Rollercoaster of Emotions w/a Wicked Witch

Watched this for Yang Yang and the first responder/natural disaster aspect it. I followed this drama as it was filmed last year and was very much looking forward to it. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even had a list compiled for the most hated character.

Pros: Favorite character was SY or ML; his bark was worse than his bite. As a captain at a fire station, he had to be cool and aloof but he was kind and caring to those whom he cared about the most. When it came to FL that was the only time when he could forgo the world. In the beginning, she chased after him and he didn't want to give in because it meant she might find out the truth. The chemistry between the two of them was very believable. Loved the fire station gang, the other doctors and nurses, and was extremely sad when they lost DP closer to the end. That scene really did require tissues. All of the characters were very well evolved throughout. FL's adoptive brother was creepy as heck for his obsession but I am glad he was given that out towards the end so they could remain family. SJ was very important to the series and to the audience and ZBB played him very well. When he left and was replaced by someone else, all those emotions and changes really made it real.

Who could forget the wicked witch of the west aka the adoptive mom of FL as the main antagonist. I have to give the actress props for acting as well as she did; none of us could stand her. Furthermore, she's only 59 in real life but makeup made her look 70. We all hated her so much, I created "The Kill List" in the comments and the other watchers were very creative in how to kill her. We got to 17 ways and as promised I'll post it here:
"The list is back ONE LAST TIME! We need to kill the wicked witch. So, let’s see how many more ways we can kill her! Our end list looks like this:

1. Drowning in her own pool
2. Melting her with high pressure water
3. Throwing her in the river
4. Leaving her broke and desolate without any power.
5. Leaving her to suffocate when her office building goes up in flames.
6. Broke, desolate, without power in a sewer line.
7. Leave her in the mountains with lots of poisonous snakes and things.
8. Skin her alive.
9. Alpaca pushes the bookcase on her head in a smelly apartment and runs away while WW starves to death and loses her dignity because no one saves her.
10. Gets accused of treason and tortured then executed.
11. Death by 1,000 tarantulas.
12. Tie her to a chair and drill holes into her ever so slowly until a vital organ is hit.
13. Glue her barefoot to a chair and the floor, let the sprinkler system douse her with gasoline and chuck a lighter at her.
14. Suffocation by firefighter foam.
15. Drink snake venom while being whipped.
16. Send the picture and frame into the wicked witch’s head instead of the floor like a missile.
17. Leave her trapped in the tunnel during the typhoon; rescue everyone else."

The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.

The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.

Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.

The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?

Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The story is for the most part well done other than those cons which you can more or less overlook. The cast did a great job, so get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotion with a wicked witch in the center.

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A Little Bit of Everything on a Robust Menu

This drama didn't look like much from the get go; in fact they wrapped filming this year so was very surprised when it popped out. I was only watching because BJT is one of the people I follow and wanted to see how he fared in a costume drama. He definitely delivered the goods and so did the rest of the cast. This drama had literally a little bit of everything on a robust menu.

Pros: First time I saw BJT was in YAMH last year so I knew he could play fierce and comical characters; I wasn't sure if he could handle a costume drama where some mild fighting was needed. He very pleasantly surprised me though and his character YZ was my favorite. The facial expressions, in between lips talking, loyalty, drunk kissing etc made his character really stand out amongst the plethora of princes.

This is the second costume drama I've seen this year that very heavily focused on sisterhood and made even the most annoying female evolve into someone likable. The outstanding bonds that were grown between all of the women thanks primarily to the FL's ingenuity and grace, was quite beautiful to see. There was very little pettiness and infighting which is so common when there are multiple women involved in these dramas, that it made it very much like a breath of fresh air as there were a lot of women in this one. Same went with the men; though they divided themselves into two factions of good vs evil, the brotherhood of good was full of kind and talented men.

The comedy was the best part of the series. You were constantly laughing at the antics of literally everyone. The 3 antagonists were all handled appropriately and when the time came though at the beginning it did feel like the 2nd Prince got away with murder while YZ was either ignored or punished. What I liked was that every single character except him evolved during the duration of this series. Even the Emperor understood when he was wrong (though it took a bit of time) and grew to make his kingdom the most modern. Not a single character was without flaws and that made them even more realistic. But there were almost no cliches or tropes and misunderstandings were cleared up very quickly and in a smart manner where each character grew from their mistakes even the 2 last antagonists where it didn't feel like a redemption arc but actual evolution. The romance was subtle until the end and it made the right kind of sense for the leads.

The costumes, scenery, sets, OSTs were all stunning and fit what was needed. It was very obvious that this production team was in the upper tiers and knew what they were doing.

Cons: You'd think with so much positivity how could this drama not get a perfect score but it did have a few cons though they were minor. What I wish they didn't do was focus on the side couples so much, for starters. There were episodes in the beginning and middle that barely had the leads have onscreen time or together. One of the strangest was Song Wu, who I legit fast forwarded in the beginning because she was a spoiled annoying brat, but the way she got with her husband was way too fast. Here you had an entire show filled with princes and their wives slowly getting to know each other and deciding whether to stay together or not and she meets him in the street one day because they share a name and she's magically in love and so is he and after just two more episodes of them barely seeing each other, they're ready to get hitched. It just didn't fit the speed of the rest of the drama. Her evolution was the fastest out of the entire cast and also could have been slowed accordingly. It was like they spent so much time on the other side couples, they had no time left for her.

With all the talk and addition of food, this show needed a new title at first. In the beginning it was very annoying that the FL spent most of her time talking, working on, doing things with food. Like it didn't seem that there was more to her but thankfully as more palace intrigue took over, all of that was tapered and moderated. For many episodes, she was the human talking menu and it got old quick. Was very glad the character of Yuan Ying was brought in when she was because she was the perfect addition to the household and leveling that portion out. That's it. No more cons.

Would I recommend it? Do you even have to ask lol! 100% would. It's a feel good drama bringing comedy and modern thinking into ancient times. So if you want to laugh a lot, love great sisterhoods, brotherhoods, and strong family bonds (be they immediate or cultivated), this is the show for you!

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3 Amigos in Moving Lotus Tower Solve Mysteries & Bring Justice to Jianghu

10 years can change a person completely or it can keep someone exactly the same. This series was very well written and I'm very glad to have watched it. So much so, that it's hard to move on from honestly. I don't follow any of the actors from this one though I have previously seen both Joseph and XSY in other series, first time watching Cheng Yi. This show came very close to getting a perfect score if it wasn't for a few things that I couldn't get over. Overall, the 3 Amigos in the moving lotus tower that solve mysteries and bring justice to Jianghu were impossible to resist.

Pros: The storyline and you're always wondering whodunnit. Favorite characters were the 3 amigos (with FDB only once he grew up and matured). When the three of them were together especially during DFS's memory loss, had to be the best both because of the comedy and their interactions; who could forget the constant calls for "Ah Fei".

Let's talk about how the plot went from LLH trying to find his senior's body as it was his only reason for living to finding out that said senior was still alive and the biggest antagonist of them all with only the Saintess as number two. The heartbreak LLH faced each time something new about the past came out and how as LXY he had missed understanding the fundamentals as he was still very young. The agony of suffering from the Bicha poison each time he over used his inner power. For 10 years he used it very little and therefore was able to control it but in that last year when finally on the path to the truth, brought him agonizing pain. Cheng Yi did a fantastic job as both the suffering man and one that could lie through his teeth with a straight face that had the audience laughing and shaking their heads each time dumbass young FDB would fall for it; while DFS would just walk away basically saying "you're full of shit." He was whip smart and often steps ahead of everyone, being able to tell who the murderer of a particular case was as they got closer to the real truths as each case was tied with the next one. He was able to unveil that the supposed spy amongst the Segu sect, really was working behind enemy lines for over 10 years. He made peace with his impending demise and wanted everyone around him to do the same.

DFS was a great morally gray character; because of his upbringing his first instinct was to kill but overall he ran by the Jianghu code of ethics. He didn't kill women except Saintess at the end but she deserved it. He wanted to fight LXY fair and square but neither got that 10 years ago because of all the people pulling the strings behind the scenes. When he had that Rama Vessel thing, first thing he did was cure himself of mind control, then return to Di fortress, destroy his childhood captor/Shifu and free the current kids under that freak's control.

FDB lands both in the pros and cons for me. I like the older him way better. Because of his caring nature towards LLH and his ability to be the detective everyone wanted to see and being able to explain things and speak like an adult and the funny relationship with Ah Fei. The older FDB was a much better version that Joseph did well. No matter what, he was the one that always had LLH's back and he was a very quick study of anything martial arts or technique related; dude was like a sponge.

The two antagonists or Saintess and SGD were very ruthless and both of everything they did was exactly what you wanted to see in antagonists up until the end and that will be explained below. Still, SGD had to be more ruthless as he killed a child 10 years before just to get his hands on some armor.

Most of the support especially the MVP of the show or Foxy Spirit, LLH's dog were for the most part well placed and really did a good job for as long as they needed to be there. The Sigu sect was a bit behind mentally on a lot of things and it was full of spies; it's like it got stuck 10 years ago and never went anywhere. If I had to choose the next sect leader, it would definitely be Shi Shu as she was always on top of things and didn't jump to conclusions like everyone else.

The martial arts scenes were top notch. Starting from the first episode, onwards, whether actual battles or just LLH dancing with his sword to express whatever emotions he was feeling were very well choreographed and done. You could tell each actor put his everything into it. When martial arts scenes were very well executed, it just elevated a wuxia for me. I'm also very glad they sidestepped romance in this one; there were undertones and we all braced for them but thankfully in every case it was quickly let go of. These types of dramas just don't need that in the slightest.

I like the open ending but wish the extra part one was actually added to 40 as it would have made a lot more sense because otherwise the ending of actual 40 seemed rushed and incomplete. But it's a lot better than them all finding him dead on a road somewhere or floating in a river. OSTs, costumes, sets, CGI were all on point.

Cons: Not very many of these but I'd have to say FDB got on my ever loving nerves in the beginning and it took quite a while before he grew up. Acting like a brat and throwing adult sized tantrums at LLH and in general actually made me happy when LLH just left him at the side of the road multiple times. He was insufferable. I really wished they matured him a lot faster.

Also many of the Segu sect members basically had no voices they just stood there like statues to make up space and said maybe 5 lines the entire time. The character of Zijin and his jealousy was so extra and unnecessary; he didn't understand anything even until the end. Every time he opened his mouth, you just rolled your eyes and prayed he'd get off screen faster. Ah Mian--while I understand her necessity as LXY's old flame and all that and her taking charge of the sect towards the end away from the jealous and unnecessary Zijin--why was she always in tears? She reminded me of the cartoon character Droopy as her eyes were always swollen, red, and teary even when she was fighting at the end. The fact that none of them could tell that LLH was LXY though they knew him best even with half a mask or no mask was laughable. His face hadn't changed, just his hairstyle and clothing. Same went for DFS, his own people couldn't tell it was him with half a mask? Really unbelievable. Plus knowing how deadly LXY's poison was, they believed him when he said he could cure it? Like how? Those were the first plot holes I noticed.

The other plot hole was during that last showdown, where did LXY and SGD's Master's wife come from? If she knew the secret of LXY's origins this entire time, why not tell him? How did she know where to find them? And it had to happen when both sides were stumped. It was way too obvious and put a bit of a damper in a great momentum building episode. Now though I liked both SGD and Saintess as the main antagonists; their ruthlessness took a plummet when they both started to get overly delusional towards the end and let out that nails on chalkboard Halloween store witch prop cackle. It absolutely ruins every antagonist it touches; laughing evilly doesn't have to sound like that. Both did it numerous times and that's another reason this drama just couldn't have that perfect score.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. I'm notoriously picky with dramas, so what I view as cons, may be nonsensical for others. The show itself is really great and I enjoyed it very much. I think if you like wuxia and mysteries, this is the drama for you.

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Watered Down Sex & The City w/Lukewarm Romance Centered Around a TV Station & Some Debt

Watched only for LYN's first foray into an ML role in a modern drama and he made me proud. The story itself was a bit trying too hard to fit a lot of things into itself at once. It worked in the parts of being female centric and cultivating the friendship between the three women but I felt it could have easily been a 30 episode series and covered everything as with even 40, it still left many unanswered questions. It was pretty much a watered down Sex & The City w/lukewarm romance centered around a TV station & some debt.

Pros: Though he was the ML and did a great job at it, his role wasn't as substantial as the three women whose plot this really was and their lives. That said I'm still incredibly proud of LYN for tackling this new challenge and his slow but steady growth as a leading character.

I liked the fact that all 3 women were very flawed in their characters and even stabbed each other in the back at work before realizing it really wasn't worth it. Their evolutions came from both the necessity and the fact that they had no other choice like in the case of HH and her runaway husband. In the first episodes she took hit after hit; the disappearing hubby, the mountain of debt, her show's cancellation, her mom's illness and becoming a single mom. Many of us wondered how she would handle it as it was just insane. But out of the three despite all of that, she was the first one to realize how quickly she had to change her outlook and mindset in order to survive and though they weren't yet as close as they became, the other two were very encouraging of her. The tv station was the main base for the entire series.

Looking at it from another perspective, JJH was like a male version of her, starting with being in so much debt thanks to her husband and owning nothing, to slowly building himself and her up as well. HH's new business became very successful because of him. I also liked how they incorporated LYN's real qualities and both former and current jobs as a chef, livestreamer, and singer into the show. It made his character more realistic.

BY and YY both were extreme opposites of each other; one would do anything to get what she wanted even if it was quite shady, while the other was the epitome of Joan of Arc with her righteousness and stubbornness. They butted heads often but only when they really started to stand in each others shoes did they understand where the evolution must happen.

Other great characters were Zimo, the two directors of the tv station, plus main boss, RJ, LL, and HH's parents. The antagonists, I believe there were 4 of them grand total, honestly were an after thought to the rest of the plot. Costumes, OSTs, locations, were on point.

Cons: The show could have just been 30 episodes because there were so many things that weren't properly done or finished. Like did the 3 doofuses who lost money to OKG ever get that money back? Yes HH and him got divorced and the 4 buffoons were arrested for whatever insane illegal activities they did but even that wasn't properly explained. I've got a business background and all of my degrees are in that and I have absolutely no idea what exactly they did, why OKG had to run, why he blackmailed them for 100 million RMB, why he swindled those poor folks out of whatever he owed them. It had to do with stocks and finance but it was so muddled and rushed, that I still don't know. That could have been explained so much better and written into the series.

Also some characters were shoved into the spotlight to make things really uncomfortable for our female leads which I felt quite unnecessary like that Zhang Ke guy who was a borderline stalker of YY and was willing to do whatever it took (like ruining her reputation and nearly getting her fired) for her to date him when it was obvious she didn't like him. And the chick who looked up to HH but did some shady things herself and acted about 12. These were just two of several characters that really just didn't make sense of why they required so much screen time.

The character of OKG wasted a solid 2 episodes trying to get HH to go on the run with him. They could have used those same episodes to fortify her relationship with JJH and the other two couples. The romance portion of this drama was almost like an afterthought. I felt like HH turned robotic towards JJH once she found he had developed feelings for her. She treated him better when they were "enemies". And the sudden turnaround when he'd done so much to grow her business and helped with her mom's health and death, could have been a lot smoother. It felt like a whiplash. There definitely were a few plot holes in this series that could have been better explained. It was also quite obvious that many scenes were cut because they appeared in the opening or closing credits but never in the show itself.

Would I recommend it? I would for the female bonding primarily. If you're able to look past the cons, you will enjoy this show.

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When Bollywood "I Dream of Jeannie" & Comedic Slenderman Have a Kid.

This was not a good movie. The screenplay most likely came from a middle or high school student and production just added special effects. Only reason I watched was for Yin and War. Literally looked and felt as if a Bollywood version of "I Dream of Jeannie" and a Comedic Slenderman had a kid.

Pros: War's acting was heads above everyone else. He was able to portray many different aspects as two separate characters; it was great to see him and the FL as they understood who the other was and in their last seconds together, you felt their love for each other on screen. You hoped that somehow someday, their reincarnated selves would be able to reunite and be together. Though Yin appeared as 3 different characters (friend in the ghost hunting crew that wore a getup like he was entering into a radioactive facility, the prince in a past life, and a random guy wanting his picture taken in the last 5 minutes of the film), his roles felt more like support then main and he also had less time on screen. The costumes from the past life were beautiful and colorful and some of the comedy hit the mark in a silly way.

Cons: Sloppy script, obviously low budget. It was supposed to be a comedic murder-mystery from ancient times with reincarnation and whatnot but it had a lot of extra and unnecessary characters as well as a plot that ran amok. You had no idea how the characters got where they got to, how they knew where to go. Where did the forest evil place come from? Where did the light source with which they remembered their past lives come from and what triggered it? There was no explanation, just buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride until the end; maybe you'll understand something and maybe you won't. But hey mystery solved and everyone has amnesia for a bit or partial. The forced comedy was too much, the fact that one of the characters ate a puppy in her past life was beyond gross and unnecessary and even that didn't make sense as the cabin she was floating in had no cooking equipment; one moment cute puppy on the floor, next moment chunks of seasoned and stir-fried meat in a bowl. Just what?!?

Would I recommend it? Honestly, if you have a way of watching for free, then only if you are a fan of Yin and/or War or the FL. Otherwise, please don't waste money on it. I'm looking forward to better projects for these kids, though I do understand you have to start somewhere.

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A Dark and Gritty Drama; Worth It.

This was my first ever Light On series to watch because though I do like the whodunnits and CSI type series, they never spoke to me before. But because I follow and highly respect Zhao Liying, plus this was such a different role for her from what she'd previously done, it intrigued me even more. The only other actor I have seen previously was Geng Le (Li Lan) but he only had a bit part and was killed off in the first episode.

Pros: I knew this was only a 16 episode series though these Light On ones were usually 12, so I felt that 4 extra episodes were a bonus. I loved the richness of the actual story and how within the first 3 or 4 episodes, all 3 characters had come into there own. I think this genre really suits ZLY because she fits the creepy sociopath very well. She was so convincing at times that, it honestly almost made your skin crawl. I've done my share of research (close to a decade) on serial killers, their psychopathy, and crimes and each had different Modus Operandi. I was very interested in which angle they would take with this one.

Episode 12 gave a serious shock but a very, appropriate cliffhanger that shifted the entire case and story in a completely different and unexpected direction. I think that was my favorite part. As a novelist, I've written many cliffhangers, so getting one that was that well written and executed was rare in cdramas.

I loved the interconnections with the leads and those in their everyday lives. They were all portrayed as very flawed and at times quite selfish individuals. It spoke of the rawness of humanity at our bad or worst times and yet at some moments they showed the best of us. Every emotion from fear, anger, sadness, despair, obsession, helplessness, determination, and so forth was shown in nearly every episode. Even if all three were in a sense going towards the same goal; finding the truth, they still managed to do it separately which many a time worked and other times seemed a bit off.

One thing that the series never lacked was just rawness; whether it was in emotion, action, or dialogue. The simplest "how are you" like when XM visits SY in jail in the last episode carried with it a seemingly 17 year burden of truth both characters must forever carry, though they both found out their own versions of truth. The series was powerful and nothing could be taken away from that.

Cons: For starters, there were several inconsistencies and disconnections that were never answered or corrected. Like why did SY's father get so angry at Hu that he beat him up, making the latter leave the hospital and than when little SY asked her father who Hu was in the library, her father was very angry that she asked and that was just left alone. SY's friend in the wheelchair seems to be important but he appears and disappears without fanfare and we literally know nothing about him, which is quite odd considering how SY literally had no other friends.

Both SY and XM seemed to have very lackadaisical schedules where they could walk in and out of their respective places of employment whenever and do whatever they wanted. It was rather strange how much a rookie cop was able to get away with during his own private detective work. Why had SY been able to get away with everything else she had done aside from sending the poor man falsely accused into a coma? Also, the very much unneeded psychological warfare on XM and how doctors just handed out patient information without notifying the patient for consent. Another point, how did SY's father know where the murderer was during the XJ murder? Out of the entire city he just happened to walk by him there and recognized him in a mask and cap after not seeing him for many years? Zilch cohesion.

The reveal of the actual murderer was a bit underwhelming because there was this huge lead up after the bombshell at the end of 12 but it didn't deliver the wham of the killer. His confession was typical obsessed psychopath with a one sided relationship with his victims story; a rookie profiler fresh out of Quantico (school for future FBI agents) could have done better. Even his reasoning wasn't imaginative, though he made it sound very sinister (hats off to the actor). Now I'm not saying all serial killers look like monsters; as a matter fact more often then not, they look like your next door neighbor. It wasn't about the looks, but about how he was cornered, in a restaurant that allowed a random stranger who'd slept amongst their trash the night before cook dishes in their kitchen? Come on now, that's not even soap opera writing. It felt like the writers were just tired of this story and wanted to add just random components into it and hope something clicked. It could have been done so much better to make for a satisfactory ending.

Lastly, there were times in the middle that the episodes did get draggy but then they righted themselves. This series could have stood to explore the pathology of criminals a bit more to make up for the inconsistencies and lack of cohesion in many places.

Still though, I think this is a very strong series and I would recommend it to both people who enjoy crime dramas and fans of ZLY who want to see her do really well in this dark and gritty role.

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Great Acting But w/a Too Busy Script & Unnecessary Characters

Watched this for XZ and yet a new storyline that was in the slice of life section. I've only seen two other actors before in different series and genres as support; otherwise I'm new to most of these people. I strongly feel that after reading the article the screenwriter wrote about the characters, she meant well, but it just didn't translate on screen as it was way too busy though the acting was for the most part appropriate and the situations were somewhat realistic.

Pros: I like slice of life stories and favorite characters included the ML or SY and FL or JB. I liked his stubbornness and bright attitude. I also liked how XZ could use his previous life experiences in design as well as film in his hometown. JB was mature but she was able to evolve out of her divorce to accept SY into her heart. The only thing I would change about her is that, I would have loved to see her actually take a stand for herself and not just listen while people spoke condescendingly to her and about her. Other awesome characters were dad and mom (though there was a moment there where I thought mom was a bit harsh, but she came around), SC and PR, who made the right kind of sense together and apart and I liked that they got together at the end. LSS was great but where the heck did she go for most of the second half of the series? The OSTs were nice and the fact that they essentially filmed in a city made sense too.

Cons: Busy script, way too busy. Three plus unnecessary characters were the hockey twins aka JB's sister and her crush/later boyfriend and his obnoxious uncle. I fast-forwarded them for most of the show. What was their purpose? JB's sister; I couldn't take at all. She was a college student but couldn't speak normally to save her life. She was either irritated or yelling or just acting like a 12 year old constantly. Then throw in their father in the last like 5 episodes just to show why they're so dysfunctional when it could have been explained in maybe a 10 minute scene and it still didn't explain why the sister was so ridiculous. JB's ex hubby deserved to be hit with a brick for his possessive, condescending attitude but though I can understand he was in there, his then disappearance and reappearance much like LSS was disjointed and jarring.

While I understand there were life lessons in there, if you got rid of at least three of those characters, this show would have had been better flushed out and given the main characters a more realistic portrayal and screen time.

Would I recommend it? If you like slice of life dramas, then yes I would. Overall it was a good watch, just make sure you know how to use the ffw button.

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Big Beautiful Mess w/Fantastic Acting

Xianxias are my least favorite genre so made myself watch for XZ and hoped that the storyline would hold. Other actors were familiar to me as well and did very well however the plot was a bust. Every actor was commendable in doing their part just wished for a good story.

Pros: Favorite character was hard because there were several that did very well for different reasons. SY as ML had to go through the myriad of emotions and evolutions and he did so very convincingly. XZ didn't disappoint in this role; it was far different than what he'd done before and I like that he doesn't have a box he sticks himself in but tries different characters and styles. Of course, however, it being a costume drama, a flute made an appearance which brought a smile to my face. CM as the 7,000 year old mystical bird was hysterical, sometimes you wanted to smack him, other times hug him. I've never seen the actor before but he did a good job. Alan Feng as ZY, was also very versatile but I did feel his was a tragic character; that said, he did play good and possessed pretty convincingly. Lastly, I have to give it up for Han Dong or High Priest who was our biggest morally gray character in the entire thing. Usually this actor plays crazy antagonists but here he actually cared about someone other than himself and sacrificed himself for that person.

All of the other characters for the most part were there as needed and played their roles well. This was a big budget production so obviously CGI, costumes, sets were stunning as were the OSTs.

Cons: This storyline absolutely threw me; hence the low score. I know the standard operating procedure for xianxias with the baby voiced, talking to yourself, gorilla glue FLs, the misunderstandings, deaths and multiple resurrections, so on and so forth. But this had to have so many subplots and boring portions that didn't make sense that I legit had to skip episodes. Honestly, you had the merfolk/dragon plot, the palace politics nonsense, cultivators and their lives, and if that wasn't enough throw in a Sauron looking character who wanted to possess two rings not one and an ice clan that left midway and returned out of nowhere. Plus the Sauron thing could possess people by jumping them. Only thing missing was Frodo and the fellowship. Those two last episodes looked like they belonged in a totally different series; like something out of a Marvel film; very sci-fi. It was a very big beautiful mess with fantastic acting.

What was up with that ending though? When I saw "BE" trending on Weibo, I wasn't sure what to think but then when I saw it for myself, I understood. So our ML dies yet again, and a year later is resurrected when FL just randomly chucks the petal into the tree where they first met as kids from said petal. But is he real or a ghost because they stand like 10 feet apart just smiling at each other before credits role. Couldn't they at least show them hugging? And couldn't she have sent that petal into the tree earlier so he could come back? It really defies logic.

Would I recommend it? Only if you like xianxias and are a fan of any actors. Otherwise, the story is not worth it though like I said the actors did a fantastic job. I wish better scripts for the actors; with all of their skill and talent, they deserve that.

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Where Does the Ultimate Good Really Lie?

I had been looking forward to seeing this one as it promised to be something intriguing. While by far not my favorite costume drama of the year, it kept me coming back for each episode. It had its pluses and minuses; I do however want to say that nothing I write below is to reflect poorly on any actor. Actors work with what they are given both good and bad.

Pros: My two favorite characters of the entire series were Gao Bingzhu and 16th Night. Both actors did a superb job in their characters. Huang Xuan was brilliant in his portrayal of this rogue badass who was hellbent on avenging the deaths of his friends and taking care of all of the people in the Unwelcome Well. His evolution into a more refined badass, didn't take away from his almost psychic notion of who the bad guys were even when they counted in the double digits and could be your closest friends if not family. When meeting Wu Siye and Baili Erlang, these two characters only expanded his already unbelievable ability to digest information that seemed like something in passing to someone else. He also seemed to be extremely lucky in survival no matter how many times he was practically pin-cushioned by 16th Night and others. GBZ was in the thick of it from the moment we met him in the first episode to his absolute last second on screen in the very last episode. This man is absolutely a class act and I would look forward to seeing him in other dramas particularly gritty ones.

Then comes probably the greatest antagonist I've seen in a very long time; 16th Night was absolutely a soulless, brutal killer, who took out adults or kids alike with her creepy three-sided weapon of design, using alleyways and rooftops to showcase almost immortal martial art skills. What made her character particularly amazing was that it wasn't until the episode of her reveal that we even knew she was a woman! Furthermore, she was totally hiding in plain sight and a friend of GBZ, who saved his life on numerous occasions while putting both herself and her "regular" business at risk. Her complete and total double life immersion was very impressive. Sadly, when she killed herself once she was exposed to GBZ, no other antagonist in the show, even the higher ups of the Four Seasons cult were able to replace her brilliance and brutality. Zhang Li who played her was a pleasure to watch.

The two other leads held their own. Victoria Song as Wu Siye had really great martial arts skills and her unfailing loyalty to those who she cared about most was what made her a solid character and leading lady to GBZ. I watched this for Wang Yibo originally as he's the only one I knew in the cast and though Baili Hongyi/Erlang was in a way the brain of the 3 musketeers because he could decode things and figure out maps and plans, his character took a while to thaw out and was reminiscent of his break out role of Lan Zhan in CQL because of his tiny facial expressions even though he had a lot more lines here. However, I appreciated his smarts and solving puzzles and when working together with GBZ and WSY, he was an integral part of the team. Though he couldn't fight and would constantly need rescuing (as the other two would often say to each other "Baili Hongyi is in danger"), he figured ways out eventually to save himself for the short term if nothing else. His and GBZ's hinting towards each other to solve a problem or get someone out of danger was a nice added touch. Showed that they had developed a very good relationship of trust with each other.

Other characters that were notable in good ways were Master Chu, Shen Fei who sadly perished saving BH's life and the sacrificial lamb or scapegoat Li Beiqi. The last was murdered sadly and only at the very end did people find out that he was innocent of all of the crimes against him. And the first always had the best interests of the Empress and people at heart so was reinstated; I actually hope that GBZ returns working for him again.

The last pros were the OSTs, some of the costumes, badass fighting scenes, and the set designs, plus CGI which were simply gorgeous. It was quite obvious where the large budget went.

Cons: In the very first episode, you felt like you already landed into the middle of the series and had to run to catch up. Now some people might like that but to me that's a rather messy start to a series. Furthermore, the amount of characters that were introduced was done at the speed of light and many died before you even had time to blink. You didn't know who was good or bad or why certain ones were killed until maybe the 6th episode in. It was all too hasty and had little cohesion.

The amount of bad guys was ridiculous, most didn't matter and who they actually were more often then not wasn't even properly explained but because there were so many bad guys, you eventually lost track of who the dead ones were. There simply shouldn't be that many completely useless characters running around.

Probably one of the most upsetting things for me was the killer who "replaced" 16th Night was probably the polar opposite of anything I would expect a savage killer to look/act like. Robot Barbie that didn't blink was beyond a cop out. They would have been better off not having another one, because even without the original 16th Night, this chick didn't scare anyone. Nothing about her said scary or killer; Robocop walked with more fluidity.

And how can anyone forget.....EERRRRRRLLLLAAAANNNNNGGG! Dear lord, hold the wheel! 30 out of 39 episodes of this ear bleeding, shriek that happened 76 times per episode. Liu Ran was the clingiest, most cringeworthy, annoying, and dumb as a brick character I've seen in a long time. She was like a pet chihuahua that wouldn't leave her husband alone and wouldn't stop nagging. I was actually amazed they evolved her in 9 episodes into a mature and emotionally stable woman who stood by her husband and trusted him as opposed to running after him and calling his name as she messed up his plans nearly getting them both killed a few times; because those first 30, I wasn't alone in wanting to send her character along with her brother, and maid out of town on the bro's camel!

Romance was the one genre that was not needed at all in this drama. When these kinds of scenes came, it was like throwing a well-oiled machine off kilter. It was unnecessary and extra. The mopey, clingy scenes just poured cold water on a hot detective drama where they just didn't belong. Not every drama needs to have romance because it just doesn't fit; it's like trying to jam a square peg through a circle.

The entire Liu family were either major jinxes or just plain evil. Her brother was another totally unnecessary character and his puppy love for someone who turned out to be also part of the cult, led him down the path of delusion and the even more inconsistent ending to the one character who shouldn't have died as it made zilch sense and made the ending of this series very confusing. Like how did he know where Lord Rodent w/rug would be exactly (a character that was so obviously the big bad since he first appeared on screen, that that revelation in the last episode was beyond underwhelming)? The 3 musketeers work together that one last time was impressive but they lost one. How does one get away with killing a leading inner guard of the Empress and not even get sentenced to prison but to go up a mountain and repent as a monk? That makes as much sense as only 10 days after her death, there was no real feeling of mourning amongst those people who cared about her the most. Again very inconsistent; because GBZ spent 5 years tracking down the murderer of his friends but he won't go up the mountain and take out the moron who killed the only woman he ever loved who actually loved him back w/out strings attached?

And lastly, what was the "greater good" that the cult was constantly yakking about? The massacre of an entire capital? Sounds very Jonestown to me, but it was never explained to the audience.

Would I recommend this drama? Yes, I would. It's a good detective costume drama, but it comes with many errors. So just be aware of that and decide for yourselves.

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B-I-N-G-O and Most of the Plot was Very Lame-O!

All I can say is, what happened? Started out well but then took a nosedive into the damn Mariana Trench! This wasn't a drama I was anticipating this year but I've watched two ZLH dramas already and he did well there as he and pretty much all the others as well did here but this plot was an absolute mess. I was singing the B-I-N-G-O song randomly in my head and came up with the title for this review. It really was lame-o.

Pros: Very few here, sadly. The fight scenes, CGI (though the winged monkeys and beasts looked more modern day or futuristic beasts then anything ancient), Fab 4 (when actually together), and certain side characters did well. The Qian/Yan plot as well finding out the 500 year old lie/secret which included Huzi's origins were the best. Also have to give it up to ZLH for being able to handle playing totally opposite twins essentially. That's all they should have stayed with. It would have been more than enough for the storyline. Actors did what they could with what they were given. Only reason this series even got the current score is because of what's mentioned above.

Cons: This was an original screenplay but who let it near the shredder? After the drama made most of the plot about those lord forsaken elders that had zilch to do with the actual story, I knew the rest of it would be a mad dash to the finish line. The main antagonist wasn't even introduced until maybe the final 4 or 5 episodes. Furthermore, killing off two of the four mains and the way it was done was idiotic at best. Firstly, Brick had no business fighting a demon God with goat horns (don't get me started on that whole thing; even the modern devil would role his eyes) in the first place. ZXT dies maybe 5 minutes after Brick as she alone faces off against the demon God for a few seconds while Huzi and QXX just stand there. I was like "um hello, do something! Are y'all frozen?" But at least she got that Phurba thing back to Huzi. Then they continue to say their farewells as what? The demon and QXX just wait and watch? It made no sense.

Everything was rushed, even the deaths were like um ok...no explanation or hasty. So with both of them dead, who's going to run that one state? And does the sister get her title back as Commander in Chief or does it go to QXX? She turns good only after she gets her ass whooped by YM and her resurrected grandma reads her the riot act. But grandma of course dies again as does Eldest Master, 2nd master, and Mo Guzi. Even Yan sacrifices himself for Qian but then in the second to last episode the mountain God everyone thought dead pops up to Qian and goes, "well your twin sacrificed himself for you and you broke the curse, so wham bam boom curse broken and you get my crane power, go kill the demon." And again this couldn't happen at the point when Yan was gone and Qian was rescued by his friends before more than half died? Bird was busy?

Finding out some of the truth first from Huzi's mom (who also dies, can't do without that) and the other half after killing the demon; if only they found out about the 500 year old secret before demon killing, maybe they could have kept Brick and ZXT alive; as their deaths made absolutely no sense and because of how they were presented, you were left with a feeling of disbelief more then sadness at first; because they were completely and utterly meaningless. The one death that I think everyone felt was Yan's. Even YM's death wasn't satisfying as the chipmunk puppet or doll, whatever she was, died slowly and looked very creepy as she opened her mouth like a fish out of water and fell over. Lord just why?

Disbelief had to be suspended for most of it as so much just didn't make sense. The delayed facial expressions or reason for something happening; like the two states leaders or officers hating each other's guts from past prejudices but are best buds after catching chickens for a dinner? Like huh? Or the sudden relationship between that Ya woman and the Chiang guy who got a redemption arc. Where? How? Why? So much is being thrown at you and you are just trying to piece the puzzle together as most pieces belong in the twilight zone.

Even though there was hope, with that fortune teller who I secretly think is the Mountain God, that QXX and Huzi will reunite in the future....even their separation doesn't make sense. Why would Huzi stay on that island alone? You lost so many people but your best friend is still alive, stay by his side. But why bother making it make sense? Barely anything else did.

Would I recommend it? Personally, no. The plot was a serious dud; could have been good but just fell and busted its ass hopelessly. And what they did to the mains plus Yan was just very bad writing. If you're a fan of any of the actors, watch something else of theirs.

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Story of Resilience in Life, Love for Both Humans & Geese

Had been interested interested in this one for a while as I wanted to see LX act, I've seen ZYT before in one modern and a two season costume. This was a slice of life with imperfect characters and romance. Great relationships with siblings on the female side and just a rollercoaster of reality that mirrors what we deal with in real modern society. A story of resilience in life and love for both humans and geese.

Pros: LX's acting impressed me enough that after writing this review, I'm off to watch Meet Yourself. His character (CMD) was very much honest, he knew when he was wrong, when to go hard, when to back off, and when to give solace and learned how to seek it. I loved how they showed how through losing his best friend and meeting his Shifu, he was able to turn his life around. Becoming a mortician, he was able to become a gentle source of comfort and independence. Though he didn't know about partnership love until FL or ZJ returned into his life and taught him though she herself really didn't 100% know either. Their chemistry was on point from the get go and you understood that they really were high school sweethearts in their own special way. ZJ wasn't a cookie cutter character either and despite her disability had managed to become quite successful in her field. She did plenty wrong but also knew or was told by her best friend (WXX) or even CMD when she screwed up. No one spared her feelings, but told her straight up what she did wrong which I really liked. And she owned up to them because it was explained to her in an adult fashion. And that's such a breath of fresh air; to air out everything wrong right away and not just let it fester. Very straight forward.

Other favorite characters were WXX as the smart best friend. It was so great to finally see a bestie that wasn't afraid to give ZJ a verbal smack when necessary. Probably one of the best ones I've seen in a modern recently. Her soon to be hubby grew on me too. ZJ's siblings ZY and HNN were some of the smartest kids in terms of EQ ever, loved the three's relationship. Also best friendship goals of the drama were grandma Chen and grandma Lin. From the time they were kids until sadly grandma Lin's passing, those two were the bestest of friends. Another sad and tragic death was Mr. He, who was HNN's father and the other two's stepfather. They'd already lost their father when ZJ was 12 to a car accident that also took half of ZJ's leg (was very glad how she explained phantom pain to CMD; it wasn't glossed over); now HNN eerily also at the age of 12 lost hers. He was such a great father to all three. CMD was there every step of the way for ZJ through that and afterwards. ZY had to become more mature and he did it, though losing his pet goose to a plot device was sad, until the goose showed up with its girlfriend at the very end of the last episode after the credits finished rolling. That was absolutely hysterical.

You laughed, you cried, you enjoyed the precious moments of every character. The OSTs, sets, and everything else was on point. Wish she showed her feelings and vulnerability more. Only when she really screwed up in the end, did she finally stop with the smiles and cried. I get it about vulnerability supposedly looks weak because I've done the same but in reality it's what makes us human and not robots. He called her out on it and that was another great example of how quickly she understood things. I'm glad it was a HE though the way ZJ handled things in the second to last episode left you wanting to bang your head against the wall, the rest of that episode and 21 was essentially them getting back together (with the help of her siblings) and having a long-distance relationship until a freak occurrence made them both say enough is enough, we're not going to be apart anymore. From what I gathered, she was returning to Nanping for good (after all they were already engaged and he's got the great apartment) because with her own business and setting up that medical tourism bit would require her constant attention, she could move about at her own pace. She finally loved someone more than Shanghai. She'd handle healing living people and he would handle respecting the dead and their families. They really did belong together.

Cons: Very few of these. Mom was my least favorite character until her son read her the riot act. Her nagging was nasty and degrading. The stuff she said to all of her kids was something I would personally not have tolerated. I honestly wanted to hit her with a broom for many episodes, I even ffw'd her. She would maybe give 2% of good advice but the rest of the time, it was a hot mess. However, after ZJ fainted from stress over their argument and the mess she caused with CMD, her other two children sat her down and told her what's what. I was surprised how much she improved afterwards; it was in no way an overnight thing but she made every effort to be better which was very appreciated. After a while, she became the mom her kids really needed and should have had from the get go.

Thing I liked least about ZJ was that she brought up her disability nearly every episode sometimes twice to CMD and in general just in regular conversations even though she was the one constantly preaching about independence and being worthy of equality. If people already know, why keep bringing it up? It was just very weirdly written. Nothing to do with the actress. The other thing was why did she have that tendency to bite CMD? It was so out of character; she wasn't a vampire or a dog. Like you're trying to apologize but then do that? Like why?

Last small thing, is when they wrapped up the series, I wish they showed our leads walking hand in hand on the beach of Nanping like the trailers and many posters showed. That would have been the perfect and important way to end with them; so felt that portion was a bit rushed as our other supporting characters got a little something at the end especially the goose. Otherwise, I'm very happy with the HE.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I totally would. This was a slice of life with imperfect people who learned and evolved along the way. Wonderful romance that was believable. If you like mature dramas without tropes, this is for you.

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Building 19; An Underrated Show

19th Floor or Building 19 as I think it should have been called because we never really saw 19 floors but the number on the building itself. This show was ridiculously underrated and that's sad. I didn't expect it to be good and only really knew ML, FL, and Bai Shu's characters from a few previous series. But it had a great storyline that never dragged and only a few baubles.

Pros: A show has to be good for me to watch it with AI subs as it's something I very rarely do because they give me a headache. But even before I knew when Viki was actually going to drop with subs, I was invested in watching. I'm so glad that romance wasn't the priority shoved in there like most even sci-fi shows have done. The teamwork and friendships built gradually amongst the players of this life or death game was the main theme. We did end up with two couples ultimately but it was a very toned down process that wasn't forced.

Favorite characters were def ML and FL; the essential high IQ and EQ alpha male (GX) and female (CY) who really in a sense were childhood sweethearts. He had searched for her high and low and they ended up in the game together as her father helped him find and protect her. All of the members of the team went from annoying, having issues, or jackasses to great friends and supportive of each other. Absolutely everyone evolved and grew. I'm actually glad Uncle Lin never regained his game memories because someone else taking over his body and the rest of that would have been pretty traumatic. There were 3 fathers in this series that had daughter issues including the villain but he was just insane. I wish GX hadn't sacrificed himself to save him. I would have let him fry. Thankfully it didn't take GX too long to return to the land of the living and have his memories restored.

The basic premise of this show is that a villain (YML) hijacks a game from two other creators and creates a horror show where players must "die" somehow or figure out a way to pass each level to survive. Players never choose it, but a chip is implanted in their heads because they tried a free VR game and the device implemented it. Those that die in horrible ways, end up in a coma with their lives basically in this dude's hands. And all of this because of his own selfish actions and being unable to save his daughter but because the paramedics didn't get there in time, he blames the world and wants everyone to suffer.

The CGI was truly amazing how realistic they made each world. They showed a video of each level in the game and how it's created. There are comical moments too and tear jerking ones. They also showed each important person's family life and how imperfect it already is plus each night, they get sucked into the game no matter where they are; sitting, standing, on the toilet. All of the twists and turns of this series really had you wanting more. Even YML up until his last episode, you wanted to use a flamethrower on.

Cons: Starting with YML; he was just a loony that deserved jail time or to die in his own game. So him being saved by GX and from just a few of GX's words understanding his mistakes that for 29 episodes he didn't get wasn't very believable. Yes, this was an AI-VR sci-fi show so reality was superficial but this was basic human nature stuff and a leopard doesn't change his spots so fast.

The fact that the group actually believed him when he said he'd remove the chip was poor writing. Also when they sneaked into a high tech building on some occasions but got caught in others was unbelievable. A place like this that had guards and cameras everywhere, how could you not get caught? Or think you were in the clear? It was very unrealistic and this happened like 4 times. Another weird plot hole was that in the last episode the policeman speaking to the press said they'd been investigating this for months and had "the masses" tell them this was going on; what masses? Her dad that was in Uncle Lin's body? Only the ones in the game knew about it and the doctors that were made to disappear or director of the hospital. Where did this mountain of evidence come from that they'd been compiling? The group was afraid to go to the police because they didn't think they'd be believed. Meanwhile, the police supposedly knew and yet didn't do anything about it until they mysteriously and randomly showed up at the place when YML was chucked into reality by GX in the second to last episode to arrest him? Makes no sense.

Personally, though they made weird overtures with that random dude in the last 3 minutes of the show that there may very well be a season 2, I don't want it. Cast will most likely be different and the reason for it wouldn't make sense anymore. Leave well enough alone. Should have just ended it on our group walking away together from that alley fight.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Just wait for Viki to drop with proper subs; it's a great series if you like sci-fi despite some flaws in the cons. All of the actors did a good job. Worth the watch.

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Rescues, ML, Friendships, & 3rd Couple Were The Show

Picked this one up because I like natural disaster and rescue type of shows. I have seen only the actor who plays Xiong Fei in a small supporting role two years back and Janice Wu also in a guest role last year otherwise, relatively unfamiliar with the cast. Have heard good things about Leo Luo, so paid attention to what he could do. The rescues, ML, friendships, & 3rd couple were the show.

Pros: The rescues were pretty good for a regular series that didn't call itself a docuseries or documentary. If people were looking for something more realistic, then they should just watch the Discovery Channel. The only really unbelievable portion was the ML in the last episode, climbing through an entire mountain to find that magical doorway up above that somehow dumped him by a river far away. I loved the friendships of the crew; that was more pleasing to watch than the romance aspect.

Favorite character was LB or the ML; every emotion, every action was well placed. Started out as a kind of cocky know-it-all, but then just defrosted into a regular human being with faults. I really enjoyed Leo Luo's portrayal here and will look out for him in future dramas; I do however wish that he didn't look so gaunt, it's worrying. Other favorite characters included LB's sister LY who played a mute speaking in sign language quite well, XF and his kind heart who had a way to mediate even the gruffest of situations. He didn't let his past get in his way and his match up with LY was perfect; they were the main couple for me in this series. They complimented each other really well.

Other favorite characters were the captain, who as we all saw was a very flawed person but was trying his best to make up for all of his mistakes especially the life altering ones. The rest of the LCR crew were great, like Falcon who everyone lost and missed, even gruff Dapeng who grew on you. The OSTs, mild CGI, costumes, and scenarios (save the one mentioned above) all fit well.

Cons: This was one of those dramas where romance really should have been tapered down not given 3 couples, one of whom (I nicknamed them Ding Dong and Ming Mong) was annoying as nails, had to be ffw'd frequently, and really made the show take a hit. On top of that, the robotic FL and her total lack of chemistry with the ML just didn't do any favors. Yes, she was a doctor and had to deal with life and death all the time, plus the trauma of her childhood; she could have been portrayed way differently. I'm not sure the casting was done well here. From the beginning to end, I was waiting for there to be some form of connection between the two and I just didn't feel it. They could have been bickering cousins and it would have made more sense. She was always cold and stubborn and he was always apologizing for his feelings needing to justify them even when she was in the wrong. It didn't make any sense nor was it realistic for any form of relationship. The nasty mother of MM, Dr. Weasel, and Ai Rui'er, were all given nearly last minute redemptions from their idiotic portrayals but they were also the types of characters that really were unnecessary, because you had already so much going on.

The show had way too much propaganda given what they were trying to portray and more times then not in sensitive situations, it felt off. Like you need emotions here not flag and country; y'all aren't military but a non-profit organization, keep it that way. I never compare dramas but this show was trying way too hard to be "You Are My Hero" and it didn't come close. It needed its own formula not a repeat of someone else's.

Would I recommend it? I would have given it a lower score if it hadn't been for the rescues, friendships, ML, & 3rd couple. That said, some people actually like everything I disliked or vice versa, so decide on this one for yourselves.

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Calories Not Required--Good Youth Drama

Wish this had a different title because that was only the starting portion of the series. This was a good youth drama; I've only seen the ML in one other drama as a supporting character but have never seen the rest of the cast, however I was interested in the plot and for the most part it didn't disappoint.

Pros: Great storyline overall with characters lives interweaving between school and home. Everything was believable and each character evolved properly. Not one was perfect, they were flawed human beings but it wouldn't have been believable otherwise. I really liked both ML and FL's bond as well as their unwavering belief in each other and their friends. How their little group formed, started with 2 girls liking the same completely oblivious to the female population guy and the way that turned around. Also really liked that the parents of the little group were just as flawed in their decisions if not psychotic (XJJ x2's mom with the knife incident; no idea why she wasn't shown seeking out mental treatment for that). Teachers were shown to be just as human with faults like their students. Everything from eating disorders, depression, one track minded parents, quitting school to help family, bullying, sabotage, cramming for exams, cheating; standing up for themselves, each other, and their teachers. It was basically normal high school with a few extra things.

Whether hard times or not, they banded together and helped one another even if it was in a backwards way. But that's what made it so believable and funny, because it was real teenage lives as they moved from 11th grade through 12th grade and into taking their college entrance exams to decide what they wanted to do with their lives. Parents and their relationships plus fights, parties, togetherness. This series had it all. It's an underrated little gem that should be watched. The OSTs fit exactly as they should.

Cons: Mainly, I had problems with the editing. Especially towards the end, it really wasn't believable to me that the trope they used to separate the leads would start with all parents of ML and FL making FL keep that secret about his dad being sick. Here they're preaching that kids need to relax before the college entrance exams and you saddle her with this? She's not an adult; I'm surprised she didn't have a breakdown. That was the most unrealistic.

Also, a bit too much propaganda was chucked in rather randomly and was very unnecessary. Like let's not shove the indoctrination of youth in this nice and easy series.

Lastly, the last episode was beyond bizarre. How does that time lapse happen without any warning? At least write it on the screen that XYZ years have passed; instead it went from her getting her score from the exam and yelling on a bridge to waking up in her own apartment with a job at a design firm; it was a total whiplash. No smooth transition whatsoever. And the reason they had to keep the leads arguing for more then half of the episode is over an internet misunderstanding that he thought she was dating someone else while in college and so he blocked her? What even? HE happened in the last 3 minutes but so much was missing; many scenes including both of them in college, the painting she made for him that she never gave him. In the beginning of the series she did a lot of shrieking instead of talking that it made me almost drop the series but I'm glad I didn't. They need to stop writing FL's as these shrill voiced kids. In any case, editing in the final 3 episodes seemed to be really poorly executed and that's what I had the largest problem with.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it's really a great youth drama. Take away from the editing at the end and I would definitely still watch this again.

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Strong Start that Petered Out in the Middle But Came Swinging for the Fences at the End

Wanted something cybercrime-CSI-ish and this seemed to fit the bill. Didn't know anyone in the cast save for actor who played ZY and Xu Lu a bit from previous series. Had a strong beginning that petered out in the middle only to come out swinging for the fences in the final 3 episodes. Definitely needs a season 2 with the same cast to properly finish the cliffhanger.

Pros: Probably the first drama ever that I will say had a really catchy opening theme that I didn't fast forward before I get into favorite character and other things. It made you actually anticipate what you were going to watch even when that failed to deliver. Favorite character was the ML or QH; man had the patience of a saint and his straight path towards justice and finding out who wronged his best friend and Godmother were beyond admirable. Next favorite character was Ms. Lin the lawyer; even though she didn't know until pretty much the end that her boyfriend was a class A douchebag, she never changed her morality or ethics towards her partners or friends.

Though I liked CM in the very beginning and once he got on board with QH, his whole arc with MT was very unnecessary. The two ladies who worked in QH's office were alright additions and out of the villains, the only ones that made any real sense were MPC and LB, though the latter needs season 2 to figure out. Had some semblance of comedy here and there and meaningful moments of care between the protagonists.

Cons: This plot took a nosedive in the middle and became very boring and confusing. The MT/CM arc (shoving a relationship into somewhere it didn't belong) just like the MT/General arc were unnecessary and very confusing. We assume it was the General who scammed Godmother in the beginning though there's no real confirmation or admission of that. ZY also an alright character; great in the beginning but then was dumbed down into an arrogant and dumb kid who spilled personal information to complete strangers online. None of it made any sense given the industry he worked in and the responsibility placed on his shoulders. He regrew his brains towards the end.

For seasoned hackers, they couldn't pick up on pretty obvious things and it just slowed the entire show down. When they "killed" the General off, he should have stayed dead. Bringing him back just to give the running of the bulls ending some semblance of action after a lackadaisical middle that was constantly seeing QH getting nailed by one villain after another by pretty much brain dead problems, was honestly laughable. Instead, in the last episode the General nearly beats QH and CM to death and then is just nonchalantly arrested. And still the LB plot was not exposed so the reasoning is that there will be a season 2? Writer and director must have gotten drunk together.

Would I recommend it? I'm not sure to be honest. TJC did a great job as QH, so much so that I want to see him in other, better things. So if you're a fan of his, maybe you'll like this too. The beginning and end were the strongest even with the open-ended cliffhanger finale, the middle could have been totally cut and you probably wouldn't have missed much. So decide for yourselves.

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