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This review may contain spoilers
Started with a Nice Twist on Cold CEO as a Woman But Floundered in Cliches Afterward
Love triangles, misunderstandings galore that lasted too long and often didn't make sense, noble idiocy, freaking six-year skip in another country with no contact, rich CEO forcing a contract marriage, childhood friends turned adult romance, scheming stepmother, controlling father, skeevy adopted brother, evil board members, and childhood traumas. Other than amnesia, I think this drama had most of the tropes covered. The one twist was the CEO was a woman, and her forced partner was a man.The good: As the powerful CEO, FL's office wear was haute couture and sizzling, especially the black/white ensembles. And those handbags! Nice. Oddly, when she returned home, she'd change into frumpy housewife dresses in ghastly shades of muted corpse.
The bad: It was hard to believe the motivation of the bad guy. It was even harder to believe that after all his planning and scheming that he made peace at the end.
I liked the leads, but I found the love stories of the two other eventual couples (who were involved in multiple love triangles until the very end) were tedious, repetitive, and distracting.
*MAJOR SPOILER to follow*
I'm glad this is fiction, because if someone had stolen the first five years of my baby's life—something I could never get back—I'd find that unforgivable. I'd jettison 99.99% of drama relationships. I find myself mumbling, "I'd never put up with that!"
The time skip was atrocious, but the supernatural ending with dead sister was worse. Why didn't she show up 16 years earlier and save everyone all the trauma and destruction? I enjoy fantasy and supernatural elements if they're introduced early and follow the drama's parameters, but it's a cheap trick to inject them at the end of a long drama.
TL; DR: Started well and with sizzle, meandered in the middle, and fizzled out at the end. The leads were watchable, but the script failed them.
I added an extra half star for FL's styling as the CEO at the beginning of the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Subverted Cliches
Flashbacks aren't a favorite narrative device of mine, but My Fated Boy did them well, and they added greatly to the story. The viewer watched expectant neighboring parents pledge their unborn children to one another in marriage and then agonize as the daughter was born first, and the son was born seven years later, effectively ruining their plans. With each episode, we saw the little girl go from major disappointment that the new baby was a boy (when she'd hoped for a girl), to bullying and using the toddler baby as her scapegoat, to finally becoming his close friend and protector.He Yu was adorable as the smitten kitten totally in love with his childhood friend. The supporting cast was a joy, with screenwriter Meng Hu giving depth to characters other writers treat as paint by number. The wife of the CEO was smart, warm, and loyal to her sister, but she was also kind and considerate to her sister's rival. The 2FL was a breath of fresh air in drama world. She was passionate and determined (and I did dislike her greatly at first), but she grew from entitled to admirable. The FL's friends added to the warm and supportive feel. Other characters deviated from the run-of-the-mill drama script, which was refreshing! I'd see the set-up and groan that here comes another evil executive, and I'd have my expectations subverted. Thank goodness! And most of the noble idiocy acts were short and overcome quickly.
The OST fit the drama well, the cast was great, and the ML was the cutest puppy in love.
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The Many Views of an Attractive Torso
Come for the vampire, stay for the plot loosely stitched together purely by Dai Gao Zheng's handsome chest, which did its part admirably. Condolences to the FL for the writer skipping on her dialogue and forcing her to repeat the ML's name "Chong Yang" ad nauseum.Not much of a story, minimal budget, and haphazardly presented, but the OST and abs were good.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1N6M-ZA-i_s
I added a full star for DGZ's torso. Such diligence in maintaining a fit body deserves acknowledgment.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unfortunately, this drama focused on one of my personal taboos: a person who feels entitled to the love of another. After FL's confession to the clueless object of her affection, ML merely said he thought they were unsuited to one another. He didn't say he hated her or she was repulsive; he wasn't angry, mean, or disgusted—he was taken unaware and was confused and perplexed. After all, she was the girl who had tried to fix him up with another woman. How was he to know she'd had a one-sided love affair with him for four years? After the unsuccessful confession, FL sexually assaulted the ML, forcibly kissing him and holding him in an armlock. I don't condone this action when done by males; why is it permissible for females? When this didn't change the ML's mind, FL turned into the classic scorned woman, full of anger and bitterness. All the love she'd previously held for the ML turned into loathing.
She should have been fired from the company. Instead, the ML discovered he loved her and began to pursue her. I guess that sullen face grew on him. FL was manipulative, deceitful, childish, and mean-spirited. She continued to be spiteful, contrary, difficult, and disagreeable. ML forfeited his dignity and became her pitiful doormat.
I hate-watched the rest of the drama simply for Miles Wei and Yang Shi Ze's sakes. I realize I'm not the typical romance viewer, so your experience may differ greatly. I'm of the opinion that romance/marriage should be of a balanced nature with respect and power on both sides. No one is entitled to own someone else's heart, and a rejection of a confession (especially when it comes unexpectedly) should be accepted gracefully.
I added an extra star for the MLs.
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This review may contain spoilers
So Many Questions!
What happened to Wei Qing's mother? She doted on Ning Fei, but she didn't make an appearance in the entire show. Why did the sweet, kind, effervescent FL become an angry, sullen difficult woman? I admit she had due cause to be angry at the circumstances, and I wouldn't have blamed her for breaking off a relationship that was toxic, but there are better ways than ghosting a person and still wanting to be a part of his life afterwards. I began to detest a character I'd cheered on in the first season. How could she let her best friend live in limbo when she knew her loved one was alive? Worse yet, when directly asked by the friend, she lied and said she didn't know anything.The manufactured drama and ridiculous nature of this season made me cringe. Did amnesia really need to make an appearance? Worse yet, all the villains were left unscathed and even had their hideous actions glossed over. I guess attempted murder, corporate espionage, blackmail, slander, libel, and theft aren't that big a deal; invite the black-hearted psychopaths to our wedding!
The first season had a light-hearted aspect that the angst-ridden second season lacked. I suggest stopping at the first season unless you are addicted to the ML's torso (it makes a frequent appearance, so there's that).
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Dark, Rich Wuxia That Keeps One Guessing
When I think of darkness, spies, and poison, Esther Yu is not the first actress that comes to mind, but she did an admirable job navigating between good and evil, safety and danger, and love and hate in this wuxia drama.The Good:
• Esther Yu was athletically mesmerizing to watch in her fight scenes. I was so pleased to see her in a mature role, and she did it well.
• The friction between the MLs was riveting to watch. Gong Shang Jue was a pit bull to Gong Zi Yu's golden retriever. Ryan Cheng evoked massive disdain with a slight narrowing of his eyes! And who had puppy dog eyes? It was Gong Zi Yu: he's a good boy.
• Loved the growth arc for Gong Zi Yu. I relished the scenes of his rebuttals to Gong Shang Jue's accusations. With his intelligence, he was able to turn the tables with irrefutable logic, much to Shang Jue's disgust.
• Beautiful cinematography.
• The supporting cast was composed of interesting characters. Shoutout to Tian Jia Rui. I wanted so badly for someone to wipe the smirk off of Gong Yuan Zhi's face!
• I loved how off-kilter the situations and people were. Who to trust? Who was a spy? Were the fellow spies telling the truth? Were they helping or hindering? And was that tea poisoned? I'd get skinny in a hurry in the Gong residence, because I wouldn't trust any food or drink!
• I'm not certain the Wufeng need to take over the Gongs, as I'm convinced most of them were spies anyway!
The Bad:
• The poster. I was never interested in the drama, because my eyes skipped over the poster. It was so dark, the two people depicted were indistinguishable. It's moody, but it didn't appeal to me.
• Can we please retire the horrible trope of the parent who demeans and destroys his child because he loves him and wants to make him strong? Belittling and torturing a child doesn't make him stronger: it makes him traumatized, resentful, and incapable of reaching his potential. I'm strict and stern with children when necessary, but I take the time to explain why I insist on certain behavior without calling them names. Conversely, when they do well, I let them know how pleased I am that they are growing into competent people.
• Idiotic assassins. Why sword fight, when you have access to guns? Why did the poison expert with the secret shooting weapons seem to never use them against the bad guys? I was left inwardly screaming, "Shoot your poison weapons!" when he'd idly stand by watching his friends in a fight to the death.
• The ending. There really wasn't one, as it seemed the story was meant to continue to a second season that likely will never happen. There were many loose ends and unresolved situations. In some way, I understand the ending being left open as realistic, but it came too abruptly and could have been handled more deftly for greater impact and understanding. It left this viewer frustrated and unsatisfied.
I'd love to see a second season. I want resolution with the Wufeng. I want closure for all my characters. I would have given an extra half star if not for that non-ending.
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Flawed People
A girl who'd been partially abandoned by her parents schemed to change her life, no matter the cost. Through underhanded methods, she usurped her favored sister's summons to the palace and plotted her way to power only to end in ruin. Given a miraculous chance at a do-over, she fought for a different outcome only to be thwarted at every turn by persistent fate.The Good:
• Everyone was stunning on screen, especially Bai Lu, Zhang Ling He, Wang Xing Yue, and Zhou Jun Wei. I can't complain about a love square that was written so well. The writer didn't sloppily use the trope to gin up manufactured angst, but allowed the motivations and emotions to naturally manifest on screen. All of the MLs were admirable in their own way. And Bai Lu was ethereally beautiful (especially in Empress regalia), in addition to being brave, smart, and resilient.
• The writer respected the viewers' intelligence and rewarded us with characters who didn't make stupid decisions simply to move the plot along. The FL's actions and feelings were understandable, as she had lived all this before and had preconceived ideas of what had happened and what would happen.
• I appreciated thinking how differently the story ended just because of one person's choices. Each of the three MLs had very different outcomes because the FL fought fate and made choices that changed the trajectory of all their lives. Bad things still happened, and she couldn't "fix" everything, but the lives of people she touched positively made all the difference in the grand scheme of things and to them personally.
The Bad:
• This is just a tiny quibble, but I laughed out loud when the diagnosis for red Satanic eyes, drinking blood, and an uncontrollable murderous rage was... schizophrenia.
• I disliked Xie Wei's favoritism for a daughter over a son, and I despised the casual abuse for comedic effect. Disrespecting a child isn't funny.
• Due to reincarnation/time travel censorship, the drama began and ended in modern times, and the drama was presented as a story within a story. It was disruptive and unnecessary, but I've come to accept it in Chinese dramas. It's a small price to pay for an otherwise riveting story.
Current culture loves to talk about red flags. Both the ML and FL were schemers with agendas and waved red flags the size of Texas. If you want a sweet drama with perfect people, this isn't it. If you want an entertaining story with intelligent people who lived with personal darkness, you'll appreciate their journey.
Add an extra half star for Bai Lu's make-up, costuming, and attitude as the Empress.
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Nearly Perfect Drama, but I Worry About the Writer's Childhood
Nearly every mother in Go Ahead was a nightmare, but the way the children grew, adapted, and supported one another made this a rewarding watch. GA had everything: humor, heartache, struggles, triumphs, and healing. The family relationships were everything, as they sacrificially watched out for and supported one another. Family in this context didn't necessarily mean blood, as the closest individuals weren't related at all.I'd just watched Shine on Me with Song Wei Long in which he played an attractive, competent CEO. He didn't have to work at being attractive and that role seemed an easy one for him, but he surprised me by his portrayal of a traumatized soul. He depicted the dead-inside, long-suffering young man well. Tan Song Yun was perfect as the free-spirited Li Jian Jian; Zhang Xin Cheng did admirably as the cautious overthinker; and Tu Song Yan was superb as the kind-hearted father figure of them all.
The drama never stayed dark for overly long. Sweet moments were interspersed among the serious scenes. The children as teens had many warm, loving interactions, some of the best parts of the drama. Beyond relationships, the drama featured many of my favorite things: food, books (I've put Our Starry Starry Night by Jimmy Liao on pre-order), and children.
There were so many relatable situations and characters. I was once asked for a metaphor for my parents, and I said "a black hole." Ling Xiao made that same comparison, and I could identify with his reasoning.
It took me a long time to decide to watch GA, because it had a "Melodrama" tag, along with "Depression," "Child Abandonment," and "Mental Illness." It didn't sound like a good time! I generally avoid melodramas, but this had enough sweetness and light to balance out the heaviness. There were tears, but they were mostly good ones, and there was plenty of laughter to counteract the sad times.
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Mischievous Fox and the Elegant Emperor
Eternal Love (the parent story) was mostly drama with comedic relief supplied by the exuberant fox and her crush, the Imperial Emperor. The sequel, Eternal Love of Dream, began with mostly silly comedy and very little drama. It was too great a departure from the feel of the parent story, so I put my viewing on hold. When I finally resumed the drama, the story switched to mortal tribulations, the FL matured and was less cutesy, and it became interesting to me once more.The Bad:
• There were far too many foolish misunderstandings that lasted way too long. One would think people who had lived for millenniums would have learned how to communicate with one another.
• As for FL being the leader of her clan, I'd like that job: she never led anyone, didn't serve on a committee, and was absent from her country 97% of the time. When she was home, she was either drunk or getting into trouble!
• The villain was disappointing, and it was hard to believe all the different leaders couldn't have dealt with her over time.
The Good:
• FL had character growth. She retained her stubbornness, playfulness, and impulsive nature, but she tempered it by listening to counsel and being willing to accept what she couldn't change.
• ML retained his narcissistic manner, but he learned to defer to the FL. His greatest change was realizing he shouldn't protect the FL from harmful knowledge; she had the need to know what was happening, if only to prevent more misunderstandings!
• The romance between the ML and FL was charming to watch. Gao Wei Guang and Dilraba Dilmurat each gave life to their roles and made their characters memorable.
• It was bliss watching the ever elegant and reserved ML become petty and spiteful over the tiniest things he felt encroached on his love. His expressions and snide remarks were deliciously amusing.
• The OST was enjoyable. I especially liked "Deliberately" by Dilraba Dilmurat and Silence Wang.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=c_aSzeG4b5U
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This review may contain spoilers
Daring Speed in Thailand; Sputtering Love in China
Thrills and romance set in Bangkok, Thailand? Sign me up. I relished the change of scenery with the opportunity to view the dilapidated elegance of a major city. The day scenes showcased colorful waterways, and the night scenes were magical in neon. I'm not a fan of brutality, so the boxing wasn't for me (and, thankfully, was limited), but I relished the racing scenes and wouldn't have objected to more, especially if the FL were the navigator.The FL was adorable, but how could she not be when played by Esther Yu? I didn't realize until I double-checked that the continually smiling, sweet boy from My Fated Boy was He Yu, who now played a dark, dangerous, desperate man. Who knew such a cute Golden Retriever pup could transform into a snarling Pit Bull?
I was enjoying the drama (even the love triangle wasn't overly annoying) until the act of Noble Idiocy hit. I felt the momentum slow and sputter, and it never revved up after the ensuing time skip. I will begrudgingly admit that I could understand this instance of sacrifice more than most dramas, because of the FL's age. ML didn't want to take her future away when she hadn't even attended college yet, and he didn't want to saddle such a spoiled young girl with a handicapped husband.
Add a nice supporting cast and excellent music to round out my review.
Offhand remarks: I was visibly relieved when the ML got a haircut after the time skip. I had wanted to snip those uneven strands so badly! And the mother's outdoor garden in Canada in winter with tropical plants... they would all be dead after one night. Not only that, but the mother had all the doors and windows open in the house. They'd be celebrating the New Year with burst plumbing pipes and pneumonia! Canada is frigid in the dead of winter.
TL;DR: Romance and racing in beautiful Thailand, but the drama lost its momentum, sputtered, and stalled once it relocated to Nanjing, China.
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When 28 is Immature and 50 is Over the Hill
I was ready for a light romcom, but never trust a K-drama! A silly premise can lead right into a body-dismembering serial killer. I wasn't prepared for angst when I had set myself up for mirth.The Good:
• Shoutout to Baek Seo Hoo who was adorable as the idol. I enjoyed his scenes and friendship with the elderly FL. Kudos to him for being smarter and more accepting than everyone else. Sweeter and cuter, too.
• The parents weren't horrid people. I enjoyed the FL's relationship with her father.
• Lee Jun Eun was entertaining as the FL's older self. She was delightful in the karaoke scene.
The Bad:
• As much as I like Jung Eun Ji (the actress is endearing) and Choi Jin Hyuk (he reminds me of my dearly beloved), the story and characters irked me. I detest lies, and there wouldn't have been much of a story without layers of lies and deceptions, even when the truth often would have been the wisest choice. Unfortunately, Jung Eun Ji's character was the sort of female lead I dislike most: mumbling or nonresponsive, evasive, passive, dishonest, and stupid. If a serial killer asked you to meet in private at a secluded place, would you blithely go without first contacting someone? As for Choi Jin Hyuk's character, he was supposed to be a first class prosecutor. I expected him to figure things out much sooner than he did. Pink backpack, hello?!
• The romance part of the romcom was severely lacking. Also, is it love if you can't trust your partner with your secrets?
• Age discrimination was rampant throughout the drama. A person in her 50s was treated as if life had passed her by and she had no worth. I've known people who lived viable lives into their 80s as important members of their communities.
• There was the mandatory K-drama breakup, time skip, and bad last episodes.
If you're looking for light and fluffy, pass on this one. If you want romance, look elsewhere. If you want to watch an older actress shine on screen, give this a try. The drama wasn't bad, but it was disappointing because I expected much more because I love the cast.
I added a half star for the actors. They did their best with a muddled script.
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Delightfully Funny RomCom That Loses Its Way at the End
My Royal Nemesis took tired cliches and transformed them into pleasingly familiar tropes to be appreciated. Viewers were treated to all those things we've come to love about K-dramas: the music, scenery, family relationships, and romance.The Good:
• The leads were wonderful together.
• This was definitely a case of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The reduced 14 episodes told the story without getting too caught up in peripherals, as so many longer dramas do (although, it could have cut out the FL's rival and rival's mother, the ML's two aunts, and FL's best friend at the very least). It recycled and reused freely of K-drama tropes:
• The White Truck of Doom foreshadowed the inevitable with its initial appearance.
• How would we know if our couple was falling in love without falling particles? The petals of tree blossoms showered down on our couple as expected, but that wasn't all. We were also treated to bubbles, snow, frost, and confetti. I don't doubt there were more floaties that I missed.
• I relished the music. Of course, Melomance from Business Proposal played, and I heard a song from Itaewon Class, too. I'm sure there were more that I didn't recognize, but they felt familiar.
• Product placements were loud and proud but done in an amusing manner that gently poked fun at the practice.
The Bad:
• Both main leads were on fire at the beginning of the drama. As it proceeded, they lost their drive and personalities. Some of their transformation was understandable, but the changes were too abrupt, and they nearly became unrecognizable.
• Tension and momentum were broken by Grandma's bus trip. It was so long and unnecessary. A drama that started strong began to bore me. The story came to a screeching halt just as things were getting interesting.
• The drama worked best when it stuck to comedy and teasing parody. When it tried to become a tearjerking melodrama, it lost its way.
• The set parameters of how the soul switch worked got messy at the end and didn't follow the rules of what had been established.
All in all, it was a pleasant throwback to romcoms of previous years, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It could easily have received a much higher rating if the tone at the first of the drama remained strong and true to the end. Unfortunately, it didn't, but it was still worth the watch.
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Those Were Scary Monkeys
Bai Lu did a masterful job of playing the kind, broken-brained killer, Ye Li. She had solid reasons for her revenge, and I wanted her to succeed in unraveling her four little death dolls, even when I was concerned her actions would cause her to self-destruct.An arranged marriage paired her with an equally traumatized individual, Mo Xiu Yao. He had every reason to question why he'd been paired with a politically volatile wife; his life had been made miserable by the Empress Dowager, and she'd been the one to assign the marriage. Ryan Cheng shone in his portrayal of a bitter, suspicious husband. The struggle for him to accept and understand Ye Li was the most engaging part of the drama. I especially enjoyed when he was secretly observing Ye Li: his quizzical looks when she was talking to herself; his amused looks when she was being endearing; and his tender looks when she was interacting with his family.
Many dramas instantly "heal" trauma when the protagonist faces her fears and embraces reality. Ye Li confronted the horrible truth of what had happened to her, and she accepted that she'd led a life of fantasy in order to cope; she would be able to maintain a seemingly normal life (with the support of loved ones) from then on. But she was far from normal. As long as she had the love of Xiu Yao and life went well, she could function well. But nobody better impinge on her loved ones, or I believe her psychopathic tendencies would lead her to remedy the problem by making them fertilizer for her flowers.
The OST was outstanding. I loved the song song "Love isn't Just Romance."
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hlFJ6UlqrCc
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Ryan Ren Smolders
I needed a short palate cleanser after long dramas, and Ryan Ren's tiny dramas fit the ticket. In this one, Ryan Ren did what he does best: look dangerous and kiss passionately.Liu Nian was stunning in her chunky heels and gorgeous Qipaos. She's a tiny thing; Ryan Ren could pick her up and carry her about with one hand!
The less said about the plot, the better. The noble idiocy wasn't noble, but it scored high in the idiocy range, as an anonymous phone call would have accomplished the same without instilling angst and hatred. But that would have forced the writer to come up with a different scenario—wait, what am I saying? A writer? I don't think so. These Republic Era shorts are all cut/paste from other dramas. No originality needed. Writers optional.
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Love Hurts
I love the Republican Era for the sets, fashion, and neon, but I wish they were less titillating and had better story lines. Maybe I just haven't found the right ones yet. This did offer a compelling couple with plenty of chemistry. I'd love to see them star together in something more substantial. Both lead actors suited their roles admirably.Circle of Amnesia, er, I mean Love, put the FL through horrible memories, total amnesia, reverse amnesia, and then full memory again. Every time she got Whack-a-Mole'd, she'd have a different personality: sweet, young girl; hardened assassin; helpless victim who grew into a more confident woman; back to innocent, young girl again; and, finally, murderous avenger.
ML was shockingly cruel and violent, but his downfall was that he was a habitual liar. If just once, he'd sat the FL down and told her the truth, there might have been a different ending than the Circle of Bullets. And what the heck was that time skip after the ending about? I despise time skips, but this one was beyond weird and unnecessary. Know when to stop, director.
Watch if you want to watch two attractive people with chemistry, and your cringe level is high.
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