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Must-watch Historical Rom-com
First off, I highly recommend this drama to anyone looking for a historical rom-com. I find myself laughing at almost every episode. Along with the comedy, this show packs several plot reversals that quickly advances the story. The pacing is quite perfect. A few episodes toward the end suffer from some rushed editing, but it does not affect my overall enjoyment too much.I am very impressed by the character development and casting. Many characters have their own backstory and motivation for their actions. Each actor fits their role perfectly. Among the entire cast, I really can’t pinpoint a single bad actor. I am especially impressed by Neo Hou who can delicately depict Rong Xia’s emotional trauma. The cast members deserve praise for their outstanding performance. The production team have created interesting characters and select the most appropriate actors for them.
The show’s central theme is “family”. We see contrast between our two leads: Ban Hua, who is adored by her family members, and Rong Xia, who loses his family at an early age. It is also because of “family” that brings our two leads together: Ban Hua strives to protect her family at all cost and Rong Xia wants revenge for his deceased loved ones. As the story progresses, we see the interaction and competition between the different families. Despite the many hardships, the Ban family sticks together and manages to prevail. Unfortunately, some families suffer from greed for power, which lead to miserable outcomes.
Ultimately, what makes this show so heart-warming is the union of family. Rong Xia desperately longs for the family that he has lost. He tries to find another father figure but feels empty after certain events. Without realizing it, he internally torments himself over the issue of “family”. Thankfully, Ban Hua stops him from self-destruction through warmth and love.
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A Xianxia Masterpiece
Xianxia is a controversial genre. It is entertaining to watch because of the fantasy elements. However, it is often executed poorly due to fragmented storyline and terrible character relationships. While Xianxia dramas are difficult to film, Love and Redemption is a masterpiece and sets the bar high for future works of this genre.From the first episode, you are immediately immersed in Xuanji’s world. You are hooked from the start because of the awesome action scenes, good CGI, and exciting plot. The backstory of Xuanji’s identity keeps you addicted throughout the show. You follow the characters as they try to rescue themselves and the world. By the end of the show, everything turns out to be one religious allegory. The show is not just for entertainment but also discusses morality and prejudice.
On top of the groundbreaking storyline, the acting surpasses many other dramas. No one other than Yuan Bingyan could have portrayed Xuanji. She starts as a senseless sixteen-year-old with no exposure to the real world. Later on, she matures into a brave woman who moves on from her past to save the people she loves. Likewise, Chengyi does a great job displaying the stoicism and heroism of Sifeng. They have some of the best couple chemistry that I have ever seen. Besides the fantastic main leads, I have also fallen in love with many of the supporting cast members. The antagonists are some of my most favorite villains ever.
The first forty episodes are nearly perfect. The impressive integration of comedy, romance, and adventure makes the show addicting to watch. The later episodes start to lose that kind of magic. The actions of supporting characters become illogical. The director’s editing is off-putting and not as well-paced. Thankfully, the very last few episodes somewhat redeem the show. Despite the less stellar episodes toward the end, I still think this show is highly worth watching.
What I love most about Love and Redemption are the lessons learned along the way. Pursuing happiness, keeping an open mind, and being grateful for living. The show beautifully expresses these messages, which are especially important during recent times. I hope that the drama can positively affect others as it has done for me.
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Historical Genre at its Finest
The Long Ballad is easily one of the best historical dramas. Loosely based on Li Shimin’s rise to power, the story follows fictional Princess Li Changge’s banishment from the capital. After the Xuanwu Gate incident (real historical event), she loses her parents and regality. To avenge her family and reclaim power, she embarks on an arduous journey. Along the way, she encounters issues that threaten the welfare of her people. She plunges into an endless series of military operations and political maneuvers. In the show, Changge remarks that “by saving others, I am saving myself”.Li Changge’s development is what makes the show so valuable to watch. Through her decision-making skills and profound leadership, she becomes an extraordinarily endearing main character. Changge is played by Dilraba Dilmurat, who perfectly portrays the exiled princess. Additionally, the male lead Wu Lei makes a lasting impression as ASun, the steadfast Tegin. Other amazing characters include Sher, Hao Du, Li Shimin, Du Ruhui, and Princess Yicheng.
The relationships in this drama is best described as refreshing. Unlike other shows, there are no misunderstandings that drag on forever. Changge and ASun may not be the cliche “romantic” couple, but the mature dynamic matches their personalities. The scenes between parent-child and mentor-mentee are incredibly heartwarming. Some noteworthy examples are Changge and Li Shimin, ASun and Yanli, Sher and Yicheng, Hao Du and Du Ruhui. I even find the relationship between Changge and Yicheng to be very interesting as the two characters mirror one another.
While I have heavily enjoyed watching The Long Ballad, there are some flaws. I am not a fan of Mimi Guli and wish that her character could have less screentime. The manga drawings are okay but a bit comical at times. I appreciate the mature relationship between Changge and ASun but would prefer some more romantic scenes between the two. However, these issues are minor. I still give the show a high rating because of the life lessons learned from Changge’s pivotal adventure.
Lastly, I want to give a special shout-out to the amazing OST. The music team has produced an epically beautiful selection of songs. Zhang Bicheng’s “Direction of the Light” resembles a battle song but surprisingly can serve as a healing instrumental for some scenes. Liu Yuning’s “One Love as Always” nicely complements his scenes with Zhao Lusi. Zhou Shen’s Cocoon is my favorite ballad of this year. The song can represent Changge’s emotional turmoil, her unwavering love for ASun, or her hope for eternal peace.
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Best Modern Rom-com Ever!
Modern dramas disappoint me because they severely suffer from two issues: 1) predictable, cheesy cliches, 2) trivial problems that drag on too long. For these reasons, I normally wouldn’t rate a modern show above a 8. However, “The Day of Becoming You” is in a completely different ballpark. It has made me laugh in every episode and warms my heart in many scenes (cue the “I found you” episode). Watching this drama is like unwrapping a Christmas present on a cold winter day. It’s delightful, surprising, and memorable.The show’s biggest strength is the acting, especially from the main roles. As everyone knows, the leads Yu Shengsheng and Jiang Yi body-swap with each other. Both actors Liang Jie and Zhang Xincheng perfectly pull off the body-swap. The transition is so smooth to the point where I actually believe that they have swapped bodies. For Zhang Xincheng, he really uses his entire voice, body, and soul to express that he is Yu Shengsheng. While the spotlight is on the main characters, the supporting roles are also excellent.
The story is hilarious; the body-swaps cause all sorts of embarrassing and unpredictable situations. Some rom-coms are only funny for a portion of time, but this drama continuously delivers pure comedy gold. The romance is nicely paced throughout the series. The main characters don’t immediately fall in love and actually spend time becoming friends. At the same time, their relationship progresses fast enough to keep me entertained. Through body-swapping, they literally put themselves in the other person’s shoes and learn to empathize with one another.
One of the show’s weakness is the lackluster first episode. Everyone should continue watching because the fun really begins in the second episode. Other episodes that aren’t as great are the final two. After the serious events, I wish that the drama could conclude with more hilarious situations like before. Instead, the story between Yu Shengsheng and Jiang Yi ends quite blandly. Some viewers dislike the plot twist in the last ten minutes. I actually think it is a clever way to bypass censoring and can be easily skipped without affecting the main story.
Overall, I highly recommend “The Day of Becoming You” to anyone looking for a modern rom-com. The show is packed with comedy, depicts a beautiful romance between the main characters, and touches upon issues with family.
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I’ve Fallen For This Show!
I’ve Fallen For You is one of the funniest shows that I’ve seen. In many historical dramas, the comedy can be a hit or miss, often suffering from lame, predictable tropes. The humor in this show far surpasses others. The jokes are actually hilarious and brilliantly executed. In fact, the show is arguably a satire on the historical drama genre itself!From the beginning, the main characters are some of the oddest people. San Qi seems like a cute girl yet has a strange obsession with corpses. Zhao Cuo is some modern-day playboy who bullies others (and also gets bullied). We can already see distortions of the “cute” female lead and “heroic” male lead stereotypes. The secondary leads continue to defy CDrama norms: “Justice Face” Bai Yifei is actually empty-headed and “Princess” Ruo Yao is the least graceful lady. The show mainly shines because of these four lovable characters.
As the story progresses, the roles become even more interesting. Zhao Cuo has the best character development in the show. While he initially mistreats San Qi, he ends up liking her after receiving her help. Their friendship changes his personality and actions. Later on, we see even greater changes after his new discoveries. The actor Liu Yichang perfectly portrays Zhao Cuo. His comic timing for each joke is perfect, his facial expressions for emotional scenes are excellent, and his love for San Qi is convincing. I can’t wait to see Liu Yichang in other rom-coms.
The drama is fast-paced and doesn’t dwell on an event for too long. Exciting plot twists keep coming until the last episode. One downside of the drama is the lack of interactions between the main leads toward the end. The show could have been better with a few more episodes depicting the hilarious relationship between San Qi and Zhao Cuo. Plus, I wish for more development in San Qi’s character. While Zhao Cuo shows tremendous personal growth, San Qi doesn’t change nearly as much as him.
Overall, the show provides a unique twist to the classic “childhood crush” storyline. I applaud the director and cast for taking risks to mock elements of historical dramas. The best part of the show is that it doesn’t take itself seriously. The actors constantly break the fourth wall. They make fun of each other whenever possible. I highly recommend this drama to anyone looking for a good laugh.
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