Kill Me Love Me (2024)

Realistic, Suspenseful, Misleading, Always too late.

After waiting for the show since March and completing it, a review was inevitable. As a resident historical Chinese drama enjoyer, you have to watch the show since it is genuinely enjoyable despite its shortcomings. Could have been a 10/10 if not for some plot points.
Let me talk about the strongest features of the show first. There are no major spoilers in this review but still read at your own discretion.


The Characters:

The dichotomy of Murong Jinghe: We are introduced to our main character, The third prince Murong Jinghe, as an irredeemable villain both to the characters and the viewer. Not even a few episodes later, his demeanor completely changes, especially in front of the Emperor, his father. To which I presumed might have been a ruse, but he does not let my thoughts linger as his nature is shown. Not only is he not the mass murderer, but also he is not the red flag, bad boy, or a war criminal, as everyone might have thought. He is only a mischievous prince, someone who got through the rough end of life and ended up as a battered and broken version of himself.

Then again he is a Prince, someone in immense power, so in his head ends justify the means, to clear his name, to avenge the people, he can offer a few sacrifices without repercussions. So in that instance, he is not wholly free of blame, and he did not expect the consequences of his actions, since he is but a human.

Another prevalent theme is his mental condition and his response to difficult situations. We do not see him losing his cool very often in the beginning but when he does, its almost ugly, his humanity clashes with all he has been through, time and time again and although the show does not give much explanation on this, leaving everything on the watcher, his character holds so much more than he lets on.


Mei Lin and her ordinary aspirations and how that plays in her personality: Originating from a small town, Qingzhou, she is just a common girl wanting to live a normal life. But this all changes due to the Qingzhou fire, ultimately making her a strong assassin. We see her wanting nothing more but to kill Murong Jinghe, even training so hard, facing every tribulation just to take revenge on behalf of Qingzhou's fallen souls. But this all changes when she knows the truth, and it is her intelligence that allows her to quickly adjust and spare Murong Jinghe and even place her trust in him despite wanting to end him for ten years.

Now she is chucked into a power struggle, working with the seeming culprit despite everything, her fearlessness and grit surprising others. It is her strength that lets her blend seamlessly within the palace, even though she found support from a concubine and even a prince from another kingdom. That does not deter her, even the tremendous scale of the operation and the consequences of the revenge, compared to her, a common assassin.

But despite all this, her dreams are to live a calm life, from wanting to live with her parents for life to open a cake shop after her revenge is done is all that she wishes to do. This is exactly why her goals feel lacking as compared to others, her compassion and empathy despite her being an assassin is what distinguishes her from many others, especially in the cutthroat palace environment.
She might seem like a powerful, undefeatable, even an omnipotent person, but in the events of the story, she was just a pawn who was burning with the fire of revenge. It is only when we and the characters get to know her is when we know her personality and how she inevitably influences the people and the events around her, despite her lack of status.

Mei Lin and Murong Jinghe, and the doomed nature of their relationship:
Two people who were never supposed to meet got thrown into the eternal fire of revenge, their broken and bloody puzzle pieces fitting with each other in an unsightly manner. The assassin and her target, the wronged prince, and his pawn to conduct his revenge, but it all changes as they finally work with each other and let the other person mend them.

It is when they finally fall in love and expose their true nature to each other as nothing else but two young people who want a fair chance at life. Who also dare to be happy and innocent, despite the incessant torture in their lives. Despite them finally finding each other, the reality does not change, they have to pay the price for their revenge, pay the price for their actions, and continue their responsibilities. This is where we see that no matter what they do, it's always too late, they cannot save what is already broken, and love isn't a cure-all, despite what we have been told.


Murong Xuanlie, The Crown Prince: I was not going to mention other characters in my review, but his character stood out to me quite a lot. Amassing great respect and the status of crown prince throughout the ten years despite outwardly striving for a tranquil life since childhood is what makes him the perfect candidate in front of the officials and the public. He is the mirror image of Murong Jinghe in more ways than one, and instead of standing on his own, he always chases what Jinghe has, from the dagger to the throne of the crown prince, even going as far as to commit heinous crimes.

It is not just a power struggle for him, it is the culmination of all his insecurities, his jealousy, and even his apparent righteousness. The same show of righteousness is what distinguishes him from other antagonists, since he chants scriptures, feels for his partners and their sacrifices, and even dares to love but even the person he selflessly falls for should not belong to him, without any pushing and molding the reality. Despite being the favored child, all he wants to be is Murong Jinghe, and the ways through which he makes sure that he achieves his goals, unlike the third prince, is what makes him irredeemable.

The storytelling, the shortcomings and what could it have been:

In my head, I have divided the story into three parts, the strategizing, the revenge, and the aftermath, and despite its limitations, the aftermath was my favorite arc. In most historical shows, we only rarely see after the big events, of how the characters cope and how the world heals around them. Not delving into the plot a lot, one of my favorite scenes was the conversation between the emperor and the third prince after everything, it was not only between a father and son but also a judge and the accused. Moreover, the events following that, the rebuilding, the healing, and everything that was not mentioned by my fellow watchers became one of my favorite scenes throughout the show.

But here is where some things became a little uncomfortable, some loose ends remained untied, and somewhere along the way it gave too much importance to the second male lead, the writers trying their best to equate him to the male lead (nothing against the character or the actor).

Even though the end was anticipated by me at the beginning, some of the events near the end were just put there for the sake of it, which brings me to my biggest criticism, "The Pacing". The pacing at the beginning was faster than expected, which on its own, is not a bad thing, but it could have been better. More time should have been given to building up the main characters and their animosity which might have filled the gap at the end. The end did not seem to drag or mindless to me but nonetheless, it is a valid criticism and much of it could have been avoided.

Another thing that could have been better is to reduce the focus on other love lines, although one of the character pairings was historically accurate, and it was realistic, it became a big deterrent for future viewers. My advice to that is to ignore that whole thing overall as I did and did not feel too much for that.
As for the second main pairing, it was never romantic but only mainly manipulative and I have seen reviews being angry at the second female lead for falling for that person, which to me never felt like falling. It was manipulative and toxic, even when things showed their truth, she was far too gone in the big scheme of things that despite choosing the right path, she could not change her heart. Yes, it would have been better to not show that but then again I understood where they came from, but even then romanticizing it was not the best choice. I have a bone to pick with the makers about that, but if you only look at her as a victim of physical and mental manipulation, you might be able to understand where I am coming from.

Lastly, as I have not read the novel I do not have a frame of reference, so I cannot compare nor do I want to. This show is a separate adaptation and needs to be treated as such. This drama should not have been treated as a big hit, but as a substantial drama, something that only gets better as time passes, and that is only how it can be watched freely. Comparing it to other shows would not give justice to this show, as in my honest opinion, it is quite an intricate show that might not be for everyone despite its virality. The plot for most parts is solid, the acting is great, and even the music score complements the show greatly. Both Wu Jinyan and Liu Xueyi after getting hits in the first and second quarter of the year, have once again done their best to provide justice to their characters and bring them to life.

My final verdict is that this show is worth your time and brain space, but you do not have to be kind to it or find excuses to watch for a certain actor, or not watch it because of the events and other things, but to watch it as it is given to you, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Thank you for reading!

Read More

Started Out Strong, Becomes Unintentional Comedy

I knew going in there was no way this was going to be a full red flag drama and also had an "idea" about "a" possible ending so I was essentially going in to this with eyes wide open.

I liked much of the first part for what it was, including the jaunt into the village.

Where it broke down for ME was the seeming plothole 2nd cpl love story (maybe scenes were cut idk) and then the brain melting episodes 24-27. I had to literally force myself NOT to rate the entire show lower than a 5 JUST based on those few episodes alone.

But then they gave us episode 28 and it was hilarious to me. I don't think I was supposed to find it funny but I did...

The final episodes made a run for giving me the title of most inappropriate laughter during a show but whatever, at least I didn't want to actively turn the show off during them.

So what is this show? Who is this show for?

This is a baseline popcorn drams you can watch without paying attention to half of what's going on and still understand. It has a deep message it wants to convey and for those it resonates with it will hit hard... but for the most part everyone else will roll their eyes.

I'm not going to say it's not worth your time to watch it... just be aware of what you're getting before jumping in so you're not disappointed.

Full Episode Rating Breakdown:
Initial Set-up - first 5 eps 10/10
Repairing the screen, the hunt, the village - 6-18 8.5/10
Return and Downfall - 19-23 7.5/10 (mostly for plothole reasons with 2nd Cpl)
Qingzhou 1 - 24-27 2/10 Burn these episodes with fire specifically - I could have sworn this lasted more episodes based on how slow they felt, but nope.
? - 28 8.5/10
Qingzhou 2 - 29-31 7/10 People are introduced JUST to die ? FUN!
Final Episode - 32 8.5/10

Final Rating 7/10

Read More

Snow Dragon Moustache flower

I liked the series in general. I enjoyed watching it. The story started with a sense of revenge, then the struggle between two brothers, then it turned into getting rid of an incident that was thrown at him. When events such as sending a princess to make peace between two countries, and the detention of a prince and the reflections of this were added, the story got a little confusing in my opinion. Also, both our prince and the woman he loved were poisoned, I think the prince got rid of the poison but the woman he loved could not get rid of it and eventually died. The deaths were very emotional. The scenes and the processing were done accordingly, I got very emotional while watching it. Zi Gu's death scenes especially upset me. The scene where Guard Qing Yan caught fire and jumped on the explosives was terrific. It was a scene like a triumphant excitement with emotion. I liked it very much. Bravo to those who think about it.
I think the negative aspects of the series are especially the Mei Lin character dying and reviving. This did not happen. At that time, it is difficult for a person to die and revive if they are poisoned. It is not possible for them to recover from illnesses so easily and then fight, assassinate and fight hundreds of people an hour later as if nothing happened.
It is also impossible for a Prince to get married without permission from his father the Emperor. It would be fake. It would not be announced. It is like an illegal marriage. If so, it is possible. I cannot say anything. Those issues were never discussed.
My last negative remark is about Baron Chen, who plays the character Prince Xiuan Lie. In other words, I like him. I have watched a few of his series. In this series, I watched him with astonishment. Can he be played this badly? He acted as if they forced him to act. He played it showily. He acted according to the book. He exaggerated. He made it very obvious. In other words, when his scenes came, I felt like shouting that I do not want to watch it. That much. In other words, I became estranged from the actor. I did not expect such a performance. I was shocked. Did the director force him? Otherwise, I do not want this role. He is in the mood to direct me and let's play like that, let's finish and leave. He was very ugly. Please excuse me. He should watch himself. He was the worst actor. In terms of acting.
I really liked the harmony of the lead actors, Xue Yi and Jin Yan. They were both very successful. Jin Yan is very successful in these assassin types. His stance and action are very good. I also really liked the emotional scenes. I think Xue Yi has surpassed himself. I watched a lot of his series. He was successful in all of them. He works very hard. Well done.

The other actor I liked was Huang Ri Ying. He was very successful in the Zi Gu character. Although he doesn't look much, I think he did his role very well. He added color with his cheerful, excited, lively attitude. He put his weight on it. They also did a good job with the veteran actor Jiang Kai about his marriage to an old emperor. I think he made him feel comfortable. In other words, he acted by thinking about the person opposite him, that's how I saw it. I got the feeling too. His emotional scenes were also very good. Wen Jun also had very few scenes. He gave himself an air and went with that air, he portrayed a prince beautifully with his stance and serious attitude, he gave his role a different air. There was nothing extra about the role, but I still say it was good. I liked it. I found Wei Tong good in the guard character. Well done. And our female general Xiao Tang. I was hesitant at first. But I don't know if my eyes got used to it over time. I said he was a very good general. Although his role didn't have much weight, he gave himself the air of a general. I found him successful. I recommend it to those who haven't watched it.

Read More

Sad Not Bad!!!! / A Whirlwind Of Emotions

I would like to start out by saying This drama has a sad ending not a bad ending .I wish I would have waited til it was completed before I began watching. By the title alone I should have known that the ending woud be a sad one. This is the 3rd sad ending cdrama in a row that I've watched (The first 2 were Love in the Desert were the 2nd ML died and Snowy Night Timeless Love where the FL died... Sorry for the spoiler if you were going to watch those shows)

Anyways here is my biggest issue ,I'm having a hard time believing that General Yin (Luomei) genuinely fell in love with the crown prince. Like at first I thought it was just a ploy to gain his trust then ultimately side with our ML, I mean even tho she chose the good side she still loved the Crown Prince!!!!! How could a woman that was pining after the ML since they were kids easily make a 180 and fall for the crown prince. He was a treacherous trader who betrayed his own country.Like with her pride and joy for her country there is no freaking way she could have loved someone who did all of that!!!

Also concubine Yan was such a sweet heart. Her and QingYan deaths hurt the most. Her death hurt a little less because I had mentally prepared myself when the physician said that she would suffer during her pregnancy,I knew she would die during child birth or miscarriage.
Qingyan was so loyal and he was my favorite character. I cried the most for him. His death hurt just as much as the deaths of Lu Ji and Wen Ji from The Double(Why are the loyal subordinates getting killed off) Speaking of loyal ,Eunuch Lui's demise was very sad as well.He was so funny and kind. And the large fellow whom they (Ml &FL) met when they were recuperating in the village, he was kind too . I cried like a baby when Jia (Or Yi, I forgot which one) was crying over his body. And now the death that I knew was coming, well actually I thought the ML was going to die but nope it was Mei Lin (FL) I was sad but it really
was shocking cause earlier she told the physician that he couldn't cure her illness. The time jump was definitely needed and it gave the closure that we needed.


Now lets jump subjects. Yue Qin!!!! I actually liked him, I just didn't like him for our female lead. He was definitely a thorn in the ML's side but he wasn't super sinister which is a good thing. All in all it was a pretty decent show with a sad NOT bad ending!!! There's a Difference!!!!

Anyways thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, BYE

Read More

Kill me love me

For starters, I actually knew about this drama before it aired. At first I liked it because the genre seemed exciting. Now that I've watched it and it's aired, episode one feels too short, but not long enough, I mean hehehe. Because this drama is addictive, especially the intrigues.

I don't know why, but in Chinese dramas with genres like Red Flag guys, the guys are actually really nice, like angels.
After love of Nirvana, the double, princess royal, I really like kill me love me. It is a must watch, because wu jinyan and Liu xueyi's acting is very good and extraordinary.

The story is interesting and not too long-winded, the OST is very appropriate to the nuances of revenge and the action scenes.

Read More

Too Cringy and Over Dramatic.. go for it without expecting anything...

Up until episode 28, Kill Me Love was actually pretty good , it had me hooked with its storyline and solid pacing. But as it approached the ending, things took a nosedive. The last few episodes, especially, were just way too cringy. The ML’s over-the-top reaction when he finds out the FL has "died" was so extra that I couldn’t get through it without cringing hard. It was almost painful to watch, with his acting and the script just becoming way too dramatic.

Honestly, it felt like a complete shift from the earlier vibe of the show, and both the ML and FL’s performances started leaning too much into the melodramatic territory. So, after those last few episodes, I'd say this drama ends up being an average watch at best , nothing outstanding, just alright if you’re in the mood to pass the time.

Read More

I renewed my youku sub for this?!

Hello, I’m almost halfway through watching the series as I write this review. It's not as captivating as "The Double." I found myself getting distracted and realized that the show was still playing while I was tinkering on my phone. In my opinion, there were tons of plot holes and unnecessary scenes. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two leads; I'm sorry, but I just couldn't see or feel it.

I was really looking forward to watching this show, so much so that I renewed my Youku subscription, as it had more available episodes than Netflix. To be frank, I am quite disappointed. I loved The Double, even though I wasn't a big fan of the female lead; I just couldn't watch her face for long.
They could have improved the plot; there are more dragging scenes than watchable ones.

The male lead was so pleasant in the eyes, and I like how he rarely smiles but when he does, oh my! :)

Read More

A tale of revenge flowing into romance

When I first noticed this drama by watching shorts of it on TikTok, I was immediately sold. The promos showed me a villainous male lead, a badass female lead and a plot filled with revenge and action scenes.

The story follows that of Murong JingHe (a third prince from Yan whose life is under constant threat from his brother the crown prince) and Mei Lin (a survivor of the great fires of Qingzhou picked off the streets by the Shadow Works, an assassin organisation).
The first couple of episodes already had me on the edge of my seat and that tension didn't go away for quite a while. I loved the way they introduced certain characters. Jinghe, once a famous general, was responsible for the fires in Qingzhou and is now known to be a mass murderer and an outcast. His own people either hate him or fear him and he puts that to good use to put forth a certain image of himself. He gave all the red-flag vibes I wanted and more.
With lots of flashbacks we get to know the characters more and more. Usually I'm not a fan of flashbacks or timetravel things in dramas but these scenes actually had something to add to the story. It made me realise how difficult Mei Lin had it in the years after the fire in Qingzhou destroyed her home and family and added to her character.

Positives:
- The acting of this cast was A+++++. They had me immersed into the story and kept me wanting more and more. I vowed to myself never to start another ongoing show due to this one. I could barely wait for new episodes to air and was unable to watch anything else in between.
- I have never seen anything from Baron Chen before and I don't think I will ever be able to watch anything he's in after this role. Not because he did a bad job but because he did such a good job at portraying such an incredible douche-canoe that I gagged everytime he came into focus.
- The romantic development between the main leads. I thought it was really pure how it went from enemies-to-lovers. I loved watching JingHe realise his mistakes and go from a "I only want to fight battles and win them" to "I want to fight battles to protect those I love". Mei Lin pierces through his cold exterioir and finds the man within. It's a beautiful love story that gives us the raw and sweet moments of a romance within a revenge plot.
- A badass female lead who doesn't take bullshit from her surroundings. She knows how to take care of herself and her fight scenes are amazing!!
- The OST!! I've been playing its theme song on repeat for days!

Negatives:
- There was a love story between the emporer and his peace-making-concubine who wasn't even 20 years old. This one didn't sit well with me. I know it's part of historical reality. I mean.. emporers at that time did have wives of a third their own age but it just made me want to skip their scenes. Especially when she became pregnant with his child. It was a big no-no for me. He could have been her grandfather....
- The second lead romance. I really didn't understand why General Yin eventually fell for the crown prince. All he did was manipulate her into things even going as far as rape (okay.. he didn't go through with it, but still) her into a marriage. His entire character was build up to make the audience hate him. Redemption was far from being realised, in my opinion, so having general Yin fall in love with him, carrying his memorial tablet... it made me dislike her as a character.
- The eternal back and forth in the later parts of the series. Mei Lin is still poisoned by the Momai poison at that point and the amount of things they have to turn to in order to heal her... it made no sense. Everytime they came close it fell through at the last minute only to have them not succeed at all in the end. Or the fact that they kept saying she would only survive for so long and than have that period extended by a little more time. It just became ridiculous at some point.
- The ending. Although it's an okay ending to the story.. I wish they could have done a little better. With the way they've done it, it feel a little draggy and rushed at the same time and now the story feels unfinished to me.

Overal I really loved this drama. It's the best Cdrama I've seen in 2024. Maybe even drama of the year for me. It was everything I needed and everything I wanted.

Read More

DON'T watch this expecting the same ending as the book it's apparently based on.

I haven't read the book I was told it's based on. I've been told the drama is VERY different compared to the book, definitely from episode 23. So don't watch this expecting the same story or ending. DON'T read past the spoilers alert below if you don't want to know ANYTHING about what happens!!! Though I have tried to be vague.

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

Just to be sure everyone understands that there are SPOILERS ahead.......
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!


The book apparently had a happy ending for the main couple ( though they did really suffer for it). I don't know this because I didn't read the book. There is NO happy ending, not even a bittersweet ending. It's just a full on tragedy.......needlessly so. I've been told the author, who was (allegedly) not aware of the changes being made to her story, is 'upset'. I would be more than 'upset' if it was my book being butchered like this.

However, the acting was truly amazing; completely faultless - the main couple were so cute and really made the development of their deep love for each other (we're talking SOULMATES, people!) utterly believable. Liu Xue Yi who played the ML wonderfully as the (somewhat insane, at least in the beginning) , Prince Murong Jing He. His growing love for the FL was also very believable. As an actor, he really aces these historical/fantasy roles the best.

Wu Jin Yan, is a consummate actress, I've seen many of her dramas and she aces her roles every time. and she really was believable as the revenge driven female lead, Mei Lin. Again, her developing love for the prince was believable. As was the desperation to remain with each other come what may as their story progressed. The similar desperation to 'save' each other though, was annoying and led to so many moments of me just yelling - "OH MY GOD!! JUST *TELL* HIM/HER!!". Things would've been different for the FL if she'd just TOLD the ML some stuff, but she didn't because......enter stupid reason. But that, sadly, was the script, not the actors fault.

Even the malevolent couple were cute (together - scary with everyone else!) you really believed that, especially the Crown Prince, was genuinely, deeply in love. The always wonderful Baron Chen was the evil Crown Prince (and man, was he evil to all but his beloved general, Luo Mei).

We truly expected the unnecessary suffering would at least lead to a Happily Ever After for the main leads and at least SOME pf the other 'good' characters......which it did in the book (at least that's what I'm told). I swore so MUCH at my tv at the ending.....SO much. Basically NOTHING good is kept at the end and EVERYONE suffers and ends up utterly MISERABLE, DEPRESSED and verging on self deleting.

There's a cute ending bit of what would've happened to the main leads if Jinghe had had the entry to the town HE wanted and there was no fire. In it the princes were brothers first, etc and there was no power struggle. Jinghe's mother was still alive too. It was cute - but, again (at least in my mind), the scriptwriter fricked us over.

The scenes were about how the main couple were fated to meet, how they were fated to be together because they were soulmates. So why not have that cuteness as their NEXT lives? Maybe a few ones after too? Showing them having increasingly happier lives together after the suffering they endured for justice in this life (including the side characters who suffered). So give them better lives moving forward, ESPECIALLY the main leads? Oh this is a soapbox I could camp out on - literally build a small town here and move in to rant daily about how even this TEENY segment was done so wrongly.

It was definitely wonderful to see Baron Chen (he's the evil Crown Prince) back on our screens in the West again (I'm sure, as the gifted actor he is, he's been working a lot in Asia, but we still don't get enough Asian dramas/movies here so don't see too much of him). He played the Crown Prince as the malevolent royal usurper, completely without redemption. EXCEPT for his love for his female general, who you could see he genuinely love deeply. They were very believable in their devotion though, fully as much as the main couple.

There is NO SML Syndrome; which, I admit, was refreshing - I am a repeated SML Syndrome sufferer and have been for years. So it made a pleasant change not to have it here. He wasn't even that nice overall; he did something UNACCEPTABLE to FL. He is also NO threat to the ML on any level - warrior, lover, romantic interest. Naught, None, Nada. You know it the second you see him interact with the FL; there's not even an attempt to pose him as a serious threat to the main lead on any level - as shown by the fact its clear in the drama to main leads are soulmates (in damaged souls as well as love) and the loathsome thing he did to the FL.

There is NO rewatch value - seriously, NONE. I don't need to see the abomination of the ending more than once. I don't need to use that amount of bad language against my poor tv more than once. It literally switched itself off randomly, probably because of the bad language being angrily hurled at it. Apparently some people watch just the main leads and stop at episode 23 (which is where the script basically completely abandoned the book).

If I can find the book as an English translation I might buy it, just to find the better ending.

Please understand this is MY take from this drama, only mine. I loved ALL the actors; I think they ALL deserved better than this Script of Abomination - like. oh I don't know, maybe the author's ORIGINAL story. I mean they really committed to their characters and made their character so believable.

I wish another, more competent, scriptwriter could work WITH the author and do it all again with the same, VERY gifted cast. But then, as my late mum would say, "if wishes were horses, then beggars could ride." So yeah.....sadly, there will be no horseriding beggars and no better version of this. This had so MUCH promise that was wasted by a scriptwriter from hell.

Read More