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Breathtaking City of Macau
The star was undoubtedly the vibrant city of Macau. The cinematography was spectacular, showcasing the Las Vegas-like casino area glowing at night, beautiful seascapes with striking bridges, charming neighborhoods, and congested city streets. Add gorgeous sunsets, lush gardens, and attractive architecture; I want to visit Macau now.There was romance between two attractive couples, a friendship between a lonely boy and a career woman, and some family drama. The love relationships were unlikely to satisfy romance junkies, as the couples were rarely the focus of attention for very long. It was as if three (or four) separate stories were stitched together in a disjointed manner.
Still, the drama was pleasant and pretty, and, sometimes, that's all I need. I added a half star for the privilege of being immersed into Macau.
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A Solid Romance Bogged Down by Business
The leads were attracted to one another but very cautious: he'd been hurt by a bad relationship, and she'd discounted him as a playboy (which he was). Watching them overcome their initial resistance was as rewarding as their sarcastic banter with one another.The Good:
• The leads were both mature, sophisticated, and accomplished adults.
• The relationship was amazingly devoid of many drama tropes. There were love triangles, but neither allowed them to impede their love story. It was refreshing to see two adults acting like adults, trusting one another, and not allowing a wedge to be placed between them.
• I appreciated greatly that the FL gave the ML the benefit of the doubt once she was all in, and I loved that the ML trusted her to handle his infatuated admirer.
• The flirting was delightful.
The Bad:
• Investment banking and law aren't exactly riveting; there was a great deal of business in the drama that didn't interest me.
• The OST off-putting. It wasn't cohesive. The songs ranged from country/western to pop to Las Vegas lounge music.
• I expected the story to have a destination. The overriding theme was that the ML and FL worked themselves to death and neither was especially fulfilled with their jobs. I anticipated them finding new directions to take with their lives, and that didn't happen.
I added a half star for the chemistry between the couple.
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Brought to You by Short Attention Span Theatre
Who knew Cliff Notes was actually wordy and unnecessarily long? My Fake Wife has 18 two-minute episodes, none of which is developed into a comprehensive story. I empathize with the difficulty of telling a story in such small increments.I liked the actors, but the writing was hampered by 90% of the dialogue being the name of the wife, Tang Bei Bei. Tang Bei Bei!
I added a half star because I liked the protagonist's variety of masks.
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Babies... the Toughest Job You'll Ever Love
A rebellious high school kid was left with the burden of a baby claimed to be his. Although the headaches were numerous, he came to love the child and grew up in the process, realizing what his parents went through for him. Nice addition is a brilliant neurodivergent girl who fell in love with him at first sight.Was this review helpful to you?
Average Romcom Elevated by Choi Jin Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo
I was in the mood for something low angst, and this featured Choi Jin Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo, both of whom I enjoy watching. I never read the manhwa, so I didn't go in with preconceived ideas, which was nice because I usually find screen adaptations of a favorite story lacking.The leads were appealing, and the best parts of the drama happened with their interactions. Romance lovers may be disappointed, as the relationship was held at arms length for a prolonged period, and then it was conducted in a business-like manner. I wanted to see the couple enjoying a honeymoon phase instead of having that lost to the ever popular time skip.
I added a half star because the last episode wrapped things up nicely and left me with a smile on my face.
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Toxicity in Every Shade and Hue
After watching several episodes, I decided nearly all of the characters, with the exception of the ML, FL, and a select few of their friends and family, needed to be placed in an airtight room and have the oxygen slowly pumped out of it.I kept having flashbacks to my dysfunctional childhood family. Unlike the ML and FL, who endured and accepted their abuse, I set boundaries once I became a mature adult. Real life isn't like a drama; toxic people don't often realize their toxicity and change their ways. It would be nice if reality functioned more like a drama.
The Good: The relationship between the ML and FL was a delight from beginning to end. ML's mother, the sweet and beleaguered wife to her malignant husband, realized at the end that she was also to blame for her daughter's distress and her son's condition, because she had enabled her spouse's vile speech and actions by not more firmly standing against him. The admission was too little and too late, but it meant more to me than the redemption of the "villains" in the story. I expect bad people to act badly; it's more horrifying when good people allow the bad to happen. Kudos to Tan Jian Ci. He was unrecognizable to me as the sweet ML from Filter. He made me absolutely loathe him in this.
The Bad: Toxic people don't often change in a short period of time. Yet, nearly every villain was either given a redemption story, forgiven outright, or had their outrages glossed over and forgotten. One person went to jail, and one person was divorced. Two out of about ten paid a price; the rest cried (and some didn't even do that) and were forgiven. To me, a real redemption consists of being sorry, asking the person who was hurt for forgiveness, and then atoning for the transgression. Atonement was lacking in nearly every case.
I fast-forwarded through the final episode. I lived through Covid-19 and didn't wish to re-live it. The scenario felt tacked onto the drama, which should have ended with the wedding.
I added an extra star because my Rewatch Value was so low. This was too stressful a view to want to sit through it again, regardless of how lovely the ML and FL were.
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Silly but Not Insufferable
The drama was a slapstick comedy about an out-of-favor military noble and a hostage pawn of a neighboring country. The pawn suffered from a split personality which initially drew the suspicion of the rough ML, but her elegant and kind personality captured his attention.I had to take breaks in watching, because broad comedy isn't my favorite. I'd keep coming back simply because the ML was so respectful of FL's autonomy, and that is often a rarity in Dramaland.
Added a half star because the ML insisted the FL should decide her own future. At every juncture when the 2ML wanted to protect her and prevent her from risky choices, ML would step in and champion her right to free will.
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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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Overuse of Filters Simulated Early-Onset Cataracts
Someone went to film school and wanted to try all the filters, light flares, bokeh, over exposure, vignettes, and out-of-focus shots. It was distracting. Too much of a good thing is still too much, and this wasn't a good thing. It's helpful when a drama uses different lighting or focus for flashbacks, and it can be effective in romantic scenes, but there wasn't a pattern or logic used that I could detect for the effects.The relationships between family and friends were more compelling to me than the romance, especially the one between brother and sister. Siblings are often depicted as adversaries in dramas; it was nice to see a supportive, loving, playfully teasing bond for a change. Also going against the trend was FL's stepfather, who was depicted as kind and caring to his stepchildren, often intervening for them with their overbearing mother.
For a drama that committed many of my least favorite tropes or devices (unbelievable amount of Time Skips, Noble Idiocy, Love Triangle, Break Up, Prolonged Unnecessary Misunderstandings, and Dumbfounded Mutism), the relationships and cute interactions kept me watching.
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They Get By with a Little Help from Their Friends
Hello, My Twenties! is a coming of age tale of young women living together in a share house. The interactions between the five women are warm and caring, with the occasional spat and temporary wars based on misunderstandings, different personalities, and the usual friction caused by living together.The giggles, friendships, and aegyo helped soften the extremely difficult topics the show presented: poverty, crushing guilt, violence, prostitution, murder, sexual harassment, and all sorts of trauma. K-dramas have the unique ability to present darkness with a gut punch but follow it with a warm human hug. Some could grumble that each trouble was presented simply and solved readily, but the drama was only 12 episodes long (and 14 for the second season), and it wasn't meant to be overly melodramatic or realistic. Let's face it: if a handful of women suffered all that under one roof, the Belle Epoque should have been burned to the ground as a cursed house! Instead, the focus was on endurance and survival by relying on one's self but by being willing to accept help and support from others.
It's unfortunate that the first character the viewer was introduced to was Yoo Eun Jae, who was the most bland and trying character. Thankfully, characters Song Ji Won and Kang I Na were captivating. Park Eun Bin was pure effervescence as Ji Won; I need to watch more of her work.
The OST is especially appropriate for the drama, following the highs and lows of youth with bouncy songs interspersed with slow, reflective music.
I added a half star for Park Eun Bin and the OST.
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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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Dramatic Battle Scenes, Nice Romance, Epic Failure to End Satisfactorily
The cast, leads' chemistry, costumes, and OST were good. The story kept me invested most of the time. I loved the FL. She had an admirable character, and Zhou Ye played her well. Kudos to Ryan Cheng who had the best adoring looks as the ML.Nitpicks:
1. I'm all about female empowerment, but some of the speeches got too preachy. People accept points of view more readily when they are attractively and subtly presented, not when they are bludgeoned repeatedly with them.
2. The death of Yan He was telegraphed so hard in advance that it became a cheap and needless death.
3. Chu Zhao's character was a large part of the story, but his ending felt rushed and squandered. What a waste. He could have been an amazing villain or a compassionate leader after a redemption arc, but his character fizzled out.
4. If He Yan grew up as a boy and became a fierce general, she wouldn't have acted so timidly or cutesy, like hiding behind Xiao Jue while grasping him for protection. It would have been engrained in her to act masculine at all times, for fear of blowing her cover and losing her life.
5. During battle scenes, it's probably dangerous to seek out your loved one for a moony-eyed heart-to-heart talk or to sit and cry because you think your partner is dead when war is raging all around. Thankfully, the enemy respected that lovers need a break from battle and didn't skewer them with a spear. What is that? A love time out? A battle break?
6. No one noticed General Fei Hong shrunk overnight when He Ru Fei took He Yan's place? No one noticed the voice change? Or her delicate hands became manly? She was tiny, and he was average male sized. Major plot hole! I could suspend belief that beautiful He Yan was accepted as a male (not really, but I tried very hard!), but this was impossible to fathom.
Neither here nor there, but I don't believe I've ever watched a drama that smashed so much pottery to convey surprise, anger, and an utter disdain for the props budget. The director obviously loved the splash and crash of a smashed dish filled with liquid.
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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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Exceptional Female Lead Versus the Toxic Emperor
The FL became one of my favorite leading characters: the actress exuded quiet strength and nobility of character. She was brave, intelligent, kind, and adventurous. I practically cheered when she told the ML that she'd read many instances in romance novels where the couple had silly misunderstandings, but she wanted to eliminate that with communication. How nice to avoid a ditzy FL and nonsensical misunderstandings!FL's relationship with the ML was built on mutual respect and trust. Their chemistry was so sweet and strong. There was a break-up, but it made sense and wasn't used clumsily to rachet emotion. FL was saddened, but she got on with life. I respect the writer for not trying to wring excess heartache from the situation; restraint was more effective.
The drama highlighted many issues women would have encountered in that era (and even now): abuse, infidelity, lack of free will, etc. It dealt with bullying, poverty, and political oppression. It featured numerous murders and torture scenes. And yet, I'm thinking about putting Blossoms in Adversity in my Fluffy or Low Angst list, because it's so life-affirming and comforting.
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From Trauma to Love?
I quite liked the ensemble cast. Each person brought something to the drama. I especially appreciated the brainiac friends; they kept things interesting. The noona romance of the model and stray cat boyfriend was my least favorite coupling (she was verbally and physically abusive to him), but I still liked the characters. The FL and ML were, naturally, the most compelling. She was immature, gauche, and had an explosive temper, but she was also brave, emotionally strong, kind, and had a strong set of personal values that made her likable. ML was a psychological mess, but I personally enjoy the overcoming trauma trope.This should have been wrapped up in one season instead of stringing the viewers along for an angst-filled nonsensical second season. Just one more episode, and the drama could have concluded happily and well.
An extra half star was awarded for the nice friendship scenes.
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