Reviews

Heart-wrenchingly and Hilariously Beautiful

Go Ahead is without a doubt my favorite C-Drama I’ve ever watched. I’d seen quite a few before this one and I wasn’t really expecting anything amazing from it, but by the end of episode one I was already 100% percent sold on the story. And by the time I was finished with it I was left with some mad post drama depression because no other C-Dramas were matching up to this one.


There’s a ton going on in this drama, but I think this is probably the best way to sum it all up, Go Ahead is an emotionally devastating and uplifting show about the story of how three unrelated kids (Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Zi Qiu) and two single dads (Li Hai Chao and Ling Heping) become a pseudo family. The story covers a full twenty years of the characters’ lives.


Often, shows that span a long period of time loose me, it’s hard to follow characters and a story when the setting, characters and story are so frequently changing with the time, but I was fully invested in every period of their lives.


I would say the show takes place in three main sections. The first is when the children initially meet as little kids, and the current family dynamic is set up, the next takes place during high school, and the third with the characters as adults.


Go Ahead takes family dynamics and shows how they change over time, how people can grow further apart and closer together, and how said change isn’t always a bad thing. It was one of the most beautifully heart wrenching pieces of media I have ever consumed. And the OST only added to it, it made both the happy and the sad moments much more intense and there’s not a single miss of a song in the soundtrack. I never skipped the into or outro sequence, never once.


Though it isn’t the initial most important point, there is a romance plot that takes significance in the latter half of the show. Without spoilers I can say there were a few directions taken that I didn’t think I would like, but ultimately did. And I ate up the romance. As with many other drama watchers, I watch most of them primarily for romance. I did, however, find myself equally invested in all aspects of this show.


The family dynamics are incredibly complicated, both the stories with the characters’ biological families and their chosen families were expertly done. And as is a trend in the drama, all of it is absolutely heart wrenching.


It’s not just heart wrenching though, it’s also absolutely hilarious and incredibly wholesome, honestly just the whole package. Unlike many other shows I’ve seen, this one is actually able to transition between all the different tones smoothly, the tone never seems confused and the switch ups are never jarring.


It also establishes some friendships too, every character regardless of how “important” they were to the main story, had a story of their own. It was nice to see every character treated like an individual person. They all felt real, at least in the way they can for being in an overly dramatized story.


And I loved every single one of them. I would die for them all I swear. Except for like one villain. I would like to kill her. The dad’s though, I can’t even express how much I loved both of them, them and all three kids were a delight to watch together.


I have never watched another show that has managed to emotionally wreck in the way this one did but did not leave me feeling depressed. It left me thinking when I had finished it, and I couldn’t start another show for weeks because I was too hung up on this one.


My only gripe with the entire show is the last episode. Don’t get me wrong, it was good and did wrap most everything up neatly in a relatively satisfying way, I just wanted more. There was so much more I wanted to see from these characters, but I’ll have to suffice with what we got.


It’s a pretty long drama too, very rarely does a long drama leave me wanting more, but I would have eaten up twice the amount of content with these characters.


I don’t think this review could ever possibly express how much I loved it, but it’s all I got for now.


If you haven’t given it a shot, please do. Go Ahead is an absolute gem among C-Dramas.

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Inconsistant day to be a dog...

Is it really a good day to be a dog? I do not think so as this show teaches us that being a dog can be really scary, being a human by day dog by night can get you in to a whole lot of trouble... not to mention mess things up for a bunch of people...

This drama has some good parts some cringe, some annoying elements, some fun, some more or less predictable twist or should I say side stories within the story with the side stories that are messed up... but at timed interestingly intwined...

The selling points of this drama are the eye candy and fluff!

Our male lead Cha Eun Woo is probably one of dreamlands sweetest, best looking and the over all most interesting personalities and whose use of lip gloss can only be beat by Park Hyung Sik in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Though there are parts that are a bit odd... He was a pleasure to watch thruout the show.

The female lead Park Gyu Young (and her sister) had a few to many moments of oh come on, oh the cringe, baby voice... Luckily they dd not last long enough to completely ruin the show but where enough to drag down the score by a bunch of points. To be honest she is actually 80% adorable, with great acting both as a dog and human however those 20% where so bad I almost dropped the show, and had it not been for Chae Eun Woos (well everything) I probably would have...

The villain and side characters also range between oh my please stop the cringe/annoying parts to great amazing, lovable, I want to adopt that kid... sometimes in the same person, same lifetime, different lifetimes.. As this is another one of those drams where the writers figured most of the childhood connections where already done and could not be beaten so they had to add the past life connection to show the depth of the connection between the cast.

Other perks with this show are the huge amount of fluffy, sweet, slightly mean, cute dogs, with or without transformation. So to sum it up, the drama is messy, inconsistent, annoying at times cute most of the time and extremely fluffy


So: Story as a whole 8,5 ⭐️
Male lead: 12 stars (out of 10) ⭐️
Deduction for annoying elements: -4 stars ?
Fluff: 10 stars ⭐️

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Beautiful Leads drowning in Melodrama tropes

Melodrama is not my thing but I've been waiting for this pairing so.... I powered through.

Positives:
1. ML & FL pairing. He's tall & a model. She's tall & a model. It's basically hotness overload.
2. Sibling dynamic
3. That Rich Friend

Negatives: ALL the Melodrama tropes:
1. The walking dead. Sad people living but dead inside
2. Slow .... everything, talking, walking, reacting.....
3. Standing & staring .....
4. Wrist pull & save you from some kind of running vehicle
5. The comeback desperate ex
6. FF flashback moments overload

Yes I get it, it's supposed to connect 2 lonely sad people making their slow burn love more beautiful. I think the pair worked for melodrama lovers.

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Night of Love with You is a great miniseries about the always antagonist manga character Qi Qi/ Luo Qing (played by Liu Xie Ning) that by a glitch enters the new comic "Night of Love With You" and becomes the heroine Luo Qing. The comic’s male lead suffers an accident at the hands of Luo Qing and get into a comatose state that gives way to the story between Luo Qing and the male antagonist Leng Ye Han (played by Guan Yue). The former leading lady, Song Ruo Yun (played by Pu Yu Tong), becomes the antagonist who does everything possible to get rid of QiQi to be able to be with the comic’s main lead Mu Nan Chen (played by Liu Ya Kun). The drama is well written and the cast did a great job bringing their characters to life. Mu Nan Chen’s demeanor is quite passive and stoic which is well done by the writer because that way the character of the antagonist Leng Ye Han takes center stage. Song Ruo Yun (played by Pu Yu Tong), the character that Qi Qi was supposed to play, really nails the antagonist role, she is selfish and vicious trying to get Qi Qi/ Luo Qing out of the way. The plot is well developed, there’s great character growth, and the lead couple has great chemistry, Even Luo Qing brother, Luo Cheng (played by Zheng Peng) nails his character as he is constantly used as a pawn to by the antagonist to get Luo Qing. He provides a comical relief to the drama as well as Luo Qing constant monologues that provide insight into the factual aspects of the comic’s plot. Overall, this miniseries provides an interesting story and it is entertaining, enjoy it.

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A quiet call for improvement, compassion and understanding

I have a lot of time for youth drama, especially Japanese films. This one is gorgeous in its simplicity whilst drawing in complexity through quiet touches of the brush, moments which imply more than they state.

The situation Sarya is in because of her family's status as refugees and from a people without a nation is both social and political commentary, a quiet call for improvement, compassion and understanding, and metaphor for the struggles of a young person to find her place, not because of her own uncertainty but because she doesn't fit neatly into society's expectations.

If the ending confuses you, look to what is implied. There is sadness, and there is hope.

May we all do better for our young people and for all who need our help.

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Action-packed, political turmoil, survival, dry romance...and a story that loses steam mid-way.

The Long Ballad was not quite what I expected.
TL;DR Overall opinion: I found the drama quite enjoyable (especially the beginning). Towards the end, the side characters' stories became my central focus (less dragging). The drama had some slow parts that were good parts to stop and come back later. In general, the Long Ballad is about a C+ to B- on my grading scale. Watch it again? Probably not. Do I appreciate the drama? Yes. Do I want a season 2? No, I don't think that is necessary. Are the characters memorable? Yes.

Pros:
1. Strong Main Lead(s): Dilraba plays the role of a physically and mentally strong, capable, clever girl (Changge) who is raised as a princess of the emperor. She encounters many hardships that test her mental and physical strength. Ashile Sun (Leo Wu) is a seemingly cold, intelligent person. He is the general of the Eagle Division under the Great Khan. His character is interesting to watch--from the carefully devised plans to his unique mercy (as well as heartless killing).

2. Fun Supporting Characters: A few of my favorite supporting roles include Hao Du (Liu Yuning)--a very stoic, heartless man-- and Li Leyan (Zhao Lusi)-- the hopeless princess and best friend of Changge. Both characters are fun to watch as they mature and change throughout the drama. I was also surprised to see Liu Haikun take on a less serious role of a swordsman (Situ Lanlang).

3. Dynamic Characters: Especially Hao Du, Li Leyan, and Ashile She'er--the characters' journeys in life adds depth/gives more to the drama.

4. Soundtrack: Need I say more? Look up "Cocoon" by Zhou Shen.

5. Antagonists: The antagonists change throughout the series, each posing a different threat that requires a new strategy which kept me guessing.

6. Storyline: The storyline is excellent! I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say this: From Princess to outcast to military strategist to slave to outlaw to hero... the story follows the life of a girl whose life is flipped backwards, and whose friends become enemies and enemies become friends (NOT A SPOILER).

7. The Side Plots: The side plot with Li Leyan kept me going. Even when the main plot dragged for eternity, I persevered for her corner of the drama. Her journey is unique, like Changge's, but shows us that you don't have to be a battle princess or a military strategist... everyone has their own struggles, even the innocent, the rich, the poor, the heartless... *cough cough*

Cons:
1. Flat Characters: Changge started off as a dynamic character--kind to those close to her and kick-butt to her enemies; as the drama progressed, she gradually became flat and emotionless (aside from tears--the romance scenes with her blank expression often left me confused about her emotions at the moment).

2. Annoying Characters: (Entirely my opinion) the Crown Prince, Mimi Guli (sometimes she is sweet and likeable especially towards the end of the drama, but other times she is just a bit... annoying), Zhen Zhu (Princess Tujia of Monan--extra), and Wei Shuyu (he started off fine, but eventually became extra).

3. Poor/Cheesy Graphics: Sometimes the cartoon and the live action will be combined, but the live action part looks like a... well... 1979 footage on extremely blurry, smashed lens.

4. Drags on: Towards the end, the plot began to drag. Not-so-big issues took f o r e v e r . It could have ended with 40 episodes.

5. Sorry guys, the Romance: Romance is just the sprinkles on the cupcake, the cherry on top, NOT the sole purpose of the drama, nor the main issue at hand. In the Long Ballad, not all the romance was bad. Li Leyan's romance was cute and bearable, and so was Mimi Guli's romance. The main leads... well... it dragged. It seemed a bit weak in some episodes (from I LIKE YOU in one only for meh in the next). Or it would be confusing *does she like him or is this a flaw in expression* and sometimes the relationship issues at hand were exaggerated. The main leads' relationship with each other sometimes seemed VERY dry. But, the small actions like taking one's hand or standing up for one another and watching each other's backs were enjoyable (sometimes it just got confusing).

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Republican-era Mulan

Welcome to the Republican-era Mulan. Arsenal Military Academy is a gem. Seriously. Usually c-dramas drag on forever (ie, the Legend of Fei...), but not this one.
TL;DR Brotherhood, action, realistic depiction of female trying to disguise as a guy, strong leads, good character development.

Why I like AMA:
1. Brotherhood--Xie Xiang/Liangchen and her relationships with her classmates is such a brother bond. They treat her like one of them and she treats them like her brothers. If you watched Mulan 2020 and was disappointed in Mulan's relationship with her crew, Bai Lu's performance shows what should've happened.

2. Action--the suspense and action is plentiful. Although not realistic (especially cleaning a loaded gun ??? maybe I'm just being critical) it is entertaining to watch a girl fight equally alongside men and deal the same damage.

3. Realistic depiction of females--The FL Xie Liangchen could pass for a feminine guy or a tomboy. Although Xie Liangchen was strong compared to the other girls, in the academy, she struggles to keep up with her male classmates. She deals with humility for being "weak," but it only encourages her to work hard to pass physical tests. In shooting she excels. She deals with periods, with loss, and emotions, but she's a REAL, STRONG GIRL and PICKS HERSELF UP. Girl got grit.

4. Strong Leads--Hands down, Bai Lu played Xie Liangchen so well. Liangchen is tough, emotionally and physically, and can go from polite female to tough guy within minutes (depending on how fast she can change clothes lol). She endures hardships but overcomes them. The ML, Gu Yanzhen (Xu Kai), is a playboy and likes to do what he wants. He's rich and from a powerful family, and he doesn't mind losing face. Although he seems to not care, he has his priorities to which he is loyal.

5. Development--as the drama progresses, the characters mature. Gu Yanzhen learns the reality and cost of fighting for what you believe in. Xie Liangchen realizes that secrets become sticky. Shen Junshen (Li Cheng Bin) learns that power can corrupt and people change. Even annoying characters learn what it means to put others before yourself.

Summary: Arsenal Military Academy is about a girl named Xie Xiang (Bai Lu) whose brother attends a military academy. He dies before his graduation, so she joins the academy when it reopens to honor her brother and country. She takes her brother's name (Xie Liangchen) and disguises herself as a boy. At the academy, she makes friends (or enemies) with her classmates and they go through a lot together. Life for her gets difficult as she struggles to keep her hidden identity. If she is discovered...

Verdict: Watch this Republic-era Mulan. Do it! You won't regret it!

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Lee Jae Kyoon for a main role!

It will be short and concise review. The acting wasn't bad and the script wasn't bad either. However, many episodes were dragged out, too many side scenes and weird out-of-nowhere characters were added. I don't understand the appearance of some childhood friend or the switching of children. It made practically no difference to the main story, but we lost 1 episode because of it ? Someone had too many ideas and wanted to cram them all into one drama.

When it comes to characters, most of them were well build. Main couple .... they looked great together and played well theirs characters, just didn't feel them together. Not enough of chemistry. Ok Taec Yeon had it more with Jeon Yeo Been in Vincenzo thank with Kim Hye Yoon here ? I also feel his "best villain ever" character will for long be his best role as he was more than excellent there. Here he turned out to be mediocare+.

I cannot say much about Kim Hye Yoon as I saw her now for the first time but I will be on a search for something else with her? Lee Jae Kyoon on the other hand was EXCELLENT! PEOPLE! GIVE THIS GUY A MAIN ROLE! He is incredible. To be honest, the main storyline could be omitted and replaced with Park family. Love the complexity of relations and interaction. I don't want to reveal too much about the content because a lot happens in each episode so all I will say is that the history of the Park family was ultra interesting! Who would have expected such a twist at the end! But it was too late revealed to save the show. The drama was too stretched till then and lost it's shape ? Nevertheless, I am recommending the show but just don't expect too much of it.

HALF SPOILER: If you decide to watch this drama, be on a look out for crown prince. His and king's story is shocking. I didn't understand my immediate dislike towards the king since the first moments but later I exacly knew why it happened! WHAT AN ASSHOLE! He totally deserved that what came at him.

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An undercover cop and a drug bust...but with interesting characters and kick-butt FL

Great modern-ish drama on drug busts. It's definitely underrated but it's worth a watch. 8.5/10
TL;DR Good characters, chemistry, suspense but leaves some characters without a follow-up. Spoiler-free summary at bottom.

Pros:
1. Great Characters--The main lead, Li Qiang, is strong, smart, and capable. I loved watching her endurance as the situations become sticky and her intelligence in logically dealing with the case. She is physically strong and can fight well, but she also has a sympathetic side of her (often shown around her friends or a little girl named Coco). Cheng Jingsong, Li Qiang's close friend/brother, is a righteous and loyal police officer. He cares deeply for those around him and will put them before himself, even in trying situations. His morally rightness contrasted with the mission he found himself entangled in. Unlike Jingsong, Zhang Xian He is complicated. He seems like a playboy at times but is not. Sometimes he seems evil; sometimes he seems good. He uses others to help him achieve his unforeseen plans, but he wishes well of people. Overall, Zhang Xian He has many layers that are entertaining to watch throughout the show.
2. Good Chemistry--The characters' interactions with each other are believable and true to their personalities. For example, Jingsong and Qiang share a sibling bond that is evident in their interactions. Zhang Xian He is complicated, but he does not wish to hurt those close to him which is shown in his actions.
3. Suspense--Cops- and dealers-type conflict litter the drama, providing both mystery and action on a legal and illegal basis.

Cons:
Unfinished stories--some characters leave the screen without a follow-up story or background story. For example, Boss Hu's (a drug boss) girlfriend is pregnant, but the drama ends without expanding on her friendship with the FL or what happened to her after the FL excels in the case. Also, Captain Cao (the leading officer of the Narcotics division) and his relation to the other officers seems a bit flat, and his relation to Li Qiang's uncle and father are not clear.

Summary
A tough female lead, drug busts and bosses, illegal deals, lies and loop holes... Stealth Walker is a crime drama centered around a young lady named Li Qiang (Lin Peng) who aspires to be a police officer like her adopted father. Her friend Cheng Jingsong (Li Zi Feng) happens to be a member in the SWAT team. After a tragic accident during an undercover mission regarding a drug network, Ling Qiang goes undercover to discover her adopted father's murderer. Coincidentally, she meets Zhang Xian He (Zheng Ye Cheng) who is part of the drug dealing circle (but he deals with the financial part). They work together (or should I say...use each other), but Li Qiang struggles to hide her identity, knowing the cost of her secret. As she dives deeper into the illegal business, Li Qiang realizes that the case may not be as simple as the police initially believed...

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Heteronormativity at its finest

Change the character of Rawee into a woman, and you'll get an old-fashioned, tropey romance movie with a supernatural side.

Why?
Rawee is the typical young orphan, who is brought into the house of a new family, first of unclear status, then gets engaged to/married off to the family`s son.
Rawee stays at home and makes desserts for the family, while Phloeng is outside, doing business things. Rawee is easily hurt, and the manly Phloeng carries her, sorry, him, because Rawee obviously can't walk on his own after scraping a knee. Phloeng is the one who gets jealous and overall is the one who pushes their relationship to the next levels.
Apart from one remark at the beginning, Rawee's gender has no relevance at all.

There's really no point in Rawee being a man. (Because the character isn't, it's just a male body in a female role.)
(Edit to add: And it's a stereotypically "weak" female role, at that. I like women to have more agency, and Rawee basically has none.)

The side couple really had no relevance to the story (at first I thought maybe the ghost would use it, but no.) and could have been left out. Instead the time could have been used to tell the ghost's story in more detail.

The acting was all right, good by the seasoned actors. Cinematography was fine, music non-remarkable.
Sets were appropriate for the early 1960s, as far as I can tell. I'm not too sure about the clothing -- in Europe no man would have just casually worn a T-Shirt, and short trousers for a young men of 21 years would have been a no-go. but I'm not familiar with Thailand's fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, so they might be okay.

Well, at least now I can point to another movie whenever I want to show what I mean when I talk about heteronormativity in BL dramas and movies.

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Three women band together to uncover the truth...and deal justice.

TL;DR If you enjoy low romance, independent FLs, sisterhood, murder, and mystery/suspense, I recommend The Danger of Her.

Of course, it is not everyone's cup of tea, but because it's short, modern, and nonromantic, I would recommend this to those seeking a break from lengthy, romantic costume dramas.

What I think about it
I like it. It's not romantic and relies on suspense, although not overly so. It shows independent women, which, sadly to say, is often rare in c-dramas. The FLs must rely on themselves to achieve their goal, and the sisterhood between the women is enjoyable to watch. None of the FLs are annoying. In addition, each one has her own job. There is a lot of mystery in the plot, and the ending is interesting but resolved. Some of the acting, as mentioned, is too cartoonish, especially the antagonist.

Summary without spoilers
There's 4 FLs, each one with a unique backstory. The "Main FL" Qiao Wei is in a terrible marriage, but she is wealthy and has a son. She attends her college 5 year reunion and meets up with an old friend who is a writer Su Yao (another FL). Something insane happens, and something from the past resurfaces, and an old boyfriend blackmails QW. Four classmates are brought together and devise a plan to help QW get rid of this blackmail--and escape her abusive marriage.

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A good watch

Honestly, I came for ZeeNunew. Had to set the vpn to watch it on Netflix.
Thire story was interesting and the acting was superb ? as expected of ZNN. The music was Okay. Would have been much better to have more time and develop the backstory ans second couple's story too.
The plot was nothing very new compared to other supernatural movies but it was interesting because of the LGBTQIA+ theme. Was expecting to see the discrimination and barriers faced by gender minorities especially in that era and probably because of the storyline, it wasn't well portrayed like in Khun Chai.
Not a big fan of villianizing the women (the crazy ex) in BL stories though.

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A beautiful piece that holds 3 different perspectives

Lovingly detailed and accented by an aching score from Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March, Monster is one of the finest films of the year, and its structure — like its circle of characters — carries secrets that can only be unraveled through patience and empathy. By cutting things up and showing us the perils of fractured perspectives, the director, demonstrates that compassion is more than just a natural state of being. This absorbing, ambiguously titled movie builds to a moving finish, one that reaffirms Kore-eda’s peerless skill at directing young actors in particular.

My Rating : 8.5/10

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