Lost me

This story lost me. Started out pretty decent with the translation vs translation app battle but it went down hill fairly quickly.

First off, this show being about top notch translations was odd. The quotes that were read at the beginning of each episode was very laughable. There were lots of grammar errors and it was poorly spoken English. I study Mandarin Chinese so I can understand that learning a language completely opposite your own is a challenge. I know my pronunciation isn’t perfect but I also don’t market myself to be the best either. Wish they could have found stronger speakers to make it more believable.

I left this show for a couple of weeks thinking I would eventually come back to it but that definitely did not happen.

Honestly, the characters in this show were forgettable and rather dull. The main conflict between the couples seemed like child’s play. It was also unnecessarily drawn out and came off very shallow. I’d like to think that most adult relationships have deeper rooted problems that keep them apart and don’t drag out over so many years but maybe that’s in my bubble. Their issue didn’t seem like it was enough for a 36 episode show. This show could’ve been wrapped up in 20 or less episodes.

Basic production value, forgettable OST, and mediocre acting. Make your own judgement and watch for yourself.

Read More

This one isn’t for me.

I was really excited to see this drama as I’m a XZ fan and have enjoyed his dramas. He’s a great actor. I’m not as familiar with Ren Min but I think she was doing a decent job in this show and I will definitely check out more of her work. In the end, I still dropped this after 11 episodes.

The good

All the cast members did an amazing job. I’ve seen most of the main/supporting leads in other projects so I had no doubts here. The production value is really high with really great visuals. Their costumes are typical for Xianxia but they fit pretty well here too.

The bad

The story is dragging for me. I find myself falling asleep during each episode and if that happens, then the drama isn’t strong enough to hold my attention. It’s one of those slow build up type of shows which if done well, can work. I just didn’t quite like it with this drama. The story also has a typical Xianxia feel from what I’ve seen so far. It’s a love to hate story that we typically see with Xianxia following a forbidden love/doom. Lots of CDrama tropes with the way they set up the camera shot for the romantic scenes and you will find this is most Xianxias. Story doesn’t stand out from the others.

If you are okay with these things then definitely check it out or if you are a fan of the leads, then watch. Make your own judgement on the show.

Read More

Beautiful Story

This was a beautiful watch and one I’d highly recommend. The plot was a creative time travel drama and loved how they connected all the dots without leaving holes in the plot. The acting was done very well from each of the major players of the story. I was very drawn in and invested in the highs and lows of this drama as it’s very relatable since everyone wants to be accepted, loved and to find their happy ending. The OST was beautiful and paired well with the drama. The production and visuals were pretty standard but doesn’t take away from the show.

I know there is also a remake Korean version that I’ve also seen bits of and there are some minor differences but overall either story is a recommended watch.

Read More

Decent Story

I’m not sure why this one is tagged as Romance because it’s more melodrama and about family relationships. I enjoyed some aspects of the story, though it’s not an original idea.

The Good

The acting was done well for the characters they were given. Wouldn’t say the acting was profound but came off believable enough, though some acting was done better than others. I would say using seasoned actors helped the overall story. I appreciated the writers for allowing the Shanghainese to come through in the story to show more authenticity for the family. I also appreciated that our FL had a very strong personality because too many times in CDramas, the FL is usually nonsensical and strays too far from reality. The story with the FL and her mother was done well, though a lot of people probably dislike this since the mother came off terrible. Her character arch is believable in many families as I also have female relatives similar to her. The father was also believable as a passive individual who doesn’t like confrontation. I appreciated the presentation of the family, this part of the story sits close with reality and was the highlight of the show.

The Bad

Predictable story with some parts reaching. There were some unbelievable elements within the story such as our FL not knowing she was constantly surrounded by rich people that were close to her (ex boyfriend/grandma) and that no matter what, her life would be okay financially because she had 3 individuals in her life that could “save” her. Hey it’s drama land so it’s somewhat expected. The plot and characters are not an original idea and have been showcased on numerous other CDramas. I find most CDrama careers within stories focus on the same type of career arch’s as their setup: law enforcement, hotel management, financial sector, doctors, lawyers, esports gamer and always a CEO, director or some sort of leader as a main character. Because displaying the “it” person as a teacher, caregiver, restaurant worker, personal trainer, news anchor, labor worker, regular corporate worker, etc seems to be forbidden or not appealing enough in CDramaland. Sometimes these stories have too much emphasis on the career setup and not enough on the rest of their life setup and doesn’t allow for the story to stand out. You have the same character arch’s in the workplace setup: domineering leader, jealous coworker, and non serious assistant. Chemistry between ML and FL was a little lacking (though I blame the writing for not focusing enough on it) but points for allowing their relationship to build over time.

Overall it’s a decent enough one time watch.

Read More

Very Odd Show

I was excited about this show because I am a fan of Bai Lu, Wang He Di, and Wei Zhe Ming but this show was very odd and disappointing. The overall story was all over the place and I don't think the best actors in the world could save this script.

I felt like most of the casting was out of place. They didn't seem to fit the roles or the characters were just poorly written. There were many instances in the show where the characters just didn't lack consistency with the type of character they were portrayed as and thus their dialogue, choices and actions didn't make logical sense. As an example, Bai Lu's character is this very smart, highly intutive, highly praised woman who is a top Financial Journalist, though she didn't seem to read situations very well. I guess they had to make her character very romantically awkward for the sake of the typical domineering CEO C-Drama trope.

Production wise, this show wasn't the best. Nothing to write home about with the visuals, music, lighting, or costumes. Pretty basic, definitely not a high budget but that doesn't always make or break a show.

For me, this show didn't have a clear direction on the plot and seems like a bunch of random things were just happening to the point where there wasn't any clear character building, growth, story growth, etc. I was at a point of just watching it to watch them because I'm a fan.

I would not rewatch this show nor recommend it to others. If you are fan of the main cast, check it out at your own discretion.

Read More

Some things I couldn’t get past

Okay so I had to drop this drama for a couple of reasons. The story in itself is okay, a typical coming of age school CDrama. The usual tropes. Mediocre acting, odd chemistry between the 2 main leads and weird colorism that seems to be plagued in CDramas.

What was a little strange to me were their ages and the cousin arc. I never usually comment on the real actors and actresses ages because I typically don’t care but when the entire main cast are minors except one then it starts to feel a little weird. Wang Run Ze who plays Lin Kai Tuo is very much in his late 20s while the rest of the other 3 cast were 15-17 at this time. To top it off, they added him as a love interest and to have a crush as well. They couldn’t get another underage person to be in that role… second thing that didn’t sit well was the cousin arc. Chai Wei who plays He Xin is the cousin of our main male lead and she was in love with Lin Kai Tuo who happens to be the step brother of our main male lead. Whether it’s biological or by law, they are still cousins and it’s a little odd to push that arc on a tv show. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I think the drama may be better suited for teenagers than adults.

Overall, I ended up dropping the drama halfway through since it really didn’t stand out to me either way and couldn’t really get past some of those things. If it doesn’t bother you, then check it out for yourself.

Read More