Eleison

Oh, and Joy Of Life; the romance is not what makes it good, but the two seasons (Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger just so you know, and Season 2 is clearly setting up another season) that have been released you might enjoy. I thought they were super entertaining, and quite fun (a lot of intrigue and the ML trying to outsmart people out to get him and discovering how he's part of something way bigger than he could have ever imagined).

Guardians of the Dafeng is also a good, fun, ride, but it also kind of ends on a cliffhanger, but with this one, no word on a 2nd season yet. 😐

Will second New Life Begins (though it's more satirical (it caricatures men at times to make a point about how they treated women historically) and even slice of life at times; it's very cozy!); Dream of Splendor had super good chemistry with the romantic leads (I was quite taken with them, especially in the first 6 episodes), and Who Rules The World has a couple that works well as a team and as equals, and they're super lovely to watch together (actually, it's something all three of these dramas have in common!). I think they're actually higher quality dramas than PoB, even though PoB is undoubtedly an enjoyable drama (it's got some sloppy, low-budget elements to it, though).

Love Like The Galaxy is just on another level and scale. Beautiful music, and so many interesting characters and story arcs. I ultimately had a few gripes with the ML and revenge plot of LLTG, but it is a stunning ride, and worth a watch (but very long! 😅).

If you're looking for some good action and intrigue, Nirvana in Fire 2 might also be enjoyable to you (Nirvana in Fire is considered one of the best Cdramas ever made, but it requires patience, and is much different than PoB; Nirvana in Fire 2 has a more accessible pace, and is just beautiful (and in my opinion, it's super underrated)), as well as Ever Night (more wuxia/fantasy, though, and people have mixed feelings on it (particularly the romantic element (which is fairly slight compared to PoB)), but the fighting is VERY, VERY well done, the music is amazing, and the world building and characters are lots of fun and super interesting).

Enjoy!

This showcases a much more toned down version of LJS and MKY than I'm used to seeing. I've seen them as comedic and dorky or intense and melodramatic, but not "normal." 😅

KYS must have really channeled his Resident Playbook character into this role because he's playing the same character here, except maybe a bit smarter. 😉

It's great seeing RHY in a drama again. I love her (she made me one of her fans after Law School)!

My favorite part was when the FL discovered the notes the lawyer left her about his food group. A clever, intriguing way to snapshot each character.

Can't guarantee I'll keep watching, but the chemistry of the restaurant/coffee group is very good, and I've only missed two of LJS's dramas; I almost always like what he's in! We'll see, I guess! 💁‍♀️

Originally thought this would be on Disney +, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this on Viki after all.

P.S. I'm going into my 10th year at the same place I started in my occupation, too, and while I'm not as jaded as the ML, I totally sympathize with the tired and weary vibes he's giving off (and feeling), along with the temptation to get complacent because the work is finally comfortable and no longer a "battle" (so apt 😅). Episode 1 resonated with me for that reason. They nailed Year 9/10 of an extremely emotionally demanding profession working closely with human beings and their faults. 👏👏👏

I'm only a few minutes in, but it already gave the most comprehensive, thorough and accurate representation of being on a Seoul subway I've ever seen in a Kdrama. 😅

They must usually opt for bus public transport in Kdramas because it's easier to film? I can't imagine what line and time of day they had to film these opening shots to not conflict with commuter traffic. 😅

"You are my eeeverythiiiinnggg!" 😅

This track continues to be used, referenced and parodied in Kdramas and content about Kdramas to this day!

Yeah, I can agree the main detective was not impressive or interesting to me. She was not a compelling foil to K, for sure! There I agree with you. 😉

Then prepare your heart! 🫣

I especially liked #25. ☺️

It's these sorts of comments that make me realize I'm on a different wavelength than everyone who likes this drama. 🤦‍♀️

Our starting points are so different that I have no idea what people mean when they say they root for K. She's a psychopath who thinks she can play god. What's to root for?

And when there's a system in which said criminals can be punished within, when someone works around it, that's arrogance. She should have used her brilliance to find just ways of bringing these people to justice, not just bash their heads in without leaving a trail (that's what serial killers do).

If K was someone to root for, her character and the world she was writtwn in needed to be set up and framed completely differently.

And people can't say things like, "She's this way because of her childhood." What about all the people who are kind, compassionate, nice people with horrible upbringings? Let's root for them instead for choosing to be good people when they had every reason to turn out awful, but didn't.

Killing bad guys (what if you make a mistake one time in judgment?) is still murder. And why not get them properly sentenced and punished? I much prefer crime shows that demonstrate characters trying to bring people to justice while also not slipping down into gray area while they're at it (Stranger is MUCH more my cup of tea); when they defend and uphold justice even as a personal standard while struggling against corruption in the justice system--that's the stuff I can get behind (it's more realistic, and far more admirable).

Also, "bad guys" is a relative term. Where do you draw the line? It gets hard to do once you start trying to list what is worthy of death... it's a slippery slope, in my opinion.

Must have run out of time? That feels way more fitting to their characters.

While both the leads were clearly free spirits to some extent, both had a strong sense of duty to the people, and it felt a bit off for them to run off alone to be together just the two of them (even though I know Huang Chao brought peace, and Lanxi only has 10 years left, etc.), but after being so involved in humanitarian work, if you will, it felt a bit unlike them when serving and helping others had been their M.O. since the beginning. I would have loved some thematic/character arc prepping for that at the end so it felt more fitting.

And you know what would have completed that lovely domestic snapshot at the end (not quite sure why they picked coloring eyebrows as their final activity? 😅)? Pu'er (visiting them while on holiday from his apothecary shop). 🤨

Phew, that was a rushed ending if ever I saw one. I almost want to recommend watching until Episode 38, since 39 and 40 were a rushed job, FOR SURE, and don't even tie up the loose ends very well that still exist in 38. It felt like a student scrambling to finish an essay but not having enough time to finish the conclusion paragraph. 😬 (Thankfully, the body paragraphs were solid, and the argument decently intact, so the fallout from an unfinished conclusion was not as bad as it could have been, but still pretty disappointing).

The Tianshuang Sect was so frustrating after their intial fight against the Soultaker Sect; I was not impressed by them. How they managed to produce Bai Fengxi is beyond me. 😅

I also would have liked more time in Qingzhou to connect with that city and those people, since so much time was spent in Yongzhou.

I also wished there had been more satisfactory endings for our side characters--some they didn't even show at the end and we have no idea what happened to them.

That said, I LOVED the leads together; their partnership, teamwork, respect for one another (and their choices) and trust in each other was a delight to watch. They never doubted each other, and they were steadfast to the end. What a breath of fresh air, and so beautifullu written! Definitely the highlight of the whole drama. I loved the way they took turns supporting one another in their respective endeavors, and always tried to find a solution to seemingly imossible scenarios, even if it meant sacrificing their own well-being, safety, or future. They're also beautiful together, especially when both are fighting in their armor at the end. 😍

I had to give it an 8.5, but some elements (in particular Bai-Hei Fengxi) made me want to give it a 9. It was close!

Also, I have mixed feelings about the end:

I cannot believe they killed off Pu'er.

SERIOUSLY?! 😫😭😱

SO not cool.

You're not crazy! Boxers and wrestlers get them after years of fighting/being hit. They're called cauliflower ears. Dong Ju will get them, too, if he keeps fighting like he's doing right now. 😅

Thank you! This is helpful confrmation. I just thought the way everyone treats him was so heartbreakingly horrible, considering the fact that he and Feng Ju literally have the same parents, but one child is coddled and the other discarded.

Crazy how blind a "title" can make someone to reality. 🤨

Crisp is a good descriptor! It felt like the tightness of a movie's editing to me. Much tighter than typical dramas.

Ah, okay, so that was it. I read something about that, but wasn't sure. Whoops!

I loved the second half. 😅 The first is just a lot of tragedy, and just heartwrenching (beautiful, but it still guts you).

Also, random question that I figured you might have the answer to since you wrote a review on Who Rules The World and seem to be in the know: do you know why Lady Baili's maid's face and character is never shown on screen? Thelose scenes are getting quite distracting and are feeling like an audition tape with the person giving script cues speaking from off-camera. 😅