ivybis
United States
The Gory Drama with a Heart
This is one of the better apocalyptic dramas out there. This heart-in-your-throat horror drama full of blood, gore and action delivers in strong performances by a talented ensemble of actors and strong writing. Think the cast of LOST meets #Alive.Although the topic of humans turning into creatures/zombies has already been explored, this one is different, though the details of how this comes about is as murky as the bowels of the apartment complex, where much of the action takes place. What is not lost on the viewer, however, is the metaphor of humans treating each other like monsters when hurting each other due to hatred, envy, or a lack of empathy, and literally becoming the creatures of their deepest desires who feel the need to kill or save humans.
What I love the most about this drama are the strong female leads. No Mary Janes here. The women in this show young and old, kick butt. Not only are they caregivers, teachers, grocers, musicians, first responders, and moms, they are also extraordinarily fierce when pushed to the brink of danger. See Yi Kyung, played by the beautiful Lee Shi Young, could have easily been played by a man. The fact that they chose a female hero is a plus. She is strong, smart, and protective of the tenants in the apartment building. The audience is provided with backstories through flashbacks of the main characters to better understand their weaknesses, and how they overcome them through the ensuing action. Some strategically placed comedic elements serve to break up the tension when the drama becomes too intense to handle.
Now for the bad parts: It's over-the-top violent and gory. There is so much blood, body parts and dead people that I felt caught in a violent video game. If you can't stand blood and guts, this is not the show for you. Some story details were ambiguous. It's not exactly clear why humans are becoming the way they are. There are some clues that are not explained which leads me to believe there may be a second season, else these nuances would be considered plot holes. The cliffhanger ending? There has to be a second season or it would be the most ambiguous part of the drama after all that suffering.
Would I watch this again? Yes! I need to go back and catch the little things I missed due to the break-neck pace of the story. It is very thought-provoking drama because it makes you ponder the human psyche. The black on white line drawing of the eye at the opening credits along with the classical music is a stroke of genius. It draws you in and slams the door behind you,
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I will be honest. It took 20 episodes for me to decide whether to drop it or not. I am glad I didn't. The first 20 episodes were campy and since I like dramas, wasn't sure this would be my cup of tea. But that all got settled as the pace quickened and things started to move along.
Jinmi is the daughter of the great Floral Fairy goddess who passes away from lovesickness and giving birth. Before she passes, she gives her infant daughter an elixir to swallow which keeps her from falling in love. This impediment is the root cause of all Jinmi's troubles as they keep her from forming love attachments. Growing up thinking she is a grape elf and without a care in the world, her life is soon turned upside down when a great phoenix bird accidentally lands in the floral realm during rebirth. He is actually a prince from the Heavenly realm who befriends Jinmi after she saves his life.
This show was surprisingly good and even though it isn't as good as Eternal Love, it has enough twists and turns that I never saw coming. I like a show that surprises me. The performances were rock-solid. I love the beautiful actress who plays Jinmi and the actor who portrays Runyu, her fiance. For a young actor, he does a solid job of making you love and despise him all at once. He was the most interesting character of all. I felt like the show doesn't reveal anything before it´s time and when Jinmi finds out the truth about people, you find out right along with her.
Great love story, though the chemistry isn't as good between the main characters as in Eternal Love. But I chalk this up the the actors being slightly younger and less experienced with the love scenes. Another great C-drama top put on your to-watch list.
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Could have been better
This drama had a depthless plot which spent more time on the business writing than on the romance. I feel like the supporting cast could have been given more to work with so that their relationships didn't seem so much like superficial filler. As much as I had a hard time believing in the implausible pairing of the younger ingenue with the older supporting lead, I did root for them but felt their journey could have been handled better, Instead we get a girl chasing a guy who keeps running away, until he gives up and decides to just be with her. No build up. It's exhausting and silly to watch them.The next supporting couple made no sense at all. We have two people who are crazy in love with each other, but are too scared to be honest with each other about their feelings. They love playing games with each other which is a waste of time. Nothing much was happening but when they finally do decide to give their romance a chance, they almost disappear.
The main leads/couple were the most perplexing. I was intrigued by their relationship, the build up took a good long, time and when they got together, it was great---except when she started acting like a bumbling idiot whenever he was around. I guess that was supposed to be her playful side, but it seemed completely at odds with her personality. The misunderstandings broke your heart, so seeing them get to a better place later on was a relief. I found the excessive time passage towards the end unnecessary and unfair to the storyline and only furthered my frustration with the writers.
Dylan Wang gets better with every passing drama. He is growing as an actor and I hope he continues to take more meaningful roles. The best show to date has been Fairy Loves Devil. He needs to hold out for better parts because they are out there. Bai Lu was amazing in Till the End of the Moon, I find her an intelligent actress, so I find her hard to watch when she has to play silly ingenues. There are younger actresses out there who can do that. I think she is beyond that now and should strive for roles with more depth.
In general, this should have been left to more creative writers. The entire plot was superficial and boring and I felt the actors were cheated out of something better.
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The Epitome of the Bromance
If you are looking for a drama that centers around bromance, this is the one for you. Lin Shu is a young man from a respected family who suffers a terrible tragedy. He returns seeking revenge on those who wronged him by being a master of strategy in the game of thrones. By staying one step ahead of his opponents, he is able to close in on them one by one.The best part of this drama is the well written plot line. It flows well and manages to keep you engaged even when main characters go missing for large chunks of the series. The storylines continue to change while still keeping the focus on the male lead. His relationships with his friends and subordinates are what makes this drama worth watching. This is not a romance at all. The female lead is underused and, for the most part, largely absent. Most of the female characters have supporting roles, but they, too, are well written. The performances were all noteworthy and I was very pleased to see such great talents in one drama. At times, characters disappear and then reappear without explanation and there is little to no wrap up in some of plot lines. I took a star off for that.
Costumes where beautiful and the soundtrack was gorgeous. You know you have a hit when fans find themselves humming the musical score. It is so unique that I would remember the title of the drama just by hearing the piece of music. In general a great series.
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