The PG-13 Chinese Version of Death Games and Why Number 19

Fans of death games are familiar with dramas like the Korean Squid Games and the Japanese Alice in Borderland, and this one is a Chinese version of the death games and a drama adaptation of an award-winning Chinese psychology suspense novel. I wrote the "Chinese version" because every Chinese drama watcher knows how strict Chinese censorship is. Therefore, in contrast to other countries' death games that are R-rated, this one is PG-13: minus profanity, nudity, and violence. I will also explain why the drama title has the number 19 in it.

STORY/PLOT:

The MDL synopsis is accurate so I won't add anything to it. "19th Floor" (actually, there are no physical floors, more likely levels) is a drama adaptation of the novel "The Nineteenth Floor of Hell" ((地狱的第十九层), a winner of the 2005 Sina Book of the Year Award, written by Chinese best-selling psychological suspense novelist Cai Jun (蔡骏). In the novel, according to Baidu, "the story aims to express a profound proposition beyond fear. Everyone has the original sin of greed, jealousy, selfishness, or anger in their hearts. Once tempted and the truth is revealed in broad daylight, there will be uncontrollable and unreasonable consequences. One's bizarre behavior, falling into layers of hell is a cruel punishment for the inner demons".

To pass the NRTA review, there are big changes made. Firstly, the word 'hell' is omitted, because CCP is atheist, and hell is a religious word, thus should not be in modern titles (can be added in xianxia's titles that are merely mythical stories). There is a Hong Kong movie adaptation "Naraka 19" with a plot that is true to the novel. Secondly. because the drama's mission is to educate young viewers, since the main characters mainly are university students, the drama focuses on the character growths of the main and important supporting characters who are the game players. Thirdly, there are no real deaths, as stated in the synopsis, the losers fell into a coma in the real world. Fourthly, there is profanity, nudity, and violence, thus making this drama a PG-13 version. Although I don't read the novel, I assume the novel is scarier than the drama. Fifthly, because it's a university setting, a slight romance is added to this drama, and the romance subplot does not take over the mystery plot.

Why Number 19:

It was in the Tang dynasty when the more popular concept of the “18 levels of hell” came to be, circulated by the Buddhist text "Sutra on Questions about Hell", which mentioned 134 worlds of hell that were then simplified to a total of 18 for convenience. Each of the 18 levels contains a specific method of torture for a specific sin. At the end of my review, before the spoiler of the ending, I will list the 18 levels of hell for your convenience.

The novel adds the 19th level of hell on purpose which I won't spoil you what it is, especially since the drama doesn't describe any hell nor do the games symbolize the 18 levels of hell. The number 19 in the drama simply is the number of the abandoned school building where some of the games are played.

Plot-wise I gave this drama a 9.0 because in their real lives, the story is a bit draggy with the character growth process some young characters have to develop. The games themselves are fast-paced, some I even think are too fast since the games end in only one episode. Definitely, they are thriller games, not suspense games (unlike, for example, Spirealm which I'm watching currently in which one game takes several episodes to finish).

Because of the character growth process, some conversations are deep and heart-to-heart. Therefore, is better if viewers understand Chinese either written or spoken. Unfortunately, some of us watched it through the bad translation of MangoTV, so we lost the depth. Fortunately, Viki will pick the subbing up. Hopefully, the late viewers would appreciate this drama more and thus will rate it higher.

CHARACTER/ACTING:

Chun Yu, the Female Lead, is the focus of this drama (also in the novel). She is intelligent, brave, and cute, but she holds a hatred towards someone that later is addressed in this drama.

Gao Xuan, the Male Lead, becomes Chun Yu's companion in solving the mystery and overcoming the game's challenges. This character is somewhat mysterious, because of the nature of Gao Xuan in the original source (I will spoil you about him at the end of the review). Casting Wei Zhe Ming as Gao Xuan is perfect, as I have seen him playing antagonists (or semi-antagonists) in the past.

I won't spoil you with the supporting characters, but the many characters are flawed/three-dimensional. As its original source explores characters with the sin of greed, jealousy, selfishness, or anger in their hearts, so does this drama but with positive outcomes.

Besides acting out greed, jealousy, selfishness, or anger, most actors and actresses did a good job of portraying fear, considering they don't face real monsters but greenscreens. The actors' or actresses' facial expressions befit the characters' confusion or stress when facing horrendous situations or trying to solve (time-ticking) puzzles or mysteries.

VISUALS:

This is a death game theme with monsters, puzzles, and mind games, therefore, props, sets, and CGI depicting the darkness and the intensity of each game are a must. They are pretty much well done and some give you jump scare or suspense without gore or horror. I specifically love the jump scare of the first game with the shadow puppets. I have watched many mystery-genre Chinese dramas in which shadow puppets become mysterious aspects, and in this drama shadow puppets are monstrous aspects.

OST:
The ending OST is "The Last Light" by Wang Mi Ran, a Mongolian-descent singer, with the stage name Miya. Actor Xiao Kai Zhong who played the character Zhang Tian Qiang, sang the male version of this OST as an insert song during the scenes with him in it.

SPOILERS (Scroll down if you want to know about 18 levels of hell according to Buddhism, the character of the Male Lead, and the ending)






















18 Levels of Hell (Not mentioned in the drama, because it's considered religious - Buddhism belief or mythical/superstition per NRTA censorship)

1. Hell of Tongue-ripping, where those who gossip and spread trouble with their words will repeatedly have their tongues ripped out.
2. Hell of Scissors, where those who destroy someone else’s marriage will have their fingers repeatedly cut off.
3. Hell of Trees of Knives, where those who sow discord amongst family members will be repeatedly hung from trees made of sharp knives.
4. Hell of Mirrors of Retribution, where those who have managed to escape punishment for their crimes while alive will be repeatedly shown their true horrific selves.
5. Hell of Steamers, where hypocrites and troublemakers will repeatedly be steamed “alive.”
6. Hell of Copper Pillars, where arsonists will be repeatedly chained to red-hot pillars of copper.
7. Hell of the Mountain of Knives, where those who have killed for pleasure or without good reason will repeatedly be made to climb a mountain made of sharp blades sticking out of it.
8. Hell of the Mountain of Ice, where adulterers, deceivers of elders, and schemers will be repeatedly left out on a barren mountain of ice to freeze.
9. Hell of the Cauldrons of Oil, where rapists, thieves, abusers, and false accusers will be repeatedly fried in vats of boiling oil.
10. Hell of the Cattle Pit, where those who have abused animals will repeatedly be hurt by animals in turn.
11. Hell of the Crushing Boulder, where those who have abandoned or killed children will repeatedly be made to hold up heavy boulders, eventually being crushed by their weight.
12. Hell of Mortars and Pestles, where those who voluntarily waste food will repeatedly be force-fed hell fire by demons.
13. Hell of the Blood Pool, where those who disrespect others will be thrown in and submerged into a pool of blood.
14. Hell of the Wrongful Dead, where those who have committed suicide—considered deliberately going against the karmic course of the universe—will be forced to repeatedly wander the realm without a way out, while being pelted constantly by the Winds of Sorrow and the Rains of Pain.
15. Hell of Dismemberment, where tomb raiders will have their bodies repeatedly torn into pieces.
16. Hell of the Mountain of Fire, where thieves, robbers, and the corrupt will be repeatedly thrown into the fiery pits of an active volcano.
17. Hell of Mills, where those who have misused their power to oppress the weak will repeatedly be crushed in a stone mill.
18. Hell of Saws, where those who have engaged in unethical or unfair business practices, or exploited loopholes in the legal system, will be repeatedly sawn in half by demons with saws.

Regarding the Male Lead Gao Xuan:
In the novel, Gao Xuan is an antagonist. In the drama, Gao Xuan is a protagonist

Ending:
Overall a happy ending, EVERYONE is alive and played the final game to fight the villain. Broken relationships are mended. There are two romantic couples formed, Chun Yu and Gao Xun are one of the couples.

The last scene depicting a new death game starting is probably just a tease for the possibility of Season 2. So, the drama doesn't end with a cliffhanger or open ending.

Because of this type of a wholesome happy ending, my final rating is 9.5.

Read More

Review on the second watch. First of all, I give the kudo to Director Baek Sang Hoon who also directing other good dramas. I came across this drama following the child actress from Moon Embraces the Sun. This is a charming romcom drama with two adorable leads played by Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung. Their chemistry is strong since the first time they met using different identities, in later on when their relationship is forbidden during that era, being a crown prince and a eunuch or in essence homophilic. I applauded Jung Jin Young and Kwak Dong Yeon's acting as other leads. Addition to the impressive leads is lovely performance of Chae Soo Bin as Lady Ha Yeon, although she appeared quite later in the show. Stunning cinematography and gorgeous costume. The story is hilarious all around although the drama gets quite serious to the end. The OST is amazing with tons of pleasant songs written and sung by incredibly talented musicians and singers, credited to the Music Director Kang Dong Yoon. Male lead Park Bo Gum sang "My Person" and second male lead Jung Jin Young composed "Misty Road". Good rewatch value with some skipped scenes on the politics.

Read More

Unpredictable with plot twists. But damn, I felt my neck was stiff!

As someone who loves the mystery genre, I found this drama's fantasy part, which gives a mystery vibe, unpredictable with plot twists along the main plot. Only watch it if you're comfortable with a huge height difference.

STORY:

The Female Lead Jin Xia bought her dream house, a cute old house by the sea. Once moving in, she finds that her new house is haunted by a ghostly tall handsome guy Nan Hua, a man from ancient times, who is not a ghost but can choose to be unseen by people. Nan Hua got stuck living in that house and is waiting for someone whom he doesn't remember who the person is. So we have the usual cohabitation trope with Jin Xia and Nan Hua gradually falling in love.

I found that the fantasy plot of this drama is unpredictable, as in Nan Hua's background, the person he's waiting for but doesn't remember who, how he's able to live that long, etc. I won't spoil you with the details but will spoil you with the ending if you're someone who wants to know if it's a happy ending or a sad ending (scroll after you reach the bottom of the review).

CHARACTER AND ACTING:

I have never seen Lai Mei Yun before. Her character Jin Xia is pretty and petite, independent, and career-oriented. She wants to remain single, with only a grandma and a best friend as people who are close to her. I saw the actor Wang Zi Hao in the short-length series with the time-loop theme "Secretary Bai Wants to Resign Everyday", which I thought it's quite funny. Nan Hua is a nice Male Lead, but I think the actor looks better in ancient costumes than in modern costumes. I felt like the huge height difference of 40 cm or 16 inches (see source below) between Nan Hua and Jin Xia gave me a stiff neck. So, it's understandable that others said that they saw a romance between a man and a little girl. Fortunately, Jin Xia has pretty long wavy hair, and she doesn't have a high-pitched voice or act childish.

Height difference source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy531LiwncE

OST:

The ending theme "Love Will Tame the Wind and the Rain" (爱会驯服风雨) is sung by the actress Lai Mei Yun herself.

SPOILER of the ending (Scroll down below)















A happy ending between Nan Hua and Jin Xia. He disappears because of losing energy. Jin Xia buries her engagement ring and it regenerates the dead ancient tree that was Nan Hua's source of energy. Nan Hua is reborn and he comes back to find Jin Xia. Not a last-minute reunion.

Read More

After Completed it: Clarification of the Pros and Cons

Though I don't write reviews anymore, I compelled to write a review to clarify things to they who are interested to watch it but confused by the polarization of positive and negative reviews or somewhat low rating. So the spoilers I put it in the end. I dropped this drama once, when I read in the reviews there are factors I don't like: reminiscence of A Love So Beautiful (which I dropped for good), smart guy dumb girl pairing, and Female Chases Male First set up. Plus high school setting is not my favorite. When I watched Episode 1 (for me usually the most critical episode to drop or continue), I was attracted to the 10 year friendship in the group, scruffy Zhao Yi Qin (which I think looks better than the clean-shaven high school style), and David Chou as the Second Male Lead. So I continue by fast forwarding the painful high school romance scenes and only watched enough to understand the basics, until a specific episode (I put in the spoiler below). I picked up again when the VR game ends, therefore I was saved from the exhausting romance others watched and dropped the drama. In the end, I found the story is touching and the drama is pretty good. I was tricked too by the plot twist, damn it, lol. I rated as 8, but for those who love youth/high school romance (which I don't), they may rate the drama 9.
Actually I don't rewatch dramas, the rating is just as suggested to get the overall 8.

*** Spoilers, read on your risk ***
1. Due to past trauma ML develops PTSD and completely shut down his past, so he doesn't remember important things. The VR game ML watched is specifically designed for him to help him regain his memory, therefore deals with his past.
2. The VR game he and us watched is tricky, as it contains reality and created setting. As watchers we get understanding about the story, but also we get tricked (or you can call it as plot twists). The clarification is in the two last episodes.
*** Major spoilers ***
3. Ep 13 the killer is revealed, Ep 16 ML is off-game, back after game modification, Ep 23-24 ML finishes the game, explanations.
4. Happy ending for all. Satisfying closures not only for the OTP, but for SML and SFL.

Read More

Shallow Solutions to Deeper Relationship Issues

Watch it if you want to (only) be entertained by this dark comedy/satire with morally gray characters about marital relationships gone wrong. Although have plenty of sex scenes, but no nudity, a warning: it's not a romance genre. The ending left me dissatisfied (spoiler at the bottom of the review) but maybe I was looking for a realistic solution for the main couple's issues (hence my review title).

STORY/PLOT:

Romance (or slight romance) theme dramas nowadays are 80-90% about first loves and the rest are second chance loves (either with the same or different partner). Therefore, I was interested in this drama because of its unique plot. Although it's not a romance genre, it's about a married couple whose relationship went stale and about cheating cases by married characters. Definitely not for everyone's taste.

The Female Lead Woo Jin (Esom), works as a receptionist in a hotel, that's how she started noticing that the couples who went to the hotel are in infidelity relationships. Thrilled by the possibility she could get money to resolve debt problems by blackmailing them, she entailed her husband Samuel (Ahn Jae Hong), the Male Lead, who is a taxi driver to follow the cheating people.

I noticed that the rating decreased while the drama was airing. I guessed that watchers started this drama with the expectation that Woo Jin and Samuel would become somewhat 'judges' or 'problem solvers' for those cheating people. The cheating married partners would end the cheating or marriage relationship, or the cheated partners would divorce or seek solutions for the infidelities. But since this is a dark comedy, also only 6 episodes, this is not the case. While the audiences see that there are deeper issues that drive people to cheat, and there are no black or white characters to justify the cheating, however, there are no real solutions for the cases. The cheaters keep cheating, only with more risks (as the infidelity is exposed) but with less money (when they pay the blackmailers).

I will not detail the infidelity cases to spoil you. Watch and have your own opinions about them.

ACTING:

Although I don't watch much of them, in my opinion, Esom and Ahn Jae Hong are two fine experienced actors who did not even feel awkward performing the couple's intimate scenes. Their funny detective scenes while following the cheaters are hilarious to watch, too. I especially cracked up during the scene when Woo Jin and Samuel tried marijuana to stimulate sex.

The supporting/guest actors/actresses who acted in infidelity cases are great too. They acted out the emotional and the sexual scenes well.

ENDING: (Scroll below for spoilers and why I was dissatisfied with the ending)




















Since the couple had their own marital issues, Woo Jin and Samuel ended up getting divorced. The last scene setting is during the end-of-the-year holidays/Christmas. Because of the holiday blues, Woo Jin and Samuel feel lonely and depressed, as others celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. They meet and celebrate the holiday, and end up having sex. Thus ending their LNTS (Long Time No Sex) period, lol.

Now this is where I was dissatisfied with the ending. I know it's a satire/dark comedy, so a realistic solution to Woo Jin and Samuel's marriage problems is probably out of the screenwriter(s) mind. But I think it would be better if they don't get back together in the last scene. The drama should have an open ending, after realizing their personal issues that contribute to their relationship, are contemplating getting back together, thus seeking professional help. The ending in the drama is shallow, in my opinion. It's like the typical cheesy Hallmark romance in which the couple reunites during the holidays.

Read More

There is such like a real dating class in a university as the synopsis says? I wish we have such like that during my college years! This short drama (16 episodes but only 15 minutes per episode) are short and sweet, but gives us great tips on dating. They are not applicable only for teenagers and college kids but for adults as well. Many issues are wonderfully portrayed here, such as toxic relationship, breakups, parenting, homosexuality, etc. The six main roles play different type of personalities. The actors/actresses though most of them are newbies in acting, but I think the director did a remarkable job directing their performance. The editing is also very well done seaming the variety of scenes for every character's stories. There is no any boring scene that can be skipped. Although there is no OST made specially for this drama or sung by any of these actor/actresses (many of them are singers) but the music are well placed between scenes. As requested by some viewers, I do not think we do not need Season 2 as most dating problems are addressed adequately here. The rewatchable value is high as it's short enough for binge watching.

Read More

Since there is no any review about this drama, only comments that formed bits and pieces of reviews, I took the advantage of being the first reviewer, after painstakingly watching this drama till the end. I was following the talented lead actress Andy Yang Zi's works when I found this drama and it took me sometime to find where I can watch it with English subtitle. From a tip given by one commenter below, I was able to track down the raw English autosub of this drama from Huace Global Fun channel in YouTube. Raw English, yes, as literally Youtube translate the Mandarin words word by word which can be very confusing to the conversation, that leads me to 'translate' the raw English dialogues to understandable meanings. They also forgot to sub one episode into Mandarin (which can be autosub by YouTube), but not necessarily lost my understanding as a whole story.

STORY: Probably it can be heart touching, if the whole drama was translated to English well, as there are a lot of stories on what happened in the Xia Ran's family. But I skipped MOST of the scenes of the supporting roles to avoid boredom caused by frustration from the inadequate translation. I gave a pretty good score for the story though, as the office stories are quite entertaining, especially about Xia Ran's clients. Every client's case is touching, especially since both main leads actually worked together to solve the proposal/wedding cases.

ACTING/CAST: Definitely Andy Yang Zi is the pull for this drama as well as other cast. She is pretty, energetic, bossy, animated, and sometimes mean. Qiao Zhenyu is a bit stiff as the cosmetic surgeon Jin Zhihao, but can pull unexpected moments related to the female lead. Their chemistry is great, starting with being hating each other due to some misunderstanding, compromising due to some agreements made, room mates, friends or brother/sister when they are forced to live in the same room, and finally (after more than a half drama rolling) they became lovers. The second pair (Xia Ran's boss and Zhihao's ex) is just meh. Notable, is the young actor who plays Zhihao's little brother, who delivers a refreshing and fun acting stood out among the complicated adult's love stories in the drama.

MUSIC: Since I'm not into OST of dramas, I never make notes on OST

REWATCH VALUE: No, unless I find a website or channel where I can watch it again with an understandable English sub,

OVERALL: Again, Andy Yang Zi is the only main reason I (and probably also for many viewers who follows her) I watched this drama, and the attraction of mini stories of client's wedding plans delivered in this drama.

Read More

From A Non Gamer/Actor's Fan Perspective: One of the Better Xuanhuan Out There

I don't play Chinese Paladin games and don't remember watching any other drama/movie live adaptation of the installments. Although I watched several of Xu Kai's and Yu Shu Xin's dramas, I cannot regard myself as their fan. Since I mostly watch Chinese dramas more than dramas from other countries anyway, I would eventually see their dramas. Thus, this can be called a bystander's perspective as to why I rated this drama a 10 (without detailing the aspects, the spoiler is only for the drama ending, scroll to the bottom of the review)

1. Xuanhuan is always (more) fun to watch, as long as the screenwriter does a good job writing the script

This drama is a xuanhuan. According to the MDL tag definition, xuanhuan means: "Mysterious Fantasy. A broad genre of fictional stories which remixes Chinese folklore/mythology with foreign elements and settings." It's slightly different than xianxia, which MDL describes as: "A Chinese martial arts novel genre developed from the wuxia genre that is heavily influenced by Taoism and Buddhism. The literal meaning of xianxia is 'immortal hero'. It's essentially a 'fantasy-fied' version of Wuxia: with magic, demons, immortals, and cultivation." Therefore xuanhuan dispenses the Taoism and Buddhism elements. Therefore imo, xuanhuan is more fun the watch than xianxia and wuxia, because it has more freedom in creating the world and culture of the clans, including their unique artifacts (costumes, weapons, magical items, etc).

There is a condition that a xuanhuan is entertaining to watch, as long as the screenwriter does a good job transforming the original version into a script. Since this is based on an RPG game, not a novel or manhua which details the plot and conversations, the screenwriter has to create rich plots, subplots, and dialogues to make the drama entertaining to watch from the beginning to the end. A satisfactory ending (I will spoil it at the end of the review) makes me rate the drama higher than a non-satisfactory ending.

Broad creativity in xuanhuan plot requires watchers to pay attention to the names and terms, as you may not seen them anywhere else before. Since I watched it while it's currently airing, it's easy for me to get information in the comment section. There is also the drama's discussion forum section that details some aspects if you're lost in the comments section since the drama has finished airing now.

There is also a synopsis based on the game in Wikipedia which gives details of the game to give a broad understanding. Of course, as usual, the drama plot is different than the game plot:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Sword_and_Fairy_6

2. Deep friendship/found family is crucial along an arduous journey

Since this is based on an adventure RPG game, it's necessary to create a group of companions (characters) with each strengths and weaknesses teaming up to face whatever they'll encounter along their journey (game). I always loved deep friendships in dramas, which even became a found family. Close bonds of friendship in a drama always leave special marks in my heart to give an extra point when rating a drama.

I also think that the casting of the protagonists of this drama befits the characters. Besides Xu Kai and Yu Shu Xin, I watched Fu Xin Bo (as Xian Qing), Wan Peng (as Zhao Yan), Bai Bing Ke (as Ming Xiu), and Zhou Zhan (as Shi Fang) before. The drama gives enough background and stories for the other leading characters as well.

3. Pure and cute Romance with great chemistry that does not overwhelm the main adventure plot

I'm not sure if the game contains romance as well, but romance is an important aspect of the drama, it's not overwhelming or takes over the adventure plot in which the group embarks on a journey with various missions.

Xu Kai and Yu Shu Xin did a great job portraying the non-blood-related siblings Yue Jin Zhao and Yue Qi. From the bonding of siblings, because they found themselves without family members or background memories to remember their families, to the intimacy of lovers, the actor and the actress exude an overflowing chemistry. This is commendable, considering that they have never collaborated before.

4. Xu Kai acting as a doppelganger Jin Zhao and Bian Luo Han

I don't want to describe much about Bian Luo Han, only that he is a mysterious character to discover in the drama. Because Yue Jin Zhao and Bian Luo Han are lookalikes, Xu Kai played both characters but with different personalities. Jin Zhao is an extroverted teenager with high spirits and energy. Bian Luo Han is an older character, introverted, quiet, and mysterious (while wearing a mask in many scenes). There is a particular scene later in the drama in which Jin Zhao and Bian Luo Han (without a mask) have a heart-to-heart talk, and I could see the differences between both personalities, although they are played by the same actor!

5. The cinematography and details of props

Places in xuanhuan dramas more likely have more colorful costumes, props, and sets than places in xianxia dramas (mostly consist of heavenly realm, demon realm, mortal realm). Since the group go to different places during their journey, we got to see intricate designs of each places. My favorite place is The Sea of Clear Skies with all its beautiful oceanic-theme designs and architectures. Yue Qi particularly looks very pretty with costumes from that place!

6. OST

As usual, OST in Chinese costumes drama deliver. My favorite in the opening theme "Miracle" sung by Taiwanese duo of brother and sister JS (an abbreviation of their names Justin and Sophia), and the insert song "Resonance" sung by none other than king of OSTs Zhou Shen. Yu Shu Xin, as usual contributed OSTs songs in her dramas, this time she sang "Pray" and "Hope".

7. The satisfactory ending (Scroll below for the spoiler. Otherwise, you can stop reading here ?



























Yue Jin Zhao dies at the final battle. Yue Qi goes to Dragon Pool to exchange life with him. Before she did, Guardian Ying Xu Wei also went to Dragon Pool to exchange life with Yue Qi, as he felt guilty of the Yue's sacrifice. Sometime in the future, Jin Zhao is reborn and walks in the midst of crowd. He overhears a storyteller told about the bravery of some Mr Ju (who is Shi Fang, died in a battle). Shi Fang apparently is reborn, running as a child and bumps into the blind Ming Xiu. 'Jin Zhao' (not sure what his name now) help them up. Ming Xiu seems familiar hearing his voice but he said he never met her before. Ming Xiu is on her way to reunite with the two long time friend Zhao Yan and Xian Qing, who are now a couple. 'Jin Zhao' walks further and passing 'Yue Qi' who is holding a sugar candy with a goldfish design and a dandelion. Both wears the half size of fish pendant, a gift of their birthday as seen in the first episode. Yue Qi brought both the pendant pieced to Dragon Pool during the life exchange. The pendant pieces they wore touch each other that creates the resonance (explained further in the drama) and cause the dandelion to disintegrate. 'Jin Zhao' and 'Yue Qi' are in awe watching that. Although they walk away, since they're basically strangers, in the end the resonance seems to attract them to stop and look back at each other and smile. It's like fall in love at first sight.

Read More

Tan Song Yun and Three Labradors Made It Passed the NRTA Review

I titled my review above because I swear there is a supernatural element in this movie (will give some examples). And if you watch a lot of Chinese shows you know that NRTA (Chinese censorship agency) banned modern shows with supernatural themes and deemed it as superstitious. But the cute actress and her cute labradors (yes there are three of them) were able to wring the hearts and tears of the NRTA reviewers and viewers alike.

STORY:

The movie is based on a novel titled "Dad is a 'Dog'" written by Wang Xiao Lie. The story is simple, and the synopsis provided on MDL tells the whole plot. The native title is Good Bye, Li Ke Le (再见，李可乐). Li Ke Le is the name of the pup, so we know in the end the female lead Li Yan (Tan Song Yun) loses her dog. So no surprises here. But it is a beautiful movie about mother and daughter's mended relationship past the death of the head of the family. How to let go of regrets and attachments after pain? How to learn love and courage while growing up? When the difficulties of the past reappear, will they have a regret-free choice in their lives?

Now I want to explain why I think this drama contains a supernatural element, in which Ke Le is the incarnation of Li Yan's dad. On the day Li Yan and Mom went back from the hospital after Dad passed away, Ke Le showed up and was adamant about being adopted into the family. Ke Le's habits mimic Dad's habits, including drinking soda (although the dog definitely cannot drink soda). That's why it was named Ke Le, since 可乐 means soda. The English sub called the dog Coke or Cola. And Ke Le knows some Dad's secrets, too.

ACTING/CHARACTER:

The acting of Tan So Yun and veteran actress Yan Ni (who played Li Yan's mom) portraying the estranged relationship between mother and daughter is worth watching by itself. But the three Labradors who played Kele ought to have their introduction as well. Xiao Ke Le is the young pup who becomes Li Yan's companion during her mourning period. Ping An is the adult Ke Le. The dog also showed up in the 2023 drama "A Date With the Future". The adult Ke Le oversees the grown-up Li Yan, including her choice of a special friend who will be her future husband, and also accompanies Mom when Li Yan leaves the house to attend university. And lastly, the elderly Ke Le is played by Xiao Qi, who gives away Li Yan during her wedding.

DIRECTING/EDITING:

Kudo to the director and the editor who managed to execute a life story of Li Yan from teenager to adulthood, and of Ke Le from puppy to end of its life. There is not much dialogue as we see in dramas, but the actors and the actresses use a lot of facial expressions only well-experienced ones can show. All three dogs definitely are well-trained and able to act, including showing their facial expressions (especially Xiao Qi with its sad look).

And guess what? Wang Xiao Lie, the novel author, is also the director of this movie.

VISUALS:

I love the filming set in a small town. Wang Xiao Lie, besides being a director, is also a photographer. Thus we were able to see the simple yet beautiful cinematography captured in this movie.

OST:
The main theme is "We Have a Deal" by Diamond Zhang/Zhang Bi Chen

ENDING: (Scroll down, skip if don't want to be spoiled)
























Li Yan and Mom mended their relationship. Li Yan married her high school sweetheart Zhang Huai Jun (Jiang Long), but as usual Chinese shows, they don't date in high school but later in the university. Mom gets a new man, Uncle Zhang Ping. As for Li Ke Le, he becomes elderly, gets a brain tumor and the family has to put him to sleep. The movie ends with Li Yan snowboarding again. Dad and Ke Le are watching her from the hilltop, smiling.

Read More

What an Irony: Someone Messes Up the Crime! [No Spoiler on Who Killed the Victim]

This is probably the one of best crime dramas I watched. It's only 8 episodes, with a good sub, so it's easy to binge. Not draggy, and the plot flows nicely with red herrings and a big twist at the end. Can't guess who killed the victim until the last episode. My review will not spoil you who killed the victim, but will only spoil you what happened to the one who messed up the crime: the Male Lead Chang Tse Tung.

STORY:

The story follows the antics of Tung, who had waited for a breakthrough in his acting career to land a main role. It happened that the day he made a stupid mistake, as mentioned in the synopsis, was also the day he got a call for an audition for a main role. I wrote his "antics" because, for the sake of his career, he did foolish things to cover the mistake. The drama wants to make us believe that Tung is not the killer, so the plot flows with him trying to find out who the real killer is. He investigated people and pieces of evidence by himself and didn't let anyone know, including the police and his longtime girlfriend Chiang Yi Lu. That made Tung land in murky situations, besides the murder, because he lied here and there.

The thing I really like about this drama is that it doesn't tell you who really killed Lin Meng, the victim, until the last episode. As usual crime drama, there are plenty of red herrings. Making us believe that someone kills the victim but turns out not. Even the ones cleared are still suspicious. Once I was even suspicious that the detective might be involved, because he was so casual about the homicide, brushed off his teammate's suspicions, and regarded the homicide as an incident, like a burglary gone wrong.

CHARACTER/ACTING:

The Male Lead Tung is a flawed character, an antihero. He is desperate, and borderline depressed, since for 10 years he has waited for a breakthrough in his acting career to land a main role. Actor Liu Guan Ting did a great job portraying this messed-up character. Even from Tung's look, he looks suspicious, lol.

The Female Lead Chiang Yi Lu (Gingle Wang), I thought at first she was like a supporting character. Yi Lu is supportive indeed, she always does something for her long-time boyfriend's sake. They live together in the apartment complex where the homicide happened. Of course, that makes Yi Lu also a suspect. In the beginning of the drama, we see their relationship is strained, not only because of the murder case, but also because of the poverty, despair, and unfulfilled dreams.

Although Tung and Yi Lu are an established couple, we barely see a romance. However, towards the end, when the couple breaks up we see how deep their relationship used to be. In the end, I actually teared up during their heart-to-heart conversations. Although their sweet moments as lovers are limited, great chemistry is shown between Liu Guan Ting and Gingle Wang.

The other Female Lead Lin Meng (Sonia Sui) is the victim. Since she's dead in Episode 1, we only see the flashbacks of her interactions with the apartment residents. This character is really interesting. Shown as a super attractive woman and flirty towards men (the apartment rumors said that she has affairs), Meng is not what she looks like outwardly. Meng also becomes either the angel or the devil's voice that provokes Tung.

Since this is a murder, we also have other supporting characters who become suspects, eyewitnesses, and detectives. Since this is only an 8-episode drama, although there is no in-depth character development on the supporting characters, each actor and actress did a great job portraying their respective roles.

VISUAL (CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME, MAKEUP, SETTING):

Everything screams realism with artistry in the opening scene. We see the opening scene with an eerie instrumental song and a slide of portraits of each family who lives in the apartment complex, with happy faces that turn upset when the portrait glass cracks. It symbolizes that the family/characters are not what they look outwardly, smile happily for photo shoots, but cover their secrets when they're cracked.

Realism is in everything in the drama. The cinematography is dimmed and bleak because it's a crime drama. The costume is realistic. The makeup (especially on the dead and dying characters) is believable. The home setting is like what we see in real households, messy and doesn't appear staged. Since I watch dramas from different countries other than Taiwan, I know that visuals in Kdramas are usually fancy, Cdramas are squeaky clean, Jdramas are minimalistic, and Thai dramas are over-the-top. Only Taiwanese dramas (and probably HK dramas) stage their visuals as what appears in real life or the audiences.

ENDING (Scroll below, only to what happened to the main characters, no spoiler on who killed Lin Meng)



















Chang Tse Tung is in prison. Not for the crime, thus the title fits "Not a Murder Story" since he didn't kill Ling Meng, but for other offenses (aka stupid mistakes) he made.
Chiang Yi Lu soars high in her theatrical acting career. The last scene shows her international stage play with the leading role of Lady Macbeth, an irony that symbolizes her character.
Lin Meng, obviously she's dead.
Justice is done, the police arrested who killed her.

Read More

Forbidden Romance between The Beauty and the Beast - Thai style

I really like this drama, I wish I could write a recap article about it. Alas, my article quota is full. So, here is my full review:

STORY
First, I will write the synopsis from the Female Lead point-of-view. Parichart comes from Bangkok with a mission to educate tribal children. Upon her arrival, her ride broke down, so she continues her journey on foot through the jungle. Unfortunately (or fortunately, lol), night comes, and it is red moon (Prajan Daeng, the native title means red moon), where Tiger King roams around to hunt down poachers. She passes out during her encounter with the ghostly tiger. Nontha, a young tribesman who is also the son of the late chief, saves her and takes her to Dr. Sama’s clinic. Upon knowing that Dr. Sama has dedicated himself to working in the remote area like that, Parichart is happy that she finds someone like her, an outsider who has a heart for tribal people. The romance blooms between the two.

This is where the forbidden romance is: As you know in the synopsis, Dr. Sama gets possessed by Tiger King’s spirit since young. Something happened in the past. He’s not supposed to have any romantic relationship. Also, the tribe doesn’t want the two to be together, as Tiger King should stay with the tribe.

Some attempts to thwart Dr Sama and Parichart relationship are planned by the tribesmen. On top of that, plans from bad outside parties who are money hungry.

Finally, this drama is heavy on the message of nature preservation/forest protection. So, if you don’t like that kind of advocacy agenda, better think twice about watching it. Since I like nature, I don’t mind on the messages.

ACTING
First, I’d like to commend the acting of Tono, who played as Dr. Sama. ‘Cursed’ from young with Tiger King spirit possession, Dr. Sama has to live forever with the tribe as he can transform into the ghostly tiger to protect the jungle. He’s a complicated character: remorse of past, conflicted of present, and fear of future. The actor delivered all emotion. His transformation to aggressive tiger-like characters is also great.

Richy, as Teacher Parichart, is misunderstood as an unemotional Female Lead. Her character is calm and quiet, thus doesn’t show much of emotion. Besides, she’s a city girl with a high education background and logic, facing with bizarre phenomena and myth. If I were Parichart, I will be confused and disbelief most of the time too, especially when I found out my boyfriend is also a tiger, lol.

Dr. Sama and Parichart form a calm and quiet couple, unlike the second one I’ll describe below.

Nontha, played by March, is a conflicted character. Born as the son of late tribe leader, he is supposed to inherit the Tiger King spirit from his father. Unfortunately, it goes to an outsider. Nontha delivers conflicted character between envy/jealousy and admiration/fear of Dr. Sama. Having seen March in a similar character in Sand Princess, I knew he could do such characters.

At first I hate the character of Kahlong, played by Xiang, She seemed a typical bitchy second female lead of lakornland. However, after watching sometime, I understand she’s just a young tribe girl who groomed by her dad to marry Tiger King since little (which they thought the Tiger King was in Nontha).

Nontha and Kahlong form an explosive couple full with bickering most the time, not realizing that they actually care of each other, like an old married couple. I’m glad that both characters mature in the end.

There is a third couple, Saksit (Ak) and Dr. Atchara (Ticha), whom I really like, uncommon since I don’t actually like multi couples I thought as fillers. A filler or not, they have great chemistry and I wished to see more of their romance. The female character is really cool.

An individual character whom I also like is Euang, Dr Sama’s nurse/assistant (who was also his dad’s nurse). I watched the actress Rudklao, in You’re My Destiny (Thai remake of Fated to Love You) as the Female Lead’s mom and she was great there. Euang is like a mother figure to Dr. Sama. The only thing that distracts me is her black lipstick, not sure why they made her wear that.

The supporting actors who played as the tribesmen did well with their respective characters. I especially like the comedic relief from the duo boys Lee (Yoon) and Za (Graphic). The villain characters are forgettable.

PRODUCTION
With only 12 episodes I don’t have any complain about the pace, no draggy scene. But I think the ending is rushed. Probably since the filming is taken during the pandemic. There are some unbelievable explanations in the end. I docked 0.5 point for the loose ties/rushed ending.

VISUAL
I docked another 0.5 point for the CGI. The tiger is actually not bad, because it’s supposedly a ghostly tiger, not a common one anyway. But the other CGI, especially towards the end is bad.
The nature setting is beautiful. Dr. Sama’s old house, with antique furniture, looks creepy like in horror shows, with flowing curtains blown by the wind through open windows. The house really represents the beast’s mansion.

OST
Opening song รักคืน (Night Love) by Bowkylion
Ending song บนเส้นด้าย (On a Thread) by Tono and the Dust
Insert song สัตว์ร้าย (Beast) by Tono and the Dust

Read More

Compassion in the Darkness

This is just a supplement of what have been reviewed by others, so please read other reviews if you want to understand the drama completely. This review is also about my different takes on point-of-views of some commenters.

GENRES:

- Horror: What horror? Although if you are, like me, rarely watch horror shows there are plenty of creepy scenes throughout the drama to scare you. Especially the first story "The Cat Food" that was filmed with the setting of a real famous haunted building in Hong Kong. There is also a Halloween event in the drama. Honestly, there are more ghosts and vengeful spirits in dramas like the Korean Goblin, Hotel De Luna, Mystic Popup Bar, or the Thai horrors with real evil spirits. Here I counted only two friendly visits from deceased spirits who meant well. The make-to-believe horror scenes are thanks to the Director Ju Xing Mao who have directed horror dramas, like the Ferryman series. FYI, the Director actually acted as Big Senior in this drama. How someone who loves making horror shows can actually be comical is beyond my comprehension, lol.

- Detective/Investigation: This not in the genre list, but I think this is more like it. Though our protagonist Li Jia thinks that he himself may have schizophrenia, I think mostly Li Jia is the sanest of many psychotic characters in the drama. His pure curiosity, deductive reasoning, and sleuthing skill kick in first in many cases.

- Psychological: The prominent theme is Compassion in this drama, with many recurrences in several characters and almost every case. Li Jia is definitely a compassionate person. As someone who is tortured by the past, he understand what others with mental incapabilities go thru. Strangers (like Shi Cheng in the admission event) and so-called villains in many cases can see Li Jia's compassion throught the drama.
Interestingly, the misunderstanding/misconception of general people against the victims of psychological issues are represented by his friends' initial reactions:
- Cha Cha who is steely and practical will be ignorant/indifferent and say: I already have too much on my plate, who care of others?
- Shi Cheng who is impulsive and emotional will be scared/run away and say: Don't understand them, they are scary. Better not cross their paths.

- Romance: Watchers who purely fans of horror/mystery/action/crime genres won't like romance included here. However, since this drama is not based on any action novel/comic where there are two male leads only, the original script is written with romance between ML and FL in it, as seen throughout the drama. The memory of seeing Cha Cha at the first time when she was skateboarding next to his bus, flashing back on Li Jia's mind while he's fighting a villain in the water. Thus, the first impression counts. Also, his monologue after the first case ends, when he and Cha Cha say goodbye to each other, most likely is recorded in his journal. Lastly, the ending scene (literally after the ending credit finishes) also shows his subconscious affection towards Cha Cha.

CHARACTERIZATION:

- Cha Cha: Anyone who read this review and haven't watched the drama yet will be curious about the FL. Cha Cha is a very good actress and you'll know in "Red Velvet" in the middle drama why (I'm talking about the characterization, not Cherry Ngan). A chameleon in fashion: short hair in one scene, long hair in another scene; feminine dress in one scene, baggy overall in another scene. Eccentric, a colorful character, a rainbow for Li Jia

- Xiao Xi: What to say? This guy makes girls fall for without him saying anything (you'll know why when you watch the drama, lol). Even someone says she'll marry him when she grew up! All feelings shown through Xiao Xi's facial expressions. Though audience don't hear him talk much, at least hear the actor who played Xiao Xi (Feng Jian Yu) sang the ending theme of the drama.

FRIENDSHIP:
Some complains about long "Heterochromia" subplot, but that segment actually shows the building of relationships: romance between Li Jia and Cha Cha, bromance between Li Jia and Shi Cheng, friendship between Li Jia, Shi Cheng, Cha Cha, and the introduction of Xiao Xi and his sidekicks. It's a fundamental subplot than just solving psych cases.

SETTING:
Hong Kong. Thanks to the executive producer Zhao Zeen (赵泽恩)who planned the filming with real landmarks of Hong Kong backdrops. As someone who watch lots of Cdramas but rarely HKdramas, this real setting is a nice treat.

SEQUEL:
Though personally I would like a sequel (someone needs to fix Li Jia!), I'm not really count on it for the following reasons:
1. As a mystery/horror/psychology show, an open ending is quite common not only in life performance but also in written fiction.
2. China (generally Chinese drama production companies) is known as making open ended dramas. There are older dramas with open endings that never heard sequels be made.
3. China sucks in making sequels. If there will be, it may be completely different story not connnected with prequel, change of main characters, or the story flops.
4. The production cost. In an interview, the executive producer Zhao Zeen (赵泽恩) stated that filming in Hong Kong cost 3x than Mainland and Chinese crew had to obtain working visas. If sequel happens, probably the scenario will be based in China that may change the storyline and/or actor/actress

Above all, it took me 2 days binging 26 episodes, 1/3 on the first day and 2/3 on the second day. In the middle of the night watching scary scenes. The suspense and thriller really got me!

Read More

The Magic of a Fantasy Diary and a Hateful Fairy

To enjoy this drama you need patience and ability to endure painful process, because it is a slow burn romance. The main couple does not get together until the third quarter of the drama! Painful, because it seems like everyone and everything are against the confirmation of their love. Not that they hate each other, it is the other way around. Xiao Man and Zuo An have admired each other from kindergarten till university. They are also next door neighbors. But they are so self-conscious about their own shortcomings that even alcohol cannot help with the confession. It takes a hateful fairy to throw a fantasy diary to make it happen.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA
(+) Some compared this drama with the Playful Kiss franchise where the female lead likes or chases the male lead first. But not so, or else I would have dropped it as I did with those dramas. This drama is introduced using the female lead narration, therefore it seems like she likes the male lead first.
(+) The wuxia scenes are forbidden to be skipped, they are so hilarious imagining the heroine Gu and the childe An in the fantasy land.
(+) Lu Zhao Ha is adorable as Gu Xiao Man. The actress face is very pretty to look at. Her acting is great, especially in terrorized scenes during her haemophobic period and scenes in the final episode
(+) I think actor Liu Yu Han did a great job acting as the nerd Zuo An. His character develops from cold, quiet, and reserved Zuo An to become emotional, romantic, and somewhat rebellious one.
(+) Cute chemistry between Xiao Man and Zuo An. Off course the three quarter part of the drama you will see the more natural awkward friendship between them, but in the last quarter after the confession that's where the cuteness overload is.
(+) The first time I saw Zhan Yue and Yaola bickering with each other I hoped they would become a couple because they are so cute together. I am glad the drama made it so, and they still bickering even after they are together. Many times I don't like drama side couples because they are fillers, but this adorable couple is Xiao Man's strongest supporters. Great acting and chemistry between actor Liu Yin Jun and actress Sun Yan Qing.
(+) As annoying as they are, actually the actors and actress who played as characters Zhan Yue, Chen Yang, and Anning did great in their acting in attempts to hinder the main couple's togetherness.
(+) Unique character of Chen Yang. He is charismatic yet repulsive, despicable yet caring. His unrequited love is compelling that Xiao Man does not know what to do with him. Actor Xie Zhi Xun did a great job acting as Chen Yang.
(+) Cute piglet. What a unique choice of a drama pet
(+) Xiao Man's strong support system.
(+) Cool dads (Xiao Man's, Zuo An's (later scenes), Anning's)

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA
(-) Lots of dragging scenes and conversations as fillers typical Chinese dramas.
(-) Many unrealistic details or scenes, possibly due to bad directing or editing. For example Xiao Man's diary is ripped in pages by the antagonist. But later on when Xiao Man gets back the same diary all pages are intact nicely. A comment also stated of the part where people letting a kid drowned with nobody tried to looked for her. Wouldn't it be more believable having a scene of drenched wet girl laying down dead with parents crying around her???
(-) IMO the high school period is annoying due to the school/teacher control on the students. I am not sure if this is common in Chinese schools or just a drama exaggeration. A school announcement of Xiao Man ripped off Zuo An's pants... seriously??? Luckily they do not stay in the high school too long. The university period is far more entertaining.
(-) Although the plot is build nicely with all angst toward the confession, but I think the story goes downhill afterwards. Side stories and supporting characters are pushed forward. It seems like after becoming a couple, Xiao Man and Zuo An are busy running around fixing other people's problems (Anning, Chen Yang, Cheng Yang's sister and doctor, Zuo An's mom) because these people do not want to fix their own.
(-) What's up with the ending??? It seems like the team wants to make the final episode dramatic without using proper dramatic props. IMO the ending does not need to be dramatic for a drama to leave a last impression from the viewers. The Korean Weightlifting Fairy KBJ did a good job with a simple yet endearing college graduation finale.
(-) Annoying moms (Zuo An's, Anning's)

Read More

I Wished They Go With the Second Story Instead!

This is the second season of its prequel "Estranged Fall In Love", but after I read a one-and-only review there I decided not to watch it. Also, the beginning of this drama doesn't connect with the ending of its prequel. Although I think there is some background story of who the ML, FL, their kingdom, etc in the prequel, I didn't lose any important info because this drama is divided into 2 parallel stories the couple has to go through (like a love tribulation in xianxia).

The native title of this drama is 与凤飞 which is translated as "Fly Together with Phoenix". We know from the synopsis that Phoenix is the name of their daughter. Don't worry when reading that they "sacrifice" their daughter. It's not like human sacrifice, but the daughter is taken care of by the High Priest while the couple undergoes the trials.

In the first story, Cang Han Yu wakes up in the middle of his wedding with someone else! Apparently, he married Nan Si before, but she couldn't bear a child. So he and his mother sent her away. Luckily he remembers who he was in the real world, so he cancelled his wedding and went to look for Nan Si, who doesn't remember their real life. I don't like this story because Cang Han Yu is a scumbag in the flashbacks of their marriage. His mother and the other girl complete the whole stupid trope of disapproving MIL and SFL intrusion. I rather go with the second story because it's hilarious.

In the second story, Nan Si is the one who remembers. She is the crown princess in a matriarchal kingdom and seeking a marriage candidate. It's a given she then looks for Cang Han Yu, but he is a commoner who doesn't know her and doesn't want to marry her! Nan Si practically kidnapped him, lol! I prefer this story because Nan Si is a flirty princess and Cang Han Yu is a nice ML here (despite his refusal to marry her).

I never watched this couple together but I watched Smile Hu, the leading actress, in several short-length series with Yang Ze. I wish they had more dramas together. Her chemistry with Yang Ze is stronger than that with Yan Zi Xian, the leading actor in this drama. But I watched this drama because I just finished The Spirealm in which Yan Zi Xian, was in it, although a minor role. So for a withdrawal cure, I looked for dramas played by the actors. Another thing that I think their chemistry is not strong because the drama is divided into two disjointed stories in which one character doesn't remember the other in each story.

Despite that, I gave this drama 7.5/10 with 0.5 points added because of the ending (scroll below for a spoiler)

















ENDING:
Nan Si wakes up with her newborn baby Phoenix (who becomes a young girl in the second story, unrelated to her) and Cang Han Yu at the bedside. A happy ending always makes me rate a drama 0.5 higher!

Read More

"Let Us Share Each Other Fortune and Misfortune" (Ma Hoon, English sub)

The low rating seems due to the poster, trailer, and synopsis give us a false assumption of a light fluffy romcom drama about Flower Crew marriage agency attempt to transform a plain looking street girl to become a noble lady since the King wants to marry her. Although there are plenty of fun scenes but this drama also reveals dark features of social class issues, political struggles, multiple enemies, complicated schemes, several deaths, cruelty, betrayal, deceptions, and riot.

STORY - Since the synopsis is misleading, I rewrite it below:
Flower Crew is a famous matchmaking agency in Joseon era, operated by 3 handsome noblemen: the refined and intelligent leader Ma Hoon, the carefree playboy Do Joon, and the lively fashionista Young Soo. Kim Soo, the son of a village blacksmith, requests the agency's service to marry his best friend Gae Ddong, a former slave, whom he is in love with. Unfortunately, on the wedding day, the groom and his father mysteriously disappear, and soon after that the bride is hunted down by assassins. Out of pity, Ma Hoon took Gae Ddong in. To pay off the wedding expenses she works as an apprentice for the agency, and with the crew she finds friendship and love. What starts as a simple wedding plan become complicated, when Kim Soo reappears as the newly crowned puppet King of Joseon. The crew and Gae Ddong's life are at stake, because the King still wants to marry Gae Ddong despite of political struggles he is facing.

This drama compels me to do a quick research about social status and marriage issues during Joseon era our lovely characters are facing. There are spoilers below so please do not proceed reading if you want to see some surprises straight by watching the drama.

SOCIAL STATUS AND MARRIAGE ISSUES - The royalty and four social classes during Joseon era:

- the royalty - King Lee Soo. Since he wants to marry Gae Ddong but he can only marry a noble lady, The Flower Crew has to manipulate her status to be a yangmin. Outside the noble class, women from lower status can only become his concubines.
The king's marriage is arranged by Queen Dowager through tight selection process. Yoo Soo Yun gets chosen as the other candidates are disqualified, but King Lee Soo releases her by granting her permission to marry another man. Without the royal letter, she has to stay unmarried forever.
After the riot, the Queen Dowager status is stripped off so there is no longer any female royalty elders to conduct the selection. In the end King Lee Soo can choose any yangmin, that's how he gets many marriage proposals from noble ladies.

- the noble class (yangmin), right below the royalty. Consists of the scholars, heroes, and top level government positions.
Their family trees and identities are registered by the government. Ma Hoon owns the noble registration book.
Ma Hoon and Ji Hwa are the real yangmin. Do Joon was a yangmin before but due to family issue his status is moved down, possibly to a cheonmin. Young Soo and Yoo Soo Yun are fake yangmin. Young Soo gets a noble name from Ma Hoon since the real Young Soo emigrate abroad Joseon never comes back. Yoo Soo Yun gets a noble name from Ma Hoon since the real Yoo Soo Yun is deceased but never registered by her father.
Noble ladies actually suffer more stricter lives than women from lower class, due to the Confucianism rules. As a yangmin Ji Hwa will become a possession of her future husband, therefore she insists to at least choosing a nobleman to marry. Her only candidate is Ma Hoon, whose father is at top government level than her father at the second, but since Ma Hoon rejects her she moves up her target to King Lee Soo.

- the middle class (chungmin) - the white collars.
The Flower Crew agency is a chungmin business, therefore the Head of State Councilor/Ma Hoon's father, the Second State Councilor/Ji Hwa's father, and Ji Hwa despise their work as lowly jobs. Ma Hoon picked the office location in the alley, as the business equal for any social class to request for marriage arrangements.
After the riot, the Ma family and the Kang family are stripped off their status, and all their assets are taken for the country. There are possibilities the whole familes are eradicated too, but since Ma Hoon and Ji Hwa helped the King during the riot, they are given amnesty to live and are only moved down to chungmin. Therefore we see in the last episode that Ma Hoon told Gae Ddong that he is nothing and has nothing. We also see Ji Hwa lives in a modest house in the outskirt of town while doing business for survival helping people taking state exams.

- the commoners (sangmin) - the blue collars.
The blacksmith Kim Soo is a sangmin, who can marry Gae Ddong as she is a cheonmin. At first, Ma Hoon rejects his request several times, because commoner's wedding ceremony is simple and Kim Soo may not have much money for the marriage. However he insisted and promised the queen hairpin inherited from his mother as the wedding payment, that Ma Hoon took the job.

- the outcast (cheonmin) - slaves, kisaeng, dirty job workers, street entertainers.
Gae Ddong and Chil Nom are run-away/former slaves and Gae Ddong's brother Kang is a slave. Kim Soo saved her from slavery by telling her captors that she is his wife. She becomes a free cheonmin doing any kind of jobs.
Chil Nom was saved by Ma Hoon, and when Ma Hoon finds out that Chil Nom has sense of fashion and style, he recruited the boy to be a matchmaker instead of a servant and gave him a yangmin name. He is very proud of his yangmin status and berates Gae Ddong at first, although they were from the same boat.
Do Joon is a cheonmin due to impoverished family. He lives at the kisaeng house and plays music to entertain in the street. Ma Hoon recruited him to be an informant for the business, therefore by profession he is a chungmin. At first, Ji Hwa thought he is a carefree chungmin and does not want to take state exam to be a yangmin, but he cannot take it to move up his social status. Only the King can grant him a permission letter to be able to take the exam, hence moving up his social status.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA:
(+) No dragging scenes. Subplots and many side stories make this drama interesting to watch, as we cannot guess what the next scene will be.
(+) Superb editing to bring all the important and not so important scenes together on a thrilling ride
(+) I learned about the social class differences connecting to marriages in Joseon era
(+) I learned about the traditional Chilseok holiday and Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu folklore. I will not talk about it here, but check out the link below if interested:
https://asiasociety.org/korea/chilseok-traditional-korean-valentine%E2%80%99s-day
(+) Stunning cinematography. The ones I love especially are romantic scenes where couples are standing on a bridge. It has symbol of Chilseok mythology mentioned above
(+) Beautiful OST. Here is the link in Youtube to listen to the songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q0-rlc5kig
(+) Gorgeous costume, especially Young Soo's clothing
(+) Outstanding make up, especially in the scenes of filthy and bloody Chil Nom

ACTING/CAST
I have not seen all five actors/actresses' other dramas so my evaluation is only based on this drama:
(+) Character Ma Hoon is probably the perfect groom criteria, he has everything: handsome, nobleman, powerful family background, intelligent, resourceful, independent, business savvy, well-spoken, calm, compassionate, open-minded... what else? Interestingly, some comments stated that Ma Hoon is outshined by other characters due to his stoic expression and quiet demeanor. I briefly saw actor Kim Min Jae in Goblin but cannot judge his performance from a guest role, but I think Kim Min Jae is just nailed the Ma Hoon role.
(+) Character Gae Ddong go thru many role transformations: a runaway slave, an ill-mannered tough street girl, a forlorn jilted, a matchmaker newbie, a woman in love, a fake noble lady, and finally a woman of dignity. Actress Gong Seung Yeon brought up every stage of Gae Ddong flawlessly, from a woman crying poor-me to a woman with inner strength
(+) Many said that there is no chemistry between Ma Hoon and Gae Ddong, but I think they have a natural chemistry that grows based on the roles and the drama plot. The ones who saw the BTS scenes witnessed that actually the leads were comfortable with each other. But the story line does not let them to be close to each other easily. It starts with disliking each other from Gae Ddong faking a bride and spreading bad rumors about the agency, to a strictly business related since she becomes a real bride of Kim Soo. Their genuine relationship starts after the cancelled wedding and their feelings bloom once Gae Ddong becomes an apprentice. Still, the return of the groom pulls back their relationship to a teacher-student relationship, especially from Ma Hoon's side, and the obligation to save the King and country. Their chemistry (though pretty obvious), are more thru eye contacts, gifts, encouraging words, and caring acts than hugging and kissing (which there are evident).
(+) Actor Seo Ji Hoon is perfectly chosen as Kim Soo or King Lee Soo, that many shipped for Soo-Ddong coupling than Hoon-Ddong coupling, and get Second Lead Syndrome because of it. The role also goes to many transformation from a blacksmith-in-love, to a concerned and lonely Lee Soo, a broken-hearted Kim Soo, and finally a wise and smart king in the end.
(+) I have thought that the role Young Soo is just a merry-maker similar to Yong-Ha in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Little that I know that the story written for Young Soo's past is very painful and terrifying, worst than Gae Ddong's past. Actor Park Jin Hoo, despite of his flower boy look and K-idol background, acted amazingly as the fashionista with PTSD, possibly is perfected his long acting career as a child actor.
(+) Character Ji Hwa is interesting as she is a rebellious noble lady who goes against father's will and has her own ambition to go to the top position. Actress Go Won Hee did a great job portraying an elegant yet mean lady, proving that she can take either protagonist or antagonist role in her acting career.
(+) Although in my opinion actor Byun Woo Suk's performance is not as outstanding as other characters, but his Do Joon role pairing with Ji Hwa as the second couple is interesting to watch due to their different social status and Ji Hwa's ambition to marry someone better than Do Joon like Ma Hoon or the King. Besides, what else to say, just watching this gorgeous tall guy with long hair playing music (piano in Joseon dynasty, everyone???) while flirting with girls is a guilty pleasure by itself
(+) The silent war and bickering between the Head State of Councilor and Second State Councilor are delightful to watch and added to the ever increasing thrill. Outstanding jobs for veteran actors Park Ho San and Jung Jae Sung playing the antagonists.

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA:
(-) Second Male Lead Syndrome for sure because Seo Ji Hoon's handsomeness and acting
(-) There is no or a very little character growth for Ji Hwa from bad to good. She still wants Gae Ddong to die in the last scene when Do Joon asks where Gae Ddong and Young Soo are. She probably does not change her mind because of her love for Do Joon or his words, but more of smart thinking that by telling the fact she will be saved if her father's rebellion fails. but the writer does not give enough time for Ji Hwa to undergo a tsundere transformation adequately.






.

Read More