GAH episode 20 is SO frustrating!!!! Enough with the side couples already!
Even ShanShan walking into doors because she's blinded by SY's radiance doesn't help much. I'll just go let my computer update to de-stress before the next ep.
The real MVP these two eps - Song Chen. But even he can't defeat the superdetective MOM. Bad news indeed. I guess…
LOL @the hockey couple, hahaha, poor guy, he was mentally preparing to get confessed to... and she confessed she wanted his byke. His FACE LOL.
How come Song Chen is such a cute lil' bunny?? He even said he needed the freaking job to stay in the city or he'd have to return home, but still didn't desert his best friend in his lowest hour. I am proud of him. I want them to start their own mini-adv. company and hit it big. Jiayou!!
PS Jian Bing's reaction - and wanting to quit the company is also heartfelt. Her BFF betrayed her trust, her ex is not really clear on what he actually wants, why should she stay? If she does, she should change the terms.
I guess we can conclude Sheng Yang got rejected because he was not wearing his lucky T shirt 😂
If he wore the stain patch t-shirt, she'd be focusing on that fake stain so hard she'd say "yes" and never hear the question, LOL. Oh well, maybe he'll use it next time :D
You know what would have me rioting though? What about her wearing his damn fake stain t-shirt, eh? :D
Sleazy team leader is raising all my hackles. He's definitely going to do something shady. All hail Love Doctor…
LOL @Uncle Fang, he doesn't stand a chance hahaha. And he's trying so hard.
Poor SY though. Despite that sweet confession, she shot him down... Well, I can see her point. I wouldn't want to jump from one relationship to another just like that, so fast, either.
But Song Chen and his movie references, LOL. "She just got out from a relationship and is shouting FREEDOM and there you stand and call out to her - ~No, no, I've just built you a NEW prison, come back inside!~" Totally on point.
Sleazy team leader is raising all my hackles. He's definitely going to do something shady.
All hail Love Doctor Song Chen. Not only does he know how to smooth out his own girl's feeling, but he's nailing each and every one of other people's (read: SY's) love troubles. He should do it professionally, LOL.
And that thing (you know which one) was so sweet. SY was so confident. I liked that a lot.
Your comment struck a cord with me. I agreed almost all of it, I too suffered from seeing it as a biopic especially…
If you're inclined to try a costume drama, and a wuxia to boot, Blood of Youth is very good though I find it a bit (just a tiny bit) too technical (it was great for me, because I did watch quite a few wuxia dramas and can tell it's high quality, and I read a lot of wuxia/xianxia novels too, so it's a familiar world. But it might be a bit - just a little - too dense for an entry wuxia drama). One that is very similar in some ways but at the same time completely different, and even more endearing, IMHO, is the recently finished Mysterious Lotus Casebook. There are lots of fighting in MLC, too, but I found it more lax about Jianghu rules (Jianghu is the ~world of martial arts~, where the rules of clans and sects training in Dao are the law, somewhat aside the regular world.) AND you get the found family trope, and the bromance and then the frenemies-to-bromance, too. Also, with very little romance hahaha. I'd highly recommend both of them anyway :)
Wuxia IS a martial arts drama genre, though not all costume dramas are wuxia (or xianxia, it's more supernatural+more romantic kin). NiF is not exactly wuxia (nor xianxia), though there are some martial arts in it, but an alternate history drama. The whole plot is pretty much The Count of Monte Cristo but translated into Ancient China, and superbly delivered (with a lot less romantic undertones, too. These people meant business, and not love). Very slow burn - and as I've said, a highly intelligent and prepared MC.
Ohho, found family is also a favourite. If you want both slice of life AND found family, maybe try Go Ahead (cdrama, 2020) or I Don't Want to Be Brothers With You (cdrama). Make sure with IDWTBBWY you're watching on viki, they TL-ed it very well (compared to the original Mango TV atrocious claptrap. Avoid anything only subbed by Mango. They're the death of the desire to watch a cdrama. Sadly, they make a lot of good dramas. They just don't translate them well, LOL.) And right now there's a Xiao Zhan-feat. slice of life drama called Sunshine by My Side that's hitting all the right spots for me, so far. You could check that out :)
RE soundtracks - sometimes I get fond of the OP and EDs, but it's usually the BGM that does it for me. And the way the composer uses the music to amplify the scene, if it works, does wonders for me. There's this almost quiet, but still including an slow-heartbeat theme being played in one of the key NiF scenes that I go back to from time to time - that scene is pretty close to that masterpiece I'm chasing, LOL. If you end up watching the drama sometime, you might recognize that scene (ep23 for future reference :D).
Not sure if I'll ever find that complete masterpiece, but the search for it is definitely fun :)
Your comment struck a cord with me. I agreed almost all of it, I too suffered from seeing it as a biopic especially…
As I haven't found that masterpiece, I am not certain what it would take, in the end, to see it as a masterpiece :D I'll know it when I find it.
The first level is the joy it gives me - a lot of the best ones do give me joy - but then there's the plot, the characters (I like character-driven stories best, but I'll take good plot anytime, and I don't mind some streamlined story with some romance and/or good action from time to time if it's entertaining when I need that), and there HAS to be good music (I'm a soundtrack addict), good acting (from most people that count, not just the leads), good cinematography, and a good pace. Nirvana in Fire came pretty close, but still not quite... (And BTW, if you want to try a costume/historical cdrama with a quiet, well-planning, determined and intelligent MC, that's the one to watch.)
And obviously, it's all influenced by the mood you're in. I've learned not to force it - when the mood hits for certain genres/dramas I've set aside for a while, that's when I go to them.
The drama I mentioned (Nobody Knows) is the Korean one. It's a police story with a female main lead, and while some parts of the mystery are not really that mysterious, so to speak, the best thing about it (IMHO) is the relationship between the FL (she's the MC, actually) and a kid unrelated to her who becomes entangled into a dangerous situation.
Something a bit less deep, but still pretty good, if you're interested mainly in police stories, is the first season of The Good Detective. The detectives are not geniuses, but at least one of them is the quiet-subtle-thinker type. Well, most of the time. (The second season is more action-oriented but not that bad, just not as good as the first, maybe).
Haha, I can get carried away trying to find recs :) Try UTS, it's worth it - and as I've already said, all the drawings are amazing. (And there are funny parts, which I also like in a police drama :) ) Happy watching!
Oh, somebody's jealous. LOL. I kind of liked that. Also... is it me or is Song kind-of-maybe-probably interested…
Parents fight off a rude person cutting in the line. (A bit later). Uncle Fang: Wow, you're tall. Did your parents cut in the line?
That sounded hilarious after the line scene.
Also, aww, cute puppy pleading with Director Jian to come to his home because mom made 8 (EIGHT) dishes especially for her. Good job guilting her into gluttony LOL.
That puffed-up SY who didn't get to give her his home-made meal because she was busy going to bars and getting drunk (that he thinks she did). That was cute. Song is pretty spot-on, too - if he doesn't see her as a big sister, then she's either someone to keep away from or someone to cuddle with. I guess we know what he'd like.
ShanShan going on hunter-gatherer mode: That boy was tall and handsome. WHO IS HE? *readying rock to hit him over the head and drag him in her cave* LOL.
I wonder if guilt will make her tell JB why she suddenly bought her dinner and stuff.
Oh, somebody's jealous. LOL. I kind of liked that.
Also... is it me or is Song kind-of-maybe-probably interested in the intern, after all? His fending her off from SY got a bit nuanced lately, LOL. He's enjoying it a bit.
Your comment struck a cord with me. I agreed almost all of it, I too suffered from seeing it as a biopic especially…
As I was reaching the end of your reply, I read "quiet, confident and competent is my type" and thought - They'd LOVE Under the Skin. And then read you're interested in watching it :D
So yeah, do give a try to UTS, you're probably going to like Shen Yi quite a lot (and you're definitely going to be amazed by the drawings, they're exceptional).
English is not my first language, I am not sure which drama you mean - TTD or UTS?
In both cases though, it might not be that I didn't like them - or parts of them, but I do rate them based on personal enjoyment of them. So a 8/10 drama is good, an 8.5/10 is pretty damn good, a 9/10 is amazing, a 9.5/10 is unforgettable and a 10/10 is as close to a masterpiece I could find. (Haven't found a perfect 10 yet).
For TTD - a bit of a downside was the rather choppy way they struggled with criminal psychology and finding their bearings. I haven't read the original book that inspired the drama, but the plot of the drama is just that tiny bit rough at the edges, though when it's good, it's very good.
For UTS - I was quite invested in it throughout the watch, and I STILL re-watch bits and pieces (Shen Yi is a favourite character). I was pretty happy with the leads and most of the plot, but there were some support charas that didn't do it for me (personal dislikes for one or two actors/actresses I've seen before in other dramas and never impressed me, and didn't in UTS either.) They did go to some places in the story I never thought they'd dare go, though, given it's China, and that was a big plus in watching it, for me. And I also loved the bromance :D
PS If quiet and competent lead is a favourite, maybe it applies to women, too? In which case, I'd recommend Nobody Knows - that's a kdrama that is also pretty good, involving fascinating characters.
But seriously - we're 8 billion of people on this planet. Look around. There's bound to be someone close to you who can be important to you (and you to them) while being actually in range and approachable. They should definitely matter more than some unreachable superstar halfway around the world.
(For later edits from OP, should they happen, LOL, it seems OP does like editing prior comments. Original says: ~It's because I'm obsessed with him do u understand grandma?~)
What exactly is it that you're criticizing? That he's not an eye-candy/idol-type actor any more and is trying to take on more subtle roles? Good for him, I'd say. He does well as a versatile actor and it's not really his fault he's good looking. But that will pass with youth, and experience gained in roles with a subtler approach will only serve him in his career.
If you're not Chinese and/or living in China, you personally can't influence how well his dramas are doing (since you're watching on international release platforms probably). Getting all bothered over his acting choices or personal life serves basically zero purpose in your real life, LOL. Why do you even care what actors and actresses are doing outside their roles? You seriously will probably NEVER meet them in real life, NEVER interact with them in any meaningful manner.
Watch the drama, do, and pinpoint exactly what's well done or what's wrong with it (or the characters). Other than that, it's useless squabbling about what the actors should do instead, LOL. I bet they don't lose any sleep over what anonymous fans or anti-fans are saying about them in some forum somewhere, so why should you? :D
Are you his manager or a representative of his agency, so that you get to decide what an actor should do to make progress in his career? If not, leave it to the pros.
As an anti-fan, I get it you can't help it (much), but seriously, there IS life outside dramas, celebrity news, actors' lives and whatnot. And real life is always better - because you're the main character, not some actor in China who won't know who you are from Adam if you ever make the effort to cross his path.
You have a 31-long list of currently watching dramas, and a 536-long list of planning to watch dramas. Stick to…
You just set up a huge "Help me, MDLers, you're my only hope" message for anyone to see, complete with random passive-aggressive replies to people who told you it's not really appropriate (not that I care).
You're being childish. Seriously, you put half the dramas on MDL either on CW or PTW and STILL ask for more recs? There's the General Discussion Forums for that, did you know that MDL had that feature? Ask there, people are always happy to recommend things they like, but WHAT to recommend to you, when you already have such a long list to watch?! Why not just put ALL existing dramas on the PTW list and be done with it? It'll yield the same results.
Re: toxicity. Don't bother with reverse psych here, we're not kids. It's just annoying to see such blatant "I'm bored, let's see how much can I poke at people today" attitude. Nobody cares THAT much about it. Which is why I definitely won't be engaging with you any more. Be at peace.
Things are maybe gathering up a lot on SY, I don't think it's going to be pretty in the future. That lousy manager shouldn't get to stay!! Then again, if the boss keeps HIM and lets THEM go, he and his company deserve what is coming to them. (And I don't mean they are irreplaceable, but that awful team leader WILL cause a lot more disturbances than his worth, if he has any).
3 
Even ShanShan walking into doors because she's blinded by SY's radiance doesn't help much. I'll just go let my computer update to de-stress before the next ep.
Aww, SY telling Jian Bing he'll do it right the first time because he knows what she wants.
Also SY putting time limits on their relationship LOL. How many years is that?
And 183.6 cm tall, hahaha. He's only 16.6 cm taller than me. I think we'd fit. And if not, I'll just wear platform shoes :D
I mean, doesn't he see this kid over here? (This just a little bit older kid. Well, much older kid. Still, a kid just the same!!)
Mom is sweet. Let's just have more of mom and less of the hockey, okay?!
How come Song Chen is such a cute lil' bunny?? He even said he needed the freaking job to stay in the city or he'd have to return home, but still didn't desert his best friend in his lowest hour. I am proud of him. I want them to start their own mini-adv. company and hit it big. Jiayou!!
PS Jian Bing's reaction - and wanting to quit the company is also heartfelt. Her BFF betrayed her trust, her ex is not really clear on what he actually wants, why should she stay? If she does, she should change the terms.
Are two people (who have already known her for a long time) all the men on Earth? LOL.
Her friend ShanShan must be the Queen Bee herself then, what with all those men around her.
You know what would have me rioting though? What about her wearing his damn fake stain t-shirt, eh? :D
Poor SY though. Despite that sweet confession, she shot him down... Well, I can see her point. I wouldn't want to jump from one relationship to another just like that, so fast, either.
But Song Chen and his movie references, LOL.
"She just got out from a relationship and is shouting FREEDOM and there you stand and call out to her - ~No, no, I've just built you a NEW prison, come back inside!~" Totally on point.
Doctor Song, come advise me too LOL.
All hail Love Doctor Song Chen. Not only does he know how to smooth out his own girl's feeling, but he's nailing each and every one of other people's (read: SY's) love troubles. He should do it professionally, LOL.
And that thing (you know which one) was so sweet. SY was so confident. I liked that a lot.
Wuxia IS a martial arts drama genre, though not all costume dramas are wuxia (or xianxia, it's more supernatural+more romantic kin). NiF is not exactly wuxia (nor xianxia), though there are some martial arts in it, but an alternate history drama. The whole plot is pretty much The Count of Monte Cristo but translated into Ancient China, and superbly delivered (with a lot less romantic undertones, too. These people meant business, and not love). Very slow burn - and as I've said, a highly intelligent and prepared MC.
Ohho, found family is also a favourite. If you want both slice of life AND found family, maybe try Go Ahead (cdrama, 2020) or I Don't Want to Be Brothers With You (cdrama). Make sure with IDWTBBWY you're watching on viki, they TL-ed it very well (compared to the original Mango TV atrocious claptrap. Avoid anything only subbed by Mango. They're the death of the desire to watch a cdrama. Sadly, they make a lot of good dramas. They just don't translate them well, LOL.) And right now there's a Xiao Zhan-feat. slice of life drama called Sunshine by My Side that's hitting all the right spots for me, so far. You could check that out :)
RE soundtracks - sometimes I get fond of the OP and EDs, but it's usually the BGM that does it for me. And the way the composer uses the music to amplify the scene, if it works, does wonders for me. There's this almost quiet, but still including an slow-heartbeat theme being played in one of the key NiF scenes that I go back to from time to time - that scene is pretty close to that masterpiece I'm chasing, LOL. If you end up watching the drama sometime, you might recognize that scene (ep23 for future reference :D).
Not sure if I'll ever find that complete masterpiece, but the search for it is definitely fun :)
The first level is the joy it gives me - a lot of the best ones do give me joy - but then there's the plot, the characters (I like character-driven stories best, but I'll take good plot anytime, and I don't mind some streamlined story with some romance and/or good action from time to time if it's entertaining when I need that), and there HAS to be good music (I'm a soundtrack addict), good acting (from most people that count, not just the leads), good cinematography, and a good pace. Nirvana in Fire came pretty close, but still not quite... (And BTW, if you want to try a costume/historical cdrama with a quiet, well-planning, determined and intelligent MC, that's the one to watch.)
And obviously, it's all influenced by the mood you're in. I've learned not to force it - when the mood hits for certain genres/dramas I've set aside for a while, that's when I go to them.
The drama I mentioned (Nobody Knows) is the Korean one. It's a police story with a female main lead, and while some parts of the mystery are not really that mysterious, so to speak, the best thing about it (IMHO) is the relationship between the FL (she's the MC, actually) and a kid unrelated to her who becomes entangled into a dangerous situation.
Something a bit less deep, but still pretty good, if you're interested mainly in police stories, is the first season of The Good Detective. The detectives are not geniuses, but at least one of them is the quiet-subtle-thinker type. Well, most of the time. (The second season is more action-oriented but not that bad, just not as good as the first, maybe).
Haha, I can get carried away trying to find recs :) Try UTS, it's worth it - and as I've already said, all the drawings are amazing. (And there are funny parts, which I also like in a police drama :) ) Happy watching!
(A bit later). Uncle Fang: Wow, you're tall. Did your parents cut in the line?
That sounded hilarious after the line scene.
Also, aww, cute puppy pleading with Director Jian to come to his home because mom made 8 (EIGHT) dishes especially for her. Good job guilting her into gluttony LOL.
That puffed-up SY who didn't get to give her his home-made meal because she was busy going to bars and getting drunk (that he thinks she did). That was cute. Song is pretty spot-on, too - if he doesn't see her as a big sister, then she's either someone to keep away from or someone to cuddle with. I guess we know what he'd like.
ShanShan going on hunter-gatherer mode: That boy was tall and handsome. WHO IS HE? *readying rock to hit him over the head and drag him in her cave* LOL.
I wonder if guilt will make her tell JB why she suddenly bought her dinner and stuff.
Also... is it me or is Song kind-of-maybe-probably interested in the intern, after all? His fending her off from SY got a bit nuanced lately, LOL. He's enjoying it a bit.
So yeah, do give a try to UTS, you're probably going to like Shen Yi quite a lot (and you're definitely going to be amazed by the drawings, they're exceptional).
English is not my first language, I am not sure which drama you mean - TTD or UTS?
In both cases though, it might not be that I didn't like them - or parts of them, but I do rate them based on personal enjoyment of them. So a 8/10 drama is good, an 8.5/10 is pretty damn good, a 9/10 is amazing, a 9.5/10 is unforgettable and a 10/10 is as close to a masterpiece I could find. (Haven't found a perfect 10 yet).
For TTD - a bit of a downside was the rather choppy way they struggled with criminal psychology and finding their bearings. I haven't read the original book that inspired the drama, but the plot of the drama is just that tiny bit rough at the edges, though when it's good, it's very good.
For UTS - I was quite invested in it throughout the watch, and I STILL re-watch bits and pieces (Shen Yi is a favourite character). I was pretty happy with the leads and most of the plot, but there were some support charas that didn't do it for me (personal dislikes for one or two actors/actresses I've seen before in other dramas and never impressed me, and didn't in UTS either.) They did go to some places in the story I never thought they'd dare go, though, given it's China, and that was a big plus in watching it, for me. And I also loved the bromance :D
PS If quiet and competent lead is a favourite, maybe it applies to women, too? In which case, I'd recommend Nobody Knows - that's a kdrama that is also pretty good, involving fascinating characters.
But seriously - we're 8 billion of people on this planet. Look around. There's bound to be someone close to you who can be important to you (and you to them) while being actually in range and approachable. They should definitely matter more than some unreachable superstar halfway around the world.
(For later edits from OP, should they happen, LOL, it seems OP does like editing prior comments. Original says: ~It's because I'm obsessed with him do u understand grandma?~)
If you're not Chinese and/or living in China, you personally can't influence how well his dramas are doing (since you're watching on international release platforms probably). Getting all bothered over his acting choices or personal life serves basically zero purpose in your real life, LOL. Why do you even care what actors and actresses are doing outside their roles? You seriously will probably NEVER meet them in real life, NEVER interact with them in any meaningful manner.
Watch the drama, do, and pinpoint exactly what's well done or what's wrong with it (or the characters). Other than that, it's useless squabbling about what the actors should do instead, LOL. I bet they don't lose any sleep over what anonymous fans or anti-fans are saying about them in some forum somewhere, so why should you? :D
As an anti-fan, I get it you can't help it (much), but seriously, there IS life outside dramas, celebrity news, actors' lives and whatnot. And real life is always better - because you're the main character, not some actor in China who won't know who you are from Adam if you ever make the effort to cross his path.
Live and let live, shall we? :D
You're being childish. Seriously, you put half the dramas on MDL either on CW or PTW and STILL ask for more recs? There's the General Discussion Forums for that, did you know that MDL had that feature? Ask there, people are always happy to recommend things they like, but WHAT to recommend to you, when you already have such a long list to watch?! Why not just put ALL existing dramas on the PTW list and be done with it? It'll yield the same results.
Re: toxicity. Don't bother with reverse psych here, we're not kids. It's just annoying to see such blatant "I'm bored, let's see how much can I poke at people today" attitude. Nobody cares THAT much about it. Which is why I definitely won't be engaging with you any more. Be at peace.