I want to hug each and everyone one of them.

*This is based on the first four episodes*

-

Xu Kai Cheng's acting is a little questionable. His character is going through a difficult time and it should make me want to sympathize with him while wanting to slap some sense into him. However, it just feels like he is throwing a tantrum. I don't feel what he feels. It's like XKC and the drama are telling me what happened and not showing me. 7/10

William Chan's character is also very very tortured. Poor man. I feel his pain. Master Fang, I know you can't tell us why you are the way you are yet, but when you do we'll be here for you. 9/10

Yang Mi continues to be wonderful. I don't exactly know how old her character is yet (maybe between 17-20), but they're clearing turning into a capable Young Master. 10/10

-

The costumes, the set, the choreographed fights and camera work is on point. Add in the amazing music and you've got the beginnings of a brilliant drama.

There were times when I laughed (when they introduced William's face to the camera, it was so dramatic), then times when I was STRESSED (when young Hai Shi was grabbing onto that rock). So great!!

-

I have so many questions that I'm willing to watch all episodes to have answered. That's what a first episode should do...make the viewer want more and Pearl Eclipse delivered on their part. As I watched on, I got to know more and craved for more.

All-in-all a pretty great start.

-

I'm getting Si Yin (YM's character in Eternal Love) and Mo Yuan vibes from this. And we all know how tragic that was...

-

Only Yang Mi's drama can bring tears to my eyes. The ending is similar to Love In Between.

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Watch the movie. Watch the anime.

So many spoilers coming your way, so I will get this off my chest. I enjoyed this movie and I am sure I will the original Japanese anime version too.

Cool? Cool.

The opening exposition gave away too much. If you are watching it on Netflix, read the short description and then watch the movie 2-3 minutes (or was it 4-5 minutes). Anyway.... Just skip the intro, it would have been better to figure everything out while watching. I still enjoyed it, though.

During the first half an hour, you do not know what to expect. Once our main characters have it all out in the open, you can (kind of) guess what is coming next. A few surprises are still in store for you (especially those who have already seen the anime movie).

I believe the screenplay, casting, direction and music was brilliant.

Definitely worthwhile.

SPOILERS!



















These were my thoughts throughout the movie (I have to get this out):
• Opening exposition peaked my interest.
• Oh, no. She is a double crosser, but I knew that 'friend' was dogde as hell.
• I did not see that slap coming. I reacted and rubbed my own cheek.
• I have gotten use to sweet, happy ,fluffy dramas and movies .... That all of this action seems so foreign to me. I love it.
• He is part of the wolf brigade..... Why is she surprised? I thought we all knew this going in? That opening exposition gave away the plot twist.
• I swear, if he risks it all to save Yun-hee, I'm gon' be pissed! Stick. To. The. PlaN!
• HE'S CRYING! HE'S CRYING. HE'S GONNA RISK IT ALL AND HE SHOULD! THOSE. TEAAARRRSSSS.
• When I heard his Jeep, I thought he was gonna drive through the walls to get to her...
• Mistake no. 1: They gave him a gun.
• Mistake no. 2: The conversation they're having while he is holding that gun.
• I'm back to him just following orders. Risk NOTHING.
• Wait, wait, wait.... He should risk it all.
DID HE SHOOT HIM???? IS HE DEAD????? DID SHE GO BACK FOR HIM?????
• I feel fuzzy inside.

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One day, destruction came into my heart.

*Happy sigh* How do I write this without giving away too much? ╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)╭

*From EP 1-7*

What I loved?

Firstly: Ailee is CARRYING this drama.

My goodness. This is the first time that the first OST that plays is memorable. I would usually fall for the second or third (like in CLOY with Yoon Mi Rae), but whenever I hear "Breaking Down", I know the scene is about to be magical ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧

Secondly: It's nice being familiar with the lead actors and their unique methods of acting.

Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk have worked together before in her dramas 'Oh My Ghost(ess)' and 'Abyss'. Although he only made 1 episode cameos for small parts, it's nice to know that they can finally be each other's leading character (｡ﾉω＼｡). I first watched PBY in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and before I knew it, I'd become a fan of her acting. I have only ever seen SIG in 'The Smile Has Left Your Eyes'. I never finished it. Even though he has phenomenal acting skills, that drama wasn't for me ┐(´ー｀)┌

Now they are in DAYS and I'm getting to see a whole other side to them: PBY is really incorporating everything she's learnt along the way as an actress and it shows through Tak Dong Kyung. Sometimes she's all cute like Do Bong Soon or she's trying to make sense of the creature before her like Kim Sun Yi ('A Werewolf Boy). I really love her and I'm sure if I watch more of SIG's drama, I'll grow to love him too (*´ω｀*)

Thirdly: Tak Dong Kyung's narration really hits home at some point. The script, coupled with PBY's stellar acting has me crying almost halfway into the series. She continues to cement her place in my heart.

What I hated?

How they don't release all KDrama episodes in a shorter timespan, like they do with CDramas.
__________

*From EP 8-12*

What I loved?

One thing: The music continues to being thus drama to life.

The rest of the OSTs are making themselves known and working hard to creep their way into my heart, as well. I have now heard TXT, Baekhyun, Gummy and Davichi's voices, but "I want to be with you" by Gummy is my number 2 (after Ailee's "Breaking Down"). This drama has AMAZING music.

What I hated?

Firstly: This love triangle doesn't feel like a love triangle.

I'll admit that it got a little boring, especially those scenes with Na Ji-na, Cha Joo-ik and Lee Hyun-kyu. We all know how it should end; she just needs to get their faster. I'm not buying that NJN is torn between two men. I want more for her. I want better. Their storyline would fit better in a CDrama than a KDrama.

Secondly: Amnesia, really?

That's all I'm gonna write.

__________

From EP 13-15

What I loved?

Firstly: Again, the OST. At this point, youll just have to listen to it on your own.

What I hated?

Firstly: The "love-triangle". My goodness, did that take too long to end. By episode 10 I'd decided on which guy she should end up with. I already knew what needed to happen and what needed to be said. All of those moments between her and not-her-guy were soooooo long and soooooo very boring. Why hadnt all of that taken place by episode 13? Not-her-guy was just absolutely ridiculous, at this point. Did he really think he could win???? Really????

Secondly: The way he left. I wish they'd taken a different direction and made her leave instead of him. That would've been cool. IDC how it would make sense, I just know it would have been an amazing plot twist. Too many things were predictable in these episodes.

*EP 16*

I LOVED EVERYTHING AND HATED NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Thats how you write an ending, drama people. PLEASE. We need more endings like this.

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[[[[[[[[[[[warning] Spoilers at the very end, but the review has none. ]]]]]]]]]]

THE WRITER:

I have watched two of Kim Eun Sook's dramas; Goblin and Mr. Sunshine, and I went into this drama with high expectations. As I was watching the first episode, I definitely got the feel of both of those dramas...however, the overall brilliance was not there.

THE SOUNDTRACK:

I have every song on this soundtrack on repeat. I listen to Hwasa, Yongzoo and Paul Kim almost five times a day. I know every word and its translation. I cannot find fault with this soundtrack.

THE ACTING:

They played the characters to the best of their abilities and I applaud them for their hard work. That being said...

A coin toss for Kim Go Eun, Lee Jung Jin and Lee Min Ho; I either loved them or found them awkward to watch. Never in-between. Especially their scenes with each other. They were not able to deliver the emotions they were supposed to when the moment came. However, KGE and LMH had one scene that spoke to me and gave me chills*.

70/100 for Kim Kyung Nam; I would give him 100 but he did not have enough screen time or a well-rounded character. He was incomplete. KKN's character in Come and Hug Me had me in tears. I cried when he cried and I felt every emotion he felt as he portrayed them on-screen. Whenever KKN would widen his eyes (in CaHM), I could not help but get sucked in. In KEM, I felt that his character was missing a lot....

100/100 for Jung Eun Chae and Woo Do Hwan; they brought the sourness and spice and the sweetness and laughter whenever they were onscreen, respectively. JEC was a fashion icon who, had she set her sights on another poor soul, would have been my favourite female character. WDH was a scene stealer and a joy to watch. Their characters were more whole than KKN, but I wish WDH would have gotten a bit more screen time as well.

THE STORY:

Goblin - 16 episodes, 1 hour 30 minutes
Mr. Sunshine - 20 episodes, 1 hour 20 minutes
The King: The Eternal Monarch - 16 episodes, 1 hour 10 minutes

Had all of these dramas been 1 hour long each; Goblin would have had 8 hours/episodes of extra content, Mr. Sunshine would have had 6.6 hours/episodes of extra content and KEM would have only had 2.6 hours/episodes of extra content. I am not say the lack of runtime in the drama is the sole reason I did not enjoy it as much as I did the other dramas.... however, I am saying that, had they lengthened the drama, it may have been better.

This is the first time I wanted any drama to be longer. It felt too short. I felt empty after having finished this drama. Even after watching the 30 second HEA in Eternal Love I had felt more whole and happy than I do now. KEM does not feel complete. There are so many unexplored elements in this drama that a longer runtime could have made better.

OVERALL:

I have seen Goblin twice and am currently rewatching it for the third time. I am about to restart Mr. Sunshine and spend another 20+ hours of my life, happily, being mesmerized by Lee Byung Hyun's acting.
I cannot say the same for KEM. I got through it once. I believe once is enough.
I did enjoy this drama, but it is not one of the best that I have seen.

















THE SPOILERS:

I need to talk about this scene:

One of the best scenes in kdrama history (in my opinion).

*When Tae Eul was in the middle of the road, holding a gun with only two bullets, facing the on-coming cavalry (not knowing if she was going to live or die).*
I have never cried as much as I did. My tears came from deep within and I had to pause to calm down and catch my breath.
*Then Lee Gon comes racing in on Max screaming, "Protect Your Queen!"*
I. Broken. Down.
I will never forget this scene.

That is all.

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I'm in love.

From the first episode, I knew I would love this drama. 3 things I loved, the acting, the costumes and the music.

I have never watched any of the cast in anything else, but I think this was the perfect introduction to their acting skills. Kris Fan (KF) and Rain Lu (RL) are so adorable together (*＾3＾)/～♡ Whenever they are on are on screen, I cannot get enough of them. Xie Bin Bin (XBB) and Yan Yi Yi (3Y) are the 2nd best couple in this drama. They give me all the feels. Honorable mentions include
Fortuna Yu (FY) as Wen Ren Shu.*Slow clap* She is playing her character well. I hate her. She sucks and it's all because of FY. Huang Xuan Wen's character, Fu Yuan Zhi, should be pitied more than hated. The more you watch the drama, the more you learn about him and the more it becomes clear that FYZ needs ********* (｡•́︿•̀｡)

All of their costumes seemed baggy and awkward, but as time went on I grew to like them. They look comfortable and beautiful. I especially love their training consumes and its colours. Thank goodness the opening credits do not give much away, I can enjoy the future costumes I haven't seen yet. **********

And the music? I already have the entire soundtrack downloaded and on repeat.

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The music was perfect.

That's the only thing I can certainly say that people should/would not argue about; the music was perfect. Every track fit the drama so well, and whenever Standing Egg's 'Not Clumsy Anymore' came on my eyes would tear up. It's such a beautiful song (♡ω♡ ) ~♪ and the song that JH sings for MJ is called 'Joys of Love/Happiness of Love/사랑의 기쁨' (Hope I spelt it correctly in Korean*)

The acting was good, but ON MY GOODNESS WERE THOSE KISSES STIFF AS HECK! IDK what was going through her head, but whenever Ji Woo got close to Hyeon Ju, you could see her freeze up. She was an immovable object. I hated their kisses ಠ︵ಠ

I would not rewatch this, unless someone can tell me every scene that 'NCA' played, then I'd make compilations for me to enjoy (~￣³￣)~

Don't watch the drama if you're just here for a certain actor. Unless you really enjoy OSTs (like I do), there isn't anything I can say to convince y'all to watch and enjoy this. It wasn't a bad drama, but it wasn't great either. You can live life without watching it and listen to the OST for the fun of it.

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"I nearly dropped this show because I judged if based on a few episodes. Before Jing Rong became a skilled fighter, her character annoyed me... But I picked it up again and was rewarded with amazing martial art skills and sweet butterflies in my stomach every time Yi Qing calls her 'Ah Jing' :D (*fingers crossed* this ends happy) "

I wrote those words after episode 20-23 (if I remember correctly). Nearly 20 episodes later, this review is about to take a complete 180.

Yes, main couple are still going strong (he even regards her as his second in command of Snow Tower), but that is the only thing that's going well.

Characters:

The second female lead inlove with male lead (his martial sister) and the supporting character inlove with the martial sister are SO ANNOYING. O.M.G. These two are awful: her, because she is siding with the bad guys to try and win male lead and him, because he will do ANYTHING to win over martial sister. I mean, COME ON. Can't you just move on. The girl is not interested. I knew from the VERY BEGINNING that martial sister would be a problem and as episodes went on, I was proven right. How she went from trying to protect Snow Tower to backstabbing all of her martial brethren.... IDK. IDC. I skip over her parts.

Music:

Loved the soundtrack. I have every song. That, and the beautifully choreographed fight between Ah Jing and Yi Qing in the rain, was worth watching the drama for. Everything else.... meh.

Overall:

I skipped the last 5 minutes of the drama....................









MAJOR SPOILER










My dude is in a wheelchair and unmoving while Ah Jing takes care of him, then he disappears, she looks for him and finds him standing by a waterfall or something. WJAT THE HECK KIND OF ENDING IS THAT. He is physically injured in the final battle, so much so that he cant live on his own and she wouldve spent her whole life catering to his needs. If he had not miraculously recovered.
(Nothing wrong with that, of course, give the fact that in the book they both die. However, after all the crap they put us through, they could not have given much better ending????)

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So good, I actually want to read the book.

Notable characters:

- Zhan Yan (Darren Chen) is such a great male lead. He's so believably perfect. To love Duanmu Cui enough to risk his life and the possibility of her loving someone else *swoon*. (I man, sometimes he does seem absolutely reckless, but I know it's thought out just enough).

- Duanmu Cui (Zhang Yi Shang) is an excellent female lead. I haven't agreed with a character's actions as much as I do with hers. And them together create one of the ultimate costume drama couples.

- Then there's Yang Jian (Han Dong). I HAVE NEVER LOVED A HEAVENLY DIETY AS MUCH AS I LOVE Star Lord. *tripple swoon* He's an amazing brother; always on Duanmu's side, always defending her against those louzy, lazy Heavenly Deities, always giving her the opportunities to make her own choices and learn from her mistakes. Yes, he has done some questionable things, but not without valid reason or out of selfishness. Yang Jian is the greatest brother and Heavenly deity anyone drama could ask for.

Notable moments:

- Every moment. Watch the drama. Stop reading reviews. You won't regret it.

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Totally worth it.

For those of you who watched 'Love and Redemption', read on. For those who haven't, skip this next paragraph. *Spoilers for L&R*



Firstly - I'd like to say, "I forgive you, Hao Chen (Liu Xue Yi)". Secondly - While watching L&R, I liked LXY's character up until he turned out to be a crazy and deluded person. After I found out what he did to Xuanji/Star of Mosha, I put him on my 'Actors I'll never be able to enjoy watching in other roles' list..... Then I saw that he has an upcoming drama with Yuan Bingyan (Chu Xuanji) and he's the male lead...... I love her but I hate him (his character)...... What....to....do....? I I started watching Qing Luo


Qing Luo is the cute Chinese costume drama I've been searching for for the first half of 2021. I don't even remember if I watched any costume C-Dramas this year. However I'll definitely remember this one. It may not be one of the best or the most original for some, but it's good enough for me (and probably others too).

The only actors I know are Daisy Dai (from Eternal Love/TMOPB) and Liu Xue Yi (from Love and Redemption). The rest of the cast are new to me and some of them are new in the industry. From the 5 episodes I've seen so far, Hu Wei (Li Zi Fan) and Wang Zi Wei (Qing Long) are new faces who are playing their roles very well.

HW has such earnest expressions and adorably soulful eyes. Although WZW may be your typical skilled doctor that can cure and create all sorts of poisons (queue in Married Doctress and Legend of Yunxi), her character also being a strong, single mother with a bratty kid takes her to another level. She has more going for her. And I'm genuinely interested in knowing why she has amnesia and who the kids father is (although, I might be able to guess).

Also, if Qing Long could just borrow her harem to me for a few days, that would be great. They are such a breath of fresh air. So cute! The kid is my favourite character.

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*sigh* ZERO emotional investment.

*This entire review is riddled with spoiler (⌐■_■)
*I happen to be in a terrible mood as I write this and thinking of this drama has my mood worsening ಠ_ಠ
* If you are hoping to be convinced to watch this drama, then I advise you to read someone else's review. I would not want to put anyone through what I have been through because of About Time.

STORY

It started off well, but extremely predictable. I had already seen the ending coming after I had watched the first two episodes.

What I predicted:
- Their romance will start based on a lie on her part. They will break-up over an avoidable misunderstanding.
- Time stops when Choi is near Lee and counts upward when they touch..... That must mean she is taking time away from him.
- Her best friend and her brother will get together.

True to my stellar predicting skills, all of this did happen, but in later episodes. The first 8 episodes I did genuinely enjoy them. There was not anything special about them. They were alright. Then it all went downhill.

Around episodes 9-15 I watched the drama at 2x the speed. I never experienced frustration, happiness, sadness, or ANY emotion when watching from around episode 9 onward. I had the most stoic facial expression as I thought in my head was, "how many minutes are left? I could be watching better dramas." These were the most boringly predictable episodes I have ever watched. I try (so very hard) not to label a drama as 'boring', but there is no other word for it. If i thought their chemistry was non-existent in the previous episodes, it definitely went out the window during these episodes. *************************sigh ************************* They never got to answer my pressing questions. Especially when the revelation came that Lady Oh can see the clocks (and possibly her grandmother could too). Fiction writers have the power to write whatever they want to, but the screenwriters decided to leave this up in the air (¬_¬ )

CHARACTERS

Lee Sung Kyung's voice is so beautiful. No doubt about that. She gave hectic Kim Bok Joo vibes whenever she sang. And that is all I can say about her characters. I remember I had written this about episode 6:
"Has anyone ever noticed that Lee Sung Kyung's left eye is larger than her right?????? Why I am saying this is because I am more interested in her eyes than the crocodile tears coming out of them (insert bus scene here)." I will just leave that there.

Every scene with Bae, Choi and Lee together. I did not know how to fee about the love triangle between Bae, Lee and Choi. I liked Bae's character. She started off unproblematic, very helpful in business and was the most fashionable in every scene. They completely RUINED her character from episode 8 onward. I had thought she was going to fall in love with the Chinese Investor (he seemed very interested in her and she had him in the palm of her hand whenever business negotiation time came around). They would have made a lovely couple. They turned her into the clichéd second female lead who would do anything to keep 'her man'. Goodness. *insert table flip*

Finally, Lee and Choi..... Hhhhmmmmmm. Their relationship.... Hhhhmmmmmm. I did feel the chemistry. Their physical contact was akward and their kisses were lackluster. And in the final episode, when they are laying on the round after being hit by the KDrama White Truck/Van of Death with that waste of tomatoes sauce they call a blood stain, I wished they had both perished. As a means of compensation for wasting hours of my time.

MUSIC

Sucked, because the drama sucked. I don't want to listen to the soundtrack seperately, it will bring back memories of this drama.

OVERALL

Never watching this ever again.

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I loved it.

Although it was beyond predictable from start to finish, I still quite enjoyed this mini series. The music was great. I've already downloaded the OST :-D The couples were adorable, however, everyone keeps talking about how the family bloodline has come to and end... As if surrogacy isn't an option ^_^ Let them be.

The sister was hilarious (and a very obvious plot driver). Honestly, couple 3 needs to thank her for pushing them to realise their feelings for each other.

If you're looking for sweet, short and funny drama, you'll find it here. It's nothing too heavy and it doesn't take itself seriously.

Every moment is enjoyable. Don't let the language mixing stop you; I wish more dramas would do this. There are bi- and multilingual people out there, it was fun having to listen to the different languages and read the English subs at the same time :-D:-D:-D:-D:-D

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Eternal Love was the first Chinese Drama I'd ever watched. From the very first minute of episode one to the very last second of the last episode, I had been hooked. Yang Mi and Mark Chao gave the preformance of a lifetime. Never have I seen such chemistry before.

I'm gonna be honest: before I figured it out, I had thought the spirit of the golden lotus, Mo Yuan and Ye Hua were three different people (absolutely stupid, I know). Then I was like.... "wait, is this not the same guy?!". It was the same guy. Mark Chao as Mo Yuan and the lotus spirit gave me fomo... I want a Master that awesome and a spirit friend that sweet. However, Mark Chao as Ye Hua was ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (You'll understand when you watch the series).

The acting was phenomenal, the scenes, costumes and the supporting cast was the best cast family I've seen work together. Whether it was on screen or BTS, everyone was having the time of their life.

If they were to reboot the series ten years from now, I'd beg the universe to have Yang Mi and Mark Chao reprise their roles (of course, they'd need to time travel to the future or find a fountain of youth to make sure they look as young as they did).

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....I would make the same choice and rewatch this drama.

Goodness. This review is full of spoilers. The only thing you need to know is that the drama is amazing and worth a try. If you enjoy it, that is wonderful... if you do not, that is alright as well. If you are the type to read spoilers and not be discouraged, then go ahead... if you want to watch the drama someday and cannot stand spoilers, stop reading after the next three sentences.

This drama is amazing, I hope others will think so too and it is best to have tissues ready for those emotional goodbyes. If you leave on the way, I hope you come back and complete the journey. This drama is worth it.

Now for spoilers.












These awards are for all the dramas I have seen for the first half of 2020.

Award for BEST KDRAMA SECOND LEAD'S MOTHER goes to..... Go Myung Eun (GME).
She supported her daughter in every decision she made. She did everything she could to protect her daughter's reputation, speed-up the wedding date and help her live a comfortable life in the village, because she thought Seo Dan (SD) wanted to marry Ri Jeong-hyeok (RJH). As soon as she released RJH was not what SD wanted anymore, she did not pressure her. When SD was moving on, GME went with the flow and investigated Gu Seung-jun (SJ), incase she was dodge (he was). She did not push SD into anything she did not want to do, i.e. wanting her to use talismans to find a husband three years after SJ's death. If only more second lead KDrama mothers were more like GME. *sigh* She was one of my favourite characters. Everytime she was on-screen, I could not help but smile.

This leads to her second award...
Award for BEST DUO goes to.....
Go Myung Eun (GME) and Go Myung Suk (GMS).
This mom-and-uncle, brother-sister duo were a riot! GMS spoke with a constant foot in his mouth and GME was there to set him straight everytime. Whether she verbally scolded him or physically assault him, it sure was hilarious to watch GMS try and fail to be a good brother and uncle. He did do his best. I, especially, enjoyed their last scene on-screen. Brilliant performances 'til the very end.

Award for MOST SMUG-POUT goes to....
The Fifth Company Master Sergeant, Pyo Chi Su (PCS). ( ^ - ^ )
The transformation from a smug to a pout was one of his best attributes. Every word that cane out of his mout h was riddled with ridicule towards South Korea, capitalism and 'that woman' (Seri). However, it was clear to us (the viewers) and his comrades that... those three weren't that bad （⌒▽⌒）As he got to know them, he grew to tolerate, understand and care for them, respectively. Although, he would never admit it. The smug-pout was a staple on his face whenever he dealt with anything beyond his scope of comprehension. *happy sigh*

And finally
Award for BEST SECOND LEADS goes to...
Seo Dan (SD) and Gu Seung-jun (SJ).... because THEY MOVED ON AND FOUND LOVE ELSEWHERE! Unfortunately, SJ did not make it 'til the end ( T - T ). All I have to say about them was said in the episode review, but I will still add this:
SJ was so bad-ass was a bad-ass who went out with a bang (painful pun intended).

End note (and deepest wish):
- If DAVICHI and YOON MI-RAE could please sing the soundtrack of my life, I would very much appreciate it.
- If HYUN BIN and SON YE JIN were to appear in another drama together and KIM JUNG HYUN were to get his HEA, I would also appreciate that too.

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At least it had a HEA [Major spoilers at the end]

I'm so glad this had a happily ever after with only a few heartbreaking (but necessary) ends for some characters.

Zhang Ya Qin is now my third favourite Chinese actress. She is beyond amazing. I haven't watched a more convincing "man", dedicated disciple and strong female lead in one drama in FOREVER. There is usually one drawback about costume drama FLs, but not with Su Yun Luo (ZYQ). I LOVE HER.

This drama is one of the best of all of my favourite costume dramas. The brilliantly choreographed fight scenes found in Listening Snow Tower and Legend of Fu Yao. The physically weak, but psychologically strong ML from LST. The addictive MUSIC like "Love and Redemption" and "Novoland:Pearl Eclipse". Everything about this drama was so good.

I just can't give it full stars, because it made me cry a little too much. So much heartbreak. So much sadness. Watch with tissues.








.








SPOILERS









.











- Zhu Yan's death was so sad, but necessary
- Chang Ge and Jian Er's deaths were sad, but unnecessary. She had a terminal illness! Why not wait for her inevitable death and his death of a broken heart or su*c*de. (*i*i)
- I reeaaallllllyyyy though Chang Ge was Emperor Ai. It would have been a much better plot twist.
- Before the final battle (in the palace) when Qing Ci said he had a surprise (the fireworks) for Yun Luo and she said she had one too (also fireworks) for him, I thought she meant she would tell him that she was preggers. I mean, they had a kid around the same age as the years that passed after the final battle. So....
- Whhhhyyyy did they introduce Jiang Er as Chang Ge's love interest. I felt ZERO chemistry between them. He was better off having a platonic relationship with Ah'Yan. (They had a stronger bong. Soulmates).

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This could have been 36 episodes or less.

Major spoilers. No structure to this.

There are 4-10 episodes worth of runtime that weren't necessary, because:

• We already know that Yan Wenxiu is a scheming hoe with a hard-on for Ni Chang/Xie Xiaoni.
• Su Wenyu is obsessively 'in-love' with NC/XXN, but he isn't the one for her. (I started to dislike his character after that whole, "You're a weak woman, I'm a strong man" speech.
• Yuan Daocheng is corrupt. Su Gongming is corrupt. They look like they're winning and the wheel of karma is turning slowly.

All of this was dragged out for too long.

I didn't mind all of the hardships NC/XXN faced; the assassination attempts, the sabotaging of her business ventures and generally the constant dead ends she would run into over her family's scandal. All that she has faced, I'm reminded of Fu Yao and how she is ALWAYS going through some kind of crisis because of externals.

Either than that, the drama was good.

I've seen Nicky Li in two other dramas and I love her. I haven't watched any of the other characters, ever, but they quickly became my favourites. The drama really has an entertaining and unique story (imo). I liked how they didn't centre the whole story around her getting revenge.

Some of my favourite moments:
- when she was accepted into the embroidery and design school,
- starting up Yuanxiang's family's business (again and again),
- learning new tricks-of-the-trade, continuously improving herself and her skills.

NC/XXN is certainly one of my favourite characters.

The OST is also beautiful.

Don't be turned off by my rewatch value. It's a good drama, but I don't rewatch costume dramas....

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