Reviews

AMAZING STORY, CASTS WITH GREAT ACTING SKILLS, THE EFFORT THEY PUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SERIES. THE ACTION ROMANCE I DIDNT ASK FOR THIS WAS THE BEST KOREAN DRAMA OF THE YEAR WAITING FOR SEASON 2. I JUST WISHED THEY HAD THEIR OWN OSTS LIKE OTHER KDRAMAS.

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River Where The Moon Rises is a great drama loosely based on a legend about On Dal the Brave (played by Na In Woo) that, after marrying Princess Pyeonggang (played by Kim So Hyun), became a General during the Goguryeo Kingdom. The drama offers action, intrigue, palace antics, and a nice and steadfast romance for the leading couple. The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and there was good camaraderie among On Dal and Princess Pyeonggang’s friends and associates. One relationship that is worth mentioning is the lovely kinship between On Dal and his mother. Although the end felt rushed, the drama overall is a fantastic and entertaining production. Enjoy it!

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Here for Jeon Yeon Been only :)

If you watch this drama because wanna know how FL saved her late boyfriend by time traveling, you're not gonna find it. FL traveled to the past to save Minju LOL. Both the director and writer are failed to deliver the story. Here is why:

The writer developed the story really well when Jun Hee trapped in Minju's body, but not when Si Heon trapped in Yeon Jun's. Why i wanted it to be developed? Because, when i reached 9th or 10th episode, i was sad knowing that actually, Jun Hee has been loving Si Heon who trapped in Yeon Jun's body all along. That's why, imo, this time travel is also meaningful for Si Heon, not only Jun Hee buttt again, Si Heon's story wasn't really developed by the writer.

There were some parts i wish they developed for instance; I want Si Heon, who just trapped in Yeon Jun's body in 2007, to be as crazy as Jun Hee who always talks about the time travel. I also need their lovey dovey moments during that year to develop, so that when Yeon Jun died in 2022, we as viewer will feel the grief Jun Hee experiences. Why we should feel Junhee's grief as viewer? IMO and from my POV, this time travel is to satisfy JunHee's grief, because she is able to meet someone who resembles her late boyfriend, not because she wanted to prevent her late boyfriend from dying, she's just happy meeting Si Heon who resembles Yeon Jun.

If only the writer focused on Si Heon's time travel and developed the story from Si Heon's POV started from episode 6, i think it would be so much better. Because it's gonna make sense why Yeon Jun and Junhee met in university and then they fell in love, same goes with Junhee, it's gonna make sense to us why Junhee time travel to the past and met Si Heon.. But in the end, the writer makes us think that JunHee did time travel to save Minju, like for what? She's not a part of Junhee's life in the future, she's also not a threat for Junhee's life both in the past and future. Si Heon also never liked Minju in the past. So whyyyyy towards the end of the drama, the writer focused on saving Minju????? Hello, writernim???

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Let's talk about the cast. When i watched the first episode where Si Heon, In Kyu and Minju were punished for being late. I knew right away they cast the wrong ML :p just my opinion, i have Nam Joo Hyuk in my head the moment i see Si Heon who was so friendly, cheeky and playful. Throughout the drama i was like, oh i wish it's NJH.

AHS is suitable being cold and cool just like Seo Woo Jin on Dr. Romantic (i don't watch Business Proposal, tho). Or i can say, he's kinda failed to be Si Heon, there's still Seo Woo Jin vibe on him. Therefore, as for the character, imo, there seems no contrast between ML and SML. Because SML is portrayed to be quiet and a loner.

What made me staying until the end was only for Jeon Yeon Been. Unfortunately, imho, she still looks too old for a high school student (don't get me wrong, i'm a fan of her). Compare to AHS, which all of sudden NJH popped in my mind, i didn't have any name popped up in my head as to who is better portraying JunHee and MinJu.

Speaking of JYB's acting? 8.5/10. I was in awe on episode 11 or 12 i forgot, when Jun Hee sat in Si Heon study desk, immersed in his drawing and all of sudden it took her back to the future. After few minutes, she traveled back to the past and suddenly stood then hugged Si Heon without saying a word. By the way she walked,I knew right away it was Min Ju, no longer Jun Hee, even with her gesture, she proved how good actress she is. (if you have watched 'till the end, you know which scene i talked about).

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The director could not bring the best out of the cast (?)

In ATCY mostly i'm not satisfied with Ahn Hyeo Seop acting, he's good on Dr. Romantic 2 and 3, but not here. I know he is supposed to be bubbly and friendly as Si Heon, but still no fun...

Director should be really detailed in directing the actors to be similar to the role they take part in. Until the end of the episode, only Yeon Been is the star, even i watched on Netflix she said there was line she changed so that fit with the circumstance. Showing how immerse she is in her role as both Junhee and Minju. It takes two to tango, not only the director but also the actors who are willing to do more.

Behind the scene of every drama has been my favorite since i'm in kdrama land. Because as a viewer, i learn how the director direct the drama. For instance, when i watched bts of Vincenzo, how the director wasn't satisfied with actors' intonation and gesture, she would told the actors to perfecting certain part.

To conclude, as someone who never watched the original version, this is 7.5/10 from me.

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Could be Called My Fated Truth

Where truth meets intuition. Where humility bypasses pride. There was such an ebb and flow of good verses bad. The series looked more into people's environment and influences than necessarily a love connection. Glad that the writers didn't make the 'gift' cliche' or cheesy. You could see the trial and error of assumptions gifted or not and where it can lead. However, the growth in the ML's character was well done. The FL held her own in displaying maturity in the face of adversity, possible criticism and personal beliefs. The ML and FL chemistry and connection was endearing. This series had a nice flow and build up to the overall 'Why' element. Worth the watch.

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I loved this

Honestly, I started watching this series because of Hwang Min Hyun. I thought I could get through anything with him in it. Then I realized that the lead actress was from Love Alarm which I HATED. So, I was a little skeptical.

It started slow but at some point, I started really get into it. And I started to really like Kim So Hyun. The episodes got a lot more interesting and by the end I was binge watching back to back.

The whole mystery behind the murder was intriguing and there were so many people that could have been the culprit. I actually cried when I saw what really happened.

Plus, I felt so bad for the ex-boyfriend and what happened to him. Such a sweetheart. I didn’t recognize him from Meow, the Secret Boy which I loved.

If you watch, make sure you watch it to the very end. Great ending.

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Better Than Expected

LIKES:
CAST: all well selected for their respective roles/characters.
Cinematography, colour palette, all perfect.
Sets, filming locations, all suited the episodes.
Wardrobe & set pieces were well done, even paying attention to the weirder things in the anime like the snail phones.
Production: had the budget to give the viewer the feel of the manga/anime.
Music/sound: all of it appropriate, added to the scenes. Voices of the actors never overpowered by the surrounding sounds or the music.
FX: creating Luffy’s stretch ability, blending the green screen into the settings, even simple blood from wounds all looked great.
Writing/Plot: the past of each crew member of the Straw Hats was well accomplished, even using flashbacks. I like how Sanji’s womanizing ways were more subtle, so he didn’t come across as creepy.
Directing:
Fighting choreography was great, including Usopp’s bombs.

DISLIKES:
Production:
Zooming in way too close to character faces, when it wasn’t necessary; to the point I could see their clogged pores from the makeup, etc.
Writing:
They crammed a lot of story arcs and incidents into just 8 episodes, causing some of the impact to be lost. It doesn’t follow the manga/anime format for everything, but managed not to stray too far from the main plot. Some of the characteristics of certain characters were left out, (probably due to time management and pacing), maybe it will show up in future episodes (Season 2).
Acting: not the best, but it will do, especially if you haven’t watched the anime or read the manga. [I have learned not to have high expectations for live adaptions.]
FX: I miss Usopp’s nose and Sanji’s eyebrow, both which could easily have been done. 'Lots of blood loss' wasn't really shown, probably so the children can watch it. Makeup was normally well done, but they caked it on a little thick for Nami sometimes. When they zoomed in too close on her, it was so obvious.

OVERALL:
I was pleasantly surprised at how well they made this adaption to live action and I’m glad they had the budget to pull it off. The cast was perfectly selected. I followed the manga, watched the anime and was initially biased, but now I want to see season 2. It will be a while before we get more, so I will definitely rewatch this. I recommend it, even to other One Piece fans, give it a chance. Anyone can watch it. It has made it as my second favourite live action adaption!

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Its not the fact he wasn't there

A lot of people are mad because Yoo Han isn't in it but for me Its not he fact that Yoo Han wasn't in it that made it so I didn't like it. Its the fact he had feelings for this new guy and while yes he cared about finding Yoo Han it seemed as if he was just trying to find him as a friend or brother it didn't seem like there was any love in it. It seemed like they just swapped the love interest thats what bothers me. I know the kiss near the end was the one guy's imagination but It still seemed like he had feelings for him and he didn't care if he was losing feelings for Yoo Han at all. It really did just seem as if him and Yoo Han had a brotherly or friendship type of love.

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A Truly MOVING Story Served Avengers’ Style

Moving is a very unique from all the kdramas I’ve watched before. It encompasses all the genres it promised to deliver and I think it is perfect. Moving hit all the emotional points while delivering the best action sequences I’v seen. The family dynamics was also very on point and became the heart and soul of the story.

Casting was perfect. Jo In Sung was the coolest black agent and the most adorable dad to Bongseok. Han Hyo Joo, was the perfect partner to the cool black agent. All of their romantic scenes were embedded on my mind. Their chemistry was amazing, even though there love story was just told in 2 episodes. Han Hyo Joo also delivered as the strong mom who takes care of her son. They were just the perfect parents. Ryu Seung Ryong was the best! I have watched some of his hits but he really delivered in this one. The soft-hearted, loving “Monster” Jang Joo Won just captured my heart in all his scenes from funny, to action, to sad scenes. I’m not gonna expand more in the casting, but they were all perfect for their characters. Especially, the very cute Bongseok-ah.

Story-telling was also good. The timeline was a little bit confusing at first, since it is not told chronologically. But as you continue watching the series, the story was told like that for a reason. Kang Full the writer of the webtoon and the series did a great job, no episodes were boring and each character was given a spotlight in the series. The show was written in a character-driven way that’s why Ioved the story. I also like the use of parallelism in the beginning and end of the drama. It showed how the characters evolved and remained true to themselves.

Cinematography was amazing. You will be hooked to all the action-scenes. My favorite was Kim Doo Shik’s, when he single-handedly raid the North Korean base. That was just mind blowing. They were also able to emphasize all the powers of the superhumans, especially with Lee Mi Hyun’s “super-sense”, which is I think the hardest to do.

To summarize, I really recommend this drama. This is a must-watch series that will totally make anyone laugh, cry, happy and sad. I hope a lot of people watch it because I want a season 2. Haha. It did open-up new story lines in the end credits scenes.

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Superpowers, violence, and a star studded cast

A Korean superheroes drama? YES, PLEASE! The production value was awesome. You can tell a lot went into making the superpowers look believable. The regeneration, gunfights, action sequences and bloody gore were all high quality. The only disappointing aspect were the flying scenes. I think they may have ran out of money for that as it was very apparent that they were hanging on something as you can even see where the wire or hooks went into their clothes. As a viewer, that kind of sucked because I found it very distracting and awkward.

As for the acting, I really liked how there were a lot of high caliber stars in this drama. I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of a Disney superhero drama? Not many opportunities like this come to Korea so it's great to see a lot of great actors taking part. Even the young rookie cast was good. The only one who I did not care for is YDG. I know he only has a minor role, but I really don't understand how he keeps getting roles. He constantly overacts. I thought his acting was so bad in The Forbidden Marriage that I'm so surprised he was able to get cast in this drama.

Now for the pacing, I thought each episode was good, but the overall series was lacking as a whole story wise. Too much of the series was spent on the backstories and flashbacks of each main character that basically only the last 2 or 3 eps were dedicated to the present story. Don't get me wrong...I did enjoy each backstory, but it was building up momentum for the present story except the climax didn't really deliver sense wise. It felt a bit pointless on the villain side. For example, (SPOLIER AHEAD: Why go through all this fighting only to give up so easily at the end? The whole self sacrificing bit seemed out of place because it was rushed in without any build up to make sense of the change of heart).

However, seeing that they left a clip after the credits to allude to a season 2, it would then make more sense that S1 was just part 1 - the set up. If I look at it that way, then the ending is less disappointing. But if they don't have a S2, then I'd have to say the ending felt incomplete because there were so many things left unexplained and some things not quite adding up.

But all in all, I found this drama entertaining and was quite delighted that Disney greenlighted an Asian superhero drama that did not offend me with concepts of Asian stereotypes that we often see in Hollywood movies. It's been a slow journey to get to this point, but I'm glad things are starting to turn around. I hope we get to see more!

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When I first heard about this show, I didn't really care about it and it didn't appeal to me at first. Then when the show actually started airing, my sister persuaded me to watch it and I did. Boy was I not prepared for what I had watched.

Every episode has so much detail and so much going on, we are given that the whole story revolves around 2 "families", Wufeng and the Gong residence. We are then introduced to our assassin Yun Weishan, whose goal is to complete a mission in the Gong residence. The show does a really good gob at characterizing each person's personality traits in the show. Every one of the Gong people are so unique and special in their own way especially Gong Yuanzhi, I loved his character.

Not to mention I was already stunned and impressed with everyone's acting and makeup, but then the show brings up the characters in the back hill and I completely lost it. These humans only get more handsome and prettier. I felt like I had a crush on everyone in the show. Not only was every character impressively gorgeous, their acting skills were even better. I'd never thought Yu Shuxin to be the type to play an assassin but apparently she pulled that role off super well. I was also mesmerized by the Xue Chongzi's acting, a 12 year old boy can act better then some adults in other dramas I've seen.

The OST is so depressing yet beautiful to listen to. I love how the show plays music when it portrays sad scenes, and it only makes me cry even harder. The costuming was also really good. I don't think the show invested a lot of money into costuming but you can clearly tell the costumes are designed very elegantly. The fighting scenes were also very impressive and has sparked the entire Jiang Hu dramas.

I really hope to see a season 2 of this drama, season 1 was way too short, and left with a cliff hanger. The best thing this drama does is every episode ends in a cliff hanger so it only makes you want to continue to watch the next episode. This show made me take such wild conclusions that I fee like I should be a detective sometimes!

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Humbling epic

I "completed" this series in the way I currently watch any series—skipping around. I watched a few episodes in the beginning, middle and end. Even though the beginning is a bit confusing because there's so much information, it's still interesting befuddlement; that is, it didn't bother me that I didn't totally get everything story-wise and was unsure of who's who (so many characters, many looking alike because of similar clothing and one bearded man looks too similar to the next bearded man).

In the middle I got that there's too much intrigue going on, and I say "too much," not in a bad way, but in a way that confirms my thoughts that being undercover/spying is not a healthy way to go about your life; it takes too big of a toll on your life (I used to watch a lot of police drama (HK and American) and always saw it as a devastating role to play because you can't help but get enmeshed in relationships with the other side and you end up having to betray them and that can't be good mentally).

The ending had me in tears even after finishing it and as I'm writing this review. I get that maybe the way I watch series does not qualify me to be an accurate reviewer but just the bit that I saw moved me to the point I felt more people should be enticed to give it a try. I love seeing eye candy and lots of action, but The Wind Blows From Longxi blows everything out of the water with its solid acting, story and production. This series puts things in perspective—that we're all specks of dust in the universe and there's just so many things that are much more bigger than our short lived time on this earth. This is good to remember when we're feeling down or anxious about whatever's going on in our lives.

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Incredible!

I didn't know what to expect with Moving since I hadn't read the webtoon but what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be! I can't believe it's already come to an end. Every episode offers so much detail to the plot.

It is a well-rounded show with loads of action, special effects, sweet romance, heart-wrenching emotional moments and beautiful stories of parents and their children. There's also a sprinkling of humor here and there. In short, it has something for everyone. There is an excellent development of characters with their backstories including many of the negative ones. That was an especially nice touch that we don't commonly see.

The only drawback for me was sometimes I felt the story was moving a bit slow for my liking (pun not intended). And maybe some might find this to have a lot of gore. Some of the fights can be a bit brutal and hard to watch. But the way the individuals use their powers to their advantage really made the action sequences both shocking and entertaining.

All the stories come full circle in such a perfect way towards the end however it also leaves us with some shocking revelations.

The score and the OST was quite good.

There's a deeper political message that raises the question in minds of the audience - who's battle are we really fighting? I hope more people add this to their watchlist. It's worth it!

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Chemistry FTW

Loved this drama so much! Both leads are superb. Acting-wise they're magnificent. From comedy to tears, they've got the whole spectrum down! Also, their chemistry is amazing. But, for me, the best part was how real, playful and intimate their relationship was. They were so believable! I would totally believe it if someone told me they were also a couple in real life. There were hugs, tickles and lots of little affectionate touches, which is so not norm when it comes to k-dramas. I'm so used to leads being bashful and shy around each-other, that the relationship portrayal here completely blew me away! Loved it.

The supporting characters were also all very good (so many talented people!), and the subplots all end up making the story so much richer and real.

This one is definitely worth watching.

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Burden of Proof

Drama has been presented in a unique 'two' connected episodes format, alternating between past timeline(odd number episodes) and present timeline (even number episodes)..... As the episodes progress, viewers get a clear picture of the events in past that catapulted events in the present.... Each character is seamlessly woven in the tapestry of story, making it cohesive and interesting.... All characters' motivation is presented through their background stories leading to their present involvement.... In episode 19, even Wu Lian's past is dwelled into...Why he developed an interest in embroidery, although it is an unpopular choice of profession for a male........... However his past did not give even a remotely plausible explanation for his proclivity.


(Seven years ago - past timeline)

Meng Wan(Janice Wu) and Lin RuLan( Hu Yi Xuan) two young girls with dreams of bright future enroll in Yanyu Tower to learn embroidery from the prestigious Wu Lian(Qiao Zhen Yu)


Wu Lian turns out to be a predator, preying on young girls of his academy. He is a sadist and a narcissistic, his modus operandi remains the same for all girls, he first humiliates them by criticising their embroidery, making them feel inadequate and then under the pretext of guiding and teaching them, he touches them inappropriately and ultimately forcibly sleeps with them. These young impressionable girls who are probably underage are meek and gullible so none dare confront him publicly. He continues to take advantage and abuses numerous young girls. Wu Lian is a powerful individual who happens to have solid backing of rich and influential Mrs. Ning. Wu Lian's embroidered pieces are sought after and even the royal family commissions him. Hence nobody dares to offend him.

After sudden and mysterious death of Ding Ru, a young girl from Yanyu Tower. Wu Lian's truth is exposed in front of Ru Lan. She herself had been a victim but believed that Wu Lian loved her, now she realises that not just her but he has bespoiled countless other young women. Ru Lan decides to fight against him and lodges a formal complain in Yamen office. Meng Wan her close confidant and fellow victim advices Ru Lan not to file such a case.

Ru Lan who strongly believes that justice prevails, goes ahead with her formal allegations, to her disappointment she realises Wu Lian manages to distort her truth in the court and she lacks sufficient evidence to incriminate him.........As a recourse to sleeping with her, Wu Lian offers to take her as his concubine......After all doors are closed to RuLan, she decides to make a final move and agrees to marry Wu Lian as a part of her plan to fabricate evidence against Wu Lian.

On her wedding day she forcibly holds Wu Lian's hand and stabs herself with a golden pin leaving the bloody pin in Wu Lian's hand as proof of her murder, she also leaves a note to be delivered to Shen Mu after her wedding saying that she is in danger enabling two constables including Shen Mu to arrive at the exact moment she falls down from the tower to her death...... However her ultimate gamble also doesn't pay off, Wu Lian goes scott free inspite of such incriminating evidence and witnesses.



(Seven years later - present timeline)

Meng Wan who is very close to RuLan plots and plans for seven years to take vengeance and expose Wu Lian's deeds. She meticulously plans everything and patiently waits for Wu Lain to fall into her trap like a spider ? weaving a web ? to catch insects.

Including herself, Meng Wan gathers seven other people who were somehow affected by Ru Lan's case. She forms a team that is instrumental in bringing Wu Lian's downfall....

Meng Wan prepares handwoven lanterns and hangs them in a circle, metaphorically these lanterns hung in a circle are compared to a trap closing around Wu Lian... Each Lantern has a unique line written for all NINE people involved in this crusade, Ru Lan the torch bearer followed by Meng Wan and other seven allies....Meng Wan says that each lantern is wrapped in soft paper but tough and unyielding inside like 'the women'.


Name of all nine righteous 'justice seekers' and lines written on their lanterns mentioned below:

1.Lin Ru Lan's lantern....."An adult girl is fearless. "

2.Meng Wan's lantern....."wait in the boudoir for seven years, nothing is forgotten. " ........."Seven years in seclusion. Aspiration never forgotten. "

3.Li Jia Hang's lantern....."Give a treasure hairpin to the hero. Ignite a candle light. "

4. Liu Sanniang's lantern....."A leaf in the vast ocean, floating and sinking between heaven and earth. "

5. Shen Mu's lantern....."The young man goes with the wind and returns in time. "

6.Feng Da' lantern......"The wilderness also has emotions. "

7.Haung Jiao Jiao's lantern... "Pray to silk worm mother at the door, worship the God of wealth inside. "

8. Li Chun Feng's lantern... "The path to being an official is unpredictable as debts are hard to pay. "

9.Tian Xiao ling's lantern... "Troubled by wordly affairs, seeking tranquility in the mountains. "


Meng Wan's plan involves targeting Wu Lian's wealth. Symbolically breaking 'two legs' on which he is standing as he is accumulating wealth from two sources......First, by smuggling his work abroad, evading taxes with the help of Lou Yu Jian, a corrupt official in charge of Foreign office......Second, Mrs. Ning's backing who presents his work in royal court garnering him fame and building his reputation.... Meng Wan plans to expose him in front of the public to restore RuLan's good name.... She has brought to her district an upright and unbiased, Lou Ming Zhang to investigate the case of RuLan........Road to seek justice is difficult and full of pitfalls, Meng Wan faces many set backs along the way but she perseveres.....

After several failed attempts to corner Wu Lain, the group finally find some physical evidence...... In the beginning episodes Wu Lian told RuLan that ALL plum blossom flowers are different and unique(implying all girls are different)...... No wonder he had embroidered plum blossoms on a branch of a tree and written name of each of his victims under the flower embroidery...... It is rightly said that each crime leaves some evidence and a serial rapist would keep some kind of a trophy......This embroidered plum blossom tapestry was stolen by Li Cheng Feng without knowing its true significance, it proved to be a goldmine of evidence for the group.....Meng Wan and the team then had to find one person from all those victims who would testify against Wu Lian to reopen the case.

Liu Sanniang was captured by Wu Lian when she went to gather intel regarding his embroidery convention.. Wu Lian wanted an official position so that if he was implicated again, his case would be tried at a higher court of Dali where cases were piled up, delaying in his trial....Meng Wan and the group wanted to foil his ambition as well as save Liu Sanniang, decide to attend his embroidery convention at Yanyu Tower... However the group were tricked by Wu Lian and ended up stealing the wrong key to a lock that tied Liu Sanniang to a pole in a room... They were unsuccessful in rescuing her, Liu Sanniang decided to sacrifice her life and urged the group to continue with their campaign... The group burned down Yanyu Tower and Liu Sanniang perished in fire.

Wu Lian urged his wife Mrs. Wu(Rong'er) to ask her family's help for him to acquire the official position that he hankered after, in return he promised her a divorce and freedom from her unhappy married life.... Rong'er's family agreed.... Meng Wan approached Rong'er for help, guilt ridden due to being a reluctant but willing accomplice of Wu Lian, she informs Meng Wan that she kept a secret accounts ledger of Wu Lain's expenses for abortion pills, doctors, bribery to officials etc.... Li Chun feng decides to steal that account book, he is cornered and beaten to death. Before succumbing to death he gives Meng wan and Liu Xin a letter for Tian Xiaoling.... Tian Xiaoling, another victim of Wu Lian, had been living a guilt ridden life of self imposed exile finally decides to step up and testify against Wu Lian after her beloved Li Chun feng's death.

Meng Wan, Ru Lan's brother and Tian Xiaoling petition for a retrial of Ru Lan's case... Due to Meng Wan's clever manoeuvre, His Majesty also gives an order for severe punishment to be delivered to Wu Lian... Wu Lian is found guilt of sexual assault, bribery, tax evasion....As a result of everyone's combined efforts, Wu Lian gets his 'just deserts' he is flogged heavily as punishment and would be forever banished.... In jail Wu Lian swallows a needle and commits suicide.

At last justice is served but a hefty price is paid.... Ending is more bitter than sweet but it leaves a satisfactory aftertaste.... Justice may be delayed but not denied......salute to the people who make sacrifices and pave the way for a better future.




Special Episode 25 (alternate reality- what if, These characters could restart their lives )

What if life gave these characters a reset button and they could restart their lives anew......Life is full of choices that define us, our lives are the sum total of all our decisions... One wrong turn can plummet our life to hell and another right turn can elevate it..... This episode is in NO way "Redemption" of any character but a reflection of what ifs?...... I hope all these characters in some alternate universe made a befitting choice and enjoyed a lifetime of happiness.


All the actors performed wonderfully and were appropriately cast... However, a special shout out to Qiao Zhen Yu (who played the character of Wu Lian). He played the part of Wu Lian to such perfection that he became a character that the audience would love to hate. I saw a few BTS and the actor, Qiao Zhen Yu was rehearsing a very serious scene with his fellow actress, he seemed very cooperative and helpful... It is a great feat for an actor to play the character of a villan with such distinction.



This series deals with very sensitive issues like:

1.Abuse by a person in authoritative position. In this series Wu Lian was a teacher abusing underage girls, entrusted by their parents to learn embroidery at his place....

2.Exploitation of women(men) in the workplace.... 'Me too' movement..... Victims of such abuse remain silent as they are scared that either nobody will believe their allegation or mud will be slung on their character.

3.Humiliation and harrasment faced by a woman in the hands of corrupt official while proving she was 'Raped' .........The burden of proof is on the victim's shoulder.

4. Powerful and rich people bending, twisting and breaking laws and getting away with it... Justice system works differently for influential people, through intimidation or bribery they often escape unscathed.

5.Flickle public opinion 'mob mentality'..... People are often quick to judge another person bestowing 'guilty verdict' based on rumours without waiting for actual proof... public opinion spreads like wildfire and is quite changeable from time to time, even a person held in high regard once is dragged through mud by a single 'deemed' slip.


Overall, a thought provoking story presented beautifully.


PS: I wanted to include some more details but did not want to turn this review into a book? so I am writing them as comments to this review... If anyone is as deeply moved by this drama as me and wishes to read more, they can read the comments below.

*comments are about Liu San Niang and Li Chun Feng's deaths..... RIP to both unsung heroes.

*My opinion regarding the author's choice for characters of Li Chun Feng (episode 22) and Liu Sanniang (episode 20)

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