Minalapinou

Love, money and danger in Macau

Eh, this one didn't do much for me. The drama is gorgeous : gorgeous actors, sets, costumes (her wardrobe is to die for, so elegant), even the music is good, direction is pro-level, I was taking screens all the time. They nailed the atmosphere. I like the story, it's about a rich heiress whose throne is threatened by the search for her dad's secret son in Macau (not named but it's clearly the reference), and by an arranged marriage with a lame family friend (she's in love with his older brother). She escapes to Macau, finds herself in dangerous situations in the gambling world, and gets involved with the shady mobster her dad hired to find her brother. They make a pact : he will give her some intel so she can get to her rival before her dad, while she will pose as his new girlfriend to escape the control of a powerful family who wants him as an in-law.

I don't know why I was so lukewarm about it, the pacing was perfect, the hero's story was about redemption and escaping the mafia's claws, themes I adore, the drama didn't overrely on cliffhangers every two minutes to hold our attention...maybe I'm just not a big Zhang Jin Yi fan ? She's perfectly fine, even good, it's just that I didn't find she had much chemistry with Zhao Zhen Dong, she looked distracted in their scenes, not fully there, and too often I saw the actress, not the character. I'm also not sure about the way Wen Ning was written, the drama wanted her to be this powerful princess of Beijing circles out of her element in gambling dens, but truth to be told, she feels more like a brat most of the time, not really grasping the danger she's in, making impulsive decisions. Her motives and the way she wants to accomplish her goals felt very selfish, down to the way she flirts with the hero, oblivious to consequences. I guess it's supposed to be part of her charm, but I didn't find it very endearing. The fact that she's in love with her fiance's older brother does give her a bit of dimension, but it's revealed way too late to have an impact. As a result I wasn't that invested in the main romance, even if it had all the usual delicious trappings of forbidden lust (and ZZD crazy charisma). I wonder if the other versions of this plot have a better written Wen Ning, and romance. It's a shame because I love the drama's direction, subtle sensuality, and luscious visuals. A beautiful drama, but somewhat hollow.

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Addictive Die & Retry about redemption instead of revenge with a thrilling, dangerous romance

My second favorite 2023 drama after Till the End of the Moon and would you know it, it's another dark, sexy and twisted angst-fest with Bai Lu as its lead. The hype was sky-high, and it did not diasppoint. It is by no means a perfect drama, the story can feel rushed, the palace politics are hard to follow, and the production is of average quality with some weird lighting and framing choices (hate them or love them, here come the Chu Yui Bun lens flares and close-ups), but the plot is gripping. Bai Lu has chemistry with every character, and her (incredibly hot) slow-burn romance with Zhang Ling He's scheming and secretly unhinged teacher is rich, intense, and pays off wonderfully. It's sort of a harem, Jiang Xuening has three suitors who are based on classic tropes (childhood friend, incorruptible lawman and mysterious teacher) and after trying to convince herself that she wants the most righteous one that she missed in her previous life, she ends up falling for the most dangerous instead. Xei Wei is fascinating, and I kept rooting for him despite his ruthlessness and controlling tendencies. This is how you write a flawed character ! Yan Lin was also great, only Zhang Zhe was a letdown, and I don't know if I should fault the script or the actor (maybe both). I also really liked how the politics were cleverly intertwined with the romances and destinies of all characters, it made it all the more gripping, and the rythm was flawless. This is the kind of show that hooks you right away and never let go. I was sad to see it end, 38 episodes went by like nothing.

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Moody gothic romance with the perfect cast and amazing visuals

Loved it ! Nothing was really doing ot for me lately in vertical land, I was dropping things left and right, when that happens I tend to go back to basics, and a classic gothic Beauty and the Beast retelling with a bulletproof cast and strong production values fitted the bill perfectly. It didn't disappoint, I watched it in one go, wished it was longer. At first glance it looks like a vampire romance but I insist, it's more a B&B retelling : he's a powerful but frightening cursed man in a big manor surrounded by roses and concerned butlers and maids, his rival is the real beast, she is the cure, etc. There is some vertical tropes like a fake evil bestie, wet dreams, forced kisses and the obligatory aphrodisiacs-induced sex (I really wished we got more scenes about their romance when they were younger and the seduction more natural, we were robbed), the usual toxic workplace dynamics, but overall I think the drama manages to be its own thing thanks to the dark fairytale aesthetic that didn't felt cheap (ZZD costumes were a bit extra and cosplay-ish but also fabulous, no complaints) and a focused plot that didn't meander in useless fillers. Zhu Xiao Xue was delightful, she looked like a doll and played her ingenue role well. I hear the frustration about the writing and the fact that some things could have been cleared faster and dangers avoided if the ML was more honest, but I think the drama's idea was to convey that he can't face her with the truth like when they were young but can't stay away either, torn between his desire and his wish to protect her by keeping her in the dark (the fake fiancee story is not a bad cover). Anyway, I ate it up.

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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.

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Who's a good boy

Another great find thanks to the amazing r/CShortDramas reddit page, casting is smoking hot, plot is very fast paced (never a dull moment), all wrapped in an efficient, no-frill direction. Hou Cheng Yue is, on the surface, your standard sub desperate poor girl who has to sell herself to save her family and Zhang Ji Jun your usual dom CEO who wants to take advantage of it and trap her in his snare, the very first scene teases a classic take on the trope, but !!! The dynamic changes immediatly when she's sent (or rather, he sents her to himself) to have sex with a poor, downtrodden crippled heir bullied by his evil rich family. Of course it's him (there is a hilarious "only in fiction" Superman/Clark Kent disguise going on with glasses and black/white styles), but she wants control in the relationship (big "only I can bully him" vibe) and he's more than happy (and horny) to give it to her. It's very kinky, very hot (both actors can kiss) with amazing choreography and fun dirty talk. I do have one regret : a very naughty part of me kinda wanted her to discover the truth earlier and play with him more, like, by cheating on him with his dom CEO alter ego, that would have been a fine, thrilling little revenge for all his manipulation, but the drama didn't go there. The plot itself doesn't really matter to be frank, we are here for another kind of "plot", but I did enjoy the psycho mom and psycho fiancee who raised hell for their sick version of love.

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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.

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Once bitten...

I was in the mood for an angsty scumbag husband redemption romance, so I was tempted to watch this one. It's done on a shoestring budget (the leads have like, three outfits they rotate until the end), but it does have a strong leading pair in Ben Wang and Wang Yun Yun, who deliver the required devastating thousand yard stares and barely suppressed sobs. Both main characters were dealt a terrible hand in their arranged marriage, and she pushed loyalty to extremes while he never gave her the slightest chance to prove she's not the money grubbing schemer he thinks she is. Opinions may vary, but I do think he deserved a chance to win her back, as the basis of their first marriage was so fraught with lies and misunderstandings. Also she had the sweetest in-laws, always a plus. The plot got weird at times (I never really got why the grandpa had to keep his grandson so much in the dark about a rival family schemes, and the little arc abroad was clumsy) but the central romance is gripping enough to make up for it. For all the ones who see potential in SMLs who fall in love after the breakup, have a weakness for scumbag exes (I love mess, the scumbags are kinda hot at times, and if you give one Ben Wang's face, well...), don't necesseraly root for the perfect rebound boyfriend and like to see a good grovelling/redemption arc, it's a great watch.

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A hot, short mess

I have so many questions, and so little answers. First let's get this out of the way : the title makes no sense, it's not about redemption at all, it's a period revenge story (chinese title is "Run Wild") with a plot I've seen several times where FL becomes a concubine of her family's killer who stole her house and has an affair with his son. Second, don't ask me about story details, the subs were so bad I could have watched it without them and get the same level of understanding (actually I think I could have benefit from turning them off, as they were so confusing), third ; what the hell was up with the format ?? Did they intend to shoot a horizontal mini, ran out of budget and went for 2 minutes, vertical length episodes (while having only one hour of scenes to work with) ?? Some transitions were just...missing, new characters went in and out of the plot faster than we could get their names. No way the initial script intended the show to be that disjointed. And last, but not least, am I crazy or was there supposed to be a romance between Yun Mo and Rong Yan ?? Is there an uncensored version out there were she's having an affair with her AND Tian You ?? Is it a one-sided love ? The drama heavily hints towards it, but it has already so little time to develop its story, why add a secondary romance ?? I have no idea who the ML is as a person by the way, no time for his character to be explored. Okay with all this out of my chest, let's focus on what the drama did well : kiss scenes. They were fire. Masterpieces. Need to be framed and taught in school. Great abs, at some point he's rolling in the snow half-naked to cool her fever, 10/10 boyfriend material. Costumes and songs were very pretty, the drama is a strong advert for the talent and beauty of its main cast. It's a frustrating experience, I think there was potential for a good, addictive mini drama in here, but as is it still made an impression.

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He's a red flag, but he's MY red flag

Author FL gets into her own trashy edgy melo webnovel as a doomed villain, wants to change the genre to a cliche romance so she can live, but woops, too late, she wrote her ML to be an unhinged hoodlum barely surviving in seedy neighborhoods, and he misreads her protection for sexual advances, because why else this rich girl would hover around him, pick up his hearing aids, find him a place to stay ? ML is totally a red flag, but I like that author FL takes responsibility : she created him, he's her little toxic monster, so she's not going to run from him but instead is going to take care of her own mess. This was a pleasant surprise, I expected a very gimmicky, light meta comedy and instead got serious thinking about the consequences of the FL playing God, and her slowly accepting that she can't control everything, including her own heart. This was overall well produced and written, right until the lovely ending.

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Warring hearts

The first couple of episodes are some of the most action-packed and colorful I've seen, never showing signs of slowing down, and by some miracle Fated Hearts managed to never relent until the end. What a show ! Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming (everyone is shouting ! The music and sound effects are so loud !) but it's blood-pumping and thrilling. The mature cast is perfect for this angsty romance of warriors who are fatal ennemies but still recognize each other's valor since they are made of the same cloth. I have yet to see a middling performance from Chen Zhe Yuan and he's killing it as unhinged prince Sui Ge, serving bitch royalty with hot temper and slutty looks all day, all night. I hadn't seen Li Qin in anything before and I'm conquered, ready to follow her charismatic commander anywhere. Both are dominating the show by their presence and high-octane, moody relationship. This is made by the Kunning Palace team, who has a clear talent for writing crazy power couples. There is a scene where he says he wants to cut her into pieces and tear her limbs, and it's the hottest thing. I'm sad the secondary male cast is on the weaker side, their roles are great but Chen He Yi and Zuo Ye are not giving us much beyond perfect skin, shiny hair and smoky eyes (to be honest Zuo Ye did okay, but Chen He Yi is so wooden you can't even tell what he's supposed to be feeling). Thankfully the show has an excellent secondary female cast (Xia Meng and Xu Xiao Sa delivered), some truly great acting from the veteran cast and an ace in its sleeve in Qin Tan Yui as a broken ennemy emperor, whose completely unexpected affair with the princess gave a new exciting life to the final arcs.

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Do not try this at home

I think you can ignore most of the medical blabber they throw at us. The "psycho" behaviour of the hero is a cover for his fears and the heroïne clearly has a saviour complex, forgetting it's best to help yourself before helping others. On the heroïne violating every ethical codes imaginable : yeah she does and should be banned from practicing, but I think the drama did a good job at showing why she did it, how she fell head over heels for him, and how she paid a hefty price for it, their relationship being more akin to a purgatory than a paradise.

Directing wise it has a legit director in Zhou Jiu Qin, and it shows. He made some much talked-about shorts this year like this one, Dark Side of the Sun, The Love of a Fool, and Debauchery. What can I say, each one is pushing the limits of what verticals can do, getting the best out of their cast (To Love a Fool is often described as the best work of Ma Xiao Yu, same for Zhang Chi here, and even if Towers of Whispers had weak writing IMO, its opening was striking and the drama did a great job at showcasing Jerome Deng's talent). I think he's amazing at directing broken but resilient, unhinged heroes as Zhang Chi's performance was mesmerizing. First he looks like some pop idol picked straight from an edgy hit clip, with his million-dollar teethy smile, perfecltly messy hair strands and see-through mesh tops ( if you want a ref, his styling made me think a lot of the wet, sad, skinny puppy look of TXT's "LO$ER=LO♡ER" era). Second, he plays the "psycho" lover part very well, he's a devoted puppy who will bite if provoked, but since his lover is no angel herself and made the first move, the drama never becomes an endless chase where only the ML is crossing lines. On the contrary, it's the fact that they a are so much alike that makes the heroïne run, as she's not ready to face her own trauma (yet).

The drama could have gone to very dark places in its second part, but it doesn't resist the appeal of using some convenient external evil plots to bring the characters back together. I would have liked them to be a bit more daring (does he really have to be yet another CEO nepo-baby whose family rival is trying to usurp, with an obsessive fiance trying to possess him like a trophy ?) but I guess paying tribute to the format's most used tropes is not the worst choice, as they could have really stumble if they had tried to be more ambitious with the script, since they were already treading dangerous waters with the premise.

So overall I don't think the writing is amazing or that it should be taken seriously about mental health, but for what it is, a dark romance about broken lovers and a heroïne coming to terms with the fact that a "normal" relationship is probably not for her, facing the consequences of her actions and the impact of what she endured on her life, it was damn good.

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Picked it up to have a good laugh, stayed for the secondary romance

A very fun, but also very forgettable contract marriage romance. As I feared, Kim Yong Dae is once again too lifeless for my taste, but props to the show for writing his character in such a way that it doesn't really impact the story. Shin Minah is hard carrying the main romance, and she's helped by a wonderful direction. The plot is okay, but it's trying a bit too hard to be modern and trendy for my taste. I feel like the writer did a better job with the contract marriage in Her Private Life, but that one had the huge advantage of having a very strong couple of lead actors who tend to elevate even mediocre scripts. In truth at a point I kept watching this one mainly for the secondary couple. Their story was way more interesting, and they had lots of chemistry. On that subject, their spin-off Spice Up our Love was a bait and switch, not as sexy as promoted, but it was still very entertaining. Overall No Gain No Love is a good pick if you're missing laugh-out-loud romances, but you can find much better in Shin Minah's catalogue.

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Tempted

Republican era version of the Prince is Too Wild plot with Chen Si and Lui Xi Yu. Loved the contrast between the bubbly, petite actress and Chen Si's lean, sighthound stature and menacing energy. Girl is over her head when she accepts to become his mistress and he's clearly setting a trap for her to fall into, but she's not exactly reluctant. Their dynamic was both cute and sexy, a difficult mix to blend well, but the young actors balance it perfectly : she's not so innocent while he's not so jaded. She wants to explore, he teases and pushes her but not too hard, waiting for her to take the bait (such a fun dynamic). This is my first Chen Si drama and I'm impressed, he's got talent. A very strong pick if you want to watch a Republican era romance leaning more towards romantic comedy with a dash of spice than Noir thriller.

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Not as steamy as advertised but still really strong

In spite of its title, sexy poster and scandalous opening where we see the heroine having an affair with the son of her new husband after seducing them both at the same party, this is a surprinsingly tame, sweet and sincere love story that doesn't have the usual trashy stuff found in these period minis. Is it a bait and switch ? Totally. Feast on that fantasy first kiss, because it's (almost) all we get ! It is frustrating to see the sensuality of the first episodes disappear in favor of a very classic courtship, and the heroes not taking advantage of all the opportunities they get to ravage each other right under the nose of their enemy, but it is also relaxing to not have all the usual tropes like forced kisses and shrewish ladies slapping people around. On that point, the usually evil stepmom is kind of adorable ?? Overall it's so serious and invested in its characters and story, it might have work even better as a longer show. I still mourn the lack of skinship, you can't just show this electric opening and then ask us to forget about it !

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Cute mini for xianxia lovers without time to invest in a 40 to 60 episodes epic

Fei Li is Jing Yuan, a demon lord whose powers have been sealed in a world where demons are hunted and killed by cultivators, is protected and healed by Fusheng, the Phoenix Queen played by Ming Jia Jia, who is trying to marry an immortal sect leader. A very fun and cute hodge-podge of xianxia tropes. It's speedrunning various xianxia plots often at the sacrifice of smooth transitions and logic, but manages to feel like its own story (or at least cliffnotes of its own story...). One of its main influence is The Legends so if you want a quick version of that, Seal of Love fits the bill nicely. You can fill the gaps with the meat of other, longer dramas. Problem is, the last arc is obviously missing, but if the second season is never produced you can take the last scene as a typical xianxia open ending. Maybe my favorite Richard Li drama ?

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