Scent of Time - a truly apt title

Little hints are dropped throughout the drama and I am so happy to be surprised with the twist during the final episodes. Heartbreaking as it was, it felt so much more real in many senses and so very well grounded when compared to Story of Kunning Palace.

While this drama and SOKP both have a do-over storyline, I was more touched with this storyline and how it was told. Not overly dramatic and more relatable showing the FL as a real person - hair completely down and no make up when sleeping - something SOKP wasn’t good at as they seemed overly focused on giving us a FL and ML to drool over all the time.

The romance between the FL and the various men were very well portrayed and provided just enough angst to keep me watching to find out how the events would unfold.

Some minor things left hanging and I would have liked a longer happy ending but overall, I am surprised by how much more I liked this compared to SOKP. Once the twist is revealed, it’s best not to think too much as certain events doesn’t bear close scrutiny. Bittersweet ending…

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Rollercoaster Family Relations on the Farm

The beginning episodes made me wonder if there was any love in this family but still I was entertained with this drama through all the plotting, selfishness and blatant favouritism.

I liked the FL’s cheerful personality and her never- give-up attitude despite being plotted against so many times. Her character was well written to be someone smart with a heart of gold and she played it beautifully. Her chemistry with the ML was a joy to watch and the way they looked at each other made my heart melt more than the few kisses that they shared.

For all the evil plotting that the FL’s cousin did to her, it was a bit of a let down to not have her realisations fleshed out better and for her to give a meaningful apology to the FL.

One of the best moments for me was when the FL knew she would be exiting the game and she went around silently saying her farewells to everyone. Lovely music that made her expressions even more touching.

I’m a little bit lost at the very end. The FL exited the game as she and the ML were approaching each other. She was shown to be back in the real world but then, the scene cuts to being back in the game where both of them talking and having a sweet moment together as if she didn’t exit the game… if the drama had provided some explanation of how this happened, it would have given me better happy ending vibes.

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Grey’s Anatomy vibes focusing on Heart Specialists

I seldom watch contemporary Chinese dramas but was tempted to try this due to AvenueX’s glowing reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of Grey’s Anatomy and how it goes back and forth between the patients and medical staff’s lives.

The storyline was engaging and I enjoyed the different patients they encountered and tried to help. A good variety of scenarios made for interesting viewing as you also get more curious about the personal lives of the leads. The ML’s acting was spot on as the model doctor who was estranged from his mother as she left him when he was 5. How their relationship gradually improves over time was very realistic and touching.

His love interest was just so-so for me and I pitied him in the end. His girlfriend stalked him and chased him then needed attention from him like a normal boyfriend and when she couldn’t get it, she walked away. Glad to see he wasn’t overly distraught by it and quite realistic as an example of a relationship that doesn’t work out. As for the other couple, it was sweeter in the beginning when they were friends and enjoying each others company.

Great acting all around especially the patients - kudos to the actor who played the unidentified man nicknamed “flower”.

Bad bad bad subs on WeTV - even someone with poor Mandarin skills like myself could spot the mistakes of some easy translations. The most annoying was not even getting the gender right - Ms Zhou kept popping up when referring to the ML! Then for the rest I didn’t understand, the subtitles just didn’t make sense 30% of the time. If I had a better understanding of the story, perhaps my rating would be higher.

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Lovely drama for some light romance & comedy

The basic story line is nothing new but with some refreshing touches like the FL pretending to be a weak beauty. This was a good way to inject some humour into this drama and she did it nicely. I also enjoyed the cute animal art work.

I liked that this drama didn’t try to be too smart with a vague ending and instead had an ending that was happy and not rushed. At the same time, it wasn’t too unrealistic (ie have all couples work out) but instead showed one that parted and others in the beginning / middle of their romance.

The chemistry between the main couple worked well and the way the ML confessed his feelings to the FL was something new (and not involving fireworks) so I appreciated it even more. The love triangle was not overly dramatised and it was good to see the other love interest not go overboard to protect or win the favour of the FL.

What suffered in this drama was the villains - not properly fleshed out in terms of their motivation and ability to carry out their plans. When she came into the room with more glamorous dressing and make up, I was at a loss as I thought it was a new character. Then you find out all this could have been avoided if she had spoken up before her marriage… so take this into account and just enjoy the romance part of the drama.

The ending that saw them speaking to the audience reminds me of some old old dramas / movies that do this and it was a nice playful touch.

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Healing the heart with Episode 25

Episode 25 is not a continuation of this drama but a wonderful alternative scenario of what ifs. What if he didn’t learn embroidery? What if he didn’t become a policeman? What if she got a divorce? What if she didn’t become a courtesan? What if she didn’t learn embroidery? It was an episode which I was happy to watch to heal my heart from the sad story.

One of the better produced dramas with realistic sets and costumes, this drama was also well written to have a more realistic feel. There wasn’t a fake super climax where the FL pulls everything together and the villain is punished. Instead, she suffers setbacks and plans accordingly.

The story goes back and forth between present time and 7 years ago as well as even earlier to the villain’s childhood. An interesting format that was well done and gives us so much detail into what Rulan had to go through as she tried repeatedly to seek justice and what led to her demise. The relationship between her and the FL was beautifully explored and fleshed out.

A reasonably good drama that would have been great had it fleshed out the villain’s motivations better. Was him being cheated out of a normal bride the reason for him preying on countless girls?

Random note: perhaps something got lost in translation as I am not clear about the analogy of the plum blossoms where the villain is said to prefer the fallen flowers compared to the blossoms still on the branches. All his embroideries of the plum blossoms look like they are still on branches to me…

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Espionage at every turn

Superb acting and fantastic attention to detail made this fictional world of spies extremely intriguing especially since it wove in historical elements. One of the smartest dramas I’ve ever watch and I also enjoyed the little catch up at the end of each episode.

Lots of twists, turns and reveals in each episode and you are left wondering what is the truth and what is a lie. Is he a single agent, double agent, triple agent? What was real was his love for his sworn brother and wife and it broke my heart when the final reveal was made just minutes before the last episode ended.

A thought provoking drama which makes you wonder how far a person will go to achieve their goals. What is their bottom line? So sad to see so much sacrifice made for the greater good. Is the greater good worth that much loss of innocent lives and resources? A question that each person has a different answer to and unfortunately so very real in this current day and age as we are now living with a war in Ukraine that sees no end as of 3 October 2023.

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Love that grows from strength to strength

A beautifully told tale of a love story that started out as an accident and evolved into a relationship of trust and genuine love. No unnecessary misunderstandings and jealousies to tear them apart was much appreciated. Instead their obstacles were the situations they were placed in.

A love triangle of sorts, the villain turned out to be victim of circumstances but the flashback sequences of him with the FL was sweet and gave you the usual “if only” wishes hoping he had it better growing up. The reveal during his end was not unexpected but good enough to tie up his storyline.

The star of this drama is the ML. Watching him grow from a carefree, playful person to one who sacrifices himself to fight for the good of the people was the highlight of this drama. Kudos to the scriptwriter for some of the most intelligent and interesting dialogue for this character. He delivers it so well and righteously in keeping with his character’s personality.

It was also nice to see the FL transform from originally resigning to her fate of just being a typical wife to having her own aspirations in business. However, this changes seem too jarring at times, one of which was when she went from crying on her wedding night to suddenly being extra gung-ho as she led men to the entertainment house to chase down the her husband. Brandishing a sword to get him was a nice humorous touch. However, her revealing all her marriage aspirations and how the ML ruined it in front of the many people in there felt so wrong. A normal person would have some reservations about sharing such private information in public, what more she had just spent years learning about a family’s code of conduct. Overly dramatic. (also found it strange she had no reaction when she saw her original target husband in the crowd there)

Watching her start her first business showed some smart moments but not fleshed out enough as she quickly turned things around after 2 weeks of slow sales. Not enough moments to make me believe she is this super business person especially when she was in the capital and when she was lying low during the 3 years.

One of my favourite parts would have to be in Wangdu and how the ML defended it with just 10,000 men against an army 10x bigger. I loved both his confrontations with his uncle here - perfect lines perfectly delivered!

Didn’t care much for the palace storyline with the new Emperor suddenly being sick all the time compared to when he was just a Commissioner. Liked the Empress Dowager and her daughter even less especially their senseless meddling. The twist here became too convenient and a few extra scenes on how it happened would have been better.

The ending was good enough, showing us what happened with all the main characters and how some of them still go on despite not having a spouse. A definite must watch if you are a fan of the ML as he was truly in his element in this drama.

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Heartbreaking yet beautiful romance

A short drama that tells its story well without unnecessary fillers or characters. This unique time travel storyline tells you it will break your heart right from the start as the leads meet each other in a reverse order so the first time the ML sees the FL, he has no feelings for her whereas she has already loved him for the longest time. The next time he travels back in time, she is younger than when he first saw her. And so it continues. His love for her grows with each meeting whereas her love for him is less.

If you are after a romantic story that will tug at your heart strings and make you cry, this is it. As the ML starts to fall in love with the FL, he desperately tries to change the events leading up to her death every time he travels back in time.

Bittersweet ending in keeping with the reverse order time travel. So don’t look for any miracles where they can both grow old together. Needless to say, I finished the drama with a heavy heart (but appreciation for this unique storyline).

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Captivating & EPIC!!!

Brilliant story, fantastic production, stellar acting and seamless CGI brought this fantasy drama to life and I can’t wait for Season 2!

Thank goodness Part 1, 2 and 3 were all together as one drama so I could binge continuously. The way the characters evolved were nicely written and Episode 1 made so much more sense watching it a second time right after finishing Episode 18.

Kudos to the actor who pulled off playing the naive twin and savvy twin - so well done you’d think they were two different actors! However, what impressed me more was the King - so many conflicting and complex emotions as he made his way to the top. I found myself empathising more with him and wished he didn’t have to suffer so much.

I loved all the twists and turns the story took. Some took me by surprise and some didn’t. It was sad to see so much similarity to real life - fear of the unknown, greed of capitalism, exploitation, slavery, supremacy, sacrifice and more…

A good end for Season 1 that juxtaposes the 2 different worlds that will soon have their showdown in Season 2.

* Unfortunately some change in cast members and I’m personally not a fan of the actor who will play the twins for Season 2 so I hope his acting will change my mind. I do wish they would cast someone more similar looking for continuity purposes.

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Action packed wuxia with fantastic martial arts!

It was a joy to watch nicely choreographed fighting sequences that didn’t have CGI for a change. Gave me a bit of an Ip Man vibe but with added fantasy elements of poison experts and fantastic sounding moves.

I enjoyed the first part of the story much more when the ML and FL were together and fighting for justice. It broke my heart when they had to part and I’m glad I read some reviews before watching this so I could brace myself for this heartache. I did wish they would end up together in the end but it was not meant to be.

The ending was brief and sad. And didn’t really shed any light on the twin boys whom the ML was entrusted to take care of. Overall the story was a 7.0-7.5 and I bumped it up to 8.0 because of the nicely done martial arts sequences.

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Heart breaking sacrifices

One of the better dramas with good writing on the many sacrifices that took place. Heart breaking and lots of tears shed as the music and cinematography added to sadness of each sacrifice.

Unfortunately though, Part 2 started off draggy in the cold North Abyss in comparison to Part 1 which opened with an engaging story in the beautifully imagined Flower Valley.

Seeing the FL suffer constantly being trapped and on the verge of death made for dreary watch with no end in sight for a reconciliation between the main couple. Some of the storylines like the evil spirit, Heavenly King and 3rd couple were also not very engaging.

Although the love triangles were carried through from Part 1, I am glad it didn’t turn into jealousy and instead have the 3rd wheels being understanding and letting go. I still loved the second couple here in Part 2 and cried buckets again for them.

As with Part 1, I enjoyed how realistic everything looked especially the animation of the powers swirling around and the portals and energy shields that remind me of Dr Strange. Costumes were gorgeous and stunts well done.

Thankfully, the ending was mostly happy although it was the usual vague, leave it to your imagination type for the main couple.

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Engaging on so many levels!!

The story is good but what takes it to the next level is the way the story is told - kudos to the director and producer for bringing this fantasy xanxia world to life so realistically!

CGI is one of the best I’ve seen so far and their blue screen is almost faultless. Combined with gorgeous costumes, sets and props, this drama had me binging till 3am.

It was so endearing to see the ML fall in love with the FL and heartbreaking when his innocence was stripped away when he thought he was betrayed. Great chemistry and the FL’s acting was second to none.

I didn’t expect the second couple’s love story to be so moving and shed many tears for them. Most dramas don’t really have a strong storyline for the second couple but this wasn’t the case here.

The story for Blue Feather Bird caught me by surprise and I liked the twist in it to show us how things are seldom what it seems.

All the different storylines and plots were interesting and woven together very nicely. I can’t wait to see Part 2!!!

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Romance done right

I loved the romance in this drama as it didn’t overdo the misunderstandings or have overly dramatic jealousy or other love interests. It was realistic, sweet and hit all the right notes with me.

The conversations between them flowed so naturally, be it when they were lovey dovey, supporting each other or even taking potshots at each other. Watching them fall in love was the best part.

Costumes were top notch and I just loved the gorgeous flowy dresses that the FL wore. Sets were outstanding and I loved the aerial views and how the camera just pans down in one long take and follows the characters around - wonderful cinematography!

Storyline was good overall with some minor plot holes, some characters didn’t sit well with me but I easily overlooked this as everything else was done well. It has been a while since I’ve watched a Chinese costume drama which has good romance and this one delivered beautifully!

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Simple yet touching

The FL’s portrayal of an autistic genius attorney struggling to find her footing in a new environment was very realistic and it was the best part of this drama for me.

The writing was a good balance of introducing different cases each episode and revealing more of Attorney Woo’s personal life while we cheered her on as she gets her cute ~aha~ moments.

I also loved the romance and the realistic considerations surrounding it from both the FL’s and ML’s point of view - extremely touching and heartfelt. Not many scenes on this but when it did happen, it was perfect.

Watch this not to have your mind blown but to have your heart moved.

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Beautiful Romantic Comedy

Perfect for the times when you need something simple and sweet as there isn’t even a villain or nasty jealousy in this drama.

Typical for these types of drama, there is a high degree of coincidences which lead to many characters somehow bumping into each other and getting intertwined with each other. It was well done and created many feel good moments especially how the second ML tries to help our the FL.

It was nice to see that the story didn’t go overboard in the beginning when there was friction between the ML and FL. The tension created here was much better than in Secret Garden as the ML here was basically just reprimanding the FL for her mistakes which came about as she was afraid of being found out. Once she stopped making those bumbling mistakes, the scolding stopped too.

For most parts, I found the FL’s acting enjoyable to watch especially the warm moments with her best friend, her nervousness and clumsiness and her touching moments with the ML. Unfortunately, I found her loud yelling behaviour to be out of character. It was a big stretch for us to believe that she developed this rough loud behaviour just because her family became poor. If she ended up mixing with people who had this behaviour, it would have been understandable, but her best friend whom she lives with has a ladylike personality.

I enjoyed many of the conversations in this drama as it was open and honest. Watching the ML tell the FL why he loves her made my heart melt. There was some self sacrifice and misunderstanding but thankfully not too much. One stand out scene for me was when the ML and FL had a long phone conversation talking about everything under the sun - very real and brought back fond memories of my own experiences.

The ending was not rushed and nicely stretched out with a few interesting elements. This drama left me feeling good and happy.

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