ivybis
United States
Pleasantly Surprised
I liked this drama much more than I expected to. The acting was very good and I appreciated the efforts of the actors and writers in bringing a good production to television.A pretty firefighter gets tangled with a famous celebrity when she saves him during a car accident. Unfortunately, he isn't all that he seems. Our FL is suffering from dreams of having lived a past life which have been troubling her, only to intensify when she meets the young celebrity.
The writers set this drama in the present but it also has backstories dating back to hundreds of years. Those costume scenes are some of the most sizzling and intense portions of the drama and it almost overtakes the storyline in the present. In the past, the young handsome nobleman must show a dangerous and unyielding personality to his household. But underneath, he is gentle and passionate, particularly when a young woman catches his eye. He exudes an intensity that took my breath away. Kudos to our ML for the great work in bringing his character to life. The young woman has a tragic secret and has sworn to take revenge on those who have destroyed her happiness. She becomes both a blessing and a bane to our young nobleman.
Fast forward to the present and the unfinished business of the past comes to light between the two present day leads. Revenge is at the top of their list, but will it give way to the other intense feelings carried with them over the centuries? Will anger threaten to destroy them, or will it give way to love?
I was very impressed with this drama and will look out for more dramas by the same writers. It has a nice soundtrack, too.
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Great performances, but too much CGI
I liked this drama overall. The best part was the acting and the worst was the sloppy scriptwriting. The first 13 episodes that set the stage for the drama were the weakest. The plot meandered and we were caught in silly adolescent rivalries. I almost dropped the series then, but felt the acting was so good, I would continue. The best episodes were at the middle and the last few episodes, disappointingly, unraveled the already established cannon. I think if the writing could have been more linear and not so complicated with the numerous amount of villains and subplots, perhaps it would have been easier to follow. Another aspect that detracted from the drama was the over-the-top CGI that felt distracting.The best part, of course, was the well put together group of talented young actors. Boy, they took me with them to the depth of despair and joy. There were such heartfelt moments that made you care for the main leads. In that, they certainly had great direction. However, even the best of actors cannot carry an entire production mired in sloppy writing and too much CGI. Even though it was a fantasy piece, they were supposed to be mortals. Yet the producers would have us believe that the kind of power they wielded all came from spiritual cultivation? It's obvious a big part of the budget was spent on the CGI, but one shouldn't rely too much on that. The focus should always be on telling a good story. They gave away some big reveals almost as soon as they were established and that was a shame.. I felt disappointed mostly in the writing.
Period C-dramas are always a feast for the eyes in terms of sets and costumes. In that this production did not disappoint. I was still very entertained but felt the performers deserved a better written piece.
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There are better ones out there...
Although I have enjoyed this drama's main leads in other productions, I didn't so much in this one. The costumes, sets and story were okay, but the acting here was terrible, particularly in out ML. I didn't't have a problem with Alan Yu in TLTWTMPB and he was okay in Legend of White Snake, but I just could not tolerate his acting in this one. He was the main lead in a romantic drama and he failed miserably. He gets the award for best impersonation of a plank of wood. He has perfected the blank, emotionless stare, and it hurt this show tremendously. When it comes to romance, the couples have to be believable or it just doesn't work. We, as an audience, don't feel invested in them and can't feel for them. This was the main problem here. The FL was better but he, especially, was not believable. Because of his stick-in-the-mud personality, I just could not enjoy this drama as much as I should have. The supporting cast was better compared with the performance of our male lead.Some of the plot line was implausible and I found myself disappointed in the choices some of the characters made. It didn't seem to fit with their personalities. The OST was the best part of this entire production. I heard the theme song over a year ago and I wanted to see the drama from whence it came. I finally found it, and was disappointed in the production, but still love the song. There are better performed romance dramas that turn your heart inside out. This isn't it.
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Worth Watching
This was a very cute and entertaining drama for younger audiences. At first I was disappointed in the stiff and emotionless ML character and worried that I would be watching yet another drama where the ML has to be emotionally stunted. Even though I hated Meteor Garden, I was impressed by Dylan Wang and felt he had potential. What a pleasure to see him on screen once again. Dylan Wang plays Dongfang Qing Cang, a demon lord whose spirit is imprisoned by the enemy fairy realm and a fairy named Orchid who accidentally sets him free. Although, our main leads fall back on the overplayed tropes of cold, domineering, tough guy and annoyingly childlike adolescent girl, both characters develop into better versions of themselves. I love character growth in dramas. The best part was the love story between this couple. You feel completely invested in them and how far they are willing to sacrifice for the other. It seems that Dylan Wang gets better and better with each drama he is cast in. I hope he continues to hone his craft. He has a beautiful onscreen presence.The costumes and set design are gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking and with great attention to detail. The demon realm had a dark Western feel while the fairy realm was light, ephemeral and heavenly. There is the typical formula of a secondary supporting couple who are either friends, or servants. of the main couple.
The OST is amazing. There are some beautiful themes that have now been added to my playlist of Asian TV soundtracks. I recommend this romantic drama.
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Pleasantly Surprised
I really enjoyed this beautiful love story of soul mates who fall in love as teenagers and lose track of each other into their adult years. It had me from the very first episode, very well-written and just a joy to watch the highly talented cast. When tragedy strikes, I was afraid the show would fall into a cliche plot, but it kept its dignity and sailed to a satisfactory end, despite the slow parts in the plot midway. I loved the slow burn of the first episode. There was an intimate sweetness portrayed so wonderfully by the young actors that they won me over completely.There are a few things I would have liked fleshed out. Perhaps a tete-a-tete between mother and daughter after everything transpires. The talk on how her mother's over-proctective attitude basically changes the course of her life and affected her would have added some closure in that, at times, rocky relationship. The pace slows down a bit towards the middle but then picks up again. The ends wrap up much too nicely making her eventual healing a little implausible. I was still very pleased with this beautiful love story. I highly recommended it.
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Cliche melodrama
Ever since I saw Kim Woo Bin in The Heirs, I have been a fan of his. He is a wonderful actor and I felt that he stole the show from main leads, Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye. When you look at him, he is present and you can see the inner monologue within. He is also incredibly handsome, making you unable to keep from looking at him. I knew I would look for more work from him and I came across Uncontrollably Fond on Viki.Unfortunately, the drama itself is nothing great. It's full of unoriginal story lines and ridiculous nonsense. I found myself questioning the choices the characters made in the drama and could only chalk it up to foolish youth. If anyone of us had a terminal illness that we were young enough to battle, we would choose to go to the hospital and have it treated. Our main lead makes some very foolhardy choices, all the while bemoaning his fate when he could have at least tried to save himself. How does a person having everything going for them make such a choice? Is revenge worth it? Sometimes living happily is the best revenge against your enemies.
The other characters are no better. I was underwhelmed by Suzy Bae's performance and found her character one I could not feel for. They also make choices no one in real life would ever make. It was a nonsensical melodrama and I wish Kim Woo Bin would get better scripts because he has enormous potential and can play a variety of characters from villains to leading romantic love interests. I hope now that he is back from his 4 year health hiatus, he will dig in and demand better material. He is so worth it.
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More Drama Than There Really Is
The one thing that sticks out is how every small thing is a big thing in this drama. Administration and doctors are many times at odds with each other because admin oversees the money making aspect of healthcare while doctors just want to treat their patients to the best of their ability.. This sometimes leads to disagreements on how a hospital is run because it may curtail the way a doctor works. In this drama, however, this daily minutiae is life and death--and that isn't quite believable. Add a suspicious death and that raises the stakes, except maybe it was more of a red herring.We spend episode upon episode watching the ML walk all over the hospital eavesdropping and inserting himself here and there. You don't get a sense of the characters because there is little backstory on them except for the main leads. I found myself caring little about the characters, but kept watching. At about episode 13, the drama got better. All of the sudden the writing seemed to improve and we finally started seeing a warmth that was missing in the first part of this 16 episode drama.
I enjoyed the ending much more than the beginning because it had very little to do with the happenings at the hospital. Perhaps if the focus had been more on the people rather than the hospital bureaucracy, I might have enjoyed it more. Bureaucracy doesn't make for a good drama. People do. Seems like they figured it out in the end.
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Get Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer
This was quite a gem in psychological thrillers. An aspiring novelist moves to Seoul to begin his writing career but can't afford rent, so he winds up in a run down hostel where most of the residents are especially weird. This sets the stage for the ensuing creepiness that occurs and we slowly see the mind of our ML unravel as he fails to grasp the gruesome happenings around him.What I loved most about this show is the fine performances by the ensemble cast, especially Lee Dong Wook. He has appeared in many dramas I have watched over the years, but this one best showcases his talent. He was so creepy in an understated way. He made your skin crawl with his wide tooth grins. Kudos to the young man who plays the unfortunate novelist. His metamorphosis from starry-eyed youth to unstable and angry is the most fascinating journey to watch. Also, it was totally unpredictable. Everyone had their roles down pat. The only person I didn't much care for was the girlfriend. She was too dumb and wrapped up in herself to notice what her boyfriend was going through.
There were some plot holes that left me questioning some parts of the story but, for the most part, the writing was virtually air tight. The length was perfect at 10, one hour episodes. You can binge watch it in one day. Loved the soundtrack and will add it to my Spotify. Great choice for those in the mood for gritty.
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Unrealistic portrayal of romance
I was looking for more Song Kang dramas since I was quite impressed with his performance in Sweet Home. His wide-spaced doe eyes are so expressive, he makes it hard for you to look away. Unfortunately, this drama was not my favorite so I will move on to Navillera. The unrealistic storyline is what I had trouble with the most. Girls do date guys like Park Jae Eon, and I was one of them. However, they seldom end happily. You see, there is no way a girl can expect to have a friend- with-benefits type of relationship with a guy and expect more from it than what he offers. It never works and no amount of showering him with affection will change the damaged outlook he has on romance or how to properly date someone. You wind up with a mangled heart.I have to agree with other reviewers that the chemistry was excellent between our main leads. The sexual tension was through the roof and the first 6 episodes were so well written, they made me feel like part of the action. The writers took their time and patiently set up the foreplay even before they got physical. The anticipation was almost unbearable and it made me want to keep watching.
Unfortunately, it starts to unravel at the second half of the drama. The students behave like middle schoolers, constantly preoccupied with each others' business instead of their own. They play spin the bottle, sit around teasing each other about their love lives and act lame teenagers instead of college grads. There were some interesting storylines among the supporting cast and girl love is handled in a dignified way. Kudos to the writers for that! The most disappointing and unsatisfying part is the end because I didn't get a real sense that our ML had really changed. He should have been the one to ask for a second chance, not her. Deep down, I felt it wouldn't last and it's almost alluded to. Young women will gobble up this type of drama, but it doesn't exist in any realm of reality, and giving them the message that it could is irresponsible.
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Creepy mystery.
Most of the time I tend to stay away from the horror genre because the writing is always last on the priority list and heavy on the jump-scares and gore. Not this one. This has an actual story which begins when a series of unexplained murders take place in a small coastal town in South Korea. After a series of tragic events that affect the lives of three children well into adulthood, they are once again reunited to solve a series of murders that are gruesomely tied to their past. Now a cop, a priest, and a taxi driver, these three must uncover the sinister secrets in order to solve the mysteries that have altered their lives and threaten to destroy their futures.The three MLs are well-developed characters masterfully played by Kim Dong Wook as the taxi driver, Kim Jae Wook as the priest, and Jung Eun Chae as the detective They are all damaged adults changed forever by tragic pasts and reunited in friendship to fight crime and battle their dysfunctional personalities. The cop is angry and unfulfilled by loss. She has a chip on her shoulder, a loner, and feels she needs to prove herself by catching the bad guys. She is a force to be reckoned with and that leads to trouble among her colleagues. Jung Eun Chae embraces her character and plays the abrasive and distant detective well, yet brings out a fiercely protective and caring side in the face of danger. Kim Dong Wook is the amateur sleuth taxi driver who is much more interested in solving mysteries than driving his clients to their destinations. His tragic losses have also kept him from forming meaningful relationships due to a struggle to trust others, including those who want the best for him. My favorite character, though, is Kim Jae Wook as the young priest. Jae Wook portrays his character as a quiet brooder, who is very courageous and vulnerable at the same time. He doesn't shy away from his duties no matter how much they affect him. He is ready to sacrifice himself for his friends to the point of pushing them away for their safety. (It also doesn't hurt that he looks so slim and appealing in his priestly garb!) These three are, in fact, masters at pushing each other away until they realize that they are much more effective as a team. The journey of blame and mistrust giving way to fierce friendship is one of the aspects I most appreciated in this story. Stellar performances even from the guest and supporting cast make this show a treat to watch despite the subject matter.
The writing is excellent for the most part. It is gruesome, disturbing,, and downright creepy. At a little over an hour per episode, I could only endure two episodes per day because it is a scary, edge-of-your-seat kind of show. The circumstances surrounding the mysteries keep you guessing until the very end as to whom the culprit might be, Even then there is a twist. The OST is awesome and carries the drama beautifully. This is definitely one to watch if you like creepy mysteries.
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Excellent performances by the entire cast makes this edge-of-your seat thriller engaging from beginning to end. You are drawn in by the kindness of the policemen investigating the case, scared out of your mind by the evil killer, and enchanted by the adorably young and brave witness. The well-written script grabs you from the beginning and keeps you from catching your breath until you finally hear those police sirens signifying the end of climax.
Watch this one. It’s worth it!
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The best part is that I totally bought this couple in the sense that they were convincing as a pair. They are both people in the fringes, wounded birds that are seeking a place to belong. They find each other and you root for their love. But there are secrets that threaten to rip them apart and the conflict comes from a heart full of fear to own up to the truth and that is where this movie falters.
So, that brings me to the question, is there a sequel? There are still room for many questions left unanswered and our ML doesn’t confide the truth to his lady love. More needs to be said to wrap this story up. I’m left with anticipation that these two young lovers have more to say.
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The supporting cast was very strong in this drama and that is a plus. I loved Lizi, Erduo's long suffering best friend. She is a hard worker who enlists Erduo's help to make her show the success it needs to be. She is tough, resilient and totally in control. Her storyline is heartbreaking as it is engaging. I found myself rooting for her just as much as Erduo. She is a fine actress. I really enjoyed the performances of all the actors.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the writing in this drama. Even though the couple is young and the drama geared for a more youthful audience, their relationship is very mature. As a couple, Bei Erduo and Ye Shuwei brought out the best in each other. There was no bratty, self absorbed behavior between them. They truly understood each other and did their best to treat each other with respect. The chemistry between these two was phenomenal. They trusted each other and it showed. Everyone did a great job and turned a show with a cliched plot into a sweet, endearing love story.
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I watched the final 3 episodes today and I was heartbroken to bid farewell to my new favorite power couple. You know you have created something special when you grow to care deeply for the characters so much that they feel like family.
Ning Yi is the sixth prince of Tiansheng Empire, set in 11th century China. When he is set free from an 8 year imprisonment by his father, the Emperor, Ning Yi slowly begins his very calculated revenge on those who framed him and his favorite brother. The race to the throne, among his conniving brothers, is a game Ning Yi plays masterfully.
In this race to win the throne, Ning Yi's plans don't always go accordingly due to a young woman by the name of Feng Zhiwei, She is intelligent, funny and proves to be a perfect pawn and ally in Ning Yi's plans. Feng Zhiwei has tragic secrets, however, that might tear down the empire if found out.
Well written, beautifully directed, with an equally dramatic score makes this an epic worth getting lost in. The actors are talented and beautiful to behold and all deliver outstanding performances. If you don't mind the 70 episode storyline, give this one a try. (How could I mind when each episode was an aesthetic masterpiece?)
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What a ride!
I haven't enjoyed a drama like this since SKY Castle. Very well written and acted, this drama just carries you away with it and makes you feel like a voyeur in the characters' private lives. You grow to both care and abhor them because they are imperfect. You wonder why they do the things they do instead of letting go and moving on. If anything, this is a lesson in human behavior and the consequences of our choices.A friendship between two women is destroyed when one makes a bad decision, leaving the other to pick up the pieces and plot her revenge. This drama was a well-written race to an explosive end. The train is out of control and will eventually crash, leaving the lives of the those around them in shattered pieces.
I have to commend the performances of all the actors, particularly Shin Hyun Bin who is the polar opposite of the character she played in Hospital Playlist. It was refreshing to see her explore her creepy, darker side. Kudos as well, to Go Hyun Jung whom I fondly remember in her role as Park Wan in Dear My Friends. Both women carry this drama beautifully and kept me glued to my seat. Notable mentions also to Kim Bo Yun as the meddling mother-in-law and Choi Won Young as the wronged husband.
Unfortunately, the last two episodes tried to wrap up the drama in a very unrealistic way. I can overlook how unwanted people are constantly breaching this upscale neighborhood to cause all kinds of mischief, but the ending was just too implausible. I wish the writer had been able to put as much effort into the last two episodes as she did in the first 14. She wanted to give it the ending audiences might have wished for given the circumstances, but I found this ending a little hard to swallow based on the vindictive personalities of all those involved.
OST is beautiful and perfectly suited to the drama. I would definitely watch this again.
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