2ndLeadsBest
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Solid execution with "Logical" Ending
There's been multiple promising thrillers with less-than-ideal endings, so I've been holding off on this one (still recovering with WTH endings from other dramas).Script isn't completely unique, but the execution and pacing was solid. No overly absurd twists and not overly gore.
Short 11 episodes, there won't be any supporting character development and most of the bad characters were just one dimensional. The focus will be entirely on the leads.
Amazing pair up:
Shin Ha Kyun (previously in Beyond Evil) had a similar vibe, but I enjoy his character in this one way better. His character transition from a beat down lawyer to morally twisted vigilante is spot on.
Kim Young Kwang (coming from Somebody) is the perfect choice for Seo Do Young. He's charismatic, psychotic & calculating all at the same time.
A partnership that started out from fear develops into a promising business codependence. There were hints of friendship and trust at times but as the greed & ambition expands, it leads to the ultimate ending.
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We go fast .. pass on side characters
There's a lot of enjoyable aspects of this drama but # 1 reason is always:1. Zhai Zi Lu - ML. He is phenomenal. In the drama wasteland amongst pretty faces famous w/o much acting skills, Zhai Zi Lu is not one of them. I first enjoyed him as the sleezy boy in the Pavillion as a small supporting role then found him as the ML in Hello Debate Opponent S2 followed by Calorie Boy. He will be the reason you'll want to watch any drama. I love his expressions (go full force on ugly cry scene and not worry about how great he looks like some idols....). His voice is never dubbed which I think it should be a part of any actor's skillset (unless they really have a heavy accent that warrants it).
2. ML FL polar opposite personalities. They are not my favorite pairing in terms of chemistry but it's nice seeing a race car driver falling for a brainy girl. They complement each other and somehow it works.
3. Race car stories not so common. I mean how many office dramas have you seen vs race cars?
What I didn't like:
Zero to little character developments on supporting roles and there were a lot of potential too.
Draggy after abrupt break up trope ~ ep 16. Felt forced to prolong the series into a different direction making you pretty much want to 2x watch it through.
Patriotism -- hmmm is that due to censorship? suspicious....
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Unique storyline. FL is incredible!
ep 1 . thinking to myself "hmmm is this something I would really watch all the way through?"but the high ratings made me curious.
Ep 3 in "This is kind of funny & entertaining"
Ep 11 in " OMG why am I crying?"
The FL casting is just perfect. She's one of the most beautiful unique looking actresses & she pulled off the character perfectly.
I am sure this story isn't for everyone. It's a lot of weird humor with OTP personalities.
For me I love the unique story line & most of the casting. However since this is the first time I've seen Wang Ying Lu as Feng Bao Bao, so looking forward to her future works!
Beyond Feng Bao Bao?
Well there's Neo Hou, I am happy to see him beyond the Chinese Ken doll character dubbed in proper voice. A lot more personality with Wang Ye's character.
Enjoyable watch!
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Super Tropey but watchable on the side
A standard cliche overload drama but somehow watchable on the side if you set aside ALL logic. Basically just don't think and press skip whenever the evil girl talks.Drama starts off with a poor girl going to a sommelier interview w/ ripped shorts.... uh ok?
She works at a retail wine store selling wine but she can afford an upscale apartment .... uh ok?
ML in order avoid getting arrested buys the next door apartment within an hour?
FL then goes to see wine connoisseur in Phillip but no invitation needed?.....
And the list goes on but by then the only way to go on is to just stop thinking and enjoy the comedy parts. Yes there were some forced comedy (not funny), some awkward comedy (cringy) but some very enjoyable ones too.
Best funny scenes:
ML's side kick He Le had the best lines overall. Probably the best character that needed more screen time.
Him telling off FL's ex bf and ex bf's sugar mama.
Him trying to kiss the ML
Him screaming like a little girl
ML tries the cringe pick up lines. FL gasps responds "Little bro, you watch too many dramas"
Grandpa visits ask ML / FL to make a heart to take a picture. Awkward pose....
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Amazing talented kids actors!
I found this after watching some of the light on series through similar recommendations & I can't believe I missed this for 2 years. This is one of the best suspense crime dramas out there. Yes it's dark, disturbing and may not be everyone's cup of tea but it's must watch if you enjoy heavier content.The entire cast was strong however I was blown away by how talented these kids are. The transformation of Chang Yang's character from good to evil is portrayed perfectly by the young actor. It's hard to just showcase that kind of transformation through such an introverted character. What's more the parallelism between Chao Yang & Zhang Dong Sheng is undeniable. It's like they can sense each other. That pressure continues to build up, until the ultimate betrayal pushes them over the edge.
Pupu's character was the only innocence that could've brought Zhang Dong Sheng & Chao Yang back to the light but as the lies continues to build up there was no going back.
Yan Liang protector of Pupu was the most tragic one as he trusted Chao Yang time & time again. His bad decisions out of good intentions started the whole snowball effect.
In the end "You can believe in fairy tale." ................... but that's not the reality.
Hidden Details of the Drama:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RInCXdE9to
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Interesting concept progressed terribly
A while back I saw "Burning Ice" which led to watch Light on Series. Most were decent despite some flaws. Its hard to find good mystery thriller C-Dramas compared to romance ones.I really like the concept of technology advancement of AI eventually controlling human fate but the execution leading up to the ending wasn't plausible.
It made less sense after ep. 10. I didn't get the character development and it didn't make sense why the hero had to be Na Dou.
Nothing but why's in my head and its not because of the twists because there weren't any.
I still gave this a 7 because Fan Cheng Cheng is quite the actor. First time seeing his work but will definitely check out his other works after this.
So watch it for Fan Cheng Cheng else watch other light on series:
Burning ice, not sure if this is a light on series but it has the cop character in "The Long night"
The Long night (2020) <-- the darkest
The Pavilion <-- not much twists but really great cast and a touching story
Who is the Murderer (2021) <-- I liked the suspense in this one
Homesick (2022) <-- I loved the suspense and twists in this one
Why try to change me now (2023) <-- the worst one. I couldn't even watch it
Happy Drama-ing!
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Light on Series - Love with Flaws
I started with a drama called Burning Ice (2017) then went on to "The Long Night" and found it's Light on Series drama from a review. Now I can't stop watching them! I can't say any one of the drama has been super amazing but all had quality stories and acting.This drama didn't have many twists and it was pretty predictable where the story was going but I really enjoyed the cast and the family dynamics. The trauma of losing a family member shattered each one of their lives in different ways. As the search for the truth progresses, each person reveals their struggles inside.
The last episode closed out with the family recovering but it didn't feel completely satisfying as other relationships did not get resolved like:
Between the parents of the boy in beginning of the drama vs the parents of Nian Mei
Nian Mei & Mu Ge
Mu Ge's Mom vs Nian Mei's Aunt
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Different take from your normal suspense dramas
Pacing felt slow on this one however I did enjoy the overall story.What makes this drama different:
There are 3 different stories that ties to each other
Many episodes starts off with a different person's narrative. It reveals their inner thoughts and reasoning, sometimes justifications for their wrong actions
Each character expressed different types of loneliness and the inability to connect to the rest of the world
Ending was 20/80 bitter sweet
"Perfect parents do not exist in this world, nor perfect children. We still chose to believe"
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Fantastic start
Story follows 4 rookies with very different past & personalities as they navigate through their 1st year of police work.Rookie
1. Liu Da Wei is probably everyone's favorite with his sharp come backs. He's positivity takes after his mom (very few good mom characters in the show)
2. Yang Shu - exceptionally smart but very black and white idealistic cop
3. Xia Jie - Female character living the shadow of his father and over protective mom
4. Zhao Ji Wei - Not as likable initially as he's a country boy with obviously communication issues
Ep 1-9 I was hooked. Loved:
The mentor match up conflicts for Liu Da Wei and Yang Shu.
4 rookie's friendship under 1 roof
Growth in perspective with each case
Solid supporting characters
Liu Da Wei's witty comebacks, but I do think much is lost in translation
After Ep 9 I started to play at 1.5x speed for scenes with over exaggerated characters. Cops felt like door mats that villagers can yell at for whatever whenever.
There's too much expectations for cops that at some point it just felt unrealistic. "Protect & serve" apparently means that you need to be their fathers, mothers, psychiatrist, nurse, pay for the lock smith and hospital bills out of your own pocket. If you get slapped you'll need to just take it and apologize.
Think directors were trying to shoot that "warm fuzzy" drama but end up felt forced.
Ending wasn't bad. It tied up most of the lose ends but some stories didn't feel like it was truly resolved.
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Cliche done almost right
Zero surprise with stereotypical cliches but I feel these stories can be done right if the cast is good. The same story line can be redone over non stop and its quit enjoyable to watch on the side.10 for the cast. ML & FL are both so expressive and adorable. The ML especially nailed the part.
FL 's dubbing is annoying. It's a bit overdone and sounds super immature for a 22 year old.
There's always loop holes with the these types of dramas so you'll need to avoid thinking about the logic and just go with it.
The ML's mom was a fun character and got me laughing a few scenes.
The ML's assistant was somewhat fun but could've used more humorous lines.
Happy no super mean girl syndrome (those are always auto skip).
Lots of fluff and happiness in this drama perfect for those who enjoys these.
WARNING fish lip kisses overload.
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Unexpectedly Good ... SOOooOoO Good
It was a 10 until ep 31.I love the ML and FL in different dramas but their pairing initially was questionable to me as the age gap looked a bit much. He looks 10 years younger and She looks her real age but surprisingly their chemistry was very good. In addition the supporting couple is so cute as well. Strong start to the drama with lots of laughs and sweet moments already. So far no nasty characters and there's a lot of human factor to the story. By that I mean no characters you just want to skip kind.
The story started off with an intense life turning moment for the lead characters followed by 2 years of break. They meet again in the oddest way only happen in drama land with some unavoidable misunderstandings. I love that she's strong, not needing to be rescued weak girl. She gets injured and can handle the pain, not the "O I cut my finger boy need to carry me kind". She has her weakness but she doesn't give up. Soon he sees the fighting spirit and grew fond of her. Their conversations are entertaining so kudos to the script writers!
More over there are a lot of subtle humor. My favorite ones:
1. Ep 1: "What , rice? that's a last name? " FL while holding a bomb "What can I do if my dad's last name is rice?"
2. Staring contest between the leads, the background is blurred out but if you pay attention to the background you'll crack up laughing.
3. FL and the director looking at an animal brain RAW!!! then she orders cooked intestine "here you go this, its something you regularly operate on."
so many more!!!
Sadly ep 31 came and annoying characters introduction ruined the drama wasted about 5 ep. Characters/ story line was totally not needed.
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Promotes "Self Love"
Rom Com with unavoidable cliches (aka fish lip frozen kissing scenes) However There are a lot of things that are well done in this drama:1. 90% likeable characters from supporting cast to the leads
2. Negative characters got limited scenes (some dramas are killed by negative characters overtaking screen time)
3. Minimal negative characters which is also a good thing else you'll think the world is a lousy place
4. Promote self love. You have to fix yourself before trying to fix others. I think this is very important and its positive vibe
5. Adult life <-- unlike some old fashioned dramas where leads don't even have any past until 30 and can't have relations unless it's marriage, this does hints people actually dated!
6. Fun one liners from supporting characters like the roommate, the male assistant & the artist.
7. Cute relationships amongst the characters. aka the 3 team members. I really liked the conflicted friend that finds ML annoying but yet deep deep DEEP down inside he cares. The 1/2 brother with Seo Dan Ah was a messy complicated one and yet sweet at times too. Many atypical relationships all covered and it was unique to this drama.
Negative:
Breakup <-- unavoidable predicament in any rom com. This was weak. Strong FL boom just break down over dad scene. Like yeah common....
Emotional scenes <-- not so touching, didn't really hit but I don't think it matters much
I enjoyed quite a bit. Easy watch if you want something relaxing.
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Hooked by ep 3
There are some crime dramas that have a powerful ep 1 that hooks you right away and then kind of sizzles off pass the 1/2 way mark. This one a bit slow in the beginning but by ep 3 you will love the characters. So heart felt with the leads from vastly different circumstances. An old detective conflicted with what's right verses a job that he needs to survive. He acts like he doesn't want to get involved but only because he doesn't want to drag down other people's career.Comes a young hot seemingly empty cop with little joys in his life who doesn't care what this case will do to his career. They team to solve the case. It started off a bit slow but by ep 3, the 2 opposite cops bonded through a heartwarming scene where old cop asked young cop "why are you working?" (& not enjoying life with his inheritance $.) Young cop expressed he that he doesn't have a family and w/o being a cop "I'd have nothing left but money." You'll see the pain in his eyes with his acting!
The first murder wasn't much surprise and honestly I didn't expect the retrial to take that direction. The subsequent murder connections kept you on your seat. It's got enough names for you to draw 2 page relationship diagrams but it will all come to light by ep 13. The dialogues only gets better as the story continues. There are so many subtle humor between the characters that it keeps the characters all that much memorable.
I also enjoyed the complex characters that no one is one sided good or bad as they all have to make good and bad decisions that may or may not benefit them. You'll end up disliking one character only to like them later on, like the chief, the reporter, the internal affairs, the head strong cop on the team and so on.
Great crime drama extremely well written! This kind of drama deserves multiple seasons. One can only wish.
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Watched it for Dai Xu
Honestly I didn't think the story was all that compelling. The acting by the FL was mediocre at best or maybe it could've been ruined by the dubbed voice. Her love interest was boring as well although nothing was really solidified as it is not a romance drama. I strictly watched this for Dai Xu. He's acting is always on par with all his supporting roles I've seen him in. Again his character was the best and most interesting in this drama.The stories were ok, nothing too moving. You aren't really moved either way. The ending felt super rushed.
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Lots of Joy of Life cast
I think you'll find it even more enjoyable if you were a fan of Joy of Life although the ML and the FL played brother & sister in Joy of life and this one they are husband and wife. Even Zhang Ruo Yun made the initial cameo which I loved! The ML maintains his comedic character and extended the same qualities in this drama. It's not a joy of life of course but if you need a lighthearted drama with a good laugh this one definitely offers that.The ML wakes up in the past from the future and brings a lot of business savvy ideas. He gathers the support all the $ bought husbands to establish a business chain for thousand year old eggs no less. The dialogue back and forth was very witty. The only portion i skipped was many of the brother of the wife and his dad.
16 ep in the drama took a completely different turn in your political drama. It was still semi enjoyable but there's definitely some sad moments with supporting characters that I wish it didn't go in that direction. Honestly I wish they kept it just comedic through out and not go into this deep meaning of life choices, betrayal, loss over political unrest. There are enough dramas for that. The ending is also like Joy of Life where you know there's a season 2 just waiting years years later to happen.
Strong start with no finish....
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