Finally a grownup romance

Let me start by stating the show is not perfect, there are some slow spots and some silly misunderstandings but those are resolved relatively quickly and we moved on. This show is really about two people meeting and how their relationship evolves. I've read some reviews saying that not much happens, but that is really life. Life isn't always super exiting or tragic it can be mundane and just every day. That is what I liked about this show.

So I'll start with the 2 main leads. The ML was a stiff, no-nonsense doctor who basically worked hard , did what he could to help everyone, but really had no life experience. The FL was younger and sometimes a bit immature as her father told her, but she had a good heart. The 2 complimented each other well. The FL lead got the ML to open up more and experience life, while the ML helped her to mature and make difficult life choices. What I really appreciated was that the 2 were different but equally. Sometimes he did things that ended up hurting her, and sometimes she made the mistakes and ended up hurting him, but they worked through the issues together like an adult and real relationship. I also liked the fact that unlike other Chinese romances, this was not the perfect male lead (although he was pretty close to perfect) where the girl adores him and treats him like a god.

I also enjoyed the family dynamics. I absolutely loved the FL's family. I think everyone would be happy to have them as parents. The father strict but looking at for the best interests of the daughter, and the mother calm and reassuring. The scenes with the family are some of my favorite. Compare that to the ML lead's parents who are doctors are very formal and stiff, although they do come around.

The friends are all fine, there was some time spent on them but not too much to the point it hurt the main story. They were not cartoonish but had really depth to them. They also had growth and development throughout the show.

As for the acting, it was really great. Xiao Zhan is really a talented actor, and not just eye candy (although there is that as well). SPOILER - the episodes where he thinks he will lose his license and not be a doctor are well acted as are the episodes where he tries to get FL lead to forgive him for not telling her what was going on. Yang Zi was good as well, especially with her interactions with her family and the other cast. Special mention to Xia Zhi Qing and Sunny Hao who play the FL lead's parents. In many ways I was as impressed with their love story as the main lead's story.

Without trying to give up too much detail, the 2 meet when FL's father is diagnosed with cancer and the ML is the person who found it and the surgeon. Again as this is a grown-up show and real-life there is no miracle, so the last 2 episodes are bittersweet - happy and sad. Just like real-life as anyone who has been through this with a parent would know.

Extra points for the little extras at the end of almost every episode.

Would I re-watch? Yes there is a lot of romance and not the cringe-worthy kind so it is good eye-candy

Read More

Annoying parallel story of a good show

I'll start with what I liked., I like the actress playing the female lead (at least in other shows) and her acting was fine. I liked a couple of the songs.

Now for the mess that was this show. It is neither a sequel nor a prequel but a parallel story. If I had not seen Go Go Squid, I may have rated this a 5 - basically no character development, and lots of scenes with the leads staring or flashing back to something that literally happened a minute ago. There was really not much, there were other characters in the show that basically ha no story and were just there - had I not seen Go Go Squid I would have no idea who they were and would not have cared about them, so it is hard to judge this as stand alone show and not compare to the FAR superior first show.

There are just so many things that made me scratch my head but I was giving the show the benefit of the doubt..... half the characters have new actors, which was jarring but I can manage that. The ML was the same and the grandpa, 97 and One where the same. They also brought back the same actors for Han Shangyan and Tong Nian, the leads of Go Go Squid.... I almost wish they hadn't since the story basically derailed everything. Next the competition changes from Cyber security to Robot battles, with no explanation. The sets changed, and K&K moved from Norway to Chicago, and the entire K&K team was like 3 people. While Han Shangyan was mentioned he was never there for ANY of the events and the absolutely perfect Wu Bai was the one managing the club and making all of the decisions - recruiting the team and Little Mi to be the manager. Half way through the show I started to hate it and what the did to the original. I get the parallel story but to undo everything.

Where the original was cute, had a less than perfect ML growing and developing, and actually spent time given us back story on a lot of characters so you knew who they were and understood them. This version is a perfect ML and an annoying second couple (FL leads sister and Grunt (different actor). Everyone else else was just background and never developed.

I cannot understand why they basically removed Han Shangyan from having any part (to the point of being neglectful of the club). I assume the actor was busy and didn't want to bother with a minor role, so he just showed up as a guest. What I do not get was the need to wipe him out of the Solo team back story, and his presence with the team and make the ML of this being the only person doing anything.

It is so frustrating for the first time ever I wrote a review before finishing and I am seriously debating dropping the show.

UPDATE.... I finished the show. I was going to update this every episode with what was annoying. It really didn't get better. I mean at the world championship Han Shangyan was not even around. I'm assuming the actor was not available but really???? They made everything about how perfect Wu Bai was.

As for the wedding - I feel it cheapened Han Shangyan and Tong Nian in a way they were an after thought. Would Little Mi who was Han Shangyan best friend, be with Wu Bai to pick up his bride? ugh. I will see it was great seeing Han Shangyan and Tong Nian and I felt they seemed sooo much happier (especiallyHan Shangyan) at the wedding. It just reminded me how much I liked them and that this show was a pale comparison,

Final thoughts, if there was no Go Go Squid, this was a middling effort with a bland love story and a lot of characters that were never fully developed but there (Little MI story is missing, Solo story and his daughter) so it was hard to understand any of the characters without knowing Go Go Squid. Which is the probably with this show.... Go Go Squid was better in story telling and acting. It was funnier and more serious at the same time, this parallel show was just bland. Although the FL actress was good in GGS2.

Read More

Bloody Romance is Bloody Good

Let me start by saying this is one of my favorite shows I ave ever watched. It is not pleasant or romantic at all, but it is one of the most well written and well acted dramas you would want to see. For those looking for light, happy and romance this is not your show, For those looking for a great show with a not always happy storyline that can be disturbing at times, then this show is highly recommended.

it is the story of Wan Mei who is sold to a brothel by her father, already not the typical storyline, for some rice, She manages to escape and ends up in a city of female assassins. She is assigned a shadow Chang An who is her trainer, body guard and servant, and as she is given assassination assignments she also ends up in the line of Dong Xi, a blind probe of the country. Not at all a typical story. Some of it is actually brutal to watch.

As for acting, all I can say is wow. The villain is a bit over the top, aren't they all, but the 3 leads are fantastic. Wang Duo does a really great job with his character Dong Xi who at times himself is not sure what he does or does not feel for Wan Mei. Shaw Qu plays the stoic shadow Chang An to perfection. I have written in other reviews, this is how to play stoic, His face betrays nothing most of the time but when out does it is magical to view, I cannot say enough about Li Yi Tong and her portrayal of Wan Mei, I have never felt so much with one character (except Ye Hua in TMPB) than I did with her. There are some heart-wrenching scenes that I will never forget and I cannot think of an actress that could have done a better job, I have not seen her in another drama, but I am actively looking for other dramas with her,

Rewatch - definitely! The show is 36 episodes with little filler time and moves along quickly. It is beautifully done from story, to acting, to production values, and the soundtrack. The music from the show is also one of my favorites of all time.

This may not be what you expect and it is not typical, but it is really worth a watch.

Read More

Joy of Life is the story of Fan Xian who is born knowing the modern world in feudal times. The story follows him as he movs to the capital and falls in love, and basically walks the tightrope on court politics and the royal family.

What I liked about the drama was the outstanding acting. Everyone was great in their roles. The male lead was outstanding. The story although it could be dragging in parts and slow was complex and interesting most of the time. Everyone has layers and they are neither really good or bad. I am a huge fan of Xiao Zhan so even though he wasn't in many episodes and he played a very unsympathetic character, he was still very nice to look at and appreciate! The music was good, not great but I've listened to the opening and closing dongs multiple times.

What I didn't like.... let me start with since there is a season 2 some of this may be resolved but there were things that I didn't really like. First I am not certain I am supposed to care about the main love story. The two were barely together so I really have no interest in the love story at all. In fact I found the mail lead much more interesting with Si Lili and especially Haitang Duoduo. Ideally Fan Xian should end up with Haitang Duoduo. Also, the story with Qi was a little confusing as the last part of the show was all new characters and you do not see any of the original set of characters. I missed Xian's sister Ruoruo, and his father and step-mother. I was invested in the characters and then they were just gone. I missed Uncle Wuzhu and what happened to him??? Again that may be fixed in season 2. Plus they did it explain the frozen people and the god temple very well. The massive secret that kept Xiao En in jailer years was that he knew where the God Temple was but Chen Pingping was the only one that seemed to care. That whole episode was confusing to me.

One of the best things was the characters are so layered and complex, but it also makes it hard to like most of them. I am still not certain if the cares about Fan Xian. I do know his adopted father certainly does care about him. So basically liked the Fan Xian, Uncle Wuzhu, Fan Jian, Ruoruo, and Fei Jie leader of the third bureau. Everyone else I am not sure what to think about them. Again that is interesting but also left me not really caring.

STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING
The show ends on a cliffhanger in the true sense of the word with Xian being stabbed and bleeding on the ground. I'm not sold that Yan Bingyun actually stabbed him and that this wasn't already planned. Yan Bingyun seemed to be listening to him and yes the bureau was his life, but it felt like there was a crack when Shen Zhong's sister was stabbed protecting him and he seemed upset when he heard what the second prince was doing to control Xian. I mean there was a whole not between the threats fo the second prince and the morning when Bingyun stabbed. That is just what I am thinking, but I haven't heard Xiao Zhan will be back for the second season.

Overall I liked it, but not like my favorite show, Would I watch again, maybe if I had nothing else to watch. Would I watch season 2 - yes cause I have to find out what happened to Uncle Wuzhu.

Read More