Sirenas

Alas, the binge

*Minor spoilers*

Being a big fan of The Story of Ming Lan, this series definitely gave off a similar vibe when it comes to the complexity of a multiple-wives household and being blanketed by a strong romance. And as I always tend to mention, not a big fan of the romance genre but this was another one that I couldn't help but to fall for.

While the romance here was just as fun and idealistic as TSML, I love that they wrote in a "realistic" rift that occurred between the couple in this one- one that had me in steady tears for quite a few scenes and episodes. The FL/ML had great chemistry and both were strong characters, though not as savvy and cunning as the two in TSML. The schemes between the women were pretty standard form but were still more interesting than the ones you come across in some palace dramas. The series also does a good job tastefully highlighting the perspectives of each woman, reminding us how difficult it was for women to live through an era where the only available weapon of survival really was through the art of manipulation, forcing women to have to work against one another.

The series has minimal actions scenes and mainly focuses on the couple's romantic evolution and the dealings within the different households. There is an underlying political conspiracy to work through which helped keep the overall plot together. And although the plot itself wasn't the strongest with some holes and some repetitiveness, it was still one that had me binging episodes in an unhealthy way.

If you are a fan of TSML, I'm pretty sure you'd find this one enjoyable. And in an era where monogamy is morally preferred, who knew I'd be rooting for a ML who already had a wife and multiple concubines in-place prior to meeting the FL?

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Average

Foremost, I love the concept of the plot particularly because of women who were deemed to die just because of their husbands (due to dumb traditions) banning together into a formidable group. The ML dressing as a female to infiltrate them was also quite fun. But a few negatives brought the score down for me:

- While the romance between the FL/ML was sweet, there was just too much focus on it at the most inappropriate times. When there's a serious situation occurring that involves life and death or when a loved one is in a dire situation, it's hard to stomach a relatively quick scene switch to the two of them lightheartedly flirting or the amount of times the FL needs saving.
- The plot started becoming increasingly muddled toward the middle of the series and the plot holes are real. And various situations (as with many other series) were "conveniently" coincidental which takes away from the realism.
- A light nit is the amount of time that has passed through the course of the series but apparently, the FL's hair that was cut off early on never seemed to grow.

However, most of the actors were fantastic so it helped with balancing out some of the flaws. And despite some plot flow issues, they were still able to tug at the audience's heart strings. The twist at the end was great but the final scene felt like a forced joyful ending.

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Very Fun

It's hard to believe how a historical drama with the incorporation of outlandish aliens would be this entertaining to watch (this isn't Gintama after all). But after many starts and drops of other higher rated historical dramas, I'm really glad I gave this one a try.

This series is a unique mix of corny comedy with an underlying serious plot. Don't get discouraged by the initial alien scenes or whether any of it is actually "logical" as this is one to watch when you need a refreshing break from other historical dramas with very serious undertones. It also has a fantastic cast all around who each have lots of character and individual charm. There are scenes that has made me literally laugh out loud and one in particular that jerked out some tears.

I normally can't stand the "cutesy" FLs but Ah Bu Cha Cha is absolutely adorable and has great chemistry with the ML. My only minor qualm with them is that the constant rescuing of one another starts feeling slightly repetitive in the latter episodes.

While this isn't masterpiece level with the most intricate plot, it is definitely quite memorable. The pacing is also well done (with some slightly drawn-out scenes) and due to its unique genre blend, it's actually not very predictable and maintains a layer of intrigue. Highly recommend for those who just wants to kick back without heavy analysis, laugh a little, and just enjoy the wave of good drama wrapped with silliness.

Note: Made the attempt to watch Season 2 but dropped it a couple of episodes in. It wasn't worth ruining the experience of the first season.

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Could have been great...

Foremost, having only seen Kim Nam Gil in The Fiery Priest, I love how he shows his versatility here and hoping he actually does more of the historical genre. It is his scenes in the historical setting that were the most interesting in this particular case.

Still not the greatest fan of time travel themes but this one was hilarious in the beginning. The plot had so many good things going for it along with a great cast but there was too much drag with the modern era politics (fast-forwarded most of it). They tried to portray how despite the dichotomy in era, the medical field still undergoes similar political and class issues. But they really tried to do too much in the series with the complex base of constant time travel. The series felt like it didn't know what genre it wanted to be and just mashed together a little bit of everything including the excess "cuteness" of the ML/FL romance. There's modern day politics which flips back and forth to the historical politics, prolonged scenes with patients that really didn't add much to the drama, predictable trigger events, and then add in a war with some random foreigners thrown in. If there was more focus on the main basis of the plot, it could have really been a great series. It also didn't help that they forced in a happy ending that really made no sense.

Overall, it's one of those series that's difficult to hate on but of the cast and the potential but unfortunately it's also one that's forgettable with no re-watch value.

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Good cast, unfortunate plot development

Foremost, the series started off really well with a good cast and great characters. I was very much looking forward to how it plot evolved and unfolded. However, it started to falter hard in the middle of the series for multiple reasons.

- When a dramatic incident occurred, before you can take a breather, another immediately begins. It may not have been as difficult to digest if the all the incidents and resolutions also didn't feel horribly repetitive.
- The character introductions were great in the beginning but there was almost no character development in latter episodes. It would have helped if more time was spent on their backgrounds and history.
- The main ML prince/king is likeable but also unrealistically idealistic. His character was far more interesting outside of the palace and it slowly devolved into a one-note. Other than being born into half-royalty and recruiting others to help his righteous fight, he didn't really have any particular skills that would lead you to believe he was a step above others. He mostly did what he wanted and let those around him save him.
- The romance between the ML and FL was awkward and really unnecessary. She was also initially an interesting character who just faded into the background.

Around episode 13 (or 26), was when I started fast-forwarding hard which is why I technically did not properly complete the series. It's quite unfortunate as the cast was great and there was a really good base for the plot.

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Pleasantly Entertaining

The series starts off with quite a dramatic entrance that throws you off initially (definitely memorable) but fortunately, the series moves along quickly into a more historical setting. It evolves into a hint of The Story of Ming Lan due to the different classes involved within families, the emphasis on what women had to endure in those days, a multitude of scheme within schemes, and a sweet romance between the ML an FL. It's a few tiers below but still very much worth watching if you are a fan of Ming Lan as I am.

What makes the series great is the well-paced underlying revenge plot, a great cast, a fantastic sprinkle of humor, and a romance that doesn't trigger my eyes rolling. The FL plays her role well but the star of the show is definitely the ML and his boys as they are the ones I'm consistently looking forward to showing up in the next scene.

As some reviewers have mentioned, the FL is a bit older for her role particularly because of how young the woman she was "replacing" was. But no complaints on my end as I appreciate the older woman/younger man flip from the typical older man/younger female concept. My biggest criticism with the female FL is that her intellectual capabilities started off strong and her character gradually became more of a sidekick once she began trusting the ML to just take care of things.

The other criticism would be in the latter part of the series. It almost felt like there were either two writers or directors between the first half and the second half. The plot started getting a bit mushier and rushed and the sprinkling of humor trailed off. And while the FL did honor her promises to the women she came across, there was a tinge of her just using them as stepping stones for her own selfish desires. I also wish they resumed focus back to some key supporting characters such as the Yue family, but that may mean the series pushes far past 40 episodes. The ending was fine as well but it also felt a bit out of place.

Nevertheless, kudos to an overall entertaining series. And FYI, while the younger generation may not know her, Leanne Liu has been such a fantastic and memorable actress in so many older series. It's great to see her on screen again.

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Memorable but...

This is a review based on a second attempt to re-watch the series as I recall having watched this many years ago. It is a memorable series because as the characters come to screen, they were all still very recognizable despite how long it has been. This is not something that can be said about many other ones I've seen.

Positives:
- The plot itself is relative interesting with good twists.
- There are some very likeable and fun characters where the supporting actors/actresses play their roles well.
- The comradery was rushed but still good with a nice layer of humorous interactions.
- There were pockets of good action scenes.

Negatives:
- The two main roles, Chen Chang Sheng and Xu You Rong, were just really dull. No chemistry with their romance which the series played on heavily and both barely had a different expression throughout the entire 52 episodes. The supporting roles really were the ones who carried them.
- Chen Chang Sheng is supposed to be this righteous victim of circumstances but there are areas where he just comes off as a hypocritical narcissist.
- While the overall plot itself was good, too many scenes felt very repetitive and much too drawn out. Skip large sections at a time and you wouldn't be missing much. To top it off, the scenes where they should have spent more time to bring more depth to the characters, were brushed over too quickly.
- The fantasy visuals and hand gestures were amateur and sometimes cringe but not over my personal threshold of lenience.

I feel slightly conflicted with the scoring because there were some very positive areas that keeps you interested as you anticipate what's to come next. But the flow was done poorly midway through and the main protagonists themselves were either given poor direction/dialogue or needs improvement with their acting abilities. It's a shame because the story itself had good potential.

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An almost perfect historical drama

This is one where you will lose sleep over because it's just that binge-worthy. Unlike endless other palace dramas out there, this one is particularly unique. So much so that I decided to redo my original review after another re-watch.

While you still have your typical treachery occurring within the palace, it doesn't have the same incessant evil cringe moments as most others do. The main focus is around a Queen who is does her best to manage her role while being a mother to her five children. This may sound boring in writing but the dynamics of the relationship between her and her children are both realistic, intriguing, and heartwarming. It is also quite special to finally see brothers with very different personalities that are strongly bonded with one another instead of the typical infighting. The Queen, of course is the main star of the show and her sons are a great reflection of her character.

There are many familiar faces in the series for me and they all did an incredible job in their roles. You felt every emotion even when they were silent. They played their roles so well that it's one of those where you feel your heart breaking with theirs and you can't seem to stop the tears from falling. Even after a second watch, it still had me in tears all over again.

But don't get discouraged from the tears mentioned above, the series did such justice to truly being able to balance the somber with plenty of lightheartedness. You'll laugh and smile just as much. This is really unlike many historical k-dramas out there. There is no melodramatic moments, no long-winded moments, no sappy romances, no annoying characters... and man, the pacing leaves little room for you to be disengaged. I really hope more series follow suit with this style and serious kudos again to the actors.

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Very different score to season one

Although they did a true continuation from the ending of season one, they probably should have kept it as is... based on this season two. The reasons why I loved season one, took a few steps back in this follow up. Unlike the pacing of a real feel previously, they've upped the dramatics and tried to do too much in a small number of episodes. Because they tried to do too much, there were multiple holes in the plot which became confusing.

However, it's not terrible by any means. Just that season two took the entirety into the average zone. There is potential for them to bring it back up to par if they manage to fill in the gaps on all the unanswered questions and provide the rationales for certain actions into a season three. For the time being, the slightly higher scoring on this is to give a nod to season one as I've already become invested in the characters from it (and because of this, season two still triggered a few tears).

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Draggy and a bit corny but...

The series started off at a good pace, where I found myself binging the first 10 or so episodes until the romance scenes began to drag on and then all of the scenes slowly disintegrated into long drags. The remaining episodes were completed through a heavy-hand of time skipping. But there is something to be said for the effort of even making it through to the last episode rather than just dropping it completely and it'll be easier to just highlight the negatives into a list:

- While the acting was average, there was enough chemistry with the ML and FL that the trials and tribulations of their romance will tug at your heart.
- The action scenes/CG effects started off okay and slowly deteriorated (even on the sound effects). And the number of times people will bleed from their mouths in the series has got to be record-breaking.
- They increasingly incorporated way too many flashback moments that only contributed to the drag.
- The plot also increasingly deteriorated with each time skip era.
- The characters started off well and then would bounce around between being out of character and then back into character for no naturally good reason.

However, despite all of the above, there was enough suspense of wanting to know how things end. Unfortunately, the ending was lackluster. The concept of the plot is really interesting and it's a shame they didn't do a better job with the series. It started off with so much potential. If they didn't spend so much time on the drags and focused on diving into the supporting characters and their character evolution, or if they put a little more effort into the details of the events unfolding instead of just jumping into it, or if the cut down on the repetitive romance scenes, it would have produced a far more well-rounded effect.

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Worth the Watch

This isn't a series for those looking for a thriller or fictional suspense story. It follows the simple format of a broken legal system and a judge who does her best to both implement the law while getting to the bottom of the truth with each case.

The series does a really good job in realistically portraying common legal issues from non-violent situations to the more extreme cases. For almost each case, it presents the background to the viewer as if you're watching the news from afar, where it's human nature to be quick to judge and quick to trust the initial facts of what was presented. You'll then find yourself welling up with tears as the truth of the cases are peel backed layer by layer like an onion, partially for the victims, partially for the traumas in this world, and partially because of how foolish you were to judge with the masses.

There's no glaring negative other than some pacing of stories and its developments. There were also some moments that felt a little too prolonged and other moments that felt too abbreviated. There is no humor in this one but if you're in the mood to be hit with some hard and sad realities, this is the one to try. Despite the somber mood however, it is balanced well with encouragement, empathy, and realistic satisfactions of justice.

As a side note, our judge here is also the lead in "Under the Queen's Umbrella" and I'm really enjoying her as an actress. The other characters were also written well as even the smaller supporting roles served a purpose. I hope they come out with a sequel.

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Hits the Spot

I love these types of plots where help is being provided to different individuals/families, particularly with a supernatural baseline. Most series don't do it very well for one reason or another. This one, despite my initial judgment on the title name (which of course is why should we shouldn't judge based on cover/name), really hit the spot with exception of some minor gripes.

Everyone involved including the supporting cast jived well together and had great chemistry. There are scenes that will make you tear up, scenes that will make you laugh, and scenes where you're anticipating the unraveling of situation. There's nothing overly gruesome or frightening (though I wouldn't mind it) and the blended-in humor helps ease any of the darker aspects.

The only character I didn't care much for was the female cop. It is more of how she was written rather than the actress herself. She was more immature than the young MLs, selfish (though somewhat self-aware), much too needy, and didn't know when to stop talking. The other minor grip is the series ended with many unanswered questions and rather abruptly, but is also a bit expected with only 12 episodes.

I found myself looking forward to every next episode and would highly recommend for folks who also enjoy these semi-episodic and supernatural plots. The series gets extra kudos for doing a great job at this particular type of plot/genre.

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Surprisingly Enjoyable

The summary on the site for this series doesn't do it enough justice. There really isn't anything negative to point out: the actors were charismatic, the story flow was done well, the action scenes were good, and nothing was under or overdone.

There are multiple mysteries involved that are relatively standalone (where it isn't being forced into being related to the overall plot). Because of this, I never felt the need to time-skip at all for the entire 36 episodes. The mysteries are interesting with some dark undertones and an added touch of the supernatural. The comradery between the main crew is warm and fun which helps create a balance. An added bonus is that any romance mentioned is relatively minimal and doesn't have any overwhelming scenes as many other series.

For those who enjoy watching supernatural elements along with case solving as I do, this one is highly recommended. I'm looking forward to season two.

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As Sequels Do Often

Foremost, I appreciate how the sequel picks up right at the ending of it predecessor. If you enjoyed the first movie, this one is definitely worth the watch as it covers a significant portion of the guardians' past lives. Unfortunately it lacks the same charisma (potentially due to losing Cha Tae Hyun as a main) and the characters all get a bit cornier. Outside of the guardians' backgrounds, the blanketing plot around the grandfather and kid is pretty dull and the lackluster acting for the roles enhance this. The actions scenes however have improved a tad and the animation work feels even better this time around.

Most sites I've used to stream the movie has the same horrible subtitles. It left me guessing incorrectly on what was going on and twenty minutes in, I would have unfairly given the movie a significantly lower rating. Make sure you find one with subtitles that actually make sense (personally went with Viki).

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Unexpectedly Entertaining

When giving series/movie a first watch, I don't really dive into who the actors/actresses are. So seeing Cha Tae Hyun as a main was a nice surprise. He has the perfect expressions for comedy-dramas, my favorite blend of genres.

The movie doesn't have the most complex or intricate plot but it has enough of an unpredictable essence that will keep you on your toes. Why was it unexpectedly entertaining? Because I do have a slight bias toward movies that lean too far into animated work as they tend to be poorly implemented and have even poorer dialogues. If you can stomach a few less than average actions scenes, this one was actually done pretty well. And although Cha Tae Hyun's story is a pretty basic tearjerker, it is one of those that will still jerk those tears. So if you looking for an easy watch with likeable characters that will also have you laughing out loud, definitely recommend. I'm looking forward to watching the sequel.

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