Minalapinou

A very welcome comeback of the romantic thriller in Kdrama form

Yess a romantic thriller ! And a spicy one, even. I love those. It's old school for a Kdrama, bringing back the red flag CEO antihero, and I'm here for it. Usually we start contract marriage plots before (or right after) the wedding, but this one takes us after three long, cold, loveless years, when our heroïne is on the verge of exploding. And explode, she does ! And takes a very unusual and dangerous approach. The drama is so well done, I'm surprised at the level of directing and acting involved in this. Also, for once, here is a show that relies on showing and almost never on telling. There is a lot going on here visually. Plot wise, I know Kim Ji Won is a controversial writer, but I always find her work fascinating, never boring, and thought-provoking (I'm one of the few people who enjoyed Cheongdamdong Alice and Melancholia from start to finish). Her adaptation of the webtoon is very fairy-tale like, it's Sleeping Beauty coded with a "dormant" cursed heroïne, the theme of sexual awakening, the toxic queen moms and absentee fathers. They also cite the Little Mermaid, and I can see its influence with the heroïne who can't speak, loves her prince in silence and feels like a tortured stand-in for his bride. Talking about the actors, I'm so glad that Chae Soo Bin is sharing the screen with Yoo Yeon Seok, they are such a strong pairing. She's fire, he's ice, so take a seat and enjoy the ride.

Read More

Sex, drugs, and denial

So I was pulling my hair out of frustration watching Half-Awake, that minidrama has a very solid cast, loved the aesthetic, premise was my catnip (twisted mutual revenge) but the writing is just abysmal, to the point where nothing could save it from being a rage-inducing trainwreck with no reward in sight. Feeling deprived of my hate-love romance crack, my attention was caught by this drama : it has Wang Kai Mu, is made by director of critically acclaimed What a Good Girl and Please Tell Me If You Are Moved, and features a sexy scumbag ML I will inevitably root for (my bar for fictional ML's redemption is very low).

It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me, I liked every minute of it (and it's not a short vertical at 3:40 hours), it surpassed my expectations, even surprised me at times. I find it so well written, appreciate it didn't shy away from some truly dark places. The hero is the anti-prince charming, he is absolutely two-timing his recovering fiancee and blackmailed mistress, turning both crazy, one with his lies and the other with his hypocrisy and mixed signals, he is caring but distant to his fiancee and abusive but all over the FL in the classic madonna/mistress complex. I find the drama made him feel very human by showing how he's trapped by guilt, self-loathing, and loyalty, until he's finally able to admit he should be more blunt to his fiancee who's spiraling out of control and gentler to his lover who's just trying to survive (I live for the moment these antiheros become sweeter, and the hospital scene ? Amazing) . The FL was also great, first I discovered a new favorite in Ma Le Jie, she's a bombshell and a talented actress, and second the character was truly moving. Yes, it's again a poor girl in a tragic situation where she's alone in the world with no support and a dear sick family member she will sacrifice everything to save, but it's well written and effective : her sister is such a sweetheart you understand why FL wants so desperatly to protect her innocence and save her, even if it means shredding her dignity (the scene where she begs under the rain : oof), the subplot about her reporting job gives her another dimension (and confirms that she does have a savior complex that puts her in very dangerous situations) and, something that too many of these love-hate romances never dare to do : she's not innocent in the deal, she does chase the ML, she wants him to be her support, even if he's clearly not willing, and yes, she weaponizes his sexual attraction to her to get what she wants. Yay for multi-dimensional characters ! The plot starts because of money, and is later moved by the magic pills that cures her sister, but the ML is nothing like your usual sugar daddy who provides the goods, falls head over heels for the FL and pampers her, noooo, their relationship is way more complex (and more interesting IMO) than that. I was glued to my screen to see how it was going to evolve, and the drama over-delivered. SFL was also very well written, not your usual green tea, she herself was dealt an unfair deal, and her excessive codependency to the ML made her more tragic than infuriating.

To be clear : the drama isn't trying to be realistic or feel like big TV, Zhai Shi Fan obviously adores the format's freedom to be over the top and soapy and she's a true master at it, shooting crazy but powerful and memorable scenes. This is an acquired taste obviously, I don't recommend it to anyone who isn't at least a bit into slap & kiss or makjang, and knows what to expect (or, you never know, let the show introduce you to a new type of crack !).

Read More

Steal the bride

This was surprisingly cute and entertaining ! The plot is nothing to write home about, it's yet another take on the girl who is over being a mistress, wants more, flies away, tries to have a normal life with a normal guy but is chased by her obsessed, powerful lover who's not over her. She won't yield until he makes a decent proposal, tale as old at times, successful and addictive since forever. I find this one a bit better than the usual bottom of the barrel fare about possessive CEOs and their runaway kept lovers : the cast is young and charming, their characters have a very active libido (it's like the writers had a timer and knew when to throw a make out scene to keep us awake, I won't lie : it works), and they (kinda) talked about their problems. SML and SFL were the usual scum of the earth treacherous, slappable bitches. The way the main conflict is resolved feel like the writer just gave up, but it's also fun : dad in law is suddenly okay with our couple simply because she was pregnant once with his son, and goes from electric chair murder to giving his blessings in minutes (I'm not even joking). Talking about blessings ! The reason why I clicked on the video was because of an extract of the ML kissing the FL during her wedding ceremony right in front of her groom, and then creating an excuse on the spot about the very well-known western tradition of the officiant blessing the couple by kissing the bride (yes of course, no wedding in the west would be complete without the officiant kissing the bride instead of the groom, that makes total sense ?? The fact that everyone was nodding along cracked me up). Overall it's a fun watch, not very clever or anything but the cast is charming and the endless chasing is less aggravating than usual thanks to plentiful sexytimes and some fun randomness.

Read More

Old recipe, great dish

Modest but talented and workaholic heroïne whose good will is taken for granted is neglected by her spoiled brat fiance who is romancing his green tea adoptive sis, slowly falls for his suave and commanding elder brother who's been longing for her for years. She thinks her fiance saved her life and gave three years to him, but her memories of the event are blurry and the truth might be different from what she believed. Despite the very classic, unimaginative plot we've seen a thousand times (seriously is there still people out there who give themselves to their savior, in this day and age), it's one of the best verticals of the year in my opinion. It's very subdued, very classy, Lan Lan and Liu Xiaoxu are seriously impressive in their roles (I can't get enough of their combined mature, smooth energy), they make the usual tropes feel natural and believable by what I can only call movie magic. The drama is well shot, taking full advantage of the vertical frame to create scenes that are visually striking. It also has a budget, showing in classy outfits and sets (love the whole traditional artisan workshop they give her). The plot might seem boring and tired but don't overlook it, it's a gem.

Read More

The abuse part went on for too long

Listen, I absolutely get the appeal of this subgenre of romance, it’s one of my guilty pleasures since I discovered questionable "kidnapped by the mob boss" stories like Haou Airen back in the 2000's, but this one didn't do much for me. It's just endless suffering for the FL. It does work on a visual and conceptual level as Meng Na and Ma Xiao Yu are very attractive people put in juicy situations, but the writing doesn't make a lick of sense, and it reminds me too much of some older melodramas that were just torture porn meant to be watched with morbid interest. At some point it's clear the heroïne has a self-sacrifice kink (or is a full-blown masochist) as she keeps putting herself in harm's way with zero sense of self-preservation. It's not even that hot as the actors are awkwardly fake kissing. I have to admit though : the fake bestie from hell puts to shame many green tea bitches, instigating the craziest evil plans only fueled by pure greed and jealousy, and is super entertaining to watch. Special mention to the CEO's family and housekeeper who are like "but he's a good guy inside" while our hero keeps torturing the FL for no good reason. There are better versions of the "CEO having an affair with his own wife" plot out there and better Ma Xiao Yu dramas.

Read More

Solid revenge story, rest is lacking

This soapylicious revenge drama has some crazy imagery, like Yu Qig being ravaged while her family is feasting (pretty good metaphor about the whole toxic family profiting off of her body), giant bird cages, worm infested flowers...it's the kind of revenge drama that is running on vibes and style (the costumes are striking), and does it well. It's not without faults, the writing is okay-ish, sometimes bonkers and not always in a fun way (the whole dad revenge arc was too over the top with all his crimes, and everything about the kid made zero sense to me), the romance is enjoyable but just so-so, the beginning makes you believe that there will be more angst but no, she becomes his favored concubine and hidden weapon very fast and nothing really gets between them beside her secrets. I didn't care much about the tragic romance of the legitimate sister, I guess they were trying to say something about trauma bonding but it was clumsy. I love Deng Kai but I think he was a bit underused here. So overall it's a good revenge story with an explosive start (and first few arcs), but the rest doesn't really lives up to it.

Read More

Just watch Desires

Fasten your seatbelt, this is a vertical rollercoaster ! Crippled with debt, secretly pregnant (soon to be fallen) heiress FL uses the Noble Idiocy card to get out of her common law marriage with childhood friend/poor sweet trafficked orphan ML and pretends having an affair. Poor dude gets truck of doomed while running after her and we get teleported 6 years later at a fancy party where she has to pretend to be the two-years fiance of her sick kiddo's CEO doctor who secretly has feelings for her (don't ask, just roll with it). In the meantime, ex-hubby found his mandatory long lost rich parents, and he's back with a vengeance, hot, rich, engaged, powerful, and very angry. He happens to be her fake fiance's uncle (of course he is), and thinks she's after his nephew's fortune. She's fired from her job and drama gravity laws/destiny keeps pushing her in his arms in the usual hostess/client and assistant/CEO scenarios.

The 15 first minutes or so are a rapid fire of tropes, it's like they are aiming for some kind of world record. Hopefully you are familiar with some of them because I don't know how someone new to the genre can grasp what the hell is happening here without getting serious whiplash. The rest of the drama keeps being a snowball of tropes. I won't lie : I thought the writing was crap. First part is toxic CEO love flavored, then he meets their kid, parent trap style, forgets he's angry at her (the transition is very abrupt) and they share some sweet moments, until secrets are unveiled. On the seriously infuriating secret baby trope, I hope there is a special kind of drama hell for these moms who basically kidnap kids from their dads, usually I rage quit these shows but I made an exception here because I can't resist a Zuo Yi/Wang Kai Mu pairing with some push/pull dynamics. I must really love them because the FL of this show is frankly a huge asshole, always making decisions in her partner's stead, never giving him a chance to make a choice about anything in their life even after she learns about all of his abandonment trauma, doubling down one noble idiocy near the end (it was just idiocy at this point, nothing noble about it). I was cheering when he was considering suing her ass and fighting for main custody, even down with the idea of a stepmom because you know what ? Serves her right, that was exactly what she was planning to do to him. And then she considers noble idiocy for her kid because apparently that's the only way she solves problems in her life : running away. Thankfully at this point ML is (rightfully) fed up with the bullshit, tired of everyone dangling his (arranged) engagement as an excuse to deny his rights and erase what he's been through, and kidnaps back wife and kid. Honestly the FL doesn't grovel enough for what she did, she even gets rewarded and doesn't even have to come clean as the truth is revealed for her, but at this point I was really tired of the artificial angst and ready to move on to the cute reconciliation phase. They get back together, but the drama just refused to end and had last minute villain schemes because I guess there were some tropes they hadn't used...I was so over it.

A few last words on the secondary characters, the cute kid was not a kid at all but a (very fun, I admit) audience substitute, doing all the work, scheming for mommy to get with the hotter daddy, dropping truth bombs and getting rid of the boring, annoying SML. His presence was really superfluous here, that kind of SML works when the ML is the sexier, more problematic option to create a real dilemma, but here the ML is also (after a brief vengeful phase) a true sweetheart so...what was his point again ? I wanted to strangle him when he dared suggest petitioning his grandpa to kick the ML out of the family and get custody : are you freaking for real dude ?? Why was everyone ready to bend over backwards for the FL when she was such a wimp ? Overall none of the characters felt like real humans, only walking stereotypes, and that comes from someone who usually have no trouble with cliche writing. The drama can thank its main leads for saving it from being a total bust and now I want to see another Wang Kai Mu/Zuo Yi drama that has decent writing, this was just not it.

Read More

Your prince charming will be the first man you see when you wake up

Very OTT, but so good. I sill watch extracts from it on Youtube from time to time. The best kind of tropey romance and my favorite Zhao Lusi drama (I find that she works best in this kind of absurd romantic romp). The male lead played by our Resting Bitch Face King Li Hong Yi is a total snake but he's irresistible and Zhao Lusi is perfect as the young and delicious dumbass who follows the first guy she sees in the new world like a baby chick. The drama lives on their chemistry, and...not much else. It has a very low budget (bad wigs, bad wigs everywhere) and the actor who plays Xiao Bai can't act, but the writing is just sharp enough to keep things interesting until the end (and sometimes suprisingly moving, it does have things to say about outcasts, duty, love, and sacrifice). Also this is totally a covert remake of Devil Beside You where the heroine tries desperatly to get with Mr Right but keeps being interrupted by hot fake Ge Ge who wants to do naughty stuff with her when others aren't watching. The show kinda tries to be a love triangle but Xiao Bai can't compete with Ge Ge's magnificence and he gets eaten by his rival's charisma and sex-appeal. Ge Ge is the Way.

Read More

Dual cultivation took place

Aaaand it's yet another banger from director Xi Zi. I love tragic phoenix boys since a certain xianxia I will not name to avoid spoilers (bonus points when the FL is constantly screaming her phoenix lover's name while said phoenix is busy sacrificing himself for her for the umpteenth time) and also have a big softspot for pariah heroïnes, so this was right up my alley. I wasn't very convinced at first, the girl's obviously fake red wig was distracting and I found the opening a bit much (FL jumps from a deadly trap to another, to yet another, with no break) but from the moment the "dual cultivation took place" I was in. When he starts being summoned when she sneezes, I knew this was going to be a favorite. The aesthetic of the show won't be to everyone's taste, they were aiming for ambitious fantasy with limited means, but I grew to love it. They did achieve an ethereal, mystical atmosphere, and the charming newcomer actors were fairy-like, looking the part of mystical creatures out of a storybook. The plot was a bit all over the place but it never lost me, and I was enthralled until the very adorable ending (best groom attire ever by the way, can we have all male leads get married bare chested with painted skin from now on ?). Kisses were plentiful which made me a happy camper. Yes please, and I want more.

Read More

Blunt and efficient toxic mob boss romance

The drama is exactly what you can expect from a vertical show called "Captive Love From the Mob Boss". Hot mob boss played by Ma Xiao Yu whose great physicality works wonders for this kind of walking red flag (with hidden vulnerability), sizzling chemistry with gorgeous actress Zhang Chu Xuan, who matches him in intensity, appropriatly scummy second male lead so that the ML can get his redemption arc, hilariously bonkers scenes where the mob boss tries everything in his power to force the heroïne into marriage (including tying a bomb to a priest), dumb evil meimei and stepmom who get their deserved comeuppance, expensive looking sets and costumes, etc. My only gripe is that I don't really know why she falls for him at some point beyond pure lust. I mean, I get it, he's too hot to stay sane, there is some grovelling, but I would have liked a bit more time spent on that part of the plot.

Read More

Belated but still enjoyable climax of a drawn-out story showing its weaknesses

I was initially glad the drama could keep its 56 episodes length, but after finishing the second part I'm not so sure it was the best decision after all. FP lost its momentum after the break and rehashed the same leftover plots, like Mu Dan's business being dragged through the mud before flourishing again (it became a running gag, they even use the same inspirational song every single time). The princess and Lui Chang were never letting go of their obsession whatever happened, running around in circles, while our main couple was still pretending that they were not into each other, totally platonic friends for sure, which, after almost 45 episodes, was not fresh anymore. Thankfully once romantic rivals came to spice things up, the show was back in business, gorgeous, fun and well-acted, and the slow-burn romance finally paid off (it came so late I was starting to ship her with her asshole ex). The plot's weaknesses were more apparent this time, some arcs felt overly preachy, Mu Dan kept saving people with the power of business left and right, and the villain was still a cackeling cliche straight from a kid's cartoon. I longed for a more nuanced version of this story, less naïve, but overall I would lie if I said I didn't have a blast. It's just not that clever or deep. I am also ashamed to admit that Miles Wei as an obssessive, violent and possessive ex-husband awoke something in me and now I kinda want to watch a romance where he's a problematic lead.

Read More

Overbearing CEO having an affair with his own wife

First thing you HAVE to do before starting this is turn off your brain. Seriously, this is the kind of script that crumbles the more you think about it so don't hurt yourself by trying to make sense of anything, it's not worth it. If you can do that, this a fun and kinky version of the classic rich arrogant CEO and Cinderella romance where he tries to bang her a lot, not always asking for permission. This retained my attention mostly for the lux production and gorgeous cast (Ryan Ren is made of legs and has a resting bitch face that fits extremely well with the angry-sexy boss cliche he's playing while Li Xing Yao is the perfect Cinderella, cute by day and seductive by night). I love how hilariously extra the direction is, they film make-out sessions like action scenes, Ryan Ren is jumping everywhere like a panther on steroïds, and everything is so maximalist, you can't not be entertained. I was not always pleased with the story, there is too many crazy rivals who have zero personnality beyond pure jealousy and I hate secret baby plots with a burning passsion. I think the drama went downhill after that twist, but I still completed it and (mostly) enjoyed it.

Read More

Tragic but hopeful scholar romance with zero budget balanced by sincerity

So, the plot is more or less the answer to : what if the husband in the Double didn't betray her ? Even with many tweaks, that route is also very tragic in a different way, as the heroïne has to watch her man (well they are not really an item yet but still, the vibes are there) become the unwilling boy toy of an unhinged princess. It's made even more cruel in this as the heroïne is a slave (later a commoner), and she doesn't get reborn in a shiny aristocratic clan where she can win contests and catch the eye of a powerful official. She's just trying to stay alive and honor her debts to the poeple who saved her. The beginning is absolutely gut wrenching, even more so since this mini is going for realism without special effects (it feels like a short indie movie at times). The story is full of twists and turns, the production is broke as hell but as an upside we get to see pretty actors who look like real humans without the usual aweful filters (we can see pores ! hair !! the true effect of warm light on their skin !!!). Plot wise, the drama made the very weird choice of getting rid of its main villain (and hook) seven episodes too early, and I'm not sure it's worth watching beyond that (I fast-forwarded to the ending and called it a day).

Read More

Bait and switch supposed enemies to lovers romance that peters out after its explosive introduction

So, this was sold as this dark enemies-to-lovers toxic romance with lots of triggers and red flags, which means I was there day one like a moth to a flame, and...it was very misleading. The beginning is certainly that, but the leads form an alliance way too fast, and then it's mostly about Mei Lin protecting baby princess Murong Jinghe and them trying be happy despite horrible circumstances. Is it spicy ? Not really once you've seen the famous bathtub scene. After that, say goodbye to your dark fantasies and go watch a trashy minidrama instead (there is hundreds of them with this type of plot), as the leads fall in (basic) love very fast, frolic under the moonlight, all that jazz. Is Lui Xue Yi's unhinged and magnetic performance worth it and strangely sexy ? Absolutely. Is Wu Jin Yan on fire as an assassin on the hunt ? Also yes. But they don't stay that way very long, and it doesn't erase the fact that the show is not what we were promised. Still, I was going with it after that first letdown, and enjoying it for the most part. Problem is, the subplots are waaay too weak, and some don't even feel like they belong in the show (don't get me started on the idiotic Xiyan siblings and kingdom). The secondary romances, if you can even call them that, were also bafflingly bad. I've heard since that the original novel is paper-thin, that they had several writers creating various plots to fill the void, and if it's true, it explains a lot. It's also too long for its own good, and I dropped it around the 20th episode, when I just couldn't care anymore about any of the politics happening. I've heard bad things about the ending so no regrets. What a waste though, the beginning was so good.

Read More