Reviews

Great cast wasted by a poorly written story :(

Watched for ML (Yi Cheng), but the storyline is a total mess

PLOT:
During a humanitarian mission (where??? a remote part of China, at war???), ML, a pharmacology researcher and heir to a large corporation, meets FL, a heart surgeon.
During multiple dangerous situations (life and death), they grow closer and fall in love. But ML's complicated family situation (toxic mother and hateful half-brother) will hinder their future.

PROS:
+ Very good actors who try to make the story believable.

CONS:
- Incoherent storyline, with over-the-top characters (the mothers are detestable in this series) and absurd behavior.
- ML, in fragile health, is injured 3-4 times, but still survives...
- CL2 doesn't work for me.

=> Drama that becomes barely bearable only in the last part. Alas !!
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Pr le ML (Yi Cheng) mais storyline total mess

PLOT:
Lors d'une mission humanitaire (où ??? partie reculée de la Chine, en guerre ???), le ML, chercheur en pharmacologie et héritier d'un grand groupe, rencontre la FL, chirurgien cardiaque.
Au cours de multiples situations dangereuses (life and death), ils vont se rapproche et tomber amoureux. Mais la situation familiale du ML compliquée (mère toxique et demi-frère hate-love) va faire obstacle à leur avenir.

PROS:
+ de très bons acteurs qui tentent de rendre la story crédible.

CONS:
- storyline incohérente, avec personnages excessifs (les mères sont détestables dans cette série) et des comportements absurdes.
- le ML, de santé fragile, est blessé à 3-4 reprises, mais survit...
- le CL2 ne tient pas la route.

=> Drama qui devient à peine supportable sur la dernière partie. Dommage !!

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Strong Story and actors

Without a doubt, this storyline is very strong. It doesn't need a lot bells and whistles because it offers a formula that works for most people:
1) Strong Conflict: revenge, marriage of convenience, war between states, jealousy
2) Strong leads: ML and FL have chemistry. Basically, Liu Yu Ning acted almost the same as he did in The Long Ballad with ZLS. He didn't need to improve because it's the formula for success for most MLs in romantic drama: cold, aloof, some comic lines, and romantic looks. Song Zu Er didn't need that many different expressions for her role either. She is a perfect actress for this type of roles: beautiful and coordinating with the scenery and old feminine outfits. Although they weren't require to stretch their acting abilities, whatever acting skills require for their roles, they were convincing.
3) Female empowerment: a strong FL who is not only beautiful, accomplished, intelligent, logical, loyal, etc... I mean who doesn't love such a woman?
4) Kissing - this drama should rate very high-
5) plot line - there was not too many things that were unexpected. Bad people always get what they deserve.

People who might not like this story:
Unrealistic plot, female empowerment to the point of making the ML appear weak as she resolved a lot of problems for him, family fighting (the cousin is a little annoying)
There is no really standout things for most people to hate.

I gave it a 10. My criteria is low: It's entertaining better than all the drama currently showing. I am not looking for heavy themes. I want the good to win, some humor, and romance. This drama delivers everything so it's a 10. It's not an oscar performance but I am not looking for one!

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Great Disappointment

The show began with a strong opening episode that was interesting, sophisticated, and intriguing. But after just a few episodes, the plot stagnated into what felt like a mediocre university BL drama, with unremarkable side characters and little substance. By the time the story circles back to the main plot, it feels weak, inconsistent, and disappointingly predictable. Even the supposed plot twists come off as dull.

The central vampire storyline is mostly present in name only. There’s no real exploration of the concept, and the whole vampire theme, especially the idea of “Golden Blood”, adds little to no value. Very little is said or done with these elements. Instead, the series focuses almost entirely on Mark and Ton’s love story, which unfolds like any other typical university BL, complete with the cliché beach trip.

What’s especially disappointing is the lack of development for the two prominent side characters. Tonkla (played by Neo) is a wasted opportunity, his character has no depth, no personality, and no meaningful role in the story. He simply appears at the right moments to be manipulated and drive the plot forward, only to be discarded or forgotten in the next episode. There is no evolution or growth whatsoever. I genuinely feel bad for Neo, this role gave him nothing to work with, not even a proper love arc.

Nakan, on the other hand, is positioned as a manipulative, cruel villain, but he barely appears. When he does, he feels more like a cartoon villain than a real threat. Later, it’s revealed that he has an emotional motivation behind his actions, but that storyline is never developed. Most viewers likely missed that his “special one” was also a Golden Blood victim, and we don’t even get a flashback or memory to support that plot point.

One thing that stood out to me is that neither Nakan nor Tonkla had a romantic arc. I wonder whether they were originally meant to be the second couple, and that storyline was later scrapped or rewritten, which would explain the lack of cohesion and depth, wich both characters share. After all, both actors were heavily featured in the promotional posters, which doesn’t reflect their minor and underdeveloped roles in the series. Just a theory.

In the end, I found myself dragging through each episode, just trying to finish the series, but it honestly wasn’t worth it. I would have preferred something like Kidnap, where even though the plot goes off track, the acting and character development keep you engaged. Unfortunately, this seems to be becoming a pattern with GMM shows: great trailers, promising casts, strong first episodes, and then everything falls apart. I really hope they improve the quality of storytelling and narrative in future projects.

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An interesting plot and a good watch. Kudos to Song ZuEr for her acting skills.

The Demon Hunter's Romance is a costume drama starring Allen Ren and Song Zu Er. The story revolves around the coexistence of humans and demons, where a human girl falls in love with a demon hunter who turns out to be a demon himself.

The plot was interesting, and the supporting cast was amusing. Allen Ren can't act; he maintains the same facial expression regardless of whether he is happy or sad. Song Zu Er carried this drama; her acting was so good. It was nice to see her back onscreen after the tax evasion mishaps. I am watching her in The Prisoner of Beauty with Liu Yi Ning, which is an awesome drama.

This drama doesn't have a happy ending, but I can understand. I know many netizens did not like the ending. I don't mind it because humans and demons cannot coexist.

Synopsis: In Guangping City, where humans and demons coexist, Ban Xia, a wealthy girl with the rare ability to see demons' true forms, is deemed delusional by her family. After exposing her cousin's bride as a demon, she's forced to flee and meets demon hunter Xuan Ye. He helps her see the hidden world more clearly and reveals that not all demons are evil. As they investigate her father's mysterious death and other strange events, their bond deepens. But Xuan Ye's buried past and a shocking truth about his identity threaten to tear them apart.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8
2. Script: 8
3. Music/OST: 7
4. Production Quality: 7
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 8
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 7

Overall Rating: 7.5

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So in my opinion....

So in my opinion this show 10, 10 on all things story, cast, music and ofc romance. For people who are massive lovers of vampire romances and BLS this is 100% your series but if your here for the action of it ehhh I imagine that you would give it about a 5 to 4 star rating. It doesn't follow your typical vampire shows for sure in the sense that vampire are cruel, blood sucking monsters that bite without any shame or care. It's a very mellow, well balanced show in just about all things between comedy, tear jerkers and a dash of some spicy lip touching and bare skin moments! The story was captivating and the characters were interesting, some situations did have me clapping like seal cause I was so on edge my freakout meter was breaking and yea cliff hangers.... ah good old cliff hangers had me on edge just about every week and having to wait was agonizing. I feel like the ending completed very well and about how even I had expected it to end, so for me the ending didn't feel like it left anything out, maybe a tab bit longer so I could continue to eyeball the handsome Marks chest some more but eh I can just rewatch it.

So my overall conclusion would be this, don't go in expecting this to be a super action packed ride, it's very heart warming, loving and in some places tragic but it's a very good romance to warm the hearts of those who just love to see two people being in love with a little life difficulties. Also music is totally going on my playlist. The music was so good.

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A 3rd tier GMMTV show for braindead people...

I can only say "Typical GMMTV". When you use the same door-sound used 10 years ago in Sotus and regardless of how heavy the door is, it is always the same, you know that the sound editors just used the cheapest thing available. And don*t mention the music. It's either "suspense" or "sentimental" or the same canned music every GMMTV romcom is using and has no direction and no concept.

Of course this is not the worst of this series, it shows just how irrelevant this show was for GMMTV. It seems this was just a "job creation scheme" for two "aging" actors who would sit on the bench otherwise. That's not saying that they are bad actors, it's onl.y saying that GMMTV collects actors like others collect Pokémons and sometimes you use them, because it's just fun. And could GMMTV stop putting nearly 30 year old actors into universities? Especially if the baddy looks younger and is a teacher instead 🤣.

"Why is it not working?" Nakan asks in episode 7. Because the story is badly written. It does not answer the question "where does the golden blood come from?". You research that question for decades and still have no answer (of course, because the script writers had only a week to write something). We only know, it makes you mad or horny and the fragrance forces you to jerk off. It can destroy vampires immortality but not turn you into a human. But it can resist the effects of vampires controlling you, but you can still become a vampire.

And because the story is so bad "Tonkla" submits to his lowest feelings and then not- and then he dies... Whoops. But nothing says "rose pedal bath" more after the funeral the scriptwriters thought.

Finally the finale... oh my god... this is all sooo cliché. As usual GMMTV has no vision or courage to have a bad ending which would give this series a glimpse of something special. The golden blood does not hinder you to become a vampire yourself and we have no clue how that golden blood influences everything. Should he not be the most powerful vampire now?

Overall I could have not given a rats ass myself about the characters. I did not care who died and who didn't. Most of the time the whole storyline was streched to fill 12 episodes which made most of if boring as hell. The chemistry was there sometimes but I never ever had one a fluffy feeling and even other bad shows at least manage that. So really this was a non-event for me. I needed binge-watch the last 4 episodes to write this review and that was a chore. 🤣

So, is this the worst GMMTV show this year (2025)? Yes. Is it the worst show ever: no. I would say, it was mostly a waste of time. Why even this show with it's obviously bad script is so overrated - I have no clue. You can believe all the 9-10 ratings reviews that this is the best show after human invented sliced bread or you have a brain of thinking yourself and believe me when I tell you, please watch something else.

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Good story but too many flashbacks that were confusing, and I did not like the open-ended ending.

Such a Good Love is a melodrama about young lovers who do anything to be together as they are trying to make it in Beijing. Eventually, the hustle and bustle of trying to establish their careers in a big city took a toll on their relationship. Eventually, they part ways.

I adore Wang AnYu and Wang Yuwen. I watched both of their dramas separately. They are both decent actors, and they did a good job in this drama. However, there were too many flashbacks, making it hard to keep up and follow. Even though they eventually broke up, they still love each other. Still, the ending was open for interpretation instead of having the two of them get back together. I did not like the ending.

Synopsis: This story follows the epic yet ordinary love journey of an 80s-born couple in Beijing. When the most talented young man, Zhou Shui, meets the most loyal and righteous young woman, Da Ji, they fall deeply in love. They dream of a better future in their cramped rental room and find joy amidst hardships, supporting and cherishing each other. Eighteen years later, a young couple born in the 2000s stumbles upon this record of their love story, becoming spectators and commentators of this tale of youthful romance. The intersection of these two generations sparks memories and reflections on love: Is it truly worth it? Do we still "dare" to love as they did?

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 6
4, Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 6
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 7

Overall Rating: 6.5

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A watchable costume drama, but it would be better with 30-35 episodes instead of 40. Too draggy.

Serendipity is a costume drama starring Wang Zi Qi, Lu Yu Xiao as the main CP, and Snow Kong and Yang Shi Ze as the 2nd CP. The 2nd CP had better onscreen chemistry than the main CP.

The story revolves around the relationship between Lu Chang and Jian Ming Shu as he rescues her from a family massacre that left her with amnesia. He protected her and helped solve, and eventually took revenge for her family massacre.

It is watchable at a good pace; however, the drama could have ended in 30-36 episodes. The last two episodes were particularly unengaging, even though they had a happy ending. The deaths of Su Tang Li and Prince Yu should not have ended that way. Su Tang Li should not have died; she killed Prince Yu to take vengeance on her family, but her character should not have resulted in death.

Synopsis: Jian Ming Shu, the daughter of the Jian family, survives a family massacre after accidentally falling off a cliff and losing her memory. Rescued by her love, Lu Chang, they journey together to the capital for exams. As Ming Shu investigates her mysterious origins, she faces challenges but is secretly protected by Lu Chang. Through shared trials, their bond deepens, and they ultimately confirm their love, deciding to spend their lives together.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 6
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality: 7
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 6
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 6

Overall Rating: 6.5

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Outer and inner beauty

Drama is so good  at handling many hard issues beautifully mixed with fun moments.( I don't read the novel but read commenters said many changes were made. What can be seen is  the script-writer added many  layers which beautified the drama)
The heart of the title is her beauty , which was used by her grandfather to imprison Wei from attacking Qiao. .For  her, beauty is also her prison, for the ML saw thru grandfather  planning and was resisting and fighting  for he fell for her outer beauty at l 1st sight Afterward he saw her pure inner beauty of using her outer beauty to helping hers and his people with the channel project which will prevent drought bringing peace and stability,. and risking her life to burn the sulfur in the granary . She got freedom from being imprisoned by her own  beauty when her husband saw both  her outer and inner beauty. (Lady Yu is her contrast. She used beauty and peony beauty mark to marry an emperor for wealth and power. To maintain that, so she can be dowager empress when the childless sickly emperor died. ,she wanted her younger brother to be made  foster son . He refused for from there, ,h e felt her insincerity ,  false heart and ingratitude. .Saw him not as a person but mere tool However much she put on makeup up and beautified herself she has no inner beauty, only ugliness)

Betrayal of  trust was the start of the story for it was a marriage of alliance. Grandfather Qiao betrayed his ally, the Wei when they were attacked and he didn't send help. Trust is paramount in any type of relationship s be it friendship or family. From early on ML was shown to slowly letting go  of anger and hatred. During that epic arrow shooting scene he used his body to shield her. No one risked their safety to shield the enemy.. He displayed his weakness of being afraid of darkness in another scene. No one displayed weakness to the enemy. He was slowly letting go of negative emotions of anger and hatred for he trusted her. On the last day of mourning for her grandfather, he set up a memorial table for her., letting go of revenge and resentment .Hence was doubly hurt when she didn't tell him of the secret tunnel that led enemy troops  to threaten  Wei state .But before that they had to pass through. Yazhou, her homeland. Is it a family betrayal if he helped Yazhou? No,  and  in the modern legal system ,only the offender is punished, not  the family. Similarly Wei grandmother has that mindset, for ethically and morally the price is paid by the offender not by  everybody.. She told him to help Yazhou, Wei  learnt from other people mistake and also don't degrade themselves to that low level for they were more nobler and honorable

For FL,  her beauty  was a double edged sword. for  she imprisoned her husband with it but when her beauty faded, she feared he will abandon her and harm her clan. That fears made her kept secret  of that tunnel from him. When he found out ,  he was so angry  and hurt. She took responsibility for that error to get reinforcement from her brother-in-law. Unfortunately her cousin refused to let her husband be involved  in the war. She  then thought of a plan to fool the enemy reinforcement troops  that when they had to cross a river  they would  drown. By living up to the trust her husband placed on her to get reinforcement she replaced her fears with trust and in the process gained self -worth and self- respect and respect from others by proving that she not  only has a pretty face but  has a brain to boot. She turned the tides of war  without martial skills.  

The outer beauty and inner beauty which only the main leads have it The outer beauty of ML-handsome and cold CEO/warrior king face and FL- the visual beauty. Inner beauty of both - humane .One word but encompasses so many qualities, values and characteristics of what being a human being means .

Drama has outer beauty (visuals, acting beautiful OST ) and inner beauty (life lessons). Still my No.1 drama.

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a melodrama about the cosmetic surgery business. Found it too boring to continue.

Fight for Beauty is a melodrama about the cosmetic surgery business. I watched 6 out of 29 episodes and found it too boring to continue. I am dropping this drama.

Synopsis: Qiao Yang, deputy chief physician at the Third Hospital, reunites with former classmate Zhou Jing Wen at Gemu Plastic Surgery Hospital a decade after a falling out during medical school. Now, old misunderstandings resurface as they cross paths again.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 5
3, Music/OST: 5
4, Production Quality: 5
5. Cinematography: 5
6. Rewatchable: 3

Overall Rating: 5.0

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Started out good but as it progressed into other cases, I found it draggy and boring.

Endless Protection is a legal drama about a set of lawyers in a police department trying to protect against hideous crimes against children.

The drama started out well when they were first dealing with bullying and crime, which ended with a teenager committing suicide. As it progressed into other cases, I found it draggy and boring.

Synopsis: Focusing on the judicial protection of minors, it tells the story of the founding of the juvenile prosecution team, prosecutor Lin Zhi Tao and assistant prosecutor Bai En Yu, who join hands to fight against the evil of human nature for the sake of children. It starts with suspense and ends with redemption, clearing away confusion. The mountains stop, and the rivers flow.

My Reviews:
1. Acting:8
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 6

Overall Rating: 6.5

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A mediocre but watchable rom-com. Main CP onscreen chemistry was not good.

Eat Run Love is a rom-com drama starring Arthur Chen and Sabrina Zhuang. The plot was mediocre and not as believable as Ligther and Princess.

The onscreen chemistry between Arthur Chen and Sabrina Zhuang was not good. Arthur Chen had better onscreen chemistry with Zhang Jing Yi in Lighter and Princess than in this drama.

I did not like Ding Zhi Tong's character; she is too dramatic and prideful. They both were, and it took 6 years for them to be honest and transparent with each other. The drama should have ended in 24 episodes instead of 28.

Synopsis: Ding Zhi Tong, focused on her career after graduation, never considered love until she met Gan Yang, a cheerful man who pursued her despite their different backgrounds. Their relationship flourished until financial struggles and societal pressures drove a wedge between them. Gan Yang, hiding his family's business decline, broke up with Ding Zhi Tong, leaving her heartbroken and resentful. Six years later, they cross paths again in the business world.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 7
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 7

Overall Rating: 6.5

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Good pace and story for a short web rom-com drama about finding love in the midst of adversities.

Close to You is a short rom-com drama about two unlikely people from different backgrounds who ended up together through many obstacles they faced in school and life.

It's my first time watching the main CP (Liu Xiao Bei and Zhu Lin Yu). They both did a decent job playing the characters.

Synopsis: Yu Ming Xi, an ordinary girl with a gift for sports, enters the elite Jingcai Academy to honor her late father's dream. There, she meets Jiang Bo Han, a brilliant student hiding behind a rebellious front. As their lives intertwine, they peel back each other's masks, confront past wounds, and begin to heal through an unexpected connection.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 7
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 7

Overall Rating: 6.5

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