Reviews

It gets to a point

I want to start this rant review by saying that, if A Dream Within a Dream (or alternatively, Everyone Hates Nan Heng) was trying to rage-bait me, then it has successfully completed its task, because I haven’t written a drama review in almost a year, but this one made me do it.

The premise is interesting: Song Xiaoyu, an unsuccessful actress, gets a leading role next to an A-List celebrity (Nan Feng), but her character is only a pawn to the male lead in a terrible script. She then gets sucked into the story and decides to be as far away as possible from the “God of War” male lead. Though it doesn’t sound too ground breaking, the first episode and its satirical tone of the chinese drama industry immediately caught my attention. The first few episodes were good (although a bit too corny for my taste), but it didn’t take too long for it to go downhill, and fast.

Which brings me to the first (of many) fatal flaw, the female lead of this story. I absolutely despised Song Yimeng’s character. She is supposed to be the only “real” person in a world full of fictional characters, yet somehow acts the most caricature-like absurdly of them all. Her behavior is erratic to the point of being nonsensical. She is terrified of Nan Heng one minute, pitying him the next, overconfident in between, then suddenly in love with him (?). There is no arc here, just emotional whiplash.

Also, how do you go from repeatedly dying in a scripted world without fear to suddenly being terrified of death after your situation changes slightly? The fear itself makes sense, you could argue that, since the situation has changed, she can’t be completely certain a new death scene will result in her restarting the story, but she never has a thought process that leads to this conclusion and explains her fears. And never, not once does she seriously think about going back to her real life? She’s constantly stressed and in danger, yet seems perfectly content to remain in this fictional world just because she has money and a fake family.

Speaking of which, her family dynamics? Barely explored. She immediately latches onto her fictional family without any organic development. Why not let us see those bonds form over time, rather than expecting us to care just because you told us to?

The drama tries to critique the tropes of male-centric stories where female leads exist only to further the male protagonist’s journey. But then it... becomes that exact thing. Nan Heng and Li Shiliu dominate the screen. SYM might be the protagonist, but she spends most of the drama reacting, acting ridiculously, or even, especially during the middle part of the story, off-screen. She doesn’t grow. Even by episode 27, she’s still stuck on the idea that the script is unchangeable. No progress. No inner transformation. Just a tragic family backstory shoved in way too late in a failed attempt at emotional depth and a sense of clarity that comes out of nowhere towards the end of the story that can only be described as reaching Nirvana because she saw Nan Heng mounted on a fake pegasus and dressed in white.

And then, of course, the plot holes. So many. It genuinely feels like they filmed the first draft of the script with no revisions. Characters reach conclusions instantly, they contradict themselves within minutes. Basic logic? Missing. I could list a dozen examples, but here’s the one that broke me: when Song Yimeng, Chu Guihong, and Li Shiliu are “working together”, Nan Heng (disguised as LSL) denies any alliance with the Seventh Prince and even joins a plot to assassinate himself (which, honestly, I found pretty funny). But just a few episodes later, he’s throwing a banquet at Waning River Crescent as Nan Heng, casually walking around with Shangguan He. Subtlety? Never heard of it. And naturally, no one notices, because everyone in this drama is, tragically, an idiot.

As for overall character development. There was close to none. SYM, as mentioned previously, had no character development arc, NH was perfect from the beginning (the viewer just didn’t know about it), the emperor turned a switch and went from hating his son to loving him. As for Chu Guihong, I, innocently, thought that he would have the most interesting character arc, becoming a villain and all, but it just ends up being so incredibly exaggerated and nonsensical, I can't even say I liked that.

Then there's Song Yiting. At first I disliked her because she was annoying (which, fair, so am I), but this woman is vile. She's a predator who attempts to s*x**lly assault Li Shiliu under the pretense of wanting to “ruin her marriage prospects”. There is no gray area here. She drugs a man to force him into s*x and the show barely blinks. I could talk a lot more about this, but choose not to in order to protect my own sanity.

And if all of thatr wasn’t already enough, here enters the Scriptwriter character, who shows up, becomes a moustache-twirling-top-hat-wearing cartoon villain and then ends up helping the protagonists. Just like SYM, no real person attributes, just absolute idiocracy.

I know I have done nothing but complain, but (shockingly) there were things I liked.

The soundtrack, for one, is mostly great. Unfortunately, most of the good tracks are tied to Li Shiliu, and once he’s gone, so is the music. But during his scenes, the audio experience was really good.

The drama was indeed funny. There were many moments in which I caught myself actually laughing out loud at scenes, so I have to give credit where it’s due.

As for Nan Heng, shockingly, I enjoyed his character, for the most part. He carried more emotional nuance than expected and managed to steal the spotlight from the actual female lead, Song Yimeng, in what is supposedly her breaking-the-cycle-of-female-lead-being-a-device-to-the-male-lead story. Ironically, a drama that seems to critique the sidelining of female leads ends up doing exactly that, SYM becomes more of a supporting character halfway through the show.

Well, in conclusion, powering through this drama was like when you drive past a car crash. Horrifying, and yet somehow impossible to look away from precisely because it is so terrible.

Come to think of it, the acting, costumes, setting, and soundtrack all range from at least average to genuinely great. Production value isn’t the issue, the script is, and unfortunately, without solid writing, even the most stunning production falls flat.

A Dream Within a Dream starts off promising, dynamic, and almost clever. But it quickly devolves into a bloated mess of half-baked character arcs and lazy plotting (it seems that the writers wanted things to happen and characters to develop thoughts, but were too lazy to do the DEVELOPING part, and just threw the action into the screen). The very clichés it claims to satirize, it ends up indulging in.

If the goal was to criticize bad storytelling, maybe they should’ve tried writing a good one first.

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NOT A CINDERELLA STORY

A May-December chaebol-poor girl love affair, that to be honest, doesnt offer anything new, that you have to question what's the point of this entire series, if there's anything.

This type of story has been done so many times in a K-drama. Its not even a fairy tale, i dont even get why they titled it Cinderella at 2AM - main lead putting on a pair of shoes to the female lead a few times doesnt make it a Cinderella story. It doesnt even draw parallel to the fairy tale title. And why 2 AM, maybe i just dont get the symbolism.

Whats sad is this is such a waste of the talented cast. I dont know why Moon Sang Min's management team chose this project for him, are they trying to sabotage his career? This is very similar to the tone and vibe of Wedding Impossible, even down to his personal styling. Such a waste of a talented actor because we know he can do more. Shin Hyun Been did the most of the heavy lifting in this drama and she is as beautiful as ever and lets just say she did a good job with the material she got.

What's even worse is at only 10 episodes, it still felt too long, with repetitive and extended scenes. I bet they can squeeze everything to 6 to 8 episodes without losing the story. The two office co-workers are so annoying and unnecessary.

There are some hints of discarded gold here - Yoon Park and Park So jin's pairing and love's story was a much more interesting story and could have used a lot more screen time and their characters could have been elevated more to co-lead status. I also feel like they have underused Lee Hyun Woo here because they just conveniently pulled the rug on his storyline just when he is starting to make an impact.

Also, I need to mention I am inlove with the soundtrack! Yeonjun's Boyfriend is so catchy and fits the sh ow perfectly!

Will i reccommend? Not really unless you are big fans of the actors, just watch the soundtrack music video. Will I rewatch? My goodness, no! Is it bad? No not really, but it is also not good enough to make an impact. This is one of those rom-coms that is just there because some producers have money to throw away - for sure I wont event remember it's story after a few months.

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OVERHYPED - OVERRATED - Nothing Fresh Except for the CAST, One More Wasted Potential.

"Queen of Tears" is a highly anticipated drama that unfortunately falls short of its potential. Despite boasting an impressive cast and crew, including Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, Park Sung Hoon, Director Kim Hee Won, and Writer Park Ji Eun, the series fails to deliver a truly groundbreaking narrative.

One of the main issues with the drama is its lack of originality in storytelling. While the initial premise may seem promising, the plot quickly becomes predictable and fails to introduce any fresh elements to keep viewers engaged. As a result, the story plateaus early on, leaving audiences wanting more. The drama's themes of love, family, and power were not explored in a nuanced or thought-provoking way. Instead, they were presented in a simplistic and superficial manner, without any real depth or complexity

KIM SOO HYUN - KIM JI WON :-
The chemistry between the leads, while acceptable, lacks the spark needed to elevate their performances. Kim Ji Won delivers a solid portrayal, but her character's development feels shallow and fails to fully explore the complexities of her role as the wife. Similarly, Kim Soo Hyun's performance falls short of expectations, with his character feeling one-dimensional and lacking depth, relying solely on the actors' performances without proper story and character development may not always yield the desired outcome. A great drama isn't just about having talented actors; it also requires well-crafted stories and fully developed characters. While strong chemistry among the actors is crucial, it's not the sole factor for success. Having talented actors is important, but writers and directors must also write a compelling story and develop strong characters. If they don't, the production will miss its full potential.

WHY 7.5 FOR ME : WHERE DRAMA LOST ITS 2.5 :-

ACTING & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
The character development in Queen of Tears falls short, with the main characters feeling more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals.
• Kim Soo-hyun's character, Baek Hyun woo, suffers from poor writing, with his motivations and emotions feeling unclear and underdeveloped. His acting performance, while competent, doesn't bring any new depth or nuance to the role, making it feel like a rehashing of his previous performances.
• In contrast, Kim Ji-won's character, Hong Hae In, is well-written up to a point, with a clear and compelling backstory and motivation. However, her development stalls midway through the drama, and her character feels like a trope. Her performance is decent, but not enough to save the character from feeling like a missed opportunity.
• Park Sung-hoon's character, Cha Jae-wook, is a one-dimensional villain, portrayed as a ruthless and cunning businessman with no redeeming qualities. While his acting performance is settled and convincing, the character feels like a caricature, with no nuance or complexity.
• Kwak Dong Yeon's current character is similar to his previous role in Vincenzo. He plays a lovable but clueless person again. He does a great job of making us feel happy and sad at the same time. His character shows how hard it is to prove yourself in a rich family, where no matter how hard you try, you always feel like you're not good enough. Director Kim Hee-woon knows how to bring out the best in Kwak Dong Yeon, so she used his character like same as in Vincenzo but bit characterization this time.
• The supporting actors deliver solid performances, adding much-needed depth to their respective characters. Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Jo-bin, Lee Mi-suk, and Na Young-hee all bring their characters to life with their performances, making them feel more fully fleshed-out than the main characters.
• Themes of power, family, and loyalty are explored in the drama, but feel underdeveloped and lacking in nuance. The plot is predictable and formulaic, with characters making unrealistic and contrived decisions to further the plot. With some supporting actors manage to shine in certain episodes, the overall acting of the main leads remains stagnant. Additionally, while the cinematography may be technically proficient, it fails to leave a lasting impression on viewers.

SOUNDTRACK - OST :-
• One saving grace of "Queen of Tears" is its phenomenal soundtrack, which succeeds in enhancing certain moments throughout the series. However, this alone is not enough to salvage the drama from its reliance on tired tropes and underutilization of its talented cast.

TOP QUALITY PRODUCTION:-
The production's grand scale and impressive attention to detail make it a richness visual treat, leaving a lasting impression on ours with beautiful costumes and sets. Each character's design is unique and detailed. The scenery is amazing and makes you feel like you're in a different world. The production is big and impressive by TvN

PLOT PROGRESSION & PACING :-
• The pacing of Queen of Tears was sluggish and meandering, with an overabundance of repetitive scenes and a lack of meaningful plot advancement. This made the viewing experience feel like a tedious obligation, rather than an engaging and immersive escape. The slow burn of the narrative failed to build tension or suspense between the characters or main characters , instead, it felt like a monotonous trudge through familiar tropes and clichés. The repetitive nature of the storytelling made it difficult to become invested in the characters' journeys, and the lack of plot progression left viewers feeling frustrated and disengaged.

SAME CLICHÉS & SAME TROOPS, BUT LACKING FRESH TONE :-
• Rom-com and family-centric k-dramas often rely on familiar tropes and storylines, but that doesn't mean the execution can't be fresh and engaging. To breathe new life into these genres, it's essential to focus on character depth. By crafting relatable, well-rounded characters with unique personalities, backstories, and motivations, the story can feel more dynamic and unpredictable.

GOOD TO WATCH :-
• The cameo appearance of Song Joong-ki as Vincenzo in Queen of Tears was a thrilling surprise for K-drama fans, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to TVN and Director Kim Hee Won for reviving the Vincenzo nation three years later. This impactful cameo was more than just a brief appearance; it brought a significant boost to the drama, particularly in Episode 8, leaving a lasting impression on the K-drama lands.
(Upto 8 episodes )
• In the intricate tapestry of the rich business family, Every character is precisely placed within the carefully crafted mosaic of rich business family's story The family setting, a complex web of relationships and alliances, is expertly crafted to reveal the intricate dynamics at play. From the cunning machinations of the queen dowager to the tender moments of familial love, every character's design and motivation is carefully orchestrated to drive the plot forward. In Queen of Tears, the family setting is not just a placement, but a living, breathing entity that shapes the destiny of our characters and the fate of the drama

ENDING:-
Beautiful ending :) loved it. I'm so grateful for the incredible cast and crew of Queen Of Tears ! .. thank you for giving your hardwork memorable drama to our kdrama fans.

FOR ME :-
Overall, Queen of Tears was a enjoyable one but a wasted potential due to its overreliance on tired tropes, poor character development, slow pacing, and lack of nuanced themes. With a more innovative approach to storytelling and character development, this drama could have been something truly special.

In conclusion, "Queen of Tears" disappoints as it fails to break new ground in storytelling and falls short of leveraging its impressive cast and crew to their full potential. If you're a fan of the cast, it's still worth checking out, but be prepared for a narrative that doesn't quite live up to its full potential.

Note -
Thanks for reading my review! I want to emphasize that my comments are solely my personal opinion and are not meant to offend or criticize any actors or the drama. I'm sharing my genuine thoughts and I'm grateful for your understanding. - @Shinnosuke_Lee

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Different from Webtoon, Good or Bad(?)

If you would not like to know who the female lead will end up with before you watch it, I think you shouldn't be reading reviews, honestly it is a bit hard to not spoil it.

I started watching without reading the webtoon, but I went to read the webtoon after I started the drama. I would say I personally prefer a remake that doesn't follow exactly from the webtoon, if not why watching + reading both of it? Also I enjoyed watching shows with unexpected plots, so I don't mind if it changes the story, as long as the remake is also a good story! Which I think this is! The drama started off similarly and became quite different in the second half, also it doesn't have some characters that appeared in the webtoon and created some new characters too, which makes sense for the story to develop differently. Plus! This is still an ongoing webtoon and drama only have 16 eps.

If you are a fan of the webtoon and are persistent in the storyline or loveline, hoping to just watch the actual scenes being reenacted, you may reconsider watching this; however, if you are opened to a refreshing remake, then you should watch it! Although it shares a different story, but both are fairly good! Although TBH the last few eps of this drama was a bit draggy, but still okay for me!

Besides the main roles, their side roles are pretty interesting and funny too (especially female lead's teacher and family), definitely gave me a good laugh from time to time. All casts' interactions are quite hilarious and natural too (except for Eun Woo haha, I love him a lot but couldn't deny the fact that his acting was not that natural, as compared to In-Yeop, but has improvement from his previous drama)

Anyway, I'm #TeamSeoJoon, but I prefer female lead with Suho :) At least for the drama.
Reason being that since the very start, the writer has been very consistent in setting up a lot of encounters between female lead and Suho (even from the young age), so it doesn't really make sense for female lead to end up with Seo Joon, although this means breaking lots of second-lead syndrome girls' heart. I'm also pretty glad that the girl wasn't swaying between two guys and was pretty loyal to only Suho, so it ended quite well and I'm overall satisfied. Although I would appreciate if they gave Seo Joon a girl too, honestly he is so precious and deserves so much love. It breaks my heart A LOT when he was always there for the one he cares for but ended up being so sad :'( Gosh, I wish I can have him for myself, such a sweetie pie!!! Definitely one of the best second male leads I've ever seen! With In-Yeop's fantastic portrayal, his on-point smirks and puppy look, he's real good at it!

Overall, a light-hearted teen drama with lovable characters that is worth watching!

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I was let down

watching the first 2 episodes, I thought its going to be about a troubled couple finding their way back to each other which it happed at last but not in a way that I wanted to. Kim Sohyun and Kim Jiwon are great actors with great chemistry and godly visuals but their love story is incredibly boring. I dont know how to put this in words but none of the characters seem like human beings. They're all written in a very surface level .They're just some plot devices and do stuff because the writer wanted those things to happen.
Hyun woo is knight in shining armor constantly sacrificing himself for others and Hae in is his entire world. Hae in is the princess with warm heart and cold attitude. Eun seong is the obsessed villain with dark past. Soo cheol is a doormat. Dahye is the poor corrupted lonely villain getting a redemption arc. No depth . No creativity. just cliches.
There was so much potential for Hyun woo and Hae in story but they just used cliches with some aesthetic pretty shots. Im so tired of " they met each other in childhood so it was fate all along" stuff and they used that one multiple times.
Honestly, the power struggle between the villains and Queens group was quite boring too and it was taking too much screen time to the point it overshadowed our couples story.
you need alot of suspension of disbelief to watch it because nothing make sense. people are smart and cunning but they make stupid choices so Hyun woo can come and save the day like the hero he is. There are herds of supporting characters who owe something to Hyun woo so they do everything to help. Hye in is supposedly very sick and doesn't have much time left but she never looks like it even in hospital. Her very rare disease gets cured magically with only one side effect which makes the next plot twist. Very unnatural story telling.
Actors are all amazing showing a range of emotions. The camera work is great. Filming locations are so pretty .OSTs are beautiful. Fashion and hair styles are stunning so are the cars. The story is the only thing ruining it. Its a bummer. All this talent and resources should've gone to a better story

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Satisfied

I watched all episodes , and I enjoyed this drama. In particular , last 6 episodes were fully satisfied .
Male lead acting is wonderful. This drama role is soft and IT geek . looks about 25 years old , another drama "Stealth Walker" role is smart tough guy, looks about 35 years old. The other drama"Sleepless Princess"role is fierce General(but inside gentle and lovely).
He can act various roles , so I wasn't able to discriminate a same actor.
He is able to act a wide range performances. Other idol actors usually play one pattern idol role , but He is different.
Also female lead acting is great. She is a beautiful lady , in particular her crying face is so beautiful .
Though I watched her first time , now I am a big fan of her.

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I had fun!

I'll keep this review short and say people are haters.

This was a delightful show. A generic but unique storyline, with well-written characters, a great cast with superb acting, an OST that complimented the show so well and aesthetically pleasing cinematography. It was well-paced, consistent, short and sweet. The show was extremely warm and fluffy. I found myself smiling, giggling, swirling my toes, laughing and internally screaming at how cute, fun and funny it was. If you are looking for a simple, cute and enticing storyline, then this is the show for you.

If you don't like romance then this show is not for you. Simple.

People were just so salty about the age gap that the rating ended up very low. There are plenty of dramas that have the same agenda but apparently this was a world crisis.

If you are an open-minded person you might enjoy this, don't ponder over the other bad reviews and just go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it. I won't go into extensive detail about the show because it's not very complex and it's better to see it for yourself. However, I believe that the show dealt with relationships and break-ups in an insightful and somewhat relatable manner.

I 10/10 would recommend and watch again!

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Unnecessary deaths for the side characters done in a very unappealing way

First of all, I will make myself clear that I didn't watch the Donghua or read the Manhua. Nor did I watched Red Moon Pact. I only jump into this because I saw this Drama on my recommendation online and Neo Hou is in this one (but alas, he was a cameo and he died in episode 2).

Second of all, I will make this clear for those who read this review of mines, if you love the drama and give this a 10/10 then good for you, congrats for finding something you love and enjoyed, when I said this I am being genuine, and not sarcastic, I won't judge you for loving this drama, BUT if you judge me for not liking this drama towards the end in writing perspective, and not giving this a full 10/10 then I WILL judge you for this because you are judging me first and not respecting how we all are entitled to our own preferences on what we like and dislikes.

We all watch the same drama, but can interpret certain scenes differently, just because we find certain scenes questionable, it doesn't mean we didn't pay attention to the explanation provided BUT it just means we don't agree with it, and we question why the writers have to handled it this way since it could be done better.

Now, with all that being said, time for my review, and I will try to maybe summarize my feelings, and will (try!) to keep my review short (although I doubt it since I have a tendency to express in lengthy reviews to express my feelings).

Acting-wise, I won't go into the full cast, since that will be long (like I said, I will try to keep this short). There's a few familiar faces here, and one of them, I will have to say Joe Ma. He surprised me to see him in this drama since I grew up watching him in TVB (Hong Kong) dramas, but in this one, he was given a role as Wangquan (Hong Ye and Zui's father). Although he can be considered more as a guest actor in this one.

Zhang Yun Long did an excellent job in portraying Wangquan Hong Ye. I actually didn't mind the mask he was wearing at the beginning since it makes it more mysterious than just a half face mask like the others was wearing. In terms of pairing chemistry, I do like him with Dongfang Huaizhu (played by Liu Shishi). But I didn't like the kiss scenes between them because they are those "dead fish" kiss scenes as we call it. So honestly, if they can't give us a decent kiss scene, than perhaps it is good to go without it imo, since they still have chemistry with expressing their love without these kiss scenes so that in itself, shows them having chemistry.

Ding Yuxi role as Zhang Zheng is among my favourite character in this Drama, I found him appealing at the beginning when he made his brief appearance and I was looking forward to his scenes. When we finally got those scenes, I came to like him even more and his backstory with Mu Yuan (played by Meng Ziyi). They have a nice backstory that built up to them being together as a couple, and I was so excited for Zhang Zheng to finally join the Mask Group, since I always wanted him to, so you bet how happy I was when he was finally part of the Mask Group. But that happiness didn't last because how the writers handled his ending really just ignored all the growth and developments he went through, which is why I found it so off-putting that they have Zhang Zheng (played by Ding Yuxi) go through that growth to FINALLY accept and allow himself to be happy and right after that he was killed off. What pissed me off and annoys me is he wouldn't have died like that if it weren't for Mu Yuan(the woman he loves) being manipulated and controlled by the Black Fox... I hate these tropes to have the couple from one side kill the other.. that's the worst kind of ending for me...

I was totally cheering and praising Zhang Zheng for breaking free of his own inner darkness and then he got given that ending... He didn't lost or died because he was weak against the Black Fox (since he was able to break free from the control and manipulation) he died because he was killed by the woman(Mu Yuan) he loves, because he didn't want to attack or kill her and he let his guard down when she put that sword through him and when she pushed it in even further, I don't want to watch it anymore!!!

What's worst is, the writer wrote a similar scenario for my other favourite couple, being Yitan and Wangquan Zui. This pairing is really likeable, and I really hope they got their happy ending but this was another pairing the writers made one side kill the other due to the manipulation.

I honestly hate these tropes and I cannot express just how much it actually ruined the pairing strong love for each other because it really made me question was their love for the other person not strong enough to overcome the darkness at all? They didn't even display a sign of struggle to show they want to break out of the control on their side... Was there no light or love in them at all to show their struggles in wanting to overcome this darkness when they are facing the person they love?! But how it ended was their love wasn't strong enough and the darkness took full control where both Mu Yuan and Yitan kill the one person they love....

The writers really did give them the worst ending possible and yeah I hate how it turned out and nothing can change how I feel about those two scenes of having the pairing of one side kill the other...

Also, I felt part of their downfall was because of Yitan was being controlled when he broke their barrier....but then he was being controlled, so can't blame him(?!) BUT it doesn't mean I enjoy it because I didn't like it on my end for what happened.

Give me a break honestly, they all just happened at the same time, that it is hard to sink all this in!! These Deaths and being killed off on our beloved characters is SO UNJUSTIFIABLE, and they are NOT my favourite trope when characters I like being controlled and do things that will hurt them in the long run!

You know what the irony here is? when people were complaining about the deaths of the side characters in Moonlight Mystique but at least in Moonlight Mystique, the death has meaning behind it, and it is not killing off for the sake of killing off and each character deaths have an important role to shine, also, in Moonlight Mystique, they were given hope they will come back later but in Love in Pavilion?! NO, they are gone/dead!!

In Love in Pavillion, how their deaths was handled is everyone just died so tragically in the worst way possible and it makes us question and brings realization to us that their death wouldn't have happened if they believe in that light in their heart where they can break free of Black Fox darkness. Just like evidently how Zhang Zheng had darkness entered into him, but he managed to break free from Black Fox manipulation because he was strong enough, but the others who gets manipulated (and controlled) is like a contrast to how each person have darkness (or hatred) inside of them, which gives Black Fox the ability to take control of them. I don't like this, I mean I get the logic behind it, but how the writers handled it like this (the deaths of everyone in the mask group except Wangquan Hongye and Qu Zhou) is NOT my cup of tea. They are my honest feelings here.

So as much as I like and enjoyed the drama at the beginning to midpoint, the drama just went downhill and lose a lot of points towards the end. After they killed of Zhang Zheng, Mu Yuan, Yitan and Wangquan Zui, I already don't feel like finishing it but I kept to it since I love the main pairing but then again the writers have to do questionable things that made me question 'Why!' And they were certain actions I don't like what I saw in how the plot was handled in 'that scene' when Hongye came to rescue Huaizhu, he really should have used that opportunity to kill Jin Ren Feng, this was something I wish was done better but didn't, how the writers handled that scene, in the end lead to the death of Huaizhu because of the poor decisions made by the writers choice in pissing off the viewers, and how Huaizhu explained in her dying moments that when Jin Renfeng gave her a hit to try and stop her bloodline and from then on she's been losing her life force. This really puts emphasis in that point that IF things were done better in 'that scene' when HongYe came to save her, than perhaps Huaizhu wont die...This was indirectly highlighting it in a subtle way that the writers handled it poorly. If not, then their ending will not be subjected to this tragedy.

Sure, it was explained that Hongye lost a lot of power after killing the Black Fox, but I don't see that at all. Honestly, Hongye came into the scene displaying his powerful aura, despite his original sword broke but the real Wangquan sword appeared and with the help of the forces he gathered in that scene, you can't expect me to believe he is not strong enough(with the others help also) to fend off and defeat Jin Ren Feng right? Yes, it was explained Jin Ren Feng took his master sacred fire etc, but I don't see him as that strong if he have to use underhanded method to poison Huaizhu first which shows he was a coward, so this is what I don't like, the writers just let that bastard Jin Ren Feng off for the sake of the plot device added to give a reason to kill off Huaizhu later, which Huai Zhu provided the explanation on why she was dying, so knowing this, the drama DID lose its charm for me near the end...

I just felt like there is no real purpose for the writers to do this or go this direction, except to make it tragic for the sake of it being tragedy and this is what I don't like... Unnecessary deaths...

Well in the end, I know I might be a minority but I am not happy with how the drama was handled near the end. I know some people likes it but I don't so this is my personal journey from watching this drama. Don't come to my review and try to justify the actions and decisions by how the plot was handled near the end, and don't judge me for feeling differently to you. Like I said at the beginning of my review, I won't judge people in loving this drama, so don't judge me for feeling differently to you because I don't like how things were handled near the end for my reasons provided. We can watch the same drama but feel differently. We are allow to feel differently since everyone is different. What appeals to you doesn't mean it appeals to me. I question how it was handled because I don't agree with those actions...

Characters sacrificed so much and in the end they can't get their happy ending. Poor Wangquan Hongye lost everything in the end and I really cried when he was grieving everyone's death. I feel so sorry for him, he had finally found his light and happiness to move on with Huaizhu when he found out she's pregnant, he finally got that light again and smile and look forward to their child being born and him raising their child together with Huaizhu and then Huaizhu being killed off.... and her explanation to why she was dying was because of that 'one scene' is why I didn't like how the scene was handled when Hongye go save her from that bastard Jin Ren Feng. In the end, it was another tragic and unnecessary death IMO. The writers is so cruel...

I don't know if I will watch this again. Maybe on the scenes I like and pretend the ending for this drama ended at this certain point before they fought against the black fox...

Also an honorable mention to Jiu Huo and Jia Lan. I can't believe I am feeling this way but their tragic backstory grow on me when I learned about their past and story. To me I actually separated the Jia Lan from the past from the Black Fox version of her since the original Jia Lan had love and she was sincere towards Jiu Huo but the reborn her is pure evil. Poor Jiu Huo, I did got teary in that scene when he died though especially all he ever wanted was to bring her back since he loved her. Its a dark couple but appealing one.

All the best to future watchers. For me, I certainly won't be recommending this unless you want to see all your fav characters die in the worst way possible, in a very unjustified manner too IMO.

Maybe if I have watched the Donghua or Read the Manhua (the original source) then I can come into this being prepared, but no I didn't so how the ending was handled was a slap to the face for someone who enjoyed and like the story and characters from the beginning...

In the end, how do I summarize this drama? Your hardwork doesn't gets paid off and reward you with the happy ending. You persevere only to found out that you are destined to not have a happy ending. What you fought for or believed in only to end with sacrifices that rewards you with this sad ending. To me, this is NOT a happy ending, I wouldn't even call it Bittersweet either. It is more of a Sad ending, although I felt it more like a Bad Ending at the end, I don't care if this continues to the sequel, I just want the characters I love to get their happy ending first and next generation second. They deserve it. We (as viewers) deserve this after following the Drama since release date!

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I expected a lot from this film due to the director/writer's past works and it most certainly did not disappoint; it was a spectacular film. I wouldn't consider it a horror but it is most definitely a thriller. Very intense and suspenseful. A little gory and twisted though, so be wary if that isn't your thing (but don't let that let you miss out!)

The story of the film is not predictable and is quite complex in nature (in a good way, it is a mystery after all). It has many twists to it, especially towards the ending, which constantly had me second guessing the theories I'd created about what's what throughout film. Despite running for a full two and a half hours I didn't find myself losing focus or becoming bored at all. It definitely has no problems with immersion and having your full attention from start to finish. I even wish it was a little longer because the ending was confusing. However an ending that flat out pinpointed everything with no room for interpretation and discussion would take away from the mystery of the film and as we can see from the high rating I've given, the confusion I was left with did not ruin the film for me at all. To fully understand everything I'll probably have to rewatch the whole film (I would be very happy to do so) which seems to be a common occurrence with viewers, which is why I rated the rewatch value so high. Additionally, it'll be interesting to rewatch it and see what foreshadowing and little details etc were missed the first time around because I'm certain that there will be a lot more to be appreciated compared to the few I picked up. I'd also recommend looking up other viewer interpretations/explanations after you have finished the movie.

As you can probably guess by looking at some of the members of the cast, the acting in this film is really A++ with great character development and range displayed. Every member of the cast performs brilliantly. Despite the somewhat unrealistic circumstances in the film, it feels very realistic and as I've mentioned before, is very immersive, which the cast most definitely play a big part in.

This film has shot straight into my list of favourites and I 100% recommend it fans of the thriller genre and encourage any of you who are not to give this film a try. Don't let the long running time dissuade you, it really is worth sitting down and watching. I very much doubt you will be disappointed and couldn't recommend it more.

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Dull

Nunew does his best to carry the show, he’s geuinely the only one with a personality. The three couples featured have zero chemistry together. Charan has the personality of a rock and cares entirely too much about his duty to the king. He refuses to stick up for Khanin & is just incredibly subservient. Plus he’s hiding a massive lie from him about his dad that he 100% should’ve told him about before they ever got intimate. I would never forgive
someone for lying about that. I appreciate the political aspect with Khanin wanting to step up for his people regarding the pollution but overall the plot is just dull and I might drop it.
The bdsm was the only wow factor of this show.

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LMAO They Left Atom’s Arse In Phuket

The side characters in this drama were as interesting as chalk. Also, Atom. Child. You touch people with that hand!!

That being said. HAHAHAKKJSHFN That ending bedroom scene was just foul!! How you gon’ do that in broad-daylight with your grandmother sitting right there?? The poor woman had to listen to her grandchild getting eaten for two days while making dessert. Yikes.

Also, for a show trying to be ‘gangster’ they sure forgot that random bathtub gangster real quick. Mfer got killed and I was like ‘Oh, so what happened with that gangster group?’ and the writers were like ‘Whomst? We don’t know them. They don’t go here. '

ACTING:
Listen, I sometimes think most bl actors take their acting lessons from a block of cheese, or from like one of those red bricks, but I'd be the first to admit that MeenPing has improved. Sure, I still went ‘Child, what are you doing with your eyebrows? And it's your arms supposed to be doing that?’ more times than I can count, but their acting did not distract me as much as it did in their first two dramas. So yaaay for improvement. Love that for them.

What distracted me though was Ryu’s parent situation. Like, it’s Meen ever going to play a role where he has loving parents? In their first drama, his mother took half his kidney and ditch him at the corner of like a soup shop, he ended up a lonely gangster in the second one, and his mother here made him sleep in the dumpster because he liked to play basketball. I’m curious what his next parents are gonna bring to the table.

CHARACTERS

Like I said, the characters in this show were as interesting as a pineapple. Literally, except for Chogun, I have no idea what anyone’s name on the team was. I think two of them became a couple because the other one collected parking lot tickets or something? Whatever, I guess every show needs background noise.

I liked Ryu and Zen, sure Ryu came with a lot of baggages, that one gangster friend? and his mother, and Zen had his sick granny, but I like how supportive they were of each other. I enjoyed watching them together, they didn’t annoyed me so much and MeenPing had great chemistry. My fav part was when they were mature enough to let the other follow their own dream. Finally, there was no unrealistic love gestures like 'I'll move to Phuket with you' and I cheered.

That being said, did Ryu leave his fancy mansion to become a hobo, where he gets beaten every 2-to-3-business-days because his mama won't let him play basketball??

Zen came off as a pushover and at times I wanted to throw sticks into his hair for being a dumbass. Literally, he had so many chances to push Atom into that damn pool but instead he ended up in his bed. It seemed like he was afraid of setting boundaries. Be firm boy, no you don't want to go watch no darn movie!

And Atom. Oh ATOM. Antony my boy. Why? Homeboy just won’t give up and leave. Am I the only one who was like ‘aww poor Atom, such a nice guy, he deserves better’ in the beginning but somewhere along the way every time he showed up went, ‘My friend go sit somewhere, that’s enough of you.’ No really, Atom’s first coach must have told him the meaning of rebound, and homeboy decided to make it his entire personality, cuz why the eff did he keep coming back knowing full well he had negative 2.0 chance with Zen?

And what the eff was up with all the nonsense romantic gesture he made for Zen?

Listen, Romantic gestures are supposed to make you swoon and go ‘awww’ You know, like in the episode where Zen got on his tiny bike and rushed after Ryu when he was kidnap for the how-many-times-can-one-person-be-kidnap-and-beaten-until-it-gets-boring time? like:

ZEN: Ryu, wait for me, I’m coming to save you. I have no plan, no fighting skills. I in no way told anyone where I was going and of course I did not bring anything pointy or sharp. But, I love you sooo much and I am coming to rescue you. *in-love noises*

Me, slowly chewing my popcorn while Zen was being thrown around like a piñata.
ME: Dumbass nooo... they beaten your arse…yous is bleeding…but awww you came to save him. *cries in stupid love* #sosad

So yeah, stupid arse romantic gestures are supposed to make us swoon. So tell me why every time Atom made some sort of romantic gestures I wanted to snitch to his dad about it like: ‘Atom’s dad, come collect your boy, he’s out here making unnecessary romantic gestures and embarrassing his ancestors.’

Literally, nonsense stuff Atom did that no one asked him to do.
- Confronting his team alone: His arse got beaten and all he got from Zen was sympathy.
- Given up his scholarship: Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being in love with a guy you met under the public pool one time, but given up your future because the boy you have a crush on’s boyfriend got beaten is wild. Like was that supposed to make Zen fall for him?
- His arse getting left in Phuket. LMAO, what, he thought getting Zen that scholarship was going to make him love him? Boo-boo.

His character was created to be the second lead that never got the guy, so he didn't bring a whole lot to the table. Sure the writers tried to make him mysterious, and interesting with whatever the hell was up with him and his dad, and sure he quit his future for a guy he met at the bottom of the pool one time, but like he was a very nice fella in the beginning.

And, yes, he was born with a hand and knew how to use the pictures on his phone to you know—do stuff, but like, he was still such a nice fella until he got on my nerve for always inserting himself in their business, like dude, read the room, you are the elephant.

Side note: Atom sure knew how to use that photo galley on his phone huh?? ^^I don’t understand why he want a boyfriend when clearly, he and himself can have a good time all on their own. See how quickly the whole thing lasted, his hand must work wonders.

Anywho, I wanted to know what happened to him in the end, but I guess I can be satisfied with his arse getting left in Phuket.

LIN LIN LIN.
What was the reason Lin fell in love with Ryu? It felt like she woke up one random Thursday and went. ‘Let’s see, what’s on my to-do-list today?’:

1. Pretend not the see my dad’s drinking problem
2. Ruin the school’s basketball team cuz im nosy
3. Fell in love with that guy I saw through the fence one time
4. If there’s time, put my nose in Ryu’s family problems, cuz, yolo right?

No, Lin having a crush on Ryu made no sense to me? Atom’s crush I understood. He met a cute boy while sitting under the public pool that one Tuesday. So he fell for his rescuer, but what was the reason Lin had a crush on Ryu? Was it because she saw him through that fence one time on the basketball court?

Whatever, her nosy arse was so annoying, getting in everyone and their mama’s business but ignoring her own. Child your father is a drinking away your collage fund, hows about we focus on that, huh? Good luck to that one dude who confused to her, now he has to deal with her and her drunkard dad.

PLOT
i actually found myself watching most of the game, instead of fasting forward. Good camera angles and I was intrigued. That being said, there was not much of a plot going on here. The gangster plot went nowhere. That one bathtub dude died in a black scene, and these children who just witness so many deaths went home and took a nap.

Zen’s grandmother being sick got annoying, because what’s with parents figure hiding their sickness? It vexes me every time it happens. Do they think them suddenly dying and leaving their loved ones alone without any closure, and feeling guilty for not noticing their sickness will be the better option?? Arrggg.

And was Ryu’s mother allergic to basketball or something? homegirl was doing too much. Like, go take a nap.

Also, why the hell did the writers expect me to cheer for that coach? He’s an alcoholic who deserved to be fired. He caused the death of his wife, and still keeps drinking, even at school, and what does his daughter do, give him more. And even when he was in trouble for it, he was still drinking it in front of the students. The way I rolled my eyes when the board voted for him to stay. Talkng about ‘I wanna keep coaching’ how about you coach yourself some rehab first!! Nonsense. And did his hair keep getting blonder?

FINALE
The ending was rushed. We didn’t get to see why the school board change their mind, how it was in Phuket, and what became of Atom, but I guess this half baked conclusion is better than waiting for a season two, no?

I was so happy when the team lost, cuz Zen is such a dumbass. Who the hell tells his team and bf his moving to Phuket seconds before a big game? Literally, he couldn’t have waited?

And also was the other team waiting for them while they were having their moment in the middle of the game? You know, cuz now it’s the time to hug and take a breather. ‘Yes, you moving to Phuket. So what do you want, a medal?’ Thank God they lost, I’d have riot if they won.

HJAJAHAHHA LMAO. They forgot that gangster friend who found him in the dumpster, only to bring him in the finale and have him literally disappear after he said like two lines. Then they proceeded to show us he turned into some hooded stalker, with a montage of his and Ryu’s time together, and I’m just rolling my eyes going. ‘Move it along, I literally don’t care about this person.’

With all that being said, y’all lying if you say you didn’t want that throuple during that awkward bed scene. Hush your face, you know you wanted it. But like, that scene made me laugh so hard—poor Zen, if only his pushover arse knew how to say 'no'.

Oh and, that theme song was dope!!!

Anyway, if you like basketball and MeenPing give this a watch, it’s good for passing the time, and I recommend it.

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It's always hard to review a weekender since they are, obviously, weekenders. They're always conservative, old-fashioned, normalise traditional gender roles, have too many characters, and drag because they're too long. As a consequence I'm not going to dwell on these aspects of Never Twice. It's a weekender and weekenders got to weekender. It's their thing.

Instead, this review will mostly concern itself with OMG IT'S A BABY!!!! Have you ever seen that xkcd cartoon where they graph human intelligence by inanity of statements against the presence of a kitty? Well, that's pretty well this show. There's a whole standard weekender plotline in here about found family and evil Chaebols and justice winning and everyone learning to just get along. But when up and coming actors Park Se Wan and Kwak Dong Yeon DO BABY none of that actually matters.

Sure this means that there's only one plotline anybody who watched this show cared about but it's a good plotline. Kwak Dong Yeon gushing over a baby is almost worth 36 episodes of television (72 in the stupid numbering) and, actually, 36 episodes is not too bad for a weekender. I sat through 50 episodes of Good Thief, Bad Thief and that had no baby at all.

Seriously, Park Se Wan and Kwak Dong Yeon are great emerging actors and there is A BABY and the main romance at least is quite good (if a bit rushed, don't do any math). The fast forward button was invented for a reason so if you're not afraid to use it and don't mind that the average weekender inevitably feels both saccharine and flat overall, then I recommend, oh, at least 10%-15% of this show.

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Over hyped Drama... ┐( ˘_˘)┌

Sorry I'm NOT sorry !

I had very big expectation for this Drama. I am very disappointed.

It’s unbearable to see female lead be so rude to her ex when she’s the one who broke his heart.I know there’s more info that revealed about her life but I can’t imagine male lead really wanting to be with someone who lied and broke his heart and never apologized. No interest in their romance.

And when I tried to watch it till the end..
I was just speechless, how could they concluded at last that whatever male lead achieved was all just waste ? They bragged about how he is famous artist , giving live demo for such a great building, his paintings are very admirable , a celebrity is fan of his work & his paintings are EXPENSIVE and of soo much value . Then at last they're showing that someone told him that his paintings are nothing but "JUST EMPTY ", A child who's Trapped in his own world ? And they're showing that whatever he did was all meant nothing to him ? ( Okay... they're trying to show us , he didn't know what he likes, what he wants to do in his life and he was just doing it without any meaning..does that make sense? NO !!
As an art lover myself I strongly believe that they just ruined the half meaning of this drama by showing this kind of story!
I was trying to complete this boring drama because of their boring romance, where I feel no emotions but at last I'm watching this ?
I'm just Disappointed

At last ...This story so far has no pull so they are manufacturing it by slicing and dicing the scenes and jumbling them so the audience cannot figure out what's going on.
The more I think of it, it is becoming more and more frustrating.

God knows why people are loving this drama ! There are more good dramas related to this kind of content.

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Why romance when we have bromance !!!

Am a big fan of medical dramas and love seeing all the surgeries and doctor-patient interactions. But this drama is just shot in the hospital premise and has a little medical aspect, it's more of the ghost world. with ghost and doctor helping each other to fulfill their needs to survive the cruelty of the world proving the title GHOST DOCTOR so apt.

●PLOT VIEW
Having seen a lot of K-drama, I had known that the secrets are meant to be known by villains, benevolent, and some family members. Wherein some try to use this secret and some protect you, the same happens in this drama too. The secret of ghosts in the body getting exposed in layers is done geniously. This drama while maintaining its ghost essence manages to cover today's society of greed. But it highly disappoints in the romance section, because it seemed very unnecessary in this drama. The Ghost Cha Young Min who is an ace cardiothoracic surgeon goes into a coma. And he somehow enters the new resident Ko Seung Tak who is not skilled. CYM is rude but seeing KST struggle, he needs to enter his body to save the patients. CYM's body gets better when they both do good, so KST helps him to wake up soon.
Also, I didn’t like the senior doctors who want to transfer the patient just because they don’t have one genius doctor. Why are they even there if they cant treat the patients properly? I mean the interns are shown running around every time for emergency and surgery both. And seniors don’t even give the basic treatment to the emergency patient.

●ACTING/CAST
I loved the entire main cast of this drama, but KIM BUM's character is so amazing. He is a man of exception. His witty nature and Ghost impolite character were done exceptionally well. I have been a big fan of him and seeing his various character it's hard, to not be one.
RAIN was good, I never get impressed by him but he is good. His angst and rudeness are pretty good to watch. His struggles of being a ghost are hilarious.
UEE is such a good actress but this role didn’t utilize her. She didn’t have a big part in the story and just felt like a supporting character.
SON NA EUN was a friend and keeper. I wanted to see more of her chemistry with KIM BUM.
The three ghosts and their head Tess had also made a good part of the story.

●MUSIC
The music was mediocre. “I can Fly Away” is the only OST that gives the vibe of ghost doctors which I enjoyed.

●REWATCH
Overall I liked this drama a lot. As I can acknowledge the flaws It's not going to make my favorites list, but it's certainly one of the good dramas I've seen in a while.

●RECOMMENDATION
It's a good watch, The story was pretty decent but got a bit draggy near the end, tho it was tolerable because of the bromance storyline. The chemistry between the male leads is undeniable.

●FAV SCENE
When the three ghosts show CYM how to be a better ghost.

●QUOTES
A doctor can wait for the patient, but the patient can't wait for the doctor - Ko Seung Tak

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