It's Like Vacationing in a Beautiful Paradise Island and Hearing a Folk Tale ala Chinese

Bell Ringing is a beautiful love story of 500 years, so it's like a folk tale of Bell Island, a fictitious place where the story originates. The island is a beautiful paradise with mild subtropical weather, with lush green nature full of flowers. I added "a la Chinese" in my review title for a reason I will spoil you at the end of the review. It's supposed to be adapted from the web novel, but if you check the source out, the story seems to have nothing to do with the drama, they just borrowed the character names, lol

The acting is great as we see they really love each other when they get together. Their chemistry is really sweet. Both are not newcomers to Chinese dramaland, they just never had the chance to play the main roles.

Now, I think the rating of this drama is low because watchers disliked the ending. I personally am okay with the ending and I will tell you the reason below (after you scroll down to avoid accidentally read it).






























Ending:
It's a bittersweet ending imo. Bitter, cos they only have 7 days to live, and then they die (even though not shown in the drama). Sweet, because at least they grow old together. They got married in its simplest way (the couple's rings, the red costume). Before, he was immortal, waiting to see her to be reincarnated 500 years later. In the end, he becomes mortal as her, so they die together. Nobody lost or mourned the other person. As a bonus, SML and SFL end up together and SML becomes the head of the island.

Why is it "a la Chinese" in the title:
To pass the NRTA review, they made this modern fantasy drama a folktale. If this drama is from other countries, it will be told like really happens and probably will have a happy ending. But in this case, Chi Ye is immortal (he has lived 500 more years) while Shen Qi is reincarnated. Because their love story spans 500 years to a modern time, probably NRTA would regard it as a superstition. Like the listeners in the end of the drama, they don't believe that the story told is true.

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Female Empowerment in a Humble Countryside of Thailand

Gone is the era of old-school lakorns with macho guys/doormat girls, slap-kiss, etc. Thai lakorns, especially from their traditional Channel 3, have gone so far as to empower their female leads, to the point that the female characters are pretty much in control in this drama. Aside from that, this is an exhausting comedy with a steadfast romance of a cute couple with sizzling chemistry.

STORY:

Saisamorn wants to be a top actress following the step of her belated father who was a famous actor. She aims her career progress with the upcoming blockbuster movie project "Love Floods the Field" (รักท่วมทุ่ง = Rak Thuam Thung), which is actually a novel source written by Suriyatis (สุริยาทิศ). Because she is a big city girl who graduated overseas, the director sends her to learn about rural living in the countryside where his relatives live who run a palm sugar factory. Off she goes and pretends to be Mayom, and meets two prominent families: the Phanphlai and the Khokkhongcharoen. Long story short, Saisamorn successfully gets the role and an award, but not without so many difficulties, including her navigating her love with the son of Phanphlai: Mana (Ma).

Saisamorn/Mayom and Ma's romance is steadfast from beginning to end.

ACTING/CHARACTER:

This is where I will talk about female empowerment because the female characters here are the bosses over the male characters.

Saisamorn/Mayom versus Mana (Ma)
Saisamorn is a perfect Female Lead in dramaland imo. She is beautiful, rich, smart, independent, and determined. She is also funny, kind-hearted, gentle, humble, and patient. Even though she ends up falling in love with Ma, Saisamorn still doesn't deter herself from her dream of becoming an actress. She even endures hardship because of the abusive treatment by Ma's mother and sister, and the Khokkhongcharoen family.
Ma, although his character is nice, he's quite weak imo when it comes to protecting his beloved versus obeying his mother. Especially since he falls in love at first sight with Saisamorn in the first episode (when she filmed a guest role) and finds out quite early that Mayom is Saisamorn. Only toward the end, he stands up against his mean mother.
Namfah and August have such sizzling chemistry since they collaborated before in Mae Krua Kon Mai.

Phongphaew versus Kusol
These are Ma's parents. The mother is SO mean towards Mayom, not because Mayom is a country girl not worthy to be her son's wife, but because Phongphaew and Jaem (Mrs. Khokkhongcharoen) are besties and they made a pact to marry their sons and daughters together. Not only that, Phongphaew is the most selfish woman in dramaland, because of her gambling addiction she's ready to sell her own family!
Kusol, her husband, is supposed to be the head village. He's nice but he's overpowered by his wife and doesn't stand up as a family man and a head village

The actress who played Phongphaew (Namfon) is a veteran actress who is very good as a villain. As much as I hated the mother, I praised the actress's acting!

Other strong female characters: Sri, Chujai, Krongthong, Phisamae, and Nath
Sri is Ma's younger sister. The drama synopsis says that Sri is a sharp-mouthed woman. She is meanie alright, but still bearable in comparison to her mother. Little Chujai, the youngest in the family, is also a strong female character. In fact, in comparison to her father and brother, Chujai often who sometimes stands up against her mother.

Krongthong, the daughter of Khokkhongcharoen is also annoying with her ambition to get Ma, to the point of making a big lie! I feel like she shouldn't get redemption in the end!

Phisamae is Saisamorn's mom. I love this character! She is a single mother who brought up her daughter. She also built her own company, which became the top publishing industry. Nath is her sister, a film producer.

Other weak characters: Temorn, Saisamorn's father, the director
Temorn is the son Khokkhongcharoen. He's weak at first but Temorn gets a good character growth.
Saisamorn's father, after he became a famous actor was also a womanizer and a gambler until he died.
The director Chat. He actually doesn't want to give the role to Saisamorn but he's afraid she's the niece of the producer and the heiress of the top publishing company. So he lies to Saisamorn that she needs to learn to be a country girl to be accepted to the role.

OST: Main Theme "Love Floods in the Field", an upbeat duo by August Vachiravit and Pearwah Nichaphat (who played brother and sister in the drama).

ENDING (Scroll down belong if you want to be spoiled about the ending of the characters):





















Happy endings for the couples: Saisamorn and Ma, Sri and Temorn, and even Krongthong with her lover! Finally, Ma's mother accepts Saisamorn (not because she's a rich girl). The villains got their punishments.

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While You Are Still on the Earth, Watch a Chicken Nugget Gone Interstellar

The decision to release this drama on Friday is smart because, with only 10 episodes 32 minutes each (5 hours and 20 minutes total), you have a unique and unpredictable comedy fantasy to binge on weekends, or anytime when you just want to unwind without having to involve your brain and emotion but just laughing. The mystery and fantasy plot in this short drama is just bizarre and imaginative with a sci-fi touch.

Other than that, the comedic acting is just top-notch, specifically by the two leading actors Ryu Seung Ryong (as the dad and the owner of the company) and Ahn Jae Hong (his subordinate). I thought Ryu Seung Ryong mostly acted in serious dramas/movies, while Ahn Jae Hong more in dark comedies. I couldn't imagine they're so matched as clown duos and be serious during the filming. Unfortunately, Kim You Jung is more a supporting role, because most of the time her character is the chicken nugget, lol!

Speaking about the chicken nugget, this is when the title it's gone interstellar is. I won't spoil you, but the sci-fi part is just hilarious. We got to see aliens, as long as they're not banned coming into the earth IRL, lol. There are also social messages delivered in light ways.

Because it's comedy, the visuals are also not to be taken seriously: bad wigs, eccentric costumes, etc.

Just watch it. Don't worry about the rating. Because this is not a cookie-cutter drama, for some people that are so used to cliches and tropes, this drama seems ridiculous.

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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!

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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.

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It Doesn't Matter If You Don't Know the Plot, Watch It, But Don't Read The Spoilers!

"A Lucid Dream" is a short-length series (around 3+ hours total) with a clever story-telling, full of surprises, and a plot twist. You'll definitely enjoy the fun ride, IF (I capitalized the word for a strong emphasis) you don't read spoilers anywhere on MDL. It is as the native title 不知剧情也无妨 suggests: it doesn't matter if you don't know the plot. Although this review doesn't contain spoilers, I know romantic drama watchers always want to know if the leads get together in the end or not, so I will only spoil their romance, not the big secret.

STORY:

Who said that short-length series only copy the plots of mainstream (normal-length) dramas or are full of cliches to milk profits? This drama plot is rather unique, and the story flow is well-written. By reading the synopsis you got the idea that the Female Lead Zhang Yi Meng (Wang Ya Jia) is delusional and thinks she has time-traveled to the past. To cure her mental illness, the Male Lead Song Jing Cheng (Cheng Yu Feng), a psychiatrist, plans drama therapy, a psychological treatment process that contains a reenactment of the ancient time Yi Meng believes she's in.

But as we watch the drama, we start seeing strange things and surprises. Adding to those things are funny incidents behind the scenes, for example, script changes that make certain characters confused about how to act in their roles. We are entertained by surprises at almost every (ending) of each episode, cliffhangers so to speak, until a plot twist is introduced. Then when the audiences look back, things make sense.

There is slight romance, but because the topic of the plot is the drama therapy/reenactment, romance is not the main focus.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the 'behind-the-scene' process shown in the drama. For example, the selection of the cast, the choice of the script (the additions and deletions), the filming, and the (uncomfortable) costumes and props (that we see as funny cos we know they're fake). And mostly what urgent measures they took when incidents or unpredictable events happened.

CHARACTERS:

People wrote the leading actor and actress were not charming or their acting was so-so, but imo actors and actresses have to start somewhere, right? I don't remember seeing them before. The only thing I say is actress Wang Ya Jia looks like Chinese actress Chen Yu Qi. And I found out the actor Cheng Yu Feng was in the drama The Inextricable Destiny last year, playing the Female Lead's second brother. But if you watched that drama you know why we don't remember him being there, lol.

The funniest character imo is Li Mu Yu, who played the Third Prince in the reenactment. Although his character is supposed to be the annoying Second Male Lead, it's hilarious for us because he practically knows nothing since nobody told him anything, including his dad, who is the reenactment director, lol.

VISUALS:

Although they made a reenactment, surprisingly the visual designs are decent for a fake 'drama'. I was mostly surprised by the cinematography. It's well done for a short-length series.

OST:

I'm surprised that they put several nice songs for the ending themes:
1. "Fireworks Fragments" (烟火碎片) by Xin Wen
2. "Parting Sequence" (离别序) by Xin Wen
3. "Waiting for Mist and Warm Rain to Stop" (等烟暖雨停) by Wang Xin Yi

ENDING (only for the romance part)

















Happy ending. Zhang Yi Meng and Song Jing Cheng got together in the end (real world). There is also a secondary couple.

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Gorgeous Couple, Interesting Mystery, Cute Ending

This is a short drama (less than 4 hours total) with two gorgeous characters solving an interesting murder mystery in a detective game. The ending is cute and not cliche either (I will spoil it at the end of my review). I wish it would be subbed soon, but it seems like Tencent prioritizes subbing their romance and dynasty costume dramas over non-romance and Republican-era dramas, especially if the leading actor/actress is not popular. It will be subbed eventually, so you can enjoy it.

I would've rated it 8.5 if I completely understood the dialogue details (for me, the crime and Republican-era cultural word terminologies are rather difficult to understand).

STORY:

There is no synopsis on MDL at the moment I wrote this review. So here it is:
The Female Lead Nan Yu (Snow Kong) was originally a player in a matchmaking game to match as many couples to win the game. However, one day, because of a game glitch, she found herself in the Republic of China era, and her character is a forensic examiner. Nan Yu learned that she must solve a mysterious murder case to return to her world. Not only that, she also shared one body with the Male Lead Gao Han (Li Ge Yang), a player from another detective game, to solve the case. With different personalities and strengths/weaknesses, at first, they compete with each other to control the body. But then they work together as a team. But in the end, only one of the two can return to his/her own world.

The mystery murder case, although only one, ends up being interesting and quite complicated with several victims and several suspects, it's only solved in the final episode.

CHARACTER:

First, I thought that Nan Yu was a ditzy Female Lead when she played in the matchmaking game. But she was quite calm when seeing a dead body for the first time, lol, while being guided by Gao Han to do the autopsy. Her bickering with Gao Han is cute, too. I can say Nan Yu has a high EQ while Gao Han high IQ. Smart and mature Male Lead and Female Lead.

VISUAL:

With gorgeous Republican-era costumes, Snow Kong and Li Ge Yang really look good-looking together. Their visual is the reason for me to keep watching the drama. The costumes, props, and sets look well done considering this is a short-length series with a lower budget than mainstream dramas.

OST:

The ending theme is nice and catchy titled "Starlight Is In Your Hand" (星光在你手上) by Ye Xuan Qing (叶炫清)

SOME SPOILERS AND THE ENDING (Scroll down below if you're curious)















- The alternative title "Twins Detective" doesn't mean Nan Yu and Gao Han are twin siblings, but two people share one body.
- At first, Nan Yu and Gao Han share one body, but then Gao Han breaks the game system to enter the game with his own body. Thus, they become a detective couple.
- There is a slight romance blossoming between Nan Yu and Gao Han later in the drama. Cute, but doesn't take over the mystery plot.
- There is a SML (Second Male Lead) but he is a nice one. Unlike tropey jealous SMLs common in romance dramas, who are good first and then turn bad.
- Ending (scroll below):









A cute happy ending. In the beginning, since they shared one body, only one can return to his/her own world. Gao Han hacked the game system to enter the game. He also used a lot of his game energy to save Nan Yu's life. The game designer said only Nan Yu could return to her own world. He needed a lot of time to fix the game because Gao Han hacked the system. Since Nan Yu doesn't want to separate from Gao Han, they end up staying in the current Republican-era world while the designer fixes the game, and they open a detective agency together with homophone (same sound different meaning) of their combo names Yugao (that literally means "fish cake") Detective Agency. SML gave them a congratulatory gift, an item similar to the thing that they investigated before, lol!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Streetdancing is Fun to Watch If You Like Something Upbeat!

Finally, I got to see this movie after waiting almost a year for the English sub! It's rare to see Wang Yi Bo in non-patriotic dramas/movies nowadays, so One and Only is a nice breeze. I don't watch Street Dance of China he frequently hosted, so I didn't know how good he was in street dancing! This is definitely one entertaining movie to watch!

The version I watched is dubbed in Thai. Although I don't mind hearing the Thai language since I also watch Thai dramas, but knowing they are Chinese people speaking Thai it's kinda odd. So, I ran both versions, the Chinese language version with sound on and the Thai dub version with sound off to read the subtitle, and it worked perfectly. Info for future watchers just in case you can not find the original version subbed in English.

Wang Yi Bo played Chen Shuo, a young man who is passionate about street dancing and wanted to make a name (and living) professionally, but to be able to fulfill his dream he works several jobs. So the story is not new, we see tons of motivational shows like this. What makes it unique is the street dancing theme. It's probably not interesting if you don't like street dancing (unless you are Wang Yi Bo's fan) because there are a lot of dancing performances and practices. But if you're into something upbeat and lively, this movie may be right up your alley.

The acting is great, especially since a lot of them are professional dancers. Wang Yi Bo shine as Chen Shuo, he did a lot of dances by himself (although I wondered if the exclamation point movement was supported by wires, lol). I was pleasantly surprised with the acting of veteran actor Huang Bo who played E-Mark's (their dance team) coach, lol. The supporting characters who played Chen Shuo's family members are nice too. Although I think romance is not necessary in this movie, the appearance of Song Zu Er as Li Ming Zhu, Chen Shuo's love interest, gave me melancholic hope if I will ever see her project in the future or not. FYI, the romance is very light, as the main focus is Chen Shuo's journey to achieve his dream.

If I have to make a critique, is the casting of non-Chinese or foreigners in a national dancing competition in this movie. I see this very often in Chinese dramas or movies, in which they cast foreigners during competitions that result in the Chinese team's winnings. It's ok if the competitions are international, but for a national competition is laughable. It's like China wants to show off its supremacy among other races/nations thru their shows.

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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.

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Predictable But Entertaining for 4 Hours and 20 Minutes or Less

With 4 hours and 20 minutes or less, you can enjoy this short-length series between two long dramas or when you're spare time is limited. One of the better short-length series of many China has produced nowadays. I will review not with the usual format to highlight the positive and negative aspects in a bullet point.

• Predictable but still entertaining
This is just my opinion since I am also a mystery-genre fan, so I watched too many similar setups. I could guess the plot just by watching Episode 1 only. But the drama is highly entertaining nonetheless because of the suspense and the chemistry between the main couple Yan Zhen and Chu Ze Jia/Chu Ze An.

• Great chemistry but not many smoochies and skinship
In short-length dramas, which usually are not censored heavily, we can expect real kisses and/or skinship. Especially for the husband-and-wife scenes, aren't they married? Not in this drama. We can feel the sexual tension between the two, but because of the in-law circumstance in the current plot, we don't see the intensity of the romance. Regardless he is her husband Chu Ze Jia or her brother-in-law Chu Ze An, in the current situation (not flashbacks), he is a family member, not a romantic partner.

• Good acting but underutilized the twin roles
Overall good acting by the leading actress Meng Xi, whom I've never seen before, and Li Zhuo Yang, seen in the mini-drama "Mutual Redemption Love". However, I think the production team underutilized the twin brothers Chu Ze Jia and Chu Ze An roles. They have strikingly different personalities with the older Chu Ze Jia being more reserved and mannered because he is a company CEO, in comparison to the younger Chu Ze An, who is more outgoing and free-spirited being a globe adventurer and photographer. But I'm not sure if the actor was not directed to act differently, or if he couldn't act differently, sometimes I couldn't really tell the difference between the two. I got it that the actor is somewhat new, so he probably did not have much acting experience. But a good director can make the best of a rookie.

• Nice mother-in-law but annoying sister-in-law
In short-length dramas, it's common for them to follow a soap opera-ish trope with mean MILs. Luckily, in this drama, Mrs Chu is a very nice MIL. Not the sister-in-law Chu Ze Xin. Although she doesn't oppose Yan Zhen, her character is the same ol' trope of SILs in rich families: annoying, immature, and bratty. You can skip the scenes with Chu Ze Xin because it's a filler, IMO.

Before the last bullet point regarding the ending, here are the two nice OSTs of this drama:
1. Ending theme "Rose Graffiti" by Fei Zhen Hua
2. Insert song "Waiting for Love to Return" by Guo Gai Ya

Scroll down to find out about the ending spoiler.














• Happy ending but with disappointing trope
A lot of viewers are disappointed with this typical Chinese drama ending style, including that I docked 0.5 points of my final rating. After the showdown with the villain, the drama ends with Yan Zhen leaving Chu Ze Jia and he couldn't find her. Viewers might think this is a retaliation against him leaving her in the past. However, I think that this is normal since Yan Zhen is pretty much exhausted mentally from all the hard work she did, investigating the mystery (the initial mystery and the mystery of her husband) and managing the company for years. Including the mourning and heartbreak because of the deaths. That girl needs a break. So she went vacationing by herself.

The drama ends with Chu Ze Jia visiting the place where they first met and a woman comes to take a Polaroid picture of him. We can't see the woman's face, but it's Yan Zhen for sure. because the scene is similar to when they met for the first time. So it's not an open ending. But I'm disappointed nonetheless since Chinese dramas like using this kind of ending, a mysterious reunion in which we can't see the other person's face, a similar voice calls the protagonist, or the protagonist looking up to the other person with a surprising look.

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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.

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One Tough Cookie Brought Up By a Mysterious Uncle: Thrilling With Suspension of Disbelief

My final review of what I believe is the first season of this thriller drama (although no announcement of a sequel at the time I was writing this review). This plot is about the survival of the Female Lead Jeong Ji An, being targeted by professional killers, taking shelter in her uncle's house. How and why it happens is slowly unraveled through past events. Warning: this is not a comedy like the parent story.

STORY:

First of all, I didn't watch the parent story The Killer's Shopping List, nor read the novel under the same title "The Killer's Shopping List" (살인자의 쇼핑목록) by Kang Ji Young (강지영). Some comments said that there is no connection between this drama and the so-called parent story, only written by the same author. This is a survival story of our heroine, Jeong Ji An (Kim Hye Joon), because of what happened to her supposedly dead uncle Jeong Jin Man (Lee Dong Wook). Since little, after the deaths of her grandmother and her parents, Jeong Jin Man has been her sole guardian. He brought her up with a survivalist mind and tough love. During her grandmother's funeral, he made her watch a gruesome TV scene of a lion killed by a group of hyenas: "Only the weak bark, the strong don't. You must become strong to make your opponent bark. Don't be scared. Whatever makes you scared keep your eyes open and face it." When Jin Man took Ji An in after her parents's death and she fell on the ground, he didn't pick her up but said "Listen up, Jian. I'm not your parent and I can never be. Which means I can't do the things your parents did for you."

The fact that Jeong Jin Man prepares his niece in such a way as to be strong, independent, and capable of guarding herself makes sense later as the drama title is explained. Jeong Jin Man established an underground online business as the title says, a shop for killers. He not only sold guns but other weapons and chemicals as well. Jin Man was very secretive about himself and his customers so he gave them codes and even put himself and his niece in a special code: Code Green (I will describe the codes in the end under the spoiler).

I'm usually a generous rater, and am easily pleased, as long as a drama wowed me from the beginning till the end, I will rate it 10 (you can find out the dramas I rated 10 in my custom list). The reason I only gave this drama a 9.5 is because of the questionable details I saw along the way. If this is a fantasy genre I will ignore it, but the fact it builds upon modern survival and mercenary plots, it's dubious. I won't spoil them to you for this final review, you just watch the drama to find out. Basically, if you want to enjoy this story, you have to suspend your disbelief.

I will put the spoilers at the bottom of my review (you need to scroll down if you want to know, otherwise stop after the Visual)

CHARACTER AND ACTING:

Lee Dong Wook played the mysterious Uncle Jeong Jin Man with his usual traits: cold, aloof, but charming. We see more of Jin Man's actions in past flashbacks.

Kim Hye Joon played the survivalist niece Jeong Ji An. I stated above how her uncle brought her up, so we see the same cold and aloof trait in his niece. Some comments on the drama page stated that Ji An is too stupid when reacting to the attacks, but I have to defend her since she is not professionally trained and practically implemented for all that happened. Even all she did for survival is just based on her instinct to stay alive while remembering what her uncle and her master taught.

I won't spoil you with information on the supporting characters. The drama is too short to show much more about them. We learned about their background and how they came to know Jin Man, but the info about them is not enough to show that they are three-dimensional characters. I would love to see more (perhaps in the second season) about how Jin Man brought up Brother, Pasin's life (how a Thai man came and worked in South Korea), Min Hye's life after she was saved (her interactions with Jin Man, Honda, Brother, and Pasin) and how she got to know the villains, etc.

VISUAL (CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME, MAKEUP, SET)

As usual, the Kdrama visuals for this dark thriller are amazing: the daring escapes, the gunfire and bomb explosions, the bullet movements, etc. Even the hyena CGI is acceptable. I kinda questioned Jin Man's home which seems so normal and humble but its walls, windows, and furniture are strong enough able to hold the gunfires and bombs to a certain degree. I assume Jin Man fortified his home strong enough for survival, perhaps having an underground bunker, too.

I will put spoilers down below about the Codes and the ending.

SPOILERS (Scroll down below)


















CODES:
- Code Red: for killers (assassins) - they can only buy guns, weapons, bombs, and poisons.
- Code Purple: for spies (buy and sell info) - they can only buy listening devices and cameras. Also, simple weapons to be used to kill themselves when their cover is blown.
- Code Yellow: for clean-up crew - they can only buy drugs, detergents, and cleaning tools needed for body disposal and clean-up, and administrative service to evade the law.
- Code Green: for Jin Man and Ji An (though she didn't know before) - the other codes could never attack them. If they did, other Code holders have to risk their lives to protect Code Green.

ENDING:
- Ji Ahn and her uncle are alive. As I suspected, Jin Man faked his death (though are not shown what he did to 'kill' himself and why he did it if not just leave his niece to have her own show). He shows up in the end riding a taxi. He's all wound up, probably he had a duel with the top killer.
- A bunch of killers are dead. The top killer Bale and the Babylon company head are (probably) still alive if they want to make Season 2.
- Pasin and Brother are alive. Min Hye is probably alive, only shown her gun came off her hand but doesn't mean she's dead. I believe if watchers found her too attractive and charismatic to be dead, the screenwriter will revive her for Season 2.

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