1
frankly
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Meteoric Disaster
I have not read the manga nor seen any adaptation of this, so take this review for what it is.It started off pretty good with good comedic execution, but about the 1/3 of the way through it just started to drag and drag and drag at a snail's pace. I started watching at 1.5x the speed and it still dragged, e.g., there was a scene where FL counted the 520 flower bouquet from the ML...seriously?! Like I want to watch someone count flowers for a couple of minutes?! It dragged out even at 1.5x speed...and there were other parts like that...walking in the rain...ugh...
I'll start w/ the bad as I'll need some time to think about what was good...
- FL started of strong and fearless, but eventually became indecisive, weak, annoying
- ML character was mean, abusive, a jerk, selfish, and though was supposed to be financially smart and had a plan to re-conceptualize Daoming hotels, he couldn't apply this to change the fate of the company nor himself
- Side romances were unnecessary (I skipped through them...didn't see the point)
- Too many flashbacks that re-hashed stories that already made the drama drag on, on it's first pass
- Too many episodes - could have finished the entire thing in 20 episodes and make it more exciting
- I've seen better dramas portraying poor girl/boy romance with rich boy/girl
- Halfway through, it seems the screenwriters were using every trope possible to keep this drama going (kidnapping, fasting protest, weird wedding, ugh...)
The little bit of good
- Started off strong with good comedic execution
- I guess that's it...
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Wonderful adaptation
It's my first BL drama and was unsure about watching it. The first couple of episodes were confusing and the CGI in the opening fight scene was just laughable... However, I'm so happy I stuck with it because after the first 10 episodes or so, it just kept getting better and better.I liked how the bond between WWX and LWJ developed over the episodes and how they cared for each other. The two leads were amazing in the roles and the chemistry between them was palpable. I was invested in the characters so much that even when the plot/storyline was somewhat slow in parts, I stayed interested...waiting for the leads to pull me back in again.
I highly recommend watching this...in fact, I ended up re-watching this a couple of times! The OST is beautiful.
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Luo Yunxi makes this unbearable drama bearable
This was painful to watch. I wanted to give up by episode 15, but kept going because the reviews were high and some said it got better after episode 30. So i got to episode 35 and was about to give up, then read that it got better at episode 40. At episode 46, I gave up.The only saving grace thus far has been Runyu's storyline and Luo Yunxi's terrific acting, but he can only carry this drama so far...
The love story is a mess...there was no love between the ML and FL. ML and his uncle basically manipulated the FL into "loving" the ML while the FL was engaged to Runyu. ML even had intimate relations with FL while FL was engaged. So sad and disgusting. ML was spoiled and used to getting everything he wants. FL was weak and annoying throughout.
At episode 15, i started playing with speed of 1.5x, by episode 30 i was fast forwarding and only stopping when Runyu's parts were shown. There is NO comparison to Ten Miles of Peach Blossom/Eternal Love. In TMOPB, both FL and ML experienced real hardship together and were willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good (saving people and the realm). Up to episode 46, the ML and FL in Ashes of Love had no love for the people/realm, other than themselves. Only Runyu was willing to go against a corrupt Heavenly Realm to save the ordinary people living in it.
Even though I watched it up to episode 46 for Runyu, I decided to stop and just watch another cdrama with Luo Yunxi in it. I'm sure any other drama with him as lead would be better than this.
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Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
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Unexpected
I had low expectations coming into this series after watching Nirvana in Fire, but was happily impressed. The story and the characters are quite different, so there's no point in comparing. They were both good in their own right.Story: I fell in love with the Chang Lin family. I could see why so many people would go after them because of jealousy and fear. Their love for each other wasn't over the top, it is how a loving family really are and the actors portrayed it really well. The villains could have been developed more, though. I couldn't really empathize with them nor root for them or their plight. I liked how Ping Jing realizes he needs to live life for himself and that his family was supportive of that. I also felt relief and happiness, as he did, when he was finally able to let go of all the guilt weighing in his heart and live freely.
Actors: I'm thoroughly impressed by Liu Hao Ran and how his character developed throughout the series. Towards the end I wish they had kept more focus on him instead of Yuan Qi. I had heard grumblings about Huang Xiao Ming before I started watching, but I was also impressed by his portrayal of Ping Zhang as Ping Jing's older brother. I liked the supporting cast, including Tong Li Ya (Qian Xue) and Sun Chen (Ting Sheng), but somehow couldn't really connect with Lin Xi's character. I'm not sure if it's the actress or the character.
I really enjoyed this series because I was invested in the Chang Lin family, especially Ping Jing. Ping Jing's experiences and motivations resonated with me. I strongly recommend if you like character development and strong family relationships.
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Great Expectations - Twin Dragons
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Amusing prison romp laced with dark undertones
I decided to watch this after seeing Liu Hao Ran in Nirvana in Fire 2. After seeing this, I'd love to see him play intense, dark, sinister characters.If you don't like profanity and uncomfortable with adult themes, then this is not for you.
The good:
- story is fast-paced, 6 episodes at about 20-23min. each
- Liu Hao Ran as the son of mobster bosses who is not afraid to stir up trouble anywhere, for his beliefs
- Chen Hao as his comedic prison buddy
- unexpected outrageous and humorous events interspersed throughout
The not so good:
- the crux of the story is fairly simple (though it was executed very well)
- some of the supporting actors were a bit over the top (but it still fit adequately into the story)
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Love Your Bones Forever 2
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Not what I expected...
I think I had high hopes for this drama because of the high ratings and because it stars Bai Lu, but it missed the mark for me. It was still a fairly good drama, just not as good as I was expecting.It starts out interesting, then the middle is a slow burn, and then picks up the last 3 episodes. I think it could have improved by adding more fight scenes (the fights they had were well-choreographed and therefore they should have added more), adding more spice to the ML/FL romance (romance was there, but barely palpable - maybe because the ML is supposed to be more reserved and battle hardened, but this makes the chemistry between the ML/FL not as electric), and making the FL stronger (she seemed fine just being told what to do vs fighting for what she wanted, but maybe this is because of the time period where it was just taken for granted that royalty women will do what is expected of them, though the female generals were awesome and badass). Bai Lu would have been a great badass woman, but unfortunately, her role here was not just to play a mute, but to be muted as a character as well.
The positives
- The strong female generals that kicked-ass
- Well-choreographed fight scenes (should have had more)
- Episodes 1, 2, 22, 23, 24
- Wang Xing Yue as was a nice surprise (thought he was good in this role - made me feel sorry for him and hate him, while still liking him lol)
The negatives
- Weak female lead that unfortunately doesn't become stronger as drama progresses
- Slow burn from episodes 5-21 (played at 1.5x speed to get through it)
- I was expecting more from Ren Jia Lun but maybe he was constrained by the character in the script
- Story seemed forced in some parts which made it drag
I'll likely not watch the sequel Forever and Ever. I really liked the chemistry and the romance between Bai Lu and Luo Yun Xi in the modern drama Love is Sweet and I think that will be hard to beat.
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What a Gem
After watching The Untamed, I decided to give this series a try. I had very low expectations to start because I really liked The Untamed and didn't think any other BL drama could come close. Was I wrong...To be honest, I started watching this criticizing everything because I was comparing it to The Untamed which I had just watched. Then I started to slowly love the characters, their chemistry, and the series on their own. There is no comparison. Both The Untamed and Word of Honor are wonderful dramas, but what makes them special is that they are both unique in their own ways. Once I stopped comparing them did I truly enjoy Word of Honor.
I can't say enough about the two main leads GJ and ZZH. Their chemistry was off the charts and this is due in part to the wonderful script writing and the portrayal of their characters. It is unfortunate this drama didn't get sufficient funding to boost the production, but perhaps this is what makes this drama a real gem. It is able to stand strong even with so little funding because the team put their heart and soul into the production despite all the obstacles during the making of this drama. I think this makes this drama even more beautiful.
The supporting characters were also wonderful, the costumes (though not lavish compared to well-funded dramas) were beautiful and of high quality, the music paired wonderfully to the scenes, and the directing was outstanding.
After watching each new C-Drama, I keep getting drawn to re-watching this...it's just so beautiful. I'm so happy I gave this drama a chance because it is truly a gem.
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The Scent of a Wonderful Drama
I very much enjoyed this drama, especially the character of Hua Qian and the actress portraying her, Zhou Ye. Who hasn’t had regrets or wished they could do something all over again or wanted to just escape reality for just a moment? I resonated with Hua Qian’s and the other characters’ plights. I can understand the motivations of all of the characters (not the just leads) and how any decision can be easily influenced by emotions or selfishness or family or duty. These struggles are real and it was portrayed realistically in the drama. I was so invested in the characters (some more than others) that I was hurt to hear Qian Zhi was beaten to death by soldiers… sobHua Qian/Zhou Ye: I like how she changed from someone whose actions were driven by her obsession of a man to someone whose actions are driven by doing the right thing which unwittingly gains her the admiration and respect of multiple men as a result. Her love for her family and in trying to keep them alive, initially makes her do the right things for “karma’s” sake, but it slowly evolves into her moral code. It becomes clear that her years in exile has transformed her into who she is now, a strong and independent woman who no longer needs anyone to take care of her and instead she takes care of others. Zhou Ye played this role beautifully. I keenly felt her trepidation, happiness, sadness, and pain.
Zhong Xi Wu/Wang Xing Yue: In the dream, Hua Qian sees him as choosing duty over her, i.e., he has her expose her father’s crime when Mu Yao/Ye Lan have gotten past it. Also, despite his high position, he could never protect her from the all the scheming, e.g., the mastermind of her brother’s death goes unpunished even when Xi Wu knows who it is. Wang Xing Yue does a wonderful job conveying his inner struggles…the joy he feels when he sees her and the pain he feels when she doesn’t reciprocate his affections. In reality, unbeknownst to Hua Qian, he’s so in love with her that he has sacrificed his duty, has gone against his mother, and has burned through precious resources to help revive her from her coma. He would do anything to keep her safe after having lost her once, to Ye Lan.
Hua Rong Zhou/Zhang Yi Jie: In Hua Qian’s mind there was no one who has ever stood by her, loved her with all of her imperfections and mistakes, and protected her. Rong Zhou was this person in her dream and it was his presence that kept her wanting to stay there, until she realized Xi Wu was that person for her in reality.
Despite what many reviewers have said, for me personally, this was very romantic. I think for me, it pulls at my heart strings more when love has to be suppressed for realistic reasons, e.g., the ML struggling between his love for the FL and his duty to the people, the FL struggling between her love for the ML and her desire to live a free, peaceful life knowing that loving the ML would bring danger to her and her family, the 2nd ML struggling between his childhood love with 2nd FL and his growing respect and admiration for FL, etc. I would have liked a kiss to be shared between the FL and ML, but I think given their circumstances, it made sense why they didn’t and I’m fine with that. I also liked the innocent romance between Qian Zhi and Nan Feng. Did I say it nearly killed me when Mu Yao revealed what happened to Qian Zhi in reality…sob…
I also liked the ending. It was abrupt for some reviewers, but for me it was the right ending. The story revolved around Hua Qian, so the dream was clear and detailed because it was a rehash of her past mixed in with what she would do differently as a reformed person. Her future in her dream is just to have someone by her side forever, so I think not showing her future reality is ok for me. It doesn’t matter because the one thing that is certain is that despite learning to be strong and independent, she doesn’t need to face reality and the future alone. She now has Rong Zhou, in the form of Xi Wu, who will forever be by her side.
——————-
Update:
I re-watched this on HBO after seeing Wang Xing Yue in The Double. I really enjoyed re-watching this drama and hope Wang Xing Yue and Zhou Ye are cast together as leads in a future drama. They both did a wonderful job conveying the struggles their characters endured. Wang Xing Yue’s character here is so much more different than Duke Su in The Double. I’m glad I re-watched this to see the difference in his acting abilities.
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It's elementary my dear Watson
Somehow this drama did not pull me in as much as I had hoped, but it was mildly entertaining. Everything felt too simple or "elementary", i.e., the romances between the 1st/2nd ML/FL resolved quickly, the cases were easily solved through discussion and observation, "evidences" presented to the high court were mostly written confessions and wrapped up neatly, etc.Though the FL was supposed to have been brought up like a boy, she didn't really exude confidence and strength in her abilities. Even when trying to solve the cases, though she was certainly observant and an expert in her field, she seemed hesitant and weak as the detective. Maybe she was stronger in the first couple of episodes, but by the end of the drama, that was not my view of her. Perhaps the FL's acting was not as strong as it could have been or maybe the passion didn't come through as well as it could have. The 2nd FL seemed like she had more passion and strength.
I mainly kept watching because of ZLH. He impressed me in Love Between Fairy and Devil, so I wanted to watch more of his dramas. He did well as a newcomer in this drama, but thought his performance in LBFaD was more forceful and emotionally stirring.
The positives
- the camaraderie between the group of friends
- the budding romance between Commander Fu and the Beirong Princess (I wish they had continued this because they had this solid/believable tension before a romance resolves that draws me in - not to mention the actor/actress playing this role were both cute)
- ZLH
The negatives
- story dragged with each case; it could have been sped up
- there was no mystery nor tension for the romances to develop...it was just expected that they would and they did, easily
- evidence for the cases did not seem all that strong; though it was a lot of observation, it was mostly seeing powders or residues or scents on clothes; deductive reasoning was not complicated
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Ending was a legendary fail
Although it started off well, the ending unfortunately spoiled this drama for me. I'm giving it a 7 instead of <5 though because I enjoyed the 1st half.I watched this drama because I liked Bai Lu in Love is Sweet and Xu Kai in Ancient Love Poetry. They were pretty much the only reason why I finished this drama. I've heard good things about Arsenal Military Academy, so will try that next, but am sad I didn't watch that first and spent so much time trying to get through the last half of this drama.
The Good:
- Leads were good
- Story got off to a good and exciting start
- Funny moments when FL (LZY) is resurrected in 2nd FL's (QZY) body
- Dr GHG was hilarious
The Bad:
- Too long and re-used a lot of flashbacks as filler
- Story deteriorated as it progressed...with a weak, messy, poorly developed ending
- Lots of plot holes... (Liu He Sword kept appearing everywhere after ep 52 with no explanation of why different people had it, ML mysteriously loses demon essence then gets it back then tries to lose it again, ML father somehow is able to leave world of rest and enter mortal world then just disappears after attacking the gold diety, etc.)
- Relationship between ML and FL (though the actors were good) was not developed enough, especially after 1/2 way through
- Dr GHG died :(
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Great Leads
This was my first foray into C-Drama and I was not disappointed. The storyline was interesting with all the plot twists, however, it felt rushed and chaotic near the end. Despite this, I think the series was done very well and I was drawn to watch it in it's entirety.I was captivated by the 2 wonderful leads. Even though the story seemed to get worse towards the end, I continued to watch it because of the chemistry between the 2 leads and because they were also talented actors. I especially liked NiNi in the heart wrenching scenes. I felt in some parts that Chen Kun was a bit over the top, but in the more serious scenes, he shined.
I definitely recommend this series!
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Xiao Yu’er
I had low expectations given the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cast and the “handsome siblings” won me over, even if the storyline wasn’t that stellar.I’d have to say that this drama made me a fan of Chen Zhe Yuan. I saw him in Hidden Love and was shocked he was the same actor portraying Xiao Yu’er, which he nailed. Depending on the situation, his facial expressions were expressively spot on, especially towards the latter episodes.
The story could have been stronger and the drama shorter to make this story more fast paced, but regardless, I enjoyed watching it for the bromance between the two brothers. It started it well, got slow in the middle, and finished strong in the end.
The good
- Chen Zhe Yuan as Xiao Yu’er
- bromance between the brothers
- well choreographed martial arts
- Yan Nan Tian’s comeback
- Su Ying’s smarts that rival Xiao Yu’er’s
The bad
- could have been condensed into 30 more substantial episodes
- storyline could have been stronger
- Tie Xin Lan’s character started off tough and capable but somehow just became weak and helpless
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Worth the journey
I enjoyed watching this drama as much as I enjoyed watching Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Ancient Love Poetry, and The Rise of Phoenixes. I watched this mostly for NiNi, after seeing her wonderful performance in The Rise of Phoenixes... and she did not disappoint!Although the plot was simple, I felt that the story was done well. Each character had their own motivations that led to actions that were plausible and not over the top, outrageous. Because of this, I ended up liking many of the characters, not just the leads. I even liked the antagonists because I could understand what made them that way (in most dramas villains are just one dimensional - pure jealousy or revenge). For example, what drove Yuan Tong over the edge was anger over her mother's death, hurt pride because her older brother dishonored the family, envy over ML's affections for FL, and feeling a sense of injustice that her brother was killed because he had demon essence whilst FL was being protected despite her demon essence. It was these things that slowly built up over time that made it easier for her to justify her actions. That said, I did not root for her...quite the opposite (lol), but I did empathize with her and felt sorry for her.
What I liked:
- NiNi's performance was captivating and showed wide emotional range
- Main lead romance was developed well and engaging
- Enjoyed side romances (especially 2nd ML/FL)
- Plausible motivations and actions by the characters
- Xiao Bai/Wu Wan (OMG so cute!)
What I didn't like:
- Ending seemed a bit rush with some loose ends
- Some characters were introduced that didn't seem relevant nor needed (e.g., ML's disciple)
- They could have styled ML better
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Cotton Candy Drama - Fluffy and Sweet
Yes the plot is fluffy and forced at times...but the leads poured on the sugar and made this drama so sweet.I must admit, I watched this for LY after watching him in Ashes of Love. It was just what I needed to cleanse the bitterness from watching RY's character being run into the ground in AoL. And, to my surprise, BL as the FL did not disappoint, helping to cleanse the sourness of YZ's performance in AoL.
Sweet Things
- Watching LY in a light-hearted role (compared to AoL)
- LY and BL were cute as a couple
- Strong FL character (not sickeningly helpless)
- Music was good and fit really well with the scenes
Bland Things
- Last 5 episodes were unnecessary (didn't like how they made the 2nd ML more immoral due to his obsession w/ FL)
- 2nd couple romance was unnecessary
The short and sweet of it is: If you like realistic dramas, this is not for you. If you are ok with fluff and want to just enjoy a light-hearted, comedic romance, then give this a try.
Looking forward to watching BL/LY in Till the End of the Moon and LY in Immortality!
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A fun watch
I had low expectations when I first started this series, but was pleasantly surprised.I get that it's hard to really delve into psychological cases on a technical and deeper level, otherwise the whole series would be boring. On the opposite extreme, most shows would verge on the superficial level to make the story more exciting. I feel this production was able to balance both extremes, so it wasn't too boring nor too unbelievable.
I had a fun time laughing through the comedic parts that were interspersed with the more serious psychological cases. I think the leads and supporting cast did a great job pulling me into their stories and experiences.
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