Reviews

Baby teeth don't last forever

The first part was good but soon you realise there is no depth. The hints are all there and the writers decide not to take them.

How can someone who has lived for centuries be so ignorant especially about how people work and think? How can a vampire so old be poor? How can someone who has a business not account for the future? There were banks and safe deposit boxes in the 20's. Why does he have servants and how did they agree to follow a leader who doesn't lead at all and has nothing to offer in exchange?

He had loved before and failed to recognise it. He needed a 20 something year old to tell him that? How is everyone around him so unwise? How did it take him so long to realise she was HER when it was right there?

How can there be no solution? How can such an old cat not have any answers? How can he offer no paths since he's seen as a sort of spiritual leader or oracle?

The beginning was exciting but by the time the leads got together I was no longer interested.

The ending was pitiful and didn't make any sense. She'll live her whole life waiting for someone when she's not immortal. She'll continue the cycle instead of ending it. You need to be immortal when you're waiting on a reincarnation.


It's also an issue when casting actors with an age gap. It's best to have no kissing scenes than to give us non-kisses. There was one kiss and it was enough. the other ones were non kisses. Instead of going for age gaps, it's best to cast older actresses. There's nothing wrong with women not being in their 20's anymore. We need to be allowed to age. We are not vampires.

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Bumpy Road Ahead!

I haven't made a review in awhile so here we go...
No doubt, it's a confusing series with plot holes, unnecessary characters and predictable situations BUT it also comes with real life issues of love, lust and friendship while giving the MCs the character development they desperately need and deserve that unfortunately doesn't come as quick as it should. It has a decent paced start with all the juicy drama colliding in the middle that somehow manages to plunge off a cliff into oblivion at the end! It's a guessing game through a lot of it which might put some people off but if it's straight forward then it would make a boring series. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending since it came to a screeching halt the way it did but I think everything worked out the way it SHOULD given the circumstances of each character. As someone who enjoys BL (with no shame) potential viewers should know it focuses on building and losing relationships as opposed to $ex and make out sessions. The BL content is on the average spectrum for me so if you're looking for steamy scenes you won't find much here.
Enjoy.

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Grows on you

Typically I wouldn't watch such a simple drama but it kinda grew on me. I even dropped it the first time when I watched it and just picked it up again cause I was bored and I am glad I did. Even though the plot is simple, it was executed pretty well. No unnecessary miscommunication, no dragging and no over dramatic scenes. It was simple and stick to the plot. The acting was done really well. I had my doubts in the first episode but as it progress I realized they were actually good actors and executed their emotions properly. Most of the times I find it cringe when they act cute but Baram actually was pretty cute. Now the music definitely deserve a round of applause. It was so freaking good. Overall it is good. May take some times but it grows on you.

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Suzy Bae never disappoints

The reason why I watched this was completely because of Suzy Bae, and she definitely delivered a performance.

The story was so interesting and well done, I finished everything in one sitting. Granted this Kdrama isn’t hard to finish since it only has 6 episodes but it was still very well done.

I love Suzy Bae as an actress but this was the first time I disliked her character in a show. Anna was so naive and annoying at times, that I had to click ‘pause’ at certain times just to collect myself and not go crazy.

I wasn’t expecting her character to be sort of a villain since the edits I saw of her character seemed to make it look like she was a badass poker faced character. Especially because of the first episode where they showed a woman from UK (?) visit her and give her some advice, which I thought they would bring back but it seemed pretty useless? The only thing she got from that woman is to have poker face which played a big role in the show.

Anyway I think this deserves a season 2. It did so well in just 6 episodes that I feel like it deserves justice by being back on the screen again.

Bae Suzy, you are phenomenal!!!

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Engaging storyline and romance plot, but be aware of plot holes

My two cents on this drama:
PROS
• Story overall about computer programming and IT industry in China is interesting and engaging, and what I would expect of a "drama"...dramatic moments, characters and plots. Really interesting feud between ML and 2nd ML.
• Likable characters and dialogue, with witty banter, humor and certainly the romantic and dramatic scenes that drive the story
• Interestingly told romantic plot line between ML, FL. Yes it follows a trop but the way it is sequenced and told in the story is clever, with the intro of the current, then about the past, and flash forward again to the present.
•Chemistry between ML, FL: sweet romance blossom between the two. Opposites attract. The leads were very comfortable with each other and the attraction is believable and at many points natural in their acting...actually enjoyed watching the love mature yet still remain innocent as they got older
• Character development of ML, FL (some other reviewers may disagree)

CONS
• Some holes in the story: felt like an incomplete story and conclusion about FL and her relationship with her parents, especially at Ep. 36 with the confrontation. It wasn't made clear to me what FL view was in terms of studying abroad after uni because her parents made her? Or was that her own choice? It muddled the story in the beginning and i think confusing as to whether that familial relationship was what really drove a wedge between the FL and ML in the beginning or not.
Especially felt there was a gap in storytelling, after they graduated and moved into the workforce. Other reviews suggest scenes were deleted and editing wasn't up to par- if they have to edit out scenes, that tells me also the series was prolonged in unnecessary ways but could have been better developed in others, i.e. ML and his experience post incarceration.
•Some holes in the character development: ML understandably had a non-traditional upbringing which explains his broodiness, arrogance, cold and business like personality. There are some painful events that occur that further impact him, and he deals with it like one would expect of someone who is traumatized. The series I think attempts to give some explanation and show his remorse, his insecurity, his vulnerability but I feel writers could have given him more depth in exploring and trying to heal from the trauma, especially as how it affected his relationship with FL. A lot of other reviews say "ML pushed her away because he was protecting her". Ok. But why not built that in? This also leads me to say that the relationship between FL and ML could be more convincing and reliant on emotional and experiential bonds rather than otherwise attraction and good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy.


Overall, I would have scored this lower but after reading other reviews and reflecting overall on the series, I think I understand the story they were trying to tell, and I accepted that not everything came to a perfect resolution, probably deliberately. But if they were trying to do that, wished they could have been more intentional with the storytelling because at times it felt out of place.
Great job to the actors! First time watching Zhang Jingyi...loved her emotional range. Her wide eye blinks and stares though we're getting a bit much. Looking forward to seeing Chen Feiyu develop and mature in his acting range and abilities.

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lighthearted rom com

A pretty cute and lighthearted romantic drama that follows a classic opposites attract type of plot. For once, the over-the-top conspiracies and revelations of the more political and thriller part of the drama didn't feel out of place as the plot is a bit over the top from the beginning. The acting is very solid, adding a lot of uniqueness to each character. I enjoyed the secondary characters the most, as they felt well-developed and rounded.

Recommended for anyone who wants a typical rom-com kdrama with some political conspiracy on the side, but doesn't mind a formulaic plot

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Rom-com with a good premise that ultimately fails to deliver.

The trailer teased a rom-com with two characters with strong personalities who are hopelessly prejudiced against each other, but the show winds up being a rather watered-down, run-of-the-mill romantic dramedy with good production and decent acting, but misses the mark on both the chemistry and the social commentary.

For a title supposedly showcasing a strong woman, the FL did not feel "strong" to me at all. I wanted to see the FL kicking ass, yes, but not LITERALLY. Being able to knock grown men to the ground isn't empowering to me. Being good at what you do, being confident, and being able to face off adversities in life is. And right off the bat, FL doesn't seem to be particularly capable at anything besides resorting to intuitive violence.

I am perhaps less forgiving towards this show due to how high my expectations were going in, thanks to the spectacular trailer. I was looking for an independent and successful FL with a strong personality, which would seem like a well-equipped matchup against the ML, who was presented as rich, popular, but flat-out misogynistic. Instead, FL is a (once again) struggling lawyer who is physically strong, yes, but not at all professionally savvy, and far from being able to establish a balanced power dynamic with the ML, who just so happens to be the top actor in the country.

I'd have loved an enemies-to-lovers a la Pride & Prejudice , with both of the lead characters realizing their own misguided beliefs and falling for each other in the process. Even without it, enemies-to-lovers is in itself my absolute favorite rom-com trope of all time, and fake dating is also high up on that list. Therefore, it seemed as if this drama was headed straight for success in my book. Yet the enemies-to-lovers setup somehow fell flat. They never seemed to have much basis to hate one another. Perhaps if the showrunners had dared lean further into the characters' respective misogyny and misandry, it would have seemed more convincing. But in between the lukewarm characterization, uncompelling storyline, and untimely attempts at slapstick humor, nothing worked. There was no insightful commentary, no sizzling chemistry, no gripping drama, no nothing.

It felt like the show wanted to make a strong FL, as opposed to the typical romantic k-drama FL, namely, the cheerful, kind-hearted, and naive girl. I thought the show failed in that respect. However, I have seen quite a bit of backlash against the decision to incorporate gender politics in this show, so it would seem that at least some people do find the FL "strong". Yet my complaint isn't that the show does too much with the politics, but that it does too little.

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CHEON SARANG and GU WON are the plot!

To put it simply, this is as pure as a romcom gets. There are some complaints about how the story has no plot, but, the plot itself *is* the romantic relationship between the two main leads.

Usually, the male lead would take some time before falling for the female lead (maybe in say, episode 6-8). But in this drama, the male lead falls for the female lead early in the drama and from there, their relationship only grows stronger and eventually they get together. Then, the drama ends with their wedding. Literally as perfect as it can be.

Yeah sure, the characters might be a bit too perfect or idealistic, Some scenes might be exaggerated. Some dialogues might be cringey. But who cares? It's funny, and the main leads have amazing chemistry (both on screen and off screen). Both the "rom" and "com" in this show is well executed.

As a lighthearted, romcom kdrama, this is a 10/10. Absolutely worth watching it. Would definitely re-watch it in the future.

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Pretty Typical High School Drama

I’ve watched several High School dramas and can say that this one doesn’t stand out from the rest. The premise is setup the same as most of the others….The FL, who has poor grades, is in love with the ML who is one of top students, aloof , most desired and doesn’t know much about love. I wouldn’t really consider this a romance drama as this was only a small subset of the overall story. There were only bits and pieces of romance sprinkled in. In my opinion, it’s more of a coming of age story that deals with school, social pressure, family, friends, etc.

The good

As expected, Ding Yuxi did a really good job as He Xinliang and stood out from the rest of the cast. I wouldn’t say everyone’s acting was great but some did a decent job. The overall show had a feel good story with a happy ending which is good to see in CDramas.

The bad

Everyone’s acting wasn’t great. 2nd FL who plays her sister was very stale and monotonous throughout. She had no real expressions. The same goes for the 2nd ML who was her original love interest. He also didn’t do well with expressions. There are more to name but will switch focus…too many misunderstandings throughout this drama and situations that seemed very exaggerated to me. The main conflict between the 3 girls seemed way too childish even for high schoolers and could have been resolved if they just all talked it out. Also, there was a sense of predictability in this drama and it’s probably because it’s a basic plot that is somewhat recycled. Next, the ending seemed rushed. Would have been nice to see more before the time jump on the final episode to answer some questions to things and situations that were mentioned. Lastly, the OST wasn’t much to write home about. Songs didn’t really stand out.

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Exceeds Expectations

I wish I could just say, that's it - that's what I feel about the whole drama and end my review like this, but it wouldn't do much to explain just in what way the drama exceeded my expectations. So, I'll just write a brief and simple summary of what I like so much about this drama.

Cheng Yi is flawless as the legendary swordmaster Li Xiang Yi, hailed as a prodigy who achieved greatness at the age of 15 and went on to become the sect leader of the Sigu Sect at the age of 20. The drama began with the fateful battle involving him with Di Fei Sheng, sect leader of the Jin Yuan Alliance, on the East Sea, which brought upon ruin and great devastation upon the two martial masters. Ten years later, the story unravelled to reveal sect conspiracies, broken romances, the true reason for Li Xiang Yi's defeat, hidden secrets behind the Imperial Crown, and of course - the strength of loyalty and the meaning of brotherhood.
And thus we follow Li Xiang Yi (now known as Li Lian Hua) with his travelling abode, known as the the Lian Hua Lou, or Lotus Tower (which reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle), through the journey of discovery.

The journey had been a riveting watch, and I haven't enjoyed myself this much and definitely haven't sped through the episodes this quickly ever since Nirvana in Fire - and I have watched many, many, period dramas. There had been many that I hadn't bothered to review or add to my watch list and score. That was how bored I was. Nevertheless, there are some similarities between Li Xiang Yi and Lin Shu - both were hailed as prodigies, and both were afflicted with the "greatest" poison known in their universe, and both possessed a sharp and analytical mind with a dash of wit. But the similarities end there. While Nirvana in Fire was centered on the theme of revenge of which facts were already known to the main character, The Mysterious Lotus Casebook is, on the other hand, by itself an investigative series that seeks to uncover truths completely unknown to the main character himself. It is a touching tale of seeking forgiveness, redemption, and acceptance.

Both Xiao Shun Yao and Zeng Shun Xi (Joseph Zeng) gave stellar performances in their respective roles as Di Fei Sheng and Fang Duo Bing. Di Fei Sheng, the original antagonist presented to us in the beginning, was not who he seemed to be. I also find the need to lavish prasies on Wang He Run (Rain Wang) as the delightful villainess Jiao Li Qiao, who was marvellously convincing in her delivery as the scorned woman with an obsessive, psychotic streak. I definitely would love to see her in other roles in future.

I did cry when Li Xiang Yi's past love story was narrated. He is a wonderful actor - his tears were really convincing! Oh, my heart. His expressions broke me apart. Sadly, the character of Qiao Wan Mian lacks depth and thus there isn't much to say, as the importance of her role is minimal.

This has been a lovely watch, and I honestly wouldn't mind watching it again.

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What a sweet wrap!

Just like the name suggests, it marks a new beginning for them :)

I love how short, sweet and beautiful this 15 mins is. It's a nice wrap for this series and definitely a bonus for the fans! For those who think this series is just all about spicy scene, this movie just shows you otherwise!!

Also, this one is funny, it has a lighter tone and atmosphere compared to the other series.

That's a nice change! Oh, and I love Izuka's acting and facial expressions here too.

Overall, this movie makes me smile and hearwarming. SO good!

For those who are new to this series, this movie wouldn't make sense. Do consider watching the series, this movie should be the LAST one to watch in the series. As for the series itself, I watch it in a reverse order and still finds it good, doesn't matter at all. Just make sure this one comes last!

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A Slow, Aimless Traumafest

Trailers and marketing lie to us all the time, and such is the case with Mask Girl. What was pitched as a mystery and a psychological thriller is little more than a pretentious, too-episodic meander through the shallowest meditation on a theme--if it's even a theme and not a coincidence.

There is no real story to speak of, though the series of events does come around to neat, connected conclusion. (And whether that conclusion needed the six episodes it took to get there is a debate unto itself.) Yes, the characters are the same and, yes, there is a steady stream of cause and effect, but, just as no one would ascribe narrative to a literal set of toppling dominoes, there is no real through-line for the show.

The episodes progress as a snail's pace, fill time with needless character backstory as a way to justify their actions that tie directly to the cause-and-effect events, and take you nowhere.

The lone saving grace to the series is the acting, with every actor--and particularly the different actresses playing the same character over time--giving a solid performance, regardless of how well or poorly written their characters are. (And, really, there is maybe one interesting character and maybe two or three specifically likeable ones. That the cast can outshine this issue is a real compliment to them.)

Ponderous, dull, and (assuming it was trying to say something) pretentious, this one is a miss in nearly every way. So miss it, if you can.

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Ordinay girl fall inlove with the River God

The story, casts and staffs are great.The story us all about Ye Qing Ru who is a blind girl, who has a twist of fate to became pregnant with the child of the River God. Despite her ordinariness, Qing Ru and the River God fall in love. Looking forward to see more dramas of Lu dan Dong as male lead. I've been searching for his dramas too hard to find. He is an excellent actor. Please, more dramas of him. The OST of the drama is nice. You guys did a great job. The actors and actresses of this drama are good. They are professionals, they give justice with their role, especially, Lu dan Dong. Your team are awesome!

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historical masterpiece (uncut version is better though)

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. Aired on YouKu app, GagaOOLala (uncut), YYDS YT channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoqdmwJPCU35AqHWHKLdr5RWqQhBiVl61 (depending on your country) Check out these 2 official movie cuts which center on Yai & Jom
Part 1 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/Tt5-Wa5z3RE
Part 2 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/vT-HG57Nt7w

Content Warnings: (there were major content warnings that I will put under a spoiler), manhandling

What I Liked
- sweet moments and excellent chemistry
- finally we had well written female characters instead of cliche stereotypes, these women acted/felt/reacted how real women would
- strong messages without being corny, they showed the unfairness of wealth disparities, they addressed something that happened in episode 3 as traumatic and not romantic, we almost never see this between a married couple in fiction though it sadly happens in real life and then they showed the trauma of what can result from that circumstance
- unique premise
- that Jom had agency
- intimate scenes were done extremely well
- the cut version still made sense though the uncut did give additional context that I liked (I've the uncut only since ep 2 and watched both versions of ep 12)
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Jom was a bit frustrating in the first half though he really went thru a lot, I blame the editing for unnecessary long pauses
- the ending was extremely rushed and not really clear of what exactly happened, they could have condensed some of the side plots/scenes in the first half of the series to more fully show the ending
- that mustache was awful and not needed in ep 1
- Jom should have said quietly what the year was when he learned who that ruler was as international fans don't know the date (but it's in the series summary)

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