Appreciating & Loving the Beauty within Yourself + Strong 2nd Male Lead Syndrome <3
Let me just leave one of the best line in this drama."Don't say bad words about yourself, because doing that is equivalent to saying bad words to us (parents) as we raised you" - Sato Ai's Father
A story that truly deserves a loud round of applause!
This drama kept on breaking my premeditated rating as it progresses that I was left without any choice by the time it ended. Like, how am I supposed to give it a rating lower than 10 when It has been nothing but an absolute perfection all throughout?
Honestly, I planned beforehand to give this drama a rating of either 9.0 or 9.5 but how can I do that when it kept on improving each episode and has been exceeding my hopes and expectations as it moves forward?
I never really hate anything about this drama. It's just that I felt bad and disappointed that such strong 2nd ML was treated like that and I felt like he deserves better compared to what the writers has in-stored for him. Well, as a big fan of Akaso Eiji, I guess I should never watch him doing any supporting roles from now on. Hahaha~!!
Aside from that I actually got no other complaints over this drama. Instead, I wanna commend it for having such solid and well-created plot and story progression that never failed me till the very end.
In addition, I really find it smart that they've decided to give us timeskips to better present the outcome of the characters decisions of pursuing their dreams. It was a brilliant idea cause it all goes back to the real ideal and meaning of this drama which is "Loving and accepting the beauty within yourself and use it as an inspiration to achieve your dreams."
No other words needed! This drama maybe an adaptation but the whole production just made it different on its own creative and unique ways.
Story - 10, Brilliant and beyond satisfaction. This story could've setlled for something less but they didn't stop there and was able to give us a better ending by making the last episode of the drama a plot device to finally achieve the purpose and ideals of this show.
Acting/Cast - 10, The stars of this drama delivered their lines and executed their characters in the most enthusiastic and earnest way without any reservations.
Music - 10, Memorable, the intro of the main BGM just left a significant impression to me. Whenever I hear the word "Hydrangea" I would imediately start humming the tune of the song even when I don't know the lyrics.
Rewatch Value - 10, Highly recommended. Specially if you feel so down and low about yourself. This show can certainly help you get the motivation and appreciation you need to look at yourself in a brighter and more beautiful way.
Overall - 10, The entire production shall never settle for anything less. I feel like this drama adaptation even became more significant and unique because it was able to present its true concept and ideals to its viewers without having to ruin or overly do things.
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The clever & talented Princess and her 4 husbands + A great and extremely fun drama.
A drama that deserved more episodes compared to what it has right now. 40 episodes is inadequate!!Honestly, I only have good words for this drama. This piece is 1 out of many dramas I dare not slander or complain about in any way or aspect. It is THAT great! So let me start showering this drama review with nothing but positive and brilliant praises. Hahaha!!
First, I would love to commend the story's way of putting the scenes together. it was arranged in the most smartest way possible. Everything felt properly connected and intact and that made it more exciting and interesting to watch. Story build up was excellent and well-structured so it never felt lacking and confusing; Instead it made the drama a lot more easier for the viewers to watch.
Second is their decision to only focus on the Female Leads life and love interest. I was really fascinated by this side of the drama because it shows how they want to present it to people in a smooth and flawless way. Not only it keeps the viewers attention in one place but it also helps to fully indulge and focus themselves on the flow of the story + it made the drama more appealing and less complicated as a whole.
Third is the great synergy and chemistry among all the characters of this production. Just by the looks of it you'll know that they enjoyed filming it. This drama is full of positive energy and bright smiles that became one of the leading factors on why it's more comfortable to watch. I was so engrossed and excited each and every scenes that I was able to finish it in 4 days despite its 40 episodes.
Absolutely one of the best costume drama I watched ever since. It's a complete package of every single thing put all together + it didn't lack on any area which is very amusing for a drama these days. kudos!!
Story - 10, A well-written and excellently created story that shows how much hardwork the script writers must've invested into this to make it as perfect as it is right now. Every piece of it just fits perfectly together. Definitely one of the stories that will be difficult to be criticize by anyone in any possible way.
Acting/Cast - 10, Perfect set of talented and stellar actors and actresses. I was very satisfied of their character execution and their performance is over the top + I just enjoy the positive and radiant vibes they exuded.
Music - 10, Great choice of BGMs overall. I enjoyed and appreciate all of them and how they were picked to match and fit the vibe and mood of the scenes they were used on.
Rewatch Value - 10, The drama I enjoyed watching the most among all the chinese series I have watched since day 1 and I will never hesitate to watch it again.
Overall - 10, Masterpiece!! I will never stop mentioning how well structured, created and written this drama is. I feel like the people who worked on this drama are passionate about it and just decided to put their 101% the entire time they were shooting it. Definitely, a MUST watch!!
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Well-built Camaraderie & Cooperation from the MLs + Nothing beats a warm Meal shared w/ Loved ones.
I feel like the real essense of this drama is being united and making sure that you go home at the end of the day to share a warm meal with your loved ones. =)I really regret making it sit on my watch list for such a long time. This drama is such a heartwarming story that I would recommend to anyone who are experiencing different circumstances in life. For some reason it provided me great comfort and inspiration to move forward by looking back at my previous self and so, I hope that it can also help with other people to cope with all the predicaments they're going through with their lives.
This drama unexpectedly stood out to be one of the best Crime-Investigation drama there is. It is completely different from those who provides solid and thrilling action scenes but that what made this drama so unique for me. I love how it focuses on various aspects and views of life as well as providing great amount of family warmth and camaraderie that helps the whole narrative become more fun, enjoyable and interesting to watch.
Also, I might admit that it's not really perfect when it comes to story and the plot it took... More specifically towards the end where I found too much plot holes that was just added maybe because they lack another idea? or they just don't want to make Tang Fan perfect all the time but even with those, you can't just deny that they did extremely greatly with the rest of the story. So I'll just give it to them and consider it as something they overlooked. After all they still did great!
Other things I wanted to highlight is how this drama was presented in a lighter way? Antagonists were really bad but they weren't cruel enough to be considered as evil. That may seem like a bad thing but in all honesty it makes this drama easier to watch cause the protagonists can easily overturn the tides against them and let's all be honest here... Who even like to watch overly dark and heavily plotted drama in this stressful era we're at right now? All I care is to enjoy and have fun~!!
Laslty, Women Empowerment here specially at the end with Consort Wan is truly satisfying!! Like, Let's GO!! We all love authoritative and confident women. — ALSO, The Bromance with Tang Fan and Sui Zhou is something I squeal HARD!! Cause some of their scenes at the latter part of the story can pass as a BL inserts to be very honest. Hahaha.
Story - 10, As mentioned above it wasn't perfect and it definitely has some scenes where you'll find yourself saying "Wait, What? Huh??" but aside from those, the rest of the story do provide great progression and didn't disappoint in executing the highly thrilling and crucial scenes. So overall, it is still a Perfect score for me.
Acting/Cast - 10, Great acting from the Main and Lead Casts. Hell, even the side characters are good in their respective roles. Special mention to the actor of General Gao Yi. His facial expression is perfection. An expert I would say. The rest are really good as well. I love watching dramas without having to cringe over bad acting and this drama 'served' hard!!
Music - 10, Opening is really good and I must say that the inserts are really approriate and well suited as well. Kudos to the editors and music team for choosing the best music fitted for each scenes.
Rewatch Value - 10, I would love to. and I will surely recommend it to people looking for a crime-investigation drama that provides good story as well as positive character relationship and progression.
Overall - 10, Deserved!! I feel like I can never give it a rating lower than this. As stated in my bio, I don't care about other peoples view and opinion. All I care is how the drama performs and delivers its message and values as a whole and this drama surely did not disappoint and executed really well in different aspects.
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Pure Innocence... Experiencing Firsts and How-tos of Love together~! ♡
As Expected of Japanese way of story telling. It was silly, weird and hilarious (in a positive way) all at the same time. They've always had this unique spark and mood of their own that only them can execute and showcase perfectly.Hmm, how do I say it... Probably a breath of nice and fresh air after being exposed to heavy plotted dramas for such a long time. This drama made me feel awkward & shy because of Aoki's silliness while feeling warm & inspired towards Ida's way of accepting and understanding things even when it's supposedly 'weird' in generals point of view.
A Production who truly invested so much effort and time to showcase and convey how 2 guys will react to their first love considering it to be rather unusual and uncommon. It was like an introduction to trial and error of love and affection.
Definitely a 'Must Watch'~!! A drama that will make you feel all the butterflies roaming all around your system over and over again.
Story - 10, Although the drama was short but it was able to showcase the proper ways of how to deal and express ones intention and affection towards another in a nice and cool manner. More so, this drama made me feel inspired and enthusiastic towards love again.
Acting/Cast - 10, Awesome set of Actors/Actresses. The one who stood out the most to me is probably Michieda Shunsuke. This guy is full of emotion and expression that I wonder how the hell does he managed to show all of them in split-seconds. Would also like to commend Meguro Ren, Fukumoto Riko and Suzuki Jin for making the Main Cast lively and complete. All of them added their own color and spice to this drama.
Music - 10, I so love all of the songs but unfortunately Johnny's still sucks in putting their songs on mainstream platforms. I was still mad on how It's not available on Spotify. Like, come on! It's 2022. I've suffered so much downloading songs before with JUMP & Kisumai. Do I have to do it all over again?
Rewatch Value - 10, Instead of saying that I would never be tired of watching this drama over again. It was more of a precious memory I would love to watch again whenever I feel demotivated and disheartened towards love. It has that 'Cheer Up' vibe you'll want to watch just incase you suffer from a heartbreak or so.
Overall - 10, It was a precious and delicate story I would love to treasure for a long time. I would love to recommend this to people who's feeling demotivated because of love and also suffering from fear of confessing and showing their affection towards their loved ones.
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My Daily Dose of Comedic Relief — The Haggle Queen ♚
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" - This phrase fits this drama so well and is the total embodiment of the story.First and Foremost, WOW! Never expected this drama to be this good. I've got prejudice over this one for a long long time since I hated age gap between men and women but damn!! this drama proved me wrong and made me so engrossed and love it even beyond my imagination.
I feel like the writer and director knew what would people's opinion be over this kind of drama that's why they decided to throw us such a stoic, smug yet wacky ML and tada! it worked like magic. I mean as a viewer who had a negative opinion towards the drama even before I started watching it; Their decision to make him that way is like the biggest slap I could ever get for pre-prejudging it even before watching a piece of it and I totally deserve it.
Another thing is my beef over FLs supposed Bestfriends. I mean, they both look quite manipulative and user friendly during their introduction yet they made them so reliable and dependable as the show progresses and that's another slap on me again. SO!! There I conclude that this drama was created to bitch slap me everytime they see fit. HAHAHA~!!
Also, one last thing is the never ending hate the FL received from the MLs Mother, her Co-Workers, the Female Antagonists and so on. They all falter against such talented woman and I love it but I hated how they all used underhanded tricks to attack and set her up. Those moments truly infuriates me.
Anyways, this drama is brilliant and I never felt satisfied over a contemporary drama for such a long time (Well I've been watching costume drama for more than a year now... so... Hahaha~!!)
Story - 10, No doubts! This drama slap me over and over again to prove me wrong and I never reflected so much over a drama for such a long time. This drama satisfies and even went beyond my prejudice and expectations. It may not be perfect but it managed to pull through its main and sub plots exceptionally well.
Acting/Cast - 10, Stellar acting execution from a set of great actors/actresses. Got no complaints at all and I gotta commend how good they're as a whole. 1 actor who stood out the best for me is Lu Zheng. Like, Hell~!! His acting is on a different caliber. Probably the best among the stars of this drama. Would love to see more of him with his other acting projects.
Music - 10, Enjoyable and Fun Music. They accompanied the drama the best! They made the scenes extra colorful and fun to watch. The musis used for this drama complemented the drama as a whole.
Rewatch Value - 10, It took me quite awhile to finish it due to personal endeavors but supposedly I was to finish it within 4 days even in the middle of my packed schedule. Sadly it overlapped with my little summer get away and that explained how it got dragged for so long. Nonetheless, this drama is simply good and people need to watch it. I'm forcing everybody to. Hahaha~
Overall - 10, Everything combined, this drama is probably my best watch (Modern dramas only) so far this 2022 and there might be great one's I have yet to discover but this production cemented its prints within me. Definitely a good, sweet and fun drama to watch. A story for all ages.
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An Intelligent, Captivating, Direct and Smooth Sailing Drama~!!
I'm full of Adjective and Praises. But let me use those 4 as my main subject to elaborate and discuss how spectacular this production is.Honorable Mention!! I specifically love the little black and white imaginary space Chu Chu and Jinyu's creating whenever they're to re-enact and solve the case. Most of the time it provides the most skinship and romantic interaction from the both of them. Love it so much. <3
Intelligent - This show just kept on showing and shoving things right into your face. The cases and mysteries that are being handled were all complex and tricky but that didn't stop them from presenting us with such high accuracy explanation but also kept ME, personally, in awe at how splendid and well-constructive they were. A true Masterpiece!!
Captivating - The main leads and their chracters visuals might have been the expected icon when I mentioned the word 'Captivating' but that's not just that; The real reason why I love this drama so much is how the Characters behave and display their characteristics in a clever yet silly, sassy and entertaining way. I'm glad that they all have their own distinctive roles to show and they all nailed it. Wanna give credits to all the actors and actresses for doing a magnificent job. <3
Direct - Most of the dramas are flooded with bunch of plots and twist before going into the main hurdle just to show the heaviness and complexity of the final disaster the Protagonists have to went through; yet this drama chose the completely same plot but made it more direct and straightforward. They focused on 1 definitive subject then provided clues that will eventually gathered all the other hidden tricks and flaws and finally ended it with a Marvelous series of mind-blowing strategies and scheme to finally finish the main antagonist.
Smooth Sailing - Honestly, this is base on how I was shock to know that I'm passed the 3/4 of the drama even before I realized it. It completely caught me off guard on how smooth yet entertaining the whole drama is. Not even once this drama made me felt bored or tired of watching it. It always offers new, unique and interesting set of topics to watch and never failed in making them great. Hahaha~ This sound so biased but I'm just really in awe on how well-made and produced this drama is.
Story - 10, Story is a cut from the most excellent script there is and it never failed to showcase how good it is. I wanna commend the writer, producer and everyone who worked behind the camera to make this drama as great as it is right now.
Acting/Cast - 10, They portrayed their characters the best and even owned all of them. I enjoyed it so much thanks to their neat and clever execution of their scenes. I got nothing to say but words of love, adoration and praises.
Music - 10, Honestly, Music and BGM is the least focus of this drama but i'm quite satisified on how they didn't overly rely on BGMs and Music to set the mood. I also love the mysteric and quite thrilling opening instrumental of the drama. It reminded me a lot of those times I was watching The Lost Tomb Series and I just love it a lot.
Rewatch Value - 10, I would watch it again for sure. No words and flowery words needed. This drama will remain special and memorable on its own. I highly recommend this drama to everyone regardless of the genres they like.
Overall - 10, Perfection and Impressive. I honestly got no comaplaints and was extremely satisfied on how things went through. It was an easy drama to watch that will surely satisify anyone without any doubt.
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A light-hearted, easy to watch and comically entertaining drama ~
A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED drama to those looking for Fun-Naughty drama genre.This drama brought so much comfort and laugh to me for the past few days I was watching it. This may not be the most outstanding when it comes to plot twists and story schemes but it is far ahead when it comes to providing good entertainment and bliss to viewers.
Something I like about this is how light-hearted the overall mood of the drama is. Like even when there seemed to be a terrible scheme awaiting the protagonists you'll be assured it won't be that bad and will surely not ruin the joyful mood of the story. A breath of fresh air from those heavily-plotted drama that continuously give us bloody scenes to satisfy peoples great expectations.
Another thing is the bond, trust and harmony in the Family. It shows great love, affection, understanding and forgiveness towards every family members and exhibits good relationship overall.
P.S. It has my Favorite ending of ALL! A family taking care and pampering each other with not just love but also respect and mischivousness that makes it even more interesting.
Story - 10, Despite it's flaws I still want to give it a perfect score for being different from others and for giving me such enjoyment and entertainment during the whole duration i'm watching it. The unique way they made this story filled-up all its flaws and mishaps.
Acting/Cast - 10, I love them all. Good acting and they just brought so much smile to my face. They did great doing the casting and I can't ask for more. They all fit their roles and even lived up to their characters emotions and actions with such great portrayal.
Music - 10, I'm kinda 'meh' with the opening theme at first but once you settled with the drama and put your mind and heart in place with how drama wanted to cater to its viewers you'll gradually love it. The insert BGMs are quite defent too, specially the sound effects. They're reallu fun. Hahaha. Very creative and good editing.
Rewatch Value - 10, Of course! It's a feel good drama that can make you feel at peace and excited just by thinking about it. It's really a laid back drama that can make you consider watching it If you feel like to.
Overall - 10, Honestly I've been giving straight 10s to the dramas I've watched for the past few months but I don't care. I'm giving such perfect rating not because I want to but because they deserves it. Dramas tend to appear similarly to some people but it should never be treated or classified as one in general because there's a reason as to why we have different 'Genres', and that's to keep them apart. Indeed a Good Piece. =)
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A simple yet decent & mysterious intro for The Lost Tomb Series
I'm writing this review months after watching this drama but the feeling and impression it left me never faded away; so I would like to take this opportunity to encourage and invite people on watching this Series through my words.This drama started with Wuxie and his friend escaping from a set of people who is after the ancient relic they've obtained and how he met his 'Best Buddies' Wang Pangzi and Zhang Liying. As a fan who have watched the entire Series at this point, I may say that this drama does consist some trivial scenes that shouldn't have existed in this drama yet it worked out greatly and did make people more interested about it (I'm talking about the copper fish auction).
It also showcases the different attributes and characteristics of our Iron Triangle Trio and left us hanging with anticipation on how awesome they can be once they work it all out together.
Story - 8.5, This is a rather decent introduction for the 1st season oF TLTS and they did great on making the people curious about it but I felt like they could have done better. They did a big leap showing some scenes that shouldn't be there in the first place and watching it being included on the other Seasons like Lost Tomb 2 & Ultimate Note made me a little confused.
Acting/Cast - 10, Li Yifing and Yangyang did well with their execution and the cast did great portraying their own characters as well.
Music - 9, I can vaguely remember the BGM of this drama but I remembered not skipping the opening and ending of it just to check the music out.
Rewatch Value - 8, Would probably rewatch if I feel like watching the entire thing again. Nonetheless this 1st installment is a fundamental to start when you're planning to watch the whole series.
Overall - 8.5, Despite all the things I've mentioned above about this drama, It still highlighted the crucial points and characteristics of our Main Leads and how the story will unfold.
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Sensual, Lustful and Arousing Making out scenes from the Main Leads~
Okay! come on, calm down. Lol~ I know some people might be weird-ed out by my Drama Highlight but when I think of something that left the most impact on me watching this drama I got nothing except for Yang Mi & Mark Chao's kissing and Making out scenes. Hahaha~For someone who've watched tons of dramas with such heated scenes I must say that the way they deliver and execute them is by far the most utterly jaw-dropping and drooling among all. They exude the passion, devotion and very intense emotion that can make you feel differently. Hahaha~
P.S. I finished watching this drama 1 week before I complete the entire series. Hahaha~ So, apparently I was so busy with work that I can't watch the whole show in one go, so I ended up spoiling myself by fast forwarding, Jumping and Leaping through its scenes episode per episode on Youtube. So I watched this drama completely spoiled and aware of what's to come. The very first drama I felt impatient about. HIHI~
Anyways, let's move on and discuss some other things I love and some other stuff I felt like the production felt short of.
→ Likes...
×× Probably the way they kept Yang Mi's character look and feel proud and regal 80% of the time. The way her character was created is something that I love. Whenever Sujin tries to harm her and way she retaliate always satisfies the real-b*tch out of me. Like "Yes Girl feed her with humiliation" Hahaha~
×× Next is the side characters/couples. This drama just made sure that it is giving justice to almost anyone they start a story with. Most specially with how Zi Lan and Yan Zhi's story ended. It is really heartbreaking and saddening but that only shows how much the producer tries his/her best to end the other relationships they built to make sure that nothing is left hanging even after the drama ends.
×× Oh God, Here we are!! Zhe Yan && Bai Zhen's subtle Bromance, Kyahh! Aside from the Main Couple their cute-sweet-tiny moments gave me so much joy whenever they appear on screen. They're like an old couple who silently takes good care and pamper each other most of the time. I hoped to get more from them. T.T
→ Dislikes...
×× This is tough but I gotta say that the first half of the drama kinda bored me out. I felt like most of the early stuff could've been shortened and it would be more perfect. 58 Episodes is really a lot but it's all worth it. However I felt like they could've used some of the unnecessary fillers to give us Bai Qian && Ye Hua's story enjoying their time with A-Li. They really felt short in showcasing that cute and wonderful child.
×× Next is some questionable plot materials that felt odd & ridiculous. First is Ye Hua's custom-made prosthetic arm that shouldn't be useful but right after his Heavenly Trial in Mortal Realm he was able to use it instantly and even utilized it in fighting the Former Ghost Lord. Like, common! Second is how the Soul-gathering-lamp was broken after Bai Qian threw it. I mean, I know she's a High God but that thing is supposedly an old artifact that should've been sturdy and magical... So how? Third is the power scaling... Being on that position of High God means that you got prestige and insane power, right? yet most of Bai Qian's fighting scenes is simply lacking and unimpressive. I don't wanna pick on this but it just stood out like a sore-thumb and it truly bothered me.
×× Finally! The fight scenes in general. It was so underwhelming and unimpressive to the point where I'm quetioning how come how are they defeating their opponents with such slow and pathetic movements. This is one of the areas where this drama left a huge hole for me and made me quite disappointed.
Story - 9.5, I went through so much contemplation and consideration before giving this rating cause the drama is certainly not perfect but I felt like most of the things I find underwhelming about it doesn't necessarily affected the story in a bad way and I felt like although some of them do affects my mood while watching the drama I just can't discredit it for how well-made the main story is. It was still a brilliant plot that gave us so much character development and story progression.
Acting/Cast - 10, Definitely! I must say that they got one of the FINEST among the C-dramas I've watched so far. The artists in this drama are magnificent in their role and I never felt bothered by anyone's acting even one bit. Even the side and extra's felt so damn good. The set of artists casted in this production is really remarkable.
Music - 9.5, The Music started as SO-SO during the first half of the drama but eventually redeemed itself towards the latter half. Although I find 50% of this dramas BGMs as flat and unimpactful they were still decent and never affected my mood in a bad way.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, I would Probably skip some of the scenes on episode 10-20 but I'll still surely watch it nonetheless. This drama gave me so much emotion and feels watching it. A drama that gets better and better as you watch it.
Overall - 9.5, Considering the things I felt underwhelmed about... I feel like this is the perfect score I can give to this production as a whole. This drama is truly impressive specially with its story progression and its highlight scenes but I can never overlook some of its flaws that made me a little bored and dissatisfied. Overall A Great drama that depicted Passionate True Love even after several misfortunes and challenges.
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The farmers' grit for their land | Her Perfect Husband | Funny and strong spitting game! 哈哈
"Xiuxiu. Don't wait for him. What he can't do, I can. I'm going to make up for all the suffering you've endured." - Feng Dajiao to Ning XiuxiuIf I were to describe this drama in one sentence. It would be "A production that will not disappoint, in any way or form, from the beginning till the very end."
Finishing this drama left me in total awe of its flawless craftsmanship. The cinematography was incredible as every detail felt intentional. You can tell it was created by masters of their craft who truly know what they’re doing. I have nothing but respect for the team behind this.
I must admit, there was also a time when I got frustrated watching this show—mainly Fei Wenxuan's preachy political scenes. But as time passed, I realized they were for the greater good of all. It made me acknowledge how shallow my views and ideologies were, and prompted me to reflect on my opinions and perspectives on life in general.
My only advice before you watch this is to absorb and savor every moment. Digest every scene, treasure the lessons in your heart, and keep any negative feedback to yourself until the very end. You must, at any cost, see it through to the finale before making a judgment. Because the only time you can truly understand the value of the story is after you have completed it.
This is the type of drama that makes you reflect on yourself and the society we live in today. It leaves me feeling a sense of gratitude that we have moved forward from a destitute and turbulent past into a much more comfortable and peaceful life. Furthermore, I hope this show can inspire everyone to appreciate and treasure life more—because that is what this story has personally taught me.
I totally enjoyed every scene this drama offered. Starting from the beginning where it presented the 360-degree shift in Ning Xiuxiu’s (FL) life and showing how she familiarized herself with, adjusted to, and gradually assimilated into her new status. From there, the story moved from their simple farm life and daily survival to sudden political maneuvers that became increasingly challenging and dangerous. It was a real eye-opener, especially for someone not familiar with the Japanese invasion back then—even though my own country was also invaded and occupied for years. I should say that I now understand where the hatred and disdain towards the Japanese are coming from... I don’t want to dwell on that too much, so I’ll stop here.
Regarding the characters, I feel for all of them. I feel like they’ve been through a lot—so much, in fact.
× Ning Xiuxiu - An excellently written character. I admire her courage and resolve, just as much as I love her open-mindedness and humility. She has been through so much in her lifetime, and I am so happy to see her evolution. My heart is with her as she weathers life alone following Feng Dajiao’s passing.
× Feng Dajiao - The man that he is. Thank you for being the pillar that supports and loves NXX unconditionally. I have nothing but mad respect for him. He showed me how to be a responsible and dutiful husband—one who is selfless, loving, and understanding. Their relationship prospered because of how genuine and transparent he was with his feelings and opinions; for me, that is their relationship's strongest foundation.
"I'm happy. Xiuxiu has a place for me in her heart. I have a home now." - Feng Dajiao
× Ning Susu - I feel the deepest sympathy for the suffering she went through. Her life was constantly fucked up by those around her, and in the blink of an eye, years had passed and she found herself at her lowest point—left out and have gained nothing. Just as she finally found true love and happiness, she was then heartlessly poisoned—along with the person who showed her the true definition of love and affection. Her tragic fate has brought me many tears.
× Fei Wenxuan - I feel heartbroken for him. He was tricked into marrying the younger sister of the woman he loved. Then later on, he was drugged so that he could unknowingly consummate his wedding with her. I admit to having been irritated by him for how seemingly irresponsible and inconsiderate he was, but over time, I just grew to understand that he was acting that way not because he was irresponsible, but because he just refused to act against his own will or submit to external obligations. I may have also hated him for how forceful he was with his political ideologies, but I understand now that he was only doing that for the greater good of all. Nonetheless, he died valiantly, and I just want to applaud him for his outstanding and selfless pursuit of public service.
In retrospect, our leads are simply victims of their families' greed (driven by a sense of responsibility) and selfish desires (believing that what they were doing was right). Although their families' methods are seemingly selfish and irresponsible, I have also come to acknowledge that they were somewhat compelled to act out of obligation and filial piety, rooted in their ancestors' teachings. Above all, I'm glad that Ning Xuexiang had his redemption moment before he died, in contrast to Madam Fei, who went crazy and died tragically, chained by the weight of the obligations placed upon her.
This is definitely one of the most authentic and wholesome dramas I have watched in years. When they feel happy, I feel happy. They they feel sad, I feel the same way. Watching this made me realize how wonderful Republican and Contemporary dramas can be—I've been so addicted to costume dramas that I’ve neglected other genres for a long time.
Lastly, I was genuinely captivated by the beauty and simplicity of living a rural farm life. It gave me a sense of reality for the future I prefer for myself when I get old and am ready to retire. I think I fit and like the simple rural life the best. I love the casual and ordinary day-to-day life.
Story - 10, It was pure, absolute perfection. Everything about this drama was exceptionally done. The story alone deserves to sweep major awards. It was a raw and authentic depiction of how tough the turbulent and impoverished times were back then. The plot and conflicts were well-crafted, and the deaths felt natural—like a natural flow and occurrence of life.
Acting/Cast - 10, I’m at a loss for words regarding how satisfied and amazed I was by the cast of this production. The caliber of acting from almost everyone was incredible. Every emotion was successfully conveyed in a heartfelt manner. The one who stood out for me was Xing Fei—I never expected her to be this good! She delivered a poignant performance; her emotional depth brought a compelling authenticity to the character. She deserves every Best Supporting Actress award she can get. I was more drawn to her character than to the main lead. I also enjoyed Ou Hao a lot here. I’m a new fan!
Music - 10, The overall music gave me a 'Sound of Music' vibe. It was freeing, soothing, and refreshing. It allowed me to enjoy the scenes while feeling lighthearted and comfortable.
Rewatch Value - 10, Most certainly! It was a true masterpiece—the kind of drama you wouldn't get tired of watching, even years later. Truly timeless.
Overall - 10, II wouldn't have it any other way. This drama deserved all the positive reviews and high ratings it could get. I'm not even sure why it's only an 8.1 on MyDramaList when some mediocre costume dramas are rated 8.2 and above. Geez!
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The struggles of an undeveloped love affair | FLs relationship-baiting saved this drama.
"There are countless paths in the world. none of them are easy. I'll consider this my way of paving the way for other women to follow." Mu Dan / He Wei FengI have written a separate review for the prequel so this one will focus more on the sequel and the entire story itself.
I was actually quite displeased throughout my watch experience due to the lack of progress and even regression of the leads' love affair, but it wasn't until I reached the last 5 or so episodes that the realization hit me that this story wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't the typical lovey-dovey tropey idol historical drama I envisioned it to be, but instead a properly crafted drama that incorporates two broad-minded and mature characters who know the weight of their actions and do not dare do anything recklessly. Which turned out to be the major issue that hinders the growth of their relationship.
Honestly, I am still quite upset about the route they chose for the leads' love story that I felt cheated in some way. The prequel gave us below minimum and when I thought the sequel will offer us something grand, they gave us their uncertainties and dilemma's instead. Imagine getting the least amount of progress 12 episodes in and the next situation you are witnessing is their misunderstanding... and that'a when I thought we're gonna get a proper development on their romance on the 2nd half but 15 episodes before the drama ends, and we're still on the 'hiding/concealing feelings stage. Hayys! I was frustrated and flabbergasted at the same time! It may seem like I am totally obsessed and is dwelling too much on the romance side of the story but isn't that one of the concept this show is marketing on?
My main issue about this production is that the leads' romance hasn't officially started yet they're already ending/cutting ties with each other. They focused mostly on the characters personal goals and endeavours, which is fine, but not until they suddenly dropped and shoved us their issues. Because what do you mean we're having this after giving us little to no improvement of their relationship? It upsets me because they ended in that situation due to the lack of strong foundation—which is trust and personal understanding of one another.
I mean they both make sense—FL is bold and courageous while the ML have been traumatized and maimed that he can no longer take a risk. But then, what they lacked is mutual consideration for each other. FL kept on pushing herself to be part of the chaotic situation while the ML fears her to be involve in it.
Like, everything about their romantic relationship is going smoothly. I even thought that they're amazing for having such perfect harmony that's one in mind and in heart. However, my impression faltered and slowly crumbled after realizing that what they have is pre-mature. Because although they have the undeniable connection and understanding, they lack the intimacy, vividness and expressiveness a real couple usually have. Thank god the FL (Mu Dan) worked her ass off relationship-baiting the ML. Cause if not, then this drama is beyond salvation for me in terms of the romance department.
Regarding Sui Zhi (ML)...I get him. I understand that he got scared after that incident that almost killed Mu Dan considering her pas trauma's, however, isn't it inappropriate and unfair for Mu Dan to suddenly be left out like that? He lured and made her fall for him and when she finally did, he immediately backed out? He's clouded by his trauma and fears so he chose to ignore and decline her feelings to keep her safe from any harm and avoid getting her implicated; I get that. But he should've at least considered her feelings and why she feels that way in the first place!! Truly, this drama would've fallen to pieces if not for Mu Dan winning him over (Sighs).
I wholeheartedly love and appreciate female centric dramas but I also think that there should be borderlines we must consider when creating one. I've got nothing to pick on when it comes to the character development of Mu Dan (FL)—It was flawless and slick. But that's exactly where the issue lies. They made her so incredible that towards the end, it feels like she's overpowered the ML. To the point where it seems like he's bound to fail so bad without her interventions. Their balance shaken and suddenly he doesn't feel as reliable as he used to. Not to even mention how he was as good as dead if Prince Ning didn't purposely missed an inch when he stabbed him.
That being said, it only proves that being an entirely mature relationship also has its down sides/disadvantages as well.
Moving on from that, one thing I enjoyed from their the most is their sneaky and adorable moments together. Her countless "Fu Jun" call melts me and his shallow and feathery kisses brought me so much joy and pleasure. They had a lot of kissing scenes too bad Li Xian doesn't know how to kiss passionately. Hahaha!
"Do you know what love is? True love means loving who they love, hurting when they hurt. It means letting go, not holding them captive. Love is not a sword meant to wound. It's the bright moon, quietly watching over, enduring forever." - Mu Dan (FL) to Zi Shu (2ML)
Zi Shu's truly the most devoted and obsessive man ever. He never cease to amaze me. He keeps on holding on to the past which prevented him to see the beauty and worth of his present. This happened to him twice and I feel sad to see him lose his track and gone astray. His ending on the other hand felt sorrowful yet deserving. He keeps on blowing up his chances that at the end, seeing him dead satisfies me—just to prevent him from hurting the people who loves him again.
Lastly, ending. I guess I am just glad that they didn't kill Sui Zhi and provided us a justified reason on how he survived. Prince Ning ending was also deserving and so is Zi Shu & You Zhen's. I'm also grateful for them not killing any other supporting roles aside from She Yan as his death is a reasonable one.
P.S. I really love Liu Lang & Sui Zhi's chemistry. Liu Lang is like the son fighting his father to get his mother's attention. They should've given us more scenes of Liu Lang teasing/sabotaging Sui Zhi while Sui Zhi shaking his actions off as he simply finds him childish and immature to even pay attention to.
Story - 9.0, The story structure and plot was good, it's just that they failed in providing us deeper romantic development for the leads' which caused their misunderstanding to feel sudden and lacking in foundation. Everything else was greatly executed though.
Acting/Cast - 10, I love every actors and actresses in this production. At first, I thought Li Xian wouldn't match well with period drama set up, but heck was I wrong! He nailed his character and I found him on a new light. Yang Zi on the other hand just executed Mu Dan perfectly. Job well done!
Music - 9.5, Songs used were such a bliss to listen to. They matched the scenes they're used to and helped out a lot in making those scenes even more impactful.
Rewatch Value - 7.0, I enjoyed my time watching this drama, however, I don't think I will ever watch it again. Their romance development made me frustrated and overthink (because nothing much was happening but they're already breaking up. LMAO)
Overall - 8.5, Despite my rants and seemingly negative reaction above, I still would say that I enjoyed this drama. The story was greatly written specially Mu Dan's personal growth and development. Minus the romance part of course. Lol
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A withered Peony flourished through hardships and hard work.
NOTE: I don't really know much about this drama (aside from its cast) when I first picked it; reason why my commentary below mostly expresses my initial reaction of this story alone (1st half) and will focus on it. Which means it doesn't include whatever happened on the sequel (2nd half). That being said, please allow me to share my experience watching this show.I picked this drama hoping to have fun and enjoyment..little did I know that I am luring myself into a crazy combination of emotional frustration and entertainment. This story presented me some of the most frustrating scenes I have not seen in a long time, while simultaneously giving us excitement, thrill and inspiration.
The pacing of the drama was quite slow which made me feel like a significant amount of time is being wasted (knowing that we only have 32 episodes). However, upon learning that this is just the 1st part consoled me a lot; because finally, I can chill and calmly watch it with peace knowing that it will not be a rushed production that will give us messy patched up ending out of their incompetence.
The 1st half of the story is like the introduction of the FLs (Mu Dan) sufferings in order to rebuild herself after a failed marriage and various miseries that almost cost her, her life. It focuses on the challenges and hardships she had to endure in order to obtain a foothold and gradually achieve her dreams.
I loathe some aspects of the story at first as it mostly presents constant suffering and scheming. But as the show progresses, I have grown to understand what it truly signifies...that this drama wasn't meant to be judged only by its 32 episodes, as it's a part of a whole; and that the writer, producer, and director have tried their best to show us real-life occurrences and issues of the people who lived in the Tang dynasty—which is also related to the problems we are facing today—that way we're be able to put ourselves in the characters' shoes in order to understand and acknowledge their feelings and sentiments.
One perfect example is Wu Niang/ Qin Sheng Yi - I used to see this woman as someone who never learned her lesson—a woman who was too kind to the point of naivety. I feel for her agony and pain but also find her utterly stupid. However after some deep reflection, I gradually understand where her worries, hesitation and inhibition are coming from. She was treated as if a woman can only survive with men's support and guidance so it was natural for her to feel intimidated and inferior. She's self-deprecating for a reason and I now find her thoughts and emotions valid. Although, I still find her gullible for re-marrying her abusive and opportunistic husband but hey! I cheered when she stabbed him to death and was sad and proud when she took her own life as a sign and proof of her innocence and defiance against the law's partiality towards men.
My heart goes to Liu Chang/Zi Shu (2ML)...he's one of the greatest victim of all the mess yet branded as someone "Prideful but coward". I was rooting for him at some point for the FL; too bad he was too dense to understand the gravity of some (if not most) situations and is always tolerating his parents wrongdoings. I pity him for being powerless, feel sad for what he has become, admires him for his loyalty and resolute attitude and hates him for being an incompetent husband and overly devoted son.
Lastly, I finally found the 2nd most scarred/wounded female protagonist after Li Changge (Dilraba's character in The Long Ballad). I emphatize with Mu Dan so much. The 1st family she's married into made her almost lose her wits doing everything she can to escape the marriage and household who made use, abused and taken advantage of her and yet she can't do it easily as she's being targeted and faced with their grim/nasty schemes; and right after going to Chang'an she still had to face their undercover tactics and much cruel oppression with the help of Prince Ning & the ever malevolent Li You Zhen. She have done nothing but offer everyone sincerity and kindness yet repaid in such a in evil way.
I will have to end this review here as I feel like providing much commentary about the story is inappropriate since I haven't finished the whole story yet. Nonetheless, I can assure everyone that this 1st half is all about women's woe, misery and survival.
P.S. This drama won the "Most fucked up Wedding ceremony" Award. No woman deserves to be treated coldly during their wedding, more so, the whole year of their marriage life. Fortunately, Mu Dan took it lightly because if not...devasting!
Story - 9.0, The story was greatly told. My main issue about this drama is their phasing—they leisurely took their time with how the story progresses that It became tiring to watch at one point. It would've been really nice if they included some vital development of the main leads romantic relationship here instead of putting it almost entirely on the 2nd half.
Acting/Cast - 10, I am extremely satisfied of the cast. It's my 1st time watching both Yang Zi & Li Xian in a costume drama and I must say that they are both very good at it. I love the supporting actors/actresses as well.
Music - 10, The set of songs used are good. I enjoyed it a lot and it naturally fits the scenes and vibe of the drama.
Rewatch Value - 8.5, I wouldn't mind re-watching it but will not do so unless necessary. This half is significant as it holds the introduction of the story and progress of the characters for who they have become on the 2nd part. So watching part 1 is essential before jumping into the Part 2.
Overall - 9.0, I feel like this is the fair rating for this show. The story was good, however, I think it would've been better if they were more efficient in handling the pacing of the scenes and development of the main leads romance.
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Forget me or not?—Memory fades but feelings lingers | Bittersweet heartbreaking ending ㅠㅠ
Xingxian wasn't a bad person. It's just that, in her sufferings, she lost her kindness bit by bit. - Jiu Xuan YeI honestly don't know how to start my review...so shall I elaborate on how this drama completely wrecked me?
Let me start this by letting out a sigh of frustration and anguish...wow! Just, WOW! I picked this drama after watching #ThePrisonerOfBeauty and god was I so wrong for doing that—worst decision of my life this year.
The story started smoothly with a touch of intrigue and excitement that can encourage anyone to binge-watch It. However, as the story goes on the more it felt draggy. They tend to spend significant amount of time on specific plot events (namely Reunion Inn and Inside the Painting scenes) instead of producing more...which made the slow-paced development of the story feel even much dragged out rather than help it become more progressive (in terms of pacing). The main issue is that the plots and schemes were so unnecessarily detailed which makes the story too dragged out. They most probably wanna make sure that the narrative will be flawless but for the price of what? the story being seen as pedantic? I am sorry but that's just being overly perfectionist to me.
Plots, Twists and Pacing as described above are way too detailed—flawless—which I highly appreciate at the same time dislike, as it made the show feels short of action and events. Which if were altered could have given us more interaction and moments from the characters. Whenever I recollect about this drama, I only have 5 events in mind (Owl Demon, Mirror Demon, the slow and extremely detailed Reunion Inn, overly repetitive wedding loop scene and lastly, the Snake demon) which could have been more, given that they have 36 episodes.
Climax and falling action was handled nicely as it was action packed but it also felt hastily done in a way. It felt rushed as they literally unfolded it 4-5 episodes before the resolution of the conflict which is considerably too little for me as they still needed a couple of episodes to present the actual finale to conclude the story.
Ending is where it all started falling apart for me. The most heartbreaking part of this drama is when the director and writer decided to fvcking serve us with that sacrificial yet benevolent finale which is very much unnecessary and unwarrented. I detest such pretentious endings at it is a mask they often utilize to torture the viewers in all aspects. No matter what other people says, I can never tolerate anyone who romanticizes sad endings.
To top it all up, I even got to watch the Behind-the-scenes of the finale. The scene where the main leads are both crying their eyes out because of extreme agony. Ohmyghad! I was so mentally, emotionally and spiritually damaged that I began hating the director and writers of this show so much!
P.S. I got some personal beef on how many times they repeated the wedding scene inside the painting. That was truly irritating to the point where I even considered fastforwarding. I also got quite bored on how excruciatingly slow and dragged out the Reunion Inn event was. Almost lost my patience watching those parts.
Lastly, a comical line that turned grim.
"I'll marry you. You've tried to snatch me as a bride so many times, who else could I marry if not you?" - Duan Ban Xia
Story - 9.0 - Despite how sluggish and draggy it feels like, I still cannot disregard the writer and director for their flawless work of the plots and events. I still abhor them for the ending but it doesn't feel right to give this story a lower score then 9.0 just because of that.
Acting/Cast - 10, Song Zu Er & Ren Jia Lun are perfect for the role and they both delivered really well. The supporting roles were also remarkably good in portraying their given roles. Kudos to every single one of them.
Music - 10, When it comes to C-dramas, music is that one thing I am not very particular with (in comparison to K-dramas) as long as the music used are good and never bothered me, then it will be a 10 for me.
Rewatch Value - 6.0, I honestly don't think I will ever watch it again. I am giving it this score out of consideration entirely for the compact and detailed story.
Overall - 9.0 - This score feels right to me. Not too low and to high either. I still feel disappointed about the ending but all in all it was good. Although some parts of it became tiring at one point, they all still make sense at the end. Again, I can never discredit the work just because I hate some parts of it.
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A beautiful yet tragic love story that constantly long & wait for each other + Insane CGI & Design!
"Women is not an interest, it's a men's need. An essential feeling. Without feelings, you'll feel incomplete no matter how much you get" - Xie Jing Xuan / Tang Si QiI feel like the introduction of this review should start with its phasing, so let me unfold my insight of this drama by doing so!
The phasing of the story was fast and jumpy for its first 15 episodes then started to slow down to gradually pick up a normal phase but yet again took a big leap for the main reason of completing the plot and the entire story... In short, It was a drama that went inconsistently with its overall phasing and narration to present only the important and signifant details to the viewers. I dare not say its bad cause it never was, instead, I wanna let people know that it was imperfect and full of flaws so better keep your tolerance up because you're about to encounter different types of feelings watching this. You may get bored and hesitant while watching it, but just trust this production and its process cause it's all fruitful at the very end.
When it comes to the story, I'd say it's like a disorganized and incomplete puzzle... It has multiple pieces of fragments they tried hard to collect to be put and place together. But after a long while, they only managed to build its core and some pieces around it that can only provide us so much information to see the crucial part of the puzzle disregarding the rest of it. A lot of scenes were always left hanging... unended and often abandoned. You got no choice but to conclude and assume what may have transpired for you to get the corresponding occurences to move on. Despite it being like that, I still enjoyed it and wanna say I'm glad they were able make it that way instead of crumbling it into unrecognizeable pieces. Although the ending was blurry and bewildering that actually started an idea for a 'possible' 2nd season /cross fingers/.
When it comes to the love and romance side of this drama, I can only say not to expect a lot. It was really beautiful and wonderful that you'll hope and expect a lot but you'll only be disappointed on how tragic and sorrowful it will be... Even when I feel like most of it was a bad decision and truly made the drama less interesting and exciting, it was still a crucial action to solve and complete the mysteries of the story. It was harsh yet understandable and plausible IF you look at the big picture.
CGI, Overall look and Design - Right off the bat till the very end, the editing and magics of this drama never fails me. It was created skillfully and meticulously as if they got a sudden income raise or something. Hahaha!
Fight scenes are mediocre at best... Aside from their fight scenes that are mostly about flailing their weapons, the power scaling of this drama is pretty messed up! I can still remember how ridiculous it is for me to watch them casting their magic spells and getting defeated even when they're supposedly more powerful than their opponents. Like, whatdaheck just happened!?
Chemistry - Is INSANE! Every pair this drama has produced have been nothing but a great satisfaction. They just worked out perfectly like a pair shoes. Main leads are oozing with so much mysteries and cold yet attractive spark. While the 2nd pairing got this playful and tempting vibe with them. Heck! There was even a point when the 2nd Couple's dominating and ruling this story. It's just sad that both of them ended up tragically!
P.S. I just wanna mention how Fan Chengcheng looks like Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo's character in The Untamed), How gorgeous and sparkly Cheng Xiao is and lastly, how Ma Yue always got the best roles! I've watched 4 shows of her so far and she always serves! What a great actress!
Story - 9.0, Just the the right rating I guess. I really wanna give it a higher score but doing so won't be justifiable. Story went extremely jumpy and always all over the place to the point where I have to internalize and organize the events for me to comprehend what actually happened. + The constant death of great characters ruined it for me. Ghad, I need Season 2 so bad.
Acting/Cast - 10, Exceptional and perfection! I would never replace anyone from this production. They've always been a pleasure to watch and everyone executed and played their character like nobody else can. Fan Chengcheng, Cheng Xiao and Ma Yue are the MVPs of this drama!
Music - 9.0, Never feel bad about it but they could've done better. Yes, I'm guilty for skipping the opening and not even watching the ending credits but I did try to ran through them 'once' and it's all instrumental with thrilling and mellow sound in it. Insert songs are closely the same. Nonetheless, I was never bothered by it and I find them comforting and settling to listen to.
Rewatch Value - 9.0, If you ask me to watch it again, I'll probably do, but... You gotta give me the Sequel / Season 2 right after. Although the execution was a bit brutal but the overall flow and plot of this drama is considerably good. it's just that I refuse to watch it again unless we continue the unfinished tale.
Overall - 9.0, Everything considered, I highly think this is an accurate score. This drama is good overall, even with its flaws... that goes left and right. I just wanna say that most of it's mishaps and shortcomings are justified on how they set up the plots to keep the story going. Afterall, everything was plausible at end. So... I guess it's fine!?
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The 5 Skillful Elites of Shanyi Academy + Please! Bear the first 4 overly clichėd episodes!
Something I badly wanna mention is that... this drama will forever be remembered for its crappy and overly clichėd first 4 episodes.I've never suffered or endured this much ever before, specially during the introduction of any drama. The amount of unbearable and non-sensical scenes I tolerared to finish this is too much to even be transcribe into words. All I can say is that I've experienced great anxiety those moments, to the point where a deep hallow space is already building up in my stomach and the urge to give up this show was immeasurable. Thank god! I'm tremendously patient!
Looking back now, I somewhat feel like this drama's overall theme and genre reminds me of stories back in early 2000s. Those extremely flawed, cringey and corny shows I used to watch with no problem back then is exactly identical to this one right here. The only difference is that I'm watching it in this era where I'm already a graduate of such clichėd stuff. Maybe if I watch it back when I was a teenager I would've enjoyed it without any complains.
I can go on and on with how frustrating this story is. However, I also wanna mention my opinion on other aspects of this show, so allow me to do so.
Plot & Twists - I don't wanna rant more but I just can't let it go. Up till now I'm still baffled on how they go beyond logic and common sense in delivering the sequences of this drama. It felt stupid that most of the 'obvious' hints can't be understood by the leads and It always takes time before they can realize such points even when it was being shove right infront of their faces already... Like WTH? During those times, I just had to remind myself that I'm watching a purely comical idol drama and it will be a tough challenge to bear and knock some sense into because it was created to be like that— all fun and laughter.
Fighting scenes - Most of Dugu Muxue and Ning Xiang's sword plays were good but aside from that the rest are eiher mediocre or straight up bad. The 'war scene' was actually good with them showing their areas of expertise, the only problem is how absurd their training was. Successfully dodging a great number of spears being thrown at them really put me off. Seriously? are you kidding with me?
5 Main leads - I've had the most issue with the Female Lead. Shen Yiyi/Diyie's character made me throw up for being the most cringey of them all. Her intended weaknesses and flaws always gets into my nerves and her over exaggerated reactions made her acting even more disguting for me. The rest are either good or decent... I also just wanna mention how they tend to make the most significant scenes awkward. Those 'pre-occupied' and 'I'm-deadass-seriously-thinking' moments were so embarassing, I'm getting the second hand feels of it. Dugu Muxue did it excellently though.
Story - 7.5, Although this dramas has an enormous unbearable and shameless moments, I still wanna say that the main plot was delivered considerably good. It was just they throw a bunch of random 'it-doesn't-make-sense' scenes that made this drama ridiculous for me.
Acting/Cast - 8.0, Got no problem with the cast. But their fair share of cringey acting just never fails to stick out like a sore thumb. The way they fail misserably when it comes to the most significant scenes— be it romantic, dramatic and even the fun and light hearted ones, oh god. They never missed any opportunity to look uncomfortable does resulting to mediocre-cringey acting. Special mention Wang Yuwen's acting that makes the situation more awkward.
Music - 10, Unexpectedly, I got so hook with the BGMs of this drama. It just give you that 'vibe' to enjoy and be motivated to go on with life. + It added excitement and vitality to the show.
Rewatch Value - 5.0, This is the lowest I can go for this drama. It has some decent moments that anyone may wanna watch again for fun but there's simply no significant scenes that can make me watch it over again. Just, No!
Overall - 7.5, Everything considered, I'd say this drama's bearable specially Ep.5 beyond. It may differ from people's taste and liking but a piece of advice to those who are after some 'serious' and 'sensical' dramas, you guys shouldn't even try watching it or else you might drop it. I was even surprise that majority of its reviews on MDL were 8-9 or perfect 10. Like, how did y'all? seriously?
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