It should have been titled 'Secrets'

Just a few notes:

1. That suspenseful opening scene with the two sisters doesn't actually happen until episode 100.
2. This was a beautiful story of different types of love
3. There were too many damn secrets
4. Yoon Tae Young's performance as Goo Chun nearly brought me to my knees. No character has ever made me cry so hard, especially one that barely says a word.
5. I'm pissed the people who needed to die didn't.
6. With 108 30+ min episodes, the series is long so even though I liked almost everything about it, I still fast-forwarded and even skipped a bunch of episodes and you know what? I didn't miss a thing. The only part you must not FF is the first five episodes as this really sets up the whole series.
6. I'm at episode 100 now and I'm apathetic to this soap opera, even if it is a good one. It's just so damn long and I'm tired of their faces

Read More

What love? What King?

This was such a downer. Watching it felt like I was drowning in a syrupy pool of despair and dissatisfaction. Apparently, this was meant to be the Chinese version of Love in the Moonlight but I can categorically say that this was a rather poor facsimile. Ultimately, the Korean version is far superior in both plot and casting. The story didn't know if it wanted to be a comedy, melodrama, or serious political suspense; so it ended up being a superficial mishmash of the most common palace tropes.

A girl who grew up as a boy went into the palace to collect a debt and ended up being appointed as the King's chief eunuch except the king is a mere puppet who's controlled by both his stepmother-the Empress Dowager- and the top general. The King desires to be a good ruler but in order to do that he must unseat the Dowager's camp. Both teams thrust and parry without actually landing any major blows. In the midst of the power struggle, the King falls in love with the FL and they work together to achieve said goal.

Read More

Sigh

By defiantly dropping the series at episode 39 (of 40), I reclaimed some of the brain cells that were lost while watching the preceding episodes. With each episode, it became alarming to watch a script written about really terrible people not being held accountable for their misdeeds. The messaging is wrong and unjustifiable even in a fictional setting. A society with moral fiber woven with amoral, greedy, selfish, and dangerous people will someday implode on itself; however, time and time again I see this messaging being sent subliminally by most modern C dramas and it scares me.

Elise, Victor, Mrs. Quentin, Xiao Yu, Boris, Dr. Xie, and many more were horrible people yet not one of them got their comeuppance and for this I blame, Meng Yao, the screenwriter who, at 25, doesn't seem to have the requisite life lessons needed to fully flesh out such a morally gray story. As a matter of fact, I wonder if the screenwriter herself isn't a terrible person who wrote this as a wish-fulfilling prophecy.

Read More

Mouth watering cuisine with a side of romance

I never shipped Fuca and Wei Yingluo so I was a bit ambivalent about seeing Xu Kai and Wu Jin Yan in another historical drama, however, I ended up enjoying it more than expected. Two things bothered me about Jin Yan though...
1) her makeup was done by someone who clearly hated her because she looked like a ghost onscreen and
2) she looked tired, skinny, and so much older than Xu Kai.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the use of food as a driver for the plot.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Read More

Intense

Yes, every positive review you've read about this series is true. The stunning cinematography, the dialogue (oh my god, the dialogue), the characters, the intricate and soul-ripping plot, and lastly the intense chemistry between the protagonists. The flip side of these will gut you at every turn: deaths, betrayals, fratricide, filicide, suicides, and hate. At some point, I just had to start laughing at all the betrayals and deaths otherwise I would have lost my damn mind. Heed the warning, do not attempt this if you have suicidal ideations or depression.

Then there's the Emperor (Crown Prince's father) who is probably the best antagonist I've ever had the pleasure of watching. I hated him with all my soul and yet I waited with bated breath for him to speak or act because a mere flick of his eyes could deal untold hardship on those around him. I rooted for him as much as I wanted him dead. How is that not some insidiously perfect scriptwriting?

Read More

How does this have such high ratings?

I’ve made sighing into an Olympic sport because I must have done so a thousand times while watching this drama. Not only was it tedious but it also had an underlying message that didn't sit right with me. Firstly, I detest ditzy heroines who talk like babies; it's unappealing and cliche. Secondly, and despite it being the central theme, the hypnosis aspect was done poorly. No one should ever put another person under hypnosis without their consent. I could have overlooked it had it been done once or twice, however, the FL selfishly did it multiple times to the point I ended up hating her. Once I stopped caring about her then nothing else mattered. Not the romance or palace politics or the love triangle. I needed them gone.

Read More

The story itself was good, everything else fell flat

With many laugh-out-loud and crazy moments, this series can only be viewed as a parody cos anything else will freeze your brain cells. So although I laughed at the beginning, it slowly got boring and the love story bordered on saccharine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Read More

An alternative depiction of a maligned Empress

The word epic is often used casually but in this case it’s probably an understatement because this series was absolutely phenomenal.

I don’t think there’s been a series that, IMO, is as riveting as Empress of China not even Story of Yanxi Palace which continues to have a chokehold on me.

There’re a few reviews with great recaps so I won’t bore you, what I will say however is that I did not for one second regret watching it.

If there’s one issue I have is the dumbing down of her intellect in order to make the audience more sympathetic towards her; nevertheless, I understood the intent seeing as how she’s depicted historically it makes sense to present a more benevolent monarch whose life story had mainly been presented through a patriarchal gaze in order to paint her as this monster who would kill her children to hold on to power. Therefore, this depiction makes more logical sense and I applaud the writers and cast for a job well done.

Read More

This ought to have a higher average rating because it’s just so good

More recent Korean dramas rarely exceed 20 episodes and so when I realized Dong Yi was 60 episodes long, I nearly skipped it. Well, thank God I didn’t because this series was a little bit of heaven that ticked every box of tropes I want in a historical drama. The icing was having Ji Jin Hee as the gorgeous Emperor. My oh my, I practically swooned whenever he came on screen not only because of his excellent acting but also for that chiseled face. He and Han Hyo Joo had an insane amount of chemistry that practically sizzled. Yes, I like me some unequally yoked lovers. An Emperor falling in love and marrying a servant? Sign me up please.

More than this, there was enough palace intrigue and harem shenanigans to keep the pace moving swimmingly; also, and for once, a Korean drama actually had an ending that didn’t rip my heart out. What more could I ask for?

Read More

Engaging

Beautiful Yang Mi and handsome Ethan Yuan had such amazing chemistry in this series, although Yang pretty much dominates this genre notwithstanding whoever plays opposite her. I thought the series was well-plotted and each episode, engaging. However, parts of the story that involved the character played by Gao Weiguang were so badly acted that I had second-hand embarrassment for Gao. I couldn't believe this was the same guy who gave us some of the best scenes in Eternal Love because he was just so bland on screen. Thankfully, the other subplots and characters made it worthwhile. Hate the ending but what can one do: you win some and lose some.

Read More

Cute

This series has thrown my rating system into disarray. Objectively, this is the hallmark movie of C-dramaland in that we get a story that's fast-paced, romantic, and watchable yet it has the depth of a puddle and a very linear story arc. Nothing special, still, it's exactly what is needed to cleanse the palate after watching a dense drama like Legend of Mi Yue (which I disliked).

Is it fair to rate it so high? Yes, because I'd like to send a message of support to the writers and production team so that they're encouraged to keep honing their skills and hopefully improve their outputs regarding quality, storytelling, and production values

Read More

Hopes dashed

Seven stars for the first half and 2 for the latter. The early episodes were funny and lighthearted, and our leads Ning Yi and Tan’er had good synergy. The dialogue matched the atmosphere and whatever issues they faced were dealt with intelligently, however, once the story transitioned to the bandit arc, it lost its vitality and essence. Clearly, the plot is meant to be darker and in many ways the writers attempted to achieve that by introducing more violence and gore but the dialogue and acting never quite matched what should have been deadly situations. Guo Qilin was out of his depth. He lacks the skills needed to fully convey the direness of their situation. It was also at this point that Guo’s acting veered towards Zhang Ruoyun’s mannerisms. The pursed lips, the head tilt and a few more which, if you’ve ever watched Joy of Life or Sword Snow Stride, are easily discernible.

Another factor that dragged down the rating is the set design, both for the first half and the palace scenes. It looked low budget and lacked the aesthetics required to fully immerse the viewer. Everything looked staged, as in it’s obvious this was a film set. Even the vista looked fake as if generated by CGI.

Lastly, it ends on a cliffhanger, and for those of us who are still pinning for Joy of Life season two, you’re better off shelving this until season two is released.

Read More

Exceptional

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God aka Goblin is exceptional in all aspects. Be it writing, directing, atmosphere, acting, ambiance, and even wardrobe. Nothing was left to chance and with a story this fantastical and emotional, it could easily have been careened into fluff and cliche, however, the actors all brought their A-game which made every second captivating and beautiful.

Special shout out to Gong Yoo who gave a brilliant performance; likewise, his wardrobe director who made his character stunningly gorgeous. Also, whoever styled his hair deserves an award.

If you're looking for an emotional and heartrending series then do not miss this. I absolutely recommend it to those looking for a mature and beautiful story.

Read More

S'okay

Will someone please deliver C drama from the curse of useless misunderstandings between the leads?

This is a woman who wants complete independence yet her business is largely funded by a man

She wants to expand her business and instead of saving up she expects the male lead to fork over a very large sum of money and when a mistake happens, she automatically writes him off and then turns to another man to dig her out of the mess she made all by herself.

I swear I wasn’t sure if the creators of this drama were poking fun at women’s independence or celebrating it cause all this series does is show that women could only have anything bc men allowed or funded it.

I did enjoy eps one through 16 but the FL stood too long on her soapbox and compounded that by making avoidable mistakes for no reason whatsoever.

Now, let’s talk about the male lead.

That the wind blew the mortgage receipt was all due to the idiocy of the ML. So fucking what if your father caused harm to the FL’s family? That was not a good reason or time to play the avoidance game when all he had to do was tell her the relationship was done. Avoiding her was a convenient plot device that allowed the producers drag the series by an additional fifteen episodes. It was all about the money otherwise A Dream of Splendor should have only had 20 episodes.

If you want a show with true female empowerment then watch “New Life Begins”. The women in that series truly support each other and funded their businesses themselves.

Read More

Flatlined from the very start

It's a wonder Xu Kai doesn't have a hunched back from having to carry this entire series on his back. My goodness, someone please get Cheng Xiao some acting lessons and maybe tell her to slow down on the plastic surgery cos she may forever lose the ability to emote should her face stay that frozen.

If you've seen one e-sport drama believe me this will by no means give you a different story. They play, win/lose, practice, run around being cute, have to debunk several malicious rumors and finally a happy-ever-after (I would imagine since I dropped this halfway).

Sigh

Read More