Once I Finally Found You
I watched Douluo Continent when it came out and fell in love with the storyline, the actors, and the special effects. I was waiting and waiting for season 2 to come out. I searched Douluo Continent season 2 multiple times. I even went to actors pages to see when a follow up would be announced, and nothing. It's more my fault for not knowing the background of this story because with a different title and different cast it took me far too long to find it. But here I am, and even though there is a new cast and the special effects are more AI generated this time, I'm still loving the series. I love Rayli in just about any role she plays and Zhou Yi Ran was so cute in Falling into your Smile that I couldn't be upset with the cast change. The music really gets me pumped during each dueling scene. My only real complaint is that the new graphics and special effects make it feel less fantasy world and more video game. It hard to truly get emersed in the story like I did the first season. Still, it's definitely worth the watch.Was this review helpful to you?
That last episode ...
Story and ThemesThe story is really great. Not only the plot is interesting, but is also well managed and it's not the classic CEO and girl trope. I couldn’t guess the complete enigma, but trying to find it with the characters was fun for me and well planned by the authors.
The relationship of the main couple is focused on building trust and being each other’s solid ground (the only thing that doesn’t make sense is the amusement park scene – I believe he was following her but why expose her like this?). The slow burn is pleasant, the communication slowly improves and so does the confidence of the female lead, who starts to show her real self to other people. The correct balance of cute couple’s moments and serious things is crucial to grant the viewer an enjoyable watch. I consider this series is a big path to ‘coming out and clean’ of her, the marriage and all the family’s secrets.
The whole blackmailing plot is challenging, but in a good way. It makes sense. One of the feelings I have towards this is disgust for the parents and the grandfather. They made tons of wrong choices, starting with not relying on therapy regarding the child’s matter. And why? I suppose it would be seen as a dishonour or similar. All they cared about was their own image, not the well-being of the boy, in particular the grandfather who had no shame. One key theme here is the influence the environment you are in has on your own actions and thoughts, one example is Paek Sa-Eon’s mother, who loved her son but couldn’t save him, who ended up committing a crime.
Unfortunately, the last episode is a big no. This is a first: the main plot ends and there is a whole episode left. Wasted. Completely wasted. What happen doesn’t make sense at all, nothing that couldn’t be solved with e ten-minutes talk and a catharsis crying together. That time could have been used to say more about the side couple (they don’t kiss even once but they announce a wedding - the propose isn’t shown. I get they are support characters but, on mydramalist, they’re in the main cast), Park Do-Jae’s relationship with the male lead, simply the main couple rebuilding their lives together, in a better way. I briefly read that this is the novel’s ending; the episode could have been structured differently at least.
Acting and characters
Amazing casting choices and fabulous acting. Everyone does a great job, but I particularly appreciate Park Jae-Yun’s performance: terrific! His character is, in my opinion, the most emotionally and physically demanding; best actor of the show (he should have been listed as main character, not support). Chae Soo-Bin and Yoo Yeon-Seok’s portrayal is also awesome. They are true to their feelings, the chemistry is there: the kisses are great, their tears feel natural. Furthermore, their appearances fit aesthetically: I love seeing them together (also, Yoo Yeon-Seok’s back in the last episode is really something, it’s so big I just want to be held by him).
My favourite character is Park Do-Jae. I loved him since the beginning and I cried for him. He’s cool, even cooler in the second half, sentimental and hot. He totally got me. His relationship with the main lead is another one that follows the trust path I mentioned before (or maybe I’m just into bromance). As I said above, I believe there’s a missing conversation between them.
Music and production
Tear-jerking music that matches the atmosphere, good job. Attention to details: nice blood, two-coloured eyes appreciated. The direction isn’t bad, just not my favourite. Few scenes and takes caught my interest. Good lighting and tones; my favourite locations are the orphanage and the fishing house near the lake (or was it the sea?).
Rewatch
I don’t think I’m going to watch this series again but I definitely recommend it. One hundred percent worth watching. I've been thinking about giving 8.5 and not 9 (due to the last episode) but I can't. The actual final rating is 8.8 according to my calculations.
Thank you for reading,
kisses <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Highly recommended - a slice of life kind of story - at a normal pace in terms of relationships
*Spoilers*I honestly love the drama too - yes, it's a story where the FL - Lin Huan Er, who's a live streamer ended up in the book that she was debating about with another online live streamer too - after she met the ML - Gao Hai Ming in her timeline of 2025 at the beginning of ep 1. At the beginning - Lin Huan Er didn't really believe in love or felt like that she should be in any relationships at all - so during her livestreaming at the beginning, she was against it. Eventually, when she ended up in the book of 1999 - she was force to learn how to love, care, work hard and change her mindset about love - eventually leading to true love b/w the two leads. At the beginning the ML and his assistant was skeptical of her - but overtime, she worked hard to change his perspective of her and he too fell in love with her hard - both of them went through a lot of trails in their lives - one after another, it wasn't easy, but they both overcome them all. Yes, there was a lot of scenes where I ended up crying a bucket full of tears - especially when the 2nd time he proposed to her and he almost died from the car accident saving her - and at that point she broke the rules of the system, got severely punished by it - and that in terms lead to ML - Gao Hai Ming losing his memories/had short term amnesia of forgetting who she was - including the others around them both too.
I literally cried for them both - when she had to deal with him losing his memories of her - after the car accident/reversal/erase memory thing caused by the annoying manipulative pager - system of hers that she had. It was a tough uphill battle at times when he couldn't exactly recall anything about her - but slowly/surely he did get some burst of memories of her here and there when they both went around to the different places they used to visit/hangout/created memories together.
The biggest part that made me cry aside from the proposal scene - and eventual poof departure scene of hers. - I mean don't get me wrong - I cried a bucket full of tears there - when he was left alone by himself on the merry-go-round without her. It was very raw and emotional for me too.
Where I also cried was when he thought that she drown in the river - when he was talking to her over the phone - after he rushed over with his assistant from his company - during his birthday party there - so he just assumed she fell in and he jumped into the river - despite unable to swim and literally almost drown there, had she not jump in after him to rescue him instead. This part - eventually led to him recovering his memories and also allowed him to gain insight of what's bound to happen b/w the two of them. In his mind - he did have some mental preparedness of her inevitable departure - b/c he too realizes those around him are clueless/seem to not know they were in a relationship before or that she worked in another company before joining Letao -- him stating to his assistant - that he was the one who poached her from the Yunshao (?) advertising company and not what the assistant said - that she joined their department after the new years - from the marketing department in their company.
Honestly the fact that he knew before her inevitable departure - he did his best to make/create wonderful memories together and capture them before she was to leave without any notice to him on the merry-go-round. He was even smart enough to write a special love note to her unbeknownst to her until she returned to her world - of 2025 and stuck it in her jacket pocket - which at that time he said it was the "special wonton" recipe he got from their favorite wonton food stand at that time. Though I do wished that I see Gao Hai Ming actually say "I love you" before she disappears/poof into thin air after his proposal to her and on the merry-go-round - filming her/kissing her until the very last second - and not when she's gone that he said that. It was also nice to see the he was still alive in his world - when she left; had the camera full of their memories that they created together before she left and the pager that from time to time - allow him to see her - in her world of 2025 somehow and of their memories too.
All throughout the last few episodes of the drama - from ep 20-24 I literally cried - not just for the two main leads - but also the 2nd leads too. Especially when we hear/see that the 2ML died suddenly when the 2FL was preparing for their supposedly wedding - trying on the wedding dress - when she got news about her fiancé got seriously injured and which lead to his eventual death - having to see the 2FL (her best friend - Mengmeng - breakdown - crying while painting the picture of him in police uniform - to remember him - to seeing Lin Huan Er being there for her at those times and Gao Hai Ming comforting her - realizing that what she said before - was inevitable - a pre-determined destiny that even though she thought could change - didn't change - he still died the next day - after the big accident - that they eventually help him avoid dying from the previous day (at the hotel planning the wedding venue, etc).
I like how despite the censorship, we were able to see the FL (Lin Huan Er) - get to see her best friend walking happily with her husband together hand-in-hand and Gao Haiming's assistant as well - before she eventually meets the ML in her world of 2025 too - and that the place they met up again - was the model airport museum that had contained all their memories there - plus the model planes they built together. I'm also glad that they got to meet again - in her world - rushing towards each other/hugging and both of them crying in each other's embrace/greeting each other/smiling/ him wiping away tears and then kissing each other for a long too. What I really wished was that they didn't have to cut out the other episodes that it was supposedly have - to show how he came to his world along with the others characters that she treasured the most together too. Plus how did her best friend Mengmeng's husband didn't die and were together again - and everything else. The way the so-called censorship forced the drama to cut out so much - to be honest wasn't necessary - especially like other said - 40 episodes was originally the max one drama could have - so why cut them out??
It definitely made the ending still somewhat really rushed with a lot of unproper - unanswered questions in the mind of the viewers watching it. I really wished there was more too it. To be able to see them together - live their lives in her world 2025 would have been great - and his turn to adapt to her world/lifestyle too. At least at the end - there was a typed up message about their story of meeting each other - kissing passionately - and then left us with somewhat an idea of how Gao Hai Ming eventually ended up in her world of 2025 - which was related to the pager that he had in his hands when she left - but the writer left it as a mystery - where may be one day they'll explain how he did get to her world of 2025. Plus then we get to hear them both saying - that love transcends all times/space - that they are able to meet again and stated to each other "Grateful to see you again".
Now I wished there was a part 2/season 2 too!!
P.S. Thank you to all the actors/actresses/film crew for bringing this drama to life - well done and well acted! Definitely recommend watching it. A slice of life kind of story - learning to love - not in a rush way - but at a regular - normal pace - and seeing the character grow/evolve/change over time. Was definitely another drama worth my time to watch.
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Expectation =Trashy romance! Reality= SUPER ADDICTIVE trashy romance
If you have seen those mini cdramas, its like that BUT A LOT BETTER.Its a bizarre wattpad romance THAT PULLS YOU IN makes you binge watch the whole darn thing in one setting.
These are the kind of dramas where you become blind to logic, writing, editing...almost everything and watch for the feels! I never thought i would like it. I never thought I would lift my finger to write a review for something like this and yet, here I am.
Its a GUILTY PLEASURE 10/10 .
Also, I ama not embarrassed to say that I am waiting for season 2
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very promising first half, second half predictable
the first half of the drama was enjoyable and interesting, fresh and charismatic. the plot itself was intriguing and at the beginning it didn’t feel predictable and it felt like there might be an interesting plot twist or a something a bit deeper than what it came to at the end. the drama lost my focus and interest towards the end and I had to force myself to finish it. the heaviness of the tragedy was lost as the drama progressed and the complicated relationship between band members and Do Ra-ik and his mother wasn’t resolved in a heartwarming or serious manner as it should be. the chemistry between Kim Jae-Young and Choi Soo-Jung was enjoyable, but sometimes got lost in the poorly written scenes where they felt more like friends and less as two people in love with each other. I expected more from the plot because the first couple of episodes were really great, but overall it was an good drama. not a must watch, but not a waste of time.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
good story done very messy
*spoilers are very slight, but i do discuss story as a whole*
I want to start with praise first, since most important part of detective with horror elements is a story and it is good. It has foreshadowing when its needed, solid structure and some good emotional beats. Good work from special effects and make up crew creates visual hooks from the start too and if you are a fan of gory-type of horror they do deliver till the end of the series.
Unfortunately, this is not as good if you look and detective side of the story and its execution. Unlike slashers or horrors with high-schoolers, some degree of common sense is expected from cops, even if they do not believe in ghost from the get go... but no, people responsible for the script more often than not choose stupid as a solution. It is not as evident at the start (like arresting Thup, but not removing his belt), but gets progressively worse, culminating in 12th episode. Sometimes main characters acting dumb is not a big deal, but not in this genre. At least i strongly believe so.
Other thing, that i found even more unforgivable - inconsistencies in magical side of things. Any magic, including ghosts and curses, need to follow its rules. Instead, we have Thup, who is in constant danger from all ghosts in the world, until it just stops, and Singha who is a proper ghost repellant, until this stops working too. And at first the killings have to follow strict rules and even slight interference can ruin it, forcing killer to start over... oh, wait, its also not like that. And its all ended this a proper deus ex machina spell. So very disappointing, so easily fixable.
Romance part, unfortunately, also lives much to be desired. Main couple starts awkward and forced and continues to be out of place. I do wonder if fans of Pooh and Pavel loved it, but for someone not invested in them, it was like watching inserts from some other show, once again it was stronger the closer we got to the end. Second couple fit in narrative much better, but with much less screen time or even focus.
Good story bits are still good, some parts are even great and it is entertaining enough. But bad parts ruin it pretty noticeably if you prefer logic in your entertainment.
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Another series I really liked at first~ (｡◕‿◕｡)✨
But after about 20 episodes, I started to feel tired 😅
I’m used to long series, but this one was probably the toughest~ it actually took me around 1.5 years to finally finish it 😮💨
This series truly felt like a rollercoaster 🎢🌸
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🌸✨🌈 Hiii~ Welcome to my kawaii corner~ ♡(≧▽≦)ﾉ✨🌸
You can find more of my reviews on Instagram~ 🌟💖
Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷
Some reviews are under 500 words, so I can’t post them here~ (≧ω≦)ﾉ💫
Thank you sooo much~ ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆ 💕🌸
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This review may contain spoilers
Fiery chemistry in this jiejie romance drama set in the art world
I was browsing drama catalogue and this drama's pister caught my attention. It had been awhile since I last watched Zhao Xi Xi's work. Glad I watched this drama because it was good.What I liked:
1. Romance - Damn spicy intimate scenes. I felt like they were going to combust everytime they made out. This is a jiejie romance with ML devoting himself to FL's cause.
2. FL characterisation - She was desperate, she put her mother’s need first. I liked the fact that she's knowledgeable in art.
3. ML characterisation - Hidden identity out to investigate SML. ML was devoted, talented & sneaky.
4. Acting - Great performances by Zhao Xi Xi and Su You Cai. Damn, the chemistry was fiery.
5. Visuals - Stunning leads + beautiful paintings.
6. Editing - Beautifully shot scenes from the paintings to the intimate scenes.
What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - SML was a jerk for taking advantagr of vulnerable woman. I also disliked SML's sister for her rude beahviour.
Favourite scene
When FL kissed ML at his house
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This review may contain spoilers
THE MALE LEADS ARE HANDSOME
I like this version .well i havent watch the other but i can see this one is much better since the leads are good looking especially Hyde or the crippled prince . Rooting for him and the female lead to end up together. Well its likely possible sa 100% ! Since they have more screen time and the FL keeps on coming back to him and not to mention the FL kissed him a lot than the other leads hehehe. Lastly ,The FL paid more attention to Q Z .Hyde is so stunning in this drama i cant help but to rewatch it all over again for multiple times hahaha
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the power of love
i love the story, tho lots of questions needs an answer of how it happens, yet it could be covered by "because of love'.because of love - everything became possible, craziness became amusing - that's how i find their story.
though the 2nd couple gives me off, but thru them in the later episodes, Haiming & Huan'ers love for each other became stronger, that whatever will happen to them - the warmth of their affection for each other will always be within.
i like the loyalty of Gao Haiming 's assistant, a typical one and portrayed well.
All in all - the story is fun to watch... plus the couples played it well...
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This review may contain spoilers
Cute & funny drama with entertaining supporting character
Liu Xi Yu has started to impress me with her acting these days. I know she has many dramas listed in IQIYI catalogue so a few weeks ago I decided to watch this drama. It was enjoyable.What I liked:
1. Plot - Refreshing, Funny especially when FL's brother appeared on screen.
2. FL characterisation - Cute but not cloying. She was rich girl but not spoilt brat.
3. ML characterisation - Cold exterior but dude had massive crush on FL. He was Mr Nice Guy.
4. Acting - Great performances by Liu Xi Yu, Liu Lan Bo and the actor who played FL's brother.
5. Supporting characters - I really liked FL’s brother. His scenes were always entertaining. I also liked FL's best friend and ML's assistant.
6. Dynamic - I really loved the interactions between FL and her brother. They loved & helped out each other. No stupid arguments.
What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - I disliked the snobbish classmate who was jealous of FL. I also disliked the scumbag who tried to rape FL.
Favourite scene
When ML & FL communicated no verbally with FL's brother standing nearby
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.
When I first started watching, I got hooked right away~ (｡◕‿◕｡)✨
But somewhere in the middle, something changed. I stopped watching for a while and felt a bit tired of it 😅
Still, I didn’t give up! It took some time, but I finally finished the series 🌸✨
In the end, I really liked the theme of the story 💖
.. ... ... .... .... .... .... .. .. ... ... .... .... .... .... .. .. ... ..
🌸✨🌈 Hiii~ Welcome to my kawaii corner~ ♡(≧▽≦)ﾉ✨🌸
You can find more of my reviews on Instagram~ 🌟💖
Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷
Some reviews are under 500 words, so I can’t post them here~ (≧ω≦)ﾉ💫
Thank you sooo much~ ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆ 💕🌸
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This review may contain spoilers
Still waiting for it to click
My Page in The 90s is about a modern-day love advice streamer gets pulled into a cheesy late 20th century romance novel, she finds herself entangled with a cold CEO archetype and forced to play out a love story she never signed up for.But honestly? This drama spends its entire runtime almost convincing you it has something interesting to say, but then stopping just short of actually saying it.
On paper, this is a classic transmigration setup. Lin Huan’er is initially sharp, pragmatic, and refreshingly clear about her goal: she wants to go back to her own reality.
Huan’er works fine on a surface level. She’s fun, reactive, and decently written. But the second you try to dig underneath that surface, there’s nothing there. Her emotional interior is frustratingly underdeveloped. We’re told she wants to return to her world, but we’re never shown why. What is she leaving behind? A family? Friends? A career she cares about? A life she built? We have no idea. And that becomes an issue later on, when she suddenly decides she might not want to go back after all.
This is, in my opinion, one of the most grotesquely common flaws in transmigration stories: the protagonist’s original life is treated as disposable. Wanting to return becomes a purely logical stance at the start, and abandoning that desire later is framed as emotional growth. Except it isn’t, because there was never anything tangible to give up in the first place. It makes her choice feel hollow because there is nothing to compare it to. Does she truly find something worth staying for, or does the story simply stop caring about the question?
Then there’s Gao Haiming. He is the hyper-competent, emotionally constrained CEO who is secretly warm, loyal, and willing to burn the world down for the woman he loves. Nothing grounds breaking, but decent enough.
Chemistry is another stance in which the story wobbles. It almost works. There are moments, especially in the very last episodesof the drama, where you can see what the writers were aiming for. But for a long time, I felt… nothing. Not even during scenes that were clearly meant to be intense or intimate. Their affection doesn’t feel like it grows, it just appears. One moment there’s emotional distance, the next we’re meant to accept that something deep and irrevocable has formed between them.
A significant chunk of the runtime is spent on Huan’er running away from her feelings, and it feels like a way to avoid doing the actual work of building the relationship. Those episodes would have been far better used letting us watch the affection develop organically, rather than being told it exists.
Secondary characters don’t help. Most of them are painfully uninteresting. Zhu Mengmeng starts off as someone who at least feels relevant to Huan’er’s story, but as the drama progresses, the narrative splits into parallel tracks that intersect every now and then. It ends up feeling like two separate dramas awkwardly stitched together, instead of a cohesive world where relationships actually matter.
Performance-wise, this drama is frustrating. I’m already familiar with Chen Xingxu, and he is undeniably a very good actor. This was my first time watching anything with Wang Yuwen, but she leaves a good impression. Which is precisely why some scenes are so hard to get through. The emotional beats don’t always land, and when they don’t, it feels less like an acting issue and more like a directing and pacing problem.
And the ending? Lazy and emotionally unsatisfying.
I don’t want to get into spoilers, but I have a deep dislike for abrupt endings that simply happen. No explanation, no thematic resolution, no real invitation for interpretation, just a narrative shrug that suggests the writers were tired and wanted to be done. It doesn’t feel open-ended in a mysterious and intricate way, it feels unfinished.
What makes all of this more frustrating is that the drama repeatedly comes close to being good, but it never quite gets there. It gestures at depth without committing to it, sets up questions it doesn’t want to answer, and relies too heavily on familiar tropes without doing enough to justify them.
In the end, this is a drama that had all the necessary components: a capable cast, a workable premise, and moments of genuine charm. But instead of fully committing to its ideas, it settles for “good enough” and for a story about rewriting fate and choosing one’s own ending, that feels especially disappointing.
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The drama is easy to watch and it’s also short, so it's worth watching at least once. I won't be too critical, as I didn't have high expectations for it. The ending is happy, so it's not that bad.
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appreciating drama!
Honestly, Big Mouth was a great drama. What I liked most were the plot twists. There were many moments when I thought I understood what was happening, only for the story to completely change. It kept things exciting and made it hard to stop watching.The story felt smart and tense. I appreciated how it gradually revealed the truth instead of giving everything away all at once. The characters were interesting, and I found myself constantly guessing whom to trust and who was really in control.
Overall, it’s one of those dramas that keeps you on edge and makes you want to click “next episode” immediately. It’s definitely worth watching if you enjoy thrillers with a lot of twists.
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