An interesting first half and a draggy second half.

It's kind of funny that I actually enjoyed the drama for 26 episodes before finally realizing that I was watching it for the sake of watching it.
What I absolutely loved about the drama was the leads and their interactions with their best friends and siblings. They were axtual, mature individuals. Particularly, the lead Zhou Fang, who tried to put up against her mom's wishes for a quick marriage and actually wanting to settle down by herself first. Song Lin's relationship with his sister was another highlight of the show.
I loved Zhou Fang's perseverance.
Then came the business thingies, coupled with product placements. I actually liked the second couple at first, then got annoyed with their screentime and draggy stuff. Overall, it could've been a good drama, but wasted a ton of episodes on subplots. Pretty sure that it was a "me" issue and not the drama's fault. But, all I can remember now about this drama is the hotpot and coconut drink. Which is definitely not a good sign.

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Unique and Fascinating.

It's rare for Chinese Dramaland to steer clear off tropes and are often in favour of recycling identical storylines with little to no new twists. Which is why such Urban Fantasies are rare to come by. Strange, funny, and emotional, all rolled into one, Dear Diary is the perfect drama for binging during an extreme drama slump or if you are in the mood for something refreshing with solid substance.

☆ To get a gist of the drama, I suggest listening to the opening OST. (There are no spoilers in both the opening and closing soundtracks.) They perfectly capture the vibes of 'Dear Diary'.
Calling the plot "solid substance" might be a long shot furing the first few episodes. Considering that 3/6 of the characters and the basic plot revolves around a 12-year-old girl's impromptu fanfiction that she was inspired to write while visiting a Babylonion Exhibition. I still do not understand how she oh-so romantically scribbled down a love story after hearing a bloody legend that was far from lovely. What makes this drama a delight is that the now 24-year-old Chen Mei Ru comes face to face with the characters as an adult, leading to hilarious scenarios as she tries to figure out what to do with her sudden "Babylonion Prince, Murong Jie Lun" who as written by her 12-year-old self, is pretty obsessed with her. (The first few episodes are some of the most funniest stuff I've seen in a long time. It wasn't cringey, but genuinely made me laugh.) Worse, her Prince also brings along the two main supporting characters of her story. Her best friend, Jian Huai Zhang and former classmate Duan Shi Lui, all get wrapped in this unexpected adventure.

☆ The beauty of 'Dear Diary' lies within the almost seamless flow of the plot. As the story progresses, the writers manage to flesh out the three fantasy characters into more than just cartoonish caricatures in Chen Mei Ru's diary. What's more, the seemingly silly piece of fiction by an adolescent turns out to be much more deeper than we expect it to be. I appreciate how the writers managed to avoid unnecessary conflicts and subplots. They stick to the main characters and their adventures. The plot slowly gains momentum with each episode and I love how the all the characters have their own distinct identities that are much realistic and relatable. Moreover, there is a constant mystery underlying beneath the Diary and it kept me curious. The story attains it's peak and becomes dark and intense after the first half. But, every episode was worth it.

☆ The Cast, for such a short drama, are on point with their acting. The production crew went as far as hiring people from Iraq to teach the actors Akkadian (language spoken in Babylonia) and adjust their postures. Plus, nobody was overdubbed. When it comes to characters, I particularly enjoy Duan Shi Lui's scenes: he is the perfect mix of comedy and seriousness. I loved his twisted relationship with Jiang Hui Zhen and Mei Ru. I liked how Mei Ru was potrayed; she manages to maintain her personality even after going through changes. Jiang Hui Zhen, her best friend and co-writer/supporting character in her diary, is more complex than her care for nothing facade. Mu Rong, Ou Yang Wen Shan, and the Dragon Lady are initially portrayed as assertive beings, but they slowly grow out of it. Character growths were not abrupt. It tempts us into slowly getting attached to the characters. Chen Mei Ru, Mu Rong Jie Lun, Ou Yang Wen Shan, Jiang Hui Zhen, Duan Shi Lui and Dragon Lady, all have equal screentime. So, there are plenty of scenes for us to get familiar with them. As a bonus: we have three side couples, all of different variety.
I admit, I wasn't invested in the ships in the beginning. But, by the end, I wanted everyone to be happy.

☆ I was impresssed with the CGI, which by common low budget CDrama standards, is pretty good. I also liked how intricate the sets were, particularly the Babylonion ones. Being one of the most ancient civilizations, the Babylonion Empire was known for its advancements in several fields, including law. (The Code of Hammurabi. I had previously heard the name before as it was the title of a legal Korean Drama, Mis Hammurabi. I did not know its significance until now.)
Apparently, the production crew spent their resources to shoot at Morocco and Paris; collected actual sources and artifects from Babylonion Period to bring originality to the story and this is clearly evident as we watch the drama. Post Production took two years and I can tell that the team took extreme care of their craft.

☆ The soundtrack was perfect and befit every scene. It had the right timing and captured the essence of the story: from cool, fun and kiddish tunes to absolutely epic music and choruses that reminded me of the Elves of Middle-Earth.
My favorite Songs were:
▪ Give You All My Empathy (當傾盡所有感同身受) by Jiao Mai Qi/Mickey Jiao (焦迈奇).
▪You Deserve Love (你值得被好好爱着) by Jin Wen Qi/Vanessa Jin (金玟岐).

☆ I have to warn that characters listed as 'supporting' play a major role in several arcs. But, they were reasonable and effectively avoided unnecessary scenes. With 24 episodes, they've done exceptionally well in the 'no filler department'. The ending was predictable, but felt too jumbled and predisposed, particularly the final episode. It should've made me emotional, but the choice of arrangement of scenes looked odd. And there were a rather large number of characters that we focussed on (6) so, some episodes may appear to be lagging behind. The duration of episodes were really something: roughly 20 - 30 minutes, minus the opening, recap and the ending credits that is a solid four minutes long. The

All in all, it reminded me a lot of the American Movie 'Enchanted', but with more intensity and mystery. It's a standout for me among the many dramas I've seen and is definitely worthy of a watch. Something unique and distinct with it's very own magic is what Chinese Dramas lack and for that, I will gladly give this an 8.5/10 for now.

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"Family."

This drama is reigned by emotions rather than a story and it's no fantasy either. There was some reality in every single character portrayed and it should be the reason alone to give 'Unknown' a chance.

It follows Wei Qian, the eldest brother who is forced to grow up and give up the frivolities of life in order to provide a safe space for his younger sibling, Wei Li, after his neglectful and abusive mother ruins their lives.
After taking up a shady job under a certain Lao Le’s gang, he stumbles across an abandoned, feral kid whom he then takes home. What follows next is a slice-of-life plot depicting how Qian finally gives up gang activities and grows up to become the ultimate ‘Da Ge’.
However, his little bubble, in which he is forever the parent to his siblings, is popped when Wei Zhi Yuan, the boy he had adopted, confesses his feelings.


Pretty sure that the title ‘Unknown’ is definitely meant for Wei Qian, the eponymous character of Da Ge by Priest from which this drama was adapted. He is the only one who doesn't know what exactly he was feeling until his younger brother took matters into his own hands. His own future is wholly dependent on making his loved one's be safe and happy.

The drama gave me all the warm fuzzies that I wanted and even moments of laughter at times - particularly with San Pang and the co-worker gang and Dr. Li. Also - when Zhi Yuan left Qian speechless with verbal/physical displays of affection. Though, in reality, I would've been the one to change countries had something like that happened to me.

The acting was top notch. Particularly, Wei Qian. I could understand his confusion the most and could literally feel his emotions and suffocation through the screen. Wei Zhi Yuan was not far behind – as someone who is poor in expressing emotions, this dude legit scared me with how open and honest he was.
San Pang, and the entire family together were wholesome and heartwarming to watch.
It's a well made story about a found family and everything that takes to hold them together.

The Soundtrack was beautiful. Particularly the opening song. There was nothing too much over-the-top about the production, either.

Pretty sure that I won't be rewatching this anytime, but it's definitely one of the more warm dramas out there.

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"I would rather live freely for ten days than live against my own will for 10 years."

These words were spoken by Zhou Zi Shu in Word of Honor (2021), which happens to be one of my all time favorite Chinese dramas. I wonder what he would have had to say to He Ran had they ever met.

Though coming from two completely different spheres of dramaland, I think this sentence captures the essence of The Forbidden Flower/Summer Flower/Xia Hua, which follows the rich and talented daughter of a late renowned painter, He Ran, who despite having everything, has gone through several dark days.

Still reeling from the after effects of a deadly illness, 20 year old He Ran is sheltered and cut off from the outside world by her overbearing and overprotective mother, Mrs. Qiu, who has assigned a nanny to watch over her for 24/7.
While managing to sneak out and enjoy bits of a free life, she is enticed by the voice of a stranger at a Hair Salon, whom she only knows by his assigned No. 33. It's unbelievable, but He Ran finds an excuse to escape her gloomy existence - find No.33 again.
Xiao Han, the owner of the said voice, is a man years past his youthful days, but that does not stop He Ran from pursuing him.

She cautiously probes for information about him from what she could gather within the first two episodes, before beginning a full blown onslaught to realize her vision. This part in particular was hilarious and slightly disconcerting to watch. Xiao Han, the object of her attentions yeets himself away from his own home to escape her shenanigans.

–-------
I want to rate this drama a 7, but I invested too much time into this to end it in such an unholy manner.

Now… I will begin by writing down a few observations/random details/caveats first from what I gathered:

1.This is an age-gap drama based on an already existing novel 'He Stands in the Gorgeous Summer Flowers (他站在夏花绚烂里) by Tai Hou Gui Lai.
I 'google translate' read 90% of the novel and I 100% prefer the drama. There are some quite distinct changes in characterization and the live adaptation adds real depth to the two dimensional versions I read about. Or maybe things got lost in translation.
I've noticed that contemporary Chinese dramas often surpass their novel counterparts and this drama is no exception.

2. And judging by the number of watchers it has, I think the age-gap tag scared away most of the viewers. And I'm 100% sure that this drama is a success partly because Jerry Yan looks like he did 20 years ago - not to mention that he has almost the exact same hairstyle from his Dao Ming Si days. Both Xu Ruo Han and Jerry Yan just fit together so well into their characters and I barely noticed that there was an age gap between them. Age-gap doesn't matter to me as long as the characters are brought to life.

3. I highly suspect that multiple script changes or scenes were shot. There are times that scenes black out and cut off jarringly. Some of the dialogues were never mentioned, yet we later hear the characters speak about it. There are certain scenes from the trailer which are never shown. And the additional behind the scenes footage (aside from the intimate ones) sort of solidifies the point.
The opening scene itself seems to have selected a different shot instead of the one which we see in EP8. (There is a minor flashback.)
Moreover, this is definitely "NOT" an S-Class drama from my assumptions. It had only 30 minutes per episode.
–--------
The warm fuzzies:

● The Scenery: the whole drama is a visual feast. Every scene is shot beautifully. It's worth watching it just for that alone. Plenty of money seems to have been spent on camera and lighting and location and flowers and painting.

● The Cast: Every single actor played their part to a tee. I loved how Xu Ruo Han in particular portrayed two different sides of He Ran - the one when she is not genuinely interested in something and the other side of her which she reveals to Xiao Han alone.
Xiao Han, a man content with being isolated and loves the peace and quiet of the plants, was a joy to watch. I loved how he looked like he was regretting every decision he made after meeting He Ran during the first 8 episodes. We slowly see him give up and just give in to her demands and by the 10th episode, we are aware of why he shelters himself from everyone. Jerry Yan absolutely served justice to his character.

Their chemistry together was just too sweet and easy on the eyes. I did not find the age gap annoying.

The mother was another well acted character - - atleast I think so. If she was meant to depict a broken yet muddled woman, she definitely did the part well. Supporting characters such as Pan Zi and even Han Yu showed the contrast between He Ran and her 'hidden friends'.

● The Soundtrack: My favorite is "The One'' by Vivian Loh. Had the opening scene begun with Lucid Dream, I don't think I would've been pulled in as intensely as I had.
Plus, there were several songs played throughout that just makes certain scenes indelible. Summer by Nicki Lee is one of my newfound favorite songs, thanks to this drama.
Some other favorites:
● Heartbeat by Vivian Loh.
● Mine by Vivian Loh.


● The Characters: they are the reason I stuck till the very end, regardless of how depressing or happy it was going to be.

Han Yu was one character who made me laugh everytime he came on screen. Not because he was purposefully being oblivious to He Ran's dismissal of his friendship and companionship, but he was also the only one who even bothered to worry whenever He Ran showed signs off sickness.
Xiao Han has several fans, so I'll skip right down to He Ran, whom I absolutely adore. And I feel a bit guilty speaking for her instead of against her.

Several people mentioned how she loves selfishly. Was she selfish? Yes, definitely. But, she loved selflessly too. She put in 100% effort into her relationship, sacrificing everything once she understood that it was worth it.
Her comparing herself to other women and making dangerous promises ticked off several viewers, but I understood where she was coming from. She just wasn't able to wrap her mind around how Xiao Han must've had other women in his life and wondered whether she was meant to be forgotten just like them.

(I once asked my friends who were in a relationship how they could be with their person, knowing he must've liked someone else before them. Someone gave me the exact same answer as Xiao Han's.)

He Ran seems to have the same fear - that she too will be like one of his experiences. If anyone noticed, she is the assertive one in their relationship. She is well aware that she isn't a 'nice' guy.

She just doesn't want to be forgotten like the many people who had crossed Xiao Han's life. Ultimately, we all wish to be remembered by someone in some way.

And as much as I appreciate her character, several times she comes off as unreasonably and dangerously possessive. She barely lets anyone breathe on Xiao Han - there are episodes where we see her push limits and just go bonkers.

Her pursuit of Xiao Han is itself comedic. Xiao Han considers his temporary attraction to her as something he wouldn't obsess over, and He Ran's stalking tendencies is what he deems to be the antics of a young girl who is blinded by her crush. It isn't after a long time, that he finally concludes that she isn't kidding.
Well, He Ran was lucky that it was Xiao Han. And vice versa. Or else this drama would've turned into a crime thriller.

–---------------

Now….. somethings make me want to rate this a 6.5 - 7. I settled on 9 [rerated it an 8 when I realized that there were too many filler episodes past EP13] because the drama seems to have been made with serious dedication and effort worthy of a longer drama. Both from the cast and crew. Plus, this is the only time a contemporary setting which is not centered around youth managed to keep me hooked.

● I was unfortunately not invested in He Ran's mom's and Yuan Qi's relationship.
I liked their individual scenes, but I simply did not care to watch their scenes as a couple. More than half of the drama after EP13 focused on them.

● The handling of He Ran's illness. For someone who is cocooned by her mom, it irked me how casually everyone except Han Yu and his aunt were regarding her health. (It was understandable why He Ran had resolved to 'living in the moment'.)
Both of them were more concerned than anyone whenever she appeared weak.
It's mentioned in the first two episodes about her 'follow up' check ups, but then we barely hear about it. Shouldn't it have been stressed on more?

And after Episode 18 or 19, I could not make sense of what was happening. Her diagnosis and prognosis were more positive than negative, then what about her treatment? Shouldn't it be more serious?
It's evident that some things were portrayed more for cinematic value rather than reality.
It might be able to get brushed off in a book, but in an onscreen adaptation with significant changes, it's hard to pass by.

● Last, but never the least. The ENDING. The last time an ending pissed me off so much was Word of Honor.
I could literally see the director teetering over whether to wrap up the drama by staying true to the source novel or to choose happiness over everything. (I've pinned an additional comment on my thoughts about the ending to my review.)

Well, he is a winner, cause I can see four different versions.

With all these complaints, this happens to be the first contemporary Chinese drama after Legally Romance (2022) that I've been patient enough to keep up with in spite of my complaints.

Nevertheless, this drama is one of the most beautiful and romantic ones I've seen to date.
The Queen of the Night blooms very rarely, but it is for this very reason that it's remembered. And maybe that's the same charm 'The Forbidden Flower' exudes.

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A Cute and Hopeful Drama.

With very unconventional characters as the leading roles and the very comedic title, I expected the drama to be mediocre. Boy... I couldn't have been more wrong.
Koi Desu: Yankee Kun to Hakujo Garu was a true delight in every sense. Yes, there were tropes that are a necessity for every rom-com out there, but it never once made me irritated as both Yukiko-chan and Kurokawa were characters whom I could actually trust.

Moreover, both of them having 'disabilities' was a fresh change for me. I have to give it to Yukiko-chan for coming so far with her amblyopia. Losing eyesight is worse than being born without one. The drama did not kid around with the term 'blind'. It attempted to educate and give an insight on how blind people manage to survive in the madding crowd. I've never heard of amblyopia/lazy eye before. So, this was another new information for me.

Kurokawa is one of the most bunny like male leads I've ever seen. Despite the scar that has him ostracized from the common people, he is positive about his relationship with Yukiko-chan and wants only the best for the ones he love. I adored his little coffee shop gang.
Shishio-san was a surprise from start to the end. I suggest you watch the drama to find out more.

Kurokawa and Yukiko-chan's relationship was so pure and funny. They were ready to accept each other as they are and sat down to talk things out.

The familial support had a strong impact on Yukiko-chan. No one ever tried to hinder her wishes. Her sister Izumi initially did try, but it got better and I loved the relationship between the father and his two daughters.

I completed this after half an year, but I enjoyed every minute. It's an optimistic drama that gives us all the good vibes.

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A Tragic Tragicomedy.

I finally discovered a drama where the King is not a self absorbed idiot, but an actual, lovable human with brains .

'The Crowned Clown' is a beautiful, tragic and heartwarming story about a humble clown, Ha Seon, who is put on the throne as a decoy for the unhinged doppleganger King. Having never dealt with anything remotely related to the Court or governing a nation, he attempts to rule the people as he sees fit, angering the corrupt ministers, cheering his people, and befuddling his enemies.

The first two episodes itself were a mix of horror, terror and comedy. Lee Hun, the present King was a nutcase. I'm not kidding when I use that word. Completely addicted to drugs and a tyrannical, he murders everyone who stands against him without a second thought, including his Queen Consort's very own father. With support from his sycophantic ministers, particularly the devious Shin Chi Soo, his madness soon has conspirators plotting to kill him.

Yeo Jin Goo kicked the ball out of the park with his performance in this drama. To be honest, I began this because he was in it. And he did not disappoint. His transition from the completely psychotic King to the vibrant and happy clown was unbelievable. I began to see those two characters as separate individuals and could see no shadow of their dispositions on the other. His supporting actors were equivalent in their peformances, portraying impeccable performances which alone, elevates the quality of this drama. And Episode 15 will forever go down as one of the most epic moments I've watched on television.

Ha Seon, who is forcibly put on the throne as a decoy knew nothing about court. Haksan, the Chief Royal Secretary, asks him to stay put and leaves him instructions on how to conduct an assembly and listen to the ministers' reports while he was gone. Long story short, Ha Seon, who is shocked by the ruthless rules of the palace, bends them to his will and governs the people as he sees fit.
The plot is dependant on the political struggles, but I did not find anything annoying. The clown was a breath of fresh air and saved me from listening to the ministers spout nonsence.

Haksan and Ha Seon's rapport and trust is what made this drama watchable despite of the deep emotional battles. The intense bloodshed and the foolish mindsets of the ancient royals made me want to smash their teeths out. But, these two characters knew their game. I was completely in awe when Hae Seon stood up against everyone to serve justice. His love for his people, his sibling Dal Rae and uncle Bak Soon was heart warming. Haksun is someone who could easily be the definition of morally grey. He took risks that would make him lose his head, but with a strong conviction and backbone that made us (and Ha Seon) believe in him.

The script did not shy away from portraying the barbaric acts that the lower class faced at the hands of the so called "royal blood/upper class". I hated episode 2 in particular, where a tragic, traumatizing and cruel incident happens to a character only for it to be easily brushed off by the perpetrators.
Ha Seon suffers emotionally. Watching him was worrisome -- he was never meant for the court. His loyal Eunuch Cho and Haksan become his constant source of support. There were a number of supporting characters whose frequent appearance slowly made me like them and treat them as important ones.

Romance is not a strong aspect. But, Soo Woon, the icy queen was well acted. She was icy in the beginning and never quite drifted away from her calm and strict demeanour till the very end. This also happens to be the first time that I'm seeing a drama where the Queen has an active role in the troubles of the King. Their mutual love and support was never cringeworthy, but a joy to watch. Lee Se Young appears to be a very versatile actress who can fit into any role without making it seem over the top. I had seen her performance as a consort in another drama, where she changed from being happy and smiling court lady to a rather a bleak and silent consort. I could see no sign of that consort in this one. She fit the role of the silent Queen well.

The villains were stunningly vile. I'm upset that no one set Shin Chi Soo's beard and the Queen Dowager's room on fire.

The music was strange. There would be lyrics being sung in the background, but they blended in so well with the scene that it took me sometime to realize that there was a song going on.

I'm still unsure of what to make of the drama's conclusion. Was it happy? Or was it really sad? But, Ha Seon deserves the best. So, I'll imagine that he finally became happy.

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It's not you, it's me.

I wanted to like this drama. I really did. But, after episode 5, I just couldn't pull through. There is nothing really wrong with it and story as a whole since the purpose has been already introduced to us in the very 1st episode.

Yong So Joon, a CEO who has the ability to time travel attempts to alter his future to prevent his death... which coincidentally happens alongside Song Ma Rin, a photographer.

What I found lacking was the balance between characters. We see 80% of the story from So Joon's point of view.
My biggest issue was perhaps with the female lead. It seems as if the writers put all their efforts into delving deeper into making the male lead a mysterious figure.
Song Ma Rin on the other hand reminded me of play dough. Yes, there are hints about her troubles, but for someone who has suffered so much for 30 years, she was one of the most delusional female leads I have seen. Her own evil friend points out that she was overboard with her thoughts and actions.
I did not understand her at all -- she acted cute, revealed her insecurities and that was it. If I'm supposed to sit through 16 episodes, there must be something that is worth it with the characters.
The time travel aspect is alright and the real mystert begins right after episode 5, but I no longer have any interest in finding out what lies ahead. Maybe I'll pick this drama up again someday.

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Strange, but Intriguing.

That's exactly how I would describe Utsukushii Kare. Based on a somewhat familiar trope, what made this drama pique my interest were the leading characters.
Timid and introverted Hira falls for the cold and untouchable "King" Kiyoi. It then follows their twisted connection and the moral dilemmas that each of them face.
It's 100% non-fluffy by the way.
The show never moved away from the "romance" aspect, which I unfortunately found boring. Narrated from Hira's point of view, we rarely leave his bubble.

Both Kiyoi and Hira had distinct personalities and personally, I felt that there was more room for growth and portrayal of their different facets. I am not familiar with the source material, so I might me wrong.
Hira in particular, looked a bit more lively and open during the latter half of the show, particularly after his time at college. He is definitely one of the most uninteresting protagonists I've ever seen, but there were not many characters or relations in the story to begin with. It looked almosy empty or crowded at times.
I particularly loved the portrayal of the characters in the final episode, thanks to the cast who did an excellent job. It was too rushed for my taste, unfortunately.
Overall, it's definitely worth a try if you are seeking some dramas which deal with the ugly truth of a few people out there.

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Chemistry and Economics.

I'm writing this review solely as a reminder for myself about why I dropped this drama in the very first place. Don't worry. It will not affect the rating system as I have not seen enough episodes for it to get counted.
I tried giving it a second chance, but I just couldn't move forward past the first five minutes of EP4.
Now... lets get down to business.
If Chemistry along could drive a drama, then this one should be it. Both Leo Luo and Bai Lu are talented actors and they pulled off their roles beautifully. Their premise was good. But... the plot.
When it comes to the plot, in the first three episodes, we see Jiang Jun pull a few strings and get into Yuan Shuai's company much to his displeasure. Then we have about 50% of the conversations revolving around why she was not fit to do the job. Then the next 50% with him tasking her with something hard and she going about trying to desperately prove herself. The sweet stuff is scattered throughout in between. Its even funny at times. Even that was not enough for me to stick to the drama. Had I watched it completely I'd have skipped 80% of the episodes to just fast forward to scenes that I actually wanted to watch... which would be pretty much half of the drama.
I know nothing about Investment Banking and half of their conversations bored me so much that I stopped watching the episode in between or outright skipped to the fun parts. I did not care about Xu Lei and Xiao Chuan's romance. It seemed childish and might have been intentionally inserted to appease viewers' tastes. But, I simply skipped all their scenes.
In short, the overall backstory or the main plot made zero sense to me, due to my little knowledge about the business world. The romance was good. But, that alone couldn't make me stick to the plot.
If you are a fan of the leads and find their scenes sweet - please do watch it! But, if you want some actual basic plot that leads to their romance... you might understand and tolerate it better than me for sure.

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