Reviews

Seven Dramas in One!

I was looking forward to this drama for many months. I read the book partially and didn't finish it because I wanted the ending to be a surprise.

I can't compare the ending of the drama to the novel obviously but I will share my thoughts on the drama as it's own.

The Main Leads:
Their chemistry is amazing. They have many cute and adorable moments both on and off screen.

The Story:
It's an amazing concept of finding one's true love again. However, I feel that may an extra 30 mins, a episode or a special clip would give a better insight about the ending-It's not confusing but as a viewer, you want a proper closure and not just one where everything wraps up in 2 mins with the leads.

I think this is a problem not unique to this drama but Cdramas as a whole. That's why I gave it a 9.5 stars when I've been giving every episode a 10 star up until the semi rushed ending.

The OST:
There are some nice OSTs in this but I don't know their names. Without any spoilers, my favourite is the most dramatic sounding one so guess it.

The Shengling Duo:
I just wish we got more time with these two on screen together.

Endurances:
You have to endure the annoying prince aka Xiu Ming. This guy is handsome but I don't want to be distracted in the drama plus I didn't like his character but I did feel sorry for him once or twice.

I couldn't care about Jin Lou's love story tbh.

Would I watch this again? Probably
I just wish there was more episodes for each lifetime because honestly, each lifetime would've been epic as a separate drama.

I am so looking forward to watching this pairing in another drama.

Lastly, to all the people who bullied YCY for her acting, she has improved and just because you are behind the screen, it doesn't give you the right to do that. Critic, yes. Bully, no!

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No matter where you are, or what you have become I will always find you in every lifetime.

I started watching this series because the drama is adapted from a novel written by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang . She is the same author of the novels of Love between fairy and devil, Back from the brink and The blue whisper. I absolutely loved all the three dramas and when I heard that another novel of hers got adapted into a drama I immediately decided to watch it. So, I have already read the novel and I can say that it's quite different. I guess I am not surprised since this has been the case for back from the brink and the blue whisper too. But regardless of what others say, I personally liked the drama a lot more than the novel.
Reasons to watch:
1. Their unwavering love trust understanding and devotion towards each other. Both the male and the female lead unconditionally love each other and is willing to sacrifice their own life to save the other.
2. Lots of cute and romantic moments between the leads. For me this was a good blend of romance, comedy, action, adventure and angst.
3. The female lead is absolutely no damsel in distress. It may seem that the fl is weak as compared to the ml but that's not the case. She has wits and doesn't cower away when it comes to the safety of her loved ones. Also, they added a backstory to the main leads which was not there in the novel. It was to add the element of mystery to the drama.
4. Main cp were a lot more affectionate than the novel where they quarrelled a lot.
5. They added quite a few side characters to add depth to the story but except for the sml no one is annoying. And even the second male lead redeems himself in the last few episode that you might actually like him in the end.
6. Anyone who watches it carefully can figure out some the parallels between their lifetimes. So it was fun predicting what is about to happen in the future.
7. No matter what the haters say, this drama had quite a lot of screen time for our main cp as compared to some other popular xianxia dramas. It was only in the last 2-3 episodes that they got less screen time.
8. Lemme spoil it, every one got their own happy ending.
9. The cast did their best especially the male lead and the villain absolutely slayed their role
Cons:
1. A lot of people were saying that the fl cannot act. For me, she did pretty well. Her crying scenes were the only part where I felt a bit of improvement was needed. But she's young and I believe she will definitely improve in the future.
2. The first few episodes felt a bit draggy, because their first lifetime involved a lot of politics and the sml's scheming. But it quickly caught up around episode 12-13. In the end, I felt the main villain took quite a lot of screen time with his schemings but ig that was to show how evil he already was and how he was willing to commit even greater atrocities because he was greedy and had inferiority complex.
3. A last minute happy ending. Even though I am satisfied with the ending but it would have been even better if they managed to show us a few more glimpses after they reunited or at least focused on the male lead more. BUT THE ENDING PROVIDED PROPER CLOSURE TO EVERYONE and that is what is satisfying to me.
4. They chopped out a lot of scenes but you can actually find all of them

Also the cgi and the ost's were pretty good. Whenever the bgm called emotional vocalization was played, it made the scene so much more powerful.
SO NO MATTER WHAT THE HATERS SAY, IT'S STILL A 10 OUT OF 10 FOR ME

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It's just okay

Most of the show was pretty cringe esp Toy and Boss. It reminded me of the BLs back in the SOTUS era with ridiculous misunderstandings, cheating for no reason, bad kisses, and contrived pairings. The characters were 2D in a lot of ways - they didn't really grow as characters throughout and their personalities were just 1-2 character traits on steroids. The only thing I really knew about Tawan was that he was nice/caring and naive, for example. It's a bit too simple =/ And the Mayom and Nadia pairing made no sense, really. No depth to the liking or decisions.
There were a few saving graces - the uncles, Cheep and Dej, the motorbike crew, Fueng, Jo, and Sing, and the beautiful scenery when they went up north. The uncles were phenomenal and a bit more dynamic - they were humorous, insightful, and showed an array of emotion and concern for one another. The motorbike crew was absolutely HILARIOUS. When they got off their bikes at the festival, I literally couldn't stop laughing. I liked that they were insightful and the right amount of nosey, making sure that Mork was taken care of and he didn't bottle his feelings. And of course, the ride up to Chiangrai -- the house, the forest, the cliffside. Ugh, it was SO beautiful.
The one hole that's bothering me the most...Did someone go back to get the uncle's truck!? He just abandoned it in the middle of the road LOL

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Not the usual kind of XianXia

First of all, I would like to mention how positive I am about Yang Chao Yue's acting performance. I have seen her in Dance of the Phoenix, Heroes, Sisterhood and The Journey of Chong Zi and I was not satisfied with her performance in any of the dramas. Whether it was the script or really her acting is hard to say.

Ding Yunxi never disappoints - I've watched all his dramas so far and have to say that he delivered again. Personally, I think he conveyed the role as well as the emotions very well.

The visual effects were beautiful and an absolute eye-catcher.
The costume designers really went out of their way to show differences between lives and the way they dressed. My personal favourite is definitely the Demon King arc.

Personally, I really enjoyed the story and next to BTTB, LY7T will be my second favourite Xianxia this year.
Even though some may find the story too rushed at the end, I found that the fight at the end ended without exaggeration and was carried more by emotions and decisions of the individuals.
It also made sense to me that Chu Kong sacrifices himself in this life, as he had already given her the opportunity not to die again 30,000 years earlier with his Qiling. The decision for Chu Kong to sacrifice himself this time also makes sense because it would not be logical for Cang Hai to sacrifice herself and for Chu Kong to die in the process.

We can rejoice that we have another XianXia drama with a happy ending this year, even if we don't know what will become of them.
My impression here was that Chu Kong still remembers her in this life. That means it's up to our imagination what their future will be.

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A perfect mix of Martial Arts, Emotions, Mystery and Suspense

The friendship that Li Lianhua, Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng have given us is truly a special one, as three individuals who would not come together like that, work together due to circumstances and become the most unlikeliest trio in this story.
To be able and watch them going on this journey together, grow fond of each other and be there in any kind of sitution ist really an eyeopener. We as human beings can learn so much because of the three - nothing looks like it seems.

Every episode was so thrilling to watch and that is why, it was really hard to wait for the next episodes to come out. The story had so many twists that even normal situations turned out not like we would have assumed them to be.
This story has the perfect mix of Martial Arts, Emotions, Friendship, Mystery and Suspense.

Cheng Yi delivered as usual. When he plays a role, he plays it out to the bitter end and makes sure that we are able to feel the character's emotions ourselves.

I have seen Zeng Shunxi in many other dramas and must admit that his portrayal of the young hero Fang Duobing is on point and he delivered the young, naïve, rich character who does not have that much life experience yet very well.

Xiao Shunyao did an excellent job of bringing Di Feisheng to life and making us realise that for Di Feisheng, Li Xiang Xi/ Li Lianhua is his absolute number one and he is determined to keep him alive no matter what it takes.


The actors worked hard for the action scenes, which you can see in their delivery.

The production, as well as the production design and costume designers, have worked hard to show the difference between the current dynasty and the Nanyin Empire. It is obvious at first glance which belong where.
They have also given the characters from the Blood realm characteristics that distinguish them from the current dynasty.

Regarding the OST, I have to say that so far it has always been the case that when Liu Yuning and Modeng Xiongdi have provided the soundtrack, I have been absolutely thrilled by the story.

Of course, I don't assume that it's because of the singer, however, I can say that Liu Yuning once again sang a very great song.

In general, I liked the OST in the drama very much, which is why the drama is rounded off perfectly for me with the OST.

I hope that everyone will enjoy this drama as much as I did.

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Thirst scenes and smiles as far as stream can reach...

"I'v wanted to lick your muscles since the first time I saw you" is pretty much what this drama has to offer... As we enter the story of the at times slightly annoying wedding planer and the groom with a wedding plan to do the planner.... Spending more time showing the audience his upper body muscles than fully clothed or talking making this an entertaining watch but ot a lot more.

The story itself is okay, it is not good, not bad, it has some sweet and fun moments, a prolonged misunderstanding making most of the viewers think of the geney in Aladdin begging him to just tell the planner the truth and put him out of his misery... but also done in a very evil yet playful way.

The cast and characters are lovely, all in need of an acting lesson or 10, and while I will admit that I was entertained and found several of the cast a pleasure to watch their mimics where often wrong or felt forced focusing a lot more on making scenes where people lick each other than actually delivering dialog beyond smiles and gazes that is.

And well I guess that is the point here the story and delivery could have been a lot better if the focus was on the delivery of dialog instead of making people thirst. That said some of the dialog was actually pretty good and there where actually moments of meaning here and there...

So if you are in the mood for some sweet moments and misunderstanding with a lot of heat this is a really good choice. But if you are sensitive to bad acting or in need of any type of depth you might as well skip this watch.

P.S. Lom (Sunny) may need some acting lessons or better directing but still gets a 10 from me and th eMCD PPL is off the charts

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How to destroy a well built story in the final episode

Step by Step is a cute, slow-burn office romance about a new employee falling in love with a guy, who later becomes his boss (that's all you need to know, really).

The story in the beginning is really nice and well built. We can see grown ups falling in love slowly. Because they are boss and employee, which isn't easy, and because they both have backstories. I am in love with Jeng and Pat, who consider what their feelings might do or mean. The two of them grow stronger together, push each other to become better people and they both make mistakes and learn from them. For once, we have a love rival appearing who actually gets a shot - and it doesn't work out. Not because Pat is destined to be with Jeng or because Put is a villain. They just are different and things have changed between them.
The side couple was a great story, too! They are friends and scared of the next step or don't know how to take that step. And then one of them is in a relationship, which creates even more problems. All the characters are so real and I loved so much about the series. The acting and writing, some of their conversations and quotes... At times, there was too much about business for my taste, but it is an office series, so it was to be expected and okay.

What cost this series so so many stars - and made me write the review - is the ending. It took the writers one episode with overlength to destroy the whole series they had built so carefully. What we built over 11 wonderful episodes and what made this series so great was thrown out of the window with full force in the end. Pat becomes a hotheaded boy who overreacts and Jeng a shy mouse who won't speak up for himself. And then they jump in time - for whatever reason - and we are back to zero. How did they expect the viewer to buy that the trust they'd allegedly lost in each other after their big drama would be back after a bit of a timejump? If it wasn't bad enough for Pat to get over Jeng, why did he wait to meet him for years? And they did Jaan and Jane dirty, but sending them off to Japan and not letting viewer see their happy end in an OVERLONG EPISODE!! I am still so angry.
I did enjoy the lovey-dovey scenes of Pat and Jeng once they "resolved" their issues. They were cute, they played the roles well. But I couldn't forgive the writers for simply causing a big drama to get some tears and then ending it the way everybody wants it to end.

All my love goes out to the actors, who did a great job. Chemistry and acting were great, I enjoyed everything between them. But that last episode would have been better off not written.

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a romcom at its core with an interesting set-up and wrapped up story

to really start off, i feel the need to say that i feel like this series isn't so serious about itself; it's a lighthearted, fun and chaotic romcom at its core, with a tinge of sadness and for some, reality.

i went in blind with not much expectations and i really ended up enjoying it and looking forward to it every week. for a series of its length, i think they did well in pacing and developing the characters and its story plots. by the end of ep 7, they managed to tie everything (or well most of it) in for me, especially regarding the questions and doubts i had. i wavered a bit between ep 1-4 but ep 5-7 really set it all in and boosted my enjoyment. (yes i am biased because ep 6 is my favourite)

for maximum enjoyment, i recommend either 1. don't think too much about it, 2. give it time to sink in and pick back up, 3. really dive into understanding the story and characters. I think other than the fact that i have a soft spot for romcoms, i really liked how i could, in some way, understand and relate to the characters especially on the issue of familial pressure and how it conflicts with the love you have with your family. they also had some really good emotional scenes and conversations (coughs in ep 6)

from a story standpoint, i felt like they did good in creating character motives. these characters are anything but perfect, they mess up, they don't make the smartest choices but we can see their intentions and reasons (for the most part) there is a sense of realism in the portrayal of the characters and progression of story, even if its short so it may seem rushed sometimes. it's not perfect, but really most shows aren't and for me they don't need to be because my feelings for it was still very positive and it still brought me joy.

the actors did really good, they're not experts or like perfect but they did an amazing job especially sunnypak in their first series together. sunnypak had really good chemistry and tension too. i liked yiwa and marine, they had chemistry, but their intimate/ kissing scenes still need some work. the production quality was definitely on their higher side with a good concept and aesthetically pleasing scenes. I really liked the ost esp the main one by sunnypak "you couple me"/"you paired with me" that they used for both the op and the ed; i think it suited the theme and i found the lyrics "the bride is paired with the groom, and you, no matter what, will be paired with me" quite cute.

like with any show, it may not be your cup of tea and that's fine, it's just that it was mine and i do think its worth the shot :D at the end of the day, how much you feel and take from a show depends on you and how you understand or relate to it so have fun and take what u can from it!

P.S. watch ep 6 :)

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Choices were made that let me down

I'm kinda shocked at the low ratings here. I decided to post my take to help set expectations. If you are unsure to watch it or not I say watch it. The shower scene alone is worth anything else this drama throws at you. Chanwook can seriously make you swoon. Both leads were likeable and had cute banter. I wish I spoke Korean in order to catch the subtleties in the dialogue. Kilig moments for sure. I can forgive any plot holes, annoying family characters, and the many interrupted skinship moments. What I keep thinking about is the last 1/2 hour or so. What were the writers (I assume) thinking? All the yearning to be together FINALLY able to move on with their lives and they make FL a bit cold, no pun intended. She wants to go *spoiler* abroad! Seemingly with or without her soulmate. ML stayed true to her for 3 years until she was "free" and this is not how you close up an adorable love story. This is how you tick people off. Is there a happy ending, yes, could it have been sweeter, absolutely. My heart still feels bad for ML even after the show ended. And how about an end kiss sometime after the beepers are gone so we see them as a couple again. Sheesh, I could go on about this ending but I will end it here. I would love other people's takes on it. It's been days since I finished it and I'm still irritated, lol

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Great watch!

I really enjoyed this series a lot. Every person acted well and there was very few predictable portions. I predicted that Song Yan was going to have to save someone in the fl family in order for them to not be upset about their relationship. But I didn't predict that the brother wouldn't fall for the FL's lookalike. I was sure he would be stupid and I am glad that he wasn't. I was disappointed that the FL picked the reason for arguing with the ml. It was the most random reason that was obviously pulled out of a hat and made no sense. It was mine only beef with the show as a whole.

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too much chaos, not enough connection

this series was hard to get through. there’s a lot of chaos, many unnecessary layers of drama, and characters that kept taking me out of being immersed in the story. Inn did incredible acting that would draw me back in, but the random outbursts of violence against him would sour the good for me. nut was borderline abusive to everyone and I found it hard to feel much sympathy for him most of the time.

I do have to admit that the dragging out of the main story made it hard to connect to nut & his feelings. by the time we get the real picture of his life, the show is basically over. maybe I expected a lot more from the constant high praise I see for this series, but I can’t say I feel like I enjoyed this all too much. I am still giving it a high rating because the acting was good. I hated the parents/twins 97% of the time, so that was good on the actors.

overall, a very frustrating series that left me unsure I even connected to any of the characters.

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