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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).

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Lin Wanxing, Wang Fa, and Their Babies

Last year, I did look up to "Road to Success", but I literally had zero expectation of it - particularly, because I'm wary of Esther Yu's baby-ish voice and the fact that football isn't a prominent sport for the Chinese. Weeks before watching, I attempted reading half of the novel and found out that it actually did football justice. To be honest, I'm a football fanatic and currently supporting Arsenal in Premier League (Liverpool's performance had plummeted this season - but previously, I also liked Liverpool back in Juergen Klopp's shining era). For this year's World Cup, I support England - although they have been upended by Argentine (most likely to clinch the championship for the consecutive year, but let's see what surprise Spain has prepared for the final). Okay, it's time to rock back to the review again!!

The main story tells about a healthy and mature romance between Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa, with the football theme as a plot device to create a close proximity for them, as they tackle on the issues faced by the school's football team and do their best to secure a place in the league. Lin Wanxing, a psychology-PhD-dropout-turned sports equipment keeper, is a strong-willed and resilient woman who has a sanguine viewpoint of life despite a scandalous incident in her past. Actually, she has also considered suicide but still decides to live on so as to help other people realize their dreams. Against her parents' wishes, Wanxing applies to Hongjing No. 8 School as a sport equipment keeper, for the sake of her late grandfather (her grandparents were tutors in Hongjing and had helped many people through education). Wanxing has emotionally distant parents, which prompts her to loathe them. In this school, she incidentally meets Wang Fa, a former British club's coach and Wanxing's tenant who's been investigating his player's suicide case. All clues regarding the murderer points to her, thus begins the cat-and-mouse game between them. Wang Fa has a hilarious family consisting of his goofy father Wang Genfa, stern but doting sister Wang Tian, and faithful brother-in-law as well as partner-in-crime Yu Bo.

A legion of dramas has told us that love is usually built on perilous circumstances, including life-and-death situations, misunderstandings, betrayals, etc. Soon, we've become exhausted of them as these tropes are being recycled in a rinse-and-repeat mode. However, "Road to Success" provides none of the tropes listed above. Surprisingly, it encourages a mature and refreshing romance story between two supportive people. You don't need to worry about unnecessary conflicts, dramas, personal vendettas, feuds, or whatsoever. Despite both leads' gloomy past, they have never used it against each other (like Wang Fa says, everyone has their own right to hide their ugly sides of life, when Wanxing is afraid that Wang Fa won't accept her). Both of them also take turns to help each other when troubles arise (for example, Wanxing comforts Wang Fa as he tells Jason's suicide and how his mother still blames Wang Fa for her son's death - or maybe when Wang Fa insists on accompanying Wanxing to her grandparents' tombs, so as to prevent her parents from abusing her again.

Meanwhile, the babies aka the players of Hongjing No. 8 School are comprised of Fu Xinshu, Qin Ao, Chen Jianghe, Wen Chengye, Yu Ming, Lin Lu, Qi Liang, Zheng Ren, Zheng Feiyang, Feng Suo, and Zhi Hui. Previously, they were admitted to the school through special recommendation, thanks to their football's careers. However, when a teammate transferred to other school and their coach abandoned them, they began to lose hope and considered football as an omen or taboo for them. Since then, they have been divided into several classes and perform badly in academics (except Wen Chengye). Coincidentally, Wanxing is assigned to become the team's supervisor and encourages them not to lose their hopes and break through their predestined fate, creating an unforgettable experience in their lives. After much persuasion from Wanxing, Wang Fa steps in as their new coach, fueling their spirits to win the following matches. Aside from the leads' story, we also have Qin Ao, Fu Xinshu, and Wen Chengye's backstories while most serve as a comic relief or catalyst for the main couple's relationship. Personally, I like Fu Xinshu and Wen Chengye's pairing the most - the two teenagers come from troubled family and have many miscommunication issues (you know, teenagers are stubborn in expressing their ideas and prefer to keep their feelings bottle up, but it actually shows how realistic this drama is), but in the end they will resolve their conflict and become best friends again. Oh yeah, the football terminology is also handled meticulously - as someone who has some experience in watching real football matches (and a father whom I can discuss football with), I think it's kinda better than my pessimistic thoughts.

Now, to the acting part. I really love Esther Yu's portrayal as a level-headed and calm teacher who becomes a illuminating starlight crashing through her babies' bleak daily lives. She exudes the undeniably sunshine aura needed for Wanxing's character essence. Despite her doing the dubbing again, this time she sounds more mature and less like a pouty little girl (if you've seen "Speed and Love", you can relate to that). Aside from Esther Yu, I also like Chen Jingke as Wang Fa. Previously, I'd only seen him in "Amidst a Snowstorm of Love" as a supporting character. This role can be considered as breakout for him and he uses micro-expressions very well through act of service and love language for Wanxing. I hope there will be more main roles for him to take - he really has the potential to become a well-known star. Special mention for Victor Ma - his awfully nonsensical bickering with Wang Fa always gets me in laughter. The babies are naturally newbies who have recently entered the C-drama industry (while mostly take mini dramas or guest roles in other big dramas). Kudos to Zhu Boyan for his debut role as the rebellious yet righteous Qin Ao too. Meanwhile, another special mention for Liu Jun and Yan Yuchen for their bromance energy (or you can call it subtle BL if you want to) in this drama (I've only seen Yan Yuchen in "Generation to Generation", but his styling isn't my cup of tea - as for Liu Jun, he played a supporting role in "Revenged Love" prior to taking "Road to Success").

OSTs are better than my expectation after a slump of nice songs in C-drama land. I especially like Bai Jugang and Excuse Me's high-octane rock anthem, Dong Xianglin and Zhao Lei's melancholic pieces, and Duan Aojuan's jazzy track (thank God, this time she doesn't sing cringey songs anymore). I'm not into Curley Gao and Du's tracks though.

To cap it all, "Road to Success" is highly recommended if you're into healthy green-flag relationships, football, the team's camaraderie, the subtle psychological counterparts, and many more. Overall, it's a ten out of ten. Thank you for reading, good luck, and happy watching!!!

P.S.
1. The mysterious people who lead Wanxing to work at Hongjing No. 8 School and reorganize the chaotic football team is actually her grandparents, Director Qian (her higher-up), and Jiang Xun (Coach Jiang's son and Grandpa Lin's most beloved disciple).
2. The person who slanders Wanxing of having an affair with her professor is Xiang Zi, her senior. Filled with jealousy and resentment over Wanxing's popularity in the campus, he resorts to using underhanded tactics to destroy Wanxing's life and makes her as miserable as possible.

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Enjoy the Master-Disciple Chaotic Game of Love

At first glance, I thought Love of the Divine Tree will be another typical xianxia with a plot that has been recycled multiple times by other previous shows - for instance, reincarnation, redemption, immortal VS demon, evil second leads, amnesia/loss of memory, and so on. I did watch until ep 5 then dropped it because I couldn't resonate with the story, no matter how hard I tried to understand it. However, days before the express package released, I picked it up again and found that I had made the wrong decision to drop it. Now, let's get started with the story...

Hundreds of years before, there was a Mortal-Demon Lord who wanted to destroy the world and slayed masses of people to achieve his goal, which was to activate the Three Thousand Realms Tower. However, his plan didn't succeed as an immortal, named Dun Tian, managed to kill him and ended the years of suffering. The Mortal-Demon Lord's remnant, which is Spirit Spring, is then sealed at the gate of the netherworld. Spirit Spring can only be possessed by the Demon's Child, who happens to be Su Yishui, the adopted son of Prince Ping. Under the constant torture of the Spirit Spring, Su Yishui turned into a ruthless yet vengeful killing machine and vowed to destroy the people who had turned into this kind of state. Thank goodness, a female immortal, named Mu Qingge, found out Su Yishui's tragic past and decided to forcefully take him as her disciple and tamed his murderous aura bit by bit.

To prevent others from hunting Su Yishui, Mu Qingge herself pretended to be the vessel of the Spirit Spring and later died in the Empyrean Bone Sacrifice Formation. Feeling guilty and regretful of Mu Qingge's death, Su Yishui planted the Reincarnation Tree and used up half of his golden core, so that Mu Qingge can be reborn again. Before her death, Mu Qingge also placed a Face-and-Heart Burning Curse, to make sure he couldn't speak out who was the real Demon's Child.

Years later, Mu Qingge's fruit was born prematurely and transformed into an ordinary girl called Xue Ranran. Sensing Ranran's presence, Su Yishui quickly took her to the Mount Wester, alongside her seniors - Gao Cang, Qi Xiu'er, and Bai Baishan. However, the naive and childlike Ranran always caused trouble for her prickly master, whom she had deep connection with in the past life. As the master-disciple duo spent more time together, they began to open up their feelings and confessed to each other. Nevertheless, a lot of obstacles attempted to threaten their budding relationship and destroyed the peace of the world. Will their relationship blossom in the catastrophe or will the cruel fate separate them once more?

When it comes to recycled xianxia stories, what matters the most is the execution. Even though the storyline is cliche and has been reused multiple times, it's still watchable if it is done right. So, what I want to say is the show is directed perfectly, with witty banters and clever dialogues spread throughout the 40 episodes (which, of course, is written by the much-loved Mysterious Lotus Case book's screenwriter, Liu Fang). Aside from the main leads, I also love all of the supporting characters, especially Wei Jiu the clownish villain.

Nevertheless, I really dislike Su Yu and Mu Ranwu - they're so horrible and evil that I badly want to get their heads knocked. One wants to rule the universe while the other one is seeking to overthrow her elder sister, sounds quite absurd right? In Moonlight Mystique, we also have evil-siblings-trope, but their actions are justified because they are forced to do so to protect their siblings from being harmed by the antagonist (I mean Zhen Yu). Back to here, I really can't justify nor support both of their actions, they're just too greedy, selfish, and want to achieve one's goal without concerning the others, even if the world is about to be turned upside down. By the way, I'm not going to discuss about that Dun Tian - he barely gets any screentime and only appears in the climax, and it's the only point where the script goes inconsistent, or I think so.

Finally, to the acting. I can't help but keep raving about Deng Wei's exceptional acting skill and charismatic looks. Whether he's the scheming prince, the prickly master, or the gorgeous devil, he's nailing all roles in one go and can use micro-expressions very well. Julia Xiang's performance is also on par with his, by challenging herself into dual roles as the carefree immortal Mu Qingge and the cheeky yet smart Xue Ranran. Despite her young age, Julia Xiang can actually explore the depths of her double roles in this show. She still has a long way to go, and I'm looking forward for her new project with Wang Xingyue in Calming Waves.

OSTs are okay-ish, I especially love Tia Ray and Liu Yuning's songs. As for the rest, they're just... average.

Is this worth watching? Of course, it is. If you're looking for a compelling storyline with meticulously-crafted script, then this show is made for you. I'm not gonna lie, you'll be engrossed into it once you've settled down for several episodes. Hope y'all enjoy Love of the Divine Tree. Gotta end my review now. Good bye and good luck!!!

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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...

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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.

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An Epic Mix of Thriller, Mystery, and Comedy

After the end of Study Group, I wasn't expecting much from Undercover High School, given that I didn't recognize any of the casts. Anyway, I still gave it a go because undercover's term always had me intrigued. Let's see how's my take on it.

The plot follows the journey of an NIS agent named Jeong Hae-seong, who is tasked to search for Emperor Gojong's gold bar at Byeongmun Highschool after botching a mission when he attempted to save an ancient artifact. This new mission requires him to go undercover as a highschool student. At first, he has had a hard time trying to adapting to his newly fabricated life as he kept getting into trouble with his homeroom teacher, Oh Su-a. Meanwhile, he also befriends several classmates including Lee Dong-min, An Yu-jeong (his cousin), Lee Ye-na, and many more. Not only that, his presence also attracts the attention of the school's chairwoman, Seo Myeong-ju, who happens to be Seo Byeong-mun's descendant. Also, Hae-seong needs to search for his long-lost father, who disappeared when he took the very same mission. As Hae-seong, Su-a, his NIS team, and newly-made friends work together to solve the crisis, problems and unwanted obstacles also arise repeatedly to thwart their plans. Will they eventually break the mystery of Byeongmun High School, find the gold bars and his father, and have a happily-ever-after ending?

I won't be blabbing about the script's quality as it also utilizes the art of plot twist in a very good way and even I'm getting more and more intrigued after every episode. Yes, it's a tightly-woven yet intricate story and unpredictable as well, with numerous multi-layered characters, you'll be truly engaged in this show. However, I'm sorry to say that I always skip the chair woman's part because her being a villain is quite obvious, there's no need to second guess.

Acting is pleasantly good especially the leads Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo. This is my first drama of them and I must appreciate their dedication to bring their characters to life. The NIS team is also quite funny with their endless bickering and antics. And another surprise is the Bloody Chicken Gang run by Su-a's mother (can't imagine her as a gangster lol. She's such a doting mother).

Overall, a ten out of ten, as usual. For fans of thriller, mystery, and even slapstick comedy, just go ahead, watch it, and see if it's to your liking. Okay, that's everything I've got to say. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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A Topsy-Turvy Show Splashed with Frustrating yet Shitty Characters

(Disclaimer: This rant is purely based on my opinion, so please don’t take it wholeheartedly and come bashing at me, okay?)

As we can see very well, Go Back Lover’s title is hinting on second chance romance trope, which is no stranger to C-drama veterans. To be honest, I’m not a great fan of this trope because in my principle, if you’re having a relationship, there’s no turning back. So, I’m quite surprised by this theme and wonder how these ex-lovers are going to reunite and resolve their past misunderstandings.

In addition, to make the show more unique, the writer decides to introduce a romance/dating variety show as the catalyst for the plot development. In fact, a dating variety show is somehow rare in C-dramas nowadays and I must say it’s such an interesting premise. However, it quickly goes downhill and becomes a mere plot device to fill in the draggy episodes. I don’t know why, but there’s a lot of things happening outside the variety show too, with some of them being irrelevant or unrelated to the show itself.

And don’t get me started at the horrible dumbass characters! Some people say that they’re not without flaws (yes, I do agree with that), but at least they have to realize their own mistake and being unaware of it makes them look like a bunch of 10-year-old-kid especially main leads and second couple (the SFL, to be precise).

(Note: I'm not going to mention the acting since my review has become an endless rant. However, I still appreciate their acting skills for embodying such characters, so kudos for all of you.)

The first couple is a pair of ex-lovers who broke up after ML had a private brawl with FML (fourth male lead), which the FL didn’t appreciate very much. They accidentally encounter each other again in the airport when FL is attempting to find a male guest for her variety show. Rumors later spark out of nowhere and many people obviously want them to be together once again after ML’s failed proposal in Race Against Time (another variety show which was produced before FL went to German). The ML was indeed thrilled when he saw FL again, but his feelings wasn’t reciprocated at all. The FL keeps repeating that she is forced to do so because she wants her variety show to gain more popularity, while the ML begins to behave like a simp out of nowhere, even loses his self-respect for FL. This push-pull dynamic drags out for the whole 18 episodes until the elderly rural couple manage to convince the FL of marriage. I understand that FL has suffered from PTSD because of her parents’ failed marriage, but as the saying goes,' You won’t know unless you try.' So, she should’ve taken the initiative instead of letting the ML hanging on the thread. She’s also a horrible hypocrite (today she says she wants to be together with the ML, and the other day she pushes him away) and keeps dilly dallying for time (in a very harsh way, she regards ML as her plaything and will dump him whenever she feels necessary) when all they need is a proper communication or heart-to-heart talk instead of doing everything in a roundabout way. It’s just so, so frustrating to watch them and I just keep sighing exasperatedly whenever they pop out of my screen. By the way, they also remind me of Binary Love's main couple which is more or less similar as them.

Same goes for the second (divorced) couple – however, SML still knows his boundaries well and only wants to treat his wife better, but his so-called wife never gives him the chance to redeem himself. Throughout the show, they just keep yelling and shouting at each other (a perfect example of a bickering couple), which is not a very good option. By the way, SFL always acts like a pouty selfish girl who wants better treatment from SML yet never telling him what she wants exactly, which often leaves the SML baffled and confused (they also need proper communication so it relieves me when SFL apologizes to him and they ultimately fix their ruined relationship and become more tolerant towards each other). Since the second couple isn’t the main focus on the show, I think I can skip my rant about them right now.

Third couple is the healthiest couple in this show. As someone who is a shy and introverted person, I can understand what does it feels like to have your daily lives exposed to the public. At first, they’re uncomfortable of it, but they manage to overcome their fears together and become a couple while strengthening their trusts between each other.

Unofficial fourth couple must be the worst out of the couples in this show. FML is FL’s snobbish know-it-all male friend and the biggest rival of ML. He has a secret crush on FL so he deliberately provokes ML which doesn’t succeed, anyway. FFL is the bitchy lawyer and former arch-rival of FL since their high school time (as the saying goes, she's a wolf in the sheep clothing). Feeling resentful of being the third to best (don't forget, there's TML in the second place), FFL resorts to underhanded tactics to ruin FL’s career (what a baffling and cliche execution lol).

I have no idea whether inputting past events with the present one is good idea, but the writer seems to have change the entire script and doesn’t put much emphasize on the former, which is quite disappointing because I love that part better than their present lives.

The sets and backgrounds are quite pleasant while the costumes are sort of… weird? Do people nowadays have to wear baggy coats and professional suits to shoot variety shows, huh?

OSTs are meh and I won’t be bothered to give them second chance.

Overall, it’s a 6.5 out of 10. Unless you’re a fan of ML or FL or perhaps you need some brainless watch after days of working out, you can give this a shot. However, if you don't want to waste your precious brain cells, NEVER watch this HOT MESS even if the world is turning upside down. Goodbye and good luck!

Side note:
Does funeral and divorce need a ceremonial party? WTF are they thinking about? It's beyond common logic, isn't it?

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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!

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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?

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Good Girl x Bad Boy with A Pinch of Teenage Angst and Chaebol Family Soap Opera

Disclaimer: This review only covers the first 17 episodes, so please do not attack me for marking it as completed. I need to do so in order to make a full yapping about this series as I'm totally pissed off after watching it.

I don't even have the slightest idea of the reason I'm coming to "Never-Ending Summer". I did try to read the novel once, but goodness only knows why, it's so full of violence and sexual contents which discourages me to continue - oh yeah, the ML is also a total jerk who only knows to flirt with other pretty girls since he's a carefree chaebol boy. I couldn't care less about that. However, when words got out that Zhou Keyu and Bao Shang'en would star this drama, I reminded myself it wouldn't do much harm to try watching a bit, 'cause I like Keyu (he's a super-duper pretty boy and a sexy one on top of that). So, let's see my take on "Never-Ending Summer".

The story tells us the angsty romance story between Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao. Zhou Wan is a straight-A student whom the teachers always brag about. She also has a nice and kind-hearted personality and is extroverted enough to build a connection within her classmates. However, nobody ever knows her family condition and that she's now living in a run-down apartment with her sickly grandmother. To pay her grandma's medical bill, Zhou Wan becomes a manipulative person and secretly works as a tutor by posing as a college student looking for part-time job. Sometimes, she also makes note and sells them to a nearby bookstore, hoping that her school friends will buy dozens of them. Zhou Wan comes from a broken family as her father had died during a factory accident and her mother Guo Yan (better known as Guo Xiangling) fled to the Lu Family to have a better life, preferring to abandon her biological daughter with her grandma. On the other hand, Lu Xixiao is your typical bad boy with a rebellious streak against his controlling family. He has zero interest in studies but is zealous over painting (as painting is his mother's favorite hobby). Xixiao accidentally meets Zhou Wan in an abandoned swimming pool behind their school and she helps to tutor him so that he can go abroad to delve more into the painting world. Since then, the two develop an unusual bond and become each other's emotional anchor since they both come from dysfunctional families. Nevertheless, there will always be obstacles hampering their relationship. As they approach their adult years, their love and loyalty are tested repeatedly, and they finally find their true selves within the storm.

So, what can I say about the plot? Well, nothing much to say maybe, because the story is so awfully generic that even writers who love rich-boy-x-poor-girl trope know how to combine this spice into a hot mess. I grow frustrated over times as I watch this drama and always skip endlessly as the plot rumbles with a pace of a snail. Zhou Wan grows into a frustrating character as she always gives mixed signals to Xixiao. Well, she only approaches him so that she can have her revenge against her bitchy mommy and extract money from her to pay for grandma's hospital bill. Unbeknownst to Xixiao, the pair of mother and daughter has concocted scheme that will threaten the couple's relationship. All I see from Zhou Wan is crying like a little baby, mumbling about suicide after grandma dies, breaking down in front of Xixiao, being bullied by a gang of thugs, and complaining interminably to Jiang Yan (her neighborhood friend). However, the next day, she will turn into a completely different person and attempts very hard to make Xixiao hate her, like gurl, can you be more specific about your feeling - like you love him or not? If no, please leave Xixiao alone before he hates you that much. But she doesn't seem to be aware of her actions and acts like a double-faced liar instead. For Xixiao, I don't know why you always have to listen to your sugar daddy and listen to every of his order. Firstly, you want to escape abroad then he threatens to sell your mommy's residence. Secondly, you want to play along with Zhou Wan, then he grounds him in the Lu mansion. Thirdly, grandpa intervenes as well and wants Zhou Wan to stay away from you. Okay, this is getting more and more tedious and I don't care the single fuck you want to do anymore. I'm also tired of seeing him repeatedly forgiving Zhou Wan despite her manipulative behavior. After the forgiving, they will act as if nothing happened, then fluffy couple scenes will be thrown in your frame and you are going to see how both of them flirt endlessly, including kissing, I guess.

In the above paragraph, I've said pretty clearly that I don't like the main couple. Now, let me list what I also dislike from this drama. Firstly, congratulation for the bitchy mommy Guo Yan/Guo Xiangling for being so awfully selfish and abusive that I hate her the most. Secondly, the whole Lu family (except for Xixiao's auntie) for being so fucking lucrative and only thinking about their company and whatsoever. Thirdly, the second couple Jiang Fan and Gu Meng for having the most lackluster bickering relationship - I see no spark between these two people. Fourthly, Jiang Yan and his mommy - mommy previously had an affair with sugar daddy Lu and she got pregnant with Jiang Yan, then the two of them were kicked out of the Lu mansion due to their underprivileged economic background. That's why she always encourages Jiang Yan to loathe the Lu family, even though not all people are the same as sugar daddy. Fifthly, Jiang Yan gives mixed signal as well, sometimes being hostile to Xixiao, and sometimes secretly helping the couple to escape by having meaningless talk with sugar daddy. Sixthly, the hooligan Luo He keeps abusing Zhou Wan and uses violence to harm her, and yet his elusive gang always disappears before the police comes. Seventhly, Xixiao always comes to Zhou Wan's rescue whenever she is harassed by Luo He's gang, like they are in some kind of mafia mini dramas. I don't have any idea about the stabbing scene, but that comes off as cheesy to me.

Now, to the acting. All the actors have performed very well according to the script, and I appreciate all their hard works. This is my third drama of Bao Shang'en after the reboot of "The Legend of Condor Heroes" and "Generation to Generation". I feel Shang'en still has room for improvement for her next roles, and she radiates the bubbly yet resilient and independent aura of Zhou Wan seamlessly, proving herself as a promising future actress in C-drama land. Meanwhile, Zhou Keyu has come out of his comfort zone and has better micro-expressions which are shown during the scene of Zhou Wan lying to her and how he forcefully kisses her in ep 10. Other than the leads, I've only known Fu Weilun from "Extraordinary" and Ke Chun from numerous mini dramas. Their performances are so-so, so I don't think I'm going to complain much further. And please tell Ke Chun not to take any of this abusive role in the future. He's too good to become a real rogue juvenile delinquent.

The OSTs are giving mixed signals as well because I like some of them and dislike some too. My favorite will be 梦与环游 by Xu Ziwei and Cui Shiba, Sunburn by Brian Cheng, Frozen Heart by 8Bite and Dyrox, 最蓝核梦 by Murphy's Law band. Other than the songs I list, all sounds kinda meh to me, or maybe I'm too overwhelmed by the shitty stuffs happening in the drama.

Of course, my last words will be do not try to watch this drama unless you're in a total drama slump or you want to see beautiful fashions of the leads here or you need a daily dose of sizzling chemistry of these two people (all is up to you). Thank you for reading my whole yapping and I'm so glad to take everything off my chest. Good luck and happy watching!!!

P.S.
If any of you ever know about an Indonesian novel titled "Long Lost Memories in Daejeon", the ML's tragic backstory is more or less similar to Xixiao's. However, the characterization of the FL is completely different and she's a full-time simp too. On the other note, another Indonesian novel titled "Act of Money" heavily resembles this drama too - ML has a controlling father and FL is a straight-A student but constantly gives mixed signal to the ML and even dares two-timing with the SML (you can imagine him as Jiang Yan 2.0).

Edit:
I'd watched ep 19 - 22 and found out that the kidnapping and stabbing scene is "spectacular" and more or less similar to my imagination. Anyway, I also felt the emotional impact when Xixiao desperately wants to save Zhou Wan - this is the most memorable scene of "Never-Ending Summer" as far as I can reminisce.

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Don't Miss Out This Quirky Gem!

FYI, 'Study Group' is a brand new K-drama revolving around school life and so on, which is adapted from a webtoon with the same name. A lot of people claim that it has similar vibes to 'Weak Hero Class 1', with the former being darker and leaning heavily on psychological issues (if you know what I mean), while the latter mixes a fair amount of mystery and comedy and action, which, undoubtedly, engages the watchers from the get go.

The story tells us about Yoon Ga-min, an ordinary boy who wants to study so badly, but is only good in fighting. Despite facing numerous setbacks, Ga-min is very determined to set up a study group of his own and recruit students who have passions for studying (so that he can take inspiration from them). The chaotic band also includes the intelligent and cool-headed Kim Se-hyun, the adorable Choi Hee-won, the badass judo practitioner Lee Ji-woo, the tenacious Lee Jun, and of course Ga-min's homeroom teacher, Lee Han-kyung.

However, their journey is far from smooth as they have to confront numerous obstacles from opposing students and teachers, especially the respected son of the YB Group (a mafia organization, to be precise) Phi Han-wool, who is determined to make them as miserable as he can.

'Study Group' can be categorized as a very refreshing K-drama where the script is fleshed out in a quirky kind of way, instead of taking the usual route of a common K-drama. The dialogue between the characters is neither bland nor cheesy too, which makes watcher easier to relate with them. Academic stuffs and brawls aside, 'Study Group' also tackles the mundane social issues such as poverty (Kim Sun-cheol and his grandpa's arc is quite a heartbreaking one), the loss of a loved one (the scene where Ga-min's mother supports Ms. Lee after Ms. Jeong-hwa's funeral (Ms. Lee's teacher)), abusive parents (Se-hyun's jaded relationship with his father), and etc.

As a webtoon reader, I'd delved into its webtoon version before and surprisingly, the twists and turns are done right, by ending every episode in a cliffhanger so that the watchers becomes more addictive through the following weeks. Given it only has 10 episodes, I'm sure there's going to be another season of 'Study Group' as the stack gets higher for Ga-min and his comrades (for reference, check out the season 2 and 3 of the webtoon version).

The acting is wonderfully phenomenal especially Hwang Min-hyun's. I never imagine that he can pull off Ga-min's character seasmlessly, given his so-so performance in 'My Lovely Liar' (which I dropped after ep 4). I must also appreciate Min-hyun's mastery of martial arts in this series, because from what I see in the webtoon, Ga-min's uncle's forbidden tricks are very tricky to be performed. The rest of the casts do well too, though it'll be quite difficult for me to add every single name lol.

OSTs are average (I still prefer my super wild playlist of K-pop songs), while the cinematography, costumes, fighting scenes, and background settings give us a breath of refreshing air after a bunch of humdrum-like shows gliding through the past year.

Is it worth watching? A BIG YES!!! I'd recommend this show, especially for those who like action and thriller genre (this will increase your adrenaline rush, for sure). Time to end my review right now. Good bye and good luck in watching!!!

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The Most Chaotic F6 that Has Ever Existed

FYI, I badly wanted to watch this drama since the first time I scrolled through Xin Yunlai’s profile. Then, suddenly I realized that the platform is MangoTV (very well-known for their so-called atrocious subs) and that’s why I delay for a very, very long time. After completing Dashing Youth at mid-August, I have nothing else to watch since most of the platforms air mediocre dramas which are not my cup of tea (exception for Are You the One, though). So, I just blast through this show without any expectation, but wow – it’s a very underrated gem buried beneath those so-called highly-rated dramas.

Set in the countryside city of Tieyuan, the story revolves around the rebellious Gao Yang alongside his best friends – the introvert Ye Xiaowen, the energetic and lovely Jin Beibei, the nerdy Tian Meng, the athletic Mi Jia, and the straightforward Zhao Jiabao. Together, they become faithful friends and experience ups and downs in their lives.

If I must say, the story is nothing new, but what matters the most is the EXECUTION! Every scene delivers a depth of layered emotions and you can feel the emotions of the characters there. I also like the dynamic between Gao Yang and his father Gao Bin – they always seem to have something to bicker about. Special commence to the Jin family too – can’t stop laughing when Jin Doudou pulls up some tricks to his hot-tempered sister and also when Principal Jin starts yapping at Beibei’s grades. The comedy scene doesn’t feel forced and everything is quite natural – which is a refreshing breath for me (I’ve seen too many crappy shows which loves to force a slapstick comedy despite nothing funny happens).

Kudos to the whole assemble of the casts and production team for creating such an underrated gem. This is my first time watching Xin Yunlai and he really NAILS the role of Gao Yang very well (an unruly and carefree boy he is). Previously, I’ve seen Chen Youwei in Tiger & Crane and A Journey to Love (this show is one of his earlier works). Considering that he was still a rookie actor at that time, he had already captured the gist of Ye Xiaowen’s character – a quality in which most of the rookie actors lack. Both actors also have high-octane bromance within their relationship too (perfect for bromance lovers since BL love is now banned).

OSTs and BGMs are overshadowed by the audio that MangoTV attached. I can only hear the dialogues but not the music lol.

Overall, a ten out of ten from me. However, I must apologize that I skip from ep 22 straight to the final episode because of my very cruel schedule plus I’m hearing that Xin Yunlai’s other drama (In Between) will tentatively air at September. So, you see how busy I am :<

Don’t be disheartened by the rating and just give it a go if you love high-school drama with family bickering, slice-of-life vibes, and of course without the usual romance trope. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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A Mishmash of Historical Dumber and Modern Jargons

To put it simply, it's been quite a time since I last watched mini dramas. Sadly, I have a mid to bad impression about them due to the undercooked plot, mediocre styling and backgrounds, and last but not least, the cliche acting that makes me cringe hard, of course. All of these aspects culminates a mini drama into an awry watching experience, which is why most watchers avoid them like a virulent plague.

"Extraordinary" is no different from other mini dramas scattering around the world of c-drama, relying heavily on the intriguing premise of an engineer transmigrating to a fictional historical China after a car crash and and his goal to save his family's business and protect the nation from another war-mongering country. If it hadn't been for the refreshing idea of combining historical and modern world together (I mean, the knowledge), God knows I'm not going to touch this drama at all cost. To be honest, I'm really pissed off in the second half as the plot takes a nosedive and plunges deeper into an incoherent quagmire. And the final climax isn't that satisfying, prompting the watchers want for more. The villains are also predictable from the get go, I don't even have to guess what they're going to say and just press the skip button.

For me, the acting still has room for improvements for the whole cast. Prior to watching "Extraordinary", I have no idea of their existences (to put it frankly).

OSTs and BGMs are forgettable, so I think there's no need to mention anything.

Overall, I'll never rewatch it anymore. I know I'm being harsh here, but it's all proves and facts (I'm not lying, seriously). Time to end my review, good luck and happy watching if you're in a deep of slumber of new masterpieces.

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A Trainwreck of Catastrophe

Finally, after months without reviews, I’m back again and here I am, fretting over the so-called brand-new sci-fi movie "Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy". For your information, it is adapted from Singnsong’s much-loved sci-fi fantasy thriller novel under the same name. Prior to jumping into this movie, I’d had a peek of the first 20 chapters of the webtoon. I may not be an avid webtoon reader, but I still have some affinity to it (my favorite is Singnsong’s other work, which is "The World after the Fall"). There had been quite a few weeks after its release that I began to watch it. Normally, given the venomous-dripped reviews and its wacky rating, I should’ve avoided it at all costs. However, some part of me still wondered why these people were making a fuss over a failed adaptation (for Omniscient Reader: Viewpoint's lovers, it must have been a hard time for you all). So, without any hesitation, I plunged myself into the movie and I got to understand why this movie was called a chaos.

The movie follows the journey of an ordinary office worker Kim Dok-ja who’s living his mundane life with the aid of his favorite web-novel “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World”, of which he has been ogling for 10 years (I’ve forgotten the exact time). One day, the story recently concludes its run and Dok-ja finds the epilogue quite a lackluster, so he inadvertently castigates the author (this is a contradiction against the OG source already where he actually praises the author) and triggers the system which transports him to the novel’s world. Alongside his new companion, Yoo Jung-hyeok, Yoo Sang-ah, Lee Hyeon-seong, Jeong Hui-won, Lee Ji-hye, and Lee Gil-yeong, he must navigate through this complicated world that he himself only knows and survive the ordeals and trials based on what the author has created before.

Based on my observation, the plot itself offers an intriguing premise with a blend of sci-fi and fantasy thriller, which has always been my favorite. Nonetheless, “Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy” doesn’t really work on me as much as other shows do. Glaring plot holes and unnecessary modifications can be found everywhere right from the get go (the castigation of the author, I mean). Another thing that I notice is how they change Sang-ah’s ability into healing, when she isn’t a healer herself. How he survives inside the sea monster’s tummy is still a mystery to me. Why do they have guns and sniper rifles as weapons too? And I believe Dok-ja isn’t a prophet – in fact, he has a reading skill that can make him see through other people’s abilities. Knowing what will happen in the future just because you understand and memorize the plotlines doesn’t make you a prophet, you know. Too much asking, I suppose. Let’s move on to another point.

Incongruous and grotesque CGI only worsens the situation and I can’t help but keep rolling my eyes over and over again. The monsters’ CGI is tacky and distortedly ugly, as if they were made out of 10-year-old kid’s plastic toys or even cardboards. Meanwhile, the scene where the gold coins churn out of the monster’s body after it is killed, is infuriatingly absurd as though this movie were some kind of RPG game such as Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and many more. By the way, against all of the people, I actually love the dokkaebi – it’s super-duper cute and speaks like a little toddler that I badly want to hug it (I’m fanatic over the word “dokkaebi” due to ALL(H)OURS’ song, SHOCK).

I can’t fathom why the hell they want to adapt this fantastic novel into a roller coaster of wreckage. I do feel sorry for Singnsong, you know. After all, they deserve better treatment. As for the actors, I have nothing to say except you’ve done a great work despite the not-so-supportive circumstances and I hope that you’ll be able to gain a foothold in other dramas or movies. But still, your efforts have paid off and I’m glad your acting is the last saving grace of this movie.

All in all, you really need to decide whether to watch it or skip it. I’m not forcing you if you’re skeptical, nor will I say it’s an awful movie as well because I still want to respect the actors’ hard work for bringing us the adaptation of "Omniscient Reader: Viewpoint" in a decent way. And my one last message to the director and screenwriter: Please, NEVER adapt "The World after the Fall" if you don’t want another hot mess to reignite again (because it’s my all-time favorite webtoon and no one can turn it into a fiasco unless you’re truly experienced). Time to end my review here. See y’all – good luck and happy watching and sorry for the long yapping!!!

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The Omen Odyssey

In an era dominated by rom-coms and censorship, horror-thriller dramas are a dying breed. So when The Seven Relics of Ill Omen—adapted from Weiyu’s novel Qi Gen Xin Jian—finally aired on Youku, I knew I had to give it a try. Despite knowing it wouldn’t rake in high ratings, my love for suspense and supernatural thrillers won out.

Long ago, demons invaded the mortal realm, triggering mass bloodshed. A righteous official, Bo Yangzi, sealed them using a scroll of imperishable wood—split into seven bamboo slips—while three phoenixes sacrificed themselves to form the seal. These slips became known as the “relics of ill omen.”

Centuries later, the relics began stirring again, unleashing chaos across time periods—from ancient Fengzi Ridge to the republican era. Enter five unlikely heroes—Mu Dai (an adorable martial arts prodigy), Luo Ren (a brooding mercenary), Yi Wan San (a sharp-tongued barista), Yan Hongsha (a fearless treasure hunter), and Cao Yanhua (a reformed pickpocket). Together, they form the “Phoenix Squad” to confront the seven relics and their dark histories.

Fishing Line Doll – Luoma Lake (Relic of Blade)
Centers on Mu Dai’s adoptive mother, her tragic love, and a parasitic relic haunting Luo Ren’s family. Powerful themes of identity and revenge.

Fairy’s Guidance – Wuzhu Village (Relic of Water)
Yi Wan San returns to his cursed hometown and confronts family grief, survivor’s guilt, and a giant clam harboring the relic.

Rouge Amber – Yueliang Mountain (Relic of Hang)
Yan Hongsha’s past unravels, revealing an eerie tale involving a savage child, betrayal, and jewel greed. Mu Dai also develops a split persona here.

Wind-Blown Dust – Nantian (Relic of Mouth)
Mu Dai’s painful backstory surfaces—an abandoned child, a friend’s tragic death, and repressed trauma culminating in a gripping mental battle.

Cao Village in the Mist (Relic of Earth)
Cao Yanhua’s cousin gets possessed. Deep caves, eerie coffins, and star-related legends make this one suspenseful and myth-heavy.

Hunting Shadow and Leopard – Old Heisha Island (Relic of Human)
Luo Ren’s past resurfaces in the form of Leopard—a villainess with a dark ritual past. It’s intense, and yes, their chicken sidekick steals the spotlight.

Phoenix Reborn – Fengzi Ridge (Relic of Heart)
A powerful finale. The Phoenix Squad confronts their deepest fears in an illusion realm. No death ritual this time—just growth, unity, and healing.

Weiyu has once again delivered a fantasy-mystery marvel. The script, though slightly adjusted for censorship, retains her signature otherworldly vibe. Each relic arc is compelling, and the backstories—especially of the antagonists—are nuanced and emotionally gripping (Leopard excluded, but she’s a fun villain).

Liu Haocun is phenomenal, seamlessly switching between the cheerful Mu Dai and her darker persona. Despite past backlash (notably in Be Passionately in Love), her performance here is a revelation. Song Weilong perfectly balances mystery and tenderness as Luo Ren. Ao Ruipeng (Yi Wan San) is hilarious as ever and forms a fun duo with Cao Yanhua. Wang Yiting also impresses in her first major role I’ve seen.

From visuals to OSTs, everything is top-notch. Despite its supernatural setting, the production feels grounded and atmospheric. Massive credit to the crew for pulling off a genre this hard to air under strict censorship.

Is it worth watching? Absolutely—if you’re into well-written fantasy thrillers with emotional depth and a touch of horror. It does drag in parts, and Leopard’s strange accent can be jarring, but the overall experience is a rare gem. A well-earned applause to the creators for making this happen in today’s industry climate.

If you want to read the full-length review, you can click on this link yes...
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8126149196342022378/6038927938275854787

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