Jasmine
USA
Wallace Chung has good chemistry with Tiffany Tang. Physically, they look great together and Yi Chen (Wallace) demonstrated his anguish for Mo Sheng (Tiffany) very well. Yes, he was dubbed but that's necessary since Wallace's pronunciation in mandarin isn't that good since he speaks Cantonese natively. It's fine though because his dubbed voice is nice and the dubbing is in sync. The story itself is nothing that new but this drama was calm and beautiful. It's an easy watch even with some annoying characters that I fast forwarded through.
The flashbacks were also a main aspect of this drama, they used flashbacks periodically within episodes to slowly unravel the misunderstandings and backstories. Though this drama was slow-moving, the anticipation created within the flashbacks made me want to come back for more episodes; in that respect, this drama was kind of addicting for me. I admit that they did repeat the same flashbacks over and over again in the end but I just fast forwarded it so it wasn't a problem. In the flashbacks, the director used different actors for young Yi Chen and Mo Sheng. Props to the young actors, they channeled Yi Chen's and Mo Sheng's spirits very well. Young Yi Chen even kinds of looks like Wallace and young Mo Sheng was so cute and bubbly.
I liked how their love never wavered for one another throughout the whole drama, and that the antagonists couldn't tear them apart. There were tons of misunderstandings in the beginning, but it didn't take that long, and once they were resolved their relationship was wonderful to watch. I really liked Yuan Feng and Xiao Xiao (Viola Mi) here. They were both hilarious and had such character depth; they felt like real people.
The music was lovely. It complemented all the tranquil and emotionally anguished scenes. Wallace's real voice in one of the songs was also really good.
Re-watch? Maybe, maybe not. I recommend it to people who don't want to watch a crazy plot, and just want to watch a beautiful romantic drama. (9/8)
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Wallace lives and breathes his role as Bo Jin Yan. He's adorably awkward when it comes to romance, and level-headed when it comes to his job as a criminal psychologist. Wallace also plays his 'split personality'; very well, showing that he's a versatile actor. I think Sandra was the perfect cast actually. She's pretty, and yet she gives off a girl next door vibe, complementing Bo Jin Yan (Wallace) fabulously. In a way, their relationship reminds me of Edward and Bella from Twilight- cool, seemingly emotionless male lead and sensitive yet observant female lead that brings the warmth out of the male lead. In my opinion, they have great chemistry and Bo Jin Yan's cheesy lines were hilarious. I can't forget Jin Yan's love for fish. He loves to eat fish so much that it was part of the storyline-kind of cute. I actually didn't guess the ultimate Big Bad so I was shocked when the twist came out. In that respect, this drama did a great job because it kept me on my toes.
The cinematography was gorgeous as well, the fish eye lenses were a cool touch, and I loved the car, Andy. So high-tech, and hilarious-Andy's like part of the cast! The cases were interesting and not too predictable. Every case was drastically different so it didn't get boring. I especially liked it when Jin Yan does his criminal analysis because it's so interesting to listen to. The cases flowed well together and connected with one another, each case spanning around four episodes, and led up to the Big Bad storyline. Though it seemed like each case was separate, they were all ultimately connected to the Big Bad, and the drama explores the deepest aspects of human desire through the cases. All the leads had a backstory as well, lending more depth to the story, making the drama come more to life. It was a little graphic but not too intense/gory either.
I loved Zi Yu (Andrew Yin), he is the ultimate best friend. Their bromance was fun to watch and a good comedic relief from the serious tone of the crime investigations. Xun Ran (Wang Kai) was a good second lead but the drama never really gave him a chance to be a serious romantic threat to Bo Jin Yan. Nevertheless, I admired his dedication and willpower as a cop- his acting was also spot on. The beginning was a bit slow but it was needed to set up the story. It starts rapidly speeding up after around three episodes. This drama didn't drag that much; rather, it went by quickly in 24 episodes.
The music kept me barely breathing in lots of suspenseful moments so it definitely did its job! There was a lot of orchestral music which was a nice change from usual dramas.
Re-watch? YES! I will most definitely re-watch this and so far this is my favorite Chinese drama! I recommend this drama if you're into suspense, crime scene investigations, and lots of romance. I wouldn't recommend this if you don't like romance intertwined with crime scene investigations. That said, this drama was fantastic in all respects so I recommend it to everyone. (10/9.75)
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The pros of this drama is that the premise is unique and Pets Tseng is a great actress-loved her martial arts scenes. Her crying scenes were also really well-done. Sam Lin is handsome but his acting skills definitely need some polishing. Sometimes during the scenes where he is supposed to be sad and crying, I feel like he is holding back a smile. I usually never get second male lead syndrome but by episode 25 I was rooting for Che (Evan Ma) even though I knew he wouldn't get Xiao Xi. I don't know.. at first I really liked Liu Bing (Sam Lin) but in the end, I just wanted Che and Xiao Xi to get together.
The revenge scheme in Moon River is intense and I don't know if I liked it because it wasn't fitting to the overall tone of the drama. Half the drama had a hilarious and fluffy tone and then sudden left turn into angst and revenge. In short, it made sense plot-wise to lead to the revenge part, but in terms of tone-wise, it was a huge shift. Personally, I didn't like that but that differs for each person. In terms of the other characters, you have your usual array of vindictive antagonists, pining second leads, and comedic relief. I have to point out Lucy; she didn't have a lot of scenes but she was so adorable and a honorable mention to Rei Xi- he was funny.
Music was good-fitting for the scenes and not overplayed. Great OST overall.
I don't think I would re-watch this. However, I would recommend this if you like school romances, revenge schemes, a strong female lead. I don't regret watching this, it's just I'm disappointed with the way the last 10 episodes or so played out since the beginning of this drama was just so darn entertaining. (8/8)
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I must say- I had high expectations for this movie since it included three of my favorite Taiwanese actors, and two were the leads of one of my favorite dramas, In Time With You. While watching this movie, I kept thinking of other dramas/movie scenes that were just so similar to the scenes in this movie. Similarity isn't always a bad thing, as long as it is well executed- which in this case, wasn't. I was severely disappointed because I really wanted to love this movie. The story was lacking, with choppy execution and just didn't flow. It's basically a modern twist on Cinderella, but has nothing new. I must say that there were some cute OTP scenes between the leads definitely worth watching, which were the pros of this movie.
The character development was mediocre. There was no substance to Chen Bo Lin's character, a huge let down for me. Ariel's character had the most character growth from being insecure to a confident woman, the transformation was fun to see but nothing new. Vic's character was endearing but again, not much development either. The supporting characters just sprung out of nowhere, and felt disjointed as well. The acting itself was superb. Ariel Lin always does a fantastic job in portraying her emotions, along with Vic and Chen Bo Lin. NaNa was both cute and annoying, which was the point of her role so she was pretty good too. On a superficial note, Ariel looked gorgeous in this movie. The main problem with this movie was the story. So much star power in this movie, and yet it still couldn't shine.
Music was alright, nothing out of the ordinary.
So do I recommend it? If you're a big Ariel Lin, Vic Chou, and Chen Bo Lin fan like me, then yes go for it! I mean, when will we ever get to see the three of them together in a drama/movie again? Re-watch? I'm good, thanks. Overall, it was worth watching one time just to see the three of them together. (7/8)
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I have mixed feelings about the cast. This is the first time I'm seeing Godfrey Gao act. Although he's very good looking, his acting skills are sub-par in comparison to Joe Chen in their scenes together. I cringe for him because it's so awkward. Coco Jiang's scenes with Godfrey are worse. I couldn't deal with her incessant whining so I fast-forwarded their scenes. Now, the annoying antagonist with a crazy family? Yes, that exists here as well. I definitely fast forwarded all those scenes as well.
Now, it does seem like I'm naming many negatives but Joe Chen and Han Zhang make up for a huge portion of the negativity. Their scenes are like a breath of fresh air, and many scenes created in this drama are full of ingenuity. The premise of this drama was also promising. I enjoyed being in different settings: Taipei, Shanghai, and London. The Peter Rabbit motif throughout the drama was also cute and fitting to the characters. I loved the actress that played Han Zhang's character's older sister. She's super pretty and great at acting.Her character was enormously supportive of Tan Jin (Han Zhang)-I loved that! I have never seen her act in other dramas though. I also like how they support Tan Jun (Han Zhang). So glad there's no cliche plot in this drama about not being able to be together because of class differences. Tan Jun supports Xiao Jie (Joe Chen) the whole way through and in that respect this drama reminds me a little of In Time With You.
Music was mediocre, unfortunately. They didn't have a strong OST but some songs were cute.
Re-watch value.. no I don't think I would re-watch this at all. Once is good enough since it was kind of long. That being said, I would maybe re-watch some of the OTP scenes. All in all, I guess I can recommend this drama. So watch this if you're a fan of Joe or Han, if you can deal with some mediocre acting, if you can deal with crazy family plots, and if you're okay with the leads not being together until more than halfway through the drama. Yeah, they move very slowly, but hey they're cute together so I'm still glad I picked this drama back up after I got bored and put it on hold halfway through it. (7.25/8)
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Loved the cast! The actresses/actors were all cast well and they fit their characters perfectly. I especially loved Wang Da Lu. Wow, he's such a versatile actor, I feel heartbroken when he's crying and impressed by his fighting scenes. Of course, Vivian Sung portrayed the clumsy albeit a little awkward teenager very well. Dino Lee is cute too but his character was just kind of one-dimensional in my opinion. If you read my other reviews, you'll know I love Jerry Yan and I was elated to find out that he played the grown up Wang Da Lu. His scene with Joe Chen, although too short, was adorable and I wished it was longer! I admit I also screamed like a fan girl when I heard Andy Lau was playing a small role as a guest in this movie. He hasn't acted in a Taiwanese movie in ages! The star power of the three of them added to this movie too.
Music was fantastic and contributed to my roller coaster of emotions. My favorite song was of course the theme song, A Little Happiness, by Hebe Tien. I've been playing that song on repeat ever since.
Re-watch value is high! Once they come to the USA, I'm going to try and buy a HD quality version. Movies like this always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, so if you guys are looking for that don't miss this! (10/9)
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This is the best I have seen Aaron. Having to act two characters that are completely different, Aaron was able to pull off two personas very well. His crying scenes were spot on and just so real! It's unfortunate Leo (Jack Lee) was a such an one dimensional character. Seriously. Though Huan Huan's (Beatrice Fang) incessant whining was beyond irritating, I have to give props to Beatrice: she played her role very well. The other characters were averaging from alright to okay. No one really stands out other than Aaron, but even Aaron couldn't carry this drama.
I did like the music though. It was basically almost all Aaron's songs but I didn't get sick of his songs at all. They're super catchy!
Although I didn't finish this drama, I did skim quickly through the rest of the episodes. The Li family debacle was crazy, and that was only through the few minutes I skimmed so I'm glad I didn't have to go through all that. I also skipped ahead to watch the last episode. Honestly? Tia and Aaron look so stiff in the wedding attire and the chemistry is just gone. Tia actually had really good chemistry with Xiao Lu, Lu Tian Xing's alter ego in the first half of the drama. In the end, I really don't recommend this drama but if you must watch it, watch the first half then watch the last episode, then done! (8/6)
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I really liked all the relationships portrayed in the drama. So there are four couples. My favorite one was Mao Mao (Guo Shu Yao) and Dao Yuan (Lego Lee). I really like the reunited love storylines so of course I thought their high school flashbacks were just completely adorable. No, I haven't watched In a Good Way yet because I heard about the open ending and it's set in the 90's so I don't know how great Liu Chuan is so that can't influence my view on this drama. Anyways, I'm probably biased because of Lego but I really liked his character, regardless of the mistakes he made because it was very human. Their chemistry was spectacular, in my opinion. They look compatible and their interactions were so natural on screen. The main couple, Yi Fen and Qi Feng are pretty cute too. I liked the journey they experienced together more than their romance because their romance was kind of bland. The other two couples were cute and definitely added to the overall cuteness of the drama. The confessions, dates, and make-up scenes were all really creative, even for dramaland and I loved that. And as usual, there is a disapproving mother, and supportive parents, so be prepared for that. And did I mention James Wen played a small part here? I was so excited when he showed up because he was phenomenal in the drama, The Fierce Wife and he's just an awesome actor.
Aside from the romance, I loved their sisterhood. The four of them are like sisters and they always support each other and work through fights. I loved their friendship and how it contributed to the drama overall. The journey to reach their dreams did seem more like a side note than the main theme, which is how it's supposed to be. Nevertheless, this drama did portray the struggles of work, and materialistic values very well. It showed me the hardships of going out into society and how different people face those challenges. Yes, some of the follow your dream speeches were very cliche and corny but that's what this drama is about! I think they were appropriate and not overdone at all.
Music was great! Love the OST and I already downloaded them all. There were a few emotional songs that made me teary-eyed in combination with the scene. I especially love Missing You All the Time by Vianz & Shan, which is beautifully sung and I Want You by Dom. T, which is super catchy and a fun beat.
On a side note, one big reason why I fell in love with this drama was because I could identify with Mao Mao. In a way, I saw myself in her and I believe that for many drama viewers out there, being able to identify with a character is a huge aspect in starting to become emotionally attached to a drama. I could relate with her stubbornness and her resilience in always being the emotionally stronger one.
Overall, I already re-watched almost all the Mao Mao+Dao Yuan scenes so the re-watch value is high! I loved this drama and marathoned all of it in a week so I think I would re-watch it sometime in the future. I don't know how great Lego was in In a Good Way yet but I watched this first because I didn't want his performance there to influence me on what could have been a great drama. And Aim High was really a great drama! In the end, I definitely recommend this drama for those drama fans out there that like a lot of romance, like me! (9.75/9.25)
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The cast is amazing. Like many people, I love Bae Yong Jun. His acting was just spot on. Seriously, this drama was so angsty! Be prepared with tissues when watching this! All the actors portrayed their parts very well but of course I loved the OTP the most. Their high schools scenes were completely adorable with breathtaking winter scenery in the background complemented with lovely songs that made me feel like I was right there with them. Their little actions/gestures are so romantic and touching. Even after they are adults, their scenes continue to be captivating to watch. I lived with them in every scene.
I fell in love with the music, especially "From the Beginning Until Now", "My Memory", and "Only You". The soundtrack was really touching and fitting for the scenes.
I completely recommend this drama. It's definitely a classic. Don't be turned off by the drama because it doesn't have HD quality since it's relatively old. Like Autumn's Concerto (t-drama), this is a classic (but k-drama) so it's seriously a must watch! (10/9)
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The cast was really awesome! I saw some of my favorite stars from previous dramas and some new faces as well! All of them portrayed their parts well, and Jasper has really improved in his emotional scenes (from Pleasantly Surprised). Jet and Jasper's character both had fantastic character development and were characters with a lot of layers/depth. Both of their characters were what made me continue watching because it was just so fascinating to understand both of them more. Of course, the OTP was cute too. Mandy and Jasper had more chemistry the second half! The side characters were great too. They were consistent with their character and it seemed like all of them had a story underneath their exterior, which was consistent with the title of this drama, When I See You Again. I liked how the director was detailed enough to give many of the characters time to tell us their story too, adding to the overall depth of the drama!
Music was very catchy so no complaints there! Not my favorite OST of all time but good enough!
Re-watch isn't that high because their were a lot of surprise elements in this drama. Thus, I think that it wouldn't be as good the second time around. However, as usual, I would go back and watch my favorite cute scenes between the leads! All in all, I recommend this drama to everyone who likes a good romantic drama and some "politics" mixed in. Of course, if you're a Jasper fan you cannot miss this drama! (9/8.5)
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I have no complaints about the cast at all. Viola Mi's character (Xiang Nan) was just beyond annoying as the antagonist but she is an amazing actress (this is the first drama I saw her in). Her emotional scenes were spot on and I could really feel her inner turmoil. Of course, many said Maggie Jiang was kind of cold and unemotional but I actually thought she nailed her role as a strong career woman and she had huge character development to change her previously cold exterior. Nothing needs to be said about Jerry. I always love him in dramas, but I thought this role fit him a lot more (he's really adorable when he acts immature). Last but not least, Ron Ng (I saw him in Cantonese movies before), but this is the first time I saw him in a drama, and unfortunately he was dubbed but anyone who has second lead syndrome would definitely fall in love with him. The rest of the cast were great as well. There are the accomplices, the hilarious (and gossipy) office staff, a supportive mother, a disapproving father, and two comedic reliefs in the form of Ban Jie and Da Luo!
Music was really nice, albeit a little repetitive. I liked how they used some of JJ Lin's old songs. That being said, I even downloaded the OST so I guess it's pretty catchy!
Overall, I really recommend it. Re-watch value is alright because at 42 episodes, it's long! However, maybe I would watch it again a few months later, but I would definitely re-watch some of my favorite episodes. If your taste is anything like mine (meaning you're used to 'draggy t-dramas'-see previous reviews) and you can stand that for the cute OTP, then you will definitely love this drama. Of course, if you're a Jerry fan like me, you can't miss out on this drama either! (9.25/8)
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The cast was great. I really liked all of the characters. Most characters were understandable and the drama plays out class differences pretty well. The leads (ShanShan and FengTeng) were just so adorable! They had great chemistry and whenever FengTeng pinched ShanShan's cheek I was like "aww". I actually liked the eating food together scenes a lot because the dishes were pretty common but they made it look delicious!
OST of this drama was just ok. Usually after a drama, I keep humming the songs, but I don't remember any songs right now.
Overall, I would probably re-watch some scenes and maybe re-watch the whole thing if I have time. I recommend this drama if you like a slow romance with lots of character growth and overcoming class differences. (8.5/8.75)
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Plot wise, like I said earlier it's pretty cliche. Nevertheless, the execution was still decent enough and entertaining. It has all the things a drama should, a funny comedic relief actor, some good friends, an annoying antagonist, and family. I have to say, the ending isn't that great but I guess it's happy *enough*, but still left me a bit hanging. Aside from that, the romantic development was pretty fast, since it's only 9 episodes, so there's little to no dragging (which is great!). The plot really is similar to Twilight, but much better chemistry between the leads, and no sparkling vampires. The antagonist is to be expected, and that plot line wasn't that irritating. It's also set on a university campus, so I really liked how it was a campus romance.
Even though I easily fall in love with drama OST's, this drama's music was very 'ehh'. It seriously was not special, probably because I expected more, much more. Even now, I don't remember any of the songs which is rare ( if you look at my other reviews you'll see why).
Re-watch value is not that high, mostly because the only version available I could find was pretty low quality, which isn't easy on the eyes. Disregarding that though, re-watch value based on purely the drama could be high, after all it's only 9 episodes and if you like a cute but cliche vampire love story. I recommend this drama a lot; it's so unfortunate how not many people know about this drama. (8.5/8.5)
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The saving grace of this drama is definitely the OTP. The two main leads, Jerry Yan and Tong Li Ya, had superb chemistry. They both had outstanding performances in this drama, and I was captivated by their scenes together. Usually in other dramas, the OTP is most important to me; in dramas like this one, however, the child is just as important. Unfortunately, the child actor was very average. He was cute, yes, but nothing about his performance stood at all. His dubbing severely detracted from his performance, and his acting was mediocre. The supporting actors were alright. Nothing particular. Zhong Mou’s(Jerry Yan) assistant was funny, and of course, Jerry Yan himself was just phenomenal. His acting was on point and his crying scenes were just so emotional provoking. I personally didn’t like Wu Tong’s (TongLiYa) character, although her acting was fantastic. She is a strong mother, but she is also such a pushover.
Some of the music didn’t fit with the scenes, especially the english songs played at the club scenes made me cringe. Jerry Yan’s ending song, and Jin Sha’s song, however, were amazing. I loved it.
For me, re-watch value isn’t that high. I would re-watch some scenes between the OTP, but I don’t think I would watch the whole drama again. In the end, I do recommend this drama if you're in the mood for a heavy melodrama. Even with all the ridiculous plots, it still managed to make me tear up in some scenes. If you also care about an amazing OTP, like me, then I recommend watching just for the OTP. 7.5/8.5
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Although the main leads were supposed to be Bobby Dou and PeiJia Huang's characters, I was more interested in Man Li (Vivi Lee’s) character and romance development. Her storyline had more chemistry than the main leads. To be honest, I liked the supporting characters more than the leads as well. Ying Jie’s (Bobby Dou) brother was adorable; I really liked his storyline. I wish it could have been shown more though. However, I felt that his plot line was better developed and made more sense, whereas I didn't really see how the main leads fell in love with each other other than the fact they were childhood best friends turn into secretly crushing on each other. The family scenes were heartwarming, albeit a little cliche, with the disapproving parents versus the warm-hearted parents. There was comedic relief as well; that was good.
Honestly, I’m usually pretty easily satisfied with the OST because I'm in the moment unless they are really terrible. So, I did like the music, especially the song played when Ying Qian’s (Ying Jie’s brother) storyline came on. My favorite character was definitely Shang de (Adrian Tan), who seems to be a newbie as this is his first major role, and I look forward to see him in more dramas.
I don’t think I would re-watch this drama actually. I personally like daily dramas, but I would only re-watch a few of my favorite scenes at most. Going through it all the way again would be too much. But, I do recommend this drama for those of you that like daily dramas like me, as well as multiple romantic storylines that are not developed within a few episodes, but rather a lot of episodes. Also, if you liked Fabulous 30 or anything like it (see my reviews), I do think you would enjoy this drama. (8/7.5)
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