The background plot and the ending especially were a mess, with tropes I strongly dislike being done badly, bad choices and selfish people getting no consequences, some unexplained loose ends.
But the couple themselves and their journey was done better than this framework deserved and was refreshingly realistic. I liked that there was calm mature vibe between them, no violence/abuse and their misunderstandings made sense. You could see why they divorced, and why they still had hope. The sadness around this decision was conveyed pretty well, I could feel her exhaustion and his battle between helplessness, possession and wanting to make things right.
This might be boring/slow or a bit heavy if you're in the mood for a normal vertical drama frolic but I liked the change of seeing two gentle introverts fight lowkey style over the long haul, her for self fulfilment and him for her.
Their communication flex was lovely to see. FL explained her reasoning more than is common for these dramas and articulated her needs, when she needed space or wasn't ready. ML called FL out on interpreting him according to her assumptions even though he was trying to win her back- he apologised authentically rather than coaxed but he also said when he wasn't happy. I especially liked how they talked out the impact of third parties.
I also liked that they didn't turn into different people, he didn't suddenly become someone who forced himself on her even when he "losing control", or someone extroverted who would do the kinds of excessive public displays of affection that she'd previously envied, but he learned to show her in his own way without suffocating her and she learned to trust its worth and stop hiding.
The bullies call him an "ominous freak" because of his ethic/tribal clothes and being an orphan. Turns out they are right, as we see him plotting and mafia bossing around and, later, using sinister snake magic to attack (as well as below assaults).
So racism: check and victim blaming orphan prejudices confirmed: check. Bullying implicitly shown as justified.
The girl who comes to his aid is then "rewarded" as an adult by rape as per @thehepburn comment , with intention to noncon impregnate, and she is also poisoned with a parasite.
So on top of those non-con assault issues, we have confirming fears about risks for "good Samaritan" bystanders offering help check.
Link w/subs: https://ody.sh/bsKkrSgHDvhttps://rumble.com/v6ywi36-18-year-old-grandmother-arrives-to-restore-the-familys-glory.htmlhttps://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa1eauihttps://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa1qzz8*try…
on Dailymotion there are quite a few with this FL actor with title Reborn at 18: The Great-Grandma Takes Charge
Completely agree with @sayratial review. Fun I didn't see coming even though I will never not show up for a contract marriage/fake dating trope. Fab Fl - how does she do that balance? Perky -without being childishly annoying - yet also lazy - but it seemed endearing and almost unselfish. She kept saying (with the bad subtitles) she wanted to be a "salted fish" but with her hair bows in she looked like a cute axolotl. Speaking of subtitles they just could not cope with the ML name, he never had the same one twice and in one scene he was both "Divorced Wife" and "Service Attack" within seconds. Plenty of good lines but my fave below:
Great analysis. Why didn't you post this review in the review section?
I didn't know I was going to write all that when I started lol. Also it doesn't really review the acting, music, rewatch value etc. And finally deciding on a score - too hard!
Delusional doormat with no boundaries chases most boring man ever as if written by a 12yo in the back of their school book. But I may have just been in a bad mood at the time. What did you like about it?
Just because of your comment I had to start watching. Today is my day for firsts in Cdramas- first h@ndj*b and…
lol truth. I'm having to ration the "time travelling grandma whips her grandsons into place" ones to use as wholesome palate cleansers after a run of eg my uncle-in-law wants to be my dog
Uhm… one of the weirdest dramas I’ve seen so far. Synopsis: FL is a succubus (?!!!?) and needs (?) to have…
Just because of your comment I had to start watching. Today is my day for firsts in Cdramas- first h@ndj*b and now first succubus. Despite being prepared, I am even more surprised that the opening lines turn traditional lust vampire into a luck generating system, sounds more like a digital implant for making men into money generating vapes than anything more racy. The subs are making the weirdness even weirder, first meet at the office : she's talking about touching fish and he's talking about pointing longswords. What the 6 pack???!!
I liked her calm comebacks, so low key cool, and her dance costume ear cuffs. I liked his vampy bad boy make-up and hair combined with general pouty fineness. I also liked the SFL's jazz bar singer voice but that one scorched barrel curl really wanted cutting -what a missed moment with his knife .
But I just didn't feel much of anything with the rest, am I jaded or were the chemistry, stakes and twists just a bit lacking?
The most I felt was fury over the ring when I thought it was his engagement ring with SFL as that added an extra layer of humiliation- finding out it was actually his dead mother's keepsake just made me confused -like is this actually his twisted trust in her and symbolic of how he can't yet separate love from punishment? And then I shrugged and moved on.
The only enjoyable bit of this was the confrontation scene with the mother. Don't be deceived by the unique handling of a ubiquitous vertical drama trope- this is overall a weak and bland story about how pumpkin porridge can apparently fix anything (with some side assists from a yellow umbrella).
This is my third version of this story, with the first having Ke Chun as ML and second having Wang Xuan. It was less angsty and less blush-inducing but it wasn't lacking.
This Ximen Li Chen was more playful flirty with less overtly physical teasing of the other two. He threw her around less but smilingly dominated her more in their interactions; leaving her pouting at being played but barely putting up resistance. (Anyone else occasionally felt like they were watching Tan Jan Ci and Ni Ni tribute acts playing around?)
This is a reverse of the dynamic in Wang Xuan version (with Ke Chun somewhere in the middle IIRC). There is also less sensual push and pull and more intangible playful couple chemistry. I like both types and each fits its story.
They seem to respond to the break-up differently too - he is less hurt or angry or bewildered by their break-up than the emotions of the other versions (which makes sense as it has less back story) and it's more like the break-up honed his determination to protect their relationship to sharper levels.
A key line in this story is ML saying "I am your dog". The other two also show they are her dog with their puppy eyes, acting clingy and scheming and eager to be used as her weapon. When this Ximen Lichen says it it feels ironic. Even when he claims to be turned on by her controlling his vision it feels more like him teasing her than honest kink sharing. If anything he feels more like her guard dog - circling around her, straight forward and decisive, instantly acting to obliterate any threats -reminds me of Prince is Too Wild. He only does her bidding to not go to far with vengeance - she just about leashes him and more with her gentleness than her power. The other two versions encourage her be wilful- they will back her up so she can unleash herself.
Despite the more traditional male centric power dynamic, I feel like there is something different going on in their intimacy than usually shown.
He takes on personal body-altering responsibility for the contraception, opting for male pill (at side effect risk to himself)-- my first time seeing this in any drama from anywhere and I'm still so shocked I wondered if it was a pharmacological/TCM sponsorship plug rather than spotlight on gender inequality. But kudos for having those conversations regardless- that alone is its own kind of mature sexy.
And ....I'm not sure... but when she has been drugged ...and he calls the Dr (so one point in favour of issue of consent), and other meds are tried... the Dr suggests "manual relief" ... and after she recovers he is shown still wearing his shirt when she is bashful and bare-shouldered under sheets... it feels like rather than taking advantage of her situation for his own gratification , he took those words literally!
There is a level of respect and centering of her pleasure and convenience as well as a nod to the issues of birth control and consent in their intimate interactions. It also makes him look like a really skilled lover, considerate and reliable - a stark and heart-stirring contrast to wildly pulling a gun and shooting his nephew's hand nearly off.
Whilst I prefer the more empowered and seductive FL in other versions, this FL still stands her ground to her father, his family etc. I can appreciate that here, beneath the typical FL submission to the ML, is a different variant of him giving power to her that doesn't rely on his wealth or status or her efforts to control or charm but comes from character and healthy relationship. It's more relatable and seems to say "expect more: even if there are no wealthy domineering slightly dangerous CEO uncles-in-law ready to wreck the world for you even years after you've dumped him- a real man will proactively share responsibility for birth control and learn how to give quality "manual relief" ".
There were times it was sizzling - teasing fingernail down begging lips in the car for eg. There were times it was smoking- in a really bad way- let's not make lung cancer promotion part of our kisses now please. And then I have no words to describe the ridiculous hit of a kiss where, from a group of grapes lolling loosely on the counter (now magically devoid of the previously spilled milk), exactly 3 get isolated and crushed (with one even having its close-up time to shine giving a little wine). All the tension broken for me with that weirdly staged spurt and instead tears of laughter.
3 red grapes, see how they roll, they're all crushed under the uncle's wife who made them squirt without using a knife did you ever see such a thing in your life as 3 mushed grapes
1 
But the couple themselves and their journey was done better than this framework deserved and was refreshingly realistic. I liked that there was calm mature vibe between them, no violence/abuse and their misunderstandings made sense. You could see why they divorced, and why they still had hope. The sadness around this decision was conveyed pretty well, I could feel her exhaustion and his battle between helplessness, possession and wanting to make things right.
This might be boring/slow or a bit heavy if you're in the mood for a normal vertical drama frolic but I liked the change of seeing two gentle introverts fight lowkey style over the long haul, her for self fulfilment and him for her.
Their communication flex was lovely to see. FL explained her reasoning more than is common for these dramas and articulated her needs, when she needed space or wasn't ready. ML called FL out on interpreting him according to her assumptions even though he was trying to win her back- he apologised authentically rather than coaxed but he also said when he wasn't happy. I especially liked how they talked out the impact of third parties.
I also liked that they didn't turn into different people, he didn't suddenly become someone who forced himself on her even when he "losing control", or someone extroverted who would do the kinds of excessive public displays of affection that she'd previously envied, but he learned to show her in his own way without suffocating her and she learned to trust its worth and stop hiding.
So racism: check and
victim blaming orphan prejudices confirmed: check.
Bullying implicitly shown as justified.
The girl who comes to his aid is then "rewarded" as an adult by rape as per @thehepburn comment , with intention to noncon impregnate, and she is also poisoned with a parasite.
So on top of those non-con assault issues, we have confirming fears about risks for "good Samaritan" bystanders offering help check.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Wang_Yue )
Reborn at 18: The Great-Grandma Takes Charge
Reborn at 18: The Great-Grandma Takes Charge
"reward me?"
"...settle scores with you, how do you know so much about my family?!"
Fab Fl - how does she do that balance? Perky -without being childishly annoying - yet also lazy - but it seemed endearing and almost unselfish. She kept saying (with the bad subtitles) she wanted to be a "salted fish" but with her hair bows in she looked like a cute axolotl. Speaking of subtitles they just could not cope with the ML name, he never had the same one twice and in one scene he was both "Divorced Wife" and "Service Attack" within seconds. Plenty of good lines but my fave below:
But I just didn't feel much of anything with the rest, am I jaded or were the chemistry, stakes and twists just a bit lacking?
The most I felt was fury over the ring when I thought it was his engagement ring with SFL as that added an extra layer of humiliation- finding out it was actually his dead mother's keepsake just made me confused -like is this actually his twisted trust in her and symbolic of how he can't yet separate love from punishment? And then I shrugged and moved on.
This Ximen Li Chen was more playful flirty with less overtly physical teasing of the other two. He threw her around less but smilingly dominated her more in their interactions; leaving her pouting at being played but barely putting up resistance. (Anyone else occasionally felt like they were watching Tan Jan Ci and Ni Ni tribute acts playing around?)
This is a reverse of the dynamic in Wang Xuan version (with Ke Chun somewhere in the middle IIRC). There is also less sensual push and pull and more intangible playful couple chemistry. I like both types and each fits its story.
They seem to respond to the break-up differently too - he is less hurt or angry or bewildered by their break-up than the emotions of the other versions (which makes sense as it has less back story) and it's more like the break-up honed his determination to protect their relationship to sharper levels.
A key line in this story is ML saying "I am your dog". The other two also show they are her dog with their puppy eyes, acting clingy and scheming and eager to be used as her weapon. When this Ximen Lichen says it it feels ironic. Even when he claims to be turned on by her controlling his vision it feels more like him teasing her than honest kink sharing. If anything he feels more like her guard dog - circling around her, straight forward and decisive, instantly acting to obliterate any threats -reminds me of Prince is Too Wild. He only does her bidding to not go to far with vengeance - she just about leashes him and more with her gentleness than her power. The other two versions encourage her be wilful- they will back her up so she can unleash herself.
Despite the more traditional male centric power dynamic, I feel like there is something different going on in their intimacy than usually shown.
He takes on personal body-altering responsibility for the contraception, opting for male pill (at side effect risk to himself)-- my first time seeing this in any drama from anywhere and I'm still so shocked I wondered if it was a pharmacological/TCM sponsorship plug rather than spotlight on gender inequality. But kudos for having those conversations regardless- that alone is its own kind of mature sexy.
And ....I'm not sure... but when she has been drugged ...and he calls the Dr (so one point in favour of issue of consent), and other meds are tried... the Dr suggests "manual relief" ... and after she recovers he is shown still wearing his shirt when she is bashful and bare-shouldered under sheets... it feels like rather than taking advantage of her situation for his own gratification , he took those words literally!
There is a level of respect and centering of her pleasure and convenience as well as a nod to the issues of birth control and consent in their intimate interactions. It also makes him look like a really skilled lover, considerate and reliable - a stark and heart-stirring contrast to wildly pulling a gun and shooting his nephew's hand nearly off.
Whilst I prefer the more empowered and seductive FL in other versions, this FL still stands her ground to her father, his family etc. I can appreciate that here, beneath the typical FL submission to the ML, is a different variant of him giving power to her that doesn't rely on his wealth or status or her efforts to control or charm but comes from character and healthy relationship. It's more relatable and seems to say "expect more: even if there are no wealthy domineering slightly dangerous CEO uncles-in-law ready to wreck the world for you even years after you've dumped him- a real man will proactively share responsibility for birth control and learn how to give quality "manual relief" ".
There were times it was smoking- in a really bad way- let's not make lung cancer promotion part of our kisses now please.
And then I have no words to describe the ridiculous hit of a kiss where, from a group of grapes lolling loosely on the counter (now magically devoid of the previously spilled milk), exactly 3 get isolated and crushed (with one even having its close-up time to shine giving a little wine). All the tension broken for me with that weirdly staged spurt and instead tears of laughter.
3 red grapes,
see how they roll,
they're all crushed under the uncle's wife
who made them squirt without using a knife
did you ever see such a thing in your life
as 3 mushed grapes