REMARKABLE
One of my top cdramas of all time. From the score to the dialogue to the acting to the artistic liberties taken with the historical events that this drama is based on, there is absolutely nothing I would complain about. This is the perfect production. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Chinese history, action, or political maneuvering.Was this review helpful to you?
Best modern cdrama acting chemistry out of this world!
Must watch He Yu is the best actor in China!!!! So glad to have seen this after Blossoms of Power! This story could only succeed with great acting. He Yu and Esther were amazing but He Yu made all the difference - he really has a brilliant range in acting. The supporting cast was excellent as well and hope to see them in more cdrama in the future. He Yu in both BOP and SAL work with great handsome supporting cast. A must watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Infinitely patient man & pigheaded woman .fell from 9* to 7*
It started out a 9/10 and ended up 7/10 (& it's only not a 5.5 because the first 5 or 6 episodes are so endearing!)The Good:
There are ALOT of handsome men
All the actors do an exceptional job
There is a happy ending
The OST was subtly beautiful
The costumes were amazing
The leads are very attractive & have alot of chemistry (with some sizzling moments).
The Dumb:
SO many attacks by gangs of "ninjas"
2 people Voluntarily fall off a cliff & survive ( 2 separate times.)
SO many men are fixated & crushing on the female lead ! why?
2 endings
Reason male lead mother died
The Bad:
in the last 1/3 there is alot of war & politics
Filler material
Female lead's character
See the explanation
The Honest:
too many episodes
I don't need/enjoy historical dramas heavily infused with feminism
The Break Down
<& it's long because I really loved this and all the actors/characters, so it needs alot of explaining why I went from 9* to barely 7*>
The drama starts out with alot of warm fuzzy moments that build the lead's relationship. The leads have reversed roles strength & social standing wise-which is presented in a light hearted way & it's quite fun.
Around ep. 14 the drama has become much darker, with more fighting (the stabbing, slashing, war kind).
About Ep 16/17 it drops from 9/10* to 5/10* as there is a nonsensical prerequisite romantic spat which separates the leads. This is going to be a reoccurring trope as the female lead will go around arbitrarily making decisions for other people & has a tendency to hold a grudge for those who do it to her.
This is the crux of the problem with the drama:
as a historical fiction they haven't melded that aspect of it well with the feminism they are trying to infuse it with-especially when they go all hyper serious about it. At first it works because it's light hearted & we are teased into believing that this will be a story about a man & a woman who will have each other's back. That is not the case as the modern feminism just overwhelms the story, sacrificing the heart of the story.
***Short Spoiler Break***
When I say that the drama takes on & continues in a darker tone :
that starts Around Ep. 18 where everyone in the town where the female lead lives is massacred.
Let's take a break from the shock of that & mention :
The Kisses:
For the bulk of the drama the Female lead is unmoved by the males lead's first 2 kisses. Can she be anything other than a bone headed widget when He gives her 2 really meaningful kisses & she can't even lose herself in the moment !?
We have to wait until the end of the drama for the female lead to appreciate & enjoy the kisses (which will turn satisfyingly steamy.
***************************************************************
Back to the mostly Non spoiling parts:
The longer the drama went on the less I liked it ,as all the lovely moments the leads created in the first half evaporate because: as long as thier agendas align, she's appreciative of his support. As long as the male lead is physically weak, the female lead acts caring. When he's not weak, she is distant towards him .
She stubbornly refuses help (as if she disdains weakness), so what does that say about how she really feels about the him she knew that was weak ? It feels less like a romance . Is she on a power trip? Is she afraid she might have to give up something ?
She doesn't seem to want to be equals & her caring is here one moment gone the next.
She's a short tempered, willful ,hyper focused , bossy, grumpy feminist with tunnel vision on the one thing of the moment at the expense relationships or safety.
You see the same type of character in the village women & the grand princess. All these "I can look out for myself women" are ironically AND constantly getting themselves into trouble.
By Ep 27: we're dealing with a full blown & literal pride & prejudice situation. She is uncompromisingly, pridefully pigheaded (pun intended) , while at the same time claiming that it would demean him to be with her: so she will "set him free". I'm sure they meant to make her come across as making a noble sacrifice, but instead she seemingly cares more for convention than she does for him.
And still the male lead keeps proving himself over and over and over & it is not enough for her.
Getting through the last episodes was a chore as the already bloated drama lags with politics, which, while necessary to tie up all the lose ends, still feels like filler . Some episodes are saturated with over sentimental montages remembering dead characters.
(Someone please kill the montage trope !)
What is with 2 endings ?
the weird & incredibly inclusive happy endings all around leaves you feeling like you may have watched 2 different dramas
Final Spoilers/rants:
********************************************
He takes 104 lashes in order to marry her & YET when he asks her she can't just say yes, she says "we're already married "...he's bleeding & in great pain & she can't just say yes for him?! She makes his sacrifice as if it were nothing.
After resisting the "love poison" , while still under the influence of it, he gets all snugly & they end up in a hot tub. Whatever the drama thinks that we think happens there is an impossibility as neither a tub of hot water, nor the abundance of clothes (which they still have on later) is conducive much less possible to achieve the imagined activity.
WHY is the villain pushing SO hard to be Emperor when he's been on death's door since the drama started ?
How did the lead's sister escape the second attempt to kill her ?
The female lead returns to a town that was decimated but is now booming with people cheering her on...wait wasn't she the pariah of the town & isn't this a small village in the middle of no where ?
The villain DIDN'T die from the fall that smashed his head ?
Does he get poisoned in prison or just die of his injuries ?
male lead's mother's reason for death is really stupid
proving my point:
Female lead really hated being left an orphan AND YET , she leaves two children behind as she trots off to battle with her husband.
they are part of a trio of people running the country:
HOW are they living in the country then?
If they fall in battle, who will run the country ?
WHY does the drama actually end on the villain, who in that moment is NOT a villain ?
Between this drama & Unveil Jadewind- (both recent & with similar plots) - thier overtly feminism infused characters/plots-have me swearing off watching any further newer Chinese dramas as they have ruined the historical Chinese drama for me. I don't need male leads to have an abundance of machismo nor for the female lead to be swooning, needy incompetents. But trading toxic masculinity for toxic femineity is no win. There is better out there, I've seen it & I'd rather re-watch those instead of investing alot of hours in content that fails to give satisfying entertainment & only offers good actors that are good looking. Call me picky but I need more than that-check out the historical dramas I rated 9 & 10 & see if you agree.
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The Most Unserious and Comedic Quest to Find the Heir to the Throne
Disclaimer: as someone who watched Su Yu and enjoyed it, I think this one falls into the same category. So, I watched it with full awareness that I should turn off the logic and just enjoy the ride.
A Thousand Miles to Your Heart is a comedic, stress-relief, light drama. Every scene is full of slapstick. Set in Daliang, where Qi Zhi, our male lead, a pragmatic person, works as an imperial chicken keeper and unexpectedly gets appointed as a secret imperial commissioner to find a worthy heir to the throne. Why? Because the Crown Prince, Liu Le, who has just ascended the throne, has no ambition to be emperor and only wants to draw manhwa.
And then there is Ouyang Yan, Princess of Dayan, who forms an unexpected partnership with Qi Zhi because they share the same goal which is finding a prince worthy of the throne and willing to marry the princess, in order to strengthen the ties between Daliang and Dayan.
The plot is mainly about their journey searching around for princes and asking them whether they want to take the throne and become emperor. The funniest thing is that along the way, most of the princes aren't even interested in becoming emperor, so Qi Zhi ends up helping them solve their own problems, only to be left searching for the next prince candidate.
The only prince who stays ambitious about taking the throne is Liu Heng, our silly villain, who follows them around to thwart their plans so his chance of becoming emperor gets bigger.
So many things in this drama are exaggerated, like the accent of the really fake-looking clouds in the imperial hall, the way Liu Heng comes into a scene and brings another set of musicians as his background music, or the way Liu Heng always pops up wherever the main leads go. And honestly, I found it hilarious and silly. And let's not forget about Hua Hua, our beloved chicken and Qi Zhi's family. Plus, it's just so ridiculously funny seeing Qi Zhi casually asking the princes whether they want to take the throne or not, almost like those insurance agents who stop you on the street, explain all the benefits, and try to convince you to buy insurance. And when you're not interested, they just move on to the next target. Basically, that's Qi Zhi and Ouyang Yan in a nutshell.
The key to watching this is to never take it seriously. Perfect if you want something simple and comedic to watch. Let's just say, ignore the plot holes and you will enjoy it. And after watching the ending and feeling like a fool, I can only repeat this again: never take it seriously.
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This review may contain spoilers
We follow two tormented souls, harbouring deep desire and resentment. They survive the worst of conspiracies. An unwanted princess, the daughter of one of the emperor's mistresses. Forced into marriage with a man who holds her in no regard but refuses to let her leave for another, for his masculine pride matters more to him than anything else. This is the story of an alliance between this woman, flawed yet courageous, and a low-born civil servant seeking to avenge his father's death and disgrace.A flamboyant duo ! Their dynamic is sometimes funny and always charming. Zhaoyang/Kong Xue'er (or Kong Snow) completely dominates their relationship, and that suits Shen Xiao/Li Hongyi down to the ground.
"Dynasties may change, but noble families never fall. You're nothing but fat rats."
As usual, the sets and costumes are stunning and opulent. A scene set in a bamboo forest in the rain, at night, lit by torches ; I couldn't ask for more. Perhaps a scene with just red and orange drapes bathed in sublime evening light ? so beautiful.
18 episodes, each lasting around twenty or thirty minutes, it flies by. It could well be an interesting way to get into Chinese dramas, couldn't it ? And the plot goes from unexpected twists to tragic turns. The ending is excellent, emotionally gripping and unexpected. It's quite daring and really pushes the boundaries of censorship.
And the music is truly beau-ti-ful.
Episode 15 uses AIgen to show houses swept away by a river flood. And the latest episode does it again with kids at school, people on the street (things like that) which are utterly useless. Not a single artist to do that for you ? Really ? Just 5 seconds of video or a drawing in an old-fashioned style, it wouldn't matter ! That could have easily done the trick.
Shame on the production team for this pathetic choice that ruins everything else and thus the technicians' work.
Right now, I know I'm repeating myself a bit too much, but they're stuffing AIgen down our throats everywhere, like geese in an intensive breeding farm. I'm not vegan for nothing.
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From webtoon to screen — perfect
As a huge BL fan, I absolutely loved Payback. I had already read the webtoon beforehand, so I was really curious to see how the story would be adapted into a series. And honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Seeing the characters come to life made me so happy. The chemistry, tension, emotions and overall atmosphere had me completely hooked from beginning to end. Even though I already knew the story, watching everything unfold on screen still made me emotional. I loved every moment and I’m genuinely sad that it’s over. Such an amazing adaptation.Was this review helpful to you?
Had potential
If you like being hit on the head with a woke hammer, this show is for you. If you are a modern woman who gets her social and political cues from TikTok, you’ll love this show. The show had potential but turned quickly into an over-the-top, cliched “social justice” show that makes it obvious it got funded through ESG financing. A smarter writer and director could more intelligently tell these stories w/o being so obvious, definitely a waste of a good cast.Was this review helpful to you?
Watpaddy
So I think this series was made in collaboration with the resort, Zantiis, right? Because the whole thing really felt like a promotional love story for the place, which honestly wasn’t a bad thing!The storyline is very Wattpad-coded though 😂 The CEO pretending to be a regular customer, meeting an employee, and eventually falling in love with him. It’s definitely giving that classic “rich boss falls for the employee” trope.
Since it’s only a short story, I didn’t really expect much depth from the characters or the storyline. Everything moved pretty quickly, so there wasn’t really enough time to explore their personalities, their relationship, or the emotions behind their feelings.
It doesn’t really ask you to overthink anything. Overall, it was cute while showcasing the resort. Not something I’d go into expecting a deep or complicated story, but as a short romantic series with a very Wattpad-ish plot, it did what it needed to do. 😂
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Dazzling Like the Sun
This was so much fun and emotional, omg! I didn’t expect to enjoy this so much, but the story was addictive and entertaining that I had no choice but to binge this lowkey. The ghost stories are serious for the most part, but there was one silly one that I liked: the marathon runner who wanted to cross the finish line🤣.Anyway, the OST was amazing; such catchy songs and beautifully moving string arrangements, just wow. I also loved the male lead’s wardrobe. He had STYLE. He had DRIP. Loved the scarf he would wear under his slightly unbuttoned shirt as well as the variety of colors of his clothes in general. No boring black suits, no, no. I also loved that he wore more than just a watch, but had a stack of bracelets on his wrist as well as rings on his fingers. Overall, Joo Jung Won was very masculine and well styled throughout the show. This did not take away from the comedy he delivered; really good timing from So Ji Sub! He was very entertaining to watch, which is why I already started his other romcom “Oh My Venus!”🥰🤭. I also really liked our sun, the female lead. Gong Sil may have been funky (at first) and weird, but she was MY weirdo. Loved her from the get-go, and I enjoyed seeing how her character progressed and got more mature over the course of the show!
The relationship conflict was a little dragged out, even though I did understand where the female lead was coming from, but I just really wanted them to be together at last!! I also wasn’t a big fan of the second female lead Yi Ryung. In my opinion, she had no development, and felt rather shallow and gave me mean girl energy. I don’t know why her pursuit of Kang Woo was successful in the end… But whatever. She was indeed GORGEOUS and that hairstyle was absolutely stunning on her, just wow.
Overall, the show was a lovely surprise. Sure, it’s definitely a product of its time, but it’s still super entertaining, has its sweet & romantic moments, and will make you emotional. All things considered, it wasn’t too terrible to watch from a 2026 perspective despite some of the characters’ behavior being… whatever (like the male lead being so mean, or some of the female lead’s acting (she did feel like an anime character sometimes), or the second female lead, or the villain (one word: TACKY), or some of the side characters’ terrible acting (the secretary…), or, or…) I didn’t care too much, because I was still very invested in the story. I’m sad I’m done with the show now😭☀️☀️
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comedy thriller worth a binge watch
Funny, intense, and genuinely thrilling, but also… WHERE TF ARE THEIR TEACHERS?! 😭 I swear I haven’t seen a single teacher in that entire school lol.I’m not sure if there’s going to be a second season, but I really wish they had explored the romantic arcs a little more, both with Aki and Asamiya. I also would’ve loved to know more about what happened with Shimura’s mom and her illness. There were a few things that felt a little unfinished or left untold.
That said, I’m honestly fine with that if they’re setting things up for a second season, because there’s definitely more story to tell. 👀
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a perfect thai coded drama
Honestly, I needed this bl. Not because the script was super deep or meaningful but because this is the type of bl you like to watch after switching between 3 or 4 airing series. The whole script is really predictable so I didn't really have to concentrate on every word, every scene only on the vibe and the jokes because nobody can tell me that the script haven't being made to make us laugh. Every fiber of Pond's character was here to make myself laugh to death without taking away is attachment issues and his family problems. We can easily see each character's background without taking away the funny parts.One other thing that I love was the play. especially Phuwin's. I've seen all his drama and I can easily say that this one is one of my favorites. Due to all the soap opera lines of Pond, I think he had to concentrate a lot more, him and Pond, to not laugh of lose the deep implicit message behind some dialogues.
Now my fav part: William and Est. I truly love this duo and craved their apparition together in the series. I find their alchemy sublime and their roles perfect for each other. Their dynamic, which was the opposite of Pond and Phuwin one, created some calming yet intense breaks that made me want more (thing that I got in Peach and me).
I also have to talk about the things that I disliked. First of all, some aspects of Pond's billionaire life. Yes, we know that your rich, that you can buy anything, but please, sometimes it was too much (like the island or the restaurant). Second of all, the wedding. In ep 9, Phuwin asks Pond to not make his proposal but in ep 10 Pond did exactly the opposition, and in too big (I'm talking about the live stream, the drones and all the rest, for almost not inviting his own parents to the ceremony.
In overall, I liked this drama and I recommend it to people wanting to watch thai coded boy's love to relax after braining to hard.
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Most underrated chinese drama
I was running out of shows to watch a few days ago and then I saw someone on xiaohongshu recommending this show and saying they rewatched it three times already. I got curious and with zero expectations I just clicked on it... and wow, got hooked after literally one episode! It's so good. It’s been ages since I watched a drama without speeding up or skipping anything. Binge watched the whole thing in two days and now I'm feeling totally empty inside. Kinda regret not hearing about this earlier, it is just brilliant. Seriously why is this drama so underrated and why is nobody talking about it? The actors are great, the plot is interesting and you just want to know what’s gonna happen next each episode. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful and transporting
I’ve rarely been so deeply touched by a story. While the graphics and costumes are questionable at times, the chemistry and character depth more than make up for it. The development of each character is captivating and the sacrifice and unfaltering devotion between the two main characters is heart wrenching and beautiful. This is a series that makes you feel like you’re reading a fantasy book, and once you’ve suspended your disbelief it is one of the most endearing and transporting stories out there.Was this review helpful to you?
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THE WRITERS WERE DEFINITELY HUMAN - FLAWED FLAWED FLAWED!
I understand the show is about robot love. I also think the actors were phenomenal. Kang Jun really embraced the dual role. Even down to the facial expressions and features/mannerisms. Excellent acting as always. FL had great acting as well because she definitely annoyed me most of the series with the whole “I love the machine more than the man” thing. Here’s my thing…1. I absolutely hate how they villainized the Human Nan Sin. Was he at an age where he is definitely responsible for his actions? Yes. Was his behavior also the fault of the people around him? Yes! Imagine at a young age losing your dad, getting stripped from your mom, having to make a plea deal with your grandfather to essentially keep you hostage in order to keep said mom alive, leaving to go find said mom 20 years later, only to be hit by a truck putting you in a coma because you’d been followed, woke up from said coma to find out your mom had you replaced with a robot - who’s identical to you - the minute you were abducted just fill her own selfish void; and now the robot who has NO FLAWS BECAUSE IT’S A ROBOT is loved by everyone and preferred over you. He had every right to feel how he felt throughout the drama. And his redemption ark was too late in my opinion. Don’t give us a change of heart for the last 2 episodes. In the first place, Nam Sin was supposed to be out of that Coma by episode 9, have his few moments and then have a change of heart by episode 13. At least getting time to spend with his mother outside of become the human muse for the AI Nam Sin.
2. FL was insufferable. Maybe it’s just me who’s not into the whole robot love thing but to say that she doesn’t care if the real Nam Sin dies when the Robot Nam Sin wanted to save him was a bit much for me. Like get a grip hunny! The robot was modeled after him and you’d rather a human die than a robot that can be fixed? Which brings me to my 3rd point…
3. THE MOM PUSHING ROBOT NAM SIN OUT THE WAY TO SAVE HIM FROM DYING ONLY TO END UP DYING HERSELF?Again it may have taken some work but if he were damaged she could have fixed him.
4. I just love how the Chairman got a cop out because he’s an old man with dementia. Where was the justice for his crimes? How did Mr. Seo’s assistant not end up in jail with him?
I just felt like the humans took it way too far but I guess that’s the point of the show.
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A drama I keep coming back to
Very well-written characters. Genuine enemies to lovers. The main leads were able to accomplish their own goals and revenges on their own while supporting each other from the side. Every character was well written and had motivations of their own. Chen zhe yuan especially did an incredible job and gave an unmatched presence to his character. The fight scenes were some of the most impactful I’ve seen. The female lead was a bit too emotionless but is one of the strongest female characters and you grow to admire her.Was this review helpful to you?
