I know for some, stories following and telling the lives of older people can sound unappealing but I promise you it's far from being boring, if you decide to give it a try you might even have lot of fun. It has absolutely everything most of us are looking for in dramas to be considered as awesome : comedy, slice of life, a little touch of romance, great friendship and family bond and a bit of drama ; the writing is so sincere. A lot to learn from the elders as well.

I was burning of impatience to start this drama especially with such talented and acclaimed actors, Go Hyun Jung, Shin Goo the best father of dramaland (in my opinion # ROYOW), Na Moon Hee, Yoon Yeo Jeong, Go Doo Shim (it was my first time seeing her), Park Won Sook etc. It was not only because of the cast but because of the story which I kinda guessed would be easy for me to connect with and I was right. It's a straight 10 for me, and my first of the year *.*

A big part of the story revolves around Park Wan's relationship with her mother and her Aunts (her Mother's friends) who all are around their late 60s (some in their 70s) but not only as we also get to learn bit by bit about all of them , our 6 other main female characters of the show (Jeong Ah, Hee Ja, Nan Hee, Yeong Won, Cheong Nam and Ssang Boon) and 2 male characters Seok Gyun and Seong Jae.  I really love how Wan is so close to all those people who are for most of them 30 years older than her.[off topic= I'm really envious of her as I consider elders as the most adorable and caring people of the world (with kids), they make me feel comfortable, happy and also more at peace and generally I have more healthy discussions with them and I learn a lot from them especially about their personal experiences. I definitely feel more at ease and more like myself in their presence. End of off topic].
Wan is there for them and share most of her free time with them as much as possible and we can feel all throughout the drama the special attach between Wan and her aunts, this special and indescribable love they have for each other, the genuine and soothing one.
As I said Wan is not the only main focus of the drama, all the veteran actors have equal screentime and have their own stories to share (I mean the characters they portray).
The drama mostly narrates us the stories of Wan's Mother and her friends, their own adventures and anecdotes worth being told to their own children, grandchildren or nephews, some are very sad, painful and heartbreaking and will move the most sensitve ones to tears (like me :p) and some more funny and sweet. I love all of those Helmoni because despite having a very hard life and some being deprived of freedom (partially) they always look cheerful, they laugh and have fun on their own way like anyone else, they are true bon vivant I'd say. They all touched me and broke me because they are genuine, sweet, sometimes very funny and weird too.
My fave characters are definitely Jeong Ah and Hee Ja, I can already tell you that both of them made me cry not less than 50 times, mostly happy tears but some were also sad tears. Those two women caught my attention since the first minutes of the drama, other characters I love them too so so much but I found Jeong Ah and Hee Ja's stories more powerful and heartbreaking, and their friendship is so strong and unwavering, they have their moments of doubt of course but it's what make them even closer.
I've said enough about them but they are such lovely and cute women, they are honest to themselves and to others too, never hiding their true feelings especially Jeong Ah who always speaks her mind even if it can be a little bit hurtful anyway I love her for that. As for Hee Ja I think she's the kindest and the most innocent one, this makes her so gorgeous and what a delicate woman she is *,*. I also need to mention that the Hee Ja/Min Ho's bond really got me, so real, beautiful and unshakable, Min Ho is such a filial son, their scenes were the sweetest ^^
Of course all other characters are so fantastic and deserved to be loved, Ssang Boon the lovely grandma who's always playing with her phone, Yeong Won the elegant and caring friend, Cheong Nam the curious and honest friend, Nan Hee the hot tempered and caring mother and Wan our lovely young woman who's having some issues dealing with her love and family life. All of them made this drama the gem it is to my eyes.

The Ost is also very beautiful and the songs perfectly fitted for each scene, the funny, the cute, and the sad ones. Probably among the best Ost I heard this year, very addicting and memorable, especially ''Want to Be Free'' by Lyn and '' Wonderful'' by Jannabi.


If I were to say in a few words what truly made me fall in love with the drama, I would say : its realism, its endearing and funny characters, its serenity, peaceful tones, and its natural and brillant writing. Dear My Friends from start to finish made me feel jovial and calm which is something that happens very rarely when I watch dramas especially Kdramas but this is one of the few exceptions, and that's exactly why I'm watching dramas : feeling relaxed, connecting with the characters, evading from reality, spending a good time and not feeling anxious, DMF gave me all of that so I'm very thankful to the actors's hard work and the team who worked on it. Indeed finally South Korea came up with a realistic and heartwarming drama, never letting me feeling uneasy nor angry about the events or the characters. From this country the only other drama which gave me the same feelings was Ruler of Your Own World,I hope more dramas like this one and Dear My friends will be produced though I don't have high expectations.

I decided to give it a 10 for personal reasons, though the drama can sound slow or simple due to its length (around 70 mins per ep). But here are some of the reasons why I went for the highest rating.
- The story, exactly what I've always been waiting for, a drama which would mostly focus on friendship between elders and make them the center of the story.
- Every second was precious and meaningful for me, never I felt bored and I savored every moment.
- Great family and friendship drama and all actors portrayed their characters so flawlessly and convincingly.
- The characters are so relatable.
- Showing the true love of mothers for their children and vice versa, thanks Dear My Friends for those great moments of emotion <3


Na Moon Hee and Kim Hye Ja, My lovely actresses <3

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''Ode to Joy'' was certainly my most anticipated drama of the year and for good reasons, I'll briefly explain why.
First and foremost because I have total trust in the production team and actors (Jiang Xin, Liu Tao, Yang Zi, Jin Dong, Zu Feng and so on ...) and well when I read what it would be about I was filled with too much happiness, I mean there's Jiang Xin and she'll be a main character I was really overjoyed because of that and this time she could finally shine and show what great outstanding actress she is which I never doubted <3 furthermore I've always wanted to watch a drama about strong friendship between women from different background and age, to see how their relationship will evolve throughout the drama, in the end I can tell you that it exceeded my expectations, it was more than just friendship, it was sisterhood and a friendship filled with so much love, respect, funny and cute moments. And I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese Modern Dramas but now I can definitely say, this one is the best I've seen and among my fave dramas right now.

Of course what made this drama such a wonderful and unique journey is the friendship between all of them : Sheng Mei, An Di, Xiao Xiao, Ying Ying and Guan Guan, how they all get to know, accept, respect and love each other, it was simply beautiful and magical to see, everything feels so genuine, it's like they've known each other since a very long time and were able to confide in one another, joke and do lot of amusing activities together like true friends would do and yeah it did take a little bit of time for at least two of them to open up more and accept the others girls however in the end they were themselves when together, all 5 of them.
Friendship is definitely not what this drama is all about and I love this drama for many other reasons :
-The writing, I was so impressed and since the first second when I saw how the dialogues were so well thought- out, rich and intelligent, I love all those quotes Sheng Mei, An Di and some characters like Lao Tan ( Tan Zong Ming) said, very realistic, deep and sometimes pretty bitter.
-Different genres mixed so well in only one drama such as : friendship, drama, comedy (mostly scenes with Ying Ying and Xiao Xiao), romance, slice of life and also family. This is true that some situations were a bit too unreasonable but overall it was such a refreshing and realistic drama and as a big Slice of Life fan I couldn't resist and and love with all my heart all the characters and their stories, sometimes it felt also too real that I couldn't help but cry (from both sadness and happiness).
-Also love how the writer doesn't only focus on one or two characters but takes time to develop all of them and show their own stories, struggles and family problems. Just this is such a pity I still don't know much about Guan Guan and because of that I couldn't relate to her nor her story but it doesn't mean she's not likeable and that I didn't like her.

I really have too much love for this drama that will be hard to explain with words but anyway I'll try to convey my thoughts and affection for Ode to Joy without being too subjective. You know since the very first ep I already felt attached to Fan Sheng Mei, An Di and Ying Ying, I really love the way they were introduced to us, one is very mature and have such strong opinion about love and life situations, the second one is straightforward and can be very badass as well and the latter so cute and naive but also very foolish at times but I couldn't help but fall for her kindness, gentleness toward other girls. They do really have their own qualities and flaws and that's what make them humane and alive.
Of course I know If I start talking about all of them it will take me hours so I'll try to make it as short as possible and go straight to the point.

~If you don't want to know more about the character's personalities you can skip this part~
[Fan Sheng Mei : who's my absolute favorite of the show and the reason is because she's so mature, so elegant and classy, strong, independent who only relies on herself to live and survive in a big city like Shanghai, she's particularly pessimistic when it comes to love and relationship between human being but we can only go along with her as she's always stating the awiful truth.
An Di : Smart, quiet, elegant, mostly wears black and white clothes and for like 25 eps it always bugged me a little bit but that's her style :p, discreet about her life and once again for good reasons because it's hard for her opening up to others and trusting them.
Xiao Xiao, the real light of this drama, so eccentric, also sometimes very awkward with others and the words she uses to speak to people and which leads her to be misunderstood in my opinion, this can be both an asset and disadvantage. Anyway she's considerate, adorable and cool, and for that I like her a lot.
Ying Ying : cute, loving, caring, she also has an eccentric side but now in same way as Xiao Xiao, it's more in her behaviour and her cheerful personality.
Guan Guan : She's also a very understanding and compassionate person and always there for Fan Sheng Mei and Ying Ying, she's hardworking too and a bit too shy, has hard time expressing her feelings to others but once she's with her friends she can fully be herself.]

5 unique, interesting and colourful women :p

I'm really impressed to see that those 5 women who are so different can share so much and support each other during hard times, such endearing, caring and loving characters, for me it was impossible not to love and admire them though I have my personal favorites and I know all of you who watched this drama have your own favorite characters as well for personal reasons and that's what makes Ode to Joy so unforgettable. And yes my fave is definitely Sheng Mei and I love her .

I now need to say a few words about the OST which definitely became one of my all time favorites, I absolutely love all of the songs : I'll post my favorites below. But I won't say more cause I hope people who're gonna watch the drama will discover all of them by themselves and enjoy them the same way I did, and being surprised the way I was too otherwise it would not be fun for you.

My faves :
The ending song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEmSGIaT4Rg&amp;amp;list=PLlxGEDlRe5WNN-_2n7giCKga4V5YHa8-1 Love
Hui Gu Niang/Cinderella : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fGAWMfO7HQ , definitely my favorite and I love the lyrics, so beautiful and true.
Wo Yao Ni/I Want you : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL_QJkbrCKE&amp;list=PL9ct9xr9-KGQtUXpZDeec-oi5WXSz9oNc&amp;index=7 so punchy and addictive
Pei Ni Zuo Yu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9R4gKWn9W4&amp;amp;amp;amp;list=RDsY6u6NbtTlE;index=2

It was overall a very great drama as I said above and I just can't wait for the next seasons to see my girls again *0*. Very very recommended as it will definitely bring you lot of smiles, laughter and food for thoughts as well. And I have to say it was really addictive, I still can't believe I completed this show :(.

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It's been a long time I haven't watched such a well written and beautiful drama, and I have to say that "The First Half of My Life" is my fave drama of 2017 so far, such powerful, enriching and sharp dialogues.


This drama deals with serious matters such as divorce, remarriage, single parenthood, family problems and so on, however everything is told in a really peaceful way and it's what makes this drama so interesting and appealing in my opinion, I kept thinking and questioning myself about all those issues that are generally hard to talk about and more importantly to handle. I always appreciate when a drama doesn't only give me entertainment but also intellectual nourishments.

Obviously what truly made me love this drama was the deep and powerful friendship between Luo Zi Jun and Tang Jing and also the growth of characters and they all evolved either from bad to good or good to bad, it was truly convicing and realistic.
Regarding Zi Jun/Tang Jing's friendship, I absolutely loved their poised, calm and mature personalities, they truly complement each other, Tang Jing is more emotive and full of pride while Zi Jun is more calm and strict but when they're together, they look so happy, jovial and relaxed. I have to say that Tang Jing left a big impression on me, she's such a true, selfless and sincere friend and she would absolutely do anything for her friend in need, she doesn't care about what others may think , she just does what she thinks is the best for Zi Jun, and always helps her even when she's extremely busy, that's how good she is. Their friendship to me feels so real and friends like Tang Jing are rare, it's just sad she's too proud. And this quote tells how Tang Jing in Zi Jun's heart means everything "I don't know what character or abilities I have that bestowed me such a great friend, who shares my happiness with me, carries my troubles for me. If in this world there are others who I can't be unworthy of, who I can't disappoint, then Tang Jing is certainly the most important one of all", it truly moved me.
Now I'll move on to the characters and I have to say they were all superbly beautifully presented, there are some I disliked obviously and they infuriated me so much but the actors did such an amazing job portraying them, I mostly think of Ling Ling, and JunSheng (though he wasn't really detestable) for example and anyway without them the drama wouldn't be this much stimulating and engaging. I can only praise all of them, I must admit that what got me truly interested in the drama was the atypical synopsis and the title really caught my attention too, but also seeing that Jin Dong was one of the leads was a great plus for me as I do really admire him as an actor, he was outstanding as always but I wasn't too fond of his character "He Han" though He Han is always full of great advice, so smart and rational, and someone we can rely on, but apart from that I didn't feel much for him but still it was another breathtaking performance by Jin Dong. However my revelations with this cast were Yuan Quan and Ma Yi Li and "The First Half of My Life" was my first drama with them and will definitely not be the last. They both played two fascinating characters but Zi Jun is the one that had a bigger impact on me, it was so beautiful seeing the Luo Zi Jun from the beginning who's a naive, frivolous, insecure, vulnerable woman growing into a responsible, independent and calm woman and at that a woman who doesn't show any of her insecurities/shortcomings in front of strangers and what I liked is that she knows how to seperate her private from her professional life. Ma Yi Li was simply mind-blowing as Zi Jun, truly gorgeous, classy and ravishing; such a delight *.*.
I'll briefly mention one character that made me smile a lot, I know that Zi Jun's mother is a little bit too nosy and annoying, I just couldn't help but like her, she's a pure bundle of energy and I think we do need people like her in our life, someone who'll cheer for us and bring only positive energy when we are so down, that's why I liked her so so much. The rest of the cast was nice as well, I particularly liked the interactions between Old Zhuo, the Jiang Zi's owner and He Han but I have nothing much to add about the rest, though they all had significant roles.

I won't add much about the drama nor the several topics it deals with as I think it's better to watch to see for yourself but one thing I loved in this drama is the realisation, it's so gorgeous and realistic and I particularly loved the flashbacks in black and white which in my opinion intensify some of the most powerful and touching scenes, the settings and sceneries (aaaw that Jiang Zi restaurant *.*) were also beautiful and I truly enjoy watching these dramas that take place in Shanghai, the views are always stunning.


A drama I fully recommend to everyone even to non Cdrama lovers as it deals with actual topics that might be interesting to others who are looking for something more realistic with a touch of slice of life.

As for the rating to be honest I was really hesitating between an 8.5 and a 9 because eventhough I loved this drama and I consider it to be the best drama of 2017 until now and definitely in my top 3 best Chinese modern dramas I was expecting something a little bit different for the second part of the drama but the ending was so satisfying that I decided to go for a 9 and anyway it was such a great show, seriously I already miss all of them, especially Zi Jun.

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This drama is an absolute MASTERPIECE, this is the only word that comes to my mind when I think about it, everything about this drama is magnificent it was perfectly produced and written it's simply amazing and personally I would not be able to find the slightest flaw, of course there were things I found a little bit weird especially near the end however it's nothing big so I stand firm on my opinion : this drama is a pure Gem. I'm really glad I finally watched it, it had been on my plan to watch list for 2 years but I was kinda scared about the number of episodes and I have to say that everything happens so quickly that without realizing it I was already in the end of the drama. Why there aren't more episodes ???????

I'll try to explain why Legend of Concubines Zhen Huan is so special to me and why eventually it left me speechless but I know that won't be easy job, still I want to write about this drama cause I want to always remember all the things I experienced while watching it and remember how it was a real inspiration for me. First I need to say that it instantly became one of my ultimate favorite dramas, it was totally addicting, interesting, entertaining, and even more informative than any other Chinese historical dramas I've watched about Palace (palace intrigues and palace etiquette) especially about concubine ranks (from Daying to Huanghou), how they have to behave and follow the proper etiquette when meeting the Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager or concubines with higher rank and even also how concubine's parents have to salute and address them very strict conduct. it's like I've learn lot of things only with that drama and made me want to read a lot more about Qing Dynasty. This drama impressed me on so many levels that I hardly have words to express the beauty of this piece as everything is simply perfect from the writting of characters and story to the costumes which are so exquisite, make up, sceneries, music, poetry … In my opinion the costumes and make up in this drama are the best I've seen, all the concubines look so graceful and sublime in all these different dresses with their make up and headpiece which make them so unique and different from each other, but of course for me the Queen of the Palace is Zhen Huan, she's so dazzling and the most beautiful woman the emperor ever has in his harem and somehow I totally understand why he fell for her, why he wanted to always be in her company and asked a lot about her opinion for private matters because of her superior education and great cleverness.

Now I'll write about Zhen Huan and her story just if you plan to watch this drama I don't really know if what's coming can be considered as a spoil so just in case do not read the next lines, only about Zhen Huan's part though), so it deals with her story and how  from an innocent and pure hearted girl she becomes one of the most powerful and scary women in the harem. What I liked about her when she entered the palace is despite that she was very young she was not careless but very cautious, in the very beginning we can see that she does not want to gain the emperor's favor to stay away from all those schemes/plot and I have to say that it was her most peaceful moments, living in harmony with her two dearest friends. But of course it did not turn like she wanted it to be and after all the sad things that happened to her what she then did was not because she wanted fame and power or favor from the emperor but only to survive and protect the ones that are dear to her, parents and sister, her love, her children, her best friend. Even if people would say she became heartless and greedy I can't really agree with them and I can't hate Zhen Huan either, on the contrary I think she was so smart, strong and daring, all what a woman in the harem needs if she wants to live and survive. After finishing this drama I realise how I love Zhen Huan, she automatically became my favorite female character because she always manages to remain unscathed no matter what's happening to her not showing her true feelings to her opponent, I admire her so much for that, I also love her imposing character, her braveness, her heart and her scary face as well.
I've always liked Sun Li and found her incredibly talented but in this drama she showed another facet of her acting, in my opinion she delivered her most outstanding performance In LOCZH. A Stunning Actress indeed <3.

In this drama I generally like Zhen Huan's relationship with all other characters, I'll talk about some of them :

-Mei Zhuang her sister of heart, the only woman in the palace with whom she could be fully herself and tell all of her inner thoughts, I like so much their bonding and their conversations it was always so genuine and so adorable how they care for each other and help the other when necessary and I can't even count the number of time they tried to help each other in dire situation, her best friend and her best confidant in this awful palace.

-Jing Fei one of Zhen Huan's Jie Jie in the Palace who was always here for her, I love seeing them together and despite their age gap I found their friendship so beautiful, as much as Jing Fei did a lot for Zhen Huan, Zhen Huan always helped her in return and gave her one of her most precious thing in life, one of the most wonderful present ever.

-Duan Fei, I love so much those two, I don't really know why Duan Fei decided to go near Zhen Huan and approached her (maybe I'll understand more when I rewatch the drama) but for sure they have one of the most incredible friendship in this palace, I also love the way they always salute each other, and only both of them do that in the Palace making them look so cool and unique. Duan Fei is such a respectful and dignified woman and I'm glad I could see more of her in the second part of the drama.

-Hua Fei, ahaha what an incredible and hateful relationship they have those two, such a threatening woman Hua Fei is but Zhen Huan never showed her feelings towards her I mean she never ever showed her weakness and so it was so hard for Hua Fei to attack her and destroy Zhen Huan however she's for me one of the greatest villain I've seen in drama, Jiang Xin did a really great job in portraying the cruel and scheming Hua Fei, SUPERB !

-4th Prince, he is cute and very well educated I'm glad Zhen Huan paid attention to him and decided to take care of him and keeping him company.

-Ning Pin, this woman is so unpredictable and dangerous and we love her like that (at least I do), she never ever showed some attention about all those scheming in the palace nor for high position or favoritism cause after all she was like lost in an empty island , a place she was not meant to be and maybe I think that befriending Zhen Huan made her life a bit more positive and interesting, love love so much those two together and all the things she did for ZH . Definitely a character I will never forget since she made such a great impression on me when I first saw her.

Generally I liked all of the different characters even those I haven't cited above (Guo Jun Wang, Zhen Huan's maids especially Liu Zu and Jin Xi, Doctor Wen...)
Frankly speaking there's not a character I truly hated, I rather sympathize with some of them nevertheless there's one exception and that is the emperor whom I just couldn't like and totally hated all what he did to all the concubines, how he treated them like merchandises, shows favoritism to some of them and doesn't even look at the older ones arousing jealousy of each other. I particularly disliked that he couldn't trust them and believe his favorite women and not look for evidence and punish them whe he thought what he had before his eye were crucial proof. I won't say more but yeah that's pretty much what I think.

The Music also was so beautiful, another one of the aspect of the drama I truly enjoy and that's true that at first I did not really notice it I would even say that I did not like it either especially the op and end songs which I found pretty boring but honestly I realised after some time that they fitted perfectly with the tone of the drama and I even started to like them and enjoying listening to those songs that we can hear in some sad and memorable scenes in the drama. I also love so much the instrumentals.

Personally I enjoyed every second of this drama and I know the beginning is a little bit slow I would say the first 15 episodes but it was necessary for the comprehension of the story and the main characters. After that everything was so addicting and all I wanted was to watch the next eps and follow Zhen Huan's and her friend's adventures, how she will evolve throughout the drama and what would she do. I'll definitely rewatch this drama for sure, I'm not scared to rewatch the entire drama as it is one of those dramas we know no matter how much we rewatch them we won't be bored and at least maybe it'll give me the opportunity to understand more the characters and their difficulties.
without any doubt I would recommend it to everyone and especially for those who aren't afraid to watch a long drama and wants to learn more about palace etiquette and how it worked at that time.

This is one of those rare drama I knew I would love and yes it totally lived up to my expectation and even more than that since I loved it much much more than I expected.

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What strucked me the most when I started watching this awesome drama is that everything felt so real : the setting, story, acting and all these awesome discussions between the beautiful Hu Family, I was always smiling when they were all at table laughing or listening to JunShan yelling at his brother and Sister in law- Xiang Xiang & Xiao Man, those moments were priceless and magnificents.
Honestly beside Huo Wallace I did not know any of these actors and I have to admit that they were all doing a great job and their portrayals were so convincing and natural.

I'm not going to dwell on the synopsis cause it already says the most important but we surely all know the damages Wars cause(d) and I think it's interesting to see how Chinese people were living during those terrible times and what they had to go through. The drama focuses on the Hu Family and their son in-law Xue Jun Shan, how they coped with the constant Japanese attacks in their Changsha town. And even if my knowledge about the Sino-Japanese wars is weak I think this drama was really well done even the music here fitted perfectly with the general atmosphere.

Many things crossed my mind when I was watching the drama, first I said it earlier but I have to repeat myself everything was realistic and that was my very first thought, I loved to see that even if the Hu family was living a pretty good life (without being super rich either) but they did not wear extravagant and exquisite clothes they simply lived in harmony , enjoying their life in their house all together, eating, working, taking care of each other etc.

Frankly speaking the character that surprised me the most was Xue JunShan, he seemed to be very harsh with his in-laws but actually that was the opposite he cared for them he protected them, he loved them to the point to sacrifice his life for them, he considered them as the most precious things in his life and that is the reason why I loved him so much and why he is my favorite character + I have to say it, I have a thing for older men I found something very appealing about them and that is the case for him too <3
Now it's time to say a few words about the Hu family, Xiang Xiang was my favorite especially the way she evolves throughout the drama and I think that war would change everyone and according to me she's the one who changed the most, she became an outstanding and respectable woman, I have nothing bad to say about her, definitely lovely, bright, cute and very strong but she has a weakness and that is her twin brother I mean their sibling bond is so deep and unwavering, at least that's how I perceived them and I guess that is probably the same with almost all twins of the world.
I loved rhe other characters too especially Gu QingMing( I seriously fell in love with Huo Wallace in this drama, I liked him before but this time he blew me away &lt;3), the grandma, XiangJun, Liu Minghan Xiu Xiu and the rest( I will stop here so if you want to find out why they are fabulous people just watch the drama you'll surely like it as much as I did ). I can't even count the tears I shed for all of these characters, I felt like I was part of their family, that's why Battle of Changsha broke my heart even more than other dramas.

As for the theme song ''I'll remember you'' it is a pure delight, Yang Zi's voice blends so well with Huo Wallace's that we can't stop listening to it and we want more and more. Too bad I can't seem to find it anywhere ! Please If you know where I can download it, tell me :D

I would recommend this drama to everyone even if you're not into this genre because that is not my case and still I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful show. Furthermore this is definitely one of the best Family drama I've ever watched. Just only one thing you must know if you plan to watch it: the last four eps are not subbed and so you would have no choice but to watch it raw or wait but for how long?!

PS: the big plus is that the actors's voices were not DUBBED, what a pleasure !

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I started -To Be a Better Man- totally unexpectedly and wow it was such a pleasant and unique experience, this is one of those rare dramas that made me go through various feelings as one minute it can be so funny and the next minute so heartwarming (touching). The strength of TBaBM definitely lies in its main characters (Lu Yuan, Jiang Lai and a few others) and its unique storytelling using flashbacks to narrate us Lu Yuan's past stories and the way he lived back then with his friend(s) and girlfriend , I have to admit they were very efficient and for once I didn't find them boring or redundant. This is really a charming drama.  I don't know how to describe it, it's way more than a drama, it's realistic, it's 100% Hilarious, actually I giggled from the beginning to the end, totally didn't imagine a Chinese drama could make me laugh that much and bring me so much entertainment, Lu Yuan's madness is really something to not miss, I saw a man who only wanted to make his relatives happy and for that he used the most unpredictable ways, I'm sure he didn't even realise he was being crazy and daring while doing all those things; also it's never overly dramatic so it was way easier for me to watch it, especially during the hard times I had these past few months. lastly I feel the need to say it's not a drama about food although our main protagonist is a (world) renowned chef, so in that aspect I was very pleased too as I'm not fond of this genre.
When I say this drama is crazy it's not an overstatement, Truly undefinable.


As I said above I didn't really expect anything from this drama indeed I did find the beginning a bit slow, the first 10 eps were good but something was missing for me to fully enjoy it, I was still curious about Lu Yuan and Jiang Lai and wanted to continue for them as I loved their interactions and their chemistry and found them so intriguing. Also I was very fascinated by the Ost, the colours and the cinematography : the reason why I continued and we can clearly see it's a high budget drama and they did so much effort which are very noticeable if we pay a close attention to every little detail. And slowly I fell in love with Lu Yuan and I think it's around ep 11 when Lu Yuan ordered a Wellington Steak in a restaurant that I realised I was already under his spell and I then I told myself '' this man has clearly nothing to lose, he is special and he has something that no other male leads have, he is strange, full of tricks, fearless and hilarious'' this instant I knew this drama had an offbeat feel and that it would suit my current mood.

This is a story about a man, Lu Yuan who lost everything in the United States and decides to come back to his motherland with his friend's ashes, he is then his friend's daughter guardian and has the duty to take care of her until she becomes an adult. We will follow each and every of his adventure in China, his reunion with his past friends (mostly his ex girlfriend) and his meeting with one enigmatic and fickle woman, Jiang Lai. It looks simple reading it like that but that's all what transported me for 42 eps.
Undeniably Lu Yuan was the highlight of the show and he was truly the only shining star for me though I loved Jiang Lai and Lau Tai Tai (Da Hai's mother) a lot. Lu Yuan is not a character he is more than that, simply too real and too charismatic to be unreal (in my world), that's how much I love and admire this man, we all need a Lu Yuan in our life to illuminate our days.
Of course I need to mention the gorgeous Jian Shu Ying, who completely stole my heart here with her beautiful smile, her mannerisms, capricious and lovely personality, simply I fell in love with her charisma, I think she has a peculiar beauty but all those traits make her so elegant and lovely. She made a great pair with our main actor Sun HongLei and I love every one of their scene together. Da Hai's mother was the sweetest and loveliest character in the drama, so caring, she's also the only one who made me cry here, some of her scenes are too powerful. Of course I loved the little cutie Xiao Cai who truly loves and admires Lu Yuan for who he is, never judging him and accepting him the way he is, without conditions. They both made me smile so much. I did like the other characters, Jia He could be very adorable and understanding but I didn't like how she always wanted to control Lu Yuan's life, she could easily become irritating at times. Don't have much to say about Jiang Haokun and Gan Jing, they clearly don't inspire me!

There are 42 eps but I can tell you that when I was already at the end I wish there were more waiting for me. ><


Now the Ost, I immediately fell in love with this music, I mean the first thing that attracted me in this drama is the opening so enchanting and beautiful, both musically and visually and it's the best I ever heard/seen. The songs and pieces of music here fitted perfectly with the atmosphere of the drama and were well chosen for certain scenes. I love the ending song "Lu Yuan" so so so much, aww.

I think this drama is definitely not for everyone, though it's very special to me and it means a lot as it brought me so many laughter and enjoyment. I'd recommend it more to people who are looking for mature, delirious, not typical and realistic stories though it has a bit of fantasy* (EDIT: eventhough* it felt weird and inappropriate at times it didn't bother me too much hence I change my 9.5 into a 10).
THIS DRAMA IS TERRIBLY UNDERRATED, hope it eventually gets the attention it deserves.

Last but not least I love this quote : "True love is actually very simple and plain, whenever I sit next to him just by the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice I feel strongly that we could both read each other's minds. Some people might never come across such a feeling." Lu Yuan truly deserves to be loved.

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I really can't write about this drama without mentioning the writers ''Park Sang Yeon'' & ''Kim Yeong Hyeon'' and the wonderful team who worked on it. As soon as I heard about this drama I was so excited, I did not care about the cast who'll be part of this big project, only those two names I mentioned earlier I knew I would be in for another incredible and memorable journey and I was right. Indeed it's as great, thrilling and passionate as Tree With Deep Roots and Queen Seon Deok both also written by these two writers, I consider them as the best Korean historical dramas I ever watched and of course SFD is third in the list for me.

It's not in my habits writing reviews for a Korean drama, actually it's the 2nd I write but this time I had to, because it was such an exciting and incredible experience. I want to always remember the emotions I went through while watching this drama, I really screamed, smiled and cried a lot (well did not cry that much but some scenes were so touching and lovely which had me in tears) I already feel very empty now we're already in the end. I'm wondering when I'll be able to watch and find such a gripping and fascinating long Korean period drama ?!

I started SFD while it was airing but I had to stop cause I knew waiting each week for only two more eps would be a pure torture for me, so this was only three weeks ago I decided to properly marathon it and aigoo those three weeks went way too quickly. This drama is simply addicting, once I finished an episode I felt the urge to watch the next one, it leaves you no choice but to go watch immediately what's coming.

Maybe now I should tell how this drama managed to captivate me like that and how every ep killed me, first reason is all those references from Queen Seon Deok and Tree With Deep Roots, and I bet all people who watched those two fantastic dramas are/were feeling the same, I was always so impressed and reminiscing about the quotes and characters of these dramas, simply yes I was speechless and always thinking those two scriptwriters are real geniuses to make me going crazy and happy like that. Secondly it's all those political intrigues, the way Sambong and Bang Won were portayed here, how they could manipulate people and control them the way they both did and most of all their ability to read in their opponent's minds, I admire both them for that. I love smart moves and political intrigues in dramas and this drama had all of that. And third reason is that I always wanted to watch a drama which would show how Joseon Dynasty was established and here it was so wonderfully explained and done.

When I think about all the cast I have no words because all actors were so into their characters and we could feel how much invested they were for this long historical drama, they delivered such a electrifying , sincere and wonderful performance, I literally fell in love with all of them, just maybe from my point of view I did not like Seo Yi Sook 's acting (Moo Hyeol's grandmother) it's very personal and I just did not find her very convincing, otherwise all other actors did so well, zero complaint about them simply the opposite, they were all phenomenal.
Of course first I have to comment about Yoo Ah In and Kim Myung Min's awesome's portraits, they were totally the characters they played ''Lee Bang Won'' and ''Jeong Do Jeon'', it did not feel like they were acting, it was simply really as if they were in front of me, like I was seeing each one of their every actions and moves.
Frankly speaking I'm not so fond of Kim M.M but I will never ever forget his flawless performance here, one word : grandiose. As for Yoo Ah In, his facial expressions, words, moves gave me goosebumps, he was too imposing and magnificent. I think I said enough about these two amazing actors, they would definitely not leave you indifferent.
It's hard for me to choose a favorite character cause I think the writers here wrote them so perfectly, there's no one I love more than the rest, well maybe Gil Tae Mi because he added so much fun to this dark and very tense atmosphere, he was so cool, skilled, sometimes stupid and hilarious even when he was about to kill some people, I just couldn't hate him ! Another one I liked a lot was Lee Bang Ji and I personally do think his character was so well written , I'm just a bit too sad he did not have (in my humble opinion) as much screen time as other dragons, in some scenes I was completely missing him and was wondering where he was and what he was doing, I love him because his care for his sister and his loved one was so sincere, beautiful and pure, he did not want to involve himself into politics and all what he did was only because of their dreams and ideals, he lives for them, that's how unselfish his love is for both of them, I can only admire him!
I would like to write some words about other dragons and characters however I think I already said too much, just I will say these things : Cheon Ho Jin as Lee Seong Gye did an awesome job, he never fails to surprise me, I don't know much about Lee Seong Gye and did not read anything about him except that I know he was the first king of Joseon and from what I saw here in SFD he really had a tragic and sad life.
Boon Yi I like her a lot and especially her relationship with her brother which is so beautiful genuine and filled with so much tenderness, I always have a thing in drama for brother/sister's bonding and in this one it was simply just so touching, I was always so happy when they were only together on screen, discussing, eating playing together. Boon Yi is a very caring, brave and smart girl, I really appreciate that she never gives up on her dreams and till the end she believes in it and simply wants to be happy with her family and people.
Moo Hyeol I love him so much in the first place ( eheheh TWDR yeah) so badass, unselfish, generous, strong and sweet at the same time, I always found his way of fighting so cute and funny but in the end he had to grow up and become mature, it was very painful to see and Yoon Gyun Sang did a really great job with his Moo Hyeol's portrayal. I also wanted to say I loved all these supporting characters as well especially Ha Ryun, Yoon Rang (very charismatic woman), Lee Bang Woo, Lee Ji Ran, Jo Joon, Gil Seon Mi and Hong Dae Hong and for sure the drama would be totally different without them <3

Needless to say the sceneries, settings, colors and costumes were so gorgeous, every costume fitted perfectly for each character, I particularly loved Boon Yi's dresses so simple and yet very eye-catching, suited her personality so well, I also loved her hairstyle <3 I would say the same for all other characters' costumes especially those Yoo Ah In, Byun Yo Han, Cheon Ho Jin, Gong Seung Yeon, Park Hyeok Kwon and many other wore, very colorful and elegant .
The Ost was really great and the ballads were always used in appropriate moments though there weren't to my taste, I loved BGM more and songs Muiiya and Cheongsanbyeolgog (I think it's the title) more. In any case the ost was wonderful so no complaints from me.


I'll end this review with those four fantastic quotes, I had shivers all over my body when those sentences were said.

-''The King is just this country's flower. The Roots have to be this land's scholars, confucian scholars and officials"
-''If you want to fool your enemy, you'd have to fool those around you including yourself''
-''How can betrayal be a sin ? In this turbulent times, believing someone is a bigger crime ''
-"Since the world began, the weak have always been stepped on by the strong. Even a thousand years ago, even a thousand years from now! The Strong steal from the Weak. In this world the only truth is that the strong take and swallow the weak ... this is only the constant truth"

I would probably rewatch this drama as it brought me so much feels since the very first second, Political dramas are generally too heavy for me but I always found Political Historical dramas to be to my liking as I've already seen many and I noticed the writers always manage to make them so interesting and appealing especially when the characters are so well written like it's the case here.
Highly recommended, it's the first time for me to watch such a long drama and to not feel the length, 50 eps of pure awesomeness and if you want my opinion I did not see the time passing.
Last but not least, this is one of the most intelligent dramas I watched and I would recommend for people who haven't wacthed Tree With Deep Roots nor Six Flying Dragons to start with SFD first and then watch DR.

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I finished this drama last week and I really really enjoyed it especially:
-The friendship part which was so pure and beautiful between: Li Li, Shang Xuan, Li Jun and Daniel.
-Li Li's love for Migratory Birds (which actually was what I liked the most about the drama and also the reason why I got interested in watching it).
When I started 15YWFMB I didn't expect anything from it but I immediately found it pretty original especially Li Li's hobby, her love for the migratory birds and how it's linked with her love for Shang Xuan, so wonderful and subtle metaphors about love <3

First and foremost, I recommend this Chinese drama to everyone especially to those who want to watch a good Chinese modern drama with well written and developed characters, I've always wanted to find one which would impress me when it comes to character development and definitely it was a success for me. On the surface it's a pretty relaxing drama but as the story progresses I could see that it was more complicated than it first seemed, Ok I did guess at some extents how it would end but definitely I think it was well done. I'm just really disappointed by the ending or should I say the way they ended the drama.

Our leading lady really grew on me all throughout the drama, I could totally see myself in her and I had similar experience as her during my high school years (so it was easier for me to connect with her character), how she was bickering all the time with Shang Xuan, they did not start their relationship on the best terms but they ended up appreciating each other, and I'm sure many of us had a similar adventures during adolescence.
I love so much how their relationship is evolving in the drama, how since the beginning she loved him and kept her feelings for herself and how everything was developing slowly but surely in such a mature way , all of that was done so well. In a few words I would say LiLi is a really responsible, sensitive, smart, selfless and kindhearted girl (became a wonderful and elegant young woman for whom I only have admiration), she always stays true to herself and is always there for her dearest ones, definitely the best friend/family member we can ever have.

Shang Xuan is such a lovely and dependable man, he had his issues and sometimes he could be odious and all of that I understood it because he had his reasons to act the way he did but just like Li Li when it comes to friends and family he would do anything<3

I love other characters too particularly Qian Ren, sincerely this guy is such a sweetheart that sometimes I didn't know if I should ship Li Li with him or Shang Xuan, really too hard to choose only one. Two handsome, reliable, lovely men for one amazing and wonderful woman, I guess that for many other viewers it must have been hard to choose their side, at least for me it was hard <3

I truly loved both leading actors and oh why is Deng Lun (Qian Ren) younger than me just why ? Also I need to say that I'm not into Love triangle and I hate that so much but here so unexpectedly it was not exaggerated nor complicated maybe because all three characters (Li Li, Shang Xuan and Qian Ren are very understanding and mature persons).

Supporting characters were so adorable too and they had their own stories so that's a very big plus, it was good to see that the writer didn't focuse only on Li Li's relationship with Shang Xuan and Qian Ren and showed more of other characters like Li Jun and Daniel, both really caring, honest and loyal friends.

I read some comments about Han Yi Chen being a bit too mean or something like that but honestly I think she was a pretty fine rival to Li Li, I never hated her and thought she was too bad though of course as a rival she was very selfish and jealous of Lili. By the way it was kinda annoying seeing that they put so much make up on the actress's face to make her look older, actually it didn't work in my opinion as it seemed too forced.

As for my rating I decided to go with a 7.5 and it might sounds weird I'm not giving a higher rating when I enjoyed the drama this much however though it's a really great drama and I don't have complaints about it (well only on certain aspects such as the ending, some turn of events which did bother me a little bit but nothing too disturbing, the OST= almost non-existent and not my taste at all) so I just can't give more. Of course I definitely recommend it especially for the reasons mentioned above plus the actors did a very decent job though some of them lack experiences. I found two actors I would definitely stalk : Sun Yi and Deng Lun as I loved their portrayals of Li Li and Qian Ren, both being my two fave characters of the drama as well <3
The drama itself didn't give me goosebumps nor made my heart palpitated hence this rating.

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I'm not particularly fan of romantical dramas but when it comes to Taiwanese and Chinese dramas that's my favorite genre ! I decided to give this drama a try for only two reasons , firstly because I'm a big fan of Zhao Zanilia and Secondly for the romance as I enjoy Chinese romance dramas !



I won't say that this story is innovative but the drama was really heartwarming that's why I enjoyed it that much !

The main couple is so cute , it's a real pleasure to see them joking and smiling together and see their love growing and growing ! At first Feng Teng was very cold and distant but as he is in process to know and understand Shan Shan's feelings he started to open his heart little by little to her . be careful //// SPOILER///// About their couple I think there is only one thing missing , we did not get to see them doing activities together like the ones that a couple would do : going to cinema , on an amusement park , eating at a restaurant , travelling ... that kind of things so i'm a bit disappointed that I did not see them having more fun , they were only eating , eating and eating again or staying at home ! ///// END OF SPOILER/////



Now I'm gonna talk about the characters :

Shan Shan is an adorable and cheerful girl , as her friend Liu Liu said she never complains when she is facing some problems whether with Feng Teng or work and maybe that's what I love the most about her !

Feng Teng as I've already said he is a bit cold but he only needs to be loved , and when it's the case he is the most adorable guy in the world , he knows how to take care of his girlfriend and how to please her ! And I admit I'm guilty , I love when the guy is cold outside but just so sweet inside !

For the other characters I really appreciated Liu Liu who always gives precious advice to Shan Shan , Feng Yue who is an adorable sister to Feng Teng and still encouraging her Ge Ge and Shan Shan stay together , Zhenf Qi : the womanizer hehehe but actually it was only a facade to hide himself .

I really want to write a paragraph about Li shu , to be honest the first time I saw her ( she made her first appearance in ep 4 or 5 , don't remember well ) I found her very confident of herself &amp;amp;amp; arrogant, so yes my first impression of her was good ; I mean that I was right about her true intentions ; I don't like people who backstab their -so called- friends however fortunately she evolves and learns from her mistakes !



About the Music : I really enjoy the opening but the ending did not catch my attention and truthfully I always skipped that song , as for the background music it was just so so !





So I recommend you this drama if you're looking for a good Chinese romantical drama and if you're in the mood for something light to relax a bit !



It's my fist time writing a rewiew for MDL so I'm sorry if I made mistakes .

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This is my second review for a Chinese historical drama, I'm glad it's for ''Legend of Lu Zhen" and what's more a drama with my dear Zhao Zanilia, she's absolutely gorgeous and I think I could watch anything with her .
The story is pretty good , and it's easy to follow Lu Zhen and Gao Zhan's journey even if it's not all rosy for them as they constantly fight for their love and for being happy like any other couple.

My review will be a bit long , I only wanna say what I think about this drama : the good/ bad points and my opinion about the characters because there are so many good and evil ones here.

1| Good Points :

-The cinematography is absolutely stunning , and I think that everyone would agree with me on that aspect, I love taking Screeshots , and for this drama I had many opportunities to do that and then contemplating those awesome landscapes and gardens in the palace .
-I have nothing to say about the acting , all the actors did their part , the ones that are supposed to be evil are really evil and we hate them so much that we only want to see them dying in atrocious sufferings because that is the only thing they deserve , as for the good ones I wanted to see them rise and stand for themselves ( is not it, Lu Zhen ? ) .
-The show is really addictive between ep 25-54, I was completely glued to my screen and always wanted to watch the next ep , so for that I have no complains even if there are certain things that bothered me .
-The main couple : Oh this Gao Zhan , he is such an admirable man who did everything to show his love for his dear Lu Zhen he was not afraid to claim his love for her , only at the beginning he was hesitant because he was afraid that Lu Zhen's safety would be compromised .
-Lu Zhen , I really admire this girl who was able to climb the ladder very fast ( of course she had many supporters without whom it would not have been possible but she was a smart girl and because of that she succeeded in everything she did ) , my only problem with her is her naiveness , how is it possible to believe everyone and think that from one day to the next they became reliable , I just say No No No !


2| Bad points

-Too many schemes in this palace and always the same who suffer greatly .
-Too many deaths , of course in this kind of drama it is unavoidable but that was so rushed , and it always makes me laugh when a character dies for the sake of friendship , but of course that's only a fiction so we forget about it .
-Characters that are overly obsessed with something that is not their property.
-Music , it was always redundant , come on ! Nothing striking and that's a pity , because in Historical dramas the ost is supposed to have a significant place and makes the scenes more memorable or I would say more captivating but that was not the case here !
-Men are not enough represented in this drama and that was really missing , yes I'm a gurl and of course that bothered me ;D But in counterpart we have 3 adorable and faithful men , so I'm fine with it .


As for characters I'll go to the essential .  And be careful it can contain spoilers , I'm not the type who can write a review without spoiling , so I'm warning you !

\\\\\\\\There are so many great characters who made the drama more appealing and interesting , of course I loved the main couple , how they trusted and cared for each other , that was simply great to watch . I was always smiling when they were together because it was full a passion and it felt so real ! But actually there are other characters that were shining and even more than Lu Zhen because they were complex and really well written and the one that comes to my mind right now is none other than the wonderful Huan Yun, she's such a great woman full of hartred at the beginning but she grew up to becoming a beautiful woman with a big heart , she started to understand the man who is next to her since forever and I think that's why she bacame the understanding Empress we got to see at the end . I would lie if I say that I did not hate her but it was only in the beginning when she was crazy and did not wanted to face the reality .
I particularly like the emperor , how he is nothing like his horrible mother , such a gentle man always willing to give a hand to the ones that are worth of his help , he is also the most caring husband I've ever seen in dramas , and for that he goes to my all time favorite supporting actors ! I also loved his friendship with Lu Zhen he was so protective of her , helping her as much as he could because he was aware of her true value.
Of course , Shen Jia Yan was among my favorite characters too , I was happy to see a man like him around Lu Zhen .
So I talked about the 3 main guys , they were all fantastic and I remember the first time I saw Shen Jia Yan I screamed with joy, I was so happy seeing another MAN in this drama full of women , oh my what a relief !
I aslo have to talk about Dan Niang because she's like me , always eating pastry , and talking about it , she only needed to have her daily pastry and there are days I feel like it too , if I have my candies nothing else matters to me ^^
I also have a thought for Wang Xian who was like Huan Yun and became an admirable woman , Du Si Yi the most reasonable woman of all , the Gugu the best confident ever and so on …
For the evil characters I won't say much because I truly hated them , Ah Bi comes first you know in whole dramaland the girl I hate the most is Zheng Er from Lan Ling Wang and Ah Bi is next to her when it comes to harm other without regret . And the other villains are hardly worth mentionning.////////


So This is a drama I will only recommend for those who don't care about watching a drama that shows cruelty in all its different states and who are not looking for some sweet romance , but it's enough to read the synopsis and you'll definitely know if it's for you or not .
Oh and I almost forget to thank my dear friend DragonA. who watched this drama with me ^^

As for rewatching value I would gladly rewatch ep 25 to ep 54 as they were really addicting , according to my opinion .

I just have few words to say about my rating , I hesitated between 8 and 8.5 because I found the drama to be very captivating but there are so many things that seemed very strange at least for my taste so I decided to be 100% objective and give a proper rating .

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I'll be honest, I never thought I would enjoy this drama as much as I did, it proved to me to be a real surprise, I immediately got into the story and yet I had so many prejudices before starting it and assumed it would be boring and like one of those short and stupid Chinese dramas however I was so wrong :p Yes it stars Ma Ke and it was my real first time seeing him as the male lead so that might explain why I never imagined it could be to my liking and to say the truth he did a pretty good job, at least I didn't have to complain, not in the least ;D
So in my humble opinion the most enjoyable parts of the drama are the story and the friendship between our three main characters : Yun Xiu, Feng Jing and Liu Yi :

1. I really found the story interesting and quite intriguing, firstly the revenge part where our lead is reborn as a new man with a new face, then his path to become a popular and acclaimed actor not for his look but only for his acting and at the same time getting his revenge, secondly the other important element is about the entertainment industry and how it works; what the actors have to go through before being accepted in an agency, how they are selected for their first project, it also deals with the internal battles between agents and last but not least the harsh competitiveness between actors, I found all of that fairly well done and realistic except for one or two things but nothing can be perfect.

2. The intense friendship between our main characters, I found it so real, pure and honest. It's true Yun Xiu isn't without faults but he knows how to value friendship, he is such a loving and caring man. He always gives support to Feng Jing and Liu Yi in most difficult times and the fact that it is reciprocal for them was very beautiful to see. It was mostly hard for Yun Xiu and Feng Jing to trust again after what happened to them in the past but when they met they knew they were meant to be good friends and that they could trust each other unconditionally and yes those who love bromance I can tell it's one of the deepest I've seen, it kinda startled me at first ^^. The strongest point of this drama definitely and what I loved the most about Revive. Surely for me they were the only attractive characters of the drama but they were just purely amazing and made this drama 100% worth watching for me.

My mind was only focused on Ma Ke, Xu Joe and Zhang Viann's characters the other actors weren't enough interesting to me and didn't add any savor to the drama that's why I won't say anything about them, but I need to say the twin brothers (whom I already saw in The Journey of Flower) had important roles here and I appreciated they weren't there just to block the two male leads' way even though I wanted to know more about them but they were not boring villains at least for me, just too stubborn at times.
Ma Ke delivered his part very well and was very credible in these different roles, I couldn't tell it was the same actor playing those various personalities, he was such a delight for the eyes, really well done. Both Xu Joe and Zhang Viann did really great too and surprised me in a good way, I loved how Xu Joe made his character so cold, meticulous and yet very heartwarming and vulnerable. A guy full of inner charms and principles ^^
Zhang Viann what a radiant actress and wow her black hair *.*, I really had eyes only for her, she's so beautiful and lovely as Liu Yi, a very understanding person, her best trait.

The music wasn't impressive unfortunately and didn't leave a great impression on me, only two or three BGMs caught my attention, the songs were just boring and not so much present in the drama.

There are other bad points and things I didn't like such as the dubbing which was very bad and disturbed me all throughout the series, I never complain about that as I'm used to it but when it's bad it's simply bad! Secondly I found the other characters so bland and very unappealing, for most of them I didn't like their acting and they were very frustrating (cf: Amanda, Qin Chu, Zhu Feng, Xie Yi ...) to be frank Lin Xuan was useless as well. There are other flaws but I'm a little bit lazy so I will stop there for now ;p

I would still recommend it for those who wanna watch something short and addicting, actually that's how this drama made me feel. Just if like me you start this drama with some apprehension you might end up liking it!
As for the ending, it was fine like that, I personally don't need a second season and I even think it would be a waste of time, so no complaint from me.

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First I need to say that it was not as disturbing or provoking as I thought it would be and that's why I could enjoy it even more, for example I think Gloomy Salad Days which deals with Taiwanese youth ( basically same theme as Hormones) with their own difficulties and issues was way more provoking and darker but it was less enjoyable not because it was more somber but because the characters were not enough developed which is not the case with Hormones, we got to see them evolving and see them making their own choices, changing and trying to becoming a better person and In GSD we don't see that unfortunately.
Plus I need to say that every character has its own appeal and no one has more screentime than another and that's cool, cause generally it's not the case. And also I have to say that it was a very addicting drama, I just couldn't stop watching it and always wanted to see the next ep.

Of course this drama is for a mature audience but in my opinion everyone above 13 could watch it without problem but I would rather watch it alone than with someone though ;D

The characters Honestly they are all relatable, we all have experienced something similar, especially family or friendship issues and I loved seeing how they were constantly dealing with their main family issues while being a student and trying to hide their problem to others.
I have three favorite characters:
-Tar ( the Guitarist) he is so kind, funny, mature, adorable and most of all carefree but not in a bad way, then
-Toei the girl who is simply normal and whom many other girls of her age can relate too, me first and that's why I love her the most, she's normal and a bit closer to the guys than the girls probably because sometimes it's easier talking with guys and I can totally understand that and for me she was so cute with Tar, I shipped them so much together,
- Kwan is my third favorite, the most intelligent girl of the school, very mature who always says the right things to the right person, who cares a lot about friendship, always there for her friends but also a very sensitive and I love seeing that despite being a brillant student she has her own flaws and shows them to others cause no one is perfect on this earth.

Other 6 main characters were interesting too and I love seeing their development as well especially Sprite's character who maybe grew the most throughout the show, then Mhog and Pu who is very conflicted about his feelings and also Win who's a very tortured soul I felt so bad for him in the end and at least for him I have to watch second season cause I can say everything I want about him, how irresponsible, brainless and unsensitive he can be, he is very lonely and I think he needs more support but for that he has to change too anyway even if at first I did not like him and couldn't understand all the fangirling about him I admit that his character is really well written and also quite intriguing.
Others were present too but I don't have special feelings for them (Phai & Dao), simply their characters were less interesting for me.

I totally recommend this drama not necessarily to everyone but for those who need change and want to watch a mature drama about youth and the obstacle teenagers have to overcome.

My last words will be for the OST which I simply loved, the BGM are so good especially the opening theme, I'm just so sad there's one instrumental I love but I can't seem to find it and I think I won't be able to find it either, and I love the ending song so so entertaining <3

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Honestly it's only after seeing the wonderful poster and read that it was all about friendship, life, drama and family that I was convinced this movie would be made for me and that I would spend a great time but once again I did not expect it to be so beautiful. I have to say that I'm more picky when I rate movies than dramas because I always find it hard to enjoy a story that is told in two hours, it feels like something is missing or that the characters aren't developed enough or not at all however it was totally different with that movie (and probably why I'm giving a 9,5) ,there are lot of characters and all have their moment of glory, so well written and the movie takes its time to develop all of them so that we as spectator can relate to them and even enjoy their presence.

I'll make this review short since it's a movie review and only talk about my feelings about it, avoiding to spoil anything about the story plus the synopsis here is pretty complete. So in my opinion Little big Master is more a movie about human relationship than anything else and I think that's why it is so special to me. Like I said I love all of the characters in the movie be it the headmistress, her husband the kids or even the little girl's parents/family, they all have a significant place in the movie.
What I love about the teacher- kids's relationship is how they influence each other's lives in such a good and positive way, and we can see that for the headmistress teaching and taking care of these girls is not like a job nor a chore but more like a passion, all what she does with them she does it with her heart and with great pleasure. Their relationship is so magical, so touching and so genuine . I particularly liked how the teacher manages to make these girl do all those rewarding things whether at home, school or outside, she taught them so much and make them to be such sensitive girls, as much as she brought them a lot those little girls did the same to her and even made her life more passionate and more worthy and noble, with them she learned a lot, how life can be worth being lived even in such a poor environment. Of course I have my favorite characters and there's a girl who particularly moved me I think her name is Tam Mei Chu, they are all so cute and moving but she was so adorable and during her crying scenes I felt that it was so natural, no over acting just a little girl crying because life can be unfair and shedding tears is also good for the heart. Another good thing about this movie is that we see those girls are poor but they never ever complain, they always stay cheerful and calm and try to be helpful to others.
As for the actors it was my first time seeing Miriam Yeung and Louis Koo and they were really perfect in their roles, gonna try some of their works when I have time. And this actress Miriam is so beautiful she doesn't look her age at all (:

In one sentence I would say this movie is filled with so much love. Absolutely everything is done wonderfully in this movie and I did not even find it a little big draggy, it's meaningful, beautiful and I love how the story and the relationship between all of them develop, it's so so well done and the fact that it's based on a true story makes this movie even more touching.

To conclude I maybe a little bit too generous with my rating, well I don't really know but yes it's all a matter of heart, I just loved it from the beginning to the end and since I don't easily give more than a 9 to a movie so why go without it , right? And for me this is simply one of the best slice of life's movie I've seen and I think that China and Hong Kong are good with this genre for movies and manage to make them so emotional and oneiric in my opinion. So it'll stay forever as one of the most memorable and unforgettable movies I've seen especially since I watched it with my partner in crime.

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#It's not good If I hadn't done this and if I hadn't done that'' It's not good to think like that, so I stopped. ''# this sentence reflects perfectly what ''Home Drama'' is about and Eiko was right because in life sometimes we have to move on and stop feeling guilty for something we haven't done . Keeping this kind of feeling for oneself is way too bad and will never bring happiness! And what is done is done we can't go to the past and change history.

I'll be frank, I came accross this drama when I was looking for Domoto Tsuyoshi' dramas to watch as I fell so hard for him in ''Bokura no Yuuki'', I wanted to see him in another drama and he did not disappoint once again, he seriously did such a great job, and then of course the synopsis seemed super catchy and I was so right, actually I'm always right when I sense a drama will perfectly fit my mood.

And now I'll get into the main topic, if you read the synopsis you already know that 8 strangers decided to live in the same house considering that they haven't anything in common other than they all lost someone dear to them in a bus accident while they were in Thailand. A few days after they all gathered in a thai restaurent , they then joked around saying they could be a family, of course it was not a serious talk but Shogo our main character who is now left alone in a big house thought it could be a good idea to send them a letter and ask them to move into his house and live together . That is not surprising because Shogo is really obsessed by the idea of having a large family as he grew up alone, he doesn 't have siblings and his parents died when he was young, he felt emptiness and wanted to fill this void by all means.
All the members of the accident finally accepted Shogo's request, they probably wanted to cheer them up and overcome the obstacles + find happiness together. And being together brought them so much : a new warm family, smiles, laughs, happy tears ...
I loved how they shared absolutely everything both good and bad, and went through all this without judging each others. 

There are lot of reasons which explain why I loved this show so much : it brillantly succeeded in making me smile and cry ; I was in tears in each episode but I have to blame this sad (but beautiful) piece of music which was always displayed at the right time, that is to say when Shogo was lost in his thoughts filled with moments he shared with his precious wife.
I felt 100 % connected with the characters, they are simply like ''any ordinary persons'' dealing with their own problems together hand in hand without any shame because there's no such a word like ''shame'' between a family. They all wanted to stay with each other and not leave the house no matter what others think about '' their strange cohabitation'', they were poorly regarded by the society ( school and work, neighborhood). It was hard for all of them but still they did not care cause they know what they're doing is not wrong. And nobody has the right to stick its nose in their family business. Spolier///////// I hated when people treated them like they were some ''circus freak'' and wanted to split them up. Whether what they're doing is right or not they are not in position to judge them\\\\\\\\\\End of Spoiler. 

I loved all the characters as they were all unique in their own way and were very compatible as if they have known each other for a very long time. There is one leader without whom nothing would have been possible  ''Shogo'', he is an altruistic person and does not mind to share his big house because he values all of them as if they were part of his family actually they really are his family now. He is always here when something goes wrong or good, taking care of them, and that's simply love in all its splendor. I can't hide it, he is simply my favorite character of the drama and definitely among my all time faves'. Tsuyo was really natural, he succeeded in conveying Shogo's feelings very well, a great actor indeed.
Then Eiko, the mother she's always smiling and hiding her deep feelings cause she's now with young persons and that probably reminds her the moments she shared with her sons and she also wants to be happy with all of them.
Akiba san was the most reluctant about this cohabitation however he finally realized that he needed to be with people who understand the pain of losing a precious family to overcome his problems and to be himself without worrying about what others would think about him.
Kono San he's not a talkative grandpa but he surely says heartwarming words and give strenght to the troop at the right moment ;)
Shoko, she has a steady temperament we could often see her getting jealous and that was pretty hilarious. My only regret about Shoko played by Inoue Mao is that she exagerrated a little bit at times, she was very young so that may explain why her acting was not always natural.
Hitomi, I don't have much to say about her but she's such a courageous woman, always smiling and sharing her fears with others probably to seek good advice and at the end she always takes the decision she thinks is the best for her.
Mayumi, her main personality trait is that when she's drunk she could be very frank and funny ;)
Kota , when I think of him there's only word that pops into my mind :chocobars. No seriously he is an attentive and loyal kid who will never let others insult his family.
Here finally comes the youngest of the family ''Hiroki'', he is such a cute kid full of confidence, I liked that and despite his young age he managed to find his place within this family.

Last words? this is another drama full of reflections about life and I think that's why I loved it so much. It may deals with death but it's not a depressing drama cause I think the writer probably wanted to show that anybody can move forward even if the wounds of the past are still here.
And yes the Japanese are for me the best when it comes to capture and move the audience. Of course It goes without saying I'll rewatch this drama cause it's now in my top 5 and there's a reason for it, hence my review ;)

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If you want to watch a drama about friendship, family bonds and people overcoming their hardship then Yume no California is definitely for you. Just be aware that is a slow drama and those who like this kind of story will surely enjoy it till the last minute. So it goes without saying that if you're looking for fast paced dramas you knocked at the wrong door.

But let me tell you what's the most appealing about this show : firstly, the story begins with Shu's family, He shows us around how he is living with his older brother and parents, at first sight it seems to be a good home with lovely people, but something is wrong, cause he still does not know what is his place in society, as if his future is uncertain and still obscure and in some way I can totally relate to his character and that's probably the reason why I love him so much.
So with the help of friends, Kotomi and Keiko (who were his classmates) he will finally be able to find a purpose in life and the answers to his questions.

What I loved the most, is the strong bond between Shu, Kotomi and Keiko. They are from different world but it did not prevent them to enjoy life and having fun together. Okay, Shu is the only guy between two girls but he simply wants to share his happiness and daily issues with friends, it just happened that Kotomi and Keiko were asking the same questions as him and wanted to find happiness and see if there is a future waiting for them. Shu sees them as confidants and trusting persons with whom he can tell anything about life, family and work.
It was simply a pleasure for the eyes seeing them experience what is the true meaning of ''friendship'' and enjoying all these little moments of life.
I do really like Shu's family, his parents and brother are really funny and always putting him in some embarassing situations when his friends come and visit them. I loved how his parents are really open minded and let people coming to their house and discussing about anything freely ;)

I was also really surprised to see how the scriptwriter managed to deal with suicide, divorce and dismissals without making the story too heartbreaking. Of course I felt sad for the characters, as they have to cope with their own problems because nobody can do it in their stead but they never wallow in self-pity.

The music was great too and I always appreciate when Japanese insert some American songs in their shows, it makes it even better and ''California Dreaming'' was appropriate for Yume no C. as for the ending song I liked it too, it is a Japanese ballad style, like I love them.

To Sum it up, it was a great show about friendship, just a bit slow. I expected a lot from this one and I ended up to be a little bit disappointed because I found the first three eps to be really amazing and then I don't know why but the show lost some of its magic. So that's why I'm only giving it an 8 score.

PS: I was so happy to see Kudo Kankuro, crazy as always. Anyway ''craziness'' is his trademark and it is always a pleasure to see him in dramas too.

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