MyLangyaList

For idol dramas lasting longer than 3 hrs ... seek immediate medical help.

A Familiar Stranger is a historical costume drama revolving around 2 FLs and 2 MLs. One of the pair is the good couple, the other, not so much. And due to some ancient Chinese face swapping magic, the identities get all twisted for the FLs, and we get a romance-thriller type of story as audience try to figure out what's the goal, motivation, and the real identities behind all this plotting. Along the way, we get a story packed with plenty of dramatic moments, skinships, and heady tropes orchestrated without the filler.

**Full disclosure: this was my first mini-drama and one of the few idol costume romance shows that I've attempted. Idol romance is not an offering that I can normally stomach, but I pulled the trigger because of its short length‒18 x 10min episodes for 3 hours of total runtime. Compared to the standard bloated 40 episode 45 minute ordeal, this was doing penitence at 90% off.

Despite seeing decent ratings and good reviews, I was not expecting much. I was already wary of big budget idol dramas, and was prepared for worse given the nature of mini-dramas‒tiny budget, hastily shot, and inexperienced actors. To my surprise, this show actually packed enough story content to rival full length dramas and offered decent production quality and acting to match. That's not to say the story is a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. But for its intended audience and aim, A Familiar Stranger offered plenty of romantic moments, heady tropes, a lively plot, and plenty of eye-candy. It also answered an important scientific question that had been puzzling me‒how much idol romance drama can I stomach before the vomit just ejects out of me? Turns out, I'm definitely strong enough to go 180 minutes. And at 10% runtime, it also answered an important corollary, which is that 80-90% of the story in idol dramas are mostly brainless fodder and fluff.

Now if you are into the fluff and like the full-length ones, more power to you. Different strokes for different folks. But for those who dread the fillers, slow-pacing, and length of cdramas, these quality mini-dramas may just be your thing. And as an added bonus, these often feature a lot more chemistry, passionate scenes, and skinship than the standard dramas that face tougher censorship scrutiny.

As an aside, the business aspect of this show was one of the most interesting aspects. By having the 2 FLs face swap with each other, the script allowed both to showcase their acting chops for the 2 most common roles in cdrama‒the innocent girl and the evil girl.

**Notes and Musings**
1) ML has the most gossipy and useless military advisor.
2) The fearsome ML general also has the most porous mansion security, bad guys and unwelcomed guests roam around undetected, while the maids keep catching ML/FL at the most inconvenient moments.
3) A lot more skinship and intimate scenes compared to the usual dramas, must be laxer censorship around mini-dramas.

**Category Ratings**
Overall - 7 (+.5 MDL inflation)
Plot - 7.5
Theme/Message/Impact - 7
Acting - 7.5 The leads did a decent job for the purpose of the show
Visuals/Production - 8 looks pretty good for the budget
Audio/Music - 7.5 Sound gets muted occasionally for the YouTube version
Rewatch - 7
Accessibility - 8 Easy to understand plot and tropes
Subtitle - 8.5 Surprisingly polished subs that delivered the meaning and dialog quite well. Even the OST lyrics had decent translations.

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YOLO or 5

‒Spoiler Free Review‒

Mobius is Bai Jingting's second take of a time loop drama. While this one lacks the script coherence and emotional tenor of Reset, it hopefully has enough action and intrigue to keep the audience entertained enough to ignore the plot holes and cheesier moments. This show is for those who want to see BJT look good, kick ass, and not think too hard. It's certainly worth a try to see if you like it. And if not, BJT will give you 3 more time loop adaptations in the future, especially if Mobius is commercially successful.

For those that came for a sci-fi, don't bother. Just because a show mentions time loop, it doesn't make it sci-fi. It's a standard thriller with time loop, like reset. But unlike the meticulous layered plotting of Reset, this one is pulled along by its action and the question of who the big bad is, and what people's secrets are. Some of the fighting sequences are decent, and you get some gunfights and explosions as well. But there's a cheesy and cheap quality to it‒maybe fine for TV, but B grade movie material. In comparison, a show like The First Shot also had some cheesy unrealistic fight scenes of hero beating a mob, but it felt far more gritty and kinetic. The same can be said about the acting and music. Overall, there's just a fast food feel to the show.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 7 --> 7.5 MDL
- Plot - 7
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 7.5
- Audio / Music - 7
- Rewatch - 6.5
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8.5

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三生三世万年三角恋 Eternal Love Triangle

‒Overview‒

I picked up this drama expecting a quick drop due to Xianxia-induced nausea. At first glance, everything was radiating with the typical neon glow of Xianxia-derivativeness. The Chinese title is cheesy. The English title, even cheesier... The-Blossoming-Love literally combines the three most used words for Cdramas in 2025, look it up. And the aesthetics employed the typical color-wheel of cheap Halloween costumes. And the story... I can guess without even reading the synopsis... tragedy blah, lifetimes blah, love triangle-rectangle-octagons blah, miscommunicating idiots blah blah. It has a 7.1 on Douban; but then again Yu Shuxin and Meng Ziyi also has 7.8 shows on Douban.

Then I started watching, one episode after the next, and actually binged 40 eps within a week (granted I mostly watch things at 2x). In lieu of typical Xianxia pitfalls, TBL delivered memorable characters, an intricate plot, and messages with enough depth and resonance to stir the heart and mind. It's the first idol Xianxia I've thoroughly enjoyed, and a fine show on its own merit. (Also the show isn't a love-triangle shitfest, that was in jest).

‒Review‒

So what sets this one apart? First, we can discuss what it didn't do:
🟢There was no 48kg War God whose only training regimen consists of deadlifting 3kg of makeup foundation every morning. Vin Zhang is ripped, manly, and can fight. And for eye candy enthusiasts, this show serves up plenty.
🟢There's No HiGh GOd that's lived for 20,000 yrs but still acts retarded. It's less impressive when 18,000 of those years were evidently spent on cultivating, and re-cultivating 7th grade and doomscrolling brainrot videos from Celestial Tiktok. So that the Gods are not only non-the-wiser, but behave like coked-out infants with their constant temper tantrums and juvenile conspiracies. Instead we get 2-4 high gods that are kept commanding and mysterious with their limited, sage-like appearances. And the typical retard gods are swiftly fired and dispatched to remedial realm.
🟢There's no silly miscommunication games where the leads are like... I should obviously say the most important detail, but hehe noooo, let's wait for 20 episodes and 5 side characters to be needlessly killed. Instead, we get sharp dialog and characters that are thinking/plotting many steps ahead.
🟢There isn't some nonsense power/magic worldbuilding that's stitched together from a 20 minute horoscope consult and a handful of fortune cookie divinations. Instead, we get worlds, lore, mechanics that survives first glance, and even pontification. As long as you don't analyze the expected impact of talisman supply inflation on the socio-political stability of the human realm, we are good.
🟢The deaths and tragedies are not from idiocy‒whether noble or straight up low-IQ‒but actually derived from sensible motivations and impossible choices of circumstance.
🟢And the worlds, lifetimes, and personas are not just props to excuse exotic romance and kinky cosplay, but impart structural consequences.

For Xianxia veterans looking to avoid the usual vexations, or Xianxia haters looking to cultivate your first completion, this one checks the right boxes.

In addition, there are several aspects of the show I want to highlight. We can start with the characters and acting. The ML is Vin Zhang, who has noticeably cultivated his acting from his previous lifetime as an antagonist in Eternal Love. He has the manlier looks to make a believable War God in Xie Xuechen, and the resolute composure for a stoic character. Moreover, he has enough range to embody the various transformations of his character, while firmly grounding it in the character's core. This is important due to the multiple lifetimes and personas you get in Xianxia. On the other end is the 2ML played by Wang Duo, who plays a slender cerebral type in Nan Xuyue, but also masterfully alters his personas. Wang Duo leaves many very nuanced clues with his acting that's only apparent upon knowledge from later episodes. Both of the male leads experience moments of kickass, glory, but also doubt, pain, and madness. These moments resonate because of their fine acting and also because the plot creates a realistic psychological setup. Whereas many Xianxia devalue acts of suffering and sacrifice through their infinity lifetimes and resurrections and throw them around like expired candy. The choices our characters make have meaningful, lasting impact that transcends the expanse of time and space. Other casts like Sang Qi (main antagonist) and Zhang Yaqin (Gao Qiumin-2FL) also do a fine job. And almost every support character has their unique personality, motivations, and story that complements, rather than detracts from the main thread.

As for Sun Zhenni, she mostly delivers as the FL playing Mu Xuanling. When she's playing anything that's playful, coquettish, or devious, she's really in her element. Unlike many chaste Xianxia FLs, Zhenni as MXL delivers a refreshing gray character that deploys her powers, wiles, and feminine seduction to the fullest. Her dynamic with Vin Zhang, delivers plenty of sass, charm, and sizzle to hook the attention of veteran and noobie Xianxia viewers. However, when it comes to innocent, mournful, and saintly personas in later episodes, she's noticeably weaker. Though by that time, I was sufficiently invested in the story and characters to overlook it. Sun Zhenni is a natural with the looks and energy to play darker characters. So if the yin-yang cultivation doesn't work out for her, I hope she can find plenty of roles that allow her to fully embrace the dark side.

As for the story, I won't spoil much, except to say that I was really impressed with the many twists and turns, and plot threads that pulls the viewer along with event and revelations that unfold steadily. If you usually like Xianxia, check this out for the FL-ML dynamic, give it at least 6 episodes, but you will have to pay more attention, especially in the 2nd half, to fully understand and appreciate the story. As for those that wanted better script and depth, this is a treat. In fact, it's well-written enough that 2nd viewing may yield greater clarity and appreciation. If you are mostly romance-focused, you will find the first half (up to ep 18, 29?) very organically enjoyable. And many understandably wish the same dynamic can continue to the end. I would encourage viewers to take more time to understand the plot intricacies and character motivations. As I found the rest of the story very sensible, and in fact enhanced my appreciation of the characters and their relationships.

The story encompasses many themes, not as dispensable props for rooning enhancement, but threads masterfully woven into the story and characters. How do you choose between freedom and individual desires and the love/duty to the greater good? Is it better to be a dispassionate guardian of order or an entangled crusader for the world? Is it better to have a truncated lifetime to be with a loved one, or immortality for both, but with separation? What is justice, fate, free will, human nature, and the things worth fighting for?

These are the types of questions that Xianxia, as a High Fantasy medium, is well-suited to deliberate. And TBL demonstrates that you could deliver on the standard eye candy, romance, and bingeable plot, while crafting something more complex, profound, and lasting. After all, if the story can cross three lifetimes, it should also hold up against the passage of time and repeat viewings.

--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 8.1 --> 8.5 MDL
- Plot - 8
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 9
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 7
- Rewatch - 8
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 9

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Play spy games, win spy prizes

‒Overview‒

Spy Game is a riveting spy thriller that has many terrific aspects that makes it worth watching. The acting is excellent and features a star-studded lineup, with slick action sequences and a fantastic performance by Wang Likun. The plot is tightly-paced and features many well-executed twists and turns. The cinematography and production is considered and high quality. And the icing on the cake is the razor sharp dialogue that's subtle, intelligent, and evasive, delivering the immersive tension of witnessing the high stakes spy vs. spy maneuvers. That said, there are a few elements that may be off-putting to some viewers. The setup of the drama is based on a spy organization that recruits real-life agents through a virtual game. If you accept the setup and not fuss too much about the CGI in the virtual world, you will find a surprisingly engaging drama. On an additional note, I was initially weary of how much propaganda element there might be in the drama, but it actually turned out to be minimal and the bad guys were all depicted as intelligent and with reasonable motivations.

‒Review‒

This was actually my first full-length drama that I really enjoyed this year. At the time, I had suffered through 6 months worth of uninteresting releases and abandoned disappointments. I picked this up mostly as a masochistic for-science exercise to see how quickly brain-dead propaganda would force me to drop the show. This was produced with assistance from China's MSS (Ministry of State Security) after all, an agency similar to the CIA/FBI. To my surprise, after a few initial lukewarm episodes, I was captivated by the intelligent script and dialogue delivered by a terrific cast lineup. My only regret is that I wanted to write an in-depth review and hence delayed it and now I can only put down a fraction of my impression about the show.

The show starts out simple, and even a little cheesy with the virtual game world. It quickly becomes apparent that the virtual 'Spy Game' is actually a recruitment tool for a real spy ring working for some shadowy foreign organization. Two of our main leads, Huang Zicheng, played by Wei Daxun, and Yao Yao, played by Li Yitong are quickly caught up in their first mission and get entangled in a plot to steal cutting edge R&D. And luckily or unluckily for Huang Zicheng, his adoptive brother is an agent at the Ministry of State Security, China's counter-intelligence agency. Thereafter, the multi-layered plot unfolds to include a growing roster of players from the MSS, from the shadowy spy organization Night Fog, and innocent or not-so-innocent citizens. Soon you find yourself immersed in a thriller trying to figure who is friend or foe, who is involved in the conspiracy, and how the characters will protect their loved ones and catch the wily bad guys.

I was pretty satisfied with the plot throughout, including the ending. Writing an engaging plot for a spy drama is more demanding than for the average show. While Spy Game wouldn't belong to the top tier of spy dramas, it nonetheless achieves what I consider to be solid 'reel logic'. For the events that are shown on screen, the logic is solid and consistent with the world and characters. If you want to get super picky and start extrapolating to what's not shown, then it would require such tight world-building that few TV shows ever achieve. And the story was told with enough sophistication that a few twists were unexpected and the foreshadowed twists were engaging and well-executed. I was especially pleased that the show ended on a high note. It's so easy to entice the viewer along with smart intrigue that never get wrapped up. The ending here was logical, impactful, and climatic.

The acting from the large ensemble cast was excellent. For comparison, Li Yitong is generally a very solid actress and one of the better ones in idol dramas. And Wei Daxun went from an unknown to a rising star after thoroughly outclassing Yang Yang as the SML in Fireworks of My Heart. While they were solid in this show, they were probably the weaker actors in comparison. Everyone just embodied their role so well and Wang Likun absolutely slayed. The only acting sore spot was Zhang Haowei in his minor role. Whether in JoL, Ripe Town, or here, Zhang Haowei has never delivered a character that felt completely sincere. This doesn't bode well for him as he's trying to exonerate himself from some pretty shady scandals, as he's incapable of convincingly portraying sincerity even when he's not playing a shady character.

For some final thoughts, the dialogue was terrific. I especially enjoyed the cat and mouse verbal sparring between Han Geng and Wang Likun's characters, so normal, yet so layered. I'm also glad the villains were three dimensional and sympathetic, which made the show much more intriguing. I hope other shows take note, especially spy and Republican dramas. When you flatten and dumb down the bad guys, you are also in effect insulting the intelligence of protagonists and viewers.

This was a solid 8.1 ‒> 8.5 MDL and a top 10% Cdrama of 2023.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 8.1
- Plot - 8
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8
- Acting - 8.5
- Visuals - 8.5
- Audio / Music - 7.5
- Rewatch - 8
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7
- Subtitle quality - 8

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A murder of innocence

‒Overview‒

Interlaced scenes is a short, engaging crime thriller that pulls you in with a deceptively straightforward murder mystery in the first episodes, then methodically reveals the the larger contours of the crime piece by puzzle piece. As a viewer you will first be drawn in by the mystery, then the characters, and later on the social commentaries on Chinese society and human nature. As with most dramas I rate above 8, this show has excellent acting, production, and an unique story.

‒Review (minor spoilers)‒

The show opens with the murder of a young woman. And flash forward almost a year to the present day, we are shown a successful author, Gu Jiming, receiving accolades for his thriller novel that contain passages eerily similar to the crime. Gu Jiming looks every bit the shady character, and even one of the detectives becomes convinced that Gu is the murderer. Open and shut case Watson, as I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the lame setup. But please don't drop the show based on the initial evidence as we are quickly shown additional clues about how the murder is much more complicated than it first appears. Along the way, our initial impression and assumptions about characters are continuously questioned, tempered, and even reversed multiple times.

We follow the footsteps of a brusque, incisive female lead detective Jiang Guangming, played by the always excellent Ma Yili, and her protege Shi Luo, played by Gao Zhiting. On the list of potential suspects and witnesses, are Gu Yiming, played by an excellent Tong Dawei, his wife Su Zhenzhen, skillfully portrayed by Lan Yingying, Jiang Na, Tang Xun, and others. I should first preface that I generally do not enjoy mystery dramas. This is mainly because too many mystery dramas are what I consider the 'gotcha' category, where the story deliberately throws out multiple bait to manufacture suspense, then toss in some convoluted explanation at the end, often based on some trivial or arcane detail that only the detective would pick up on. This is the other type of mystery drama that I do enjoy. The difference is that this one is much more of an organic mystery and suspense, we are right there with the main leads, be presented with the same details, and following the same thought process as they are. The mystery and suspense, come from the complexity of the crime and the appeal of the characters.

What I liked the most about this show is that the second half is mostly devoted to fleshing out different aspects of the key characters and social commentary. The most intriguing aspect of the story was about Gu Jiming and his former girlfriend Jiang Na, and his current fiancee Su Zhenzhen. The parallel and contrast between the two women, GJM's approach to both, and the metaphorical significance was riveting and profound. While I ended up lamenting the injustice to the victims and the depravity of the perpetrators, I was even more intrigued by what the show says about contemporary Chinese society, its problems, and values.

What were the circumstances that turned a decent man turn into a killer? Was it just him, human nature, or something about society? How much did the social inequalities and attitudes contribute to the tragedies? What is the price for innocence and dreams, especially for those of average material and social resources? I was actually surprised that the show offered pedestrian message at the end, even though all the narrative in the second half pointed to much more incriminating criticisms of society. And unfortunately, if I don't return with more writeup, I will only leave with those questions.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 8.3
- Plot - 8
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8.5
- Acting - 9
- Visuals - 8.5
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 8
- Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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美强惨 HST (Handsome, Strong, and Tragic) and LOLs

ADWAD is the type of parody drama that I've been waiting for and want to see more of in CDramaland. It balances laugh-out absurdity with a clever enough script that still elicits HST. The end result is something that can still appeal to enough romance viewers, without killing other viewers through diabetic overdose. For those who are who are tired of tropes, this show definitely breaks the mold while poking fun at the cliches.

‒Review‒
Given my general distaste of idol dramas, I had been begging for just a few parodies to change things up. After all, there's such an abundance of mockery-worthy material and who doesn't like to laugh. So I was delighted that the show teed off with the ridiculousness in the first scene. With a Mexican Stand-off set in ancient China as 3 leads formed a sword-stabbing triangle that eventually spun into a tornado. What?!? Fuck Yeah!!!

So it turns out that it's a transmigration drama where the FL Song Yimeng (played by Li Yitong) is migrated into the world of an awful script, where the ML Nan Heng is a psycho prince who will torture and kill her‒good times. So of course, SYM desperately tries to disrupt the terrible outcome by altering the events, only to be met with death. The good news is that she seems to have infinite resurrections, the bad/better news is that it allows her to die hilariously many more times. Eventually, she gets revived further back in the timeline, giving her more direct contact with NH, who proceeds to try to kill her, only to realize that he's compelled to protect her from death. The good news is that NH is persistent in his homicide attempts, the bad/better news is that he keeps maiming himself in the process. Then the show introduces NH's alt character, side characters, and other conspiracies.

Here I want to make an important note that many people who have major complaints about the FL may be overlooking‒the plot-immutability of the 'original script' and FL's motivation and vantage point. From her perspective, all the early episodes have only confirmed the destiny of the 'highlight scenes', as outlined on her blackboard, and the questionable nature of the ML. Her mistrust and avoidance of the ML is fundamentally derived from that. And even when she begin falling for him, she is still conflicted and tries to push him away as she is haunted by the plot points that would happen. "But just give us lovey-dovey sugar factory, it's been 20 episodes!!!" But they are giving you HS(Tragic)!!! "Oh handsome, strong LYN gege, how tragically you have been wronged and misunderstood by the world and FL, oh gimme the angst, oh I hate seeing gege suffer, but I will keep watching because I'm not a bitch like the FL." Sure you can debate the methods, and some viewers no doubt dropped out, but at least there's a solid reason behind the misunderstanding.

And the drama will reward the patient viewers, or the HST crackheads. Eventually misunderstandings are resolved. The stupidass bitch!! FL grows into a strong, smart woman who finds the courage to loveydovey her man, solves problems, and gets a happy, sensible ending just like you would.

And just like you, I will commend LYN for the steadfast improvement of his acting. He grinded away from a nobody singing streamer to where he is today, kept working on his craft, ignored all the haters, and remains a funny, approachable celebrity. That is certainly worthy of respect. He was good in his role, nothing out of place, and even sings an OST to boot.

But perhaps not like you, I will also highly commend LYT as the FL. This seems to be the first exposure for many Intl viewers to LYT when she has been around for many years with solid works produced. Some have even mixed her up with Bai Lu in voice (understandable) and looks (huh?). Nonetheless, LYT delivered serious acting chops throughout with a fluid display of expressive range and nuance. She nailed the comedy. And she nailed the emotional scenes when the script (not you) called for it. Given this is an idol drama with very religious age and aesthetic requirements, there are few actresses you could have slotted into her place who would have pulled it off. She is definitely top tier acting wise in idol land. And I wish her interesting roles and success in both idol and proper dramas.

Now for the shortcomings. I enjoyed the comedy, but I would have liked it more if they were delivered with even more punch, surprise, and zaniness. Compared to another funny show 'To Get Her', ADWAD often prepped the jokes a little much. Also there was some unevenness to the pacing, especially in the early-middle episodes. The gravity of the bigger plot arc wasn't always evident throughout. And certain elements, like the whole sword alchemy thing, perhaps garnered unwarranted attention. Some of the ML abuse by the Emperor felt rash and petty. And of course many will point to the gege abuse by the FL SYM. And while the drama got a sensible, happy ending unlike 99.44% of costume dramas, it was not one of climatic majesty. The transmigration and script-bending nature of the drama kept me on my toes, but also anticipating whether a bigger climax was ahead. So, this was enjoyable, but not something with lasting impact. Also, while i appreciated LYN's acting, I did not appreciate the excessive eyelining. It's hard for me to make out the microexpressions if I can't figure out whether he's trying to commemorate Ozzy Osborne or become the next JD Vance. I know your gege is perfect, but believe me he would be more perfect and HST if he donated his makeup set to a NK Pop orphanage. Because he told me, because the moral message of this drama is about choosing your own destiny, and choosing your own makeup style as a Dongbei yemen'er.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 7.5 (+.5 ⇒ 8 MDL)
- Plot - 7
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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There are no mysteries here, only writers playing tricks

‒Overview‒

Strange Tales is a mystery detective drama set in Tang Dynasty of ancient China. If you enjoy costume dramas and mysteries, this show certainly punches above its weight in visuals, fight choreography, and acting for the most part. But it's also not for everyone. The mystery elements, while offers some interesting twists and unique setups, are not unfolded in the way that a few exceptional top mystery shows deliver. And viewers must also contend with one of the main characters Lu Lingfeng, whose brash and haughty personality can make for a frustrating watch.

‒Review‒

First a disclaimer: I'm not a big fan of mysteries, especially procedural mysteries. My reason is that they often feel like a sleigh of hand trick rather than a genuine mystery that engages the audience in the case-solving, the characters, and thought process of the detectives. The latter method is often used in long-form mysteries that span the entire show. So I was thoroughly engaged for shows like Interlaced Scenes, The First Shot, and others. But what makes the long-form mysteries great‒the complex characters, prolonged tension and stakes, the worldbuilding‒often take a backseat to the need to quickly build and resolve the cases, while keeping the audience entertained. And too often, it feels like the writer is just employing various tools like sleigh of hand, bait-and-switch, and case-solving by obscure details/knowledge. The problem with this approach is that it erodes the logical consistency and misdirects the focus on the drama to wild-goose-chase that are ultimately inconsequential. I would include legal, cop, and medical case shows in there as well as it often resolves by magical doctor pulling out some obscure medical detail to save the day. Just as ghosts are rare if not non-existent, genuine mysteries are also rare. Most of the time, it's just people, or in this case, the writers pulling tricks 装神弄鬼.

Despite this pervasive problem, I tend to look for other elements that would still make procedural mysteries enjoyable for me. There are 3 major elements: the story of the MCs, the story or message of the case characters, the cases themselves. I rarely find the latter engaging enough by itself and mostly rely on the other two elements to carry me through the show. My problem with Strange Tales is that it never provided an engaging enough backstory for the MCs, whether Lu Lingfeng, Su Wuming, or Pei Xijun. Lu Lingfeng - from proud aristocratic family, wanting to honor the legacy but not sacrifice his integrity. Su Wuming - a disciple of the famed detective/judge Di Renjie, presumably wants to uphold justice. Pei Xijun - likes Lu Lingfeng, has artistic talent, and is an unorthodox girl. And the only other discernible element is a larger conspiracy from the battle of court factions in the capital. The problem is that the character backstories barely scratches the surface, are not that compelling, and doesn't provide a hook into what makes them tick, what are their greater purpose, or what deep tensions are they trying to resolve. And the court conspiracy was only occasionally brought into the spotlight, and doesn't really make sense under scrutiny. To make things worse, Lu Lingfeng's angry and impulsive outbursts makes me want to throw bottles of sedative pills at him. Bro, you are trying to solve mysteries here, not get into bar fights. He is supposed to get better in the second season, so fingers crossed.

So the show doesn't provide me with a strong basis of continuity across the cases. I don't get to care about the struggles of the characters, their growth, or whatever their personal journey. Even the camaraderie between the characters are somewhat lackluster, as Su Wuming and Pei Xijun both come in and out, and Lu Lingfeng's anger issues throws a wrench into the Lu-Su bromance. The case characters themselves are also difficult to engage with. It's partly due to the bait-switch sleigh-of-hand tricks the writers are pulling, which makes it difficult for you to fully trust or root for the characters until the case is already resolved. As I write this, I'm struggling to remember any characters that stood out. Another small complaint I had was with the acting. I can understand Lu Lingfeng is probably written with anger issues so I give Yang Xuwen a pass. His fights were also great. Yang Zhigang as Su Wuming did a very good job, and Gao Siwen as Pei Xijun was fine, the problem is her character is not fully fleshed out. What's more glaring are scenes with the Emperor, Empress, and royals. It's too exaggerated, too on-the-nose, and erodes the polish or whatever credibility of a secretive political intrigue that the writers are trying to convey.

As a comparison, Mysterious Lotus Casebook worked because it leveraged the brotherhood dynamic of its core characters and each of the cases tied into the overarching mission of Li Lianhua to figure out the past and safeguard his loved ones. I didn't care for any of the MLC cases as they also felt sleigh-of-hand to me, but even as I tuned out of the cases, I stayed engaged with the main story. The First Shot is a long-form mystery that has several layers and twists. But it unfolded the story just as it did to the main characters, so as a viewer you saw what they saw and stayed engaged for the ride. The character backstories were also much more engaging and touching. Bureau of Transformers employs procedural format but hit on all 3: interesting MCs, interesting case characters, and interesting cases. Though to be fair, the cases are not exactly detective mysteries, so they could afford to not use writer magic tricks, and the experience was much more enjoyable. Another hidden gem is Link Click from this year, which I'm looking to review soon.

So overall I can only give it a 6 as I force fed myself this so I can check out the highly touted season 2. But by the time I finished, I was no longer in the mood to pick up s2 immediately. If they fix the MC issue for s2 where I can care for them, then it could easily be a 7, and an 8 if the case characters are interesting. I have no expectation for the cases themselves, but 2 out of 3 will do.

‒Category Ratings--

- Overall - 6
- Plot - 6
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 6
- Acting - 7.5
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 6
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7
- Subtitle quality - 8

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Letters of love, regret, and hope

‒Review‒

Twelve Letters is a unique concept that delivered plenty of hard-hitting poignant moments. Depending on whether you were fully immersed in the emotions of the main plot line or occasionally distracted by loose ends, this show will either be a memorable favorite or a promising setup that had a shot at greatness.

The highlight of the show is the humble, touching, but often tortured story of the main couple. As high school youths in a small village in the year 1991, the main leads were two strong, decent, and tragic characters entangled in a mess of circumstances beyond their control, and desperately trying to escape. The ML was trapped by previous run-ins with local gangsters that continue to threaten his family and the FL. The FL was trapped by a vicious, manipulative gambling-addict father despite her quest to free herself from him and the town through college. It's through the desperation of the characters, the injustice of society, and the cruel helplessness of circumstance that we come to appreciate the precious glimpses of beauty and hope. The young leads of Zhou Yirang and Wang Yinglu deliver terrific performances, as does the talented supporting cast, including several younger actors. Yu Nian (Zhenghe Huizi) and Shen Cheng (Ren Youlun) were decent, and the 1991 group of Li Chadong (Jia Hongxiao), Zhang Hao (Zhao Runnan), Tan Xin (Chen Haolan), and Wang Manyu (Lin Xinyi) were standouts who deserve more acting roles to shine. The show wraps up the anguish and tragedy by delivering on a final letter of hope that ultimately provides a happy resolution.

Despite the many positives of the story, this had potential to be much more poignant‒whether as a love story, a mystery, or an indictment of society or the human condition. The main issue is the blemished execution of the letter exchange and use of timeline. The story involved the letter exchange in the plot, but didn't fuse it with the narrative or the emotional core. All of the most important narrative, emotional, and thematic moments occurred in the 1991 timeline, with a few in 2005 when ML was released from prison. 1991 had all the consequential events, the live-and-death stakes, and moments that delved into the characters and cruelty of circumstances. Rather than enhancing the story, the letters often distracted from the 1991 timeline as the audience is left speculating about how to alter the events. Moreover, many of the letters were not of the impactful variety as the first love letter from Tang Yixun, or even essential details for unraveling the mystery and changing the past. The result is the additional set of characters, plot, circumstances, and speculations diluted the poignancy of the 1991 story. In fact, the story would have been much more powerful if it had scrapped the timeline travel altogether‒even by sticking to a more conventional setup of twelve letters to and from prison or twelve letters addressed to the other person, the narrative would have been far more profound and cohesive.

In comparison, a few other titles executed the timeline device much better. Reset was much more polished in handling the logic of the timeline and leaving pieces of clues that built up to the plot and thematic climax. It also assiduously kept the focus on the core of the story and didn't get mired in the hows/whys that wouldn't be explainable. Link Click delved into many philosophical aspects of regret, fate, and confronting or even changing the past. It did so through vignettes that culminated in a powerful finish. And Interlaced Scenes is probably the closest in mood and themes. Even though there were no time-alteration aspects, the story was methodically revealed through interlacing timelines that despite divulging some key plot points in the beginning, kept pulling the readers along by revealing deeper mysteries and resonant themes. The key to delivering such powerful story is the approach of subtraction‒excise all extraneous elements and make all the details count. Had Twelve Letters done that, this would have been a masterpiece. Nonetheless, the team clearly put in a lot of effort, and I appreciate the ambition and originality of the show.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 7.8 (--> 8.0 MDL)
- Plot - 7.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8.5
- Acting - 8.3
- Visuals - 8.5
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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A Familiar Idol Drama

In many ways, familiarity is an recurring element for Kunning Palace. The FL was an Empress of evil deeds in her past life that transmigrates into a do-over life, intent on fixing her mistakes. So the setting, the people, and even many events are portrayed as familiar events that add tension to the story.

As for my personal viewing experience, Kunning Palace also felt familiar‒A Familiar Stranger familiar. In fact having conscientiously avoided idol dramas‒costume or modern‒A Familiar Stranger was an rare exception that I attempted and enjoyed, perhaps mostly owing to its short mini-drama length. With Kunning Palace as the much anticipated big-budget drama, I joked to myself that all I'm looking for is AFS quality and I'm willing to turn my brain off for the ride. And to my cursed prediction, A Familiar Stranger is basically what I got: from the haphazard blinding lights, to the spinning shots, to the predictable OST that conspicuously serenades every modestly emotional scene, to the paper-mache world-building and story that I didn't dare staring into for the fear that even a lingering glance will set the whole world ablaze.

And sadly despite the modest expectations, I'm not sure if Kunning Palace matched the quality of AFS. Despite being a low-budget production shot in a pinch, AFS had arguably better production quality, better average acting quality, and better tropey romantic sizzle. And most of all, the short 3 hour run time and fast pace made all the irksome issues much more palatable.

To be fair, Kunning Palace is not a terrible show, and solidly above average for an idol drama. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people liked it, and liked it a lot. If you are not congenitally allergic to idol drama like me, the sets, costumes, pretty actors, and decent trope execution will be lighting up plenty of dopamine and serotine. And just some modest improvement to the script, acting, and cinematography would have made this a decent watch me. But as it is, the negatives slightly outweighed the positives, and multiplied by 24 episodes the cumulative enjoyment debt had become too much to overcome.

Complaints:
❌Kiddie level political schemes and too many plot issues
❌On-the-nose tension and dramatic moments, reinforced by even more on-the-nose dialog to make sure the audience understood the obvious
❌Too much try-hard acting; too modern line delivery, dialog, and general vibes
❌Amateurish cinematography and editing choices, the director feels like someone that likes to inject random effects into his Powerpoint slides to look professional

--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 5.5
- Plot - 5.5
- Theme / Message / Impact - 6
- Acting - 6.5
- Visuals - 7
- Audio - 7
- Rewatch - 5
- Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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A parody of Xianxia in style and quality

In order to honor the many Xianxia dramas out there, I will keep this review low-effort and low-quality. This also seems to be the general consensus among the Chinese public about Xianxia as a genre--where quality and originality go to die in multiple lifetimes and banality flourish for a heavenly eternity. A casual peak at Chinese internet such as Bilibili will yield a kaleidoscope of rant videos lampooning the vapidity of the genre.

So making a parody drama should be as easy as electrocuting fish in a barrel right? Well not exactly. Despite ostensibly genuine effort from the producer/ML to call out the genre and other stupidities in the CDrama industry, the show unfortunately also succumbs to many of the same pitfalls.

To much telling, not enough showing. Too repetitive in terms of structure and the same OST song that gets played every 5 minutes. And despite the short drama length, it lacked a compelling narrative to tie together the various parody scenes. It was only in the last 10 minutes of the show, that a compelling motivation emerged and I actually cared for the characters and wanted to see what comes next.

In Actor's Rhapsody's defense, it was a very low budget production and it actually commits fewer cinematic sins than most of the Xianxias out there. But for a topic ripe for the picking, I wish it aimed for something bolder, more refined, and more original--along the lines of 'The Great Nobody'. Another low budget short drama, but one that delivered nonstop laughs in an interesting and original story.

Pros:
-I watched Xianxia, without having to watch Xianxia
-Gives an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes insanities that goes on in Chinese drama
-Decent acting from ML, and the support (there are quite a few perpetual supporting actresses that signed up for this)
-Looks ok and have fewer instances of cinematic terrorism
-Short
-There are jokes and humor interspersed throughout, and done well enough that Douban gave it 7.5+ rating

Cons:
-Choppy narrative
-The format gets repetitive
-For those really picky about looks, you'll be seeing a lot of ET surgery from the SML

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A concussive flurry that leaves you in anticipation of what's next

--Summary--
A provocative, in-your-face kidnapping into the disturbing world of Korean school violence. High quality production with excellent action scenes, visuals, and sound. Gripping and fast-paced story with convincing setup. Reasonable plot progression without major holes, but also some plot convenience and noble idiocy that I was able to overlook. Captivating acting from the impressive young leads and veteran supporting actors added to the realism. Though more a prequel than complete narrative, it's a thrilling prelude hopefully to a well-fleshed out story.

I give it 8 (+0.5), which is very good score reserved for one of the best shows of the year. But it's difficult to rate higher because we've only been given a partial story and the compact S1 doesn't leave room for greater thematic depth or connection to characters. I may bump the rating if future seasons are able to develop this into a high quality, fleshed out story.

**Update after S2**: This originally received an 8 despite being an incomplete story based on the high production value and some promising plot elements. But when the rest of the assignment was turned in for S2, it became clear that S1 never had a complete story to begin with. So marking this down to 7.5

--Detailed Rating--
Update: 7.5 for the lack of continuity in S2.
✅ Plot (8.5) - The core of the plot is logical and moves the story along at the brisk pace. In the second half of the show, previously calculated and pragmatic characters like Ahn Soo and Yeon Shi both indulge in some noble idiocy and create a bigger mess for the very people they were trying to protect. In addition, Oh Beom Seok's descent into malevolence appeared too abrupt and unfounded as he betrayed Ahn Soo over minor slights while allying himself with bullies that have tormented him far more brutally. While these plot issues are not dealbreakers, they do stretch the plausibility and detract from the story.

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华山论贱: Southern Cuckoo and Northern Coo-Coo

‒Review‒

It's another installment of 华山论贱 Shitfest at Mount Hua, and this time we have another very earthy flavored creation, one that somehow tricked me into finishing. Disclaimer: in many ways the Shitfest at Mount Hua is still better than the Idolxias, so if you didn't grow up with Wuxia, these might even be a pleasant surprise to you. But I did grow up w/ wuxia, so woe is me.

So how did I finish this when I dropped the others a few episodes in? It's mostly because it was kookie and silly enough in the beginning and didn't try to present itself as something too serious. It's more permissible for fratboy retards to get all shitfaced and shit in their retard friend's baseball cap than it is to shit in their professor's briefcase during thesis defense. Same logic. (Though I hear everyone is Cheat-gpting and getting grade inflationed, so maybe both are now a celebrated tradition in American higher education).

Anyways, back to the show. There's some father-son drama in the posh Dali Kingdom in the South. It's supposed to be an ancient kingdom but the aesthetics is blindingly white and ostentatious. It's as if Donald Trump got 'donated' a Saudi prince's palace, took out the only classy elements, renovated it loud Trump style, then asked his buddy Epstein to put some creepy finishing touches on it. Every time they show a shot of the palace is like checking into Dali Trump Resorts. The only thing missing is half of US Congress and an adolescent masseuse team. No this is not why I kept watching you sickos.

Luckily the characters are nothing of the Epstein Congress variety. Peter Ho plays the prince that ran away from a marriage pact to join the Hobo Fight Club‒I'm not kidding it's literally a fight club of hobos, and it's canon. And Ming Dao plays a hobo-trainee that got swapped with Peter, tries to fend off a bunch of women from different tribes who tries to marry/kiss/kill him. Yes they ran a kiss/marry/kill game on the same guy. And somehow he ends up winning the heart of the arranged princess (played by Hankiz Omar) despite his protestations. Now both Peter Ho and Ming Dao have their fans, and they are not bad actors. The problem is that both are playing characters that are 25 years younger. So you look at them and expect some mature wisdom. But instead you get retarded decision making and behaviors emblematic of teenagers with underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. Whoops they are 45 and 49? I swear they are not Epstein-congressional!!

They are just into different things. Peter (Southern Emperor) ends up falling for Hani (Yi Huo) and marries her, but later reluctantly and gentlemanly gives her up to Ming Dao (Northern Begger). Because they are friends and that's what good friends do. But then you remember that Southern Emperor will later marry another woman in LoCH and she ends up cheating with chubby Zhou Botong. Hmmm, hmmm, very sus ... as they say in Jianghu, once is an accident, twice makes a fetish. Our Southern Emperor is so obviously a cuckoo enthusiast that he should be made an honorary White person.

Our Northern Emperor has a different fetish, of the coo-coo variety. He just gets off on doing clearly stupid and crazy things. Obvious scheme, let's fall for it! Suspicious dude, let's trust him! Suspicious dude second time, let's leave him alive to do evil deeds. I will fight my bro Northern Emperor because of mah woman and mah Dad, but casually let evil dude jeopardize their lives. Granted most of the stupidity was concentrated in the last 2 episodes, but boy did it culminate in a scatological volcano.

At least it's not Epstein.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 5.5
- Plot - 5.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 6
- Acting - 7.5
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 4
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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A NDBT (哪都不通) storyline

‒Short Review‒

Season 2 returns the main cast in Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao and perhaps even ups the ante in terms of visuals, CGI, action choreography. However, the magic of S1‒seamlessly blending humor, action, and heart into a story with intrigue and great characters‒was missing. Instead, the show often felt like a frustrating, disjointed mess that struggled to blend together multiple stories, angles, and new characters. Only in the beginning and the very last episode did the show feel like S1, where the narrative was able to pull together into a coherent story. Given how this season was somehow higher rated on Douban compared to S1, I suspect much of the narrative issues may be due to a creative team that had to balance the expectations of the manhua and donghua fans, rather than crafting a ground-up adaptation of the story that was shown.

As a TV-only enjoyer, there seems to be several different themes and story lines for this season. There's the Chen Duo storyline of who she is, what happened between her and Liao Shu, and also the the effort to capture her. There's Ma Xianhong's village, his special cauldron, and the effort to bring him under NDT jurisdiction. There's mystery to the other NDT temps. And also, there's the tension with NDT HQ. In addition, there's a small arc about ZGQ. Either the show needed to prune some of the story lines or use a different narrative structure to main the focus and cohesion that's needed. Instead, we got a story that struggled to build tension and focus, much less maintain it. In contrast, S1 worked so well partly due to the core story about ZCL, and later on FBB. I rewatched a bit of S1 again for comparison, and the humor and story difference is just night and day.

What I Liked
- Production value, decent CGI
- Action sequences
- The returning characters from S1, and the new ZGQ
- Vicky Chen's Chen Duo

What I Didn't Like
- The storytelling
- New character casting/acting (I suspect too much emphasis was placed on visual resemblance, rather than acting and behavior that's most organic to the story)
- New character story (the little backstory we got for them was shallow and awkward, difficult to care about them)
- Humor (forced and disrupting to the mood/tensions of the story, and the humor just wasn't as sharp)

‒Category Ratings‒

- Overall - 7 (generous 7)
- Plot - 6.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 7.5
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8

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If you like the funny, then 98% chance you'll like it

‒Review‒

For those looking for fast-paced, light-hearted comedy-comedy, this one is a treat. Based off of novel and donghua, This show is Xianxia parody with a clever twist. The ML is overpowered as usual, but rather than going through the vomit-blood-obliterate-enemy cycles, he uses strategy, ploys, and enchantments to achieve his goals in the safest way possible, while keeping a low profile. It's an impressive combination of actuarial skills and a giant, giant bag of tricks. Remember, it's a comedic parody and donghua-derived, so don't be bewildered by the whimsical elements. The first episode can feel like a bunch of people talking a lot and talking fast; I recommend giving it 3-4 episodes for the gags to drop and to see if the humor, characters, and vibes work for you.

What I Liked
✅ Humor and parody setup - mocking the usual tropes; punchlines and gags are fast and unexpected enough to keep things interesting. ARP and the cast has good comedic timing and delivery
✅ Jedi mind tricks - Overpowered ML is boring, but one that bamboozles his opponents by combining tricks and clever ploys is
✅ Character dynamics - with Junior-sis (Aimi), high-god on vacation, Junior Dragon-lord, and several others; there is romance w/ the FL, but it's definitely not the focus
✅ Visuals - Mostly decent and not cheap plastic looking. And what is cheap plastic looking can just be excused as parody.
✅ The story, gasp - It's a comedy-comedy, so not subject to the same demands on the story. Yet, its plot, character, and worldbuilding is actually more consistent than the average Xianxia, which is consistently awful. Also plenty of twists and turns that are not obvious.
✅ Happy ending - ||Big twist in the final arc, and a happy ending that is genuinely surprising and meaningful. Some call it an open-ending, just because it's not fully played out. Sure, while it leaves open the possibility of a second season, it's still a self-contained story with closure. ||

What I didn't like
❌ Sun Zhenni's acting - She's good in evil or grayish roles, but not as goodie characters. For the whole show, she was doing Multiple-Choice-Acting‒in that she turns every scene into a random selection of the same expressions A-B-or-C. Forget about nuance, you'd think she has at least a 33% probability to produce a directionally correct facial expression. But noooo, the answer is always D-none of the above. Her rendition of the zillion year Holy Saintess is just so hollow, so jarring. Only when she got demon-possessed later, did she connect with me. And then I figured it out, Zhenni is just born with that *yao-energy, and that's what she needs to cultivate. [yao is demon/demoness, but not so abhorrently and irredeemably evil as in the Western context.] So when you stuff her into these holy-goodie roles, it's like the whole Xianxia thing of cleansing her spirit and lifeforce, leaving her an sterilized, imprisoned shell. I know it's a better career move for actresses to choose the light, or freely trans-realm between good and evil. And I'm not yao-shaming her, but just saying...

❌ ARP's acting when serious - he's good in comedic roles, I mean he's basically playing himself. But when it comes to emotionally complex or powerful scenes, you get the same problem as Sun Zhenni. Except ARP's face is not as blank and more contortionary, as he's cycling through different expressions to hopefully land on the right answer. But the mad circling often results in selecting both 'D-none of the above' AND 'E-all of the above', and you end up with a facial paradox. When it comes to ARP, only the fake crying is authentic crying.

That said, the acting issues didn't bother too much as they were fleeting and ameliorated with the action and comedy. It's not JoL1 level funny or nearly as deep. But I would put it in the same category as Guardians of Dafeng, and slightly better in some respects. While not as expansive in characters and world as GoTD, Pull Strings deliver a more consistent pacing and humor, and a more manageable number of plot lines. Come with the right expectations, and this can be an enjoyable surprise.

--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 7.5 --> 8.0 MDL
- Plot - 7.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8
- Acting - 7.0
- Visuals - 7.5
- Audio / Music - 7.5
- Rewatch - 7.5
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8.5

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A concept home high in design, but lacking in character

--Review--

At first glance, WIHSS seemed delightfully distinct from the predictable layout of idol dramas with their cookie-cutter tropes and 50-shades-of-pink ethos. The ML Yu Yu, an arrogant interior architect, bludgeons sensibilities with his acerbic quips and genuinely prickly personality. On the other end, we have the FL Gu Yejia, a veteran doctor whose grounded confidence, discerning compassion, and independent outlook defy the conventions of girlboss cosplay and parental machinations of blind date ambushes.

The polished production and cinematography escort you through a visual excursion of Shanghai—from vintage record shops to terraces overlooking its glitzy skyline. The shots are subtle yet elegant, and the scenes are rich in detail, but never pretentious. In particular, YY's home sets the vibe of pristine, controlled solitude, a fitting space for his idiosyncrasies and neuroses. The music underscores the mood and doesn't try to crash the party. Throw in some witty dialog, humor, and a crippling hemorrhoid and this show was looking like a bespoke design that could have been crafted under the exacting standards of Yu Yu himself.

Unfortunately, after settling in for a few episodes, the distinguished first impression turned out to be more of a stylish showroom than a lived-in abode designed for actual people. YY's patchwork of idiosyncrasies feels more like a projection that conveniently flashes for scenes and gags than a cohesive personality whose quirks have left a deep imprint in the world around him. He oscillates between offending others through obliviousness and firing off socially observant zingers. He’ll display OCD-level rigidity about certain habits and work details, then turn strangely nonchalant about things you’d expect him to obsess over. It's not a demand for YY to act as a robot, but an indictment of the writers who did not craft a character based on the solid foundation of flesh and blood, with connective tissue linking personality and behavior. Perhaps the writers tried to pull a hautism (handsome-autism) gambit to keep the ML charming enough to not completely repel the audience. But for me, this only amounted to half-baked characterization and putting lipstick on a hemorrhoid. And handsome-hemorrhoid still begets ... hemorrhoid.

This oversight doesn’t just shortchange the audience of a unique character and story, but denies us a fresh angle on life. We don't truly get immersed in YY's unique world of looking at things, the cost of his sacrifices against convention, or his way of relating to and valuing others. Yes there will be moments where he defies his prickly exterior and does nice things for others, but they come off as momentary gestures without deeper roots or reflection. Subsequently, this issue also spills over to YY's relationships, including with his assistant Lin Sa. Like his other relationships, there are reactions, but they resemble tepid ones from a six-month intern rather than a decade-long assistant. You don't get the accumulated exasperation, reflexive countermeasures, and tormented fondness you'd expect from someone who has survived so long in this professional marriage.

Gu Yejia also doesn’t change for the better. She quickly goes from a doctor with measured compassion to a Mother Teresa figure with inexhaustible patience for both Yu Yu and his neighbor Xiao Man. How the two become instant friends, beyond plot convenience, is still a mystery. GYJ presumably doesn’t have many friends because she’s busy, not because she’s never encountered needy people before. And Xiao Man’s primary traits seem to be that she’s confused and a drinker. If the missing pieces in GYJ’s life were truly healing YY’s hemorrhoid—both physical and personality-wise—and XM’s alcoholism, then you start to wonder why she doesn’t just randomly pick a suitor from her blind date conference calls and offer them the same salvation package. Ironically, I ended up agreeing with the chemistry rooners. What exactly do YY and GYJ see in each other, where is the attraction coming from, are there even signs of mutual affection?

But not all is lost in terms of characterization. XM's BYD inventory and pet bulldog Daoge were actually the best performers in staying in character. As product placement, BYD reliably presented its design, tech, and comfort without stepping on the plot or hijacking the camera. And Daoge behaved like a dog is supposed to act: confused by the decisions of the characters and scriptwriters, but too fixated on food and doggy things to care.

Sadly, I'm not a bulldog and do care about the plot and characterization. So despite relishing the beginning, I eventually skipped 10 episodes to the end, found XM in a bizarre last-ditch love-triangle, and immediately thanked my decision to circumvent the clogged plumbing of this plotline. Like Confucius famously said, "hemorrhoids are to be spectated, not suffered." It's one thing to be filled with the giddy holiday spirits watching the ML writhing on the ground from hemorrhoidpocalypse; it's another to lug my own lump of coal across the finish line. This could have been an 8.5 drama, but I could only muster up a 6.5 for the unfulfilled potential.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 6.5 (generous)
- Plot - 6
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 6
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8.5
- Subtitle quality - 8.5

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