A Xianxia Rom-Com with a Bunch of Predictable Cliches and Overused Tropes

Days before I started this show, I had read one fourth of the novel and found that it has a very promising premise. However, my expectations is cut short when the show began airing. I never expected that they changed the plot from the timeline, the identities of the characters, how the leads encountered each other, and blah blah blah.

Getting past 6 episodes was gruesome for me so I decided to use fast-forward and skip button, especially the Great Path Sect arc (I'm really serious, they need to have their senses knocked into their stupid heads). All I can say is that the whole plot is predictable from the get go. And why xianxia dramas love to show good guys in disguise as the ultimate villain? I'm tired of this kind of story and wish there's something more, though I can't set my bar high too much. Also, the writers attempted to create 'love at first sight' trope of the main leads. Even though I had no problems with them, it seemed weird for them to develop a mutual understanding in such a short time. The only redeeming quality is the comedic antics by Yin Ya and Mu Zhanting - their interactions are very refreshing for the upcoming angst in the latter part of show.

Superb acting from the whole assemble of casts especially Zhang Linghe, Jing Tian, Darren Chen, and Chang Long. I must say that this is the best styling for Zhang Linghe so far - he looks devilishly handsome and gorgeous in his demon attire. As for Jing Tian, I feel that her character needs a little improvement - at first she seems to be a quick-witted and strong girl, but in the latter half she is reduced to a damsel-in-distress (same thing happened in Wonderland of Love).

The OSTs are too mellow and not to my liking. Background music has a modern vibe attached on it.

Will I rewatch? Definitely a big no! I'm really sorry to say this but I can't stand this show any longer. A one time watch will do. However, if you're a fangirl of Zhang Linghe, then this might be the best show for you. Good luck and happy watching!

Read More

Fighting for the Freedom of Innocent People Amidst the Chaos in the 3 Realms

I've been anticipating this drama since its filming wrapped up. Xuanhuan has been one of my favorite genres and this drama surpassed my expectation. It isn't your ordinary Xuanhuan drama, but an EXTRAORDINARY one.

In the next paragraphs, I will explain every arc in this drama (note this as a MAJOR SPOILER). If you don't want to be spoiled, you can skip the whole part regarding the plot. Here we go...

1) Xin Country arc
The first arc mainly introduces the main characters and the first war between humans and immortals. This war was spearheaded by Wu Geng's parents - Xin King and Xinyue Hu. Unfortunately, both of them sacrificed themselves for the country to fight Hei Long. Before his mother died, she transported Wu Geng's soul to A Gou's body. For your information, A Gou is a shred of Wu Geng's divine power and he currently stayed together with a mortal girl called Bai Cai.

2) Bloodstone Mine arc
Wu Geng and Bai Cai accidentally got caught in the capital when he took her for some treatment. Then, they were forced to labour jobs/enslaved with numerous unwilling citizens in the bloodstone mine. Together with other slaves, they healed each other's wound and became to understand each other's feelings. Finally, Wu Geng succeeded in helping the slaves escaping from the mine.

3) Shenyin Village arc
Wu Geng and Bai Cai were taken to Shenyin Village by his grandpa Fu Xi. There, they met many immortals who previously rebelled against the immortal realm. This is the arc where Bai Cai's real identity started to leak. The immortals ambushed the village because of the cackle queen Xinyue Kui and Bai Cai was kidnapped by the hell immortal, Shi Xing. Wu Geng together with his mentor, Ah Lan, set out to save Bai Cai.

4) King's City arc
Wu Geng confronted Shi Xing and he won against him. Bai Cai managed to lift a curse out of Shi Xing after their battle. Shi Xing's backstory is explained here and it is indeed heart-wrenching. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. This is also the place where Wu Geng reunited with his uncle, Zi Yu.

5) Demon Realm arc
Wu Geng, Bai Cai, and Ah Lan were invited to the demon realm, shortly after the thunder god Zhui Ri attacked Wu Geng. At the demon realm, Wu Geng stroke up a friendship bond with the grand marshal of the demon clan, Ni Tian Er Xing and also helped the demons got rid of their petrification sickness.

6) Bai Country arc
Wu Geng and his friends returned to their home and found that many things have happened recently. In this arc, the cackle queen kept trying to possess Bai Cai due to Bai Cai's ancient divine power which could be of good use to the immortals. Bai Cai soon lost control and became the dark Bai Cai.

7) Sea Realm arc
Wu Geng was saved by a mermaid called Bei Er after Bai Cai threw him off the cliff. In the sea ream, Wu Geng was acknowledged by the ancestor of the Sea Spirit Clan.

8) Illusion Island arc
To prepare for the second war against the immortals, Wu Geng took his soldiers to cultivate qi at the Illusion Island under the guidance of Uncle Zi Yu.

9) Immortal Realm arc
Yes, this is the ending of the drama. There are a lot of heavy casualties at both sides. As usual, hero will always win in the end. After Hei Long died, the war was finished. As for the wedding, it was unnecessary. Nobody in their right mind would marry a dying person, right? (just teasing)

Romance is just a subplot in this drama as it focuses more on the characters' growth and development. The leads have siblings-like chemistry and it's already enough to my liking.

Wu Geng can be considered as a good leader who always put his people on top of himself. Despite his good leadership, fighting courage and resilience, he's also a cunning trickster who can easily manipulate and trick people into believing fake evidences.

The only aspect that I like from Bai Cai is her cheerful personality. Aside from that, I think she's a damsel in distress, always whining A Gou until I got tired of it. At first glance, she appeared as a sunny and headstrong girl. But, as the story progresses, she becomes you-know-what. Anyway, the evil Bai Cai is the best, I must say.

To save this review from being a long essay, I will just skip the rest of the characters. Just in case, I'm going to list out the MVP of this drama below:
1. Ni Tian Er Xing (he's slaying very much and I watch this to support him, haha)
2. Shi Xing (his backstory is the best)
3. Hei Long (turning the world upside down just tor revive his beloved. Well, he's slaying too. I love his styling)
4. Xinyue Kui (the cackle queen that people hate the most)
5. Uncle Zi Yu (one of the key figures who encourage Wu Geng to become stronger)

The OSTs are chef's kiss and I can't help but playing it on and on at my Spotify. The lyrics are very meaningful compared to those energetic K-Pop songs I used to listen.

Overall, a 10 out of 10. Give this a shot and you won't regret investing your time in this drama. Despite some minor flaws, it still deserves a 10 from me. Don't forget to rate it if you've completed, because this drama deserves more than 8.0 rating.

Read More

"Don't Meddle with the Past, Don't Question the Future."

As we all know very well, June and July are the busiest month for c-drama industry because it is SUMMER HOLIDAY! Speaking of summer holiday, the three kingdoms aka Tencent, IQIYI, and Youku repeatedly release high-profile shows to spoil us watcher. Tencent bombarded with 'Lost You Forever Season 2', 'As Beautiful as You,' and 'The Legend of Heroes' (the latter got pulled back, though). IQIYI only dropped 'Follow Your Heart' and 'Her Fantastic Adventures', both of which are not doing really well in the charts. Lastly, Youku splashed out 'The Double' and a hit-or-miss 'The Princess Royal'.

Well, I don’t watch those shows and choose the less-known 'Link Click from a less-known platform Bilibili instead. At first glance, I thought it is just a typical low-budget show, but hell no! From the ingenious script, captivating storyline, aesthetic shots, mesmerizing backgrounds, to the multi-faceted characters, everything is executed flawlessly! The writer does a good job in exploring human’s complicated emotions which adds a depth of layer in the story. There is mixed portion of comedy, bromance, and thriller, all of which are balanced well. Another wonderful aspect is no cliché – I find the scenes particularly realistic and it’s really hard to detect a single cliché, which is a very rare aspect in c-drama world.

The story revolves around the trio (Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, Qiao Ling) who operated ‘Time Photo Studio’. In fact, it was just a normal photo studio – however, what made it special was their supernatural power. Cheng Xiaoshi had the power to enter the photo and transform into the person who took the picture while Lu Guang was in charge of monitoring Cheng Xiaoshi's actions and made sure that Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t make any big changes to the events that were occurring in the photo. Qiao Ling might not share their extraordinary ability, but she was able to gather information through her job as a presenter in a talk show company ‘Ling Ting Ta Shuo’.

Spanning over 24 episodes, the trio traversed into 7 different cases. Though the cases were not related to each other, each case provided a shred of clues about Lu Guang’s mysterious origin and his relationship with Master Xita. Each case is written as meticulous as possible while also allowing the watchers to feel the characters’ pain and growth. Each episode spans around 50 minutes something, but it’s not draggy, anyway.

I must say that the acting from every actor is SUPERB! I especially like Jiang Long – he has improved much since 'Tiger & Crane', and he captures the essence of Cheng Xiaoshi’s very well. Whenever he laughs or cries, I can feel him and badly want to join too. Bi Wenjun also improves since 'Warm on a Cold Night' and 'I Am Nobody', but is still outshone by his co-star. I feel that he has been typecasted in every drama, always playing the cold and aloof character, I wish I could see him in a brighter and cheerful role once (by the way, this is his second drama that I watch in a row, with the latter being the ongoing ‘Treasures Around’). Bu Guanjin surprisingly plays the fiercely loyal and supportive sister Qiao Ling in an outstanding way. Qiao Ling is not someone who can be fooled easily (this happens when Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang attempt several feeble lies to cover up their power), and she is no damsel-in-distress, which is why I label her as one of the strong female leads. Special mention to all of the cameos for grasping the core of their characters! And Dr. He Xu is an amazing villain too - you can never predict whether he is a friend or a foe (those motor racing scenes are great! He's just too awesome to be resisted).

I particularly like the ending OST – it is such a rare thing to hear a rock-themed OST in c-drama. BGMs and other OSTs are nice too.

Kudos to the production team and the entire assemble of casts for creating such a wonderful masterpiece. Don’t forget to rate the show if you’ve completed it because it deserves more than 7.9. Good luck and happy watching!!

These are the main core of the cases in case you want to be spoiled:
1. Sheng Chunzao's shameful scandal in prying over his employees' privacy
2. Chen Xiao's traumatic past
3. Shuang Hai and Zheng Zhong's complicated brotherhood
4. Liu Ye's being accused as a lecher and Sang Ning's hallucination anomaly
5. Zhou Xiaobai's expulsion from the opera house and the missing umbrella
6. Master Xita's cause of death
7. He Xu's treachery and the obsession of his sister.

Note:
For those who learn and speak Chinese, this is a good chance to put your Chinese language skills to use since the subs are horrible or you're too impatient to wait for better subs. I watch this by relying on the Chinese subs and it's not that difficult, although I admit that I don't a character or two.

Read More

A Mesmerizing Gothic Tale in Chinese Version

To be honest, I’m not expecting much from FOF since I’m here only to support Neo Hou. But goodness, am I mistaken? FYI, FOF aka Fangs of Fortune is an original-script-based fantasy drama which is under the command by our notoriously controversial yet aesthetical director Guo Jingming (I’m sure everyone has known all sorts of things that he did before, but he sure knows how to make such a masterpiece). As you can see, FOF is also fighting neck-to-neck with Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and The Story of Pearl Girl (excluding Smile Code which is currently starting to flop), so it’s not that easy for it to achieve such a wonderful rating. Let’s delve into the story now, shall we?

FOF revolves around nine main characters (according to the individual posters posted in Weibo) consisting of the shameless yet loyal 1000-year-old great demon Zhao Yuanzhou/Zhu Yan, the astute Baize Goddess Wen Xiao, the cold-outside-warm-inside descendant of Bingyi Clan Zhuo Yichen, the badass female archer Pei Sijing and her faithful younger brother Pei Siheng, the timid little doctor Bai Jiu, the mischievous Mountain God Ying Lei, the green-eyed pagoda tree demon (also Zhao Yuanzhou’s former bestie) Li Lun, and most of all is the vengeful and malicious Wen Zongyu (I’m hoping to make every character arc, but it doesn’t seem to be possible since it will only lengthen my review).

In my pure opinion, FOF is not a facile and cheesy script like your typical old-school romance drama. Instead, it’s a very meticulous and stunning one, in which the scriptwriters managed to input several plot twists into that none of the watchers could predict the outcome of the show. The show not only focuses on the topic of friendship and self-growth, but also probes into the meaning of love, desire, yearning, and the pain of being betrayed, all of which are beautifully portrayed, of course. Back to Guo Jingming again, we know that he always has the tendency of producing angsty drama and FOF is not an exception. There are lots of angsty scenes in every existing episode and somehow the actors will always cry whenever something goes off or someone dies. However, these scenes don’t have much impact on me (I myself don’t understand too) so I always watch with my usual expressionless eyes as they keep crying. But, the most striking scene would probably be Ying Lei’s death and his dying wish of how he wants Bai Jiu to live well – it’s just so heart-wrenching…

Shout out to every actor from main to supporting and guest roles for acting out the multi-faceted character in an insightful way. This show will also boost Neo Hou’s popularity and he proofs himself to be a force to be reckoned with (can’t wait for his next projects). Chen Duling also acts well, but her excessive crying scenes is irking me very much. Thanks to her good acting skills, Wen Xiao is still a bearable character. This is my first time watching Tian Jiarui and I don’t have any complain about him – he does just as good as the others. Finally, Cheng Xiao is out of her comfort zone and her character doesn’t seem to be as annoying and cliché as the one in Falling into Your Smile. Lester Lin is the youngest out of the whole bunch, but he can portray Bai Jiu beautifully even when he’s in the dark mode (as the saying goes, age isn’t everything). Special mention to Yan An (Pentagon) too – he’s a K-pop idol and also a hidden gem in acting that I can’t help but keep waiting for his scenes (FYI, currently Pentagon is in a hiatus, so I hope Yan An can do more dramas until Cube Entertainment calls him again).

FOF is indeed an S++ drama, every set is done aesthetically and every scene is taken intelligently to ensure its quality. As I mentioned in the title, FOF has a gothic vibe akin to those in historical Europe sites, but in Chinese version. I particularly like Bingyi Forbidden Area, which reminds me of a domain in Genshin Impact. A user also reminds me that the ancient runes in Kunlun Peaks is similar as Paimon’s when she is summoned.

I think I’m going to rave about the OST especially Liu Yuning’s hip-hop/rock song – it’s my first time hearing him rapping lol. I also like Xu Zhenxuan, Yan An, Cheng Xiao, and Lai Weiming’s OSTs. If it hadn’t been for these songs, the OSTs would’ve been particularly meh.

Would I recommend this show? AN ABSOLUTE YES! As you follow their adventures, you’ll be enamored by their witty dialogues, gorgeous and impressive sets, and the heartbreaking OSTs. Don’t hesitate to watch this masterpiece because your every second is worth it. Good luck and happy watching!!!

P.S.
There is a BL-like vibe between Zhao Yuanzhou, Li Lun, and Zhuo Yichen. Unfortunately, they have to tone it down a bit to fit the shitty censorship, otherwise we'd get another BL show. Also note that Wen Xiao may play a pivotal role in protecting the Wilderness, but she's only there so that she can have a love line with Zhao Yuanzhou (to make sure FOF isn't banned like Immortality, Winner is King, Eternal Faith, and so on). Still, you can enjoy their scenes and feel the bromance between them tho.

Read More

Watch at Your Own Risk

This show is totally unbearable. After watching 4 episodes, I became bored and was on the verge of yawning. Then, I skipped most of the episodes and only watched the ending. Thank goodness it was a happy ending.

The leads, in my opinion, are miscast. I didn't even feel the chemistry between them and the fact that the ML has a baby face which made the FL has some sort of different age gap from him.

The plot is either a prequel or a fresh spinoff in the BTTH universe. Fortunately, I haven't watched season 1 before so I won't mention that one.

Acting is really, really bland as if I'm reading an uninteresting newspaper article. And the fighting choreography... don't get me started at it. They only did some sorts of wiring and twirling here and there without any direction.

Will never rewatch it anymore. Overall 5 stars out of 10. To me, it have been a decent score rather than those 1 stars. I'm sorry but I can't find any memorable parts of the show. Try to look elsewhere or watch the leads previous/future projects which are far better than this.

Read More

Witchcraft and Face Swap in a Thriller-Packed Drama

Hi guys, I'm back again after hiatus for quite some time due to final exams and lack of spare time. I've done watching In Blossom some time ago, but I only get my time to work on this review today. In Blossom is not a drama that I expected very much, I was obsessed in Burning Flames and didn't plan to watch this beforehand. After scrolling through the comments, I decided to try it and check out my review below.

In Blossom tells a bittersweet story between two childhood sweethearts, Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei. Yang Caiwei was in a disgraced situation after having escaped from the attempted murder which successfully killed her parents. Subsequently, she went to the Pan Mansion and wanted to meet Pan Yue. But Pan Yue wasn't there, and his father refused to let her in. Filled with grief and resentment, Yang Caiwei wandered around Heyang City and was taken in by a retired coroner, who worked as corpse taker now. Together with her lunatic master, Yang Caiwei became a corpse taker and did everything to relieve her master's burden.

She accidentally encountered Pan Yue again. Originally, Yang Caiwei gave him a cold shoulder and ignored him as possible. Pan Yue, of course, didn't give up and tried his best to woo her back, even wanted to marry her. A spoiled and pampered girl of the wealthy Shangguan family, Shangguan Zhi, witnessed this event and was furious. The day before their marriage, Shangguan Zhi used witchcraft to switch her face with Yang Caiwei's. After that, she pushed Yang Caiwei and her subordinates to a narrow cliff, thinking that she had erased every trace of her evil deeds.

Things became more and more unexpected. Shangguan Zhi (in Yang Caiwei's persona) was suddenly murdered which aroused fear and suspicion. Yang Caiwei soon learned about her 'own death' and vowed to find the culprit and uphold justice for Shangguan Zhi despite the latter's treatment towards her.

In order to investigate her murder, Yang Caiwei had to work with Pan Yue in the county yamen. Originally, they were at odds because Pan Yue didn't like Shangguan Zhi before, not knowing that the latter has swapped her face with Yang Caiwei. Thus, their sweet love story began.

So far, the plot is woven in intrigue and mystery, which can attract the audiences to skim in, especially mystery and thriller lovers. However, after the case of Gu Shan, I started to fast forward and skipped a lot of the main leads' scenes. Don't get me started at the capital arc. That arc was rather boring and dull. Even with skipping, I could still grab some details of the case and in short, I didn't lose anything from skipping here and there.

The acting is so-so. This is my third time watching Liu Xueyi after 'The Blood of Youth' and 'Love and Redemption'. I think he did pretty well in this drama and his persistent love towards Yang Caiwei was one of the best aspects of him. You could see him conveying his eye expression when he was staring at Yang Caiwei and you'll know why. Meanwhile, Ju Jingyi's acting is a bit of lackluster. Like other reviewers, I also prefer Zheng He Hui Zi's portrayal as the real Yang Caiwei. Ju Jingyi's Yang Caiwei is a little spoiled but thank goodness they didn't make her into a damsel-in-distress (she's still as intelligent as her old self).

Personally, I'm rooting for the second couple (Zhuo Lanjiang and Bai Xiaosheng) than the main couple. They're a cute bickering couple and help the leads to solve cases too. My only complaint is why should they KILL OFF Ah Jiang. He didn't deserve it and should have got a happy ending with Bai Xiaosheng.

OSTs are nothing special, but still commendable.

Is there any rewatch value? Nah, that will depend on yourselves. The plot is good in the first half but falls in the second half. I myself won't be rewatching this drama as this is a one-time watch for me. Nonetheless, I'll give this nine out of ten stars for the great plot and the case solving. Give this a try if you want some case-solving drama, but you can skip the rest of the scenes if they've arrived at the capital. Happy watching!!!

SPOILER ALERT:
The real murderer of Yang Caiwei points to Shangguan Zhi's brother, Shangguan Lan. I'm not entirely sure of this, but given that the Shangguan family has good connection, a private army, and witches, everything is possible for them. To please Shangguan Zhi, her brother must have intended to kill off Yang Caiwei from the beginning so that Shangguan Zhi can marry Pan Yue - and that's the only reasonable thing to do (in my opinion).

Read More

A Must-Watch Sci-Fi Gem

Reset can be considered as one of the earliest shows that I watched back in 2022, long before I start Love & Redemption. At that time, I was still innocent of the C-drama world. Together with my mom, we skimmed through the series though I would say I only watched a chunk of here and there, but I could still understand the plot lol (thank goodness it's only 15 episodes). Please apologize for my late review.

Okay, we will delve into the plot now. Reset is adapted from a thriller sci-fi novel '开端' while also utilizing the time-travel trope in an ingenious way. There are a lot of plot twist at the end of every episode, which make the watchers feel curious and want more (I happen to feel the same way too). Anyway, the story tells us about two passengers (Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun) of a bus that is 'destined' to perish. Somehow, both of them don't die and get stuck in a repetitive time loop. Each time the bus explodes, they will be sent back to the past time before the explosion occurs. Having died 'multiple times', Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun finally crack the mystery of the explosion. They slowly managed to convince the other passengers and even the police. Eventually, the team succeed in destroying the explosive materials, and thus the time loop immediately stops.

As for the cause of the explosion, it is actually a plot concocted by a pair of husband and wife whose daughter had died on the very same bus, so both of them are hellbent on revenge and want to commit mass-suicide so as the other innocent passengers join their daughter at the underworld. This is based on what I remembered 2 years ago. If there is anything wrong, you can inform me.

Though I don't know most of the casts here, I can say they had done a very good job in playing every character especially the pair of husband and wife who want to avenge their daughter's death. As for the main lead (Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai), their acting exceeds my expectation. I've now become one of Zhao Jinmai's fans and I hope I can see more of her new works.

I absolutely recommend this masterpiece to everyone, old and young alike! Do try it!

Read More

An Extended Version of Mini Drama, for Sure

I'm not expecting much of a drama which aired anonymously. I accidentally found this amongst a bunch of upcoming dramas in a MDL voting list. I read the synopsis and was quite invested in the story, given that I'm all out for enemies-to-lovers trope. Considering this drama had been shelved for 3 years before finally airing without any promotions, nobody would be expecting much of it. Since I'm Zhang Yuxi's fan, I decided to give this a try. So, how's it going? Check out my review below.

In this drama, a story is told within a story (you know what I mean, right?). In real life, FL (Song Yao) was a novelist who was on the verge of project rejection. Using her brilliant and quirky method, she succeeded in convincing the director of the publishing company and was given 3-months worth of time to make a new project. After examining a crystal glass, she started to write her story... and became the main character herself.

In the story, FL had a supernatural ability to see through the rich people's lies and helped the innocents to get what was theirs from the rich ones. On one occasion, her supernatural ability didn't work in front of the director-to-be of Chengtian Group, Ji Chengchuan aka Qin Hao. At first, both of them never saw eye to eye and constantly bickered for trivial matters. Actually, Qin Hao had a hidden agenda for coming back to China, which was to suspect the death of Ji Chengchuan and his mom - and the only evidence was a cufflink emblazoned with Chengtian Group's symbol.

I'm not going to rant about the plot anymore as this review will be more than just a spoiler. There is indeed a little plot twist at the last episodes and if you're curious, you can check it out yourself. My only complaint is that everything seemed to be copied pasted from other dramas as the title suggested. Let's see, transmigration and contract marriage are nothing new in c-drama land - the only saving grace is that it is not overused in this drama. Childhood sweetheart and PTSD trope are present too. The Ji family is kinda similar with the Fu family of 'South Wind Knows' (Zhang Yuxi's other dramas). Also, the scene when they were trapped inside a cargo is no different than the scene when the main leads were stuck in a cave (still about 'South Wind Knows'). The kidnapping scene looks like copied from 'My Demon' whereas FL's supernatural ability is similar to that of the FL in 'My Lovely Liar', except in different circumstances.

Third-wheeler is here too; there are two of them, Liang Jingyi and Sheng Silin respectively. Fortunately, Sheng Silin wasn't quite toxic and he became one of the main leads' ally too, which is very refreshing rather than keep pursuing FL. Liang Jingyi is more toxic and a bit possessive. From the first time she met FL, she had hated her and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible. In the second half of the drama, she suddenly disappeared or perhaps she has found somebody who won her heart - Ji Chengan, for he had a crush on her for a long time.

Illogical story is inevitable in a rom-com. However, given that this is a story written by the FL, anything can happen according to her own will, so that won't be much of a trouble to me.

This is my first drama of Wang Ziqi and CEO roles are nothing new to him. He handles his part well as his role is not challenging. As for Zhang Yuxi, I like her role as the bold and justice-driven Song Yao. The second and third couple are cute and funny too - I guess I'm going to ship both couples instead of the main couple.

OSTs are nothing memorable and I easily skimmed through it.

Overall, a worthwhile watch for a rom-com with a mix of thriller and fantasy genre. But, I don't think I'm going to rewatch this anymore. Good luck in watching. Bye bye!!

P.S.
Why do they always kiss in front of the reporters everytime there is a scandal involving both of them? This has happened three times already and can't they just explain that everything is just a stupid misunderstanding?

Read More

Am I Stupid Enough to Stumble on This Show?

Last year prior to the airing date, I accidentally discovered this show on weibo. I was truly excited because the show is going to revolve around the personal lives and business careers of jade merchants. To be honest, I have deep fascination for jade artefacts/jewelry, so I feel that giving this show a go won't do much harm. The premise of jade merchants may sound interesting, however they failed to execute an outstanding live action series. I'm going to keep this review as short as possible since there's nothing much to talk about.

Treasures Around is actually a historical rom-com revolving around an eccentric jade businesswoman Shan Dandan and the Pei family's young master Pei Pei. At first glance, they have enemies-to-lovers trope, which I enjoy very much despite their childish tantrums. After 4 episodes, they lose their chemistry, and the relationship begins to feel forced. It would have been better if they made a slow-burn romance instead of rushing everything.

The pacing is kinda on and off too - some things are wrapped up as quick as possible while the others are as slow as snail. I stop after watching 17 episodes (by using 2x speed) and mark it as completed because I don't want to drop shows anymore. Yes, I admit that I have no idea of the ending, but based on my understanding, it is going to be HE - with the leads proposing to each other or holding a marriage.

I have to cringe whenever a comedy scene pops up. Their acting is so, so embarrassing and cheesy from the main casts to supporting ones. I personally feel that the main leads' (Bi Wenjun and Xu Lu) talents are wasted in this show. Their intimate scenes are cliche and seem to be copy pasted from other shows. Also, the main leads always make fool out of themselves, which makes me so infuriated. For the first time in their lives, can they use their brains properly instead of acting on impulse? Plus, Ah Liu is a dumb bodyguard and always makes bad suggestions for Pei Pei - as the old saying goes, like master like servant lol. We don't need the jealous bitchy Cui Liu too - she's an absolutely toxic woman.

The Su family's young master Su Jue is such a hypocritical person - he always badmouths the Pei family while secretly helping them for Shuangshuang's sake. If this were your original intention, then why waste your time badmouthing them and even got your uncle to scheme everything? Poor Shuangshuang doesn't deserve him at all - but the production team obviously wants to make the second couple out of them.

The only redeeming characters are Shan Shuangshuang (Dandan's elder sister. Despite her robotic facial expression, I like her badass personality and seems to be the only sane person out of the clown-ish people) and Mother Pei (say goodbye to toxic mother syndrome. She's such a supportive and lovely mother that everyone needs in the real life lol).

I assume that the production team must be low on budget. The sets look cheap, and the main casts only get 4 or 5 different sets of clothing while the supporting casts get none. They make the main leads sing the OSTs too - all of which are not my cup of tea.

I definitely won't recommend this show to anyone unless you're a fan of the leads. Avoid this show at all costs...

Read More

And the Award of the Most Hilarious Drama Goes to...

'Joy of Life' garnered high viewership and was a great hype back in 2019. To tell you the truth, I only watched two episodes of the first season, right before the season 2 started airing (the rest episodes have been blocked as VIP). You see, I only have slight knowledge about this series. Aside from Fan Xian, I only know Uncle Wu Zhu, Fei Jie, Grandma Fan, Fan Ruoruo, Teng Zijing, Yan Bingyun, the map seller Wang Qinian, and the young version of Chen Pingping. Despite my slight knowledge, I still enjoy the season 2 wholeheartedly. I'm ROOTING for every character regardless of their sides (good and evil). So, now let's see my take on this show and here we go...

I'm sure that the first season ended in a cliffhanger and that Fan Xian was dead. But the answer is a big NO! He faked his death and resurrected again! Later, he returned to the capital again, dealt with numerous crises that involved the commoners, and even solved the royal palace's cases such as kicking out corrupt officials, dealing with money embezzlement case, exposing the royal family's crimes, and blah blah blah. Fan Xian is the type of a person that couldn't stand injustice - he will do his best to ensure the commoners' safety and expediency and will not let any officials harm them. However, not many people want to take Fan Xian's path and prefer to be indifferent towards the commoners.

One more thing, he also changed the emperor's mindset and won his trust! In the latter episodes, it is revealed that the emperor was Fan Xian's biological father, and the name Fan Xian was designated by his mother, Ye Qingmei. Logically speaking, Fan Xian's status was equal to that of the princes, and that's why the emperor passed down the Imperial Treasury to Fan Xian, believing that he could take care of his mother's old asset.

The plot is craved intelligently with a lot of riddles hidden in the dialogues; you can never guess who the ultimate villain is - whether it is the second prince, the crown prince, the empress, the officials, Chen Pingping, and even the emperor himself. Everyone has their own side to defend and they're all SUPER GREY characters! 'Joy of Life' combines the dark palace politic with funny humor *thumbs up*. I feel concerned to the characters when they're at the lowest point of their lives and laugh uncontrollably when they start to banter. I can list all sort of the funny things they did - Fan Xian's bickering with the four princes, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping's silly arguments, the emperor's handmade gunpowder, Fan Xian's chicken dance when trying out his new clothes, Fan Xian and Haitang Duoduo complicated relationship in which everyone was fond of, Wang Qinian's little family, and many more.

Not only is the plot beautifully woven, but the acting is also top-notch. Everyone casted in the season 2 is experienced and can act well according to the script. Despite the minor fighting scene, it is executed very well, especially Fan Xian and Shadow's duel and also Uncle Wu Zhu's qinggong. I know a lot of people have been complaining about the few fighting scenes, but to me, it doesn't matter. As long as the script isn't messed up, everything will be alright.

I literally skip the opening and ending OSTs, but the BGM is quite nice. I especially like the comedy BGM and just keep humming to myself haha.

I highly recommend this show - you won't regret watching every single minute of it! I'll be waiting for season 3 (don't know when it will air though, haha). See you in season 3, Fan Xian! You're the best!

Three best quotes from JOL Season 2:
- Fan Xian to Fan Sizhe
"You will only be mature if you leave your home."

- Chancellor Lin Ruofu to Fan Xian
"People's hearts will always change so don't trust people easily."

- Chen Pingping to Fan Xian
"Revenge is the most stubborn force of a man's life. This force will grow strong and stronger as time passes."

Read More

The Pain of Betrayal and How to Regain Your Glory After Experiencing the Brink of Death

Back From the Brink is one of my favorite xianxia dramas. I admit that there's a little loophole in the plot, but it doesn't defect me from enjoying it. So, now let us venture into the intriguing plot and characters!

Back From the Brink is adapted from one of Jiu Lu Fei Xiang's novel 'Hu Xin' which literally means protect the heart. It tells the interspecies romance of Tian Yao (once a legendary and ancient dragon) and Yan Hui (a freshly expelled Taoist cultivator). On Tian Yao's wedding day, his lover (Su Ying) dismembered him and sealed the entire parts of his body separately. In a final despair attempt, Tian Yao managed to gouge his dragon heart and sent it away before Su Ying could take action. He later died and possessed a body of a dead boy, trying to get back his body parts by hook or by crooks. Not long after that, Tian Yao encountered a bold yet cheerful former Taoist cultivator, Yan Hui, who coincidentally possessed Tian Yao's dragon heart. At first, they seemingly played the cat-and-mouse game as Yan Hui was adamant of Tian Yao's plan to use her with the purpose of getting his body. As the story progressed, Yan Hui slowly started to be attracted by Tian Yao and so did he. Just like the saying goes, if you've never encountered failure, how could you move on to become the better you? So, this drama depicts this saying in an excellent way. Nevertheless, the leads regained their dignities after encountering a lot of dangers in their adventure and nearly being in the slump of death multiple times.

As a novel reader, the story doesn't deviate very much except for the introduction of the shadow ghost (Bai Xiaosheng). At first, he might seem to be freaking annoying due to his interference of the main leads' relationship. Thank God I'm proved wrong. He was the CATALYST that would lead Tian Yao and Yan Hui to form a deeper bond which is more than just friends and companions. Also, he had numerous antics which would make me laugh like a lunatic. If I'm not mistaken, there was no Fu Yin (lord of the dark aura) in the novel. I guess it was made up for this drama. I'm not sure but I didn't like his character very much. Moreover, his backstory wasn't properly explained which led to the confusion of the watchers. I get that Fu Yin was a lonely person with only Xue Lin (a former Taoist cultivator who would eventually marry the fox king) as his companion. After Xue Lin got married, he began to resent everything in this world and turned evil. Is that all the writers have got? I wish we could see more about Fu Yin's flashback and how he transformed into the lord of dark aura.

Don't get me started at the ending! It was a SUPER LACKLUSTER! After a series of twist and turn, the writers decided to cram everything into the last episode and the KISS in the last scene was the prove of a happy ending?? Come on, we need more than just a kiss. At least, you can explain how Yan Hui was reincarnated again and found Tian Yao in the mortal world. Because of this reason and the above one, I will have to dock one point off the story.

Actings and chemistry are all fine. I've got no problem with that. What I like the most is the bickering relationship between Tian Yao and Yan Hui - there's always something they could debate of. Meanwhile, second couple (Xian Ge and Feng Qianshuo) have a more mature relationship and constantly support each other either financially or emotionally. Third couple (Huan Xiaoyan and Zhu Li) has a worse bickering relationship than the first couple and they seem to be pretty chaotic when they're together. Special mention to the fourth couple (Su Ying and Lu Musheng) who has one-sided love effect and the latter doesn't reciprocate thingy.

Guess I will end my rant until here. Although there're several cons, you can still watch it peacefully since it's a light-hearted xianxia compared to the angsty one (for instance, Till the End of the Moon). Happy watching and good luck.

Read More

The Feeling of Being Put Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Okay, so I found this drama in Desire Catcher's recommendation lists, and I thought the premise is quite intriguing given its genre for a suspense thriller drama. To be honest, I'm not supposed to watch any dramas until In Between airs because I've got a lot of tasks going on right now (monthly quiz and so on). However, because of this interesting premise, I was tempted to jump back to the drama world and here we go to the review...

The story tells about Luo Jian and Zhuang Wenjie who cooperate with each other to solve numerous cases linked to a mysterious mastermind. Actually, we are supposed to have an enemies-to-partners trope given the leads' identity - one is an experienced yet lowkey detective while the other one is a genius aka straight-A student who comes from a family of thieves for 3 generations (big whoop, right?). So, as we dig more into the plot, we are told that Zhuang Wenjie unintentionally involves himself in a painting robbery case, claiming that it is his late mother's most favorite painting. At first, he and Detective Luo don't seem to have a good start, but later on, he begins to acknowledge Detective Luo as his life mentor. Somehow, the villains happen to discover of Zhuang Wenjie's existence and make him their puppet because of his very special identity as Zhuang Yaobai's son (his father was one of the best thieves back before he married Wenjie's mother). Caught amidst the conflict between the police and the thieves, Wenjie has to make a choice for himself - to uphold the justice and law or to unravel the conspiracy behind his father's death 10 years ago.

In the beginning, the plot hooks me from the get-go, and I immediately binged up to 10 episodes. However, the plot starts to go downhill after Ding Shenghuo (one of Zhuang Yaobai's acquaintance) is arrested. The remaining villains are bland for me including Monsieur, the ultimate villain behind all of these crimes. I skipped nearly all of the scenes while trying to piece up everything by envisaging here and there. Also, the writer seemed to have toned down Wenjie's character by making him into a super freaking dumb boy. Come on dude, you shouldn't listen to those thieves' words and just stay still just like how Detective Luo tells him to do - he even doesn't know that he's in cahoots with Monsieur himself, who claims to be his father's senior. Born into a family of thieves has granted him a sense of vigilant and alertness, but why don't you use it in front of Monsieur and instead treat everything as if nothing happened at all (if you just listened to Detective Luo, things wouldn't do haywire, and your life probably wouldn't be in danger since the police is handling the case)? However, I must say that he's good when it comes to deception, better than me of course (it's shown when he keeps making excuses and lies to his friends).

Zhang Yi steals the show's limelight and showcases his acting talent seamlessly as the kind yet wise Detective Luo whereas Karry Wang of TFBOYS is still overshadowed by Zhang Yi's character despite him having more significance and depth. The supporting characters have done their parts well and I'm surprised to see that Fan Shiran is also participating in this drama (still can't get over her toxic character in Dashing Youth lol).

I don't pay much attention to the songs and BGMs so it is a pass to me.

Overall, an eight out of ten. If you're a fan of suspense thriller drama with complicated characters, give it a go. But I do have to warn you that the second half may not be as captivating as the first one. Good luck and happy watching!

Read More

One of the Most Brutal K-Dramas that Ever Existed

Back in late 2023, I happened to find this show as a very high-rated show in MDL, so I decided to give it a try. However, I only watched until ep 6 then stopped, never touched it again, and marked it as completed in my watchlist.

To be honest, the plot and storyline is not that bad, and I like all of the fighting scenes and violence depicted in this show. Nonetheless, I started to lose my interest when the third male lead popped up amidst the show. I never understood why he should turn against his two buddies who had protected him at the first place - it's like biting the hands that feed you, if I must say. Other than that, I don't seem to have any troubles regarding this show.

Acting is superb and most of the casts have done their best to bring out the essence of their characters (I only realized that Park Jihoon is one of Wanna One's former members wkwkwkwk).

Overall, a nine out of ten from me. Highly recommended for violence, bullying, gangster tropes' lovers :)

Read More

An Addicting Wuxia Fantasy Drama with Spectacular CGI and Bunches of Superb Characters

Well, I'm supposed to write this review a long time ago, but I'm just... to lazy to write because I've forgotten most of the key scenes in the show. However, watching 'Dashing Youth' has encouraged me to do so. Sorry for the late review, guys...

This show revolves around the F6 of TBOY (Xiao Se, Lei Wujie, Wu Xin, Sikong Qianluo, Tang Lian, and Ye Ruoyi) as they traverse the jianghu world. As you can see, the storytelling and the story's pace are directed well. I really like the first half of the show when they are travelling through the jianghu. However, things start to turn over as they delve into the political intrigue. I admit I skipped a lot of scenes, especially the emperor, the princes, the pathetic eunuch, and also Yi Wenjun's.

My favorite characters will always be Wujie and Tang Lian - I adore them very much and wish they had more screentime instead of the sly little fox Xiao Se. I have no problems with the female leads - they're likeable haha. However, I don't like Wu Xin as much as everyone does - I don't know if it is just me or is anybody feeling the same.

CGI, costumes, and props are crafted exquisitely and look high-budget.

Nevertheless, a ten out of ten for me. I've rewatched for the third time and definitely will recommend it for those who love wuxia with a tinge of fantasy element in it. I'm currently watching 'Dashing Youth' and see if the prequel lives up to the sequel's reputation. I'll cover up 'Dashing Youth' review when I'm done watching. Good luck!!!

Note:
There are bunches of characters that you will need to remember from time to time in order to grasp the story.

Read More

Life is not as Simple as It Seems...

Okay, so this is my third mini drama after 'A Familiar Stranger' and 'Seal of Love'. I've never had much expectation of a mini drama, given their low-budget and average casting. But, this one had me hooked up right from the beginning and I just kept watching nonstop until the end.

The plot is centered around two skilled assassins (ML and FL), who were somehow drawn to the political scheme of the first prince and even served under the same commander (you'll notice this in the later episodes). In their daily lives, FL was a clothing merchant whereas ML was an ordinary physician. I'm not sure whether they're betrothed or not, but they married... and tried to hide their real identities with a great deal of difficulty LOL. One more thing, we also have a second couple which consists of FL's blind younger sister and ML's sidekick. Though they didn't have much screentime, their presences also played pivotal roles in aiding the main couple to complete their missions.

My slight complaint is about the villain's arc. Somehow, the villain betrayed the main couple and tried to get them killed. But, he, himself, wasn't dead and... done. What kind of lame plot is this? They could've revised the script and made a proper ending for the villain though.

Surprisingly, this mini drama had done well in every aspect including the sets, costumes, fighting scenes, and more. The actings are on point and I begin to ship the main couple (hoping for a future collab LOL). Second couple is also nice and cute tho.

Overall, a highly recommended mini drama! You won't regret investing your time in this!

Read More