Reviews

" If I am a Weapon, only you can be my Swordsman "

'Sword and Fairy' as a drama, delivers deeper thoughts than it appears on the surface. The characters are deep and complex with an integration of different backgrounds, thoughts and emotions. No matter how different their paths maybe, even if the ending is controlled by fate, they are still willing to overcome the obstacles together, because, there are greater goals to live and die for.
Unlike other wuxias, the drama doesn't really start with a backstory, so viewers may find it confusing. But I won't label it as confusing because the story actually follows the journey of exploring the backstory, the reasons of where they are today.
Still, I will be stating a little bit of introduction ( typically things you need to know) first, before going to review.

- The story basically follows Yue Jinzhao and Yue Qi, two amnesic orphans (NOT SIBLINGS) who neither remember their past, nor their roots were stranded in Wuyan Village 3 years ago. Unaware of their past, both orphans found solace in each other's presence, being emotionally bound, to the point that they could not live without each other. The duo set off on a journey to find their roots and their identity. On their voyage, they encounter evil sect 'Qiyuan sect' who try to scam them. In the process for seeking justice from Qiyuan sect, they discover that the sect may be way more complicated than just scamming. This sect may also hold secrets to their past and origin.

That was an extremely brief introduction, cause anything more than that could be a potential spoiler.
The drama has wholesome level of ANGST, no misunderstandings, and great potential TEARJEARKER!
The main leads are extremely dependent on each other, being each other's support for 3 years, they have grown a level of trust and maturity that no external forces can break.
The angst basically occurs due to the common troupe of 'sacrifice for the better world'. And ofc to protect the world, sacrifices are inevitable. Letting go of somethings are bound to happen. But there are too many sacrifices, too many to bear.

The first half of the drama brews the beautiful relation, friendship, romance, and memories to ensure worser heartbreaks, y'all HEARTBREAKS (plural) in latter half of the drama. So prepare your tissues.
Once again, the start of the drama may not be everyone's cup of tea as I mentioned before, afterall we are so used to knowing the background story in the very first episode before the main story starts, especially in wuxias. But this drama is instead about unraveling the background, the back story, cause we have two amnesic youth who have no idea about their history. Since the journey follows them finding clues to their identity, we know the story only when these two characters unravel them. So this has good amount of mystery too.

Its particularly saddening to certain extent because even the villains have a sad backstory, and so you cannot even hate them. Because their backstory and dark past are gonna rip you off everytime you are about to label them as 'black characters', yet at the end these VILLAINS are the ones who were the most SELFLESS ones from the begining. That is why, the characters are way MORE DEEP and COMPLEX than you could think.
All ' stranded threads' that you encounter in the first half of the story will be woven in the end. Everything will be in place by the end of the story.
This plot of this drama does a lots of play with emotions, so if you are able to figure out the backstory and emotions of the characters, you would actually realise that the plot and emotions run too deep. So you need to keep constant track on the dialogues, understand the meaning and emotions the every sentence represents. We gotta remember the fact that most main characters are basically in their 20s or even younger. They are forced to grow up lonely facing the antics of the society. So it has good integration of thoughts of both old age and young age, making the younger characters appear more mature than their mindset at that age should be.

I personally found the plot quite engaging, especially, since we had little bit introduction of every character posted by other fellow viewers ( I will write up the character introduction in the end), so it made my understanding of every characters' emotions very clear. The past titbits of memories, the timing of unraveling a particular mystery were well timely inserted. The pacing of story was quite good. The cgi wasn't the best, considering the fact that it's a tencent drama, but it has done a way better job than some of its last dramas. Besides the plot and the acting actually makes the CGI problem pretty much unnoticeable, and tbh it's not even that of a major issue, tho- I would label it as, has a room for improvement, since it wasn't the best.

The OSTS are beautiful, like so beautiful and once again, very well timed, earning brownie points to the scenes.
This drama, it's TOO BEAUTIFUL, and leaves too deep IMPRESSION, so do not miss it! You will definitely not regret watching!
_______________________________________________

Now, let's go for a CHARACTER INTRODUCTION ( no spoiler, but I feel you may find it necessary to understand their emotions and thoughts better)

1) Yue Jinzhao - He is a mature thinking and decision maker when it comes to the Yue pair. He has great thinking cognitive skills. But he actually very careful and doesn't trust anyone except Yue Qi.

2) Yue Qi - basically has great IQ, but 3- year old EQ. She may be naive and have childlike thoughts but definitely not on spoilt side, but she is quite thoughtful and straightforward. She values friendship and relations a lot. She appears to be adorable and cute softie, but is quite sharp, strong and powerful. Latter episodes reveal that she is probably stronger than Jinzhao. She is dependent on Jinzhao, when it comes to decision making and taking sides. She trusts Jinzhao more than anyone else and is always willing to Jinzhao.

3) Bi Luohuan - mysterious complicated character? Let's unravel what secrets does his character holds. He basically seems very engaged with the life of Yue-pair, especially Yue Qi?

3) Luo Zhaoyan - A woman dressed on man's cloth. She is an upright head of the family. She puts protection of the people and sacrifice for people above anything else. She is always considerate of others even if that causes neglection of her own happiness. Bound by the curse ' Luo family twin's death, she holds many secrets and complicated emotions'.

4) Xian Qing - A thousand year old wolf demon. Demons are not really favoured in the world of chaos, so he faces lots of struggles in the journey.

5) Ming Xiu - has a dark past, hence she hates demons, but she trusts Xian Qing, since he is her master's friend. Growing up lonely with only her master around, she is emotionally very dependent on her master and doesn't like to approach people. She appears very cold and distant.

6) Ju Shifang - An orphan, who lost his parents at an young age. His mother was a well-known genius in gadgets and mechanics, so he has always lived with the motto, to learn his mother's skill, protect his mother's only gift for him ( DouBao), continue a hierarachy and be a hero who is respected by people, because he has always been neglected and looked down upon, since an young age.
____________________________________________________________
ENDING: (spoiler)
The ending, I personally feel is very satisfying. It leaves us with a message:
" No matter what fate holds for us, in the end, we are still destined to meet "
It is beautiful and leaves a deep impression, basically a happy ending, but in a different way.
They meet again and fall for each other again. But this time, not as a swordsman and a weapon fated with a short life with heavy responsibilities to protect people, instead as normal humans with emotions, feelings and freedom to live and love like normal folks, a carefree life.
So I would conclude it as a happy ending, I mean compared to them forcibly growing up and maturing, and leading rest of their life in such 'sacrifice for the world' like motto, isn't this a better ending. This time they can live a carefree life. No need to care about responsibilities of people, of the world. Just themselves in their own little world filled with peace and happiness.

Read More

Who would she end up with?

For a drama produced eight years ago, it was still very appealing. I had not watched the Scarlet Heart produced earlier in China, which was what this drama was modelled after. But I am now inspired to do that.

Heart broken by her boyfriend and best friend who betrayed her, Go Han Jin was crying by the sea. While trying to save a drowning boy, an eclipse happened and Han Jin found herself transported back to the Goryeo era and into the body of Hae Soo. Here she witnessed the fight over the throne by the Princes.

Han Jin unwittingly attracted the attention of several of the princes and they fell in love with her. Most prominent was the 8th prince and 4th prince. The 8th prince was quietly plotting for the throne. The 4th prince was seemingly the ostracised and the least favoured for the throne, but unknown to most people including himself, he was born under the star of the King, the same as for the Crown Prince Wu.

So, who would Hae Soo end up with? The gentle loving 8th prince, the forceful 4th prince, the playful 10th prince or the righteous 14th prince?

1. The story was interesting. It was difficult to predict what might happened next. We know quite early who the next king would be but would he become the cruel king who massacred his brothers? Would Hae Soo be able to change that?

2. Character development was very evident. How a gentle soul become cunning in the face of the desire for power. How someone with no interest in the throne was eventually lead to follow his fate. How a confident modern maiden bowed down to the cruelty of the time.

3. Having only 20 episodes, the pace of the story development was fast and there were no dilly-dallying.

4. The cast was outstanding. The leads did a fabulous job. Lee Joon Gi portrayed the forceful 4th prince who was very much ashamed of the scar of his face. Kang Ha Neul had such a gentle look on his face when he was in love with Hae Soo. Hong Jong Hyun was absolute evil looking and he looked really deranged later in the drama. Then there is Byun Baek Hyun with this innocent, playful and silly look.

5. However, the drama was not without some flaws. In some instance, it was clear that the drama was deliberately made very makjang. The rather intelligent Hae Soo became brainless, weak and hesitant. And she started blaming Wang So for beating to death someone who had betrayed her trust. Of course, this was to lead to the chosen ending of the drama.

However, overall I highly recommend this drama.

Read More

About this one drama evrything was so good ...
I mean I liked it ...
But I really wished to see them a little bit more
The story was different
Their acting also good . The cast worked very well together..
No unnecessary dragging of the story . And their relationship development was beautiful shown in that time limit.
So overall it's good and I loved the couple together.
Most of all it's a feel good one ☺️☺️
So you can watch it .... Recommended recommended ✊?❤️

Read More

A good "filler" show

Teacher-student story has been around for a long time, but it might be my 1st time watching it in BL and I kinda love it.

I mean the age gap isn't that big and it's not like they do anything "saucy" during those times together. I wouldn't say much to avoid spoilers. Let's say, it isn't as bad as comments section make it out to be. the comments section make it sound like an 18 yo got raped by 70 yo, not even close! LOL.

Anyway, this show isn't really for binge-ing. It's a great episode fo filler when you want sth lighthearted, good laugh and times when you don't want to think or cry or get angry over show

It has a Jap manga vibes, in terms of exaggerated acting and expressions. So, the vibes are different from the typical Jdrama romance. That's why lots of people say they don't feel the chemistry, but I feel it's more of the style of the drama. It isn't designed to be those romantic kind. Although, of course having a better chemistry would definitely help.

I personally feel it's cute to watch, nothing much to expect. Honestly, I watch it because I run out of show to watch, but it's good enough that I don't drop it.

Read More

Helan Jin Ting is ?

*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)
Title : Moonshine and Valentine – 2018 (Complete 25 Episode)
Personal Rating : 8/10

Helan Jin Ting (played Johnny Huang) is the right priest of the Fox clan. He is the son of Princess Xiyan and a human. As a result, he was born with an eye condition that rendered him unable to see until he drinks a liquid containing the liver of Hui Yan. He is blind in the day, yet he can see at night. In the modern day, He disguises himself as a secretive cultural relic specialist whose face remains unseen to the public eye. Helan Jing Ting is practically alien to people, but no one knows that he is a deity from another realm.

Guan Pipi (Played Victoria Song) is an intern at a newspaper publishing company. She is the reincarnation of Hui Yan, Helan Jing Ting's beloved wife. Despite being beautiful and kind, she often finds herself alone in the world. Because of that, she feels abandoned and hopeless. What she doesn’t realize is that she has been marked with an ancient curse that has been the cause of all of the misfortune in her life.

Guan Pipi’s life was normal and peaceful until she meets a man called Helan Jing Ting. Helan is an alien "fox" who has lived for a millennium, while Pipi is a seemingly normal human. It is revealed through flashbacks that in Pipi's first lifetime, she (named Hui Yan then) was a sacrifice to cure Helan's health issues. As a result, she never lives beyond 25 years old. When He Lan Jing Ting meets Guan Pi Pi in the modern day, he becomes convinced that he can make her believe in love again. But for a man who lives his life in solitude, it might be tough to save a woman suffering from a supernatural, millennia-old curse.
Honestly, I loved this drama in the first half of the series. It has great comedy, romance, friendship, fantasy, and mystery scenes. You will get hooked on every episode. The relationship between the two leads progress at a good pace. They have cute and sweet moments. It was a good slow burn romance. Helan Jin Ting was so cool and handsome, He will really make you fall in love with him?while Guan Pipi is realistic, she didn’t fall him from the start, but she took her time to know him which is cute. ❤️
However, in the second half of the series it started to fall apart. The story was getting all over the place with other unnecessary characters coming in. The back story was good and all because of their love and sacrifices for every reincarnation but there are scenes which are unnecessary. And last episodes were also rushed.

Overall, I give this drama 8/ 10 as the first half of the series was good and with a promising story. They have a great chemistry and Johnny is so good but the ending could be better. I know Helan Jin Ting top priority was to save her and stopping the curse from repeating itself but still its just sad. ?

GENRE – Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural

LEAD CAST – Johnny Huang , Victoria Song

Read More

Beautiful Hidden Message

I first chanced upon similar concept of entering a game in "Memories of the Alhambra" which I totally dropped due to the intensity. So, I'm SOOO glad that we have KBL version of similar concept of sort.

I really love their chemistry, they are such a sweet couple, especially the innocence of Yeo Woon. In meanwhile, Myung Ha' voice brings so much calming and assuring effect, I can listen to him talk all day long.

As usual from Korean show (BL or not), 1st 2 episodes are a bit slow and once it picks up, it's really engaging!

I love the hidden message about self-love towards the end, where it's indirectly teaching us to love ourselves first before making others happy, which is an important message. Often times, people misunderstand meaning of love because of how it is depicted as needing to sacrifice for others, etc in typical drama. So, it's beautiful to watch this KBL takes a lead in this.

Plus, I'm happy to see Geon Han entering BL scenes, showing more people are open to BL!

Overall, I love this show a lot, esp the couples. I really want seaso 2, or special, just to see this couple having their lovey dovey moments pls!

Read More

A Birth of a Priest

For a long time I was searching for this movie, and finally I saw it and I must give it a 10/10 because I am so happy that it was made. This is not a typically entertainment movie but a historical biographical drama about the "adventures" of Andrew Kim Dae Geon, first Korean Priest.

The film is very long, but I watched it over four days with great excitement and interest, and that's why I wasn't bored at any point. I enjoyed every scene. The cinematography of the film is excellent. Every scene is detailed and beautiful as a photography. The actors are also very good. The flow of the plot is a bit fragmented as it covers a lot of topics and events, but that is understandable for this type of film. I think that those who are already familiar with the life of Andrew Kim will enjoy the film more because they will be able to recognize future saints in some of the characters along with the main character who is the trademark name of Korean saints.

Many elements from the film I already knew before, I have been to many places in Korea that are shown here, even on the small boat Rafael on Jeju Island. As a priest, I had a very emotional experience watching the challenges faced by the first Christians, accused of collaborating with foreign enemies and disrespecting the king, and especially the situation with priests who had to be ready for martyrdom and death.

That is the message of this movie. This is not about the birth of one man, but about the birth of a priest, the birth of a new Korea that will be open to the gospel, and a spiritual birth through baptism and martyr's blood, because what is death if not a new birth? Listen to the last words of the main character of this movie, priest Andrew Kim Dae geon: "I have held communication with foreigners only for my religion and my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is now on the point of birth."

Read More

Recommended for viewers who enjoys suspense, mystery, brain-storming dramas.

*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)
Title : Reset – 2022 (Complete 15 Episode)
Personal Rating : 9/10

Recommended for viewers who enjoys suspense, mystery, brain-storming dramas. ???

Xiao He Yun (played Bai Jing Ting) A passenger that boarded the bus to commute to a meeting with investors for his game development project. Xiao He Yun is a kind person at heart, but when Li Shi Qing inadvertently drags him into the time loop, he struggles to take action due to being made all too aware of his own morality. Likening the time loop to a video game, he identifies that the condition for breaking the loop is to catch the perpetuator behind the bombing. He has sharp analytical skills and uses critical reasoning to help solve the mystery.

Li Shi Qing (Played Zhao Jin Mai) A passenger who boarded the bus to pick up books for her university courses. Li Shi Qing is a normal girl in every sense of the word, until one day her life is turned upside down by being trapped in a time loop. Despite her fears of the vivid memory of repeatedly dying, she is a very brave person who stands by what she believes in. She sees it as her duty to use her position of being trapped in the loop to keep trying until she's able to save everyone else on the bus. However, she knows that it's impossible for her to accomplish this goal on her own.

This is my first drama of Bai Jin Ting! I was researching a Top-Rated drama from China last 2022 in MDL and this is one of the tops. So, I tried it and got hooked.? Personally, this is one of the best short modern mystery, thriller Chinese drama that I’ve watched. Every episode was amazing and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Even if it is a never-ending time loop drama you will never be bored because every loop has a different situation. And you will start to think how the characters think.? like what they should do next, or which is the possible culprit.?

Overall, I enjoyed this drama because I like suspense, mystery, and brain-storming dramas. The leads have a slight romance and good chemistry. Bai Jing Ting was so good and because of this drama I started binge-watching all his other dramas.❤️ The drama pacing is perfect. The supporting cast from all the passengers to the policemen are all superb!??? Great ending too! ??

GENRE – Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi

LEAD CAST – Bai Jing Ting, Zhao Jin Mai

Read More

Ordinary People/Present Day Allegory

This movie reminds me of Parasite and the constant battle of the haves and have nots. It is easy to view this movie in its apocalyptic setting of a massive and devasting earthquake in a city as congested as Seoul, yet the true story here is the way people treat each other when any resource is at stake. It doesn't take a catastrophic disaster for that to happen--just everyday human greed and inhumanity. We see that now and we have seen it in the past and will see it in the future in every war and in every conflict, great and small.

The greatest disaster to ever befall mankind will always be ourselves. This movie will leave you thinking about it long after the credits roll and maybe change who you are. At least, I hope it will. We are all ordinary people though, so it probably won't.

Read More

Good.

I enjoyed this. It was sad but, the acting was good and the plot was well thought out. The entire drama seemed cohesive, sometimes stories like these end up having plot holes or they're too tragic for me to handle, I could handle the sadness of this one, and although it was hard it was manageable to watch this one without feeling overwhelmed by sadness. I actually thought this would be sadder than it ended up being, I'm glad it wasn't as sad. I think everything wrapped up nicely but I wouldn't necessarily call it a happy ending, I thought it was even more sad the way it ended. I enjoyed the present story a lot, all the actors did a good job. I think honestly if the last few things I watched weren't so amazing I would be more blown away by this, it was a really solid story, the acting wasn't bad, and it was all enjoyable, so I can't give it a lower rating.

Read More

So impactful, easy to fall in love with it.

This drama could've been terrible. It could've been uncomfortable and tasteless. But it wasn't. It was endearing, emotional, intense, and heartfelt. There was a very thin line around the appropriateness of it, but what they accomplished with the writing , acting, and overall storytelling is a beautiful example of an innocent crush blooming into first love. I loved the way they handled such a delicate topic. At no point did it ever feel inappropriate or cringey. It just felt real. The ML's acting was phenomenal. I truly felt he loved the FL. It was so convincing, I couldn't have even imagined who else the MCs could've ended up with. It felt destined and they did a great job portraying that. This drama takes a special place in my heart. I will watch it many times over.

Read More

I had so little hope when i decided to watch the ep1. I thought it was going to be soo bad, but it turned out to be actually pretty ok.


* Yes they did add unnecessary stock sounds like dog barking, baby crying, Falling SFX. (Like i have never see a bl thats add this much weird stock sounds lol).

*The story is pretty chill and easy going.


*The main leads aren't delulu. No straight to gay bullshit. And one of the guys actually has a crush on the other so it's not just accidental feelings.

* It does show the struggles of being a celebrity, but they could really improve that.

*The English wasn't cringe at all (I don't know why people think the English cringe it's really not, It's really not).

*Other than that there is really nothing else to say about this. It just a regular cozy~comfy bl. So if you really have nothing else to watch this is the show for you. Why my Rewatch Value is so low is because, there's really not anything memorable about this show. So there's no point of rewatching this.

Read More

The BL I wish I could forget just to experience it once again!

Jimmy and Sea slayed their roles as usual. Vice Versa was good but Last Twilight is in a whole new level! Their chemistry is just chefs kiss and the way they act and connect with each other. The simple gesture they do when acting like the way they look at each other you can really feel the emotions they want to portray.

Unique storyline and screenplay. The OST just hits the spot every-time it plays. This BL takes the spot as my favorite BL of all time. Every episode was worth the wait. If you’re looking for a sign to watch/re watch Last Twilight, this is your sign ?

Read More

A masterpiece: a truly underappreciated, hidden gem.

If you're looking for something fast paced- then this isn't for you. Moonlight Chicken is stylistic and very aesthetically beautiful, it's a warm and sometimes angsty slice of life of everyday people just living life and trying to make ends meet.
It brings up issues of poverty, class, hardships and tragedy; the lack of opportunities, interpersonal relationships and how even when there's love and good intentions, poor communication can make one feel trapped and miserable. This series takes its time to introduce and go through these topics with these very real and very human characters that come from diverse stages of life. The sense of community and family is super present here and it's really made me laugh, cry and feel with these characters which is honestly so special. If you like to watch complex and believably flawed characters navigate complex interpersonal relationships, then this is for you!

With a cast like this- gosh this show was blessed AND it's a P'Aof directorial? Yes, please! It also includes the perfect song choice which is sung by Ford Allan.
In my opinion, each and every actor held their own but they all have such different characters that it makes it harder to appreciate their craft and each of their portrayals. Even the side characters are masterfully crafted and portrayed; and are ready to steal your hearts!

Earth's performance of uncle Jim is a more subtle one yet it's purposeful in this low-key character. It's easy to miss it. Mix is able to embody the open minded and charismatic Wen who's searching for something more. He's understanding and such an essential part of the cast.
This was GeminiFourth's first significant supporting roles- as this was filmed before My School President- I wouldn't say that they'd stolen the show like other users have, but I'd argue that Li Ming and Heart are just as much of main characters as EarthMix's Jim and Wen. Phenomenal and very commendable performances from both of the boys especially as rookies in this very experienced and established cast of actors. They were both able to hold their own and definitely held a lot of the spotlight with their charming storylines. I was really amazed at how Fourth was able to portray the intricacies of Li Ming's emotions and internal frustrations; I adore all of the characters in their own light but Li Ming is definitely my favourite! Gemini's portrayal of a deaf boy was so spot on and completely believable; after having watched the behind-the-scenes of MLC, you can really appreciate all of the preparation and dedication that he'd put into his first significant role. Very impressive and definitely payed off.
Mark's Leng/Saleng was a great addition to the cast, and so were Aey, Chokchai, Lookwa, Papang and View in their respective roles. And then there's First. He committed so much to his character and when he shows up he absolutely kills the role; there's not much else I can say without spoiling it.

Last but not least, Khaotung's performance as Gaipa/Kaipa (apparently his character's name is Kaipa but the subtitles call him Gaipa. It's confusing). It's no secret that the guy's a great all 'round actor but his performance here has got to be my absolute favorite role of his yet! He's not a main lead but he almost feels like he is. His performance was phenomenal and lovable and I just don't have any more words for it. Please just trust me in this one!


As of writing this review, I've finally gotten around to rewatching this underappreciated, hidden gem; this series really is like a warm hug that just so happens to also encompass all of the emotions that one could ever possibly feel, during a hug.
I'm loving this rewatch just as much as I did when I was watching Moonlight Chicken premiering for the first time last year; for me, this has a huge rewatch value. I've just got to say that I'd forgotten just how angsty and painful some of the scenes and relationships can be. It really is such a journey and a joy to experience.


My Rating: 9.876/10 stars

Read More