PeachBae
Sky Kingdom
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Starts off really great
Since i accidentally stumbled upon this one, i had no expectations or hopes of it. It was my first show of all the main characters. The first few eps really raised the bar so high being captivating and promising, that the later eps failed to keep up with it. The first 10 eps were amazing setting up the plot, ml and fl starting off on the wrong foot, getting the sisters together and everything, the next 10 eps focus on relation building and business, the next 10 eps focus highly on the business, setbacks but midway of these eps the drama starts going downhill, ep 27 onwards it was just pure depressing. The ml and fl get separated due to the cliche trope of i cant face her because my father caused her family's death, the ladies business falls apart, the sisters break apart, the cheater x fiance turns into a mad dog and causes menace by changing color like a freaking chameleon. Only towards the end do the happy vibes come back, and after ep 32 things start getting better plotwise. After ep 20 it did feel kinda draggy and slow till some 32 eps and the last 5 eps was again paced well. Why is pacing always an issue with cdramas!?The story is different from other cdramas, focuses greatly on women empowerment and social discrimination. 3 ladies, each of whom have suffered setbacks in life due to love, start their lives afresh and find love in the course. I really loved the character dynamics between Zhao Paner and Sun Sanniang. I did not like Song Yinzhang at all, she didn't deserve the selfless and generous treatment from the other two sisters, she was extremely proud, arrogant and jealous and greedy as well. Not everything can be pardoned because she was young, well she wasn't even that young considering she eloped TWICE, so she deserved whatever she got. She sort of did redeem herself in the last few eps. I rather liked Zhaodi. Gu Qianfan was very sweet, gentle and loving but he came off as rather weak willed and too kind and gullible to me. It was too easy to convince him and he even bother to verify things. The maturity in their relationship disappeared suddenly after ep 25. Zhao Paner was a consistent character, gu qianfan was not. Onto others, Chen lian was very cute, chi pan was a clown but i liked him very much, i didnt like Du Changfeng at first, later he grew on me. Ouyang Xu was trash throughout and he got what he deserved. And that son of Sanniang, was absolute piece of shit. For a change i expected to have a kind empress here because her bg is different from usual empresses, so I wanted her to get some kinda punishment after everything she did.
Ml and fl had really amazing chemistry. The acting of all the 4 mains was commendable, others did very well too.
Production was great, didn't really pay attention to the non existent music though.
I guess i would recommend watching it once. The first 15 eps can be addictive but then the effect wears off. The ending is satisfactory. Would've rated it 8.2 if possible.
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Short, fluffy romcom
Initially I wasn't interested in it but then i got some free time and to take a break from all the other serious dramas that I'm watching, so this was lighthearted and pleasant choice and I'm so glad that i did. I got hooked right from the first episode.This is one that animal lovers like me would surely love. I mean Mo Xiuran's cat form was too cute. The FL was sweet and the ML's acting was on point. The supporting cast did a good job too, and i especially liked the ml's brother.
Things that i didnt like in the drama are the super quick plot progression and some plotholes. I mean that's a given because there were only 16 eps with a lot of things going on, so the plot moved too fast. There were things that happened too quick for my understanding, especially towards the end of the story.
But overall if you want a short, fluffy, lightweight romance that will make your belly ache of laughing, don't mind having some plotholes and want a break from serious dramas or want to binge on something cute, this is one for you.
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realistic take on youth
i will never ever recommend watching this to anyone looking for a fairytale romance.story and characters: this is a slice of life. it is about youth. a very realistic portrayal of life and love, loss and separation, reunion and complex attachments that happens to most of us. it is highly relatable to many viewers. many may not like the fl because she spent over half the drama pining for the 2ml, who was busy with his own love life. but in reality we all probably know someone like the fl and 2ml, and maybe even a toned down version of the ml. obviously guys like ml are very rare, thats why this is a drama not a documentary.
we often come across someone who is in love with their best friend but never confesses and thinks they are oblivious to their love, but in fact they choose to stay oblivious to keep a precious friendship because of their own strictly platonic feelings. so many people really cant see the good things right in front of them because their heart blinds them to only see what it wants, and its not until late that they finally realize the true worth of things. how often do we see couples breaking up because of their ex coming back? there are also couples really in love but that love isnt enough to sustain their relationship and end up in a push and pull situation, thus breaking up and patching up again and again only to have an ugly separation, and possibly leaves one of them in lifelong regret. some people find everlasting love again after a messy breakup, some people don't move on even after a long time after breakup, some people give in to their regrets but never move on from that one love, some get back with their ex partners to ultimately breakup again with them and finally find their soulmate in someone else, some fall in love and get blind to others and after a long time subconsciously grow to love someone else that they have always relied on, some only just love one person forever and silently stay by their side doing everything for them selflessly just for their happiness. some of them get their happily ever after, some don't. some get their first love as their life partner, some don't get their beloved ever. this is real youth. this is what real people go through. this is what arrti portrayed through 6 characters who grow up and mature over time. growing up means separation, people go their own ways to build their lives, down the line we reconnect with some, while some are lost permanently. also lets not forget that the premise is set in pre 2000s which progresses to early 2000s during which most of the plot happens., so communication through internet wasn't exactly the best. another important part is that, i couldn't bring myself to hate any of the characters, be it lin you or huang jun.
acting: the acting was great actually. my first time watching wang ruichang as ml and this proved that he very well deserves more ml roles. 2nd time watched hu yixuan as fl and she honestly delivered her part well.
production: i wonder where they managed to find such rural looking settings that are actually fitting of pre 2000s society. they also found some pretty scenic locations too. also that song that xiaoju sang for cheng lang was my favourite ost. overall pretty decent production.
one complain is the ending. an ending like that? awful. i get that it was a happy ending but we deserved some more scenes of that.
i am not really into youth dramas, because of mostly the airheaded fls who speak in a baby voice, rich vs poor, love triangle cliches. and i most definitely never watched a slice of life before. so i am impressed by this one as it is my first time. i regret not watching this sooner. but maybe if i had watched it before, i wouldn't have appreciated it as much as i do now, since now i understand the story on a personal level. meaningful friendships, mature characters, and a realistic storyline. overall a good watch for sure.
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POV is EVERYTHING!
How many dramas have we seen where the fl's family is framed or wrongly accused and punished to death while the fl escapes narrowly and vows to avenge? Well that's the story of our 2fl Muyao here. Then there is a girl who drugs the guy she loves just to marry him, schemes and harms the other lady love of her beloved to get her out of her way, physically assaults a girl for revenge, colludes with enemies etc. Villainess, right? This mastermind behind everything going awry in the 2fl's life is our fl hua qian.Even so, we as viewers are mostly sympathizing with hua qian for what she went through and bashing mu yao for her actions, including me, because the story is from her perspective entirely.
Story and characters: Let me start with hua qian's redemption arc. She does everything she can to prevent her family from being massacred again, assuming that she has got a second chance at life after doing countless evil, losing everything and dying once. Unfortunately, her redemption isn't real. The past cannot be changed, the dead cannot be revived unless it is a dream, which is exactly what it is. There, she goes back in time to when she has done whatever evil was to be done, and now she has to deal with the aftermath to prevent what happened before from happening again. We see in her pov, how she tries to do whatever possible to save the day, without doing further evil, to the point where she didn't even avenge her brother's murder. Now onto her brother's character, he is crap. He sexually assaults women, has countless concubines taken by force, a useless good for nothing. But, he is very sincere to his family, to the point where he takes the fatal arrow meant for his sister just to protect her. Her small family of four is tightly bound, with deep love for each other. Her character's biggest saving grace is her love for family. Even most villains sacrifice their families and close ones for their own benefit. She did everything to protect them in this second chance after knowing the outcome. But does that mean that she is a good person? No, she regrets losing her family and everything else so she tries to repent after making mistakes. She is a grey character at most.
Onto the men in this drama, Zhong yelan is the root cause of for everything to begin. It was to get him that hq did evil to get my out of the scene. But he still chose my both times. Albeit in the second chance, she chose to divorce him. And also, zyl is a very trashy 3ml. When hq drugged him or her father framed her family it was evil. But when his beloved my did evil, like when she caused her brother to die, caused her to fall off the cliff, those were justified to him. A duplicitous hypocrite is all that i can say about him. Next i don't know who is the 2ml and who is the ml. So first i will say about hua rongzhou. He is a dog for real. Loyal, ferocious, protective, possessive, all for his only master, the fl. He is willing to do absolutely anything for her, even despite all morals. But he overestimated himself often, didn't know his place considering the era and his position as a servant, proud and very rude to everyone else. I know why she would choose him over the one she possibly loved, the one who came with burdens, because she wanted love from zyl which led her to do the evil, so if she had someone as devoted as hrz already, perhaps she wouldn't do that. Alas he was just an imagination born from this exact sentiment in her "second chance", who doesn't exist in the real world. Onto the last male, zhong xiwu. He is not perfect but in the second chance, his love for her was intense but she didn't reciprocate it. The most important point to be noted is, since the second chance that spans over 28 episodes is just a dream, so we don't get to see the real povs of anyone else. Whatever we see is in the fl's pov, so i doubt its credibility and are led to believe that nobody did the fl right since that's how she feels. So all the men are rather twisted and seemingly not good enough for her. Coming back to reality, i think zyl's actions were justified as he hated her for what she did. She really caused 2fl's family to die, drugged him to marry her, tried to separate them, etc. Even so, that doesn't make muyao any good, she is still a bitch. In any other drama shown from the victim's pov, we would have been elated to see this happening to hq. As for zxw, i have to commend him for being this kind and patient. He saved her in the 1st ep, he slowly nursed her back to health all the while she was living her perfect life in that dream. But i also think he is quite foolish to like a woman like that. I believe he must have done his part in reality too to protect her as much as he could although we aren't shown much of that part. I wonder how pure and true his love has to be to save this kind of person. Must say that the dream was dragged out for way too long and ep 28 was unnecessary. In reality, she was not good enough for zxw. But didn't she deserve love? Yes of course she did. She knew what she did was wrong and was repentant and wanted to turn things around. Also losing her whole family and everything else was a pretty big punishment already. I won't spoil the final ending. But this really needs a s2.
Cast: That young man is fine af. First saw wang xingyue in one and only, he was good there. And he has even improved manifold since then here. He looks way more mature than his age. If he takes good projects and is in a good agency, he is going to shine real bright in the future since he is so young now and already so good. His acting as zxw was perfect as a conflicted man in a difficult spot. I first saw zhou ye in back from the brink and knew that she was good and here i wasn't disappointed too. She did her role perfectly. About zhang yajie and peng chu yue, i found the former too stiff considering his intense character, and the latter did good at the micro expressions that were needed for his character. As for others, nobody particularly stuck out.
Production: decent production. Didn't like the costumes and styling of the women. They just looked weird with those hair scarves. The soundtrack was so good.
Overall i would 100% recommend watching this. I was this close to crying so many times while watching this, that's how emotional it was. A hidden gem of 2023. It has a message being conveyed too. I got the rating down for its stupid pacing, useless filler ep, incompleteness, ending, misleading description and i really hate 2fl. I will rewatch this someday too.
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good acting, great production, average story
Lets begin with what i liked and the characters.I liked the MLs character the most. Strong, dark, ruthless and fearsome who doesn't lose his dignity, glory, power and influence for a girl yet was pitiful. His character is consistently strong throughout and never lost his spine just to become a weak shadow of his former self. He was charming and his dark side was even hotter. The way he protected the fl every time was so sweet, even though he had his agenda. Overall i loved dfqc from start till end. At first her constant whining to go back to fairy realm even after how she was treated there really bothered me, and i hated how she treated dfqc with hypocrisy even after he did so much for her, and all she did was create troubles for him, though i did understand her feelings for Chang heng, her first crush, a hero that all girls love. She was really weak and her being overly kind to everyone, every time isn't that amazing either, she was spineless mostly, maybe it's just my preference for strong FLs which she wasn't. But i did like how self aware, brave, persistent and determined and at times a little witty she was and she wasn't insecure about her weakness.The first time they swapped bodies was so funny. She was overall a weak little girl with a big heart, too kind, ignorant and innocent and not the most likeable person, and i felt like slapping the hell out of her uncountable times for the first 16 eps. Later on i realized that xi yun was just supposed to be the epitome of kindness and benevolence and purity so she was always sacrificed so i accepted it. Chidi and xiyun were literally lambs to the slaughter, whatever happens they always took the worst hit, i felt bad for both. The first time they swapped bodies was so funny. Jieli was annoying and manipulative throughout and she was one of my least liked characters. Poor shangque. I rather liked Danyin, she grew on me as the story progressed. Rong hao was so evil and hypocritical and he was like a cockroach, never dying, well the so called heavenly king was a bigger hypocritical bastard, why didn't this dirtbag get punished again?
But there was plot development for almost every main character. The story was great too. Cast did a good job with strong performance.
Dylan Wang's acting surprised me here. He did it so damn well. The stupid weak behaviour of the girl, the devilish, cruel, cold and arrogant moon supreme, he did them both smoothly. This isn't what i expected after miss the dragon where i saw him first. This was my first time watching esher yu, and as annoying xiao lan hua with her weak and innocent character was, she did well as xi yun which i did not expect. i admit i had issues with her constant whiny voice and childish acting tho, her voice stung my ears and always behaving like a child was outright annoying, she is better in somber roles like xi yun and for the few seconds she was dfqc.. xu haiqiao as always played the bad guy. I like cristy guo every time she plays a good role, but she again didn't teach her disciple well and he fell for her again and did evil.. bad shifu. But tbh even though i dig master disciple romances, rong hao and chidi felt so wrong to me and it has nothing to do with female teacher male disciple, but the fact that she RAISED him from a child. She was more like a mother to him and not what was portrayed.
Loved the ost, cgi and overall production. Though sometimes the costumes of Chang heng and DFQC were too dramatic and new designs in cdramaland and i am not used to them, didn't really like them much either. Cgi was exquisite. The opening and ending murals were stunning. Glad that the fl got beautiful costumes unlike in most cdramas. Overall i liked it very much and would suggest watching it.
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Wholesome show indeed!
This is one of those cdramas that come silently, not star studded, not many anticipated it, and turn out to be surprisingly great, better than a lot other hyped shows. Initially i moved past this one after reading the synopsis because it wasn't my cup of tea and i am no fan of family/life dramas because they tend to be melodramatic but this was far from it and the synopsis does the show justice but makes it sound so bland, not the best description imo. It was a breath of fresh air with the whole vibe of the show, so much positivity, merriment and good things happening everywhere. Watching it felt like looking at people living a good daily life in happiness and peace with love. It was such a peaceful and feel good show.
The pacing was great. It spans over about 4 yrs in 40 eps, there wasn't anything boring or anything rushed, editing was good, no plotholes or abrupt scene changes.
Coming to the acting, Tian Xiwei is such a cutie but her voice bugs me so much. Her acting as a cheerful optimistic girl was good, but nothing fabulous about it. Her character had developed quite a lot, and she was mostly likeable when she wasn't being rash. Bai Jingting, his acting was on point, perfect. His character was rather flat one, but enjoyed it. But in some scenes how much he looked like Cheng yi was creepy. I liked all the characters except 4th consort and 2nd former crown prince. Special mention i loved Yuan Ying, but i was so worried that they'd make her fall for the ml and ruin the whole relationship dynamic in the family but luckily they didn't do that and she had a strictly platonic relationship, as a mentor. The 4th prince was annoying but grew to be so adorable. And Su shen was so sweet. The solar term ladies and all other princess consorts were very good and their unity and friendship, sisterhood was a rare theme to see in a cdrama because usually all females are in love with the ml so they are collectively bitches to the fl. Here the ladies had a beautiful bond with each other and it was so good to see. Even some characters that i didn't really like at first sight had developed into likeable characters, like 2nd princess consort, Song wu, 3rd prince, Mls mother, etc. Importantly, they all have their own characters which are unique and different from the rest, and none of them is willing to morph their originality to please others.
The story highlights deeply on the themes of women empowerment and modernization of society in a traditional state and gender discrimination too. Other important themes were sisterhood among the ladies and brotherhood among the princes. It was well executed. There were mostly happy things going on, but nothing in life is only good, so there was a fair little share of bad things too, but not to the point of tragedy or melodrama. The story was heartwarming, how the leads managed to achieve their each individual dreams without sacrificing someone's life and all the other characters too got their own happiness and deserved endings. The writing of the story and the characters was smooth and very well done. The last 5 eps had a lot of romance that it lacked in the previous eps. The ending was very happy. The family life was well portrayed with warmth and no ultra evil characters who were doing black magic to ruin the leads. Not everyone was out to get the main couple and i liked this uniqueness, since everyone had their own thing to do and it did not have anything to do with harming the leads. A family/life drama written, executed and done so well is rare for sure.
Overall it was a pleasant watch and I'd recommend watching it for the positivity and warmth it spreads. The characters and storylines are good, the ending is sugary sweet and wonderful. It is happy and peaceful, perfect for a break from other heavy dramas.
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Maybe watch it for the cast who did a great job
Let me begin by how annoyed i am by the ending. I was hooked when i first started watching it not gonna lie. And seriously the first 20 eps were good, entertaining. The last 5 eps mainly were over the top rushed and with the amount of deleted scenes i think another 10 full eps can be made. It was pathetic, the editing and the ending. So many loose strings left untied, so much time unnecessarily spent on useless cases, i get it that it is a medical drama so u gotta focus more on the medical scenes but just handle them quicker instead of going slow in the beginning then rushing everything into a mess in the last eps to the point where it was even difficult to figure things out or get a good closure. The ending and the last 5 eps as a whole was so UNSATISFACTORY. It could have been so much better if it had better editing.Lets move on to the characters now- i grew to love Bai Zhu, his character had growth, from an annoying bratty doctor to a mature man under the influence of his lady live who he relentlessly pursued. Xiao Yan was a little confusing to me, since i couldn't understand whether she even felt something for Bai Zhu, that part was simply not given any focus. There was almost no couple time, them growing feelings for each other was so vague, especially for the FL. They literally showed her only when she was needed for the treatments, her POV on her feelings, about Bai Zhu, her efforts were NEVER shown. Xiaoguang was such a nice character.
I can't say it enough really but I HATED TANG HUA! How can a non love rival character be that irritating? How??? Her whole damn arc was irritating, she and her stupid Chen Zhi both had zero growth, were totally flat and annoying characters. I fast forwarded all her scenes. Even zheng yajie was 100x better than her.
I wanted to see more on the director and head nurse's story but that was cut short too, without a closure just like all other side characters were.
Most of the patients stories were so dramatic, i hated the characters of so many family members and some patients too. Their stories were extra emotional to a melodramatic extent.
The doctors own stories were okay, but side characters had 0 character development. The romance was not well built, thought it was understandable and could've been a good love story with better direction.
I can't quite complain about the acting because i found 0 fault with it, also i am a ym fan and i quite like bai yu. Thats the best part of the show imo.
Watch it if u want good acting, melodramatic stories, and nothing else to watch.
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short, interesting and has a good ending
This was a pleasant watch. Finished it in less than 48hrs. The story was interesting and sort of mysterious. There were quite a few nerve wracking moments. Though i must admit that the 1st 2 eps were legit confusing but get through it and it's an interesting yet smooth journey. I liked the story, the unexpected turns and background stories. Nothing is what it seems. Deserves the good rating. Besides that it is short, engaging and has a good ending. I liked acting of all the important characters. Didn't bother about the osts though, wasn't important but bgm was suitable. The production was done very very well. My 2nd drama of this genre, and now i believe even more that this genre is best among all the modern dramas if done well.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Cai Bu Yao He Lao Ban Tan Lian Ai
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"I want the thousand eyes of eternal light to see only you."
What do i say about this series.. i regret not watching this sooner. This is way way better than i expected. This was such a wholesome, heartwarming, cute without overdoing it story with lots of comedy and romantic scenes.
Characters and acting: This is my 3rd drama of Huang Zitao, not gonna lie his characters are sort if similar in all 3 of them. But this was so far his best performance and also the most likeable character he played. He was in love with the fl through and through, for 10 years. His devotion and care for her with the facade of reluctance was sweet and fun to watch. Mostly he was an introverted guy in one sided love with the fl and dared not voice out his feelings, just misunderstand the fl with the sml. He did so much for her silently and his efforts went unnoticed and very often i found him pitiful. The way he always had her back, cared for her family, never looked at others the same way ... i LOVED him. Never watched the fl before, but i think she did her role well. In the dream which lasted for over 20 eps, she was all about her career, avoiding her nemesis of love, not making the same mistakes that she once did and often came off as cold to the ml. She was oblivious to mls feelings for her because she didn't expect it ever but everything that he did for her, screamed that he liked her. During the 20 eps of the dream, sometimes i just couldn't see any romantic feelings from her side. She was rather selfish and not that caring to the ml at times. Only after ep 23 when she woke up, did it actually seem that she loved him from her actions. The ml and fl had such amazing natural chemistry. The sml was rather likeable and pitiful in the dream, but after she woke up he was trashy. I must say that i shipped ml and sml a lot in the dream, their interactions were HILARIOUS. Lol. I liked the bromance. Shiyun and Qian Chuan were the best side couple ever. I liked fls dad, no wonder she loved her father so much. The other characters were also mostly warm and supportive.
Story: A flawed fl with lots of regrets about her life, dreams that she went back to her college self and made different choices to lessen her regrets, only to have the same ultimate ending; and an introvert but very considerate ml who kept supporting her through everything and finally got his girl and overcame challenges together to achieve their own goals. The ending was sweet and all the characters got what they deserved. A very happy and satisfying ending.
Production : Well i think that a lot of important scenes were cut down in the last 5 6 eps, so I'd say rather poorly edited. The sml had a lot of screentime and the ml was not given that much chance to shine compared to the sml. Music wasn't really special. Cinematography was well done.
This show made me blush, laugh, smile and cry all together. Overall i really liked it a lot and would recommend watching it to everyone who is looking for something warm, happy, sweet, satisfying and fun to watch.
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Too late to the party but oh well i waited out the torturous release phase
A well executed revenge plot drama some politics, lots of cute and funny moments, a harem of nice mls, a really amazing fl- overall a perfect mix of romance, politics and revenge. Though must say that although it is primarily revenge plot, it is not suffocatingly angsty . It focuses on family and romance a lot.It is honestly not at all as awful as some reviews and comments say. I really liked it very much. Some people don't like the show for the ml because he played villains in some other popular shows, but it's my first time watching him and he is fine to me.
Let me start by saying that the only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb here is the production. Though it's not disastrous, it's watchable, but just doesn't match the level of the acting and story, which are its best ingredients to hold someone's attention.
Now onto what I love the most- it's the FL's character.. I've been watching cdramas for almost 2 yrs now, and I've been used to the typical airhead FLs that always cause trouble and need saving. But here the FL is incredibly intelligent, mature and calculating, which is very rare for cdramas to have. She is far from a reckless, impulsive, dumb and stupid girl, she is cautious, always analysing everything around and carefully planning her next actions, which is very appealing to me.
Next, it is her harem- 4 very different men are interested in her romantically. Her primary love interest general Zhu Zan, a duke's son and her childhood sweetheart, is investigating his lover's death, unbeknownst to him that Dr Jun is indeed her. However, he stays around her because she intrigues him with some of her actions that are similar to his lost lover, and gradually starts liking her. They have a nice chemistry and their scenes are sometimes very funny with his hilarious actions. Needless to say they are very free around each other. Next is Ning Yun Zhao, a noble scholar, as smart and able as the fl, was engaged to Jun Zhenzhen before birth. He falls in love with Jiuling as Zhenzhen primarily due to her wits and such qualities. They are too formal and courteous to each other, and treat each other with respect, because firstly she has long been in love with Zhu Zan, and secondly, she can't steal Zhenzhen's fiance. Their scenes are somewhat painful to watch because his heart breaks repeatedly. Next up is Lu Yun Qi, a creepy palace guard head obsessed with princess Jiuling who had saved him once in childhood, and her ex husband and currently married to her sister. His scenes really gave me the creeps with his disgusting actions. I don't like him at all. Now onto the sweetest kid, Fang Cheng Yu, Zhenzhen's cousin, who Jiuling marries to cure his illness and also to root out the evils in the Fang family and then divorces. Jiuling clearly saw him as her brother, but it was his first time liking someone and it was sweet watching a sick young man irritated by everything, gradually warming up and falling in love as he regained his health.
Story: The story is very interesting though the plot isn't exactly very uncommon- the fl wants to avenge her father's death and I've watched quite a few similar dramas, but this has to be the one of the best. Chu Jiuling's father was killed by her uncle and she failed in her revenge for the first time and averted death at the cost of her co-disciple Zhenzhen and teacher's life. She came back with her face to survive and pave her path towards the murderer, the greedy and evil emperor, for revenge. From eliminating the evils in Zhenzhen's maternal family to uncovering the old conspiracies involved in her father's death to facing the enemies on the battlefield and saving people as a talented doctor, and in the process reuniting with her loved one, the main plot has several subplots that drive the story without once being draggy and hold the viewer's attention.
Also it has a nice satisfying happy ending, so that just makes it all the more fun.
Characters and acting: I've already described the main characters above, so now I'll say about some side characters. That damn maid didn't know her place, kept making trouble for the fl, and was terrible at her job, she got on my nerves every freaking time. She was the definition of useless. Why the hell didn't Jiuling get rid of her? I loved Zhenzhen's family, they were so good. ZZ's parents made a very nice family, just opposite to the mother and sister of NYZ, who were just as irritating as other small time villains. Chu Rang, the emperor and his prime minister were very evil. Even being the emperor couldn't satiate his greed.
PXR's acting was on point, she did amazing with the various sides of her character, JH did really very well too in his character, his emotions were very well portrayed. WYS gave off tranquil vibes for his noble character, he was just as good as a gentle and heartbroken lover. DYF really made my skin crawl with his crazy behavior sometimes, so his acting fit his character well. Both Ning and Yunqi were pitiful characters when it came to love. ZZ also played the "arrogant teen in love for first time so now im all sweet and caring" part well. Others did a good job too.
Production: The makeup and costumes were just not good enough for the backgrounds of the characters. The makeup team did a really bad job. Almost all of them were rich and nobility, but the costumes felt kind of cheap and not good. Especially PXR's makeup.. they could've done it a lot better. No offense, but her makeup made her look much older and her hairstlye made her forehead look bigger. She is very beautiful, but they found a way to pull her beauty down.
Overall, I've loved it watching once, I'd definitely come back to rewatch it once i get time. I admit it isn't totally perfect, has some flaws and plot holes, some things weren't quite explained, but what even is perfect? Also i obviously recommend watching it. (I actually made my friend start cdrama with this and he actually really liked it so I'm extra glad).
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Not exactly what i expected with an unexpectedly good ending
I had high expectations for this one after i saw a clip of it in Stairway to Stardom (2017) and had been waiting for it from the time i saw it was supposed to be a thing but unfortunately it failed me really bad. The only good thing that came out is the ending and 2nd couple story. VERY LONG REVIEW ALERT!!!!In short, it starts off well, is a mess for eps 10-30, last 6 eps are amazing.
Story: Honestly, the theme of love that transcends over several lifetimes is particularly appealing and beautiful so i expected better. After watching hits like EL and L&R, i was disappointed in how a similar plot was executed here. Granted that this was not a high budget drama like them, but that doesn't exactly explain this terrible mess of a story for the main couple, though it was way better done for the 2nd couple. Now, someone tell me why the hell did the dragon king fall in love with the FL? It started with the ML trying to bring something to become a powerful immortal, but ended up injured and became a snake and got saved by an innocent Liu Ying, the FL. Our ML wants to pay back to the FL for saving him and then boom! He is in love with her. Why? He literally gave up whatever he was doing or supposed to do, went against everyone, got hurt a million times to save our damsel in distress of a FL, sacrificed everything possible for her. The FL kept repeating her pitiful lives, and falling for him everytime. Their love story was rather boring and repetitive. He keeps watching over her for 3 lives, saving her, and then she dies and forgets him. And it repeats again.
On to our 2nd couple. Like everyone else, i loved the 2nd couple story, chemistry and characters a lot more than the main leads. Their story was actually very well written with a constancy. It was understandable how and why they fell in love and it was interesting to find their past. It was a show stealer for real. Sometimes i even felt that the 2nd story is the real plot, using the main story as a cover.
About the antagonist, he was a complete shallow and evil a-hole.
Ending: Was that ending written by someone else? Like the main couple's story got a lot better towards the very end. The 2nd couple got their happy ending. The ending was amazing and really a redeeming factor for the whole drama. Spoiler: they technically died, but SML sent them to a different world with only them two there, with their pasts, memories and forever.
Characters and acting: I didn't like the main couple's characters. They weren't even written properly. The whole time the ML was arrogant with little to no expression on his face and it looked like he was angry and questioning "why did i take this drama again?" The ML had practically nothing to do other than save the FL and sometimes kiss her. The fl was always a pitiful little girl and she does that well. The 1st and 2nd lives roles suit her more than being a mighty general in her 3rd life. (Actually im just a little biased because she keeps reminding me of Xuannu from EL, so i just don't think she suits a brave heroine role well. Don't come at me, im not spreading any hate). there wasn't much chemistry as well between them.
Now to my beloved 2nd couple. They had a cute chemistry, their acting was very well done, they had nicely written characters with a good backstory. It didn't seem like it was just his debut for the SML, he was that good. The SFL was charming and cute.
i loved the bromance between the ml and sml more than the 1st couple romance. In fact the ml's interactions with everyone had a lot more emotions, but with the fl, he felt like a robot.
Music and production: The music was good, cgi looked really fake but pretty. Costumes were very pretty. Oh and did those wolf demons had to have such funny doll like appearance? 🤦🏻♀️ all other demons were in their human forms but some demons looked so silly and funny.
I'd not rewatch it. This story should've been about the 2nd couple with the 1st couple story as a side story. As for the main couple, can watch it, or skip their parts, but do watch the bits of the 2nd couple. Anyway watch it or not, you won't be missing on something great, because its merits don't outweigh the flaws.
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Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain
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Is it just me or is this show really not as popular as it should be?
At first I avoided this one because of some reviews but thankfully i came back to it.Let's start with how funny this show was. There were times when i couldn't catch my breath laughing. Many people think there are lame jokes but i liked them. The comic relief of this drama was really amazing. Well it gave off real bl vibes and comedy upto episode 17 after which it started changing to a serious crime mystery kinda plot. The comedy and bl part were toned down a lot but there were still lots of scenes that gave a good laugh. Also this show had a way of turning things around by 180 degree staright. There was more bromance than romance but it was still good.
About the fl, i loved her eccentric character and i got nothing to say about her acting because i think she fit the role of being an age old teacher. Xu kai was amazing as usual (and yeah i love him) and i loved his intelligent character too. The other important characters were mostly complex.
The music was okay, effects and cgi was okay, costumes sure were of different style from other shows of this genre.
And that ending dance god XD. I am gonna wait for the 2nd season, coz this wasn't over yet.
Overall i liked it a lot. And i might rewatch it again.
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Good story with potential wasted
I finally finished it after having it on hold for quite a few months and here is what i have to say:Story and characters: This has a lot of loopholes. The biggest and most disappointing one being Su Youlian being the saintess didn't even know much about her own clan. Like wth? You just have brute strength and no brains right? And your brain works only when making use of prince mu and manipulating li xuan? Plus both the guys sacrificed a lot for her while she gave nothing in return. Why are all the cdrama girls always like this? Next, how come the 2nd princess knew so much? She was such a complex character, god! On to another one. Li Xuan thinking that the FL was responsible for his father's death, hurt her so much, but after he regained his memories and realized everything, how come he couldn't bring himself to hurt that person? Like c'mon man, you hurt the girl for no real good reason but let go of the real criminal. There were several such loopholes everywhere and not to mention the reactions of everyone in real situations was off, again one flaw of how the story was written that simply excluded the fact that others should be surprised at certain things. The story was great in itself, except how it was executed with so much flaws. This one could've been a really great one if the plot was done justice.
Also the pacing. The initial episodes were pretty slow for a show that's gonna have just 28 in total. So a lot of time was wasted in useless stuff and that made the later ones too rushed. At times the love triangle part gave me Ashes of Love vibes for real ngl!
Ending: the later episodes were obviously rushed and needed better explanation, but it wrapped up with everyone having a happy ending.
Acting: I love Xu Kai.. he is just so charming and amazing. His character was pretty poorly written just like most others, but his acing was great. The FL could've smiled a little more. The 2nd ML was my favourite again. He did a good job, basically his character was good beyond imagination. Other actors did a pretty good job too. Now onto Lord Zi and the sword spirit, these 2 shifus were horrible. And this lord zi guy is everywhere! And he is the same evil every time ugh.
Music and others: The cgi and effects weren't bad, but nothing extraordinary either. The costumes used for the sha guo arc were very beautiful but not so much for anyone else. The music was pretty good, i liked it. Btw, i don't understand the name of the drama. Like why and how is it even related?
Anyway, overall i liked it, but wouldn't probably rewatch it. Since it's just 28 eps with the basic story being pretty good, I'd suggest giving it a try.
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Beautiful visuals with a decent story
After being on hold in my list for over a year i finally finished it and i get it why most people love it while others hate it. I said in a comment that i can't bring myself to love it like most people. I really have mixed feelings about it. So I will start with what i loved the most and then go on to my dissatisfaction and rants. Oh god this will be a long one and spoiler heavy.Production: Clearly this show had a BIG budget. The costumes were totally stunning. The backgrounds, cgi and the show as a whole was aesthetically pleasing.
Music: I am not a chinese speaker nor do i understand the language, so i judge basically on the music, then go for the translated lyrics. The tracks were magical. The music felt more in tune with the show than the lyrics to me. This album is one of my most favorite of cdrama albums.
Acting: The SML and FL are 2 of the actors i really love, but performance of everyone was beautiful and believable.
Story and characters: this is what i want to rant about. Why? What did Runyu ever do to the author? His character had a depth and complexity. He was thoroughly the most pitiful and pathetic character who ALWAYS got the short end of the stick. He suffered so much, lost so much. He was extremely tolerant and patient with jinmi, and loved her so much, he sacrificed so much for her, he did so much for her, but with absolutely nothing in return. It is understandable that he went down the wrong path eventually in the end because he most definitely deserved A LOT better but he got the worst.
Now on to Jinmi and Xufeng. Well i didn't like them. In the initial episodes when she was a little ignorant girl, it was better. She became horrible after she did THAT. She was indecisive and dumb. Even when she thought she avenged her parents, she failed everyone. She sacrificed so much for Xufeng, who practically was the root of all her troubles and Runyu was always her savior. This is one of the less common shows where its FL sacrifices for the ML with the SML endlessly sacrificing for her. I felt that Xufeng had the least growth in the entire series. He stayed the same- a kind, strong, privileged guy with easy life; devoted but filial lover who failed to protect his love from his parents.
Suihe was super evil and got what she deserved. Then come the heavenly emperor and empress. They were the definition of evil and what they got was too light on them. The demon princess was dumb brave and rest of the characters were okay. I must say i loved jinmi's father and his wife.
About the story... well the author obviously loved xufeng and hated runyu so everything that went on during the story were in his favor. I had it on hold for so long because the amount of evil things going on were too much foŕ me to take. The story might have played out differently if the mortal arc didn't have xufeng, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him so deeply. Many people make Runyu look like the villain but what they don't say is how xufeng forcibly kept her with him from the very beginning when she didn't even know about relationships and treated them the same. Runyu fell for her at first sight then it kept growing. It wasn't the same for xufeng who fell for her after seeing her dressed up as a woman. Well i obviously like runyu more so i shipped them. But whatever happened was for the ending to be like that. So everything was wrapped up very well, despite the bittersweet ending.
I would recommend watching it. If not for the story and characters, for the pretty visuals and beautiful music that it offers. And though similar tropes were used in LAR and this, their stories are vastly different.
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One gem of a story
What don't i love about this drama? I am honestly looking for an answer to it. Starting from the music to the acting of every actor to the story itself, i love each and every part of it. The CGI was also so beautiful for the most part.Story: The story is very well written, with all loose ends tied up and almost all backstories well explained. All the characters had beautiful development and it was so nice to see them all getting what each of them deserved.
Acting and Characters: First i want to say about Yuan Bingyan's acting. She brought Chu Xuanji to life and it was so beautiful that i can't explain in words. Yu Sifeng was one wonderful character that won my heart every time and i couldn't help but fall in love, and although i wished he was a little more hard hearted, maybe it's his kindness and selflessness was what i loved the most. He took sacrificing for love to a whole new level and luckily its wasn't just all take and no give for the FL (unlike some other drama). And might i say that i just loved Teng She and Wu Zhiqi too!
There were characters that i surely didn't like, Xiao Yin Hua, the FL's father and Ruo Yu, and all the righteous sect leaders for that matter. And few that i hated like Yuan Lang, Wu Tong (he was really impressive but too cruel and evil and obsessed for my liking) and Bailing (though i liked him at first, as the story progressed i started hating his character). Mosha Xing was pitiful for real.
I didn't give it a 10 because:
1. Linglong's story was given too much importance, didn't like that part much.
2. I really expected that the ML being the heavenly prince would assert some authority at some point but he didn't do that like ever, i really wish he were a little less soft hearted, he was too emotional. (But this is totally my own opinion).
3. Also Yuan Lang's backstory was never really explained.
4. In the early episodes, the same flashbacks were very repetitive, could've shown some other part of past than the same thing time and again.
5. Man the so called righteous sects and King Bailing were utterly villainous and evil! They were ultra prejudiced against everyone of other clans, ugh!
Now for the music: This album is honestly the best that I've heard in any cdrama. I love the soundtracks beyond words.
Overall: Go ahead and watch it. This is too good to be missed. It has its flaws, but its merits outnumber them greatly. I might just watch it again if i get time coz let's be real, 59 eps of 45 min each is pretty long!
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