When you mix an illogical story and a cliffhanger into one mess

Okay, I have to admit that I stumbled upon this show weeks ago just to kill time while waiting for Amidst A Snowstorm of Love's new episode.

The plot is nothing new for a xianxia drama and some scenes are rushed pretty quickly. I used fast forward and finished watching it under 2 hours.

The story focuses more on the FL and I feel that the ML got minimum screentime. There's no logic in the story and it follows typical xianxia tropes such as reincarnation, battle between immortals VS demons, and etc. The ending is a bit of cliffhanger and I wonder when will they start the second season.

The sets look quite nice plus the costumes and the headgears can be considered as decent (love the ML's hairstyle. It fits him so well). It's obviously a low-budget mini series, so don't expect too much of it.

It is an one-time watch so I don't think I will rewatch again soon.

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The impossible heck with the most impossible main leads

Truth to be told, I've dropped this drama ages ago, but I just got my time to write a review due to tight schedule and exam. Thank god I get a lot of spare time today to start on this review.

As usual, I will delve into the plot and storyline to begin my review. The premise of chaebol family is one of my favorite tropes in K-drama. After looking through the synopsis, I myself predicted that this is gonna be a blockbuster hit. But, it's a big NO-NO. Not long after the fourth episode was released, the rating started to go downhill - I was too disheartened/discouraged and decided to no longer watch it before I regretted my decision. Now, let's get back to the business and I will explain to why this drama becomes a total flop.

The story revolved around 3 childhood friends - Han Tae Oh, Kang In Ha, and Na Hye Won. Each of them had difficult family background and bumped into each other in their college days. Basically, they were just using each other to get what they wanted and desired - all in all, they had a win-win situation which would benefit all of them. After graduating, Han Tae Oh crawled his way to become the secretary of the chairman of Kang Oh Group - Kang Joong Mo. In Ha didn't do much and still lazed around as usual whereas Hye Won started working at a reporter station. The three of them formed a friendship bond despite being aware of each other's motives. Now, their main mission was to usurp the throne of Kang Oh Group by overthrowing the current chairman and defeating In Ha's legitimate elder brothers. As how they will accomplish this risky mission, I didn't know any longer since I dropped it long ago.

Don't get me started at the main leads. I actually love morally gray characters, but the main leads just came off as more than gray characters - they were shockingly crazy and more than ordinary ambiguous. Especially the FL, Na Hye Won. Till this second, I still didn't know which side she took - Tae Oh's or In Ha's. At midnight, she often had secret meetings with Tae Oh. However, she suddenly kissed In Ha and said that she wanted to marry him badly. I was like... WTF had you done!!! You only tried to create chaotic atmosphere by playing along with the MLs. In the end, both MLs would fight for you and get jealous of each other. I also didn't feel the chemistry of the main leads. I know she wanted to get everything using her relationships with the MLs by any means. However, you would only break somebody else's heart when you decided to stop using him someday. The actress of the FL, Hong Su Zu, has that wooden facial expression in every scene she did. She really needed to improve herself. Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young had a strong bromance at the start, but it slowly dissipated after FL entered their world. Supporting characters are no better. Other than Kang Hui Ju (In Ha's sister), everyone only acts as background/filter characters.

NO REWATCH VALUE AND DO NOT TRY THIS AT ANY COST. THE RATING OF 7.4 DID JUSTICE FOR THIS DRAMA. GO AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO WATCH. TT

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Overly cringy, tons of cliche tropes, and illogical story

I've never expected much of this drama - and yes, my expectation is not worth it. I accidentally found this in a bunch of upcoming dramas of 2024, so I decided to give it a try. However, everything went as if the table had turned over.

The drama itself is a typical office rom-com with gaming as a side theme. There's nothing memorable about it. I feel the plot is dragging. It could've been better if it had been cut down to thirty-minute long per episode, considering this is a twenty-four-episode drama. In terms of China's censorship rules, it is quite a short drama, but forty-nine-minute long per episode is absolutely outrageous for this type of drama.

Plus, the acting is cringeworthy. I didn't like how the FL pretended to be dumb and naive when she wasn't one. If I were her, I would speak according to my personal views and be a straightforward person rather than dilly dallying my time. It stretched for 6 episodes until the FL found out that this method didn't work - I kinda think that her actions were forced and unnatural. I don't want to know what solution she might come up again as I'm afraid it will make her more obsessive towards her crush (ML). Her roommate needed to clear out so that the FL could make her own decision which will benefit her more. I was impressed by Zhou Ye's acting in Back From the Brink and Word of Honor - however, this is the second modern drama of her that I drop after Love Me, Love My Voice. I don't know why, but I just can't stand her acting as a cute naive girl. She will end up becoming a delulu if she's not careful.

I understand that the ML is an indifferent and cold type of guy, but could he just reject the FL gentler and nicer? In here, he was being overly rude and kept 'bullying' the FL for no reason. In YAMG, the FL was also rejected outright by the ML, but in a more polite way, so why couldn't they do the same? This is my first drama of Lin Yi, so I have nothing more to say except his acting is so-so.

The plot is a very, very ILLOGICAL one and I can't stand it anymore. Let me list it out. Firstly, the FL had a crush on the ML and the ML had a crush on his gaming partner, which was the FL. It is impossible to create this kind of relationship in the real life - there's nothing such as fate or coincidence - in fact, you may get the wrong person at the online platform. Secondly, the ML and his sidekick immediately became the manager of 9th business unit without further ado. In real life, at least we have to pass the internship and begin from 0% until we rise to the top position. How they were supposed to become lead managers when they hadn't even graduated from the university? Even if you have family connection inside the company, there's only 25%-50% you can reach the top. If HC Game were a start-up company, it would be more logical - but, in here, the company is already a prosperous and well-known one.

Edit: Someone pointed out that the plot isn't entirely illogical and I may have missed several key points of the story. So, the ML and his friend actually made a deal with the board directors - in 3 years' time, they will make an extraordinary machine which can enhance/boost the gameplay. It's no wonder why the directors appointed them as lead managers. I've never heard anything called triple-A game before - however, I'm pretty sure that it must be a complicated game and hard-developed. This idea seems to be the most sensible one, I think.

The gaming graphics are sucking too - even FreeFire has better graphics than this. Why should they make the setting in rainbow-ish color? I feel as if my screen is oily or something - and it's not a wonderful experience.

The OSTs and sound effects are perfect and I will play the OSTs when I have the chance to. Kudos to the singer for such wonderful OSTs.

So, if you want to watch this drama, you will have to think twice before giving it a try. Afterall, this drama kills the logic and tons of unnecessary things will happen in the future, who knows? This drama also happens to chip-chop from other gaming-themed dramas - for instance, Falling Into Your Smile, The King's Avatar, You Are My Glory, Love 020, and etc. I won't rewatch in the future. Guess I will have to wait for another dramas releasing this year. Good luck and have a good watch.

P.S.
This is just my POV. So, don't get disheartened by my review and I'm not having any hate towards the actors/actresses. Perhaps, it's not my cup of tea. I apologize if my review is offensive in some ways. Don't say I don't remind you, though. I have a lesson learned from this drama - NEVER believe in online romance as it tends to leave us heartbroken. Who knows if the person behind the screen is a love scammer?

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Watch it for the gaming aspect

Even though I'm not an avid gamer, I'm still mesmerized by the e-sports world. I stumbled upon this drama when I was scrolling through Xu Kai's profile. I binge-watched it every day and loved the e-sports theme although its premise is nothing new in C-drama land, considering the success of previous e-sports dramas - The King's Avatar, Love 020, Gank Your Heart, and more.

The first half of the drama is quite engaging due to the gaming, but sadly the second half starts dragging and stresses in the relationship between the leads. The Onmyoji Arena game nearly resembles ML (Mobile Legends) but with different heroes- and that's the sole reason I continue to watch until got stuck in EP 19.

The other thing that I love the most from this drama is the brotherhood of the ZGDX team. Their funny and comedic banters are nice to watch and nothing cringy.

The chemistry between Lu Sicheng (Xu Kai) and Tong Yao (Cheng Xiao) is a hot and sizzling one - but, they lose it immediately after they got together. The FL and her ex-boyfriend's (Jian Yang portrayed by Zhai Xiaowen) arc aren't that necessary, thank goodness she didn't accept his apology and went on her own. There are other noteworthy annoying characters, so let me list them out. For instance, ML's mother, ML's blind date, and his little brother (I think he's a bit of a stalker).

The second couple is a fresh breeze to me. Chen Jin Yang (Rachel Wang) and Ai Jia (Zhou Yiran) did pretty well in their roles as a couple and the friends of the FL. Unfortunately, they had limited screentime. I wish they had focused on the second couple more.

If you're a fan of e-sports world, this might suit you, but beware of the second half of the drama. If you come here only for the romance, you can skip the gaming parts if it's too boring for you. I personally didn't find it boring, instead it was the romance which made me bored. The cinematography and the graphic of the game is mesmerizing and fabulous, so kudos to the CGI team. This is a good drama that shows the pressure faced by a professional gamer and delves into the depth of it. I wish I could complete it, but I decided to drop halfway. Anyway, there are many e-sports drama scattering outside. Best regards and happy watching (Don't take my review seriously. This is just my point of view of how this drama developed).

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Rating makes me drop this show

It's going to be a rather short review since I've got nothing to say at all. I'm really, really sorry and have no intention to bash out at this show. But, the rating tempted me to drop this show. I've never stand low rating before - 7.8, that too outrageous for a high-budget drama.

The story itself is pretty complex to me and people said that there was no single villain/antagonist, so don't expect one - as usual, everyone was driven by their own greed and dignity that they decided to do anything possible so as to achieve their selfish goals. I actually love the friendship of the 6 main characters - Yue Jinzhao, Yue Qi, Luo Zhaoyan, Xian Qing, Ming Xiu, and Ju Shifang. They have very contrast personality and yet they manage to deepen their bonds and becoming sworn friends through the lifetime.

I have no trouble with the acting. Surprisingly, Esther Yu's voice didn't bother me and I really adore her character. Xu Kai did excellent as usual - I'm impressed of how he managed to portray two characters at the same time. Kudos to the other actors/actresses as well.

OSTs are heartwarming and I begin to grow on the opening song - 奇迹 sung by JS.

Okay, it's time to end my review. I apologize if my review is offensive in some ways. Happy watching for those who haven't watched. Good luck.

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When a lunatic psychopath and a former assassin form an unlikely duo

So, how am I going to start my review? For your information, I've dropped this on ep 5 before I picked up where I left off. As I continued further, the story became more and more interesting. So, let's just begin!!!

Alright, let me explain the plot first. It revolved around the former head of the Window of Heaven who stepped down from his position due to his own reasons - Zhou Zishu and the head of the Ghost Valley - Wen Kexing. As you can see, the both of them had very different personalities and it would be too UNLIKELY for the both of them becoming soul mates. After experiencing the ups and downs amidst the chaos in the martial arts world, they became more attached and decided to trust each other for this lifetime (just like those sworn brothers did, but I guess soul mates are on a more intense relationship, considering this is a censored BL).

I also want to specially mention a very important property which contributes to the story - the Glazed Armor. The Glazed Armor was made by the 5 righteous sects in the martial arts world. It was rumored to be keeping all sorts of martial arts techniques and manuals which have been hunted by lots of people. However, the actual KEY is the jade hairpin that Wen Kexing always wore - not the Glazed Armor.

I just can't help it, but I really root on Wen Kexing also known as the Lunatic Wen. He's a real psychopath and had deep hatred engraved in his heart. The last thing he wanted to do was to destroy the world and then pay for the sins he had committed. However, after he encountered Zhou Zishu, he changed his perspective and tried to cherish his life as possible.

Adding the depth of the story are Gu Xiang (Wen Kexing's loyal subordinate), Cao Weining (Gu Xiang's lover), and Zhang Chengling (an orphan who was defected by the Ghost Valley's ambush which killed his family in the process and also Zhou Zishu's beloved disciple). By the way, the sad ending for Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was unnecessary at all. Why should you kill them off and causing bloodshed again? That double-faced master of Cao Weining - he shouldn't have trusted him or this kind of accident wouldn't happen at all.

The acting is... WOW!!! Sometimes, I just can feel the main leads' bromance. I'm not a great fan of BL, but this drama has made into one. Shout out to Gong Jun who portrayed Wen Kexing flawlessly. I hope he will get more psychopathic roles in the future. Zhou Ye did marvellously too and it is where she showcased and utilized her full acting skills which helped her gaining popularity. Not a great fan of Zhang Zhehan, but his acting is commendable, I would say.

The set, CGI, and cinematography is quite nice to me. I don't understand why people said everything was fake and cheap-made. Overall, a ten out of ten and will probably rewatch when I'm in the drama slump.

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My very first memorable c-drama

My adventure in the world of c-drama couldn't have happened if it wasn't for Love and Redemption. Looking from the synopsis, I have been hyped by this show and always wanted to watch it until I got the courage to.

In the first few episodes, everything was great especially the Hairpin Conference in which they had to catch a legendary monster in the wilderness. This conference also contributed to the first encounter of the ML and FL. Later, after 4 years old separation, they bumped into each other again, but ML seemed to stay away from the FL many, many times. As the story progressed, FL found out shocking evidences and the real identity of the ML. Then, they tried to heal each other and began spending more time together.

In my opinion, it could've been shorter, though. I skipped nearly all the scenes of the 'so-called self-righteous' sect leaders and the evil sect's scheme, crafted by the second lord of Lize Palace.

The friendship between Yu Sifeng, Chu Xuanji, Chu Linglong, Zhong Minyan, Xiao Yinhua, and Ruo Yu is one of the great aspects of the show. Their cute banter in the beginning is very funny before the show got angsty.

I become a hardcore fan of the ML because of this drama, but not for the FL (who is banned for tax evasion).

I've rewatched this, perhaps, 4 times already. Yeah, it's a very amazing drama and I love it very much. But, I do remind you to only look for the couple's scenes and skipped those unnecessary stuffs.

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The best masterpiece of 2024

Honestly, I went here without any expectations plus I'm not a big fan of Wu Lei. However, I've watched Zhao Jinmai before and she has impressed me in 'Reset'. Months before this show aired, I've read the complete version of the novel so I will make my judgement based on what I watch and read.

The plot, in my opinion, is quite simple. The story basically tells us about two strangers bumping into each other in a bar on a rare snowstorm night. Then, the ML starts having a crush on the FL when they shared the same apartment days later. He also learns that she is a popular nine-ball player and it sparks more of his interest towards her. Because of her, he starts over his already-retired career as a snooker player and becomes a famous player once again.

I can say that the chemistry between the leads is swoon-worthy. I found myself constantly giggling in front of the screen for no reason. Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai really nailed the role and fitted the description of Lin Yiyang and Yin Guo. I can't imagine any other leads being them. They were just too perfect in being a green-flag couple. Special mention to the supporting characters too, including Meng Xiaodong, Jiang Yang, Wu Wei, Chen An An, and Meng Xiaotian. I also love the master-disciple relationship between Lin Yiyang and Mr. He Wenfeng. I'm usually indifferent when it comes to the angst. However, I shed some tears in Mr. He's funeral scene.

OSTs are quite nice and adds more sweetness in the scene. I like nearly all of the OSTs in this drama. Usually, I would've skipped the OSTs, but this time I'm all ears for them.

I seldom rewatch dramas, so I think I will only watch some clips and try to rewatch it if I have spare time. Kudos to all the casts and the production team. All in all, this the best modern c-drama I've ever watched (the best gift for celebrating Lunar New Year). This is the end of my review. Enjoy your day and happy watching!!!

P.S.
The drama follows closely to the novel except they changed the shooting location from the USA to Finland (and France for a brief moment).

As for the ending, the novel ends after Lin Yiyang proposes to Yin Guo after singing a song. However, in the drama, 3 years later, they return to Finland and take Jiang Yang's son with them. In the last scene, they go back to Redfish (the bar where they met for the first time) and listen to 'Love and Shine' again. The final scene shows that they've left Redfish and walked together side by side. Nevertheless, it's a HE and you won't be disappointed.

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Watch Vigilante instead

This show is a recycled plot of 'Vigilante', another antihero K-drama which aired before this one. It has the same plot with Vigilante, but with different circumstances. You can expect they copy paste every single idea of Vigilante.

To be honest, the first three episodes were disappointing. I felt really bad for watching it. If I hadn't watched Vigilante, perhaps it can satisfy me.

If you wish to watch this show, try to think twice before deciding or you can try Vigilante instead. It's super boring and the writer seemed to have watched through Vigilante back and forth, given that both have identical plots. Happy watching for those who haven't watched. I will try to cover Vigilante's review next time.

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Don't bother to watch if you don't understand programming language

This is supposed to be a very good drama given that I love red-flag ML and revenge plot. However, it's not what I expected it to be.

Previously, I had peeked on the first episode then dropped it immediately. Later, I picked it up again and managed to stay at EP 6. But, I don't have any feeling to watch anymore. The programming language is absolutely confusing and my head nearly exploded - seriously.

Also, I can't feel the chemistry between the main leads. I wish I could see some sparks, but I just couldn't. Their acting was decent enough, though. Supporting characters are so-so. I can't say too much since I haven't watched the entire drama.

As the title suggests, do not TRY it unless you're interested in computer/programming because it's going to be very, very boring and dull. Or you can have a little sneak peek when there's nothing else to watch. Don't tell me I haven't reminded you not to watch it though.

P.S.
Coincidentally, I have a friend who's like the ML in this drama (He treats everyone in a rude manner and only has soft spot for me). Yes, I previously developed a bickering relationship with him too, but now we're friends (but not in a RELATIONSHIP yet). This drama will always remind me of our friendship and yes, with the same plotline of course.

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