Celia s place
the universe
A masterpiece
What to say... this drama was just a masterpiece !!!It was my very first lakorn and I'm not disappointed at all, I just took a little bit of time to settle myself into the language but honestly it is perfect.
Regarding the scenario, don't expect a romance, each episode tells a different story (except the ep 6-7 & 12-13 which are connected episodes) with different characters except Nanno and the similarity is that it takes place in high schools. I absolutely loved the fact that it was several stories in one drama and the concept of punishing bad people. It shows their real themselves and give them a sanction depending on how serious their actions were. I appreciated all the episodes although there are some I loved a lot and some other a bit less.
My top 5 :
1st : ep. 2
2nd : ep. 8
3rd : ep. 11
4th : ep. 5
5th : ep. 4 and ep. 12-13
About the actors : choosing Kitty as Nanno was a very good choice, she plays magnificently this character. I heard mixed opinions about her artificial laugh but it didn't bother me because I think they asked her to laugh like this on purpose because she is not really human and we can see her ''devil's daughter'' side. All the actors of each episodes were playing well too, I had a little firm favourite for Best Ekawat Niratvorapanya who plays TK in the ep. 8.
Trivia : each episode have been made by a different director and all the stories told are miscellaneous news item that really happened in Thailand's schools.
In conclusion this a super lakorn, I recommmend it at 100% ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
My opinion
I decided to watch this because there is the actress Wu JinYan that I especially love and I really haven't been disappointed.I loved the characters a lot and their developements whether they are kind or nasty.
The characters I loved the most are :
- Haolan, an heroine with a strong personnality who don't let people walk all over her
- Yiren/Zichu, he is a very complex and interesting character
- the princess Ya, a very complex chatacter too that I couldn't destest because she touched me so much
- Yin Xiaochun who despite all the ordeals stay med loyal to Haolan and stand up with her until the end
I informed myself a bit and discovered that some characters had really existed (Yiren/Zichu, Haolan, Lu Buwei, the lord Anguo, Lao Ai, Zheng'er ...) and that some moments of the drama are from true events that really happened.
The story is really interesting, full of unforeseen developements and well tied. However you have to have a good memory to watch this drama because there are a lot of characters (when I say a lot it's really a lot !!!).
About the characters, some of them had big ego or mental problems ... people of sound mind would never do things like that. I've just been a little bit disappointed by the end (the star less) which wasn't really understandable and which, in my opinion, has been a bit botched but it's still a correct ending.
In conclusion this is a good drama where the characters are never pure as the driven snow and with an interesting scenario. I would say it's a drama to see for those who are fond of historical c-dramas and who have already seen some of them, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who has never watched any historical c-dramas. However this a classic to watch a day ;)
(Spoiler : If you want to watch the "sequel" of this drama go watch King's Woman which relate the story of Zheng'er, Haolan and Yiren/Zichu's son, and 1st emperor of unified China)
Was this review helpful to you?
1st drama
As it is the very first drama I've watched I won't be very objective haha, I saw it at least 5 times because I didn't want to leave the characters and I didn't want to start an other drama out of fear of being disappointed because My ID is Gangnam Beauty has blown me away.This is really a good drama, we are not bored at all while watching it. I absolutely loved everything : between the low blows of the mean girl of the story, the comical situations and the multiple of unforeseen developements, we have a lot of things to watch.
Although the romance is long to come and a bit too silly for the age of the protagonists ( no, really they are in college !!) our 2 leads have a quite nice chemistry. Besides the happy-ending was just fantastic.
I also liked the selection of the actors and the way they're playing, despite the little expressiveness of Cha Eun Woo but we forgive him because he is not an actor and I'm sure he is going to improve in the future.
I aslo appreciated the fact that sexism, feminism, fatphobia and the plastic surgery taboo have been broached but I think it would have been needed to deal with these subjects in depth and not just brush past them (especially the plastic surgery one which is the drama's principal theme but which is not enhanced enough) however it's awesome that they have been broached, it is a rare thing in dramas usually.
Sincerely I can only mark it 10/10 (even if in reality it deserves a 8.5/10), because this is the drama which make me immerse myself in the fabulous world of Dramaland being starry-eyed ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
A good drama
This was really a drama I appreciated, firstly because I absolutely love revenge's story but also because the story is well written and we want to know how it'll finish thanks to the plentiful unforeseen developements which keep us in suspence during all the drama. I also loved the evolution of the characters which was really interesting. Han Tae Hee and Sa Ra were definitely made to meet themselves, they both lived complicated lives, they were so adorable on the screen !!! Gyo Chae Yeon and Lee Kang Joon were both as detestable as possible and they even made me feel pity for them around the end although I was very happy of the way they were punished in the end. The main actors and secondary actors were playing very well, they were good in their respective roles. Big firm favourite for Lee Kang Joon's dad who is a character who touched me a lot.To conclude, this is a drama to watch, there is a good scenario, very endearing characters (kind & nasty) and a little touch of humour :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Refreshing
I really liked this little drama, short and very refreshing. Originally I was searching something enjoyable to binge-watch and I found this one. Besides I was in my school drama phase so the timing was perfect !!It's a story without headache, with a cliché and déja-vu type of storyline. This is a romance in a school where, at the beginning, the ML "hate" the FL, then he starts to grow attached to her and he falls in love as he is spending time with her. It's not complicated, we sit down and devour the episodes one after the other.
I look forward to the season 2 because I really wonder what they are going to do following this ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
It's surprising that the rate isn't higher
To be honest I started this drama because of the main leads. Indeed I love Ding Yuxi and Peng Xiao Ran so I was curious to see how they would be together and I wasn't disappointed at all !!The story :
I agree that the plot is a bit far-fetched but once you accepted it you just enjoy it. It may be simple but it's enjoyeable because it's coherent and logical. So if you expect heavy plot and intrigue you will be disappointed.
The story left me with questions and those questions rope the me in because I wanted answers. At first I thought there were plot holes but those same plot holes explained slowly throughout the drama in a way that ties up everything neatly by the story’s end so it was very satisfying. I discovered that the drama is full of foreshadowing. In fact, despite being a light romantic comedy, it has some of the best foreshadowing that I have seen in years. This works with the characters as well, the setup of some characters early in the drama leads to a big twists in the last third of the drama. The details are also fun, some like calla lilies being poisonous or horse dung containing antibacterial fungi are weird bits of trivia that are used in a hilarious way, I was literally rolling on the floor lmao
The drama keeps the essence of the story and characters. We see the main leads growing together as a loving couple while keeping their essence. Ji Man keeps her tenacious spirit and Ning Yuxuan transforms into a lovesick husband but retains his sense of conflict between honour and love. The sisterhood storyline is really great, I loved the bond between Ji Man, Miss Shui, Lian Xue and the maids of the FL.
Acting/Cast :
The leads Peng Xiao Ran and Ding Yuxi are great as I expected. Peng Xiao Ran is stunning and Ding Yuxi is very handsome as usual. They can both act very well, there are no scenes where one actor ruins the scene because of bad acting. The characters they portray, Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan respectively , both have a clear sense of growth by the end. Their chemistry is also amazing, this couple have moments that can be rewatched several times as they are very sweet. I also think that Ding Yuxi has again improved his acting since the last time I saw him in The Romance of Tiger and Rose, his micro-expressions are better than ever.
Another highlight is that all of the main characters undergo growth wich is really enjoyeable : Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan go from enemies to lovers, but in a way that really feels natural, like a young couple going into a serious and mature relationship where they support and love each other. Gui Bai finally overcomes his hesitations to fall in love, Miss Shui finally leaves her past behind and Qian Xue develops the confidence to become a businesswoman. Even Muxu and Sang Shen transform a little bit.
Music :
I have nothing special to say, the OST was really good. For once the opening is not a song, it's only music and I enjoyed it a lot, I couldn't skip it !! Overall it was good, Either I was vibing while watching the drama or I was crying during emotional scenes.
To conclude I think I will rewatch it someday because the details make you want to rewatch, the funny moments make you want to rewatch and most of the sweet scenes of our main leads makes you want to rewatch it again and again. I think I would recommended it to fans of the main leads like me, people who are looking for a lighthearted story without too much plot and people who love very sweet romances. All of this makes me rate this drama 10/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Serotonin boost
The story :The storyline may seem quite simple at the beginning but as you progress through the episodes you realize that it's not as simple as you thought it was. I really liked the plot, there wasn't any dull moment when I watched it. It narrates a fun story set in the fictional kingdom of Xinchuan, which is the most powerful and which presides over 8 other provinces (which have all their specificities). Every 3 years as a tribute, each province send young ladies for a selection as wives or concubines of the Xinchuan princes. And after some events during the selection, the adorable foodie Li Wei from Jichuan becomes the concubine of the weak and unfavored 6th prince, Yin Zheng.
The cast :
I loved a lot of characters. I think that the main couple has a very good chemistry !! I hope we can see Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei together as main leads again in the future. Both of them have good comedic expression and they are fantastic at turning funny moments into heart stopping passionate ones !! Although there is a romance involved , this drama is a lot more about sisterhood and women's themes which is not a flaw at all. There is no rivalry and scheming between women, unlike other historical dramas which makes this one very different and enjoyeable.
Also, almost all couples in this drama are lovely because each romance is developed which makes the characters very endearing. Besides, I really loved on of the secondary couples, Shangguan and Yin Qi literally stole my heart. These characters are so different and that's why this couple is awesome : the fierce Shangguan, a princess from the powerful and matrilocal Danchuan with him, the goofy and smiley 5th prince. They humorously navigate true challenges and hardships together which leads them to understand and love each other.
The sisterhood moments were really good, all these women are supporting each other no matter what and have an awesome bond. They went through a lot of hardships and each one of them succeeded in what she wanted to do in the end of the drama.
Overall, each character in the drama was immensely elevated by all the cast’s excellent acting. The depth and richness of each character and their development were incredible. Moreover, all the character’s interactions and chemistry were also realistically and convincingly portrayed.
To sum up this is a gorgeous, lighthearted and highly enjoyable story about women's struggles and sisterhood with some romance thrown in. The humour is very well and I think it can really be a comfort drama to watch when you're in a bad mood because it will make you smile and laugh for sure. I highly recommend it and that's why I rate this feel good drama 10/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Awesome
This drama is a true masterpiece !!! At the beginning you have to pay close attention to understand but the story is well structured. The storyline of these twins is really thrilling and touching. I am very pleased that Kim Seohyun is the FL of this drama because she offers an awesome performance which is full of realism. She plays both Lee Eunbi and Go Eunbyeol who are particularly different when it comes to their personalities.During my first viewing of the drama I had a big 2nd lead syndrome for Gong Taekwang but during my second viewing my heart prefered Han Yian, who knows why lmao
The mean character of the story, who is also the one who started it all, Kang Soyoung, was detestable and fulfilled her role well.
I think this drama is very touching because the main theme is school bullying, having been bullied when I was younger this spoke to me and moved me a lot.
To sum up this is a classic in dramaland, you can't miss it. I really recommend it to you if you haven't watched ir yet :)
Was this review helpful to you?
