This urban fairytale needs to come with a health warning

This show may not be a great drama, but it is a good textbook rom-com. It is totally divorced from reality and its characters are distillations of the classic Cinderella trope. It ticked all the boxes with workman like efficiency. Whether you love or hate this show will largely dependent on how much sugar you can handle before going into diabetic coma. DO NOT watch this show if any of the previous words is a trigger for you. You have been warned.

From start to finish, the show is an escapist fare. You have to accept this to enjoy it to the fullest. Hence the following checklist;
• Industrial strength rose tinted glasses ✓
• Left brain - disengaged ✓
• Comfortable loungewear ✓
• A tub of ice cream and 1 spoon ✓✓

To review this show as a serious drama is pointless. The performances are decent but most characters are one dimensional. There are many swoon worthy moments and a decent amount of skinship. Most of them centred around expensive and beautiful set pieces. Everything has been polished to a high gloss. Nothing is left to chance. It is the equivalent of a glamorous coffee table magazine.

Speaking of a glossy mag, this show also has product advertisements. So much PPL! Obviously expensive brands are prominently featured but wait, we can do a tin of paint as well. Oh, you want something bigger? Let's write a whole episode selling Bangkok and then continue to sell other Thai products in the next episode as well. It got to the point that I counted 11 PPL's in the last episode and that is not including a few implied ones.

However, all this PPL pales into insignificance when you consider the shiniest product on display, Mr Lee Jun-Ho. He is always impeccably dressed and groomed . A three-piece suit is his weapon of choice. It is cut so sharply that he should be declared a lethal weapon. The ML doesn’t carry the show, he IS the show. There are so many close up of him looking handsome, dashing, smouldering, sexy . . This is how you market a celeb, baby.

On the other hand, the FL only have a few glam moments. Most of the time she lives in his shadow, and she is almost always in uniform or loungewear. She plays the supporting role well. However, he is the Prince to our Cinderella. He literally comes to her rescue more than once.

While the ML is flying high in the business world, her goals are much more modest. It is a little unfair when you consider how capable she is suppose to be. It is further exacerbated by the ML pulling off win after win with ease and what appears to be minimal efforts.

The rest of the support cast is straight out of central casting. The ubiquitous BFFx2, sidekick secretary, executive yes-men, etc. The one antagonist is low impact and achieved little. Side plots are inconsequential and only serve to take up the slack. There is growth in some characters, but they are totally predictable and all paths lead to . . . the Happy Ever After Ending or HEAE™.

In fact, there are so many feel good moments in the last episode that it should come with a health warning. It is serious sugar overload. Every side plot is tied off with a huge pink bow and the thundering herd of unicorns are on drugs. Redemptions are handed out like free samples at the supermarket. There is no point in being judgey because this show exists in its own fairytale universe. All is well in this corner of dramaland.

You can certainly rewatch a few episodes on a rainy weekend and it will make you happy. Don’t expect to be touch in the heart but your dopamine level will rise. I did groan a few times early on before I gave up the fight and attack the ice cream instead and got comfy in my loungewear. If you can't beat them, join them with gusto is my motto!

P.S. I got to get my hands on that portable BBQ set. It is spiffing!

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A sagacious revenge tale ruined by the ending

I don’t think anyone would be reading a review of this Show for a precis of the plot by this stage. I shall stick to some key observations and my conclusion.

1. This is the Goldilocks role for Song Joong-ki. The production has to use some serious filtering to make him look like a young man because of his real age. They did well but it did take me out of immersion a few times.

2. The whole soul swapping device is pure fantasy and the Show never bothered to explain its rationale. The Show went to town with the time travel motif as well and left no stone unturned. The ML loves to weaponize historical events as part of his various schemes. It can be entertaining and fun to spot the historical references.

3. The interactions between Do-jun and his grandfather are highlights for me. They are fighters who have a mutual love and respect for each other. The old man accepts the thrown gauntlet from his grandson with glee. We lost that spark when Jin Sr passed and the subterfuges become more grubby and less machiavellian.

4. The romance of our leads is ill conceived. They have little chemistry, and their progress felt laboured and frankly perplexing.
To be fair, the machinations in the early stages are both engaging and clever but it gets old after a while as it is the only game in town.

Like all good things . . . the end cometh for us all! Oh, how cruel are the drama gods!

While the Show’s ending works on a basic level and pulls most of the threads together it also opens up a Pandora's box of contrivances and inexplicable plot holes. Thus exposing some seriously questionable writing.

A) The ending basically undo what the ML has worked tirelessly towards for 17 years. He was at the cusp of claiming total victory and winning back the FL when he was murdered. Why, sweet Petunia, why? Most viewers would expect the show to just keep moving along that well plotted trajectory and use the last episode for some much-needed fan service.

B) How did Hyeon-Woo survives being shot by a hitman at point-blank range, falling down a high cliff and drowning in the pounding surf? Each event can and should be fatal and yet he survived all three. He spends one week in a coma and walks out of the hospital with barely a scar. Is he immortal?

C) Do-jun's timeline and Hyeon-Woo’s is separated by twenty years. Just before Do-jun was killed, both Jin brothers were being investigated for criminal acts. What happened to those investigations? What about Do-jun’s death? Is the FL that incompetent?

D) The aging and de-aging of the main characters are immersion breaking. For instance, by the end of the Show, the FL should be pushing 50 and yet she looks not a day older than when Do-jun was alive.

E) After all the damning revelations, dirty laundry lists and a public hearing at the National Assembly, the whole sorry saga is finally signed and sealed by one 20 years old phone recording. How and why did the young Hyeon-Woo record his call to Director Kim when he was supposed to be in a highly distressed and confused state. Even more incredulously, Kim forgot to hang up the phone and allow the most incriminating statement to be recorded. It is beyond contrived. The audacity is jaw dropping. This is the deal breaker for me.

In hindsight, I can see that they wanted to close the soul swapping loop and it becomes a redemption arc for Hyeon-Woo but what did that achieve? Hyeon-Woo’s family is happy that he is alive and he has his revenge. On the other hand, Do-jun would have achieved the same goal but the ramification of his death is so much worse. The FL became a lonely and bitter workaholic, Do-jun’s family is broken, and the worst part is the conglomerate carries on for another 20 YEARS! How is that a better outcome? I could go on, but you get the picture.

I freely acknowledge that some of the acting is superb. Some can be considered breakout roles. The bulk of the storyline is intricately crafted and engaging but . . .

Reborn Rich could have been one of the best dramas in 2022 which makes it even more baffling why they deviated from the webtoon ending and crash landed within sight of the runway.

One time watch for me. Peace out.

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The show was carried by the leads but the weak plots and problematic script is hard to ignore

This is a sports-centric rom-com. The chemistry of the leads helped to push this Show past the finish line but only just.

I can understand a lot of sports have been used as subject matter in c-dramas so finding something novel is a challenge. So air pistol shooting is about as exotic as it gets. On the surface, the Show did a reasonable job in making the sport engaging and the people involved as well. There is still a big gap to fill and a lot of that responsibility fell on the leads and they did the best they can. They are a good looking couple and they are sweet, loving and devoted to each other. My concern here is that the FL has been in several shows playing similar roles. I do worry about over exposure and typecasting.

It would be good if the 2OTP can pull their own weight but the script had them pushing and pulling in every direction for the longest time. The 3OTP was set up to fail. It was a counterpoint to the sweetness of the OTP but it was done in such a low key and passionless way that you have to wonder why the Show bothered.

Sadly, 40 episodes based on this sport and the CP's chemistry was a bridge too far for the writer, a 30 episodes run would have been more realistic and yield a tighter drama. To draw out the episode count and kept our "interest", the writer resorted to a lot of old tropes and angsty unproductive sub-plots.

Scripting issues are most evident when we were drip fed pieces of information on a key historical event, I assume the plan is for the writer to give us the grand reveal at the time of his choosing. The viewers are supposed to be intrigued and hungry for more but honestly, the plot was fairly thin so once a few pieces fell into place, there is not a lot left to the imagination. It became awkward when the viewers worked out the secret before the protagonists and we are left tapping our fingers waiting for the show to catch up! It was less of a mystery and more like a marathon.

There is the usual ensemble casts of competing teams and coaches and most were hired straight from central casting. Bulk of the angsts were generated by the win-at-all-cost attitude of the competitors. This meant dirty tricks and outright cheating. I hope Chinese sports are not like that in real life. This plot was even used in an international competition. Is that necessary? It paints a fairly grim picture of the sport. The other antagonist was the older male predator type. It was old school before the turn of the century. The way the show handled this cliché storyline was poor and feed into the misguided trope that speaking out will extract a higher price on the victim. This is a tired and questionable message for this day and age. Needless to say, good triumphs in the end but the resolution was long time coming and felt weak and contrived. After suffering through many episodes of their hapless scheming and loathsome acts, it came down to a few sentences of denouncement and "official" sanctions.

The potential is there for the show to hit a 10.9 but the weak plots and problematic script dragged it down. It was a one time watch. Peace out.

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It might be unrealistic but the story will buoy you up

I do find some Japanese dramas tend to be quirky and larger than life. This show is definitely quirky and not very realistic but it was just so sweet, fun and swoon worthy. It is also short so that there is no drag and the pacing is spot on.
The premise of the show is simple. A young girl was smitten by a doctor after a chance meeting. She decided that she will become a nurse just so that she can pursuit him romantically. After a few years of hard work, she graduated and managed to get posted to the same hospital as a junior nurse. At first the cold and aloof doctor only see a silly young nurse who confessed to him on her first day at a new job. Over time, he saw her better side and fell in love. Oh boy, when he fell in love, he was a smouldering hot mess!
Yes, the story is tropey and there were more than a decent serving of clichés but the story was so uplifting, warm-hearted and the emotions were so pure and strong that you just have to hang on for the ride. The acting was good from everyone and you can't help but fell in love with the feisty FL. Speaking of the FL, instead of just being a bumbling damsel, she actually grew and became an excellent nurse and admired by everyone. The ML, on the other hand, changed from a cold and prefectist doctor to be a sweet and hot blooded lover. His confession scene when the FL was injured was so touching and heartfelt. Swoon!
Some will find it too sweet but give it a go before judging it. Highly recommended for anyone who likes a good rom-com.

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Messy, inconsistent drama that was exhausting to watch

Firstly, I dropped this show after 20 episodes and this is my impressions up to that point. I might be swimming against the tide but this is my honest opinion.

Secondly, I wanted this show to succeed. I was enticed by the synopsis and the idea of a more realistic FL in a sea of pretty clones.

To be fair, the first few episodes do deliver. It was zany and breaks the mould of a typical historical drama. The FL is certainly full of vivacity and largely worked without a filter which is good. However, as a whole, it is poorly written and executed. Some of the acting is patchy and the Show suffers from an identity crisis.

I know this is harsh but I exhausted myself trying to like it and this is why;

1) It doesn’t really have a plot up to this point. The ML doesn't want to be a puppet king and the FL wants to be accepted and loved. That’s nice but the story telling is messy and contrived. This is back-of-a-napkin writing with time wasting fillers.

2) The FL didn’t become a better/proper Queen but more or less browbeat the court into submission. I don’t mind that the FL is unconventional, I welcome it but her plot is just a series of cliché trials or watch her steamroll through everything else. I was looking forward to her growth in statue and abilities so that she can be the rightful Queen. So far, she is turning the palace into her whacky playground (square dancing anyone?). It's fun for a bit but where's the growth after 20 hours? Similarly, the ML has shown little aptitude of being a good king. He could have been a typical scion from any costume drama. He has the visual but not the gravitas unless you count being stony faced.

3) Very few of the secondary characters behave consistently. You have to question their personality or even their IQ.

4) Mel Brooks once said, “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer and die.” That resonated with me as I wrote this. Most of the Show’s humour is bold and loud but there is little witticism nor nuances. To be fair, the FL has good comedic timing and an expressive face, so she did a lot of the heavy lifting. This also means that we expect something "funny" every time she is on screen. That’s a lot to ask of one character to sustain for 36 episodes. Most of the support casts are just cannon fodder during slapstick routines.

5) The OTP will fall in love and have a HEA ending, the drama gods have spoken. The show created every cliché situation to throw them together. Nevertheless, and it pains me to say this, there is little chemistry between the two. Kiss scene felt flat. There are dream sequences, piggyback race, they behaved like lovesick puppies and on it goes. Unfortunately, just like some of the comedy, it doesn’t always stick the landing.

6) I know the Show is not historically accurate, but it is an awkward mash-up. There is little chance of immersion due to constant hints of modernity. The costumes are a hotchpotch of styles/epochs and some have distinctly Japanese feel. The palace protocol goes from overbearing to non-existent. Want the royal couple to have a cat fight in the middle of the palace, sure, why not! Ditto the tone of the show swings from moment to moment. It spans genres with no firm grasp of any of them.

The sad thing is that the potentials are there. The production quality is generally good, the sets are lush, costumes are rich. No doubt the FL was giving us her all. But . . .

In the end, quirky is good, funny is good, support diversity is very good, but good components still need a decent script and good directions to tie them together. We need plots that are meaningful and characters you’d care for and want to ship. Alas, this show is like trying to herd sheep with a cat.

I don’t hate the show. I just feel exhausted from trying too hard to like it. I am dropping this for now so that I can clear my head. Peace out.

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Live, love and lost under the Big Sky

This is an adaptation of a book of prose by Li Juan. Changes were made to make it more suitable for live action. Read into that what you will.

This series has received some well-deserved attentions and solid ratings. I think it is largely due to its unique setting and a simple and honest storytelling amongst the sea of samey idol dramas.

The story is a mashup of the classic When Worlds Collide and Fish Out of Water tropes. They are oldies but goodies. In this case, our FL finds herself in a remote part of the Xinjiang autonomous region which is the definition of remoteness itself. So, you can imagine her culture shock.

BTW, the show was set over 20 years ago, so things are simpler back then, but changes are coming, just like winter. The straightforward plot largely centred on the lives of one Kazakh village, their friends and their interactions with FL's small family.

Historically, the Kazakh are nomads herders and each summer, the families would move with their herds to their summer pastures in the Altai mountains. In that sense, I prefer the Chinese title of My Altai which is more meaningful.

As the show opens, we find the older generation confused about the changes and "nonsensical" rules from people they can't relate to. While the younger generation is squeezed between two conflicting cultures. It is this tug-of-war that is the foundation of much of the drama in this series.

It is obvious that this show doesn’t have a big budget and can be a bit rough around the edges. Nevertheless, it is made with heart and a focus on authenticity. Local "actors" are used extensively. I won't go as far as saying they discovered new talents, but they managed to grab You Shi before he gained fame with his recent movie roles. He is all singing and all dancing here. He made the effort to learn the local dialect. While not 100% fluent, it is impressive, nevertheless. He also did all the horse riding stunts, and he sang in the local dialect. Kudos to him.

As I mentioned before, the show is like a breath of fresh air (or is that mountain air?), and you quickly become enmeshed in the village life. Their lives are ruled by the seasons and daily chores. It is a harsh but fulfilling life. You know life is tough when luxury is a dry bed.

They only break from the daily grind during festivals and celebrations like weddings. They certainly let their hair down during those rare occasions. Friendship is renewed and romance blossom. This is also an area where the generation gap rears it head. Some of the older generations are still engaging in matchmaking while the younger generations are doing their own thing. In a way, the show used the various romances to spice up the plot but it is a bit distracting when the landscape is such a magnificent stage and yet we are stuck in a yurt, watching the elders negotiate again and again.

I’m not sure these complications is the production trying to inject some relatable plots and angst for contemporary viewers. What is obvious is their influence on the last ep. It really was drama for drama’s sake and feels rushed. I’m not sure if it is necessary but it ended things with a bang. The last scene was a bit of a tease for us who are shipping the OTP. Will they? Won’t they? Maybe a second season will give us the answer. ;)

Regardless, this is a good show. It deserves all the kudos for doing something different. I appreciate the efforts the production invested to make it authentic and sincere. With such a short run-time, it is an easy binge. Give it a go, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Finally, the elephant in the room. The treatment of ethnic minorities and the flood of Han people into those remote regions is a sensitive topic. Several plots gave us a hint of what’s to come. The show's portrayal is restrained for obvious reasons. Enough said.

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Not impossible but they need to try harder

The FL has a breakout role in the film Burning. I jumped at the chance to see her in a proper drama series.

The initial set up of her character was encouraging. Her character is hard working, resourceful and has a laser focus on her career. She might be down on her luck, but she has a backbone of steel. The potential for growth is writ large. So much so that I can overlook the tropey contract marriage/cohabitation plot if she is allowed to play to her strengths. Unfortunately, it is where the engine kinda stalled.

To wit, once the show simple premise is lay out for us, the FL's role actually diminished. She has flashes of brilliance but soon her role is overshadowed by the male lead aka Moon Sang-min. For half the series, she is the "meek" fiancée of the 2ML. At one stage, her character was forced to go into hiding and lay low. Not exactly the ideal setting for scene stealing performances.

To be fair, I don't have a problem with the acting of Moon. He is handsome and charismatic as ever. The show is pretty much his starrer. Our leads do have good chemistry and their on/off romance is what sustained my interest. However, the paper-thin plot needs more to make it work. So far, it is not much more than a cavalcade of tired tropes.

Alas, that memo didn't land on the right desk. Most characters are straight out of central casting. Side plots are tropey and boring. Antagonists are more meddling than evil. It is all so samey and predictable. Even the writer-nim recognised this. There are multiple references to "trashy drama” plots in dialogues. Self awareness . . I get it! Ha ha . . indeed.

Even when we are served a sugar hit just after the 3/4 mark. It was immediately followed by the ubiquitous breakup with not 1, not 2 but 3 lots of Noble Idiocy. Predictably, that send our leads straight to purgatory but served little other purpose.

This is further confirmed in the last EP when after a mandatory 1-year time skip, our leads threw themselves at each other within hours of a chance meeting. What is the point of the breakup? This leads to 15 mins of decent fan service and HEA endings for all concerned whether they are good, bad or just silly.

I am not saying the show is bad. It is quite watchable and entertaining at times but the wasted potentials just irks me.

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A glorious blend of the good, the meh and synchronised flag-waving

This is a very watchable show, but its plots and tone change so often that you feel exhilarated and exhausted in equal parts. This makes it hard to give a concise rating. When it is good, it is heartfelt and stirring. But it can also get cheesy with a side order of jingoistic flag-waving. I suppose my rating is between 8 and 8.5.

At its core, this is about the aborted love story of a pair of teenagers who met towards the end of high school. Their budding relationship was torn apart by the FL’s domineering mother. They met by chance ten years later and things develop from there. If the plot sounds tropey then here's your gold star. This show walks on familiar paths but it does set a cracking pace.

During early episodes, our leads would "chance" upon each other repeatedly. When you realise one is a firefighter and the other is an ER doctor it means they only meet at emergencies. Consider even a small city in China can house millions, that’s a very small but dangerous corner they live in! It feels so contrived and is almost farcical.

All these entanglements finally brought them back together and this is essentially the glue that held the show together. Once we get past the push-pulls and denials, we have a very romantic pairing. Our leads have good chemistry, and they are certainly photogenic. It was gratifying to see the FL grows a spine and stands up to her controlling mum once she is all in. Amore trionfa sempre!

While both stars are beautiful people, Yang Yang is the face of this show, and he is everywhere. This can cut both ways. Fans of YY will rejoice but someone who is less enamoured might start to notice some flaws in his acting.

The other star of the show is the firefighters and their daily grind provides most of the subplots. A shoutout to the ensemble cast who filled the ranks. They must have trained hard for their roles. Some of the action/training scenes look very challenging. They are ably supported by the staff of the ER department where the FL works. However, these plots are a mixed bag. It can go from inspiring and exciting to banal. I appreciate the work of first responders, and I'll not begrudge their moments in the sun. However, some of the dramatisations are over the top. Plots and pacing is uneven. There are a lot of nationalistic messages aimed at the local audiences. Your mileage will differ.

The mother of the FL is straight out of central casting. She is the personification of a rich, immoral, domineering matriarch. She can probably trace her matrilineal line to a Tang Empress. She is a force of nature and rules with an iron fist. The only problem is that her role is very one dimensional. Her only goal is to obtain power, wealth and a total control over her serfdom. She never has a moment of self doubt or regret. It is tiring to watch her do the same thing over and over. Her “Death Bed” conversion feels particularly contrived.

In the end, fans of the leads will be happy, the production value is high, particularly some of the action set pieces. There are impactful and poignant moments that will stay with you. The romance is sweet and swoon worthy. Once the OTP get together, they skipped the handholding and went straight to home base which is rare in a c-drama. However, it is an inconsistent grab-bag of highs and lows, original ideas and contrivances. This annoys me because I really wanted to recommend this show unreservedly, but I can’t.

I can certainly rewatch some of the romantic scenes (repeatedly) but not the whole 40 eps. OST is very nice.

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It is not always about the OTP

This show is a rewarding watch with a nice positive message and a fluffy, easy going style.

Ok, now that the review is over, let’s talk about something else.

There is a well-thumbed rom-com playbook that is passed between writers with reverence. On page 2 of the sacred text is this rule. “A second male or female lead must be unlikeable and possibly despicable. He or she shall do all within their power to break up the OTP.” I don’t know how many shows have followed this golden rule to the letter, but I have ran out of fingers and toes a long time ago. Once in a long while, a show will break this rule.

The characters in this show feels real. They are far from perfect, and they will act selfishly when the need arises. They are just normal people who are reacting to circumstances. Both the second leads are in love with the respective leads so they gave it a red-hot go in their pursuit of happiness. However, once they knew the race is lost, they bow out gracefully. It is sad and the scene where the SFL proclaimed that she just threw away her own happiness is gut retching. However, you have to give them their dues and respect their honesty and dignity. It might sound trite but that is a lot closer to reality than the same-y win-at-all-cost type being dished up nowadays. I won’t go as far as saying that I have 2nd lead syndrome, but they are worthy contenders. Speaking of which, a good example of second lead syndrome can be found in She Was Pretty. Salute!

BTW, the side characters in this show are all nice, decent people. Solid friends and co-workers whom you would be proud to associate with. Even in that sense, the show is refreshingly different.

I can’t give this a perfect score because it is just an unpretentious, fluffy little rom-com but it has a special place in my rewatch list. This show will recharge your emotional battery and make you swoon. Peace out.

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Sharing IS caring

This show is unabashedly sentimental with the focus on the overwhelming grief suffered by the college age FL. She recently lost her grandmother who is more like a mother to her after the sudden death of her father through misadventure 5 years previous. It is a blow she is ill prepared to handle. Her life grinds to a halt at that point.

Sharing meals is a common device used to signify a bond between friends and family members. We see flashbacks of meals happily shared in her humble abode with her closest friends and small family unit. It contrasted starkly with the scenes in the present where she ate bento boxes bought from convenience stores in silence with the TV providing nothing but background noise. The loneliness and heartache are palatable.

However, her seemingly unrelenting despair began to lift once she started to work at a cafe called Finland Papa. The whole raison d'etre of the establishment seems to be the healing of those who work there. The writer-nim certainly took some liberty with the narrative here. Just don't ask too many questions. ;)

FL is the focal point of the show, and she has to display the broadest range of emotions. I think she did well, and she was ably assisted by the ensemble cast. Speaking of the ensemble, I'm not going to spoil their stories. The writer-nim doesn’t have time to paint with a fine brush, so we have to settle for some broad strokes surrounding their tropey backstories. Nothing untoward and certainly within the realm of plausibility. I almost forgot to mention, the grandma character is the underpinning of the main plot. She dispenses wisdom and bonhomie to all who would accepts her hospitality.

This leads us to the other key motif of the show. The found family trope is a favourite for a good reason and it is used to good effect here. The motley crew working at the cafe started with a love-hate relationship. Their growing bond is what gave them strength to heal through their various wounded psyches. While the process is a foregone conclusion, its steady progress is nice to watch, nevertheless.

The show will hit you with the feels as long as you are not too critical about the simple story and straightforward delivery. There are no high dramas nor funny gags. But sometimes you just need a show like this to give you an excuse to step away from our crazy world for just a moment. I'd like to think of this show as is a soothing salve to the soul. It won't appeal to everyone but that's ok too. That just means there are more Xmas parfait for me. :)

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If Xianxia rom-com is a legit sub genre then this is a very good example

I don't watch many Xianxia nowadays because a lot of them, in recent years, relies too much on (questionable) CGI and lazy scripts that have tropey paper thin plots and are devoid of fresh ideas. Hence, it is with some trepidation that I started to watch this show solely based on personal recommendations. I'm happy to report that this Show is good, very good.

The basic story is nothing new. Multiple realms exist between heaven and the underworld. They alternate between warring with each other to an unstable truce. Enter the human emperor who decided to buy time for us weaklings by marrying one of his beautiful and smart daughters to the empyrean prince while farm off the unloved one to the crown prince of the underworld. So far, so tropey.

Forsooth, not exactly LOL material, right? Well, hats off to the writer. She managed to inject a lot of fun and comedy into this show. It is a revelation. It runs the full spectrum of jokes, innuendos, slapstick and sight gags. All this hijinx is integrated right through more than 3/4 of the Show. Of course, there are serious moments, but it is just as likely the next scene will drop you straight into an elaborate sight gag that will makes you LOL.

This includes a very long and elaborate mid show story arc that have the ML play three completely different roles. Forget second wind. This is third and fourth. The audacity! Naturally, not every moment is golden but it kept the momentum going long after similar show would have suffered serious mid show drag. Bravo!

Acting is great from our leads. It was a revelation that the stoic Xuan Shang has a comedic side which is well matched by the minx like Li Guang Ye Tan. Their love-hate relationship is worth the price of admission. The second pairing of Chao Feng and Li Guang Qing Kui pales a little by comparison. It is largely due to their story is being set in the dark and oppressive underworld. Their characters are also a bit more traditional Xianxia compared to the OTP. Both CP have swoon worthy love lines and decent amount of skinship.

The big ensemble of side characters is a bit of a mixed bag. Some have real depth like Man Man and Wu Dai while others are just punchline for the many gags. It is an above average ensemble and they helped to move the plot along and entertain us with their antics.

Is the Show perfect? Not quite. The setting of heaven and the underworld is very cliché. Empyrean realm is quite artificial. Lighting is too bright, and colours are washed out. It might look “ethereal”, but it is also boring. On the other hand, the underworld is too dark, and the theme is confusing. It swings from gothic grandeur to dank subterranean without a strong sense of coherence. It is supposed to be oppressive and foreboding but does look a bit cheap at times.

CGI is the bread and butter of Xianxia dramas, and this show doesn’t disappoint. There are a good variety of effects to signify different types of powers. There are also some practical effects and stunt work. Overall, it is a respectable effort and complemented the story well.

While the general screenplay is a cut above, it is still a Xianxia drama at its core and some of the plot holes are hereditary. It really comes down to “ask no questions and you’ll get no illogical answers”. As long as you don’t hate Xianxia dramas, the engaging plots, swoon worthy love lines and abundant humour will carry you to the end.

Speaking of the end. The ending and the several episodes preceding it are probably the closest the Show got to high drama. It is impactful and emotionally charged. I won’t give the plot away other than to say that the ending is generally considered a happy one, but I would prefer to call it encouraging rather than HEA. Its interpretation will be up to the individual.

40 episodes is too long for a rewatch and the jokes will be stale by then but I’d have no problem watching a highlight reel. The OST is nice but some songs are on high rotation and it can get a bit repetitive.

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I don't think I'll see you again

This show's plot is paper thin and it is quite predictable. It pretty much played in one sandpit for the whole show with passable production values. There is little nuance or growth to the characters and their romantic developments are on rails.

All the usual youth romantic drama tropes are present; love at first sight, crushes, envy and fated meeting as kids. The plot regarding the FL's Prosopagnosia is poorly represented and not really explored. It is just used as a device for minor gags or token angst until the ML shows up as her knight in shining armour.

As expected, the plots are factory standard issue and the pairing of the protagonists are obvious from the start. It is just a matter of getting over the meet-cutes, push-pulls and failed confessions. Sadly, there is scant chemistry between the three CP's which netted a token amount of skinship. I get the OTP pairing (fated and all) but the other two pairs are hardly match made in heaven. What is more concerning are the weird editing, disjointed narrative and phantom side plots that literally appears for a few scenes and then forgotten. Choppy is a good way to describe this show.

Acting from the young leads are passable. They are energic but prone to overact. I have seen worse and they do try. The support cast is another story. Most are no better than extras handed a couple of lines of dialogue and it shows. I do wonder if the production company approached a local college to do a collaboration and held an open call for extras and bit parts. There is certainly no shortage of extras for many scenes.

The plot twist towards the end was totally contrived and unnecessary. It did manage to pad out the runtime significantly so job done. The HEA ending rolls in as expected. The final scenes after the big time skip feel amateurish and rushed.
If you are interested in a drama about Prosopagnosia, try The Secret Life of My Secretary. So, so much better.

This is a messy and unengaging filler. One time watch for me. Peace out.

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A healing drama is just like a donkey . . . I mean onion

On the surface it is a short, slow burn romance with low angst. We need to peel back some layers to find the deeper meanings.
The ML is a tortured soul whose near perfect world collapsed in short order due to his gradual loss of hearing. He doesn’t know how to deal with it, so he became withdrawn and pushed everyone away. He tried to join the deaf community but finds that he is still on the outer because he was not born deaf. He came to the sad conclusion that EVERYONE sees him as being different and there is nowhere he truly belongs.

I believe that one of the motifs of the Show is how society divide people based on many assumed and perceived criteria into different groupings. Both real and invisible barriers are here to segregate and isolate them into smaller cliques.

Our need to belong creates pressure points in our social interactions. It can be exhausting and debasing when we run into unyielding barriers. How horrible it is when you are yanked from a comfortable reality into a new one where you are confused and lost.

It was fortuitous that the ML met a kind deaf girl. She befriended him and helped him to learn the sign language. It is not acceptance but at least he can function again. Their relationship is ambiguous. The girl is clearly interested in him, but he is afraid of commitment and shows no inclination to take their relationship to the next level. The girl is happy to stay in the friend zone as she has him all to herself. However, all that changed when the ML's ex-girlfriend ran into him by accident and started a chain reaction that changes several lives.

For me, the Show is a beautifully crafted story about rediscovering love, friendship, sacrifice and the need to compromise. I don’t want to give away the plots regarding the SML and SFL but let's just say that I'm getting serious second leads syndromes by the end of the Show.

From my perspective, the first half of the Show is very well done. There are lots of backstories, raw emotions and misunderstanding before the fateful reunion. The show took its time to explore all this. It was never going to be a joyride but the writer-san skilfully weave the story back and fore along the timeline so that we know how each character arrives at their current circumstances. There were plenty of broken psyche that needs healing. They get patched up enough to keep functioning but not completely healed. The amount of baggage carried by the ensemble cast will keep a caravan of camels fully loaded.

Unfortunately, while the Show start to untie the knots and salve the troubled souls in the second half, it is a slow process. The pacing of the show becomes almost meditative.

The healing and exploring requires a lot of dialogues between the OTP and sometimes side characters. I think the writer-san wants to show how difficult communication can be even though it is based on a common language. We ended up with a mix of sign language, written words, phone apps and normal conversations. It can be slow going as the ML has to keep the signing slow and simple so that the FL can keep up. It is like watching two primary school kids trying to communicate. They do resort to writing sentences on paper when it got too complicated.

In the end, the bulk of the breakthrough came in the last episode. All the affirmations and compromises are nutted out then. Some of the best scenes are also found there.

The FL worked hard to live in his world and she cajoled the ML into compromising his unyielding stand. It is a fragile middle ground but one they can call their own.

The acting is great with a lot of depth. Without spoken words, they need to emote with their facial expression, posture and their eyes. That requires real skills.

The loveline of the OTP is sweet-bitter-sweet. It is ashame that there is almost no skinship.

I can recommend this show but you have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it.

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There is no escape from the mundane

I'm a bit late to this party as I binged the whole series a few months ago and I was a little OD on the characters when this special came out.

I finally got around to watch it and it is nice but it lacked the original's freshness. The quirky relationship of the leads have mellowed into domesticity. They still have this partnership arrangement but is now more relaxed and accommodating. The growth is nice to see but this is dramaland so it can't be all smooth sailing.

To stir things up we are going to have a baby! Hooray! Cue all the tropey stressors and complications that goes with a pregnancy. It ticked all the boxes and they covered a lot of work and societal issues but it wasn't anything new nor particularly egregious. Most are bullet points that are instantly recognisable. There are few hard and fast answers as their options are limited.

The addition of the covid lockdown was topical. It is done with a light touch as none of their family nor friends got sick so the Show mostly dealt with the initial shock, prolonged isolation and longing as the whole country went through a painful period of apprehension and uncertainty.

The acting is par for the course with few surprises.

The Show is largely fan service and a satisfying watch for their fanbase. We got more antics from the leads and their friends with minor updates. For some, this is perfection. However, with only two hours to play with, there are a lot of assumed knowledge about the backstories of the ensemble cast. If you haven't seen the first series then you should start there or it will be quite baffling.

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A dodgy script is also a crime

The first few episodes are tracking fine as far as a tropey romance/melodrama goes. Affairs, crushes and a complex web of lies are on full display.

I have a feeling that the Show is banking on the visuals and chemistry between the leads to hook the viewers. It would have worked ok if they give the leads room to grow and the plot to develop some complexity. Unfortunately, it took a different turn and wasted a lot of potentials and time.

Problem stems from the Show’s decision to replay multiple scenes from different characters’ POV. This means instead of moving forwards, we went back and forth extensively for several episodes, replaying scenes from a slightly different angle or composition and sometimes adding a bit of inner monologue. Time and again, we are presented with pieces of information that we already know while other times, the information is actually contradictory.

This extends to other characters watching each other watching the leads so it is like a relay race without ends. I can accept it if it is a major revelation, but it is mostly along the line of “you like her but not me”, “she like him but not you”. We get it . . . we get it the first time.

It is also a surprise to see a 2019 show that objectifies female characters to such a degree. They are seen as objects of desire and targets for seduction. There are not a lot of rules, married woman, co-workers, anything goes. The flip side is that the female characters are willing to do anything in the name of “love”. Love in this case is a loose term. It is more like a hunger for attention and affection rather than the classic definition of love. Of course, the Show will tell us true love is most important but it also throws shade at itself. The Show is not short of mixed and contrary messages.

The logic behind the ML’s action is quite obtuse. He loves someone who is married to a man who is having an affair. He wants his crush to be happy so he steals the man’s mistress, not necessarily for revenge (it is a source of some confusion), but so that the man will go back to his wife and live HEA. What? How? If the husband have had one love affair, he can have three. Not to mention what is the ML going to do with that woman he just seduced. The plot didn't thicken, it congealed.

In the end, the Show is “saved” by the happy endings. It is hardly a surprise as the Show has no where else to go.
Acting is ok. There is quite a bit of skinship and more than the usual quota of bed scenes. Some are replayed several times for our titillation.

The repetitive nature of this Show means that only about 50% are truly original content. So if we were to extrapolate this to its logical conclusion then the Show would have worked much better if it is only half its current length. That works for me. Peace out.

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