Gave me the chills!

OVERALL
China has blessed us with good thrillers this year, and this drama is definitely one of them. Watch it if 1) you want loads of suspense (I would even say kind of creepy vibes), 2) you like when characters are all smart and figuring things out properly, 3) you're looking for a hint of romance. Think twice if 1) you want to see a well-developed love story, 2) you don't like ensemble dramas (dramas with several overlapping storylines), and 3) hearing about certain crimes make you uncomfortable.

THE STORY
The Disappearing Child in many ways was what I expected. A missing child, intrigue, police investigation. But in many ways, it really surprised me. I didn't expect the drama to focus on so many different characters (some episodes are barely about the missing child haha), but it does and it's cool because even though all these stories feel very disconnected at first, you eventually see how they are all linked. Something else that I did not expect was for the drama to have so many uncomfortable things happening, things you wouldn't expect to see in a drama. I think it's good, dramas can't always be all rainbows and unicorns. They need to delve into all the messed-up shit that happens in the real world. And yet another thing that surprised me was the hint of romance (warm and cute though surrounded by pretty dark stuff), I really wasn't expecting it.

Overall, the drama has an amazing opening sequence, a good pace, a great production, smart characters, and a satisfying ending (not rushed too, yay!). The mystery also isn't revealed (or easy to guess completely) until the end, which is awesome. The only problem I see with this drama is that the characters are not particularly endearing (they're not dislikable, they're just not likable) so you don't care too much about them. But it's okay, the suspense is enough to keep you going! I also think one character is a bit too stereotypical, but I'm a harsh viewer.

THE ACTING
Good stuff. Didn't know anybody except the mom (she was in Sword & the Brocade), but I liked everybody's acting.

THE MUSIC
Song-wise, I can't remember a thing, but the instrumental soundtrack was ON POINT.

REWATCH VALUE
Honestly, not super high. I might rewatch it, but I think it won't be high in my rewatch list. It's just a bit too heavy haha

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Plot Twist Master

OVERALL
This drama does plot twists like no other. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a new whodunit, 2) you want to see a bit of romance, 3) you like mature female leads (as opposed to the childish ones). Think twice if 1) you're craving kisses and sexy scenes, 2) too many plot twists give you a headache, or 3) you don't like crappy endings.

THE STORY
I came into this drama with low expectations and can honestly say it blew me away haha At the beginning, it looks like just another revenge drama, but it's not. It's actually a whodunit drama, spiced up with a little Rashomon effect (if you know, you know, if you don't, google). That's so cool because you literally are kept hooked and guessing what the hell happened until the very end. Now, I got to say, the final reveal sucked, but it's okay, I enjoyed the ride!

Still, I can't give this drama a super high rating because: 1) I'm really not a fan of the ending, it feels like a huge let-down, and 2) the love story between the leads was promising at the beginning but ended up being such a disappointment. For these reasons, I also feel like I'm never going to watch this drama again. It was binge material and I was definitely hooked all the way to the end, but I'm not about to re-live the experience haha

THE ACTING
Okay, but not impressive.

THE MUSIC
I LOVED it. So mature, so...normal. I especially liked the song Evening Wind (Wanfeng).

REWATCH VALUE
Low.

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What is wrong with Korean melos?

OVERALL
This drama is honestly such a disappointment. Skip, unless you really, REALLY love Park Min Young.

THE STORY
I don't know what is wrong with Korean melodramas. This one is basically a repeat of Now, We Are Breaking Up. It starts out with a promising Female lead, who has a distinct personality and a backstory that is sure to provide character growth. Then it moves into an unconventional relationship starter (aka high skinship/intimacy) that also promises an interesting love story, and then...nothing. NOTHING. No character growth, no relationship growth, not even a story. Just two leads who decide they're madly in love OUT OF NOWHERE and then also decide they can't be together for 16 episodes, only to suddenly decide that, by the end, maybe they can. Nothing makes sense and nothing thrilling or emotional happens either. It's just a waste, really.

There used to be a time when Korea made good melodramas. Those days are gone, it seems. So do yourself a favor and skip.

THE ACTING
Of course it's fine, Park Min Young's in here, my favorite ajumma actress is in here, and the rest of the cast isn't bad either. But they can't make up for the super crappy writing.

THE MUSIC
Now, We are Breaking Up at least had a good OST. This drama doesn't.

REWATCH VALUE
LOL.

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Meh...

OVERALL
This is the prototypical filler. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a tame romance, and 2) you prefer stories with close to no drama, 3) you don't have anything else to watch. Avoid it if 1) clichés bother you, 2) you want chemistry and thrills, 3) you have something, ANYTHING, else to watch.

THE STORY
It's the typical "boy meets girl, they fall in love, they have zero relationship struggle or growth, and the end" that you see in many Chinese rom-coms, but what makes this drama worse than others is that it LEGIT has nothing else to it. No amazing romance, no crazy fun scenes, no thrills, NOTHING. The romance is just average, the comedy is even below that, and the plot is just one cliché after another. The only thing I actually quite liked about this drama was the fact that Male Lead starts out being the second lead (ish), which we don't see that often. But the main love story is a bit childish and unbalanced (WAY too much time spent trying to pursue one another, not enough "being together"), all secondary characters and couples are uninteresting, the parents are meant to be funny but aren't really, and the work drama is boring too. Basically, it's just not that great.

That being said, this drama is watchable until the end, so it's not THAT bad either. Just come in with low expectations, and keep it for when you're desperate.

THE ACTING
Yeah...not impressive. Do not expect chemistry between the leads, I personally didn't see any.

THE MUSIC
There.

REWATCH VALUE
Low.

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Good, but...

OVERALL
The world needs more representation of neurodivergent people (and people suffering from psychological problems) in dramas, and this one isn't bad at all too, so just watch. If you're REALLY looking for a steamy romance with lots of skinship, then wait until you have nothing else to watch, but still watch it. You'll become a better person if you do.

THE STORY
There have been a few characters on the autism spectrum in K-dramas (Female lead's brother in Shining Inheritance, Main lead's brother in It's Okay to Not be Okay, Main lead in Good Doctor) so I wouldn't say the drama innovates by tackling neurodivergence. It does take a slightly difference angle though: the autistic character is a woman, she's into law, and the drama focuses a bit more on her love story. That's great because not only do we get a glimpse of the stigma in the professional sphere (which there's plenty of in Good Doctor) but we also get a glimpse of the stigma and issues that arise in the relational sphere (dating). As if that wasn't already awesome, the drama starts with pretty interesting legal cases that hook even viewers like me (who don't like legal dramas), the main lead is ADORBS (the ultimate perfect BF that does not exist in real life), and there's a bit of mystery simmering in the background (who is Female lead's mom and what happened to her?). So in theory, this drama's perfect...

But...

In the last third of the drama, the legal cases become less interesting, and what made the drama so appealing (the promise of a deep dive into professional and relational stigma) falls flat. Suddenly no one challenges Female lead's place in a law firm (the social stigma magically vanishes), and all the questions and problems Female Lead and Male Lead have encountered (or should be encountering) for being together are forgotten. The glimpses into stigma really are just being glimpses, nothing more. The ending is also extremely rushed and dissatisfying; it feels like the drama should have had more episodes but was cut down to 16 eps without making the necessary adjustments. In other words, the drama fails to deliver the depth and tight writing it promised at first. It's definitely still worth a watch, but it could have been better. Hopefully there is a second season to fix these flaws. I'm not usually for it, but this drama deserves it!

THE ACTING
Fab! I honestly can't think of anybody who played badly. Park Eunbin made me feel some kind of way in The King's Affections (a bad kind of way), so I was a bit wary coming into this drama, but she blew my mind. She's just so impressive!

THE MUSIC
Good. Quirky when needed, sad when needed.

REWATCH VALUE
To be honest, I'm not sure I will rewatch this drama. While I love what it stands for, it wasn't able to capture my heart the way other dramas tackling mental health (It's Okay, It's Love and It's Okay to Not Be Okay) did. It's probably a one-timer for me (unless a second season comes out!).

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Not what I expected, but not bad!

OVERALL
A typical romance with business drama on the side. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a cute love story with decent amount of skinship, 2) you like business backstabbing and crime solving, 3) you enjoy outspoken female leads. Think twice if you 1) need the Male Lead to be a flawless Prince Charming, 2) get annoyed when the bad guys always outsmart the good guys, 3) you can't stand lazy writing.

THE STORY
I think the first episode of this drama is kind of false advertisement. The drama starts with Female Lead being all Charlie's Angels, Femme Fatale spy...only to never have her be that great again haha I was really looking forward to this so I was kind of disappointed, but the drama was not bad, I finished it in four days!

The Good
- Female Lead isn't super smart or strong/kickass, but she acts her age and she's not afraid of saying what she thinks, which already makes her better than half of the C-drama girls out there.
- This drama involves physical disability, and in a very wholesome way. That's the first time I ever see this in a C-drama (or any drama), and it's really necessary. For that alone, I liked it a lot!
- Female Lead and Male Lead don't hate each other at first (hurray! honestly getting so tired of that trope). While you never quite understand when they fall in love with each other, they make a cute couple and the drama is generous with the sweet, romantic scenes.
- The business action/drama, at least at the beginning, is actually interesting.

The Bad
- The good guys are just not that smart, and it's painful to watch.
- An annoying and persistent second Female lead makes everything almost unbearable towards the end.
- A few parts are confusing and clearly show bad writing (eg. by the end, did Female Lead ever lose her memory or not?)
- I'm tired of crazy psychopaths. Just saying. C-dramas need to outgrow them and give us sane, realistic villains.

Overall, the drama was okay and I do recommend it, despite its flaws. It's a good filler!

THE ACTING
Good enough! I like Cheng Xiao, don't ask me why. Not much chemistry with the main actor, but they did the job (they weren't cringe, so it was fine!). The rest of the cast was okay too!

THE MUSIC
Yeah...not a fan.

REWATCH VALUE
I mean, maybe I'll rewatch, but I'm not sure. It feels like a one-timer. I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it. But maybe with time I'll miss it? haha

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Definitely the better half

OVERALL
This review is for the drama overall, though I will say a few things about part 2 specifically. In general, it's well worth the watch, though it's definitely NOT a perfect drama. Watch it if 1) you're looking for cute, PG-rated romance, 2) you like historical dramas with serious vibes but also the occasional fun scenes, 3) you want to see some adventure and political intrigue. Reconsider if 1) you're looking for a mature love story with lots of skinship, 2) you hate draggy and repetitive plot elements.

THE STORY
I honestly feel like Love Like the Galaxy has a bit of an identity crisis. It wants to be a light, fluffy idol romance, but it also wants to be a deep, heavy historical. The result? It ends up failing both and being stuck in between. The romance is okay but not swoon-worthy because the drama does not spend enough time on it so the intensity of the leads' love is unconvincing. The political intrigues and adventures are okay but not super engaging because the drama does not spend enough time on them and most of them feel random. Don't get me wrong, I binged the start of this drama and died weekly as I waited for the remaining episodes. The drama's good. But all the time, I just kind of felt like it could have been better?

The best of Love Like the Galaxy is the cinematography (mature vibes of sets and filters), the super fun and wholesome royal trio (emperor-empress-concubine), and a few attempts at breaking the mold (eg. unconventional second male leads, mother-daughter relationship growth). The main leads have depth, each with traumas to overcome, so it's also easy to like and care for them. Their love story is a slow burn, which is more realistic and totally my style. The conflicts (at least, between the leads) are also real and atypical. And in Part 2, the stakes keep on getting higher, with more danger and more adventures, which makes the plot thrilling.

But...

The drama has too many unnecessary characters and scenes. After watching it all the way to the end, there are SO many parts focusing on secondary characters that I feel could have been cut and replaced by more of the main leads together or more political intrigue (especially in Part 1). The drama also has too many parts that are essentially the same (eg. how many crazy, psychopathic women do you need in one drama? how many times is are the main leads going to struggle over the same problem?). And as if that wasn't enough, Love Like the Galaxy is FILLED with slow-mo, often for no reason haha It gets really frustrating because they could have better used their time. It's just lazy writing, really. Oh, and I also wasn't a fan of the way the romantic scenes were put together in this drama. Many turned out too cringe, it was like watching a Disney film haha

THE ACTING
I will start by saying I like Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi. I do. And now I will say that, in all honesty, I was not impressed by Leo's acting. I still like him though; he's young, he'll probably get better. With Zhao Lusi the opposite happened. I thought she was okay after seeing her in Long Ballad and Romance of Tiger and Rose, but I was surprised by how good she was with emotional scenes in Part 2. I really hope to see her in more strong and serious roles because she definitely has potential for more than the ditsy/funny roles she usually plays. Imo, Leo and Lusi did not have great chemistry together, but I think they did the job nicely. The rest of the cast was good enough, especially the older cast. Loved my royal trio!

THE MUSIC
I loved the instrumental tracks (they sometimes reminded me of Nirvana in Fire and Story of Minglan)! I just hated how cringe the BGM got whenever you had a romantic scene.

REWATCH VALUE
High. I'll rewatch for sure, but with some skipping!

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Above average, and will only get better!

OVERALL
This is the first half of the drama (not sure why it's split but sure), and it's a good one. I'd say just watch. Although not perfect, this drama has so much good stuff going on, it's worth the try. But if you really, really don't like silly female leads or slow burn romance, then you might want to reconsider.

THE STORY
I wasn't sure what I'd get into when I started this drama. Turns out it's a bit bipolar, alternating between serious/dramatic vibes and comical/sometimes over-the-top scenes, but it still works, and I'm hooked!

The best
- 3D characters who are flawed, have fears and have traumas to overcome. Female lead and Male lead even have relationship growth, which is an amazing bonus!
- Linked to the above is the super well developed family dynamics in Female lead's family, which are not usually so deep in other dramas and which I hope are going to evolve.
- I'm not a huge fan of the "love at first sight" trope, but this drama does it beautifully. Male lead has more of a case of "interest at first sight" that gradually turns into love, which makes more sense.
- There is a second Male lead in this first half of the drama, he's quite cute and his relationship with Female lead is too. I like their story from beginning to end, it doesn't go at all as I expected, which is refreshing.
- The cinematography (filter, settings) is mature and balances out well with the slapstick and slightly immature scenes.
- You have some political intrigue going on, sometimes in the background, sometimes more up front. And for sure more is coming!
- There's also a bit of mystery surrounding Male lead's past which keeps you wondering.
- Extremely fun emperor. Don't think I've ever liked one that much before!

The worst
- Too many mean girls moments. Way. too. many. One or two is fine, but it's getting a bit repetitive. Hopefully they find other sources of conflict and problems than just evil noble ladies badmouthing the leads.
- It does take a loooong time for the romance to really kick off. Apart from a few isolated scenes, Male lead and Female lead are almost never together until ep 20. It wouldn't be that bad, if the time wasn't filled with so many mean girls scenes.
- Female lead can be too ditzy at times. I guess some people like silly female leads because they're in vogue in C-dramas, but I prefer mature and dignified female leads so it bothers me a bit. Granted, the character is supposed to be young, but still. It might throw you off if you're like me.
- There are too many characters, imo, some of which are not particularly likeable and quite useless (can someone tell me what is Yuan's purpose in the drama?). It's a bit frustrating when they get too much screentime.
- The cinematography is great, but not too sure about the costumes and makeup. They just don't seem to flatter anybody.

Overall though, this is a solid start for the drama. I'm guessing it will only get better from here, since the romance is on, the political intrigue will only get more intense and the plot will have to thicken. If you're not sure, just try it!

THE ACTING
Ok. Like I said in another drama review, there are some actors I just like. Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi are such actors. I don't think they're amazing (especially Leo, he'll improve as he gets older), but they do the trick and they have good chemistry. What else can we ask for? In general, no complaints from the rest of the cast, the older actors sometimes even outshine the younger ones.

THE MUSIC
Good enough! I really like the instrumental tracks!

REWATCH VALUE
I have to wait until the second half to truly decide, but for now, it's high (with some fast forwarding)!

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Weird, but okay...I guess?

OVERALL
I'm honestly at loss for words with this drama. If you love Chinese fantasy, strong/mature female leads and a tame slow burn, you might be down, but if you're looking for a deep, well-written plot, you probably won't. Then again, I was and still kind of ended up being down...so I guess you could just give it a try and see!

THE STORY
So...I came into this drama convinced I wouldn't like it. I really don't like Chinese fantasy series, it's usually too over-the-top with unconvincing CGI and poor writing. And yet, I ended up watching this drama all the way to the end, so it definitely was better than the average xanxia drama. What I think works out with this drama is: 1) the female lead is AWESOME, the kind I can't get enough of (but unfortunately C-dramaland prefers to recycle the ditzy, childish FL all the time), 2) the fantasy is mixed up with suspense because characters are trying to figure out their past, so the mysteries keep you hooked, 3) the CGI and fantasy elements aren't over the top (at least, for 2/3 of the drama), and 4) there're some really cool shots (the sets are so pretty!).

The problem with this drama is that it has some pretty serious, and I mean SERIOUS flaws. The last 5 eps are ridiculously bad. It feels like the writers were drunk when they wrote the ending haha The romance is also too tame for my liking. The problem isn't the pace (the drama does slow burn right), it's the fact that when things are suppose to heat up, we hit that 5 last eps mark and all hell breaks loose. With such a terrible ending, there's just no time/space to give us the juicy scenes the leads deserved. Other things bothered me, but they're more personal. I really don't understand some typical Chinese fantasy tropes, like the nemesis that is always ridiculous and acts like a caricature, so I had a hard time with some of them. Also, main lead legit goes to work once in the entire drama haha The plot was so out of touch with normal life, I couldn't take it seriously.

Bottom line: If you're in need of a filler, you can give it a try, but I don't guarantee you'll like it!

THE ACTING
I really like lead actress. I first saw her in City of Streamer and I loved her in that drama too. It's the vibes she gives. So cool! Lead actor wasn't bad but didn't draw my attention as much. The rest of the cast was okay, except the villains, who were too cartoony for my taste, and the child actors, who (except for one little girl) were particularly bad haha

THE MUSIC
Honestly, the instrumental stuff was cool, the songs were HORRIBLE.

REWATCH VALUE
Null. Not worth rewatching.

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It has it all, except chemistry haha

OVERALL
This drama is an adaptation of the Korean drama "Something in the Rain". I can't say it's better than the original, but it works! Watch if you are looking for 1) lots of cute and sweet lovey-dovey scenes, 2) an interesting secondary couples, 3) many funny scenes. Think twice if you 1) want to see sizzling chemistry, 2) want to see ANY chemistry, 3) can't stand lazy writing.

THE STORY
"Something in the Rain" put the "Melo" in "drama". It was WAY too melodramatic for no reason. That being said, I rewatched that drama twice because the chemistry between the leads was EVERYTHING haha This drama is the opposite. The leads literally have ZERO chemistry, but the drama found the perfect ratio between rom-com and drama (60/40, sometimes even 70/30) and is super generous in "happy together" scenes. Also, this drama does a better job of giving substance to characters and conflicts. The obstacle to the OTP is not only their age gap but also the fact that they're step-siblings, Female Lead's previous relationship ended for an interesting reason and not just because her ex got bored of her so there's more character development, and Female Lead has a bit of a growth arc. No need to skip the secondary couple too (but maybe it's just because a kid is involved and I'm a sucker for single-parent romance haha). So the drama is technically fine, I would even say as good as the original...if it wasn't for a few things.

First, the drama has a weak beginning and a weak ending. Female Lead looks ditsy at first even though later she turns out to be a mature and nice character, and her encounters with Male Lead are so forced. The ending feels rushed and abrupt, with lots of unnecessary flashbacks (they clearly did not know how to end the drama well). Secondly, I'm not a fan of the dynamic between the leads. Except for one time, Male Lead is always the savior, Female Lead always the damsel in distress. It's just too old-fashioned, too unoriginal, too lazy writing. Finally, this is a rare case in which I feel like the drama did NOT give enough screentime to the secondary couple. Towards the end, their storyline was SO rushed, literally everything happened out of screen, which is ridiculous! Ultimately, these are bearable flaws, I would say. The biggest issue, the REAL issue, is that the leads have no chemistry (they look like somebody forced them to act like a couple or else haha) and their scenes together are cute but also cringe, and not in a good way.

THE ACTING
Yeah...The veteran actors did their thing, they were great, but I got to say, most of the main cast did not impress me. To be fair, this is the second drama of Angela Baby I watched (first one was General and I) and I did like her better in this one, so maybe she improved?

THE MUSIC
Meh.

REWATCH VALUE
I'll rewatch it, I know, but it's not top of my list.

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Basically McDonalds, but I'm kind of loving it?

OVERALL
This drama is fast food. It's cheap but it also tastes good, so it's an easy watch. Give it a try if 1) you're looking for a cute love story without any of the annoying clichés, 2) you like political intrigues, 3) you like free and capable female leads. If you 1) can't stand huge plot flaws or excessive CGI, 2) hate Chinese fantasy, 3) are in search of sizzling chemistry, then I recommend skipping.

THE STORY
I have to start by saying that I write fiction and I study fiction. That's my job. Some people can watch dramas without caring about the quality of the plot, I can't. Coming in to Who Rules The World with that background, this drama really isn't that great. People die when convenient, don't die when not convenient. People are sick one moment, and standing healthy the next. People want something the whole time, only to give up on it when it suits the plot. The drama is just full of inconsistencies and cheap writing, I couldn't take it seriously. The CGI (special effects) is also excessive and fake-looking, which might not be an issue for some but for me really pulls me out of the story, and the ending is a let down. It's too easy, too convenient, too incoherent.

That being said, I binged the first half of this drama and watched the second half religiously, so it's not THAT bad either. What saves it is a strong and likeable female lead (I just can't with the childish FLs C-dramas throw at us all the time), a nice male lead (I also can't with the misogynistic MLs so he's much appreciated), and the love story between the two that develops slowly and feels natural. I liked the representation of women in general in this drama, which is very progressive. The political intrigue is also quite nice, and I think part of the reason why I pulled through was to see what would happen. I almost wish this had been a historical rather than a wuxia drama, I think it would have helped avoid lots of problems with writing and production.

The bottom line is: watch it...if you can. It's nowhere near my best drama list, but it is definitely a top-tier filler.

THE ACTING
I like Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang. I don't think they're amazing actors, I just like them, so I had no problem with their acting. Not much chemistry between them, but they were still cute together.

THE MUSIC
What music? I guess it wasn't bad haha

REWATCH VALUE
Average. I might rewatch it at some point in the future...or I might prefer rewatching Story of Minglan, Rebel Princess or Nirvana in Fire for the nth time. There're just better dramas out there.

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Male leads like this should be illegal!

OVERALL
This drama is cliché, and not the good kind. Watch it if 1) You're really, REALLY a fan of the actors, 2) You're a masochist in love with jerks, 3) You love seeing women debased by men. If you're not, then do yourself a favor and skip.

THE STORY
I gave this drama a try because of Seven Tan, who I liked in The Sword & the Brocade. Unfortunately, this drama turns out to be one of her many projects I simply can't get behind. The only positive thing I can say about this drama is that it starts well. I like how Female lead is introduced, as a total boss who knows her stuff and is in control of the situation. That lasts about...five minutes. Then we move on to Male Lead being a jerk, and more Male Lead being a jerk, and (yes, you got it right) more Male Lead being a jerk, while Female Lead just takes it all. By episode 7, he's still a total jerk and Female Lead is...somewhat into him? Like what? There's ABSOLUTELY nothing to be attracted to! This type of drama drives me mad because under the pretense of a "male growth" drama it sells the idea that guys can do and say whatever they want to girls and girls are just supposed to put up with it. Male Lead is really HORRID, as bad as the king in Yanxi Palace (if you know, you know!), if not worse, and this is a modern drama. It's TOTALLY unacceptable!

To be fair, the problem is not only Male Lead. Female Lead's submissive behavior bothers, her inability to see things coming (when she was so good at it in the first 5 minutes) too, and then you have the overused, triggering cliches like the glasses removal (oh, now that she has no glasses, she's SO pretty! *eyeroll*). I came, I saw, and I gave it up. Save yourself the trouble, skip.

THE ACTING
Ok, but not mind-blowing. I saw some people in another platform say main leads had chemistry. I must be blind, because I didn't see any.

THE MUSIC
No comment.

REWATCH VALUE
Nonexistent.

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Serious vibes, superficial writing

OVERALL
Watch this drama if you 1) are looking for mature, serious vibes, 2) you dig family drama, 3) you want to have a look at Chinese daily life in the 70s-90s. If you 1) are looking for well-developed love stories, 2) have low tolerance for lousy characters, 3) are craving fun scenes, then definitely skip.

THE STORY
The beginning of The Bond totally gripped me. Not in a "wow so innovative!" way, but in a "gosh I really want to see these poor kids happy" way. The problem is, I went over more than half of the drama, and you never quite see them happy. Not even close. It's just one depressing moment after another. After 20 episodes, it got old. One particular issue I have is the fact that there isn't any character growth, from any character, and the kids fail to change the way they deal with some situations (the biggest one being their lousy dad). Another major issue I have is with the fact that the drama keeps omitting major stuff. I don't care if a show doesn't have lots of skinship, but romance needs to flow naturally. Love stories can't go from "we're friends" to "she's pregnant" without any on-screen development. Also, if someone has a trauma, you can't go from "oh I can't do any of this" to "I'm over it" in the blink of an eye.

It's sad, the beginning of the drama was really promising, but all of these problems got the best of it. I lost my interest and ended up dropping the series.

THE ACTING
Quite good, from what I could tell. I was especially impressed by the child actors. They were so amazing! It's a zero in the chemistry department, though.

THE MUSIC
Quite good! I just love that it's not the typical pop stuff we hear in dramas, but it was to be expected given how the drama is set in the late 20th century.

REWATCH VALUE
Very low.

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Cliché Central

OVERALL
Sometimes melodramas are worth the roller-coaster ride, and sometimes...they're not. This is one of these times. I recommend skipping this drama, no ifs, unless, you know, you're desperate.

THE STORY
This drama was supposed to be my cup of tea. I mean, it has mature vibes, good actors and a child. And yet, it turned out to be the complete opposite: a melting pot of melodramatic clichés, with a bland female lead and an over-the-top mean male lead. What's really tragic with Because of Love is that you can clearly see this is a prehistoric drama. The world has moved on from many of the annoying tropes of this series, such as never-ending misunderstandings between the leads or the idea that family has to be united by blood. It's totally out of fashion. Dramas are trying to show more communication between their leads these days, not less, and as Go Ahead shows, 21st century is about acknowledging the ties that aren't made by blood. Watching Because of You feels like regressing back in time, and not in a good way. I for one have zero nostalgia for these old TV tropes.

I have to mention, on the positive side (and it's really the ONLY positive point) that the OTP has two or three AMAZING scenes. Like really great love scenes. So good that they keep you watching to see if there's more...but there isn't. The drama is so busy with being overly melodramatic that the romance ends up receding to the background. After 24 episodes, I got sick of waiting for the greatness teased by these few scenes and dropped the drama. Bottom line: just skip.

THE ACTING
Good, but that was to be expected. Both actors are pretty seasoned, they know what they're doing. Their chemistry was also off the roof, which makes it all SO frustrating because the drama could have been much better if it had been exploited to the max. Sigh. Oh, well.

THE MUSIC
Inexistent haha I'm sure there was, but I only remember the LACK of music! It's something that I usually like (a lot better than the excessive background music we hear in 70% of dramas), but in this drama it sometimes made me sleepy...

REWATCH VALUE
Null.

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The low ratings better be for the subs...

OVERALL
This drama is good for humanity. Watch it, no ifs, unless you really, really want a well-developed love story. If that's the case, put it aside until you've got nothing else to watch, then binge it. It's definitely worth a try! Beware though, as of today (March 2022), the subs on every platform are absolutely terrible for this drama. You're warned!

THE STORY
I don't know who subbed this drama, but I hope they didn't get paid for it. My level of Mandarin is pretty low, but I feel like I could have done a better job haha This being said, we're not here rating the subtitles, but the drama itself, and it's really a gem guys!

In my opinion, the best thing about this drama is the fact that it has a female lead who doesn't fit the typical (unhealthy) C-drama standards. Yes, she's chubby, maybe even fat...so is half of the female population around the world. What's most amazing with Crack of Dawn is that Female lead's weight is NEVER talked about. Nobody tells her to lose weight, nobody gives nasty comments. Female lead never has doubts about herself because she's fat and never decides to go on a huge (unhealthy) diet or undergo plastic surgery to please somebody. Basically, we've got a female lead who's chubby but a drama that isn't about weight AT ALL. How cool is that? And the cherry on top of the cake is, she gets a love interest too! Sure, the romance is very very limited, there's just a hint of a love story really, but how great is it that the guy likes Female lead for who she is and not because "she's SO pretty"? Honestly, all of this just blew me away, and for that alone, this drama's top tier.

Of course, the drama has a story and the story is pretty good too, so that helps. This is another type of whodunit plot, in which a murder happens and you have to find the killer, but what makes it better than others is that all the suspects not only have a motive but also have clues that suggest they killed the victim, and the police team investigating the case is led by a female detective and her assistant (girl power to the max!). And finally, the drama tackles some serious social issues through the character of the victim. Overall, it's just a really thoughtful drama.

On the downside (apart from the horrible subs), I think halfway through the drama you can pretty much solve the mystery, which is a shame. Also, the drama ends at ep 22, but somehow has two extra episodes in which not much happens. It's the first time I felt like they added episodes for nothing, usually the problem is a rushed ending haha

THE ACTING
Pretty good! It's hard to play in murder-mysteries because everyone has to be suspicious. Most characters in this drama in particular have a dark side to them so the actors have to convey that depth. I think they all did pretty well! Sandra Ma really improved her acting since Love Me if You Dare! I must say, there's no chemistry between the love interests, but I still appreciated having the couple there for many reasons.

THE MUSIC
Okay, I guess. Can't remember anything, which isn't good, but isn't bad either haha

REWATCH VALUE
If only the subs were decent, it would be super high, but as it is it took enough dedication and effort to complete the drama once, not sure I'll do it again. Such a shame!

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