Reviews

the last third devolves into an incoherent mess that ruins anything good from the first 2/3

This was high on my watchlist bc I love love LOVE Fated Hearts and this show has the same scriptwriter. I went in with very high expectations given how highly I regard Fated Hearts, and in retrospect, those expectations were probably unreasonably high, but even so this was just... such a mess? Like I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the same person is responsible for both shows because the gap in quality is the size of a literal ocean. I have sooooooo many complaints but I'm going to try to just hit the highlights bc otherwise this review is going to be a literal novel.

God, where to begin......... I guess the first thing I should talk about, given this story is centered around the romance between Jun Qiluo and Xuan Lie, is their dynamic. They went from enemies to trusting each other waaaaaaay too fast. Like iirc by episode 3 Jun Qiluo is in this mentality of "I can't abandon Xuan Lie" when he has abducted her and been holding her hostage? Like, yeah, they did have that life or death experience in the desert where they were helping each other survive, but they barely know each other rn and he *did* abduct her, so this intensity just doesn't make sense at this point. That being said, the romance did pull me in for a brief moment — I really liked Xuan Lie being observant and paying attention to Jun Qiluo and realizing that Jun Feifan was her secret identity within the first 8 episodes, and the way he protected her multiple times in Beixuan... there was some really good ship material there if you just accept how quickly it moves. But then it all falls apart around halfway through the show when their relationship progresses in a way that makes no f*cking sense. So, Jun Qiluo was arranged to marry Shao Qimin, a family friend that she grew up with. She thinks one of Xuan Lie's men killed Shao Qimin in the first episode, but he actually survived and was sold as a slave to Xuan Qingkou, Xuan Lie's sister... I'll talk about her and her relationship with Shao Qimin in a moment. Anyway, Qiluo learns of a mine in Beixuan that has a rare stone that she wants access to, as she is in charge of her family business in Yannan. So she's determined to get shipments of that stone back to Yannan for her family and Xuan Lie starts giving her a bit more free reign. Around this time she learns that Qimin is actually alive as she sees him with Qingkou. Qimin, upon reuniting with Qiluo, the woman he is in love with and that it is his duty to protect (esp since she has no skills in fighting), is repeatedly trying to urge Qiluo to come back to Yannan. Qiluo is still looking for excuses to stay in Beixuan even after she has secured a shipment of these rare stones, so Qimin gives Qiluo some kind of anesthetic so he can take her back to Yannan himself, but of course they are stopped by Xuan Lie. When Xuan Lie's men have cornered Qimin and they have their weapons drawn, Qiluo holds a dagger to her throat and threatens to kill herself if Xuan Lie doesn't promise to let Qimin live. Xuan Lie of course gives into this demand since he doesn't want Qiluo to die. This leads to Xuan Lie and Qiluo having an argument in private and Xuan Lie, refusing to understand that Qiluo cares deeply about Qimin *in a platonic way*, is like "Don't you love me? But you're risking your life for him? When he has romantic feelings for you? It makes no sense! Why can't you just be with me?" and she basically responds with "I am not your only priority either, if we don't trust each other, we shouldn't be together." Qiluo then tries to walk away and Xuan Lie grabs her and threatens to kill Qimin if she leaves the room. Qiluo (UNDERSTANDABLY!!!!!!!!!!!!) in her distress grabs Xuan Lie's whip and tries to hit him with it, but he catches the end and pulls her closer to him and they end up tangled up in the whip (bc of course) and they fall to the bed. Xuan Lie then forcefully kisses her and Qiluo is trying to push him off so THIS IS ASSAULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But then as soon as she does manage to push him off, she then pulls him into another kiss and things progress to sex. So, another show trying to gaslight me into finding assault sexy. Cool 👍 The romance completely lost me with that scene and then somehow it managed to get EVEN WORSE in the last third of the show! Basically the King of Beixuan arranges a marriage for Xuan Lie, and then shortly after that, Qiluo hears the news that the Yannan King has executed her family bc he believes she has defected to Beixuan. (Which……. okay I get that Xuan Lie is reluctant to let her leave, I get that she's falling for him and is also reluctant to leave but……. can't she write a letter to her family so they at least know that she's okay??????????? Like as far as her father and sisters know, they think she is DEAD and she just never has the thought of reaching out to them????? HUH??????????????) Qiluo is finally wanting to get back to Yannan (only after hearing her family was executed???? GIRL WHAT????) and is determined to do so or die trying. Her method of escaping Beixuan is to jump off a cliff… it's a CDrama, of course she survives. Qiluo learns her family wasn't actually executed and that it was just a ploy from the King to see if she would return to Yannan or not. She is now in the position of trying to keep the King happy and prove her loyalty to him so he doesn't execute her family for real. Meanwhile, Xuan Lie, thinking Qiluo died from jumping off the cliff, is then deep in his grief and decides to go to Yannan in a desire to feel closer to her. Upon learning Qiluo is alive, the man will not leave her alone! He's constantly showing up where she is and insisting she still has feelings for him and she keeps saying that she doesn't and that her life in Yannan is her priority and he refuses to listen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then on the day that she is supposed to marry Qimin, bc y'know, she has to prove her loyalty to Yannan if she wants her family to stay alive, Xuan Lie ABDUCTS HER. I am so sick of this abuse apologia bullshit in romances. LISTEN TO WHAT SOMEONE IS TELLING YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just because you believe you know someone deeply and that you know their thoughts does not mean that you actually do because mindreading doesn't f*cking exist! If someone is saying something that doesn't line up with how they feel internally, it is still your responsibility to follow what they have communicated to you!!!!!!!!!!!! We are never getting out of our current nightmare reality if people do not start getting this through their skulls!!!!!!!!!! MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, it takes like six separate conversations where Qiluo insists she has no interest in them restarting their relationship before Xuan Lie finally decides to give up. But then the literal next day he learns she's pregnant and he's back to insisting that she still loves him and that they should get back together. Truly this "romance" belongs in the dumpster.

Okay… let's move onto the mess that is Qingkou. So, there's a review on here defending her and uh.... no, I don't think we should be defending the spoiled brat princess who treated a guy like a possession bc she thought he was hot. Literally she sees Qimin being auctioned off and instead of being appalled that a literal slave auction is happening right in front of her eyes and using her powers as the princess to free everyone who is being sold, she's like "[stares dreamily] He's so handsome, I must have him." Also literally in this first meeting, someone else who had bidded on Qimin gets upset w Qingkou for outbidding her and Qingkou's response is to pull out her whip and strike Qimin IN THE FACE so he will be "ruined goods." Yeah, there was no way that I was ever going to like her as a character after this bullshit. Anyway, the review I mentioned really irritated the f*ck out of me bc it claimed that Qingkou had character growth but lol where. She constantly ordered Qimin around, CHANGED HIS NAME and then ALWAYS used the name she gave him even after learning his real name (← you do not understand how much this infuriates me), threatened Qiluo's life every time Qimin displayed his concern for her, repeatedly ignored his boundaries and assaulted him. He told her MORE THAN ONCE that he did not return her feelings and yet she still would not leave him alone!!!!!! (Xuan Lie and Xuan Qingkou are the siblings from hell and I loathe both of them!!!!) When the rest of the royal family wants to keep Qingkou and Qimin separated from each other since he's from Yannan and they don't trust him, every single time without fail, Qingkou threatens to kill herself. She does not view Qimin as his own person, she very clearly views him as her property and throws a tantrum any time he does not do exactly as she wants. And while the script (unfortunately) forces Qimin into the position of forgiving her and starting to fall for her in the final 5 episodes bc how much effort she put into trying to cure him of the poison he was given by the Yannan King, even at that point she's still ordering him around and threatening to do things that would get Qiluo in trouble with the Yannan King (aka endangering Qiluo and her family). Re Qingkou trying to cure Qimin's poison, she has knowledge of medicine and decides to test one of her medicinal concoctions on herself (which.... how the f*ck does that tell her anything about its effectiveness if she has not taken the poison? HELLO??????) and said concoction nearly kills her....... Honestly, this is no different than her threats of killing herself bc ppl are keeping her away from Qimin. Bc her testing the medicine on herself means she either successfully finds the cure and she saves him or she inadvertantly poisons herself and dies and then she doesn't have to worry about living without him. Like…. lmao growth my f*cking ass.

To make matters worse re Qimin… he dies. He endured Qingkou's endless harassment and abuse and still treated her kindly and protected her (which she did NOT deserve); literally every time Xuan Lie or one of Qiluo's antagonists derailed plans to assuage the King's worries about Qiluo's loyalty, he would take the fall; and then after learning about Qiluo's pregnancy, the King is like "You've lied to me too many times. You must either kill Xuan Lie or kill the fetus." Qimin of course is not willing to do either bc he loves Qiluo and he knows how she feels about Xuan Lie, so he presumes the King will have sent guards to kill Xuan Lie and he takes out a bunch of them when he sacrifices himself. And Qiluo doesn't even get to be with him when he dies!!!!! Qingkou is holding him and crying and insisting that she's going to save him while Qiluo is trying to run over to them and then Qingkou is pushing her away OH MY GOD I LITERALLY BLACKED OUT FROM RAGE. And then for some nonsensical reason the King just decides to drop the attempt to assassinate Xuan Lie or the baby. And for some nonsensical reason Qiluo is still loyal to Yannan after this. If I had genuinely been loyal and then some paranoid dickhead with too much power killed one of the people who was dearest to me… I would not f*cking be loyal anymore! But this show doesn't care about logic so. whatever.

What else? Let's talk about the doomed triangle that was Li Fanyin - Luo Zhizhou - Dong Yin bc... god this was grotesque. So Li Fanyin and Luo Zhizhou had fallen for each other but the Beixuan King had his eye on Li Fanyin and demanded her to be his bride. Li Fanyin acquiesced to save Luo Zhizhou's life. Luo Zhizhou then starts plotting to get the position of Wolf Lord so he can save Li Fanyin (and her son with the King) and repeatedly endangers Xuan Lie (his best friend btw) and also repeatedly attempts to have Qiluo killed via help from Dong Yin (a servant in the Beixuan palace who Qiluo quickly develops a fondness for as she is of mixed parentage from Beixuan and Yannan) to try to ruin Xuan Lie's chances of becoming the Wolf Lord. As you can probably guess given Xuan Lie is the male lead, Luo Zhizhou fails in securing the position of Wolf Lord and he quickly is exposed to have been behind the (unintentional) death of another Beixuan sect leader via one of his attempts to stall/harm Xuan Lie during the Wolf Lord competition. Luo Zhizhou is quickly taken to the Beixuan King for punishment and he plans to have Luo Zhizhou AND Li Fanyin executed, causing Luo Zhizhou to insist that he acted alone and pleading for the King to spare Li Fanyin. The King agrees to these terms... but then as soon as Luo Zhizhou "dies" — basically there's a random plot convenient terminally ill doppleganger who agrees to take his place so Zhizhou can escape?????? (This was undoubtedly the exact moment when the writers started losing me lol.) — the King immediately has his son with Li Fanyin separated from her and sent far away. Li Fanyin soon falls ill — presumably bc her heartbreak/distress? — and the King repeatedly refuses to allow her to get medical care, and after an episode or two of her being sickly, she dies. And then the King's bitch ass has the f*cking nerve to be like "Oh that's so sad that she died, who could have seen this coming" and he's like crying and like... god. Go f*ck yourself, you absolute bastard!!!!!!!! So Li Fanyin just existed to suffer and be a prop. Cool 👍 Anyway, Zhizhou and Dong Yin had escaped to the countryside or smth and then upon hearing about Fanyin's death, Zhizhou decides he's going to get revenge for her or die trying and Dong Yin insists on going with him (since she is in love w him). Zhizhou then gets sooooooooooo insanely close to killing the King — WHICH THAT BASTARD UNEQUIVOCALLY DESERVES — but Xuan Lie steps in to stop him (bc his duties as the Wolf Lord). Xuan Lie is pleading for Zhizhou to stop this as he doesn't want to kill his best friend, and Zhizhou basically just… walks into Xuan Lie's sword and then forces the sword deeper into his chest. It's genuinely nauseating seeing Zhizhou getting so close to atoning for his failure to protect Fanyin and have the show side with her rapist who directly caused her death. And then the show just has to really drive home its skewed perception of morality and seconds after Zhizhou is fatally wounded, Dong Yin gets fatally wounded too. And, like, literally the only "bad" thing Dong Yin did in the entire show was attempt to kill Qiluo, which she almost immediately abandoned bc she developed a fondness for her, so it feels extra grotesque to see her die.

So yeah, no consequences for either evil King. The Yannan King loves to do his loyalty tests and is eager to execute anyone who is a toe out of line. The Beixuan King is a warmonger and rapist. And yet Qiluo remains loyal to the Yannan King and Xuan Lie remains loyal to the Beixuan King and both Kings drop their animosity towards Qiluo / Xuan Lie basically bc they see how steadfast the two are about their relationship and are like "You've worn me down, I'm tired of fighting you on this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" HUH??????????? Qiluo and Xuan Lie had also been trying to build a trade port between the two nations and that finally comes to fruition in the last few episodes so that is also part of the two Kings allowing for Qiluo and Xuan Lie to be together, I guess.

ANYWAY, the first 2/3 of the show had its moments and if the writers weren't cowards and had pursued a Qiluo - Qimin romance once they returned to Yannan it could've been an overall enjoyable experience but no they decided to be this garbage fire instead. [sighs heavily]

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A Romance Written Across Rival Sects

👍 What the drama does well
❤️‍🔥Strong chemistry between the leads- The biggest highlight for me was the relationship between Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan. Their dynamic felt like a slow-burn romance, full of tension and emotional push-and-pull that kept me invested in their story.
🔴Interesting morally gray male lead- For me, Mu Qingyan doesn’t feel like a typical hero. I see him as strategic, manipulative, and emotionally complex, which gives the story a darker tone and keeps me wondering about his real intentions.
🪷Beautiful wuxia atmosphere- I feel the drama prioritizes poetic cinematography, traditional costumes, and the politics between sects rather than relying on flashy action scenes.
💪🏻Strong female lead- Cai Zhao is calm, intelligent, and capable in martial arts. Her growth from innocent disciple to resilient fighter is one of the main emotional arcs.

👎 Weak points
😩Uneven pacing
🎬Action scenes are not very impressive
💻Editing issues

For me, it's a good but not perfect wuxia drama. The leads carry the show. You can give it a try.💓

💬 Simple verdict: Worth watching mainly for the chemistry between the main couple and the emotional romance, even though the storytelling and editing are sometimes messy.

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Romance school and thriller drama in one

very good and enjoyable drama with sympathetic characters and character development and sufficient twists to pass the watch every day test、but why is it K dramas always have to pitch every angle to keep the drama and no doubt audience numbers going for 16 episodes？ so here they have a romance and school drama but have to turn the focus to thriller action in the last few episodes： yes it added excitement but was predictable and I did not need it to keep watching and it did not feel right to twist Ji Dong Hui's character into an unsympathetic psycho serial killer even if they tried to explain why through a back story。bringing in the mother's return was a predictable possibility but did it add much？ also they overdid the tear jerking sentimentality in the last few episodes I think though、though no doubt some people would love that。I do not mean to over emphasize the negatives： if it keeps me watching every day I rate it 10/10、 it was an excellent drama acted very well and I recommend watching〜

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Promising Beginning and End

I had started this drama before all the episodes had come out and I binged the first couple episodes. However, the plot started to drag at a certain point and there was too much focus on the love triangle and the second male lead. Truth be told, I didn't find that plot line to add a lot of value to the overarching story (it seemed like it was just needed for drama). I think there could have been other aspects the drama could explore and it seemed like a lot was packed into the final two episodes, almost as if they forgot they needed to cover all these things and needed to throw it all in at the last minute. The cast did a good job with what they were given, and the ending storyline was warm and fuzzy. Also, the child actor playing Woo Joo was really so adorable. However, there was definitely a lot that could have been done better though it's not a terrible drama if you go into it with no expectations.

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"i watch it for the plot" the plot: lee sungkyung

i guess an 8/10 is fair enough because i didn’t expect much. i only saw two familiar faces which are my faves (lee sungkyung and jin hoeun) but the other actors seemed really lovely too. there’s almost no one who annoyed me. well, i’m actually not a fan of the male lead and personally think his acting is a bit off, but it’s still bearable because of the other characters and the story.

it took me a few days to finish it, and i almost dropped it at episode 5. surprisingly i got hooked in the second half of the drama. one thing that bothered me was the filter, it almost hurt my eyes lol. the ost was nice though. in conclusion, it’s unexpectedly good and a worthwhile 16-episode drama to watch.

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Believe or not?

I watched it when I saw a clip that a client was possessed by something. I enjoyed first episodes as I learned new things. Especially the foot reading 😂 But I'm a bit disappointed when at the last seconds/minutes of ep 9 they show something that didn't include in epsode 10. It confused me on what really happened.

Also some of saju and tarot readers has less exposure. They are all amazing.

Maybe I am also expecting possessed like in the horror films. Or that's a bit dangerous? 😅

I like to try the foot reading 🥹😂 And ask Hannah how's my lovelife in the future 😂

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AMAZINGLY GOOD!!

By Episode 6, Qin finally starts to be kind, follows his heart and shows that he cares about Duang too. Their chemistry is very pure and feels real.

The side characters, Jamie and Pae, are the perfect "wingmen." They add so much humor and remind us that having supportive friends makes a love story even better.

What makes this show special is how it looks. Every scene has a soft, golden glow that makes the romance feel like a dream. It’s a slow story, but it’s never boring because the emotions feel very real. It’s a high-quality series that teaches us that patience and a kind heart can win anyone over. 🌟

Thank you.

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Quirky, Lightweight, Fluffy

What a quirky romcom to enjoy. It's very lighweight, fun and easy to enjoy. It involves a dating situation in a virtual world, so the story is as lightweight as a relaxing game story. The vibe is really positive, nothing really too draggy. The scenery inside Boyfriend on Demand is somewhat thrilling and superficial, like you're living in a fairytale. There are a lot of big hidden messages about relationship and how to communicate things in a relationship. A very bold one especially about the difference between virtual and reality world, and what kind of different adventures await behind them both.

Jisoo, even though a lot of people were bashing her, did quite well here. I can't deny that she sometimes lack of emotions, but it doesn't mean she's a bad actress. She maybe just needs some time, probably switching to second lead roles will help her better. Other actors were doing really good job, they used a lot of big names even for the guest roles. I feel Seo In Guk, unfortunately, didn't able use all of his potential here.

There are a lot of big names in this show. While the cost for the casts must be high, they might use up some of the vfx budget to fund the casting. The visual effect is, again, an eyesore. I don't know why the vfx quality of Netflix originals are getting worse: Trauma Code, Genie Make A Wish, and now this. They used too much AI on this show, it was very obvious on the Poster Room. The storyline focused too much on Seo Mi Rae. I wonder what's the backstory of Park Gyeong Nam, what are the 'changes' happened after he began to like Mi Rae. Also what happened to Yun Song at the end? I was hoping they would show the difference between of getting freed from Boyfriend on Demand (like Mi Rae) and sticking to it (Yun Song), but they didn't.

Even they labelled this as a romcom, I still think some of the jokes were forcefully inserted. Still this is a great quick feel-good show to cheer you up when you're feeling down.

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Sad Story

Positive:
I like dramas like these, even though stories featuring blind characters have been told so many times before. First, I think the actors are pretty good, and the story was quite serious and not childish. That’s exactly how it should be with such a serious topic. The drama showed just how difficult it is for everyone involved to cope with this situation. I really had to fight back a few tears at some points. Another thing I liked was that the characters in Japanese dramas look like ordinary people – they aren’t dressed like models. It makes them more relatable.

Negative: It bothered me that the blind character couldn’t do many things for themselves and came across as really clumsy. I didn’t like that. Secondly, the romantic relationship developed far too quickly for my liking. In some places, the drama moved too fast, whilst in others it felt rather lengthy. I also didn’t like the fact that memory loss was brought up yet again. Yes, the story is sad, but throwing in clichés like that was simply unnecessary. It just felt very stereotypical.

Overall, I can still say that I enjoyed the story.

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A sentimental story

Better Days is a story about a shy girl who hardly speaks and has a reserved personality. One day, her friend dies, and from that moment, her life changes completely. Along the way, she meets a boy who has been beaten by goons. She tries to help him, and from then onwards, they start meeting quite often. She becomes attached to him wholeheartedly.

He sacrifices a lot for her, and later, he takes the blame for something that was directed at him. The drama is very sentimental because the main leads’ characters face many hardships. After experiencing all these difficulties, they become inseparable.

The last few scenes made me cry, and I was genuinely touched by the story. However, I didn’t like the ending part

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Charming (THE FIRST HALF)

I decided to watch this series because of the hype it has. After the first episode I was reluctant to finish it and I dropped it. One month or more passed and I chose to continue it and see how it was. I don’t regret it but I didn’t find it flawless. I want to analyse this together with you, because I haven’t read the novel and in this case it seems crucial.

𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮/𝓘'𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽
- 🇫​🇮​🇷​🇸​🇹​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. I don’t know what happened to the author in the second half of the project: everything starts to make zero sense. From the extreme, enormous miscommunication to how can Seo Wei direct a company and the main (completely nonsense) events in the last four episodes. It's like the author/director wanted to keep milking the story instead of letting it end. The final episode is the cherry on the top: it’s shorter and feeble, not comparable with the fierce, charm and energy seen at the beginning of the series. The plot is interesting at first, it feels like a real ‘enemies to lovers’…
- 🇸​🇪​🇨​🇴​🇳​🇩​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. The very first episode, as I said, made me initially stop. The impression it passes down is one of the most toxic and childish I have ever gotten of a project. However, watching the whole work, I believe its purpose is to highlight the characters’ growth (Chi Cheng and Wu Seo Wei’s). Also, it well explains the initial situation, it clarifies all the facts.
- 🇹​🇭​🇮​🇷​🇩​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. Wu Seo Wei claims to be straight. The comprehension of his sexual orientation never happens and the viewer feels confused. A conversation between friends is missing here, an official realization from the main character instead of the usual ‘I’m straight but I like him’.
- 🇫​🇴​🇺​🇷​🇹​🇭​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. There is a significant dispute over the sexual interactions. This is a huge and sensitive topic, because ‘consent’ should be the most vital part of a couple’s intimate life, especially if we’re talking about something that runs on television. I read some other reviews regarding the main couple and, although it seems SA, people who read the novel claim that is BDSM. In my opinion, it isn’t clear: there are no clues about the alleged BDSM, if not one frame in the second half or another one where Wu Seo Wei is blindfolded. Due to this missing scene or conversation, people think is SA. It is true that Chi Cheng mentions several times ‘I cannot bring myself to force onto him’ when consulting Guo about it. And it is true that Wu Seo Wei clearly expressed his displeasure towards some of Chi Cheng’s actions. Furthermore, in a shoot during the second half, Chi Cheng backed off after seeing Wu Seo Wei didn't want anything. Finally, BDSM actually works that way (with the pain and ‘saying no’ stuff) and there is a specific word to use when you can’t bear with it anymore (that is not just ‘please stop’). What went wrong for me is the communication with the viewers who didn’t read the novel: initially I believed it was SA as well but, now that I have this new prospective, I’m starting to see the project under a different light. Indeed, considering my taste, I would have liked to see even more (if you’re into this you can watch ‘The Next Prince’ ep 8).
Anyway, these reflections lead to appreciate the director’s work about these exchanges. The sexual interactions, the kisses, the hands on the neck, the catches, the force all assume another form, other colours. Nevertheless, I still have doubts about the start (meaning I’m unsure about the rating as well): Chi Cheng’s approach is physical indeed, but he does nothing until is Wu Seo Wei to say ‘yes’ (except for one specific occasion, which Wu Seo Wei considers a proper SA).
However, few occurrences aren’t included in this analysis. For example, the reason why both couples have proper, complete sex. As I see it, the way they are led to it is one of the most unsafe I have ever seen. I'll let you be the judge. Despite this, both first time scenes is romantic and well acted; I, also, really appreciate the whole candle setting.
- 🇫​🇮​🇫​🇹​🇭​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. Xiao Shuai and Wu Seo Wei’s friendship is difficult to frame. Should we appreciate the mutual back up even when the decisions are insane? I’d like to mention the very beginning (when Seo Wei came up with the idea of pursuing Chi Cheng) as an example. And isn’t it shocking that the same friend who sustains you is the one making you do things you don’t want to? I’ll choose the last part of the previous point as an example (‘For example, the reason why both couples have proper, complete sex’). Furthermore, they forget everything one another. From my prospective, this friendship is undefined (maybe because they have known each other for so long), limitless but also bilateral, therefore balanced. In the end, it seems a good thing: they both worry and care so much for each other.

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮
I find the whole ‘snakes thing’ extremely fascinating. From what I’ve read, they symbolise Chi Cheng’s obsession, his link with the past and, through them, we can track the character’s growth. This evolution can, also, be see through locations: Chi Cheng’s first house is my second favourite setting (dark, deep, mysterious – just like him), but then he moves to a lighter place (guess why). Moreover, I find the snake a very sensual and charming animal, it perfectly represents its owner and his soul. But they can kill too; this is the discomfort, the anger, the grudge of this character. Despite the ‘sexual topic’ we just discussed, Chi Cheng’s character has an aura that enchants me (and his taste in bad is exciting). I believe he changes for Seo Wei and really cares for him. All the miscommunication in the second half is a huge shame.
Additionally, the support of Chi Cheng’s older sister is moving. It seems like they don’t see each other that much but she always looks out for him. In the beginning with Yue Yue, then with their father. Like her, Seo Wei’s mother has a crucial role in the story. She’s another lovely sustaining character that ‘understands the two of them’.
Lastly, there is a take I’m crazy about: the ‘firework scene’. It’s absolutely my favourite of the whole show. There is a stunning kiss in my opinion and everything feels so natural, calm and comfortable. The characters are smiling happily, fearlessly. The kiss is what charms me and catches me the most, it’s just so well shot and directed. Furthermore, its setting is my number-one location between all the places: Wu Seo Wei’s home, the house where his mother lives.

𝓵𝓮𝓽'𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓱𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽
- 🇩​🇮​🇷​🇪​🇨​🇹​🇮​🇴​🇳​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇸​🇪​🇹​🇹​🇮​🇳​🇬​🇸​. I read that the director and the author are the same person. I think I can see that in the final result. The way the scenes are shot, it’s like I can identify her ‘touch’ somehow. For example, in the symbolism of few locations (Chi Cheng’s apt) or in the characters’ interactions. This is an important detail that the director took seriously into consideration since she’s also the writer (I talked about this before in this review).
- 🇻​🇮​🇸​🇺​🇦​🇱​🇸​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇲​🇺​🇸​🇮​🇨​. The photography and colours aren’t exciting. Most of the tones seem flat except, for example, that blue tone you see in the cover (that is from a specific scene in the show) or the pastel colours you see at Seo Wei’s home (idyllic environment). Except for two locations (Wu Seo Wei’s home, Chi Cheng’s first apt), the other settings are, again, nothing exciting, just normal. I fell in love with the opening and that moving guitar theme. Overall, I like the songs, and the sound is also good.
- 🇦​🇨​🇹​🇮​🇳​🇬​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇨​🇱​🇴​🇹​🇭​🇪​🇸​. The actors’ performances are generally good; I see enough chemistry between the two couples. One thing I don’t like is the crying scenes. Personally, I find it so difficult to act naturally and seem realistic. Not everyone can do it. In particular, Zi Yu’s acting (in crying scenes) doesn’t impress me much, and he cries a lot. Liu Xuan Cheng’s representation also doesn’t amaze me. I slightly prefer Zhan Xuan and Tian Xu Ning’s interpretations. The casting is great: aesthetically, the main couple is perfect. Tian Xu Ning and Zi Yu look extremely nice together. I can't really explain how, but both their faces and bodies are somehow an impeccable and ideal match. Especially, their visages. In particular, their moles (on the face). Although, as I said, I don’t really like the colours, the clothes are marvellous. Specifically, I’m addicted to Chi Cheng’s white shirt with black flowers. I'm literally so obsessed I wanted to buy it.

𝓡𝓮𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓮
I think I’m going to watch again just one or two scenes. I’d recommend the show but just the first half? The second one makes so no sense that I don’t know what to say. It’s such a shame. It is indeed interesting at first…
This is one of those times when I really am sad about it.

𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 <𝟛

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Definitely Sweet love / slow burn romance masterpiece but not for everyone

This type of Drama is definitely down my alley.


If you're into burlesque comedy type drama, this isn't for you since it's very slow paced.

Many details, easter eggs are in the scenes, so it has a rewatch value. (I have seen it twice in a month)
not many unrealistic plot twist.
What I have loved
- Very nice believable couple, love the sceneries and background from Hangzhou.
- Photography and artistic direction is pretty good, make very eye candy.
- the TCM background and the alternative healing parallel between aches/sickness and love is very appreciated.
- the supporting cast that makes the whole show very believable
- Moving from a toxic relationship to a healing one is the breadcrumbs
- Many outside shots and scenes made you feel like visiting this part of China in spring.
- Main roles are very fit and both actors where you can feel a chemistry. (they did officially acknowledge exploring dating after the show)

This is so far my favorite sweet love romance CDrama.

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I do NOT recommend

This is straight up dogsh*t ive just wasted my precious time. The story isnt even different from the korean version, its the same (okay maybe some scenes are a little bit different but it doesnt change anything). I don't understand how people says it's scarier than the korean one?? I mean yeah ofc the scene where moonjo cheap japanese version ripped cockroaches limbs one by one was weird and somewhat disturbing, i'd rather call it disgusting. Don't even get me started on the bare buttcheeks. B.R.O. okay that wasnt necessary but whatever makes you sleep at night... I feel like the whole movie was really rushed and it felt like a quick rerun of the series. The acting is awful too, they really didn't have a big budget for the movie, did they? Some scenes where unecessarily long, and it was kind of akward beacuse of it. The movie kind of kept you on the edge though. Maybe im just overreacting but i expected something better. It had potiential😮‍💨😮‍💨

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