Reviews

A Drama Where Common Sense Got Beheaded

I finally finished watching this...well, technically finished, because watched the second half at 2x speed. The story completely lost focus, and honestly, I just couldn’t care anymore. But that ending? one of the dumbest I’ve ever seen in a historical drama.

Feng Sui Ge making his sister the empress? What was he even thinking? The man’s got zero brain cells left. She abandoned her own father, stole the imperial seal, and let the enemy escape.
She’s nothing but a self-centered, delusional “I can fix him” type. Did she even care about her brother? Her country? Herself? The moment she thought of marching into the enemy kingdom, it was game over. She absolutely did not deserve that throne. Big no. Huge no.

She wanted to marry the enemy king just because he gave her a sip of water .... what’s next, she’ll elope with the next man who offers her wine? She’s not an empress, she’s a walking disaster.

And the worst part? Every single character in this drama had their own personal agenda, but not one of them actually cared who was truly fit to rule. I honestly blame the male lead too .... he had zero ambition. Completely brainwashed by his mother into believing being emperor is some sort of curse. No one , absolutely no one .... cared about the people, the kingdom, or its future.

There was zero character development from start to finish. He stayed the same childish, lost soul filled with personal grudges. Ambitionless, clueless, and frustrating to watch.

Every character annoyed me to no end. Their motives made no sense, the subplots went nowhere, and the entire story was a mess. C-drama writers seriously need to stop adding unnecessary angst for the sake of drama. It’s not emotional .... it’s exhausting.

CZY as Feng Sui Ge

I usually don’t comment on acting, because everyone has their own style , but I have to say this. I used to have a good impression of CZY. Handsome Siblings is one of my favorite dramas, and he absolutely nailed his character there.

But I don’t know why… His attempts at being violent felt unconvincing and, honestly, a bit funny. And that constant smirk ... why? Was it supposed to make him look savage? Because it just made him look like a clown.

I don’t completely blame him though — part of the issue comes from how the character was written. But still, the aura was missing. Completely missing. Instead of a powerful, commanding general, he came across as an arrogant brat .... childish and lacking presence.

He’s playing a general again in his next drama, so let’s see if there’s any improvement. Maybe this time, the writing and direction will do him justice.

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The struggles of an undeveloped love affair | FLs relationship-baiting saved this drama.

"There are countless paths in the world. none of them are easy. I'll consider this my way of paving the way for other women to follow." Mu Dan / He Wei Feng

I have written a separate review for the prequel so this one will focus more on the sequel and the entire story itself.

I was actually quite displeased throughout my watch experience due to the lack of progress and even regression of the leads' love affair, but it wasn't until I reached the last 5 or so episodes that the realization hit me that this story wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't the typical lovey-dovey tropey idol historical drama I envisioned it to be, but instead a properly crafted drama that incorporates two broad-minded and mature characters who know the weight of their actions and do not dare do anything recklessly. Which turned out to be the major issue that hinders the growth of their relationship.

Honestly, I am still quite upset about the route they chose for the leads' love story that I felt cheated in some way. The prequel gave us below minimum and when I thought the sequel will offer us something grand, they gave us their uncertainties and dilemma's instead. Imagine getting the least amount of progress 12 episodes in and the next situation you are witnessing is their misunderstanding... and that'a when I thought we're gonna get a proper development on their romance on the 2nd half but 15 episodes before the drama ends, and we're still on the 'hiding/concealing feelings stage. Hayys! I was frustrated and flabbergasted at the same time! It may seem like I am totally obsessed and is dwelling too much on the romance side of the story but isn't that one of the concept this show is marketing on?

My main issue about this production is that the leads' romance hasn't officially started yet they're already ending/cutting ties with each other. They focused mostly on the characters personal goals and endeavours, which is fine, but not until they suddenly dropped and shoved us their issues. Because what do you mean we're having this after giving us little to no improvement of their relationship? It upsets me because they ended in that situation due to the lack of strong foundation—which is trust and personal understanding of one another.

I mean they both make sense—FL is bold and courageous while the ML have been traumatized and maimed that he can no longer take a risk. But then, what they lacked is mutual consideration for each other. FL kept on pushing herself to be part of the chaotic situation while the ML fears her to be involve in it.

Like, everything about their romantic relationship is going smoothly. I even thought that they're amazing for having such perfect harmony that's one in mind and in heart. However, my impression faltered and slowly crumbled after realizing that what they have is pre-mature. Because although they have the undeniable connection and understanding, they lack the intimacy, vividness and expressiveness a real couple usually have. Thank god the FL (Mu Dan) worked her ass off relationship-baiting the ML. Cause if not, then this drama is beyond salvation for me in terms of the romance department.

Regarding Sui Zhi (ML)...I get him. I understand that he got scared after that incident that almost killed Mu Dan considering her pas trauma's, however, isn't it inappropriate and unfair for Mu Dan to suddenly be left out like that? He lured and made her fall for him and when she finally did, he immediately backed out? He's clouded by his trauma and fears so he chose to ignore and decline her feelings to keep her safe from any harm and avoid getting her implicated; I get that. But he should've at least considered her feelings and why she feels that way in the first place!! Truly, this drama would've fallen to pieces if not for Mu Dan winning him over (Sighs).

I wholeheartedly love and appreciate female centric dramas but I also think that there should be borderlines we must consider when creating one. I've got nothing to pick on when it comes to the character development of Mu Dan (FL)—It was flawless and slick. But that's exactly where the issue lies. They made her so incredible that towards the end, it feels like she's overpowered the ML. To the point where it seems like he's bound to fail so bad without her interventions. Their balance shaken and suddenly he doesn't feel as reliable as he used to. Not to even mention how he was as good as dead if Prince Ning didn't purposely missed an inch when he stabbed him.

That being said, it only proves that being an entirely mature relationship also has its down sides/disadvantages as well.

Moving on from that, one thing I enjoyed from their the most is their sneaky and adorable moments together. Her countless "Fu Jun" call melts me and his shallow and feathery kisses brought me so much joy and pleasure. They had a lot of kissing scenes too bad Li Xian doesn't know how to kiss passionately. Hahaha!

"Do you know what love is? True love means loving who they love, hurting when they hurt. It means letting go, not holding them captive. Love is not a sword meant to wound. It's the bright moon, quietly watching over, enduring forever." - Mu Dan (FL) to Zi Shu (2ML)

Zi Shu's truly the most devoted and obsessive man ever. He never cease to amaze me. He keeps on holding on to the past which prevented him to see the beauty and worth of his present. This happened to him twice and I feel sad to see him lose his track and gone astray. His ending on the other hand felt sorrowful yet deserving. He keeps on blowing up his chances that at the end, seeing him dead satisfies me—just to prevent him from hurting the people who loves him again.

Lastly, ending. I guess I am just glad that they didn't kill Sui Zhi and provided us a justified reason on how he survived. Prince Ning ending was also deserving and so is Zi Shu & You Zhen's. I'm also grateful for them not killing any other supporting roles aside from She Yan as his death is a reasonable one.

P.S. I really love Liu Lang & Sui Zhi's chemistry. Liu Lang is like the son fighting his father to get his mother's attention. They should've given us more scenes of Liu Lang teasing/sabotaging Sui Zhi while Sui Zhi shaking his actions off as he simply finds him childish and immature to even pay attention to.

Story - 9.0, The story structure and plot was good, it's just that they failed in providing us deeper romantic development for the leads' which caused their misunderstanding to feel sudden and lacking in foundation. Everything else was greatly executed though.

Acting/Cast - 10, I love every actors and actresses in this production. At first, I thought Li Xian wouldn't match well with period drama set up, but heck was I wrong! He nailed his character and I found him on a new light. Yang Zi on the other hand just executed Mu Dan perfectly. Job well done!

Music - 9.5, Songs used were such a bliss to listen to. They matched the scenes they're used to and helped out a lot in making those scenes even more impactful.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, I enjoyed my time watching this drama, however, I don't think I will ever watch it again. Their romance development made me frustrated and overthink (because nothing much was happening but they're already breaking up. LMAO)

Overall - 8.5, Despite my rants and seemingly negative reaction above, I still would say that I enjoyed this drama. The story was greatly written specially Mu Dan's personal growth and development. Minus the romance part of course. Lol

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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The joy of chocolate…

Romantics Anonymous is a highly polished drama, just like the chocolates presented in this show. The acting is superb, the direction flawless and the writing using each episode based on a chocolate, rich in meaning.

Mental illness is a central theme. Knowing how the Japanese are regarding such a subject, a very bold representation.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of the key message of loneliness, the impact of psycho social health, watching the family of chocolatiers make their beautiful creations is a real treat.

There is no denying the joy chocolate brings. Getting to see the key ingredient for each bon bon featured and the traditions they embody were a real highlight for me. It symbolises taking time out, something we all need to do more of.

Han Hyo Joo is unrecognisable, a testament to her acting. Oguri Shun didn’t miss a beat.

The only reason it’s not a 10/10 from me is that the early episodes didn’t quite hit their stride. However, once the groove was engaged there was no looking back.

Be sure to enjoy the Kdrama surprise in the final moments.

As our beautiful couple say in the end “We’re nuts and it’s amazing!”

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This cast took a story that had very little to work with and made it something.

Full disclosure:I like Gong Jun. Infact some would say LOVE HIM DOWN...and when i heard of his character setting in this drama i was PSYCHED!

ASSASIN....Girl....nothing hotter than a professional murderer.....😂😂😂

I was quite impatient for this so i searched for the donghua first to watch before it released...and then i remembered why i didn't really like Blood of Youth that much and why i didn't bother with the other one....

This entire story series has very little plot.

Blood of youth felt like i was watching mortal kombat, with people introducing themselves, fighting, admiring one another's skill, then moving on to level up and fight someone else.

This makes it a cute visually appealing drama but not really one I'd ever rewatch or think about much after its finished.

When i watched the donghua i realized that Blood of Youth even had the advantage of Integrating every storyline in the series and giving all of them endings...so it generally had more going on.

That's why i believe even the last installment didn't do as well, Blood of Youth seems to have said all that needed to be said and it left the already very low overall plot of the series dwindled.

Tales of Dark River donghua proved that. It was exciting to watch....but if anyone asked me what happened ....i could explain it in 4 sentences and leave nothing of relevance out.

It's got that one storyline, and that storyline is basically an elaborate tug of war between a bunch of assasin families and a lot of talking.

Like....a lot of these characters have to tell us about their pasts or generally narrate a lot of things since this is solely about the fight...and that can get tiring.

I didn't even see a need to see the last episode of the donghua....I just didn't care at that point....but from that disappointment came worry.....how will Gong Jun, the rest of the cast and the writers pull this off?

How would ANYONE pull of such a story that's both shallow and complicated?


Luckily they somehow did.🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀


They fleshed out the plot enough to give it meat and more substance but still maintained the original content and general parameters of the donghua. The cast was well chosen, though there is some excessive use of makeup.

The production quality is good....Maybe too good at times cause i felt my eyes burn and blur at some of the dark accent.

I like the music and the pace is fast....thank lawd it's fast, so much that although the original story is a drag....its a fast moving drag.


The line delivery from the actors is also Ok....I'm not seeing any excessive signs of dubbing.

Overall this is an 8/10...but that's cause the story its cant be anything above that no matter who acts in it.....but I'll give it a 9.78 cause being able to make something of this is an achievement .....maybe my rating will change later on.

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First Love is inspired by two iconic songs by singer Hikaru Utada: “First Love” and “Hatsukoi” (“First Love”). More than just a simple romantic drama, it’s a deeply nostalgic visual and emotional experience.

Written and directed by Yuri Kanchiku, the series follows the moving story of Yae Noguchi (Hikari Mitsushima/Rikako Yagi) and Harumichi Namiki (Takeru Satoh/Taisei Kido) over more than twenty years.

The narrative flows delicately between two timelines, showing how fate and the choices of adult life pulled them apart, and how a series of subtle, emotional coincidences slowly brings them back together, forcing them to question whether it’s possible to rekindle that unforgettable first love.

Visually, it’s a work of art. The series uses a vibrant color palette and exquisite cinematography to distinguish and enhance both eras, beautifully highlighting the stunning landscapes of Hokkaido.

Takeru Satoh and Hikari Mitsushima convey a melancholic and heartfelt chemistry, while the younger actors perfectly capture the innocence and intensity of first love with great authenticity.

This series is ideal for fans of profound romantic dramas and stories that treat nostalgia as a character of its own. If you enjoy Asian productions with high production value, a slow and contemplative pace, and a focus on emotional growth, you’ll absolutely love it.

Get your tissues ready, this is a story that truly touches the heart.

First Love is a hidden gem on Netflix. It’s more than a romantic series; it’s a beautifully filmed meditation on how our first love shapes who we are, even when we believe we’ve left it behind.

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The Princess and her King

I never go for the modern, contemporary cdramas. I usually find them draggy, too slow and I tend to skip loads of scenes. But every now and then I find a hidden gem in this genre and this time it was Lighter & Princess.
It's been on my to-watch-list forever and after watching When Destiny Brings the Demon, I craved more of Chen Feiyu's acting.

He did not disappoint.

This drama lured me in from the very first second and gave me all the "mystery" vibes I had when watching The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (kdrama). I was swept away by the characters and wanted more each episode. I wanted to know what drove them and why most of them acted the way they did. The mystery around Li Xun is what really pulled me in. He reminded me so much of Kim Moo Young (from the smile has left your eyes, which is one of my all-time fave kdramas). There was a constant sadness to him. It's something Chen Feiyu is really good at. Acting with his entire body. Not just saying some lines or doing some things.
I loved the female lead too. She's not a damsel in distress or the "pretty girl that needs saving". She's headstrong, doesn't back down and stands up to fight alongside her team.

The story starts in the here and now. 7 years after the events between the male and female lead started. Zhu Yun is nostalgic about coming back to China after being abroad for a couple of years. During her comeback we see Li Xun being released from prison. When they see each other spraks fly immediately but things aren't simple and they back away from each other. The story then pulls us back 7 years ago and shows us their beginnings. It's an enemy-to-lovers trope and I'm all for it. He cannot stand the sight of her and she doesn't back down from a fight. He is a top genius when it comes to programming while programming is something Zhu Yun was forced to do by her mother. But the rivalry between them teaches Zhu Yun how much she loves programming and that's where their connections begins to grow.

I absolutely loved this way of story telling. I usually hate time-jumps but this was a welcome one. I wanted to know what happened between them and why they couldn't be together. I'm glad they brought us back so soon too because I went into it pretty blindly (didn't recognize some of the characters from the future) which kept the story fresh. I didn't know what to expect but when I did realize I was watching one of Zhu Yun's memories she had thought about in the first episode, it made me smile.

Positives:
- The cast. The way they acted out their characters was amazing.
- It didn't feel slow at any point of the story. I was sometimes annoyed by how much screentime the side characters were getting but that's only due to wanting to know what was going to happen to the main characters.
- The OST. It's been on repeat since I started watching the show.

Negatives:
- Chen Feiyu has a wound on his hand that they didn't blend out or tried to hide. It could be gone one scene and back the next. I know it's probably hard to edit away a wound (it seemed to be a cut of some sort) but it sometimes pulled me away from immersion. With the way the time-jumps were used it was the one thing that didn't make sense.
- The way things wrapped up in the last couple of episodes. I understand why it had to end this way but I wish redemption would have come a little sooner and they could have started to come back as friends, and if not as friends, then maybe as colleagues.

Overal I really do recommend this drama. Anyone who wants an enemy-to-lovers trope needs to see this one. Or just wants to enjoy a good rivalry or a romance that grows into true -love.

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A drama that shines quietly and stays with you long after it ends.

Wow, where do I even start with Love’s Ambition? From the very first episode, I was completely hooked. The mix of elegance, ambition, and raw emotion makes it stand out from so many other dramas I’ve watched lately. Zhao Lusi is absolutely brilliant here — her portrayal of Xu Yan feels so real and layered. You can feel the strength she built for herself, but also the quiet pain she hides underneath. It’s honestly one of her best performances to date.

And then there’s William Chan as Shen Haoming — what a perfect match. He starts off cold and unreachable, but little by little, you see his emotions surface. The chemistry between him and Zhao Lusi isn’t flashy or dramatic; it’s subtle, intense, and full of tension that builds beautifully with each episode.

What I love most is that Love’s Ambition isn’t just another romance drama. It dives into much deeper things — ambition, identity, and what happens when you start losing yourself to other people’s expectations. It’s not just about love; it’s about finding your own voice and worth.

And visually? Stunning. The cinematography, the fashion, the sets — everything feels so elegant and cinematic. You can tell a lot of thought went into the production, and it really adds to the emotional weight of the story.

Xu Yan’s journey, especially, really hit me. Watching her grow, break, and rebuild herself was both powerful and moving. She’s not the same person by the end — and honestly, neither are you as a viewer.

If you’re looking for a drama that’s emotional, stylish, and actually has something meaningful to say, Love’s Ambition is it. It’s romantic, yes, but it’s also deep and beautifully told. Definitely one of my favourites not only this year but in general.

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