Highly entertaining wild ride. Well executed. Impressed with everything really. I liked some of Ahn Jae Hong's work and decided to check this out. He and Esom defined hot mess and owned it. They had me laughing, crying, cringing, bowing to badassness...it was great! I can't imagine better choices. I also appreciated how a lot of Korean (etal) broadcasting taboos were thrown in as a matter of fact. The ratings blew me away. Maybe there aren't alot of alternative or edgy artsy people on MDL is the only explanation I can come up with. I'm sure alt American style shows would get damned to moral hell and flooded with trolls if it was on MDL. I can see how this would cast into low ratings in the same way.
I wanted to like it. Hong MinKi and Oh YeJu are the only reason I made it through 5 episodes (and wanted to like it). I liked their performanced and chemistry. And that's about it. I didn't care for JJH and JYM individually and felt like their chemistry was so far off that casting is seriously called into question. What was supposed to be banter or comical came across like a mil nagging you to death on the vacay from hell or annoying kids in middle age bodies fighting in the back seat of the car. I'm sorry to MinKi and YeJu. You worked hard, but I had to walk away on this one.
In the western hemisphere, the standards and rules are equally mandatory: minority representation and inclusion.…
I hear what your saying. I'm just commenting on "allowing the existance of" vs award, encourage/back. Because just a comment is a serious threat in China. Holding a forum is like making a threat in person and giving you the fine print. The govt stakeholder relationships are tight and they play ball a little differently than in the west.
Yes. The "powers that be" attempt to control what media, music, literature, etc disseminate to the public. But the arts are of and by the people, so messy morals, social values, societal critiques, and the issues that effect daily lives such as poverty, crime, and inequality will seep into content naturally. As for the physical aesthetics of actors/characters in dramas, in 2026, I don't think a government can control the two driving forces behind this: one being the face of the people (LGBTQ+ and multi-ethnic come to mind) and public demand (the C public appears to value youth, light complexions, double eyelids, thin females with long tresses and males that resemble web novel characters). Although China has demonstrated an uncanny ability to tightly control it's people (the great fire wall and the ability to blacklist celebs come to mind), they can't completely control people from making their own content and the public finding ways to access said content (via proxy and demand). If people demand mystical or folk beliefs that weren't fully eliminated by the PRC, or nods to old dynasties or Chinese Opera, you'll see what's going on now...evolving versions influences by current beauty standards and tech.
It's just China being China. Using this as an excuse because they are sweating bullets over how to continue to keep people in line. Despite censorship and even sometimes imprisoning the authors that some highly popular series are based off of, they can't stop art from immitating real life or the fact that people are obsessed with fantastical stories because of the real need for escapism. Obvi, this reality is not unique to China, it's just this is how the PRC decided to send out it's latest thinly veiled message. Make no mistake, no one in China interprets this at face value. It's no secret, the PRC supports idol actors related to or connected with popular political figures. Please note: by no means is China alone in attempting to sanitize or control and manipulate it's public through government threats, demands, and rule-making....it's becoming more and more common in the western hemisphere, just not as efficient.
i know of ryan ren’s shows but could you recommend some of ke chun’s dramas. tia!
Sugar and Lies 2026 Same CP as What a Good Girl. Short episodes, not too long of a series. Well worth checking out. Read synopsis bc starts by hitting the ground running. https://kisskh.asia/series/sugar-and-lies/
I thought I'd keep my finger on the remote ff and finish but I just couldn't. So many reasons to leave and couldn't find one to stay. For something C spicy, I'll take a spin round the Ryan Ren and Ke Chun catalogs.
Is he like the reincarnated god of sexuality? He seriously deserves his own mdl labels like*Viewer at high risk of spontaneous combustion* or *Proceed with KeChun Caution.*
In a world where dramas are saturated with stunningly attractive actors playing sultry roles, Ke Chun conquers. If he is given ML on a really good script with plentiful resources the result would be....
We need to slap two caution flags on- *Proceed with Ke Chun Caution" and "Viewers may be at high risk of spontaneous combustion." Is this guy like the god of sexuality? You had me at Baobei, but then....dog? I know I have a leash around here somewhere .
Tbh it's like sitting on a heaping hot mess merry-go-round spinning 50 mph and.... somehow enjoying it! I love good hot mess dramas. They're hard to come by- most are the bad kind- and resources are not spread evenly in the world of drama. I passed this by because of the title, but somehow circled back. I almost lost faith in the fl with her acting at the end of ep 1 but aside from that, the acting (incl fl), crew, prod, everything is making this one good scandalous hot mess. It totally blows some trending hot mess dramas out of the water. And the chemistry is....... it just melts my crappy reality of the day away and I'm sucked in. If I went off the title and ratings I would have missed out, so I wanted to suggest to others who might enjoy it, to try a couple episodes. The hidden agendas and mystery continues to grow more from ep 4/5.
This is one of those shows that I can't even rate bc tbh, my expectations are so low... like a rebound. It's not the first series I feel that way about, but for whatever reason it is the first that although I know the fl will pull through bc it's only halftime right now, I am really rooting for the god of chaos to take the wheel and drive her character over the cliff. This isn't award winning material or execution so let's just axe the fl. Find another for second half, or on second thought just give up the ladies all together (I'm not getting anti-woman, I just had flash backs of the horrid HaoYu rat eye look and JiaLi how fugly can makeup make you and I realized it may be cruel to have the makeup artist paint up another face 😭).
Well done all around- cast, production, story, ost. Re hot button topics: The sexual harassment, misconduct, and attitudes by both genders is very accurate to the experiences of myself, many friends, and family. It's not pleasant, but important to call that stuff out because it IS real, everyday life. Same with cruel office politics...my bestie who sucessfully moved up the ladder has had it worse than anyone I know, so calling that out is important. This show is the polar opposite of the romantic c-drama, so if you are looking for any semblance, look elsewhere. This is mature, complex, gritty, and raw critique of modern society. This show will not leave you feeling better or enlightened at any point. If cheating or corporate politics or making bad choices is a trigger, move on (there are a kazillion other cdramas to choose). That being said, those that still dare venture forth, prepare for a wild ride. I'll be honest, I am a romantic at heart and there were a few times I was unsettled while watching this. However, it's not sensationalist at all. I've just been through some stuff and it hits a raw nerve. Even so, it was no doubt well thought out and executed and I remained interested for the entire series. I can see why some people are not into this genre and that's perfectly fine. I assume it's underrated bc it's not the majority of MDLers' cup of tea. It's a shame that the ratings appear to be because people don't like the subject matter.
Luckily the comments prepared me for the blue screen. And yet, still, wooooow. When I settled myself back down, I was then mezmerized by the worse stach ever. Did, per chance, anyone consider removing it and going sans stach if we're at the point that it looks like the grid tape you use to patch dry wall with? I'm not an expert on the topic, but I've seen quite a few drama editing disasters, and this is mind blowing. I'm not even 1/2 way through ep1 and I feel really bad for the actors and crew. >>switched to amazon's platform per comment suggestion and blue screen was indeed removed. Whew.
whomever is doing the makeup for Zhong Jia Li (2nd FL) has her foundation 2 shades lighter than her neck. it’s…
Ty. I had to stop and gather myself to rewatch her first several scenes because all I could think was what itf is going on with her face (she's pretty and they made her such a mess).
LOVED IT. It is a quirky, artsy, quasi-dark, and clever show that incorporates many versions and emotions about love. Real life isn't black or white, win or lose, keep or throw in the gutter, bestie or foe....and neither is this show. What sets it apart is it's somehow still very organic and sincere. Anyone curious, WATCH IT. Ignore the ratings. Because I loved it, I was nervous for the last ep. I wanted it to somehow stay true to itself without falling into a fluff or bitterness trap. The ending wasn't formulaic making it very genuine. The last episode sealed the deal for me (Lao Gong, you will always be a rock star in my heart 😂🤩). If you don't love it by ep 2 or 3, move on. But by all means, don't shy because of ratings or people with beefs with fictional characters. Many of the critiques of characters such as Bei and Xiu, I don't agree. Bei is a complex introvert, and is depicted well by LYN. He just processes stuff differently. Xiu's portion of the drama really hit home for me and my older friends- marriage (internal and external pressures), attitude and relationship changes, esp feelings involved when one feels like a failure and the other feels like the caretaker. Xiu as a character- did he screw up? Yes. Understandably so? He didn't make a wise decision but the underlying issues make that choice common. Character growth? Yes, like what Bei said- it's easy to break things and difficult to piece them together bit by bit. The attraction and repulsion of the various characters made sense (why they work/didn't work). Regardless of the different relationships, there was acceptance.
Although China has demonstrated an uncanny ability to tightly control it's people (the great fire wall and the ability to blacklist celebs come to mind), they can't completely control people from making their own content and the public finding ways to access said content (via proxy and demand). If people demand mystical or folk beliefs that weren't fully eliminated by the PRC, or nods to old dynasties or Chinese Opera, you'll see what's going on now...evolving versions influences by current beauty standards and tech.
Please note: by no means is China alone in attempting to sanitize or control and manipulate it's public through government threats, demands, and rule-making....it's becoming more and more common in the western hemisphere, just not as efficient.
Same CP as What a Good Girl. Short episodes, not too long of a series. Well worth checking out. Read synopsis bc starts by hitting the ground running.
https://kisskh.asia/series/sugar-and-lies/
https://mydramalist.com/794376-bu-yi-yang-de-ta-zhi-tang-yi
What A Good Girl
Verticle drama. I used comment links to find a working youtube link when I watched it. It is also on iqiyi.
https://mydramalist.com/785702-hao-yi-ge-guai-guai-nv
In a world where dramas are saturated with stunningly attractive actors playing sultry roles, Ke Chun conquers. If he is given ML on a really good script with plentiful resources the result would be....
Oh, Boston, how I missed you.
If I went off the title and ratings I would have missed out, so I wanted to suggest to others who might enjoy it, to try a couple episodes. The hidden agendas and mystery continues to grow more from ep 4/5.
This show is the polar opposite of the romantic c-drama, so if you are looking for any semblance, look elsewhere. This is mature, complex, gritty, and raw critique of modern society. This show will not leave you feeling better or enlightened at any point. If cheating or corporate politics or making bad choices is a trigger, move on (there are a kazillion other cdramas to choose). That being said, those that still dare venture forth, prepare for a wild ride. I'll be honest, I am a romantic at heart and there were a few times I was unsettled while watching this. However, it's not sensationalist at all. I've just been through some stuff and it hits a raw nerve. Even so, it was no doubt well thought out and executed and I remained interested for the entire series.
I can see why some people are not into this genre and that's perfectly fine. I assume it's underrated bc it's not the majority of MDLers' cup of tea. It's a shame that the ratings appear to be because people don't like the subject matter.
>>switched to amazon's platform per comment suggestion and blue screen was indeed removed. Whew.
Because I loved it, I was nervous for the last ep. I wanted it to somehow stay true to itself without falling into a fluff or bitterness trap. The ending wasn't formulaic making it very genuine. The last episode sealed the deal for me (Lao Gong, you will always be a rock star in my heart 😂🤩).
If you don't love it by ep 2 or 3, move on. But by all means, don't shy because of ratings or people with beefs with fictional characters.
Many of the critiques of characters such as Bei and Xiu, I don't agree. Bei is a complex introvert, and is depicted well by LYN. He just processes stuff differently. Xiu's portion of the drama really hit home for me and my older friends- marriage (internal and external pressures), attitude and relationship changes, esp feelings involved when one feels like a failure and the other feels like the caretaker. Xiu as a character- did he screw up? Yes. Understandably so? He didn't make a wise decision but the underlying issues make that choice common. Character growth? Yes, like what Bei said- it's easy to break things and difficult to piece them together bit by bit. The attraction and repulsion of the various characters made sense (why they work/didn't work). Regardless of the different relationships, there was acceptance.