Ice Queen wrapped in Candy

This drama surprised me on many levels.

It might be the only drama I know where the FL is actually smarter and more calculating than the ML.
Surely, it’s still a chinese drama so for the first half it’s a cat and mouse game but you already get glimpses into the true strength of the female lead.

The more you watch, the better it gets.
But now to the good vs the bad (spoilers ahead)

Good parts:
- the audio / dubbing is much better than I expected from a low budget drama like this
- The female lead, her deep voice and capacity to actually kill and rule like a man. Never saw this actress before but I‘ll closely follow her upcoming projects now because she is very good at looking cold and dominating. She sees through everyone and for once in cdramaland it’s actually believable that she grew up pretending to be a man. She doesn’t turn into a cutesy girl, and although in the earlier episodes she isn’t as calculating as later on, I‘d say preserve because it’s worth it :)
- The eye candy. Let’s be honest there was no actual need for the guys to be shirtless that much, but nonetheless I enjoyed it ;))
- the comedy is very slapstick funny and the crossdressing of the ML made me laugh out loud, he truly is a beauty
- the chemistry between all characters was good

About the romance part (spoiler territory):
I loved that the roles are reversed here, especially once they become a couple.
He is very devoted to her, following her advice and she holds the reins. The kisses are often steamy and unique (hint: stairway kiss).
Also: a couple that reads smut together, stays together- enough said ;D

The not so good parts:
- Love triangle. I‘m just not a fan of them, especially when the SML has a similar character to FL and you know they‘d fit together perfectly.
- The animal cruelty. It’s 2023. Do we still need to talk about how it’s not okay to hold up a bunny by its ears and putting in water, visibly struggling? Same goes for the rat. And the horse that was pulling a carriage, which was turned 180degrees in an instant and made it trip multiple times? ~ there was a disclaimer at the end but we have eyes ? especially after WRTW we know that "no animals were hurt" means absolutely nothing in cdramas.
- sometimes I loved the ML acting, sometimes I hated it. I loved his grin/wink at FL but I‘m still on the fence about him. I do like the actor in other dramas tho.
Lastly, it does suffer from a rushed (happy) ending - it’s good and all but given the post credits we might get a s2, who knows :)

All in all it was way better than expected and although it was it’s flaws it now belongs to the 10% of dramas that I didn’t drop half way, which means a lot.

The female lead deserves a 10/10 and will go down as the one FL in my opinion that was stronger than the ML, despite both being lords.

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Night Vibe with a touch of K-Drama

I would like to start by saying that I‘m a serial dropper - so the fact that I was able to finish this drama within mere days means it had to be good or at least in some ways bingeable.

I had it on my watchlist for a long time for superficial reasons: the FL looked too webtoon-ish for me and the ML more business-handsome than the idol look I normally go for in dramas BUT I decided to give it a go after watching AvenueX‘s first impressions video.

My pros:
- leads have hot tension; and they act out on it; I wonder how this drama passed censorship but I am sooo happy it did
- Once they got together their relationship was very healthy and many little details were added that made their relationship feel believable and it goes down as one of my favorite cdrama portrayals of a healthy relationship
- ML is wipped for FL: I just love it when this happens
- ML is in his mid 30s and part of a bar band. Feels unique and cool

Cons:
- the supporting couples: I gotta be honest I completely skipped through their scenes because it felt so empty and no chemistry whatsoever; but it didn’t affect the main story one bit
- the exes coming back trope: it was alright since they were never too invasive and all their efforts failed since the leading couple was great at communicating; but still the ML ex was a bit too unreflective & selfish to have been his type at one point… it seems unbelievable that he once loved her knowing his character

From to the OST that reminded of "Adrenaline" from the K-Drama "Vincenzo", down to the romantic/intimate scenes and the rain & drunk scenes it often felt like a K-Drama. Both in cinematography, acting and style.
That was a nice surprise.
In addition I find the title "Love at Night" very fitting since the entire drama - even the day scenes - had a sensual night vibe.
I watched it at night too and I haven’t felt like that before while watching a drama.


Endnote: it’s a light but romantic tension filled drama between 2 mature people with a lot of daily and nightly romance.
If you’re sick of censorship in cdramas; then watch this because they literally have at least 3-4 intense kisses each episode once they get together. Their chemistry feels authentic and it’s satisfying to watch.
However I‘d recommend skipping the other 2 couples otherwise it might feel too long.

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a very tame soap opera

When I started this drama it was said to have 20 episodes, very much Taiwanese drama standard. Come to find out it has 40!
If I didn't know it was pre-produced, then I would be convinced the producers of this drama also only found out this crucial piece of information, when it already started airing because it has sooo much filler and is stretched out to the max.
To the point where I wouldn't even call it "filler" anymore but rather from episode 20-39 is just watered down blah-blah.

(PRODUCTION)
Instead of making it twice as long as other tw-dramas and have it be regular length, they could have had a higher budget because that is one of the biggest issues this drama has. With stars like Marcus Chang and Eugenie Liu on board I thought this surely must at least look good... oh well I thought wrong. Or maybe they spent all their budget on casting ? Who knows.
Whatever it was - someone needs to teach this production crew how to properly(!) use a muffler or deadcat. The background noise of outside scenes was coming and going as if they had used the "remove background noise" button on a cheap video editing software like Filmora or ShotCut.
Another big issue with sound was that the mics were not configured correctly for scenes when someone is screaming or crying. My poor ears. If you watched early 2000s k-dramas, you know what I mean.

(DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER)
But let's continue. Eric Hao, the director of the beloved classic "Lost Romance" collaborated with the scriptwriter of "Bromance" Shao Hui Ting, on paper this combination should evoke anticipation in you. Especially because the synopsis of "Trick or Love" is throwing things like "gender bender" and "pretend to be gay" in our direction... but once again the devil is in the details.
Eric Hao is also behind 2018's "Between" aka Sandwich Girl, an absolute catastrophe of a drama, so maybe his credentials are up for debate? Marcus Chang was leading that drama, so even the ever dashing never-aging beaut had his fair share of hit-or-misses.
(ACTING)
I'm aware that this is his official leading man comeback after his pretty serious health scare a few years back but for some reason he seems a bit rusty. One moment I'm totally falling for his flirty scheming, the next his facial expressions are so obviously acted / dramatized that I cannot help but laugh. I really am a big fan of his acting but more often than not he very clearly over acted in this drama.
This was also his second time leading a romance drama with Eugenie Liu and it's true, they do seem very comfortable with each other. Especially in the first part of the drama with the whole gender-bender. However romantic chemistry was not to be found. (We did get that from the second leads tho) Charming as Marcus is, I kept asking myself why Heng Wei would fall in love with Jing Tsen, other than following the script. Yeah she was nice-ish to him, but is that really enough to deeply fall in love with someone?
Eugenie Liu completely tanked for me, the acting was just very stiff and put on, maybe that's also why I couldn't feel any chemistry. I liked her a lot in "Triad Princess" tho. Probably have to give props to the costume department as she really did look very boyish / androgynous even when she was no longer pretending to be a guy.
Overall in the acting department both leads were a let down for me, especially because they did better in "Behind Your Smile" and their other respective work.
The supporting roles were all okay, some better, some more obviously acted but nothing horrible worth mentioning.

(STORY)
The first twenty episodes are pretty much as the synopsis says. I liked that, unlike in other cross dressing dramas, the FL was not too shy in front of the ML and was pretty neutral towards him and his flirts. Over the course of the entire drama we have some typical soap opera / melodrama moments, but all of them are pretty tame and easily forgotten. Things that seem important at first, got watered down as the story goes and by the end it's no longer that important. Characters that seem annoying or evil at first, change into nice ones by the end. As I said above the second part of this drama is not like the first half.
It's mainly about the second lead couple, that is actually more interesting and has better chemistry, but is also very cliche.

Funny enough, in the last 15 episodes the two leads slip into supporting roles, not that I mind, but they take up maybe 20 minutes of the 45 per episode. Another random thing I noticed is how much they infantilize his brother Heng Da. I was kinda shocked when I found out he is supposed be 23. Yeah you're still young at that age but they treat him like a minor and he also acts more like a child (notice: not childish but child-like). Dunno what that was about.
It's not a horrible drama nor do I hate it, it's just very, very watered down and most of the interesting stuff happens early on and then you have to hang on for another 20 episodes.

Last but not least: The OST is very good, probably the best thing to come out from this drama. Plus it made me discover Howard Lee, now a regular in my spotify playlist.

Okay, so why did I rate it a 6 if it's so boring and the acting is not very good either? I am biased. Firstly I added this drama page, updated it and I am a fan of Marcus. I also did some light translation work. So in some way this feels 10% like my baby and also the reason why I even finished watching it because... well... I would have dropped it at episode 1 otherwise.

My final conclusion: unless you really love soap operas with not much plot and love the leading actors, to the point where you don't mind anything else - skip this drama. 40 episodes is just way too long to waste your time.

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Unlikely Romance + A Bitter Fight For The Throne

This drama is amazing and I am so glad I stumbled across it, however - I think this is the type of drama you can only truly enjoy if you forget everything you read/saw about it. Neither the trailer, the Synopsis nor the original novel are an accurate portrayal of what the drama actually is like. I think a lot of people got mislead and then were disappointed.
SO, if you want to to watch it forget whatever you know about it.

I would say it's a story about an unlikely romance. Surprisingly flirty, touching and hopeful. What did Rihanna say? - We found love were it wasn't supposed to be. That's exactly it.
We have a strong, mature and hard-working FL in her 30s that has a high ranking job and doesn't loose her cool. On the other side we have a flirty, but beat-down-by-life car technician in his 20s.
The romance in this drama is very mature and raw - in the best way possible. Somehow it feels like censorship forgot to check this drama? - lol, not that I am complaining tho :D

Now about the mystery, murder, etc. - I have to give a disclaimer I don't watch a lot of dramas in that genre, which is why I appreciate the short length. I couldn't watch 20-30 episodes of a family fighting for inheritance.
Most of the mystery and murder happens in the final 3 episodes and during that time it's exactly like in the trailer, before that it's a slow but steady fight for inheritance among the Gao Family and seemingly undisturbed the ML and FL are getting to know each other, far away from the company. Which is the part I loved the most.

All in all this drama is different from what I watched before and I am glad I did.
+ the orchestral BGM also added A LOT to it feeling unique and intriguing

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My favorite costume cdrama with good kisses

First of all, my taste is a bit weird. Although I tried watching many costume cdramas this is one of the very few ones I actually finished.
I binged all 30 episodes in 3 days :D

The only thing I regret is reading the comments here before… they made me anticipate for a bad second half but I beg to differ.
The first half was a cute romcom with a unique side to it (first female student), the later half was still good but less comedy - HOWEVER I loved that they never broke up after getting together & that we got lots of kisses and affectionate moments. Rarely do I see dramas where the main leads are together for the entire later half of the drama. GREAT!

It‘s an easy watch and certainly fantasy in many aspects (how easy things are often for FL and that there are no „higher ups“ meddling in everyone’s business especially at the college) but this is exactly what I liked about it. It’s not heavy at all and even if the villain becomes more prominent in the later half, it‘s always one step back & forth. Not too frustrating.

Spoilerrrrr!!!

I would probably rate it a 9/10 if we got more romance in the last 2-3 episodes because I remember at one point we had 4 kisses in a episode and in the finale zero :/
Still - i really liked it and it was a happy ending :))

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rather than it being a wound, it feels like looking at a scar that has now healed.

This drama is like nothing I have ever watched before and has become my all-time-favorite-k-drama within only a few episodes.

This drama is probably not everyone, but for someone who is barely a main character in their own life, feeling "Lost" in life and dealing with depression, this was everything I never knew I needed.
I thought I would cry but instead it gave me great comfort.
The dialogues and monologues gave me more than enough content to fill the notes app on my phone. I will surely look at them often.

I seriously want to bow before both screenwriter and director for making this masterpiece. The cast was just perfect and I found myself having a unique experience while watching this drama... I was truly lost inside "Lost".

As the series progresses I also realized that the real villain of the story is life itself. As much as you might dislike a character at first, the more you will feel for them as the episodes go by. As cruel as it can be, it not only affects you and me but also the people we often blame for our own suffering. People that were hurt and didn't heal can only ever hurt people in order to feel better about themselves.

I don't want to spoil too much or talk much about the storyline, as I think everyone should discover this drama on their own without any spoilers because there are a lot of things that can be missed if you don't pay attention. Yes, it is a slow pace but silence can have so much more meaning than any written line.

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Curiosity is the biggest bait

[this is more of an after thought than a full review]

This drama has Guo Jing Ming (director/screenwriter) written all over it making it a double edged sword from start to finish.
As someone who only found out about the existence of c-drama during the Pandemic, his work had a sense of exciting familiarity from the get go. The way he uses visual story telling and symbolism reminded me of some of my favorite movies/shows growing up. I have yet to find another Chinese Director or writer who is able to evoke that feeling in me.
Visually this drama really is impressive. I have a massive soft spot for dark, goth-vibe movies and shows. Combine that with the bad-ass BGM when the characters were introduced and the carefully crafted visual storytelling ... ah I love it!

The more dramas I watch, the more drama-fatigue I get and it's hard to watch anything from start to finish because everything becomes so predictable. But for the first time in a long time I watched episode after episode being excited about what happens next. I could not have guessed it and that made it a really good watch for me.

Instead of thinking of it as FL, ML, SFL, SML, TML,... It was quite clear (to me) that this drama has multiple mains and every story is equally as important. Although it begins quite ambiguous, it becomes more and more evident that among all the leading characters there's no one who is really a villain. Everyone's ambitions are justifiable and not born out of greed. This solidified my initial impression that this is a story of many, not of just two.
But unfortunately the story of first CP dragged along after having a very good start. Any sense of chemistry that was there eventually fell into a slumber as their story became more and more lukewarm. The intense stares and slow mo walking past-each-other scenes early on quickly ceased to exist and in my opinion this is what gave the second CP the chance to shine even brighter because they kept the intensity up. ZY was introduced as the spoiled son that spends a lot of time hanging out at the dance house (brothel?), likes to drink and pretends to be weaker than he actually is. He often rebelled against his father and did not hesitate to yell that he will leave. Everything about his introduction had me believed he would at some point reveal his true character and show every one his wits especially after the tattoo scene, however he and YS were gradually reduced to being the safe option in order for the more complex characters to go about their story. After all you cannot have your bread buttered on both sides.
GSJ and GZY had such epic introductions, with epic instrumental that is not commonly used by c-dramas and their styling was also much better than that of the ML, who sometimes looked like his make up was wet paint.
The brothers reminded me of a duo of wolves, so calculated but also deeply complex and their dynamic was amazing. In comparison ZY fell short on so many levels and became the SW although GSJ was much more qualified and long term would have been more respected and feared by outsiders. Thinking about ZY ten years down the line... I cannot help but to suspect that the reputation of Gong will become less and less feared. Selfishly though I must admit this provides GSJ with a tiny chance of freedom, that he unlikely is to take willingly but if the circumstances are right I believe he could have his own drama about how he leaves the Gong family, despite having an undying sense of loyalty towards them. I have no doubts was the situation flipped YZ would not hesitate and leave to be with YSS... but doesn't it sound more interesting if it was the so-sure-about-his-place character that ended up leaving the mountain? - Wishful thinking I know.


Not being able to have multiple deeper, darker main characters is something I have noticed in every c-drama that attempted this so far - guess this is where Censorship comes into play. At this point I don't think I'll ever get see a 10/10 drama from China because only the most dark and twisted (love) stories can get such a rating from me.

GSJ, GZY and SSQ were the most interesting part of this drama. She was thrown into a lion's den and of the two assassins, her mission was much trickier and therefore so much more exciting. We only got glimpses but I believe these three could have their own drama, making it a push-and-pull game of wits and raw feelings. I would not want it to be ruined by idol romance but rather make it a dark romance. I'm kinda fed up with healthy or realistic relationships in dramas, it's fictional so give me all the borderline toxicity. I wasn't walking around in a "Mrs. Salvatore" hoodie for years because I liked Matt, lol. (vampire diaries).
The story of these 3 had an even flow and from all the characters I found theirs could be the perfect background story for a season 2. Yet I did wish we had gotten more scenes of them taking a (dangerous) liking to each other.
But I really didn't like how they schemed against her near the end. It wasn't until then, that SSQ was singled out as the only antagonist of the four/five. YZ did not tell her about the fortnight flies and she also ratted her out to the others, which totally took away the element of surprise and potential for a great reveal scene. I was actually looking forward to that a lot and I'd almost say while watching it was one of my biggest disappointments.
My favorite scenes were early on when GSJ was riding a horse in the dark and the camera films from above and then through an open gate as he rides past.. and a little earlier GZY being on the roof to stop ZY - just EPIC. You already get the clear feeling that these two are very different from your usual drama characters and they delivered 100%.


--BIG SPOILER--

I read up on the final scene and it's interesting how on Chinese internet the interpretation is that SSQ's life ended since he saw her standing on water. Previously only for-sure dead characters were 'seen' by the leads, so the fact that he imagined seeing her could hint at that she is no longer alive. On the contrary on mdl, reddit, etc everyone is certain she is alive since she was seen in a garden tending to the flowers.

-- CONCLUSION--

In the beginning it all felt like one epic production and I could envision it continuing in so many ways. Even now I still think if they were ever to make this a multi-season show, they could really pull the wheel around and make it amazing. Somehow I can't shake the feeling that it felt like the backstory of something greater. Knowing how this is most likely a stand alone drama, I do feel let down but in my mind there is no doubt that the story continues and the best is yet to come. (small hope is that the screenwriter/director has multiple works that have more than one part)
As I said, it truly feels a prologue. In a perfect world (or literally just a country without TV censorship) this could turn into a complex game of survival and love that could de-throne any drama I ever watched. As small as the world of Wufeng & Gong was, it was just the perfect amount to get immersed into the story without feeling like you need to care about the rest of the world. I really loved that aspect.

One of SSQ's lines early on was "curiosity is the biggest bait" and they really took that and went with it for the entire drama. I was really curious after the very intriguing start and was baited into watching till the end. I don't regret as it stands out a lot to me and is not comparable to other dramas in my opinion but I also kept waiting and waiting for big things to happen and from to time things did happen but the entire 3 trials thing was such a big plot of the drama which I really didn't like it at all. I only fast forwarded twice during this drama, both times were during the second trial. I really wanted the leads to have a more intense story. Also I feel like for some of the symbolism I know too little about chinese language, culture/history to really get it. I felt like there was a lot of hidden meaning behind things shown and spoken.
In all of the drama, there is only one thing visually that bothered me. The transitions... some of them were just like the ones you use for a fancy power point.
Also there are so many single tear drops running down the characters face… I was about to make a drinking game out of it, lol

Full circle moment back to the beginning of this after thought that turned into an endless thought: Guo Jing Ming's work is always like that. I watched his movie "The End of Endless Love" a few days ago and had the exact same feeling afterwards. Some real glimpses of gold, that just hit so right and feel totally unique but he's never able to make a full stream of light from the few glimpses. Makes me wonder, does he just have really great ideas but doesn't have what it takes to turn them into reality... he needs to pair up with a superb screenwriter and maybe then it will turn into a masterpiece.

Another drama watched that was on my "not interested" list and ended up leaving a big impression. Maybe I should listen more to what people are hyping up?

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"The Only Thing Left Between Us Are Goodbyes"

TROP was one hell of a watch that consumed every part of me.
I binged the entire 70 episodes in mere 5 days and I am still mind blown by this masterpiece.

It's hard to start the review because I want to cover a lot of things without spoiling potentional viewers.
Let me break it down to: The Good, The Characters and The Pain & Problems (the last one will contain spoilers)

THE GOOD:
The production quality of this drama is by the best I have ever seen by a (chinese) historical and every-single-episode was a cinematic experience.
What sets this drama apart from all other historical is for one the outstanding performance by Chen Kun as Prince Ning Yi, but also how the story was set up.

There is no "one" villain that needs to be defeated, rather everyone had their reasons for scheming and every few episodes we were introduced to another unique character. I have to give it up for the scriptwriters, not a single re-occuring character in this drama was a copy-paste plot device. They all had loved ones, goals and ways to survive (or not, lol).

THE CHARACTERS:

Ning Yi is very eccentric and his days as a tailor, spending his time with his trusted squad, flirting with and teasing our female lead Wei Zhi / Fang Zhiwei were absolute EYE CANDY. In the early episodes he reminded me of Willy Wonka... sounds funny right? But the actor is truly amazing and shines in all ways.

My absolute favorite moments were when they'd save each other from dire situations. They both had their own strengths.
I loved that neither could control the other and a bonus for me was they were both the same height, so it seemed even more so like they are equal - even though the ML is a prince. Their feelings for each other grow quietly but their glances are INTENSE.
However, do not expect to see them as a happy-go-lucky couple. Because this is mainly a fight-for-the-throne drama, there are also episodes where the leads barely see each other - but I promise it's worth it.

I also want to say that there are really good other characters in this drama and our two leads share equal screen time with them.

What I loved:
+ ML & FL teasing (the facial expressions around her are crazy hot and oh the biting... not gonna say more ;))
+ the friendship between the old Emperor & Wei Zhi when it lasted was very nice
+ Prince Helian Zheng; especially the salt and dancing scene


THE PAIN & PROBLEMS (ending spoilers ahead)

I often read about the last 10-20 episodes being bad and I somewhat disagree. Yes, it hurt but mainly the last 3 episodes.
The drama is heavy throughout and you have to hold your breath a lot but it's just SOO GOOD.

++ ending spoiler & interpretation ++
The ending itself was mainly heartbreaking because Ning Yi stares directly into the camera for the last few seconds, breaking the fourth wall. Not gonna say more BUT if you truly listen to the last few words you can sense hope, especially since in Chinese beliefs being reborn is not uncommon. + the novel version of the drama continues after the drama ending and gives a happy ending that I chose to belief in.

HOWEVER in the last 2 episodes it became evident that there was no hope for their love in this life, although one part was still holding one. Like sand it slipped through their hands, - we were so close but then we were so far.
I believe their love will start anew in another life as tailor and racoon.

I want to end this review with a quote near the end...
It's where I believe that the romance ended:

"Ning Yi, why are always saying goodbye?"
"Maybe the only thing left between us are goodbyes"


... and despite it's flaws this is the best historical cdrama I have ever watched.... I mean I watched this within 5 days and while having strawberry week. So I was already a mess. Ok now I gotta go cry.

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It was chill & drama free BUT stay away from this type of ML

I started this drama because I saw a very short edit that kinda looked cute.
Normally I don't watch dramas that I didn't research but I wanted to try this.
I actually have not seen any of these actors before (which is something I really like because it makes the characters more believable to me, since I have no memory of another character/drama attached to their face).

My preference at the moment is a clever, not-hyper tempered FL as well as an aloof ML (aloof = neutral; not interested but also not mean; might appear cold but is not bullying FL or something). - I was pleasantly surprised when both leads seemed to be just that, especially the ML because he seemed very unbothered but also wasn't mean or anything.
But at around ep 10-15 is when things turned bitter (for me)

My critique points (spoilers ahead):

- the story could have easily been told in 12-16 episodes; no need for 24
- superficial / too short of a back story of FL & SML (did not give us enough context to have SMLS)
The SML character was added like a copy & paste because of course every drama like that needs a SML who likes FL and then gets his heart broken (according to the writers)... this drama really really didnt need a SML but they still added him and only gave him the scenes he absolutely needed and not a minute more. He was only there to push the story of FL & ML forwards and get his heart broken. I didnt get Second male lead syndrome at all because he had no uniqueness and his purpose was all too obvious.

- I never realized when and why the FL started liking ML; felt like she just did because the script said so

- Male Lead character + acting
- the weird skinship / body contact between the two leads


Ok, these last two go hand in hand but I don't think I've ever seen such uncomfortable "cute" scenes. The way the ML is touching her (holding hand, hugging, putting his hand on her head, kisses, nose rubbing) were VERY strange... a bit as if he is forcing himself to do so.
I was alright with the height difference, since I normally love that but in those scenes it was if he was a stick and he often starred into random places while performing a "cute" scene. What made this even worse (in a way) is the fact that the FL's acting was good/believable. So in those scenes it felt like she was giving us her all but he was forcing himself to do so. Very strange.
I love scenes like that in dramas but this was sooo off that it started to bother me more and more. It felt incredibly unnatural on his side.

This was my first time seeing this actor and in no means do I hate him or do I just think he a bad actor. At least not in the normal "bad actor" way. I thought his character was just aloof in the beginning but as they show went on he didn't have character development but rather he showed his true colors(character).

- very bad communicator
- controlling

... EVERY ounce of communication was started by the FL and in return he was controlling to a point that it was bothering the viewing experience.
How is this attractive? Why would the writers think we like that kind of ML?
I tried to be civil but damn those last few episodes she was scared to professionally work with a guy that liked her (but she already turned him down) because her BF (ML) forbid it and said she is not allowed to look at him for longer than 5seconds.
I'm not talking about cute jealousy but she was genuinely worried about his reaction and in many scenes she asked ML of permission to meet people or do something. MAJOR RED FLAG

and one more thing...
there were MANY good moments for a first kiss. One that was even started by the FL but the writers thought it was a good idea to skip all of them and then use the most toxic moment for a forced first kiss?? like dayum. From that moment one is when I felt like the drama has turned toxic and bitter. Not all the time but it just had that aftertaste that bothered me a lot. In a way the ML was too realistic but not in "slice-of-life" real but rather... oh he is one of *those* jerks that are aloof but behind that they are just controlling and toxic. I highly doubt this was the intent of the producers but the combo of script and acting made it that way (to me).

END NOTE:

I don't fully hate this drama because it didn't infuriate me. There were no bully characters and it felt drama free.. which was very nice. It had a chill, superficial vibe that wasn't very deep. I'd say it's a good drama if you just wanna turn off your brain for a bit and want something light that isn't overly stupid or cutesy.
But it has sparkles of controlling behavior coming from the ML left and right, but since he is pretty aloof most of the times you can ignore it. I just criticize it so harshly because I am writing a review.

... I also read up on the actor afterwards and found some not so good accusations. I guess I can't be too mad about the character his played here then, right?

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The Good Kind of Heavy

I just finished this drama minutes ago and so my review is very much still fresh out of the oven,
but I just have to share my love for this drama because it is really THAT GOOD.

I honestly want to bow down before webtoon writer, scrip writer, director, actor & everyone involved in this production because this drama is now easily in my top 3 dramas of all time.

Let me just say I am a mentally unstable potato and so a drama that focuses on line between life and death as well as the consequences of various issues such as su1cde, death, bullying, historical crimes, crimes against women, etc. would probably not be good for a person like me BUT it did the complete opposite. This drama helped me heal in a way.
It was entertaining as hell (pun intended), the bits of comedy were always so on point but most importantly the cases would each take 1-2 episodes and ending was always satisfying and the issues were resolved. No plot was dragged out or made me feel frustrated beyond the ending of an episode.
I also learned about korean history in some of the episodes, which were incredibly well shot and I have to say EVERY guest star/role was perfectly casted and acted. I loved the diversity of the cases; it humanized taboo topics without getting too serious.
I really liked that the drama was episodic and it did not have one fixed storyline that it followed; in terms of story-telling it reminded of American TV Shows mid 2010s (not to say it's old fashioned! not at all)

I used to watch a lot of shows like The Vampire Diaries and so the supernatural aspect of cold grim reapers was just HOT.
Lee Soo Hyuk for sure knows what characters suit him well. I was hiding under my blanket with one eye out because he had INSANE charisma and chemistry (not gonna say more)

The cinematography and CGI in this drama are top notch and made this whole project a S-Tier production.

For me this is a 10/10 drama; which is a rating I give out very rarely and the fact that the ending matched the rest of the episodes was just chef's kiss. I LOVED THE FINALE.
There is room for a season 2 but it does not feel unfinished nor rushed (which was a fear of mine in advance).

Happy watching!

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perfect example of how a movie ages poorly

Obviously this movie was going to be fat-shaming but that wasn't even the worst thing about this movie.

It was made in 2006, so I know that I cannot hold it up to today's standards but this movie was
really sexist(featuring the male gaze), unfunny and made me uncomfortable while watching.

The "romance" scenes were borderline assault in my opinion. I cannot believe they wanted us to think that the kissing scene on the couch was supposed to be romantic. The way he looked at her legs and then forcefully kissed her, was the straw that broke the camels back - and how he dismissed her when she was obviously uncomfortable... ugh it still makes me angry!
...don't even get me started on the countless times he dismissed her, telling her to be quiet when they were talking business. That wasn't even ML jerk-behavior. Just sexism.
And the typical "overheard-you-talking-bs-about-me-in-the-bathroom" trope was never resolved, so I guess he actually thought about her that way.

ANYWAYS, I did not like this movie one bit. For a long time I could not watch the ML actor in dramas because of that couch-scene. I felt so opposed by his male gaze.

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"Warm On A Cold Night" meets "Royal Rumors" and adds fantasy to the mix

This is more of a rant/after thought upon finishing the drama than a review. Please don’t read it if you really want to watch it.

But first let me get the good things out of the way:
- the intro OST is very fitting, down to the lyrics.
- ML is a good actor with facial (especially eyes) expressions that bring the character to life
- The initial set up is different from other dramas
- No parents are interfering or seen for more than 1 episode (this is always is a plus for me)
- FL is pretty independent, thanks to her parents (although she is clumsy once she enters the beast palace/ is taken hostage)
- The references to S1 were funny although they were few (like english words or the statue)
- No love triangle or people saying Leads can’t be together
- The first few episodes were a lot of fun

Now to the rant:
Drawing direct ties to my feelings when I watched "Royal Rumors" earlier this year… I kept waiting for "IT“ to happen but that never came.
Both dramas had enough of a unique set up / character dynamic for the drama to be exciting. However both dramas had low budget and nothing ended up happening. Most of the interesting stuff happens in the first few episodes and then the characters stay at the same location for the rest of the drama.

It’s unpredictable in the worst way - because non of the things that I thought might happen happened and although it did all romance to-do‘s, I thought there would be more to the plot given the beginning of the drama and the overall set up. The romance was good, especially near the ending. But I didn’t quite catch the moment where they fell in love. Especially on his side. It kinda just happened.

Like so many asian dramas that include werewolves, vampires, etc in romance dramas, it’s a let down.
I love asian dramas and think they’re superior to American TV but when it comes to Werewolves & Vampires American TV is just miles ahead.

There were some funny moments and scenarios that I wish they had explored more but from the target audience and set up, I didn’t expect them to go down that route anyway.
If it was higher budget then it could have been able to pull of comedy like "The Starry Love".

In the case of "The Princess and The Werewolf" I had expected there would be much more back and forth between the beast realm and daxia (also thought they’d be the villains) but was disappointed when the princess is basically stuck in the beast palace the entire time. She goes back one time for no more than one episode and we don’t see anything about Daxia.
Quite disappointing when you think that this is season two of "Go Princess Go", which only had daxia(and the modern world)and it was a quite funny place.

Another drama that did this - but the other way around was "Warm on a Cold Night", where they never went to the wolf tribe, despite that looking like a exciting place. They only stayed in the human city. So in a way these dramas have quite a few similarities but switched.

Kui Mulang - is like that old vine "on all levels, except physical, I am a wolf“… because that boy looks like a dark elf or mage but most definitely not like a wolf.

I Understand they had a low budget but why give a werewolf elf ears??
Just call him a dark elf at this point- the wolf in "Warm on a cold night“ didnt do much wolf-ing either but he was much more convincing, since he transformed into a wolf once and generally had more wolf-human features than Kui Mulang.
On top of that he hides his "wolf“ appearance from the beast tribe because they‘d call him a monster. -It’s the beast tribe.
Aren’t they supposed to look like beasts?!
What they going around acting shocked when they see a "beast"?
I mean for god’s sake there is a farting(!) butterfly (tbh i find that funny tho).
Plot hole is all I can say to that.
Because ofc there needs to be struggle for the ML, otherwise how would we feel empathetic towards him?

The male lead actor is good, I like his facial expressions (specifically his eyes) Convinced he can pull off all sorts of romantic roles at this point… whether that’s modern, fantasy or historical.
Female actress was okay, although I was very frustrated with the character she played at certain points. Random thing I noticed: Did she get veneers/dentals without fixing her overbite first or does she just have super prominent upper teeth?

The villains in this drama are unnecessary and worst of all - uninteresting. They just kinda appear and start doing their secret plotting. And once we get to the end it’s way too easy for them to take over the situation. Honestly this just felt lazy… but also very on point with it being low budget.

I did my fair share amount of complaining and ranting but I did complete it and if I had hated it or found it very boring I would have dropped it. So ultimately- yes it’s watchable but it’s quite silly.
Best enjoyed if you turn off your brain.

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Tenderness Meets Kindness

About once or twice a year I come across a "wow“ drama.
At the very end of 2022 this treasure wow-ed me in the best possible way.

A music lover that lost his hearing and a girl that will go the extra mile for the person she treasures.

Essentially that’s the story but there was sooo much depth and nuance that I - once again - fell in love with the genre "melodrama". A genre that often gets a bad rep but this one is just so good.

This drama features the most kind FL I‘ve ever seen - but not in a generic way. The ML is having a really hard time and I don’t want to spoil anything so I‘m just gonna say, that he is very tender and she is very kind to him.

Without any words the actor has given a 10/10 performance that touched my heart.
His smile is so pure and deep in a way. It lights up the room in a natural way. It doesn’t feel like he’s acting.

The drama also is very poetic and has very good dialogue (even in sign language) and people are very honest with each other. Although some interactions may be a bit too good to be true, for a drama it was just heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

My recommendation while watching this drama is to give it a few episodes. It doesn’t start weak or anything but the more you watch the more meaningful and touching it gets.

Let’s end this with a quote that I really liked.
"A world without sound…is not a sad world"

Minus Point:
- the music editing is very off putting at times since the music cuts off all the time mid lyric. Idk what they thought they were doing.
They may wanted to show that for him it’s silent but she hears it but it happened even in scenes where he wasn’t on screen so it felt random.

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*very underrated gem* --> Lighter & Princess's Beautiful Predecessor

One of the few older dramas that are aging like fine wine thanks to a director that utilizes cinematographic storytelling and stellar acting that will make you feel their emotions. There are no filler episodes and it has a good pace.

I could not help but to compare this drama with "Lighter & Princess" as it has a very similar story but goes much deeper and strays away from being an idol drama.
This section of the review is best read if you have seen L&P since I am comparing the two.

Similarities:
- College Sweethearts with a sheltered but strong FL and a popular ML - he beats someone up after being betrayed by said person, goes to prison, doesn't tell the FL but rather disappears and then comes back many years later and so the story goes.

Differences:
L&P leads are programmers, WTLOG leads are artists (drawing comics, oil paintings, etc). L&P is 36 episodes and an idol romantic drama, WTLOG is 24 episodes and a romantic melodrama (as in the ML shows vulnerability & complex emotions, which in c-dramaland apparently means melo(?)... no need to fear crazy parents in law, amnesia, slapping , etc.) but it does carry a darker, more realistic tone.

The main difference is the ML & the relationship, which in L&P was quite toxic in my opinion as the FL did all the work in the relationship and he wasn't really much different in terms of personality (aloof) before vs after prison, but the ML here was flirty and bubbly before and visibly broken inside afterwards. His reason for prison was also more severe.
More on that under "about the ML"

-------------- (actual review)--------------
It has really good cinematography / story telling, that reminds me of film and it uses a lot of wide shots with the environment symbolizing what's going on without using words. Example: they part ways on a seemingly normal day, one person going down the stairs and one going up as a way to symbolize how their lives are going to change.
Although it was made in 2017, it actually holds up quite nicely quality wise, also thanks to live audio recording (no dubbing is always a plus).
I liked that each episode had a poetic title that would be reflected on at some point throughout the episode. At the end of some episodes there was a deep question left for the audience . I really liked that.

The FL is calm, kind, strong and all in all very real. She is anything but a damsel-in-distress and cares for the people she loves. There is nothing negative I could say about her to be honest. The leads also have very good, natural chemistry that makes it easy to believe their story.

But the real star of the show was the male lead. I was really impressed by Fan Si Qi's acting, who is one of THE most underrated idols turned actors of c-drama land, he makes you believe that he is actually the character and offers a wide range of emotions. FSQ can act with his eyes (if this makes sense) and his character made me teary eyed in multiple occasions. + he's a good kisser and a good crier.

About the ML (spoilers!!):
Xiang Ze Yi was a flirty and fun art student, who was always up to shenanigans with a smile on his face and capable of showing emotions. It's very much a male-chases-female-first story and they are super adorable as a couple. He's the ideal type of first love and potential life partner, someone who makes you feel special and loved.
But when life had different plans and he came back as an ex-convict a decade later, he changed a lot. This is where I also saw a big difference between L&P and this drama. Maybe it's the melo part after all - but life forced him to change. In his heart he was still that flirty and fun college student but the consequences of his actions not only put him in prison but also took away all of his prospects of a future. He smokes, has a bit of a beard and is living quietly. It doesn't take much for him to shed a tear and he is visibly in pain over the past.
L&P ML was building a life for himself after prison but the Ze Yi always wanted to return to his love. There are many good quotes and it was painful but also poetic in a way to see how life can break a persons' spirit. But I also want to say that he was never weak or whiny, full credit goes to the actor and writer here because they found the perfect balance that made him seem very vulnerable but also well aware of his situation and wanting to re-connect with the FL.
I found him quite realistic, more than many other drama MLs, he didn't turn cold after what happened to him - after all he is human and humans have emotions. The stone cold ML characters we often see in dramas tend to have a sad background story that made them like this but Ze Yi went into hiding mode, all too aware of his own pain. There were many heart wrenching scenes when he was by himself. But enough of the spoilers! There is happiness and healing too. I just cannot put into words how much I enjoyed the unfolding of his story and the actors' portrayal of complex emotions, pain and healing.

The past is the past but it's painful nonetheless.

The cons:
The story might not draw you in right away since the first half of the drama the story goes back and forth between college days and present, which can be confusing in the beginning since they don't tell you clearly and you kind of have to figure it out.
The college days are cute but a bit average, it gets more interesting once the time skip is explained, so don't give up ;)
It does have a few minor plot holes but nothing that bothered me too much or that stayed for long. I thought one character's comeback was unnecessary and quite unrealistic but said person disappears again soon after so it's only a minor inconvenience. Same goes for the love triangle if you can even call it that - quite frankly the story of the ML was so intriguing that I barely paid attention to the SML and neither did the story.
The other couples in this dramas and the work side were okay but not that memorable.

Ending (spoilers, do not read if you have not watched it yet!)

At first I thought it was a perfect happy ending... but as I was writing this review, it also reminded me of The Forbidden Flowers' ending. Nowhere near as tragic but you could potentially see the ending two ways. It's happy but their last dialogue does make me wonder if it was an illusion...

CONCLUSION
A beautiful and sad but underrated drama that trumps L&P in my opinion, and left a lasting impression on me. It's release date may have been long ago but it will be in my Top10 dramas this year. If you want to see really good, emotional acting of a ML and pretty story telling without watching an absurd amount of episodes - this drama is for you. :)

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Relaxing and Fluffy

Given it‘s short duration there is little room for drag or fillers. I liked that it was quite relaxing and not blood pressure raising, which I expected given the synopsis and theme of it being healing - but rather than seeing it as a healing drama I‘d say it’s a light romance drama with some spicy scenes.

Every side character that is supposed to disrupt the peace of the leads is dealt with rather quickly and nicely.
The ML is described as cold but falls short of in the best way possible…I mean a man that calls his cat his daughter and expresses genuine excitement of the thought of getting together with the FL, is just adorable.
There are some spicy scenes and if you’re clever you’re gonna pick up on some naughty jokes.

I liked the friendship theme of this drama, there were only a select few supporting characters but most of them were besties and no evil female character. The FL lives with her uncle (who is her age) and her best friend, which makes for comfy scenes when they’re hanging out.

If I had to pick something negative about this drama it would probably be, that it’s light and sometimes a bit shallow. There is not a lot of depth, even in terms of healing - but it’s wholesome and fluffy.

I loved the ending because it left me with a smile :)… a drama that can easily be binged in 1-2 days

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