Finally something worth watching?? I don't have words.
I didn't know that I would say this about a vampire centric drama but it was really a breath of fresh air. After a long wait Cdrama world finally gave something worth watching which ended the spell of boring dramas of this year. We were inundated with many overhyped shows which could not do justice to all the anticipation. I wasn't sure about this one either (especially if it is a republican era one) but the first episode was more than enough to intrigue me with its unique plotline. The cinematography looked really nice plus the music beautifully accentuated the scenes. I loved the acting of all the actors and hoped this one could surprise us the way 'The double' did this year. However my hopes came down shattering pretty soon. It was already becoming impossible to ignore all the loopholes in the plot but by the time we reached the end, the drama totally took us as a fool. I was no longer mesmerized by the cinematography as I was in the beginning. The side characters completely took over the main leads and I could clearly see that they were forcibly giving more screen time to yinling. (Plus their efforts to justify all the wrong actions of some characters to gain sympathy of the viewers is just so... incomprehensible ). The show didn't really give proper closer to most of the characters (I wonder what was the rush?) The ending was so disappointing that I don't have words to explain it. If it wasn't for the good cast I would have dropped the show but I continued just for them..Their acting on the other hand kind of... began to look stiff towards the end as if nobody was feeling the emotions that their characters were supposed to feel or perhaps it was the weird editing that made me feel that way.(Except for Mi Lan, she was pretty good till the end).To conclude it all...this one could have been a great show with solid performance but they did their magic and ruined it all and made it another one time watch drama at most.
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Unique, refreshing and riveting!!!
This drama has indeed shocked me, I can understand it took a while to air because of various reasons one of them being censorship so let's say I had lost hope that it was going to be as good..or if it was going to even air but it finally did and here we are....This is definitely one of the best dramas this year...2024 hasn't been the best C drama year so I have to specially thank snowfall for pulling me right out of that slump.....
This dramas had a riveting, refreshing and sort of unique plot..that despite facing issues of censorship managed to keep you engaged and entertained..the story was a mixture of fantasy, action, suspense thrill and a bit of comedy but was also really emotional and heartwarming.
The characterisation was good..the characters especially the main characters were written to be complex but also interesting and also had personality..... except for the villain antagonist that came off as rather aimless and one dimensional but I can put him aside because these other characters made up for what he lacked.
The acting was absolutely incredible, I need to applaud the actors and actresses for devouring and being commited to their roles in a way that made me connected to them and the story.
Gao weiguang's character as Shen zhiheng was absolutely Mature charismatic but also principled, disciplined, kind and dignified..in addition to generating a really strong aura that made me love and appreciate his character.
Ouyang nana as Milan was such a precious Character, I love how she managed to portray a blind character so well, her eye expressions and body language was so convincing..and I loved her character development after she changed....she was smart, witty and charming....she was a great addition to the cast.
Win wins Character as Situ weilan was another amazing character, he was potrayed as grey and witty but also a bit mysterious....and generated this charming era....
These three had such amazing character chemistry and I enjoyed their interactions throughly.
One character I had a problem with was the supposedly antagonist Li yiyang, his character seemed aimless, and cartoonish and one dimensional and I wasn't sure about whether to take him seriously or not..he was so annoying and definitely not entertaining but regardless I have to commend Ryan Ren's acting in some scenes especially in the last Episodes..he did start off as overacting but I loved how he improved towards the end...it was indeed a development.
I must say I also enjoyed...the heart warming relationship between Gao weiguang and Ouyang Nana's characters Shen and Milan...it was heartwarming and beautiful despite them having subtle interactions.....I really yearned to see more of them.
This drama was visually appealing...the costume designs the cinematography everything was shot so beautifully....it was appeasing to the eyes.
The osts and soundtracks were amazing too.
Now which brings me to the part I kind of didn't like but also sort of understood..THE ENDING Iam still collecting my self to describe exactly what I feel about the ending..it felt a bit quick abrupt rushed....it would have sunk in more had it been a little longer...let's just say it definetly broke my heart but the series overall minus those last few minutes of EP 24 was amazing.
Do I recommend it ?
YES skip the last episode if you can't take a heartbreaking ending but watch the rest of the drams the only difference is that you might get too attached and connected as I was which would lead to a heartbreak.
All in all this is one of the best dramas this year!!! For me so I give it a 10 consider it an emotional rating because even if it wasn't the most perfect drama I was still entertained so much to give it anything less than that.....so enjoy!!! It's a nice drama.
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Why? Just Why?
This has been on my anticipated list since it filmed back in 2021. I really wanted to see VG in a Republican Era vampire role because I knew he could hit it out of the park (which he did); at the time I didn't know the rest of mains or some of the supporting cast. But what started as an interesting drama and story devolved into yet another ridiculous push for a supporting character to outshine everyone except the lead. Why? Just seriously why?Pros: VG as a vampire or SZH was truly awesome even though his character wasn't very smart at times and couldn't put two and two together. I loved everything about him as an immortal that did his absolute best to be human. It was a great role for him and I hope he does something like this again just maybe with a different director and script. I loved SZH relationship with SWL who turned out to be his younger brother. Those two really did deserve so much more screen time even SWL by himself or with other characters like ML, our child-like FL or Jing Xue (who I really wish sounded like an adult not a 12 year old when she spoke or whined/cried). The four of them made this drama worthwhile to watch. The real antagonist was the Mu lady at the end and she gave the right kind of villain vibe. I loved the vampires kicking butt parts very much but then again I'm usually happy with any sort of martial arts in a drama or the kicking of the butt.
I have to say unlike SZH who was being as human as possible, SWL was the opposite. He was born as a vampire and didn't know human emotions or what being human really meant and though it seemed ok with him at first, he started getting confused once his feelings couldn't be explained with vampire logic and that's why though he came across as unserious or goofy, his character really was quite complex. Mi Lan remained as child-like through out her entire portrayal whether she was blind or when she was turned and could see (being blind to start and than getting used to seeing, ON really nailed her role). It being republican era, made the sets and costumes just really beautiful as well as the OSTs.
Cons: Was it really nepotism that swung TML and supposed villain into basically second ML lead status but in the worst way possible? Second drama that has done that after TPR. The director was determined no matter how many people he harmed, killed, etc., to give him a redemption arc death but he made most of us want to vomit because, I'm sorry but this actor couldn't be taken seriously, was miscast, and/or was just no and given way too much screen time, side tracking the story seven ways to Sunday. He had mental health issues and many complexes I couldn't remember or explain. I just wanted him gone and had to ffw a lot of his scenes because they were so repetitive, it was boring to the point of headache inducing. His death redemption arc was in the form of a lava bomb when he pushed SZH out of the way and you had to yet again do a facepalm as his life with SZH flashed before him just before he went kaboom. And Mu lady's death was laughable because one moment they were just on an erupting volcano fighting, the next SZH gets another power and he throws her into a very convenient and somehow nearby lava flow which of course consumes her though just minutes ago, she was able to control the lava.
What happened to that ending? HE in the book supposedly but filled with plot holes, the death of SZH (or maybe he just disappeared for a few decades and reappeared later and walked over to her playing piano in a park with an umbrella as per some HE writing released by production) in a completely ridiculous manner that made no sense; so after all of that, I'd call it an OE that still made absolutely no sense. Furthermore, they had to do it in a phony Titanic themed method of both floating on a wooden board in the ocean and than without us seeing it as the camera panned out to the sun that hadn't bothered him until recent episodes, he supposedly disappeared as Mi Lan was calling his name.
Sorry y'all but I didn't feel any chemistry between SZH and Mi Lan and it had nothing to do with their age difference as actors or vampires for that matter. But just because Mi Lan acted so child-like that they appeared as a family of three with SZH being the big brother and protector of SWL (even though didi was way stronger) and ML.
Loopholes included; how did Mu lady survive? How did Mu Lady get all those people from Chi's office on her side and when? Why and when did Mi Lan put that necklace back on? Had she not had that pendant on her, Mu Lady would have been killed and SZH wouldn't have had to fake die? If there's traffic on the road, why use horses when one is a crow and two are vampires that fly as well? You're going after a boat and yet back to a horse you go for starters? Mi Lan may have been weak but she could have easily overpowered that shadow soldier before he pushed the self destruct button of the boat. Oh and episode 24 had zombies that came from some weird location when that was never even part of the story. Many others I can't wrap my mind around. Like make it make sense, please! I'm just glad I never set expectations on dramas before watching them because when they essentially self destruct, I don't have to deal with disappointment.
Why couldn't the remaining living characters get proper endings? They ended SWL and Jingxue in mid conversation with dead bodies all around and no ML but a voice over of what she was going to do in the future. Oh and her flower bloomed. One of the most "wait, that's it?" endings ever!
Would I recommend it? Only for VG, ON, and SDC (actor's acronyms). The beautiful era and sets and costumes plus OSTs, but the storyline fell apart in the teen episodes. So I can't say one or another, sorry.
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An Eloquent and Humane ML. A Sad Ending!
"Snowfall" is an enchanting drama that follows the life of a vampire who's over a century years old. A vampire who has been searching for his younger brother for more than a century. Shen Zhi Heng is a vampire who wants to become human, he's someone who consider his immortality as an illness, a disease. So, he wants to find his brother who is also a vampire, maybe he has a way to cure what he refers to as a disease. Aside from being a vampire, Shen Zhi Heng is also a media tycoon, he owns a media company (Haidong Daily). Haidong Daily is a media company that is impartial, it enlightens the people about what's going on in Haidong. While other companies are afraid of the development committee and doesn't dare to write anything about them, contradicting them. Haidong Daily is different, but it's the righteousness of Haidong Daily, or should I say Shen Zhi Heng's that led him to offending the Haidong Army and development committee?Since they couldn't woo him to their side, they decided to kill him. But Shen Zhi Heng not being an ordinary person managed to survive. However, his life was hanging by a thread, so he hid in an an abandoned house. As fate would have it, A blind girl (Mi Lan) who wants to end her life because she's tired of living from her mother's abuses everyday ended up in that apartment. As she's about to end her life, she heard the voice of Shen Zhi Heng who wants to survive. One is being chased and wants to live, while the other wants to end her life because she's tired of living. When the two meet, Shen Zhi Heng asked her to save her, and live up until he was able to save him. Hearing this, Mi Lan who wanted to end her life somehow decided to stay alive. After that incident, their fate became more and more intertwined.
What I love about this drama is not just because it's a vampire story. I love the humane character of the ML and how eloquent he is. Although he isn't human, he hates killing. He doesn't kill unless he is backed into a corner. He has a human heart despite the fact that he's a vampire. "Killing is not my principle. If violence could solve problems, why would I stick to my principles?" That's who Shen Zhi Heng is. When he was asked this question, "You have so much power, you could have taken the opportunity and done as you wish. Why are you waiting patiently?" He answered with "I chose this path. I only have one principle in life. As a human, you can cultivate, or help others. You can be like water. Keeping your goodness in the darkest abyss, and you won't be blamed." That's just who Shen Zhi Heng is. I also loved how he described "Red". "Red is the passionate fire, warm light, boiling blood, desire, hope, and the color of growth." How can I not like such an eloquent ML who's the epitome of kindness? To be honest, Shen Zhi Heng, this character is the main reason I'm giving this drama this rating. But of course, I love the character of Mi Lan too. Although she's blind, she helped Shen Zhi Heng a lot. I love the care they have towards each other, or should I refer to it as "love"? Vengo Gao and Ouyang Nana, those two are indeed the right leads for this drama!
When I started this drama, I wasn't expecting romance, nor was I expecting much chemistry from the leads. However, surprisedly, Vengo Gao and Ouyang Nana had chemistry. Although it's not focused on romance, we still get a satisfying romance between the leads.
I won't say this is the best vampire drama there is, nor will I say this drama has no flaws. It has its flaws, and its ending is the perfect example of one of its flaws. However, there's no drama that's flawless, or perfect, is there? But, I can say this, Though the ending was very disappointing, "Snowfall" is still a captivating drama. Also, I'm not someone that looks for a flawless drama to watch, just as long as the acting is top tier and the story is captivating and engaging, I'll watch without having a second thought. Most importantly, as long as its qualities outweighs its flaws and the ending is a happy one, I'm satisfied. Though snowfall meets most of the requirements, but sadly, the ending isn't what I envisage.
Snowfall premise was alluring, but it's ending didn't meet my expectations.
Is this a drama I'd recommend? Of course, but I advice you not to judge the whole drama with its ending. Is this a drama that's worthwhile? Indeed, except the ending. "Snowfall is not what it seems, while watching this drama, you'll laugh and get sad. It's a drama that'll make you ride the waves of emotions.
In short, this is a drama that's worth your precious time. If not for the ending, this drama could have been a double digit drama for me. But it's not all bad. Hence, I decided to give it a rating of 8.5!
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Beautiful! Every element of this drama is so stunning! (Except for the ending)
Ep 1 to Ep 6: I am not one to watch republic era dramas because for some reason I thought the clothes and styles were not all that, but boy was I wrong. They did such a wonderful job with the costumes, the hair, the set, and everything. Everything looked freaking great! It has also been a while since I have watched a vampire drama and man Gao Wei Guang happens to be one of the best castings for a vampire. He looks stunning. We have another horrible mom to add to the list of never endings horrible mothers in cdramas. These kind of mothers make me livid. Here's to hoping that she gets some of her own medicine. Li Ying Liang is not only a thug but he is so psychotic! He is an accident waiting to happen.Ep 7 to Ep 10: Good thing the mom's out of the picture. Don't want to waste anymore time thinking about her. Looking at Ying Liang, it feels like he is gonna come undone any minute now. So far the relationship between the two leads is nice, I wouldn't have minded if there wasn't any romance in it, it is still a decent drama to watch so far. Especially when the Vampire, the doctor, and Mi Lan are in the room. But if they do end up together it wouldn't be so bad either. I am so over Li Ying Liang and his buddies trying going gaga over Shen Zhi Heng. Yay, we captured a live one. To what? Experiment. Idiots. Powerful captive escape and it always ends in bloodbath. With Shen's passive character he might not be into getting his own back, it feels like he and Ying Liang might end up being buddies by the end of it. Because no matter how much Ying Liang enjoys the thrill he is a pawn .
Ep 11 and Ep 12: Okie so Ying Liang is pretty much a giant ball of hate that doesn't care about anything else but revenge so far. I'm intrigued, but hope that Ying Liang acts a little more mature. Shen is being super carefree about his capture, I wonder how he is going to get out of this mess. Right now, I wonder if any of them are going to die by the end of it. It could be either Yin Liang or Situ Wei Lian since they seem to be competing for the same woman's affection. Or it could go the other way and they might kill off either our vampire or Mi Lan.
Ep 13 to Ep 15: Oh wow, so we got vampire brothers now. That was such a good twist, I never thought Wei Lan would be a vampire though, for a moment there in the last few episodes I wondered if Ying Liang was the brother. Shen is a complicated person, shouldn't he be happy that he has finally found his brother, now he wants to cut ties. I like Wei Lan and I hope they make up! Whoa there, I thought they killed off Mi Lan for a second, but then the vampire thing existed so kinda wasn't that surprised. I don't know what to think of Ying Liang's character, he seems to feel strongly about having killed Mi Lan by accident but that didn't deter him from charging on and trying to kill Shen later. Even later, he was more worried about Shen killing him than gutted about Mi Lan's death.
Ep 16 and Ep 17: The actors are good. Ryan Ren is doing a terrific job as Ying Liang, giving us all the crazies we can accept and more. The others are just as great. I forgot that it has only 24 episodes and I don't want to see it end. It will be predictable now, them dealing with the Mu Li Hua and her cronies.
Ep 18 to Ep 23: Everything was going well till episode 23, I mean it was the norm for the drama we have been watching so far. Yin Liang was being his natural self and I have come to like his character for all his weaknesses. I liked it when he got together with Jin Jing Xue and for a moment I thought that maybe he would return to her like he said. But his plans were always poorly thought out, delusional, and weak. So, I pretty much thought that this was the last time she would be seeing him. It was always easy to see that he liked her but knew that he was a shitshow of a person and therefore tried his best to stay away. At the same time, we have Situ Wei Lan, although he doesn't seem to understand love, he doesn't begrudge her the love she has for Ying Liang. He grows to love her and has been good to he since the beginning, but their relationship feels more like friendship. Maybe there will be a future when they grow closer.
Ep 24: Everything about the ending was poorly done. The visuals that I was so impressed with in the beginning were nowhere to be seen. They were very lacking in this last arc of the drama. I am not a fan of sad endings but I like dramas that focus on doing them well. (One and Only did a marvelous job at a sad ending) The episode was so messy, Ying Liang ends was like that of dinosaurs, there one moment, gone the next! Such a waste.
I'm gonna pretend that episode 24 doesn't happen and this novel ending will be real thing for me: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/ru-yue/128589-novel-ending-if-you-re-curious
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Tacky and Weak Plot, But Still Better Than Twilight!
So yes, it's a tacky drama about a vampire, but I was only interested because of the romance and the eye candy. I mean, who wouldn't be? Sure, some scenes had me scratching my head and wondering, "Is that your version of a vampire?" But then I thought to myself, at least he’s not sparkling in the sun.The story revolves around Shen Zhi Heng, a century-old vampire, and Mi Lan, a blind girl who saves him from assassination. Cue the brooding vampire and the damsel in distress. Their relationship could have been the highlight of the show for me, but even that fell flat. I found myself pressing the 10-second forward button just to get to their scenes together, hoping for some chemistry, but even that was unsatisfying.
The only consistently interesting part of the drama? The fashion choices. The male lead looks like a model who just walked off a runway straight into the drama, with zero acting skills to back it up.
The plot features a corrupt military director and his shady boss trying to uncover Shen Zhi Heng’s secrets while taking over various businesses. It’s your typical power-hungry villain subplot, nothing to write about.
The whole thing could have been good if they had stuck to the theme and invested in better stories, plots, and actors. In the end, the romance wasn’t even satisfying. If you're in it for the fashion and eye candy, this one's for you. But if you're looking for a good story and satisfying romance, you might want to keep looking.
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Decent attempt at a vampire story
This story was interesting but not captivating. I wish the story would have focused more on the families of the stones and more of a backstory as that would have made a much more compelling story.The Good
Stands out from a lot CDramas in which it isn’t heavily focused on romance or even more so the romance is subtle. It does attempt to tell a story about a vampire and his journey to undo his curse and there is a lot of action that keeps things interesting. Fight sequences are done well from the perspective of a vampire. Everyone tends to have different lore when it comes to vampires but the main makings were there. Acting was done well from all the cast. The costumes were really nice and sets were decent.
The Bad
Had a lot of consistency issues that led to many plot holes. His vampirism seemed to only be there when the situation called for it or because the script is telling us but other times it seemed as if he no longer had special abilities during critical moments (e.g. super hearing, fast speed, flying, etc). This made many situations no longer make sense. The relationship between the main couple wasn’t always clear. Sometimes it seems as if they were a couple and other times they were more like father and daughter. It was written a little strange and would have been better if they didn’t make Mi Lan so childlike. Too much focus was placed on the cat and mouse game with Shen Zhi Heng and Li Ying Liang that it became a little redundant to the story. Censorship is odd here. The actual fictional vampire stuff can’t be shown but killing of humans with guns can. Make it make sense.
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What I Liked:
--Vengo Gao-He was tailor made for the role of a suave, badass vampire.
--Gothic vibes-the dark exteriors and interiors were perfect for this story.
--Costumes-I loved all the velvet, especially Jing Xue’s wardrobe.
--Eternally winter-a great vampire setting. You never see vampires sipping Mai Thais on the beach. The Snowpiercer train ride through the frozen landscape also felt other-worldly.
--Ever present Snowman- I had hoped Frosty would have transformed into a snow monster but we can't have everything.
--Gold Crow-I’m a fan of the Corvus genus of birds though this avian actor was forgotten about much of the time.
--Non-romantic relationship for most of the drama-Based on Mi Lan’s childlike personality, there was definitely a maturity gap and vastly unequal power structure between her and Zhi Heng. Lovers don’t usually tell the other to “drink your milk.”
Neutral:
--CGI-Not great, but not a deal breaker for me
--Ending-spoilery comments after review
--The writers couldn’t use the word “vampire” or show them drinking blood but angry, biting, hair-pulling sex was all right. Mmmm…kay
What I didn’t like
--Zhi Heng written to be utterly stupid and inept in the opening salvo. This brutal scene had him acting completely out of character. They needed a set-up for him and Mi Lan to meet and to show his mostly indestructibleness but man it made him look less than powerful or intelligent.
--Anything that hinted at a romantic relationship. I don’t mind age gaps, but this was a maturity gap. Mi Lan was treated like a 12-year-old and acted like one for much of the drama.
--Terrible wigs-some of the wigs looked like roadkill.
--Both Liang and Situ weren’t written consistently and could give you whiplash with their back-and-forth emotions
--Liang’s plot armor-Zhi Heng could take on a jillion Shadow Warriors but somehow Liang always slipped through his fingers. Although he was always being beaten, shot, etc. Characters would also go into hiding and then come back into the open with no consequences.
--The magical stones element felt ill developed and clunky. Another demerit for censorship-it plays havoc with creativity.
--Wei Lian’s creepy walk on the dark side with Jing Xue
In conclusion:
❄Overall, I enjoyed this drama. It was a nice attempt at the vampire genre given all the restrictions and had a luxurious look. The costumes and settings may have been Republican Era but the drama felt more like a magical storybook which I quite liked. Far from perfect, yet also strangely addictive, Snowfall made for an interesting if fractured fairytale.❄
30 September 2024
Short spoiler below
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I didn’t mind the SE. It had been foreshadowed from the beginning. Since I didn’t care for any romance between the two main characters, I didn’t need the HE. The only thing I didn’t care for was the apparent deviation from the source material. Of the Republican Era and strictly historical dramas I’ve watched, the censors seem to prefer sad endings so I know going into these dramas the likelihood of the main couple living HEA is a low percentage. At least it didn’t come out of the blue and the story was headed in that direction from the beginning unlike other dramas where a disappointing ending is tacked on.
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A Drama of Missed Opportunities: Snowfall’s Flawed Execution
I've been anticipating The Shadow/Snowfall for about three years, especially because this is Winwin's first drama, and I would say it wasn't really worth the wait and was quite disappointing. It started off really strong—I was hooked and intrigued by the storyline, and I found the cinematic shots to be really nice. However, the low budget tends to stand out from the middle to the end of the drama. Mi Lan, portrayed by Ouyang Nana, was quite well done, but I found her character to be extremely childish. I understand that within the realms of her abusive and sheltered childhood, she wouldn't have matured, but she doesn't have much character development. The romance aspect was also poorly portrayed; it's evident that the FL and ML have feelings for each other, but nothing really happens between them. Shen ZhiHeng takes on more of a caregiver role instead of a partner role, and I feel like their massive age gap didn't help at all. Their vampire abilities seemed to only be present for their convenience, but when it seemed logical for their abilities to assist them in their troubles, somehow they were absent.There are also a lot of plot holes, and many things were skipped over. The ML and SML never really properly mend their relationship; they just go back to being best buddies, and I felt like the mythology of all the vampire clans was also hastily done. The antagonist, Li YingLiang, only has one goal, and that was to take down SZH, which literally dragged on for the entire duration of the drama. A very one-dimensional character. The ending was horrible and rushed. It makes little sense and just kind of leaves us hanging for nothing. Overall, I would say although Snowfall brings something new to the table in terms of C-drama themes, it's very skippable and forgettable, thus 6.5/10.
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Snow Fall - Well don!
I feel the storyline was wonderful. And I am unsure whether these are your typical vampires. I don't think so. I think they are different, since they can reproduce, so there must be a human element to them. I found the cinematography, plot and majority of the acting to be refreshing. The costumes, music and special effects were all well done.Unlike some, I love the chemistry between Gao Wei Guang and Ouyang Nana. However, I feel that that they needed to step it up a notch and they didn't got far enough cinematically, as well as in the storyline. I have a feeling that has to do with the May/December romance and the inability of the production to handle it well. Lest we forget that these people mentally and emotionally were aging whether their bodies were or not. Honestly it is hard not to feel a romantic anything when we are talking about Gao Wei Guang. I think those of you who didn't feel the attraction between the characters are a bit repressed, but that's just me. I do think however, it would have helped if they had allowed Mi Lan to mature a bit more in her role.
I found a few were miscast. Like Wei Lian was too young to play that role. It should have been played by someone who was in their early 30's and looked it. While his acting was very well done, Visually, I found it difficult to believe him. Ryan Ren who played a role younger than him looked older than him. If Shen Zhi Heng had aged to around 40 in 100 years and was not a pure blood hybrid of whatever these people turned into, than Wei Lian his younger purebread brother should have been around 32 in looks.I also thought that Liang (Ryan Ren) acting was a bit over the top at parts.
All that said, I cannot give this a 10 because I think the characters should have been more developed, and gone to the next level. But all is all it was great and interesting.
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Waste of a talented cast with poor writing and execution
I didn’t have any expectations when I started “Snowfall”. I read the synopsis and it seems interesting and Vengo playing a vampire is enough of a draw for me. Unfortunately, I still come out feeling disappointed and mainly due to the plot. I did read that the last few episodes deviate quite a big from the original novel. You can read the novel ending by @Haveninmuse in one of the discussion posts.Plot
I really wanted more about the 3 families, their special powers and the magical artifacts. I want to learn more about them, so that the last big battle will make more sense and have a much bigger impact. But I should have known better since the drama description focuses more on the characters - the century-old vampire, a blind girl and the director. It’s not that I don’t like their stories and interaction, I just wanted more. Besides, the drama focuses way too much time in the first 10 episodes on Li Ying Liang’s (military dept director) animosity and revenge towards Shen Zhi Heng (vampire). Their back-and-forth became repetitive and took away time to develop the relationship between Shen Zhi Heng and Mi Lan (FL/blind girl) and Dr. Situ Wei Lan. There are also numerous plot holes in the later episodes when the drama goes more into the plot and moves away from character building and relationships. Fellow reviewer @Enigma05 listed all the loopholes which I agree with 100%. I won’t list them here to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Please go read her review to find out more. The last 2 episodes are messy, rushed and full of head-scratching moments. I am ,however, ok with the final ending of the vampire, even though I heard it’s very different from the novel.
Acting
The best thing about the drama is the acting of the cast. I actually think everyone did a good job. Vengo Gao as a vampire? Of course he would do great. He’s tall and imposing and exudes confidence and grace. He’s perfectly cast. It’s my first time watching Ouyang Nana and she was fantastic! I was really surprised that she pulled off the role of a blind girl so well, and makes Mi Lan such a likable character, even when she started to act her age. Maggie Huang is great as always as she’s such an experienced actress. Ryan Ren and Winwin are both new actors to me and they also performed well for their complicated roles.
Romance
Unfortunately, the romance is not romancing for me. I actually enjoyed Shen Zhi Heng and Mi Lan’s interaction and chemistry so much more when Mi Lan is blind. She was abused but has a sense of calm confidence, maturity, and intelligence. I felt the chemistry with just a few words from Mi Lan here and there in her unconditional support of Shen Zhi Heng. But in the later episodes, she was young and childlike, as she should be, since she’s re-living her childhood and is in awe of everything. She’s learning how to be a person all over again. So it’s not the fault of the actors that I am not feeling the chemistry. I will put the blame on the writing more. A century-old vampire and an 18-year old with childlike innocence don’t work for me. They are giving off a more brother/sister, father/daughter vibe than lovers.
The love triangle between Li Ying Liang, Jin Jing Xue and Situ Wei Lian is a little more interesting. I did find the clinginess of two of them a little much at times, but I see where they are coming from. I would have loved to see a little more emotion from Li Ying Liang when he’s with Jin Jing Xue except for the last scenes they’re together. A little more internal struggles and vulnerability will help viewers understand him better. Situ Wei Lan’s obsession and view of love is interesting to see when you think more about it. But he definitely doesn’t act like his age and he should.
Production
There are a few lovely songs in the OST that complement the different scenes very well. The costumes department also did an amazing job in dressing all the male characters in nicely-tailored suits and long coats. But special props to Vengo’s amazing costumes. With such a tall and broad frame, he looks dashing and intimidating at the same time. The women also have pretty diverse wardrobes, though some outfits are better than others. On the other hand, you can also see that this is not a big budget drama. The fight scenes are interesting and quite cool and violent (which is a surprise) but the CGI is not. The special effects get worse and worse as the drama goes. The sets, fixtures, ornaments and accessories look a little flimsy and fake.
Unless you are a fan of the actors and are a superfan of vampire stories, I would not recommend this drama. It has so much potential with an interesting general plot of the 3 magical families and their artifacts. I just wish they had included more of that into the character storylines and cut out some of the repetitive episodes in the first third of the drama. It’s such a waste of a talented cast.
Completed: 9/15/2024 - Review #485
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This review may contain spoilers
I gotta say this was a very quick and good drama. I saw a few scenes of this show and was immediately captured by watching it. The show does a very good job of making this entire vampire thing come to life, just watching the first couple of episodes it already gives off the vibes of reading a webtoon or a manga.The acting is superb, idk why everyone is hating on Li Yingliang, but I like him as a character, I wouldn't consider him the villain because Mu Lihua is. Li Yingliang is actually a very loyal and kind person, he just does things just to survive and keep living. I can understand where he is getting his resentment and hatred from, and it's a little relatable.
The ending was so uncalled for, it is kinda a cliffhanger. But I Aldo liked how Mi Lan and her mother reconcile, and how Li Yingliang decides to do what's right and turn into a new leaf even though he died. I'm not too disappointed.
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