Very UNEXPECTED plots and twists that have you questioning EVERYTHING
This is a 13 episode Tdrama and it was the perfect length for the drama.There are several storylines in this drama, around 3-4 episodes long each and are all delved into. The first 4 episode had a somewhat expectable plot if you've watched the trailer or read the synopsis, but after that, it really goes outside of the usual fantasy box and starts delving into sci-fi, especially the last 3 episodes.
This drama really goes from a world of gods and demigods called Kawas, a whole mythology thing where the big, main God is Kakarayan (whose storyline was my favourite), to sci-fi and a Matrix like plot that really has you questioning the reality of everything that happened in the drama. This was the plot that got me really emotional, especially when the world of the ML literally comes crashing down around him.
It is full of unexpected twists, so many that the ending, though satisfying, creates more questions than answers.
Characters you think are bad or good, or real, or fake, aren't at all what they seem. Though there is one thing I will say about all the characters and that is that there aren't really any bad guys.
My favourite character was definitely Kakarayan more so than Orad and I loved how (SPOILER) Kakarayan literally created Orad to live the life he wanted for himself with the girl he loved. There is a wholesome love triangle that's never delved into, but one I absolutely ADORED.
SPOILER: I LOVED the ending of this drama, it was PERFECT and so much happier than I would have expected. It sort of went down I route I don't like, where everything is a dream. But it did it so well that I didn't care, and they also make it a point to say that it wasn't a dream, perhaps just a forgotten memory as almost the entire plot of the drama was. I would have liked to see them get married or at least engaged at the end, to wrap up the storyline and finalise it in a way.
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Beautiful, dreamlike, and full of heart
I loved every moment of this show from the very beginning to the very end. It’s beautiful, dreamlike, heartwarming and also heart wrenching at times. Gosh, this show just has so much heart.The romance is fantastic in this show. I understand why people say this is a slow burn but holy crap I shipped them from the very first moment you see them interact on screen. I think it builds really well, all of these small moments adding up to a great romance. I personally find immortal being x human being a difficult romance to believe, but I totally did here.
The plot is not super fast paced either, it almost has this slice of life element to it. It focuses on people’s lives and relationships and struggles. I loved the story of Ai Ting and Ai Yu in particular. I also loved exploring the relationship between Tien Ti and her grandmother. I would say I’m pretty meh on Tien Ti’s coworkers but I loved how her work as a tour guide tied into the themes of taking care of nature.
The fantasy and mythology aspect of this show was so fascinating. I loved the beginning animations and how they gave background on the characters, and occasionally foreshadowed certain aspects of the plot. Alice Ko was amazing as Toem, she absolutely killed every scene she was in. Orad was great of course and I loved his story arc. I also appreciate how they made Tien Ti sympathetic to how it must be difficult to be a god and yet not able to help people.
I usually pay literally no attention to the OSTs of shows but this show was one of the only exceptions (the other is someday or one day, funnily enough). I think it’s because the songs are actually a part of the narrative. A song Tien Ti sings in the beginning becomes one of the recurring songs in the soundtrack, so it brings up all these emotions and memories with it.
You may ask why this isn’t getting a higher rating, and it’s mostly because I found the plot twists toward the end of the show a little confusing. But asides from that, I absolutely loved this show.
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This review may contain spoilers
Gorgeous, mesmerizing fantasy that doesn't stick the landing
This is an incredibly creative, innovative and ambitious drama that ultimately falls short but is worth watching anyway. The drama is based on the mythology of the Amis people, who are the indigenous people of Taiwan. Each episode opens with a beautiful animation illustrating an Amis folktale narrated in their native language and the language is also used in dialogues by the gods.Some of my favorite things about this drama:
> The narrative structure: The show explores memory, loss, grief and time. It makes extensive use of flashbacks, which is something I normally hate. But in this case the flashbacks were the story, like thematically and in terms of what we learn at the end, the entire thing is rooted in the fluidity of time and how what we knows shifts and changes as we move back and forth through the timeline. Sometimes it felt overwhelming and ultimately didn't quite work once I got to the end but I respect that the writing team went for it, it is not easy to create a narrative like this. I love that they Went For It.
> The animations: Absolutely gorgeous, kudos to the artist and also to the writers for conceiving this way to address the mythology of the story. Every single animation tells you something extremely important to the story, including the ending which was telegraphed very early on but of course we only realize that in retrospect. If you're finished watching, read this thread that documents the narration and art in every opening: https://twitter.com/Hoyaanae/status/1455182655524245514
> The cinematography: Absolutely stunning, just on the level of pure beauty this drama delivers.
> The OST: One of the best I've ever heard, it's been on repeat in the car and I've never listened to Mando music before. And it turns out it telegraphs the entire plot and ending of the story only you won't realize it until you're done.
> The acting: Everyone was great but special shoutout to Alice Ko as Toem, the goddess turned evil. Her performance was scary, subtle, nuanced and ultimately heartbreaking. Fu Meng Bo was also perfect as Orad, the god in love with a human. You've never seen someone pine so beautifully.
What I didn't like:
> The ending. It is a gigantic shock and not in a good way because it takes a lot of drama's intricate plot and flushes it down the drain. I was literally screaming at the screen when I realized how it was going to end. Having said that, it was moving to see Orad's joy at the end and how all of the kawas and sikawasay end up so that somewhat made up for the mindf*ck of an ending.
> The main ship: I didn't hate them together but they didn't have the intense chemistry that I felt was needed to sell me on their epic romance. The ending would've been more palatable if the chemistry had been better.
> The ecological angle: this turned out to be a plot device that was abandoned pretty early on which was a missed opportunity.
Despite the ending I haven't been able to stop thinking about this drama. It's truly mesmerizing, like a beautiful dream that you immerse yourself into and allow to take over your mind. Go in with zero expectations about where the narrative will land and you will be in for a drama watch like no other.
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This review may contain spoilers
THIS DRAMA MADE ME FEEL THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD FEEL
I swear to god watching this drama made me feel like I'm going through a lucid dream. Everything felt so unreal, its probably the best Taiwanese drama I've ever watched. Its definitely comparable to kdramas out there. I dont really cry while watching dramas no matter how sad it was BUT THIS ONE MADE ME CRY like JUST WATCH IT.Personally I feel like the story is just top tier, the writer makes sure everything is explained as the story progresses, even the plot twists made so much sense the more you think about it. Its truly a drama that makes you ponder about the story rather than watching it like a fool and accept whatever that is thrown at you. I LOVE the illustrated story at the beginning of each episode being narrated in the Amis language. Not only does it give you more context on the drama but it gave me a lot of nostalgia I had as a kid growing up and reading/watching illustrated chinese stories. The familiar illustration style gave me so much comfort watching it.
And yes, its a happy ending. A happy ending for everyone in the story. Not one character didn't have a happy ending. I was worried about it being a tragic story as I continued watching it but now I'm relieved.
Also I love how the director pans the scenes differently. Like FL be holding the comb in the darkness but the camera pans to a different angle of her but shes in the living room. Little things like this kept me hooked in the show because you really cant guess where this will go. Its truly unpredictable. I WAS SPEECHLESS Y'ALL.
This drama also made me cherish things a lot more. Who knows? Maybe we're all surrounded by spirits, possibly hot spirits. Imagine having a guardian angel like Orad, I would cry. I also got to learn more about Amis people. Kudos to everyone in the team, I LOVED IT.
Also uhm I wished this drama got the recognition it deserves internationally. Thats the only unfortunate thing I had in mind about this drama.
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Interesting premise but...
When I knew the script writer for Someday or One Day wrote this piece, I immediately purchased iQiYi VIP subscription so I could watched the episodes as soon as it was release!The premise was very interesting, touching on folktales I've never heard before and environmental issues. BUT, I would say this was a little lacking compared to what I had expected from this piece.
Firstly, the femal lead character could be the most hypocritical and annoying character ever. She was great at the start, but towards the end she makes questionable choices and I couldn't feel anything for her but annoyance and frustration.
Second, the chemistry between the main leads felt flat. They felt more like siblings, and/or partners.
Lastly, the ending, what intrigue me in the beginning was the topic about the environment. But that topic was somehow forgotten and miraculously solved towards the end of the drama.
Nonetheless, I still watched all episodes every week despite it flaws. To all those still considering whether to watch or not, I would say just go for it! The story setup is interesting, and the plot twist is quite mind boggling as well. All the other character are very interesting to watch except the main leads. I would say set your expectations low to enjoy this drama to the maximum. I'm just disappointed that this drama did not hit me like how Someday or One Day did...
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So complex! fun to watch
+ The main story will keep you interested and keep you watching until the end for answers+ Complex story , with many layers and explores interesting topics and themes
+ Cast is all very good looking . Great acting among the team
+Great chemistry between the leads. Especially in the later episodes as it was very emotional and romantic.
+OST is nice. The intro song is my favorite. I always watch it after each episode.
+ The animation at the start of each episode is nice. It gives u hints to understand what the writer wants to reveal.
+/- Technically it is shot well. Great outdoor shots and set design is beautiful. Many of the shots are great but the CGI on the other hand looks lackluster and lacks depth. They use CGI very minimally so it isnt too obvious. There are also some issues with some scenes which i felt like it was too crisp. Im not sure if its the lighting or type of lens they use cause im not an expert. But i do think it couldve been excuted better
- Slow start. The drama is told in a non linear timeline. Takes time to get used to
- A little draggy at some parts, pacing could be improved.
- Writing definitely could be better to solidify the story and add more depth to the characters . The bones of the plot is there. But the journey in how the story unraveled could be improved as its not as seamless as I want it to be.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why is it not raining?
I started watching this because the title is cool.Story
The story is fun to watch. It focuses a lot on what humans did to earth, all the bad things.
The ending is technically happy but I felt something was missing. They are together and happy but it's my pet peeve when characters forget what happened to them and live a happy life. That makes me pissed off. I watched these characters grow and learn on their journey and now they don't remember any of that, how is it still them? It makes it seem like the journey was unnecessary and the bond they made is lost. It just doesn't feel right.
Thing's I liked
- The gods, they were the best part.
- The bromance between Orad and Li Pu Hui.
- Fali seems a little fruity.
- Toem and her backstory.
- Orad and his character development.
- The plot twists at the end.
- The stories at the beginning of every episode.
- Because I'm almighty I'm powerless. That quote stayed in my mind.
- OST is beautiful.
- Romance was slow burn and cute.
- To be honest I was more interested in the story about kawas than the romance.
- The reason why Kakarayan doesn't want to bless Earth anymore.
- What is real and what is fake?
- What happens when a lie is found out?
- Orad is my favorite character, he was cute whenever he smiled and made it rain.
Overall, I like this drama a lot even if it has it's flaws.
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Good Enough
Taiwanese Drama "Rainless Love in a Godless Land" is a drama that offers a plethora of myths and mythical creatures, combined under the main plotline of a couple who are not destined to be together.The drama has an original story, with beautiful cinematography and atmosphere. The mythologies that the story presents are pretty interesting to boot and well handled. The main characters were enjoyable as well. The male lead was funny and cute and the female lead was strong and dynamic, which made the perfect combination. They didn't have many sweet moments, yes, though the final episodes offered some intense scenes, but they were entertaining nevertheless.
However, towards the ending, the drama started becoming tiring and too heavy on the twists. Still, the final one was excellently managed and unexpected.
So, overall, 7 out of 10.
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Rainless love
Very moving story, interesting and entertaining . Keep the attention fix wandering how will end. It's really enjoyable and I personally recommend seen it. For really younger audiences it may be long and ppl with attention deficit may not net be able to finished, but for mature audiences is a delight. Hope more ppl will enjoyed. Don't know why Netflix is not offering it, they r missing on it. 500 characters is too many, pls consider reducing this to maybe min8mun of 300 max of 600. ......n.......mm m. Nn. Nnnnn. N nnnnnnn. Nn. Nnn....... .........k....kn..kn.......Was this review helpful to you?
I brought up Avatar, but objectively speaking the story of Rainless is actually okay too. Personally I think this is the biggest "weak" point of the drama.
I could talk about plotholes, but there aren't that many on the surface level, though it is advised not to think too deeply about cause and effect.
I'm frustrated how little actual romance we've had. I mean sure, a Tdrama does not HAVE TO BE a romance drama necessarily, however here the story was completely set up for romance, most of the big actions the main characters take are motivated by love, that is why I find it difficult to tolerate the lack of actual romance that has been shown. Someday or One Day is hugely & I mean HUGELY better in this regard.
Someone in the comment section compared the plot to a Matryoshka doll and this is a somewhat valid comparison, it's just that I could not appreciate the big reveals in the last episode all that much. It's like all these grand concepts were introduced to confuse and mesmerize the audience, but ultimately they did not have that much plot relevance.
I don't like the main villain's motivation for doing the things he did, feels like it was just an afterthought by the writer. Honestly, I think I would have preferred not knowing.
I'm not entirely sold on the ending either, how everything turned in the last episode felt quite arbitrary to me..
Still it's nice a that the writer managed to produce a complex, cleverly written & still somewhat coherent script, it's better than what most high concept shows have in Hollywood.
I really liked how the show is based on indigenous Taiwanese lore. The mysticism based on this paired with the aforementioned audiovisuals are the heart of the drama.
Overall the show is fairly original, however it cannot be denied that the writer has gotten a lot of inspiration from Goblin & a certain Japanese video game.
I talked about before how I'm not entirely happy about the romantic story, but that's not all, the chemistry between the leads could've been better. Even during the finale I could not really get into the mood to earnestly root for their happiness.
Alice Ke really stole the show. She must have had fun while filming. What a great adversary she was! Though perhaps in certain scenes her enthusiasm was a touch too obvious.
While watching the drama, during the early episodes I frequently felt that I'm watching a movie produced for children, such as the 2018 Little Mermaid movie. Xie Tian Di's character had many juvenile moments. It's fine to have juvenile adults in a drama, they exists in real life too, I'm totally one myself, but Tian Di had some ridiculous dialogs early on, similar to a cartoon mom explaining something to her cartoon son about dog poop. Did perhaps the producers try to make the drama more family friendly? I guess it's okay, this did not detract too much from my enjoyment.
Joanne's singing was a very nice touch. In the later episodes I missed the summoning ritual quite a bit. Obviously this is based on Goblin's candle blowing thing, but it was nonetheless lovely.
The episode previews were extremely annoying. Why, just why would anyone put the episode preview BEFORE the epilogue? A binge watcher does not need episode previews anyway, even if I'm watching a drama normally as it airs, I would like to have the option to not look at the previews.
TLDR: Rainless Love in a Godless Land is a wonderful audiovisual experience with an above average story, 9/10.
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原子邦妮 Astro Bunny is absolutely incredible, even outside of Rainless's OST. Her songs sound like Ivy songs, but better.
edit: I decided to give this another go, now in the year 2023. I think my review holds up quite well, but now I felt the chemistry between the leads being better than what I initially thought & also enjoyed the final half episode A LOT as well.
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Behind Every Lie is A Wish Waiting to Come True
This drama is truly magical. Gotta say I love everything about this show, highly recommended. . Familiar yet refreshing and very philosophical. A love story intertwines with beautiful folklore and mystery. The plot is very well written, with each episode building upon the previous one to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. The little touch at the end of every episode is really sweet, showing how much their relationship grows over time. Fu Meng Bo is such a good actor, both in the Sleuth of Ming Dynasty and this one. Hope to see more of him in the future ❤️Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful, smart, meaningful, and enjoyable!
I NEVER write reviews before a show has finished airing. But I hate how this gem of a drama is flying under the radar. So I’m here to say if you’re questioning whether to watch it or not, just go for it! I am also confident the remaining episodes will be as excellent as the first 8 I watched because I trust the expert makers and writers of “Someday or One Day”.So what’s so great about this one? Plot, actors, messages, OST, and cinematography are all impressive and enjoyable to watch. It comes together in a grand yet intimate way many other dramas attempt to accomplish but miss the mark in doing so.
I especially appreciate the way the plot is written. The story is revealed in non linear pieces. Moments and scenes are played and replayed in different fashions and are given new meaning within the context as you receive more information. It never feels repetitive but instead adds layers of depth and moments of “ah-ha”. You have to pay attention but it never feels like they’re trying to reach over your head. In this it definitely reminds me of the brilliant “Someday or One Day”. I like this way of thinking of time being cyclical not linear and seemingly simple moments that matter most in our lives.
Also, major shout out to showcasing the native folklore, language, and beliefs.
Yes it will be compared to dramas like Goblin or many of the other human/deity romances. But Rainless Love in a Godless Land has so many unique things to offer and deserves it’s own stand alone place among them all.
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