Just like a dream...
This drama has not been advertised properly as you might start watching it simply because you are browsing for a new drama... just like that..And then... surprise 😮 the unconventional first episode literally throw you into a dream world and you cannot yet recognise what is a dream and what is reality. Then, in a complete state of mental confusion, i decided to watch the second episode, and that dream was getting weirder.. and then.. no more doubts, i was hooked!
I didnt know the team here is the same as for A Familiar Stranger which other short drama i love! Amd it makes sense as the athmosphere here is similar, with some dark magic elements and a couple indeniable attracted to each other.
Do not skip the initial OST as mesmerizing, has reminded me of the OST from a League of Nobleman.
A must watch! Shame it is too short.. 😕 😔
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Each other's "other half"
A driven plot, convincing actors, beautiful love stor(ies), sweet length, no fillers.The screenwriter really created sweet and thoughtful ML and SML- the kind of men women dream of. Case in point: 1. ML wishes he can take sth to share the burden of his pregnant wife. He says its unjust that creation of a child, the pain of pregnancy and childbirth is only borne by the mother. 2. SML whose both a noble and a general helps SFL wash her stained clothes. He says doing laundry doesnt matter male or female. Even a female can wield the sword.
(_^-^) Im a sucker for men who respects women and cherishes their women.
Back to the story. I love the intrique and I love the kind of romance potrayed. The main CP has been married for 3yrs so theres this kind of simple everyday couple normalcy and then theres also this intimacy. Which Zhao Yi Qin and Rain does beautifully. Then theres the second CP, between a cold general with own motives and a kind princess. Her personality and kindness is just right to melt this general. I wanna say both female leads are so pretty and natural in their acting.
Lastly a short drama does not mean cutting corners on quality. The story flow seamlessly, no weird edits, the costume and setting all are lovely. Wish we have more of this kind of dramas produced- a riveting story, touching romance without wasting time on stupid misunderstanding or fillers. As of July, its my favorite short drama this year.
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Surprisingly good
Good series. I’m not a big fan of mini series (I.e, less than 30 minutes) but this was actually really good. The acting, the scenery, cinematography and wardrobe were all excellent for such a short series.Series definitely has some twist and turns which were executed well within the time. It revolves around a mystery affliction that affects people in a way that causes them to become violent. Before you run, it’s not to over the top. Most of the story revolves around relationships and finding the cure. Their action, some humor and swoon worthy moments. There was character growth that was portrayed so well in this series that I must commend the writer/directors. In series much longer, you may not see growth until the last episode but this didn’t drag.
It was short, sweet and worth the watch.
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Quite disappointing. A sweet story to pass the time but nothing more.
This will be the shortest review I've ever written. I won't even write positive or negative points like I usually do. Maybe I had high expectations but I was quite disappointed by this drama especially as I loved the other two similar mini-dramas "A Familiar Stranger" and "Provoke". The drama starts with a banging first episode. Intense and eye-catching fight scenes, suspense and beautiful romantic feel of the main leads. But it's all a lie as the majority of the episodes are about watching the daily lives of the main leads - sleeping, eating, cooking, going to the market etc.I really enjoyed the first half of the drama as we got to see how the main leads fell in love. However the second half of the drama felt very underwhelming as virtually nothing big happened. I was really struggling not to fall asleep. The plot didn't intrigue me even one bit and the fact that the biggest conflict in the whole drama was resolved in the final episodes in two seconds by a random side character.
Overall I still may recommend this drama as everyone has different tastes and what I didn't like someone else might enjoy. But personally for me this was a huge disappointment plot wise which is a shame since the cinematography and cast were great.
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This review may contain spoilers
Happy ending only exist in dreams
I’ve been stuck in a rut lately, I wanted to watch a historical Chinese series but lately, all the ones I wanted to watch the paces were too slow. I’m glad I found this series, but I shouldn’t be surprised as the director and the screenwriter wrote a lot of the short series I like. The series is simple with no weird editing, It has a beautiful storyline, and the characters are just fun to watch!Still a great short series even though it's not my favorite, I still prefer A Familiar Stranger. That series kept me thinking about it for days. But don’t get me wrong, I still love this series, it's just one that I probably won't think about for days.
I also love the cast, zhao yi qin I’ve been watching his stuff for years so I’m glad to see him getting a lot more main roles. I remember watching Rain Lu in Qing Qing Zi Jin and she left a good impression so I’m glad to see more of her works here!
The only downside was the ending. I get that it was supposed to be an open ending but honestly, I was expecting a happy ending. The last two episode was a bit confusing, maybe it was the subtitled I found but I had no idea what happened to Marquis/Princess's husband. To see everyone happy at the end felt like a dream. I guess this is their way of showing that happy endings only exist in dreams.
This is going to be another director and screenwriter I will be following. I can't wait for more short series from the director and the screenwriter!
Overall an 8/10
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This Director Does a Great Job!
This is not your garden variety CDrama. At first, I was a little dazed, but kept watching anyway, and it paid off. I loved the characters. Loved the chemistry. There are still a few holes and parts of this storyline that left me scratching my head and wondering if I missed something... but the truth is that I just liked the actors and the fact that we got a happy ending even after some moments of angst and emotion.The ML is undoubtedly one of my favorites. He was so endearing, and I loved watching his gamut of emotions and his sincerity with his FL. She was a little simple in the beginning, but as a part of the storyline it made sense. Rain Lu plays dumb really well, but as she grows up in the part, she is also endearing. Loved the second couple, and even though I despised the SML at first, I really liked how he thawed and became a better person to match that sweet SFL.
Definitely the most kudos must go to this Director and the writers. Their series of short dramas are all favorites of mine, and I plan to watch everything they collaborate on or have a part in.
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Incompleted
This drama is not bad, i will even say for a low budget drama it is really good, i liked the actors and actress and the chemistry they had, the cinematography was not bad either, the way they shoot it was interesting, good job!i really hope they get a bigger budget for they really deserve it.
So! you are now asking yourself why i am rating it a 7/10 if i liked the acting that much, well it's because of the story line, i'm sorry no matter how much i liked the couples and their chemistry, i still can't wrap my finger about how they managed to get that happy ending , not that i didn't like it (i am a sucker for stories with happy endings), i just can't understand it. It seems like some pieces of the puzzle are missing .
overall it's a 7/10 for me , i would not rewatch it and i am not sure about recommending it to anyone; but if you are in for a romantic story whitout much logic to it then this drama may be a good watch for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why didn’t they promote this one???
This is so underrated series ! the plot moves fast because it’s like 15-20 min per episode. The casts were fantastic! Chemistry between the ml and fml were awesome. I didn’t mean to watch this because I didn’t hear anything about it but for whatever reason I decided to see what was all about. Then before I know it I couldn’t stop and had to force myself to actually go to bed. The ending was a bit confusing. So the whole thing was her dream? It was like dreams within dream. Kind of like inception or somethingWas this review helpful to you?
Becoming quite a fan of the director and screen writer
I never cared for short dramas until I watched "A Familiar Stranger" I was hooked on the story/casting/production.Then I looked up the screen writer & director and saw this drama. It's definitely got a similar feel in that it's got an interesting story line (if you like some dark magic, non human stuff) with that dreamland feel with beautiful visuals. The quality & design of the costumes & accessories are on par with many big budget dramas. Make up was a bit too heavy for the Males but I loved the creativity for the females especially the "Die Nu" FL make up.
The cast was very good:
ML Zhao Yi Qin is a familiar actor to me every since I watched him in Accidentally in Love then bunch of other dramas. I can't say he captivated me like the ML in A Familiar Stranger but he did a pretty good job overall.
FL Rain Lu is so cute. She's cute, innocent looking and beautiful all at the same time so those innocent scenes don't feel forced. I don't think her death painful scenes were convincing but overall she did a great job. I would rather watch her playing a innocent girl falling in love for the 1st time than many of the seasoned big name (who shall remain nameless) actresses playing down 10 years.
Supporting Cast:
I enjoyed the princess character & Yuan po po's character
OST: Quite good. similar style again w/ A Familiar stranger as well. 小时姑娘 sang both 灼风 in this drama and 听闻风月事 in A Familiar Stranger
Drama also worked in the couple from "The Killer is Also Romantic (2022)" in multiple scenes. Either you'll like that cross drama visit or you'll be like uhhhh so not related. Regardless it's a clever way to promote their other work.
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A character driven drama
I will keep it short.It's a short drama but they haven't compromised with the settings or the costume or any aspects that could hinder the enjoyment. As mentioned it is character-driven but that doesn't mean the plot is illogical. The conflict is external but the central conflict is centred on the characters.
They set up the world nicely in the first few eps and establish the characters. From there onwards, it is the characters actions and motivations that drive it forward.
The main couple is already married but they also shows how they fell in love, which was really sweet for me. The Cp have the typical love-hate part which brings the conflict in their relationship but we come to root for them as well. Princess Bai Zho is such a sweet heart. They have kept only what is necessary so the eps doesn't feel too much of filler though they are still light hearted. The main couple's affection for each other was really touching.
Except for the open ending, this was really well done drama that deserves attention.
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Lovely romance of a married couple
So nice to see a romance start with a couple that is married and see them still in love and comfortable with each other. A nice change from the usual slow burn attraction that takes places over many episodes with a big dash of misunderstandings and jealousies.And to make it better, there was a unique storyline behind the butterfly curse and the second couple was also interesting to watch! No super evil villain, just a little humour with a disgruntled father. No jealousies.
Loved both couples and their chemistry. The ladies were pretty and the men were handsome so watching this drama was a joy.
Do give this a go if you’re in the mood for romance right from episode 1.
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Not bad but lacking
At first I want to mark that I jumped to this drama straight from "Hard to Find" to see more of Zhao Yi Qin cuz I rly liked his acting in mentioned production, but... I kinda feel disappointed. Main issue with this drama is that story is rather lacking in later half and mostly we just see daily life of our 2 couples, which wouldn't be so bad if a chemistry between main leads wasn't so average. Honestly, I think that in this part I was more invested in our 2nd leads story... Other thing I'm kind of annoyed is jump skip in the end. In one moment it seems that it will end in tragedy but just moment later, and without much explanation everything is good and male leads are back as nothing ever happened, like wtf? So...It's rather avarage drama, something to watch between better productions but nothing really memorable.
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