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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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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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A Visual Treat

Zhang Lin he and Tian Xi Wei were captivating on screen. Any other man wearing ginormous pheasant feathers could have looked Dr. Seuess-ish, but Zhang Lin He looked majestic with the feathers waving in the wind when he triumphantly entered the city on his horse. That visual may be worth watching the entire drama.

The villains were mesmerizing in a unsettling, dangerous way, but they still managed to evoke enough humanity and brokenness that I couldn't help but empathize with them (but they needed to be dead, asap). I'm going to have to look for further dramas featuring Deng Kai and Lin Mu Ran.

The entire cast was excellent. I especially enjoyed the village scenes at Lin'an. The community felt authentic. I missed when action was moved from the village to other sites, because I missed Uncle and Aunt Zhao, the neighbors, and the restaurant staff. The drama suffered when it strayed from Lin'an.

If I have a quibble, it's that the huge build-up of political intrigue which drove the entire drama resolved itself in a relatively quick whimper instead of a bang. But I didn't watch the drama for the court conspiracies. I watched to see an orphan girl fight her way from poverty to success, and that was achieved.

I'm adding a half star for those pheasant feathers.

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Gukgeuk Is Fascinating

This is hard to rate for me. Let me list the good and bad and go from there.

The Good:
• I like Kim Tae Ri, and she does a fine job here. So does the entire cast.
• The drama subverted my expectations; I never really knew where it was going.
• Jeongnyeon introduced me to pansori and gukgeuk, which I found fascinating and extremely interesting. So much so that I looked up the history of each. Pansori was storytelling with one singer and one drummer. It could be as long as EIGHT to TEN hours long. These productions were very limited; twelve are known, but only five have been passed down. Gukgeuk was an all-female performing troupe that performed pansori with costumes, acting, and sets (similar to opera), but in a shorter form more palatable to the audiences of the 1940s and 1950s.

The Bad:
• I found it hard to sympathize with Jeongnyeon when she was suffering at her worst. When your best friends beg you not to strain your voice, when your mentor warns you against overusing your voice, and common sense tells you not damage your voice, then I guess you live with the consequences when you disregard them. The drama lost me at that point, and my enjoyment decreased greatly. I'd been in Jeongnyeon's corner up to that point, even though she should have been booted out of the company numerous times for her antics (self-centered grandstanding onstage), but that was it for me. Seriously, she was an exhausting character: stubborn, strong-willed, irrational, and inconsiderate. Even so, I liked her!
• The drama subverted my expectations; I never really knew where it was going. When a drama introduces a main character early on, I expect something monumental to happen with that character. Jung Eun Chae played Moon Ok Geong beautifully—easily one of the most memorable characters of the drama—but then she just disappeared and was never heard from again. As for the ending, the bad guys won; the good guys lost. Everyone was to be scattered, and that was presented as a happy ending.

Final analysis: it's worth the watch to see the performances of gukgeuk.

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Teens Should Never Be Ghosts—Imagine Perpetual Adolescence *shudder*

Horror isn't my genre of choice, so take that into consideration. I liked the actors, the ideas, and the general set-up. However, for only 12 episodes, it wandered and squandered all that initial goodness. It bogles the mind how repetitive and non-productive a drama can become in only 12 episodes. I thought shorter dramas would fix the that issue, but it isn't necessarily so. The writing needed to be tighter. Honestly, if I'd been the vengeful ghost, this drama would have concluded in one episode. What's the point of being omnipotent if that potential is wasted?

I added a half star for Kim Won Hae. He's such a versatile actor. His role touched me the most.

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The Best Thing for Pure Romantics

I realize I'm missing the romance gene, but it still bewilders me that this drama is rated 8.7. I generally need something to accompany the romance, if I'm to enjoy the drama. Pure romance is like bitter medicine to me; I need something sweet like mystery, murder, or mayhem to choke it down.

The Good:
• I was interested in the bits with Traditional Chinese Medicine. I can see where Western medicine would benefit from a partnership with a philosophy that doesn't rely on harsh drugs and surgery.
• This was a pretty drama. The leads were beautiful, the scenery was attractive, and there were flowers galore. Plus, everyone had magnificent bookcases.
• The families were sweet and mostly supportive.
• The dreaded time skip actually made sense in this drama, as it was planned far in advance.

The Bad:
• TBT was slow, glacially slow. I can't even call it a slow-burn romance, because it rarely ignited. I don't think the couple got together until the 20th episode, then it wasn't long before the FL left the country and ML was left to write heartfelt letters to her.
• I don't have patience with people who aren't truthful and/or can't speak up. For heaven's sake, professional people in their 30s who deal with the public on a daily basis should be able to talk.
• The misunderstandings drove me wild, because all it took, in nearly every case, was one simple, short question to clear it all up: "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Are you a father?" That's all it takes. It's not hard, folks.

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A-peeling RomCom

I was looking for something light and funny. The Potato Lab promised laughs. What are my tots on the drama?

The Good:
• Kang Tae Oh. I've viewed other dramas with him as a supporting character, but he never made an impression on me. I think I need my eyes checked: I never realized how attractive he was until now. Very charismatic. Such a spud.
• I'm not a fan of slapstick, but I love understated throwaway lines like the FL asking the ML if he had a flashlight, and ML smirking and asking, "How many lumens?" I would have watched the drama just for that line, but I am a former flashlight fanatic (reformed now, because I've given everyone I know a handheld flashlight, keychain flashlight, and headlamp; besides everyone's phone has a light now—even my watch has a light).
• I enjoy dramas with small, tight-knit communities: they're warm and quirky. And nosy! I liked the villagers a latke.

The Bad:
• I enjoyed seeing Kim Ga Eun, but her character's relationship with the FL's brother wasn't believable to me. I liked both characters, but I didn't like them mashed together.
• Speaking of the brother, how is a 30 year old man still considered a child? When the ML tried to take him under his wing and help him run his business profitably, it was irritating that his sister undermined his efforts to grow up. I also hated how disrespectful and violent she was in dealing with her younger brother. She was living rent free in his house, eating his cooking, and benefitting from his cleaning. She needed to respect him as an adult. Yam I right?
• Why can't a K-drama end well? Why is a stupid time skip necessary? And the woman always has to improve herself. I mean, I'm in favor of self-improvement, but I implore the writers to be a bit more creative—it doesn't have to happen in every drama, for Pete's sake. At least, she didn't leave the country. The last episode had good visuals but a disjointed ending.

To re-hash, Potato Lab may not have been all that and a bag of chips, but I wouldn't hesi-tater to recommend it for someone wanting a nondemanding romcom.

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Sweet and Comforting Like a Piece of Rich Chocolate

Romantics Anonymous was short, warm, and filled with gentle lessons. The ML and FL were afflicted with psychological issues. He suffered from OCD, fear of germs, and an inability to touch or be touched by others. The FL had an intense anxiety disorder which kept her isolated from most people.

The Good:
• I liked that the drama didn't throw a switch to "cure" everyone. People with mental issues are rarely healed instantly; it can take years or be a lifetime endeavor. It was gratifying to see our ML and FL learn how to cope and live more successfully even while struggling with their afflictions.
• The last episode made my heart glow. I'm talking about the scene after the competition, not the bizarre last couple of minutes.
• Chocolate. It played a nice supporting role. The visuals were mouth-watering.
• No evil villains, although there was an overbearing CEO and the mandatory relative trying to take over the company. As that's a requirement of every business in drama, and this was rather tame, I overlooked it.

The Bad:
• The second couple's story didn't resonate. It needed more development. Or less. I don't quite understand the need for a back-up couple in every drama, but if they were going to intrude, their story needed to be fleshed out.
• What the heck was that ending? Yamaguchi Kentaro and Song Joong Ki in a cameo? It didn't belong. I guess Vincenzo conquered Italy and South Korea and wanted to add Japan to his territory. Totally ruined the good feelings the drama had going and ended on a "Netflix has too much money and not enough good ideas" vibe. Cameos should be inserted earlier in a way that doesn't negatively impact the story. I didn't mind Song Joong Ki's cameo in The Queen of Tears, but this one was bizarrely random.
• Once the couple confessed, there wasn't any dating or day-to-day interactions. Saranghae, and that's the end, practically.

I awarded an extra half star for the supportive message of accepting others where they are in their life's journey and trying to help them overcome the rough spots in life we all experience.

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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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