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Lost in Dramaland
Jitenshaya-san no Takahashi-kun
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Heartwarming and Sweet
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25There's nothing ground-breaking about this short drama. But, it makes me happy and I enjoy following along the sweet romance of the leads. The first episode, to me, isn't the best as there are things that I didn't like. But as we get to know the characters, I start to like them more and more. FL is the typical quiet and submissive Japanese character, which I dislike. However, I'm glad to see her change for the better after meeting ML. Opposite attracts is one of my favorite tropes and the drama did a pretty good job here. The leads have very different personalities, but they influence each other and their characters grow.
There are sad and heartwarming moments. A couple work harassment scenes that make me want to punch someone in the face. These scenes happen all too often in Asian dramas that they are not surprising anymore. Nevertheless, they are not easy to watch. We also get a glimpse of the leads family background and upbringing, esp. the female lead, and get a sense of why she is who she is. If you are a dog lover, you would love the big and fluffy white dog. I am not a pet person and I want to pet and hug this cute fluffiness!
If you are looking for a quick and easy watch, this is a good option. Oh and it has a couple good (non-fish) kisses.
Completed: 1/27/2023
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Simple and touching short drama with adorable kids!
8.25First of all, the episodes are about 1 hour long, so I am not sure why MDL listed them as 1 hr and 25 mins. These four episodes are just regular K-drama length and not the long Thai drama length.
In four short episodes, "Fanletter, Please" is able to tell a story of the struggles of a top actress and a single father of a young child with leukemia. The plot itself is quite simple and predictable. There might not be twists and turns, but the acting is solid and the story flows pretty well. The stars of the show are definitely the four children. Although they are all battling different illness, they are upbeat and funny, and more mature than some adults in this drama. They are really a joy to watch. Yoo Na, the lead child actress did an amazing job displaying different emotions. Not once do I find her annoying nor super, overly cutesy.
Choi Soo Young (FL) and Yoon Park (ML) have good chemistry, not sizzling hot, but good. They play their characters well and I root for them both. I wanted some more flashback scenes of them during high school, but due to the short length of the drama, I will have to be satisfied with what I got. Their struggles though real did not seem overly depressing or realistic. I guess this could be the light version of the trauma and hardships that they are going through. The romance is quite slow burn and there aren't many cute and fluffy scenes. I would say it's more mature and fluffy. The sweetest part of their romance is in the last episode with the gifts ML prepared for FL. They are thoughtful, sweet and super creative!!!
There are a couple annoying characters, especially those two hospital moms and the cartoonish villain. FL's mother has limited scenes and I want to know more about the mother-daughter relationship. Other that than, this is an easy watch, even if the tone is not as happy as I thought it would be by looking at the poster.
Completed: 12/24/2022
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Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
This is a super fast-paced romance in true Japanese fashion. From meeting to getting married, it only took about 4 episodes and these are short episodes. However, Osahima Miyuki (FL) has a sunny and optimistic disposition. This makes the drama enjoyable as we don’t have someone who is always crying or acts as a victim. And due to her personality, she attracts the attention of Suzuki Osamu (ML). Miyuki brings out the best in Osamu, believes in his talents and supports him in any way possible (a little too submissive for my personal taste). Their romance is decent to me. Everything is just too fast, too soon.
Most of the criticisms of this drama would probably be the portrayal of the female lead as the ‘ugly’ girl. Miyuki is really not ugly but she’s overweight. I guess overweight = ugly in many Asian dramas. Not only is she called ugly and is bullied, the writing of all the second-hand embarrassment is overkill for such a short drama. How many times is she going to trip and fall? Do overweight people fall all the time? I don’t think I do! You get all the usual stereotypes - clumsy, easily picked on/bullied, naive, eats a lot, etc. This is definitely not a drama about body image and self-esteem.
If you are very sensitive about body image or people being picked on due to their outward appearances, I would not recommend you to watch this. This is a simple and easy watch and it’s interesting to see a drama about voice actors. But I would not go out of my way to watch.
Completed: 11/30/2022
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Horror Stories of Tang Dynasty
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Good acting & interesting characters, but low production value & poor romance.
Subjective Rating - 8.0Objective Rating - 8.5+
Usually, “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty” is not really my go-to type of genre, but due to the rave reviews, and I haven’t seen Yang Xu Wen in a while, I figured I would give this a try. However, I think I picked the wrong time to watch this as my mood changed and I was sick and stressed out. Thus, I was unable to fully be invested in the drama and the investigations.
I was not immediately hooked on the drama. Initially I thought the drama started really slow and took me about 10 episodes to get into the story. But looking back, I actually quite enjoyed the first arc, compared to the next couple stories. Not all the strange tales were interesting to me. I find that I am more interested in the character development, friendships and the politics more than the actual strange tales and investigations. But this is of course a very subjective view and most watchers are probably watching this for the investigations.
The best part about this drama for me is the friendship between the two main leads. Lu Ling Feng is an intelligent, young general who follows and enforces all rules. Su Wu Ming is an experienced investigator and the bright disciple of the famous Detective Di. They clashed when first met as they have very different personalities and styles of investigation. Seeing how their friendship develops and how they complement each other is really fun. I also enjoy the character development of Lu Ling Feng, under the guidance and friendship of Su Wu Ming.
Another bright spot for me is the teacher/student relationship between Lu Ling Feng and Xue Huang. Once a reluctant teacher, Lu Ling Feng has come to care for Xue Huan as a teacher and big brother. Anson Shi, who played Xue Huan, is a promising young actor. I really enjoy all his scenes, including his fight scenes.
Unfortunately, my biggest criticism would be the romance storylines. As much as I love romances and I am not looking for it in this drama, the writers really shouldn’t have included them if they can’t do a great job writing. The romance between Pei Xi Jun and Lu Ling Feng was not developed well. They don’t have any chemistry and I don’t see how all of a sudden they became a couple. Then their romance disappeared like nothing happened until the very last couple episodes when it was mentioned again. The romance between Su Wu Ming and Ying Tao is just as awkwardly developed. Well, at least they have some fun banters. Having said all that, the romances took up very little screen time and can be ignored or fast forwarded.
The production value isn’t very high. The CGI is not good, especially with the animals and the fake-looking magic tricks in the last arc. It gives an even worse impression in the last arc when the story moved back to Chang’an. I can’t help but compare (unfairly, I know) the beautiful cinematography in “The Longest Day in Chang’An” to this drama, especially the night scenes and scenes of the tower. The fight scenes are not that great either. Not horrible, but not great. I know it’s another unfair comparison, but after just finished watching “Side Story of Fox Volant”, seeing these fight scenes is not a good experience. Yang Xu Wen couldn’t convince me that he was a great fighter or an actor that is good with fight scenes. Again, he’s not bad but he’s not Leo Wu or Qin Jun Jie. Although the main characters all use their own voices (thank goodness), the dubbing wasn’t done well. Sometimes, the voices and the mouths don’t match.
To end on a positive note, I do enjoy seeing many smart people in this drama. There isn’t anyone annoying. The main leads, Lu Ling Feng, Su Wu Ming, Pei Xi Jun, Ying Tao, young Xue Huan and funny Fei Ji Shi are all smart people making smart choices. There is no damsel in distress and the female characters contribute in their own ways. The acting is pretty good, even for the guest roles and supporting cast.
Other Random Observations:
1. There’s something about the way Su Wu Ming speaks that bugs me. Not the dubbing, but the rhythm of his speech and the pauses. I know I am weird.
2. The Crown Prince does not look very princely. I can’t picture him being the emperor next. On the other hand, the princess looks like she could be the next empress.
3. I was very impressed by the way Lu Ling Feng stopped the disaster from happening in the last arc. He couldn’t fix the issue, but found a workaround! Smart!
4. FL’s introduction is annoying, but I am glad she got so much better.
Completed: 10/23/2022
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Crazy Fun + Strong Sismance + Drinking + Food + Laughing + Crying (rinse and repeat)
Completed - 7/30/22This is such a crazy drama! “Work Later, Drink Now” is a highly bingeable, short drama focusing on the friendship/sismance between our three leading ladies. They met through a dance competition (all have amazing dancing skills) when they were in college, and continue to be by each other’s side through thick and thin.
The drama started off with three consecutive blind dates. Each crazier and funnier than the other. The tone of the drama continues to be fun and crazy, mixed with life’s challenges (personal, familial, professional and romantic) and A LOT of drinking. Towards the second half of the drama, things got more serious as we know more about each character, their background stories and struggles, and certain life events change this drama to be a little more realistic.
The bond between the ladies is tight and unbreakable. I like them all as they are so different yet complement each other so well. It did take me a while to get used to Han Ji Yeong’s personality as she’s quite over-the-top.They are truly there for each other and understand each other, without pressure to find out what/when/where/why. Without going into spoilers, something happened to a family member of a leading lady. The other two women not only rushed to be with their friend, but were there BEFORE the friend arrived to help take care of everything.
There are romantic subplots but romance is not the main theme of this drama. I assume season 2 will focus more on romance and I look forward to Kang Ji Gu’s romance with possibly Mr. Nice Paper, and the crazy relationship between An So Hee and Kang Buk Gu.
Everyone will notice the excessive drinking in this drama. Well, we know Koreans drink a lot but I am not sure if they do drink to this extent. But let’s not forget about the lovely dishes in this drama. There are many food shots and they make me want to try them all. There are also many guest appearances and cameos in this drama.
“Work Later, Drink Now” made me laugh, cringe, smile and cry. Ending this review of a quote from the last episode that summarizes this drama and their friendship:
“As always, we work hard not to fall down today. It’s okay if we are unsteady on our feet on our way home. So when we can drink, and when we have a friend to drink with, let’s get drunk.”
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Such great reviews came from China regarding this drama that it hit Douban ratings at a high of 8.9 in the first week or two of its airing. Now that the drama is just done airing, the rating remains at a high 8.5 (as of 7/2/2022). I came in with pretty high expectations as I am a sucker for amazing romantic chemistry between the leads.
Plot:
“A Dream of Splendor” tells the story of three women who for a variety of reasons, had to leave their hometown for the big city. They are strong and independent, and are feminists who are ahead of their times. We follow their journeys to build their careers and find love. The pacing of the drama is pretty good. There’s enough going on to keep me interested throughout the 40 episodes. Though the last few episodes are more focused on court politics, our three female leads are intertwined in this storyline as well. Compared to another female-centric drama “Marvelous Women”, this is less slice-of-life and hooked me right from the start. But as the story goes, I think I enjoyed the weaving/embroidery plot in “Marvelous Women” a little bit more than the tea house/restaurant/music plot in “A Dream of Splendor”. However, the tone in “Marvelous Women” is more serious than that in this drama. I rated this drama higher because the romance storylines are more interesting to me than that of “Marvelous Women”. There are many comedic moments in “A Dream of Splendor” and I am not sure I enjoy them as much as others. Dai Xu/Chi Yan Nei provides a lot of comic relief, but it’s too over-the-top for my taste and doesn’t quite fit in the general tone of the drama.
Romance:
I really enjoy the initial chemistry between our two leads and I can see why everyone is raving about it. I can totally see how Chen Xiao/Gu Qian Fan is so smitten with Crystal Liu/Zhan Pan Er. Every time he looks at her, I see admiration, respect, love and desire. However, I am not sure if I can say the same for Crystal Liu especially towards the second half of the drama. Maybe I am just too critical of female leads? I find Crystal Liu’s best scenes are of her as a business woman. But as a woman in love, I can’t see that passion in her eyes. Nonetheless, their romance is mature and honest (for the most part). The leads are very supportive of each others’ careers, and will not hesitate to provide some honest/harsh feedback when necessary. There’s a lot of PDA in this drama, which is quite rare for a somewhat ‘serious’ and non-romantic comedy. Are the kisses amazing? Not really, but decent enough that I see effort from both parties. I actually really enjoy the romance between Sun San Niang and Du Chang Feng. Opposites attract yet they are quite adorable together. The way they fall in love seems natural and I enjoy how Sun San Niang takes charge in their relationship. Song Yin Zhang is probably my least favorite female character but I pity her journey to find love. Poor girl just couldn’t catch a break. There’s plenty of romance in this drama to satisfy romance junkies like me.
Production:
There are quite a few nice scenes with lanterns and candles, but not quite the quality of top-notch productions such as “Luoyang” and “The Longest Day in Chang’an”. Those two dramas have become my golden standard. Nonetheless, we have beautiful people in nice costumes, decent set designs and props. A certain popular YouTube reviewer mentioned that Chen Xiao and Crystal Liu are the most beautiful couple in a period drama in recent years. I am not sure I agree with this reviewer. They are a good-looking pair, especially for a more mature couple, but there are plenty of good-looking couples as well. In this drama, I think Jelly Lin and Claire Jia are just as beautiful as Crystal Liu (or maybe more). I do think Chen Xiao looks the most handsome in his uniform. I also want to criticize the action scenes and the camera work in this drama. There are a few fight scenes, but the camerawork is shaky/blurry (maybe intentional?). This affects my enjoyment of watching Chen Xiao fight. The director also likes to use a lot of slow motion scenes in this drama for ‘dramatic’ effects, when it’s not necessary. I want to see Crystal Liu walk at a normal speed.
Other Random Observations:
1. I like the interesting tea competition - especially drawing on tea foam.
2. It seems like everyone can just go into FL’s house/courtyard. No security at all and the door is never locked.
3. It rains all the time - at least people don’t get sick often.
4. Spinning and pouring tea is a little too cringey for my taste.
5. I like boat rides as a major form of transportation.
6. I really like Xu Hai Qiao in "Lost Love in Times" but I hated him here as Ou Yang Xu. I wish to see another drama of his to fall in love with him again.
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Let's Celebrate Everyday Ordinary Greatness and Heroes
Completed - 6/28/2022Subjective Rating - 8.5
Objective Rating - could be 9.0+
Watching "Ordinary Greatness" reminds me of two other very realistic dramas, "The Bond" and "Because of Love". Even though these three dramas are very different plot-wise, they depict real life struggles of everyday citizens in China. Here, we follow the journey of four rookie intern cops and their mentors, as they grow and learn from each other, while helping citizens with their everyday problems.
Plot:
There is nothing fancy about this drama. We see real life struggles and somewhat minor crimes (compared to other crime shows). And this is the beauty of the show. Each case that our rookie cops encounter, you see them in your daily lives as well. We know of people who fight because of silly arguments, missing children, sexual harassment, internet scams, burglaries, noisy neighbors, stolen bikes, etc. None of these are big time crimes, and they are probably what each police officer deals with every day in any city, not just in China. I really enjoy the pairing of the mentor/mentee and how they could be so different yet they slowly bond and learn from each other. The pacing of the drama is decent. This is slice-of-life, so it's to be expected that there are slower parts within these 38 episodes. I did lose my focus a little bit towards the second half, but the drama ends on an emotional high note. I do think there are some cases that were resolved by informing the audience instead of showing us.
Similarly to my viewing experience of "The Bond", I came to the conclusion that I cannot fully enjoy dramas with annoying characters that I can't stand. The 8.5 rating is purely based on my enjoyment. Technically speaking, I could see many rate this 9.0+. I am sure there are many unreasonable people complaining to the police about very small things. And I am sure there are mothers out there who are just as annoying as the three in the drama. What I am unsure, is whether this drama over-exaggerates their annoying and despicable factors to create and prolong drama and chaos. Those three mothers (except for Zhang Run Yun/Li Da Wei's mother) drive me up the frigging wall!!!
Acting:
I watch this drama because of Bai Lu and Zhang Ruo Yun, but I am blown away by the veteran actors. Among the younger cast, I think only Zhang Ruo Yun came close to the level of the veterans, and it's probably because his character provided him with ample opportunities to showcase his acting chops. The other three rookies have lesser screen time, even Bai Lu who was listed as part of the main cast. I was expecting to see her more but not a whole lot happened with her. Bai Lu is Bai Lu, so her acting is never bad, but her character is somewhat quiet and her stories have too much of a focus on her mother and not her cases. I'm happy to see Xu Kai Cheng after "Pearl Eclipse" and to see a very different side of him. But big props to veteran actors Wang Jin Chun as the Police Chief, Ning Li as Zhang Ruo Yun's mentor and Zhao Yang as Xu Kai Cheng's mentor. These three veteran actors are amazing and they really help elevate this drama to a different level.
Friendship:
No, there is no romance in this drama. But the friendship between the four rookies is lovely and a breath of fresh air. It's really nice to see honest appreciation of each other without jealousy and rivalry. I was worried that it's going to be another drama where they will be in competition all the time and ended up hating each other. Instead, we get some comic relief and heartwarming moments of them helping each other out in their personal and professional lives.
Production value:
I echo the same sentiments in my review of "Because of Love" - realistic and appropriate sets, costumes and props. There isn't any fancy wardrobe, makeup or apartment. We see realistic portrayal of normal people living within their means. As the drama takes place in a small city, hospitals and accommodations are appropriately designed. We don't see high tech offices or modern-looking hospitals. It's the little things that put you in the right mood. Additionally, I really like the title theme song, "A Little" (一点) sung by Jason Zhang. The perfect song for heartwarming+heartbreaking moments and also the characters busy work life. The best part, no dubbing. All actors use their real voice with a combination of live and studio recordings.
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Enjoy this as a standalone but not an adaptation of "Journey to the West"
Completed - 6/10/2022This Korean adaptation of the Chinese classics “A Journey to the West” is mainly a fantasy-romance drama. It is quite interesting to me to watch these characters and think of their Chinese counterparts. This is definitely not a serious adaptation, but it’s a fun and comedic version (some might think it’s a little over-the-top). If you don’t take the word ‘adaptation’ seriously and just watch it as a standalone Korean drama, this could be quite fun. I am a little late to the game, since I am watching this 2017 drama in 2022.
Plot/Pacing - As a binge-watcher, I watched about 5 episodes a day and finished this in 4 weekdays. I think splitting them up helps with not feeling the drama dragged out in the middle. I think the pacing would be a lot better if this was only 16 or 18 episodes long. This drama revolves around demons, deities and evil spirits living among humans. We learned about their background stories from thousands of years ago, and how they’re still affected by the consequences of their actions. The main plot is about the fated love story of Song Oh Gong, the Monkey King 齊天大聖 and our female lead, Jin Seon Mi/Sam Jang 唐三藏. Just like in the Chinese version, everyone wants a piece of Sam Jang. We follow their journey of love and how they save the world. We also learn of the tragic love story of Woo Ma Wang, and his interesting bromance with Song Oh Gong. The main cast also includes pop idol Jo Pal Gye/PK, CEO Sa Oh Jung and Secretary Ma Ji Yeong. I actually would like to know more about these characters. How did PK come to work for Ma Wang? Why is CEO Oh Jung serving and listening to Oh Gong? How did Ji Yeong end up being Ma Wang’s loyal secretary/dog? I also think the ending is a little anticlimactic. I don’t want to say too much as it’ll be spoilery. The ending is not really a big surprise. The last episode explained the aftermath through many dialogues. When the main event happened, I didn't feel a lot of emotions. I wanted more!
Acting - I am surprised that this is my first Lee Sung Gi drama. After watching “A Korean Odyssey”, I can understand why he has such a large fan base. Son Oh Gong is a multi-layered character and this role allows Lee Sung Gi to showcase his acting skills. This is also my first Cha Eung Won drama and I am so not expecting how hilarious and over-the-top his character is. Personally, his acting or character just tipped over the cheesy/cartoonish line. I actually enjoy the more subtle comedic moments of Secretary Ji Yeong. Coming from watching Lee El in “My Liberation Notes”, I like her so much better here. She’s perfect as the loyal dog. However, I am most impressed by Lee Se Young as our zombie/priestess. She was young then, and was able to portray the innocent zombie well (and her mannerisms), yet also the complicated feelings of the evil priestess. No wonder she continued on to deliver excellent performances in “The Crowned Clown” and “The Red Sleeve”. Our female lead Oh Yeon Seo also gave a pretty good performance, but I think Lee Sung Gi, Cha Eung Won and Lee Se Young might have overshadowed her a little.
Romance - I enjoy watching the slow-burn romance of Oh Gong and Sam Jang. Because there are so many episodes, the back-and-forth question of whether Oh Gong’s feelings for Sam Jang are real lasted a little too long and became repetitive. I do think they have good chemistry and it doesn’t hurt that we got a few good kisses. On the other hand, the tragic love story of Ma Wang and Princess Iron Fan is a little lacking. I don’t think the drama is showing us enough about their love for us to understand Ma Wang’s pain. Instead of gazing at the princess’ painting repeatedly, why not provide us with some flashbacks of their times 1000 years ago? Show us how their happy lives were before. How did a demon and deity get married and have a child? How did she steal souls for her son? I just needed more.
Bromance/Frenemies - I quite like the dynamics between Oh Gong and Ma Wang. They act like rivals, trying to con and outsmart each other. They will lie and hide the truths. Yet at crucial times, they care and help each other out. Their interaction is interesting, but I do think Ma Wang’s complaints about his bull acting as a coat hanger got a little repetitive.
Ghost Stories - The ghost/evil spirits stories are not as memorable as the episodic stories as in “Mystic Pop Up Bar” or “Tomorrow”. They don’t carry as much weight, only seem to exist to move the plot along to show that Oh Gong will save Sam Jang at all times.
Other Random Observations:
1. I like all the random but casual celebrity name drops
2. Great fashion for the whole cast - I love FL’s long coats, even though they are all black
3. Watching this in 2022, the special effects were not that great.
4. Great OST - like all the songs
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Plot holes and inconsistent pacing - but Interesting general plot and good Acting
Completed - 6/6/2022 - 7.75 rating, rounding up to 8.0 because of the good-looking cast (LOL)I am watching this 2016 drama in 2022, so I am aware that the CGI and technology 6 years ago were very different from today. I might criticize what I don’t like, but it won't affect my rating (that much).
“The Mystic Nine’ follows the story of the nine grave-robbing families and it spans quite a few years’ time. It was great to see these famous actors and actresses when they were quite young and fresh-faced, especially Zhao Li Ying and Yuan Bing Yan.
What I Like:
1. Overarching Plot - I find the general plot of the drama quite interesting. This is my first tomb-raiding drama and instead of just raiding tombs after tombs, we have internal power struggles amongst the 9 families and within the government, while having Japanese invasion as the backdrop, as in most Republican era dramas.. We also have two romances that are quite central to the plot. This drama has a little of everything to please a pretty varied crowd.
2. Fight Choreography - Although this is not a wuxia drama, I find the fight scenes pretty good. Yes, they did have the slow-motion sequences and over-the-top spinning, but for the most part, we did not have chopped up scenes. You can see continuous fighting, especially by our main male lead, Zhang Qi Shan. William Chan played his character well and you can see he put in effort to fight (and looks damn good in doing so). It was also fun to see Hu Yun Hao as Chen Pi, uses his chain-weapon (I don’t know what it’s called).
3. Smart Characters - It’s always such a relief to see smart characters in a drama. No one makes dumb decision, no character is naïve and simple. They are all smart in their own ways and use their talents to solve different crises. I was initially worried that I won’t like Zhao Li Ying’s character. I worry she’s the annoying, cute, naïve type. Fortunately, she turns out to be smart, logical and quick-thinking. A perfect female counterpart to our male lead.
4. Songs - There are only three songs in the soundtrack and each one has its own flavor. The opening theme song, "My Clan (我门)" sung by William Chan, is upbeat and fits the action genre. The second song, "Returning Soul Door (还魂门)" sung by Anson Hu, is a ballad and gives me all the romantic feels, especially scenes between Er Ye and Ya Tou. The ending theme, "Dian Yu Si (典狱司)", sung by Li Nan feels like a homage to Lang Zhang and his character as Er Ye. It’s pop/rap with a dash of Chinese opera. This is also the only drama that I remember where they switch the scenes during the opening themes. The drama tries to keep you interested, but I avoided them because of potential spoilers. I also enjoy seeing the BTS and interview clips during the ending theme. However, the song is too loud that I can’t hear what the actors/actresses are saying as there is no subtitle except for the interview by Australian actor, Andrew Charles Stokes.
5. Costumes - Because we have a good-looking cast, they all look good in their suits, dresses, casual and formal wear. I personally enjoy how dashing William Chan is in uniform and suits, and when he’s topless (Sorry!) However, I also really like the cheongsam that Lay Zhang wears. Since his character, Er Ye, is an opera singer, he’s usually in more traditional attire. I love his bright and patterned cheongsams, especially the one that’s red and white.
What I Don’t Like or Have Mixed Feelings:
1. Pacing/Writing/Plot Holes - As much as I enjoy the general plot and characters of this drama, the pacing is quite inconsistent. I think the drama spends way too much time in the first half of the drama on the Japanese/US/Chinese politics while introducing all the characters. There wasn’t enough time spent on the actual tomb raiding and the romances. For a 48-episode drama, the ending episodes should not feel rushed. There should be enough time to tell the ending arc without editing out scenes (or not shooting the scenes) in the last three episodes. I am also not satisfied with the ending of our villains. Additionally, why introduce all 9 families in one big montage in the last episode, instead of slowly introducing them throughout the drama. Events were told after the fact, instead of showing us what actually happened. It was quite disorienting as I thought I fell asleep and missed something (no I did not fall asleep) There are so many illogical and inconsistent scenes and plot holes in this drama, that I wonder if it’s the screenwriters’ fault or censorship.
* Poking holes in blindfold with thin needles shouldn’t let you see through.
* Suddenly everyone could go down to this dangerous tomb in the last arc, when it was so challenging in the beginning.
* Where did the cursed hair go in the last tomb raiding when it was such a big deal before?
* I guess even though you have Wanted posters all around town, it could all be forgotten when a certain plotline is completed.
* After not knowing where the third copper meteorite was for hundreds of years, all of a sudden everyone knows where it is.
* Our main lead can never die or hurt badly even though he was shot and slashed many times
* It was so anticlimactic when our main lead woke up from his trance.
* Hypnosis can be done when someone is in a coma?
2. Romances - Zhao Li Ying (Xin Yue) and William Chan (Qi Shan) have pretty good chemistry. However, for most of their relationship, Qi Shan always keeps Xin Yue at arms’ length. There isn’t enough romantic interaction between the two that shows me Qi Shan likes Xin Yue as much as she does. I don’t think the drama shows the development of their romance adequately. The romance between Er Ye and Ya Tou is also lacking scenes of telling WHY they are so in love with each other. The flashbacks only show how Er Ye saved Ya Tou and it seems like they haven’t seen each other for a very long time. Once Ya Tou is saved, I wish for more flashbacks of them falling in love. The drama did show/tell us they are so very deeply in love, but I want to see how that happens, since their love is such a big part of the storyline. Similarly, what did Ya Tou do to Chen Pi to make him fall in love with her? Just a bowl of noodles when he was young? Since there are so many repeated flashbacks why not show us more of how it all happened?
3. Green Screen/Dubbing - Ok, it’s 2016 and the green screen scenes are bad. It’s very obvious that green screen technology back then wasn’t and it’s especially obvious with the motor cycling scenes. The dubbing is bad where the sound is not matching the mouth movement. I am especially annoyed with the voice of our Australian actor. His actor is actually not bad, his voice and the fake foreigner Chinese accent are very annoying.
Overall, if you don’t mind plot holes and inconsistencies, the general plot is interesting and the acting is pretty good. If you are a fan of the actors/actresses, it’s worth a watch (I watch this for William Chan). However, it’s a big 48-episode investment.
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FL who is way ahead of her times. Power Couple + Amazing Chemistry
Completed - 3/23/2022 - 8.25 ratingI believe many are attracted to "The Autumn Ballad" because of the two main characters. It's rare these days to have an original script and not any IP adaptation. I believe this drama was shot back in 2020 but isn't aired until early 2022. With an original script that's only a couple years old, it's really great to see scriptwriters spending time on strong and interesting characters, such as Liang Yi (ML) and Qiu Yan (FL). They are both flawed but interesting.
What I Enjoy:
1. Qiu Yan (FL) - It's not a surprise that I like Qiu Yan. It did take me a while to get used to the acting, but as a whole, Qiu Yan is a refreshing female lead. She is way ahead of her times. She sounds like a modern girl stuck in a historical drama. She wants gender equality, she wants to fight for injustices, she wants to have the freedom to do what her heart desires, and she doesn't give in to fate or traditions. On top of that, she's smart throughout the whole drama. How nice is it that we don't have a female lead who loses her intelligence after she falls in love? How nice is it that she actually helps devise plans to save people instead of the one being saved? There really isn't that many smart female leads out there. On top of my head, I can only think of Wei Ying Luo (Story of Yanxi Palace) and Jun Jiu Ling, who are smart from start to finish.
2. Liang Yi (ML) - We are seeing more and more grey male leads and I am loving it! Liang Yi is smart, ruthless, scheming, and evil. But he's also loving and caring and will do anything for his love. His best quality is that he supports Qiu Yan's dreams, knows when to let go and really wants what's best for her even if it hurts him deeply.
3. Actors' own voice - With a quick search, it seems like almost all actors/actresses are using their own voice, except for Kabby Hui who played Qiu Min since she's from Hong Kong. It's really rare to have a period/historical drama that is over not overdubbed. It really adds to all the emotional scenes and the audio enjoyment of the whole drama. I do think that Jeremy Tsui needs to better enunciate his words. If you are just reading subtitles, it might not matter. But if you want to learn Chinese along the way, I find that he mumbles a little. But I will take a little mumbling over dubbing any time of the day. Besides, his voice is so deep and sexy. LOL
4. Main Romance - Qiu Yan and Liang Yi have such great chemistry throughout the drama. This started from when they were enemies and bickered all the time in the first 1/3 of the drama. When this slow-burn romance continues to develop, I just can't wait for them to get together. I am usually a fan of slow-burn romances but for this drama, I actually want them to hurry up! That's how amazing their chemistry is. I want to see some cute and fluffy scenes between them because you know they will continue to bicker and their sweet scenes are not going to be the typical rom-com sweetness.
What I Don't Quite Enjoy or Feel Lukewarm:
1. Ending - I've read complaints about the final plot twist in the last episode. Without going into spoiler mode, I do agree that it's unnecessary. I see where FL is coming from, but there's no way in hell that ML will believe her. It's evident how smart ML is and how well he knows FL. Why bother?
2. Secondary Leads - I am not a big fan of Qin Xuan (2ML). Even though he is very nice and sweet, I find him quite boring and don't see any chemistry between him and FL. I just want him to go away. On the other hand, I've never liked Qiu Min (2FL) from start to finish. Even when she's timid and shy, she seems too manipulative to me. She would cry and then let FL do all the dirty work for her, so she won't end up being the bad person. I can't stand her obsession with Qin Xuan. I find her resentment dissolving way too easily in the final episode. Why do we always have evil 2FL who are jealous, backstabbing and manipulative?
3. Investigation Plot - I am lukewarm towards the different crime/investigative storylines in this drama. There isn't a whole lot of excitement because our leads are so smart that they see through everything. There was never a time when I was worried for them.
4. Fight scenes - I know this is not a wuxia drama but the fight scenes are mediocre.
Other Observations:
* There's way too much make up on Jeremy Tsui's face. He looks so white. If he is a little tanned, he would be so much more good-looking.
* I noticed this in "Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2" as well that Jeremy Tsui seems to slouch a little. He is always looking down eve when he's not talking to someone, and his neck is slightly protruding forward? Am I being weird and imagining it all?
* I don't understand the sisterhood between Qiu Yan and Qiu Yan. Does Qiu Yan hate her elder sister or not? At times, she seems to resent and hate her, and then turn around she would be all sisterly.
* Acting is OK all around. No one is especially amazing, and no one sucks. Jeremy does have very expressive big eyes.
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My Girlfriend is an Alien
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Need to turn off my brain to enjoy - then it's a funny, adorable drama.
Completed - 3/12/2022Watching “My Girlfriend is an Alien” in 2022 might have brought me in a more cynical and critical mood when rating this drama. I might have liked it more if I watched this in 2019 and am a newbie to romantic comedies. Unfortunately to me right now there are elements in this drama that I don’t quite appreciate or enjoy. There are plot holes and inconsistencies but if I could turn off my brain and just go for the ride, it’s enjoyable, funny, low-stress and full of laughs.
I would recommend this drama to those who:
1. Love adorable female leads who are not especially dumb or naive in rom-coms
2. Like bickering between the leads
3. Enjoy a somewhat low-stress, no angst, easy-to-watch drama
4. Are OK with uncomfortable/sensitive treatment of characters
5. Don’t mind annoying 2FL and simple ‘villains’
6. Don’t mind misunderstandings
There are already many reviews for this drama so I’ll just write 1 thing I like best and 1 thing I like the least. I agree with most of the critical/negative reviews in the review section.
(+)
Our Leads:
Wang Peng played our funny and cute alien, Xiao Qi. I am glad that her adorableness did not border on being overly annoying and naive. I have seen Wang Peng previously in “When We Were Young” and “Crush”, and I have to say she looks the prettiest in this drama. I’ve never found her to be that pretty, but maybe her makeup and her character’s personality make her super attractive to me. It’s also funny that you saw clips of “When You Were Young” shown on TV in this drama. Wang Peng’s acting is on her usual level as I’ve seen in her previous dramas. She plays the cute yet stubborn Xiao Qi pretty well.
Bie Thassapk Hsu, plays the cold-on-the-outside but warmhearted male lead, Fang Leng. This is my first drama of his and I am quite impressed with his acting. I didn’t find him bland when he’s playing the cold CEO role, and I enjoy watching his more emotional scenes. Additionally, he is so handsome, looks good in both suits and casual wear, mm… shirtless as well. Xiao Qi and Fang Leng have great chemistry in this drama and is the drama’s biggest selling point. They bicker and fight, don’t really declare their love for each other but you know how much they care for each other.
(-)
As much as I want to caress Fang Leng’s muscular chest as Xiao Qi, I became increasingly uncomfortable seeing him fondled like that throughout the drama. The whole plot with Xiao Qi being uncontrollable with the smell of pheromone just becomes a way for uncomfortable, double-standard sexual harassment. I can’t deny I laughed when it happened for the first couple times, but then my brain cells kicked in and asked, what if it’s a man fondling a woman’s breast, is that funny? Additionally, there’s a lot of wrist grabbing, ML pushing FL against the wall and manhandling her. Some might find this to be romantic but I can’t seem to turn off my brain and just enjoy the ride. Because of all this, I can’t give this drama a rating higher than 7.5. It would be lower if I didn’t enjoy the leads acting and chemistry.
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A Tale of Thousand Stars
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Mature romance + beautiful scenery + rural village life
Completed - 3/10/2022 - 8.25 ratingAs my journey to explore more Thai BL dramas continues, I came across this highly rated drama. I was in search of a drama that is not about high school or college students, but a more mature drama. I am glad I came across "A Tale of Thousand Stars". The majority of the drama was spent in a rural village. The beautiful opening theme already sets the mood for me.
Our male lead received a new heart and wanted to fulfill the wishes of his organ donor, and traveled to become a volunteer teacher in a rural village. I would say the story is quite predictable and there aren't any crazy plot twists. We know our male lead, Tian, had to adjust to life without luxuries or even city-life basic necessity such as water and electricity. We know he's going to encounter some challenges with the villagers and that he's going to fall in love, and had to leave the village eventually (or not?). None of this is surprisingly, but that doesn't deter me from enjoying it.
"A Tale of Thousand Stars" is the only BL drama I've watched to date that has the least amount of physical contact or public display of affection between our two leads. This does not mean their romance is not good. In fact, you feel their deeper connection through conversations and actions. The chemistry between Tian and Phupha is sizzling. You can feel the attraction and the hesitancy in crossing the friendzone boundary. For a stern character such as Chief Phupha, he's quite flirty and suggestive with Tian. Yet, he's also so shy when his friends question his feelings for Tian. Tian on the other hand, is supposedly the younger and more outgoing of the two, yet he's the passive one in the relationship in expressing his feelings. Looking back, I do not think they outright confess to each other, but it's without a doubt that they are very in love.
I really enjoy learning about the food, livelihood and traditions of this Thai rural village. I I actually also quite like the house that Tian was staying at. I might not survive without electricity and running water, but I like the wooden house and feel of it. We also see many beautiful scenery of nature - luscious mountains, view from top of the mountain, view from off the cliff, forests and grassland.
The acting of the leads is pretty good, but not amazing. I like Mix's acting more than Earth's, especially with the more emotional scenes. There are times I find Earth's acting a little emotionless, unless he's smiling shyly and then I melt. 😊 But overall, I think Mix did a better job. I can't deny what a handsome fellow Earth is. I criticized "Bad Buddy" for its fanservice of excessive shirtless scenes, and I was glad I didn't feel that way with Earth. On another note, I think Earth was using his real voice singing and I love it. Was he also playing the instrument for real? It seems like it. I really like all the young actors/actresses in this drama. I think the students acted better than many of the adult side characters/villagers. The 'villains' are quite underwhelming.
I do find the pacing of the drama a little inconsistent. I was very interested in the first 5 episodes, but then it seems to slow down a in the middle episodes. I also find the last episode to be a little slow - too many slow motion scenes and flashbacks. I am probably not the only one who wanted to see more cute scenes between the leads, and not just the last couple minutes. I know product placements are needed, but it is quite weird to see the snack mix popped up so often in a rural village.
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Koidesu! Yanki-kun to Shiro Tsue Garu
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
Completed - 2/27/2022 - 8.25 ratingFirst of all, I’d like to thank MDLer @ether aka catoven for subbing episodes 8-10. They are so hard to find! Links to the subs in my comment below.
When I watched “ Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu”, it was hard not to compare it to the C-drama “Crush”. They both have a main lead who is visually impaired. We see their daily challenges and how their loved ones try to understand and support them. However, “Crush” is a more mature drama and has a more serious tone. “ Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu” is a lighter, fluffier romance drama. For both dramas, I enjoy the first half more than the second half.
What I Enjoy:
Education - I am not visually impaired so I am not sure if the depiction of their challenges in dramas are realistic or not, but I have to say I do learn a lot from them. From “Crush”, I realized what the Braille blocks on the ground are for. They are similarly explained in this drama. Furthermore, we have a Japanese visually-impaired comedian’s commentary in this drama. I learn more about the tools and technology that they use, and the different variations of blindness. I never knew there are audio devices for watching movies, or such magnifying screens for reading. For some viewers, they might feel these commentaries as the drama trying too hard to educate, or they disrupt the flow of the drama. However, personally, I really enjoy them.
Strong FL - I also enjoy a Japanese FL who is not the innocent, naïve and overly shy type. In this drama, Yukiko strives for independence and speaks up when needed. She doesn’t shy away from confrontation or any honest and open communication with her family or with Morio. Even though she is visually impaired, she is not afraid of new challenges. It was so inspiring to see how hard she prepared and worked in order to make fries.
Sweet ML - It took me about half an episode to fall in love with Morio. I am not a big fan of love-at-first sight. It is hard for me to understand his initial feelings and they also seem over-the-top and unrealistic. However, he is so adorable that I can’t help but root for him. Sugino Yosuke plays his role as Kurokawa Morio so well. You can see how awkward and shy he is around Yukiko, yet he’s the Black Panther that everyone fears. He tries so hard to learn about the challenges that Yukiko faces each day, and is so supportive and kind. And he’s not just kind to Yukiko but all of his friends as well. He’s not the big scary Black Panther that he seems to be. When his friend confesses to him, his response is so kind and so perfect.
What I Don’t Enjoy: *SPOILERS*
The Trope - Yukiko and Morio have such honest and open communication throughout the drama, that I find it uncharacteristic that we see the trope noble idiocy at the end of Ep. 9. Yes, they already had one conversation about Morio taking the job, but they could have another. Yukiko should be able to express her thoughts to Morio and tell him that she really wants him to take the job for himself. There’s no reason for the breakup and for her to lie to him. I do not mind the one-year time skip when they go their separate ways to find their own dreams. But there has to be a better way to have the same ending without having this noble idiocy trope at the end of such a good drama. This is the main reason why I can’t give this drama a solid 8.5 or 9.0 rating but a 8.25.
Shishio + Izumi - At first, I thought the drama was going to change Shishio into falling in love with Izumi and have them live happily ever after. I would be so mad if it happened. I am happy that the drama didn’t do that. However, why can’t they just remain as close friends? Why does the drama want them to be in a relationship when Shishio probably will never fall in love with Izumi? Or is the drama hinting that maybe in the future he will change and there’s a chance?
Other Observations:
1. No annoying characters in this drama. Yay!
2. BGM helps set the mood and we don’t have any overplayed songs.
3. I wish FL has nicer clothes to wear. Just because she can’t see well, she deserves nice clothes as well.
4. In “Crush” I found the ML doesn’t look straight at someone when he talks. But in this drama, the visually impaired seem to look straight at someone’s face more often. Maybe I am imagining it?
5. The poster have the leads on the bus, but I don’t think I saw that scene in the drama. Mm….
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A short and different healing drama with a dash of humor.
Completed - 2/26/2022When I first read the synopsis of “Definitely Not Today”, I thought this would be a sad and depressing healing melodrama. After all, the story are about two individuals who are living their respective miserable lives and the male lead wants to commit suicide. I was pleasantly surprised that there’s a lot of humor to lighten the mood, yet not changing the vibe of the drama.
This short drama only has 8 episodes (less than 20 minutes each), with Chinese and English subs on Youku’s YouTube channel. The drama can’t really devote too much time on the backstories of our leads. However, it deftly tells us enough to let us know how their life experiences contributed to their current states of mind. Through a series of misunderstandings and events, our main leads are on the run. They started to get to know each other and develop an unlikely friendship, which in turn developed into a very subtle romance. Along the way, their lonely hearts are healed as they support and comfort each other via unconventional ways.
I have previously watched “Be Yourself” where our main leads, Connor Leong and Vivienne Tien, were a couple. They had a similar dynamic in that relationship with Vivenne being the assertive type and Connor as the passive one. But the vibe of their romance is vastly different. I also enjoy their acting in “Definitely Not Today” a lot more. They portray a wider range of emotions without feeling forced or over-the-top.
Those 8 episodes go by so fast. The pacing is great and I was fully engaged throughout the drama. I definitely recommend this to someone who wants a different kind of healing drama. But be aware of triggers - attempted suicide, depression and sexual assault.
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Best E-sports drama! Great combo of Friendship > E-Sports > Mystery > Romance.
Completed - 5/24/2021 (late review from my notes)This drama is not talked about as much as "Go Go Squid" or "Gank Your Heart", however it was a great drama. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pacing is good and the two timelines were not that confusing. The acting was great for all leads and supporting characters. The two MLs are great and charismatic in their own ways. I find the 2008 storyline and character development better than in 2019. However, I enjoy watching them simultaneously and when they merge into 2019.
This drama's romance plays a much smaller part than in "Gank Your Heart" and "Go Go Squid". I would have loved to see just a little more of it for the main leads in the 2019 storyline, since it's such a slow burn, first love romance. Everyone talks about that passionate kiss and it was indeed good and you feel all the passion and longing after 11 years.
The world of e-sports and gaming are very well done. I enjoyed watching the CGI game play and also when the real actors are fighting. The switch back and forth didn't seem confusing but add to the story. Apparently, a lot of research was done on the game and they also invited popular real-life game players to have cameo appearances. The mystery/crime part is a surprise as I didn't expect to see that in an e-sport drama. The villain was well-acted and you can see how he turned from a best friend to an enemy.
The best part of the drama is the friendship between team members in both storylines. You feel that bond, the struggle to keep the bond going, and all the hard work that they went through. Each supporting member was given their own story and I enjoyed them all. The 2008 team members have better fleshed out characters though. The music is great. All the songs add to the feel of the drama and you feel sad and motivated and excited. There are definitely plot holes as time traveling could create that problem. I overlooked them and really enjoy this drama. I think this drama is more Friendship > E-Sports > Mystery > Romance.
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