Reviews

It's been 10 yrs

My first chinese drama I think and what really got me into C-dramas, this show was huge at the time, I honestly dont remember most of it but I do remember being very entertained with the love triangle, I will say there was a lot of unecessary or poorly written conflict, like the murdering of his mother seemed like a straight up sci-fi plot, there are also a lot of stereotipical tropes in this, characters are pretty one-dimensional, in fact I would say this is one of the dramas that started the trend of cunning FLs with how popular it was in china if I'm not mistaken

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Props to FL actress

Great acting from FL's actress, she was able to make us root for her and express so many emotions easily, my one critique to this show is the fact that a lot of the characters who are vital to the show feel a bit too one-dimensional, not because of how they were written but rather because of the actors' and the directors' choices, it's been a long time since I watched this but I feel like I'm used to never knowing exactly how a character will respond to situations and what they're like when interacting with others, in this show you could typically tell both things, so even if the characters are somewhat well-written, they're a bit predictable in comparison to Ruyi's Love in the Palace for example.
This show's main attractive factor is definitely the story and the suspense, you want to root for the FL and you see how smart she is so you're curious to know how she'll get out of a particular situation, it's a lot like apocathery diaries, you grow to like some of the antagonists as well but overall you kind of already know what direction the story is going.

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cute second lead couple

second lead chemistry????? woo my fav they need to do another drama bcz they have insane chemistry
and here comes main couples
the trope is like Playgirl x with a guy who hates women this is so much genz drama ever not like male lead insulting fl lead
and fl lead have some victim mentality this is what they show nowadays in kdramas but such a unique fresh concept I'll say

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"A tear darkens all the world"

Farewell My Concubine tumbled through Chinese history during the tumultuous years from 1922-1977 shown through the experiences of a Peking opera troupe. Dou Zi and Shitou endured the brutal opera training in the warlord period, rose to fame, and then dealt with the cruel destruction of the art form during the Cultural Revolution.

Dou Zi’s mother can no longer raise him in the brothel and leaves the child at an opera training facility run by physically abusive teachers. The boys are beaten whether they make mistakes or excel. Young Shitou is trained to do male roles while Dou Zi, against his wishes, is forced to train for female characters. The two boys form an unbreakable bond that lasts into adulthood where they find success as the King and his Concubine. Their ties are strained when Shitou becomes engaged to the prostitute Ju Xian. Dou Zi reluctantly begins a relationship with their patron, Master Yuan. Everyone’s mettle is tested during the Japanese occupation. It won’t be the last political and sociological upheaval the trio will have to face.

Leslie Cheung as Dou Zi/Die Yi radiated as the vulnerable, manipulative, and talented “concubine”. His character became steadily more isolated through dramatic changes that blurred the lines between reality and performance. Honestly, the film already clocked in at nearly three hours which didn’t feel that long. I could have used additional plumbing of Dou Zi’s emotions as he was the most fascinating character and Leslie owned the role. Though Dou Zi was gay his affectations were trained into him from childhood, something he had zero say in. It was heavily implied that he and Shitou were more than friends. The tenderness with which Dou Zi applied Shitou’s makeup was quite moving. This being 1993 and China, sadly the film never openly explored that aspect of their relationship resorting to subtext. For anyone old enough, think Xena and Gabrielle. Shitou/Duan Xiao Lou’s loyalty slowly unraveled as he and Ju Xian became increasingly enmeshed and the political parties grew more adversarial to their craft. Gong Li elevated her character by the sheer power of her performance. Ju Xian seemed to be created to keep the men apart and be an antagonist to Dou Zi.

Despite not being a fan of Peking Opera, I quite enjoyed this film. The gorgeous costumes, makeup, and commitment, it was hard to not like what Die Yi and Xiao Lou were selling. The opera and its actors swung between being adored, being used by political parties, and/or vilified. Revolutions and rampant mob mentality were terrifying. One day a person was basking in their good graces the next they were marched down the street to be shot. What was okay yesterday could be a death sentence tomorrow. Nuance was not a virtue. Though there were many strong performances, Leslie Cheung and Gong Li dominated the screen whenever they were on it, whether you were rooting for them or wishing they’d fall off a balcony. Rarely does a thirty-three-year-old film hold up this well, Farewell My Concubine was a compelling story and a feast for the eyes.


8 November 2026

Trigger warnings: Sexual assault. Bare bottoms. Child abuse. A turtle being butchered and bled. Multiple suicides. Drug use.

Déjà vu Note: This film was reminiscent of 1994’s To Live which Gong Li and Ge You also starred in. Instead of Peking Opera it focused on shadow puppets. They were another pair who struggled during the political upheavals of the formative modern decades. Art and artists are always a target for authoritarian regimes.

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Be ready for the Emotional Damage

This drama is definitely not for everyone. As a Cheng Lei fan, of course I was going to watch it. But for the casual viewers who are only here for the story, I would like to issue a thousand warnings before you start.

This is a sickening, abusive, morally questionable kind of drama. You will hate the characters, question the story, and probably get frustrated with the production choices at some point. You can use Cheng Lei (like I did) as an excuse to keep watching, or you can simply walk away. After all, it's a fictional story with fictional characters, and the choice is yours. Just prepare yourself for a series of questionable scenes and dialogues, and brace yourself for the worst they can possibly deliver lol.

I had read the synopsis beforehand (but NOT the novel. Noooo, I'm definitely not ready for an even worse version of Yu Changxuan), and I had watched all the trailers and teasers, so I thought I was mentally prepared to see my favorite actor portray an abusive, sexually assaulting, walking red flag of a man. But no. If you thought Episode 13 was bad enough, just wait until Episode 23. LOL. I was practically speechless throughout the entire episode.

I mean, I have read some viewers' explanations about the historical setting and cultural (?) context behind why YCX dared to marry an unconscious woman, but still........ This psycho was really psycho-ing 😭. I was somewhat relieved when he finally let Pingjun go in Episode 20, only for him to pull THAT stunt three episodes later. NOOOOO. I kept reminding myself not to get emotionally invested in a fictional drama and to immerse myself in the Republican-era setting, but it wasn't that easy. Mind you, this isn't my first Republican-era drama, and I'm quite familiar with the stereotypes and the kind of toxic relationships that often come with this genre (and that sad ending, too) lol.

The emotional roller coaster was so torturous that I couldn't even fully enjoy their lovey-dovey scenes. The earlier episodes left such a strong impression that I genuinely couldn't imagine YCX as a good husband in the beginning lol. But then, when they were separated, I found myself wanting to cry along with them. DON'T PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS LIKE THAT, HUWEEEE.
Anyway, I somehow managed to survive all those devilish episodes and finish the drama. The entire 40-episode journey was essentially built around the character development of the male lead, and I think it delivered that development exceptionally well. It's a full-blown makjang story, but let's be honest, makjang is addictive lol. Sometimes you just need a little bit of chaos in your life. Such a guilty pleasure drama, and I am absolutely willing to sign up for more, ha!

When the express package came out, I watched the spoilers and initially thought YCX absolutely deserved that ending. But that was before I got past Episode 23, so my perspective was obviously incomplete. As I continued watching, my opinion changed. He still deserved that ending, but for an entirely different reason. By the end, he had truly become the hero that people needed 😭

And Episode 29... HOW HEARTBREAKING WAS THAT? How could you possibly make his brother's storyline even sadder than it already was? The episode was an absolute acting fest from Cheng Lei (and, of course, the entire cast). So many emotions packed into one episode. I was genuinely impressed.

Speaking of the supporting characters, why do I feel like Tao Ziyi's styling got so much better after she broke up with YCX? Lol. I actually started enjoying her scenes in the second half, perhaps because she became less evil and more tolerable. Who would've thought that Tao Ziyi would eventually play such a vital role in bringing the family back together? I think I can finally cross her name off my death note, just for that final act alone.

The storyline involving Lanqing, Old Jin, and Yu Mingxuan was equally irreplaceable. Their stories added another layer of emotional depth to the drama. It's always the war that ends up sacrificing people's peace, happiness, and future 😭
The Fourth Sister's storyline was another dramatic ride. We all know that Kuang Bingwen was, at least on a few occasions, genuinely sincere toward his wife. But seriously, the men in this drama need to attend a masterclass on how to love people properly because WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY FAILED EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP ASSIGNMENT? EVERY. SINGLE. ONE!

By the way, the closure scene between Kuang Bingwen and the Third Madam was unexpectedly hilarious. The way he left her on the street, with the two practically killing each other (?), and then they both decided to put an end to their own drama while the Yu siblings watched from the sidelines... I WAS LAUGHING, oops. What a way to wrap things up.

One thing I genuinely appreciate is how the drama incorporates the historical narrative of the war against Japan. It serves as a history lesson for younger generations, reminding viewers of how cruel war can be and how deeply it shaped China and the rest of the world. I can see why the production team chose to use this drama as a medium to promote historical awareness and patriotism. The script also incorporates historical references and explicitly introduces communist ideology to the audience. Personally, I'm fine with that, especially considering the support and opportunities it brings to promote my man's work lol.

AND THE WAR SCENES WERE SO COOL. They were realistic, fit perfectly into the storyline, heightened the emotional impact, and were executed exceptionally well. The viral reactions to those scenes, especially the one in Episode 18, were absolutely deserved. They were so realistic that I actually felt sorry for the Chinese soldiers. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY WERE FIGHTING TANKS AND MISSILE AIRCRAFT WITH JUST RIFLES AND BAYONETS? 😭😭 The imbalance was heartbreaking to watch. Anyway, war is never justified, guys. That's something we've all learned in history class.

The drama also boasts great cinematography. It captures the autumn atmosphere beautifully, with its sense of loneliness, tranquility, quietness, and cool-toned melancholy. The costumes, styling, camera work, and overall visual direction all complement the theme. You can tell that the production team put a lot of thought into the details. One minor complaint, though: the green screen in the port scene in Episode 32 was WAY too obvious. I expected better, you know?

As for Xu Ruohan, I had previously watched her in The Best Thing, and she looked absolutely gorgeous in TLOA. She fits Pingjun's character so well, with that combination of innocence and strong will. Her portrayal might come across as a little understated at times, but I think that was a deliberate choice for the character. Both leads have great chemistry and deliver solid performances, even though they're stuck in the wrong genre lol. YCX and YPJ, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE BORN IN SUCH A TURBULENT ERA?

And Pingjun, girl, I think you need to perform some serious rituals to ward off bad luck because HOW MANY TIMES CAN ONE WOMAN BE KIDNAPPED, TRAPPED, AND HELD HOSTAGE BY MEN WHO CLAIM TO LOVE HER? PLEASE😭

Now, let's talk about Cheng Lei. This drama was such a bold and risky career choice, but I genuinely appreciate his willingness to challenge himself with a character this complicated. This is his first first-billed drama (okay, the industry system has "changed" now, I know), and he has absolutely proven his worth. In a way, I feel like TLOA was made by Cheng Lei and, perhaps more importantly, made for Cheng Lei.

Yu Changxuan feels like a character tailored specifically for him: a charismatic military commander who gets lost in love but eventually has to confront reality and fulfill his duty to his country. The role gives him maximum screen time, maximum room to showcase his acting range, and maximum opportunities to serve LOOKS. I honestly cannot stop myself from praising his appearance every single time he shows up on my screen. The styling department deserves a raise because WHAT WAS THAT? Every outfit, every expression, every entrance. Wow, just WOW.

I can confidently say that TLOA is a good drama. It might be a little too experimental and emotionally exhausting for viewers who prefer lighthearted, feel-good stories, but the production team and the cast deserve the recognition and success they've received. It's a head-spinning, emotionally draining experience, but also an incredibly entertaining one. It's a drama that makes you question its characters, scream at your screen, suffer through 40 episodes, but somehow still leave you wanting more 😉

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It's More About Character Growth than Romance

To be honest, the whole drama feels like one episode of the "Boys Dormatory" and that there are supposed to more episodes before and after it... But does that hinder the drama? Absolutely not!

•❅✧❅✦ STORY •❅✧❅✦

The drama focuses on our two MLs who live in the dorms. Koyanagi is a cooking enthusiast, who does care about anything except for cooking, and Takizawa has been abused by his father his whole life, so he is scared and withdrawn from people. They are both considered "oddballs" or "strange people" or 変わり者 or 変人 in Japan, as they act differently from "normal" people. After moving in, Takizawa slowly starts opening up to Koyanagi, as Koyanagi unintentionally breaks down his walls with his unconventional methods of trying to befriend him. Meanwhile, Takeru, who has a crush on Takizawa moves in. He also breaks down Takizawa's walls, abit more forcefully than Takizawa would like. This leads to Takizawa discovering more about himself. This is the core of the plot.

The drama is all about Takizawa's growth as a person, rather than his romance with Koyanagi. There are a few "romantic" moments here and there, but the bulk of the drama is about Takizawa learning to overcome his abused past and learning to open up to people.

If you want romance, there isn't much in this drama. It's mostly about self discovery. However, the drama is very light-hearted despite the subject matter, so it's a fun watch!

•❅✧❅✦ THE "ODDBALL" CHARACTERS •❅✧❅✦

All of the characters, except for the dormatory leader and Takeru, are "oddballs." None of them would be considered "normal" by Japanese standards, which is why the drama feels like it is one episode out of the "Boys Dormatory."

It feels like there is supposed to be more episodes focusing on the other characters coming up after Takizawa and Koyanagi's episode finishes. The story of Takizawa and Koyanagi wraps up decently, but Koyanagi's background and his POV of the relationship aren't revealed in detail. Only hints are given, which makes us curious to see if there will be a season 2.

At the same time, the supporting and background characters also leave an impression, even if they are just standing around! The two other dorm-mates, the fitness guru with an afro and the kimono wearing guy who seems intune with ghosts, leave quite an impression even through they barely on screen. As for Takeru and the dorm leader, we are naturally curious about their lives too as we are given glimpses of their lives through their interactions with Takeru and Koyanagi.

•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦

The drama is too short, yet just right at the same time. The drama wraps up all ends nicely, but at the same time it feels like there is more to come. It's light-hearted and cute, leaving you wanting to see more of this dorm's shenanigains after the drama ends.

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A Game of Strategy, Morality, and Human Nature

I genuinely enjoyed this season, especially the ending. One thing I took away from it is that building trust and genuine connections can sometimes be a better survival strategy than greed, constant power struggles, and unnecessary wars. I honestly think several players could have had a better chance of winning if they had understood that.

Luna was undoubtedly my favourite part of this season. She has an impressive combination of intelligence, social awareness, communication skills, and adaptability. She's an excellent observer, knows how to read people, catches on to situations quickly, and most importantly, understands when to stay low and when to make her move. I'm genuinely happy she won rather than the majority alliance.

I've seen people criticize her for getting emotional and playing the victim, but I think they're forgetting that this is a social experiment. It's a game to us, the viewers, but the contestants are actually living through it. Their relationships, trust, emotions, and survival are all involved. You can't expect everyone to remain completely detached and treat every situation as a calculated move.

What I particularly appreciated was the contrast between players who followed their own moral boundaries and those who were willing to cross them. Maillard, Leia, and Luna had opportunities to eliminate their teammates but repeatedly chose not to. Luna, especially, was secretly working as Gold's spy and had opportunities to eliminate all five members when she was their leader. Yet she never did. She even eliminated herself on the fourth day to give another White player a chance to survive. She also consistently tried negotiating instead of immediately resorting to war.

Compare that with Pitou eliminating teammates for personal gain or Black using starvation against newcomers who were still trying to adapt. Yes, these moves were permitted by the rules, but **being allowed to do something doesn't automatically make it the only way to play.** That's what makes this experiment interesting to me. It's not just about strategy, but also about people's morals and choices under pressure.

I also think White made a questionable decision by cooperating with Black, Blue, and Red, considering their involvement in White losing three members in the first place. And the events leading up to the finale were particularly frustrating. Had they avoided the unnecessary conflict and declared war the day before the final, Luna might have had a reason to bring Leia, Knucks, and Siseon into Gold. Instead, they pushed her into a situation where feeling betrayed and disappointed was completely understandable.

Overall, I think Luna deserved her victory. She wasn't the most ruthless contestant, but she understood people, adapted to changing circumstances, built connections, and knew when to act. Those are survival skills too.

A very entertaining season that was ultimately much more than a game about survival. It was a fascinating look at what people become when power, fear, greed, trust, and morality collide.

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Goodbye Khemjira, we hardly knew you

Initially I was going to wait until the last episode, but the second one cemented my total disinterest and apathy towards this special, and I want to move on, so here it is.

Khemjira being an international sensation makes sense; the story is interesting and new, there is clear effort put into it and the actors are mostly good, but watching it after the hype has passed makes its flaws impossible to miss. The last three or four episodes of the original show are a bore to go through even though they were supposed to be the best ones, and with this special its official: Khemjira the series isn’t about Khemjira at all.

Of course, I understand the dynamics and why Pharan is so important; he’s the one with actual power to save Khem, but by putting him into this pedestal it throws the titular character into the sidelines and the writers are fine with leaving him there forever.

Khemjira as a person is bare of anything tangible; he’s only friends with Jet and then Jet’s boyfriend, no present parental figure, he will get married to the guy who saved his life and there are some vague people around him doing a movie. That’s it.
He doesn’t like or dislike, doesn’t listen to music, dance or watch movies. His outfits are horrendous although his fiancée probably have some money. Khem stays at Pharan’s house alone, none comes around to talk or just keep him company beyond Jet.

It’s weird even within their romantic and sexual relationship, Pharan is a puppy in love and wants to be glued to his side all the time, where Khem is perpetually shy and keeps him at arm’s length, they never feel authentic or a couple that is soon to be married.
Again, I can see why this was a thing in the original show, Khem didn’t had time to date or anything of the sort because he was being haunted his entire life, but there is a time jump between his curse being lifted and him and Pharan getting engaged, that should've been when things changed a bit.

And before the same old and tired argument is brought up:
No, I don’t need nc scenes every 10 minutes, actually, the lack of non-sexual intimacy between this engaged couple is what drives me insane. It’s not like the writers can’t do it, Jet and Charn have a few moments and they are great, the difficulty exists only for the main couple.
If I remember correctly, there are some limits to what Phem can do while he has the ‘master’ title, but I am sure he can build a bit of intimacy with the person he loves.

Khem and Pharan feel stuck as a couple, and the contrast between them and CharnJet makes it worse because the latter behaves like a real couple and are even having realistic relationship problems. The opportunity to do something interesting was there when Pharan didn't want to go be in danger after the warning he received, but Khem thought he should at least try and that was it.
I’m not sure if the movie plot is in the novel but it feels very whatever here, just something for Khem to do in the geographic space he is allowed to move around while Pharan tries not to die.

I can feel myself being kind of a hater about this show and that’s the last thing I wanted to be, but I can’t help it; that’s the best they could do?
Anyways, I will pretend this doesn’t exist.

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Rating is a 6.5 or a 7 I'm conflicted

To me, being a bit different from the rinse-and-repeat of Cold & Aloft Seme with an awkward, introverted Uke is already a major plus. I'm so tired of that kind of plot. We don't get a lot of Fudanshi main characters either, which was another nice switch-up. I also liked the side characters, and the dialogue was funny sometimes. They even did a different booth for the culture festival instead of the overdone haunted house and cafe! The show was far from perfect, but it did things outside the norm for a Japanese high school BL & it gets a few extra points in my book for that.

The pacing was a bit slow; each episode felt longer than it was, but at least I didn't get bored. It wasn't interesting, but it wasn't boring. It was middle of the road.

I never expect anything besides a chaste kiss in a Japanese BL, or in most Korean BL, but the overall chemistry wasn't too bad. The hugging and cuddling were very cute, and I'm a big supporter of cuddles.

The only real point of frustration for me was Suzuki not picking up on Serizawa liking him, but I tried to keep in mind that he has problems with his self-image, so he doesn't even consider himself an option. It's an overdone trope that I really wish they would drop in all drama if they aren't going to give the characters valid reasons outside of low levels of self-worth for them thinking the love interest doesn't like them. It does get frustrating.

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This is the second drama this year that is robbing me of a proper ending and I don't like it

Listen. I want to preface this by saying that this entire review was filled with my high emotions seconds after watching the drama and I'm literally voice typing all this so there might be a few typos I cannot be bothered at this moment to edit this. Tldr the drama was so so good until they decided to give us emotional trauma for no reason at the end proceed with caution because I fully spoiled some stuff okay...
I wish I could have stopped this series at episode 35 or something I want to be objective for starters and just say that it was lovely it was everything I wanted of course there was some things I made me happy and something so I didn't love voice if I was the one who wrote to the actual story so it's fine I loved how it wasn't necessarily a few good drama but it was a good relaxing don't use your brain too much doesn't raise your heart rate that much drama all the way until episode 35 it was good
Now, I need a minuteeee
listen when the second meal lead died I was actually crushed. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that I have watched him as kind of a brat in another drama and then he was a brat here too but we saw him actually have character development in this drama so I really really liked him and he was just you know my cutie baby from way back whennn so when the death happened I saw it coming because I write as well and you surely he was gonna die none the very lessssss even though I knew he was going to die logically, emotionally I was not prepareddd the writers actually really tried with the devastation of war thei definitely showed it very well and the actor as well he really portrayed that feeling of slight overwhelm in the face of what he wanted to do which he was not sure he could actually face the braveness of turning around to face the oncoming army when he was just him left and then it faded to black and then next thing we see it seems standing all alone surrounded by bodies and he's upheld by that spear I was I was really crushed I can't lie I was really really crushed it was really poetic to see how the male lead and the second Mill lead progressed in their bromance I hated how they had to end up because obviously it's a community died.
The writing was really done well the direct in showing us the scenes that was lovely like I can't up until episode 36 I wasn't really watching with my heart in my mouth I wasn't so much applying myself to the drama to be able to see how the writing was in all the other episodes it was really good yeah I loved the progression or everybody's relationship it was kind of realistic at the same time kind of over dramatic but was fine but I was in pain attention to the writing so much but from episode 36 to 38?? Wow. The political skinny and how the villain was finished off was kind of ridiculous to me I can lie I didn't love it a lot and can we please talk about the absolute rubbish that was the literal lack of a final episode because there wasn't even a final episode that knows that give us an episode for t1 don't let me get started don't let me get started because I didn't see any of that what I need to see was it anymore I needed a denouement from all the stuff that happened in the climax I needed to see the country flourishing under the kings new rule I needed to see the court under the correct power structures and yet to see joy and happiness in the all the families all the houses that we we saw I need to see the romance in the side characters that's what I used to see I did not need to see some stupid flashbacks of the night that they went out for some party who gives a damn I can't lie I was so I don't know what is going on with these writers lately that they are not giving us a proper ending in the final episode and they are leaving us with all our emotions still high but I feel very robbed and I don't like it

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