Pupusa
Terra Firma
This series is a fantasy. It's not one of those fairies and demons fantasy, but a different kind. It's about a girl with no career prospects who spends her days blogging away on social media. Her sweetness and innocence win her the love of two men. One man sweeps her off her feet and takes her to a faraway castle, literally. There she lives a pampered life as his muse and supermodel. Sounds too good to be true? Of course, it's a fantasy that shouldn't be taken too seriously if you want to enjoy the show. Viewers are expected to throw all logic out the window and dream along with Zi Ling, the female lead.
Alex Fong lives up to the idea of dream man Fei Yun Fan. He was debonair in "Before Dawn" and he is still debonair now, if not even more so. The man ages like fine wine. He oozes confidence, but is vulnerable when it comes to the leading lady. He has such sex appeal that you hardly notice their age gap. So, must Yun Fan be old enough to be Zi Ling's father? Probably not, but this is Qiong Yao's semi-autobiography and she was similarly involved with a much older man. This is her fantasy, after all.
Next to Alex, Bao Jian Feng doesn't compare favorably as the second lead. His Chu Lian seems dazed and confused half the time. In the other half, he is dull. He's cute certainly, but still dull as dirt. Bao Bao's fans would be better off watching his other works.
Qin Lan's talents are wasted in the role of Lu Ping, who is more of a plot device than a person. Like Chu Lian, she is eye candy but not too much so. As a couple, their main purpose is to be outshined by Yun Fan and Zi Ling.
The character of "613" is annoying and not funny at all. Qiong Yao has been trying to add humor to her remakes and it invariably fails. She really should stick what she can do: romance and family drama.
Zhang Jia Ni as Zi Ling is surprisingly not annoying, which nowadays is an accomplishment. She has chemistry with Alex, but it doesn't make up for her lack of acting experience, which is painfully obvious in many scenes. They should've cast a capable actress who can add more depth to the character, or at least give a more convincing performance. Qin Lan herself would make a better Zi Ling.
It would be wrong not to mention how beautiful this series is, visually. It has the feel of a European fairy tale. We get to see Paris and Provence in all their glory. There are many romantic shots of our couple standing in a sea of lavender, by a stone castle, or on an ocean side cliff. The views just take your breath away.
Alex Fong lives up to the idea of dream man Fei Yun Fan. He was debonair in "Before Dawn" and he is still debonair now, if not even more so. The man ages like fine wine. He oozes confidence, but is vulnerable when it comes to the leading lady. He has such sex appeal that you hardly notice their age gap. So, must Yun Fan be old enough to be Zi Ling's father? Probably not, but this is Qiong Yao's semi-autobiography and she was similarly involved with a much older man. This is her fantasy, after all.
Next to Alex, Bao Jian Feng doesn't compare favorably as the second lead. His Chu Lian seems dazed and confused half the time. In the other half, he is dull. He's cute certainly, but still dull as dirt. Bao Bao's fans would be better off watching his other works.
Qin Lan's talents are wasted in the role of Lu Ping, who is more of a plot device than a person. Like Chu Lian, she is eye candy but not too much so. As a couple, their main purpose is to be outshined by Yun Fan and Zi Ling.
The character of "613" is annoying and not funny at all. Qiong Yao has been trying to add humor to her remakes and it invariably fails. She really should stick what she can do: romance and family drama.
Zhang Jia Ni as Zi Ling is surprisingly not annoying, which nowadays is an accomplishment. She has chemistry with Alex, but it doesn't make up for her lack of acting experience, which is painfully obvious in many scenes. They should've cast a capable actress who can add more depth to the character, or at least give a more convincing performance. Qin Lan herself would make a better Zi Ling.
It would be wrong not to mention how beautiful this series is, visually. It has the feel of a European fairy tale. We get to see Paris and Provence in all their glory. There are many romantic shots of our couple standing in a sea of lavender, by a stone castle, or on an ocean side cliff. The views just take your breath away.
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