JIABLO
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"You will have no idea how much your love has brightened up my life." - Baek Yi Jin
STORY: More than the journey of love, 2521 was a coming-of-age story filled with friendship and family. Yijin and Heedo's story started with their respective struggles with their family and friends. Yijin in the middle of the wreckage the the IMF has left his family and Heedo trying to survive and fend for herself with the absence of her mother. I love how they narrated and showed their story from being strangers, friends, someone they can rely on to being lovers and eventually back to being strangers again.SOME QUESTIONS WORTH PONDERING:
1. Was it an open ending? - For me it wasn't. If anything, it stayed true to its roots--Na Hee Do's journey. Saying her proper goodbye to Yijin at the final scene was heartbreaking but it was fitting since that moment haunted her a lot in the years that followed. I understand the outrage since this is something new to kdrama. But also, it is beautiful in its own way. Heedo and Yijin will remain beautiful.
2. The break-up did not make sense. How can they break up just like that? - If you paid attention to all the things happening before the break up, you would understand that it was inevitable. Heedo practically raised herself when her Dad died. That is because of the path her mother chose to cope with her grief in losing a husband. In contrast, Yijin is impliedly asking her to go through all that waiting, being sorry, being disappointed AGAIN. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There was a scene in the original break up when Yijin said that everything fell apart when he went to NY. But if distance was the only problem, Heedo would not have felt so exhausted. It was the fact that Yijin was making decisions where Heedo was no longer included and Heedo just doesn't have the strength to go through another round of trauma with an absent lover. Her mother was enough in her lifetime. So yes, the build up to the break up was being true to the story.
3. Why didn't they reveal the father? - This one is the easiest to let go. They did not reveal him since the important point is that it wasn't going to be Yijin anyway.
4. Why? - Honestly, I haven't felt this beautiful pain about a kdrama in a long while. The last time was with Scarlet Heart and that had been so hard to let go. With Heedo and Yijin being as wonderful as they have been, giving me this bittersweet ache was welcomed. They both looked happy in their respective lives. I regret not seeing enough of present day Yijin but we can't always have what we want. What I know is that regardless of the outcome, Heedo and Yijin brought me so much comfort just by sharing their story.
ACTING/CAST: Hands down one of the best performances from Kim Taeri and Nam Joohyuk. There was that confrontation scene in the tunnel where they were both shouting at each other. When Heedo said, "Did you ever really love me?" and Yijin replied, "Watch what you say" that was the culmination of their relationship. Their range really did shine all throughout the drama but that one moment was so memorable because of all the emotions they had to portray. I don't think another couple can play Heedo and Yijin as well as they did. Their supporting cast has been outstanding as well. Can't wait for everyone's next drama project.
MUSIC: The music was great but not as memorable as I would have thought. Fave song, Very, Slowly by BIBI.
REWATCH VALUE: Would definitely rewatch it. Even though I know it will only bring me pain in the end, it does not discount the fact that their journey was so comforting and beautiful to witness.
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Story/Plot: From the very beginning, the production marketed the drama as a tragedy. Most of the time--as many CDrama watchers would be familiar with--we are conned by the drama production by robbing our happy ending and resenting the writers for leaving us with heart break after 50-70 episodes. But GMP's strength always lied with it's tragic ending. You can even say that the story, narration and even the development are woven to give that exact ending, tragedy.I'd like to point out that Li Chengyin will always have a very complicated relationship with the viewers. It was easy to hate him because of all the things he did, not just to Xiao Feng but to everyone else around him. As Gu Xiao Wu, he was young and innocent but his choices has always been selfish. There were moments where his love for XF was borderline obsessive and toxic, one would think he didn't love her at all. But there are light indications that he did loved her, more so as Li Chengyin than he did when he was Gu Xiao Wu (he protected her in the Eastern Palace, he would always go out of his way to assist her, help her, guide her but most of all, he would always jump after her without hesitations whenever she jumps to her death).
In knowing of their sad ending, the audience relished on every interaction they had, whether it be shouting at each other, sneaking out of the palace together, slapping one another to downright XF stabbing LCY because we know that is all we'll ever get. No matter how the story pan, they can never be together in this life and that may have been the reason why I invested so much emotion to this drama to begin with. And it's not just the ending that is sad, watching XF trying to survive in the palace to LCY slow descend to evil had been heartbreaking since we saw them as innocent and naive in Danchi. We were all holding our breath to the moment they remember eveything. We anticipated it, but it didn't make it any less sad. But man, those editing between eps 45-52 were atrocious not to mention those cut scenes we were robbed off.
Acting/Cast: Chen Xing Xu and Peng Xiao Ran deserve all the praises for portraying LCY and XF. Especially since it was their first lead-role drama. They were amazing and I can't imagine another couple playing the leads as well as they did. Other cast were outstanding too.
Music: The music was great. It's the type of soundtract you keep on repeat long after the last episode had aired. Fave songs [First Encounter by Chen Xing Xu and Peng Xiao Ran] [Love Hurts - Female Version]
Rewatch Value: I'd say you rewatch it for the angst. Not much drama can give you as much heartache as GMP gave me. I you're looking for triggering some sad feels or just wanna have a good cry or two, then a must rewatch. I rewatched it solely to see CXX and PXR tbh. hahaha
Final words: I would have given it a 9 or even 10 if not for that lousy editing around the end episodes and the cut scenes we so deserved. But because we were robbed, I gave it 8.5 which is still higher than normal.
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Acting/Cast: As far as the actors go, this cast probably has the best performance and chemistry I've seen in a while. Many viewers (myself included) are kept from dropping the show solely to see an exceptional portrayal from the cast. But even then, the lousy story telling cannot be carried by great acting alone.
Music: The OST of this drama is great. As a music enthusiast myself, I'd put it up to my favorite OST's joining (Scarlet Heart, It's Okay That's Love, Cheese in The Trap, Just Between Lovers, to name a few). Song's where on point. I love it.
Rewatch Value: It's not a drama I'd go for a marathon for. I wont even recommend it to friends for first viewing. That's how bad it had been. After the emotional investment I had for this show, that sloppy ending and lazy story narration was a total slap in the fans faces. So, no rewatching for me.
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"You are already a rabbit who has seen the most stars."
STORY: Honestly, there's not much new to offer in You Are My Glory. It is as cliché as it can get. Aside from a very slow-paced first 15 episodes, there isn't really much to see. We get a FML who's already a super star and a ML who is an accomplished aerospace engineer. Nothing about them is similar other than the fact that they went to high school together.I'd like to point out that the slow burn of the love story is amazing. The first episodes, although negligible is a necessary plot device to establish the relationship between the leads. Watching Jingjing reignite her first love with Yu Tu while playing mobile games was a sight to behold. It's not as game-centered as Falling into Your Smile but the integration of the game has been the same.
Important points to take note is the fact that Jingjing has a huge crush on him and Yu Tu rejected her in high school. They both had a relationship with other people before coming together. They are both career driven. And both have a very healthy relationship with their parents (which is rare by CDRAMA standards).
The narration is a 10/10. There was no confusing sub-plots. There isn't even a second couple which is also very rare in cdrama. The leads managed to carry the show all on their own. I love how it centered on both of them in all instances. The first part, on Jingjing and her career laying the foundation on how they meet again. The second part, on Yu Tu and his complicated choice between family and dream and meticulously weaving Jingjing in the drama. She isn't too involve given their current relationship but just enough to support him in enforcing his decision.
Anyone who is looking for a light-watch would love to see You Are My Glory. It may be an idealistic take on modern professional couples but it works. Mainly, I'd say it was a success because its Yang Yang and Reba (the chemistry is no joke), which isn't far from the truth. But also because the writing on both character's jive so well. Audience would agree that 90% of the watch-ability would stem from their very witty and bold conversations.
ACTING/CAST: OUTSTANDING performance from Yang Yang and Reba. Two of the most brilliant from their generation of actors. The drama itself did not test their range but it did enforce their talent all the same.
MUSIC: Its one of the cutest out there. Especially the opening and closing creds. Not on par with my best (Eternal Love & Ashes of Love) but memorable enough.
REWATCH VALUE: 11/10 and would definitely recommend with first time cdrama viewers. That's how light and feel good it is. No regrets on rewatching it three times after seeing it the first time.
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I am so drawn to dark comedy. And Sky Castle didn't disappoint at all. I came for it expecting nothing. The rating was a single digit for crying out loud. And for a cable drama, that's not bad at all. But boi did it come for me with a vengeance and showed me a narration that I did not know I needed until this drama.Story: It is drama in every sense of the word. Sky Castle is an exclusive place for the elite and educated. This is enunciated at the very first episode when Seo Jin hosted that party for Myung Joo. The affluence was dripping and everything just screamed expensive. The first episode is gripping enough to want to see the next one immediately. I know I did.
It revolved around 5 families in total in which one way or another have an unhealthy obsession about the perpetuity of their family's affluence through their children. Both parents in the 5 families are in some way flawed and reflect the type of parents we have today. Seo Jin and Joon Sang want to produce a third generation doctor in their family, Min Hyuk wants his children to be as smart and ambitious as him, Jin Hee wants her son to excel in school, Soo Im who have an intelligent stepson, and then there's Myung Joo committed suicide because of guilt at how her son turned out.
What I like about each family is that they are struggling in their own way on how to be a proper family while also showcasing to the rest of the world that they are a model modern family that should be emulated by everyone. The irony of the things we show and the things we let rot inside our home. The play on this plot had been a genius move by the writer and she did it beautifully. From the death of Myung Joo and how it stirred the actions of the mothers to the death of Hyena and how the children, including their parents reacted was critical and meticulously wrought. I'd rewatch the whole drama just to pan-out the whole narration again.
Acting/Cast: The cast was phenomenal. No one was overshadowing or outperforming anyone. The girls in this drama is meant to be heroes. They know what they want, and fight for it. They have their own principles and stood their ground to protect their children and their family. It is so clear in the sequence between their husbands what role a wife plays in the making of a great home and great family. In this sense, I commend the chemistry shared by the adult cast, and the children wasn't far behind their parents. Ye Seo was amazing. I love how the twins love their mother, Ye Bin and Soo Han was outstanding, and Se Ri is badass. Woo Joo's acting was so on point too.
Music: We All Lie kept playing in my head for weeks. That's it.
Rewatch Value: Definitely worth watching again. Not the genre that would be loved by everyone but the flawless story telling would make anyone think otherwise.
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I'd say the main leads managed to hold the drama together. Which is really rare on historical C-Dramas.Story/Plot: The story revolves around the ill-fated love of Xu Feng (the second prince of the Heavenly Realm) and Jin Mi (the daughter of the former Flower Immortal). With their titles come the heavy history wrought in their very being. I'm not fond of their parent's history but then that made their ill-fate so tragic, I guess. Considering that the dramas was long (63 eps in all), I'd say the pace was just right. I was skeptical at first cause how the hell do you stretch a 24 chapters novel into a 60+ ep drama? But HSALF didn't disappoint at all. I love their light-hearted and innocent interactions at the beginning of the film. When they plunged into the mortal realm before ep 20, I thought it was too soon. But it was just the right timing. Saintess and Yaya's time as mortal was honestly a gem for feels. It didn't disappoint at all. Shout out to that very goth ending to their story. It was Beautiful.
Back in heaven, we are given a few more eps of fluff and downright intense encounter before they break our hearts. I'd usually think that the climax being around ep 44 is premature but as the drama has taught me early, it knows what its doing. It was hard watching both Xu Feng and Jin Mi break each other's heart but I reveled in all the angst they offered me. My heart broke whenever Jin Mi and Xu Feng said and did things to hurt one another. But it was all so worth it. I didn't even mind all the sub-plots. Liu Ying and Mu Ci's story was heart-warming. I'm glad to have known them. It was hard for me to watch Run Yu love Jin Mi. I wished he was given another love line in the end. After everything, the drama was just fantastic.
Acting/Cast: Yang Zi and Deng Lun delivered outstanding performances on portraying Jin Mi and Xu Feng and I cannot be more proud. They faced criticism when they were casted but in the end, I think no other couple could have captured and played Jin Mi and Xu Feng as well as they did. All the other cast didn't disappoint too. They were all amazing. Yan You and Run Yu deserves a shout out for helping both leads. I'd say the final episodes solidified Deng Lun's acting capabilities. I mean, Yang Zi was amazing too but Deng Lun had more to prove than her. I've seen Deng Lun in Princess Agents and Because of You and I think Xu Feng is his superior role out of them all (even if I haven't seen all his work).
Music: The BGM is to die for. It was so on point in every scene. I especially love that Deng Lun and Yang Zi sang an OST together (Frostless Heaven and Earth). Deng Lun sang it in solo too. And Yang Zi sang Love Frost and her voice was just mesmerizing. There are other notable songs too, Upwards to the Moon and Unsullied.
Rewatch Value: Definitely a must watch and a worthy binge-watch no matter how many times you've seen it. I'd really recommend it to friends who are starting out on C-Dramas. It was such an amazing experience for me that I'd really want others to understand how it felt.
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Story/Plot: It's one of the best one's ever narrated and put to film to be honest. I love how each character was so unique and complex and flawed that it's easy to love everyone of them. Je Hyeok is the lead we all never knew we needed. He is kind and soft and fluff but he is also manipulative and resourceful as he has displayed multiple times in the drama. It breaks my heart to see Han Yang end up the way he did but it was realistic. Would have wanted to see how Captain Yoon's case go or how Min Cheol adjusted with living out of prison after 2 decades but that's that. There was never a dull moment in the drama. It was full of plot twist in every episode that I finished it in 1 sitting. That's how good it was.
Acting/Cast: The dynamic of the cast is amazing. I can't stress enough how perfectly fit or how amazingly portrayed every character is. Yes, even the Warden and the Deputy was on point. They were beautiful to watch interacting on screen. I feel like their acting spoke to me as a person.
Music: on point but not as exceptional as the story itself.
Rewatch Value: Definitely a must watch and if you're feeling down, or want a good laugh or two or just in the mood of binge watching anything, this should be your first choice.
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TMOPB, is a slow paced drama. Granted that the source material wasn't long to begin with. But the story-telling and how they developed the characters was great.
Pros:
1. The acting is superb. I know a lot does not think that long-haired Mark Chao is appealing or gorgeous enough like Vin Zhang or Vengo Gao but believe me when I say that his amazing portrayal of Ye Hua is so sincere and charismatic, it's impossible not to love him by the end of the drama.
2. Yang Mi. Not just a pretty face but a badass lead as well.
3. You'll love Ali you'd wish there was more of him.
4. Deities and costumes and the setting. Brilliant!
5. Music-wise, it was on point enough to make you feels things on cue.
Cons:
1. Mo Yuan (Not really a con, per se, but I was torn and you get the point)
2. All the side ships. PS. Don't get too attached or invested.
3. The ending. (They did have a happy ending but after all that epic tribulation they went through, I wanted more than seeing them gazing through the horizon.)
4. I still cannot forgive that last costume from Ye Hua. I mean he was so on point all through out the series! What is with that god-awful ensemble in the end?
5. Amnesia-plots really irk me. I dont know why.
Overall, there isn't much to dislike on the series. It was a great experience for me.
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