It is a short but oh so packed with cuteness and OH MY GOSH scenes. The main leads in my opinion, have great chemistry! The main guy, Jae Won, is your ideal boyfriend; caring, sweet, cute (haha in all ways,mind you he loves his bear slippers and bear apron) and all other good stuff. There was no episode where I did not squeal, well probably there was err when that shameless ex of hers is on the screen.
But anyhow, I highly recommend this drama to my fellow viewers who's looking for a romance fill in, as this definitely did the job for me. I hope that my future man will do that kind of dating course for me!!!
Overall, I give this drama an A- ;as the acting was good, story is not so out of the ordinary but I liked the concept of the whole Wednesday 3:30 pm project, casts were good (cute chemistry between the leads), phasing of the drama was perfect and last but not the least, this drama had cute OST too
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This review may contain spoilers
I’ve spend so much time watching this drama, that I decided I should at least write a review. As I want to do it thoroughly, it might be a tiny little bit spoilerish, so if you don’t want to know anything about the plot before watching, please consider not reading this review.First of all, the description can be a bit misleading, if you were hoping while choosing it that it will be a romantic comedy, you can end up being disappointed, because it’s back to back a family melodrama. If you consider it as such, this it will be a valuable watch.
What I found interesting about Korean family drama is that, while telling a story, it touches upon social and cultural issues between the lines, which makes me feel I’m learning something about Korean culture. (like I didn’t know how common racism was or how difficult it was for people in Korea after the war until I watched Ojakyo Brothers).
As for this drama what I really enjoyed how it broke some usual rom-com cliches and focused on development of heroines. Tropes like divorcing unfaithful husband despite having a child and then struggling with getting the once successful single life back together. Or marrying just for love and not sacrificing your career for it. These all was very interesting and fresh for me to see in a drama, especially in context of Korean society,which seems still pretty conservative (Disclaimer: I’ve never been to Korea nor do I know well any Koreans :[ so it’s only based on what I read or watched so I might be wrong). You could also see that it indeed cause some struggles between generations with grandma telling her granddaughter to forgive her husband and go back to him, or in mother- daughter-in-law differences. What was also interesting that it showed ajummas in some untypical light as well. Scene when Omounii, who was always sacrificing for her family, goes on shopping spree and buys high-end clothes for herself because “she deserves that” was simply priceless. I also really sympathized with the story of Joon Ho’s mother - I mean the male lead’s mother, in most dramas a character designed to be hated- she really got my deep compassion with her story of finding the sense in your life, when your family doesn’t care for your efforts anymore.
I really liked the characters of the sisters. Jeong Ae, who despite her mild character, didn’t weaver and was able to follow through her decisions. Joo Shin who was at the same time fierce and caring, never letting anyone to put her down.
I liked Soon Shin very much too, although she was a vulnerable character at first, not confident at all and a real give-upper -which can be pretty annoying, she really grew as the drama progressed and wasn’t afraid to speak out her feelings and resolve misunderstandings. Besides IU is so adorable and natural in her acting and such a cute and funny girl, that it’s impossible not to like her.
In the romantic department it was pretty interesting as well. Very pleasing actually, because every girl got a guy, that was really well suited for them. What was really interesting and not often seen in a drama- it was guys who chased after the girls, not the other way around. So if you’re looking for such development, this drama won’t disappoint. Because they chased after them faithfully and continuously, and they are really great and considerate guys to be chased by.
And yes we have our usual “CEO”, but he’s not usual at all! The official description could not be more wrong about him, because he is not “over confident, arrogant and coldblooded” in any way! If anything he’s selfconsious, adorably clumsy, very smart, independent and caring. I don’t know how Jo Jung Suk did it, but he played his character extremely believably, so Joon Ho seemed like an awesome, but still real-life man, not some made-up arrogant CEO, worshipped by everybody around. What I also about him was his backstory, that he wasn’t a second generation cheabol as usual, but a self-made man, who wasn’t afraid to go against his parents wishes, and after many hardships became successful on his own. He showed the same resilience throughout the drama and always made his own decisions, which I really enjoyed, even if he messed up sometimes.
It was really sweet to see how much he cared for Soon Shin and always supported her both in her career and as a shoulder to cry on. It is one of the most cutest and realistic relationships I’ve ever seen in a drama with both people really wanting to be together and supporting each other. IU and Jung Suk are a great pairing, you couldn’t feel the age difference between them, especially with Soon Shin being quite cheeky towards teppunim and him falling heads over heels for her. They really have a great dynamics and chemistry, and their scenes together were always enjoyable without being overboard. I became a fan of Jo Jung Suk after this drama, somehow he stands out among other Korean actors, because he’s very natural, has great expression and doesn’t take himself too seriously. And he was just too cute, when he looked at Soon Shin, telling her she’s beautiful
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1This review may contain spoilers
Important Representation
I'm not gonna lie this is mainly going to be me giving opinions about the asexual rep found in this movie, since I'm an asexual myself. I'm going to try not to spoil things, but if you want to go in blind stop reading here, just go watch it becuse tl;dr this movie is good and the ace + poly rep is A+.What makes me super happy about this movie is that beyond just being excited to see myself on screen, my identity was talked about in a caring, knowledgeable manner. I was worried going into this that they'd present the "solution" to the problem in their throuple as Minho just having sex with them regardless. Thankfully that wasn't the case, and we got good discussions about his boundaries, and what he was curious about/the things he wanted to try with them and what things were most likely off the table. The power was always in Minho's hands.
Side note, the first scene where we see he likes to take pictures of his partners was actually a really nice detail! The indication that he had aesthetic attraction towards them and expressed this through photography was something I appreciated. Some people who are trying to give asexual representation sometimes don't acknowledge the split attraction model, so seeing this director understand that he can still have aesthetic attraction was really nice.
Honestly, Minho is probably one of the best aces i've seen portrayed, because while he shone a light on the asexual experience, it never felt like an "Asexual 101" that some characters devolve into. He wasn't a vague ace, but he also wasn't a "teaching prop" ace. You could see him as a proper, fleshed out person. We saw him talk about his boundaries, we saw him express his love in other ways, he talked about his curiosity, and even the moments where he hated himself rang painfully true.
To talk about his partners, there's one whose name I didn't catch but don't have much to say on. He was the calm, caring one who was attuned to the feelings of both of his partners, and was definitely the glue. As for Seongjin, his behaviour at the beginning initially bothered me, because his frustration came out in the form of slight aphobia. Not in a strong sense, he knew what asexuality was and acknowledged that was part of who Minho was and he loved him, but he was was often frustrated that there were so many things Minho didn't like him doing and verbalized it and that made Minho sad which made the other partner upset as well. The more I watched though, I could see that it was because Seongjin's love language was physical contact, and so was at a loss of how to express his love towards Minho when kissing and sex were taken off the table. That wasn't put forward like an excuse, but I did understand the reasons behind his behaviour better. This died down later anyways as they all began to strike a balance, discovering the other ways they can all express their love for one another.
Is it odd to say the ending made me tear up a bit? I just really liked the fact that Minho wanted to try something, and felt safe to ask his partners to help him explore this. It was a great moment full of so much love..
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This review may contain spoilers
I admit that the first major half of the series I was actually invested, and I wanted to continue, but there were so many little things that kept bugging me. I'm listing them as follows:1) The Characters and the Insufficient Backstory: I couldn't sympathize with most of the characters because there was just not enough depth in flashbacks to make me feel for them. For example the relationship between Seo Hui and Sang Hun seemed really empty to me, considering he had spent so much time abroad, and when he returned he didn't live with her. He kept some heavy, HEAVY secrets from her and she was basically clueless about everything. If their relationship was that bad, I can't see why she was so desperate to find him, especially if she even suspected that he was cheating on her. It just didn't add up. The relationship between Sang Hun and his step-father wasn't really explored in depth either. I don't know what made Sang Hun think that his stepdad would care much if he got kidnapped or mutilated. I mean the old man basically stopped caring after the eye was discovered at the news agency, and he was ready to shut down the investigation for the son. The relationship of Yeong Min and Seo Hyun (the reporter) was so out of the blue, unnecessary and superficial that I didn't know what to think. The relationship between Yeong Min and Sang Hun wasn't satisfactorily pursued either, since Yeong Min's feelings were actually very complex but not explored at all.
2) The Disbelief in the Storyline: I'm sorry but I just can't imagine that any human being, any sane person, even a dying man would willingly suggest that his limbs be cut off, and that other 'sane' human beings, especially a brother-like relation would agree to do it. I can't believe Sang Hun would do it thinking it would help stop his stepdad who clearly stopped caring at one point. I also can't believe he would make his own wife undergo this torture, keeping her in the dark about all of this, knowing how she would feel upon discovery of his severed foot, hand, eye and then the heart. That last organ was a bit too much. What friend/brother can take out his brother's heart? without the proper tools or the know-how? I mean, is it that easy to extract a human heart that any lay person can do it without going stark raving mad? I can't forgive that Sang Hun made Seo Hui undergo all of this just so that the bill would be stopped and there was no guarantee that it would be stopped. And that last minute 'oh Sang Hun is dying anyway so it's all good' was very offensive I mean it was just meant to make it all convenient.
3) The Cliche: Corrupt old men covering up their corruption, cruelties, and greed while using henchmen who would go to any length to serve them is getting really old. Also the corrupt insiders in the police, the erased CCTV footages, the insufficient evidence to convict the obvious killer. Please stop it.
Little things kept bothering me, like the fact that I just couldn't get how Seo Hui could be such a dumb clueless person, who never tried to investigate just what it was that was bothering Sang Hun, why he didn't want to work in the company, what he did in his secret time away from her, and what was on his mind. You're his wife! How can you be so disinterested? She did good acting, but the character wasn't very likeable. I mean, girl, your laptop got hacked once, why are you using it again to check out a secret USB which you know will have top-secret content?
It was an overall meh drama. Lee Min Ki is amazing in his acting though.
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Like many other real cruel stories another cruel story is made into film. This film is based on a rape case known as 'Na-young case'; in which an 8 year old girl was beaten and raped by an old man. I've a problem related to reality...
Now the problem is that the case is only 5 years old. Girl was 8 and now she's just 13 years old. Few years ago someone made a song on this & now this film caught lots of attention and I think it's extremely hard for family to overcome the trauma because of this film. Especially because this film came into light at the point where family was (probably) starting to forget this event. I'm not saying that it's wrong to make films on such cases but this film came too early.
I'll keep this short since I'm still buried under emotions.
Beginning of the film is very sad and can make anyone angry easily. It was painful to watch but those scenes don't last for long. After those painful scenes there is series of many beautiful scenes. Recovery of So-won (Victim), friends helping family, a lot of people trying to restart life of devastated family, family trying to be positive for future and make the daughter happier instead of crying over past that can not be changed. I loved father-daughter relationship most.
What I loved about this film is it's strength in stirring up emotions (of characters & our) in meaningful way. It's not like usual Korean films that force melodrama and turn into joke (Fly High, You're My Sunshine and many more!). Everything in this film is genuine...
Good:
-Genuine & unforced situations-emotions
-Great cast
-Music is excellent. I loved the long track played during recovery scenes of So-won.
Bad:
-Mistimed release (Related to reality, it's bugging me)
-I didn't notice any bad points. I was very busy in watching film.
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Acting/Cast - Before this even came out, I was already waiting in anticipation because I absolutely love So Ji Sub and Lee Yeon Hee. I was definitely not disappointed. Those two, as well as the rest of the cast, did an amazing job in their roles. The good guy roles, as well as the bad guy roles, were very believable.
Music - This was probably one of my favorite parts. The first half of the drama or so, you hear 'The Phantom of the Opera' a lot, and that song is incredible. Then there was the instrumental 'GHOST' that played a lot that I thought was fantastic. The rest of the songs + instrumentals played throughout were amazing as well.
Rewatch Value - I don't really like to rewatch dramas often, but I could definitely imagine myself watching this one again at some point in the future.
Overall - Overall, this whole drama, I think, is perfect. Like most dramas, it had its ups and downs, but I feel like the pros far outweighed the cons. There are two factors that really set this drama apart from other dramas for me.
1) The main focus of this drama wasn't a love story. In other dramas, that's almost always either a main story, or it becomes on 1/4 of the way through.
2) It didn't spend the whole time dragging on with one storyline. There were a few smaller ones tossed in that kept it interesting without taking away from the drama as a whole.
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STORY
I Have A Lover felt more than just one drama, it felt like several dramas put together in the best way possible. The main concept of the show, even if it isn't very apparent at first, is Forgiveness! People will go around hurting you, is life worth spending trying to pay them back, or is it better to just let go? As someone who doesn't believe in forgiveness you can imagine how i felt when i realised what this show is about, but they managed to pull it off beautifully.
At the same time I Have A Lover, gave me the best, most intense and fucked up/twisted true love story i have ever watched in my life. The chemistry here is simply effortless and emotional beyond words, you can see the sparks around them while they look at each other, simply magical. The drama is worth watching because on screen chemistries like this one are hard to come by, almost impossible!
As i said IHAL brought several things to the table, the main premise is forgiveness but, separating the drama into parts, each part its own thing to present:
Part 1: Infidelity. The beginning of the show, the first 10 episodes, how can a marriage come apart at the seams, and at the same time the notion of how people react and get through tragedies, and how they expect the people around them to react. Get ready for some frustrating events the writting is realistic and brutal.
Part 2: Romance. Episodes 11-20. You will begin to grasp what the show is about here, whatever happened in the first 10 episodes, character-wise, will completely change, depicting how unpredictable human feelings are in the best and most natural way.
Part 3: Episodes 20-31. The story here stops being character driven ans becomes story driven. The focus shifts to the classic family-company drama that we all know. However it is dead-interesting even though it was the slowest part of the drama imo. The show tends to tell you things while the characters are unaware of them. Here the characters get to know them, and you just watch as they are shocked and try to cope with everything.
Part 4: Revenge and Forgiveness. Episodes 32-50. The pace gets accelerated from this point, especially the last 10 episodes were absolutely fabulous, and possibly the best of the show along with the first 10.
50 episodes and this drama never got dragged. It had a complex story, there are several backstories here, that help the story proceed. We have our everyone-wants-the-big-company classic sub story, evil characters, multiple love stories and love triangles and amazing well-rounded characters. It has illness, twin siblings, backstabbing friendships, constant turning tables between the leads, frenemies who scheme, revenge. I seriously have nothing bad to say, it was a wonderful ride, and i would have watched another 50 episodes seriously.
One thing that might set people off is the way the main love story gets told. We have a lot of set backs and back and forths. Yes, it is true, but the chemistry was so mesmerizing, so effortless, so real, that i didn't have any problem with it. I felt every moment of pain, every moment of backstepping, every moment of love and hatred. Best and most fucked up love story (possibly) ever!
ACTING
Standing Ovation for Ji Jin Hee and ESPECIALLY KIM HYUN JOO!
Kim Hyun Joo. The female Ji Sung of Kdramaland. She didn't pull off 2 characters, no. Her role felt like 4 characters if not more. I won't even mention that she has the BEST resting bitch face in kdramaland, i won't even mention that she ACED all her comedy scenes (her 2nd character is the main comedic character). But i will stand by the point that after episode 30 she is seriously giving the performance of her career, the way she manages to be BOTH a total raging bitch and a kind hearted girl at the same time was beyond me, she was leaving one personality and entering the other like it was nothing, in the same scene! She was amazing and flawless in every way and the show couldn't have worked without her. She WAS the show! I haven't seen any of her previous works, but i admired her a lot, and i doubt that she was ever better than here. I am looking forward to her next work!
Ji Jin Hee. His character was the easiest to hate BUT, his was so effortlessly expressing all his feelings through his eyes and facial expressions, that it was impossible for me to hate him. I kept rooting for him to be happy like my life was depending on it. Second best facial expressions in kdramaland after Kwon Sang Woo! He was luscious and sensuous, i loved his emotional scenes, he was indeed in love with her, i am not sure i have seen such *in love* eyes even in real life. Standing ovation for both of them. THEY MADE THE SHOW!
Lee Jyu Han. Obviously overshadowed by JJH, but it's ok, he standed on his feet completely, he was great i had no problems with his perforance, it was totally on point.
Park Han Byul. And we get to her. Her character was fundemental for the drama to continue. She wasn't bad, but we can only imagine what would have happened had a stronger actress given the role. During the midst of the show, she needed to express some hatred and her role needed her to be a bitch, but she couldn't, her acting felt mediocre like the least she needed to give to be acceptable. I think she would perfectly fit fluffy rom coms, this was too serious for her. If i wanted to be strict, the acting should have been a 9.5 as she just couldn't live up to her character's and role's expectations, but a 9.5 is a disgrace to JJH and KHJ's flawless performance as well as literally everyone's in the supporting cast. Thankfully in the last 15/20 episodes her role gets smaller almost insignificant and the rest of the actors do their thing.
At this point, the only thing i can do to praise the incredible and superb supporting cast is just write their names. Awards deserved!
Firstly, Baek Ji Won, why doesn't she get more roles? She was an amazing evil character and at the same time one of the funniest actors, she would fit comedy PERFECTLY, i am keeping an eye on her.
Gong Hyung Jin. He was the main evil character, and he pulled of his twisted role perfectly without becoming a stupid evil character with no soul. He was scary but funny when he was supposed to be. Overall, great!
Child actress, Kim Ha Yu. OMG how can a child actress be this good? Cuteness overload, amazing acting, effortless! My favourite kid actress!
Also, Na Young Hee, Dok Go Young Jae, everyone did a splendid job! Congratulations!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
If the 50 episodes make you think and rethink before starting this, just start it already! I was afraid of the 50 episodes too, i ended up watching 40 in 1 week and then waiting anxiously for the rest of the show to be aired! You won't even realise as the episodes fly by, you will be sucked in instantly!
IHAL has something pretty much for everyone. If you like romance, this is totally for you. It has infidelity, it has revenge, it has constant backstabbing, scheming, blackmailing, plot twists, backstories, twin siblings, illnesses, identity swap. It has everything, literally it has everything, it is more than a drama, and it deserves to be watched!
50 episodes, and yes, i'd rewatch it, especially the first 10 episodes which were so shocking to me, completely filled with reality, shivering, chilling. And then the effortless heart-warming and simultaneously heart-breaking romance, and then the backstory, omg yes. This is an overall 10 show!
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a sweet slice of life
Overall: this was a really enjoyable high school setting BL, but the writers needed to narrow the plot/remove some characters. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: grief, hit, parental abuse/slap
What I Liked
- beginning grabbed my attention, and the umbrella with About Youth written on it was an excellent prop
- nice intro/OST and music
- sweet/caring moments
- cameo in episode 2 from MODC actor, Wilson Liu
- balance of lighter moments with heavier moments, felt like a realistic high school romance
- production value
Room For Improvement
- there was just too much plot and characters for the short run time which led to dropped plot threads (like the election), characters who vanished (uncle, that bully) and led to choppiness where a scene would suddenly jump to another scene at an unknown time later
- too many repetitive scenes, 5 accidental fall and catches, 3 teach him scenes, time could have been better spent elsewhere
- there were quite a few characters introduced and I was confused who the two friends were wondering who they should tell when they saw the boyfriend in episode 1
- end of ep 1, I was confused about where that water came from, apparently some people do throw water onto the street (per the comment on this review)
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What I really loved was the freshness that Soo Ji Brought and Sang Goo was lovable too. Ho Rang's and Won Seok's story was what made me finish this drama, it gave me heartaches and I really felt their pain as a couple.
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A Masterpiece. Allen and Bai Lu rocks!!!
When I saw the cast announcement of Bai Lu and Allen Ren together, I was so interested to watch it. I'm a fan of both actors. It's so unique and amazing that we got to see both of them in both historical drama and modern drama. This historical drama is melodrama with touching love story. I even read the novel so I could get better understanding in stories and characters. Trust me, this didn't disappoint me at all. This is a masterpiece in every aspects.THE STORY: It was a balance between political and romance aspects. The leads had Master-Student relationship with each other. The plot is so original and unique. It was so excellent and well-executed. I feel so much emotion in every episode. Only 24 episodes, it's worth the time.
THE CAST/ACTING:
Both Allen and Bai Lu are very talented actors. They've even made better together.
Their acting seems really natural, nothing was out of place and I could feel the emotions they tried to show with their acting. The casting team choose all the actors with outstanding acting abilities. Everyone in this drama performed so well in their roles. There is no acting hole at all.
CHARACTERS:
Zhou Sheng Chen - He is the war general who owns Western Palace with high status and respect. He is the younger brother of the former Emperor, the uncle of the current Emperor. He is loyal, strong, determined and caring. He's always kept his emotions and personal feelings inside and his country matters more than his life. He makes every decision with no regrets.
Cui Shi Yi - She is the only daughter of the most prestigious family Cui, she has been engaged to be a crown princess since young. Because of her father's passing, made her mentally affected and she was mute since then. She has been sent to be Zhou Sheng Chen's student. She can talk again because of his caring and warmth.
THE CHEMISTRY:
Bai Lu is the chemistry Queen. I know she could look good with every co-stars. With Allen, their chemistry is crazy good. Their eyes talk to each other. I'm amazed by their genuine and excellent acting and chemistry.
MUSIC:
The soundtrack was enjoyable and emotional throughout the drama. It works so well with the story. My favorite OST are "As Usual" by Zhang Bichen and "Unworried" by Jing Long and Mimi Lee. My heart is so touching every time that songs feature. Allen's OST was very good too.
REWATCH VALUE :
It think I will rewatch it again after the modern sequel "forever and ever" finish airing.
OVERALL
In conclusion, this drama is a beautiful tragic romance. Please watch it if you survived and enjoyed dramas like Good-bye my princess, The King's Woman and Moon lovers.
So I can say that this drama is definitely a masterpiece. If you like this kind of genre, it is a must-watch. Can't wait for "forever and ever".
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This review may contain spoilers
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
The Legend of Fei is an intriguing drama.This is a show that has been highly anticipated since early 2020, and for good reasons too. It is headlined by two of the biggest stars in the Chinese entertainment industry today, Zhao Li Ying and Wang Yi Bo. This is also ZLY’s comeback project since her leave of absence due to her maternity. The drama is an adaptation of the novel Bandits by renowned and award winning fiction novelist, Priest who will be having several more of her novels adapted to dramas in the coming year.
In addition to that, the involvement of a highly experienced production team led by director Ng Gam Yuen who had previously directed Princess Agents (also with ZLY) and, somewhat surprisingly although not uncommon, a team of nine screenwriters were engaged to write the screenplay based on the critically acclaimed source material which had won the Network Literature Biennial Award in 2017. All of this points to a potentially successful blockbuster drama in the making, right? Apparently, as it turns out, not many would agree.
Within the first few weeks of airing, this drama ended up becoming extremely maligned and divided opinions of viewers not only in China but also among international audience, so much so that even on the drama’s MDL page, debates and differing opinions were intensely magnified in the comments board. Personally, I feel that although the drama certainly is imperfect, there are redeeming aspects that warrant folks to cut it some slack and maybe shower some love instead.
In a nutshell, this is a wuxia drama that tells the story of Zhou Fei (ZLY), who hails from a renowned family of pugilists and the 3rd-generation heir of the Snow-Breaking Blade technique created by her grandfather, as she leaves her home in the mountains known as Fortress of the 48 to explore the Jianghu world. She meets Xie Yun (WYB) who joins her on her adventures as they encounter colourful characters, both good and evil and from various sects and affiliations.
This is essentially a coming of age tale typical of the wuxia genre where Zhou Fei, as the FL, meets many martial arts masters who help improve her skills to become stronger and finally battle the villains. Along the way, she finds love but also experiences the tragedy of losing loved ones. Themes of chivalry, heroism, brotherhood and loyalty are interwoven with the underlying romance, overarching mystery and, of course, the climax of the story - the epic final showdown. I’m not an avid reader of the recent wuxia novels but I notice the trend of late where the ML of the genre appears to be physically weaker and less of a fighter compared to the FL, as is the case in this show and another similar one, The Moon Brightens for You. But, I’m not complaining and I think female empowerment is a positive trend for a change.
Production
The production values displayed somehow does not seem to reflect the rumoured big budget of the show, with certain set designs that appeared inferior in quality and even obviously fake. For instance the settings of the forest where majority of the action takes place, the setting of the Spinning Wire Formation of the Ximo River (specifically the “rock boulders” which do not seem all that “solid”), and various other scenes, where the lack of authenticity is visibly apparent.
Probably the biggest gripe of all is on the direction, screenplay and editing for this drama. Contrary to most criticisms that are directed at the acting especially of the leads, I think the directing of the interactions between the characters as well as the pacing of the storytelling should take the most blame. Actors can only work with what they are given and how they are directed to act their scenes. Furthermore, how it is that so much fillers and dragging out of the plot were shoehorned into the story seems rather surprising considering the quality of the production crew. Additionally, the transitions between scenes and framing of certain sequences did come across as somewhat disjointed, which is attributed to the editing department. A mitigating factor was mentioned where principal filming had to be halted midway through due to the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020. However, this is where the final editing and post production process should come in to make the necessary adjustments.
Choreography
The martial arts choreography is not the finest of the genre, it has to be said. A number of the action sequences do not flow smoothly in terms of the swordsmanship, acrobatics, and overall movements. When it works, it can be spellbinding but when it doesn’t, it becomes painfully obvious to see. Granted, there were reports referencing ZLY’s lack of fitness while performing her own stunts and other physical exertions, having just recovered following her maternity confinement. Perhaps, this being the first time a blade/ sabre (dao) is wielded by ZLY’s character instead of the usual sword (jian) resulted in the execution of a different and more challenging fighting technique, the Snow-Breaking Blade.
The same observation applies to all other cast members involved where at times the fighting appeared contrived rather than naturally free-flowing. The awkwardness is exemplified in other techniques such as the Taoist Tao Teh Ching Mayfly formation, Guanxi Yellow and Green Palm, Floating Palm, and Water-Cutting technique. On the other hand, the Lotus Palm, Cloud Impelling Palm and Mountain Sword technique do at least appear more believable and convincing.
Characters
The action stunts aside, I have no complaints with either ZLY or WYB as far as their acting is concerned, and both characters I thought were well written. The issues as I mentioned earlier relate more to the direction rather than the cast themselves. The quality of ZLY’s acting and character portrayals are never in question while WYB possesses much potential to soar even higher through his upcoming projects. I like FLs that are written to be consistently strong not just in terms of physical strength and martial arts prowess but also in mental resilience and fortitude in the face of adversity and tragedy. Zhou Fei is a character that I enjoy watching and she does not succumb to the usual tropes of losing her sense and sensibility or transforming into a damsel in distress that needs rescuing. Likewise the character of Xie Yun as the happy-go-lucky charming and supportive sidekick who hides a traumatic past behind the facade.
There were grievances regarding the perceived poor dubbing particularly that of ZLY and I have to agree. The voice is provided by Liu Rui whose previous works focused mainly on modern dramas like Flash Girl/ Our Shining Days, which sadly lacked the authority and depth needed to elevate the character of Zhou Fei to more imposing levels. WYB’s voice dubbing is provided by Hu Liangwei, whose works include Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua, which is marginally better and probably matches the playful tone of the character Xie Yun.
Regarding the chemistry between the two leads, so many viewers complained about 2 things - that they are incompatible due to the 10-year age gap (ZLY is 33 while WYB is 23) and hence lacks the natural chemistry, and that the FL looked so much older than the actual age of her character who is supposedly a 16-year old teenager. Personally for me, there is no such thing as age gaps when it comes to romance, and therefore I’ll take this as a variation of noona romance which works fine for me. 10 years isn’t a lot even if the female is older and from what I can see, particularly towards the tail-end of the show, the chemistry is apparent to be seen and throughout the entire story progression, the development of their relationship has been slow burn but no less resolute.
As for the second argument, I have to agree somewhat. No matter how much make up applied or soft filters used, it is what it is and there is no escaping that. But look, this is not something that is shockingly unexpected or unprecedented. Tang Yan (37) played a teenage Xiao Yan Yan in Legend of Xiao Chuo, Zhang Lu Yi (40) depicted a 13 year old boy in Qin Dynasty Epic, Tang Wei (38) acted the role of a teenage Sun Ruo Wei in Ming Dynasty, Tan Song Yun (30) played a teenage Li Jian Man in Go Ahead, while Zhang Zi Yi (41) is currently portraying a teenage Wang Xuan in the airing Rebel Princess. For me, good acting with seasoned actors should be the benchmark and that is acceptable to me.
The supporting cast of Zhang Hui Wen, Chen Ruo Xuan, Zhou Jie Qiong, and Zhang Xin Yu gives a decent account of their respective portrayals of Zhou Fei and Xie Yun’s band of friends. In particular, the character development of Wu Chu Chu and her romance with Li Sheng is quite remarkably depicted. Li Yan, however, represented everything I dislike about the annoying females in historicals but fortunately her role isn’t significant. She and the character Yang Jin are truly made for each other, as part of the 3 romantic couples in the show.
It has to be said that a number of villains do not appear all that imposing and intimidating. I’m fine with the colour coordinated costumes and scary masks used to distinguish the bad guys but the respective leaders of the evil clans are simply not all that villainous, in form or substance. Case in point, the Demon Manor’s section chiefs comprising Blessed Dog, Giant Leopard, and Sparrow. The Four Guardians of the Mountain’s Dragon and Tortoise masters are more hilarious and comical than menacing. On the other hand, I do appreciate the Timber Wolf Shen Tian Shu as the leader of the Demons, played by Geng Le who does possess the gravitas for this role. Guo Xin’s Mu Xiao Qiao, the Phoenix master, is one of my favourite (semi)villains in the show and brilliantly gives off Dong Fang Bu Bai vibes. Other villains such as the Snow Wolf and the evil Eunuch are very interesting characters but unfortunately only had limited screen time.
As far as good guys go, I actually enjoyed watching Che Xiao’s compelling portrayal of Li Jin Rong, Zhou Fei’s mother, as a strong woman and competent leader of the Fortress of 48. Dong Xuan’s Duan Jiu Niang is a very likeable character and I suspect she had as much fun playing the slightly deranged role as viewers did watching her albeit for a short portion of the show. Hu Bing, who usually plays the villain, delivers a very charismatic depiction of the legendary grandfather, Li Zheng. I’m a big fan of Zong Feng Yan, who plays Zhou Fei’s father Zhou Yi Tang. This seasoned veteran never disappoints and he seems to excel particularly in historical dramas.
Music
The OSTs for this drama is probably the only aspect done to perfection. Each track seamlessly captures the essence of the story and the scenes throughout. The opening theme truly sets the tone of the show while WYB’s rendition (with accompaniment by the Dizi, which brought memories of The Untamed…) evokes feelings of a dreamy ethereal romance.
1. 《逐浪 Chasing the waves》by 尚雯婕 Shang Wenjie (Opening theme)
2. 《无华 Unadorned》by 张靓颖 & 刘宇宁 Jane Zhang & Liu Yuning (Ending theme)
3. 《熹微 Weak rays of sunlight》by 王一博 Wang Yibo
4. 《如翡 Like Fei》by 王晰 & 赖美云 Wang Xi & Lai Meiyun
5. 《结 Knot》by 胡夏 Hu Xia
6. 《红尘莫欺我年少 Don't deceive me when I was young》by 希林娜依 高 Curly Gao
7. 《采莲曲 Picking Lotus song》by 陈珏 Chen Jue
Overall
Despite the numerous drawbacks, The Legend of Fei does manage to get certain aspects done well enough that even things out and, in my humble opinion, ultimately redeems the entire production. How the drama starts off may leave much to be desired but the improvement towards the second half and the strong finish at the end, with the HEA ending where all that’s well ends well, gave me the satisfaction of completing this drama. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but I did enjoy myself by looking past the flaws only to discover a rainbow after the rain.
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This series is among the best of the best. It is one of those rare shows where every episode matters. The plot was never left hanging in order to extend the series. Instead, every single scene was developed in service of the narrative.
The transitions from tension-filled scenes to sweeter ones was flawless. It made watching the series easy and enjoyable. The narrative was also organic, with nothing feeling forced or out of place.
Overall, prepare yourself. This drama will demand your complete attention, push you to the edge of your seat, steal your breath away and have you rooting for more than just the main leads.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Memorable
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The main leads were remarkably three dimensional. They were given as many strengths as weaknesses and every single one made sense. The development of the characters was consistent and coherent. Every action had a lasting consequence, and every instinctive reaction demanded a hefty price.
Yoon Na Moo (male lead, aka Chae Do Jin): His complex character was handled masterfully. He was presented as a sympathetic and strong figure, but realistically so. The best way I could describe him is with the saying, "courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of it." Throughout the short series, this character struggled with his inner fears but accepted his vulnerabilities rather than hide them. He was strong precisely because he was afraid... but he didn't let that fear rule him.
Gil Nak Won (female lead, aka Han Jae Yi): Despite her tragic backstory, she was well written and very well portrayed. She's strong, not because she got over her past, but because she's able to face her present while accepting what happened. Her strength is quiet and subtle; allowing her actions to show her defiance rather than voice them loudly. She's also very nurturing towards Na Moo and I love that she never once runs from her problems, but faces them head-on. Because of the nature of the story, Na Moo's side of the story was more intense, but she is without a doubt one of the strongest female leads I've seen in Kdramas so far.
ANTAGONIST: Imposingly petrifying
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Yoon Hui Jae (ML's father): Heon Joon Ho deserves an award for his performance. Every time he stepped into a scene, he dominated and filled it with almost palpable tension. He cast a terrifying shadow over every character, continually reminding you that he was a prowling beast ready to strike. Forget Hollywood "horror" movies and "frightful" tv shows. From now on, Yoon Hui Jae is my new standard for blood-curdling terror.
SUPPORT CHARACTERS: Relatable & complex
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Though this series has an amazing cast of characters that bring something of importance to the table, I'll focus on the top three characters that merit a special recognition...
Chae Ok Hee (ML's adoptive mother): Talk about a character caught between a sword and a hard place. Her performance was absolutely brilliant and her character was probably the most relatable. Ok Hee is going to go down as the definition of a strong mother. She's a testament that water can be thicker than blood and, when push comes to shove, any mother will pull her claws out to protect her children.
Yoon Hyun Moo (ML's brother): Kim Kyung Nam deserves an award for his superb performance. Alongside Hui Jae, he stole the show for me. He had some of the most powerful scenes and the strength he displayed was of a different kind than usual. He was a sacrificial character (a spot almost always reserved for the female lead) but with a strong purpose. He loves, selflessly and fully, without expecting anything from anyone in return. I found myself hurting alongside him and rooting for him throughout most of the show.
Gil Moo Won (FL's brother): Another character that stood out with his complexity and excellent portrayal. We were given his backstory in small doses until the picture was completed. This was a character that lingered in his pain but who was strong enough to accept and ask for help when things got tough. He understood and empathized with Hyun Moo because they were both shades of grey, which gave them an undeniable bond. The fact that he plays off of Hyun Moo so well, made me wish they could've shared more screentime together.
PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Sweet & nurturing
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The relationship between Na Moo and Nak Won was exceptionally balanced. It was an exchange of giving and taking; of want and need. They were loving, sweet and nurturing towards one another. They were also both hurting and, rather than taking the easy way out by keeping away from each other, they actively decided to pave a path out together. The quote: "You lean on me, I'll lean on you and we'll be okay" is enough to describe this beautiful relationship.
Here are some of the highlights:
1) They each have moments where one of them is vulnerable and the other strong; so it never feels one-sided.
2) There are no misunderstandings because they communicate with each other in a very honest and straightforward way.
3) The chemistry between them makes their relationship feel natural together. You can tell how much they care for each other with every stolen glance, soft smile and lingering touch.
HORROR FACTOR: Off the chart.
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You better be prepared to hold your breath and curl your toes whenever Yoon Hui Jae steps into the scene, is all I'm saying.
OVERALL: This is a masterpiece.
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The art direction is Hollywood quality (I'd say it even surpasses it). The framing, colors and lighting enhance the message communicated. So if you know what you're looking for, you'll be amazed at the attention to detail.
The music has also been carefully selected, used to amplify a feeling rather than distract. The ambient sounds help enhance the atmosphere, drawing you into the scene and forcing you to live it alongside the character.
Add to that the interesting story, superb characters and amazing acting you'll get a series that you'll not soon forget. Re-watch value for this is also quite high.
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Sweetness with genuine feelings.
Saying it was adorable would be understatement. It’s a perfect BL for everyone who is tired of overdramatized plotlines, stiff chemistry, bad acting and problematic leads. Our Dating Sim is the purest form of romantic comedy put in a refreshing frame of a dating game.One of the strongest good points about this show was the well paced and smart storytelling. Just enough opening ambiguity about the main leads relationship in the past and the present was enough to set up a solid opening stage for the rest of this story to unfold. And from that point, it was a full fluff fest with just a tiny bit of angst so we don’t get diabetes. The angst you can enjoy, because you know it's just a tiny momentary feeling that will end well.
I am pretty sure we all fell in love with Gi Tae. It’s amazing to see a character who is confident, but not overbearing. He truly radiates positive energy and presents a perfect level of playful teasing.
Honestly speaking, while I enjoyed Lee Wan’s character, I found it hard to describe him. A little bit passive, truly hardworking with spontaneous outburst of courage with flight reaction that follows. Compared to Gi Tae, who was more stationary in terms of development, Lee Wan presents a subtle journey to self-discovery and bravery to stick with the things he find important, instead of running away from them.
Lee Seung Gyu and Lee Jong Hyuk had an amazing and natural chemistry that put a smile on my face during every episode. Acting wise, they both delivered believable performances. While many people praised Lee Seung Gyu (for solid reasons, I rewatched quite a few scenes simply because I enjoyed his performance so much), I also want to compliment Lee Jong Hyuk for his take on Lee Wan’s character, especially with scenes presenting concern, worry or confusion.
For such a short drama, the production value was perfect. I loved the dating game framing and the game stages scenes at the end of each episode presenting additional small doses of sweetness between the main characters.
Overall, while it feels like 8.5 for me, my brain actually wants to give it 9. Often such simple and short stories feel empty, dull, cringe, but Our Dating Sim could not be described by any of these adjectives. While it might be a classic story with well known tropes, the execution makes it an entertaining watch that many will enjoy.
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Story- The first couple episodes sets up the plot and storylines for everyone. I’d say it took me about 5 episodes before I saw myself wanting to see more. I do have to say the writers did a fantastic job. When the story was funny it was hilarious and when it was dramatic you felt the emotions. My favorite part of the writing though was definitely the subtle comedy. I found myself laughing like an idiot whenever something random happened. I liked that each brother had their own loveline and enjoyed watching each one develop. Although the UEE/Joo Won pairing was just too cute! In the end everyone gets their happy ending. That’s not to say it was all sunshine and rainbows throughout, cause everyone had their fair share of drama…
Acting/Cast- Perfectly casted. I liked that everyone got their time to shine. This family felt like they were really a family in real life. I wanted to live on the Ojakgyo farm! Lol. I thought UEE did a fantastic job playing the naïve but temporal Ja Eun. Loved all the brothers. The rest of the supporting cast was awesome as well. Just loved everyone=)
Music- Really liked the score. When it was suppose to be light and funny they had this awesome weird music played that really added to the effect and when it would come on I knew something hilarious/random was about to happen. The ost was good but nothing I’d listen to outside the show.
Rewatch- The episode count is quite large so because of that I’d probably put off watching this for about 2 years.
Overall I’d say Ojakgyo Brothers is the best family drama I have seen and it’s a must watch. You will definitely be entertained and fall in love with all the characters=)
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