I started watching it blind not thinking much because BL in chinese drama land was sure to be underwhelming, and…
Good news, there's more. Of MDZS there's also the donghua AND the chibi donghua (sugar overdrive) AND the audio drama, and the ongoing manhua :D
And the author, MXTX, also wrote two more incredible danmei novels. And after MXTX there's a whole universe of danmei, some of which has also been adapted into dramas - even Chinese productions, too :)
I can only congratulate myself I dropped this on 3rd. Not even PHS could save this drek and it was visibile from ep1.
Anyway, this one tops the worst kdramas' list, even TIH is now 0.2 points above it LOL and even WTSG is 0,1 above, barely there. I expect it to drop more.
This is the year of big-name casts with sh!t plots/writing. Some of them (WTSG) even had amazing cinematography and special effects, this one here didn't even have those. It had the worst plot/writing, the worst editing I've ever seen (in just those three eps), the worst cinematography, the worst fight choreography (there was none actually), the worst in everything but cast and it did nothing with the cast either.
I can only hope they DID pay the cast some big money, because this garbage would definitely mar their filmography.
Finally got the time to slowly enjoy this one and dammit, Cheng Lei's abs are distracting me each and every episode LOL. That man is sooooo fine. I am so happy I still have most of the drama to go through.
Ep14 and finally comes Darren Chen! I've been waiting for so long!
... then again, this is an one-man's abs... err, show. I meant show.
(After ep2) OMG they made Mr. Sulu a spy, LOL. Anyway, this is well-paced and a good political thriller so far.…
So Mr Baek is probably a NK defector (and merc), there's a deep conspiracy that can arrange for food deliveries into NK - wow! - and also some shady things going on between separate intelligence agencies in different countries.
What I was kind of surprised by, though they definitely couldn't have predicted anything, it just happened - the way the assassination went. Pretty much mirrored into the news lately at different levels. The fact they chose a tall, dark and handsome actor for the NK "president" - LOL, the absolute opposite of the current one OR the possible future one (he's grooming his daughter for it, isn't he?) The fact they did absolutely the same thing with the US "president", picking a sane-looking fit actor who seems like the regular type of previous US presidents and has the charisma to carry the function... yet at the same time, picking warhawks for the army positions, just raring to start a nuclear war just because, and not even trying to clarify who the hell built the freaking submarine.
I obviously don't know how this one ends, but I kind of think she makes it to the presidential seat but the merc bodyguard dies or something. And / or the former president ends up with charges (like most of them in the past decades, LOL).
(After ep2) OMG they made Mr. Sulu a spy, LOL. Anyway, this is well-paced and a good political thriller so far. I've read comments that the mystery unravels too fast - this is a 9-ep minidrama, it needs to move fast enough to cover all the points. Hopefully they keep it tight til the end.
IMHO, this is going to be an all-female showdown, despite the male main cast. I think the MIL is going to be the main puppeteer (I've been known to guess wrong before, LOL, but she seems to be marked as the most political-savvy around, and definitely very motivated), MoonJoo is going to get her revenge served cold, and the president will put up a strong front.
Going by these two eps (almost a quarter of the drama), OJS is cast as the regular power-drunk top prosecutor, I really hope they give him some nuance.
This looks pretty good in the beginning (haven't had a lot of time to just relax with a drama). I hope it stays the same, I really need a good kdrama this year (been kind of unlucky with them lately).
They should have put me on the voice acting gig, and then EVERYBODY in the world - myself included - could have had a good laugh about it. Well, except when I would have to dub it in my own language (though I don't really have that kind of "radio"-quality voice, LOL).
My 2 cents - if the original actor could have passed, they wouldn't have needed a dub actor. So it's pretty certain they did not pass. Also, how important is this role to the drama? If it's a support role, maybe the fuss matters (because they'd have a lot of dialogue, some of it in Chinese). If it's just a bit part, whyfor all the noise? People are just waiting to get something to be mad about.
So again I'm proposing myself to do all the dubbing, we all need a good laugh once in a while. (I don't know Chinese at all, BTW. Or Korean. I should do wonders with those languages :D)
Watch Buried Hearts for peak PHS visuals. Also Happiness :DHe's got a great face card and can emote if need be,…
He was amazing in Buried Hearts. The plot kind of fell apart in the last segment, but it was awesome while it lasted. I liked it anyway. And he's pretty good(looking, LOL) in Happiness. He did make an impression, but I've gotten really hooked up just in BH.
Came here after wanting to watch something after Twelve Letter too 🤭
Not (exactly) romance, but time-travel/time-loop/slipped-time communication... there are plenty good ones. SDoOD is great! And if you're into anime with this kind of story, don't miss Steins:Gate, Paprika, your name. (Actually, if you just pick one, watch your name.)
But there are plenty detective (with some romance) ones, kdramas, too. Like Train, Tunnel, Signal, 365: Repeat the Year, Kairos, maybe W Two Worlds (it's a bit of a stretch, but it's still kind of a time/space-slip), Love for Love's Sake (BL), Welcome to Life, Life on Mars, My Stand-in (rebirth, BL), Reset :D (the Thai one, it's not a remake, rebirth, BL), The Atypical Family, Cross Fire (cdrama), and why not, Oh No! Here Comes Trouble!! (it's not time-slip but it's amazing and it's scifi/fan and pure heartache and comedy at the same time).
3 
And the author, MXTX, also wrote two more incredible danmei novels. And after MXTX there's a whole universe of danmei, some of which has also been adapted into dramas - even Chinese productions, too :)
Anyway, this one tops the worst kdramas' list, even TIH is now 0.2 points above it LOL and even WTSG is 0,1 above, barely there. I expect it to drop more.
This is the year of big-name casts with sh!t plots/writing. Some of them (WTSG) even had amazing cinematography and special effects, this one here didn't even have those. It had the worst plot/writing, the worst editing I've ever seen (in just those three eps), the worst cinematography, the worst fight choreography (there was none actually), the worst in everything but cast and it did nothing with the cast either.
I can only hope they DID pay the cast some big money, because this garbage would definitely mar their filmography.
Ep14 and finally comes Darren Chen! I've been waiting for so long!
... then again, this is an one-man's abs... err, show. I meant show.
Gao Tu is finally growing a spine. Good for him. I seriously hope WenLang finds out what grovelling is before long.
What I was kind of surprised by, though they definitely couldn't have predicted anything, it just happened - the way the assassination went. Pretty much mirrored into the news lately at different levels.
The fact they chose a tall, dark and handsome actor for the NK "president" - LOL, the absolute opposite of the current one OR the possible future one (he's grooming his daughter for it, isn't he?)
The fact they did absolutely the same thing with the US "president", picking a sane-looking fit actor who seems like the regular type of previous US presidents and has the charisma to carry the function... yet at the same time, picking warhawks for the army positions, just raring to start a nuclear war just because, and not even trying to clarify who the hell built the freaking submarine.
I obviously don't know how this one ends, but I kind of think she makes it to the presidential seat but the merc bodyguard dies or something. And / or the former president ends up with charges (like most of them in the past decades, LOL).
IMHO, this is going to be an all-female showdown, despite the male main cast. I think the MIL is going to be the main puppeteer (I've been known to guess wrong before, LOL, but she seems to be marked as the most political-savvy around, and definitely very motivated), MoonJoo is going to get her revenge served cold, and the president will put up a strong front.
Going by these two eps (almost a quarter of the drama), OJS is cast as the regular power-drunk top prosecutor, I really hope they give him some nuance.
My 2 cents - if the original actor could have passed, they wouldn't have needed a dub actor. So it's pretty certain they did not pass. Also, how important is this role to the drama? If it's a support role, maybe the fuss matters (because they'd have a lot of dialogue, some of it in Chinese). If it's just a bit part, whyfor all the noise? People are just waiting to get something to be mad about.
So again I'm proposing myself to do all the dubbing, we all need a good laugh once in a while. (I don't know Chinese at all, BTW. Or Korean. I should do wonders with those languages :D)
And the soundtrack is freaking AMAZING!!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmjN9Zo_skU
Take a look at it, it'll make you fall in love :D
He's got a great face card and can emote if need be, but this drama ain't it, despite him being in a villain (?) role.
But there are plenty detective (with some romance) ones, kdramas, too. Like Train, Tunnel, Signal, 365: Repeat the Year, Kairos, maybe W Two Worlds (it's a bit of a stretch, but it's still kind of a time/space-slip), Love for Love's Sake (BL), Welcome to Life, Life on Mars, My Stand-in (rebirth, BL), Reset :D (the Thai one, it's not a remake, rebirth, BL), The Atypical Family, Cross Fire (cdrama), and why not, Oh No! Here Comes Trouble!! (it's not time-slip but it's amazing and it's scifi/fan and pure heartache and comedy at the same time).