Nice Romantic Drama with some Surprisingly Well Placed Humor

The FL , a rough around the edges Geologist ,who loves the outdoors is poached from the adventures that is her work in the field, to take the place of her famous twin sister who’s vanished from her life of acting fame.

This had the typical storyline of the FL struggling with her new life but eventually settling in nicely to fame as well as a PR relationship with the ML, who surprisingly has a keen interest in geology himself. What sets this apart from other shows that have done similar storylines is the humor. These amusing moments happened at the most inopportune times which made them perfect in the context of the story.

The supporting characters were hilarious and had great chemistry with the leads. I enjoyed the FL’s team, especially her manager. Some of his facial expressions were spot on. Lol. The love story was organic and well paced. The leads had good chemistry. The push, pull, conflict and misunderstandings that eventually led to them getting together was entertaining.

However, once they got together there wasn’t much story. There were some really nice romantic moments, but essentially the series meandered along with the monotony of day to day life and love with some business “drama,” that was hardly drama at all, thrown in. The twin sister finally returned to potentially stir things up but instead brings with her a WTF moment when she reveals that their mom had died a year earlier unbeknownst to the FL. Very bizarre story twist which really was just drama for drama sake and not needed.

The inevitable exposure of the truth about the twin’s deceit and subsequent breakup of the leads made sense considering the situation. However, it wasn’t as explosive as it should’ve been. We were told rather than shown the impact. This made it difficult to feel the hurt and separation angst between the leads and thus failed to deepen my emotional investment in their journey. The other love story between the ML’s sister and right hand man didn’t work for me. Though they had chemistry, it was sibling chemistry not romantic chemistry. He looked too old for her and she was too immature for him. She was very young and should’ve enjoyed dating guys her age before settling down to marry and have a kid.

The series ending was rushed, leaving several storylines unexplained or making little sense, but I liked that it was only 22 episodes. Overall this wasn’t outstanding, but it was enjoyable and will make for a nice re-watch.

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"Love" Story with Problematic and Antiquated Relationship Tropes

The forced marriage that turns to love can be fun with the right writing. Unfortunately, this series fell short. Though the leads had great chemistry their relationship was problematic. The ML basically pays the FL’s adoptive mother $50 million dollars to “rescue” her from her adoptive family i.e. mother who treats her like trash. Mind you, the FL had no romantic interest in the ML as she was in love with the SML. Once married, the ML proceeds to yell at the FL, manhandle her and lock her in the home when she doesn’t respond to him the way he desires.

Granted he does secretly pay for her incapacitated brother’s care, but that still doesn’t make up for his possessive treatment of her. When they finally divorce, which he initiates as he decides that he has to “let her go” so that she can be happy, he then follows her around town (essentially stalking her) and continues to do things to control her life, such as arranging an apartment for her without her knowledge and ensuring that she chooses that place for her new residence. Of course, the FL finally realizes that she loves him and, in the end, they reunite, but honestly I don’t see why. Despite them being close schoolmates in high school and him doing a couple of honorable things that would warrant appreciation, that evolving into her having a romantic love for him made no sense.

The SML and SFL were a cute couple. They had nice chemistry and a descent love story until that relationship was destroyed by the SFL’s mother and unfortunately materialistic needs. The corporate drama wasn’t well played and the storyline with the FL’s incapacitated brother seemed to be an integral part of the story to start, but then was immediately dropped and was only revisited for a blink and you miss it moment, late in the series.

This was a very entertaining show. I did find that I wanted to see what happened next, but the writing wasn’t good and neither was the love story. The acting was hit or miss and some of the designs of the scene settings i.e. the homes and businesses, left a lot to be desired. Is this worth watching. Not really. Would I re-watch. No.

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Romance Takes a Backseat to the Monotony that can be Medical Research

This started off as an engaging show. The adventures in Lakanya served as a nice foundation for the romance to build between the leads. Moreover, the timing used to move the story to China was well orchestrated . Though I enjoyed the ML being utterly smitten with the FL at times he came off embarrassingly pathetic especially when he and her first got together. He became less desperate as the story progressed but could still be obsessive and stalkerish.

Nearly all the supporting characters could be annoying but they too mellowed out with time. Save for the FL’s nemesis who was nothing short of insufferable and cartoonish. The SML had potential but unfortunately the writers decided to turn him into an un ethical ass whose only excuse was mommy and daddy issues. SMH.

The series introduced characters that could’ve been integrated into the story in an interesting way but were promptly dropped without warning. There were storylines that could’ve been key to the overall plot that were dropped as well. The love and angst of the romance was at times good but got bogged down with the Huntington Disease plot. Though the ML was obviously deeply in love with the FL I found it hard to believe he’d give up his research on glioma and being a neurosurgeon both of which he was passionate about to go into the black hole that was researching a disease in which finding funding and finding a cure was futile.

The ending left me confused. Was the FL dead? Or in a long term care facility and thus unable to attended the conference on the breakthrough the ML had made with a drug to treat Huntington’s? The way she was framed in that last scene it looked as if it was the former. Either way it was sad.

The acting was good. The leads had nice chemistry but some awkward kisses. Not sure why that was, being as the actors heights matched well which should’ve made their close moments easier to pull off realism in those romantic moments. This started as an interesting love story but then became all about Huntington ‘s Disease. I can appreciate the writers going there, as it’s so rare for Asian dramas to address disease and imperfections but I much preferred the focus on the neurological activities and medical emergencies that arose with known and random patients

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Lies were the least of this love story’s problems

The business storyline in this was good. It had some nice layers. However, the SML’s involvement was over the top. Everything he did was about his obsession with the FL. It would’ve made more sense if greed was driving his behavior. But then again the writers did a good job at showing how creepy and insane he was so that kind of helped justify his actions.

One of the funniest moments in the series that probably shouldn’t have been was when he thought he was going to take the easy way out to prevent being arrested, by leaping to his death off a building, only to land on a huge air mattress which saved his life. He was immediately arrested and carted off to jail. Lol.

I liked that the ML wasn’t perfect. He was an amputee on the verge of being an alcoholic. His disability wasn’t focused on much to start, but did come into play a little more in the later episodes, adding depth to the romance. Speaking of which, the romance was a good story. I liked that the leads met by chance during a rock climbing excursion, connected, lost touch after that weekend together then happened to meet again two years later but under unscrupulous circumstances. The business conflict threatening to destroy any chance at them having a future provided nice conflict as did the crazy SML. Though I got sick of him in the last few episodes. Additionally the FL,, would frequently make foolish decisions which would cause unnecessary difficulties for her and the ML

Though the writing for the romance was strong, the problem was the leads. They had no chemistry. This was mainly due to the FL who I’m sorry to say is a horrible actress. Unlike Luo Yunxi, she had no charisma. She put no emotions into the character except when she was trying to cry. Her line delivery was flat. Many times it was almost as if she was just reading the lines off a piece of paper.and she infused no zest into her character, leaving the FL with no personality. As the series went on I found that she would’ve made a great cyborg in the Terminator movies. That’s how bad her acting was.

Overall the series was watchable. It wasn’t bad. It was just okay. I think if a better actress was cast as the FL it .would’ve improved the show tremendously.

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Similar to Love Between a Fairy and a Devil but falls short of matching its greatness

Luo Yunxi was compelling as Tantai Jin/Devil God, cold, cunning and aloof, yet deep down having a desire to feel and understand emotions. He went through hell “killing” his mother during child birth, being hated and abandoned by his father, only to be betrayed by those whom he thought cared for him most, then cruelly bullied throughout his childhood and early adult years. It could be understood why he embraced the darkness within and chose to destroy the world considering the viciousness he’d experienced within it. Then he met the *new* Ye Xiwu. She defended and protected him. She showed him kindness and taught him love. She challenged and angered him, but she always came back to him - ultimately changing him for the better.

Though the show explored an interesting journey of war, politics, love and layers of past/future lives/identifies of our leads and the supporting characters, the show fell short with the love story which was ultimately driving the overall arc on the show. It was clear that Tantai deeply loved Ye Xiwu. Not only did he tell her, he showed her in his actions. Ironically though Ye Xiwu did many things that would be deemed as loving for Tantai, her feelings were always questionable because her actions were direct by her mission. In the end I did believe she truly cared for him but the show took too long to make this clear.

The past/future/present lives of the characters gave wonderful insight, especially the past, into why these people became who they were. However, I found I enjoyed the present storyline the most when they were in the Kingdom of Sheng, especially when it came to the love story. There was a sexy flintiness between the leads that worked so well and I could see the cold walls crumbling within Tantai. I liked seeing the connection building between them string by string. The special effects were outstanding but the show never used that grandness to create epic and unforgettable moments, which I think it should’ve had considering the content. The only moment that came close to being epic was when Tantai killed Yue Yingxin and jumped off the boat into the river. It was such an unexpected moment that was well acted and written.

One thing that annoyed me about the show was the FL going to bed in gowns she’s worn all day, dangling earrings and elaborate head dresses. No way was she getting sleep with all that stuff on. lol.

The acting was great in this. The leads had really good chemistry. When their character got serious and close there was a heat between them that II wish we’d seen more of. The story was good, not great. The ending hurt and the very last scene was bizarre, but overall this was worth watching.

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Once again, Xu Kai takes on a Potentially Good Story which Unfortunately Veers off into the Tedious

A woman who is the brains behind the design of a new medical technology is on the precipice of rising to a new level within her company and subsequently the medical technology industry. Not only that, she seems to be well rounded with a personal life full of friends and a loving boyfriend who wants to marry her. Of course her road to career success starts off rough with her male supervisor knowing her talent but deliberately blocking her growth for fear that she’d outshine him and the inevitable male pig or two who feels he can treat women like sexual objects whom he can harass at his leisure. The first few episodes entailed the FlL dealing with these obstacles in the office with no support from her male or female office leaders. It was infuriating to watch, but entertaining.

Ji Xing (FL) was a strong woman who stood up for herself. Reporting sexual harassment when others tried to deter her complaint and quitting her job when she realized they’d never reward the value she brought to the company. Many of us have been there. So I cheered her on when she made that wise decision to move on. Moreover, when friends, colleagues and even her boyfriend weren’t overly supportive of her starting her own business she pushed forward, making adjustments to the business plan where needed, to improve her chances of success. Loved this.

On a shallow note, the FL looked 35 rather than her character’s age. Good actress, but she looked too old to be in her early 20s. The styling of her hair didn't help and the ML though in real life in his late 20s, looked way older than his character's age. But at least he looked old enough to run a conglomerate unlike most of the MLs in C-dramas who look all of 21 years old. Lol.

That said, I liked the business interactions between the leads and was intrigued by how the romance would develop between them, but I also liked the potential that was the relationship between the FL and her boyfriend. The story started to lose my interest with the contrived breakup of the FL and her boyfriend. The reasons made no sense and was a mere plot device, not well written I might add, to make the FL easily available to the ML. It would've been more interesting had the ML had to fight for the FL's affections with her eventually realizing he was a better match for her than her boyfriend. Unfortunately, no such luck. I could predict where the story would go from here as the plot contrivances started almost immediately after the breakup with the ML showing up at the FL’s home for some ridiculous reason, and in turn, happened to meet her mom who loved him. And of course with him now having invested in her business, mind you he only invested so that he could continue to work closely with her in hopes of then dating SMH, the plot contrivances would undoubtedly continue. At this point, I stopped watching the show. It’s a shame because I really liked the set up of the story, but the writing kind of got lost within itself after about 10 episodes.

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Past, Present and Future Collide via a Mysterious Cell Phone

Good series with a great cast. Though it wasn't fleshed out, the sci-fi element of the story was interesting and was a reasonable catalyst to drive the story forward.

There were a couple of nice twists, like the SFL being completely psycho and the ML being the mysterious guy in the future trying to change the past via the mystery phone. The power struggle within the business could've been better. I still don't understand what the SFL's father hoped to accomplish by getting the phone that could call the future. How was that going to save his health and subsequently his life? It would've made more sense if he wanted the phone for the financial gain he could generate from the technology, rather than his personal health.

The ML could be a selfish ass, but eventually grew and learned the only way he could save the future -the one he loved was to let go of his own personal desires. The love story was sweet. The leads had nice chemistry and their interactions felt organic. How their story played out in the final episodes was predictable. Yet it was entertaining. This wasn’t outstanding . There were some plot points that made no sense, but it wasn’t bad either. 16 episodes was the perfect number of episodes to tell the story. I wish more C-dramas would do more with less, similar to this drama. Enjoyable series.

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Horribly Written Series that Offers Some Entertainment Value

Upon finishing this show, I found I enjoyed its entertainment value, but after the need to know what happens next being fulfilled and thus wearing off I found that overall this was not good. This series had no world building. We didn’t know who the emperor was ruling. What the set up of his kingdom looked like. Who was on the court. I don’t believe the audience even got the name of the kingdom. And it wasn’t revealed that there were two races of people living in the kingdom, human and demons, which was causing its own issues until nearly the end of the series. Though the ML is the Fox emperor (demon), he’s not seen doing any ruling over his kingdom. For he spends most of his time painting, hanging out with the FL and killing those who are “bad” and drinking their blood. It’s odd because his origins are a white fox). But since when does a white fox act like a vampire? Foxes are indeed carnivores, but have never been known to be associated with the vampire lore.

Moreover, the emperor had no guards. So those who wanted to kill him could roam about the palace grounds and his bed chambers unfettered. Granted he did have supernatural powers and was more than capable of taking care of himself but he did have weaknesses and being that he was the emperor should’ve had a guard protecting him and the palace at all times.

As a plot point the audience did see in part why the SML wanted to overthrow and kill the Fox emperor. The latter was killing innocents to satisfy his bloodthirst and the people in the kingdom were suffering in poverty. The emperor explained why he killed those he killed, which wasn’t a justification for what he was doing. And basically shrugged off his subjects starving and being taken advantage of by corrupt officials, saying he’d seen this behavior for 1000 years and that humans would never stop being corrupt. So you’re not going to try and make things better as emperor? Note, killing those whom he deemed corrupt without working to put some system in place to fight corruption and help the people is not making things better.

Worse when he finally got the FL to fall in love with him he abandons his kingdom leaving it to be taken over by whomever wants it, so that he can happily live in obscurity with the FL. SMH. Though the FL claims she cares about the suffering of the people she joins him in this life without a second thought.

The show haphazardly throws in a racial element surrounding the demons being unfairly persecuted by humans, but it falls flat considering everything else that’s wrong with this series. What the series does get right are the comedic moments, the visual effects and the chemistry between the leads. The leads had some smoldering close moments. The heat between them was emanating from the screen. Also it was a fairly entertaining show. Despite the series being horribly written it sort of worked for the previously mentioned reasons and the fact that it was only 240 minutes. If you’re purely looking for a passable love story with no logic but reasonable entertainment value you might enjoy this. Is this worth watching? Maybe. Depends on the viewer. Is this worth rewatching? No.

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Manipulation, Mystic and Romance makes for an Unpredictable and Intriguing Marriage Contract

Park Yeon-woo is a free spirit determined to live life on her own terms. So when her parents arrange for her to marry the “ugly old” master I figured some type of marriage contract would come out of the union. Imagine my shock when the “ugly old” master ended up being young and hot, then ends up keeling over on their wedding night. And that’s pretty much how this story went with some predictability but having a few great twists.

It’s always difficult for shows to do the fish out of water stories but the writers did well with this one. They addressed some of the bafflement Yeon-woo would have with living in the future without it overwhelming the story. Though the series was supposed to center around the marriage contract this element had little relevance to the overall story. It played no role in the drama and tension within the story, which actually worked. The game of chess between Tae-ha, Sang-mo and Hye-suk over the future of SH Seoul and SH New York generated enough tension and entertainment to keep the story interesting.

Moreover, the relationships between the friends, enemies , families and lovers was fun to watch. Though I didn’t care much for the stepbrother to start, he seemed like an annoying spoiled brat,. He actually turned out to be a good person whom I grew to enjoy. The villains had their “reasons”, but thankfully no one was at a mustache twirling level. Sang-mo could be nasty but she had some layers once her backstory was revealed. Though the story had its serious moments it also had some really funny comedic moments. The leads had great chemistry and the romance was well done. It started off as a slow burn but then built and built until it became swoonworthy.

The present’s tie to the past was done in a way where some found themselves in the same place while others had an alternative setup. The stories intertwined nicely in both timelines. The show did drag just a little in the last couple of episodes. At times it seemed like the writers were using filler until they were ready to move the story forward. I did think they kept present day Yeon-woo and Tae-ha apart a little too long in the final episode, but overall this was a really good show. The story, acting and chemistry of the characters was great. The love story was beautifull and the business shenanigans was entertaining. Its definitely worth watching and is a show I’ll rewatch in the future.

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An Office Romance Wrecks Havoc on the Fragile Career of An Elite Educator

Interesting insight into the elite education field for high schoolers in Korea. Though the FL was very good at what she did her approach, at times, could be off putting. The ML being brought onboard predictably stirred things up and inevitably led to the FL being humbled a bit but it was growth her character needed .

Though the show did a good job at capturing the atmosphere of the elite Korean education system the story wasn’t deeply engaging. There wasn’t anything compelling about the FL standing outside a door waiting for the ML to finish his teacher’s entry exam, watching him do a mock lecture or watching administrators and teachers try and outwit each other to become the next *star* educator at the school. It’s difficult to make a series centered around the classroom interesting, which is why this show struggled to capture this viewer.

The romance wasn’t enough to make up for what was missing in the main story. The leads chemistry wasn’t great, just passable. Their love story was okay. It was a little icky that the ML had a thing for the FL back in high school when she was his teacher. She gave in to his advances almost immediately. It would’ve been more realistic had she resisted his romantic overtures given their past teacher/student relationship, not to mention the risk to her career, for which she’d worked very hard to find extraordinary success.

Overall, this was okay. After I finished the last episode I realized there was nothing memorable about this show. Is it worth watching? Depends on the viewer, but honestly not to me. Is it worth a rewatch? Absolutely not.

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A Day In the Life of Lovers Who Live to Play Pool

Really liked that the story took place in Finland. Loved that the ML was instantly smitten by the FL upon first seeing her. The originality of the story being set around professional pool players was intriguing.

Unfortunately, the story dragged. There was no story really just the monotony of daily life for the leads and their friends. The show didn’t need to be 30 episodes. They could’ve told what little story they were gone tell in 10-12 episodes.

The leads did have nice chemistry and again I enjoyed the backdrop of the story being winter in Finland, but there wasn’t any substance to the series. It was literally episode after episode of the leads (and their friends), dating, working and playing pool. No conflict. No angst. No start building towards a climax then move towards ending the story. No nothing. Just a day in the life…everyday life for these characters during this period.

If you’re looking for a series about the day to day life of a couple and their friends then this may appeal to you. Otherwise I would not recommend this show.

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“Love” and Ambition Brings out the Cunning and the Crazy

Xue Fang has what seems to be the perfect marriage to Shen Yu only for him to betray her in the worst way. This was one of the many interesting things about the series that Xue Fang and Shen Yu’s marriage was actually good. I think he even loved her, to a point, but he love himself and power more. Hence, the reprehensible decision he made.

This story has been done before. So overall the premise and even the execution wasn’t anything new. But that still didn’t make the story less intriguing. Though I enjoyed Xue Fang/ Jiang Li ,she was the typical and predictable heroine of the story. Superior intellect and always 10 steps ahead of her enemies. The Duke was the predictable male lead in being smart, tough and always there to get the heroine out jams she couldn’t get herself out of. Very predictable characters as was the love story but still entertaining to watch.

I found it interesting that many of the women featured on the show had been through some type of trauma or was heavily influenced by a parent, usually a father, which was a big part of why they were either kind or hateful. This was a nice touch by the writers which worked to give the villains some complexity rather than being one note evil.

The Princess was the perfect example of this. She’d been through hell and as a result had some interesting vulnerabilities , but she was a horrible person and quite mad. Shen Yu was similar in that he was put in a difficult situation beyond his control. Thus he at times generated some sympathy. However, he was a coward . Yet intelligent, cunning and ambitious. Both were vile characters whom I loathed but I found them compelling to watch because of their complexities.

The writing in this was generally good, but at times there were scenes that went on too long or too much unnecessary detail was provided. The show spent a lot of time showing backstories for supporting characters that wasn’t needed. The big battle with General Chen was anticlimactic. The Longwu “army” was only about enough soldiers to fill a courtyard. And the “face off” consisted of tender moments between Xue Fang/Jiang Li and the Duke. Xue Fang/Jiang Li was completely out of place here, and the Duke, General Chen and Shen Yu pontificating about their issues with each other. Very disappointing.

The last episode was way too long. It had about 5 different endings. They could’ve cut out most of those scenes and still tied up the series nicely. Honestly the last 8-10 episodes could’ve been compressed down to 3-5 episodes making the series 30-35 episodes rather than 40. The show lost momentum in the last several episodes and as a result dragged quite a bit. Again a lot of time was wasted on unnecessary backstories and such.

Despite all this , the acting was strong.. The leads had good chemistry. The love story was well done as was the conspiracies and treason. Overall it was a good series. The bonus “episode” was cute. I’m glad Xue Fang got her HEA with the Duke. Is this worth watching? Yes but just know it’s more about the conspiracies than the love story. Would I watch again? Probably not.

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Revenge that was served, not quite so perfectly

The show really leaned into the FL’s “family” being trash - forced confinement, poisonings, murder for hire, verbal abuse etc. At times it was completely over the top as was the way in which the FL ended up being raised by them. Though this is a fictitious story, it was hard to suspend disbelief surrounding how she ended up in that household due to the extreme contrivances and coincidences.

Many of the characters in this were as dumb as a box of rocks. The FL was pretty dense to start, but thankfully she wised up after literally getting a new lease on life. But her ex fiancé was probably one of the stupidest characters I’ve seen in a while. He repeatedly made incredibly imbecilic decisions and was just…argh. It didn’t help that the actor in the role wasn’t that good. He only had two facial expressions, mindless stare into nothingness or mouth hanging open with a painful frown which I guess was supposed to convey shock and horror. He was awful.

The FL’s father was not only a horrible person, but he was pretty dense too considering he couldn’t see that his wife was a sociopath despite her repeatedly deceitful and abusive behaviors. The ML’s half brother also wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but in hindsight I found nothing about that character made any sense. He was in the story purely for plot.

The revenge plot was okay, but I’ve seen better. The setup and execution lacked punch because the audience was oftentimes completely in the dark about what the FL was planning to do and the story didn’t build. It just moved along at an even pace. As a result, when the villains were finally taken down it was anti-climatic. Moreover, after everything the FL went through, I didn’t think it was realistic that she’d ever forgive her father. He allowed her to be abused in his household for years and did nothing about it. In the end, he didn’t deserve to be in her life or to walk away virtually unscathed.

The love story was a little ridiculous, but what else is new. The ML fell in love with a painting by the FL. Watched her from afar which led to him falling deeply in love with her. It can’t get anymore preposterous than this. But…the leads had really good chemistry, which made me a believer in their love. I would’ve liked to have seen more push/pull in their relationship before they got together. More close moments in the house they shared and a little more to their “honeymoon” would’ve been nice too. Though the revenge plot was lackluster I will admit I had a good laugh when the dumb ex boyfriend marriage plans got ruined when the FL’s stepsister showed up on his doorstep 9 months pregnant, declaring him as the baby’s father. He fought so hard and did so many utterly dumb and despicable things to please her and be with her. He finally got the spoiled insufferable brat just when he thought he’d moved on from her to greener pastures. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person.

Overall, this was entertaining enough to see it through to the end, but it wasn’t as well executed as it could’ve been.

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The Best Choice Ever Would Be For Chenghuan to Choose Herself

The story was good to start. A new boss Yao, the ML, comes to town from abroad to run the Botecelli hotel chain, but this boss is not just coming in to run the business he has he own agenda that may or may not be nefarious. While Chenghuan, the FL, is a sales and marketing superstar who is looking to grow her career but may be a hindrance to the MLs plans unbeknownst to her. There was entertainment value here, but then the story lost its way when it no longer centered around the business happenings at the hotel to focus on the soap operaic drama surrounding the Xin family and Chenghuan’s interactions with them. SMH. It was over the top, contrived drama. And don’t even get me started on the FL’s mom and the SML’s sister, who were insufferable busybodies.

I will say I loved the chemistry between Chenghuan, and Jia Liang, the SML. He could be cute with his actions towards her and they really popped together. It is too bad that he was immature, irresponsible, and failed to take control of their relationship when his family continuously butted in causing chaos. He was essentially a wealthy bum. Truly a shame.

Though the series tried to sell a budding romance between the leads, it was difficult to suspend disbelief and believe their relationship could actually go there. I know it was just business, but after he used her as a pawn for his own business coupe, which nearly destroyed her reputation and did derail her career, it wasn’t believable that the FL would interact with him in any way beyond an as needed basis. Moreover, she and the ML didn’t have any chemistry. They had the scenes and dialogue to create what may be a budding romance but there was no spark between them.

I didn’t finish this series because honestly I got incredibly bored with it. However, seeing as Jia Liang was a man child who’d never grow up, Yao being a scheming user who was a vulture coming to swirl around his elderly grandmother in a plan to acquire her business, and the Mai parents being a mix of passive uselessness to their children, to aggressively controlling them to the point of being intolerable, I came to hope that in the end Chenhuang will pull a Kelly Taylor and choose herself.

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CSI Meets Crime Solving in 16th Century China

A disfigured woman is shunned by society due to her “ugly” looks and knack for reading the dead becomes a lead investigator in unraveling a myriad of conspiracies in the town of Heyang. The cases and her investigative methods (along with the help of her love interest, the ML) were interesting as were the layers surrounding the crimes that revealed a bigger conspiracy.

Even better was the big conspiracy was simple, yet intriguing. However, in the last 10 episodes the story started to lose steam. The episodes begin to drag and spent too much time on story threads that were boring or made the main story thread more complicated than it needed to be.

Though the leads were passible as a couple, they looked good together. I actually preferred the ML with the original actress who played the FL when she was scarred and “ugly.” They had good chemistry and I liked the idea of the FL not being this raving beauty. When the storyline called for the FL’s face to change it took several episodes for me to warm up to the new actress in the role. Moreover, when I did warm up to her, I begin to find interest in her interactions with the SML. I liked the potential that was their relationship. It was too bad that there was no chance for them to explore a romance considering their natural chemistry, which wasn’t quite there with the ML.

The acting was good from everyone. Both FLs were the strongest actresses out of the younger cast. The actor who played the ML struggled, at times, when he had to get emotional. The “love” story was anemic at best. I think the leads worked best when they were in that mode of distance and “sexual” (though there wasn’t much sexiness going on. lol) tension rather than when they became a couple. Some of their “romantic” interactions were awkward. I think because their chemistry was mediocre at best.

Thankfully the series didn’t spend much time on their “love” as the focus was on solving the conspiracies at hand. The show started off really good but meandered towards the end on unnecessary storylines. The story could’ve been tightened and completed in 18-20 episodes, rather than 32. That said, this was worth watching. Is it worth a rewatch? Maybe.

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