Le Ho
Cupertino, CA
Decent drama, the elder and seasoned actors were better than Z. Tao and Sun Yi
New Vanity Fair has good acting from Wu Gang and Liu Bei, but at the same time, the characters that they play are very annoying.Ding Ke Mang is annoying and a weak man who does not speak up, defend himself, and put his wife in her place when needed, especially when he is an excellent stage actor and teacher. It was frustrating to watch him.
Jiang Ye, his wife, is annoying because she is a stubborn, headstrong, and self-fish person who only thinks of herself. She makes trouble for everyone and worries about her face and aging in the entertainment industry. She has no respect for her husband, and especially she is the breadwinner of the family.
Z. Tao is a one-dimension actor, and I have watched many dramas where he showed the same emotion of anger and frustration without shedding tears.
Sun Yi played a supporting role in this drama. Ding Ke Mang got recognition as the story progressed, and his wife still wanted to divorce him in episode 32.
The onscreen chemistry between Z. Tao and Sun Yi was not good. Ding Momo's character is better off with An Lun than Song Yang.
I am giving this drama a 7.0 rating.
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Bad portrayed of Asperger behavior. The director did a lousy job in this drama. Grrr......
Fantastic Doctor is a medical drama focused on an Asperger's genius doctor. It is based on a Kdrama and American drama called "The Good Doctor," with Zhang Wan Yi and Jiang Pei Yao.I am disappointed in this drama because the director, Lu Chuan, did not do justice to it. Zhang Wan Yi is a good actor, but the way he portrayed the Asperger's doctor was wrong in so many ways.
Asperger's has social anxiety and does not like affection. Still, in this drama, too many people hug him, and he does not react to it. Secondly, he came across as stupid with his facial demeanor instead of someone who was a genius.
The director and Zhang Wan Yi need to watch "The Good Doctor" and see how the actor portrayed the character or watch "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." to see how these two actors portray Asperger's.
The drama's title is "Fantastic Doctors," which is plural of multiple doctors and does not really focus on the genius doctor.
It is very frustrating to watch this drama, and the way Zhang Wan Yi portrayed this character was so bad. I don't think it is the actor's fault. I blame the director for doing a lousy job.
I gave it a 6.0 rating because the drama did not do justice to the Asperger community. I have a nephew who is Asperger, and he does not behave like what was portrayed in the drama.
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This crime drama is bad on so many levels, don't waste your time and energy with it.
"Chase the Truth" is a crime drama starting Wang Zi Qi and Su Xiao Tong.The Synopsis: Police detective Chu Yi Han goes undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization, hoping to find his mother. By chance, he encounters Gu Lin Na.
This drama is bad on so many levels I wasted time watching it.
1. Bad production quality. The resolution is so bad with fuzzy blue for desert scenes.
2. How can the main characters, ML/FL, survive a big explosion without major injuries or death? Unreal. The hospital stays for both characters were short, and they were back in action. Stupid and unreal.
3. I like the ML, but he acted better in the Romcom Genre, but not in the action-adventure type.
4. The FL can't act; the same goes for the supporting cast.
5. Sha Xiao Fei (played by Zhao Xun) is really annoying. All he did was yell to make himself appear as a tough guy. He played the same role in "Chasing the Undercurrent."
6. Everyone in the ensemble, including the ML, yells to appear tough. I don't think you need to do that to show the character is tough. It can be done through facial expressions and body language.
7. No romance between the main CP.
I gave it a 3.5 rating; don't waste your time.
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A mediocre drama about life struggle with career, love, and family as they try to make it in Beijing
Incomparable Beauty follows 3 couples in their 20s, 30s, and 40s as they struggle with love, family, and career choices.- Xu Yao and Yu Jia En (played by Chen Xiao and Gulnezer Bextiyar) broke up after a business failure and rekindled their love in their 30s as they reunited and worked to make it in the business world.
- Li Nian Huan and Zhao Ang (played by Chen Xiao Yun and Chen Xi Jun) are in their 20s, and their parents spoil both and try to figure out how to get their careers going doing what they love instead of the mundane jobs to meet end needs.
- Zhang Qing and Hao Chen Shi (played by Ada Liu and Zhao Da) are in their 40s and still single. Zhang Qing is a strong and successful single career woman who does not want to settle down to marry and have kids. She came to the realization that her loyalty to work backfired after she was mistreated by her boss whom she had worked for over 10 years after he found out that she was pregnant. It makes her realize that there is more to life than work.
The story is mediocre, as is the acting of these 6 main lead characters. They are good to look at, but their acting ability is nothing to rave about, especially Gulnezer. She can't act, even in the dramatic scene; she has no sorrowful expression. The ending is also stupid.
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Mediocre story but good acting from the cast. To me it is more of brotherhood story than romance
The Youth Memories is A melodrama in the 70s with a group of high school friends. Xiao Chun Sheng and his two buddies Ye Guo Hua and Chen Hong Jun, are children of military families and government workers who grew up in the same courtyard. They share many experiences, like joining the army, taking the gaokao, going out to sea, and starting a business while supporting each other the entire way. They also meet Tong Xiao Mei, a Beijing girl pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. This is an inspirational story of the growth and transformation of ordinary people during the 1970s reform era in China as the country was opening up to the world.To me, this drama is about brotherhood, where the focus is on the male characters, especially Chúng Sheng, and his relationship with others. The acting of the entire ensemble is good, especially Xiao Zhan, the ML of this drama.
I feel bad for Li Qin, the FL of this drama, but she has less screen time in the first almost 20 episodes than the supporting actress who played Chúng Sheng's first girlfriend. Her character didn't show up much until halfway through the drama. In addition, there are no romantic scenes between the two leads, which is disappointing.
I enjoyed the drama overall but didn't like the script much. I give it a 7.5 rating.
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Stupid short web drama and bad acting. Don’t waste your time
Revenge is a short web drama with 8 minutes per episode and 20 episodes in total. It starts with Daisy Li and Peng Jian Xiong.This is a bad acting drama from the ML and the supporting cast of Chen Rui Feng and Yang Jie. The FL lead did an okay job, and she was better in Provoke than in this drama.
The most annoying is Yang Jie, who played Ji Yao; she can't act at all. The same for Peng Jian Xiong, who played the ML, Lu Ming Yu, and the second male lead, Chen Rui Feng, who played Gu Yan Jue, who cannot act either.
Overall, I give it a 3.0 rating, and don't waste your time even though it is short.
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It is a watchable short modern drama about infidelity and revenge.
We All Lie is a modern drama about infidelity and revenge. It is a watchable short drama with only 16 episodes. The script is alright from episodes 1-14; the last two are stupid and predictable. The acting is C-rated from the entire cast. The main CP's acting is not great. Tan Yan Yan acted better than the FL.Synopsis: Su Li, a well-known screenwriter, thinks she has a wonderful husband and marriage. However, she gets an anonymous message telling her that Zhang Shu Heng has been cheating on her, with her best friend no less! After confirming that it's true and filled with pain and hate caused by such a betrayal, she decides to divorce him... until she becomes aware that he has no assets. Rather than being fooled twice, first by being cheated on and second by giving him half her net worth, she postpones the divorce. Yet this begs the question: how will Su Li get her revenge?
My Reviews:
1. It is a watchable short drama in which the 2nd FL acted better than the FL.
2. The acting of the entire ensemble is C-rated at best.
3. The main CP's on-screen chemistry is okay, and their acting skills are mediocre.
4. The last two episodes were not needed. It should have ended when she got her revenge.
5. The plot is nothing special. It is repeatable in many modern Cdramas.
Overall, it is a watchable. I give it a 6.0 rating.
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It is surprisingly a short and decent drama that solves a mysterious murder of main CP's parents
The Farewell Song is a melodrama about 4 young kids who grow up together in Chengdu, and their families intertwine with each other when the parents of Ma Zhuo and Xia Ze are murdered.Synopsis: The Farewell Song delves into the emotional journey of Ma Zhuo, a young girl from Ya'an, Yucheng, whose life takes a dramatic turn when her mother, Lin Guoguo, relocates to Chengdu. She connects profoundly with Xia Gang's son, Xia Ze, who becomes her first love. Their lives are shattered when Lin Guoguo and Xia Gang are unexpectedly caught up in a murder, leaving Ma Zhuo and Xia Ze emotionally adrift, their destinies entwined in a perilous quest for the truth about their fathers.
My Reviews:
1. Surprisingly, it is an interesting drama with an interesting twist, with the mysterious deaths of the main CP's parents.
2. The acting is mediocre from the cast, but the storyline is decent and engaging.
I enjoyed it and gave it a 7.5 rating because of the good script and production quality from iQiyi.
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This review may contain spoilers
It is a suspenseful spy drama with many twists and an open-ended ending.
Spy Game is a spy drama that turns real-life spies through an online game where the organization crime recruits players and turns them into real spies.The Synopsis: In Jinhai, China, a spy game has become popular among young people. As it turns out, the game was developed by an overseas intelligence organization known as "Night Fog." They are using players to engage in espionage activities without their knowledge and seizing the opportunity to cultivate spies among them. The evil seeds of the game have been spreading silently throughout the city. At this time, Gao Tian Yang, the head of reconnaissance at Jinhai National Security Bureau, works with intelligence officer Wu Xi to dive deep into the game as they investigate a case surrounding leaked laboratory secrets. During their investigation, the two rescue Huang Zi Cheng from a conspiracy, who is like a little brother to Gao Tian Yang, and in turn, he becomes their informant thanks to his rich experience in the spy game.
It has a good start and supporting casts like Li Yi Tong, Wei Da Xun, Wang Li Kun, Tony Yang, Wang Yang, etc.; it is an interesting story with decent acting from lead actors/actresses and supporting cast, with interesting twists.
The only complaint I have so far is the synthesized voices that they use to distinguish the characters in the games vs. the real voice in the present time of the drama. It is watchable, and the ending is open for Spy Game 2 since it is open-ended. I give it a 7.5 rating.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you enjoy crime solving murder mysteries in WuXia setting, you may enjoy this drama.
"Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is a Wuxia CSI drama that involves solving murder mysteries of various clans in a historical setting.The Synopsis: Ten years ago, Li Xiang Yi, the master of the Sigu Sect, dominated with his superior swordsmanship and was a symbol of light in the martial arts world. However, he suddenly disappeared along with Di Fei Sheng, the leader of the Jinyuan Alliance, after they arranged to battle in the East Sea. Ten years later, Li Lian Hua is a countryside doctor who travels dragging around a lotus tower. Li Lian Hua, Di Fei Sheng, and Fang Duo Bing gradually formed a deep friendship and joined hands in solving mysterious cases to uphold justice.
The acting and the kung fu in this drama were good; however, the first 30 episodes were about solving murders. I found it boring, fell asleep watching it, and even skipped around. It only got interesting from episode 32 onward, and the ending is a cliffhanger.
I don't enjoy it much, so I give it a 7.0 rating. The production quality was not good either; the background was too white.
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A mediocre romantic drama and on-screen chemistry of main CP is not good.
"Sweet and Cold" is a RomCom series about the relationship between Meng Hao Tian (played by Wang Zi Wen) and Leng Si Ming (played by Jin Han).Meng Hao Tian is a woman of strength, beauty, and an entrepreneur who met Leng Si Ming, a CTO, at a wedding and how their relationship started.
I have not been able to finish anything that Jin Han has done since he played the bad guy in "Princess Wei Young."
He and Ava Wang's onscreen chemistry is okay but sometimes seems awkward. The script is mediocre. Her bestie is a divorcee and a grown woman but acts like a child, and Meng Hao Tian always comes to the rescue whenever she is in trouble.
As she moves forward with her life, I hope she grows up and is independent, and does not rely on her friends that much.
The drama is mediocre and watchable, but definitely not the best of 2023 Cdramas.
I give it a 6.0 rating.
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A worthy short web drama to watch about love and revenge. Good acting of the entire cast.
Provoke is a short web drama based in the early 20th century about revenge. It is a story of love and vengeance, Du Jing Chuan.Due to the recommendations of AvenueX and CDrama Invasion, I checked it out. Initially, I was bored by it, but I decided to give it a second chance and binge-watched the entire 25 episodes.
Jiang Ying and Du Xun Yu were childhood friends, and Du Jing Chuan harmed their families. They worked together to find the truth about the death of their parents and eventually got the revenge they needed and fell in love in the process.
It is a decent short drama to binge since each episode only last 15 minutes. I give it a 7.0 rating and recommend checking it out if you want to binge-watch it in one shot.
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Watchable Romcom with mediocre acting skills from the cast.
The Science of Falling in Love is a college students' RomCom drama that tries to prove the existence of love with scientific methods.It is an unrealistic plot, but I gave them a good effort to try. The acting is mediocre; the ML, Liu Yi Chang, is better than the FL, Wu Jia Yi.
The supporting cast is not bad, and I like 2nd CP better. Their onscreen chemistry is better connected than the main CP.
The dynamic and strict relationship between the ML and his mother is toxic that screwed his outlook on connecting and building relationships with people.
Overall is not a bad drama, and I am giving it a 6.0 rating. What is up with the bright light in the production quality around the kissing scenes? It was so bad and annoying.
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Definitely a mismatch couple with stupid ending but watchable
The onscreen chemistry of the main CP is not bad, and the plot is enjoyable. I believe the ML is being typed cast for the same role. He always played the cold, arrogant, and prideful CEO.I didn’t like his brother turned out to be the bad guy at the end. It is better if it was the uncle/auntie. The supporting assistant characters are funny. The ending is stupid. It would be better if it is finished in 20 episodes. it was unnecessary to add her master character toward the last 2 episodes.
Overall is a 6.5 rating for me.
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Love Zhao Lusi, her acting was fantastic in this drama, but I did not like the script.
The Story of a Pearl Girl is a custom drama about Duan Wu, who was raised, physically abused, and grew up in a harsh Pearl Farm environment without the protection of her parents. She learned to fight, stay alive, and become a well-respected jewelry designer and entrepreneur. She ran her own business in a town full of corruption.I admired Zhao Lusi for taking on a challenging role that stretched her acting ability. Her character was mature and ambitious, wanting to better her life and the lives of the people who grew up with her in Pearl Farm. I enjoyed watching her, but the script could have been better because it did not do justice to her character and the story as a whole.
Her on-screen chemistry with Liu Yi Ning did not work well in this drama; they had a better story and characters in The Long Balad. The men in this story are useless; it is more of a women-centric tale, which they should focus more on.
It would have been better if she ended up with Zhang Jin Ran's character rather than Yan Zi Jing. ZJR is a better fit for her than YZJ. I did not like the ending either. I would rather see that she spent her time caring for and departing from YZJ since he did not survive due to poisoning. The ending was bad and felt rushed.
Synopsis: After escaping a brutal pearl farm, Duan Wu, a skilled diver, meets merchant Yan Zi Jing and noble Zhang Jin Ran. Joining Yan's caravan, she gets drawn into the glittering world of jewels while uncovering secrets about her past. Along the way, she faces betrayal and loss but stays determined to find the truth. Renamed Su Mu Zhe, she starts her own "Clear Mind" business and teams up with Zhang to right an old wrong. In the end, Su Mu Zhe thrives at the Jewel Exhibition, inspiring women to take control of their destinies.
My Reviews:
1. Good acting from ZLS.
2. The storyline could be better. It is draggy and boring, especially about the jewelry-making process and the corruption surrounding building her own store. It is too repetitive and draggy.
3. LYN and ZLS's on-screen chemistry is better in the Long Balad drama than this one.
4. ZLS is expanding and stretching her acting ability. She acted so well in playing this role where she was oppressed and mistreated by people, yet her optimism, assertiveness, and bravery helped her elevate in society as a jeweler.
5. I agree with Douban's rating of this drama. However, because of the bad script, I give it a 6.5.
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