Reviews

Vampires + Republic Era: the combo you didn’t know you needed

Loved this right from the start, great casting, gorgeous costumes and period setting (the cars!), cinematography is beautiful and a pretty good credit sequence which is usually a good sign.

I actually think this might be Gao Wei Guang's best role - genuinely couldn't imagine any other actors fitting the role so well. Ouyang Nana really impressed, I've seen her in Yong An Dream which I highly recommend.

Some great twists, the plot didn't drag and in some places it was laugh out loud funny. The ending suited the drama and the last scene between our lovely lead couple felt realistic and fitting.

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I hope I can find a workplace like Tengda someday.

Just imagine what kind of company would want to lose money? Yet in this drama, the more the company loses, the more Pei Qian profits. At first, I thought 5,000 yuan wasn’t that bad, at least it’s a monthly salary. But then I got curious and converted it into my country’s currency, and I was honestly surprised by how low it actually is. That probably explains why Pei Qian works so hard to make his company lose money.

Even though the beginning had plenty of funny moments that made me laugh, as the story progressed and Pei Qian’s smile slowly faded, the humor became less frequent, though it was still there. But it’s okay it was still enjoyable for me.

While watching this drama, I actually felt jealous of the Tengda employees. Even though they’re fictional characters, I was still jealous. I wish I had a boss like Pei Qian and a working environment like Tengda. I don’t mean things like going home early or arriving late like in Tengda’s rules, because jobs like that rarely exist in real life. What I really mean is the positive working environment there. Kind coworkers, a good boss, very high salaries, and great office facilities.

It’s not that my own workplace is bad it’s actually good but the atmosphere at Tengda still made me wish I could work somewhere like that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It kept me looking forward to the next episode every time.

Overall rating: 9.5/10.
I actually wanted to give it a 10, but there were a few parts that felt slightly lacking, so I decided on 9.5 instead. 😄

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A proper drama that makes you think and weep

This is probably not for everyone but I'm really glad I finished this finely observed drama about humankind. It provokes big questions like what makes someone good or bad and examines the consequences of decisions and actions. Apart from the FL who is just genuinely a really good person, you need to watch to the end to be able to make your mind up about 2 of the other key characters.

It's beautifully shot with a slightly washed out colouration which really suits the serious/dramatic mood. Strong performances from the fine cast. The tempo slows down (but doesn't drag) and then speeds up to some exciting action. Overall very well balanced.

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Who knew a zombie could be so attractive?

I added this to my watchlist after seeing Choi Jinn Hyuk in Miss Night and Day and he does a similarly excellent job here. He captures the zombie's physicality perfectly. I don’t think it can be understated how important movement is in acting and the scenes where he shows the initial challenges of being a zombie and the transition to gaining strength and dexterity were fantastic. If that wasn’t enough, he also pulls off the zombie make-up extremely well (props to the hair and make-up team!). At 12 episodes this was the perfect length, didn't drag and good momentum throughout. Absolutely loved this, it's hilarious!

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One of the best ongoing JBLs right now!

I'm seriously so obsessed with this series waiting one episode per week feels like torture. Up until episode 2, the dumb premise didn't make me dislike the series because it's actually soo fun. The chemistry between the leads makes this all feel so natural. Their acting is also top notch. I love how we get equal parts spicy, equal parts wholesome and equal parts angst (?). Only downside is the NC scene is not the best, but I will let it slide cuz it's only the first one, and Im expecting better ones in the future. Everything else though!! This drama doesn't have any annoying leads or overally unrealistic characters. (However I would say the stuff leading to the plot is kinda unrealistic lmao) which I love.

Seriously every BL lover should start this show. I cannot recommend this enough.

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Attention to detail and effects are top drawer ?

One of the best C-dramas I've seen in ages. Initially drawn in because of Ding Yu Xi, fresh from Melody of Golden Age (another excellent production). It's always great when you can see someone get to demonstrate their range across several dramas and not just play the same character again and again. Once again, he does a fantastic job of portraying the complex character of Mu Sheng. I was delighted to see Zhu Xu Dan (Cute Programmer, Eternal Love) as the 2FL and I thought she was also excellent. Overall, casting was really good right down to supporting roles. I'd not seen FL or 2ML before but both did a good job with their characters and the contrast between the couples worked really well.

What made this drama really stand out was the effects. I'm used to watching Chinese historicals where you wish they had decent effects/CGI but you either give up or overlook the poor quality. This is one of the best I've seen, in most of the drama I'd say on par or not far behind Alchemy of Souls - quite spectacular. I also liked the attention to detail and how they carried through the effects associated with certain characters to their costume, hair and make-up. Fight/action sequences were also great. This drama was so good I only watched it on my laptop (decent size screen) because it would have been a waste to watch it on a smaller screen (ie my phone).

Pacing and story - at 32 episodes I thoroughly enjoyed this, we had a good amount of comedy, it didn't drag and things were nicely tied up at the end. There were some great twists which kept my attention and gave some characters the opportunity to play different characters/their characters in a different way. If you haven't watched yet, make sure you watch the last episode through to the end of the credits / if you've watched but missed the credits, go back and watch to the very end!

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Do you like snacks?

I know that most people really love Kamen Rider Gavv, however, the show didn't resonate with me as much. Show is not bad, but I think it has some issues.

Gavv's story is in this weird place for me. They try doing interesting things with it, however, I think they failed to execute it. Also there's this tonal whiplash, where serious things are happening and seconds later something goofy happens. Side characters are very likeable and they have their interesting plot lines, but at the same time, these same plot lines don't resolve or resolve in an unsatisfactory way.

I really don't like the costumes and special effects in this show. I think there are much better tokusatsu titles in regards to that. However I liked the fights. Fight choreography is top notch.

Acting is mostly good in this show. Everyone did their job quite well. Same with music.

If you are into tokusatsu, really want to see what the fuzz is about, or like the gimmick, go for this show. Otherwise I recommend watching some other titles.

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Make sure you have tissues nearby, because this drama will make you cry non-stop.

This drama really made me want to cry 😭. What I love most is how the mystery unfolds bit by bit in every episode, instead of saving everything for the final part. The storytelling is beautifully structured, the CGI is impressive, and the costumes are absolutely stunning.

One scene that really stayed with me is when Wuyi says, “Don’t cry, don’t be sad. Awu will always be with you.” I loved it so much that I ended up memorizing the line in Mandarin.

As for the romance, I didn’t find the relationship between Jiling and Wuyi cringe or cheesy at all it felt genuinely sweet. Meanwhile, the relationship between Wangyuan and Shi Guang feels more mature. It’s like they still have that youthful love, but with the emotional depth of adults. It’s a bit hard to describe, but it feels more grounded and real.

And speaking of Wangyan, she really feels like the eldest sister who carries a heavy responsibility, silently holding everything together even when she’s completely broken inside.

Also… why is the villain so hard to defeat? 😂 It’s like she/he die, come back, die again, and then come back again. Usually in cdramas, the villain is defeated once and that’s it.

In the final episode, I actually felt bad for Lijie, especially when he was searching for Jiling. As for the ending, I think it was quite satisfying a happy ending for me, even though I know some people found it sad. Yes, their memories were erased, but it still felt reasonable. So many people had already died fighting the villain, and Wuyi was never meant to survive until the end anyway. Compared to living on while remembering all that pain or losing memories, but some of them are still alive. I think the ending made sense.

Anyway, Jiling and Wuyi have become one of my favorite couples. They’ve gone through so much suffering together. Wuyi went through countless time loops just to save Jiling, and as for Jiling… no words could ever fully capture the depth of his pain, his love, and everything he’s going through.😭

Long story short, they faced countless hardships, but their relationship only grew stronger over time. I’m honestly so grateful they finally got their own ending after everything they went through even if it’s in a different universe.

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A beautifully woven tapestry

This drama was just fantastic with multiple layers, great cast, great costumes, great plot, great cinematography, great music - at 40 episodes it didn't drag either.

I started watching this because I'm a big fan of Tan Song Yun and she delivers another excellent performance here. I also think it's kind of neat that she's in both dramas on Viki with 'brocade' in the title.

I didn't think I'd seen the ML, Zheng Ye Cheng, before - until I discovered he was one of the bros in Love O2O. I think it's testament to his acting skills that I had no idea and I was genuinely impressed with his performance. He handled the serious, romantic and comedic scenes with equal aplomb. At one point where another actor might have gone over the top he played a scene so believably with his controlled performance that it made it all the more powerful.

I think the writing must be good because there were points where the subs conveyed the tremendous affection and noble character of the ML superbly. That said, there were a couple of mistakes in the subs where they refer to the second ML instead of the ML lead or the wrong city so watch out for that.

Beautifully shot and some fantastic action scenes, some of the best I've seen. I also liked that the second FL got to show her fighting skills too. Overall the staging was excellent.

Costumes - I'm sure my fellow crafters will appreciate that a drama where fabrics play such an important role, the quality of the costumes added to the atmosphere. I also noted several costumes with patterned fabric where they'd taken the trouble to pattern match across different parts of the garment, love the attention to detail.

Music - I realised at one point that Tan Song Yun was singing one of the songs and honestly it just added to the scene and made it all the more touching. Soundtrack is good all round.

Set / production design - the main city is painted in mid and light blue with red and it's so pretty. Really well done and scenes felt as though they had depth, which added to the realism.

I also liked how there were some characters who were clearly good or bad but others who were more complex. I'm not sure you can say they redeemed themselves but more a case of making good decisions in the end. Definitely made it more interesting to watch. We got a good supply of villains, both male and female, and as different ones took the stage at different points it never got boring or felt drawn out.

Lovely supporting cast and some nice bromances going on. A few side romances although they aren't major plot points.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this drama. It's got it all!

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Everlasting Longing - A Romance Built on Sand

Everlasting Longing shows up with beautiful capes and genuine chemistry, and for roughly half its runtime it delivers. The enemies-to-lovers setup works well, the male lead has real commanding presence, and the female lead's double identity keeps things genuinely tense. Then the drama crosses a border, literally and figuratively, and everything falls apart.

The drama essentially wants its heroine both ways: a mastermind who outmaneuvers rival clans and runs a commercial empire under a false identity, and a compliant damsel in distress who accepts coercion and goes oddly passive at exactly the moments you'd expect her to be sharpest. Most puzzling for a romance is that its romantic lead spends a bulk of the story going to extraordinary lengths to avoid the romance. The show wants credit for a feminist heroine - a woman who defied every convention of her era to carve out agency in a world that denied it to her sex - while having her remain reflexively servile to the exact forces of coercion any self-respecting rebel should have outgrown by the second episode. She'll break every rule society wrote for women except the ones that actually matter.

More uncomfortable is how the show handles loyalty. The heroine's devotion to people and institutions that actively harm her gets framed as principled nobility rather than what it actually looks like - coerced survival dressed up as virtue. Characters who attempt the life of her lover get forgiven instantly, their actions waved away by the sincerity of their devotion to her. Apparently loving the heroine is sufficient moral collateral for any crime committed against the man she loves - a logic the show applies with remarkable consistency and zero self-awareness. The romance ends up being undermined as much by the heroine's own priorities as by outside forces, which the show never really wants to examine too closely. And this suicidal empathy infects the male lead in key moments as well.

The show also mistakes melodrama for tragedy. The main villain is framed as a devastated romantic whose love was claimed by the king - and the framing might have landed if the drama had bothered to establish his beloved as an actual suffering victim in need of saving. Two people leveraging their love for each other as moral license to endanger everyone around them, including people who never wronged them and close friends, isn't tragedy. It's narcissism with atmospheric lighting.

The series falls apart in the latter half with drama increasingly dependent on characters making choices that serve the plot's emotional needs rather than their own established logic. Good capes though.

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Relatable, slice of life, extremely well done

Don't be put off by the number of episodes, this is not the typical drama where the main characters have a clear goal (e.g. launch success business or defend against evil general etc.) and you end up waiting for things to be resolved. This drama delivers a slice of life starting from when our main 3 ‘siblings’ are about 6 to 8 years old, through high school (16 to 18) and then into adult life.

The pacing is good, there are dramatic points to the plot but none of it is overdone. If you're here for the romance it gets started towards the middle but it's so enjoyable before that it doesn't feel like you're missing out. Along with more serious moments there's a lot of laughter.

Great casting all round from the little kids, the main actors and their parents plus the few friends rounding out the supporting cast. The relationships all round feel very relatable between parents and children, friends and how the dynamics change over time. Well worth a watch!

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This drama has it all!

What a treat! I love Chinese historicals but sometimes I don't have the stamina for a 40+ epic. I was not expecting such high production values but this has it all. Great cast, the perfect balance of drama, action, humour and romance, beautifully shot and choreographed fight sequences (look out for the red umbrellas), fab soundtrack - what more could you want?

I'm a long-time Gao Wei Guang fan and I think this is one of his best roles and possibly one of his best looks, the hair is really working for him ;)

Xuan Lu is a feisty but not irritating FL and a worthy heroine. It was great to see her slowly regain her martial arts skills and you can't help but root for her.

They both sing on the soundtrack which really added to the tender moments. I knew GWG has a lovely singing voice and he’s well matched by Xuan Lu, really lovely duet ♥️

One of my favourite couples and because of the short episode count, you'll ship them right from the start as they are thrown together in life/death situations. Also, a fair bit of fan service (mainly GWG bathing) but not gratuitous and all part of the plot - honest! Also I appreciate the reasonable age gap between the leads (only 8 years) and nice to watch a couple in my generation for a change.

Plotwise - I did work out a key plot point relatively early on but I think maybe the viewers are supposed to and it's just the characters who are meant to be in the dark. Either way, it didn’t bother me as having a strong sense that things would be resolved satisfactorily kept me going through some episodes whereas otherwise, I might have felt things were too bleak.

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Alen Feng is a great male lead!

Seriously funny and unexpectedly really good! Nice to see Alen Fang in a lead role, and he's well matched by Lin Yun as the FL. She's cunning, clever and has the sweetest smile. She also manages to find solutions to problems even at the last minute. Some of her greatest triumphs felt really innovative and new in terms of staging.

Great soundtrack and a nice mix of characters combined with great pacing and swift resolution to our lead couple's challenges made this a really enjoyable watch. I've not laughed so much in a long time! Overall, this drama punches above its weight.

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Really sweet - love the leads together ♥️

This was in my watchlist because I'm a big Tan Song Yun fan. This was so much fun and awfully sweet! I've not seen Xiong Zi Qi in anything before but they make such a cute couple, the way his face lights up when he sees her is totally adorable. The cast of supporting characters add a lot of humorous moments and some tension at times, we also have a second ship!

One of my favourite moments was realising that the leads have a duet on the soundtrack. I knew it was TSY as I recognise her lovely singing voice but I had a good feeling that Xiong Zi Qi was also singing - I love it when they do this in dramas, all the feels!

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