thedramabrown
Brilliant show with amazing acting. Makes you think a lot about life, love, and dreams
I rarely watch modern Cdramas as most of them tend to be boring, not deep, or poorly acted by the actors and actresses. But, here we're given great actors and actresses in 1 single drama and it makes me think a lot about life and love. It's controversial as each characters in drama makes many rooms for discussion. This is one of the 3 most favorite C-dramas in 2024 for me (the other 2 are The Legend of Shenli and The Double) and even 1 of my all-time favorite Cdramas. This will be a quite long review that I'll post here and on the review section since I know most people tend to read the comments first before the review section. 8.5/10
Acting:
- Liu Yi Fei: is great in this role. I love her from the beginning part of this series. She pays attention to details very well in every scenes she's in. And guess what, I find her to be very beautiful in an ethereal way and she's very capable to distinguish her chemistry between her costars. During her first love phase with Zhuang Guo Dong (Peng Guan Ying), she was able to make us believe that she was passionately in love for the 1st time in her life. She was impulsive and yet she had that sizzling and magnetic chemistry with her 1st love. During her 2nd love phase with Fang Xie Wen (Lin Geng Xin) in the beginning of their love story before their marriage was destined to go down the hill, she showed us how she was comfortable, safe, and peaceful to be in love with her husband. And that chemistry with her husband was shown to us very well in that way. While she was with her soulmate, Fu Jia Ming (Wallace Huo), though it was not as strong as her 1st love, but she was able to show us how she felt free and unrestrained with her soulmate.
- Tong Da Wei and Wan Qian: they are good and have good chemistry though I like their characters when they are not together in 1 scene. Huang Zhen Hua and Su Su are likeable characters, especially Zhen Hua. First time watching Tong Da Wei in a drama and he's really good in portraying comical scenes without any awkwardness AT ALL. He has great chemistry as brother and sister with Liu Yi Fei. So rare to see such natural banters between 2 actors.
- Lin Geng Xin: I really liked him in Shenli and To Love and here, I was made to loath his character. But, his portrayal of Fang Xie Wen is brilliant. After redeeming himself after the fight for custody, I was able to relate to his character a lot, especially during the last episode. How inferiority affected and consumed him wholly that he regretted that a lot losing a very loving, kind-hearted, amazing woman who supported and loved him unconditionally. His controlling nature and his patriarchy surrounding made his love for his wife became so suffocating and in the end, he regretted. He portrayed that scene in the most heart-wrenching way. But, IMO, he is quite lucky to be able to live happily with his daughter. Though Yi Mei is not his wife anymore, but at least he gets to see her more often than Guo Dong. I like his chemistry with Liu Yi Fei in the last episodes and initial episodes when they were still in good relationship.
- Peng Guan Ying: This is my first time watching him in a drama. I must say, his portrayal of Zhuang Guo Dong is really really good. He exudes great chemistry with Liu Yi Fei. His character is the most pitiful one in my opinion. His character lingers to his past love with Yi Mei and that is what's so pitiful. When I first watched his scenes with Yi Mei from ep 3-12, I felt that he was selfish and so career-oriented, but then I realized that it was his choice to begin with. He regretted that he didn't go back to Yi Mei earlier but for making him still linger in his past was really torturing.
- Wallace Huo: His chemistry with Liu Yi Fei was quite good and his arc was endearing and sad. But, I have to admit that his part was not that convincing for me. Either their scenes were not that much or for other reason, I didn't feel much except when they were climbing the mountain and I felt the sadness for their story.
For those who haven't watched this drama, give this drama a chance and try to watch it with wise perspective, then you'll find this drama to be amazing in its own way
Acting:
- Liu Yi Fei: is great in this role. I love her from the beginning part of this series. She pays attention to details very well in every scenes she's in. And guess what, I find her to be very beautiful in an ethereal way and she's very capable to distinguish her chemistry between her costars. During her first love phase with Zhuang Guo Dong (Peng Guan Ying), she was able to make us believe that she was passionately in love for the 1st time in her life. She was impulsive and yet she had that sizzling and magnetic chemistry with her 1st love. During her 2nd love phase with Fang Xie Wen (Lin Geng Xin) in the beginning of their love story before their marriage was destined to go down the hill, she showed us how she was comfortable, safe, and peaceful to be in love with her husband. And that chemistry with her husband was shown to us very well in that way. While she was with her soulmate, Fu Jia Ming (Wallace Huo), though it was not as strong as her 1st love, but she was able to show us how she felt free and unrestrained with her soulmate.
- Tong Da Wei and Wan Qian: they are good and have good chemistry though I like their characters when they are not together in 1 scene. Huang Zhen Hua and Su Su are likeable characters, especially Zhen Hua. First time watching Tong Da Wei in a drama and he's really good in portraying comical scenes without any awkwardness AT ALL. He has great chemistry as brother and sister with Liu Yi Fei. So rare to see such natural banters between 2 actors.
- Lin Geng Xin: I really liked him in Shenli and To Love and here, I was made to loath his character. But, his portrayal of Fang Xie Wen is brilliant. After redeeming himself after the fight for custody, I was able to relate to his character a lot, especially during the last episode. How inferiority affected and consumed him wholly that he regretted that a lot losing a very loving, kind-hearted, amazing woman who supported and loved him unconditionally. His controlling nature and his patriarchy surrounding made his love for his wife became so suffocating and in the end, he regretted. He portrayed that scene in the most heart-wrenching way. But, IMO, he is quite lucky to be able to live happily with his daughter. Though Yi Mei is not his wife anymore, but at least he gets to see her more often than Guo Dong. I like his chemistry with Liu Yi Fei in the last episodes and initial episodes when they were still in good relationship.
- Peng Guan Ying: This is my first time watching him in a drama. I must say, his portrayal of Zhuang Guo Dong is really really good. He exudes great chemistry with Liu Yi Fei. His character is the most pitiful one in my opinion. His character lingers to his past love with Yi Mei and that is what's so pitiful. When I first watched his scenes with Yi Mei from ep 3-12, I felt that he was selfish and so career-oriented, but then I realized that it was his choice to begin with. He regretted that he didn't go back to Yi Mei earlier but for making him still linger in his past was really torturing.
- Wallace Huo: His chemistry with Liu Yi Fei was quite good and his arc was endearing and sad. But, I have to admit that his part was not that convincing for me. Either their scenes were not that much or for other reason, I didn't feel much except when they were climbing the mountain and I felt the sadness for their story.
For those who haven't watched this drama, give this drama a chance and try to watch it with wise perspective, then you'll find this drama to be amazing in its own way
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