Reviews

A Masterpiece of Cinematography and Storytelling.

The series is just drop dead gorgeous. Breathtaking cinematography, Breathtaking CGI , Breathtaking Performance. The acting was so good it never felt for once the cast was acting. It felt like the cast were the character themselves. A very well balance of comedy, seriousness, emotions and a little drizzle of romance. The cast was so well selected and the characters were very well written. The fight scenes were so WOW, like they were so well choreographed. My mouth just wouldn't close while watching the fights and I would be left with goosebumps.

The role Xu Qi An was made for Wang Hedi. I cannot imagine anyone else playing that character. The laughs, emotions, depth, you name it everything was on point but it never felt scripted. Everything was so natural. The story revolved around Xu Qi An yet it never felt overwhelming. Xu Qi An was clearly favored everywhere unrealistically but it never felt partial or wrong. Like it was nonchalant and cool like it was meant to be set there.

The people from the Bureau were just so fantastic. My personal favorite was Caiwei (she kind of became my spirit animal). She is so carefree yet excellent at her job. The use of modern elements was so clever it never felt too much or too little. It was just the right amount. The Supervisor is such a clever character, It felt like he did nothing yet secretly everything was going according to his arrangements and much of it was revolving around him.

The people from Yamen were so cool. Especially the Gold Gongs, SPECIFICALLY GOLG GONG YANG YAN. It's just a personal bias but he's so cool. The brothership was so great between the copper gongs. And most importantly all of the Gaurdians sticked to their roles barely partaking in any corruption. They always stood together firmly against the wrong without any hesitation and helped each other out. And I loved how Yang Yan always stood up for Xu Qi An without any doubt. Lord Wei was kind of a father figure for Xu Qi An. Even thought I was doubtful about Lord Wei character from the first but later their interactions were adorable. Lord Wei guided Xu Qi An like a real mentor would do and always cleaned up after his mess it was adorable.

This series didn't have much romance to begin with but whatever was there it was cute. Princess Lin An character acted a little immature and dumb at the beginning but it gradually improved. His Majesty was just a straight up bipolar man who took run the world like a chess board too seriously. His character was so wierd and suffocating to watch.

Overall I was mostly stunned by the cinematography of the series. It was shot like a movie, Each and every frame was so gorgeous and the CGI felt so natural. I would consider this as Hedi's best work till date. His role had so much depth. I would definitely rewatch this whenever I can. I classify this as one of those dramas I would want to watch for the first time again, Highly anticipating the next season.

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The scars of a dark past that lead to a brighter future forged in compassion and courage

At first, I was unsure whether to start this drama. The way it was advertised, especially by viewers, made it seem like yet another dramatic high school romance packed with trauma for shock value. But once I began watching, I was genuinely surprised to find something entirely different from what I had expected.

One of the most refreshing aspects was how the romance between the main leads was handled. It never overly dominated the story. Instead, it supported their individual growth in a way that felt genuine. Had the drama leaned more heavily into their romantic arc, the audience would’ve likely focused only on that (unfortunately a lot of viewers still did that).

What stood out was the characters growth: they inevitably change, sometimes slowly, painfully but realistically.They were constantly evolving, reshaped by their experiences. That’s rare in dramas, where characters often remain emotionally unchanged, despite the passage of time and major events.

This story explored how people grow, falter, and eventually move forward. It showed how pain transforms us, how choices divide people’s paths, and how growth, though never easy, is ultimately inevitable.

The story doesn’t excuse anyone but it explores how empathy and accountability can coexist, even in deeply flawed relationships. Grief and loss aren’t resolved through vengeance or resentment but through processing pain and using it to shape a brighter future.

If I have one structural critique, it would be the excessive use of montage sequences in the final episodes. While intended to quickly show transformation and emotional closure, they ended up feeling overused which diluted the emotional impact.

This wasn’t a perfect show, but it was an honest one. It didn’t shy away from discomfort or moral complexity. It was a story of transformation, of rebirth.

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My most fav comfort drama recently

I'm Telling You, 'My Youth' Is The Best Drama, Period.

I just finished watching only 2 episodes of "My Youth," and honestly, I'm still processing how good it was. Seriously, if you're looking for a K-drama that will completely blow you away, stop what you're doing and watch this. I know people talk a lot about the typical romance and drama, but this show is on a whole other level.

First off, let's talk about the visual effects. No joke, the VFX in this show are insane. You might not expect it from a drama that's mainly about friends and growing up, but the way they use visual effects to show the characters' emotions and dreams is just... masterful. There's a scene where the main character is working on their webtoon, and the drawings literally come to life in the air around them. It's not just cool to look at; it makes you feel their passion in a way that regular scenes can't. The cinematography is also top-tier, making every single shot feel like a work of art.

But it's not just about the visuals. The story is so heartfelt and real. The cast has amazing chemistry, and the friendships feel completely genuine. I was laughing with them, crying with them, and rooting for them every step of the way. "My Youth" is the kind of show that reminds you what it's like to have big dreams and to feel like anything is possible. It's a drama that sticks with you long after the final credits roll.

If you love incredible acting, a powerful story, and some of the most stunning visual effects I've ever seen in a drama, then you have to watch "My Youth." It's a masterpiece.

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A perfect emotional rollercoaster with gorgeous Ryan Cheng

To find no annoying useless filer character in a 38 episode drama is rare and Shadow Love is one of them. The drama is such a fun time with story, good actors, decent pacing and storyline and intelligent characters.
But with so many shows maybe with better story lines out there what makes this one stand out....Ryan Cheng.
Unpopular but he was so much better in this than in Legend of Female General because the variety of emotions he displayed here was unreal. He was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, made my heartache with the way his eyes displayed all the emotions.
Even if for nothing else, watch it for Ryan Cheng.

Besides that the yearning, the protectiveness, the love, the angst, the chemistry.....takes your breath away. The only thing I would say could have been better was we could make him the prince a little earlier than it happened in the series.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED with GREAT CHEMISTRY!!!

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BESTTTT SERIES EVER

this series will make you cry your eyes out ...make your heart scream with joy ,love and even fear .. outstanding script writing.. outstanding acting..that make me wanna scream..the friendship shown is crazy ..the couple 😭
the amount of fear I anxiety felt the whole series is unmatched..the end moment I was at the end of my seat ...but I think their should....be a wedding scene...or maybe a kiss ..but the chemistry was so good that ..it was not needed ...I must say ..be ready to cry your eyes out .. because the sensitivity this series hold ..the painful past of all the characters..the way both the lead protect each other ..love each other..is next level of green flag

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A Beautiful Story About Redefining Women within Family

This story is mostly about strong and messy female relationships like mother-daughter, lesbian bestie (my hc lol) and friendships. Female-male romance is a small part of the story but if you're into slow burn you'll like it cuz the tension is sooo good.
The story and the MC constantly question what a family is, and also women's role in the family. It encourages women to not give up their life as someone's wife or someone's mother, but rather live their own life. I really liked the MC and the actress was crazy good. (Actually all of the cast was really good, some scenes got me shocked!!!)

I mostly liked the first half of the series, i felt like the second half dragged on a bit too much but it was still a good journey. Definitely worth watching.

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Came for the kiss scenes, stayed for the CP

Found this gem by pure chance. In the past few months, very high-end Xianxias were released that were overhyped too, but this one, many found it so suddenly! i'm glad i did. it's one of those rare Xianxias that kept me hooked from episode 1, and not a single episode was a filler imo( even though some episodes were a little rushed, and later I found out there were some things going on). not to mention the MOST beautiful kiss scenes and romantic scenes exist in this drama.


Story:
Romantic Xianxia about demons, gods and fairies with a time travel flavor. That sums it up. The fantasy element is strong, yet the core of this drama is romance. as someone who loves romantic dramas, this satisfied me fully lol. The leads only have eyes for each other and there is no nonsense love triangle/3rd wheel. Even through amnesiac episodes, the couple stay faithful to each other. There are some loopholes and some things left unexplained. but there was no need to do so imo. There were no filler episodes in my opinion, and all episodes looked refreshingly interesting.

Acting:
I have been familiar with Arthur Chen since his Lighter and Princess days and been following him ever since. he is such a talent; they call him the Nepo baby, but this person indeed has the talent to shine.
Wang Ying Lu. I wasn't acquainted with her before, but she is a heartthrob and looks so cute. Hope to see her in more works.

OST:
similar to many Xianxias, there are a selection of pieces played out throughout the show and the matched the mood. i even liked the bgm music.

Production:
One of the biggest issues with xianxias are the CGI they use. this one's CGI wasn't without faults but it was ok imo. The scenery and houses they made for the drama all looked appealing.

All in all, watch it for the romance and the beautiful kiss scenes! the lovebirds in this drama can't take their hands off of each other!

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TOO GOOD!! Full circle story!

Has a good balance of romance and story. Not sure why the negative reviews but it is really not that deep.

-SPOILERS-

I liked how the story of FL and ML became a full circle. I.e FL remembering being saved by ML but ML could not remember but not without reason. It was explained at the end where the ML tried going back in time to reverse whatever that was happening (to save FL) and realised he has always been the “Gege/brother” in the FL’s memory and suddenly every previous scenes of him “glitching” made sense - just him going back in time during different times to try to change the history.

I also liked how refreshing it was from the start where it’s the FL making the first move on the ML. There were a lot of cute scenes and the chemistry was good.

While the last few episodes of explanation on the FL’s and SML’s past could be a bit draggy, it made sense to be explained and also to give an overview of the relationship FL & SML had in the past. Rather than feeling the FL enabled SML to feel this way, I felt it was a realistic depiction of how one’s obsession could lead to the downfall of things in life - in this case his obsession with the FL did not bring him what he wanted and things did not go his way despite all that he has done. FL chose to treat him with kindness even though she did not feel the same way he did for her which I thought was totally valid considering they had a deeper kind of platonic relationship and she did not have to dish out hate to him.

I felt the last few episodes didn’t have to be read that deeply as manipulative like what some other reviews have mentioned. But subjective I guess.

Every piece of puzzle fell into place and was explained clearly. The happy ending was welcomed and did not feel rushed.

Overall a good watch. Not overly heavy yet has a good story and pace to it. The romance and chemistry was good too.

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A Very Unserious Fun Time

Light-hearted Cultivation Story that does not take itself seriously at all.
MC relives the same day for one hundred thousand years.
Upon escaping the time loop, he sets out to save his Love by killing an undefeatable enemy.

I have not read the Manhua or Novel so this is solely based on what i watched.

MC is basically all-knowing, so he navigates his way with prior knowledge of mostly everything.
The cast is taking it easy and i was too. Haha.
You will find the usual troupes and stereotypical characters, but it flowed in a way i didn't mind at all.

I felt like production made full use of their limited budget and short run time.
The ending was open ended and could be interpreted a number of ways. Season 2 Perhaps?

If you enjoy Cultivation Stories with a relatively OP MC with an unserious tone, you will have fun with this.

PS. Luan Lei Ying is Stunning whenever i see her. Haha.

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Not an action movie, more about people just trying to survive

Project Y is ambiguous even from its title; it's hard to tell what kind of movie it will be. What's the "project"? What's "Y"?

I went into the screening at the Toronto International Film Festival without watching any promotional material, so I didn't have any preconceptions about the movie before it began.

I did, however, have some expectations based on previous roles played by Jeon Jong Seo (Ballerina) and Han So Hee (My Name). That being said, Project Y is definitely not a true high-voltage action movie in the traditional sense. You might be disappointed if that's what you were expecting. I won't speak too much on the plot of the actual movie itself, since it hasn't been officially released outside of TIFF.

The music and cinematography was top-notch. Ultimately, the story flowed well and I was immersed in the seedy underworld that was built for our ladies to escape from. Some plot elements meant to add more color to Mi-Seon's and Do-Gyeong's lives did feel a bit rushed. Furthermore, by the end of the movie, I did leave wondering to myself, if that was a satisfactory resolution to the struggle that I was watching for the last 2 hours. You'll have to decide that for yourself when you watch the movie.

Ultimately, it was nice to see these two lovely ladies starring in a film together. It wasn't totally what I was expecting, but it was a decent film, nonetheless.

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Everyone changes with time but some friendships stay for a life time

When i first started this drama i was skeptical because i didn't think i'd like it. I thought its yet another high school drama and there won't be anything going on. Boy was i wrong. I fell in love with the characters and the show. I didn't expect it to make me cry and laugh at the same time. I didn't expect myself to crave the kind of friendships they have years later. As a highschooler myself-with good friendships and amazing people in my life, This drama made me believe that maybe after we're all grown up, we'll still love each other the way we do now. Honestly one of the best dramas i have watched. I feel like rewatching it won't hit the same as the emotions you feel the first time are unreal. I hope that everyone experiences friendships like this once in their life.

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boring...

I wanted to like Stay by My Side After the Rain, but it ended up feeling a bit flat for me. The story moved slowly and I found myself losing interest as the episodes went on. While the leads had some sweet moments, the overall plot didn’t have enough energy or depth to keep me engaged.

The production looked fine and the idea had potential, but it just didn’t manage to hold my attention. For me, it was an average watch rather than something memorable.

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