The girl
The Most Underrated Drama
This drama will forever have a special place in my heart. Not only is it a joy to watch, but it contributes to a special moment in my life for my father and I’s relationship.When I first put this masterpiece on, it was like love at first sight; from the beautiful places in Taiwan, the emotional story of a one of a kind soul, and the endless life lessons and quotes that truly hit the heart so hard you rethink your entire life.
For any of us that are on this site, it’s probably because we love the dramatic plots, crazy twists, emotional roller coasters, and the unrealistic, yet beautiful love stories Asian dramas have to offer. Those kinds of dramas are always what we look for, but this drama is what we all need, but didn’t know we did. It’s an emotional, beautiful, heartfelt, and more realistic twist on an average drama that just somehow makes it that amazing. We still get the romance, the drama, the mystery, the twists, and the beautiful story, but it’s presented in a way that I’ve yet to see in a drama; a way that grasps your heart so hard it’s not easy to let go.
Plot:
The plot is a story about an insanely kind father’s death leaving behind 2 beautiful daughters with the mysteries of his life. We’re then taken on a beautiful train ride through the beautiful places in Taiwan experiencing the beauty, the people, the traditions, and the legacy left by the star of the story. We also get a look at his daughter’s growth and discoveries not only about their father, but themselves as well, along with the support of their lovers.
Cinematography:
The feel-good, calming, and emotional visuals truly made this story even more enjoyable to watch. It was never boring.
Why it’s so important to me?
My father and I don’t get to spend a lot of time together, but while I was just starting it, my dad came and sat in the living room. Keep in mind, he doesn’t ever watch with me, but this one made him put his phone down and watch and ask questions. The emotions on his face said it all, he really liked it and was feeling the emotions presented just as much as I did. I glanced back and forth at my dad and the tv and I remember tearing up and thinking, “I’m so lucky to have my father by my side always there for me”. I know a loving father isn’t something everyone has, but this drama truly made me realize the value of his presence in my life as well as give us the opportunity to spend time watching this beautiful story together.
This may sound cheesy, but I truly cannot express how therapeutic this drama is to watch. It’s definitely a slow-burn drama, but never boring. When you’re really in your feels, this is the best one to watch for sure!! I’ve never liked a Taiwanese drama, but this truly captured my heart.
Thanks for reading :)
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This review may contain spoilers
WARNING! This drama will ruin all other dramas for you!
Before I begin with this review, let me make a few things clear:1) This is not a remake of DOTS!! The synapsis can definitely be misleading here, but truthfully speaking, they’re hardly alike. In my opinion, this is a completely different plot and is much better than DOTS.
2) The crew has somehow read our minds to create one of the best dramas out there. No, I’m not exaggerating. I’m sure most people will agree.
3) If you find C-Dramas to be too cliche, don’t worry, there’s none of that here! Although like every other drama, there are the typical moments here and there, it’s nothing like other very cliche C-Dramas.
4) Although 40 episodes seems long, it’s so amazing and well organized that you'll never want it to end.
Now, let’s begin this review.
Synopsis:
Honestly, no matter how I put this, for some reason, it will still sound like DOTS. Before I watched it, I thought the same. I admit, the main idea and theme of the plot is similar, but the watching experience and storyline are almost completely different. In other words, keep it a surprise ;)
Overall review:
The best way I can describe this drama is that the crew has somehow gone into our heads, saw what we truly want in a drama, made it 10x better, and put it out there for us to enjoy. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that this drama has been so good that not only has it become my favourite, but I find it so hard to look for a new drama to watch these days. After seeing this, most other dramas go to trash. This masterpiece they created is going to be very very difficult to beat.
You know that feeling you had as a kid on the mornings of an exciting field trip? Waking up extra early and immediately thinking “it’s finally the day!”. That! That’s exactly how this drama made me feel every morning: an excitement I never thought I could once again experience. I would impatiently count the days until Thursday would come along, wake up so early every time a new episode is released, and immediately get watching. I have to admit, it deserved that. I’ve seriously never loved a drama this much. From the cast, the story, the visuals, the chemistry, and everything else, it’s just perfect.
The primary thing that kept me so intrigued was the swoon worthy plot. No it wasn’t cringy. And no, the characters didn't really make big stupid decisions that caused major misunderstadigs, rather they found a balance and were understanding of each other’s careers as well as being honest to one another. This healthy relationship balance is one that I’ve never seen so successful in a drama before. It’s usually either too much drama or too little drama, too many misunderstandings or unrealistically smooth, but this one was so well prepared that everything happened at the right time and place. In my opinion, this is the primary reason this drama is so successful. It’s like a delicious and satisfying perfectly balanced breakfast to get you ready for the day.
The characters were of course the best part of the show. SPOILER ALERT! We’re introduced to 3 very different couples. All with a different story, history and pace. I love having multiple couples in dramas, but this one truly beats all. There are no stupid complications and love triangles between them (maybe a little ;), rather they were all friends rooting for each other to be together and finally come to form a beautiful bond.
I could say a lot more, but this is already too long. To sum this up, I have one final thing to say: Uhum uhum. WATCH IT! NOW! I don’t care what doubts you have, just watch it! Believe me, you won’t regret it :)
Thank you for reading :)
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This review may contain spoilers
This show had so much potential, but the organization was terrible. The general story is amazing! However, the explanation was poorly done and everything was mixed up. That being said, this show still passes as one of my favourites. Please read this all before deciding if you should watch it :)Plot:
Like I mentioned above, the story was amazing, unpredictable, and requires a lot of thinking. I loved the story and everything about it was so well thought out. For that reason, the writer did a great job. However, the directors mixed it up way too much and that made it very confusing and difficult to understand. There were many unnecessary details to the show that I feel would've been better off eliminated. They tried to squeeze so much into a short plot and didn't give the reader the chance to understand a topic before moving on to the next. This sounds really confusing, so I'll give you a real life example. Let's say a really old person is asking you how to call someone on their phone. You write a list for them with the steps 1. turn on the phone, 2. Click on the phone app, ect. After you hand them the notes, the first thing they ask you is, "how do I turn it on?". To you this is common sense, but they don't know since they weren't exposed to it beforehand. This is kinda how this plot was. We were given a sequence of events, but with many of them, they almost assumed that we already knew of figured out the basics of when we really didn't. That being said, the most important parts of the story were understood and explained by the end, so even with the confusing parts, you still are able to understand the plot and story on a more general level and love it.
Characters:
Honestly, in my opinion, this is the part that kept me watching. I fell in love with the characters and their personalities. They chose the perfect actors for each character and the acting was on point. Even the cast for the villains was absolutely amazing and did an outstanding job performing their roles. Each character had something special about them and ughhh I just love and miss them all.
Camera/editing/visuals:
This was also very well done. The camera angles, the colours, costumes, setting, props, aesthetics, and editing were stunning! Visuals in general were just wow. It's difficult to find a drama that has such amazing visuals and this gets a 10/10 for that. This was also a major reason for me to not drop this drama.
Music:
It was absolutely perfect for the plot and I fell in love with the music. Overall, the music was amazing and well chosen for each scene. Loved it!
Rewatch value:
This is probably the highest rewatch value I've ever given. I'm the type that doesn't like rewatching anything since it feels like a waste of time. However, the confusing parts and very cute scenes are the reason why I will be rewatching this drama. I want to focus on the details this time and really think about everything and understand. There were also way too many cute scenes that I want to watch again.
Overall:
This drama is one of those that you either love or hate (or both like me). It kinda reminds me of The Heirs and how some loved it and others hated it. You really have to try this for yourself to know and don't trust all the reviews. It's also a drama that is really really confusing and you have to watch a few episodes to start to understand. The first episode was the most confusing, but it does get better. The ending was also very cute and I couldn't think of a better one for this plot, however, I wish they explained a couple things with a bit more detail. I feel that apart from the confusion, this story was amazing and the characters, music, and visuals balanced it out. I'd totally recommend this drama. You might not like it, but it deserves a chance.
Thanks for reading :)
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While going through Netflix, I saw the cover of the show and clicked on it out of curiosity. I read the description and though “ok, why not?” Not gonna lie, I clicked off in the first episode because I found that it was really weird and fake (the flying and the fact that adding on a tiny moustache means they’re boys even though they clearly look like girls are to blame for that). I left it for days until for some reason I decided to give it another try. I forced myself to watch the first two episodes and then got hooked. I was addicted to it! I did find it super cheesy at times and the editing was a bit off and looked fake sometimes, but I weirdly couldn’t get myself to dislike it or stop. Keep in mind that this is my first Asian show experience.
The storyline overall was pretty good and keeps the viewer engaged. It was very creative and at times unpredictable. That being said, it was my favourite part! A lot of c or k-dramas are very predictable, but this one was great. The acting was on point and the chemistry was outstanding. If I keep talking I’ll spoil it, but overall the plot was good and I completely recommend it. The end is what made me very sad. If you don’t know yet, the ending of many Chinese dramas are sad (I was expecting a happy ending as it was my first Chinese drama), but it weirdly didn’t leave me completely disappointed. Although it was sad, I was satisfied to see that there were no cliffhangers. It did take me a while to accept the ending, that’s for sure.
Although I was very sad, I got curious of who the actors were (as I usually do) and I was so happy to know that the leads are married in reality. I found that so cute and it weirdly gave me the feel of a happy ending for the show. After this show, I got hooked on Asian dramas and until now, I’m addicted to them! This show was the opener for my cheesy Asian drama obsession and I’m grateful to it. Worth the watch!
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I cannot put into words how intense and unique this drama is, but I’ll try!
To start off this review, if you’re looking for a typical cliche romance k-drama, this isn’t it; although I’m sure you’ll still love it. Yes, there’s some really good chemistry and cute romantic scenes, but the story consists of many other characters and stories that will keep you engaged. Seeing the characters develop throughout the plot as they learn from the past, teaches you many valuable life lessons, which is surprisingly rare in a lot of dramas.
My opinion:
The plot:
I kept putting this drama off thinking that I wouldn’t enjoy it for a while now, but I’m so glad that I finally decided to watch it. I haven’t been this addicted to a drama in a long time. The plot never got boring and truly emerged me into it making me feel so attached to the characters. I didn’t just feel like I was watching it, but I felt like I was their friend rooting for them and sobbing with them like a baby quite often. The entire story is filled with emotion and will leave you crying quite often. Many great people die and will make you sad as if you’re their friend. The happy moments will make you so happy you might also cry. I cried almost every episode, but in my opinion, that’s one of the main reasons this show is so good!
They truly mixed in family, romance, friendship, medicine, death, a but of humour, tragedy, cooking, and that delicious Godiva chocolate ;) so well! I’ve never seen a drama so successful with mixing so many genres. Especially chocolate. I’m a chocolate lover and I know this sounds cheesy, but this made me appreciate chocolate even more. I wouldn’t have been able to pick a better name for this show. I’m still craving that chocolate Lol. I also love it when a bit of humour is mixed in to relieve the tension; especially with a drama like this (it’s very intense and emotional). I found myself crying and laughing at the same time in a few scenes, which made me love it even more. Now, with all that being said, the end felt a bit rushed and I was left hanging on a few characters. I don’t want to spoil it, but there were a couple characters that I wished we got a better look at what their future may be like. I’m not sure if there will be a season 2, but I highly doubt it. Other than that, the whole drama is amazing and you should definitely watch it. I think anyone will enjoy it.
Acting/characters:
The acting and chemistry was so amazing! Everyone did a great job. Especially the patients suffering! I was truly shocked by how incredible the acting was and I believe they chose the perfect cast for this drama. The character development and learning from the past truly did inspire even myself as a person that relates to a lot of the characters situations and feelings to go out and enjoy life.
Music:
The music was perfect and very well done for the most part. There was one song that I kinda felt didn’t sound great, but that may just be me. Other than that, the music was great!
Rewatch Value:
I’m not the type that usually rewatches dramas, but maybe only a few scenes or episodes. I personally wouldn’t rewatch most things, but I feel like that depends on the person. I’ll probably watch it again in a few years when I forget a lot of it.
Regardless of the little things that may have lowered my rating a bit, this is definitely one of my top dramas. It’s full of valuable lessons about life, family, relationships, trauma, a person’s past, learning from your own and others mistakes, appropriating living life and making the most of it, and many more. I feel like each person will see this drama differently depending on your own past and situations, but I have no double that almost anyone will enjoy it. So if you have any doubts, put them aside and get watching!
Thanks for reading!!
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Not what I expected
Looking at the synapse and the previous 10 star reviews, I was so excited to watch this movie and continuously looked for months just to find it with English subs. Finally, I found it on IQIYI and ended up paying for a 1 month VIP($7.99) just so I could get the chance to watch it.Let's start on a positive note. The organization of the movie is like none that I've seen before. If you've watched older Disney tv shows where each episode was neither a continuation of the last episode nor a completely new story, this is kind of how this movie is. It's basically divided into different sections focusing on different events, but at the same time the main points are still there. I don't personally love that, but that's more of a personal preference. Aside from that, the characters were cute and seeing some character development was also nice. It was a good ending, so no complaints there.
The negatives:
Honestly, there really wasn't much of a story. It started off with a bit of a story as we see the lead couple hit it off, but after that, it felt like a blur of events that were somehow squished into a movie with not so great organization. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, but definitely could've been better. Maybe this is meant for a younger age group than me, but I found it very childish. The lead couple seemed so immature and I felt like I was watching a silly teenage movie with very young couples rather than college students. This probably was meant for a different and younger group of people. I'm a grown adult with little interest in school dramas, so I guess that explains it.
Final note:
I expected to see a mature military drama, but instead got the opposite. There was a few minutes of some military in the beginning, but then it was a normal college with absolutely nothing to do with military. Hopefully someone out there will enjoy it depending on personal preference, but unless you find it for free, I don't recommend spending close to $10 on it.
Thanks for reading!
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This review may contain spoilers
Where do I even start?? Ok so this is my first Thai drama and I can't wait until I watch more dramas like this. Tbh, I'm kinda bored of the long and predictable dramas out there and this is the perfect one for anyone that's looking for a short and sweet drama.Story:
The story was a mixture or unexpected and predictable events. It was also leaning more towards the American "A Cinderella Story" vibes. That being said, the plot was absolutely amazing! The characters and their stories made the plot so much better and unique. I know a lot of people are upset that it was only 4 episodes long, but I was personally happy with the length. It was simple and not over complicated like the usual dramas with constant arguments and problems. This was short and simple and I loved it! Another thing that I loved about this was the amount of life lessons they included in such a small plot. My favourite quote in the show was "He can't be nice and perfect all the time. If you want to keep this relationship, you need to learn to accept both sides of him, the good and bad." Usually in dramas, they make the ML seem so kind and perfect once the relationship starts, but I loved that they showed a more realistic version of a male in a relationship along with the realistic relationship advice for us to learn from.
Acting/Cast:
This was honestly the part that brought my review down a bit. Although their chemistry was amazing and I loved the cast and characters, there were some scenes where the acting was a bit off. Other than that, the acting and cast was perfect!
Music:
Since the story is about a DJ, there was some music involved. I loved all of the music in it.
Link for full drama>>>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhf98IWSXX8&list=PLd3L6WY3p7icYCBw8ezcPYDaMFOUjVH6S&index=1
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The story: This is definitely your typical Chinese historical romance plot of sorrow, revenge, romance, family, love triangles, and bad guys. If you're familiar with stories such as The Princess Weiyoung, The Legend of Yunxi, and The Legend of Fuyao, then this is pretty much the same kinda plot. Although the storyline in great, there really isn't something too special about it. However, it's well done and i'd say almost at the level of all of my favourite historical dramas. If you're a romantic historical drama lover, then this is the drama for you, but if you're looking for something new, then I'd suggest you find a different show. The organization of when things happened and the amount of time things took could be much improved (you'll understand what I mean once you watch it). There were two episodes that were way too rushed and they honestly kinda ruined it for me, but they were still super cute.
Acting: The actors were generally great and super cute! This is the first time I see any of the leads in a drama, and I absolutely adore them. There were a few scenes where I was like "oh come on! they should've redone that scene" and I don't think any of the kiss scenes were real, which pissed me off. That being said, I would say that the acting was for sure great and they did a pretty good job overall.
Music: The music was amazing! I loved the music and it matched perfectly with the scenes. However, I'm not sure if this was from the youtube editing or from the original editing, but there were a few scenes where the audio was separated from the background music. Because of that, there were twi songs playing at once and the audio was not clear.
Overall: Apart from the kinda rushed happy ending, the frustration with the amount of time it took for the male lead to know that she's a girl, and the rushed part where he told her that he knew, I'd definitely recommend this drama as it has great lessons and keeps you engaged and addicted. It's been a while since I've been this addicted to a drama and that alone proved how great it is. I loved the story, acting, and the costumes.
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