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Lost in Dramaland
Well-acted, Mature and Dark drama with a controversial Female Lead
At the writing of this review, its MDL rating is at 8.5. I am actually a little surprised that it’s so high. Not that I don’t like the drama, in fact, I really like it. But for the fact that with quite a controversial and flawed female lead, who has made some questionable decisions and said some mean words, I think some watchers might really be put off by her.“Will Love in Spring” is definitely not a romantic comedy. Death is a central theme, and if this is one of your taboo subjects, do not watch this drama. There are some funny and sweet/fluffy moments. But for the most part, this is a mature, dark, healing drama. It’s a character-driven drama that focuses on our main leads' development and their relationships with family members and each other. This is a mature drama that makes you think.
Li Xian and Zhou Yu Tong have excellent chemistry from start to finish. Their romance is nicely developed from when they first met in high school, to reconnecting again as adults. They had a long and bumpy ride before they hit the final destination in the very last episode. Zhang Jie (FL) is an independent, feisty, outgoing professional woman who still struggles with low-esteem due to her disability. However, at one point, I do find her shenanigans a little repetitive. I also believe many viewers are mad at her during the New Year’s Eve episode (ep 15?). Her actions and words towards Chen Mai Dong (ML) were uncalled for and downright mean. But given what happened that night at home, her past trauma and what she’s gone through in life, I can understand her and choose to have faith in her. What was most disappointing to me is her decision in the last couple episodes. Not being honest with ML about her decision and plans until the very end is more unforgiving to me. They have always had an honest and open relationship from bickering to comforting each other. Why can’t she be honest now? But, I give props to the drama for not crashing and burning in the end. The final episode wraps out everything nicely and gives me closure to Chen Main Dong and Zhang Jie’s story. The conversation they had at the NanPing train station: FL’s realization of her actions and ML’s clear understanding of FL’s personality, strengths and weaknesses, and his explanation and forgiveness, brought me so much comfort and joy. In the end, they found love and learned to love. For romance lovers, let’s not forget to include the fact that this couple is very affectionate and not afraid to display their affections through kisses and hugs. Lastly, Chen Mai Dong is another green flag and only he can balance out Zhang Jie’s energy.
There are so many lovely side characters in this drama. I love the relationship of the siblings. Niao Niao (little sis) is played by the talented child actress, Zhang Xi Wei. What a little firecracker and smartass she is. She brings so much color to the drama. Wu Jun Ting plays the quirky and sweet younger brother, Zhuang Yan. Who has a pet goose and walks it like a dog?? Zhuang Yan! I haven’t seen Wu Jun Ting since “Time and Her are Just Right”. I loved him in that drama and remembered his nice deep voice. I also envy the friendship between Grandma Chen and Grandma Lin. They are the poster children for best-friend-forever friendship. I enjoy the sisterhood between FL and Wang Xi Xia. Wang Peng looks so pretty as the best friend. She looks so much more mature and sexy than in her previous roles. Last but not the least, FL’s mother. I bet she’s another character that many hate. She’s the typical loud Chinese mother, who can’t stop criticizing her children. She’s tolerable but at one point I also want to strangle her. Glad she got a lot better towards the last few episodes. I am not sure if it’s the actress or the character, but she always seems to talk and laugh with a fake smile.
I would love to see more of the funny romance between BFF Wang Xi Xia and the Doc. The Doc is so quirky and adorable at the same time. Their scenes give the drama a more light-hearted touch, as they are hilarious together. I just want more of them.
I am not familiar with the funeral industry or the role of an embalmer. So, I can’t comment on how realistic “Will Love in Spring” is portraying that. It’s not a profession that we see in dramas often, so I am glad to get a peek into ML’s job.
I would recommend this drama to those that love a realistic portrayal of life, struggles, and relationships. The characters in this drama are all flawed and they make decisions that we don’t always agree with. But life is not rosy and we are not perfect. If you don’t mind the topic of death, this is an excellently acted drama. I had a great time watching this, even if I had a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Completed: 5/4/2024 - Review #437
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Lost in the Kunlun Mountains
8 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Only watch this for Xu Kai's handsomeness and Wang Yang's charisma
Completed - 8/22/2022If you are not a fan of any of the actors, this might not be worth your time. For me it takes Xu Kai’s handsome face to get me through the first half of the drama, and then add on Wang Yang’s charisma to finish it.
I was quite excited about this drama in the first 1-2 episodes. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some decent fight scenes and creative fight choreography. I’ve already heard that the CGI and green scenes were horrible, and yes, they were indeed not good (running on rooftop and flying around with statues). The production value of this drama is quite low. Even so, a handsome Xu Kai + charismatic Wang Yang + Cool fight scenes = What I like. Unfortunately, my interest and excitement died in the next 10 episodes. All they did was talk talk talk about that stupid bone, with no action. No wonder so many people dropped the drama after the initial episodes. But if you are able to tolerate such boredom and poor plot with the help of Xu Kai’s handsomeness, the plot did get better in the second half of the drama with more action. But such a positive trajectory did not last until the very end. The last episode was rushed and we also have a poor redemption plot that was quite abrupt. The ending was a mystery. What the heck happened? Did we lose a full episode and jump right to the last 2 minutes? Is this due to censorship? (very likely).
Let’s talk about romance since it’s my favorite topic. The short review is: BLAND. Our leads started off as good friends and they are supposed to slowly develop feelings for each other. Well, I didn’t quite see this development. What I see is our FL suddenly really wants to marry ML not because of the bone, but because she is in love with him. I then see our ML never really showed much romantic interest in our FL, and then all of a sudden he is in love. If the friends-to-lovers trope is not done right in the beginning, then the latter part of the romance will become friends-to-lovers-with-no-chemistry. In the second half of the drama, the romance has gotten better once they are together. There’s enough decent skinship and I’ve always loved Xu Kai’s expressive beautiful eyes. But overall, the romance is lacking.
Our male lead, Ding Yun Qi, is a genius. He’s never wrong and is always steps ahead of others. He may not be the warmest person initially, but he’s not a cold tsundere either. He’s smart, loyal, caring, has the best martial arts skills, is a doctor, and also knows everything that the Heaven Official should know even though he left home for 6 years and really didn’t have a lot of time to learn. Well, basically he is perfect. Our female lead, Wu Shuang, is the opposite. She’s outgoing and friendly, curious and likes to fight. Luckily, she’s not dumb and can be quite smart in her own ways. Many dislike Wu Shuang, but I am ok with her. She is usually on the sidelines until the latter part of the drama.
The acting is decent and I don’t see anyone especially bad or cringey.. As much as I love Xu Kai (I bet by now you know I really like him), this is not his best acting. I think the acting all around is OK by the younger cast. The better acting is done by our veterans, Wang Yang as Luo Yun Song, and Morni Chang as Zhou Qiu Hai. These two never disappoint, no matter how bad the script is, you can trust their acting abilities. I also like that they use their own voices. I think I can recognize Wang Yang’s voice by now as he always dubs his own voice. Props to him! There are a couple interesting supporting characters that I quite enjoy - Meng A Sai as Sun San Xuan and Bao Bei Er as Luo Jiu Tian.
I don’t think I can wholeheartedly recommend this drama, UNLESS you just want to look at Xu Kai’s handsome face and Xu Kai looking dashing in a variety of nice suits. There are too many other good dramas out there.
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Neither a Great Thriller, nor a Great Romance drama.
Completed - 3/17/2022I was hoping to watch a more mature BL drama, that’s not just a rom-com of high school or college students. Thus, “Manner of Death” became my choice. A crime/thriller romance drama sounds exactly what I am looking for.
Unfortunately, I am a little disappointed. I am not sure if I am not used to Thai acting, or the acting of the cast doesn’t live up to my expectations. I do not find the acting of Max and Tul, the two lead male characters, to be convincing. If I have to pick, I think Tul as Dr. Bun did a better job than Max as Tan. The drama likes to have close-up shots of the actors' faces for viewers to focus on their facial expressions. Unfortunately, the camera stays with the actors for a little too long (5-10 seconds, maybe) and their inability to convey emotions is more observable and makes me feel uncomfortable. At times, the music accompanied these close up shots made feel like I'm watching an American daytime soap opera. Of the cast members, I would say the actress, Meiko, who played Jane, is the best of the bunch, followed by maybe Great, who played Inspector M.
The chemistry of the two leads was pretty good in the first half of the drama, before they officially got together.. But when the second half focuses more on the crime investigation, the chemistry took a dip. The transition from crime investigation to the leads being flirty with each other appears out-of-place with a very sudden tone change. There aren’t enough sweet or sexy moments to satisfy the romance-at-heart, and the longing and tension from the first half of the drama are gone.
I like the general plot of the drama, a medical doctor who wants to uncover the truth of his friend’s murder. But I don’t think the execution is quite there. Our leads seem to have 9 lives, as they get hurt all the time, recover quickly, but they never die. There is a mix of predictable and unpredictable plot twists. I don’t know much about Thailand’s forensic/medical work, so I don’t want to say they are wrong. However, it does seem somewhat minimal and easy when Dr. Bun does his autopsy work. Overall, this is neither a great thriller, nor a great romance drama. It’s just OK.
Other Observations:
1. Inspector M’s uniform is really tight, showing his fabulous body. He’s the hottest guy in the drama.
2. The actress who played Jane is really pretty, both in casual wear and when she’s all dolled out.
3. Bad CPR alert!
4. Seems like a low-budget production.
5. do enjoy scenes of the small town.
6. Music is not bad. I like the theme song.
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A worthy Baeksang winner for Best Drama and Best Actor
Enough praises have been showered for this amazing thriller, and no wonder it’s a Baeksang winner for Best Drama and Best Actor. I feel that it’s even more amazing when this drama has an original script and not an adaptation of a novel or webtoon. Adaptations seem to be so common these days that original ideas from screenwriters have run dry. This genre is not usually my cup-of-tea and I was hesitant to watch even though I know it’s a masterpiece. I’m so glad this was assigned to me during a challenge and ‘forces’ me to witness the amazing acting of the whole cast.Shin Ha Kyun’s award for Best Actor is so deserving. As a veteran, and mostly a movie veteran, he was perfectly casted as the “crazy” cop who was desperate to find his murdered sister’s missing body for over 20 years. Being accused of killing his sister and living a really hard life, Shin Ha Kyun was able to portray all the emotions of grief, guilt, regret, hate, and being loved by his found family. I was haunted by the evil grin and eyes he showed from time to time, but also cried for him when he’s been hurt so deeply by people close to him.
On another note, Yeo Jin Goo held his own playing opposite the amazing Shin Ha Kyun. He has grown so much as an actor and continues to amaze me whenever he’s in a serious drama. I first loved him as the young crown prince in “Moon Embracing the Sun” but really acknowledged his acting in “The Crowned Clown”. Although he is probably best known for his role in “Hotel del Luna”, I think with him being in “Beyond Evil” and playing with so many great veteran actors must be a very enjoyable process. Yeo Jin Goo’s character, Han Joo Won, might not be as multi-layered as Shin Ha Kyun’s character, Lee Dong Shik. Joo Won could be a little more emotionless but Yeo Jin Goo’s micro expressions and subtle yet emotional acting shines through. I might be more impressed by this young fella than the veterans.
But honestly, the whole cast from the found family of friends, to the villains who cause troubles, they are all amazing. The group of friends who hung out at the restaurant after work each night brings warmth to my heart. They care for and love each other, yet each harbors a secret that you will discover one by one. The villains are not cartoonish. They are so well-written that you don’t feel like you can hate them outright.
The friendship/partnership between the leads is fun to witness. Do they really trust each other as partners? Are they just using each other for their own purposes? Do they really care for each other? Is their next move to protect the partner? This drama keeps me guessing and I love both of them. I really want them to want to die and sacrifice for each other, even though you will never hear them say that out loud.
Lastly, the drama keeps me interested and engaged throughout. From my novice eyes, I love the plot and twists. I thought initially why they let me know the murderer so early on and then I realized, there’s so much more to the story. Different side plots seem to all intertwine into the main plot. It keeps me guessing but not guessing. It’s like you know who the big bad wolf is, but you wonder how the drama is going to show you. I enjoy the showing and not telling approach. There are some pretty intense scenes and a few pretty grueling visuals (after all this is about murders).
If I am going to be nick picky, there are a few minor questions I have about the storyline. Why would Ha Joo Won pick that certain someone for the sting operation? Why her? How did he know she would be chosen? What's the commonality of all the murder victims? Is there a reason to the madness? I would have loved to know more about the backstory of the murderer and what drove him into this madness.
I am really glad I watched this, even though I might have fallen asleep watching it because I was too tired from work. It’s not the fault of the drama, but it does require my focus and attention 100% because each scene and each facial expression is important. I strongly recommend this if you are a lover of this drama, or if you are a novice like me and want to start with something amazing.
Completed: 3/1/2024 - Review #412
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Did not quite stick the ending, but still a very enjoyable watch.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25 (almost a solid 8.5)Just as many have commented and reviewed, “A Journey to Love” was an exciting, fun, and engaging drama for most of the episodes. Unfortunately, along with other fellow viewers, I was disappointed in the last 5-6 episodes. Even so, this is still a drama worth watching.
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What I Like:
Fight/Action Scenes - It has been a while since I last watched a drama with very satisfying fight scenes that don’t rely on CGI. There are still some posing and slow motion, but comparatively, the fight scenes are fast-paced, realistic and choreographed well. There are many war scenes, as well as just regular fighting amongst each other. These scenes are also spread throughout the drama. All actors and actresses look the part and I don’t see anyone weak who acts like they are flailing around with their swords.
The Gang of Brothers - Who would have thought I will love these side characters more than the main leads. The buddies from the Six Realms Hall/Liu Dao Hall are such a fun bunch. They provide many comedic moments. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the comedy jives with the vibe of the drama, since “A Journey to Love” appears to be a serious drama of assassination, palace politics and wars. But I love these guys so much. Each of them brings something different to the group. And when the last few episodes happened, I was so sad.
Alen Fang/Yu Shi San (13) - I bet 13 is the most loved character in the drama. I’ve seen Alen Fang in many other dramas before, mostly as a supporting role. The last drama I saw him in was “The Longest Promise” and he played the beloved Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan is such a different character from 13 but Alen did such a great job. It’s lovely to see more and more viewers know and acknowledge Alen’s acting. He shines so brightly that Liu Yu Ning, as the main lead, pales in comparison.
Princess Yang Ying - This is my first time watching He Lan Dou and she has quite a difficult character to play in Yang Ying. I found He Lan Dou’s acting a little rough in the beginning and it took me a while to get used to her cross-dressing role. But she grew on me and I like her acting and her character more and more. It’s lovely to see little Yang Ying grow in front of our eyes. From the forgotten and timid princess to an independent, strong-willed and feisty lady of the house.
Ren Xin - A true assassin and the best of the best. She doesn’t stop killing, from ep 1 to ep 40. Finally we have a strong female character who is strong from the beginning to the end. Her romance softens her hardened heart a little, but deep down she’s still the trained assasin. I enjoyed Liu Shi Shi’s portrayal of Ren Xin. LSS exudes elegant yet arrogant charisma. Her posture and head were so straight that I wondered if LSS needed a massage after every scene. LOL
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What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
Li Tong Guang - I like him and then I don’t like him. His obsession towards Ren Xin is a little dramatic, but it’s not like I’ve never seen this before. This is my first true time watching Chang Hua Sen and I don’t think his acting is quite up to par to play such a polarizing character. He wasn’t bad, but at times he seems to have tried too hard to act crazy, and his acting lacks maturity. Other times, I feel that he did quite a good job as someone intelligent and ambitious, yet still cares about the lives of the common people. Maybe if this Li Tong Guang is played by another actor, I might have liked him more as the default gray character of a drama.
Romance - I love all things romance, yet I am not loving the romance between Ren Xin (FL) and Ning Yuan Zhou (ML). It’s not horrible. They look good together, and Liu Shi Shi has the perfect height to stand next to the super tall Liu Yu Ning. But I am not feeling their chemistry. I think Liu Yu Ning’s acting is adequate but not amazing, and especially not good during romantic scenes. There are also way too many slow motion romantic scenes and there was one kiss that took forever for the lips to touch. On the other hand, I love the few scenes Yu Shi San has with Chu Yue. Their scenes are so limited but I feel the chemistry between them so much more. Their night of fun together brought a lot of joy. The conversation/confrontation the day after was emotional and really tugs at my heartstrings. And the last scenes of them together make me feel so, so sad.
Pacing - I was really enjoying the different arcs in the first 70% of the drama. I thought it was well-paced and I was invested and engaged. The combination of comedy, action, camaraderie, and palace politics are pretty well done. Then the last arc with the northerners happened. It’s like someone presses on the gas pedal and everything speeds up. Why was there such a rush in the end? Was the drama edited and chopped up because of the 40-episode limitation? Was that the writing’s fault? I am not sure.
Ending - Was I surprised how ‘brutal’ the ending is? Not really. I don’t dislike the ending per se. I am a little surprised by the sheer number of deaths. I’ve watched C-drama historicals enough to know not to love a character too much, as they might not make it to the end. I just wish their deaths would be spaced out. I don’t think I have the time to mourn for each death, and the drama did not take a breather before moving to the next one. This ties back to my criticism of the pacing.
Dubbing - How I wish everyone used their real voice. Unfortunately, Liu Shi Shi/Ren Xin and Chang Hua Sen/Li Tong Guang. The other main cast did and I applaud them for it, especially for Liu Yu Ning/Ning Yuan Zhou and the young He Lan Dou/Yang Ying. But all dubbing was done in the studio and none live.
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Although this drama is not perfect, I have quite an enjoyable time watching it. It’s able to hold my attention until about ep 35. If the last 5-6 episodes are paced well and the main romance has better chemistry, I would have rated this an 9.0. But now, I am just going to give this an 8.25-8.50. I will still recommend this drama for the fun bunch of guys, great action scenes and an engaging plot.
Completed: 2/22/2024 - Review #406
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A Buffet of Romance Stories
This anthology-style drama consists of 10 romance stories that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Except for the last episode, you can watch the other 9 in any order, and you wouldn’t be confused. For me, I just watched it from the beginning. Even though these are stories of love, they are not necessarily all cute and fluffy. But it does give us variety and viewers will probably like some more than others.“At the Moment” has a star-studded cast. If you watch enough Taiwanese dramas, you will recognize or have seen all of them in other dramas. It seems like the whole cast was in the “Light the Night” series, some as main/supporting characters, and others in guest roles. This is probably because director Lian Yi Qi also directed all 3 “Light the Night” dramas.
The acting is pretty good and the stories are interesting enough. I do have my favorites.
Ep 1 - Scripted Love - this is an interesting and not a bad introduction to the drama.
Ep 2 - Price for a ‘happy ending’ - this is one of my favorite ones. Love the actors and it’s funny!
Ep 3 - Blinded by love - not one of my favorites as I don’t like the female character that much. The male lead is quite good-looking though.
Ep 4 - ET phone home - this is quite weird to begin with but I like the interesting twist (thought somewhat predictable).
Ep 5 - Dodgeball - not one of my favorites because I don’t like the portrayal of the sudden change of feelings.
Ep 6 - Let’s try again - this one is OK, even though I like both leads.
Ep 7 - Hot and sexy revenge - there’s just something about Chris Wu that makes him so damn sexy, even though he’s not the typical pretty boy. Watch this for him. LOL
Ep 8 - Role Reversal - this one is different from the others. A very ‘normal’ relationship but it’s actually really sweet to see how the couple supports each other.
Ep 9 - Badminton never dies - a pleasant surprise to see the portrayal of such a relationship.
Ep 10 - I’m sorry Jie Jie 姐姐 - gotta include this trope within these 10 episodes. It was nice to have a quick recap of how everyone’s doing.
Completed: 11/21/2023 - Review #379
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Luo Yao Knew What He Meant
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Sweet, Cute and Low-Stress.....but doesn't quite set itself apart from other youth dramas.
China is the expert in producing youth dramas like “When I Fly Towards You”. Therefore, it’s really hard to have another youth drama that stands out. “When I Fly Towards You” is rated really high at 9.0 and receives glowing reviews from many. But is it really worth such a high rating? To me, not quite. It’s a good drama, but it doesn’t set itself apart from many of its predecessors.Having said that, I have a very enjoyable time watching this. I do think the strength of this drama and what makes it different from others, is the characterization of our main leads. Su Zai Zia (FL) is bubbly and cute. She’s not naive and will fight back against injustices and those who are unkind to her. Zhang Miao Yi plays a very lovable Su Zai Zai. It’s so easy to cross the line of being cute and bubbly, into annoyingly cute and fake. Luckily, I find Su Zai Zai very easy to root for and very adorable. I enjoy all her pursuit of Zhang Lu Rang without being stalkerish.
On the other hand, Zhang Lu Rang (ML) is adorably shy. Who can resist his dimples? I’m glad to see he’s not the typical arrogant, cold genius. He’s actually just quiet and introverted, and is never mean or unkind to Su Zai Zai. In fact, he always responds to Zai Zai neverending questions and comments, though with short phrases. The contrasting personalities and family backgrounds make their romance sweet and romantic. Because of Zai Zai’s loyal and unconditional love for Zhang Lu Rang, he’s able to heal and believe in himself. In the last episode, when he is on stage answering questions from the panel, the answer/confession he made sums up their love story perfectly. Zhang Lu Rang is another Mr. Green Flag.
The friendship of the 5 friends is sweet and cute as well. However, I’ve also seen friendships like this in many other youth dramas. Each friend is given their own spotlight to tell their own (short) story. “When I Fly Towards You” is a very easy watch. It doesn't really go into any serious issues that high school students tackle such as bullying, extreme family pressure or poverty. If that’s what you are looking for, this is the perfect drama. The secondary romance is also nothing special. It’s a story that we’ve seen many times before. However, the characters are fun and very likable.
Another minor criticism I have is the pacing of the drama. In 24 episodes, we follow the characters from when they’re 16 to being adults and getting married. That’s a span of 10 years in 24 episodes and the majority of the time was spent in high school. I feel that the drama is trying to cover too much and would benefit from stopping somewhere after college. Or if they want to adequately tell 10 years worth of stories, the time spent in high school should be shortened. Otherwise, it feels like the drama is rushing through the college and adult days.
There are a few characters that need to cause some trouble, but not to the extent of them being overly annoying. There’s not enough time for the drama to dwell on these characters anyway. In fact, it’s so lovely to see a caring and lovely grandmother, supportive parents, good teachers who really care and classmates that are generally sweet.
I recommend this drama for those who are looking for something sweet and cute, without angst or misunderstanding. Everyone is really cute and fun. But if you have seen many youth dramas before, this drama might not impress you. It’ll make you smile though. 🙂
Other Random Observations:
1. Zhang Lei (FL’s father) - He is in SOOOOO many youth dramas either as a parent or a teacher. I’ve seen him in “With You”, “My Huckleberry Friends”, “Skate into Love”, “The Best of You in My Mind’, “Lovely Us”, and “Forever Love”.
2. Every time I see a lovely grandparent in a C-drama, I worry if anything bad is going to happen to them. I always wish C-dramas don’t kill them off. You never know!
3. So many snacks in this drama. PPL for the win!
4. As much as I love the leads, I have enough of hearing FL calling ML “Rang Rang” a billion times.
Completed: 9/6/2023 - Review #350
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Identity Crisis - A Mix of Comedy, Romantic Comedy and Melodrama
I started “No Regrets in Life” without much expectation and really am not sure what I’m getting myself into. I thought it would be a mature, romantic melodrama about second-chance romance. Well, let’s just say I am not sure ‘mature’ is the adjective I would use to describe the characters here.Taiwanese humor is something I am still trying to get used to. So when the first few episodes bombarded me with people acting crazy, shouting over each other, and forcing two former college friends who lost touch and wanting them to be together, I questioned if I made a mistake in starting this drama. Luckily, I persisted and by episode 4, the story continues to unfold and it’s more than forcing people to do what they don’t want to do.
However, personally, only the male lead is a character that I find somewhat likable and can root for. This is my first drama of Liu Guan Ting, so I am not sure if he’s always somewhat awkward, or if he's doing an excellent job playing the role of Wang Yan. I enjoy how he plays this introverted and socially awkward character, who could easily be a pushover. After his ‘mistake’ 8 years ago, he has learned to be more decisive. His work life is fine, but his love and family lives are pitiful.
Every other character has their annoying elements, even female lead Nin You Zhu. I actually don’t think she deserves the male lead. I am having a hard time seeing things through her eyes, especially with the argument with the male lead 8 years ago. Would I be upset like her, probably. But holding a grudge like that for 8 years is a little much.
The supporting cast is made of the rest of the 7 college friends and together, they call themselves the 9 Suns. They are a loud bunch and are super nosy. They can’t help butting into everyone’s business, especially the love life between the leads. Plotwise, yes, we do need the 9 Suns to nudge the leads a little to get back together but they do more than nudging. Just because you regretted a stupid decision you made in college, doesn’t give you the right to force people to do things they don’t want to, especially causing such a big ruckus. This is one of the rare dramas with a strong focus on friendship where I don’t want these friends in my life. These friends like to emotionally blackmail others.
Wang Yan’s wife is an interesting character. Gosh, I hated her and found her super annoying at first. And then I just pity her. Aggie Hsieh’s acting is hard to watch in a good way? On the other hand, Ning You Zhu’s boyfriend is a boring character. Maybe I just don’t like JC Lin’s acting. They have no chemistry at all and I guess that’s the point.
Somewhat spoilery here - this drama is full of emotional cheating. The three couples (hexagon relationship) portrayed here are a mess. At least one person in a relationship is not faithful to their partner. They might not outright kiss, hug, or sleep with someone, but it’s obvious that they are in love with someone else.
I am not sure I can recommend this drama. If you are a fan of the Taiwanese style, you might like it more than I do. I feel like “No Regrets in Life” has an identity crisis. I wish it is either a melodrama, a comedy or a romantic comedy, but not a mix of all three. However, at least I love the songs here and I applaud some characters' ability to speak their lines really fast and able to hold back their laughs.
Completed: 8/30/2023 - Review #347
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Osama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Great chemistry and a fun watch, but with some questionable actions that dampened the mood
Subjective Rating - 8.25When I first saw the English title of “Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi” I was like, so this drama is giving the middle finger as in “Fxxk You” to contract marriages? Well, of course, that’s not the case. The title, “The Third Finger Offered to a King” probably means the engagement finger, not the F U finger. Doh! Ok, maybe only me that thinks this way. LOL
For the most part, this is a very typical contract marriage drama with the usual tropes and cliches. But the leads have so much chemistry and are so fun together that this is really an enjoyable watch for the most part. I recently saw Yamada Ryosuke (ML) in “Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu Shohikigen!?” aka “My Cuteness is About to Expire!?” and he was adorable with all the cute smiles. It’s funny how he’s playing opposite the female lead who’s the one with the (fake) smiles. Nonetheless, he is still so cute and gorgeous and I appreciate his acting more here as well. Female lead, Hashimoto Kanna, is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous here. She has big round eyes but not quite the drop-dead gorgeous type I have in mind.
There are many lovely side characters in this drama. A very supportive family on the FL side, especially the adorable parents. The siblings don’t have a lot of screentime, but they have a tight bond and scenes of their family are always heartwarming. The co-workers for the most part are supportive and not irritating. The ML’s side of the family is a different story and we’ll get to them in a little bit.
The acting is pretty good and considering this is a manga adaptation, it does not have the usual over-the-top comedic acting. The wedding stories are interesting enough and do not take time away from the leads. They add some flavors to the story and generally help move along the plot with the focus back on our two main leads.
However, there are some really questionable actions and/or inactions that frustrate me a little and distract from the general cute, fluffy and funny vibe of the show. Thus, I lower the rating for that.
-The actions of the second male lead when FL was drunk.
-The inaction of the FL after the second male lead openly confronted her and ML.
-The actions of the ML without communication
-The inaction of ML’s father where he could have prevented many things from happening
-The actions and obsession of ML’s mother are not quite justified
There is still so much to like about the drama especially if you are a fan of contract/fake marriages. There are also many funny scenes.
-Love the use of scenes in “The Battler” - reminded me of the good old days when I used to watch “The Bachelor”
-The dog is so cute and I am not even a dog person.
-Duck dance instead of chicken dance at a German restaurant? Interesting.
-Love the gradual increase of pictures on the shelf/mantle
-Is the drama also promoting tourism? Hakone, Gora, Premium Outlets? I feel like these are places I researched to go when I was planning my Japan trip.
-Speaking of outlets, I am not sure if I would go to the outlets to buy a present for the President of a Company….but I understand she’s on a budget.
Despite its flaws, this is a very fun and bingable drama. If you can look past some of the questionable actions/inactions of some characters, the drama is lighthearted and can put a smile on your face.
Completed: 7/2/2023 - Review #324
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The Lighter and the Princess' Gown
5 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
For Romance lovers who like Flawed characters making Flawed decisions in Love.
Subjective Gut Rating - 8.5 (because I am obsessed with Arthur Chen)I can see why this drama is rated so high, especially for romance lovers. I can also see why others think the main romance is toxic and the drama is not sending a positive message to young adults. Personally, I really like the romance - the longing, loving gazes, side glances, flirting, angst and heartbreaks. I am not in the tech field and know nothing about coding. So, I can’t comment on how accurate the codes are or if the tech parts make sense or not.
The chemistry is sizzling. Arthur Chen really shines in his role as Li Xun and practically carries the show on his back. My eyes can’t stop following him around and his eyes are speaking to me, showing all his emotions. I am embarrassed to say that I am crushing on him big time, especially during the college days when his hair was dyed back brown (the blonde hair wasn’t working for me). I’ve enjoyed his role in “Ever Night” but he’s so charismatic in this drama that no wonder Zhu Yun (FL) couldn’t stop following him around.
I can totally understand Zhu Yun’s adoration and admiration of him for so many years. The slow burn romance keeps me guessing and wanting them to be a couple. Yet on the other hand, I love the push-and-pull, will-they-won’t-they dynamics so much that I want the flirting and stolen glances to continue as long as possible. Zhang Jing Yi, though not quite at the same level as Arthur Chen in terms of acting, I do think she does a pretty good job as the female lead. I last saw her in “Fall in Love” but her role here is quite different. Zhu Yun might not be the smartest cookie in love, but I appreciate a smart female lead who can pull her weight and contribute professionally. As much as I admire her undeniable trust in Li Xun’s ability to change the world, I do think their romance can be interpreted as very unhealthy especially after they reunite. Li Xun rejects and breaks Zhu Yun’s heart so many times with verbal insults and embarrassment and giving her mixed signals for most of the second half of the drama. It’s really not healthy but I can’t help but love every single minute of it.
Gao Jian Hong, the second male lead, played by Zhao Zhi Wei, is an interesting and pitiful character. I feel really bad for him and what he went through. For someone who has been #1 for most of his life, meeting a genius like Li Xun and being bested by him every single time, is not something Gao Jian Hong can get past. This grudge never goes away even when they were friends then. The revenge plot takes up quite a lot of time in the second half of the drama. Overall, I think Zhao Zhi Wei did a pretty good job as the second male lead and shares the spotlight with Arthur Chen.
Well, my somewhat high rating is mainly because of how much I enjoy the main romance and Arthur Chen. But there are certain aspects of the plot that I don’t like. The secondary and tertiary romances are not as well-written. I do not understand why Xu Li Na is so in love with Li Xun when she barely knows him or has much interaction with him. Being attracted to Li Xun is understandable, but holding that infatuation for so many years is not logical. On the other hand, the small romance plot between Ren Di and her bandmate boyfriend is not well developed. You can skip that romance and you wouldn’t miss anything.
I am also not a fan of an overbearing and controlling mother. I understand where her concerns are coming from, especially when Zhu Yun was still in college. But when she’s in her mid-20s and late-20s, this type of overprotectiveness is unacceptable. Luckily, there are a few other side characters that are more likable, e.g. Professor Lin, the hacker, and the co-workers. Lastly, I really like the OST. I enjoy almost all the songs esp. Fireworks (焰火) by Zhou Shen and Light Red (轻红) by Cao Yang.
I would recommend this drama if you like slow burn, complicated romances of flawed characters making flawed decisions.
Completed: 3/24/2023
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Good Mix of Comedy, Romance and Suspense with some minor inconsistencies
It seems to be getting harder to find an original script in a Chinese drama these days, especially for wuxia/xianxia/fantasy. So, it was a pleasure knowing that “Warm on a Cold Night” is not an adaptation (it wasn’t noted on MDL). Although there are plot holes, I quite enjoy the general plot and the mystery cases, and how they all tie back to the big story. I am not an episodic-case person, thus, this type of cases/dramas are right up my alley.Li Yi Tong is one of my favorite actresses and I believe in her acting ability. However, I am not quite sure of her choice to be in this drama. I feel that with her experience, she is way past acting as a young, cute (thank god not naive) girl in any drama. Nevertheless, I watched this because this drama was well-received and, well, I like her. For whatever reason, this is my third Bi Wen Jun drama this year after “Double Love” and “The Silence of the Monster”. I have yet to see him play a lively, active, outgoing character. His roles remain somewhat similar, cold, cool and hard to approach in the beginning. But I am glad to see his acting continue to improve and his role as Han Zheng differs in a way that I see his evil smirks and mischievous side a little.
Li Yi Tong and Bi Wen Jun have pretty good chemistry together. Bickering couples are one of my favorite tropes and I enjoy seeing two intelligent individuals trying to outsmart and work together to solve the cases. I also really enjoy seeing Bi Wen Jun/Hang Zheng’s smirks, loving gazes and when he acts all jealous. Li Yi Tong is cute as a button, and plays her role, Su Jiu Er, so well that she gains the affection of two good guys. I also am relieved to see that the love triangle is done well. It’s really hard to find the balance between bromance and love rivals, and I think “Warm on a Cold Night” did a good job in this respect. Wen Jun is such a thoughtful, caring and sweet guy and I felt bad he didn’t get the girl. There isn’t any character I hate and even the annoying 4th wheel Princess did not last too long. On the other end of the romance, I, along with many viewers, would love to see more of the story between Chi Lan and Wen Ying. If there’s going to be a second season, I wish we can see the continuation of where the drama left off.
I am actually more interested in some of the mystery cases in this drama than in “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty”. I think my favorite is the one with the paintings. It was quite an elaborate set up with many twists along the way. But after that plot, the drama’s pace slows down a little and I lose some of my focus when binging. Overall, I am quite happy with how all these cases lead us to the finale. I was expecting a certain character to show their true colors, but not that final twist in the end. However, I think the final episode was too rushed. The transition from one scene/emotion to another is quite abrupt.
The production quality seems decent enough. Everything seems appropriate but not extravagant. Costumes, sets, lighting, etc, are just fine. The dubbing isn’t that great. Li Yi Tong continues to use her voice (she’s one of the rare ones), along with Wang Mao Lei (godfather Hu) and Li Shi Peng (Wen Jun’s bodyguard). All other actors used voice actors. The fight scenes in the first couple episodes are pretty good and I was hoping to see more. But I am disappointed that the action scenes disappear and even in the final showdown, there’s more pushing and throwing you across the room, than close combat fight scenes. There are only a handful of songs in the OST and they sound nice enough. Luckily, the songs are not overplayed.
Overall, I had a good time binge-watching this drama. It has enough comedy, romance and suspense to keep me interested. There are plot holes and inconsistencies, but not enough to dampen my viewing pleasure.
Completed: 3/18/2023
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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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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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