Reviews

first of all this trio goes down in the history amazing chem, and them trying to enhance or support other countries tourism is quite appreciatable and the way the main cast includes the staff makes it seem more wholesome and this spin off version is filled with funny twist and turns..never could i image kim woo bin managing a companys fianance or d.o is obbession with tacos or kwang soo's reality check moments...very visible that they worked hard for this project makes me wanna visit mexico and even though they are famous back in korea they have their manners and are very respectable to all the staffs and this show shows another side of these famous celebs and also to mention they show the actual probs when travelling to another country its very non scripted and funny hope they keep doing this and give us more seasons

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Dilraba slayed ???

After Coroners Diary, this was the second Chinese drama this year that I watched while it was airing. I started most dramas this year but dropped them after the first episodes—they just didn’t make me want to continue. But this one really tempted me to keep watching.
The moment it truly became one of my favorites—when I told myself “I really like this”—was episodes 5 and 6, and by episodes 9 and 10 I was completely in love with it.
I don’t agree with people who say its pacing was slow. Sure, some parts moved calmly, but it had a beautiful sense of tranquility, and within that calm, it gave you good information about the plot—like the quiet conversations between Xing Shen and Mahanzi.
My favorite episodes were 28 and 29. They were all amazing and turned out so well. Usually, the final battle in dramas feel repetitive to me, but this one was exciting—especially when a third enemy suddenly appeared and made everything even more interesting.
The ending can be seen as open, meaning there are still Di Xiao wandering on earth, and this story will never truly end.
I just hope Jiuluo and Yantu can live peacefully for a long time.
The acting was incredible. Dilraba shone beautifully, and besides her, the supporting roles like Lin Shirou and Xing Shen were excellent. Lin Shirou played her part so well—despite her beauty and charm, she was a charismatic villain.
I also really liked Feng Mi and the doctor.
My rating for this drama is 9. 5 out of 10.
I wasn’t okay with some of the scene pacing, but they weren’t a big deal.
Overall, I enjoyed it, and if you’re a fan of the genre, I recommend it.

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For a vertical BL, this isn't bad at all.

If you watched "fight for you" you'll probably be familiar with the cast, and if you liked it, then you can probably expect something similar here.

They serve chemistry on a plate, but same with FFY, the story is the weakest thing in the show.

Let me just explain the whole thing since there are many confused comments about it, the story is about two idols/actors who are in different agencies and both their managers are at odds, so they start on the wrong foot then they are cast in a short movie and then their story begins, so in the show they are making a movie together.

The first 1-6 episodes are the movie they are cast in, so the first 6 eps are the movie within the drama itself, I don't understand why they opted to show the movie first, they should have added those 6 eps last, for us to see the results of their work at the end.
Instead we got invested in the movie and got confused when ep7 started.

From Ep7 onwards, that's the beginning of the real vertical drama, I hope this point is cleared up.

Now the story of the drama itself parallels with the movie they were making, same idea.

Is the story great? Not really, repeated and expected, it won't blow your mind away or anything, more like a comfort drama.
The two leads and the managers too have good chemistry, the managers story isn't well developed, but it was ok.

For a vertical drama, this was actually good, for a BL, just lower your expectations. So if you are watching for the cast like me, you will enjoy it, it's good for passing time, if you are looking for a proper drama, then this isn't for you.

Overall enjoyable and good when you have a couple of hours to waste~~

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Su Chang He saves this drama

Compared with light-hearted The Blood of Youth, I prefer this one. The start of the drama is quite engaging. The intricacy of the scheming is so exiting and make me stay with the drama without fast-forwarding.

Let us start with the story. The highlight of this drama should be Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He relationship. Built upon life and death experiences, their relationship transcend ordinary brotherhood or even romance. We can see that from their tacit trust and understanding. In the beginning, even when they seem to be against each other, it is more like sibling childish quarrel than true fight. The first 10 episodes has laid this foundation. But, in the middle, it seems the story is infiltrated with unneeded and unwanted romance.

I understand that with current Chinese law, BL is strictly prohibited. And any drama showing good relationship between two male characters will be scrutinized. So the addition of romance between Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai is understandable. But, in this premise, it is felt so forced and jarring. They meet, being together for a moment while Bai He Huai curing the patriach, then the next time we know they spend time so long time in Nan'an together. In the name of Su Mu Yu healing his injury. What the hell. Dark River just experienced upheaval, the previous patriarch and family head were all dead. Su Chang He just rose to the throne. He, as Su family head, actually lazed around in some other city, enjoying romance. It is as if Su Mu Yu still hell bent want to leave Dark River. What a half-baked resolution!

Until the end of the drama, excluding a little bit flash back here and there depicting romance of side characters, the part I hate the most is Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai romance. Su Mu Yu does not act like family head at all. I see him as part time worker of Dark River. He does his mission and after that come back to his wife in Nan'an. We never see him step inside Dark River headquarter anymore.

The ending is good, even though I rather it is Su Chang He that lay finishing blow to Zhuo Qing. But, the 12 years separation between Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai is so unneeded. I also don't think their relationship is that strong to withstand 12 years. I think what Bai He Huai likes is Zhuo Yue An, not the true Su Mu Yu.

Now, about the acting. Gong Jun, .... sigh. His acting is quite weak in this drama. Some emotion is on point, but some of them, I wish him to show more. Also, he fails to truly build Su Mu Yu character. Until the end, I cannot really grasp who is Su Mu Yu. He cannot show that Su Mu Yu has special relationship with Su Chang He. The conversation was there, but lack certain emotion the seal the deal. The romance with Bai He Huai lacks passion. And the tension between two identity (Su Mu Yu and Zhuo Yue An) is so poorly delivered.

Now, Chang Hua Sen. He is the very reason why I still give 4 stars for acting and still give this drama overall 5 stars despite my critic toward the story. I know this actor from Moonlight Mystique. His acting was quite good there. But here, I am in awe. His Su Chang He is captivating. From naive boy in the flash back until he become the patriarch, you can see the development of his mindset. His disdain for this world, his special care toward Su Mu Yu, his scheming and his hidden pain, you can see it all.

Overall, this is a good wuxia drama. I recommend it. The production, music, and fight choreography are very good. The fight choreography is especially a good change, if you compared it with TBOY abysmal choreography.

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Warm as a hug

I saw insanely negative reviews and knew I had to step up my game. This drama was never meant for romance lovers. The romance was a subplot which blew out of proportion because of edits. The leads had barely five minutes of screen time together in the early episodes. What made this drama one of my favorites of the year was the overall vibe. It became my companion during one of the most stressful periods of my life. The real highlight was the ensemble cast. There were no weak links. The chemistry among the entire cast was amazing, and no one felt like the odd one out. I have a secret soft spot for 90s nostalgia bite Asian dramas, so this made me tune in. However, there were clear issues with the writing. I didn’t have the same problem others did with the story going in circles with Kang Tae Pung getting scammed seven days a week. That carefree behavior was in character. For me, the real stumbling block was O Mi Seon. Around the midpoint of the drama, her character became somewhat useless. It's as if her sole purpose was to be the love interest. Until almost the final episode, she never stepped out of her comfort zone neither in her professional ambitions nor in her personal relationships. This situation frustrated me, because she had so much potential early on, and Kim Min Ha is a great actress who deserved more than what the writing gave her work on.
In conclusion, if you’re into slice of life in the 90s with a touch of romance, this drama is meant for you.

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Underrated Series, Though S1 Carried

[Overall]

'The Believers' is truly such a gem. The concept and storyline is fresh and amazingly depicted. It's totally worth the watch and you can tell that they spent real budget on the making—from the creative arts, the cinematography and to the bg music. Everything is good together, there's that thriller chill that you'll get from the well-written scenes and great acting.

S1 definitely carried. It had all the amazing elements best pacing and storyline. Ending it with a great opening for S2. Although first season's ultimately better, S2 isn't half bad—it is clear that it's more focused on solving the left mysteries on first season's ending//Win's lore. The opening scenes, slowly unwrapping the dark theme will give you the shivers.

The characters all played their own part. Win—the grand schemer and their group's genius (that James portrayed astoundingly), Game, who I'll dare call the group's hot mess (loved Peach's expressions and total f*ckery) and Dear as the sheep "stuck" between the two wolves.

[S2]

The pacing is all over the place. It started interesting, then flowed really slow in the middle. It's almost too dull, and things only came together on ep 6 rushing details and forcefully packing it all to fit till ep 8. There were some good scenes that gave me the wows but the entire season itself felt like it needs more episodes. The new characters connected well but they felt more like just something to push the plot, lacking dynamics as themselves (I wont complain much on this part since it's just what side characters normally do).

Dol & Dear's story calmed darkness that progressed through the series, although it took quite the screen time making the series feel rather slow paced, I'll again blame it on the lack of episodes as the entire season itself felt lacking.

[Additional]
I wish there's more of the trio together, I guess the lack of the team's appearance truly added to the weight of the last few scenes.

Very clearly, this season (or maybe the entire series' focus is Win), so if S3 does happen, I'd like to see more of Game's side.

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Bland for a slice of life / romance crossover

This drama started out great but ended up feeling dragged out. The casting was alright, but the storytelling was lacking. It was too slow-paced even for me, and I'm slice of life genre enjoyer. Also, I can't deny my frustration towards unnecessary love triangles (especially in J-dramas), because writers somehow manage to make 90% of the show about a couple that isn’t even endgame. That being said, I have to admit this drama heavily relied on the leads’ chemistry and acting. If it weren’t for
Han Hyo Joo and Oguri Shun, I probably would’ve dropped it ASAP.

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