Cthelan

Interesting historical family saga

The story of ink in the Ming Dynasty was interesting. Learning about the process, artistry and prestige such a commodity was during those times is similar to stories of silk. China really guarded their secrets. interesting also to watch the Japanese/ Chinese conflict.

coming from a western background and new to Chinese drama I enjoy the historical content. I don’t know if the story was historical accurate or not but each scene seem to convey a natural and multidimensional interaction between family and community over the years that was believable.

the only characters I didn’t like as I found them too one dimensional was fourth Aunt and the father Tian. all actors were complex and interesting and the supporting characters provided the depth for main characters to shine. Tian Bangchan should have been billed as the main character because (apart from Li Ying) he was the main character and villain ( driving the plot)

I also enjoyed the fact that this story focused on the determination and success of a woman (not sure if it would have been possible during the Ming Dynasty) and how her family worried and encouraged her.

maybe this drama should not have been billed a romance as on that front it was disappointing especially the ending. I fact I deducted a whole point due to the ending. I wanted clear closure and happy ever after ending after so much angst, hardship and sadness that went of for previous 40 hours of watching. I was drained.

at time the story drifted and some scenes were really drawn out. for me the chief complaint was the length of the drama. I often fast forward through many scenes eg the whinging by Aunt or father Tian and son colluding or seling off the daughter were repetitive.

flashback scenes were also overdone.

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Seriously Boring ?

i felt the frustration of dating and stress being in Korea society where status, income and family matters more than compatabilty and companionship.

The script and dialogue was boring and often awkward. the overall feeling of the drama seemed meloncolc (not romantic comedy). Was it just the acting by leads Han Ji Mn, Park Sung Hoon and Lee Ki Taek and others or the script?

FL Han Ji Min seems to play angry, sad, arrogant, immature, stiff and uptight roles. This was the same personality type as in Love Scout and Behind Uour Touch. She seems incapable of having chemistry with her costars even in a happy situation she has a fake laugh and forced smile. At 40 + this is not good acting.

ML Park Sung Hoon’s character was also a bit strained but he knew what he wanted. But who goes on a blind date and at the first meeting talks about marriage? unrealistic. furthermore who sits back and waits while the person he likes goes on multiple blind dates and several dstes with another man. Does this ever happen. I’m not one for jealousy but seriously he acted like a door mat. I’m sure this was how the script was written’cliche’ triangle romance. But seriously this was not acceptable.

The second leads were happily ‘in love’ but they split up because 2FL was on a dating spp??? Scenario was opposite to first leads and it felt like conservative moralising, which became a real turnoff.

Meeting the mum was excrutiating !!

The best bit was the end. scenery of Seoul in background was beautiful.

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Strong female lead and great chemistry

Love this drama have watched it three times already since it was released.

No sappy, crying, or cute female here. no damsel in distress needing a white knight to pull her out of drudgery.

This drama will make you feel like life is worth living on your own terms. definitely not your regular k drama. this is one reason why I am glad Netflix has been producing k drama. the sad cliche romances in K dramas are getting annoying. I am even starting to enjoy the Chinese dramas better as the female leads are so much more interesting and mature.

ML was also very good. A bit arrogant and aloof at the start but ready to acknowledge that sometimes a woman can compete with a man on a level playing field. Loved how many of her male colleagues came to support this unique woman at the time of crisis. despite their misogyny they were green flags for me as they stood up for her character and values.

The supporting actors were also fantastic.

stunt scenes were great and overall I laughed and enjoyed this drama every time I watched it.

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A good story ruined as it was too slow and drawn out.

This drama initially annoyed me so much I dropped it and went back while waiting for other dramas to drop. The drama is so very slow and boring In parts that it becomes difficult to watch without hitting the Fast Forward button.

The leads have an awful experience growing up and at least the first 10-12 episodes focus on the period when the lead characters are growing up in the 90s. The abuse and neglect by their parents is hard to watch. As the older brother, Chen (ML) does heavy lifting when it comes to protecting and providing a safe home for Miao (FL). As a result Miao (for me) becomes a somewhat annoying helpless female i”but when she returns to Teng city 6 years later she is stronger but still demanding and secretive. The twists and turns as her role starts to gradually reveal itself in episodes 12 onwards is gripping. This is where the drama really starts to develop and become watchable. The love story and chemistry between Chen and Miao is the routine push pull and distracting third parties creating intentional misunderstandings. While some may see this as a main storyline I enjoyed the side plot more and the love story is complementary.

Teng city is a gritty poor environment which is a good change from the glamorous settings of Shanghai and Beijing etc. Chen has been recruited into a world of crime and is trying to break free by running his own small business. The pace is slow and raw. The head gangster (Zhang Bin) is menacing in his calm emotions, and manipulating those around him. He was mesmerising. There are some loud aggressive types but the quiet boss of the underworld is disturbing as his threats are so subtle that one wonders if it is really a threat or good advice.

The three lead actors Song Wei Long, Zhang Ji Yi and Zhou Tie play their roles brilliantly.

Production was generally good and supporting characters never overshadowed the main characters but provided the necessary context for them. I think the Director overused the ‘quiet’ reflection scenes, drawn out scenes such as sickness, death and burial of Miao’s mother and memory flashbacks that contributed to the dragging slow pace of the drama.

Overall I think this drama would have been better if kept to 20 episodes rather than the 32episodes. If it wasn’t so slow and drawn out I would have given a 9.5.

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Mature, unique and fun to watch

Filing for Love

I really enjoyed this drama/ rom com. It is a much more mature drama than the sickly sweet overdone romances , first love and teen bulling , angst ridden child hood cliches that seem to constantly bombard the k drama scene in the last 12 months. For me the story was unique and refreshing.

The world of corporate politics never looked so sexy and scandalous. I don’t know if Korean companies actually audit ‘Public Morality’ or not but it is an interesting concept from a westerner’s perspective. While people having affairs at work is not acceptable, people are more often or not given their privacy unless the affair has secondary misdemeanours directly affecting others (discrimination) or financial loss to the company. The idea of a hot line to audit to report affairs or the release of ambiguous photos to staff / management generally seems more like invasion of privacy and defamation. Drama Touched upon this but not followed up this issue unfortunately.

I sometimes cringed at how intrusive Audit and colleagues pried into people’s lives especially when no wrongdoing was evident or found. I also was disgusted by how quickly the team and others condemned and gossiped about their colleagues without knowing the truth. Is emotional cheating a thing if not acted upon? Lots of morally questionable behaviour to think about.

The Acting by all characters were brilliant. The characters were intelligent, real and generally likeable. Even Secretary xx was more pitiful rather than a malicious horrible despised character. The chemistry between Gong Myoung and Shin Hae Sun was believable and their first kiss is just how I imagine and remember attraction and desire to be. Their relationship developed in a modern way based on partnership and shared goals. They were both experienced in previous relationships and this showed. As a result it felt balanced rather than an immature one of pushing and pulling and demanding perfection but not giving it.

The pace and stories underpinning each episode were all intriguing and kept me watching without hitting a fast forward button.

Episode 11 jump 3 months annoyed me at first but led to a new case after the fallout from previous case.

Episode 12 wrapped up loose ends nicely. For me it was not rushed but a satisfying conclusion.

Congratulations to all the crew and cast for a great drama.

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Too long and drawn out scenes

I really liked the story from the the background of the main characters and the dynamics and intrigue of both the mortal and spiritual realms.

However many scenes were drawn out too long and this made the whole drama very slow and way too long. it could have easily been condensed into 30 episodes without loosing its charm, depth and character.

I loved the acting by all actors. Arthur Chen was a mix of a cheesy and sentimental fool who portrayed the deep commitment really well which was a surprise.

Dilmah perfectly portrayed a cold and intelligent woman of integrity which is how I would imagine a person without senses might come across. the transition to a playful deeply emotional person once experiencing senses such as taste and the love of a man willing to give his all for her was believable.

While I was moved by the romance it was not passionate nor did it exude chemistry. This romance started slow and deepened throughout becoming achingly beautiful.

I cried and cried. not many CDramas have made me feel such despair. 😞

The loss of friends, comrades, family and love ones felt by all characters was truly memorable and well acted by all the actors.

CGI and othe special effects were really well produced to make the fantasy world like magic but overdone when used in the real world. so much beautiful landscape naturally available looked and felt fake and not appealing when characters were in the mortal realm.

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A depressing and pathetic waste of time

Another slow drama with young people suffering trauma. Ha Ran (FL) from loosing both parents and Chan (ML) from loosing his mum and having an overbearing father.

On top of that we have a case of amnesia, hidden identity, misunderstandings, self loathing and self flagellation (metaphorical) and so so many tears - so many cliches and so oh hum. Can’t writers come up with something different?

FL so narrow minded as if she is the only one in the world suffering. She knows that the ML has experienced trauma and the physical and mental damage that is ongoing but ignores it because of her victim mentality and needs and unyielding standards are all that matter- all the supposed growth in character was just a facade. Being open to forgiveness, even of one’s self, is not big in Korean dramas.

The second couple (younger sister ) and Mr Yeon were a better couple and she was the better female in love much more understanding, happy and mature despite her youth and impetuous behaviour.

It was obvious that the boy Han Ra thought she fell in love with (what a joke! She had just strung him along as she was more focused on her own interests ) was loosing interest. No intrigue it was so obvious. All very sad.

The show was so depressing and struggled to watch especially at the beginning. It had repeated flash back memories that just kept piling up and dragging it out. Why do I allow myself to be dragged into these quagmires?

Doesn’t anyone in Korea want happy, normal and real grown up relationships? Can Korean drama not come up with a formula that gives characters real opportunities to grow create sustaining relationships through shared goals, achievements and actions?

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