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Completed
One and Only
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 29, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.5

Tangible, Poetic Piece

When the screenwriter is the original author, you already know what you sign up for.

The opening 5 minutes already set the tone: the picturesque setting, the weather, the bgm, the FL's expression. Character and world building all set up in the first episode.

FL is refined, unblemished, almost goody two-shoe and whole heartedly faces the ML whom she fell in love with at first sight.

ML is a gentle warrior. In war, he is accomplish and incites loyalty in his army. Off it, he is kind, gentlemanly and humble. He does not carry nobility arrogantly. He seem to have all the good traits a man can have.

I think the atmosphere is really tangible. There is a lot of things not spoken but expressed. There is a lot of meaning behind a glance, a smile, a gesture.

I think this piece is a challenge to both ML and FL, who both rose to the occassion. Allen Ren is already known for his expressiveness that earn him alot of praises since Under the Power. FL have a lot of renowned works, both in modern and historical setting. And I felt she manage to carve out a Shi Yi who is very diff from her other previous characters.

I want to mention the crown prince. From the moment he grace the screen, he eminated charisma. So much i went to check and boy hes so young but does so well and had so much presence.

Like the book, there is a poetic feel to the drama that I cant help appreciating.Im glad Mo Bao Fei Bao and PD manage to translate it here to the screen. Im not exactly a fan of her works, it tends to be tinge with melancholy melo tones. The story and setting reminds me not everyone have the ability to love and be with the one they love.. especiallly not in ancient China and the position they both hold. This is so sad.

The decision to split the past life from the present was suprising for me. It was woven seamlessly in the novel. I wonder are we gonna have flashbacks in the sequel since modern day Shi Yi has memories of her past life?

Like everyone else Im waiting for Sep 9. For all the heartache and pain they went through, we want nothing more than the two to be given another chance. Perhaps second time aroud fate would be kinder.

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Completed
Crush
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 14, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0

Autumn kind of love

The feels. A little melancholy. A little warm. Depends on your mood. A falling leaf can be soothing, can be sad. And the drama seesaws between the two quite seamlessly.

If you watch ML moving in the darkness in his house. Thats cause the blind does not need the light at night. Then next scene its in the bright joyful setting of the FL and her roommate. The first quarter of the drama shows the two extremes of our CP. I dont know i find that very moving.

As she gets into his world and move him bit by bit, his house too becomes enveloped with light. I find the picture of him and his heart to be parallel and symbolic.

Moving on to the characterization. Male lead has a more extreme personality. He doesnt like, he doesnt do, he doesnt care and he wont spare a thought or a look. He is extrememly quiet and stays in his world due to the unpleasant childhood and his lack of sight. Like he put in words later, a person like him doesnt love easily. And to forget the person he love, is even more impossible. So this explains and may let you condone some of his extreme actions and reactions.

Female lead is again those courageous girl that puts on a wonderwoman suit and fights to enter the guy's realm after she fell in love at first sight and the same person whose songwriting she admires. She sometimes fumbles or gets into sticky embarrasing moments. But shes always honest and makes a lot of effort to understand him.

The biggest gem is the songs and ost. As I Believe is my favorite. Its the type at first verse, im totally suck in. Fall was another winner. And ML's song sang by Lin Yanjun himself. They blend into the drama, and make the scenes more impactful.

There is some change in tone as the drama progresses, which i know peeps complained about. I wouldnt say its perfect. But it did reflect how the leads are the same and yet different as time progresses. The jealous fiance husband could be toned down but i suppose grown man can be childish too. Some couples like a lot of couquetishness so as long as they are happy, thats all that matters.

Lastly the chemistry is what makes it really work. You just only need to see the comfortable body language and feel the ML and FL are so right for this pairing. They have the best hugs, forehead touches and eskimo kiss! Do watch.

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Completed
Falling Into Your Smile
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 15, 2021
31 of 31 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

CUTE

Cute guys. Cute FL. Cute cats. Cute story.

Controversies aside, the dramas works because its a complete package. As shallow as it is, its a casting of a lot of good looking people and make esports arena a place of idols looking peeps. Theres a lot of witty dialogue that makes you laugh aloud. Theres team spirit and camaderie among the esports team. Theres nice animation for the game fights. Theres good progress in the romance department between the ML and FL. Theres a lot of cute edits from the editor, point in case they gave a HP bar above FL when she was unwell/suffering from mestrual cramps. I thought that was really cute. And theres the cute cats that totally steal my heart.

Worthy mentions: FL's bestfriend is such a nice character, i love her sass and confidence. Little Fatty is a really cute character, i love him in d novel, i love him the same in the drama.

Kudos to the production team that did great post-production work here. Ive seen C dramas with good cast and story marred by poor editing which makes it hard to watch and follow. Not the case here, episode to episode flows very well, very easy to binge.

If theres things to criticize it might be the FL's acting range. Clueless, nonchalance or adorable those were fine but more emotional scenes need a lot of work still. But they make it up with good chemistry cause Xu Kai prpbably is her best onscreen partner thus far. While i was watching my husband kept pointing out how over their makeup was and how everyone is too white ^^ lol. Still this was a fun watch.

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Completed
Poisoned Love
2 people found this review helpful
Sep 30, 2020
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Good dose of Romance, Slight Mystery

Original chinese title is Fall In Love Shi Meng! reflects the drama better.. breakdown of the contents would be:
5% plot setup.
30% cohabitation hijinks.
20% developing affection & attachment.
20% sweet start of romance.
20% 2nd ML interactions with ML, FL
5% Mystery & wrap up

Fate or destiny is considered part of the theme but in the end is also dependent on the person's action. Shi Meng and Fang Yuan can be considered "Interested at First Sight" but truly "Develop Affection and Love" as they cohabitate as the idiom says "Familiarity Breeds Fondness".

Shi Meng only focuses on work, has a rift with his brother and generally has an unapproachable air and gets annoyed easily. Fang Yuan can be considered duped into staying with Shi Meng as a 'caretaker'. They stayed together with Shi Meng installing a set of rules but Fang Yuan hilariously pushes his limits in silly ways. Fang Yuan is quite a lovely character, not stupid, positive disposition although sometimes her illness dampens her mood.

Theres some role reversal where FL takes the initiative and so things, small action to grand gesture to make the ML happy. Then theres the ML thats seemingly cool and reluctant would end up doing gentle things for FL like teaching her to skate or helping her wash her hair. So trust me, theres quite alot of lovely moments.

Ep 1 was not really interesting until the last 3mins. Ep2 to 4 I was distracted and turned to other dramas. Ep 5 onwards finally hooked me. Ep 6 onwards was binge worthy.

The plot isnt super original and the start wasnt without issues. But overall its a very good watch. The ML and FL makes a beautiful couple and their acting is quite natural.

Ps Theres really alot of tall goodlooking actors popping out in C dramaland everywhere. This year alone have com across quite a number of average to good dramas starring new actors. Truly spoilt with choice. You may have overlooked this drama due to lesser known actors and little promotion but its a show thats mostly light and sweet with a touch of mystery and good dose of romantic moments between leads

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Completed
Cold Case: Shinjitsu no Tobira
2 people found this review helpful
Oct 7, 2018
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
A drama in typical J-fashion that was written and directed in a focused manner, yet never fail to deliver a connection with the task force (main cast) and even the guest stars (each crime in a new episode).

The positives:
Plot
Each episode but one delivers a new cold case that needs solving. Unwavering each episode starts moments before a crime took place. The writing dives straight into the task force gathering clues, gathering info, meeting potential suspects. Unlike C or even K dramas that take time (or too much time) developing individual characters of main cast, this drama lets you observe their characters as they so the job. And through each case, we saw how it may connect to the main cast member. How it effected them and drop hints of the ghosts in their closet. Simple interactions as they meet at work or after work allows you to peek into their lives. Its something to pick up on your own, yet its purposeful and never as afterthought.

Character
Captain Ishikawa is like that woman you admire. Who is proficient, efficient and sometimes blunt. Who seems to be steadfast yet rigid in her stance. Who looks calm on the surface but like a deep pool of water, you are attracted to find more about her and indeed theres much in her past that made her the way she is now.

Takagi, the new guy who quickly found his groove with the rest of the team. He seem to see thing on the surface but you come to find out his many strengths, not just as a member of the taskforce but as a person. I find his nature sometimes sweet, sometkmes gullible. But he forms a fascinating contrast to Ishikawa

Motoki, the vice and moat senior from appearance to demeanor was always in control, dependable and conducts his team in a soft leader manner. We also saw a bit of how his work ate away on his personal life and family.

Tachikawa and Kaneko rounds up the team and both are very likable. Tachikawa exudes a sometime male egoism and biasness but hes a good cop that gains your favor as the drama progresses. I look forward to knowing more of them as character and their own background story in Season2.

Acting
The actors playing the main casts were all spot on and effective in their roles. Yoshida You is new to me and she amazes me with her own screen charisma. Shes the type of actress that draws you in from both performance and appearance. Not just attractive appeal but her portrayal of Ishikawa was multi facet, sometimes strong and tough, sometimes calm and sharp, sometimes bias and emotional and when she cracked, vulnerable and even broken. Exceptional is the only word i can sum up for both the actress and her character.

Music
Opening theme and songs used were very nice. A lot of nostalgic english songs used too.

Crime and story range
Almost every theme, with different victims in different background, decade, was explored. Suspects, motives and culprits were variable too. Cases involving kids were particularly emotional for me. Most of the cases gets you emotiobally invested and a few makes you put not just your detectice hat on but criminalpsychology too.

The negatives
I wish the season is longer. 10 episodes wasnt enough for me. The other was tje development in Cap Ishikawa's sister while i dont hate it, i didnt particularly like it either.

Verdict
If you enjoy the genre of crime, investigation,detective and mystery, this drama tick all the boxes. Theres not much frills and diversion, a major plus in my book. Im amazed that even though each episode isnt long and total episode count isnt alot, it manages to develop the main cast with the limited screentime on their personal lives. Season 2 will be out in less than a week at the time of writing this review. My suggestion is binge watch this drama's season 1, you wont be disappointed.

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Ongoing 20/20
Someone Like You
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 15, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
If you like romances that are sweet, giving and mature; thats how it is in Someone like you.
There isnt quite a guy like Fang Zhan Chen, the male lead. Someone like him is super rare in both dramaland and reality. Hes the ultimate boyfriend. Hes gentle, caring, attentive and his actions speaks louder than words.
What is beautiful in this drama are Fang boss and his caretaker Yue xi's interaction when he was blind. Lots of romantic scenes (although some are quite cliche scenarios); among my favourite was guiding her in the dark when she was afraid, dancing together, piggyback on barefoot and her singing for him.
Its also rare to come across two leads who are very balance in love. By that i mean actually both Fang boss and Yue Xi are the types who when loves somebody puts that person as top priority. They value their loved ones and would go beyond to make that person happy. Yue xi is also a very warm person and once she cares for a person she does it whole heartedly.
Back to the storyline although my favorite bits are when hes still blind ( ep 2 to 11); i appreciate the scriptwriters didnt leave until the end tl give Fang boss his sight.
Other pluses include no evil meddlesome parents (their parents are cute and wonderful) and Fang boss sister initially annoying slowly changes and has her own cute romance with the priest.
Bo yan, our main antagonist also have a very good wrapup towards the end in my opinion. Interesting to compare Bo yan and Fang boss love. For Bo yan, once he acquired Yue xi's love already he assume thats something he dont have to waste more effort and time in her. For Fang boss, for someone you love you will always make time for them.
I have to say i love alot of the sceneries (fields, green hills, meteor shower, sky lit with wishing lantern) in this drama as well as the cablecar, come across as very fresh and unique.
I also love the songs used in this drama including the one Lorene sing in her character.
Drawbacks would probably be ep17 (watch and you will know) and maybe Fang boss was a tad too perfect?
Another comment is probably i would have wished his dead wife isnt identical twin. Fraternal would have been better. Cause seriously same face , how could that not have marred judgement of his feelings initially.
Regardless this was a very warm and sweet drama

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Completed
As the Light Goes Out
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 1, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
The score is a bit bias cause i love the entire cast too much. It brings back memories of HK flicks seeing Nicholas and Shawn Yue on the screen together again. Plotwise it was okay, some scene i thought should have been edited out and emotional development of some characters should have been fleshed more. I havent watch a disaster movie let alone a HK one for quite awhile and came across this on my cable. Regardless i was entertained and some parts touched me and made me feel sad for the characters. It also shows that somethings turned out the way there were as a consequence of different people's decision, selfishness and selflessness.

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Completed
Sweet Teeth
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 27, 2021
22 of 22 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Subtly sweet, Better than expected

I lowered to not much expectation for this drama but was curious after watching YT clips.

It started off on a note telling you not to take it seriously. FL has an inner drama queen, furnished with monologues and an active imagination that comes with the territory as a part time writer. Then slowly it evolves.

Before I knew it the characters have back story and become more than an idol drama. Both FL and ML are not exactly the proactive type. ML has a strict routine but when FL makes an impression to him, it was very evident the steps he take and the changes he make so as to interact with her more. Some people call this a slow burn romance. Which i agree partially. FL has postive feelings but is a type who isnt terribly confident in herself and inexperience in relationships. But the many episodes of them spending time together and enjoying each others company in that blurry line of doctor-patient, friend or more than friend was nice.

The love triangle was nicely written too, with a plotline that links back to the past. It didnt drag as well. So what could have been annoying only help to unravel the knot and make it. clear to FL what her heart feels.

Switch to the secondary lovestories, both besties of FL. I like Wu Ying's story better. I did skip on Ma Yi Yi's part. But i have to say FL's bro was pretty cute in the way that he is protective in a sweet way.

I skimmed the novel. There are many shared scenes and dialogue with the drama. But they have dial down ML's character. The drama version was much more mild. Lastly, although I did enjoy the drama on most parts, I still find the acting lacking. Betty Wu was still better than what Ive seen in her previous drama. Alot of her expressions reminsicent to her persona in reality shows. For ML he had som good scenes and some not so. When the dualogue says he looks at FL with stars in his eyes, i cant help eyerolling. Because i didnt feel it. I am jus so aware he is acting and you dont feel hes as atrracted to her as the script calls for.

Honestly we had alot of C dramas in this category and you cant help comparing. We've been treated to idol-actor CPs who had better chemistry (eg Our secret imo). I keep thinking the delivery could have been different with different actors. And that affects the depth of the drama to me. All in all, its still a breezy watch.

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Completed
Come and Hug Me
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2018
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
A drama thats nearly perfect with a writer that plotted well the start and end and bring everything full circle. It had powerful messages of love and family in my opinion. There were heroes in unlikely places and unexpected people: a gruff stepmom who was so afraid and seemed cowardly in the beginning; a rough foul mouthed brother who had inferiority complex and an even more tender heart, an adopted protective brother with his own demons and guilt and misconceptions, a simple policeman who unintendedly turn father figure.

THE GOOD:
Plot was strong- One thats tightly woven the present and past selves of the otp and the event that bounds them.
The characters- Multiple characters that shine,who incite fear, incite warmth, incite hatred, incite admiration and a few that are truly memorable
Acting- Heo Joon Ho - cant get anyone who can be so effective in his role. A stare, a smirk, his silhoute screams his presence. He delivers a grippling performance. Kim Kyung Nam delivered arguably the most difficult role and personally i thought he was a scene stealer. He was just so good and his well written character almost made me yearn for him to be a maincast, more scenes, just more.. Seo Jung Yeon delivered in so many scenes, her portrayal moves me and was wonderfully cast.
The message: Belief, understanding and selflessness sows the seeds of love. They gave the environment for the best self to persevere through darkness and evil. And of course, sometimes all we need is someone standing at your corner and there to give a reassuring hug.
The sort of bromance: without spoiling too much lets just say some of my favorite scenes are between the hyungs.

THE WEAKNESS:
Unfortunate loopholes in the plot including useless policemen or lack of as a plot device just so that it set up a following scene or forced a tense situation.
Jang Ki Yong really expanded his repertoire with this drama. Unfortunately he's found lacking when potraying certain emotions. The difference in performance is especially stark when they put side by side young Na Moo and present Na Moo. Nam Da Reum (young Na moo) delivered more on point with soft gaze, sorrow, broken hearted, or touched. The plays of emotions are easily picked up on his face while i struggled sometimes to read Jang Ki Yong's. I also felt that although otp had good chemistry, they never reach a point of total abandonment and immersion of that kind of love (a supposingly deep soul-grippling childhood to adulthood over a decade span of love. )
If this was a jtbc or ocn drama it could have been 12 episodes (or 24 episodes of 30mins) and it would have elevated the drama without overdoing flasbacks, cut out needless dilly-dally scenes. It could have been a tight plot with no fillers at all.

For all these reasons its a 9.0 for me. Its a good thriller with a warm message. Please do give it a chance if you havnt watched it.

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Completed
Page Turner
2 people found this review helpful
May 17, 2016
3 of 3 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 6.0
My heart is still beating wildly listening to the piano pieces played in episode 2 and the last piece in episode 3. Music that moves the heart

This is a super short drama that captures how the fates of 3people become intertwined and help each other to find themselves. That in the end one needs to enjoy what you do in order to do it well and happily. Without a doubt Ji Soo's character Cha Sik shines the brightest. i really enjoyed watchin him in Sassy Go Go. Here he is both funny on the dorky side and determined in learning to play.

I just checked and am suprise Kim So Hyun who plays the young prodigy Yoo Sul who turned blind is only 16. what a great actress. Here's hoping she will be casted in more dramas. Her character initially takes some warming up to due to arrogance and aloofness. This changes after her accident and subsequenly meets Cha Sik. As she opens up so did my heart open up for her too.

Jin Mok her archrival was another character that took some time to warm up to. He was petty to begin with. Turns out what he needed most was confidence in himself and to play it freely to enjoy piano.

Music i rated perfect 10 for the piano piece which was syphony and soothing balm to listen to.

My only complain is i wish it was longer. I have become invested in all 3 of the characters by the end of episode 3 and there's nothing to go on from there. I did like to think and hope Cha Sik gets to romance YooSul.. any hopes for a Special or part 2?

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Completed
Goblin
3 people found this review helpful
Jan 24, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
I write this review with swollen eyes still damp from my tears.
This fantasy drama i know isnt perfect and its story takes on a reflective stand, sometimes choosing to dwell on moments. It may feel slow to some but i find it poetic and gave time to appreciate the people the place and their lives. Almost all scenes were so beautifully shot, the scenery is breathtaking and film like. The opening theme to the first ost Stay with me already tells you the music for this drama is equally daebak
I would never have imagined Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook in the same drama. But there must be drama gods hearing the people's prayers and hopes. The bromance of Goblin and Grim is so spot on, friendship, laughters and more. The main cast all pull their weight from Kim Go Eun whose natural beauty and calibre was suited as bright Eun Tak to Yook Sung Jae and Yoo In Na. Even its supporting cast (Samshin, Director yoo, Secretary kim, Park Joong Won) were all superb and each had commanding screenpresence and brought so much to the narration of the story.
Towards the end i love the message that humans though seemingly small and frail compared to deities and the almighty, but we can surprise you with our will that can change the course of fate. And lastly to live and love like its your last day. Its so simple but often forgotten. I'll cherish this drama. And for now there isnt a drama i can recommend that quite captures the gist, the tone, and the feels like Goblin does. Thats how unique it is.

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Completed
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
3 people found this review helpful
Jan 10, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
A love relationship thats refreshingly healthy, sweet and without the usual kdrama tropes. I know quite a few ppl has express they didnt watch due to reservation on both male female leads. I urge you to give this a chance. Its so long since ive met a drama that give me all the warm fuzzies and remind me the best in a supportive relationship.

Male: Handsome, Proactive, Supportive, A tease, Tall, Sweet, A listener, Values family, A swimmer
Female: Strong, Tall, Pretty, Charming, Values family and friends, Vibrant attitude, straight shooter, Weightlifter

Story: Friends to couple, first love, college life, sports life, family and strong friendships

Bokjoo and Joon hyung seriously the sweetest couple in K history. It is very refreshing when a guy is proactive, means what he says and acts on it when he realises his feelings. What worked to make this drama awesome is the amazingly natural chemistry of our leads who are comfortable and playful on and off screen. Couple that with the writer whose previous works includes Oh my ghost, you know its a winner. The charm of this drama is that its not heavy but its not your usual fluff. It has winsome characters, and male female leads you come to love and a sweet journey watching this two support each other through the challenges they faced in school or at home and fall in love. The drama doesnt dwell too long on one issue and never draggy. It highlights the wonderful time in college with the first blooms of love and the amazing girlfriends we have.

Ive never more convinced of two people more suited for each other, as jeon joon hyung and kim bok joo complements each other. Long after this show ends i will always remember our bokjoo and joonhyung.

Watch and you will know what i mean. This underdog show captured my heart in surprise. It has so much heart warming scenes not just the romance but also father-daughter and mother-son relationship. Really a gem

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Completed
Love in Time
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 13, 2022
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

Dragged in a loop

The premise was interesting. A shared space for past and present at a fixed time.

It started fine but after the initial both parties found out about it, the plot stagnates. It could not sustain the whole intrique of what happen to the female star was jus too slow. Seriously draggy. I start and stop so many times, it was a chore getting to the finishin line. And dont get me started on the syspect so obvious, i was jus waiting for the story to call him out.

As with time fantasy, loopholes often becomes an issue in the plot. How FL for over half the drama never question abt her present self especially since she knew in the present the ML lives in her apartment. I also find it odd that when the past is changed the memories go to the present male, but all the other characters who are in the present arent affected.

The actors for ML and FL i like them both and enjoyed their previous work. I kind of blame the plot and direction of the drama that affected me enjoying their romance. I jus dont quite buy how they went from enemies to being in love. It felt so "written on paper" and not something that should have been tangible and torrid. I guess this is me feeling maybe expecting too much cause I enjoyed W. And this is a far cry from W.

Watch only if you are a fan of both leads. But as a fantasy/time riff drama, it lacks in proper plot execution and intrique. As a romance drama, it lacked intensity and soulfulness.

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Completed
Twinkle Love Season 1
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 10, 2021
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

A trip filled with mixed emotions

A graduation trip for boys and girls who started off as strangers, but went on to 2 diff stops living under the same roof.
They hit off initially by first impressions, and by pairing off to various dates. Some days girls have the say, other days guys make the decision. Some members entered late into the picture. All these are quite similar to other such shows; especially the part where one member leaves a message for another member of the opposite sex.

Now comes the differences.

This started off on a laid-back, chilled and spontaneous vibe much like the youthful members. Before long, its filled with a lot of dramatic incidences. I attribute it to their age. All of them are in their early 20s; most having just recently graduated. With youth, comes a lot of impulsive actions and less than ideal decisions. One member made an erroneous judgement and live to regret the harm done on his budding relationship with another female. And you do feel for them. Often times, you watch and get roped into their feelings of hurt, despair, and even guilt.

Some came with a lot of expectations and even some bursting with confidence. And along the way they got lost and even lose sense of self. I really did not expect this but found it to be very realistic. Most of them in real life are surrounded by people who likes them, and who are pretty and charming and had pursuers. Throw into this reality show, with a limited number of guys and girls and suddenly you found that the person you feel positive above does not feel the same. Here most of them are very candid with little filter. Their body language and even their lack of attention tells them they are simply not interested.

My biggest pet peeve is a certain male member who comes off as very fake and who often talk in a emotionally manipulative way. He isnt that interested in the girl but he knows she likes him, he strings her own while telling her how distraught he is and at the same time he doesnt want her to have any development with another male (deemed competitor). He is textbook type a parents wants to warn their daughter to be wary of.

The rewarding bits to me are the friendships and kinship formed in this show. And the rest of the members were a great mix of different personalities with individual charm. Most may not get their happy chapter on this show but will surely do in their real lives beyond this show. It's an interesting show that warrant a second season with new members.

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Completed
My Mr. Mermaid
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 5, 2018
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This is a gem of a C drama. I was hesitant at ep1 but two episodes it roped me in.

The Strength:
Plot: A solid story telling of a young athlete returning to try to compete on dream stage (swimming competition). That journey of finding himself, finding answers that caused his bottleneck. The recipe for success was not an easy or straightforward one. The drama took time to display the effort, hardship, long hours, sweat and pain that comes with the training that athletes put up to have improve themselves and be good enough for competitive stage.

The male lead: Tang Yi Bai is a very sunshine character. Far from tsundere, he is calm, nice and quick to smile. In spite of a yet to be explained happening 4 years ago that caused him to be suspended from swimming, he is hopeful, determined and works hard for his dream. Hes that blend of person you cant help but admire.

The female lead: Yuin Duo. Again a sunny character who is kind and has bright and warm aura around her. Shes also one to gives people strength and comfort. At work, shes a intern reporter with strong principles. On the other hand shes kultzy and even at times forgetful. All in all, super adorable.

The romance: The beautiful thing that for a slow burn romance it was worth the wait and was a nice ease from a beautiful friendship. I adore how they feel a kinship, and find each other able to communicate, share worries and concerns and give each other support and ideas. Before long, shes his no.1 fan and he made her his lucky charm/mascot. Their interactions were sweet, cute and heart warming

The second couple: QQ and Yang yang. I dont wanna say more to spoil but they add a nice contrast of personality and was so cute.

The friendship: The friendship and team spirit is strong in this drama. It makes it really stand out from other sports drama. The people around them that gives them strength, reason and drive to push through obstacles. The people who believe in them amd waited for them. Really no man is an island. Everyone got that far not on their own. That difficult journey was made possible from all the people in their lives who believes in them.

Other notable characters: ML mum and dad, the 2 coaches, the other 2 swim buddies, Ou Yang Heng.

The sports: Writer demonstrated her love for the sport. It displayed the brauty of the swimming sport. Endless months of long hour training for a 1minute duration competition but the rewarding triumph that comes with it. They even got world renowned Sun Yang to cameo.

The messages: I love the positivity in the story. There were many instance of inspirational messages and quotes. One includes Times makes everthing better. Pain passes, injury can heal but regret persists.

The acting: Tang Song Yun was plays the female lead is a very good actress. I heard good things about her potrayal in other dramas like Whirlwind Girl and With you. Shes very natural and able to bring out the best in character. Dylan xiong is a newbie to me and while theres room for improvement, hes mostly effective and lit up the screen with his character's personality. I wanted to mention Huang Sheng Chi who potrayed QQ was adroable and make his character memorable.

The weakness:
Antagonist: Lin Zi. Initially i pity him but that was short live. By the middle of it, i was fed up with him and just wanted to skip his scenes. Later his sisters's scene was even more annoying and in my opinion affected the pace and feels of the show.

Female swimmers: While we get female trainers on the team, we never saw them practising, swimming, competiting. Sad they were left out of the show.

Music/Ost: Sooooo good. The ending theme that opens with "Its beautiful.." calls to your attention. The melody was that blend of moving, inspirational and catchy. 2 other songs used were also wonderful. I didnt knw Dylan Xiong was a singer until later when i read comments, he sang opening theme. The vocals and composition of songs used was spot on.

Heres a list of the songs
1. "Scream like this" (title song) Xiong Yuqi (???)
2. The Impulse of Dare to Love ( End theme ) ??????? Xu Yunwei
3. "Love your good weather" (interlude) Tan Songyun , Xiong Yuqi (???????)
4. "Inferior" (interlude) Xu Yunwei
5. Say Love (Interlude) Xu Fei
6. Crossing the Pacific (Interlude) Xu Geyang
7. Super Hero ( Promotion Song) Xiong Yuqi

In a nutshell, its a beautiful story of sports, youth, love and friendship that was written and directed in just the right blend. Sports and youth drama sometimes gets into the sticky end of being too simple or even shallow but it was never the case here. The writer weaved a story that has a heart and backbone. For most part it didnt drag, only Lin mei and his sister's story arc and their scenes that kept me from rating a 10.

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