Outrageous story progression, Messy plot & Power scaling's a big Joke + Ep.34 Beyond is Intolerable!
Don't waste your time and find another worthy drama out there!!First of all I wanna inform everyone who's planning to watch this drama to think multiple times before finally deciding to watch this. Just take my advice and save yourselves from getting aggravated and wasting your time by watching this piece... of shit!
I honestly feel like I deserved a big and loud round of applause for finishing this extensively exhausting and overly ridiculous drama. God knows how my tolerance got drained to the very brim just to finish this. Not to mention the amount of skips and fastforwards I did (which I seldom do) just to avoid the unbearable scenes after enduring it for over 40+ episodes. Imagine that! So finishing it felt like an achievement more than anything else and for some reason it's comforting how I can finally move on from this messy crap!
Anyways, let me properly breakdown the Good (Let me squeeze my brain hard first) and Bad aspects of this drama.
× Opening - Gonna commend them on how creative and productive they're on having multiple openings throughout the entire show. I think they have more or less 10 and it would've been really great if they used all those time, resources and energy in making the drama more structural and substantial.
× CGI and Design - It looks enchanting in some parts... but the rest of them which is like 90% felt like it was made by an intern— It lacks the force/power to make it seem real and impactful... It looks weak, underwhelming and fake overall.
× Editing - Extremely jumpy... I often get flustered on how fast they move on from one scenario to another without properly wrapping things up with the current one and even made it end like it was no one's business. Is the editor aware of proper sequencing? or at least decent story telling? It completely ruin the story specially during the first 10 episodes. I wanna cry!
× Power Scaling - MESSED UP! I don't know how this drama even passed reviews. Like, HOW? The weak ML beating the 'supposed' powerful enemies with some random 'powerful' (that doesn't seem like) attack while getting defeated left and right by a bunch of weak side characters felt sketchy and absurd to me. How does that even make sense? Ridiculous!
× Fight Scenes - Aren't those child's play? Most of them were unacceptably underwhelming and felt like they are just randomly playing. It shocks me to see how weak it looks like. It's hilarious how they settled with that. Don't they have better people for the job?
× Phasing and Story Telling - They focused too much on making the Male Lead extremely powerful by sacrificing lots of great characters (which I find unnecessary) to build the ML up which causes the story to lose its essence and lots of potential hype.
× Characters - Exasperating Male roles!! The Male characters from this drama simply got the MVP for being the most annoying, useless and frustrating of all...
→Mu Chen is simply overly driven by his personal desire and tends to always become the heaviest liabilty of all. I can't even accept how he always end up getting saved by everyone because of his obliviousness and immaturity. So how the hell can I convince myself that he's capable to actually save everyone from the most powerful enemy?
→ Mu Bai on the other hand is like a lost child whose easily influenced and provoked by peoples threats to do bad things.
→ Qing Shan... God this guy. Overly conceited and annoying. I don't even know why he's even part of this drama. His contribution to the story is to provide illogical and annoying remarks that does nothing but to irritate the viewers. Grrr!
P.S. Episode 34 and Beyond! Yes! The entirety of it are the most unbearable of them all. So y'all better watch out!
Story - 5.0, Mind you! I'm still being nice here!! The story is LACKING in different areas... It was like patched up together just for the sake of making things 'make sense' even when it obviously doesn't. I can't find strong foundation to support the story flow and the structure itself is messed up.
Acting/Cast - 7.0, Underdeveloped acting from the Main Leads... Yes, this is an Idol drama but I never expect the lead actors/actresses they cast to be this bad... They were like dead fish delivering their lines during the first 10 episodes and thank god they gradually improved but things got awkward and fake when they started acting like some mature adults. Like, damn! They still seemed and looked like elementary kids playing. Unconvincing at all. P.S. Supporting Adult actors saved this story from sinking to the depths of great ordeal.
Music - 7.5, BGMs used weren't remarkable at all. Probably because even if they try to play it on the most perfect scenes it just can't outweight my frustrations and disappointments watching those sequences. Although, I'm still giving some consideration to a couple of great ballads played on this drama and that explains my rating.
Rewatch Value - 1.0, (It's supposedly 0 but Mydramalist won't allow 0 as a rating) Very 1st savage moment of my entire drama watching history. This drama doesn't deserve to be watch in the first place. I can't even understand how can people watch and give this a 10 overall rating. Just where are your taste and logic people?
Overall - 5.0, Honestly, this story disappointed me beyond explanation. The only drama I spent every remaining bits of my tolerance to complete and despite all those sacrifices, I was still presented with such ridiculous scenes episode after episode. If only possible, I wanna demand this production to refund my time cause it's all wasted from watching this show.
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A tale of finding One True Love & A tightly knitted Sisterhood. Rise Women, RISE!
Adaptation doesn't mean identification - Yuan YingWanna open up this review by quoting it with one of my favorite line in this drama. I feel like this short yet powerful sentence can explain and expound the real essense and lesson of this story as a whole... That being used to something doesn't necessarily mean you embodied and can be identified by it already. Oftentimes it's more of an acknowledgement and respect towards something other may deemed essential and/or important.
Above all, I wanna say that my rating for this drama doesn't only revolves around the usual 'logical and typical' characteristics of how a drama should be made of, but more on how it delivers itself as a narrative— more on a lesson to its viewers.
I started this drama in hopes to see a lot of actual 'drama' going between the Main Leads but I never really knew I would be introduced to something more deeper— complex yet warm and heartfelt. It's about the respect, understanding, forgiveness and acceptance we need to do to let go of the things that's weighing us down and to accept that life was never all about colors and rainbows but more of a rocky-thorny road we need to go through to achieve eternal peace and happiness.
Sisterhood is the most symbolic meaning of this drama for me. I love that they all got each others back through thick and thin, and would do anything just to make sure that they're safe and in good places. Never once, do I feel this touched and proud to see this type of sisterhood and bond in any drama. A healthy and strong friendships that will never betray and forsake.
Familial relationship and its starting grounds - It conveys how toxic power struggle in a Polygamy family is and how it can badly affects their children in the future. Although this drama showed some negative results of it, I'm also glad that they presented us the positive side of it by letting us know that a person's future still depends on how and where they were raised, what values do they followed growing up and how will they handle themselves with those upbringings.
Women Empowerment in this drama is a surreal fantasy. I admit that they might've gone astray from the real history but I just appreciate how they still chose to do it that way. To show us that women even back then has been extremely capable and is always eager to fight to attain what they want and deserve.
Overall production, Setting and Color grading - I love how the background used looks majestic and real even when I know that a lot of them are green screens. Also, their attentiveness to details when it comes to visualizing the diffent regions, decorations and overall graphics stood out for me. It complemented really well with every scenes.
Supporting and Side Characters.
+ Yuan Ying - I really love her character. I admire how she was handled in this story and how she was never a bile in our Main Leads throat. Instead, a great and capable friend who guides them for the betterment.
+ Hao Jia - The only 'male disguise' i can accept so far in the dramaland. Although she still looks extremely beautiul but her proportion made her disguise really convincing and believable. I also love how earnest she is as a friend. Friendship that always protects and never betrays.
+ Song Wu - She may be annoying, bratty and childish but I just love how they didn't go all out 'antagonist' on her. Love her character development a lot same with Zhao Fangru (2nd Prince's Consort).
+ 3rd Prince and his Harem - Lol! Ghad knows how they made the first half of this story extremely bright and colorful. I'm cackling whenever they're on screen and ghad, the Name tags on top of their head. Hahaha
+ 5th Prince & Shangguan Jing - Another story that added lots of spice and comical relief in this story. I'm very satisfied with this pairing and would love to see more from them.
+ 7th Prince and Ruan Sisi - The rich and generous couple who hates to socialize. Their scenes are very random but are always interesting and funny for me.
Lastly, I feel like they did their best pouring every bit of heartfelt emotion in the final episode. The way they summarized and showed us the results of what they've been fighting and working hard for is just precious to me and the fact that they gave us just happy and heartwarming scenes made it significantly memorable as well. + The Roof Scene... Perfection!!
P.S. I still can't accept the ridiculous fact that the FL refused to drink alcohol at the final episode because she's pregnant but was riding a horse to get to that family banquet. Just, whatdahell??
Story - 9.5, It may not be perfect and doesn't follow the logical and traditional historical pattern but for me it goes beyond that. Their great use of effective story telling and inspiring narration placed this drama on top of its own. + The fact that it's extremely entertaining and full of variety as a whole is another factor for me.
Acting/Cast - 10, Really love the cast. You can still clearly tell that this is an Idol drama but their acting is really impressive and convincing I would say. I love every Female character and almost all of the Male Characters in this production aside from 2nd, 4th and 10th Princes. I also adore how cute and lovely Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei is.
Music - 10, I'm in love with this dramas music. They made every scenes extra special and colorful. + The kissing scenes somehow felt more romantic because of how good they're in playing suitable music accompaniments and the Ballad songs are such a smooth slayer.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, I certainly would. I was never regretful of watching this drama and every episode is entertaining and full of colors for me.
Overall - 10, The overall story may not follow the traditional norms but everything about this story is purely inspring, worthy and entertaining. Not to mention how positive this story is as a whole and how we got a set of wonderful actors and actresses. I really love and enjoyed this drama a lot.
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Beautiful Love Story + Explicit and Satisfying Ending for the 3 Couples.
First and Foremost, Just where the hell do people get the hate for this drama? Seriously? I mean, I get that we have different preferences and standards when it comes to 'everything' but I find it offending when I'm reading reviews about this drama being less satisfactory, overhyped and a waste of time. Like, are we even watching the same story? — Well, I guess people preferred those overly complicated, frustrating and messy type of tropey idol drama than this.Anyway, moving on. Let me just share the things I love about this story.
Let's start with the proper characterization of the Female characters. I feel like there's only 1 in a million chance for a drama to have this excellent story progression for their female characters and this story did that flawlessly and wonderfully. They gave fair treatment and justice to every character and made sure that they won't leave anyone behind.
Next is the unexpected yet highly satisfying takes they did with the story itself. 1st is the way they made the Guys go after Girls. Finally! I know that this isn't the first time it happened but I just love how they execute it here in a very neat and smooth manner. None are problematic and most of them have their own ways and personality that made their characters different and standout from each other. 2nd is the unexpected takes and turns in this drama. There are countless of times where I was fascinated on how things won't go the way i expected it to be. I mean, I got so used to clichė stories that I have long predetermined the scenarios that's going to happen but to my surprise they always managed to go against it by taking a turn which I never expected to occur in the first place. 3rd is the way they made sure that all 3 couples of this drama is properly concluded with a clear and happy ending. I always hated it when a drama neglects and completely forgets the other CPs; cause it always leave me this unsatisfied-lingering-feeling that something is missing. That's why I was glad and relieved to see that they made sure that all the CPs introduced will be able to get their well deserved conclusion.
One last thing... Even when I'm really satisfied with this drama I just would still love to mention some dissatisfaction I have for it. First is the extremely weird reaction the Female Lead has whenever she's facing her boss and ultimate idol.— Getting starstruck is fine but to the point where you started to severely stutter and unable to move... Huh! Isn't that completely ridiculous? I was really turned off by that yet decided to not have it affect my rating simply because she eventually got used to him and got rid of that reaction. Second is the weird treatment she got from her co-workers during her probation period. I admit that things like those do happen but the way it was presented simply infuriated me. They acted awkwardly and weirdly towards her for the most absurd reason and up till now it bothers me how irritating those scenes are.
Anyways, this story just proves that not all Idol dramas are extremely clichė and problematic. Hopefully many more dramas of the same genre can take this as a reference for their future projects.
P.S. I freaking appreciate the cameo of the drama 'Make a Wish'. Chiyan & Xiao Xiu <3
Story - 9.5, The execution and conclusion of this drama is definitely one of the best out there— Not problematic, extremely fun, wholesome and heartwarming. However, I feel like it lacks a proper 2nd Male lead that can stir things up for the Main leads relationship. There's just this point where it seems like something is certainly missing. A rivalry at most.
Acting/Cast - 10, OVER THE TOP! I'm so overwhelmed with their acting specially by Chen Zhe Yuan. The amount of expression he gave for his character is overflowing. He's got full contol and is a master of his emotion and expressions that I never find it awkward even one bit. Shen Yue on the other hand did great as well. I feel like she fits this high school/idol drama type of character the best. + Their entire Wedding Scene is a MASTERPIECE!
Music - 10, Perfect choice of Music overall and I love the fact that every song played just fits perfectly with the scenes. It accompanied the story very well and it really help me a lot to feel comfortable and happy watching the drama.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, I won't lie about this. I was kinda bored at some point specially during episode 6-10 but luckily the story picked up its pace and from then on porgresses beautifully. and maybe it's just me being too engrossed and addicted to Costume dramas that I find it this way. Still, a drama that's worth re-watching over and over again.
Overall - 9.5, When it comes to story progression, acting and music wise I can proudly that this is one of a kind. A drama that you won't get tired of, simply because it offers something different from the norms and completely nailed it in every possible way.
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A rich & well written script that accentuate Trust, Faithfulness & Equality.
I'm really 'Impressed' I must say. This piece do have some similarity and shares some aspects with other dramas out there but what made it completely different is the way they handle the story and plot itself.Honestly, when I started this drama and even during the first half, everything seemed and felt like any other dramas out in the market. However the more you watch it and the moment you get expose to how they are trying to tell the actual 'story' you will immediately realize that they have a concrete plan on how they want to present and show this story to their viewers.
I really wanna commend and thank the Writer, Director and everyone behind the scene for giving this drama an 'Identity' and for showing different aspects of the characters' life progression.
Well of course, I can't deny that this drama wasn't perfect and without any flaws but for some reason all of those were drowned by how splendid they created this drama as a whole.
Hmmm, If I would mention something that made me flinch out of minor ridiculousness and awkwardness is with its sudden time skips that somehow covers a lot of juicy details + those moments when they kill & change important characters in a blink of an eye like it's no ones business.
Overall this Drama satisfies and impresses me a lot in terms of Story progression, Plot, Schemes and Costume (Yass!! The costumes are well coordinated and that made the characters look regal and pleasing to the eye. Talk about BUDGET! Haha~)
Story - 10, I would never have it lesser than that. This drama is definitely not perfect but its imperfection has been its main key in making it valuable and watch worthy.
Cast/Acting - 10, I was worried at first because the Main Leads don't really look extremely handsome and Beautiful but their acting skills filled those holes up and that made me love all of them as a whole. + Their Facial Expression deserves an honorable mention.
Music - 10, I'm extremely satisfied and pleased with all the Music used in this drama. It's actually one of the reason why I enjoyed it so much more than expected.
Rewatch Value - 10, A watch Worthy drama that won't disappoint you no matter how much you watch and recomment it to other people.
Overall - 10, at this point is that even a question? My initial rating for this was 9 but it climbed up steadily and constantly thanks to its impeccable story build up and the actors' hardwork in portraying their respective characters.
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Entertaining storyline tainted by gratuitous midpoint & lackluster climax | FL's vexing self-guilt
"When the water is too clear, no fish can survive. If one seeks an uncorrupted rule, perhaps the first step is to cast away purity itself." - Mu Tian JiLooking back, I must admit I was a little inattentive during the first five episodes of this drama, which mostly incorporated the typical idol drama tropes I've grown tired of. However, everything shifted the moment the second male lead, Situ Ling, was introduced. His arrival was the definitive turning point that captured my attention and drew me completely into the narrative. It was not because I was bored or dissatisfied with the main leads, but rather because the energy and aura he exuded brought brightness to the romance that rivaled the male lead and elevated the drama's overall synergy—leaving me captivated and utterly hooked.
The story as a whole was, in fact, entertaining. I enjoyed the execution of the enemies-to-lovers trope and thoroughly appreciated how the plot gradually and consistently developed the main characters' relationship. It went from:
• Ming Yi trying to figure out how to navigate her life around Ji Bozai.
• To Ji Bozai relentlessly gauging, doubting, and guarding himself against Ming Yi's every action.
• To their mutual cooperation on several occasions to defend themselves against their enemies.
• To him slowly warming up after getting to know her better.
• To them finally developing feelings for one another and, eventually, falling in love.
The overall development of the first half was genuinely fun, gripping, and compelling. This dynamic was made even livelier and more interesting by the initially pure and completely smitten disposition of the second male lead, Situ Ling, toward Ming Yi; the emotional conflict and drama surrounding the second couple, Mu Tian Ji and Yan Xiao; and the combination of the ever-adorable Er Shi Qi (Twenty Seven) alongside the ingenuous and childlike yet charming Bu Xiu—our main leads' Companion Beasts who made the show increasingly enjoyable to watch.
My main issue with the story, however, arises at the midpoint shift, when Ming Yi firmly refuses to reveal her condition—which requires the Golden Millet Dream to cure her—to Ji Bozai. This is where the plot started to shatter and crumble, as it severely disrupted what had been a logically consistent run of the story, leaving me utterly baffled and infuriated by how stubborn the FL was in sticking to her principles.
Believe it or not, I strived to look at Ming Yi's perspective with a pair of objective eyes—trying to understand where she was coming from, while considering and justifying her every action and decision. I thought that it might have been highly influenced by the strong guilt over her continuous lies to deceive him, even after he had laid himself completely bare to her. However, I don't think it was entirely necessary to go as far as letting herself suffer to death just to prove a point on how remorseful she was. It may sound noble, yes, but in reality, it was a display of insanity in the form of self-sacrifice—an act of an overactive conscience that I find to be totally uncalled for. This is why, despite my genuine attempts to consider her upbringing, experiences, and every other aspect there is that must have influenced her to act that way, I always still ended up frustrated. Even Ji Bozai himself had expressed his acceptance, trust, and leniency toward her, hoping that she'd also come clean and be true to him. Yet, she still chose to remain firm and continue with her theft scheme. Like gurl? I am so sorry, but what is this unnecessary extra drama for? *Exasperated sigh*
At one point, I even thought she was just being incredibly egoistic—guilt-tripping herself because, unlike Ji Bozai, she couldn't be completely genuine with him. Which later translates to her character becoming inconsiderate to the people around her. She thought she was the only one who was going to shoulder all the repercussions, but little did she know that her choices and sufferings were connected to and could greatly affect the ones who deeply cared for her—namely Er Shi Qi (Twenty Seven), her companion beast. His sacrifice to keep her safe is what cemented my irritation toward Ming Yi's self-inflicted, dramatic plight. I was so extremely furious at that time; it itched my skin to think they created a dramatic scene for this plot when it was completely avoidable. If she had not been overly self-flagellating and excessively guilt-tripping herself, he would not have had to sacrifice himself, and they would not have been in that miserable situation at all. So, it was such a relief that they created a redemption plot to revive Er Shi Qi later toward the climax. It would have been truly unacceptable if he had died, not in a battle, but by sacrificing himself for a cause that was absolutely preventable.
This is totally uncalled-for, nonsensical writing. It's just not convincing at all, considering that even Ji Bozai lied and deceived Ming Yi for a good amount of time. The only difference is that he gradually learned to accept, trust, and be truthful to her, while she remained forever stuck in the sturdy bubble of guilt she created for herself, until Ji Bozai finally burst it and discovered her true objective and real identity.
To some, Ji Bozai's decision to leave a trap using the Golden Millet Dream to catch Ming Yi may seem like a contradictory action, given how he mentioned he trusted her. But for me, it was his high-stakes gamble on their relationship, born out of desperation. He knew that she was still keeping secrets from him, while he, in numerous instances, never failed to make it clear that he was no longer hiding anything and would understand her objectives as long as she genuinely bared herself to him. It was his final ray of hope to keep his faith in her—a way of telling her that he could overlook everything and that her honesty was all he needed in return. Consequently, this turned from a clever yet petty trap into a tragic confirmation of her betrayal and fake sincerity. By being caught in the act of stealing the GMD, she proved that she was still hiding her real agenda despite feigning disinterest over it on multiple occasions. This turn of events instantly crashed their fragile relationship, the foundations of which greatly relied on Ji Bozai's genuine love and affection but lacked Ming Yi's trust and sincerity. It was like a brutal slap of reality, proving that Ming Yi's true intention and goal all along was the GMD, which automatically invalidated the credibility and sincerity of the feelings she had shown him. It was also an indirect confirmation that she had approached and stayed with him for the GMD, and that alone. What's worse is how she refused to tell him the truth even after getting caught, and despite Er Shi Qi's persuasion to get her to tell Ji Bozai the truth! Good grief!
This brings to mind a scene where Ji Bozai told his master's (Bo Yulan) portrait that he didn't care who Ming Yi was or what her real motive was; all he cared about was that her feelings for him were true. He even went ahead with openly letting her into his spiritual well and undoing the spell on the Golden Millet Dream, ultimately putting his guard down. It could have been the perfect chance for her to confide in him and tell him the truth; however, Ming Yi still opted for an irrationally stupid path instead of sincerely telling him the actual reason why she had approached him. She really made me pull my hair out in frustration! She didn't want him to go against his master's wish of prohibiting the GMD from resurfacing again, so she chose to steal it instead? My goodness! Make that sh*t make sense!! Everything could have gone the peaceful way, keeping the narrative shorter and unspoiled, but she still chose otherwise. I guess, I will never fully comprehend her rationale for choosing that outrageously dumb path, which could have been completely avoided in the first place. In the end, I have decided to label it as her noble yet utterly stupid self-flagellation—her compunctive guilt, which acted up and went far above and beyond!
I understand that the writers wanted to add drama and conflict to their premature relationship; however, the reasoning and the way it was executed were both so stupid that it left me wondering and asking myself: What is up with this unnecessary additional drama? *Shakes my head*
To conclude this part of my review, let me say that the whole midpoint plot greatly derailed the story for me. Her gratuitous penance and extreme exhibition of self-reproach truly pissed me off. It was just extremely baffling how she chose to steal it, even when Ji Bozai had already given her permission to take it and didn't really mind defying his master's will since it was for her. In the end, it was still used to save her, right? Grr! To set the record straight here, let me say that Ji Bozai was open to her taking it, but definitely not through stealing it. He only got mad out of sheer disappointment when she decided to steal it instead of sincerely asking him for it. This is really the plot point that changed the trajectory of the story, and it easily became my biggest frustration with the show.
Fortunately, after all that illogical drama, the narrative finally got back on the right track. The unraveling of both the main leads' true identities was executed flawlessly, untangling and answering all the hidden knots in the plot. This section of the story also greatly exhibits Ming Yi's profound understanding of Ji Bozai, which redeemed her character for me! I'm glad the writers finally came to their senses. If not, I would have had unfinished beef against Ming Yi until the end.
The climax, on the other hand, was a total letdown. They built it up to be the absolute pinnacle of the drama, only for the execution to fall completely flat. My heightened anticipation went right down the drain because the ending was so perplexingly underwhelming and anticlimactic. I can't wrap my head around how a single combined attack—one that didn't even look that formidable—instantly destroyed the massive, seemingly indestructible Sky-swallowing array. Like, how does that even make sense? I am completely at a loss for words. All I can say is that it was incredibly disappointing.
On the bright side, I am glad they at least gave us a satisfying happy ending. I particularly adore the Ji Bozai drunk scene. Heaven knows I was feeling kind of sad that I didn't see much of Neo Hou's adorable side in this drama, but I was immediately struck with great joy upon seeing him acting all cute and mushy during the drunk marriage proposal scene. Let me also just commend the cinematography of this scene, especially the backdrop and the high-angle shot. It captured the romantic atmosphere of their kissing scene perfectly. I am so grateful! Cravings satisfied! Therefore, I would say that this greatly compensates for the ridiculous midpoint plot and underwhelming climax they served us with.
I hereby conclude that the writers of the midpoint plot and the climax are either the same person or somehow related. Why? Because they both write such crappy plot.
Lastly, it's ironic how the character (Yan Xiao) whom I initially loathed for being servile turned out to be a genuinely nice person, while the character (Situ Ling/Chao Yuan) I initially adored for his absolute loyalty and purity turned out to be the final antagonist, whom I now hate and pity for how miserable and despicable he has become.
"To cower before the possibility of failure is to set ourselves up for failure. You don't surrender to your fate. You write your own fate." Ji Bozai
Story - 9.0 - Despite the underwhelming execution of the climax and midpoint plot that greatly spoiled my watch experience, I must say that I still enjoyed and was incredibly entertained by this show. I love all of the comical scenes, especially the ones that revolve around Er Shi Qi & Bu Xiu. Their chemistry is really 'giving.' Will it be strange if I say that they're my favorite ship in this drama? I swear, I could create a BL story out of them. Hahaha!
Acting/Cast - 10, The actors' and actresses' execution was spot on! Like, there's nothing more I could ask for. Heck, I can't even bring myself to hate the antagonistic characters because of how brilliant their performances are. My standout performances here are Yu Cheng En, He Nan, and Yu Yao. Special mention to Lu Qi and, of course, Neo Hou, who never fails to captivate me every time.
Music - 10, Truly one of the rare dramas that has an excellent roster of beautiful songs—the ballads! I can literally listen to the entire soundtrack on repeat multiple times.
Rewatch Value - 9.0, The poor writing of the midpoint plot and underwhelming execution of the climax really tainted this drama for me. I still had an enjoyable time watching this, though.
Overall - 9.0, If only they had not messed up a couple of times... I still blame the writers for incorporating such poor, irrational, and cliché writing.
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The Wedding Ceremony | You are mine and I am yours. ♡
"I've seen your light and your darkness, your vulnerability and your madness. I know everything about you that is known or unknown to others. I might even say that I know you better than you do." - Jiang Xue NingThis particular line above from JXN gave me relief and made me feel at peace for Xie Wei. Because finally! He'll be with the person who genuinely love and understand him. The woman he value and love the most and who's willing to share the good and bad times with him.
Also, I'll be lying if I say that I am not even a bit disheartened on what they have decided to show in this special/extra episode. I mean, they have shown us their family of 4 at the epilogue of the final episode, so I automatically expected that this will be about their family relationship and dynamics but then it was not...reason why I feel a sudden sadness for a moment.
Anyways, I am not saying that I didn't like it. It's just that I presumed and it's not the I way I though it would be. Nonetheless, I still appreciate them giving us a sneak peek of what had happened on their wedding ceremony and how they celebrated it.
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A grand tribute ~ Scheming that's done magnificently! | Well served Justice.
"Don't be afraid of falling once and don't let that deter you. You have to forget about the pit and move on. No matter what, I am behind you." - Xue Huai YuanThe above line from Xue Fang Fei's father truly has left a significant meaning to me. Although it was delivered to encourage XFF to never lose hope and keep the faith. I also felt comforted on behalf of her, because I know, as a viewer, that it somehow has a different meaning for her. It's a reminder and an advise that she should let go of her traumas and free herself of the chains that's keeping her caged in the past. That life is much more brighter and vibrant as long as she keeps on looking at the people who truly loves and cares for her.
Anyways, I want to officially start this review by saying that this story left me in great awe this year and most probably the drama with one of the best story line and character progression of all. I consider it so close to my heart that I want to take my time to carefully dissect the story by highlighting my most favorite elements about it. So, shall we start?
Story line - It was told without haste. I love that they took their time to show us all the crucial events that occured in the show. And despite having lots of scenes to show and address, they simply never took the liberty to magically skip through anything. They made sure that each important scenes are executed and shown in detailed way which also helps us viewers understand the story the best way possible. + The fact that they are able to incorporate a great amount of humorous and hilarious skits left and right made this show extra entertaining to watch. Also, I just wanna add up how crazily jam-packed and/or action-packed this dramas is. I myself was astounded on how skilled they're in deciding which scenes should make it to the final cut. No wasted episode at all!
Overall camera works, editing and all those related stuff - I'm speechless and too overwhelmed to even tell people how satisfied I am on how meticulously this drama was filmed and edited. They seriously got the best team out there. The transitions between scenes are smooth and flawless—well done! Not to mention how insanely indulging the camera angles, focus and choreohraphies are! Chef's Kiss! The camera position and direction are exemplary as it gives us a better and wider view of the horizon where the story is happening. Another thing I extremely love are the close up shots because it somehow made me feel like they're talking to me...like telling me words through their expressions. For some reason those shots expressed and conveyed their emotions clearly and precisely even better than them exchanging actual dialogues. Those are also my most favorite scenes of this drama. The main leads looking at one other without speaking as if they can read one another's mind felt so magical and endearing to me.
I also just want to mention how the cinematography and CGI was insane during the Qin competition. Like, Hell Yeah!! They gave me so much chills!! At one point it feels like I was watching a Xianxia drama all of a sudden which was mesmerizing and captivating all at the same time. What a performance they got there.
Chemistry and compatibility is Oozing! Something about the main leads has conquered and devoured this entire drama completely. I never expected them to be this charismatic, captivating and tempting all together. Their eye contacts are enough to melt my soul and awaken my romantic bones into life. They've got this chemistry and synergy that is rare for pairings to have. So I would say they have developed a mutual understanding and intangible connection that gives me this heart flattering feeling whenever I watch them. I guess they simply understand each other and has long found the secret recipe on how to make their chemistry work even when they're only giving us the bare minimum. Also, I love that they're not really lovey-dovey but are mature enough to understand and acknowledge their feelings for each other. And on Episode 33, their holding hands scene after XFF went out of the prison was such a mood. I myself was shock to see them being on that stage already even when they seem on guard of each other. Chess piece my ass Xiao Heng. Hahaha!
Ending was satisfying! I appreciate how everyone who the Main Leads seeks justice from got their own well deserved miserable ending and punishment. And although Lu Ji and Wen Ji died at the end, I am just glad that Xiao Heng didn't end up getting killed as well. I better watch the special episode right after writing this review.
Lastl, I personally want to thank the writer for the well deserved Happy ending of the Xue Family. I'm very grateful and is elated to see XFF spending her life in peace and harmony with her little family after all the mess Shen Yurong brought to their life.
"Living is the best revenge against your enemy." - Jiang Li (The real one)
Story - 10, I have nothing but praises and good words for this drama. The story was well written, progression was smooth and systematic and I immensely appreciate how the writer and producer avoided making such ludicrous plot twist and devices.
Acting/Cast - 10, Let's not talk about acting! Cause Heck!! They nailed, cemented and put up a statue of themselves in my head as one of the best in actors/actresses in terms of acting. Wu Jin Yan specially got me on my knees. She's overflowing with this indescribable force that will automatically hook you up to her acting performance. While Wang Xing Yue got me with his charming smile and stoic yet soft facial expressions. The supporting roles are the best too! Special mention to Ai Mi. Girl is on every drama I watched. A person who got good eyes and sense in choosing her projects.
Music - 10, Overall music choice are good. They're melodious and almost heavenly. Specially their main BGM! Their song placement is good and balanced as well. I never feel like it overshadowed or overlapped with any of the scenes it was used to.
Rewatch Value - 10, Solid 10. This is one of those dramas I will surely watch over and over again if only I have time to do so.
Overall - 10, Other people saying otherwise must either have personal beef against any of the casts or their taste is simply nasty bad. This drama deserved a higher rating and success, just to be very honest. Highly recommend!
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
Sharing Life and Death - The Class 7 Advanced! — Mission Accomplished!!
If I were to describe the entirety of Young Blood S2 using only two (2) words, it would be astounding and satisfying! I will try my best to explain why through my review below.Although I love this series very much, I will still admit that I have little to no recollection of what had happened in S1 and all I can remember are the main casts and how greatly I adored them. So I totally appreciate how they incorporated a short yet detailed summary of what had transpired in S1 on the 1st episode as it greatly helped me remember how the events unfolded back then and how the story should carry on moving forward where it left off. It was like a little refresher because they knew it has been a long time since S1 aired and people might have forgotten how the story went on and ended. How considerate! <3
I just wanna say as well that they did not disappoint even a little bit in regards to the plot, twists and overall story progression. As we may all know, 2nd seasons of such successful dramas are often viewed and treated as a poor and underwhelming continuation of the 1st season. However, I will boldly proclaim that Young Blood S2 isn't one of those. This sequel just proved me that the director, writer and casts loves and cherishes this project a lot that they spent time to reassemble to do this drama together once again; and although it's unfortunate that the original Ya Nei didn't reprise his role, I'm just glad that the actor who replaced him lived up and embodied the character and made it his own. I'm also grateful that the other 5 main actors was able to assume their original roles and made the Class 7 Team alive again.
I also want to mention how satisfied I am on how smooth and clever they handled the issue regarding the change of actor portraying Ya Nei. They explained it in a way where we can realize it's inexorable and is currently the best option to move forward with the drama filming. Surprisingly after that scene, all my worries and inhibitions about the new actor playing Ya Nei had completely vanished and it even helped me to watch them comfortably without any awkwardness and restraint.
Additionally, seeing them all together brings back so much fun memories! The nostalgia kicked back so hard, I was like a proud father in awe looking at how my children had grown up all these years into a fine, matured and capable individuals.
In terms of character and story, I'd say they all stayed the same and I'm just glad that they didn't try to change anything about their characters at all. The goofiness and unpredictable comical scenes are still there but lessened a lot; and I think that emphasized the risk and danger of the situation they're in. I never viewed it in a wrong way rather it made me realized how dangerous this mission is, and that people are forced to mature depending on the situation. Which is a great call from the writer and director as a sense of maturity for their characters. I also love how they all made it seem like nothing has changed... Synergy of Class 7 is still present and it always put me in awe how transparent they're to each other; that I never really have to worry about them individually because I know that they've got each others back and has developed this unbreakable trust between one another.
Deep diving into the most crucial parts now, which is the story plot and twists. All I can say is that 'THEY WENT ALL OUT'—I admired how they showed us the power and skill level of Class 7 during the 1st half of the drama and how will they fail miserable if they go on just like that. It was also like a wake up call that this mission is in a completely different level in comparrison to the previous ones they have had so far and that a timeskip is very much needed to cultivate and nurture their inner talents and unexplored potentials.
I mentioned above that I find this story 'astounding' and that is because of how brutal and merciless they went on with the killings and sacrifices. Wang Kuan losing an arm, Zhong Xin getting stabbed and impaired by his father, Class 8 getting murdered mercilessly were all so unexpected! But it was like a big slap... a representation of the severity level of this mission. That they cannot go on just like that with their current puny power and tricky skills. Not to mention how defeated and impossible it is for them to finish their mission even after the timeskip!
More so, something I was flabbergasted about is how their mission of killing Yuan Hao (King of Xia) sounded so simple yet complex and hard. That guy is the truest form of a Final Boss. He was like a monster that's impossible to be killed no matter how hard anyone tries and I immensely appreciate how they perfectly keep him that way until the very end. Because doing otherwise will make it look like giving our Leads a helping hand in order to defeat him (which will kill the logic and hype of the story) and I will be very honest, that idea is purely ridiculous to me in every single way. So for going against that I am extremely thankful and 'satisfied'. They genuinely saved this drama from going to the tropey and frustrating plot by doing so.
Lastly, I just want to commend this drama for its Martial arts choreography and execution. It just proves that a smart and wise utilization of the camera angles and tricks can make any works look incredibly fantastic! What a perfect arrangement and cuts of sequences. Those scenes are PEAK! + They were able to showcase how powerful the characters (Godly Yuan Hao & Master level Yuan Tian Guan) are until the very end without making them feel underwheling and weak in any ways. Thumbs Up!!
I also just have to mention how obvious and ugly the green screens are during the first half of the drama. Those moments are really hilarious to me. Thank god they improved (or changed Graphics artists? lol) halfway. Because the editing on the other half of the drama has become slick and flawless.
P.S. Yuan Zhong Xin and Zhao Jian's jail wedding scene is too iconic for me not to mention! I wish we could have had more lazy and purely fun additional episodes with just the gang fooling around. 27 episodes will never suffice...
Story - 10, I was planning on giving this a 9.5 rating (For the green screen issue I mentioned above) but how can I do that when they tremendously improved halfway and never missed after that? Also, I just couldn't fathom giving this entire production a score lesser than 10 after all the great works they've done to make this story as brutally realistic and logical as it is right now.
Acting/Casts - 10, No questions needed to ask. The set of actors are perfection; not to mention how the 5 original cast were able to come back and reprise their roles. Additionally, I wanna commend Fu Wei Lun for owning Ya Nei as a character for himself. I have never even once felt like something is off with him. What a great actor! Special mention to Hao Yi Tian and Zhao Bin... this drama wouldn't be as impactful and exciting without this 2 terrific professional senior actors.
Music - 10, I love how they utilized the same opening used in the S1 for S2 as well. It's like the starting point... the engine that fires up all the excitement and adrenaline inside of me. Knowing that I am to experience and enjoy another great things from the ever incridible Qi Zhai. The other music used are nice too, as they're mostly used to set the mood and was played in the most subtle manner.
Rewatch Value - 10, I must say that although this sequel has lesser comical relief scenes compared to the prequel, it has never lost any of its original touch and essense when it comes to Class 7/Qi Zhai's natural affinity and chemistry. + It even gives us a more mature and capable side of the team we all love. So this drama is one of those shows I would never regret rewatching if I have time to do so.
Overall - 10, This 2nd season is as satisfying and impressive as the S1. Although they have matured a lot and was put on an extremely tough predicament, they were able to get through all of it and gradually come victorious at the end! All I can say is to never let the 'Negative Reviews' affect your decision to watch this drama and just thoughtlessly dive into it! You will never regret doing so, most certainly! I'm giving you my assurance!
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
Partners in Love and in Solving Cases~ Great chemistry + Family always has your back.
Just to give everyone an early impression of this story, I would like to describe it as something warm, inspirational and heartfelt... A tale that made me cozy and left a genuine smile plastered all over my face.What a beautiful romance— Their mutual understanding and indestructible trust for each other is what captivates and stoodout to me the most in this story.
Sure, there's a lot more captivating and interesting ideas presented in this show, however, the glow and colors the leads has given to this story made it more brighter and memorable.
I probably have little to none negative feedback about this drama so let me discuss my positive take from this story instead while trying to recall any mishaps, if there is.
Plot - What interests me the most about this drama is how feminist and family-oriented this is and how they
sustained that till the very end. Something that's rare for me as an avid chinese period drama viewer. I mean, there are lots of shows who puts family first but this piece is simply different because they learned the real definition of 'Family' through hardships and great catastrophe. Thus forcing them to set aside the prejudice and hatred they have for each other and work hard together.
Twist - Most of the early turn of event situations were like the usual-commonly-used schemes and conspiracy, but, as the story progresses they started to have their own touch to make this drama more interesting in a way that it will highlight the actual values and lesson of the show.
Ending - It was Perfect! I was a bit worried when they started to pull 'that' lame twist and I honestly thought it would be ruined by a sad ending after exhibiting a great run all throughtout the story, but, as expected this show never disappoints and even used that as a breakthrough to prove the Main lead's unbreakable trust and unfaltering perception of each other.
Minor/Side Stories - Something I really adore about this show is their dedication to the Female lead. I just love how even the side story is all about her guiding and helping her family stand up again after all the life-changing calamity they went through and how the supposed 2nd Lead/couple is mainly focused about her as well. This made the story less confusing and highly devoted to her which I find really interesting overall.
Healthy competition and Rivalry conclusion - I was amazed on how dedicated this production on making this show light and non-toxic. A lot of plots that should've concluded in a disastrous way ended up concluding in a truce. One of the best charm of this drama to be honest.
The only questionable and silly moments this drama has that I can think of is how the FL suddenly seemed novice when it comes to espionage scenes during Ep.12 inside that 'hidden cave' where they produce fake money. Like gurl? you were introduced as someone clever and witty but became clumsy all of a sudden? Also, that investigation cuts during the final 3 episodes. Gosh~ Just how did the FL overwhelmed the 2 heads of supposed great intelligent investigation unit like that? doesn't make sense to me at all.
Last but not the least is the Main Leads chemistry— Their love story felt more significant and pure because of their disagreements, cooperation and unending bickering. It made their character more appealing and adorable to watch. They just fit each other so much.
Story - 9.5, The tricky twist at the ending almost ruined it for me, thank god!, this production knew what they're doing so I'm entirely amused and satisfied on how they created this story. The only issue I have is probably the inconsistency when it comes to the investigation capability of the Main Leads mentioned above. That was just silly.
Acting/Cast - 10, Highly Satisfied! Aside from witnessing the other sides of Jeremy Tsui which is more smiley, quirky and vibrant (comapared to his characrer in TLOD) which left me in awe. I was also able to discover some great actor/actresses I was not familiar with. Shout out to Qiao Xin for her impeccable portrayal and Zhan Yu for being adorable. I honestly feel like he deserved a side story or so. P.S. It's nice to see Liu Rui Lin here as well, an actor i'm really familiar with.
Music - 10, Lovely set of Ballads. I admit that I find it a bit 'common' at first but it slowly grew on me because of how peaceful, heartwarming and melodic they are while accompanying the scenes they were used for.
Rewatch Value - 10, I'm willing to re-watch it atleast 6 times a year. Hahaha! This is one of those drama that will leave you loving it. A great watch indeed.
Overall - 10, Each and every corner of this drama felt like it was personalized to cater and appeal positively to the viewers. It may not be suitable for everyone because we have different taste and preferences BUT for me it was such a great piece that deserves more love and appreciation.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
The proper Intro to the Exciting & Thrilling world of The Lost Tomb Series~ <3
PERFECT with its IMPERFECTION~!!Note: I'm writing this review months after I completed the drama and this is my honest take of the whole show.
First of, I must say that this is the best way to start the The Lost Tomb Series. IF you're reading this, I must inform you that TLT Series should be watch in chronological order cause you'll find yourself lost of everything IF you failed to do so. (Not to mention how confusing it is even watching it in order. Hahaha)
This show solidified the series for me. It was the fiery start who encouraged me to binge-watch the series till the very last adaptation there is.
This is definitely not the most well adapted but it is a great contender when it comes to Story, Graphics, Cinematography, Action and Acting. This show isn't lacking in one bit. There surely are few downplays to this drama and you might feel weirded out and lost most of the time but this drama is probably one of the BEST out there.
P.S. Don't wanna give so much spoilers. But watch out to my additional sentiments below.
Story - 10, This may be very confusing to others who are watching the series for the 1st time but for someone like me who have completed the entire adaptation there is, this is probably one of the most well adapted among ALL. It is jumpy & confusing but all of it is for a purpose. You might even get disapointed by the cliffhangers but thank god the continuation is already up there for people to watch compared to how I suffered back in the days since the sequel's not aired yet.
Acting/Cast - 10, Neo Hou is definitely the Best Wu Xie of all. His portrayal is impeccable and would be hard to be compared to the others as he really owned it. He gave the most coolness, confidence, chick and charm to this character and above all he knew what he's doing. He nailed it. As for the other Characters, Like Zhang Qiling & Pang Zi they also performed well and left a great impact and lasting impression to their characters. A-Ning of this drama is probably my most favorite of all.
Music - 10, I honestly forgot the Music used for this show but I remembered getting so into it watching the scenes with it's thrilling BGMs and the Mellow sound they played during Wu Xie's scene after he went out of the Under Sea Tomb, so does explain my score.
Rewatch Value - 10, I would, DEFINITELY. If there's an adaptation I'm willing to watch over and over again, this would be it.
Overall - 10, Deserved! I started this Journey with the mindset "This is a series so I should expect to feel disappointed with cliffhangers and such" and that made me enjoy the whole show. It is even my most favorite Series of all dramas in general out there. It provided me so much fun & entertainment and helped me cope up with boredness and loneliness. All love and adoration for this show.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
Doting Parent? Entirely, more of Genuine Loving Parents~! <3
Let me be one of the boldest by giving it a PERFECT 10!xx WATCH THIS DRAMA ×× PERIOD!
Honestly, I wasn't that fond and slightly worried when I first started this drama cause c'mon this type of story plot are always irrirating but Thank God! I unconditionally trust Japanese Production as a whole and they proved me right!
Japanese dramas tends to tackle and show the weirdest side of a story no one will ever imagine to see. They always brought those stories up and magically makes it unique and interesting. The greatest game changer of the overall drama scene. They may not be the best but they always does things magnificently without restraints. This may be a natural drama flow in Japan in General but their industry was such a big shock to me when I first fully dive into it. But as you may notice it gradually grew into me and was able to reach this point where I can just trust and watch.
Going back to the story... I must say that it is a 360° turn of the norms; this drama is more of a Father showing his love to his beloved daughter while making everyone around them learn and discover LIFE as a whole. He utmost guided and lead them by being an inspiration and a figure that's most of the times leading in a dorky way but also has his mature and well-experienced side.
Story - 10, It is a warm, interesting and humorous type of drama that is best fit for growing young adults. It presents different situations and scenarios dealt by a group of college students who're experiencing their FIRST TIMES after entering college/adulthood.
Acting/Cast - 10, High Praises! Japanese actors/actresses always had this unique way of doing acting and presenting them to viewers and they splendidly showed it in this drama. Cast is Perfect! I had so much fun watching them OMG! How i wish to have more scenes with Aragaki Yui; Nonetheless she still played such a vital role in this drama and everything felt just right and nice.
Music - 10, The Ennding Music is very idolish which I'm very familiar too so I enjoyed listening to it. It's sounds fun and very fitting to the theme of this drama. The other BGM inserts were also great. Nice editing!
Rewatch Value - 10, No one can argue about this! Just give me a sequel for their 3rd & 4th year im College and I'll be really grateful.
Overall - 10, No words needed!! I mean, when can you watch a drama that's completely different from the usual trend in the worlds drama scene? Drama industry as a whole is oversaturated with recycled plot twist that they got me exasperated often times. Again! WATCH THIS DRAMA!!
If you find my review helpful please let me know.
An enjoyable fun-filled drama made perfect by it's mischievous contemporary contents~!!
First and foremost. I highly recommend this drama to anyone. I'm sure it would entertain any audience in General. A drama that won't disappoint. Anyways, Let me list down some qualities I like and may dislike in this drama.×× Dislike...
→ Something I hate about this drama is how forgiving the 3rd Princess is but I also understand that it's all for the good and it actually entertains me most of the time. So instead of dislike, I may say it is something i don't favor thaf much?
→ I hated how short this drama is. I mean, why do dramas with sucj great plots always tends to be so short while the other crappy one's are receiving more than 50+ with abundant budget. It really is a waste that we didn't get to see some Modern day development and adventure from the Main Leads. I'm still feeling disheartened about it. This drama deserved MORE!
×× Likes...
→ I love how the Main Lead incorporates her Modern World knowledge and making it extra hilarious through out the drama. That was such a mood that brough so much laughter and giggles to me. I really love her.
→ I love Chen Qianqian (3rd Princess) clothes during her first appearance. Like i understood that her clothing is kinda bold for and all that but damn she looks extremely cool with them. I'm no pervert, it's jist that every time i watch the ending credit her hair style and clothing always left in awe.
→ I like the way this story delivered direct messages about how the world treated women so they have no choice but to fight for their rights and stand with pride to bring it back.
→ I also love how comedic the XuanHu's City Owner is. He appeared to be a little rigid at first but turned out to be a loving and funny husband.
Story - 10, It may not have the best plot ever but it was perfect for me in a sense that it depicted justice to gender rights and how things are viewed in our world right now. More than a drama, I think it is a representation of how we can do some changes bit by bit to make our world fairer. EXCEPTIONAL!
Acting/Cast - 10, Oh God! I love the acting here. Starting from the Main Leads to the tiniest people involved did well. I also love how there's a Boys love situation going on with the Main Leads servant. They made it more enjoyable. I cannot! Hahaha~!
Music - 10, Music in this drama is really good. The first time I heard of it I was like "Ohh I like this soothing type of music" It is perfect and compliments the drama scenes a lot.
Rewatch Value - 10, Highly recommendable and I will surely watch it If given a chance. I love it so much~! Surely one of my top 5 chinese dramas to date.
Overall - 10, I'm actually lacking of adjective to use to describe this drama. It simply satisifies my expectation and even went beyond and over all those borders I created. PHENOMENAL!
If you find my review helpful please let me know
EXCELLENCY AT ITS FINEST!!
I can't even describe how absolute this drama is. Everything is exceptional. It is such a flawless piece that's very rare to be found on this Era's drama land.Something I love about this drama is how analytical, tricky, confusing and crazily critical the cases were. It always blew my mind everytime Lu Yao is explaining his hypothesis and providing technical explanations on how it happened. To make it simple this drama higlighted how stupid I am Hahaha! Well i'm not someone who's in the medical field so...
Another charm of this drama is the Dog & Cat relationship of Lu Yao and Bai Youning. They never disappoint and bored me even once. Their relationship throughout the series was well paced and has the 'normal' development so when they've decided to escalate it to the next level, it just felt so natural and didn't bother me at all. The bromance between Lu Yao and Chu Sheng maybe underwhelming to others but it just sits enough for me. This ain't BL anyways.
Story - 10, Absolutely without a doubt. People who give this Drama's story direction below 10 better be genius or else they're just butthurt.
Acting/Cast - 10, They DELIVERED and EXECUTED exceptionally. Everyone in this drama gave it their best shot and it was defined through it's outcome.
Music - 9.5, I was never a fan of Chinese Rap (Opening) but it just grew on me so i'm giving it 9.5. Thank god i'm a man of Music so with time, I can naturally learn to appreciate genres and music itself.
Rewatch Value - 10, Definitely! I would also recommend this masterpiece!
Overall - 10, Any scores below 10 is utterly hatred. It sated my satisfaction and just thrilled that I was able to watch it.
Please let me know IF you find my review helpful.
I NEED MORE!!
This is such a breathe of fresh air after getting exposed to the oversaturated confused, indenial and such BL series genre's out there.It was a take of how same-sex couple deal with various things on their life as they fight to conquer the norm to provide better understanding to their son.
It does have some departments where it's lacking at, but I just love how they emphasized and tackle the most important matters and that what made this drama a cut above the rest.
Story - 10, This type of BL Genre hasn't really been shown to the public's eye that much and does made this piece very interesting and eye-catching. The story itself is good and has captured necessary topics that should've been discussed and highlighted on how same-sex couple deal and struggle to achieve acceptance and understanding.
Acting/Cast - 10, IF i can give 1000 then so be it. I'm labeling this as the BL series with the most kissing scenes that felt so natural you can't help but get drawn to them and feel jealous.Hahaha The Actors & Actresses were excellent and was able to portray their own character the way it should be.
Music - 8, Honestly I'm just so excited to watch the series that i'm doing skips with the intro and outro. 😅 But the rest of the filler sounds & music were properly assigned I must say since it never bothered me one bit. Sorry about this crappy part of my review. Lol
Rewatch Value - 10, This story just deserves as many rewatch as it could get. Probably will rewatch it once the Season 2 comes out... Hopefully!! /Cross fingers/
Overall - 10, A very worthy story i would recommend to anybody simply because it is that good. It addressed so much concerns and share its own take of values and this made this series super special and unique.
Venturing into the Eternal Darkness to claim their mortifying death | The Wedding Ceremony ㅠㅠ
"The end of this world is definitely not darkness" - Yang YitanFirst, I just wanna say that the climax and ending ruined the story for me. Like, how could they romanticize and try to rationalize the ending as if its the best? I am so sorry if I'm a sucker for happy endings but this dramas ending just wouldn't do it for me.
I don't know how else I can start this review aside from expressing my disappointments utowards this drama's climax and ending...
The story started great—promising, specially since they have Liu Shi Shi but dang! I did not expect them to pull off such ludicrous climax and such a tragic ending! It feels like the information and reminders they accumulated from travelling in the future didn't taught nor benefited them at all. A wasted opportunity—specially towards the Mask Group's team members.
I want to dissect its ridiculousness so let's start with the Climax a.k.a the ultimate battle (whic they've been preparing for eversince).
They came 20 years in the future, was warned of the demise they'll suffer but still ended up defeated in the most humiliating way. /Sighs/ Huh! Sorry not sorry but I wouldn't be this agitated if they've "at the very least" put up a decent and honorable fight, however, not even a bif of their confrontation with the Demon Fox was decent. They literally went there, got the most weak-willed members controlled to kill each other. What infuriates me the most are their "self-sacrificing" acts! Oh, please! I didn't watch this show to see such foolishly altruistic display from y'all.
- Zhang Zheng's death is unacceptable. I love Qing Muyuan but her being controlled was just so frustrating and disappointing. Her sacrificial death felt like a well deserved aftermath.
- Li Quzhou getting manipulated after being told that he was the only survivor of the Mask Group from 20 years in the future irks my patience very much! Did he even think it through to prepare?
- Li Zizai's death was completely wasted in all honesty. He went there to face their enemy but he ended up fighting his brother and even sacrificing himself to save him. I really hate sacrifices specially for those people who doesn't learn and undeserving. Life exchanging talisman my ASS!
- Yang Yitan... oh man! I don't even wanna speak about this person. I have immense disappointment towards him. I expected so much from him given that he was warned directly by Mu Mie and even went personally in the future. He doesn't only killed Wangquan Zui but also killed Deng Qi Yue. I just cannot with this character.
- Dongfang Qin Lan - Lastly, oh man finally! I got so much to say about this pampered kid. I adored her character halfway through but I still don't get how useless of a character she is. During the Yang Family's conflicts, she was told to stay on guard for any possible dangers. However, she only contacted Huai Zhu after almost everything had happened and it's too late for Mu Xiao Wu to even be rescued. Like, Girl? Where are you? What are you doing? Grr! Not to even mention how she performed after Huai Zhu let her escape. She can't just make anything done. An unreliable person.
×× Moving forward because I will be ranting non-stop if I don't. Lol! ××
Chemistry & Synergy of the casts is the greatest selling value of this drama for me. All the pairings have their own interesting stories and are all visually attractive. If only they're not a sucker for tragedy. Hayyss...
CGI, Colour Scheme and Costumes were all great too. I love how their costumes complemented each one of characters and I also appreciate how the CGI looks great all throughout. Special mention to the Masks worn by the Mask Group. Love them ♡ Except from Wangquan Hong Ye's... Well I gotta say that it has become his trademark which makes the show more fun to watch, so I will just give where the credit is due. Haha~ But hey! At least he got a beautiful and intricate one towards the end thanks to Huai Zhu.
Lastly, I wanna dedicate this part to Liu Shi Shi to appreciate how insanely attractive and incredible she is. ♡ This show is truly a flaunt of how effortlessly beautiful and amazing LSS. From her fluid exhibitions to her precise and flawless fighting choreographies. Hoping for her to star in more Wuxia and Xiaxia dramas.
P.S. I also want to commend Zhang Yunlong for his outstanding performance after the Mask Group was almost entirely obliterated. His acting and emotions greatly resonates as I can feel the excruciating pain and trauma he was going through after it all happened.
Story - 8.5, The build up was good and although I think they lack the cliché interactions, I feel like the leads "July 7th rendezvous" made up for it all. I would say that the direction leans towards maturity and being dependable storywise. The only unfortunate thing about this drama is how the climax was done and oh god, the ending!
Acting/Cast - 10, From the main leads, to the supporting roles and even down to the guest roles were all satisfying! A star-studded show (I mean they have Neo Hou and Peng Xiaoran in it). Let's not even talk about the acting here, they delivered and nailed it.
Music - 10, I really love the songs as it triggrts the emotions necessary for the scenes they're played on. Songs used are all beautiful and melancholic. Just thinking of it is making me visualize LSS's carefree and dying scene— Which is brutal as I am imagining them both at the same time. Huhu
Rewatch Value - 8.0, I don't think I can watch this again as a whole. But watching LSS's part is of course, a non-argumentative for me. She made me reconsider on giving this considerably high rating.
Overall - 9.0, Although I detest the climax, I would still say that I enjoyed the story and the journey they went through. I even grown to understand the ending and why it was necessary for them to go all through that extreme anguish. A drama in all honesty if you do not consider how foolish the climax was written.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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