Not so Ingenious after all. 22 episodes in and I felt asleep watching it because it was boring

"The Ingenious One" is a wuxia drama about Yun Xiang, a disciple of Yuntai who seeks revenge for the massacre of his family after 15 years of cultivation. Along the way, he met up with several friends (Shu Ya Nan and Jin Biao) whose martial arts skills are better than his.

Together they unveil secrets, investigate, solve, and take revenge for his family. The drama is highly anticipated with so much hyped; I am watching it, but found it dull and fast-forward to the boring part.

The acting is good, but I did not find the script interesting. I watched 22 episodes already and can't engage in it further. It has all the good stars, but the plot is dull, and Qin Lan's character is weak. I have not seen Qin Lan in costume drama; she looked stiff, and her acting in the role is mediocre.

The only thing good in this drama is to look at the handsome Chen Xiao. His onscreen chemistry is not that great with Rachel Momo's character.

I like the kung fu part, and Tang Xiao Tian and Xu Ling Yue's characters did not add any value to the story, IMO. I am dropping this drama and giving it a 5.5 rating.

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Cheesy and bad acting Romcom

The production quality of this drama is okay, better than Tencent.

For this drama, the storyline is okay, and the female lead's acting was not bad. I wish I could say the same thing about the male lead. The intimate scenes between the three CP were not good, and the kissing felt forced and unnatural. Maybe because of censorship issue, all kissing scenes in Chinese dramas were quite bad, except for some good, favorable, and : .well known actors and actresses

The whole thing is so cheesy and stupid, but I will finish it because I think the ensemble is much better than "Fairy from the Painting." I am giving it a 4.5 rating.

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A good Republican-Era drama focused more on investigative style.

Deep Lurk is yet another Republican-Era drama about Japanese, Communist, and the National Republic parties in the troubled times of the Japanese invasion of China in the late 30s and early 40s.

I typically don't like this genre, but this drama was well-made. Its plot focuses on investigation rather than the Japanese invasion, which Cdramas overly make.

There was little to no romance between the main CPs, but Cheng Yi and Ying Er acted well in this drama. They acted better in this drama, especially the emotional parts than in all the other dramas they were in.

It kept you guessing who the real Japanese spy was, but it was also predictable. The ending was not great. I was hoping that the main CP would get together and she would join the communist party with him, but it didn't show. It only shows him.

Synopsis: Set before the Battle of Changsha, this story is about unsung heroes during warfare and follows a man who learns to fight for a greater cause in his journey to find his father's killer. To occupy Changsha, the Japanese resort to using the 'black butler,' a strategic agent lurking in China for 15 years to carry out a long-planned deception. Yun Mu Zhi, a member of the underground party of the Communist Party of China, is killed while investigating the "black butler." Without knowing his father's true identity, his son Yun Hong Shen returns to their hometown of Changsha to track down his father's murderer. His father's friend and comrade reaches out to help him. Yun Hong Shen joins hands with Wen Ye Ming, a young woman impassioned by her sense of patriotism as they fight against innumerable odds. Setting aside his vendetta, Yun Hong Shen engages in a deadly game with Japanese agents to earn his countrymen a chance to win the war.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting from Cheng Yi and Ying Er.
2. The plot is good and keeps you guessing as Yun Hong Shen tries to discover who the real Japanese spy is and who killed his dad.
3. The main CP has little to no romance. It barely shows their romantic connection.
4. Overall, I enjoyed it and gave it a 7.5 rating.

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Good melodrama about family and the support of siblings when they deal with life's curve balls.

Our Days is a melodrama about three sisters who experience difficulty in their careers and marriages and how they come together to support each other through difficult times. The drama starts with Bai Bai He (as an older sister), Li Chun (as a middle sister), and Wang Yu Wen (as the baby sister.) It was refreshing to see Wang Yu Wen plays a domestically abused wife, which is different from her other rom-com characters.

I enjoyed the drama very much, especially the acting of the three female leads. Overall, I give it a 7.5 rating.

Synopsis: Xiang Zhi Jun has three daughters living in cities: Shanghai, Kunshan, and Suzhou. His eldest daughter, Xiang Qian, is 35 years old and has made significant progress in her career. The middle daughter, Xiang Zhong, is 31 and is actively striving to build her future. The youngest daughter, Xiang Nan, is 26, with a pure and romantic personality. The marriages of all three daughters face setbacks, leading the sisters to support and encourage each other. With their parents' guidance and advice, Xiang Zhong breaks free from her unreasonable in-laws and regains her confidence in managing her marriage. Xiang Qian sees through the hypocrisy of her husband, Gao Ping, and rediscovers her direction in both her career and life. Xiang Nan also overcomes her confusion and gains a more mature and clear understanding of marriage and herself.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting and script.
2. It is refreshing to see Wang Yu Wen in a mature and weak role.
3. The male characters in this drama are useless men. This is a good 4. lesson for women to choose the right mates; otherwise, their lives will be miserable.
5. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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Unrealistic storyline and so cheesey with mediocre acting, but watchable.

Go-Back-Lover is a rom-com that starts with Xu Ruo Han and Li Yun Rui as high school lovers who fell out of love during their university days. They got back together on a reality show where the ML is one of the investors, and the FL is the producer of its reality show. The story is unrealistic, and the 2nd and 3rd couples were annoying and unnecessary; their storylines were ridiculous. The acting of the entire cast was mediocre.

It is lame and cliche. If you want to kill time, engage in this drama. Else, don't do it.

Synopsis: Upon returning to her old high school, Shen Xing Ruo moved into her father's friend's home, where she met his son Lu Xing Yan. While the two didn't initially get along, they became closer as they spent more time together, eventually deciding to date. However, the relationship didn't last, and they broke up during university. Years later, now both adults with their own lives, they reunite - on a dating reality show. Despite the passage of time and their rocky past, they can't ignore the sparks that still fly between them. Will Xing Ruo and Xing Yan manage to make things work this time? Or is their romance best left behind?

My Reviews:
1. Mediocre acting and a bad script
2. The plot is unrealistic. All 3 CPs must be on a reality show to Go Back as lovers.
3. It was not funny, and so cheesy and cliche, and the acting of the entire ensemble was so-so.
4. I give it a 5.0 rating.

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A refreshing look at WuXia costume drama focused on loved story rather than politics and fighting.

Are You the One is a historical wuxia drama about the love story of Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou when she suffered from amnesia and afterward. This is a cute love story and a non-traditional costume drama. Less of fighting and political scenes, which is refreshing.

Synopsis: The clever and decisive Liu Mian Tang, as the first lord of Yang Shan, led the people of Yang Shan to punish the wicked, promote goodness, and uphold justice. However, she suffered serious injuries under the attack of various evil forces. Cui Xing Zhou, the Prince of Huai Yang, rescued her. When Liu Mian Tang woke up, she had no memory of Yang Shan, mistaking Cui Xing Zhou for her husband, Cui Jiu. If their identities were finally exposed, could they face all that honestly while enduring hardships?

My Reviews:
1. It is not a typical Wuxia drama; instead, it is focused on politics, fighting between kingdoms, or internal kingdom conflict. It also focuses on the relationship of the main CP.
2. It is a love story between Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou during and post-amnesia.
3. The plot is slow and draggy, and not much excitement after she recovers from her amnesia.
4. Wang Chu Ran's acting ability is mediocre, but Zhang Wan Yi's acting is much better. However, their on-screen chemistry is good.
5. I don't care about the 2nd and 3rd CP, especially the reigning emperor and empress (3rd CP). Their lives are depressing, but they comfort each other and eventually show love and care for each other.
6. However, I must warn you that the plot loses its charm and becomes tedious after the amnesia recovery.

Overall, it is a watchable, refreshing look at costume drama. I enjoy it and give it a 7.5 rating.

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Excellent story and acting, and she got the revenge for her own life as well as Jiang Li

The Double is a historical costume drama that was very engaging to watch because it has many twists involving multiple characters, such as Xue Fang Fei trying to unravel and take revenge for her and Jiang Li's lives.

Synopsis: It tells the story of Xue Fang Fei, the daughter of a well-off county magistrate who lost everything after a major upheaval. Saved by Jiang Li, the daughter of the Secretariat Director, she took on the identity of Jiang Li and returned to the capital. With the help of Duke Xiao Heng and others, she overcame numerous hardships, tirelessly fought against injustice, rescued her father, who had been wrongly imprisoned, assisted Xiao Heng in upholding justice, and protected the common people.

My Reviews:
1. Excellent acting, especially the FL, Wu Jin Yan, and the 3 ML (Wang Xing Yue, Liang Yong Qi, and Chen Xin Hai) did a good job playing their characters as well.
2. The 2nd FL, Li Meng, did an excellent job playing the hated princess who is ruthless to everyone she comes in contact with.
3. The fighting scenes were well-choreographed, and the flow of the story was engaging.
4. My only complaint is that it was a bit long. It would be better if it ended in 35 episodes because it did feel draggy in the middle.

I give it an 8.5 for good acting and good scripts.

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Decent crime drama and good acting by Ou Hao and Li Yi Tong.

Tell No One is a crime drama where Ou Hao plays an undercover cop and infiltrates Liu Qing's gang to find out the root cause of the death of Zheng Dong Yu's father, played by Li Yi Tong, who went missing six years ago.

Synopsis: Zheng Ying, an old police officer about to retire, goes undercover as an overseas businessman to trade with Liu Qing's gang. However, he mysteriously disappears after he successfully catches the gang red-handed. Zheng Dong Yu is Zheng Ying's daughter. The once arrogant and free-spirited girl grew up overnight when her father went missing. To find him, she became a police officer. Gao Yang, a young police officer who went undercover with Zheng Ying, is also looking for him. He stayed in his undercover role, investigating Zheng Ying's disappearance. Six years later, Lei Nai Wu, the key figure of Liu Qing's gang and the last person to meet Zheng Ying, was released from prison. At the same time, a mysterious killer is on the loose, who is trying to kill Lei Nai Wu. At the time, Gao Yang ventured to save Lei Nai Wu. Lei Nai Wu told him that this killer was the real murderer of Zheng Ying. What has truly happened to Zheng Ying?

My Reviews:
1. Ou Hao and Li Yi Tong's performances were commendable, bringing depth and authenticity to their characters. The supporting cast also delivered strong performances, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
2. The story was good, but it is also a typical crime drama with a predictable outcome.
3. By episode 7 or 8, I had figured out that Chen Jia Dong (played by Eric Le Yang) was a murderer.
4. While the story was engaging, it could have been more impactful if it was condensed to 8 or 10 episodes. Adding two extra episodes made some parts feel prolonged and repetitive, which could have been avoided for a more dynamic viewing experience.

I give it 7.0 for good acting.

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Good acting from Park Eun Bin, but mediocre script.

Cast Away is the story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a singer but is lost and stranded on an island for 15 years until she is found by her high school friend, who helps her fulfill her dream.

My Reviews:
1. The entire cast, especially Park Eun Bin, performed exceptionally well. She is a good actress. I loved her in Extraordinary Attorney Woo and the King's affection.
2. The plot of the drama is decent, but nothing special.
3. Predictable ending.

I am giving it a 7.5 rating for good acting and mediocre script. I wonder if she did her own singing, if so, she sings well.

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Decent acting talent from Vin Zhang, but the story is unrealistic. It went downhill after episode 6.

Live Surgery Room is a medical melodrama starting with Vin Zhang. He is a decent actor, and it was the first time I saw him act so emotionally in a drama when he found out why his dad committed suicide at Haicheng Hospital.

It was convincing, but the story went downhill after he found out the reasons why his dad took his life. Streaming surgery Live in real life is unrealistic, and this drama had no romance.

Synopsis: Zhen Ren is a surgeon who achieved his father's dying wish. With the help of ER director Pan, he joined Haicheng Hospital. He took steps forward to save a patient during a Whipple procedure. Zheng Ren devoted everything to being a doctor, and his skills caught the attention of genius doctor Su Yun, who began to study Zheng Ren's methods. Su Yun accepts and admires Zheng Ren as a colleague after witnessing his selflessness when they both signed up for the frontline rescue team after an earthquake. To treat a case of conjoined twins with arrhythmia, Zheng Ren and Su Yun join hands to form a team formed by a group of medical professionals that includes equipment nurse Xie Yiren, attending physician Lin Yuan (Wei Wei), consulting physician Chang Yue, and German professor Rudolph.

My Reviews:
1. The entire cast's acting ability was okay. Vin Zhang performed a decent job in emotional scenes. He is a decent actor, but he has appeared in many dramas in which I felt the scripts were not good, which makes his acting ability mediocre.
2. The first 5-6 episodes were engaging as Vin Zhang's character, Zheng Ren, tried to discover why his dad took his life.
3. Zheng Ren is a genius surgeon, but he cannot be the only one who performs all surgeries successfully in the entire hospital.
4. To have a story about how to survive in a hospital, they have to stream the surgery live, which is unrealistic in real life.
5. There was no romance in this drama, so if you are looking for it, you will be disappointed like I was.

I give it a 6.0 rating for bad scripts and unrealistic storylines.

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A typical crime drama with predictable ending, and good acting from Zhang Song Wen

The Hunter is a crime drama about a police department working to chase and arrest a drug lord, played by Zhang Song Wen.

Synopsis: In the calm coastal town of Sanping City, the narcotics squad accidentally seizes a batch of new methamphetamine that has a rare purity in action, so Sanping Public Security immediately launches an investigation. The transferred police officer Zhao You Nan, with a keen sense of smell and insight, makes a target of Huang Zong Wei, who did the chemical business from scratch.

The cunning Huang Zong Wei ignites Zhao Younan’s fighting spirit. She keeps an eye on Huang Zong Wei. No matter where Huang Zong Wei hides or how false her appearance is, she can dig up clues and find the truth without hesitation to arrest. The Public Security team led by Zhao You Nan versus the drug dealers led by Huang Zong Wei. Zhao You Nan goes after Huang Zong Wei, and Huang Zong Wei is good at hiding, which stages a “game of cat and mouse”…

My Reviews:
- It is a typical crime drama about drug dealers. Zhang Song Wen is the only person who acted and did a good job in this drama.
- He played a likable bad guy, just like the one in Knockout, which has a better storyline than this one.
- It is a predictable ending, so nothing special but the cat-mouse chasing between policemen and drug dealers.

I give it a 5.5 because the script is not original, but the acting is good by Zhang Song Wen

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If you are looking for romance, then don't watch this drama because there was none.

Dream (aka Imagination Season on YouTube via Fresh Drama Chanel)is a melodrama dealing with business and entrepreneurs among 4 college friends with very little romance between the main CP. There was no kissing or hugging at all. The 2nd CP has more romantic scenes than the main CP.

Synopsis: The story is about four friends in university who meet after graduation and decide to start a business together. They are prepared to use the mindset of the Internet generation coupled with a whole new business model to serve Beijing drifters who are facing problems with renting a room. Through mutual understanding and cooperation, they finally achieve their dreams after undergoing a series of challenges.

My Reviews:
- It started slowly by introducing the characters and their struggles in building their IT company.
- Yu Pen Yue (played by Jia Nai Liang) is a genius among his four college mates. His arrogantness rubs feathers with his friends, clients, and competitors.
- His kindness, caring, self-reliance, and optimism helped him overcome adversities and win the trust of his friends and his lover, Wan RouYu (played by Bridgette Qiao)
- I didn't like Bridgette Qiao's character in this drama; it was so annoying and frustrating when she allowed fear because her parents' failed marriage prevented her from following her heart.
- Eventually, they get together, but there is no romance between them; the 2nd CP has better romantic scenes than the main CP. Yu PenYue and Wan RouYu did not kiss, which was a disappointment.
- The annoying part was that the audio went silent on YouTube's Fresh Drama channel, making it unpleasant to watch.

I am giving it a 6.5 because the script has nothing special, and the acting is mediocre.

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If you have time to kill, this is a bingable drama, but the plot is not that exciting.

The Perfect Husband in the Mirror is a mystery romance short drama about a useless husband who is a child, irresponsible, a mama boy who does not want to grow up.

The Synopsis: Luo Wei Qi and her husband Meng Ying Chao have been married for seven years, and their relationship has entered a bottleneck period. Facing the sharp contrast between her husband before and after, Luo Wei Qi couldn't help but wonder if the person in front of her was her real husband...

I am giving it a 6.0 rating for the following reasons:
1. The plot is nothing exciting, but it is bingable since it is a short drama with only 10 minutes per episode.
2. The acting is not great, mediocre at best.
3. Johnny Zhang has been in a few dramas, mostly supporting roles. He should stay that way since his acting is nothing exceptional, especially not as the ML.
4. The same goes for the FL, Zhao Yuan Yuan. I like her character the best in Love is Sweet.
5. The ending is predictable, and episode 25 is not needed.

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A decent crime drama where a once suicidal policewoman tries to solve a serial killer case.

The Abandoned is a crime drama movie starting with Janine Chang as a police detective. Her character went through a life crisis where she wanted to kill herself after her fiance had killed himself.

Her attempted suicide was interrupted when she found a dead body and got herself involved in solving a serial killer who ended up killing immigrant people from Southeast Asia countries who came to Taiwan for work.

The movie is engaged with suspenseful elements as she tries to solve the case with her apprentice and the boss, who mainly hired immigrant people.

I give it a 7.5 rating, and the acting is good.

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A bizarre sci-fi drama with some interesting special effects. Good acting and the rooster rock.

Parallel World is a weird ancient sci-fi drama produced out of Cdrama.

The Synopsis: A beautiful melon seller, Ye Liu Xi, and a shadow puppet performer, Chang Dong, join forces to venture deep into the desert. One seeks to unravel the mystery of her origins, while the other aims to retrieve the remains of his girlfriend and 17 others who perished under mysterious circumstances. As they encounter numerous anomalies in the uninhabited area, they are led to the weathered and supernatural Yumen Pass. They navigate between the Imperial Guards, Taoist Priests, and the Scorpion-Eyed creatures, unraveling the truth amidst various enigmas and gaining insights into true love through numerous life-and-death experiences. The answers seem within reach but are entangled in an even larger conspiracy. Will the truth and their love prevail?

The acting is good, especially the main CP, played by Bai Yu and Ni Ni. The flow of the story is bizarre as they travel into many dimensions of the parallel worlds. It is interesting to watch; however, I wouldn't say I like the production quality of the drama, where everything is blurred and blue when they travel into a parallel world. It is my biggest complaint about this drama.

The cinematography for this drama is quite good, but why blur the sandman's face? It looks distorted. It is okay, and I like the acting, but I am not sure I will watch this genre in the future. I gave it a 7.5 rating.

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