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I must say that I found the drama to be quite disappointing. While I did watch the full season 1, I jumped to the last episode hoping for a happy ending. Unfortunately, I was left unsatisfied.
The cultivation scenes with the sage were excessively prolonged and dragged on for far too long. Additionally, there were way too many characters to keep track of, and I found myself getting lost and confused several times throughout the show. Many of the episodes could have been shorter and should have shown some real progress from the hero, instead of the same old storylines with the princess or the sage. The whole thing was just repetitive and boring.
Season 1 of the drama lacked any love story, except for a brief glimpse of the Princess. Therefore, it can only be termed as a NO romance drama.
The inconsistencies and bad edits in the show were alarmingly prominent. For instance, the characters walk past an alley covered in fake blood (probably a previous scene of the show left there), yet they continue their conversation as if nothing is wrong. Another example includes the protagonist achieving a talisman when he is almost at the bottom of cultivation.
The scriptwriters had major issues in grasping the age gap.
- The Princess left for two years to marry, and upon her return, she had a 5-6-year-old child.
- If the hero was around 10 when he saved the baby and 18 when he became a disciple, the child should have been 8 years old, not 12-15 lookalike
- the princess was a bit too old to fall for an 18 years old
The age gap didn't make any sense, and it was utterly frustrating to watch.
The martial arts choreography in the movie was outstanding and deserves an award. The special effects were equally impressive and the music kept me engaged throughout. While the costumes were good, they were not exceptional.
I must say that the actors and actresses did a great job, especially the master of the talisman. The bond between the master and disciple, which was akin to a father-son relationship, was very moving. The brotherhood portrayed in the movie was also well done. Overall, it was a fantastic drama with amazing martial arts choreography and touching character relationships… except the script.
I was thoroughly unimpressed and disappointed with the show. The repetitive episodes in season 1 made me lose interest in watching season 2 and I only watched the final episode out of curiosity. It was a letdown with no satisfying conclusion. To me, it seemed like a setup for season 3 which never materialized. Moreover, I strongly dislike when shows change actors mid-series. Therefore, I'm glad I skipped season 2 altogether.
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Opposite attract
I would like to point out that the male actor's portrayal in the drama was unconvincing and lacked emotion, which made it difficult for me to connect with his character. His cold attitude was justified only by his supposed genius, which is a shallow and stereotypical approach to character development. As a viewer of romantic dramas, I expect more depth and sincerity from the actors.Furthermore, the plot was engaging until the point where the female lead decided to abandon their relationship for the sake of studying in Japan, which seemed like a contrived and unnecessary conflict. Long-distance relationships are challenging, but not insurmountable, and the writers could have explored this theme in a more nuanced way.
Leaving someone stranded at the airport is a cowardly and immature act. Such young adult dramas are usually watched by teenagers and young adults and do not depict the right way to conduct oneself in real life. It is important to demonstrate maturity and responsibility in our actions and decisions.
Lastly, the ending was unsatisfactory and left many unanswered questions. The appearance of an old man and a violinist (?) who knew the female lead and the male lead's sudden arrival in Japan seemed forced and poorly executed. While the ending was technically a happy one, it felt rushed and unresolved.
Despite these flaws, I still enjoyed the drama, mainly because of Rosy Zhao's exceptional performance.
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Love story between two individuals who couldn't be more different
I want to emphasize that my review is based solely on this drama, as I didn't watch other versions or read the novel. However, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cute and funny moments, the adorable love story between a shy genius and a bubbly girl - it was all perfectly presented. The fact that opposite attracts was beautifully depicted and made the story even more compellingI thoroughly enjoyed watching that drama and was shocked to see that the female lead has very few dramas. Despite not being everyone's type, her acting was impeccable and, while not conventionally stunning, she exuded a charming and cute demeanor. In my opinion, she deserves more prominent roles
I recommend it.
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Another Academy costume drama meant for teenagers
While watching "Another Academy young adults with love-hate script", I had mixed feelings. Some parts of the script were enjoyable, but other times I found myself losing interest. Some episodes were difficult to follow and left me feeling confused. However, I found the female lead to be a refreshing change from the usual doormat characters found in so many dramas. Her sassy personality was a highlight for me. I also got a good laugh out of how they gave the same hairstyle to the bad boy hero. But, the character that really stood out was the millennium-old man and his beloved dog.Overall, it was a watchable show, but not something that I would put on my rewatch list.
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Worth it for 2 male characters
If you're into dramas that show men falling hard, then this one might pique your interest. However, it's important to note that there were more cons than pros overall.On the plus side, the male lead (ML) was a refreshing change from the usual boyish characters, with his sexy deep voice and good acting skills. Additionally, the plot had its moments of interest, particularly in the second half of the drama. Hun Han also deserves recognition for his standout performance.
Unfortunately, there were several drawbacks. The female lead (FL) was not as impressive as the male actors and lacked passion in her portrayal of the character's feelings towards the ML. The chemistry between the FL and ML was also lacking, which made it difficult to root for the couple. Furthermore, the show suffered from inconsistencies and redundant episodes, and the low budget was evident in the limited use of set backgrounds. The maid character was also extremely annoying, as is often the case in costume dramas. Lastly, the epilogue failed to leave a good impression.
Overall, despite some brief moments of entertainment, the drama had too many shortcomings. Despite this, the ML's performance alone made it somewhat worth watching .
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Another miss from scriptwriters. Pity.
This drama is strictly for teens, and honestly, I lost interest in the thief/princess love story and skipped many parts. The other couple kept me hooked though. However, a lot of things were downright annoying:- The maid who was always in everyone's business.
- The excessive bullying and physical abuse, be it father/son or son/heroine.
- The slow-paced love story that dragged on unnecessarily.
- Girls admitting their love super late.
- The girl who was supposed to be strong in the first episode turned out to be weak later on.
- The same facial pouting by everyone.
- Inconsistencies that were nauseating.
- The girl was always hungry, which was annoyingly repetitive.
- The supposedly married girl, who was also a supposed princess, could go out freely without any escort or maid.
- And many more such inconsistencies.
The drama did have a few cute moments, and the sound effects were not ridiculous, but that's about it. The chemistry between the actors was fine, and the actors did their best with the script, but none of them stood out to me. Also, they all looked average, and the hairstyle they had was terrible. What's with the same hairstyle for males and females, with that falling hair on the side of their faces? It looked messy, not cute, and it didn't suit any of them.
The drama ended on a happy note for everyone, as expected. However, it's not something I would rewatch.
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Childish, meant to be watched by teens
The script, characters, and plot of this show are extremely childish and poorly executed.Despite my best efforts to keep an open mind, I found the sound effects used to emphasize every joke to be incredibly annoying, and the acting was equally juvenile.
Furthermore, there were countless inconsistencies within the script, and the constant use of stereotypes was both lazy and offensive.
To make matters worse, there wasn't a single good-looking character in the entire show. It's no surprise that the series was cancelled after just one season.
Definitely not a rewatch for me.
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Disappointing ending
The storyline was intriguing, and the casting was good. The special effects were impressive, and the entire production was captivating. However, I was extremely disappointed with the sad ending, where the main characters die. It seems that some writers believe that a happy ending in a love story is not necessary, but in my opinion, it was anticlimactic and unsatisfactory.I appreciated the choice of actors, especially the fact that they were more mature, which added to the credibility of the story. While some might find this drama excellent, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I prefer stories with happy endings, so that wasn't my cup of tea.
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Interesting enough for me to watch till the finale… so yes, good drama
Many negative comments and low ratings… I am very surprised as I watched way worse.I am bored generally around episode 10 of dramas. Mostly because the plot is slow as well as the romance. But the male character showed early on he was falling in love and I found it endearing so I kept watching.
Did I find inconsistencies? Yes. Did I find the script ridiculous at times? Yes. At times, I laughed at the poor script and edits… the piece of cloth to mend wounds because everyone knows it will heal miraculously with it… riding a horse with one hand with the fake background took the cake of ridiculousness 😆
But somehow the show grew on me.
I loved the drama A female who arrives at the Imperial College with Lusi Zhao, and of course, my expectation was high. Times flies and you are here has 2 focuses: genre equality and misunderstandings/miscommunication between couples. Genre equality in ancient times didn’t exist. Plain and simple. The writers of this drama played ad nauseam both. A Prince in Love of a Cinderella is extremely popular. The writers used and abused the themes.
This said, I still wanted to watch. Villains kept showing up when the love story started to be mutual. Insecurities kept them apart. I kept in mind that if they both shared their love and feelings sooner then the story needed to spice up with a more dramatic storyline. Most drama starts with fun cute and funny until mid-season, then switches to drama fights jealousy deaths and dramatic events. I see it in most dramas.
This drama is meant for teens young adults and women. The eternal propaganda of education is key to helping the nation, family and in the end, the individual is very common in Chinese dramas. Women’s education leading to their freedom is a great possible goal but in modern times. Every time I watch such drama, I am smirking. Not realistic.
This show, however, is well played. Casting is good. Chemistry is great. Everything else goes from average to okay such as music, storyline, costume, and makeup.
As usual, the title doesn't make sense in English. Subtitles need improvement as well. But I get used to that. Same with inconsistencies, illogical historical context, etc. Especially the fact that the characters are never shown with severe injuries. Blood but just a little to not shock the public. The back nude was a nice surprise. Chinese dramas are generally very prude with female characters. Seeing a nude male torso or part of it is more common. Pity. Really. But Chinese censorship is sadly showing itself.
Both main actors are really good and on my list to find new dramas with them. I do not find them beautiful but their acting makes them beautiful. I watched many beautiful actors with poor acting and already forgot them. But these two, I sure will remember them!
Kudos to some support roles.
So for me, this show is a good one overall because emotions carried by good actors is there.
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Cute YA teen drama
This drama is nothing extraordinary, it's just cute and intended for teenagers.While some of the actors did a good job, I had a problem with the main character, Feng Cheng. Although he acted fine, I couldn't connect with him and there was no chemistry with the heroine. There were a few good performances from the secondary characters, and the main female lead was okay and fit the role. However, the ending was completely wrong. It should have been the Quatuor staying together to solve mysteries, and her identity should have been changed to a girl. Instead, we had two guys running away and a marriage, and somehow her brother took her place as official, which is essentially cheating.
The show lacked any real romantic moments, with only a kiss on the cheek and no love declaration or proposal. The last image was of them on the bed with wedding clothes, and her jumping on him, which was just ridiculous.
The first 22 episodes were slow, redundant, and boring, with the bully guy just bullying and the main character mastering archery within days. The prostitute's wig was ridiculous, and she was a completely not believable character. The special effects sounds were annoying, and the music was just average. While there were some funny scenes, they were not enough to save the show.
In conclusion, if you want a cute teenage costume story, then this show is for you. However, I cannot call it a romance, and I have no desire to re-watch it.
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As expected... sad ending
It seemed that in the vampire drama I watched, it was inevitable that one of the main characters would die. I didn't expect a happy ending, but I watched another Korean vampire drama in which the vampires came back, and they had a happy ending. So it was a slim possibility.Vampires used to be a popular theme in novels and movies in the 2010s. Who doesn't remember the Twilight trilogy? I've always loved this theme, especially memorable movies such as Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice, who wrote numerous novels for adults. So, nowadays, when I come across a vampire drama, it feels rare and precious to me.
I knew from the start that the ending would be sad. The tone is set when the main character complains about his unwanted vampire status and longevity from the beginning. Clearly, his fate was death at the end of the drama. Of course, there was also a love story in the drama.
I truly loved both Gao Wei Guang and Ouyang Nana in their roles. Gao Wei Guang's main role performance contributed a lot to the drama's popularity. I also discovered Ouyang Nana and how beautiful she is!
Some people might feel uncomfortable with the age gap between the characters, but I don't. He is over 100+ years old, and she is a young, blind woman who has been abused by her mother. It's a stereotype, but the story was captivating, particularly the idea of the protector falling for his protege. It's easier to understand the victim falling for her savior, though.
I give the casting a 10/10. Music a 10/10.
Now, why did I stop watching? The ending. I can't stand sad endings; they don't interest me. Even though it was clear that the ending would be sad, I watched the drama when each episode was aired, so I had a habit of watching the last 5 minutes of the very last episode to make sure the ending was happy. If it wasn't, I stopped watching. After a dozen episodes, I waited for the whole drama to air, and sure enough, the hero died, and she was heartbroken.
This reminds me of another drama I watched, "Hard to Find." I watched the episodes one by one. Then I waited until the final episode aired, and once I found out that both main heroes died, I was done. I want to see a smile at the end of the drama. I don't find tears appealing at all.
I'm not convinced they will give us a second season. There's always an opening for that, but I didn't read the novel, so I'm unsure if it's even possible. Even if I did read the novel, since scriptwriters often deviate from the novel's storyline and rewrite a story only inspired by the general idea and characters, it means nothing to believe that if the novel has a different ending, the drama will also have a different ending.
That said, if sad endings don't bother you, I highly recommend this drama. It was well-played and very enjoyable.
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Wow double wow… make it triple!
I just finished watching my first K-drama, and I must say that it exceeded my expectations. Although I was initially hesitant to listen to Korean as I'm more used to Chinese, the fantastic acting, superb scriptwriting, and perfect casting quickly won me over. The chemistry between the actors was palpable, and the engaging music, especially the beautiful violin pieces, added a special touch to the whole experience. I was particularly impressed by the lack of major inconsistencies, which is usually a pet peeve of mine.Compared to the Chinese version of this story, which I found immature and unpolished, this Korean version was tenfold better. It accurately portrayed class inequality, and the geisha-eng character was way more believable and well-cast than in the Chinese version, where she looked like a kid in disguise. Although the king walking around as a commoner was a bit unbelievable, I still enjoyed the quartet in both dramas.
However, I must point out some flaws that detracted from the show's perfection. The directors and scriptwriters could have done better with certain details, such as the handkerchief on top of the hair, the clothes bandage on a deep cut without sewing or medicine, and the hand on the hair instead of the forehead. Also, it was unrealistic that a person could disguise themselves as a gesheang in just a few minutes, and a single red bruise after getting kicked by ten guys was not convincing.
Despite these minor faults, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, and it has made me a fan of K-dramas. I appreciate that K-dramas are more open-minded regarding sex and LGBT+ and do not ridicule man love man like some Chinese dramas. The conversation about loving and being attracted to a man was intriguing and handled sensitively. The only downside was the epilogue, which could have been better even if the ending was happy.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this drama to everyone. It's a must-watch that deserves to be rewatched. Kudos to the quartet, who stole my heart with their performances.
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Childish, meant for teenagers… hope it gets better
The drama had some aspects that were not up to the mark and could be improved upon. Although the script appeared to cater to a teenage audience, certain areas were a bit perplexing and could improve flow and coherence. The immortals had many talents, yet their inability to tell the truth was odd. Additionally, the chemistry between the main characters could have been better, and there was a lack of a sassy and powerful female lead, which is usually appreciated by many audiences.The character of FL played by Rosy Zhao was cute, but I found it disappointing that the scriptwriters didn't give her a stronger character. As a result, her portrayal felt short and annoying to me. I was looking forward to seeing Rosy Zhao's new drama but overall it was a disappointment. I didn't find chemistry with the ML Yang An Yu. It was too childish.
However, I was thrilled to see Li Yun Rui again. I loved him in Love Like the Galaxy. I still wish they became the main lead couple in a costume drama. They have great chemistry and complicity. I would be over the moon watching them together!
I find modern music in costume dramas to be problematic. I prefer the use of flute, violins, and zither. Personal taste.
However, there were several things that the drama did very well. The costumes and backgrounds were stunning, and the special effects were well done. The acting of all the performers was also good. There were some funny moments in the drama that added to its charm, and the blue puppet, despite being marketed towards teenagers was a clever move that could generate significant revenue.
While the drama had some weaknesses, it also had several strengths. It had a talented cast, beautiful visuals, and some entertaining moments. It could become a great drama that appeals to a broader audience with some improvements to the plot and character development.
Season 1, 24 episodes out of 40. I will still give it a chance to see if it gets better. Because at this point, a lot of the story makes no sense and at times redundant and boring.
**
The plot took a sharp turn after her third reincarnation in episode 30. The once sweet and innocent character transformed into a cold and unlikable bitch. While the male lead who had previously rejected her in her past life finally realized his mistake became a remorseful character and received his own rejection medicine back at him, the extreme coldness of the female lead's personality was simply unbearable to me. Although I prefer strong and powerful women to lead and enjoy seeing the villains punished, her icy attitude was too much. I understand that she remembers all the sufferings and rejections she faced, but it does not justify her behavior. Even though the drama is still airing, I can only keep it a 5-star rating.
**
I finally watched the last episodes, but it was too little too late. The plot did get better, and the emotions of both couples were more engaging, but I was left with a female lead that I couldn't stand. One was a doormat and the other was a bitch, and I didn't like either of them. Even the last few episodes that showcased the rosy Zhao I love didn't make up for the previous disappointment. The epilogue was an utter disappointment, poorly executed and lacking in every aspect. As a fan, I'm not blind to an actor's bad script.
This show is a complete miss for me, with no rewatch value and no recommendation whatsoever.
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Very very VERY sad ending
At the start, I was genuinely engrossed in the drama, but I found it hard to continue. It's not due to any fault of the actors - they truly excelled in their roles. I was spoiled in the middle of the series that both leads died at the end. As a fan of dramas with happy endings, the deaths of the main characters left me feeling disheartened. I wasn't quite in the mood for a Chinese adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.I started watching when the episodes aired, so I couldn't spoil myself beforehand which is a habit of mine. After reading the summary, I generally go straight to the last episode, to the last 5-10 minutes. I must check if the main couple is alive, together, and in love. I hardly tolerate any other ending. (You can check my profile to read about my pet peeves! lol)
That being said, if you don't mind sad endings, you might enjoy this drama. Certain episodes had me completely captivated. The male lead's reasons for harbouring animosity towards the female lead were compellingly portrayed. Additionally, the female lead's amnesia added an intriguing layer to the plot.
Overall, it's a nice fantasy drama, although it did feel a bit lacking in budget. So, if you're okay with sad endings, I would still recommend giving it a try.
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Childish acting, poor scripts, poor directing… another big miss!
I skipped through many parts of each episode and I'm done with this drama at episode 12. The script is terrible, the directing is burlesque, the acting is childish and there's zero chemistry between the actors. It seems like the show had a cheap budget. The scenes with horses and the green background for special effects not realistic and the main lead on the horse are laughable.There are so many stereotypes in the show, like the jealous sister, the villainous uncle, the sweet boy in unrequited love, and the fat boy turning into a handsome man. Also, the dubbing voices are not always synchronized, especially the FL. The ML is deaf but not deaf. He clearly doesn't read the lips, and when his personal guard and friend speak behind his back, miraculously he hears him.
Some of the actors and actresses should consider pursuing a different career. What a bummer!
I understand this drama is meant to be a romantic comedy but it is definitely not my taste.
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