Reviews

How Did I Even Finish This?

The fatal flaw of this drama was that it did not know whether it wanted to be a brainless historical rom com or a serious sageuk. It started off strong with a wild premise (a girl pretending to channel the dead Crown Princess’s spirit?), a chaotic FL, and a rather dumb conflict in the grand scheme of historical dramas (the prohibition of marriage/love in general). It promoted itself as a crazy, senseless, comedic drama that didn’t take itself seriously, and I was satisfied with just turning off my brain and laughing.

Then by second quarter of the drama, they seemed to have some kind of teenage identity crisis where they realized all other great historicals have political intrigue and tragedy and therefore, this drama needed it too. Unfortunately, the writers are absolutely horrid at writing political schemes, and they gave us the most laughable political plot and villains. Even more unfortunately, the acting of the villains were horrible. And suddenly the FL, who is much much better at making comedic faces and sly jokes, has to pull sad expressions and say deep things about sacrificing for love while I, the watcher, roll my eyes. And then most unfortunately, the writers couldn’t even commit to this new melodramatic mood, and had to transition back to their rom com feel at the end and tie up their “serious” plot with the dumbest solutions.

As for the leads themselves, they were pretty average. I liked the FL a lot more in the beginning before she became all sighs, distant gazes, and sad phrases. The ML was statically boring the entire time. The acting itself wasn’t good or bad, but I think both actors are not the best at acting serious or emotional. There were bare hints of chemistry in the very beginning of the drama, and none by the end—the enjoyable chaos of the leads’ relationship spun into a cringey, unnatural, senseless mess.

Would not recommend to anyone :)

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Only the first 8 episodes were worth watching.. Overall, lots of wasted potential.

(This review has lots of rants and is full of spoilers. So don't read this if you insist on watching and don't wanna be spoiled.)

Why you should watch this drama:
- Good OST, cast, cinematography.
- To some extent, it challenged gender stereotypes (Gun-woo as a manly LGBT character, the nurse being male, the CEO of a media company being a woman, Do-hee not being afraid to speak her mind)

Why you shouldn't watch this drama:
- Poor portrayal of psychotherapies and people with mental illnesses. I didn't like that this drama demonised Jae-hyuk and made him out to be such a despicable person. Even at the end, I couldn't really sympathise with him. It's almost as though the drama is trying to say that he deserves to be hated because of his mental illness. Furthermore, some things that Hae-kyung says as a psychiatrist are unethical and/or unrealistic (though I understand it is supposed to make the drama funny). As a psychology major, such poor representations are huge red flags for me. They just show that the writer didn't do her research properly. Many scenes in the show reflect a lack of sensitivity with regards to mental issues. Psychiatrists don't just say "You must have ____ disorder" without doing a thorough assessment, and eating disorders don't magically disappear after having a delicious meal. So disappointing as this was supposed to be a show about food, with one of the main characters being a psychiatrist. Many times I find myself wondering if the writer had some prejudice against people with mental illnesses.

- Poor/inconsistent characterization. I was excited to see so many quirky characters but most of them just end up being plot devices. Byung-jin (the nurse) was there to bring Hae-kyung home, Ah-yeong (the CEO unnie) was there to get Do-hee to come to the office or force her to go home, Gun-woo (the gay stylist) was there to bring Jae-hyuk home. Lol. They had so much potential for character development. Literally every main character and important side character had something that could've been developed in a wholesome manner. So it's a huge pity that all of them just ended up being such flat characters. Also, Jae-hyuk's BPD is being unrealistically portrayed here. It's just impossible for Do-hee to not know about his disorder during the times they were dating. At the very least, Do-hee should've been very emotionally affected while dating him, but her flashbacks suggested that she was happy and blissful. It's just... unrealistic. It's not possible to hide your BPD since it is part of your personality.

- Plot holes. I'm looking at you, homeless guy Keanu. It wasn't explained where/how he got his new clothes and had a chance to shave or shower before appearing at Hae-kyung's clinic to warn him about Jae-hyuk. LOL I guess that's a minor thing but yeah it really bugged me. And it wasn't explained how he was allowed to start practising as a psychiatrist again. (Like, what in the world.) I'd assumed that his license got revoked after Jae-hyuk reported about him committing medical malpractice - which became plothole number 2. Shouldn't there have been some form of official investigation? And with a proper investigation done, the hospital and/or the public would have realised that Jae-hyuk was lying in his articles about Keanu's medical malpractice. Plus the ending where he became travel buddies with Jae Hyuk is just meh. In real life psychiatrists/psychologists/therapists are supposed to establish clear boundaries with their clients/patients.

- Many things that the characters do and say just don't make sense to me. Some examples that come to mind:
(1) Do-hee telling Hae-kyung to go away when Jae-hyuk broke into her house. Someone trespassed into your home because of his mental illness and you're telling your psychiatrist boyfriend, who's probably experienced in dealing with such situations, to go home?
(2) Ah-yeong trying to set Do-hee and Jae-hyuk up in the beginning even though she is her best friend/unnie and knew about how Do-hee got dumped? Who does that!?
(3) Ah-yeong and homeless Keanu falling in love was funny but again, unrealistic. I can understand why Keanu would fall for her but not the other way round.
(4) When No-eul revealed on-air that Hae-kyung was her ex-boyfriend, Hae-kyung didn't even get mad. He and Do-hee didn't even talk about what happened. If I were him, I would be mad at not just No-eul, but at Do-hee for allowing this to happen on her show. I thought he had pride? After all, he did try to track down Do-hee to give her a piece of his mind when she insulted him at the start. (Again, inconsistent characterisation).

- Felt like the writer just had CLOY fever, as evident in all the CLOY references and the whole Jeju-island arc/meeting-you-was-destiny theme at the start. Honestly, now that I've watched all the episodes, the first 8 episodes before the exes appeared were totally irrelevant to the main storyline. Ironically though, they were the episodes I enjoyed the most. It seemed to me that the writer could not decide how to develop this drama and added the front part and all the CLOY references for the likes. Even Do-hee reminded me of Yoon Seri lol.

- A lot of parts in the drama felt very anti-climactic.
(1) The part in which Hae-kyung's mom died, I could not decide whether I was supposed to feel sad for him...
(2) The car accident was very wtf for me?
(3) The scene in which Do-hee broke down in front of the police station with Jae-hyuk behind her. I think I was supposed to feel sad but I couldn't sympathise with her at all because she made so many weird decisions that normal people in distress won't make.
(4) Jin No-eul's storyline. She cried, she lost, she gave up. Why include her in the story when she's not even important lol.
[Sorry I can go on and on but I will stop here.]

Final comments:
The drama tricked me into thinking that Do-hee and Hae-kyung were the main characters but the real main character is Jae-hyuk. Every major event in this drama revolved around him. Yes he is annoying, but he is also the person who grew the most. Furthermore, the actor who portrayed him really shined in this drama. I was very very impressed by how he portrayed Jae-hyuk's mental breakdowns. So that's a plus point. Other than that, this is a very disappointing and cringey drama. You won't learn anything new about life/ food/ psychotherapy. Instead, you may gain more negative stereotypes of mental illnesses and false impressions of how therapy is carried out. So I won't recommend it unless there are actors in the cast that you're a huge fan of and want to support no matter what.

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So, long story short (and oh how i wish this drama was shorter), BIG is boring!

The Hong sister's must have found this script in a old shoe box in the back of a closet, and directed it on a whim without any forethought. I didn't expect much originality based on the title/synopsis that obviously borrows from the Tom Hanks movie (and countless movies just like it). I did, however, expect to see something fun, and that is why I am so disappointed with Big. In the end, I did not have fun watching this. It stars an often shirtless, and absolutely adorable, Gong Yoo - HOW CAN YOU MESS THIS UP??? Apparently it is easier than I thought.

First, the story is a mess. For the first 5 episodes I was completely hooked, because I couldn't quite figure out what would happen next. From that point on it was clear that the Hong Sisters weren't quite sure what to do next either. There's a convoluted story about miracles that goes nowhere, and has zero substance. There are a few more episodes with a couple of fun scenes, but there are many more frustrating scenes. About halfway through the series all the characters start to repeat themselves, literally doing the same things each episode, and the story just drags along. I can't believe some of the nonsense scenes they came up with to fill the time (painting pandas???!!!) Even the stories that involve minor characters are completely pointless time fillers. It was extremely hard to complete this series. I continued to watch for Gong Yoo, but even he wasn't enough after a while.

The cast shouldn't be blamed for the horrible script, since they at least made it watchable. Still, the majority of the cast gave forgettable performances. Shin Won Ho is asleep for the majority of this drama. Baek Sung Hyun's dorkiness was sweet, but I grew tired of his loyal puppy dog routine. Of course there is an evil mother who Is pretty standard, but not a stand out. There's also the quintessential "other woman" who quickly becomes an irrelevant character.

I was not at all impressed with Lee Min Jung's portrayal of Gil Da Ran. Teacher Gil was the "older woman", but she often seemed extremely immature, not too bright, and damn near mental. Listening to her lecture KKJ about maturity grew tiresome quickly, yet it's what she does for the majority of the show. I lost all interest in the romantic storyline because she annoyed me so much as the show progressed. I thought her dramatic overacting in the final episodes was laughably bad.

Suzy's Ma Ri was by far the strongest characters on the show, and the character I hated the most. It was hard for me to sit through some of the ridiculous antics she got away with. In a script full of lackluster characters with shallow storylines, Ma Ri is the most memorable. Suzy definitely deserves credit for making the unbelievably ridiculous MaRi very believable.

Of course it's great to see Gong Yoo back, looking so good, and giving a great performance (...while showing some skin. yay!). Unfortunately, even with dual roles, his talent in wasted in this drama.

I'm convinced that this is the worst drama that I've ever completed. The ending confirmed my hatred for this drama by giving some vague conclusion, that answered no real questions, and was completely cliché. It also confirmed that the entire story could have fit into a 2hr movie format with time to spare. After loving so many Hong Sister's dramas I really felt like this one insulted my intelligence. I had hoped, till the very last episode, that something would happen to make me see this drama as at least "decent", but it always just got worse.

My Advice? Take this off your 'to watch' list, and skip to whatever is next. If you are planning to watch this because you ran out of new dramas to watch, I'd suggest rewatching one of your favorites instead. If you missed Gong Yoo, like I did, just watch Coffee Prince again. I'm honestly amazed that anyone liked this drama at all. If I could, I would take my 16+ hrs back!

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It will do for a slow day

I guess I would still recommend this drama but I would definitely not re-watch it. It checks all the usual and basic boxes. But TBH nothing really dazzling about it. Maybe it's because it has simply not satisfied the hype it received being one of the most awaited dramas of its genre in 2022. The CGI is atrocious, the story unimaginative. The chemistry between the leads is so so. The acting is however decent although a little stiff in some scenes. I am watching Love between Fairy and Devil at the same time and while it was a dark horse coming into the year, I rate much much higher than this drama, it has outshined this drama in every way possible. So perhaps the contrast also biased me from giving this a higher rating.

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Entertaining thriller series!

This series is SO good! It's what I like in a Kdrama. Mystery/thriller, light on romance but still heart throbbing and has an AMAZING storyline! The cast and acting are fantastic, not giving too much or too little. It's just right to make it more captivating to watch. I don't pay much attention to the OSTs as I constantly keep my eyes on the screen, but I know it always sets the mood for the variety of scenes that an OST would be playing. All in all, it's still a great series with excellent cinematography that captures action-filled scenes accurately and gets your adrenaline flowing. I would recommend this for thriller lovers or those who are light on romance but love the action with an interesting storyline <3

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Another poorly written story

It comes to a point it starts to get irritating such as Miarong and Zhao Xiao kept going round and round wanting to harm Baoning and Li Qian...Just keep going merry go round... looks like the writer ran out of ideas but reuse the characters to repeat their plots over and over again..so typical of Chinese drama..then the sudden about turn of characters to a point that it is 180degree turn about...Contradicting and lack of common sense... merely to get the story moving up to episode 40. Why drag to 40 episodes if the writer lacks of materials...just wrap up early...24 episodes are just about right.

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Stunning and Rich History Filled Palace

I highly recommend this variety show. It is funny and along the way, we get to see the beautiful summer palace and the rich history behind the palace. This is one of those shows that makes you smarter and it's entertaining to watch, so why not give it a try?

There is great chemistry between all the guests, especially between Zheng Shuang, Dylan Wang, and Zhang Guoli. The 3 of them remind me of a family trio of sister, brother, and father :). There's this picture the three of them took when The Summer Palace wrapped up filming and they actually look like such a sweet little family of 3.

Whats in each episode:
The guests dress up in ancient palace clothing often, so its very cool to see the uniforms, especially the girls' dresses which I always think are so pretty! Each episode has various games the guests play, like guess the song, charades, scavenger hunt, and much more! They even make the guests do labor like carrying a big ball of stone up many flights of stairs and making them clean the palace's river. All the games are set up in such a way that it always somehow reveals more information about the summer palace and its rich history. Each episode also has some very nice shots of the palace and its truly a beautiful place. This show has got me even wanting to visit the palace!!

There's some ad placement in this show (for some noodles and tea and makeup I think) but it is not that bad compared to other variety shows I have watched. This is definitely an under rated variety show. I highly highly highly advise everyone to go try it out. I guarantee it won't be a waste of your time. Go watch!!

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Rapid Regression in Character Development and Overworshipping of Certain Characters

Edited my rating and changed it from 2 to 1 because I'm fed up with insane fans who keep harassing me when they can't deal with difference in opinions. If you guys think that bullying people just because they dislike something you idolise so they would give in to you and cushion your fannies, you're in for a rude shock. Grow up and talk like a proper and decent person instead of lashing out. Raise your damn emotional quotient too while you're at it, if it's at all possible at your age.

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I wrote a review for Part 1 where I mentioned that, while I wasn't too enamoured with the story, I didn't think it was too bad. So I started Part 2 with the anticipation of growth and development across the main characters. However, I'm already halfway through Part 2 with just 14 episodes left and what I'm feeling right now is a ball of rage in the pit of my stomach.

I think the actress, Zhao Lu Si, is decent. Fresh from watching Who Rules The World, I was eager to watch her perform on screen again. However, it's the character of Niao Niao that I have problems with. Yes, it was repeatedly drilled into us, the viewers - that Niao Niao had been a much neglected child. She wasn't taught proper courtesy, she couldn't read at the level most girls of her social standing and family background could, and at her age, her penmanship was non-existent. Her code of conduct and sheer disrespect towards all the elders was abysmal. And because of this, we should be lenient with our judgement of her at all times. The elders were all terrible people anyways! I was fine with this -- at first. I get it completely. But to have her shortcomings in education define her character each and every time she has done something wrong, it became exhausting, and too much of a convenient excuse to dismiss her unlikable flaws. She was constantly portrayed as a martyr who could do no wrong. All of that is not just ridiculous, it's bad writing. And this was exactly what happened in Part 2 of this series.

I hate that the writing exerts that a 15-year old girl, with so much potential in her, does not need to change in any capacity, and that she doesn't need to grow or make herself better. She's just the way she is. She could just resort to petty tricks each time she was bullied - and this bullying happens A LOT. She's bullied for no other reason other than the fact that she received less education, and everyone else was jealous of her - even though he received less education. Make it make sense. In the meantime, she just wanted to get married! Even though she's immature, she should just do what she wants! So, just sit around and wait for someone like Zi Sheng to come and love her fully and unconditionally. All I can say is, it's a terrible story that sends horrible messages to all adolescent girls everywhere.

Part 2 is basically a continuation of the victimisation and martyrism of Niao Niao's character. This time, the victimisation continued not at her family home, but at the Imperial Palace, where Zi Sheng lived. The princesses were portrayed as dumb, uncultured, jealous broads next to Niao Niao. They targeted and bullied her relentlessly, yet when the opportunity came for Niao Niao to speak up about her grievances to Zi Sheng, she didn't say anything. It was beyond my comprehension that an outspoken girl like her who had constantly reminded everyone how blunt and outspoken she was, couldn't tell him what happened. She was perfectly alright with verbalising the injustices she suffered at home to her parents, but she couldn't do it now. The only reason I could come up with is that the author loved to victimise Niao Niao and took away her agency at that moment so that Zi Sheng could find out for himself just how much suffering she was going through and love her even more! So what's the point of all that suffering? It's all short-term and provided no basis for character growth. It's all a pity-party so that Zi Sheng could give her doeful looks when he realised just how much of a martyr his gurl was. LMAO. There was no personal growth and character development coming from the pain. Your prince will gallop to you on his stallion and show those bitches who is boss!

Seriously. Niao Niao repeatedly insisted she couldn't change her personality. She is who she is. "I was like this when you met me, I'm Cheng Shao Shang!" she declared to Zi Sheng. And yet when the Empress chided her for the very same mistake Zi Sheng got mad at her for, when the Empress told her that not confiding in the people close to her and taking matters into her own hands could end up distancing them, her response was, "I wish someone told me about this earlier."

My reaction to that was, LOL what?! Blaming others again instead of taking responsibility for once, aren't we? Would she have listened if someone told her "earlier"? She wouldn't. She would just say indignantly, "You keep telling me this and that, you keep telling me not to do this and that, you keep lecturing me, but is this really for my own good? I'm Cheng Shao Shang and I can't change!" She was unreceptive to advice. And yet she says this now.

I'll say this - Cheng Shao Shang is an unlikable, immature brat and an unlikable self-insert "Mary Sue" of the author.

I have been super patient and waited to see how the palace conspiracy would unfold since Episode 3 in Part 1, and now we're almost at the end of this dreadful drama, Niao Niao's family was suddenly implicated in the conspiracy and branded as rebels. I'm thoroughly amazed that the author had managed to victimise her main female character to such an extent. And yet again the suffering the author inflicted on Niao Niao up until now brought little to no character development. This overt martyrism is honestly disgusting and makes me retch.

Let's be real. What's the point of Niao Niao's stay at the palace? She was supposed to take lessons from the Empress, so she could learn about becoming a proper wife for Zi Sheng - kind of like a finishing school for noble ladies. That was the premise given to us. But as I continued to watch this whole mess, I realised that going to the palace and learning from the Empress is a fake out. The author's real intention was so that Niao Niao could be hurled into the royal family's politics and drama, so she could be bullied by everyone who automatically is jealous of her. These evil little bitches jealous of her would be dished back their own deserts, of course, and the three guys would just fall more in love with her. Tadaa, perfect setup to be made into a lovable victim. Let the martyring commence!

Why do I say there are no character improvement? Because it's a fact. There are very few scenes of Niao Niao achieving self-improvement. You get scenes of the Empress and the Emperor automatically loving whatever she cooked and baked, and automatically loving whatever BS that came tumbling out of her mouth. It doesn't matter how childish her lines were, everyone falls over themselves to praise her for her "insight" and "purity of mind". Give me a break. Niao Niao also thought she had the duty and holy right for some reason. She lectures everyone on life's grand lessons, including the emperor! And they should listen to her! (Refer to Crown Prince and Crown Princess Arc) but Niao Niao is born perfect in every way, you see, despite ~some~ flaws. Zi Sheng so said this. She's the best!! Despite never taking the time to understand what she's really like as a person. Nevermind, she doesn't need to listen to anyone. Everyone else is wrong to lecture her. She should just be ~~~~herself~~~~

What about Zi Sheng, the male lead of this show? Zi Sheng's characterisation also irritated me to high heavens. He was made out to be the perfect guy in every way. He's an accomplished general at the tender age of 21. He gives commands to guys triple his age, and he tortures and kills them because they deserved it. No one complained how he killed a guy in prison and used an excuse to cover up the crime.

His flaws were characterised as endearing by the author. For example? He laughed like a strangled duck. He couldn't tell a joke. He yelled at Niao Niao every single time she did something he didn't like - and the reason? He's only yelling because he loves her! He doesn't want her to get in danger! Every single time. Also, he gave in to his wild impulses to punish others in acts of transgression, angering the Emperor - usually because of his desire to avenge Niao Niao. All these traits weren't even flaws. Is he a Gary Stu? Zi Sheng is depicted as the perfect fantasy boyfriend who is all around handsome and could do no wrong. He's such an obvious fantasy of the author for her self-insert. He's boring.

There is also something I need to say about the characterisation of Niao Niao's mother. At the start of Part 2, it looked as if Yuan Yi and Niao Niao were on the road to reconciliation. Her mother was displaying a change of heart in some scenes, like when she started to show motherly care for Niao Niao by bringing her a blanket on a cold night, and when she defended Niao Niao at Lou Yao's family residence to break off the unfavourable engagement (end of Part 1). She was also feeling lonely after Niao Niao moved to the palace, and looked distinctively sad when the bridal jewellery she picked for Niao Niao were overlooked in favour of the Empress' choices. Then the accusation of rebellion happened. Mother Niao Niao was carted off to prison, and Niao Niao declared she wanted to follow suit, as well. The reaction was a swift slap to Niao Niao's face. Like, was that even necessary!? Couldn't she have communicated with her daughter properly?! What was that slap for? I was flabbergasted. No doubt, the slap was most likely used to arouse further sympathy from the viewers for Niao Niao.

I have no more hopes for the rest of this drama. That was the last straw of victimization I could take. An accusation of rebellion against the crown is the biggest stroke the author could deal and victimise Niao Niao. Love Like the Galaxy is not revolutionary. It's been quite a while since I've seen such an archetypal writing that portrays a martyr-like, annoying, "mary-sue" heroine with her equally annoying, boring, cardboard cut-out fiance. Easily the worst drama I've watched in 2022. In fact, it's the worst drama I've watched in a few years.



Edit: Nevermind, just read a summary of the novel and the actual full novel seems to be far worse and more convoluted (yet managed to maximise its use of all available tropes) than the drama itself.

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Excellent follow up to the first season, I loved it very much and did not disappoint me. The production is just mind-blowing, some of the sets and the scale of the cases is unbelievable, as well as the guests in this season.

I appreciate that they expanded the world building in this season in a way, that created a unique show, but at the same time, if you did not see the first season, you could watch this one anyway. They created a new overarching mystery using some of the guests who showed up in multiple episodes which made the interaction with the hosts just a whole different kind of entertaining. They also kept a nice balance of individual/stand alone cases and inter connected ones.

The addition of Lee Seung Gi was very nice. He has a good sense of what the audience likes and he brought in a nice dynamic. I also read that because of Ahn Jae Wook's scandal they re-edited some of the episodes and it is true that he just appears in the bare minimum, but you notice it only when you focus on it. I am glad that they kept him on and didn't make any weird zooms on the others or edit him out completely.

The second season is still very, very funny, but the funny moments are not abundant like they were in the first season. I was trying to get into it with an open mind, but I just have to comment on the fact, that it was missing Lee Kwang Soo a bit. Other than that, this is still one of the best variety out there and time just passes by when you get into it.

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A Sweet Supernatural Boyslove drama you will fall in love with.

He's Coming To Me is a supernatural drama about Mes, a young man who mysteriously died and is unable to reincarnate in a new life due to his unfinished business. As the years pass, Mes who lives in the cemetery and watches as the living visit their loved ones who have passed during the "ghost festival" celebration , meets a young boy [Thun/Than] who is able to see him. The two begin a friendship that lasts for several years, until one day Thun/Than doesn't come to see him. The two reconnect years later when Thun/Than is already in college. Thus begins an adventure in where Thun/Than is determined to find out how Mes died so he is able to reincarnate. Unbeknownst to them, the intricacies of their friendship and the mystery surrounding Mes' death, will eventually translate to them falling in love. The question then becomes: How can a ghost and living person fall in love and can they live together happily? or Will Mes be able to reincarnate?

This drama brings together the lovable Singto Prachaya with Ohm Pawt Chittsawangdee. Both are very well known in the Boys Love (BL) sphere for their dramas. Singto has played many different types of characters, but his portrayal of Kongpop in Sotus/Sotus S catapulted him to the top of the most sought after actors in Thailand and I would even argue in many parts of Asia. His acting range is not limited to the gay characters he has played, but when it comes to BL, any production team that hires him will not be disappointed. Likewise, Ohm is most famously known for his role as Frame in Make it Right the series, a character that has cemented him as an actor to look out for in future dramas. As a couple in this drama, both have undeniable chemistry and somehow they bring out the best in their acting.

The Script is amazing. Not having read the novel it is based on, my critique of it is limited to the drama itself. It is quite clear that the production team spent a lot of their time and energy in creating an amazing story for the viewers. The plot which is a combination of the supernatural and romance, has been set up quite well and it is highly supported by an amazing acting cast. The meshing of two time periods is also done fluidly--with elements from the late 1980s-1990s blending with the modern era through music, it creates a nostalgic feeling. Likewise, the cinematography creates this nostalgic mood by its use of tones and colors, specially in the sepia spectrum.

Acting wise, everyone does an amazing job. Singto and Ohm showed great range in their acting abilities. Singto has an uncanny ability to make other actors bring out their best when in his presence. He is able to steal a scene with just a look or even a small gesture. He is arguably the best actor in this drama followed by Ohm. The rest of the cast does a good job supporting the leads and driving the story along, though it isn't always needed since much of the story focuses on Mes and Thun/Than. There are various scenes where the viewers feel emotionally invested and both Singto and Ohm deliver it in such a way that it is easy for the viewer to relate or try to comfort them. Thun's friends add the comedic elements that break up the more intense parts of the drama. It is a welcomed change of pace and it is placed in the right moments. They also bring more depth to the story. Through their intervention, Thun/Than is able to come to grips with his inner battle and through their support he is able to truly be himself. Everyone is needed in helping to develop the main characters's stories as well as helping the story be successful.

I highly recommend this drama, specially when you have nothing more to watch in the mean time. I would wager that this is going to be on the best BL dramas to come out in 2019 and so far is on the top of my list. I also look forward to more acting projects between Singto and Ohm. They seem to have a great chemistry.

ALSO because I know this is a common question BL fans always have,; is this a happy ending? YES it absolutely is.

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Now that I finished it, I can say this drama is like one of this book we read on the beach during the summer. It's not complicated, the storyline is quite obvious, the style is not perfect, but it makes you smile, time flies while you're watching, it's heartwarming. It has the taste of holidays.

I got a little frightened at the end because of a weird "dramatic" turn, but the drama was able to keep its gentleness. Sooyoung, as Gong Min Young, without being outstanding, plays her role well, displaying a refreshing ingenuity. Her acting seems to get better as the episodes are running. She never annoyed me, and I ended up liking her character. Lee Jong Hyuk had no problem to fit his character. The supporting cast was convincing. As for Lee Chun Hee, he gave a decent picture of Master, even if I couldn't help but laughing when he was playing the gangster. Chunderella is still haunting him.

Love is the real main character, don't watch it if you really can't stand sweet stories right now. Without being too cheesy, Cyrano won't fail to make you smile and cheer for the different relationships. Personnally, I loved watching the story between MooJin and HyeRi.

(Special mention to Lee Gwang Soo, he was so cute as the lovesick cook)

Overall...
Don't start this drama with high expectations, and you'll enjoy it. It's summer, you wanna spend a good time, you don't want long episodes and unbearable cliffhangers, you don't hate love and you wanna smeeeell holidays : Dating Agency Cyrano is perfect for you. Feel free and enjoy, here is your summer coktail, toes in the sand. When you'll reach the end, you'll just feel good.

Excuse my english in this review, and have a nice watch !

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Chemistry is the key

Although d main story is pretty standard: evil vs good, but i still think this story is fresh and awesome... i need to see more about d foxy lady story... and love d chemistry between d actors... all play so well... biiig applause!!

Its so enjoyable and satisfying to watch... d effect, d cameras movement... all feel soo real

I love how yunxi potray his character... and how he change from good to evil...

Bai lu also having his wonderful performance...

Tho ppl say they r disturbed by the makeup, for me its emphasize the caharcter... so well done

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Pretty promising...It's genuinely an ok show so far :] edit: This show is worth your time.

old review made as of ep 12:

I like it! After reading the reviews, I have been enlightened that since I don't typically watch "princess revenge" dramas, I'm not the most experienced to talk about this. But want a fresh opinion...? I like this show so far :]

1. Complaints were made that Dilraba looks like Leo's older sis next to him, and to that I say go off? To me they look fine, and honestly, I dont think making complaints about the actor's appearance is ever really a valid argument, especially the kind I saw...? such as "she seems to have gained weight" or "makeup makes her look old" Maybe it might bother you when you watch, but I didn't really find any issues with it! If anything, I think it just has to do with the fact that while Leo is handsome, he does still look a little boyish in the face department, and does still register as being like....young XD I have to cover my eyes for the shirtless scenes. he's older than me but it feels like I'm doing something wrong, lmao.

That aside, dilraba looking "old(???)" has literally never bothered me. That's way harsh, and im a little sus abt comments like that :eye: I kind of focus on the characters and what they ARE in their role, (because the actors have done a good job of portraying it so I forget) and less so on the actors themselves, but I guess not everyone is as good at giving the benefit of the doubt? Not that it really needs to be given, but help yourself? Dilraba looks fine *shrugs* Watch for yourself and see how you feel about it?

2. Good acting. The actors can only do so much as they're given with the role. As for Lu Si's role in this as Princess Yongan, I think the performance became a little one-note, but maybe that's the fault of the role, and also Lu Si needing to find the right footing? The overall cast is pretty good I would say, not STELLAR OMFG AWARDS ACROSS THE BOARD, but good :)

3. Idk bout yall but I like the score. Maybe it's the normal siren-like sounds that literally any drama has, but I think the music in this is very good, and sets the stakes very well. 10/10 for that (except I don't ever give 10s, lmao).

4. I'm kind of neutral to the constant use of manhua drawings at key points of the story. Many viewers seem to find it jarring, and I agree to some extent. I would like to see more intense scenes that aren't interrupted by comic drawings. But I can also accept that it's just what production decided, and there's no helping it. I can only hope as the series goes on we can get to see more scenes that are actually filmed and done with cgi. It does break immersion. whenever an animation scenes comes on im kinda just like "ah shit here we go again" TT but what can we do :/

tl;dr this is a good show so far, and I'm hoping it doesnt go downhill. Hopefully, I will come back and edit this once i've either finished it, or dropped it altogether.

If you don't see an edit from me, know what the latter happened 👀

[after finishing]:


Edit: I've watched all 49 episodes now. overall, the long ballad, as a standalone, and ignoring any external, real world factors that may have affected minor things like more romance scenes and a more satisfying ending, ignoring all of that which we cannot change now, is a good drama.

It's not flawless or a masterpiece, but, I would most definitely recommend it to others, because it is a GOOD DRAMA! It has its own short-comings, times when the drama seems to flatline, times it picks up tempo, times of absolutely amazing cinematography, a consistently amazing OST (omg its so good), and varying levels of satisfaction with the romance, times it drags, times its just regualr, times its a little dumb in the logic, but nothing that detracts greatly from the show, and nothing I want to deliberately fault it, or the actors for, either. (wu lei at the time of filming this, had just turned 19, i read from a comment, so stop complaining abt no kiss scenes lol)

i'm genuinely using the mere fact that i have completed all 49, episodes, all at around 42 minutes long, WHILE airing. That is a testament alone to how addicting this drama is, (especially in comparison to the dramas that have been airing rn).

the opening episodes for the long ballad are stellar, and while I can understand why not every single episode could have been held to the same quality (they very obviously went all out on those first 3 or so eps), the episodes that follow are well choreographed for fight scenes, (for the ones that are not left to aniimations- :side eyes:) and there are always stakes, even if sometimes things are predictable or drawn out.

this show overall has been a fun experience for me. I have definitely found actors to keep on my radar going forward, such as Liu Yu Ning, and im definitely gonna go watch Ultimate Note since it has him AND wu lei 😳:flushed:

Anyways, that's my two cents. This show isn;t perfect, it has faults, but it's worth your time. I hope you can enjoy it as i have.

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