Reviews

Could have been more better, expected alot

The Eternal Fragrance feels like it's lacking in many areas, partly because of the choppy editing and the fact that it's a drama that was completed around three years ago, making some aspects feel dated. While ju jingyi is doing okay with her acting, there's still room for improvement, especially when it comes to delivering more emotional depth and natural expressions. The cultivation genre itself has become quite repetitive, and this drama follows many familiar tropes, making it feel generic rather than refreshing. On top of that, its visual aesthetics and overall fantasy vibe are very reminiscent of, which makes it harder for it to establish a unique identity.

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The Passive Villain Girl Made Me Finish This

Is it just me, or did Hyun Su-a (the second female lead) make this drama much more interesting? I honestly didn't like the first female lead's acting, and Cha Eun-woo's performance felt really awkward. I guess it would've been even more difficult for him if his character had been more complex. Fortunately, his role mostly required him to act cold and nonchalant. Sorry—I like Cha Eun-woo, and I've already watched this drama before. I just rewatched it, and it only confirmed for me that his acting here wasn't very strong. So far, the "pick-me girl" has been carrying the show. I even found myself more interested in the side characters, especially Woo Yeong.

Overall, I wouldn't say this drama is very good, but it's not terrible either. I'd probably give it a 6.5 or 7 out of 10 because of the storyline and the message behind it. The two main leads made the drama feel a bit off, and their chemistry wasn't particularly convincing.

Interestingly, I think Jang Won Ho was the only guy who truly loved Su-a. Unlike the others, he didn't fall for her because she made him like her or flirted with him—he genuinely cared about her and was sincerely worried for her.

That said... Cha Eun-woo's face card never declines. 😭

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light and refreshing, with a sprinkle of intensity

finally finished this after binging! i love the unique premise and the characters. admittedly the finale was rushed but i feel it didn’t take itself too seriously as a political/“eliminate the bad guys” show, which i appreciated. the vibe overall was lighthearted with intense moments, and i loved the found family dynamics a lot. it had its flaws, especially the characterisation of the FL, and some cliche tropes, but these can be overlooked if you don’t think too much about it. would recommend to anyone who wants a refresher or something different than usual idol dramas!

my favourite scene would have to be the final convo between An Xiuyi and his father, it was really well done.

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Masterpiece - about sh.t you are eating

This movie is a masterpiece about the politics of the food and what you are eating right now. And about human stupidity as most of the audience canNOT see it - in the movie itself .... as well as in real life. Commentary and review of this movie are ... well... tragic, actually. People love eating meat and will not ask how it ended up on their plate.

This is not a cute fantasy, it is a realistic animal rights and big agg movie, about the meat we PEOPLE eat and where it comes from. IT IS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED. That stuff is no joke bc what you eat will also "genetically engineer" you the eater....

Anything you eat will change you as it becomes your own flesh.

I suggest reading reports on what happens when mice eat genetically modified food.

The movie, comments and the reviews show how obviously nobody cares.

THE COMMENTS/REVIEWS OF THE AUDIENCE ARE THE MOST TERRIFYING PART OF THIS MOVE. PRACTICALLY NOBODY GETS IT.

The movie is realistic and shows the realism - so many ppl continuing to support the big agg industry and everything that comes with it - bc ppl love to eat meat....
and a very small group of ppl are called "idealistic" and they fight to stop the big agg farms and genetically modified/engineered foods.
And the audience in real life!!!! the big agg has the money so there are articles how the movie was booed at Cannes Festival - but what was booed was Netflix logo and some technical problems, not the movie....

AND NOBODY REALLY GETTING THIS MOVIE OR DOING ANYTHING IN REAL LIFE ABOUT THESE ISSUES

PEOPLE LOVE MEAT! so much that they dont care how much animals are tortured so that their meat ends up on the plate

PEOPLE STILL EAT TONS OF MEAT

I suggest going to youtube and other places to see what big animal farms actually look like and how animals are really raised and killed... Some of the most gross stuff is drilling a hole in a cow's side and then the vet puts his hand into it and puts stuff...

or cows and pigs kept in tiny "cages" and their necks are in like a yoke and they cannot move, they are "fixed" in the eating position....

And lakes of feces and urine, sprayed into air...

So anyways, the movie is so realistic...
and the message is clear, ppl are too stupid and this mass evil keeps happening, and only a few ones who put in the effort will escape..

and yeah that is what life is like :)

I am amazed that Americans made this movie :) this is one of the rare smart movies in the USA .... all smart movies in the USA became extinct in like ... 2006 or so.... ....

and yeah NYC lmao the smartest town in the USA
and also containing the most vile corporate evil masterminds :)

The movie is 100% realistic. I was cracked up by Miranda family, esp Nancy as a cold blooded scrooge - she gave us a super great business lesson - and Lucy as this new age corporate "cover it up rosey, ppl will consent to anything if you put a sweet bs to it." SO true!!!! ppl really behave like that.

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I am aware about the Ip Man series, and how it's based on a real-life figure of the same name, but I've never really watched the Donnie Yen movies or been interested in Ip Man stories until now. And then I found out that Xie Miao is playing a younger version of Ip Man, so how can I not watch this movie?

In this movie, Xie Miao plays a young Ip Man who at the moment was studying in Hong Kong. By chance, he encountered a mugging incident... and while he came over to lend a hand, he happened to reunite with an old friend. While spending time with his fellow martial arts student, Man came to witness a kidnapping attempt by some men working for a British company and proceeded to rescue the kidnapped women. What started as one simple incident ended up blowing up as the thugs from the company involved with the human trafficking business started to retaliate, and people around Man started to get hurt. As Ip Man began to reawaken his sense of justice and learn that righteousness must also be followed by wisdom, he sought to confront the British and make right the wrongs that had been done.

Considering that I dived into the story blind, I have no bias toward which actor played Ip Man better. But what I can say is... Xie Miao really brought out a sense of youthfulness and bright energy in his portrayal of young Ip Man. It was really refreshing, seeing him portray a prominent Kungfu master and it's really exciting to see him portray Ip Man from an early point in his life.

If there was anything that I really disliked about any characters in the movie, it would be the man villain MR Stark.Whether it was intentional or not... the character really gave the impression of a very corrupt old Imperial officer with all the many allusions about the Chinese culture that they often speak. Which was really offputting, seeing it coming from a foreigner who appeared to be cosplaying as this 'native' Chinese mob leader. But I suppose, since he's a villain, it's expected for Stark to be a hated character and it really does feel satisfying seeing Man take them down. I'm not sure there were any more plans for future movies featuring Xie Miao as Ip Man, but I would've loved to see more if possible. Xie Miao really did well portraying a Wing Chun master~

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Started well but lost it's spark at the end

This drama deals with mental illness which is a plot I love. The actors did so well. It had me hooked from episode 1-31. From ep 31 it went downhill, it felt like I was watching something completely different even that emotional connection wasn't there anymore. What irritated me the most was the divorce In ep 31, the ml lead promised to always be there for fl after finding out she's mentally ill. But at the least inconvenience that happened, he divorced her and sent her back to the mountain. I can never forgive him for that even when he apologized in ep 32, I couldn't look at him the same way. They ruined the ending of the drama. It's a good ending but it's too weak

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Sometimes Love Is Just Quietly Showing Up

Love Has Fireworks reminded me that love isn't always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it grows quietly through everyday moments, shared struggles, and unwavering trust.

The female lead never compromised her values. She chose to live honestly, stayed optimistic despite hardships, and never hesitated to help others, even at the cost of her own comfort. The male lead, who initially admired her, slowly fell in love—not because she changed for him, but because she inspired him to see the world differently and become a better version of himself.

What I loved most was their chemistry. As roommates, they struggled to understand whether what they felt was love or simply care, making their relationship feel natural and relatable. But the male lead's quiet acts of kindness truly stood out. He always helped her behind the scenes, never asking for recognition, casually saying, "It's already taken care of," as if it were nothing.

To me, that's what made this drama special. Love isn't about grand gestures; it's about being someone's peace, silently standing beside them, and making them feel they never have to face life alone.

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This drama made me laugh, giggle, and cry in the same ratio.. ✨✨

The bond between haixia and hailou touched my very soul..it was like two opposite poles attracting each other...

Zhang haixia was calm, composed and the beauty with brain.. you ask him one thing and he'd have hundred solutions for them..his dedication and love for hailou was unmatched for..even when hailou was reckless, stupid and annoying he was there like a pillar always watching our, always protecting.

Zhang hailou is the complete opposite, hot headed and reckless, does thing on impulse and ends up inviting trouble anywhere..at a point when hailou messed up bad due to his playfulness and almost lost haixia I was pissed..but then again I saw the way my baby was heartbroken so I forgave him just as easily I got pissed..I mean that man was gonna unalive himself out of the sheer guilt..and yes he uses less of his brain.. he's more like beauty with fighting skills..

Without each other both of them are nothing.. NOTHING!

don't even talk about the ending..i BROKE me, zhang hailou lost everything in a blink, his friend, his shifu and job...poor boy was broken and so was i, i cant imagine having to see your bestfriend kill both your shifu and then having to kill your soulmate by your own hand..I COULD NOT EVER!! for this reason hailou was my favourite character..I have High hopes for season 2 because I just know it'll come out better and soon.

Now also I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to believe that haixia is dead cause he's not and here's my theory of why my baby haixia isn't dead :

Alright so to SPOILER ALERRT BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE..WELL NOT HAPPY WITH THE ENDING THIS IS THE LAST SHRED OF HOPE AND AS WELL AS MY THEORY ON WHY THE ENDING IS NOT AS IT SEEMS!!!!!


so to begin with in the last episode we see that the evil shrimpie manages to stab hailou on his left side.. Little taoist and the gurl thought that hailou was dead but then we got to know that as people of zhang family are different from ordinary people they also have their heart on their RIGHT SIDE. Moving on to the last scene we notice that hailou actually stabs haixia ON HIS LEFT SIDE BUT AS HAIXIA TOO IS A MEMBER OF ZHANG FAMILY IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT HE ALSO HAS HIS HEART ON HIS RIGHT SIDE! Which means the wound might be serious but not lethal enough to kill...and since we know that evil shrimpie didn't know that zhang members has their heart on the different side maybe the parasite will also assume that it's host is dead and eventually leave haixia's body which gives hailou the opportunity to get him treated...(and for years hailou is alone because if they bring out haixia out in the public he'll be punished for his wrong doings and all the evil he had done, since the proofs were all destroyed and nobody would just believe a theory that there's a parasite in haixia...so that's why after years maybe they catch onto something crucial and begin their journey to prove and explain such matters to people and save haixia's face)


Well smart aren't i? Thank you;)

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A Nationalistic, Cringe-Inducing Mess That Ruins a Classic with Modern Propaganda and Creepy Romance

What's most important to know?
​Tsui Hark completely strips away the soul, adventure, and organic growth of Jin Yong’s original masterpiece. By aggressively cutting out the first 33 chapters, the film rushes straight into heavy-handed, mainland state-style political propaganda about "serving the nation." Worse, the poorly paced, deeply uncomfortable romantic dynamic between the leads feels entirely unearned, creepy, and borderline predatory given how rushed and immature the character setups are. It’s a 1/10 disaster that swaps genuine wuxia chivalry for modern political pandering.

A absolute trainwreck that feels more like a mainland state-mandated lecture than a martial arts epic.
​The Story: Rushed Pacing and Blatant Propaganda
​By chopping off the entire first half of the novel, the film obliterates any actual character development. We are expected to care about Guo Jing and Huang Rong instantly, but their relationship comes off as incredibly forced and deeply uncomfortable. The adaptation completely mishandles the youthful innocence of the characters, turning what should be a classic coming-of-age romance into a cringe-inducing, bizarrely paced relationship that feels entirely inappropriate.
​Worse yet is the transparent political agenda. Jin Yong’s classic line, "A Great Gallant serves the nation and its people," is stripped of its historical nuance and weaponized as modern, heavy-handed Communist Chinese propaganda. The entire plot is narrowed down to blind nationalism and sacrificing family (like Li Ping’s forced suicide) for the state. Turning a beloved fantasy adventure into a mouthpiece for modern state ideology is utterly exhausting to watch.
​Acting & Cast: Zero Chemistry
​The acting is completely wooden. The lead actors have absolutely zero chemistry, making the romance feel even more unnatural and hard to watch. Guo Jing isn't portrayed as "pure-hearted and slow-witted"—he comes across as utterly brainless, making it impossible to believe that a brilliant character like Huang Rong would blindly follow him around. The legendary Ouyang Feng is reduced to a screaming, cartoonish caricature once he goes mad from the reversed Nine Yin Manual. There is no emotional weight to any of the sacrifices; it’s just actors shouting lines at a green screen.
​Production, Music, and Action
​Don't expect the classic, gritty Tsui Hark style of the 1990s. This film is bloated with cheap, over-saturated CGI that looks like a modern Chinese mobile game. The final battle at Xiangyang is just a messy barrage of special effects where the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms look like generic superhero energy blasts. The music is equally terrible—loud, overblown, and aggressively nationalistic, constantly telling the audience exactly when they are supposed to feel patriotic.
​Conclusion
​If you want genuine wuxia, skip this entirely. It is a cynical, state-pleasing product that completely ruins Jin Yong's legacy, butchering a classic romance and replacing it with unearned sentimentality and loud political messaging. Avoid at all costs.

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This true crime is honestly super interesting so maybe I will rewatch it at one point. This documentary was just overall a very well thought-out and put together documentary where you got to see the actions of a serial killer. I consume SO SO SO SO much serial killer material about other countries that when there's some documentary about a serial killer that pops up where the killings took place in other countries its a must watch for me. It's on Netflix so they really know how to make all these horrifying events seem intriguing and it's truly horrifying what that man did off course. Well off there are always things you can say about true crime but if you like true crime or thriller then this is good.

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In the abyssal dark lies glimpses of brilliance.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much for this drama. I knew just seeing the tags that this was going to be a bit heavy. Though this obviously had a ton of inspiration from another drama *ahem OBS lololol, it was re-written and reinterpreted enough that I would call it an original, albeit inspired work.

With that said, this is one of the more better produced dramas that came out of China in a while. There are tons of dramas this year, but this drama hearkens back to the days where classic cinematography and composition was used to move the story along.

Now onto the story, it actually makes a lot of sense. I know when it comes to romance, most "romance" drama watchers would prefer the angle of "prince charming" swooping in. However, not only was that not realistic, it devalues the girl wayy too much. I much preferred this. Call me old, but I prefer mature romance in which there's independence from both parties and inspite of that, they can still come together in the end. And this drama delivered in that aspect. Lu Xi Xiao, though he had his problems, it never occurred to him that all that he's done, all that he's achieved were done on his dad's/ family's penny. It was totally justified for Zhou Wan to leave him and let him understand his own value. As for Zhou Wan's character, I was a bit disappointed that she wasn't given a better platform after her 10 years of hard work. A bit realistic, but man, couldn't she become someone more... important? In the end, I dinked the writing a bit just because Zhou Wan's value ended up being the acceptance of Lu Xi Xiao for her complete self... i guess lol

Anyways, I just wrote a review for this drama just because i loved OBS. And since this was heavily inspired by that, I want justify my own score for it using this review lol

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The Erosion of Intimacy

1122: For a Happy Marriage is deeply intriguing. I found myself feeling all sorts of emotions from curiosity to wonderment to surprise, but never anger or disgust, which is strangely weird given the subject matter. Within the first ten minutes of the first episode, I realized that this drama is fundamentally about the erosion of intimacy. Not the dramatic kind, not screaming, not betrayal with fireworks, but the slow, almost imperceptible kind that happens when two people stop looking at each other with curiosity. What this show does so brilliantly is treat marriage not as a static institution but as something that can bruise, heal, and bruise again through the marriages of two couples and a single man, who are so intimately intertwined despite the relationships being anything but that.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the subject matter is mature in the truest sense: it asks what happens when love is present but insufficient, when loyalty exists but desire has faded, when two people want to stay but don’t know how, and also how they accept the unacceptable to stay, which was probably the hardest to reconcile for me. What I like the most, though, is that the drama refuses to give us villains. Instead, it gives us people who are extremely flawed and quietly drowning. It gives us a view of two fragile marriages, but through very different lenses.

Ichiko and Otoya are the emotional center of the story, and their marriage is a study in contradictions. They are gentle with each other, but not honest. They are affectionate, but not intimate. They are committed, but not connected. From the outside in, they have that marriage that looks fine until you touch it, and you realize how painfully broken it is. I must say, Ichiko is one of the most intriguing characters to me. She is written with a kind of fragile realism. She is not dramatic; she’s not loud; she’s not even particularly expressive. But she carries the weight of a woman who has spent years trying to be “accepting,” trying not to disrupt the peace, trying to be grateful instead of needy. Her silence is not passive; it’s protective, yet so curiously loud.
Otoya, on the other hand, is a man who genuinely loves his wife but has no language for emotional discomfort. He avoids conflict with the same instinct as someone avoiding a flame. His kindness becomes a shield, and that shield becomes distance, almost an unknowing weapon.

The crazy part is that their marriage isn't broken; it's just neglected, yet neither of them realizes it. And the show treats that neglect with surgical precision. It's hard to feel anger or betrayal toward Ichiko, or empathy for either of them, because they choose to remain in limbo rather than address their lack of interest in their relationship.

The second parallel marriage is colder, quieter, and more suffocating. Where Ichiko and Otoya still have warmth, this couple has routine. Their scenes feel like walking into a room where the air hasn’t moved in years. The husband’s emotional withdrawal is not cruel; it’s exhaustion. The wife’s loneliness is not dramatic; it’s resigned. Their storyline is a portrait of what happens when two people stop trying long before they admit it. It feels like this couple exists to show us that marriages don’t explode; they fade if left untreated.

And then there is Rei, the disruption, the temptation, and in a strange kind of way, the mirror. He is not written as a seducer or a marriage wrecker; he’s written as a mirror. His presence forces Ichiko to confront the parts of herself she has buried. Her desires, curiosities, and the need to be seen. He is the catalyst, not the cause, and, in an almost unrealistic way, he serves the purpose because his existence shows how easily emotional hunger can turn into emotional infidelity. Not because someone is malicious, but because someone is starving.

The story is a true slow burn, almost too slow at times, but never boring, and as you continue to watch, you come to realize that the pacing is deliberate. The show wants us, or at least that's how it seems to me, to sit in discomfort in the long silences, the awkward pauses, conversations that circle the same wound without touching it. It’s not trying to entertain; it’s trying to reveal.
The story is less about events and more about emotional shifts, as in the glances that last too long, conversations that should have happened years ago, moments of honesty that feel like betrayal, and, at times, moments of betrayal that feel like honesty. So, in a sense, the drama’s restraint is both its strength and its flaw. Some episodes feel like they’re holding their breath for too long. But when the emotional payoff comes, it’s sharp, painful, and earned.

I must admit, I kept wondering what the ending would be like for these imperfectly perfect beings, and I was not at all surprised that we do not get a clean resolution. It’s messy, contradictory, and very human, which fits the drama’s theme, even if some choices felt rushed, especially the events that unfold in the very last episode. Still, the emotional truth the show tries to convey remains true: that marriages don’t resolve neatly. People don’t transform overnight. Healing is not cinematic; it’s clumsy. But the drama totally worked for me, and I will tell you why, because it realistically shows that marriage is not a romance. It is a negotiation between two imperfect people who are constantly changing. The show’s greatest achievement is its empathy. It never condemns its characters, even when they hurt each other. It simply shows how easy it is to lose your partner while living beside them every day. This is one of those very rare adult dramas that handle real relationships with the honesty and maturity they deserve -- no judgment.

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A Diamond in the Rough That Needed Better Polishing

I watched this series over the course of two sittings. It was largely my enthusiasm for Chinese dramas—and my appreciation for Han Dong Lin—that kept me invested long enough to finish it.

The opening episodes are the show's weakest point. They throw the audience into a confusing narrative without offering enough context, making it easy to lose interest before the story begins to find its footing. Viewers who are patient enough to push through the initial confusion will discover a plot with genuinely interesting ideas, but unfortunately, I felt the execution never fully lived up to its potential.

That said, the cast delivers solid performances across the board. They do a commendable job bringing their characters to life, and the emotional moments are handled particularly well. As a fan of whump, I especially appreciated those scenes—Ding Zhi, in particular, deserves an honorary "Whumpee of the Year" award.

Top three reasons to give this drama a chance:

1. An excellent bromance with enjoyable character chemistry.
2. Plenty of satisfying whump scenes for fans of the genre.
3. A fundamentally clever premise with an intriguing central mystery, even if the execution is uneven.

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