ivybis
United States
What a ride!
I haven't enjoyed a drama like this since SKY Castle. Very well written and acted, this drama just carries you away with it and makes you feel like a voyeur in the characters' private lives. You grow to both care and abhor them because they are imperfect. You wonder why they do the things they do instead of letting go and moving on. If anything, this is a lesson in human behavior and the consequences of our choices.A friendship between two women is destroyed when one makes a bad decision, leaving the other to pick up the pieces and plot her revenge. This drama was a well-written race to an explosive end. The train is out of control and will eventually crash, leaving the lives of the those around them in shattered pieces.
I have to commend the performances of all the actors, particularly Shin Hyun Bin who is the polar opposite of the character she played in Hospital Playlist. It was refreshing to see her explore her creepy, darker side. Kudos as well, to Go Hyun Jung whom I fondly remember in her role as Park Wan in Dear My Friends. Both women carry this drama beautifully and kept me glued to my seat. Notable mentions also to Kim Bo Yun as the meddling mother-in-law and Choi Won Young as the wronged husband.
Unfortunately, the last two episodes tried to wrap up the drama in a very unrealistic way. I can overlook how unwanted people are constantly breaching this upscale neighborhood to cause all kinds of mischief, but the ending was just too implausible. I wish the writer had been able to put as much effort into the last two episodes as she did in the first 14. She wanted to give it the ending audiences might have wished for given the circumstances, but I found this ending a little hard to swallow based on the vindictive personalities of all those involved.
OST is beautiful and perfectly suited to the drama. I would definitely watch this again.
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Although there are some cliche situations, the story is well written and engaging. I loved watching Ji Soo as usual. He has a charisma that draws you in and you can’t help but love him. He is annoying but sympathetic and I would love a big brother like him. I find his overprotective attitude of his best friend endearing.
Although there are only 8 episodes filmed, I am liking it very much and am looking forward to see how it ends. It keeps me guessing about what the outcome will be and I like that it’s not quite predictable yet.
Acting is so-so. Some performances are weaker than others but nothing noteworthy. Looking forward to the next episodes.
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Though many people want to pan the series because it comes from plagiarized works, I don't think that is fair to the production. The script writers made something wonderful out of a mediocre novel, and that should be appreciated for its own merits. This was a beautiful piece of work and I appreciate the time, talents, and hard work of the production team.
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Messy, muddled plot
I really wanted to like this drama, but it was 40 episodes of case after case with little emphasis on the relationships between the main leads. I always like older woman, younger man dramas as long as the writing is engaging. This drama, however was too muddled with the minutiae of cases rather than develop a natural path between the main leads and their supporting characters. I should have dropped this early on, but I wanted to see it through because I respect the main leads and their talents. Unfortunately, the writing did not do them justice.Qin Shi (Yang Mi) is an ambitious young lawyer gunning for a promotion to partner in a competitive law firm. She is tough, smart and capable and has the respect of all her colleagues. The one thing she doesn't have to make it to the next level is a husband. She decides to foolishly make one up and steals a picture from the internet from a dating site. When she is required to attend an important work event with the spouse, she is forced to "hire" one for the role.
Yang Hua (Xu Kai) is the young man in question--a hermit with a past. He decides to accept Qin Shi's business proposition to get his overbearing mother off his back. Both parties feel this is a great solution to their mutual problems, but neither count on the possibility of falling in love with each other. Add an ex-fiance that never got closure, and his jealous new girlfriend, and we have an interesting plot for a good drama or rom-com. Alas, the opportunity was wasted in favor of in-depth cases that took the attention away from the romance building of the leads.
One would think that the plot would find a funny and romantic way to focus on these two individuals and their slow gravitation towards one another, and to an extent we do. However, it's boringly written and one has a difficult time believing in the plausibility of this odd couple's relationship. You wonder what such an overachieving young woman would see in such a hermit of a kid six years her junior. There are some sweet moments, but the kissing scenes are so poorly rehearsed, that it makes you uncomfortable.
I enjoyed the relationship between Qin Shi and her professional work rival, Li Dai, more than any other in this entire drama. They had really good chemistry and they brought out the best in each other professionally. I even liked Qin Shi's ex because he wasn't a jerk, but a victim of his own unwillingness to stand up to the women in his life. I imagined different ways his story could have gone, but again, the writers missed a great opportunity. He definitely didn't deserve the ending he got. I think the last episode was used to quickly wrap up the storylines they had abandoned earlier on. Characters central to the drama in the beginning tended to disappear by the end and some supporting cast were just nuisances.
The acting was good among the lead and seasoned cast. I liked Xu Kai's performance as the hermetic, oddball nerd and Yang Mi as the high-powered lawyer. The one dynamic that really worked among them was the house-husband/working woman roles. The themes of inequality and harassment are also taken on here.
To wrap up, I think this drama falls into the trap of not being able to decide what it is wants to be. I think one should first decide what kind of a story is central and write along those lines rather than have so many side plots and characters that don't do anything to further the drama's main theme. Otherwise a drama with a messy, muddled plot is the result.
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Rock-solid, binge-worthy romance
Wonderland of Love is yet another exceptional C-drama to put on my list of top 10 power couples. Xu Kai and Jing Tian play main leads Li Ni and Cui Lin who fall in love after a friendly rivalry gives way to a more serious relationship.The first few episodes were a bit weak and, due to that, I dropped the series for a few months. I finally went back to it after completing Best Choice Ever with Xu Kai, since I found myself very impressed with his low-key, earnest performance. I had a renewed interest in finishing WOL because of his work in that.
This drama has it all: palace intrigue, epic battles and martial arts, beautiful scenery, gorgeous costumes and set design, and an exceptional soundtrack--which at the moment is only available on YouTube. (This is bad because that means I can't add it to my C-drama playlist on Spotify. Not cool).
What locked me in place was the excellent chemistry and stellar acting between the main leads. They both drew me in and made me thoroughly enjoy their playful banter which slowly becomes attraction and then intense love. Once again, I was bowled over by Xu Kai's performance. He was passionate, tempestuous, forthright, and courageous. He was everything one wants in a romantic hero. At the same time he is not without flaws. He jumps to conclusions and can be unfairly cruel to his leading lady. Just watching them fight would sometimes make my heart ache, but then the make ups were epic.
Throughout all the intense flirting, there is more intrigue to keep the plot moving. Bad guys abound in the this drama and seems our main leads jump from one dangerous situation to the next. You get some great action scenes, but keeping track of all the villains gets exhausting and repetitive. I could have done without the last episode. It was too neatly wrapped up and didn't feel true to the supporting cast and the stories that had originally been intended for them.
I also appreciated the guest performances by Zen Li and Liu Yu Ning. I have watched them both in other great C-dramas and it is a treat to have them appear in this series. I recommend this drama to those who love romances, palace intrigue, and period dramas.
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If Mother/Daughter Dramas are you're thing, this is the one for you...
I loved this drama because of its heartfelt messages of love and family unity in helping to face the difficulties of life and family strife. These messages are conveyed in the story of Mai Chenghuan, who has dreams of excelling in her career, but has a well-meaning and controlling mother who gets in her way.I think this drama hits home for many women, young and old, who've had moms like this. They work hard all their lives taking care of you and wanting what's best for you, but just can't seem to make the transition from raising their children, to being hands-off companions to their adult children. They get caught in the push/pull of what they believe will make their children happy instead of listening to what they actually need, making them horribly unhappy because they've grown used to being in control. This is where our story begins.
The mother/daughter leads are played masterfully by Yang Zi, as Mai Chenghuan, and veteran actress, He Sai Fei, as Liu Wanyu. These two actresses were phenomenal together. They took us into their tumultuous relationship, making us cry with their heart-breaking fights and making us cry again when they make up. They got their characters down pat and brought them to life on-screen. What an honor I can imagine it must have been for Yang Zi to work alongside such a talented actress that is He Sai Fei. I could see right off that she took all her younger counterparts to unimaginable heights. My hat is off to the director for guiding them all to go further in their performances. The ensemble cast were all wonderful as the Mai family. They felt like a very real family, supporting each other in good times and in bad. It is no wonder then that Yao Zhiming, wants so badly to be a part of it?
Xu Kai, as Yao Ziming, is the quiet loner who slowly becomes entangled with Mai Chenghuan and her family life. They both share a very important person in their lives and she is instrumental in teaching them that nothing is more important than love for family and doing what is right. She gently guides Yao to become more free and less transactional, employing the efforts of Mai Chenghuan in her endeavors. I was very impressed with Xu Kai's understated performance. He could be the cold CEO, but you could see that he had a big heart and that he was guarding it, not willing to give it away until he was ready. I appreciated that about his performance. He understood his character completely. That inner monologue was present and you don't always get that in less seasoned actors. He was alive, a rock for Chenghuan, but vulnerable at the same time. The rawness of his need for a family was palpable. All I can say is the noodle scene. Without giving anything away, that was the moment he won me over as an actor.
The weakest areas of the plot were at the beginning. The first few episodes felt disjointed and slow. I think the drama was still trying to find its footing and those first 12 episodes could have done with less cliches.
In a forest of Chinese dramas full of young, handsome romantic leads and cliche plots, this was a diamond in the rough because it doesn't just dwell on romance. There is much more going on and that is a good thing. Even the secondary romantic couple is well written and doesn't detract from the main couple or the principal situations. I highly recommend this one for viewers who like slice of life dramas, or want more going on than just the romance.
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One of the Best Xianxias
Finished watching part 2 earlier today and I am very pleased with this xianxia. I have to commend the production team for bringing such a great quality series to audiences. It was top notch in terms of CGI, acting and story, abeit repetitive. There were a few plot holes and some weak performances from the less experienced actors, but for the most part it was a solid xianxia.Zi Yang is lovely and I have been watching her since Ashes of Love. She is truly a gifted performer and the carmera adores her. She can't take a bad shot. She is drop dead beautiful. Her ML also performed well. Cheng Yi may be young, but he delivered a heart-felt performance as the conflicted Heavenly Emperor who wants to love his woman, but has to put his duties above all else. I got lost in these great performances and when our leads are going through their greatest trials and hurting each other, my heart actually ached for them. Bravo to the cast for making me feel that pain and in the life and death situations they were living. I always enjoy a well directed drama and this one was well done.
I am equally impressed with Ray Chang's performance as the spunky Yu Mo, forthright, loyal, passionate, handsome and likable. He was so boss with that fan! I wanted him to get his happy ending as well. But, perhaps there could be a sequel with a storyline for him.
My only gripe is that as much as I love a happy ending, this one felt forced. I think the two special episodes are put together to satisfy those who would not have liked the ending, despite the fact that it made more sense to the storyline and our ML's sense of duty. Otherwise, this one will top the list of favorite xianxias.
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Great Xianxia
Ah, I loved this one! A good old-fashioned xianxia served up with all the best plot devices, romance, numerous episodes, great acting, and strong writing. Without giving anything away, it's just a fun romp through xianxia land and took me back to the days of TMOPB and similar xianxias that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place.As always I loved Yang Zi's performance as Yan Dan, the lotus fairy who is born into the Heavenly Realm. Cheng Yi and Ray Chang's performances were also noteworthy, but in this love triangle, I was team Yu Mo due to their wonderful chemistry! Deep down, I hoped they would just run away together!
There was some pretty bad acting among some of the supporting cast--Wang Hao Xuan as Dragon King Ao Xuan, but the leads were rock solid. They were endearing, especially when the trio went on their numerous adventures. I have to commend Vicki Xu on her portrayal as the evil fairy Ying Deng. Damn, she was one you really loved to hate.
Nice OST and impressive special effects made it a feast for the eyes and ears. Definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of xianxia shows. Looking forward to part 2!
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Great Crime Drama
I watched this right after finishing My Dearest because I was so blown away my Namkoon Min's performance as Jang Hyun that I needed to see him in something else right away. The one other drama I had watched him in was a few years ago in Wild Chives. That show was so forgettable that the only thing I remembered was NM's beautiful smile. My Dearest brought him back to me, but with several years of experience under his belt. I have seen exceptional acting from many actors, but few become their characters. NM is one of these actors. He is a chameleon and so invested in his characters, that I can only see the character and NOT the actor. This is a rare gift. With the exception of his face and timbre of his voice, there is no similarity between these two characters. In the Veil, NM is Han Ji Hyuk, the hard-nosed, mentally unstable security bureau agent fighting demons and looking to expose the rats within his organization.The story is well-written and gripping. It is fast paced and, though a little hard to follow at times, very engaging. The best part is the wonderfully talented ensemble cast and an air-tight script. The anchor is Namkoon, of course. He adds weight to a cast of very fine actors who work very well together. From drug related cases, to organ trafficking, to espionage and secret sub-organizations, it's all here and well put together. You can't help but watch and hope that things turn out well for him and his new partner, You Je Yi, played capably by Kim Ji Eun.
If you are a fan of Namkoon Min, I recommend this one even if romantic dramas are more your style--like mine.
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No depth
Without knowing anything on the real history of the princess, this fictional account left me unsatisfied. I feel like there wasn't much going on here. The princess is sent to Japan as a hostage, but it only touches the surface of her situation in Japan. There isn't much character development and I'm left with a sad story with no real depth.The acting was good. I felt for the princess who tried so hard to be a beacon of hope for her people, but was thwarted by the enemy. Our main leads were both invested in their roles and their performances were noteworthy. Unfortunately, the storyline wasn't very riveting, so there is only so much they can do with the script. I felt like some of the talent was wasted and underused in this film. Not worth the time.
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Miss, for me..
This was not my cup of tea. I was looking forward to it because I have been a fan of Luo Yunxi since Ashes of Love and was mesmerized with Till the End of the Moon. The writing here is so lukewarm, that it does our ML no justice. I was familiar with Zhang Rue Nan when I first watched her in Date with the Future. I liked her role as the relentless, kind, tough young reporter and was hoping her role would, once again, be along those lines. It is to an extent, but it falls short because she makes herself so unlikeable in this drama. I don't know what it is. Perhaps, the writers are at fault here for writing her in a way that made me feel less than charitable towards her. The way she pushed away our ML may have been necessary for the conflict in the story, but there has to be some underlying pull to counteract the push. All I saw is push here, and she gave off some very negative vibes. That, and the lack of chemistry between the leads killed it for me. I was happy the secondary couple did not take away too much air time from the main leads, but they almost disappear completely at times. Still, there was some annoying cliches and some outright ridiculous medical implausibilities that really raised my eyebrows. I will continue to watch Luo Yunxi because I can't fault him for this stinker of a show, but no more Zhang Rue Nan dramas. She is cute, but there is nothing in her performances that screams overwhelming desire to see her in anything ever again. Cui Yi, as Su Wei An's mother, was a biggest bright spot in this dull drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Watchable, for the most part.
I thought this drama was watchable overall. I love Park Bo Young. She is cute beyond words and such a joy to watch. She had good chemistry with her male lead and it had the right amount of humor and angst to keep you watching. At times the plot seemed to slow down and become repetitive. It seemed to meander in parts and some of the writing choices were just silly implausibilities. I mean, who has a conversation in Korean with someone who only answers in English and both completely understand each other? I know the writers wanted some laughs, but that was ridiculous.Lee Soo Hyun is a cat in human form! Aloof, arrogant, and smooth, he is the epitome of the annoying guy who is handsome and knows it. He isn't someone I would jump to date so I wondered, given the way his character is written, why the object of his affection would be interested in such an arrogant bastard? I never felt his character arc was complete, and he lacked development. He went from being an arrogant bastard to an arrogant bastard in love.
I felt the character who got the shortest end of the stick is Kang Tae Oh's, Lee Hyun Gyu. Aside from helping along Lee Soo Hyun's storyline, there wasn't much for him to do. I think he should get his own spin-off drama where he finds the girl of his dreams. In general, the writing was really the problem here. Why take us on a ride where someone falls in love, misses her guy, only to play games when she gets him back? That was exasperating, as was watching the ML still think he could do superhero stuff when he wasn't just for laughs. Perhaps the drama it didn't want to take itself to seriously , but the comedy seems out of place.
The OST was excellent. I usually never rewatch dramas so I wouldn't recommend a show that can't decide what it is.
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Slow Burn Romance
Here is a nice two-season romance drama that takes a while for the romance to ignite. It stars two of my favorite young actors, Leo Wu and LuSi Zhao. I can't say enough about the rock solid performances, especially from Leo Wu. He is absolutely captivating, extremely talented and downright gorgeous. The camera loves him. For such a young performer, he is incredibly talented and takes you effortlessly along with him. He plays the highly-revered General Ling BuYi who can crush the enemy with a glance. The young ladies are all vying for his attention, many making utter fools of themselves in the process, while ready to scratch each other's eyes out. Luckily, the aloof and unattached General sets his eyes on the young daughter of another general, but she is headstrong and not easily trusting. Niao Niao, played by LuSi Zhao, is lovely, naughty, vengeful and forthright. Sparks fly when these two get together, and they both complement each other. It's endearing to watch them slowly falling in love with each other and suffering along with them through their sorrows. The best part is watching them grow from their mistakes, learning to forgive, and allowing their love to make the other stronger.Was this review helpful to you?
Predictable
Cliched, predictable high school drama with some very beautiful young people. Bo Ra promises to look after her best friend's crush while she leaves the country. Predictable situations ensue, but you don't mind it too much since the main leads are so darned beautiful. I loved Bo Ra's relationship with her father the most. I wish they had given their banter a little more airtime. I was hoping the love triangle would give way to a close friendship--sort of like a three musketeers relationship, but the writers had other ideas. I hate to say it, but the unoriginal plot, and depthless supporting characters made this a bit disappointing. The acting was okay, but I think they could have gone a little further in raising the stakes. It general, a very sweet teenaged movie.Was this review helpful to you?
