leads at least once an episode. Jeez these guys earn their living.

Okay, next time you see a romcom on my Currently Watching list, kindly do me a huge favour and msge me a reminder that I’m going to spend the entire time rolling my eyes and pushing myself to the end of the episode, so not to bother however much I might want to consider it as a reviewer.

What may rating means: 3+ Totally unbearable, but often compulsively watchable as you really can’t believe that it can be this bad.

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Story was not bad, but lack of couple chemistry I guess?

The whole vibe of the story is a bit like vampire/dracula as the main character travels fast, strong and have some sort of power. But I really fancy this kind of story so it is definitely a go-go for me no matter what the rating was.

To summarise what I like and dislike about the show for people who are contemplating whether you should go ahead watching!

Things I liked about the drama:
- Handsome male leads with charming characteristics, I meant both Lee Dong Wook and Kim Beom! (Extremely hopeless 2nd lead syndrome here, Kim Beom SO COOL AND CUTE HERE!!!!)
- Unusual warm-hearted brotherhood
- Exciting fighting scenes with effects (More in the first half of the drama)
- Genre (if you enjoyed fantasy you will like this drama)
- Cute second fox couple too (I prefer them than the main ones)

Things I disliked about the drama:
- Female lead (Honestly she had a pretty good acting but I don't know why I felt she is not so suitable for this role)
- Chemistry between the couple (LDW had a pretty good chemistry with Yoo Inna in previous show but not this one), I don't feel the love between the two hence unable to feel the sadness when they broke apart, which it is actually a huge part in this show.
- Although it is a HE, but some parts of the ending are quite speechless and not well explained. Personally I think they should have just cut short the lovey dovey scenes for the couple and do more explanations on the ending (Please don't read below if you do not want spoiler)
***SPOILER***
I don't understand why they made it so deliberately to kill the 2nd male lead just to save the male lead (when all the bad things have already settled down and back to a peaceful life, yet adding in such scene just because 2nd lead is alive). I understand how they wanted to bring out the brotherhood between the two but it was so unfair that they can sacrifice 2nd male lead life but not the male lead ones, duh. So who is the hero here anyway? Also, no explanation on how male lead return, what happened to him and why he became a fox etc.

Lastly, one word to conclude my review: Overall a nice piece and good story that is worth watching but I don't enjoy the couple that much!

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Great comedy, lukewarm romance, underdeveloped drama…

which means only 1 of the 3 main genres are truly worth your time. And with how serious the topics that fall under “drama” were, I cannot just move past it and enjoy the funny fluff.

For the comedy - they went into it and put all their brain power to make it work, and it truly did. Every episode had at least a couple of jokes that made me laugh and smile. Some were slapstick, some were filly, some were more subtle. I also appreciated at times dry delivery, which was obviously a deliberate choice. The absurdity of some scenes were perfectly used to create comedic moments.

For the romance, that’s just my subjective opinion, but I did not see that much chemistry between Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae. With how in love he was and with how open about sex her character was - there were truly no real sparks going on.

At least the second couple had more dynamic and fun to watch relationship. Gyu Hyun and Ja Yeon were the spark of chaotic fluff and I’m extremely happy we are getting (even though short) a sequel for them.

Then we have the true issue of the writing - a mess that was any and all serious scenes, storylines and plot points. For 12 episodes, they truly tried to have it all without putting in the work and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Hae Yeong and her mother’s relationship was a tragic case of parental neglect of a child's emotional needs, but why at the end did it feel like it was all a “misunderstanding” on FL’s part and her mother “truly loved her”? Why does it feel like the drama is trying to tell me the mother did not really do anything wrong? Why the conclusion to this extremely complex and damaged relationship is the death of the mother? Why was there no real conclusion? The mother was selfish till the end. The mother chose other people over her own child till the end… the mother lied till the end. But now I as a viewer am supposed to forgive and forget because she dies and FL is sad about it? If that’s not it, then what is? Because the drama was not clear what exactly their message here was.

Then we have the issue of Nam Ja Yeon’s abusive father and how they decide to give a close about that story by adding a dildo fight between him and Gyu Hyun… that was just a new level of lows. That was the issue that kept coming back - good comedy, but ill timed comedy.

I also at some point started to see how selfish each and every character was and instead of liking them more with every episode and seeing their growth, they started to annoy me more and more. Some examples: .

For Ji Uk the promise he made as a teenager was more important than being honest to the person he claims to love. With how her whole life something and someone was always more important than Hae Yeong, to now know her partner also chose someone over her… painful.

Hui Seong deciding to not take a DNA test for her child is also selfish. One would assume a child would want to know who their biological father is… I guess it is on brand with overall message of the show: how biological parents don’t give a fuck about their biological kids. Not one good parent in this show… I am honestly impressed.

Overall, I just felt frustrated. They could have had a good pure rom-com with great comedy, but mishandled too many important issues. If you don’t give a clear message of what you want to say, you need to give more details about the circumstances so the viewers can form opinions - it lacks said details. And if you are not willing to put the work and time into developing these stories, don’t make trauma a major motivation and factor for almost all characters…

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Good drama to get out of a kdrama slump

Solid 8.5/10 for me, I watched this and honestly the storyline and actors had me hooked. It takes a while to build up but if you stick with it I promise it gets better. For me this was a very intricately written slice of life drama with romance and some supernatural elements.

I like the fact that this drama sheds a light on more niche professions such as audio / sound engineering and we get to delve into what that really entails in Do Kyung's daily life. I enjoyed learning about the main character's backstories and how they became the way they were. I know a lot of people say the FL, Oh Hae Young is very annoying and behaves like a child but I really loved her character. She was so hilarious and endearing in my opinion. I feel like anyone living her life would lash out and react the way she did. I really resonated with Oh Hae Young's character as she's very strong willed and emotional but unlike others she isn't afraid to hide her emotions. She feels deeply and wears her heart on her sleeve. That for me made her character seem more real / genuine and relatable. You could also tell that the actress Hyun-Jin put her everything into that role – her performance was phenomenal and she truly deserved all the awards she won.

I also loved that this drama highlighted real struggles in peoples day to day lives. I felt connected to each character and came to a better understanding of them as the story unfolded. The chemistry between the leads was amazing I love how they were lowkey the strangers to enemies to lovers trope. They served so hard tbh! I adored how their relationship progressed and when it reached its climax it was like all the emotions and tension between them were palpable through the screen. I love how through all their trials and tribulations you could see the situation from their point of view, understand why they each wanted to let the other go and eventually how their undeniable connection brought them back together.

At first I was weary of pretty Oh Hae Young but then we got to see who she really was underneath her happy exterior. On the surface she looks happy and seemingly has a perfect life but the truth is that she was broken and wasn't raised in a family that loved her / showed her how to love. The sheer irony of the fact that both Hae Young's wanted to trade lives or were envious of the other at some point in time was some excellent writing. I feel like the writers thoroughly thought out the plots, story arcs and found a way to mesh all the character's lives together.

This drama taught me not to judge a book by it's cover and to treat others as you would want to be treated because you really don't know whats going on in a persons life or what they have been through. Additionally the drama emphasized the meaning of friendship, forgiveness as well as love and family relationships (the good, the bad and the ugly)

Other highlights for me included Do Kyung's precarious relationship with his mother and his crazy relationship with his siblings. I particularly enjoyed watching the love story of Jin Sang and Soo Kyung unfold. It took a while but they got there and I was so happy for them at the end.

This drama had me grinning from ear to ear half of the time and I definitely appreciated it for everything it was. I would recommend this to people who are in slumps and don’t know what to watch next. This got me out of my own :)

Thanks for reading and happy watching!

❤️

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My view on this drama is pretty different from others. So I’m prepared that it is not going to receive much appreciation. That is precisely why I chose to review this drama though. I think it’s better to have different opinions as it will help the future viewers.

The story is basically about lovers who are from different times. The writers did an excellent job presenting the time-slip theme in a simple but persuasive way. It was indeed very different from other recent dramas which deal with the same time-slip plot. The efforts and attention put into the little details of the story was admirable. This drama can be an ideal pick for a romance drama fan. The lead characters fall for each other pretty quickly and as a result we get see a lot of affectionate moments through all 16 episodes. However, I personally wished they spent more time on showing us "how they fell in love" than "How much they were in love".
As the main idea is to establish the divine message of ‘love transcending time’, naturally we get to see two different eras-the Joseon time and the modern time. The love story takes place at the modern time so it was pleasant to watch. However, though I love watching Korean historical dramas, I found the Joseon part of the story utterly boring. The ever confused annoying King and the usual negative characters, whose only job is to sit and conspire, failed to add anything surprising to the typical historical premise. And as a result I was tempted to fast forward the Joseon period again and again.

The rest of the characters were pretty well-written. The ones I loved the most were the supporting characters. The naggy manager who is also a sincere friend, the worthless but charming ex-boyfriend who makes a fool of himself all the time, the devoted girl who is ready to sacrifice everything even though her love is unrequited-all were refreshingly likeable. There was good humor and I smiled a lot at the harmless childishness of the characters. When I did finish the drama, however, I felt that something was missing. Although I did enjoy the most part of the drama, it somehow left me unsatisfied. Apart from occasional boring episodes and side-stories, the reason of my discontent was probably the acting.

Yoo In Na did an excellent job as a carefree, lively, cheerful girl. But her acting wasn’t perfect when the she had to act solemn. I’m a girl who cries very easily while watching a drama, but she couldn’t make me cry along with her. I wish Boong Do expressed his love for Hee Jin more through his words, eyes and facial expression than through his lips. There was an alternative reality where Hee Jin and Dong Min gets back together and to be honest (the fans are going to kill me!!) I felt those two had better chemistry. I adored watching their lovely bickering and actually preferred Hee Jin- Dong Min pairing to Hee Jin- Boong Do. The main couple had to endure many supposedly heartbreaking separation but my heart didn’t quite ache for them neither I felt the longing to see them back together. If this was one of my earliest dramas I’m sure I’d have loved it but the problem is I’ve already seen much better ones. I do feel that the main two actors tried their best but their lack of experience was just too visible for me to ignore.

Overall I liked this drama. It made me laugh a lot and I always appreciate decent humor. But for me it lacked the depth which I consider essential to turn a nice story into a great one.

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was mostly a 10/10, but sigh….

was mostly a 10/10, but sigh the plot went downhill after ep 30. I’ll separate my reviews in parts I think

1) first off, in general
- I think the coloring, scenery and cinematography was good and beautiful
- I loved the costume and I really like the hairstyle on FL
- I loved the music
- everyone’s acting was good
- CGi was good to me and fighting scenes too

2) eps 1-29 :

I was hooked at their first encounter. I liked their fighting scene too
Cold ML, that will fall hard and soften, more bubbly flirty FL. Totally my type.
The development and the interactions between the leads was very good to me. How she was following him, flirting with him, him wanting to go way. Them slowly falling for each other. I think their chemistry was very good, their dynamic was also perfect

When ML fell, he fell hard. He would do anything for her.
- After she was imprisoned in that cold prison and they wanted to kill her, hated her. He defended her, went against the other, claiming she was one of Snow city people (one of his people). She was ready to die for him, but no he was gonna save her at all cost. And he did, he took out the demoniac power in her and make her gain spiritual power back. Even the people in snow city, accepted her back
- I have to say, I really loved ML smile and how he looked at her❤️
- She hurt him many times (even if it was intentional or she wasn’t herself). He was never mad at her, he never gave up on her, he knew she wasn’t like that. After she forgot all emotions, he did everything to get her emotions back. It was a bit reversed here it was funny, now it was her who wanted to go away and him not letting her go. Even without her emotions, her heart didn’t forget him, that was good how she had some heartache because of him.
- when she died, that made me so emotional. When he was climbing the stairs, I honestly started crying. He loved her so bad, was ready to do everything to get her back. And then, he sacrificed himself for her, I also cried here. Even the divine dude cry, that was something
FL too, she was ready to die for him and how she literally died for him, giving him the talisman from SMl because she wanted him to live… another heartbreaking moment

In general, their love story really touched me. How much they loved each other, how much they wanted to protect and do anything for each other, even sacrificing their life for each other. I was really feeling their love for each other. They also understood each other. She understood his duty and how important it was for him to protect the world. She wanted to continu protecting the world for him after he died. That episode when Sang Qi when to get her in snow city, he went back to save the village instead of saving FL right away. She understood. Like him, knew what she wanted

At the beginning I liked the friendship with SML even if later on I hated this guy… No one can make me like him

Bao was so cute, I loved every interaction with FL

Never really dislike the SFL and I liked the development and how they formed a friendship. We didn’t get much, but I like the little love story with Fu Lang

I think the story was flowing nicely and well writing, I think the plot was engaging for the most part, maybe a bit more slow in snow city, but still enjoyed it.
There was really good other parts to me, like :
- How they went with FL being the caos pearl, that episode where they revealed this and the flashbacks, I really loved that episode, think it was well written
- the time travel was well done
- how it was ML all along, when we saw it was him that went back in the past to meet FL when she was a kid and he was her ge ge all along. How it was actually her who saved his life too in the past
- Sang Qi : I liked his story later on, I truly felt bad for him when we learned what happened. the betrayal and the misunderstanding… a tragic love story. She ended her life because she thought he was dead and didn’t wanna be forced to marry someone else. When he learned she never betrayed him… Then he sacrificed himself for FL, he was like a father to her even if he did hurt her more than once, can’t deny that. I liked this ending for him
- Fu Lang parents : I liked how they showed a bit their story and spend some screentime on them. They were bickering and all that, but in the end, truly loved each other. Their last few moments make me emotional and cry a bit, another tragic love story…
- the other couple in the forest : that was seriously such a depressing story. Her, reliving the same day forever ? him, her shadow accompanying her all the time, but never being able to see each other. How she never knew he actually loved her. A misunderstanding from the past that will not be solve… how they introduced the the dude and how you can go there and make a wish, how it all link to later on when he went there to save FL.

3) ZM and pearl (past life)

That was definitely too long…

There was some cute moments between the leads, but don’t think it was well written to really feel their story. Screentime wasted on more useless things too

Interesting how ZM personality was

I like the little time on second couple, tragic end. How they were also like fated and meet again/fell in love in their second life. How what they wished for the other came true.

Probably exaggerating😅😅 but too much importance on FL and SML story that I honestly didn’t give a damn about, could have cut some moments of that. I’m the last 10 eps, felt more like FL and SML story than FL and ML

Only thing that I think was somehow interesting in this was how everything was fake, the fake memories regarding ZM actions in the book of fate and in ZM + everyone memories. Also FL going over there and crashing out killing all of them after ZM imprisonment was cool😎 and then giving like f**k you to SML was satisfying

Will finish the last arc another day, the most disappointing part of the drama…

4) last arc in the present + ending :
Weeks later ahaha should I finally finish this review 😂 what did I even wanted to say, gonna go in general, it’s far in my mind

They changed the sypnosis, wish it was this one since the beginning, it was misleading… it was something like « she uses the power of love to blah blah blah… after ML comes back as the demon Lord » this is not what happened. This was something that really disappointed me : they really separated past and present. Mu Xuan Ling and Pearl never became one, just like both version of ML (even if maybe they did at the very end…). I thought this would be about both of them like merge, being both and loving both of the other lead version. But no, after XXC died and his soul got back to ZM, she was like he his dead, etc… I thought she would go to the demon world to help him, fight for him because in the end he is still XXC and both of the version her 2 self loved, but that never happened. Don’t know if I am being clear😂😂 I was excited about demon ML, but that was disappointing in the end. Didn’t like how they went with the plot in the last few episodes and the sparks and love for the romance between the leads I was loving was mostly gone

SML was still annoying as hell. When she saved him by giving him half her power🙄🙄 I know why she did it, but just no girl. He’s still the one who did all that in the past and literally caused your death and the death of the person you love. it’s also like she could somehow recognized/accept him as NXY and TMS, but not XXC and ZM? Why again making the SML have some kind of hero dead, rolling my eyes… Cdramas writers have been doing this lately when the SML doesn’t deserve it.

Classic annoying 5 min happy ending that gives nothing. Honestly when she said « who are you » (I think that’s what she said, it’s been a while), I rolled my eyes again, it shouldn’t matter, but showing again how they really separate the characters. This could have been at the middle of the episode, I can agree it was still a beautiful scene under the tree and the come back to the tree blossoming and then could have giving us an aftermath… like them living happily, a wedding, I don’t know anything!!!!! Most writers have 0 imagination and don’t wanna give what watchers actually want

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So I just want to start off by saying I didn't hate this melodrama but I am disappointed. I agree that there was a lot of unnecessary scenes and not enough romance between Nan Sheng (Qiao Man) and He Ping. I also found the ending to be nonsensical, after regaining her memories how could Nan Sheng be so cold and unforgiving towards He Ping yet be so forgiving towards Hansen who essentially kidnapped her and lied to her about her identity and didn't even try to find her family, as well as Qiao Feng who essentially used Nan Sheng to replace her own dead sister, how in the entire world could Nan Sheng feel comfortable going anywhere with that psycho? Did she not care at all how He Ping and his mother felt? I understand her feelings towards Shen completely because how dare you act all buddy buddy and like everything is normal after you killed my daddy and only come clean when you thought I was dead and as for Ah Li, she should've been to prison so many times like it was all so unrealistic and it shouldn't of taken till the very end to regain her memories that's not even reasonable. Barcelona and all the flashbacks absolutely meaningless, Luo Chen another psychopath, I honestly thought he was going to be the one to solve the mystery but he was just useless and annoying I didn't get his deal at all. I liked this drama because it kept me interested but it was rather frustrating, I would like a S2 solely for the purpose of rewriting a better story that makes sense because there's no way a man who I don't know (Hansen) can tell me "Oh yeah I actually found you long ago but I was so infatuated with you that I didn't even bother to try to find your family or friends, instead I wanted to wear you down so you'd marry me, I don't care if you ever loved me", and me being like "Oh ok, let's go back to Barcelona." Meanwhile the love of my life and my mother who have mourned me and my father for years I leave them without a word? Who would do that? That makes no sense and then in the end He Ping goes to Barcelona to see her and they have a silent conversation with their eyes and she thinks "He Ping, I missed you." Girl what??? So a S2 is definitely in order or a remake of this drama because it was good but also extremely awful. I don't blame the actors they could only do so much with this script, I wish I could've taken part in writing the adaptation of the book, it would've certainly turned out better than this.

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How to suffer successfully.

This is a truly epic fantasy xianxia romance spanning three realms that is heavily imbued with characters, cosmic rules and hierarchies, black and white magic and other elements from Chinese mythology and legend. Even though many of the themes are familiar, they are brilliantly woven into a riveting and memorable fantasy fairy-tale of how all beings - deities, demons and humans are capable of good and evil; no one is immune from love and hate and all the emotions in between. We are all different and yet still the same.

After an devastating war, both the demon lord and god of war disappear and peace returns to the realms. A thousand years later, Chu Xuanji is born into the Chaoyang Sect; one of the righteous cultivating sects. At an elite martial arts tournament, she meets Yu Sifeng, the rising star and heir apparent of the mysterious Lize Palace. A strong bond of friendship is formed between the younger generation that leads them on many adventures as they pledge to help Xuanji recover shards of a magical artifact that can restore her six senses. In doing so, they set in motion a chain of events that can lead to the return of both the god of war and the demon lord and once again bring chaos to the realms. They also uncover secrets of their past incarnations and conspiracies that follow them to the present.

Where this xianxia stands out from the other huge xianxia hits of past years is that there is a very well written external plot that is not just there to facilitate the love story. Both the internal and external plot are very well woven together and are mostly evenly paced so that both plot lines converge into a very satisfying and climatic ending. In fact, the external plot is much more intriguing and balanced than the love story so I urge you to resist spoilers and just enjoy the gradual reveal of the backstory and the way it impacts many of the main characters. Although this director still cannot seem to restrain his excessive love of angst, at least in this drama the internal plot did not manage to destroy the external plot as it did in Under the Power. Indeed I personally enjoyed the external plot and colorful surrounding characters much more than the love story notwithstanding the sparkle between the leads.

As for the love story, well it has all the hallmarks of a xianxia hit - it is an extreme and obsessive love story that transcends many lifetimes and thousands of years and is undaunted in the face of challenges by more powerful beings from the three realms. Phew! Exhausting! The chemistry between the OTP is undeniably both sizzling and moving. It does not hurt at all that both actors smooch with an enthusiasm rarely seen in these kinds of shows. But the way the relationship is written is too unbalanced with Sifeng taking way too many hits for Xuanji. Most of the angst takes place in episodes ~40s+ which is late in the game and after the couple already goes through many experiences that should cement their mutual trust. So for Xuanji to be so easily swayed and manipulated makes her character regress and seem just not smart (as opposed to heartless). To deal with her so shabbily just so that Sifeng (who had already gone through so much), can spit blood a few more times is unnecessary and excessive. Within the most angsty arc, the drama indulges in flashbacks and digresses into boring one dimensional characters (e.g. Yanran) with little plot advancement. Everything comes together again in the final 6 episodes that culminates in one of the most engaging and strongest finishes I have seen in a long time. It would have been much better had they explored some of the threads in the last 6 episodes earlier and in greater depth.

As the backstory is revealed, it is evident that Xuanji is an old soul that experienced a lot of trauma that still echoes from her past incarnations and restrains her emotional development. This doesn't really come out until the end because while the main cast is really quite exceptional, Yuan Bingyan is the weak link. She did an amazing job as the young and artless Xuanji and as Xuanji in love with Sifeng but was not able to mature the character or convey some of the rage, torment from her past incarnations that haunts her character nor can she fully convey the inner conflict Xuanji experiences when forced into heart wrenching choices. This becomes most apparent at the end when stacked up against the more nuanced and compelling portrayals by Cheng Yi, Li Xinze and of course Liu Xueyi as the drama draws to an emotionally epic climax at the end.

I know Cheng Yi is by far the fan favorite and is in a completely different league in terms of his acting skills and his unforgettable portrayal of Sifeng's indomitable love and the unthinkable suffering he goes through for Xuanji. This character and this actor is a true example of how to suffer successfully, spitting blood so painfully beautifully time after time that it never fails to fan the flames of rabid fandom to new heights. While he is a truly amazing actor, I think it is actually Liu Xueyi's Haochen that is the anchor of the entire production. I know this is an unpopular and uncommon view but the truth is this drama begins and ends with this character. He must be one of the most manipulative, duplicitous, hypocritical and universally hated villains out there that I still can't help feeling pity for. Liu Xueyi's acting is truly phenomenal from his portrayal of an arrogant high deity who can't even see that he has fallen in love to his conscious acknowledgement that he has strayed from the right path but keeps on going nonetheless. The complexity of his emotions, the suppressed fury when he is thwarted and the inner conflicts he experiences is effortlessly and subtly conveyed with the twitch of a facial muscle, a flicker of an eyelid or a tiny tightening of the lips. In his own way, he suffers as much as Sifeng but obviously not as successfully - probably because he swallows and bottles up all that venom and suffering instead of spitting it right out like our Sifeng. I will leave you with one final thought - love him or hate him, we must thank Haochen. Because if he did the right thing to begin with, there would be no love story.

While for me this falls short of a masterpiece, there is so much more to it than a smoking hot love story and it is so rare to get such a good villain that is complemented by such an outstanding cast. The production value is very high and they did a fabulous job with the CGI. When I finished watching it, I felt like it was a 9.0 but unfortunately a year later, I was never even tempted to re-watch any part of it so I downgraded this to an 8.5/10.0.

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In this one, the bad guys are despicable, the main actor is always covered in bruises, and things rarely make great solid sense.

Nonetheless -

GOOD - (EYE CANDY) Lets face it, if you're a fan of Kim Hyun Joong, you're going to watch this drama regardless. Eye candy-wise there will be a few more surprises, mainly Song Jae Rim, and not only him. BTW Kim Jae Wook is there for less than half of the series.

GOOD - (ACTION) If you love action, different styles of combat and disciplines, then perhaps you will like this drama. Theres a lot of fighting.

BAD - (STORY/WRITING) The story had so much potential, its a huge pity the writing wasn't at all up to par. It wasn't as bad the first 10 episodes, but then they switched writers, and subsequent episodes dragged and lacked logic, production value also became worse.

MEHHH - (ACTING) The casting wasn't bad. The acting itself was phenomenal coming from some of the actors. KHJ has improved as well... although he's still not amazing. Problem is, the acting is greatly exaggerated.. as in a lot of moments are over-acted. Its a bit awkward...

OVERALL - Watch for the eye candy and the fighting. Do not watch if you like a solid story, humor, goose bumpy romance or fast paced storytelling.

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Living for Tomorrow

Tomorrow tells the story of a select band of Grim Reapers who perform the exact opposite of the Angels of Death’s conventional job description as we know it. They don’t accompany the souls of the dead to the afterlife but instead seek to ensure that the souls remain very much intact in their current lives. In other words, their sole purpose is to prevent folks (who are intent on dying) from dying.

Presented in an episodic format with a series of standalone cases - each story that comes complete with its own unique themes and ambience - against the backdrop of an overarching mystery that spans several centuries in the making. This tale of urban fantasy masterfully blends light comedic undertones with extremely sensitive and serious subject matters, such as the prevailing issue of suicide as well as potential triggers like sexual assaults and violence.

It is not all doom and gloom however as it provides the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” by instilling a hopeful and inspiring closure to each featured case that this supernatural team attempts to resolve, at times with adorably hilarious consequences but for the most part, are stirringly emotive.

Based on the 2017 Naver webtoon of the same name by Llama (her nom de plume), this MBC production is helmed by Kim Tae Yoon (his first drama) and Seong Chi Wook (Kairos). The screenplay adaptation is written by Park Ran (What’s Mama) as well as Park Ja Kyung and Kim Yu Jin in what is their first ever drama script. Jo Seong Woo and Won Ho Kyung serve as music directors. Principal photography took place at several iconic locations, amongst others that include Seoul’s Dongjak Bridge, MBC Global Media Center, Yongin Daejanggeum Park, and Jung-gu Freedom Hall.

A total of 5 songs are released as part of the drama’s OST, as follows:

Seunghyup Lee ( N.Flying ) - Red Light
Ahn Da-eun - Don't Leave My Side
Suran (SURAN) - When My Loneliness Calls You
Yoo Hoe-seung ( N.Flying ) - Still love you
Ben - My Only One

What I Liked

Without delving too much into the psychological and mental illness aspects, and having not read the source material, I’m just going to comment on the drama based on its own merits and also the entertainment value that it brings as a webtoon adaptation.

To be honest, this drama is deceptively more profound than I initially expected. It starts off comical and lighthearted before steadily tugging at the heartstrings with the emotions and finally evolving into a full fledged sob story (or stories, for that matter). I usually avoid sad and depressing content, which this drama has plenty of, but I appreciate the way that these elements are conveyed and the overall narrative is one that is ultimately positive even if the viewer has to experience the whole gamut of negativity along the way, if that makes sense. The presentation is powerfully captivating and inducive of no small amount of tears.

Among all the individual cases presented, my personal favourites would have to be the earlier ones involving the singer-songwriter and the old army veteran. That is not to say the others are not as good but rather they are compelling in a somewhat more sobering and gut-wrenching manner. I don’t want to scare people off watching this show but you have to be emotionally and mentally prepared for what is to come.

In terms of the production values, Tomorrow is a high quality offering that utilises many special effects, for obvious reasons and which are decently rendered. I love the aesthetic intro which is accompanied by the stylish opening theme. The costuming aspect is nicely done with a range of contemporary, futuristic and traditional (Joseon) outfits. I particularly like the FL’s styling as well as the overall set-up of the Grim Reapers’ appearances. The classy touch to the design and set-up of their headquarters alongside the more unsophisticated workplace of the Risk Management team provides an interestingly vivid juxtaposition to the roles of the various factions of Grim Reapers in the story.

The extensive cast for this show provides some memorable performances indeed. Kim Hee Sun’s Goo Ryun is a character that possesses more layers than meets the eye at the beginning. There is a remarkable duality in her evolution from being the cold and inexpressive leader of the team to one who is emotionally vulnerable yet enduringly resilient. Rowoon is the biggest surprise for me by showing that since his recent appearance in The King’s Affection, he has grown by leaps and bounds in this show as the ML, Choi Joon Woong. I still think comedy would suit him best but there is certainly potential for versatility and further improvements.

Perhaps the most intriguing portrayal of all is provided by Lee Soo Hyuk as the antagonistic Park Joong Gil. This man would make an excellent villain in any production but he is convincing as an extremely grey character with anti-hero vibes as well. Yun Ji On rounds off the main cast with his depiction of the stoic and deadpan Im Ryung Goo.

Certain supporting and guest cast members are worth mentioning for their unforgettable appearances, including veteran Jeon Moo Sung as the ex-soldier Lee Young Chun, the adorable child actress Noh Ha Yeon, Min Ji Ah who plays Ryung Gu’s mother, and Kim Young Ok as Lee Jeong Mun, just to name a few.

Final Thoughts

I was left breathless at the end of it all. Tomorrow doesn’t really warrant major criticism, in my humble opinion. Perhaps the slight comedic tone might come across as subtly jarring, at least at the start, but that general sense of levity eventually evaporates into something intensely complex and deeply heartfelt, if not agonisingly heart-wrenching. A drama worthy of recommendation but not without due preparation and ample supply of tissues.

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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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An alchemy of genres that went a bit wrong

Take a dose of a classic shonen anime trope and mix it with romcom. Then add some wuxia elements and for the cherry on top, give a historical kpop-like styling and wrap it with a high-quality production. What you’ll end up with, is Alchemy of Souls.

Alchemy of Souls (AoS) is a weird combination of many different tropes & genres which make it definitely stand out as a very unique drama. I believe that’s partly why it gained popularity and is loved by many; it has its own special charm.

AoS is easy to watch and overall, an enjoyable-entertaining ride. It may consist of 20 episodes, but it can be easily binged if you feel like it. Watching this drama while it was airing and discussing events and theories with other watchers made the experience a lot more fun. Thus, I highly recommend watching this drama with company.

~The Story~

Even though I quite enjoyed the drama, story wise I had many issues that disappointed me and I wanted to highlight. The story had a very promising beginning but unfortunately, as unique was the style of this drama, as shallow the story ended up to be.

~~The main concept: body sifting

NOTE: If you don’t mind spoilers, read the first review’s spoiler comment for more details about this matter.

As a concept is nothing new, yet if it’s done right, it can make the story extremely interesting. In AoS the rules/grounds of body sifting are very interesting yet the concept of it somehow lacked.

Firstly, biologically speaking it has plot-holes. Since it’s a purely fantasy drama, I didn’t get bothered by it, I just found it funny. With that move though, it was made clear that what really matters in this concept is the soul and not the body. But did any other actions show that the soul matters more than the body? Well, in general I didn’t feel like they did.

When you play with such themes you have to constantly remember where the soul is coming from and its original form, especially if that form comes back eventually. You have to make clear that a soul is “parasitizing” a body. This can be succeeded with several directing-writing ways. In AoS when at first this “parasitizing” was clear at first but started to get blurry from both the directing and writing side.

From the directing aspect, I wanted more audiovisual stimuli of the original soul’s form. From the writing, I wanted to see the persona I was promised this soul has and its gradual development-changing and confliction, which weren’t really shown. This leads me to my next issue.

~~ Development: Plot & Characters

Some would say that AoS is a slow-burn drama. I would say that to characterize a drama like this, the plot has to move, unlike AoS where honestly, the plot is moving slower than Flash the Sloth from Zootopia. Don’t get me wrong though, AoS is an eventful drama, just most of these events don’t escalate the storytelling, they are fillers.

These filler events were mainly comedic & romantic scenes. The writers made sure they gave the audience a decent amount of juicy funny and romantic scenes which provided exclusive entertainment and made the viewers get more attached with the characters. These scenes didn’t offer anything to the plot, so as the drama was running out of episodes I was wondering “I’m having a good time watching, but what about the story?”. From one point onwards, I couldn’t but constantly get the feeling that the writers wanted to win over viewers’ hearts and extend the series as much as possible rather than make a consistent story.

AoS is a fantasy story that has its mysteries. These mysteries made the story very intriguing to watch and many viewers started theorizing about what would happen next. Sadly, even the mysteries didn’t escalate as they should. For example, one of the main mysteries, which was also a very important part of the story, was noticed and solved pretty early in the story process. Yet, it was “explained” so late to the point that when the director finally presented it as a very intense revelation, it didn’t feel intense at all, because it wasn’t anything new.

About the characters, some of AoS them had likable personalities, others didn’t and very few of them had multidimensional personalities. Many characters were just used as mere plot-subjects, love interests or/and they were very important parts for the story but they were never fully explored. About character development, the two protagonists barely had any, and in fact, they were predictable. It’s really funny how static the characters were when the drama consists of 20 episodes with a duration more than an hour each.

The universe of AoS is very well created, I would gladly see another story from the same universe. But about the character relationships of this universe, everything was predefined, everything was forced. From the start it was made clear who are the bad ones, who are the good ones. Even their appearances and acting were decisive. There was no room for doubt, everything was black and white without them getting mixed and creating a gray area, even if the good guys sometimes did the same things as the bad ones.

~Conclusion~

AoS is a drama in which you’ll enjoy the journey (individual moments) but not the destination (the overall story process). The story started really well but lost its main focus as the episodes were passing. Despite that, AoS can turn out a very good drama depending on what you are looking for. If you want to have a good time, laugh and you don’t really care how the story will turn out, then watching AoS is a very good option. If you want a story with more depth, escalation and more complex writing, then AoS is not what you are looking for.

I would also advise you to not have high expectations while watching AoS, you will enjoy it more that way. I believe the main reason I ended up really disappointed at the drama was that due to the amazing first episodes, I set the bar too high and I expected a lot from its story. In the end, the drama didn’t satisfy my high expectations and I was let down. I want to believe that the second season of AoS, writing wise, ends up better than the first one so the final taste this drama leaves in my mind is a more positive one.

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I will say this before anything else. Everyone please stop complaining about the Chinese ban. Yes, it's horrible and irritating. But on the flip side, I think TPTB who are doing this work are doing an amazing job and I'm freaking thankful that China is allowing them to do this AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL work. I don't know about you but I have an imagination. The acting and chemistry between the characters with the writing is so well done that I don't need sex to get the idea. I'm currently watching the Japanese drama Todome no Kisu (Kiss That Kills). There is so much kissing--it's unbelievable. The most romantic, where all of who were watching our hearts skipped a beat was when the lead characters hugged each other. The guy grabbed her and she was like...do you want to kiss, are you sure you don't want to, and he's like no...I want to hold you. We just died. It's not about the sexuality people, it's about the emotions and relationship.

China ONLY shut down the sex on the drama and kissing, but they didn't shut down ANYTHING else and that's what we were given by the writers en masse. This drama was brilliant. I truly loved it. All the boys in this drama are extraordinarily gorgeous. I have no clue in what pits of hell they found them, but dear lord all mighty. I have always said...on the level of hotness when it comes to East Asian guys---Koreans are on the bottom. The ranking is Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, and then Korean. The Chinese guys all looked like hot vampires with abs and shit and moved in slow motion.

Anyway, all the pairings made sense. Xia Yao and Yuan Zong came together because YZ's sister, Yuan Ru, has a thing for Xiao Yao. As a note, Xiao Yao, rolls with a bunch of his co-wealthy rich kids Xuan Da Yu and Peng Ze. All three of them are of a long line of royalty. XDY has a thing for XY---of course. PZ has a thing for a girl but rolls with a guy to get a girl---irony. Anyway YR asks YZ to get involve to help her with XY---you usually get your friend not your bro (who then seems to be rather psychotically obsessive over XY)...makes no sense---irony again.

However, the greatest irony of it all is that rather than being irritating, nonsensical in some respects; it's truly romantic and you connect with the romantic end of the story). You then understand the story. You want all of the male characters to advance bravely towards their respective partners in their respective relationships; and you want their respective relationships to advance bravely in society.

The drama's title gives way to the ultimate meaning the character's relationships progress go through in the story. I do feel that Peng Ze's relationship was the one that was forsaken in the story. It could have been because his partner was not only the youngest but also the one that looked the most feminine of the group. That would have been a dangerous one to portray on screen too much. I think TPTB could have sold it...but I can see why they kept it at the minimum, but at least they put it in there. PZ's kid is like 21 to everyone else's 27 or so and YZ is 31.

Of course, I'm going to love the second pairing---just like I did with 2 Moons, Xuan Da Yu and Wang Zhi Shui. Slow build up...not enough air time when they did get together. They fulfilled the need both of them were seeking. I liked that Wang Zhi Shui was the most persistent. I don't know why I see them as such a long term couple that I would watch for eternity. I would love to see them with their own short series. I'd like to see Wang Zhi Shui interact with Xuan Da Yu's family if they do show up---his continuous bouts of fear of rejection. Ditto for Da Yu dealing with Zhi Shui's possible nightmares and fears and his backstory which we REALLY don't know all that much about.

AB is great and I recommend it to all.

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