I think the ending was good, the real culprit was arrested (the mom finally came true and for the best) and the…
Now placing this comment under a spoiler tag, to keep the focus of the comments on the drama "Beloved".
Your soft spot is well-chosen. There's a larger pantheon of male actors who act very well in their dramas or movies of choice including historical costume dramas, but they don't fit certain moulds, and Luo Jin is one of them.
Right now, currently-airing "Time Raiders" starring Francis Ng, Cao Lei, and younger actors such as Xu Zhenxuan and Chen Xiang is a very good combo, where the acting ranges from very apt to promising. Francis Ng and Cao Lei are spot-on. Tomb-raiding adventure horror drama adaptation of the first book and part of the second book, from the popular Dao Mu Bi Ji series.
"The Guardians" starring Zhang Yishan, Elvis Han Dongjun and Zhang Tian Ai is a Republican-era spy-espionage thriller currently airing. Witty, engaging, with high stakes and deft touches of humour. Also spot-on acting, with a strong FL. You can watch four episodes for free:
For K-drama, what brought me back was "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" which I am waiting for all the episodes to air before watching the final 6 episodes. It's not without its flaws but overall, it is engaging and fresh and a palpable hit harkening to nostalgia more than ten years ago because it does so well in all the angles it is supposed to nail, and the acting recalls certain actors and actresses of yesteryears in nuances. I remembered how Autumn In My Heart became a hit, followed by Winter Sonata, which was more than 20 years ago.
Seems like I've been waiting forever for this to release- so glad it's premiered, mainly because my favorite (and…
The extent of details are fascinating. When Ding Yi had a gun pointed at his face in front of everyone, he never flinched and used what he remembered about the details of personal tailoring and boutonnière in a light-hearted confident manner to turn the situation around.
Zhang Tian Ai is quite mesmerising in this drama, which is very much for adults. This main cast and their interactions with a supporting cast is stellar.
From Ding Qi (Mobius) to Ding Yi (The Guardians), the last thing I expected was a fight of this sort (fan edit using spoilers up to episode 3): https://m.weibo.cn/status/5213986087505299
Ding Yi is finally busy, in more ways than he could ever imagine. The chemistry is sizzling, the stakes are high, the moves are smooth, and somehow... Each of the leads share vulnerability that keeps this drama grounded and personal at the right moments.
This trio is hilarious! Pangzi carries Wu Xie, Cheng Xiang (Zhang Qiling) carries Xu Zhenxuan (Wu Xie), etc. Shenanigans include Xu Zhenxuan trying to kick the camera capturing Cheng Xiang carrying him: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5214057653080675
The action scenes of Zhang Qiling are so good!! Very well produced with the background music and all. At the end…
I tried watching 17 episodes of "Ultimate Note" and it's messier with more loose ends compared to this drama. How closely does "Ultimate Note" follow the books?
Sad that Da Kui died (I was going NOOOO like Wu Xie inside), but this actor as Zhang Qiling is totally slaying it!
Near the end of episode 7, when Professor You speaks of someone saying to him in a dream "A life for a life,…
If anything, I am a wee bit sore at how Jiang Yuwen seemingly got off without any repercussions for his early history. But that's life. Mo Yuanzhi doesn't die, but this is one of those dramas best kept to one season even if Ding Qi and Mo Yuanzhi really had that full-on vibe between them of having an arch nemesis. Maybe in another life if they were tomb raiders and comrades, this could have been them for a theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTbLa7osSPE
Great for me discovering Bai Jing Ting in this drama. He's one of those gifted actors who can carry a drama very easily but in this case, he also had a strong ensemble cast with him and it really elevated this drama. I would like to see him in a crime-thriller movie with Simon Yam. "Mastermind" is a movie starring Simon Yam, Louis Koo, Ci Sha etc that is not yet out.
TJOL was a wreck due to the main Screenwriter, Director and post-production team somehow managing not to do their jobs. It's bewildering and sad, when one sees much effort the cast put into their roles. I'm not a Cheng Yi fan but I feel so bad for him. I reckon "Vendetta of An" will be much better when it airs. I had been watching for Chi lam but the epic fight he is supposed to be in hasn't happened yet.
That said, if you want something already completed airing in an IQiyi Light On series, "Beloved" of 16 episodes has a strong human interest and psych angle for a whodunnit: https://mydramalist.com/761581-beloved
If you ever watched Kdrama "My Mister", the C-drama version starring Zhang Zi Feng and Mark Chao finally got the airing license, 28 episodes. That is going to be engrossing.
Aah, my friend, you are now stuck with us in the rabbit hole🥳🥳 . I personally like Francis Ng and think…
Liu Yuning is my favourite character this far, in "Ultimate Note". He's always had a knack for comedy and timing, and he's just the perfect mix of cheesy, funny, cool and mysterious for his character.
((Sorry, I ate all the pizza. You can have the sake))
Your review is full of enthusiastic sunshine and emotional details, an interesting take not wholly focused on the action/suspense/crime-solving angles. It's great to have a variety of reviews, especially the many ways in which a drama has a solid emotional core that resonates and grips the viewer. And you've elucidated on that very well ୧꒰*´꒳ `*꒱૭
Near the end of episode 7, when Professor You speaks of someone saying to him in a dream "A life for a life,…
You're welcome. It's sad how Mo Yuanzhi turned out versus how Ding Qi turned out. When Mo Yuanzhi was yelling at Jiang Yuwen in B3 of the carpark, and when he kept hitting the cane on the ground instead of hitting Jiang Yuwen until the cane broke, it was a sign of how he was still struggling with himself for balance but when he was willing to get the knife to cut off Ding Qi's hand keeping him handcuffed- That was when something inside him had snapped to the point that he would do anything to get his way. Love warped and traumatised under the wrong circumstances can create the worst villains, who were never villains to begin with.
The ending was what I expected. What was really good about this drama (despite a few flaws) was the fact that Ding Qi isn't a know-it-all and needs a team. Each loop shows how he had to figure out the need to prevent future mistakes and incidents, and he mostly had it figured out but even in the fifth loop, things could have gone very wrong for others such asTang Xin and Han Yu Fei. And if Ding Qi had not built up that trust with Tang Xin and learned from his teammate about Tang Xin and Maggie, Jiang Yuwen would have detonated the bomb. Five loops pertaining to the Moma situation was absolutely necessary.
All these little things we don't think about can be the difference between a tragedy or a celebration. That's why i look at the little things.
"The Guardians" is a Republican-era spy espionage thriller, soon to air. I've watched TJOL but there are so many production issues and post-production issues, I feel so bad for the cast including the ones who don't act well. TJOL is a sadly apt example of what happens when the Screenwriter, Director and post-production team screw up.
Near the end of episode 7, when Professor You speaks of someone saying to him in a dream "A life for a life,…
Kudos to the Screenwriter and Director! This is how a drama should be written and produced, even incorporating romance at its minimal intertwined with love at its maximum that is also effectively felt.
I like how the innocents and non-innocents are clearly defined. Even if Maggie and Tang Xin are Jiang Yuwen's daughters, he clearly loved them enough to keep them out of his personal enmity with Mo Yuanzhi.
I really enjoyed this drama. It actually gave me a workout mentally. Many dramas cannot achieve that. Mo Yuanzhi and Wanqing's love broke my heart.
When profiling, love, fear or hate are usually the strongest emotional drivers. Love gone wrong, love to be rectified, love wanting a second chance- Love or fear or hate is usually the inspiration.
If you can't get into the psychology and mindsets of other people, profiling is usually ineffective or wrong. Effective profiling cannot be done when emotional and not sufficiently self-aware.
Emotions are useful if they serve a primary purpose in an emergency situation, otherwise emotions need to be adequately processed before deciding on a course of action for non-positive circumstances. By processing, it is vital to feel and let the emotions run the bulk of their energetic or depressing or overwhelming-in-other-ways course, or compartmentalise and come back to them later and give them due process needed to come to terms with such emotions. Denial is never smart or helpful. Panicking and/or reacting primarily on emotions in a majority of situations is not useful. In the most-pressurising situations, you'll harm someone else and/or do yourself in. If you don't process something sufficiently, you are not acting on a purpose but reacting to a trigger/aggressor/stimulant.
Mobius is now my Drama Of The Year. It's also emotionally wrenching like "This Thriving Land" but at least it is replete with hope and a good ending for as many people as possible.
Aah, my friend, you are now stuck with us in the rabbit hole🥳🥳 . I personally like Francis Ng and think…
Oh, the grandfather in this series is 秦沛! I couldn't remember Paul Chun's English name and I remembered him when he was 15 years younger XD I'll watch "Ultimate Notes" after I finish this series and "Mobius", since I believe it can standalone by itself. Joseph Zeng will definitely give a very good performance as Wu Xie!
There is no rabbit hole, only great pizza :p You need to join us for the pizza.
I think the ending was good, the real culprit was arrested (the mom finally came true and for the best) and the…
If those who watch Mobius also watch this drama, I believe there'll be very similar solid ratings by objective viewers going to at least 8 or above, rather than being pushed up by viewers who primarily want to prop up their idols. Frankly, the number of watchers and comments for such dramas are usually a lot less than historical costume dramas. Have you watched "Beneath the Undertow"?
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Your soft spot is well-chosen. There's a larger pantheon of male actors who act very well in their dramas or movies of choice including historical costume dramas, but they don't fit certain moulds, and Luo Jin is one of them.
Right now, currently-airing "Time Raiders" starring Francis Ng, Cao Lei, and younger actors such as Xu Zhenxuan and Chen Xiang is a very good combo, where the acting ranges from very apt to promising. Francis Ng and Cao Lei are spot-on. Tomb-raiding adventure horror drama adaptation of the first book and part of the second book, from the popular Dao Mu Bi Ji series.
"The Guardians" starring Zhang Yishan, Elvis Han Dongjun and Zhang Tian Ai is a Republican-era spy-espionage thriller currently airing. Witty, engaging, with high stakes and deft touches of humour. Also spot-on acting, with a strong FL. You can watch four episodes for free:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1sYXi4A1Q0 - Ep 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to36j6Nc81o - Ep 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8rbd8DBlOM - Ep 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy5_nDNwOvc - Ep 4
For K-drama, what brought me back was "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" which I am waiting for all the episodes to air before watching the final 6 episodes. It's not without its flaws but overall, it is engaging and fresh and a palpable hit harkening to nostalgia more than ten years ago because it does so well in all the angles it is supposed to nail, and the acting recalls certain actors and actresses of yesteryears in nuances. I remembered how Autumn In My Heart became a hit, followed by Winter Sonata, which was more than 20 years ago.
To end this comment, have some unforgettable Yoon-a XD: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Yk4991qIm64
Someone is very awesomely trying to get me back into Jdramas, for which I am grateful XD
Zhang Tian Ai is quite mesmerising in this drama, which is very much for adults. This main cast and their interactions with a supporting cast is stellar.
Ding Yi is finally busy, in more ways than he could ever imagine. The chemistry is sizzling, the stakes are high, the moves are smooth, and somehow... Each of the leads share vulnerability that keeps this drama grounded and personal at the right moments.
And here (with English subs, cool anime-style): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTbLa7osSPE
Another snippet of these three interacting well: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5213793719421544
FMV of the team in action across the episodes (don't click on this if you don't want spoilers from episode 8): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5214388846068511
Sad that Da Kui died (I was going NOOOO like Wu Xie inside), but this actor as Zhang Qiling is totally slaying it!
Great for me discovering Bai Jing Ting in this drama. He's one of those gifted actors who can carry a drama very easily but in this case, he also had a strong ensemble cast with him and it really elevated this drama. I would like to see him in a crime-thriller movie with Simon Yam. "Mastermind" is a movie starring Simon Yam, Louis Koo, Ci Sha etc that is not yet out.
TJOL was a wreck due to the main Screenwriter, Director and post-production team somehow managing not to do their jobs. It's bewildering and sad, when one sees much effort the cast put into their roles. I'm not a Cheng Yi fan but I feel so bad for him. I reckon "Vendetta of An" will be much better when it airs. I had been watching for Chi lam but the epic fight he is supposed to be in hasn't happened yet.
That said, if you want something already completed airing in an IQiyi Light On series, "Beloved" of 16 episodes has a strong human interest and psych angle for a whodunnit: https://mydramalist.com/761581-beloved
If you ever watched Kdrama "My Mister", the C-drama version starring Zhang Zi Feng and Mark Chao finally got the airing license, 28 episodes. That is going to be engrossing.
((Sorry, I ate all the pizza. You can have the sake))
In episode 5, gonna need more than Uncle 3 and Pan Ji when it comes to Wu Xie being so totally and understandably a greenhorn.
୧꒰*´꒳ `*꒱૭
The ending was what I expected. What was really good about this drama (despite a few flaws) was the fact that Ding Qi isn't a know-it-all and needs a team. Each loop shows how he had to figure out the need to prevent future mistakes and incidents, and he mostly had it figured out but even in the fifth loop, things could have gone very wrong for others such asTang Xin and Han Yu Fei. And if Ding Qi had not built up that trust with Tang Xin and learned from his teammate about Tang Xin and Maggie, Jiang Yuwen would have detonated the bomb. Five loops pertaining to the Moma situation was absolutely necessary.
All these little things we don't think about can be the difference between a tragedy or a celebration. That's why i look at the little things.
"The Guardians" is a Republican-era spy espionage thriller, soon to air. I've watched TJOL but there are so many production issues and post-production issues, I feel so bad for the cast including the ones who don't act well. TJOL is a sadly apt example of what happens when the Screenwriter, Director and post-production team screw up.
Would enjoy finding BGM of this drama. Ending is perfect.
"Epic" is the only word I can think of. Absolute gem. Possibly my C-Drama of the Year!
I like how the innocents and non-innocents are clearly defined. Even if Maggie and Tang Xin are Jiang Yuwen's daughters, he clearly loved them enough to keep them out of his personal enmity with Mo Yuanzhi.
I really enjoyed this drama. It actually gave me a workout mentally. Many dramas cannot achieve that. Mo Yuanzhi and Wanqing's love broke my heart.
When profiling, love, fear or hate are usually the strongest emotional drivers. Love gone wrong, love to be rectified, love wanting a second chance- Love or fear or hate is usually the inspiration.
If you can't get into the psychology and mindsets of other people, profiling is usually ineffective or wrong. Effective profiling cannot be done when emotional and not sufficiently self-aware.
Emotions are useful if they serve a primary purpose in an emergency situation, otherwise emotions need to be adequately processed before deciding on a course of action for non-positive circumstances. By processing, it is vital to feel and let the emotions run the bulk of their energetic or depressing or overwhelming-in-other-ways course, or compartmentalise and come back to them later and give them due process needed to come to terms with such emotions. Denial is never smart or helpful. Panicking and/or reacting primarily on emotions in a majority of situations is not useful. In the most-pressurising situations, you'll harm someone else and/or do yourself in. If you don't process something sufficiently, you are not acting on a purpose but reacting to a trigger/aggressor/stimulant.
Mobius is now my Drama Of The Year. It's also emotionally wrenching like "This Thriving Land" but at least it is replete with hope and a good ending for as many people as possible.
There is no rabbit hole, only great pizza :p You need to join us for the pizza.