Traditional vs Modern Values

It was good enough that it kept me hooked & wanting to chase each episode as they were released. Generally, love the attempt at the female best friend relationship & the FL+ML, BUT hate the 2ML+his sister.

Du Di (Victoria Song, FL) --> my absolute favourite character (along with the ML) - she's flawed but is aware of them & makes the effort to gradually change them.
- Wish she had more scenes with her mum. She always looks and treats others coldly but she’s like sunshine with her mum. I feel like Victoria always has awesome chemistry with her onscreen mothers.
- Her friendship with Wu Cong Rui. The loyalty and love between them. They compete fairly for the position of chief resident and won’t betray the other person to get what they want (for the most part). Love women supporting women!
- Her relationship with Liu Nianbai. SO SWEET! It was like she finally woke up. She went from looking like she could kill you to becoming a cinnamon roll. They’re literally the only healthy and respectful relationship.
- She’s so loyal that she’s willing to be misunderstood by everyone else. Takes courage & self-confidence to do that! I felt so bad for her many times. Especially when Li Jun Xiao and WCR say deeply hurtful things to her. She looks out for them but gets shit like "being in a relationship with you is nothing to boast about" and that she'll never be as great as her idol.
- Flaws: Too hotheaded (she flings accusations around with no evidence) & too overprotective. What’s the point if others won’t thank her for it. She needs to learn to protect herself from that.

Wu Cong Rui (Wang Xiao Chen, 2FL) --> likeable at times, hateful at times.
- The one who has mostly reasonable reactions but she has a habit of acting innocent when she's being the most deceitful. When she had a cold war with DD, it was understandable. Her divorce with her ex-husband and her falling out with LJX was also reasonable.
- What’s interesting to watch are her facial expressions — hilarious. Sometimes I rewind to watch what different expressions she has on.
- Flaws: Don’t get how she could date her best friend’s ex though. That’s a big NO. Also don't like how she gets pissed at DD for listing LJX's flaws when DD was doing it to protect her BUT then lets freaking LJX talk shit about DD 24/7. Is this what a best friend of 10 years does??? She's also too easily manipulated...she lets LJX turn her against DD.

Li Jun Xiao (Wang Sen, 2ML) --> HATED HIM!
- Everything DD said about him was true: male chauvinist pig, misogynistic, superficial & materialistic, easily jealous, hypocrite.
- Sigh. I hated his character for most of the film. I wanted both him and his sister to leave from ep 1-30. They’re always talking about how people look down on them for being "poor country bumpkins" yet he views women as breeding machines and she looks down on divorced women and those who’ve had miscarriages. Why would they expect people to show them respect if they’re not respecting others? He was a walking contradiction & super toxic for most of the series. Thankfully he *sort of* redeemed himself in the last few eps.
- AND his sister gossips and spreads lies to make the patients worry. Didn’t she get ethics training or something when she took on the job at the hospital???
- He’s always making snide comments like the petty guy he is. For the first dozen or so episodes, he kept insulting DD every chance he got. Like bro, you guys broke up, deal with it. You’re at work, be professional! DD isn’t even saying anything even though she hates your guts. He's also a freaking moron for pitting WCR against DD (miscarriage situation).
- What was the whole point of him busting his ass for a ring for WCR when he was fine with buying DD a modest ring???
- For all his holier-than-thou attitude, he's willing to go against his conscience to earn money quickly. Both DD & LJX have similar backgrounds (from poor families in the countryside & they have to work harder than anyone else) yet she has much better morals & values than he does. No excuses for him there.

Liu Nian Bai (Yin Fang, ML) --> LOVED HIM! Adorable without any toxic behaviour. Fully supports the people he cares about.
- His scenes with DD are so cute. The way that he got her to relax and not be so uptight when he’s around her was so satisfying to watch.
- He’s one of my fave characters. He was never really unreasonable & has a high EQ so he's good at dealing with patients that DD can't handle. Both of them do things for others with no strings attached.
- He’s surprisingly good at stand-up comedy! His delivery was ?!

Cons of the series:
- Fake babies were super obvious and weird.
- Actor's lips & voice-overs weren't synced half the time which made me disengage from the scene. For example, when LJX and his sister were arguing and their lips didn’t match what was heard in the voice over. It made a scene that was supposed to be emotionally intense…bland. No feelings whatsoever.
- Very sudden ending on most episodes. Not that they were cliffhangers but more like the episodes just randomly ended. Also the series finale didn’t feel like a finale…
- Patriarchal values: prefer boys over girls, abort innocent female babies, using women as breeding tools to appease males' ego and pride, that women and children need a father regardless of how toxic those men are & the toxic women who also subscribe to this idea (all the grandmothers & that 1 mother who put her daughter, the mistress, & their kids in danger).
- Communication issue is a huge problem in this series. Besides DD and LNB’s relationship, I don’t think anyone else communicates. Miscommunication led to all the breakups in this series.
- Also how did WCR catch up to DD in such a short amount of time? DD was described as someone with skills that exceeded that of most medical residents, but suddenly WCR who was nowhere close caught up??? Makes no sense. DD had all those sleepless nights and constant disciplined practice that it’s hard to believe that WCR could be a worthy rival in a short amount of time.
- Hate that Director Huang likes to throw DD under the bus to favour her student (WCR). So unprofessional!

Shout-outs:
The husband of the woman with cervical cancer who decided to keep the baby even if it meant her death. His eyes were super expressive and he felt like an actual actor instead of an extra.

The wife and mistress in an alliance. Was super cool (women working together instead of against each other)!

Felt really bad for WCR's ex, but this is what happens when you don’t communicate.

The head nurse!!! Wanted more scenes with her! Also wish her son was brought into the plot more.

A nice surprise was Victoria singing the ending song. I miss her f(x) days so I love it when she sings for her dramas!

Read More

Rushed Ending

Reasons why you should watch this:
1. The Cast. There were no weak links and Lee Jong Suk & Yoona's chemistry + acting really hit it out of the park! I loved Kim Joo Heon in previous projects so I was excited to see him get a meatier role...his acting was amazing because I hated his guts in the 2nd half of the series.
2. I would love to see Yoona act as a mafia boss. She looked incredibly cool in that fish farm scene!
3. The death of a major character. It always has so much more emotional impact than writing off a minor character. It was rushed though. I don't know if it's because they were vague with the timeline, but one of the main characters seemed to die off waaaay faster than all the other people with the same illness did.
4. Redemption arcs. I think only 2 characters redeemed themselves, but boy was the journey worth it! I went from hating Gong Ji Hoon for the majority of the series to rooting for him.
5. No silly love triangle. Just a married couple who commit to loving each other through thick & thin. Also, a huge plus is the supportive wife trope!

Cons:
1. Suuuuper rushed ending. Literally wrapped the whole series up in 6 mins. Didn't even really get to see the bad guy suffer.
2. Middle episodes dragged a bit. Maybe if they didn't spend so long on dragging out the plot, they've would've given a carefully plot out finale.
3. The amount of times LJS had to scream "Who are you?" or some iteration of it. Do the writers really think it adds value? Which villain would voluntarily offer up their identity? I also got super fed up with all his arrogance in the prison. As if he could really outsmart Big Mouse. I was confused by all his "traps" for Big Mouse -- did anyone understand what he was trying to do? They didn't really explain what he did exactly besides calling them "traps".
4. The long buildup & quick resolution (I'm thinking it's characteristic of this drama). The writers constantly reminded us that the prison warden was against the new Big Mouse, yet he was suddenly on Big Mouse's side without complaint. I thought I missed an episode or something.

Overall: great acting, potentially great script if they didn't fall short here and there (especially when it counts, aka the finale), but no explanation for big moves & the lightning quick resolutions after extended buildups.

Read More

Complicated. Science. Tears, tears, and tears!

I was excited for this drama because I was highly anticipating Victoria and Leo's second collaboration since 2017's A Lifetime Love. They acted as siblings before so it was interesting to see them as a couple this time. Filmed in late 2018 to early 2019, it's finally out!!!

Pros:
1. Unique FL: The thing I was most surprised about in the beginning was how adorable a direct/honest/straight-talking, no-nonsense scientist can be! I'm in love with Qiu Jianing! Victoria Song is super adorable in this show and is so different from the usual FLs. She's savage with her responses but doesn't mean to be - this innocence is what makes the situation 10x funnier. Her low EQ and sense of righteousness + her loveable awkwardness is the reason why I'm surviving some of the slower episodes.

2. Science! It's rare to see a show with this degree of in-depth scientific material. I enjoyed it since I have a science background, but I understand that it may be off-putting to those who don't as it'll seem like a bunch of jargon.

3. Heartbreaking Romance: The ML and FL should be together, but at the same time, they really shouldn't be together. There are many reasons for each and it gets super complicated. I felt really bad for the FL because she's getting hurt unnecessarily by all the lies the ML is telling her. I understand why the ML is doing it, but I also hate him for it. Honestly things could've been so much better between them if he just came clean halfway through the drama when almost everything was exposed. The FL is already going to be in trouble. She's already in the cross-hairs because Zha Shu is clearly not letting her off the hook so she might as well know why she's gonna die if she's already a target. Also, this FL is very inquisitive and won't take no for an answer. She'll find out the truth sooner or later and so much heartache could've been avoided if the ML understood that. *Sigh* I guess that's just dramas for you. The ML is trying to protect her, but failing spectacularly most of the time which was hilarious. Although the final time he protected her was so cool and heartbreaking. *cries* Zhou Xiao Shan... :'(

4. Great acting: I'm not even going to start on Victoria's crying scenes because it'll-- I'll just summarize my feelings with this: *screams in fan girl*. I liked her balance between naivety/innocence and intellectuality/maturity. Lately, she never disappoints, is all I'll say. I've never seen Leo in any ML roles, but I liked him here. His character had kind of a "sophisticated-feminine" vibe when he walked/held things, but total badassery when he got into "spy mode".

Cons:
1. The English-Mandarin conversations: It wasn't just the FL, it was also the ML and a few of the side characters (e.g. Sun Qian). Am I just supposed to assume that Europeans can understand Mandarin and the Chinese can understand English? If so, why not speak entirely in English or entirely in Mandarin? Some people recommend dubbing which could work if the actors can't speak English (although dubbing sounds weird). From what I know, Victoria can speak English (albeit conversational English). From videos I found, her pronunciation is one of the better ones amongst the Chinese actors/actresses who didn't grow up abroad, as in the ones who don't speak native English.

2. Slow plot: I literally dropped the drama in the middle for a few weeks before picking it back up. It had a lot of potential (amazing trailer!), but they literally dragged this entire plot out for 42 episodes! I think it could've packed more of a punch if they'd halved the number of episodes. As is characteristic of draggy plots, there was a very quick resolution of all issues in the last 2 episodes.

3. Plot holes: Some things were brought up then abandoned somewhere along the way. Some things were deemed super important (as in life-and-death important), but somehow lost its importance as time went on? Just confusing. It honestly started as a cool spy thriller type thing that essentially became a love square. Actually on second thought, maybe a nonagon? Basically each female character had 2 guys chasing her.

4. The shady office dynamics: Nothing irked me more than those gossiping piranhas in the first half of the drama. For a research facility with such huge expectations of them, I have no idea where they got that glowing reputation from considering most of the scientists there just gossip and sabotage experiments. I mean, sure, why not drop expensive equipment just to anger a colleague; why not endanger lives, sabotage their already short timeline for drug development, and waste resources just to take revenge on someone who doesn't even consider you a rival? The stupidity of these idiots (can't even be considered scientists at this point) makes me question the integrity of this supposed high-class lab. Also, Sun Qian in the beginning telling Jianing not to act like a child and tattle on her colleagues - WHO ARE YOU TO DISCIPLINE HER WHEN YOU'RE LITERALLY ACTING LIKE A CHILD BY DOING WAY WORSE?! At that point, Sun Qian deserves to have disciplinary action and/or her degree stripped from her.

Special mentions:
1. Jianing's random model catwalk moment with that gorgeous hot-pink suit. WOW but also, why?
2. Leo's "little sister" - wanted more scenes of her, but not the pining over her "brother" part. Pitied her the most. So much potential.
3. The female glasses-wearing duo in the office: smart, kind, and loyal. The friends we all want in our posse.
4. Jianing guilt-tripping her sister into living. Something about "all [her sister's] efforts to be a better person will be in vain if she dies" lol - was crying during that scene but started to guffaw - I was a quite a sight haha.

Random thought: I wholeheartedly recommend everyone watch the BTS (behind-the-scenes, not the K-pop group) of this series as it's hilarious! The bond between Victoria and Leo really shines in it - you really see how close they are. It lightens the mood after this sad/intense drama.

Conclusion: great acting, could've done better with half the amount of episodes, a river of tears but a healthy dose of laughter!

Read More

Interesting Scientific Plot That Wasn't Executed As Well As It Could Have

I was anticipating this drama because of all Ju Jing Yi, Zheng Ye Cheng, and Merxat. I fell in love with Merxat and Ju Jing Yi from The Legend of Yunxi (TLoY). The last couple of eps (TLoY) where Merxat was crying really moved me. From that moment on, I wanted to see him acting in lead roles as I felt like he had great potential. Although this is Merxat and JJY's 3rd collaboration, he still doesn't get the girl lol (at least he was with her in the beginning for this one though). I liked Zheng Ye Cheng when I watched An Oriental Odyssey. So all 3 of them being in this drama was a win for me!

I wasn't expecting much substance for the plot because it is an idol drama, but I really couldn't help but scroll through my phone while watching this show (which I never do if the drama is interesting). There were quite a few plot holes regarding the bracelet and its control of the magnetic field around the FL. It's a shame because the entire scientific premise had potential. I thought it was interesting that they dealt with alternate parallel timelines and the seemingly unsolvable issues which made it seem steeped in reality since I hate it when everything just works out so easily. On that count, this drama was great for me. If only they executed it better, this could've been a real winner! Another advantage is that this drama is 24 eps! That's like a mini-series in C-drama land - so rare! I hate it when dramas drag out the plot for no apparent reason so this length is just about right (although rushed endings are characteristic of short dramas which is a disadvantage). Also, I was pissed when ZYC just handed WXH his game. I was expecting him to have some sort of contingency plan like when he placed a bug in his superior's app to sabotage it if his superior (from YYT) went back on his word. But no, he just let WXH have his gaming account and let him wreak all sorts of havoc. Seriously disappointed in the script there.
Special shoutout to the super adorable YYT superior though (I think he was called Sui ge?)! He was annoying, but so loveable!

Although I've seen comments about the leads' acting, I don't really see any huge issue. There was nothing cringey at all. In my opinion, I think this drama had JJY and ZYC acting the most like themselves than any other drama they've been in. I liked that they used their original voices too. The chemistry may be lacking a little (i.e. it wasn't overwhelming), but they had some! The beginning was a little weird though. For someone who was essentially a recluse, I found it odd how quickly he accepted the FL's teleporting "problem" even though he couldn't witness it for himself since he's the one she's "connected" to. One second they were at each other's throats and the next, they're flat mates??? She sounded pretty cuckoo to me when she was explaining her situation, but I guess he's seen weirder stuff. Additionally, the main leads' relationship was pretty ambiguous to me. I didn't really know when they began. They just seemed like they were flirting out of mutual attraction and then suddenly the show goes "Oh btw they got together sometime between the last scene and this one, just accept it". Or maybe there was a starting point, but I don't remember? Maybe it wasn't memorable enough. Side note: JJY and ZYC are adorable as a crime-fighting duo!

Merxat did great as the SML. Hated his character (murderer, plagiarizes, treats women like shit, lives off the misfortune of others, etc.) but love the actor! He acted really well in this role! Someone give him a ML role! I was really surprised that they gave a villain this much screentime in an idol drama. Besides his character flaws, I had a problem with how quickly he turned "good". Didn't make sense to me whatsoever. Suddenly his childhood trauma and sense of self-worth (or lack thereof) that hinged from his dad's approval of him was erased with one phrase from the FL? If only reality worked that way too, that'd be less people needing therapy lol. Really though, here's some applause for you, Merxat *claps enthusiastically*.

I was quite exasperated with Qin Yue. Girl, I know you love him, but have some self-worth and LEAVE! She started doing crazy things out of desperation because she felt like she was losing her bf to the FL. Please wake up, he was already ghosting you before she (re)appeared. No idea how she thought being an expert at waiting for her bf was some superpower - that's a serious relationship red flag! I also didn't like how she stood by his side all the way until the end, but I guess that's dedication. If he really changed, then good for them! At least she had some semblance of a character redemption arc and didn't have an unfortunate ending.

The only time I cried during this drama was the last episode during the video JJY left for ZYC. I liked JJY's acting there - it was just right. It really was sad. Again, sudden ending, but whatever, it is what it is. The fact that this drama made me cry has increased its worth in my eyes.

Overall, this drama was okay. Not bad, but not great. It started with potential, but didn't really live up to it. I was annoyed/frustrated a lot during this drama and bored at times (enough that I skipped a bunch of scenes). There weren't really any memorable characters, but there were a few hilarious moments (cue the bear costume). Usually I know it's a good drama if I still think about it after I've finished the series, but I forgot about this one pretty quickly. I'd recommend this drama if you want something lighthearted (don't think too much about the plot) and fresh (scientific time-loop plot with realistic consequences), but this is a one-time watch for me.

Read More

Cute characters. Infuriating ML. Dubbing annoyed me.

First things first: I hate the dubbing! Some people have explained that it's because of different regional accents from the actors, but I personally wouldn't have minded their original voices. I couldn't fully concentrate on the drama because of said dubbing. It was annoying me.

Calvin Chen's character (Yu Jiang) was... irritating. I like the actor. I've watched his interviews and he seems like a great person, but omg the script tries to make this guy a mysterious "bad boy", but is really just making drama just to cause tension. It's so infuriating watching him make problems worse by his awful attempts at resolving them. Case in point, how he handled his situation with Ya Yin's cousin. I was face palming and almost considered dropping the drama so many times. The only thing that saved me during that time was Victoria and Zhoumi's cute friendship while Ya Yin was going through the heartache that Yu Jiang put her through. And what is with C-drama ML's always forcing the FL to be with someone she doesn't like??? Have you even considered her feelings or are you that self-centered? It honestly felt like the ML cared more about the FL's cousins's feelings than the FL's.

For her first drama, Victoria was adorable. She gave off a girl-next-door vibe, but Ya Yin was so passive while Yu Jiang and her freaking family were walking all over her! Like girl, where's your sense of self-worth and self-preservation?

I really liked Shang Lin (Zhoumi). He was just the right amount of bubbly. I liked that he knew where he stood with the FL and knew what BOUNDARIES were, which SOME people don't. I was rooting for him and wanted a good ending for him.

The other supporting actors were good. The parents in this drama were horrid. It seemed like they were the kids and their actual kids were the parents. I also liked that the friendship between the guys stayed strong throughout.

Not going to talk about the kissing scenes...well, you'll know why if you've watched it. Literally nothing to talk about. I don't know about Calvin, but I'm glad Victoria got much better at it now (2021 present day).

As I've learned with C-dramas, they love dumping a boatload of miscommunication into the plot in an already lengthy drama (could've cut down the episodes). I felt like yelling at each character that an explanation could go a long way - just talk and you guys will be fine! Although I guess there wouldn't be a drama then.

Conclusion: cute drama, infuriating ML, way too many episodes.

Read More

Weak script. Actors who tried their best, but couldn't save a bad script.

I didn't watch the prequel as I've heard that it's amazing and most people who saw the sequel were severely disappointed. I decided to go in with fresh eyes. No idea what happened in the first one other than the ML likes to be physically put in his place? After watching this, the huge glaring problem in this entire film is the plot. We're going to get to the actors later, but the plot...oh my...I mean, there was essentially no plot? Or at least one that wasn't completely fleshed out anyway. It's like they brainstormed the story's skeleton, the bare minimum, and kinda left it at that. The script doesn't flesh out any of the characters and we only find out little bits of their personality along the way. Almost like if they're acting and suddenly a crew member held out a cue card that read "dance machine", a few mins later "act like a puppy", 30 mins later "get mad about your wife who's trying to protect you." I felt like the plot was throwing them every which way and I couldn't exactly get a sense of who they actually were by the end, just 2D versions of them.

Before I talk about the ML and FL, I'm prefacing this with: I like both actors! I have nothing against them, I just have something against the script. They both tried their best, but ultimately couldn't save a bad script.
I was a little uncomfortable in certain parts because of Cha Taehyun - an actor in his 40s who acts like a lovesick teenage boy...which I guess some people could become if they're in love (no judgement). Don't get me wrong, he's a good actor but maybe it's because of his character that puts me off.
Victoria was quite good. Yeah, she might've exaggerated a scene or two, but most Korean idol dramas are so maybe it's because of the training she received? The only inconsistent thing was that she was portrayed as this strong-won't-take-any-bullshit wife throughout and she suddenly became a whining teenage girl when her husband flipped his shit at her. That gave me a whiplash. Again, maybe some people do become like that in those situations (no judgement).

As some people have pointed out, the comedy does feel forced at parts, although some are quite funny. Lots of random moments. Literally. For example, when Cha Taehyun is heading out for his business trip and Victoria randomly appears outside the door in a cheerleader uniform (with pom poms) cheering him on. Full on dance. Seemingly out of nowhere. What, exactly, was the purpose of that?

All in all, I think that the actors all did well within their roles, but the plot screwed them over. There weren't really any smooth transitions from one scene to another, just jumping here and there, so it felt like things were occurring suddenly. There didn't seem to be any substance to the plot. It just felt like a result of some executives deciding to capitalize on an already successful film. It seemed like it was all about the money and not the quality. So... the rewatch value is low on this one.

That being said, I will watch the prequel to see what the hype is all about.

Read More

Tears Galore!

Judging by some of the comments on this page, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually enjoyed the FL's performance and didn't really feel anything for the ML. Although this drama is far from perfect, it wasn't the worst drama I've seen - it was still watchable. I'm not going to talk about the plot as we all know how that went or about some questionable characters and their equally questionable actions (i.e. sexual assault that got the girl?!). I'll just talk about the protagonists.

When I first watched this, I didn't know Victoria or Johnny. I initially thought Victoria was younger than him, especially when she had her hair in a ponytail (when she was shopping for her boyfriend), she really looked like a woman in her early to mid-20s. When she had her hair down was when she looked more mature.
I don't really watch dramas for eye candy so I guess that's where I differ from the usual drama audience. From others' reactions, most people consider Johnny eye candy. Personally, he is handsome, but I wouldn't consider him one. I like to look at performances more than aesthetics. I especially love it when you can see an improvement in the actor/actress.
For a thousand-year-old fox who was in love with one woman for all her reincarnations...um...he didn't really express it (on his face). At all. Wouldn't have figured out why or IF he was even in love with her if they didn't keep repeating it in the opening sequence or have the ML himself repeat that fact. I haven't watched other shows that Johnny has acted in so I can't say much, but for this show at least, he was quite wooden with his expressions. He left me quite confused as to his intentions and/or his actions. Although, I'll be happy to change my opinion once I watch his other shows.

My yardstick for a good show is basically: can they make me cry and HOW HARD can they make me cry? And my gosh, Victoria made me cry...many times. It started with the famous breakup scene (ep 9) - it was more heartbreaking because she wasn't screaming. She was trying to hold it together and the betrayal and pain in her eyes? That was what broke me. I think I loved her character (as listless as she was written) because I saw my old self in her (albeit she's a more extreme version). I understood her and why she chose to handle situations a certain way. I liked that she grew as a person once she met Johnny's character and was able to stand on her own 2 feet at the end. I liked how Pipi's growth as a person was gradual. It was a natural progression which was realistic instead of the usual (and completely unrealistic) speed growth for characters that occur in 1 or 2 episodes (but I get it, since they're dramas).

Special mention: I laughed so hard when all those weird things began to happen to Pipi and she had to stay with Helan for a bit (cue Mary Sue). Johnny and Victoria were quite the dynamic comedic duo! That episode really lightened the otherwise gloomy mood that persisted throughout most of the drama.

For all the drama's flaws, I've also gained a newfound appreciation for the whole cast and crew considering the time constraints, scheduling issues, hospitalizations, and last minute changes.
Conclusion: A drama that was not bad, but not great. Became a fan of Victoria, loved the realistic growths of the characters. Would re-watch a few episodes, but maybe not the whole drama.

Read More

Bland but EYE CANDY

I watched this for Victoria, but the plot was very minimal. Literally nothing going on. Didn't feel for any of the characters because most of them weren't given any depth by the writers.
Unlike Julia Robert's character, Shu Qi's character didn't try at all - more half-assed effort than anything and things just worked out her way without her having to do anything.

I felt like the film kept jumping from 1 scene to another without explaining sometimes and we're just supposed to accept the situation as it's presented and assume something happened (that was not shown on-screen) to lead up to certain events. It just felt choppy. The most common thoughts I had during this film were: "Oh I guess they're over that already", "There was literally no point in doing that", "Random cameos", and once "Ha, that's funny".
Oftentimes, I found the scenery to be much more interesting than the dialogue taking place or found myself wondering how they were wearing heels on cobblestones.

Things were resolved very quickly - I wouldn't be as forgiving as Victoria's character (Xuan Xuan) was, at least that quickly. Also, Xuan Xuan is basically perfect-ish? She's very accommodating and doesn't have princess tantrums over the slightest thing so I didn't find myself rooting for Gu Jia (Shu Qi) because Xuan Xuan is completely innocent and sweet, but also kind of boring for the same reason. Although I'd attribute that to the writers and not the actress. She was written very one-dimensionally.

The only character that I felt was really cool was Nick. He was oozing charisma and I enjoyed his scenes. I loved his flawless switching between English and Mandarin. Only con was that he only appeared when he was deemed "useful" - severely underused, I say.

All in all, not a great remake, but I've seen worse. No matter how pretty the scenery and actors/actresses were or how much they tried to bring their characters to life, it couldn't make up for a poorly written script/bland plot.

Read More