This is a mixed bag of fruit. most sour and some sweet.
LOVE AND CROWNThis “Love and Crown” had so much potential to be a great drama, but the writing and acting just could not pull off the win. This drama had many positive points and good things about it.
"The drama in the end is disappointing. Its narrative suffers from a contrived and unnecessarily complex plot, undermining any genuine dramatic momentum. The characters lack depth and development, making it difficult for the audience to form a meaningful emotional connection. These shortcomings are further compounded by uninspired direction, which fails to bring coherence or nuance to the overall work." (diade68_778)
Production
The production and costumes were done well. The inner chambers looked authentic and gave you the feel of a grand production. It looked like it was the making of a beautiful drama. One thing about the costumes was the overuse of heavy clothing. I noticed with a lot of dramas lately that the cast has been wearing very heavy and layered clothing and oversized fur coats. While this I am sure, it is because of the cold and lack of heat, which could be avoided if they actually used some heat. Since I am not Asian and do not live in this type of culture, I cannot say as to why they film in such cold conditions. They spend so much money on Asian dramas, why not build sets like in Hollywood?
Acting and Cast:
The cast is absolutely beautiful with plenty of eye candy (my favorite part). How does (Ren Jia Lun) continue to look so good? With the cast, I felt like a great drama was going to come out of every scene, but that did not happen. So, again, so much potential but missing the mark. The acting was so sporadic. It was like walking the runway with the best design and falling flat on your face. Everything is great, and then it is not. The times when the camera paused on a face were too many and too long. With this it caused the actors to be a step behind, so the scene did not come together. It was as if they wanted to showcase certain actors with a side story that never truly developed. Honestly, none of the actors pulled their weight. Both leads, although beautiful in appearance, could not carry poor writing and directing. Not to mention they lacked the most important thing, chemistry.
The Story
The story was not bad, but it was far-fetched at times, the writer could have at least made the story believable. The dramas where the spies know everything are getting old. Seriously, they don’t even have social media. How did they know everything beforehand? The story gets lighthearted in the middle, then goes off the rails with a side story that is a bit much.
The Low Rating:
I was wondering why the rating was so low. Now, I know it was not a good watch. It had too many holes and flaws. Which seemed to be because of poor writing, dialog and directing. Perhaps they were inexperienced and did not know how to pull everything together. In conclusion, the rating was well deserved.
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Great start, but ran out of steam toward the end.
The Princess’s Gamit is not an original plot, but it is well performed by Meng Zi Yi and Liu Xue Yi. These actors deliver their roles with experience and skill. I started liking it from the beginning. What stands out to me is that the story isn’t original, but it keeps your interest for most of the run.The Story
This is a story about a powerless princess who leaves her country for a political marriage with a neighboring prince. Unfortunately, she is framed and ends up marrying the ruthless Left Chancellor instead. It’s suspenseful from the start as the leads use their wit and cunning to navigate this chaos. If you enjoy dramas where both leads are sharp and capable, you'll find this enjoyable. Sit back and watch as the plot twists and turns throughout the series. Although there are concubines, the story doesn’t focus heavily on harem antics. Instead, there’s more political intrigue, palace politics, and a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
The Acting
I am a fan of Liu Xue Yi; the more I watch him in dramas, the more I respect what he brings to a role. He portrays a ruthless Left Chancellor, and when you see his cold stare, it might send chills down your spine. Yet, he can also soften and show a gentler side when he switches gears. Meng Zi Yi has also grown in her acting. She is a beautiful woman who convincingly plays the victim. Overall, this is one of the few dramas where I think the casting is quite good. There’s plenty of cuteness and eye candy. That’s my particular taste because I’m tired of characters who stay grimy and stay in the dark throughout the entire series. That said, the villains could be more convincing.
Since there are only 36 out of 40 episodes, some editing and scene cuts were necessary. This leads to parts of the story feeling a bit disconnected and poorly edited. You might wonder whether they should have included more content or cut more, especially toward the end.
Production
The production quality is solid, even if it’s on a smaller scale. You won’t see sweeping countryside shots, large mansions, or grand ponds. However, the interior scenes appear larger than they are. The costumes are nice, especially the men's, which I find more captivating than the women's.
The Music
The music is good, but since I don’t understand the language, I can’t comment much on it.
In conclusion, this drama seems to have lost some of its initial ambition by the end. The villains didn’t quite live up to their potential. The ending is of a type I’ve always disliked in Asian dramas. If you enjoy the other aspects I mentioned, then it’s an okay choice for costume and historical drama fans. It’s not top-tier, but it’s also not the worst.
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Not quite there yet as a real Romcom.
If you look at the trailer or read the description you will immediately think this a great Romcom. However, this fell short in so many ways. Let me first say the highest rating I gave is for the story. The story had real potential to be a blockbuster hit. It had all the makings to start a good Romcom. It just never got there. If I had to sum it up it was just boring. It never had two parts that go together. You know, peanut butter but no jelly, bread but no butter. The title does not go with anything. So a great story but the leads were not enough to pull it off. Individually they were cute but together no chemistry. I tried to give it every chance I could. I watched objectively until the end. I gave up better dramas for this. But when you start fast-forwarding through most of the episodes, you know something is wrong.Many of the comments ask why the ratings are so low. This has a slow pace and never really goes anywhere. It reminded me of those short dramas on YouTube that give you different versions of the same plot. I fault the director for not knowing where to go or lead this drama to make it more exciting and loveable. I fault the writers for giving the actors too much dialog that they could not pull off. Thus, making the actors look like bad actors.
On a positive note, it is a rom-com and there were some funny moments. There was a hint of romance but it was barely fulfilled because it took so long. It has a happy ending.
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Will stir emotions!
This is a hard drama to rate. Call me crazy but I fell in love with the ML in this. I hated that he was so evil but I love that he had this pure love. The way he looks at her melts your heart and makes you want to root for him. I almost wanted to drop it because I could not stand him turning so bad. It did not hold much substance as far as dramas go but I wanted to find out what happened to his love in the end. If you have ever had someone close or family member do something questionable then you will realize how your emotions can get caught in the middle of forgiveness or hate.I found the other characters annoying at times and this was hard to by pass because the writer never really developed or had any growth of these characters. For this reason I did fast forward a lot.
I am not sure how they actually develop Asian dramas whether they write as they go along or if the story is actually written episode by episode. It seems as if they write episode by episode and they change the story line to meet the audience approval. In the beginning I could not tell who was with who and why these older men and much younger females were going.
I would say it is a OK watch if you like your emotions being tapped into a little.
Try "When a Man Loves" 2013. I thought this was one of the most emotionally charged dramas I have seen in a while.
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Left me empty!
I guess I needed to write a review for my low score. The drama never leaves the first page. (If you know what I mean) It does not build to anything in order to finish anything. It starts off slow and depressing and never goes anywhere from there, in my opinion.To be honest this drama is about emotional baggage, everyone's emotional baggage and mental illness. Everyone is the drama is pretty much mentally ill. Or you can just say emotional baggage. Sure, we all carry some but there are still good days unlike this drama.
If you like the male and female actors they are nice to look at but that is about all they have to offer here.
I am not sure if there is more than one song in the sound track. I just kept hearing the some depressing song over and over and over.
I watch dramas to be entertained not to be depressed.
If you are already dealing with emotional baggage you might want to stay away from this one. Somehow I don't think this will make you feel better.
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The FL and ML ooze chemistry with a refreshing take on who is in control of the romance. The ML is a wealthy and shy introvert very much caught up in his work dedicated to family. Where as the FL also comes from a affluent family is totally outgoing not afraid of a challenge. Both of their characters are totally likable and adorable the chemistry is great balancing "Yin and Yang" if you will.
The story line is simple and sweet. If you want a emotional waive of feelings this is not for you. I just found myself smiling most of the time at how cute their romance was so I took the drama for what is was. I would say that originally this may have been over 48 episodes because the editing is cut a little too deep. You will never really know who Mrs. Fang was just that everyone loved her. So don't try to take this seriously it is what it is.
One last point OST, it was hard to get with it because there were no subtitles but it was pretty on point with key moments.
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Pleasantly surprised it was short and sweet.
When I first read the synopsis, I was uninterested in this drama, thinking it was a zombie genre. It's not that I don’t like zombies; I was just not in the mood at that time. Now, I am sorry I waited because this was a pleasant surprise.Well, this short drama packed a punch of love and good chemistry. This is about a man in love who will not give up on his wife, who may or may not be a monster. This was well directed, and this couple pairing was spot on. The director took his time detailing a complex story and the development of their relationship with answers to so many questions in each episode. For a drama lover, this has romance, suspense, and thrills with a splash of horror. The story is intriguing, and the leads are captivating. I have seen the two leads, FL, Rain Lu as Tang Qian Yuein, and ML, Zhao Yi Qin as Ling Chang Feng, in other dramas, and they have a sort of charisma when playing parts. They both capture a love-struck look with the innocence of youth. I found myself smiling from the inside.
The acting was good, and the casting was great. There is a family dynamic, friendship, and another side story that adds a new twist to the plot.
The cinematography is visually appealing, with small nuances in the production that draws you in.
You may find that some scenes were probably cut for one reason or another with some plot holes. Just go wtth it for me, that was okay. This goes under my short drama category, so the score is a little inflated being it was short, sweet, and to the point. This is a romance first and all else second. I truly enjoyed it and recommend it if you need a break from tragedies.
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Captivating , a good watch!
The quality of a good drama is back in this one. Starting from the opening scene “Blossom” is captivating and intense. FL comes across as smart and witty knowledgeable ahead of her time. She commands her household like a four-star general. This is a big production on a grand scale, and you can see it. The trailers did not disappoint. I personally appreciate the cinematography and visuals on display in this drama. The special effects, although brief are visually captivating.The ML is intense and somewhat barbaric with his frightening presence as if he has lived a full life at a young age. It is clear that his soul has weathered with time as his hair is fully grey. He comes off as smart as FL commanding a stealth army and on a mission.
The director draws you in from the very beginning setting up the entire plot in the first episode. The back story and some main characters are introduced. Right away you know what has happened and what is at stake for the two leads. You can sense that the two strangers were meant to be together. Fate has brought them together and oddly they share the same fate with both being poisoned and dying together then reborn. The FL retains her memories but not the ML.
The next set of episodes explores the FL living her new life trying to change her fate. It makes for an entertaining watch and suspenseful waiting for the two leads to meet again.
The cast is well-chosen and their storylines are interesting. The story is smooth and moves at a good pace. I do think that the writers could have spent a little more time on the character development of the other cast members. Some of them deserved a little more background to add more to the story. The costumes are well made and fit that time period.
What is disappointing is that the confidence that “Shou Gu” and “Yan Tang” had in the beginning episodes gets lost somewhere. So as a reborn drama, (IMO) I felt the leads could have been smarter, making us question the directors' choices about where the show must go.
This was a good quality drama which has been hard to come by lately. So, don’t miss out.
You will like this drama if you like:
Big productions
Costume drama
Different twist political plots
Harem and concubines’ hierarchy
Strong FL and ML
A love story full of romance
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Not for the Unromantic!
I wanted to write this review after the second episode. This mini/short drama packs a mighty punch.Let us start with the storyline in the synopsis after a tragic incident, two lovers who lose and find each other on opposite sides of life. In short, they have to find their way back to each other amidst a rollercoaster of emotions. I liked the storyline it drew me in right away mostly because of the acting from the ML and FL from the very beginning. In the very first episode (which I must say are too short) the cinematography and directing are spot-on. In what appears to be a minimal set and low-budget film the directing and special effects feel like a solid-budget film.
One of the things that caught my attention right away was the acting from both leads Dai Gaozheng and Tu Zhiying it was honestly captivating. I have watched many Asian dramas with the top billing stars that could not compare to these two in this short drama. The two leads do their part in telling the story as it should be told, a love story. The chemistry between the leads is electrifying, intense, and passionate, and it works like a charm. You will be drawn in like a spider to a web. The acting is spot-on for this type of drama
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Wow, such a lack of imagination!
The Atypical Family had so much potential but fell short of lack of imagination. I liked that the family had superpowers but the powers were somewhat obscure and had "no rhyme or reason". It would have been nice if the plot led to the family pulling their powers together nearing the end to solve the main dilemma. It would have been nice if there was some background on why they have powers. It would have been nice if they had explained why the ML can only go back in time to see moments with the FL after his powers mutate. It does explain why they have lost their powers.Was this review helpful to you?
And the tears flowed.
Kim Soo Hyun, never disappoints me. He is an Adonis of K-Drama's. I think he is often underrated. Queen of Tears is IMO a mellow dramatic rom-com. It takes a dive into the rich and selfish world of the upper elite in marriage. The ML from an average rural family in the countryside is in a miserable marriage to a rich third-generation heiress. The FL rich and cold follows the footsteps of what is expected of the upper elite amidst some past trauma.The casting is done well with plenty of eye candy which I love. Kim Soo Hyun delivers a stellar performance. He was funny, adoring, sexy, and dramatic. Kim Ji Won, was a surprise for me in that she has really grown into a beautiful woman over the years. Her acting has improved. I could not get into her before "Arthdal Chronicles". Her part was captivating and believable. I liked this part for her. I felt there was chemistry but it was not developed as it should have been. Even though there were plenty of moments for the couple the director did not do enough with the romance, and it felt a little elementary at times. There should have been more adult romantic moments would have been better. There were plenty of side couples which did not hurt the film.
It is not a perfect film in that there are some filler scenes that only took up space and could have been edited better or deleted for more romance.
The acting overall was good. The soundtrack was good. The production was good with a great wardrobe.
If you like a good rom-com this is a good watch. Many parts will hold your interest.
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This has an extensive cast and storyline.
“The Blood of Youth” Wow! This drama has a lot to unpack it was a long, long ride. Whoever read the novel I take my hat off to you this just had so much going on. The cast of characters is so extensive and honestly I could not keep up with all of them. You may want to take notes along the way. There were times I wanted to skip forward but the editing is brilliant in that it changes scenes so intricately that you will miss something important if you skip ahead. I am not saying all the scenes were worth watching but it held my attention.
Story: To me this a story of teenagers coming of age in the wuxia, Xianxia realm. They embark on a journey of cultivation and figuring out who they are along with righting wrongs of the past. They all have martial arts and want to get to the next level. All except the main character (Xiao Se) aka exiled prince who had his meridians broken.
The story is slow paced but with excellent cinematography, CGI and wuxia/xainxia fight scenes it will keep you watching if you can make it past the first few episodes. In the beginning some of the fight scenes tend to go on a little too long but I did enjoy what they did with the CGI. The teens do build a lot of relationships and you will find yourself picking one of more favorites. Some like Wi Xin better but I liked the main character Xiao Se. I also like that there is some implied romance and couples. I think all dramas should have some romance after all people are not born from nuts. If you kill off everyone (as a lot of Asian drams typically do) how does the next generation survive, just in my opinion.
Acting: The acting was okay not really noteworthy. Some of those who have read the novel said they like both the novel and drama. I suppose the most notable thing for me was the age gap between the actors and the characters is very noticeable. Even though they may be eye candy they most certainly do not look like teenagers. After a few episodes I just decided to go with it.
The story is so extensive you will find them explaining some events because it skips ahead of some scenes. Some scenes they probably should have left in.
I could watch this again, because it seem to have a small budget but it did a good job with what it had.
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