Reviews

A Bittersweet Tale of Love, Justice, and Revenge!

During one his attempts to uncover the truth behind the tragedy that befell his family, Xiao Wu Xia, who lives in hiding as Wei Zhao, met Jiang Ci who disrupted his plans. Wei Zhao then hurt Jiang Ci with a poisoned knife to silence her. After being saved and taken in by Pei Yan, Wei Zhao continues to keep an eye on Jiang Ci to make sure she does not reveal anything to Pei Yan. While staying with Pei Yan, Jiang Ci kept on disrupting Wei Zhao's plans as to her, he was the villain. It was not until she saw how people would sacrifice themselves for Wei Zhao that she realized his plans were for a great cause. From then on, Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci got closer as they work together to fight for justice. Love sprouts and enemies turned to lovers. By the end of the story, Wei Zhao, Jiang Ci, and Pei Yan unite against the Emperor to protect Yueluo City and achieve justice.

Love of Nirvana is an example of extreme enemies to lovers trope, as well as lovers (or friends) to enemies trope. Wei Zhao is a selfless, just, and kindhearted character with a tragic past. Even though he is not necessarily a paragon of virtue, it is enough to say that Wei Zhao is a sheep in wolf's clothing. On the other hand, Pei Yan is a wolf in sheep's clothing although, he is not necessarily a bad guy. Being caught in between filial piety and his own values for justice ended up making him a villain. Wei Zhao and Pei Yan's love hate friendship and camaraderie throughout the drama was something to look forward to. In between these two is Jiang Ci. She is one innocent, naive, and free-spirited lady with a mysterious identity. It's very interesting to see how her relationship with the two male characters progresses. Jiang Ci went from enemies to lovers with Wei Zhao as they work together for the same cause, while her relationship with Pei Yan went downhill as he continuously chose the wrong path. Jiang Ci's relationship with the two male characters were mind-boggling for different reasons.

Despite Wei Zhao's attempts to kill Jiang Ci three times, they still manage to fall in love. Is it stockholm syndrome? Pretty sure it is. Even after they fell in love, Wei Zhao doesn't seem to feel guilty about it as he did it to protect a cause. Yes, he is not an "I'd let the world burn" male character. I still question why exactly Jiang Ci fell for Wei Zhao. To fall for someone who tried to kill you three times is worth a great reason. Is it because he is just and selfless? That doesn't make sense! However, this questionable stockholm syndrome plot was definitely masked over and put to rest when we Pei Yan's selfishness and possessiveness comes out. This change somehow made Wei Zhao shine and appear as a better option of the two. Jiang Ci's naivety masked over the notion of being grateful also irks me. Pei Yan was possessive, controlling, and often gaslights Jiang Ci. Despite seeing firsthand how selfish Pei Yan was, she still gives him chances under the reason of feeling grateful for saving her.

Although there were some things that could be improved, it is enough to say that this story was well-written and well-paced. As much as I understand the bittersweet and tragic ending, I do wish we could have had a better one. One where justice prevails! However, the ending managed to give me some closure as his legacy continues.

They did really well in casting Ren Jia Lun, Li Landy, and Jeremy Tsui as the three leads. Ren Jia Lun was perfect for the role of Wei Zhao as he exudes charisma, intelligence, righteousness, and a cold aura. Li Landy did great as the innocent, naive, and free-spirited Jiang Ci. Jeremy Tsui also did well at acting out the possessive, controlling, conflicted, and mature Pei Yan. The supporting actors were also scene stealers. Special mentions to both Wei Zhao and Pei Yan's sidekicks, as well as the Wei Zhao's Yueluo City friends and family!

All in all, this drama will leave you questioning, thinking, squealing, and definitely keep you hooked to see how everything unfolds. I have personally rewatched this drama more than 5 times, mainly to see the enemies to lovers trope. Love of Nirvana easily makes it to the top of my recommended Chinese drama list!

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Masterpiece

This show is an absolute masterpiece. I bypassed it countless times, finally giving it a chance solely for Li Qin, but I was captivated from the very first episode. I will try to not put any spoilers in here because it will take away from the experience of watching it.

The writing is incredibly tight; every character serves a purpose, and every decision follows a clear logic. It takes tropes that usually annoy me in other dramas and executes them to perfection. The scheming characters are intelligent and motivated, and their actions have genuine consequences. As for the protagonist, the writing is beyond words—he captures the very essence of what it means to be human.

The storytelling is incredibly dense but not so much so that it feels rushed. I had to pause the video every time I left the room because missing even sixty seconds meant missing a pivotal moment. The series is completely devoid of fluff; it refuses to waste time on distracting side stories, keeping the focus entirely on the driving narrative.

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From Hype to Snooze: A Political Thriller That Puts You to Sleep, Starring Cheng’s Boredom

I was really looking forward to The Vendetta of An. I thought, “Finally, the same director who gave us Love and Crown, and Journey of Legend, is back! (irony intended)
I’m usually not one to hold bias, but after this, I have serious doubts about the producer, and even Cheng Yi. Sorry, Cheng Yi, I genuinely loved your past performances!

The story is refreshingly unoriginal, offering nothing new or deep, the soundtrack is random noise sprinkled generously throughout, and the conversations are thrillingly shallow and boring; I spent most of the time yawning, so much so that staring at the sky would have been more engaging. A masterclass in how not to deliver a political thriller or a serious political power game.

And Cheng Yi… well, he’s consistent. He looks exactly the same as in all his other latest three dramas: same character, same eye expressions, same bored gaze from the corner of his eyes. I love Love and Redemption (my top fantasy drama) and even gave Mysterious Lotus Casebook a perfect 10, but watching him in his latest dramas feels painful. All the characters feel like they were cast from the same “sleepy” template.

Cheng Yi, supposedly a strategic mastermind, is perfectly cast… as a bored extra. I seriously doubt that even a different producer could make him convey any actual strategic sharpness or character depth for this type of role. I was expecting a tight, intense political thriller; instead, I got a melodramatic snooze fest. Bravo. Truly inspiring.

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in progress review

Be clear on your expectations! I'm only halfway through so far, but given some low reviews and the fact that this is exceeding my expectations, I'm weighing in early, with full awareness that there is plenty of time left to disappoint. if you are looking for a taut espionage thriller, the family oriented sitcom elements may not be your cup of tea. For me, the family sitcom elements and the actors' charm and chemistry are the highlight. I love the kid sequenences. The entire family cast is terrific. Jang Na-ra absolutely nails it as the wife, mother, daughter and sister in law, holding the family together. She has totally charmed me in this role, which only gets richer as we progress. For me, the espionage elements are an added bonus, and so far are satisfying. I am so excited to finish this series. My only issue is if I should binge or slow down to make it last! This is so much more enjoyable than Mr. and Mrs. Smith for me. So, manage your expectations. If you like silly family comedies with highly skilled actors, like me but you also enjoy espionage, you might just be delighted! At this point, it's feeling like my final rating will be from 8.5-10, seriously.

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Re-edited version did justice

I love this! Even with its short duration, the story is saving it. The actors are actually the ones who make me want to watch more. They just have the right balance of tension, chemistry, and likable acting performances. Face-paced as expected, but still delivers quality appeal based on the mentioned reasons earlier.

The reel format is unsatisfying, and I’m so glad that they finally released the re-edited version with the usual landscape format of a drama. I felt so great watching it despite the obvious technical loopholes. Yet, the characters are just too cute that every scene they shared together, a ray of light has been flashed into my eyes.

It also has its own conflict to explore and emphasize how the MCs faced them. Aesthetically beautiful with eye-candy actors. I need a sequel with a longer time and more romantic scenarios from the two, especially since they finally became a couple.

Sweet and cute. The complaint from the majority regarding the reel format is reasonable, as the drama has a lower rating. But, after watching the story, especially in the re-edited version, it was a wonderful K-BL that just needed a minimum upgrade in its production area. Adorable story overall.

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i really liked it but... there are some issues.

I'm going to talk about some spoilers so read at your own risk.😁

this is a common "secretary/ boss " love story but it has a really important twist..

due to an accident our boss loses the ability to recognize faces and it is forced to keep his secretary around (which he fired in the first episode) to help him out and succeed in his quest to become the next president of the company.

this a simple plot line but it really works!
the characters are lovable in their own way and we see them grow closer as the story progresses.

so.. what is the issue? my issue is that due to the boss illness the secretary takes advantage of him pretending to be an upper class girl who was supposed to meet our ml.
this happens "twice". the first time the audience is willing to forgives the main female lead because we can kinda understand where she is coming from. she grew up struggling and never had something nice to herself. ok fine. misunderstanding are a huge part of Rom coms..

when the real it girl finds out about what our protagonist is doing, she "forces" our secretary to keep up the lie because she herself is benefitting from the whole situation.
I understand her motice to a certain degree but we reach a point where it is uncomfortable to watch what this secretary is doing to her boss.
I felt so bad for him.
this guy is perfect in the surface: good job, about to be president, a rich family, Beauty but in reality this man is freaking lonely as hell.

his stepmother hates him (I don't get why) but forces him to become president (??), his uncle is trying to sabotage him from the inside of the company, he has no friends, his last secretary betrayed him in a vile way and he also cannot see faces anymore. I mean.. what else is coming? is meteor?

meanwhile our secretary is torn by this guild which is only projected to herself at this point. "will he hate me?". she wonders about if he is going to forgive her...
it was infuriating to watch.

he is a better person than me for sure.

moving on we find some issues with the drama itself. some plot lines are abandoned Mid drama.
for example : the bitchy secretary of the studio is coerced by her boss to find out some information from our main secretary... we never see or hear from her after that.

the secretary sister is supposed to be studying abroad even though she is hiding in Korea. for a good chunk of the show our female lead never even mentions her sister..

later on this sister starts bossing around the it girl.. and I cannot say why she accepts this behavior from a literal stranger.

talking about our it girl, honestly, she is my favourite character. very straightforward, confident, has a huge ego but is not pretentious.
unfortunately she falls in love with the ml best friend and let me tell you.. he has the same personality of a toaster. such a bland character... they are also missing chemistry. it was hard to imagine them as a couple.

talking about couples. can we please stop showing 30 something years old behaving like prudes and innocent kids when it comes to kissing, hugging or sex?
I know it's part of the Korean culture but this was too much.

it sounds like I am a hater but I swear i liked the show.😅 its just that after watching it you process the goods and the bads.

talking about the good stuff the plot twist revolving around the file, the president assault and the secret society was pretty well done.
for half of the drama we think something shady and bad is going on but then we find out that these people were "plotting" to defend the innocent and help the poor mistreated employees. I really like that part.

this is getting long so let's cut to the chase.
is it worth it? Yes.
is it funny? yes.
if you are looking for something entertaining give this drama a chance

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Exceptional to watch

This was 10/10! Turely exceptional. For once an actually smart MC unlike dramas in general where characters are only smart on paper but we never get to see that in action!
Female lead, Nihuang, and the other strong female character Xia Dong, perfectly written! This is how you write strong female characters. Another notable figure was definitely Prince Jing’s mother, such a smart character and so graceful! Meng was also so fun and refreshing!
Even the antagonists held their own: every actor did a stellar job, all backed by some amazing storytelling! Whoever wrote this, crafted magic, no denying that! Since it’s a strategic show, it does take a minute to build up the world and characters but once you get there, you’re sucked right in!
Special shoutout to the kings rock collection 😂
And you know never to invite MC to your birthday: you will be left with emotional trauma.
And who is doing the choreography for action scenes? The fighting scenes are always shot so on point in C-drama.
Loved it!

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young audience drama

The series is originally aimed at a young audience, roughly 18–25 years old. While this demographic focus could work, the script itself is rather flat and features some problematic or irritating character mindsets. The primary emphasis is on aesthetically appealing characters rather than narrative depth and emotionally flat.

In contrast, in another project, Jun Young proved to be far more compelling, demonstrating how the choices of a director and screenwriter can significantly shape a series’ quality. The same applies to Lee Chae Min
: there is a clear distinction between his two most recent projects, highlighting how thoughtful direction and strong casting can make a substantial difference. And Roh Jeong Eui the same thing.

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A Worthwhile Story

It is the rare BL (although I'm not sure this could be called a BL drama) that tackles head-on serious issues and then doesn't resolve them neatly at the end of the show's run.

This show hits hard with its subject matter and the camera does not flinch for a moment in capturing the physical, emotional, and psychological pain these characters experience. There are some very bold choices made by the director, and those choices may not be safe or comfortable for all viewers.

What begins as (what we assume ) will be another trope-filled college drama actually drops very subtle hints that all is not what it appears. It would be very difficult to say more without giving spoilers so I will leave it at this. A devastating and traumatizing incident and the emotional and psychological aftermath of this incident are handled with maturity, honesty, and an unflinching camera. This is not a "comfort watch" but a watch that will take you down a very raw path.

It is absolutely worth watching once but is not a journey I would take again- not because it is not done well, but precisely because it is done very well.

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There Is A Plot!

I've seen a lot of criticism of My Safe Zone's plot; mainly, viewers saying that there isn't one, which I disagree with. If you're paying attention, the series tells us precisely what it is. Jane is Alin's safe zone, and the series is constructed around that single fact.

What I do agree with is that things moved too quickly. Jane and Alin were put into so many scenarios that we barely had time to recover from the last mishap in their relationship. This threw the series's pacing off. My Safe Zone could have benefited from either more episodes or fewer plot points to keep the story grounded and give the more significant points more time to be explored.

The true gem of My Safe Zone is the chemistry between Lena and Miu; no one can top what they gave us in My Safe Zone. And I'm not referring to the intimate scenes or their great acting performances. They have a give-and-take that I'm sure stems from their longtime friendship, which really gives life and sincerity to Jane and Alin's relationship. I really want to give props to the director for not stifling natural chemistry.

I'm looking forward to their next series, where hopefully they are given a great script with roles that suit them and their abilities.

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It had potential but OMG

I saw a lot of bad reviews about this so I wanted to watch 2 episodes to test the water (no pun intended)
Well it was interesting at first and the story had potential but there are a few things that bugged me.

1- Phu's character is so pushy, I don't really like flirty guys that can't take No for an answer and I couldn't for the life of me understand the reason for his severe attraction towards Nawa, like I understand the whole plot revolve around that but I simply couldn't buy it.

2- the whole bad guy thing and the crazy son are all too predictable and very not interesting, like I'm literally the opposite of at the edge of my seat, I even dozed off while watching ep4.

3- the slow pace slightly irritated me for someone who gave this show a 2 episodes trial, the first half of the first episode was full of swimming scenes and a lot, I MEAN A LOT, of staring at each other moments, that could lasts for minutes, of course there is no conversation or anything during those scenes.

However, I really admire the tails and fins, they looked very realistic, also some scenes in the sea was great, the story could be better with some acting improvement from the cast but it's generally not a bad series.

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it's fine but it could be improved a LOT

Great story from the novel, okay acting, and repetitive music.

I remember feeling butterflies in my stomach so often while reading the novel so many years ago, but I never felt anything similar while watching. It was not because of the acting. It was most probably because of the lack of chemistry and the editing. Following this latter topic, I believe the production company could train and invest more in the post-production and editors because it is a true waste of potential. They were not able to deliver the same way the novel did.

The story has many emotional scenes, yet all of them felt fleeting. The series did not succeed in making me feel any pain before they suddenly switch to a scene with emotions totally different from the dramatic segment.

This show also lacks its own soundtrack, instead repeating the same song again and again. I believe there should be background music when the scene so requires.

This is a drama series. But it was not edited like one. Just for comparison, the post-production result felt like a short story with only twenty minutes that was not given as much effort as it should have with a full length series. I believe the Spanish lines could've also been delivered more powerfully if they got speech coaches (or at least checked the pronunciations before shooting...).

This is based on a novel that everyone waited to have an adaptation of. People have already been disappointed for not having the actors they initially wanted. They refused to watch this because they believed it would turn out bad and/or won't have a good result. Still, I decided to give it a chance. Let me decide after watching everything, right? Well... I feel like Viva did not even try to satisfy the readers. Not sure if people who have not read the novel would like this, though.

Edit: Just finished ep 17 and lmao I want to know if non-novel readers understood what was happening because holy Usain Bolt, they wanted to rush the ending so bad, my score went from 6.5 to 5.5 real quick.

Edit 2: That last ep... lol I badly want to know the opinions of non-novel readers because I'm almost 100% sure they got confused big time all throughout the last two episodes.

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