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Disappointment of the year
I was really looking forward to this drama because I love both the ML and FL actors. I will start by saying their acting was about as good as it could be, given what they had to work with. The problem with this drama was a terrible storyline, dark content that never really was resolved, and overused tropes against the ML that overplayed its hand. Seriously, how many times can the ML get shot, stabbed, beaten, and abused before you just throw your hands up and move on? The FL character was ridiculous at best. Her character was meant to be a dark beauty who is mysterious and vengeful, but we really got tired, paunchy, and the maker of bad decisions.Again, this is no fault of the actress, who I think did the best she could. The character was mysterious, but her abuse and neglect of the ML was ridiculous. The only one who truly loved her, sacrificed 3 years of his life and took the blame for a murder that she committed, and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to her, she rebuffed and refused to share her past nor her future plans of revenge. She did it all in the name of "protecting" him, but she had no problem literally telling everyone else in the drama her business. ML is the only one who proved how much he loved her for her, not to use her in some way that benefited himself. And when we did discover why she held a grudge against him, it was for something that happened when he was a child and wasn't his fault in the first place. I expected the ML & FL to come to grips with each other and act on the love/passion they started. Even after she bore him a son, she shot back that she didn't want him to be the father - even though he was. I felt like the ML & FL actors didn't have much passion, and they didn't have great chemistry. That was sad because I loved them both in other roles.
The ending was probably one of the dumbest I've seen. And I've seen a lot! They had so much time to wrap this up and make it better, but they failed, and nothing ever gets resolved except in the end everyone pretty much dies. The ML mom and sister don't really get what they deserve, and that makes it completely unsatisfying. So for me, this was probably one of the biggest disappointments to date, and I do not recommend it. I would have given it less than one star, but it wasn't an option.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Blue Is Okay
The truth: Blue Lips could have been much better than what this was. Ai, terrible singing, slow slow plot, too short eps, sub par acting sometimes, ages, inconsistencies with the blue hair, their voices etc. There was alot that stuck out. It was on a tight budget and it showed.Also truth: The way Teng Mo looked at Xian and vice versa made their love story believable. I appreciated the no nonsense way Xian spoke to Teng Mo. Their last nc scene was a stretch but still there was something tangible between them. A level of comfort when they were together in the later eps that created the 'real couple' feel. When the sister was dying, I did get emotional. When Teng Mo put the ring on his finger I was grinning. So there was something that kept me looking. I'd have to say it was the earnestness of their love story and not the performance. I also liked that Teng Mo always seemed to be smiling.
While Lin Yu had the easier role, Shao Yun seemed to feel comfortable at the end. Probably removing the blue hair gave him a more believable aura. He certainly didn't pass for 20 and the other couldn't pass for 30 though according to mdl he is. He seemed more like a sibling to his mother than a son. There was an older man vibe to him. Teng Mo scared at the end and Xian speaking clearly was a nice scene.
If there is a compilation as one movie, I'd probably watch it again.
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This review may contain spoilers
The series asks: "If you can't tell whether something is fake, doesn't that make it real?"
I suggest bingeing this series so that you don't have time to focus on the mediocre script writing, and LJH's acting. But, I suggest that you binge it because moving through the mechanations and non-linear story plot seems like it would be a fun run and add to the multiple "hey - wait a minute..." moments
Story: I won't repeat the summary of others, and just get to what worked and didn't. The story had a set of twists at the end that made the rush to the end worth it..excpet for the last scene. "I just have one question...". Dear heavens, how trite. The script was poorly written in so many spots, with formulaic lines that insult the audience's intelligence, IMO.
Cast/Acting: The cast was excellent, except for Lee Jun Hyuk, who apparently specializes in having no facial expressions. All the other actors - right down to the bit parts - were excellent, which only made LJH's wooden performance more noticable. If the director insisted on that kind of performance, then shame on the director, because there were exellent visual elements & camera work, cut away scenes, entry scenes from odd angles, etc.
Music: didn't love it, didn't hate it either.
Rewatch: maybe., if I can ever stop rewatching Strange Tales from the Tang Dynasty Season 1
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Such rich storylines and excellent casting
This is one of the best dramas I have started in a while. I can see why it will take 50 episodes because all of the characters have a rich backstory and a depth that you don’t always find. Almost all of the side characters are just as compelling as the main leads and I rarely find myself wanting to fast forward. The actors are also amazing, especially the ML and the oldest brother- both of them have already made me cry. The family relationships are complex and realistic and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. I don’t know what other people don’t see in this drama but it is turning out to be one of my favorites.Was this review helpful to you?
NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOO
I have never written a review before but this show was so atrocious that i had to write one. this was THE WORST SHOW i have ever watched. the story was terrible, the writing was horrendous, the acting was awful. the ml r*ped the lover interest and im supposed to believe its love???? genuinely the worst thing ive ever watched. do NOT waste your timeWas this review helpful to you?
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Wasted potential
It was indeed an " enemies to lovers" story but tbh I didn't feel the chemistry that much, the story itself was mid, not too bad but not the best, almost everything was expected ,felt boring in the beginning after ep 3 and kept getting more and more boring..Well I finished it because I really liked the story of the ML's sister esp with the crazy empror, he is my favourite character after fu yixiao which made me sad that he didn't have a proper ending even if he was evil but we all agree to not dislike him , and her ending was also not the best..
Another reason that made me continue watching is that this series had more potential, with the story of the alliance of rain and wind, the FL , the strong charismatic general with unknown past before she got to know the the other two brothers, .. ok Fu yixiao is fine but everything else isn't , fang suige's could have been more charismatic with different actor ( i have nothing against him, i like him from hidden love but still)
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A real outstanding drama with a genius plot and brilliant acting
this drama gave me the chance to taste and experience real power and authority through a drama at its most, it is the first drama ever who was able to give me this feeling, what an amazing plot, brilliant acting, heartfell osts, and breathtaking cinematography.the chemistry between ding yuxi and deng enxi was absolutely amazing, the plot is really so genius, the idiom and wisdom in the drama were a real life lessons, and this drama is the only one who depict the reality of ancient china ministers rise to authority and power, instead of focusing only on doing the things through virtue and righteous, this drama showed you that these people's road was full of mischievous act, blood splatting and heinous acts.
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BEST SHOW EVER
This review Is for anyone who dropped this masterpiece, FINISH IT! trust! The plot is intriguing and the more u go on the more interesting and amazing it becomes. The relationship between the characters is well written and the acting is just perfect.You can clearly see the change of Jong woo character and how monjoo devastated his life.
I loved and hated at the same time the both of them together, their dynamic is insane, how the obsession of moonjoo became bigger and how Jong woo slowly became insane too🥲.
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incredible atmosphere and acting
this is truly one of those movies you want to come back to just so your eyes can enjoy the beautiful cinematography and incredible acting (i adore apo, he constantly makes me cry), it’s absolutely amazingI also learned something new about thai culture and history thanks to this movie, which was such a lovely bonus. I really love when a movie doesn’t just tell you a story but also gives you a chance to discover and understand a little more about the culture behind it
the plot might not be perfect, and there were definitely moments I wish had been explored more deeply, but that didn’t take away from my overall experience at all. It’s such a beautiful, atmospheric, and emotional movie that leaves you wanting to come back to it again if only to admire the cinematography and the actors all over again.
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a mediocre drama
I loge watching jisung's kdramas, he almost always pick great ones. but with this one, it started very interesting and then the plot twisted/changed and became all over the place. I wished they continued like the first 6 episodes. Nonetheless, the acting is so good, the comedy is also not bad, I enjoyed it.the villain is so frustrating, I wanted to end him very soon😭.
I loved the ahjumma, although her character is showed as nosy but she's such a badass too.
I liked the found family part of it.
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I have concluded that literal wizards made this show.
The question here isn't "Is it good."The REAL question is "HOW is this so good."
I have thought a lot about this. And I think I've figured it out. Now hear me out, I know it sounds crazy. But it is the only answer that makes logical sense:
There was a group of wizards that got into watching c-dramas, and they were like "Dude, we should make a c-drama." So they gathered around a magic cauldron and were like
"We found this hair stylist we could use, what do you think."
"Good enough. Throw em in the pot."
(other wizard throws stylist in the cauldron, POOF! big burst of light)
"What about this director?"
"He's pretty good. Throw him in the pot too. And that ML, close enough, he's fine, throw him in."
(Other wizard looks at ML skeptically) "You sure?"
"Yeah, throw him in. "
(POOF!)
"We picked up these costumes whaddya think"
(Barely looks at them) "Sure. I trust you. They seem fine."
(POOF!)
(They throw all the other stuff in the cauldron, cameraman, lighting, music, makeup, script, actors, etc etc...... point their magical staffs and start chanting 'mekka lekka hi mekka neinie ho.... mekka lekka hi mekka heinie ho....' and then BOOM the cauldron explodes in a blinding light)
(wizard raises his hands to the sky)
"BEHOLD! FOR WE HAVE CREATED PURE GOLD!"
Because I mean how else do you explain it!? How did all B+ ingredients turn into an A+ drama?!?? Magic! It has to be!!
* How am I this addicted to a show that doesn't even have a spice factor, with an ML I don't think is that hot? Magic
* How am I not put off and distracted by the dubbing? Magic
* I don't care that much about the salt trade, the politics, the romance, the intrigue... so why tf is this story just GRIPPING me and not letting go? Magic
* If the production quality isn't anywhere near as good as Rise of the Phoenixes, why am I so enchanted by it? Magic
CONCLUSION: This is a TOP-TIER BINGE WATCH, created through actual sorcery by literal wizards.
CAVEAT: There's a very slight ramp-up till it truly gets going, you need to give it like maybe 2 or 3 episodes before the addiction begins to set in. But after that it's like pushing a snowball down a hill, it packs it's own momentum before too long and then boom you're up at 2AM with dark circles under your eyes like "Just one more episode!"
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Started off strong but fell flat in the end
I was very excited to watch this drama when it was first announced because of the cast. I had seen them in previous works and liked them. The first episode was intriguing and I was excited, but then the story just started going downhill. A random kiss in episode 4 after a 15-year separation made me pretty pissed—like, where was the angst? It was like there was no emotional weight to their long separation. There were also lots of plot holes and subplots that were not resolved, fell through, or added nothing to the story. To be honest, the second leads carried the show, and their storyline was one of the only reasons I rated it a 7.5. Overall, it's a pretty mid show with nice visuals, but the story just couldn't carry it.Was this review helpful to you?
I Need Therapy After Watching Peng & Zhe Yuan Scream Like Little Girls
I Need Therapy After Watching Peng Yu Chan & Cheng Zhe Yuan Scream Like Little Girls (And I Mean That as the Highest Compliment)If you haven’t watched Great Escape Season 7, do you even know what true fear looks like? Because I just spent 13 episodes wheezing, crying, and choking on my own saliva—and 90% of that is thanks to the absolute comedic goldmine that is Peng Yu Chan, Cheng Zhe Yuan, and Xue Kai standing in a dark room together.
Let’s start with the holy trinity of terror. When Peng, Zheyuan, and Xue Kai are huddled together, it’s not a variety show—it’s a nature documentary about three meerkats who just spotted a hawk. Peng Yu Chan, who I now affectionately call "The Little Boy", looks like a middle schooler who got lost on a field trip. He puffs out his chest, yells "GET IN FORMATION!" like he’s about to lead troops into war, and then the moment a prop door creaks, he levitates two feet in the air. Sir, you played a fierce immortal in I Am Nobody! Where is that energy?? I want to rewatch that drama just to remind myself you’re capable of being cool, because right now I can’t unsee you clinging to Kai’s arm like a koala with abandonment issues.
Now can we talk about Cheng Zhe Yuan? Oh, my sweet, dramatic prince. I just finished three period dramas where this man stares down armies with a sword and a cold, deadly glare. He plays fierce generals! Assassins! Men who wouldn’t flinch if a volcano erupted! And yet, in real life, this grown man gets jump-scared by a fake spider on a string and screams at a pitch only dolphins can hear. The whiplash is insane. I can’t look at his stoic period drama face anymore without hearing his little shriek in my head. He’s a scared baby in a handsome man’s body, and honestly? That’s the content I live for. He gets scared at everything. A flickering light? Scream. A NPC breathing? Scream. His own shadow? Believe it or not, straight to scream.
And then there’s Kai, who has allegedly “gotten braver” this season. Lies. Sweet lies. The only thing that’s changed is that he now knows to yell for Bibi faster. "BIBI! BIBI! COME CLOSER!"—because apparently, if Bibi stands next to him, the ghosts will think twice? The funniest part? He plugs his ears like a toddler before entering a dark room. As if the monsters are scared off by his inability to hear them. Sir, that’s not how sound works! But it’s okay, because when he screams, we all laugh.
And through all this chaos, who holds the group together? Bibi, the undisputed QUEEN. She’s solving quadratic equations in the corner while the three boys are having a group hug over a mannequin. Without her, no puzzles would be solved, the boys would be crying in the fetal position, and the show would just be 90 minutes of grown men whimpering. She’s the rock. She’s the mom. She’s the only reason they escape.
Wowkie Zhang is the dad who pretends he’s not scared but you can see him sweating. He’s the "calm" one, but deep down? He’s mentally reciting his last will.
Final verdict: The puzzles? Brilliant. The sets? Cinematic. The editing? Give that editor a raise and a vacation, because the slow-motion replays of Peng jumping into Kai’s arms are pure ART.
I don’t know why I can’t stop laughing. I don’t know why Peng looks like a cute little boy. I don’t know why Zheyuan’s shrieks bring me so much joy. But I’m here for it.
Now excuse me, I’m off to watch Season 8. Pray for my abs—they hurt from laughing. And pray for Cheng Zhe Yuan’s vocal cords. He’ll need them.
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Melancholic but somehow good ending
It started off really good, he du & fl the most carefree they can ever be, the way the fl raising from the worst situation to an official, the way her life filled with great aspirations & desire for power just to protect people but damn it she really has loads of trauma, fu zhi being there for fl in life or death situations, always being there for her & she herself wanted to get out the regular path for women & wanted to be a business woman despite having a lot of struggles they made it to the capital, emperor struggles with corruption & keeps a office & keeps the fl & some other people there, wants to not to be controlled by anyone & maintain peace and prosperity of the realm, definitely there's a lot of opposition for women but step by step defying the general rules like women can't do official duties, enchantress cause emperor is standing up for the office & established that could women participate imperial exam, she's makes the faith kept on her by emperor worth it, he used her once, she acted bold, questioning the authority & acting on her own, their childhood comes to light I would say thanks to emperor for guiding the fl on the right path & kudos to her for following it, she avenged her sister & somehow got out of it, she was sexually assaulted but didn't blamed or let rumours stop her but learned self defence which is admirable, every evil person has a story it's like they didn't had a better choice but need to pay for their actions but that chancellor gu is most disgusting & despicable guy, he got his retribution, in the end the xu ting also realised about his self centred & narcissistic behaviour which is great but sacrificed himself for the nation, shen zhu li I was annoyed by her but she got beguiled so understandable but the love she got is pretty rare in reality & fleeting, fu zhi & shen zhi shu a really cute love story, nian was mad in love, full of devotion & loyalty for the emperor & the guard in initial eps he was just experiencing love but let's just say fate had other plans, the shen family parents are pretty inspiring, bofeng house competitor owner is good too & many other characters & many stories, they added a bit more past to fl character it was messy & draining despite the fine acceptable ending. Everyone did their best in their acting. The production lost their budget many times. The pace & story went south in later episodes, fl & ml made pretty mature choices at the end, that shangguan & situ xue - no words & but that shangguan was blinded by hatred, the gu chancellor was blinded by power, there was no happily ever after, somehow they were able to capture the depth of the characters, soo much happening if you binge watch, you're going to be numb but the effort for feminism, making own choices, sacrifices, pain, killing, infamy all for one thing change. Yes, the peace is achieved in the end but it had blood, tears & sweat & it felt it's fleeting & empty.Was this review helpful to you?
The Perfect Drama. Timeless like it was made yesterday.
This show is clearly the greatest ever do it. Everyone showed up to set firing on all cylinders. They were in the studio recording that OST locked in, handled. Only the baddest on the floor. God was in the writer’s room that year. There hasn’t been anything to even tilt the crown. Dramas TO THIS DAY bend their knee to the queen. I’m so serious about this drama they could put my name in the credits. Feel free to send complaints to me directly. This is now OUR drama.What makes a contemporary drama beautiful is leaning in to life and what makes life beautiful. Life is already hard and crazy enough just follow it. They didn’t have to exaggerate Samsoon’s characteristic, they just honored it. This show thrives because of his dedication to the characters. She gets to be silly like a person in love, but not clumsy as a character trait. She’s talented in what she does not because she’s born with it but because she works at it and is passionate about it. She gets to be magnetic without being mystical so when she has these moments of insecurity or doubt it doesn’t feel misplaced. She’s dreamy but is not ditzy. She doesn’t get hardened by her experiences in love. She remains hopeful. She’s just a girl and she’s MY girl. Watching this show is like watching your best friend fall in love with a guy you love to hate. At the end of the day she is a Cancer stuck in a situationship with a Virgo coming hot off the heels of a three year relationship with a commitmentphobic Leo. She’s doing the best she can with what she got.
Even though this show has some crazy #prettygirlpunishment the love triangle was so natural. Dr. HIPAA violator definitely had the right idea but he couldn’t communicate that to anybody, not that they would listen. Still, you watch them all learn that same lesson. I like to think of the famous Langston Hughes poem “Harlem”, what happens to a dream deferred? They clearly evolved and went through their lowest point in life without each other. However, they just needed a minute to explore what could’ve been to understand that it will never be. I hate when people complain about how his character just sits there pretty and silent, but he’s just as crazy as hee jin. He is sticking beside the person he loves just like her. He knows they’re on borrowed time. So when it all fell apart, which it inevitably did, she didn’t have to go through it alone. That’s why they’re so compatible.
I watch it every year like a Peanuts’ Christmas. In my living room on the TV December 24th, I am sat like clockwork. (And maybe twice or three more times throughout the year.)
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