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Lost in Dramaland
Butterfly Effects keep things interesting and not reptitive
Completed - 8/6/2022After this year’s very popular hit C-drama “Reset” with a similar topic of time loop, I wasn’t sure if “Triage” could top it. I am usually not a big fan of the time loop theme, but due to the overwhelming praises for both dramas, I decided to watch them, and I am glad I did. Both dramas live up to the expectations. I am actually surprised I liked “Triage” quite a lot.
Not sure if there’s a production relation between “Triage” and “Manner of Death” but I was really hoping this would be a much better drama. I was quite disappointed with “Manner of Death”. Luckily, the overall plot and execution in “Triage” are a lot better and do not leave too many plot holes even though it could be quite difficult for a time loop theme. However, I have to say that the chemistry of the leads pales in comparison to Max and Tul.
I was not sure what Tin saw in Tol during the first few loops to fall in love with him. I didn’t think Tol was that likable and with Tin focusing on saving him, the chemistry wasn’t quite there for me. Once Tin got to know Tol after a few more loops, then I can see a little more chemistry (still not enough). However, I think the acting of Tin and Tol are just OK, and not amazing. Maybe that’s why I am not feeling the chemistry, especially when I might have subconsciously compared them to the leads in “Manner of Death”.
Regarding the plot,I was not totally invested in the story until about episode 3. The first two episodes have rapid fire time loops to showcase Tin’s frustrations in the process. But then the story slowly unfolds, like peeling an onion. I then realized the whole plot is more than just saving Tol. Side characters are slowly and smartly introduced. The time loops are so well executed that I don’t find them repetitive at all. With each time loop and butterfly effect, the story changes. We can then see how each side story is tied together to create the big central plot. I am still not quite sure why this all started. Was it because of the prayer Tin made when he was young? Is that why he was selected and given the chance to redo everything? I guess that’s for the viewer to interpret themselves.
One big initial concern of mine before I start watching this drama is whether medical procedures would be believable. Medical dramas are a hit-or-miss, mostly a miss. I am not a medical professional, so I can’t say everything they did in the drama is correctly done. But to my untrained eyes, it’s at least passable and not too fake. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same thing for the medical procedures and autopsies done in “Manner of Death”.
If you are looking for a more mature Thai BL drama that’s not in a school setting, I definitely recommend this. If you enjoy medical dramas and time loops, this is the drama for you. “Triage” might not top “Not Me” as my most favorite Thai BL drama to date, but I still had a very enjoyable time watching it.
p.s Wait.. I just realized I didn't notice/remember any product placement!! That's a first in a Thai drama for me!!!
Other Random Observations:
1. It’s nice to see a surprise guest appearance
2. All the women in this drama are pretty!!
3. Unfortunately, I only found Dr. Sing to be the only good-looking man in this drama.
4.Acting is decent overall
5. The professor really could get away with a lot of things in the hospital, even though they are security cameras everywhere.
6. Music is not memorable to me.
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Mixing genres = Identity crisis
Completed - 8/3/2022I did not watch the webtoon, so I am unsure how true this drama is to its original content. However, reading the genres and tags, "Kiss Sixth Sense" is not what I was expecting. I thought this is a true romantic comedy with mature adults, maybe a little more mature version of "A Business Proposal" with a fantasy twist. What I ended up watching is comedy + romance + fantasy + suspense + crime. This results in the drama having an identity crisis and not doing any of the genre well.
This is really disappointing as I was looking forward to something light and fun, but with adults who look their age in the business world. The comedy in the initial episodes were a little over-the-top for my taste, but that's OK as I thought this is a comedy. The fantasy element is interesting and I am always a fan of fantasy romance drama. However, when they added the very-Korean childhood connection and trauma, and the half-baked suspense into a 12-episode drama, everything feels underdeveloped, rushed and disjointed.
I actually quite like the romantic chemistry between the leads. I am all for bickering couples who are secretly in love with each other. However, I still don't see when Fl starts to fall in love with ML, as she only wants to find out what the future holds. That's been such a big build up for many episodes about this future event FL sees with ML, but because those future scenes occur so often throughout 2/3 of the drama, it was quite anti-climatic when that significant event really happens. There's nothing the audience doesn't already know.
Acting is decent, though some scenes are quite cringey when the leads finally get together. ML seems to have changed to another person once he's in love. Where's that cool, calm and collected leader? Now we have a lovesick puppy vying for kisses whenever he can. There are scenes when he's kissed or kisses FL and he doesn't seem to be in pain. Whereas, other scenes he is pain even when FL is right beside him. Is that a plot hole that I detected? Or I am not understanding his condition?
The secondary romance between the cousin and the doctor is underwhelming. You can skip the whole thing and not miss a beat. Yes, the last 15 minutes are weird and unnecessarily long. I think I know where the scriptwriters are coming from, showing us a different kind of relationship. But, maybe they can reduce those scenes to 5 minutes instead.
Overall, it's an easy binge and if you have nothing to watch, this hodgepodge drama is OK. At least there are plenty of kisses (but not as many steamy kisses as I anticipated given the premise of the significant event).
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Drama Special Season 7: The Red Teacher
3 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Hilarious, Emotional and Meaningful
Completed - 6/23/2022This very short drama special started out with funny scenes of innocent high school girls discussing 'important' topics such as, what is sex? where do babies come from? is condom a candy? how does 'it' go up? But what transpires the whole premise is the discovery of the first volume of a banned erotic novel. Of course, what high school girls wouldn't be excited about that? Even their mean and strict high school teacher is obsessed.
The story also took place between 1986-87 when anti-communism sentiments were high and the government was controlling. We witness students being mistreated by teachers, and subordinates being mistreated by supervisors. The tone of the second half of this drama special changes quite quickly from funny to emotional.
Through it all, our heroine Soon Deok, played by the amazing Jung So Min, is central to all that is happening. She stands out among others due to her independent, forward thinking personality, and inspired those around her, esp. her teacher Tae Nam. It's quite difficult to like Tae Nam in the beginning. Who knew erotic novels could change a mean and selfish teacher to care and risk so much for his students?
I am glad to discover this drama special through an MDL article. I recommend this unique special to those who want something different - funny yet meaningful and emotional.
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Lots of cute animation screen time - you either love it or hate it.
Completed - 6/15/2022 - 8.25I hesitated to watch "Yumi's Cells" when this drama first aired in 2021, as I wasn't sure if I would like all the animation. After finished watching the drama, I can say that I found them cute, but they took up a lot of screen time. I do understand that this drama is called "Yumi's Cells" and not "Yumi", but still.....
I find the animation cute and I love all the cells. I like their different personalities and they bring a lot of laughter to this drama, e.g. Naughty cell, Housekeeping cell and Hunger cell. However, it took me a while to get used to the back-and-forth transitions and the large amount of screen time. The frequent transitions to the animation disrupts the flow of the story and slows down the pacing, especially in the last few episodes. I got a little bored when the plot is not moving along and we got stuck in the same situation.
The acting is great. It's a fun character for Kim Go Eun to play and she was able to display a variety of emotions as Yumi. Ahn Bo Hyun finally gets a main role where he gets the girl. I also like his portrayal of Gu Woong. The rest of the cast is fine. Park Jin Young has a small role in season 1 and I don't think I see him enough to say that he's done a great job. He's pretty to look at but Ahn Bo Hyun has a hot body! (LOL) Ruby is a controversial character for me. I find her SUPER annoying 90% of the time but when she was teaching Yumi how to do 'aegyo', that was hilarious. I wish to see her more in season 2 but in a less annoying fashion.
The romance between Yumi and Woong was really cute in the beginning. Their personalities match and they do silly and adorkable things. Woong cares about Yumi and shows his affections through actions instead of empty words. The birthday episode really did show his affections, thus, prompted Yumi to ask that question. However, pride and the lack of communication get in the way. The damage is already done when Woong priorities changed. As much as I like Woong in the beginning episodes, I am very annoyed with his repeated lack of communication. You can still communicate with someone you care about without hurting your pride.
Since season 2 is currently airing, most people already know by now who Yumi ends up or not end up with. I would be very disappointed if I didn't know season 2 is coming, because season 1 did not end with Yumi feeling empowered and strong. I wish for her to realize that she could be happy without being in a relationship. She does not need to work like a dog to fill her life, like after her previous breakup. As the manager of the bulletin board said, there is no male lead and we don't need one.
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Good start but then it went downhill
Completed - 4/8/2022The first 1/3 of the drama feels like Ancient Detective + Love and Redemption. It was fun to see our leads bickering with each other while solving crimes. However, I wouldn't say the crimes are super interesting or well-thought out. But at least the leads were fun to watch and I enjoy their characters. The drama went downhill and the lead romance becomes too cringey. Our female lead deity tries to woo our cool-headed male lead with methods that are way too cringey for my taste. Our supposedly smart ML is too hard-headed to get what FL is trying to do. Once the leads got together, the drama force-feeds us with a large dose of sugary fluffiness in one big episode. I should have known that whenever a drama does that, it means the cute romance won't last long and viewers will have to wait for a long time to see them together again.
The second half of the drama becomes a totally different drama. It feels like Ashes of Love but worse and many plot holes. Love, hate and obsession become the central story line in the middle episodes. If I am not an experienced wuxia/xianxia watcher, I might enjoy typical cliches and tropes more. But unfortunately, I watch and shake my head in boredom and frustration. I really start to lose interest in the abyss arc. I feel that should be the start of season 2.
I would recommend this drama to beginner watchers of xian xia dramas, who understand a little bit about the 3 realms but not too familiar with the tropes to be bored.
Let's see if I can summarize the tropes in bullet points:
- Love Square and persistent unrequited love
- 2ML turned evil because FL does not reciprocate his feelings, even though he has sacrificed so much for her.
- 2ML continues to blame ML because he has loved FL longer, and has been there for her. You are a newcomer who doesn't deserve her. ML gotta wait in line!
- Secondary leads who won't take "no" for an answer no matter how many times they are rejected.
- Double dose of noble idiocy = I will leave you for your sake because I love you and this is what's best for you. Who cares what you really want.
- Multiple characters believing their way is the correct way and you must do what I say. I am doing this for your own good ,even though I don't care how you feel/think
Aside from all that, the writing is quite messy and there are many plot holes.
- FL is supposed to be smart but yet she can't figure out there are demons around her. I thought she can smell demons but fails to do that many times.
- If FL can't fall in love, why break up the couple when she has ALREADY fallen in love? Isn't it too late already and worse if she's heartbroken?
- Why are the demons fighting with weapons against humans? Don't they know magic and can kill with a snap of their fingers? There's no way humans could win!
- I know our ML is smart, but is he really so smart that he knows how to re-create war weapons all by himself? He's not even a soldier but a crime investigator.
Let's end this review on a more positive note. Here's what I do enjoy:
- I like Zhang Yi Shang's acting as our female lead. I might find her character in the beginning a little too much, but she grows on me. Zhang Yi Shang is able to portray the different personalities of Duan Mu Cui well. She gives off a very different vibe when she's the General Duan Mu, compared to the happy and innocent Duan Mu Cui and depressed Duan Mu Cui. She looks absolutely stunning as well.
- Darren Chen is very pretty/handsome to look at. I like him in the first 1/3 of the drama, but not as much when he's in love and in sacrifice mode.
- Both 2ML and 2FL look great in black and evil attire. 2ML looks especially handsome, and his acting improves as his character goes darker. He's pretty meh when he's the 'good' guy in white.
- I like the BGM and the songs are not overplayed. Actually, the songs are rarely played and because of that, they are much more noticeable. Nice songs.
- Although the CGI and fight scenes aren't great, I do like the costumes, hairstyles, set designs and props of this drama. It's obviously not a high budget production but still I don't find anything too "cheap".
At this moment, I am not sure if I want to watch Season 2 or not. I don't feel a sense of urgency to know how it ends. But I might just because I like to complete my dramas. That's why I didn't drop this in the middle but somewhat force myself to continue.
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Bu Hui Lian Ai De Wo Men
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Great Chemistry, Slow middle, Strong Finish
Completed - 3/28/2022 - 8.25 ratingThis is a good lighthearted romantic comedy without too much misunderstanding and angst. The story focuses on the development of an app called Love Note. And through this app, viewers also receive many love advice at the end of each episode. They are quite interesting. "Why Women Love" is a true romantic comedy. Love is in the air throughout the drama. It's great if you like want romance to be the central storyline.
What I Enjoy:
1. Leads Chemistry/Romance - Despite the real life & drama age gap, our two main leads have really great chemistry from start to finish. I really enjoy seeing how their relationship evolves from bickering boss/subordinate -> great work partners -> falling in love -> being together as a couple officially. Even though ML is supposed to be 8 years younger, the age difference isn't too apparent visually. I have previously seen Gina Jin (FL) in "Crossroad Bistro" and didn't like her character at all. I am so glad to watch her again in this drama, as I like her character so much more. This is my first drama of Wang Zi Yi (ML) and he did fine. I am also glad that we have some pretty good kisses between the leads. Luckily, we don't have a shy 30-year old woman who seems like she's being forced to kiss. Although the leads get together towards to the latter part of the drama, there is enough skinship to satisfy romance junkies. Additionally, it's nice to see a couple that actually tries to communicate and be honest with each other. If there's a problem, they talk it out. So silly misunderstanding that drags on and issues are resolved quickly and maturely.
2. Love Note Advice - At the end of each episodes, different characters from the drama will give us love advice. I may not believe in them all, but they are quite interesting. I wonder if there's really an app out there who is just like Love Note. Moreover, the little lectures that Qian Jing Jing aka Love Guru gave are pretty interesting as well. I may not agree to all that she's preaching but they are interesting nonetheless.
3. The Odd Pair - Li Yan Ran and Xu Ning Yuan make for an interesting couple. When the two formed an alliance and have meetings to discuss their plan of attack, they have so much chemistry. These two are so different, yet when put together, they also seem to complement each other so well. I am not sure how I feel about the subtle love connection. I am more inclined to want them to stay as platonic buddies, but I can't deny they are fun together.
4. Strong Finish - I quite enjoy the last 10 episodes of the drama when we are not just focusing on love, but also crisis at work. The pace of the drama picks up and we see how the leads relationship matures. Instead of only seeing cute & fluffy scenes, we get to see how they support each other's dreams and careers. Without going into spoilers, I applaud FL's decision in the last two episodes. Sometimes, the time is just not right and I am glad she is mature enough to speak up and be honest about how she truly feels.
5. Fashion - I really enjoy all the different outfits that our leads wear. FL has some gorgeous dresses and also some really cool pantsuits. Of course, ML looks good in suits but also in his leather jacket and racing outfit. Both of our leads look absolutely fabulous in everything they wear.
What I don't quite enjoy or am lukewarm about:
1. Li Yu Ran (first half) - I cannot stand another female character who is clingy, won't take 'no' for an answer and keeps on pestering her love interest. She is super annoying when first introduced. I can't stand her loud, selfish, stalkerish behavior. I really wish scriptwriters can write better love triangles/squares. Thank goodness she becomes more tolerable and even fun towards the second half of the drama.
2. FL's indecisiveness - The courtship and the back-and-forth between Gu Jia Xin and Xu Ning Yuan took up too many episodes. The middle part of the drama focuses solely on the love square. Nothing else is going on plot-wise, thus, the drama seems to be going nowhere. I wouldn't mind this love square if simultaneously something interesting is also happening.
3. Minor romance storylines - Aside from our main leads, I feel very lukewarm about the romance between Zheng DuXi and Qi Heng. They are cute and sweet, but don't really add much to the drama. You can take them totally out of the drama and it wouldn't affect much. Same goes to the romance between Qin Jing Jing and her husband. Their relationship serves as a plot device. But at least what happened between them is a lot more interesting than what Zhang DuXi/Qi Heng have to offer.
Other Observations:
1. My regular complaint on ML being too white. He looks so much more handsome when his face is not plastered makeup or they didn't use a white filter.
2. Many shirtless shots of ML - total fan service
3. Actors are not dubbed and there seems to be some live recording. Only Qin Jing Jing's voice seems to be weird at times, esp. in the earlier episodes.
4. Both ML and Qi Heng have this weird top/jacket with an attached cape.
5. FL should wear heels less often. She twists her ankle all the time.
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Light the Night Season 2
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
Who is the Murderer? Let's get to know the Deceased first.
Completed - 3/24/2022If you haven't watched season 1, please know that my review WILL disclose who was murdered (which you find out in the last few minutes of Ep 8). I also strongly recommend you watching season 1 before season 2.
Here's my review of season 1 if you are interested: https://mydramalist.com/profile/voicelesslove/review/199589
Now that we know who was murdered, season 2 focuses on finding out who the killer is. The drama casts a very wide net and basically suspects anyone and everyone that has to do with Madame Sue. For the majority of season 2, I find the pacing to be somewhat slow. There are still stories told using many flashbacks. We find out more about the background stories of the characters and what happened the day of the murder.
But the focus is discovering who Madame Sue really is. She is not as nice and gentle as she seems. There's a much darker and manipulative side of her that not many people know. Was she already like that when she was a teenager? Was her experiences at home and low self-esteem the reason for her extreme actions? Each episode, we get to know her little by little and the lies that she told to her closest ones.
It's not until the last few episodes of season 2 do we find out exactly what happened. Madame Sue, the manipulative and revengeful one, has set up traps for those who hurt her long before her murder. I believe after her attempted suicide, she is ready to set the wheels in action .
Part 2 does not tell us who the murderer is, but ends on a cliffhanger. We do see a set of eyes from the rearview mirror. We will need to finish Part 3 in order to know what really happens on the day of murder.
p.s.
-Chris Wu is amazing as Baby - can't recognize him at all!
-The many guest roles continue in season 2. It's nice to see more of Wallace Huo (he's so darn sexy) and Vivian Hsu (who I haven't seen in a long time).
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Better than the average Korean BL
Completed - 3/19/2022 - 8.25It's nice to watch a Korean BL about mature adults and not in any school setting. This is a very short series/movie and I usually prefer the movie version, as the short weekly episodes could feel disjointed at times. I find this drama/movie better than the average Korean BL I've seen. To me, it's better than "You Make Me Dance" and a LOT better than "Tasty Florida".
For a low budget web drama, the production quality appears pretty decent. Nothing feels cheap at all and all the food scenes look good and delicious. Looking at the filmography of both male leads, it's no wonder I quite enjoy their acting. Both are quite experienced with other movies/dramas under their belts, and not newbies to the industry. Most of the times, acting seems to be weakest in Korean BL dramas. Comparatively, I think the acting in "Where Your Eyes Linger" is a little better.
The story is quite simple, but I don't find it cringey or cliche. The romance progresses well and I don't feel that it happens suddenly, esp. when this is a very short drama/movie. My only major criticism is the English-speaking girl. I can understand the debt situation but who is that girl? She seems to be a very useless character and doesn't add anything to the drama/movie at all.
Overall, this is a light-hearted and easy watch and I would recommend if you needed something short to watch to kill time.
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Beautiful and Mellow Healing drama that also feels like a documentary
Completed - 3/7/2022 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5“A Thousand Goodnights” is a beautiful, healing drama about family, dreams and people in your life. It also gives me a feeling that it’s part documentary and part tourism promotion of Taiwan. You get to travel to different parts of Taiwan, learn about small town/village traditions and livelihood. Following the train route mapped out by her deceased father, Tai Tien Ching (FL) completes the journey that her father couldn’t.
I would recommend this drama for those who enjoy:
1. Slower paced, healing drama where you get to feel, listen and experience what the characters are going through.
2. Beautiful landscapes and scenery of Taiwan - hills, mountains, ocean, islands, etc.
3. Learning about small town livelihoods and traditions
4. Different dialects spoken - Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka
5. Wisdom and life lessons through dramas
I also would suggest not binge-watching this drama as each episode is about an hour and 15 minutes long. Due to its slower pacing, I think 1-2 episodes a day is good. When I watch 3+ episodes a day, I lose my focus and get bored. It wouldn’t be fair to judge a drama due to my binge-watching habit.
After Station Master Tai retirement, he planned out a trip to different places along the train routes to visit old friends. But he was unable to do so and his older daughter Tien Ching wanted to complete the trip for him. Following her father’s mapped out route, she discovered different sides of her father that she never knew. She met her father’s friends and learned many life lessons throughout the journey. The trip actually did not take up as many episodes as I thought it would. I thought the majority of the drama would be about the trip itself. Actually, I would say only about 50% of the drama took place in different Taiwanese towns and villages. The rest is spent back home. There’s enough going on at home surrounding our FL, ML, 2FL and 2ML (don’t want to give out spoilers).
Romance does not take center stage in this drama. However, the two romance storylines we have give viewers two very different flavors. The romance between Tien Ching and Chen No is quiet and mature. They understand and support each other. They have honest and open communication. There’s no cute fluffiness or public display of affection. Actually, Tien Ching never straight up tells Chen No that she likes him. But you find glimpses of sweetness in their conversations and actions. And you know they care for each other deeply without any big declaration of love. On the other hand, the romance between Tien Yu and Po Sen is more of a typical rom-com romance. They are cute together and will flirt with each other. When the drama transitions to them from Tien Ching’s trip, the transitions seem out of place and weird. At times, I do think their romance and 2ML music career change the tone of the drama. I am not sure if it’s a good or bad thing.
The music and the cinematography are beautiful. There are many scenes of mountains and rivers, fields and ponds, islands and trains. The background music complements the scenery so well, without overpowering the sounds of nature (birds chirping or ocean waves). For me, I heard different types of music - from Disney-like, to classical music, to historical drama-like and big Hollywood music scores. I am not a music critic but I really, really like the background music in this drama. I also read that the opening and closing themes are specially written for this drama. The songs are beautiful as well.
Other Observations:
1. Station Master Tai seems to be the most perfect character ever.
2. I love his station master decal on his cell phone case.
3. For some reason, I don’t like how FL behaves - not sure if it’s the character or the actress
4. Why break the cute elephant banks when you can take money out from the bottom?! All for drama’s sake!
5. First time seeing a drama using Facebook Messenger as the chat app.
6. What happened to the studio’s financial crisis?
7. I do think the drama could be a little shorter.
Lastly, I love the last episode - gives me warm fuzzy feelings. “Good Night’ can mean -
I Love You
I Miss You
Thank You
I am so thankful to have you in my life
See You Soon
Good Night, Sweet dreams
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Low production value, OK acting, Lack of leads chemistry but interesting Overarching Plot
Completed - 3/2/2022 - 7.75 RatingI really wanted to like this drama and give it a higher rating despite its general negative reviews. I was on the verge of giving it a solid 8.0 because I really like the general overarching plot of the drama. It's no wonder the novel was adapted, as the stories are interesting. However, the horrific editing of the last couple episodes discouraged me and I'll keep the rating at a 7.5-7.75. I have not read the novel, so the rating has nothing to do with how good the adaptation is, or whether I dislike any of the actors/actresses. For some reason when I was watching “Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities”, it reminded me of “Novaland: Pearl Eclipse”. I was comparing the two dramas’ plot, acting, chemistry and my enjoyment level. “Mirror” feels more like it is a part of the Novaland universe than “Pearl Eclipse”.
What I Enjoy:
General Plot - I really enjoy the story of the rise and fall of the three kingdoms, and how our three main characters’ stories intertwined with their ancestors’ stories. The objectives are clear and viewers can pretty much expect how the story will play out and what the general ending of the whole drama is. The journey of how the characters achieve their ultimate goals is what this drama is all about. I actually do not think the pacing is slow but rather good. I was not bored but do need to pay attention to what’s going on, due to its poor editing and storytelling. I can see how the editing in the first few episodes can confuse watchers and cause them not to stick around a little longer. We generally have pretty intelligent characters in this drama and there isn’t anyone too annoying.
Zheng Ye Cheng - ZYC is the only actor that uses his voice for dubbing. I applaud him for this and really wish more actors would use their own voices. I recently watched him in “Crossroad Bistro” and he did fine. I am more impressed with his acting in this drama, as he has a chance to play *spoilers* a few different characters, with different personalities. I would not say his acting is brilliant, but it's a bright spot among others. He also has the most colorful costumes in this drama!
Costumes/Looks - I think all the characters have pretty good “looks”. Their costumes fit their characters and you can see how the colors they wear coordinate with their roles. As mentioned, Zheng Ye Cheng as the Prince has the most colorful outfits. Our FL has all white or very light-colored costumes, and ML has mostly dark-colored costumes. I do think Li Yi Feng as Su Mo/Chun Huang looks better in white than in black, even with the long white hair. It might be weird but I want to compliment the wigs that the actors are wearing. I especially like the intricate braiding weaved into all of their hairstyles.
Music - This drama has a nice OST. We hear the beautiful voices of Zhou Chen and Mao Bu Yi. The songs are not overplayed and the background music complements the scenes. I didn’t feel like the music was forcing me to feel a certain way.
What I Don’t Enjoy:
Editing and Storytelling - The biggest flaw of this drama is its editing. You can see scenes that showed up in flashbacks but never during the actual scenes. I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or due to editing. Some scenes are transitioned to show the RESULTS instead of the process. It feels like the drama is condensing 15 minutes into 15 seconds. During the final few episodes of the drama there seems to be missing scenes and the story was jumping around. The episodes feel choppy and don’t flow well enough to prepare us for the final showdown or the epilogue. It’s really unfortunate because this drama could have been so much better.
Chemistry/Acting - I do not necessarily find Li Yi Feng (ML) and Chen Yu Qi’s (FL) acting horrible. They are okay. I do expect more from Li Yi Feng as I’ve seen him in “Noble Aspirations” and liked him in that drama. Maybe because he had more chemistry with Zhao Li Ying? I was hoping the chemistry between the main characters would improve but it didn’t. They are supposed to have this heartbreaking romance that’s full of longing and angst, but I don’t feel anything. Their romance is such a central part to the plot that when I can’t feel anything, it really distracts me from enjoying the rest of the drama. The romance of Su Mo and Bai Ying could be considered a slow burn (after 100 years). But it’s not giving me enough bread crumbs (aka sweetness, meaning glances, etc.) to endure this slowness and the lack of chemistry. *Spoilers* When the three leads are acting as their ancestors, I actually enjoy their chemistry more. The few scenes with an innocent Chun Huang, a more talkative Bai Wei and a jealous Lang Gan are more fun than their younger selves. I wish we had more scenes of the ancestors’ story.
Production Value - This is supposed to be a S+ production but you couldn’t tell by its horrible CGI and set designs. The CGI is subpar and it’s worse than 2018 “Ashes of Love”, especially when they are showing scenes/sets of the palace and rooms. When you see the set designs and props, they look cheap and fake. I looked back at the beautiful set designs of another S+ production, “Pearl Eclipse”, and the difference is huge. The drama also has some weird filters and camera shots. The shots look fuzzy/blurry at times. I am not sure if the director is trying to create some sort of effect? I also wish the drama had more fight scenes. There are only a handful and they’re too short for me to appreciate.
Overall, I don’t regret watching this drama. I knew to curb my enthusiasm and expectations, and I knew what I am getting myself into. I would only recommend this drama if you really like the actors, craving for xianxia dramas and have nothing else to watch. For better or worse, having only 43 episodes (pretty short for this type of drama), is one of the reasons why I decided to give this a try.
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A different kind of BL drama
Completed - 2/21/2022Coming into this, I’ve read some comments on “My Beautiful Man”. It seems quite controversial and it’s not the typical fluffy BL drama. This is a love story about two individuals who have their own issues and demons to deal with. If I watch this drama when it’s aired weekly, I might feel the same way as most watchers, just hating how Kiyoi treats Hira. Because honestly, it’s a lot of bullying.
Hira is an introvert who suffers from stuttering. Because of that, he has a difficult time making friends and is made fun of all the time. He retreats to his little cocoon and becomes invisible. His parents bought him a camera when he was young, so that he has a hobby of his own by being socially isolated. On the other hand, Kiyoi is the total opposite. He’s the “King” who is surrounded by admirers. He’s viewed at the top of the social hierarchy but also has secrets of his own.
Hira’s obsession with Kiyoi is abnormal and unhealthy. Even though it’s mean for Kiyoi to call him creepy and a stalker, that is quite true. Hira is creepy and he is a stalker. Their complicated, master/slave relationship is the central point of this drama. It doesn’t matter that years have passed, their relationship is still as dysfunctional as ever.
But once we get to hear Kiyoi’s side of the story and his own internal struggles, viewers begin to understand the “why” behind some of his actions. But do his reasons justify his actions, that’s up to the viewer to decide. I actually really enjoy Kiyoi’s internal monologues, more so than Hira’s. I would have loved to see more of Kiyoi’s story. For someone who is new to acting, Yagi Yusei’s portrayal of Kiyoi and esp. in the last episode is really good. We see a different Kiyoi that’s not shown in the first 5 episodes.
This drama might not be for everyone. But if you are up for a different kind of BL drama, I would recommend it. Besides, Yagi Yusei IS really a beautiful man.
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I don't remember how I came across this drama. It's short and sounded interesting. Without knowing much about it, it appears to be a comedy full of laughs and life lessons. I then realized this drama shows our protagonist's journey of revisiting and re-examining her relationship with her mother, and dealing with her mother's sudden death.
Liu Lian (FL) aka Durian is an independent, happy-go-lucky 30-year-old feminist, who is trying to live her life to the fullest and not caring about what others think of her. She's a little quirky and a little weird, is loud and obnoxious. Like her nickname, she's spiky like a durian and protects herself with those outer spikes She's a fun character to watch. However, deep down she is lonely and really misses her mother. She has a hard time dealing with her mother's sudden death.
Throughout the drama, there are many flashbacks of Liu Lian's life with her mother. From these flashbacks, we learned of their complicated love-hate relationship, and saw how much they are alike. There are many life lessons learned in this drama, and the opening theatrical acts are an interesting way to peek inside Liu Lan's inner thoughts and feelings. Though this is a small budget web drama, I don't feel that it's a cheap production.
However, there are quite a few plot holes where things don't line up. Why did Liu Lan go back to work for the same company after her fake pregnancy announcement, as if nothing happened? How come she couldn't pay her ex back from the insurance money? What happened to her relationship with Ma Ye?
Since it's such a short drama, it's worth a watch if you have some time to kill. It's very easy to binge all 12 episodes in one day.
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Coming Out story of a Confused teen - full of sweetness and angst
Completed - 2/10/2022This is my first completed Thai drama (BL or not). I am not a serious BL drama watcher and I am a straight woman, so I can't really comment on how realistic this drama's portrayal of a teen's coming out journey. However, I have to say that among the BL dramas that I have watched (Chinese, Korean or Taiwanese), this one is the best produced and most "realistic" to me. Most BL dramas focus a lot of the romance and skinship/kisses and are usually comedies. This one shows us Teh's conflicted feelings of realizing that he is attracted to his male best friend.
I really like the first episode. It was well-produced like a movie. It describes the young friendship of two adolescents, how they had a fallout and then back together as friends. It was innocent, and just about rekindling and repairing a lost and broken friendship. I was hooked after watching the first episode.
Episodes 2 and 3 brought us more joy and the developing of feelings for each other. You see a little jealousy from both Teh and Oh-Aew, when they are not quite sure why they are feeling a certain way. Is it just pure friendship or more than that? We also saw a few very intimate and sensual scenes from the pair of friends, yet not sexual as other Thai BL dramas I've seen. There are so much emotions in these episodes and I really enjoy the acting from both of our leads. Oh-Aew is so sweet and caring, and such a great friend to Teh.
Pacing slows down in Ep 4 and 5 and I lost a little of my focus. The focus is on Teh's mixed feelings and confusion. Others might think that it took him too long to understand his feelings. However, I disagree. Though I don't have such experience, it can't be easy to have your ideals and belief system turned upside down. He needs time to think and process and really feel. Teh is not sure what to do with these new feelings for Oh-Aew, as he's brought up to like girls and not boys. His heartfelt talk with his older brother conveys, I assume, many teens' concerns about how others view them as "different". Oh, what a great and supportive brother he has.
If I have to say one thing I don't like about this drama, is the overdramatic crying of Teh. He is quite a crybaby and the saliva and snot are a little too much for my taste. Otherwise, the acting is solid. I really like PP (Oh-Aew) and prefers his acting and showing of emotions over Billkin (Teh).
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Good pacing and overall acting - but lack mini climaxes here and there
Completed - 1/18/2022"Sword Snow Stride" is one of my highly anticipated dramas as we seem to lack a true wuxia drama in 2021. However, after watching it, I realized it's not a wuxia drama in a traditional sense. There is a lot of special effects instead of martial arts fighting. The story is a combination of politics and pugilistic world.
It's undeniable that Zhang Ruo Yun, our male lead, has some great acting chops. I've seen him in the highly rated "Joy of Life" and also his earlier work in "Novaland: Castle in the Sky". He's an amazing actor. He reminds me of the Korean actor, Yoon Ah In. Both give off similar vibes, not handsome in the traditional sense, but with such charisma. In this drama, he is surrounded by some great veteran actors, especially, Hu Jun (ML's dad), Qiu Zin Zhi (God of Swords), Tian Xiao Jie (Grandpa Wei) and Wang Jian Guo (Old Wang). Comparatively, our young female lead, Teresa Li, pales in comparison. She's not horrible, but when you are playing against someone like Zhang Ruo Yun, she's not quite at the same level. Hopefully, we get to see more of her in Season 2 and her acting improves.
For a 38-episode C-drama, the pacing is good. There are enough events and little missions throughout the drama to keep me entertained and focused. But when looking back, everything feels very smooth-sailing. I don't think I was ever on the edge of my seat, worried something awful might happen to our leads, or that I really, really want to find out what happened next. I feel like it's missing some thrilling events. However, maybe it's also a strength that even without these minor climaxes, I am still engaged throughout.
We have many strong female and male characters in this drama. No one is naïve or makes dumb decisions. There isn't anyone annoying that I want to yell at. We have women who can fight and/or use their brains. How awesome is that! We have a family of intelligent people who are ruthless and cunning, yet selfless enough to sacrifice for the common good. They have some pretty fun and heartwarming family scenes and dynamics.
However, when "Snow Sword Stride" was promoted as a wuxia drama, it comes with certain expectations. I was hoping for amazing fight choreography and strong fight scenes, esp. from our male lead. What we have is a "modern" version of a wuxia drama with slow-motion fight sequences and a lot of special effects. I do enjoy the special effects - leaves, water, raindrops, flying swords, etc. But I was also hoping for actual fight scenes and not posing and slow-motion sequences.
Other Observations:
1. It seems like our male lead doesn't fight much and have others do the dirty work for him.
2. Our female lead seems quite useless in the first half of the drama, a little better in the second half. I hope she has a more significant role in Season 2 both in politics and in romance.
3. Why is the white fox at the fight in the last episode? What's that got to do with her? Just to help out a friend? Or want to give her some screen time before the drama ends?
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Hen Jun Bu Si Jiang Lou Yue
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Overall, enjoyed it better than "Guardian"
Completed - 12/30/2021When I watch "Killer and Healer", I can't help but compare it to the more popular drama, "Guardian" (2018) starring Bai Yu and Zhu Yi Long. I have not read either novels, so my reviews and thoughts are solely based on my enjoyment when watching the dramas. "Guardian" is a lot more popular and probably due to the two male leads. Mao Zi Jun and Ian Yi might not be as famous, but I really enjoy their (b)romance. If you are only looking for true bromance, this is not the drama for you. It is very obvious that our main leads are in love with each other.
The main selling point of this drama is the chemistry between our male leads. Zhou Yue Lou (played by Mao Zi Jun) and Dr. Chen Yu Zhi (played by Ian Yi) are obviously in love with each other. The way Yue Lou looks at Dr. Chen is full of love and affection, and you see that within the first episode of the drama. On paper, they might have very different personalties and family backgrounds. However, deep down, they have the same beliefs and ideals. They understand each other, and have a very honest and trusting relationship. Their trust for each other never wavers even when life's circumstances challenge them.
I also enjoy the overall acting of the whole cast, compared to "Guardian". In "Guardian", aside from Bai Yu and Zhu Yi Long, I did not like the acting of anyone else. In "Killer and Healer", aside from the leads, I really like Zhan Jun Bai and Patrick Quan, who played the tragic secondary couple. Our female lead is not annoying and did a pretty decent job. We have two characters who provide comic relief and they are funny in their own ways. The characters are pretty smart and didn't make any dumb decisions, and there isn't any annoying character.
The general plot of the drama is decent. It's nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. I do enjoy a Republican drama that is not about spies, the revolution or Japanese occupation. The big villain was not exposed until toward the end of the drama, though it's not hard to guess who that is. However, I do have a problem with the pacing and felt that some of the crime investigations felt repetitive. I lost my concentration in the middle of the drama, but I think it finishes strong in the last 10 episodes.
One big reason why I like this drama more than "Guardian" is that it doesn't look cheap, even though both dramas are not big budget productions. I was very annoyed with the flimsy sets in "Guardian". Here, aside from some questionable gun fights, everything looks decent and the costumes aren't bad. Our leads look dashing in their suits and uniforms. I would compare the production quality to be similar to "Fall in Love" (2021).
p.s. When watching this drama on MangoTV YouTube channel, the sound keeps on going in and out. It's very, very annoying!!
p.p.s. I heard there's an alternate ending somewhere.
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