Perfect blend of historical romance and action

Literally all I want in my cdramas: smart-witted FL, caring and sweet ML, fabulous and equal romance, fun side action, and low key political plot. It’s the perfect length too at around 3 hours or so. We get lots of cute, romantic moments between the main couple as well as a sweet secondary couple and some kickass action while laughing out loud. Good vibes only!!

Side note: Apparently MGTV is the company making all these shorter web series, and I’m a huge fan!! I also tried out Hold On, My Lady which was also produced by them and enjoyed it as well. Will definitely be following for more despite the horrible subs!

PROS
❀ Unique main romance set-up | I feel like it’s uncommon for cdramas to have the couple be together when the show starts. Well, this is it. While we get a couple minutes of flashback to see how they got together, most of the romantic storyline is them hiding their hidden identities and then realizing how much they love one another despite those identities. I love how both of them can fight while having a normal civilian life (he’s a doctor while she’s the owner of a clothing store). They’re way more similar than not! Especially since both of them work as spies LMAO.
The side couple is cute too! It features the FL’s visually impaired sister with the ML’s good friend that he’s protective of. It’s a wholesome romance line with a very adorkable couple.
❀ Good enough action and plot to keep the story going | While the couple is trying to be a normal couple, they’re also trying to leave their spy jobs. Seems like it’s not that easy, and the plot thickens while their love gets tested.
❀ Yaas skinship | Got some good skinship moments. Sometimes the couple’s kisses are awkward but at least they be trying!! Unlike most kisses that are barely there/just a tap. Plus all the actors are eye candy so sis ain’t complaining.

CONS
✕ MGTV really thinks they can just machine translate and be done with the subs | Apparently this company is known for their bad subs, even though they produce such fun dramas. Sad!! It felt worse than Google Translate at some points as nouns were literally being mistranslated (they called someone a “proton” like —). I guess it wasn’t too bad for me since I’m used to reading machine translations of cnovels (truly a skill…) but it does take away from the enjoyment :’)
✕ Not the biggest fan of the ending | It was so anticlimactic. (SPOILERS AHEAD) so they just gonna live under the radar outside the city forever?? What a waste of their spy abilities and missions from the past. While I enjoyed the action, the whole political plot felt a bit lazy/loosely written, and there could have been a more satisfying ending for the couples. I understand it’s important that they have each other, butttt I’d rather have them living a normal life rather than keeping themselves hidden in the outskirts of city life. I’m certainly not expecting top notch resolutions considering this is a short drama, but I feel like our couples deserved better (even though they were certainly alright. I guess the important thing is that everyone is alive, lol?)
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 | While the couple hid their secret identities from each other, the resolution was pretty solid and didn’t drag out. Plus it led to some steamy romantic scenes so again, I’m not complaining ;)

OVERALL
Honestly the only reason I picked this up was because of the raving comments. Do yourself a favor and give it a try! The episodes are only 12-15 min long - not a huge commitment. The comments about comparing it to Mr. and Mrs. Smith are spot on, so if that’s your vibe then you won’t be disappointed. No need to thank us later ;)

TL;DR: this shorter drama will make you laugh out loud with both its comedic and romantic moments. Just be prepared for the cumbersome subs.

Read More

OTP with CLEAR COMMUNICATION + fantastic writing/dialogue + swoonworthy romance = A++++ Cdrama!

I can't believe I've been sleeping on this drama until now!!!
Not only was this the first drama I slowed down to actually 1x speed (I usually watch them in 1.25-2x speed), but it made me want to bump down my scores for other contemporary dramas. THIS is the gold standard I've been looking for in cdramaland, with characters that are logical and reasonable, dialogue that's open and consistent, and a VERY WELL-BALANCED romance that was naturally cultivated.
To be honest, I only picked this drama up because of the body-swapping plot. I'm a big fan of stories where the couple swaps bodies (Secret Garden, It's a Boy Girl Thing), and I was only expecting the funny comedy bits. BUT what I actually got was a story with well-developed characters and clever dialogue. Color me impressed!!! I've become a fan of this writer's work and I've seen amazing reviews for his other dramas too.

PROS
❀ I HAVE to start with the main leads, which were perfectly carried out by Steven Zhang and Liang Jie | Liang Jie played the exuberant entertainment reporter Sheng Sheng who's looking for an exclusive interview with Steven Zhang's character, Jiang Yi. The first episode starts off pretty slow, not going to lie, but the moment their body swaps (at the beginning of ep 2), hijinks ensue.
Both actors did a GREAT job in depicting masculine/feminine traits! I have to say though, Steven Zhang was HILARIOUS when he was acting as Sheng Sheng - his facial expressions turn from slightly indifferent to lively and his body language was also perfect. He's definitely made a fan out of me in this drama. Jiang Lie was also great, although acting out the colder Jiang Yi doesn't ask for much since he's pretty withdrawn to begin with. Either way, both characters had laugh out loud moments that had me cackling in bed.
Not everything is happy, though. We get into Jiang Yi's lonely childhood and how he grew up in a broken household. It was wonderful to follow his journey of reconciling with his past and learning to forgive - especially when it came to his relationship with his mom. While Sheng Sheng was there to support him and add her own thoughts to the situation as an outsider, serving as a catalyst, he decides to be pro-active and take the first step of leaving the past. It would have been easy to keep him as a cold idol that has a traumatic past, but the show goes in-depth by making him emotionally complex and more than just a caricature of an idol.
While Sheng Sheng grew up in a loving family (love her parents!!!), she deals with a nice high school friend who has feelings with her. I appreciated the mature way of dealing with him though: give him a chance, see where it goes, make a firm decision at the end of the day. Again, because of body swapping, Jiang Yi is there to support almost every step of the way. While I'm not the biggest fan of the leads dating other people during a drama, this show handled it very maturely as Sheng Sheng is honest about her feelings (or, lack of) from step 1 to 100. So it's not really a love triangle/hurdle.
❀ The individual characters were awesome, but put the couple together and they're FIRE | This couple is by far one of my favorite couples in the cdramas I've watched. They display a perfect balance of a healthy and passionate relationship. Usually for cdramas, it's either one or the other. In this case, we got awesome chemistry between the leads (+1 for steamy kisses) as well as the best dialogue and communication (+1 for almost no misunderstandings). When the characters act out of emotion, they take a step back to sincerely apologize to one another. They handle situations like adults, and even cliche plot points like evil paparazzi weren't drawn out because of the maturity of the characters. They act their age, look their age, and enter relationships befitting people their age. We stan!!
As for the relationship itself, it goes from mild inconvenience/annoyance -> supportive friendship -> endearing love. Body swapping is an amazing trope that makes it so the leads have to spend a LOT of time together to figure out what's happening. That is to say, there's not much plot otherwise. The whole story surrounds the couple, their relationship, and the body-swap issue. So don't go in thinking there's some big baddie that comes into play. Instead, we see loads of screen time with our two main characters and their hilarities, as well as their developing relationship.
❀ This drama isn't afraid to poke fun at its own tropes and surprise watchers | The way the dialogue points out classic drama tropes that it utilizes is super cute - there's a scene where the ML's like "thinking about this situation/script... shouldn't *I* be the ML?" when referencing the minor love triangle between the FL's high school friend and the CP. Some tropes that surprised me:
- Really nice 2ML: they actually delved into his character and past history with the FL (they were high school buds and he's the student of her mom), which adds a level of depth to their relationship. You can really tell the FL's emotions are pure platonic and the lines are clearly drawn. He respects those boundaries.
- Evil 2FL: show said "psyche!!" While I was wary of her at first, the show actually goes into her character and highlights her struggles as well, making her empathetic and three-dimensional. The fact that the writer gave some screentime to a female character that COULD'VE gone down the wayward path (see: evil 2FLs that are illogically obsessed over the ML) is super commendable and sadly not done enough in cdramas. (Are my standards too low? Maybe, maybe not.)
- Cold ML that treats FL badly when they first meet before reluctantly getting along: Nah, that doesn't happen. The ML is wary and apathetic at first meet, maybe, but he's not mean. There's a scene in the first couple eps where she calls him out for not keeping the elevator open for her (typical behavior for mean MLs) but right afterwards the elevator opens up again - lol! Homeboy actually kept the elevator open for her. After their body switch in ep 2, this trope kind of goes down the drain.
- Secondary couples: nada. There is a *tiny* hint of one but otherwise, the show is 100% occupied by the main couple, which was refreshing.
❀ The FL actress sang the opening song and the ML actor sang the ending song | The talent??? Maybe this is a psychological thing, but I always view a show better when I hear the main actors singing an OST. In this case, the soundtrack was already catchy (the songs, while limited, are sweet/melodic without being too sad and ballad-like, which I appreciated), but knowing that the main leads sang really elevates the soundtracks.
❀ PERFECT LENGTH | No drag; tight writing; every second is enjoyable. It's rare for me to find a drama where I won't skip/fast forward a few seconds, but this one fit the bill. In general my stamina is pretty low when it comes to episode count (ex: I couldn't finish Love O2O or You Are My Glory, classic contemporaries, bc they stall around the 20 ep mark, and had to force myself to push through You Are My Hero after ep 30), so this 26 episode show was the sweet spot *chefs kiss*.

CONS - will have spoilers!! (But tbh this section is mostly pros as well)
✕ Misunderstanding level: 1/10 | Aight, I put a point because the most MINOR misunderstanding happens near the beginning that leads to Sheng Sheng trying out dates with the 2ML Po Qing. BUT the leads quickly recognize the miscommunication AND this whole shebang is neatly straightened out when SS indeed confirms her non-feelings for 2ML. Her intentions are clear cut (we stan FLs that get straight to the point!!) and nothing is overly dragged out. Other than that, like I said, the leads' communication is A+++.
The break-up that happens near the end (tbh a surprising trope that I didn't think this show would use), is VERY well-explained and reasonable. It's not a break-up for the sake of breaking up, but due to an external, legitimate concern that both leads had. The separation period is only a year and the resolution is, while quickly explained, not a bad one. Usually I'm annoyed at these last-minute break-ups (y'all this is why I can't with wuxias where the leads are always breaking up/getting back together...), but this one was necessary as part of wrapping up the story.

--SPOILER W/MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ENDING (I also vaguely talk about other shows' endings lmao)--
It's one that's used in cdramas quite often (for censorship reasons, is my guess) and featured in many well-loved dramas. If you've seen The Romance of Tiger and Rose or General's Lady, it's exactly that kind of energy. But unlike those dramas where the indirect narrative is a small twist that's not even addressed (TROTAR) or acted as an impetus for the leads meeting each other (GL), the way The Day of Becoming You writes it in emphasizes the message of the entire story: to truly understand someone, you should put yourselves in their shoes. You never know what other people are going through, so try to look at the situation from their perspective - by doing so, you can strengthen your relationship. I thought the way this twist was written in was clever and holistic, bringing the drama to a full wrap and tying things together. The big picture is that it fit the overall narrative, which to me is rare in cdramas.

OVERALL
Wow, I can't gush enough about The Day of Becoming You. I feel like when it comes to Chinese dramas, I tend to get annoyed at common cliches that are overutilized and find them conservative. Not in the sense of wanting more raunchy scenes (LOL which sometimes I lowkey want but an Asian drama's charms are its rare skinship moments that make you appreciate it more), but in the sense that storylines like to play it safe and keep the plots rather traditional. No one will bat an eye at a cold CEO ML that's toeing the line of misogyny because he's good-looking and fits Asian drama convention. But a ML that learns to recognize his worth through meaningful conversations with the FL in a non-hyperdependent way? Hard to come by.
The Day of Becoming You's luring point is a playful body-swap premise that'll make you laugh out loud, but I ended up staying for the three dimensional characters and superb writing. I've never given a rewatch value over 5 (because to me, 5 is like maybe and straight in the middle), but this drama inherently deserves a rewatch from me. Highly recommended!

Read More

Harlequin Romance Meets Chinese Drama

I remember when I first saw this drama on this site I read comments that likened it to a trashy romance/Wattpad story. Two episodes in, I felt myself thinking "IT'S SO TRUE." Mysterious Love had all the tropes and components of an action/romance Harlequin novel (they're well-known for being light/quick/romantic reads) and a stereotypical Chinese drama. If you're the type to enjoy romance for the sake of romance and not think too deeply about the action plot going on in the background, this one's for you.

SIMILARITIES:
❀ Bubbly, outgoing and artistic FL x possessive, cold and strong ML | Another trope: he saved her in the past. I think if American romance novels and Chinese dramas have a Venn diagram, this combo would be in the middle. The FL is a hard worker but is thinking of Lee, the guy that saved her years ago. When she meets him again, she's shook because he's acting so cold and impersonal (he even has a different name!). What she doesn't know, is that he's been thinking of HER these past 5 years too, but has been staying away "for her own protection." We love our emotionless noble idiot MLs, I guess.
I wasn't a fan of the ML in the beginning (especially when he was pushing her away "for her own sake" (ugh) (barf)), but he grows from such Neanderthal behavior. The FL is smart and holds no prisoners, so he learns to communicate quick, lol. Beforehand, he was the type to be reticent and make up for not speaking with aggressive actions but later on he can't deny his feelings and ends up opening up to her. He definitely has the makings of a CEO/security officer/Alpha wolf/cold celebrity + brooding MC that we see in Chinese dramas and Harlequin novels.
✕ Action/suspense in the background of the main couple's relationship | This suspense was not too bad and definitely added to the plot - but to a certain level. In each episode we see a bit of flashback with what happened between the couple 5 years ago when they were hanging with a gang (she was accidentally kidnapped, he was undercover). If you asked me about the criminal syndicate/gang subplot, I could not - for the LIFE of me - explain. They were just bad people??? His team was just getting rid of them even though they're supposed to be just bodyguards (they were on a mission)?? They came back to life after their leader died 5 years ago and are taking revenge? Like... these things happened, but I feel like the writing gave the bare backbones of a plot that was loosely held together (I know I watched this show in the background of doing other stuff but I usually get the general gist of subplots). The show tries to be intense/edgy in some scenes but I learned to not take it seriously. Also other scenes had me watching between fingers LMAO they were so cliche (non-derogatory tone).
❀ Everything is romance-driven | Whether it's the characters' actions, the villains' machinations, or the plot, everything serves one purpose: le racy romance(s). If you like in-depth plots and characterizations with logical consistencies, it's time to look away from this drama. What it DOES serve is a nice dose of jealousy and possessiveness from both the protagonist and villains' standpoints. The action is straight up there to highlight such emotions. Background logic for kidnapping/killing people? They just want to end up with the ML or FL, after all!! There's literally nothing deeper than that.
✕ Acting/characterization were fine but not deep | In terms of acting, I think the actors did the best they could do given the limits of the script. The FL did a good job in being a spunky girl with a brain in her head and the ML's coldness was exactly in-tune with his character. There was also a secondary couple (spoiled, rich princess x stoic, single dad bodyguard) that I have the same lukewarm feelings about - the 2FL was cute and preppy, I really liked her character, and the 2ML was emotionless and stayed that way throughout the drama. He also had a cute but sometimes annoying child that softened up to the 2FL (I think she acted pretty well!). Just like a Harlequin novel though, their characterizations were pretty basic, cliche, and predictable, with not much novelty going on. But, that's also common in Chinese dramas as well, so nothing surprising on that front.
❀ Happy ending for everyone | Well, except the psycho baddies. But, since this follows the plot of a Harlequin novel, we been knowing. >:)

DIFFERENCES:
❀ The FL is smarter than usual | In both trashy romances and Chinese dramas, the FL either succumbs to misunderstandings, instigates them, or in general is very naive and ignorant. The FL in Mysterious Love, Nian Chu, is not like that at all. She's the type to think things over (especially when they seem suspicious) and choose common sense/logic over hysteria. NC isn't a Mary Sue and good at everything though - she literally just uses her brain, which is refreshing. (Since it's 2021, I only want these kinds of FLs in Chinese dramas going forward.)

OTHER NOTES:
❀ I'm a big fan of the music | For a drama that doesn't look too pricey in production, they really utilized the background music to a surprising level. I don't think the drama itself has original soundtracks (not sure though), but the songs they used were really catchy and added depth to the scenes. Intro music is a mysterious/suspenseful instrumental track, and outro music is a song release in 2018 I think that's pretty popular. Although I'm not a fan of ballads (which sucks, because Chinese people love sad music lol), I really enjoyed the ending song. Fighting scene tracks are good too - I remember in this one scene they matched the action with the instrumental music, which was a classy detail.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 | The ML purposefully hides things from the FL in the vein of an (idiotic) noble savior but she pries the truth out of him. Other than that, FL was written with common sense and doesn't fall for cheap misunderstanding tricks that potential villains go for. We stan a smart female lead.

OVERALL
Quick, romantic, and to-the-point, Mysterious Love is definitely a romance/suspense to watch at face value. (Note: high in romance, low in suspense.) I truly never understood the whole background of the gangs and island history, but who cares because you get to see the characters look hot in the jungle. *shrug emoji* The actors did their part, and overall it was interesting enough for me to watch in the background while doing other things. Recommended for a light watch (it's quick too, at 16 30-min episodes!)

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Unique storyline, mid execution

I was drawn to this mini series because of the glowing reviews and people talking about how great the couple is, as well as how there are no breakups/misunderstandings, but low key lost interest halfway through. I think the story had a lot of potential but low key wasn't a big fan of how everything went. I would even say the story bit off more than it could chew. Your mileage may vary though since the rest of the reviews are pretty positive.

PROS
❀ Mini drama energy
I'm a fan of these short yet satisfying mini dramas, and this one fits the bill. It's pretty fast-paced, focuses *mostly* on the main couple, and has a happy ending. At 10 min x 18 ep (with ep 18 being 20 min), you're looking at a commitment time of just over 3 hours.

❀ Nice skinship, sweet romance
Another mini drama pattern I see is making sure viewers are satisfied with skinship, LOL, and again this one delivers. Outside of the smouldering kisses, the couple's romance is very secure and steadfast. The ML saved the FL from bandits a while back, then she saves him from wolves after he passes out. Apparently after the whole scenario, they lost each other and now they reconnected - although the FL has a different face.
A large testimony to their romance is the ML having a suspicion, early on, that the FL was the woman who saved him. He confirms it very later on, but his "instinct" allows him to open his heart to the FL and trusts her even though the face didn't match the woman in his memories. (Her body and mole did though, lol)
Even though the FL doesn't reveal anything, the ML finds out himself. And even though she's technically working for the other side (they're not exactly enemies per se, I don't think?), she still finds ways to circumnavigate their plans and stay on the ML's side. So all in all, they're quite supportive of one another.

❀ Cute ML
Honestly, even though the ML's character is a general, he gives cutesy vibes. His face lights up when he finds out the FL likes him, he's very cute and sweet to both his adoptive daughter and the FL, and most of the light-hearted moments of the drama stem from his character. Did I wish we saw more general aura? Yeah, kinda. But his cute side is nice too I guess.

CONS
✕ Storyline bit off more than it could chew
There's a lot of potential with the foundation of the story but literally unanswered questions scattered everywhere. I don't think it costs too much time/energy to literally give a one sentence explanation of why something happened.
Do I consider this a major fault of the drama? Not really, considering mini series are short to begin with and this one planned to fit a bunch of elements in it.
Do I think a short explanation would have added to the depth and my overall enjoyment of the show? Honestly, yes. It's honestly quite frustrating to follow these characters and get onboard with their decisions without understanding *why*. It makes me care less about what is currently happening because I have no attachment to what is going on. And once you don't have that attachment, well, the viewing experience starts going downhill.
Random plot points that, with a bit of explanation, would have made me more sympathetic to the characters:
- Literally why the FL was so loyal to her older sister and how they got separated/their backstory because most of the plot was contingent on this and I was never convinced on it
- How the older sister got into face-swapping magic because otherwise it was just used as a random plot device despite it being the biggest issue in the show
- Why Prince Ning (2ML) started getting obsessed with ShiQi-with-ShenQin-face because all she did after the face swap was reject him from time and time again
I mean, even Shen Qin (2FLish role) being obsessed with Prince Ning made sense because she had ONE scene that talked about how he saved her when she was young. The show leaves room for a LOT more questions but these were the biggest ones that made me skeptical of the story.

✕ FL was super passive
I would say, hmm, yeah she helped out the ML a few times. But something about her mild-mannered, innocent, pure demeanor got me annoyed (LOL). I didn't understand why she had to hide her identity so bad to the ML. Like yeah, Shen Qin was using her older sister as blackmail. But did she not think she could tell the ML so he could help her solve the problems?? Until like literally the very end? I guess this was to add angst, but I was more annoyed than anything. She's lucky the ML trusted her from beginning to end. Also idk why she wanted to hide her pregnancy from the ML too. Again, an unanswered + unnecessary plot point that miffed me (unless they answered and I just didn't understand from the broken subs). For most of the drama she just acted nervous and guilty (that she was hiding her identity). Also she kept getting targeted and that annoyed me too.

✕ Palace drama was ???
I didn't understand the Crown Prince death side plot nor did I care. Did the janky subtitles play a role? For sure. But most of all, I didn't feel like the stakes were high because I didn't care about the side characters. Literally I still don't understand why Prince Ning married off his woman to the general in order to get the general "on his side" and then try to kill him after. Like at this point y'all just writing this stuff in to get the plot moving I s2g.

✕ That unnecessary "redemption" for the second couple (Prince Ning x Shen Qin)
Idk why they showed a happy-ish ending for them via a lookalike in the end because Ning was obsessed with the FL until his death and didn't care jack sh*t about Shen Qin. It's not satisfying because you KNOW he didn't want to be with her like... He literally pushed a pregnant realbody!Shenqin away. I know the show was trying to wrap everything up with a pretty bow but this couple was an ick and imo it wasn't necessary to give them a happy ending...

✕ Misunderstanding level: 1/10
Hard to rate because the FL's identity is "hidden" for the majority of the show (Spoiler: ML discovers her identity / she confirms it around ep 15 out of 18). Otherwise, the ML trusts the FL 100% of the way. I know there's probably some messaging in the show about loving someone no matter what they look like, but I feel like the identity thing is too ambiguous for me to accept. It's fine if her face looks different and you still love her, but can you still say the same if you don't know who she *is*???? Imo, I don't think the show should have dragged its feet in terms of the ML figuring out who she was. Like, he's had the suspicion since their first encounters, so idk why it took him so long to uncover everything. Or rather, I guess his "instinct" knew the identity which is why the romance was able to progress. Idk, I don't buy it.

OVERALL
Ehh if the things I mentioned in the cons don't bother you, then I'd say go for this series. Otherwise, despite the happy ending I'm kinda left scratching my head. I was intrigued by the premise of the drama but I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot of details for important tidbits that the show introduces. Obviously as a mini series the storyline can only be surface level, but I definitely think they could have used the same premise and navigated certain plot points differently to make the overall watching experience more enjoyable. I also feel like just because it's a mini series, doesn't mean I can turn my brain cells completely off. I'm not even trying to overthink any of this, I just feel like the promise of a cool storyline fell flat when it came to actual execution.

Well - onto the next!

Read More

On a journey to revenge that ends in justice and love

The first 10 minutes were instantly gripping.
Did I think it was super dramatic, possibly illogical, and over-the-top? Yes.
Did I eat that up? Definitely.
Did I inwardly squeal when Duke Su's fan randomly flew into the scene to save the day? Hell yeah.

This is the first C-drama I got into after a break, and I didn't know historical dramas could balance everything so well. From the revenge to the political intrigue to the action to the romance and even comedic bits, this drama has a bit of everything that makes me love a good historical story. Also - I'm so happy about the ending and extra scenes that wrapped it up perfectly.

As a word of caution, The Double is best enjoyed when you suspend belief and stop overthinking details. The palace schemes ranged from gasp-out-loud plot twist to rolling-eyes cringe. I recommended this drama to my older brother who at first was skeptical, asking me "am I even the right demographic?" Four episodes later, despite him making fun of the overdramaticism and acting, he was HOOKED. I'm telling you, no one can ignore a good revenge counterattack plot.

PROS
❀ Three-dimensional characters that paired well with superb acting
Not sure if this is everywhere in dramaland, or if everyone's using eye drops these days, but the range of emotions from the cast was very palpable (ESPECIALLY the crying scenes lol). Xue FangFei was 'killed' by her husband in QingCheng Mountain and saved by a girl who was also wronged by her family, JiangLi. JiangLi ends up passing away, and XFF assumes her identity to return to the capital, getting revenge on the people who wronged both of them.
Throughout XFF's investigation, she uncovers an intricate web of schemes that involve both her and the Jiang family. I loved seeing her ex-husband Shen YuRong spiraling throughout the series, largely instigated by the unpredictable Eldest Princess, Wanning. Both their actors did an amazing job of portraying characters with inner conflicts (especially SYR) that dictated and justified their actions. They were evil no doubt, but the added backstories added several layers of depth that just topped off their characterizations. Other stand-out roles were the step-mother, the development of the father especially towards the end, and the academy team friendship that was steady throughout the drama.

❀ Smouldering romance that was just perfect to me, idk
First of all, shout out to the makeup artist because all the men (even random side characters) were *chef's kiss*. Best of the best is of course Duke Su, the deadly commander and emperor's right hand man who leaves a trail of fear in his wake. At first, he sees XFF as a useful 'pawn' in his plans and helps her out for his own benefit. Soon though he grows more and more impressed with XFF's quick wit and determination. Yes, Duke Su is OP and is there to save the day. But the show uses that plot armor sparingly, compared to other Cdramas that do it every other episode. I love how both leads have the same goal but are on different paths; because of that goal, they have a mutually beneficial relationship and develop feelings throughout the journey. Their relationship is built on respect and loyalty (not just to each other but to their family, sovereign, etc). I thought that the romantic development throughout the course of the drama was not too slow nor fast actually, since they get a good bit of 1:1 screen time in the midst of other story arcs. And the ending definitely delivered, for my fangirl heart <3
Side note: I like how there was minimal drama between the main leads, because they understand each other so well. There are some mild second leads on both sides romantically, but XFF and Duke Su's feelings never wavered.
Second side note: I usually side-eye dramas with main leads who have age gaps but I think the actors did a great job in closing that gap through their portrayals of the characters. Duke Su's character radiated maturity and strength, which paired well with XFF's cunningness and stubbornness to see things through. The chemistry was also F-I-R-E!

❀ Pretty tight script with good storytelling execution
Although I wouldn't mind more than one season/40 episodes for this story, I'm really happy with the script and dialogue that we got. Compared to other historical Cdramas I've watched, the ending was pretty conclusive and satisfying. Again, I feel like viewers who overthink things might not be as satisfied but I personally really enjoyed how cleanly everything was wrapped up (although there were some tragic events that happened to our non-leads :,)). Despite veering away from the book storyline (since in the book XFF ended up transmigrating into JL's body, which I understand doesn't pass censorship criteria for dramas), I think The Double shines on its own. The revenge/counterattacks were methodical and the different arcs were organized pretty well (ex: academy arc, Ye family arc, Huaixiang, etc), eventually culminating into the final climax. Characters from various arcs reappear as well, making everything come full circle. I don't have high expectations with Cdrama scripts because I'm used to them being messy - lots of back-and-forth between the leads, misunderstandings, random drama that doesn't serve a purpose to the story, etc - but The Double really impressed me with how well they used their screen time.

❀ Just an extra bullet point for how aesthetic everything/everyone was
Especially the dudes with their hair down LMAO.

CONS
✕ Kinda over-the-top at first (especially if you're not used to it)
I'm not going to lie, the dramatic zoom-ins in the beginning had me laughing out loud. Did the director learn this from Bollywood movies? Thankful to report that these zoom-ins decreased throughout the story. Expect similar over-the-top scenes to come.
My brother asked: do you think they're self aware with how cringe some of the scenes are? I said yes, considering one of XFF's lines were, "Duke Su, did you fly here?" when he wugongs his way into her courtyard. She asked what we were all thinking, lmao.

✕ Logic falls apart if you think too deeply
Just settle into this emotional rollercoaster of a drama for entertainment's sake.

✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10
The main leads were steadfast from start to finish!! No freaking random break-ups towards the end either and annoying martyrdom scenes. It was truly a solid romance.

OVERALL
While this drama balances a lot of genres that make it addicting (action, romance, intrigue, revenge, comedy), there were moments where I was genuinely moved. At the heart of all the revenge schemes and planning is a prevailing sense of justice, and fixing wrongs into rights. That's why it's so easy to cheer for the main leads and support them throughout their journey. The actress for XFF ate and left no crumbs in her role as she climbed out of her own grave to seek justice for not only herself, but her family and the people around her. I think all 40 episodes were enjoyable and intentionally used, creating an ultimately satisfying revenge plot that I recommend Cdrama lovers to watch.

Read More

Tom and Jerry but make it a CDrama

Objectively, I don't think this drama is that bad. But subjectively, I really struggled to finish this and small things got on my nerves. I was looking for another body-swap drama after adoring The Day of Becoming You (which I really recommend!!) but the body-swap portions of The Lonely Planet got tiring after the first couple of episodes. At the half-way mark, I was watching at 2x speed until the leads got together (ep 17) and slowed down from there. I still really had to push myself to finish.

PROS
❀ Main actors did a great job in their roles | Yang Shi Ze and Zhang Ling Yi are new to me, but I enjoyed their screen time! I like how the ML has an unconventional face (whoa @ his cheekbones) and how the show tried to make him more than a cold CEO. He loved his dog, was tacky in fashion, and was playful when he wanted to be. I wasn't impressed by the FL's character, but the actress was adorable and had great energy.
❀ Main leads pull off a bickering couple well | I wasn't sold on their chemistry BUT the way they were at each other like cats and dogs was fun. This kind of relationship also lends a casual vibe to it though, which is another reason why I was indifferent about their romantic progression.
❀ I liked the way the main leads got together in a business venture | She's the designer, he's the operations manager. It was great to see them balancing each other out and struggling through the challenges of a clothing start-up. Unrealistic, for sure, but sweet and fitting for such a light drama.
❀ Loved the camaraderie of all the people who had their personalities switched with their pets | There's a frog prince (who wants to be an actor), a hamster girl who can't stop eating/working out, and a turtle dude who apparently goes into hibernation. I wish they had more screen time, because they were so fun to watch!

CONS
✕ Instead of giving more time to fun characters, we get to follow lousy side characters | AKA the second leads. A huge reason why I watched this show at 2x speed was because of these useless characters that I could care less about. Their actors had one expression the whole time and it was ":|"
The 2FL starts out with the ML but they end their relationship around ep 6 when the ML finds out she's been cheating on him and is a gold-digger. For some reason, the show follows her around still afterwards and even gives her a redemption arc!!! Like, pls - get this woman's face off of my screen. The actress was a wooden plank, too, so I didn't even like or hate her. She was just,,, THERE. To fill up time, I guess. Why was this necessary???
The 2ML is someone the FL has a crush on in the beginning of the drama and we get the unexpected pleasure (/s) of seeing their entire relationship, from kisses to an evil mother, all the way to the break-up in ep 11. WHY???? LMFAO I could give 0 fucks about this dude and his evil mom. They tried to make him an in-depth character by giving him a whole arc too ("Mom, I want to move out of your place and end your toxicity"). Again, a waste of my time. Again, the actor himself had no emotion and walked around like a wooden plank. The show tries to get them together near the end but by that point I was skipping through their scenes.
Even the goofy characters of the ML's friends (and the second couple) was pushed aside to make room for these useless second leads. They made the secondary couple meet, date, and get married in the span of ~3 episodes!
✕ Inconsistent and disappointing use of the body-swapping premise | In this drama, the leads take on the personality of the other person's pets, so the FL becomes dog-like and the ML becomes cat-like. The way the writers use this premise is VERY inconsistent, and they played the game of "pick and choose" for what traits would pop up. For example, the FL becomes a loyal dog and her first instinct when she changes personality (or gets upset) is to run to the ML's side. This was emphasized so much in the first couple of episodes, and forgotten about later on. It also didn't make sense that the pets would be feeling the same way as the humans when they were upset (it was just thrown around randomly during key plot points??).
There was also a slight imbalance on the pet traits. It was obviously shown when the FL became Coffee (the dog), because she would start getting super expressive and loud, while the ML only got withdrawn and uncaring when he became the cat. I think there's quite a bit of cat traits to work with (ex: curiosity), but this show just made the ML lethargic/lazy. There's another cdrama called Make A Wish that does the cat-human trope better. It irritated me how clingy the FL became when she was a dog, and I thought it was REALLY telling that the writer decided to make the FL behave like that while the ML didn't have to deal with such a huge trouble. She was loyal to the point of not reading important contracts in the beginning, which was sososo messy.
You might think I'm reading into it, but to me this is just another way of writing a ditzy, naive, immature FL. I don't think her character is inherently that way, but that dog personality really made it seem so, which was super grating.
✕ These characters forgave and forgot way too easily | Someone who plagiarizes the FL is forgiven, the cheating gold-digger ex is forgiven, the evil mom is forgiven, even the sexual harrasser CEO near the end has barely a punishment (I bet he would have been forgiven if there was another episode!).
✕ Misunderstanding level: 3/10 | They happen more than I would have liked but are resolved within the episode or less (even the FL's noble idiocy in the later episode is quickly uncovered). These misunderstandings are because of a lack of communication (ugh) but the leads later on communicate and apologize for them, so there's that I guess.

OVERALL
The Lonely Planet's quirky premise sets the tone for the rest of the show: light and silly. Even the romance is more of the "playful" type than "passionate" type. Unfortunately, its reliance on too many common cliches and the lack of creativity with the pet-personality-swapping plot point made it a miss for me. I was only able to finish out of sheer determination. If the points I made in the CONS section don't bother you, then I'd say go for it, since it's at its core a light/fluffy romcom.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Fierce heroine + stunning romance + BEST family dynamics = nice blend of comedy and drama

When I first started this drama, a couple of things felt familiar to me (the ML's cunningness, the FL's wild ways, ensuing hilarity, etc), and when I looked at the synopsis again I saw that the novel it's based on is a familiar author! While fans are still translating this particular novel by Yue Xia Die Ying, I've read her other works which have similar elements, so it's no surprise that this premise drew my attention and I ended up loving the drama (even with differences from the original novel).

PROS
❀ Powerful female lead + calculating male lead = complementary romance | Huahua takes no prisoners and goes after what she wants. She's brash, straightforward, and protective (especially when it comes to her family). I absolutely LOVED her character as a female lead as she goes against the grain of society. She can do anything (archery, sword-fighting, etc) EXCEPT the virtues of women during the time, including calligraphy and poetry. But that's all good, because the male lead Rong Xia balances her out. He's the hottest scholar of the nation, a gentleman through and through who knows poetry and calligraphy. He also has a calculating side, as he's trying to figure out the mystery behind his family's death. HH and RX worked so well together and I loved their mutual respect and admiration towards one another. They accept each other, flaws and all, and stay supportive, loyal, and protective. HH's rambunctious family takes in RX as one of their own, as well, and it's really endearing to see her protect him after all his years of solitude. Truly, a match made in heaven. While their romance starts out with mistrust and hidden motives, it progresses into a pretty honest and open relationship (for the most part, other than when they're trying to protect one another lol).
❀ MOST WONDERFUL loving family | I can't gush enough about the Ban family... from the silly dad, playful son, fierce mom, and dedicated maids, the Ban family really made this drama shine. Their family dynamics were written so well and made for some wonderful comedic scenes. And while the drama is mostly light-hearted, there's some pretty dramatic moments when it comes to the plot. It's not exceptionally intense, but it's still there.
❀ Despite being 40 episodes, I looked forward to each ep | I'm the type to struggle through anything over 30 episodes, but A Girl Like Me never dragged, and I ended up binging it in one weekend. Each plot addition was exciting and I was never bored, even when watching the leads fall in love towards the middle (in fact, those were my fave scenes hehe). I definitely applaud the drama for keeping watchers on their toes and keeping the pace going.
❀ Beautiful sets and gorgeous costumes | Wow, Huahua's outfits were always STUNNING. The lead couple looked gorgeous in every frame (in fact, the ML looks exactly how I picture a ML in Yue Xia Die Ying's books look like, lmao) and the supporting cast also looked amazing. I was impressed with some of the set choices, such as the ice skating scene and the ones that took place in a cave (both very romantic scenes). Maybe this is a translation of the show's budget, but it made for some very captivating moments.
❀ While the villains weren't the best, they made for some intriguing court politics | I don't think the antagonists were super smart but the actors conveyed their desperation (especially the female scholar) pretty well. The second prince also had some entertaining scenes, although he stayed immature and whiny until the end. But like I said, they kept the plot moving and in the end had a super satisfying comeuppance.

CONS
✕ Sometimes the editing got weird... | I feel like there were scenes that were cut out so the transitions were odd/jarring. But this happened only a handful of times so it wasn't a big deal, just something I noticed.
✕ The ML was so beautiful but also so stoic | I'm not sure if this was just a part of his character, but the acting felt a little stilted towards the first half. After the main couple's love gets solidifed, I definitely felt more emotion from him, but his stoic, expressionless face is one that I saw often. Gorgeous actor, a little questionable acting.
✕ Veers away from the original story | I'm not sure how involved the novel author was in the script, but I'm pretty sure it divulges story-wise and the ending is different. Although I'm immensely happy with the drama ending, I think the novel ending would have been more triumphant to see (lol). You can probably find the ending in the reviews for the novel in NovelUpdates.
✕ There's a bit too much back-and-forth | It seems like it's for the sake of adding drama so I was fine with it, but this back-and-forth is definitely exacerbated by the antagonists and pushing the main couple in tough positions which kept happening, lol.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10 | They happen, BUT I think the writing doesn't let it drag on. The leads are both quite smart so it doesn't mar their relationship in a significant way and instead allows them to grow closer. I didn't think they were too annoying and while some of them weren't necessary, they also didn't bog down the story.

OVERALL
The refreshing and intelligent female lead made me fall in love with this drama! This hit all the right notes (and tropes) for me and I ended up loving it. Definitely recommended if you love headstrong FLs and MLs that are supportive partners.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Steampunk, historical romance that packs a lot into the story

On my continuous quest to find Chinese fantasy movies with happy endings (one of my favorite genres but unfortunately not quite popular compared to sad/open/ambiguous openings), I found Puppet Prince.
Thanks to the translator Productive Procrastination for the great translations (you can watch it subbed on their site)!

PROS
❀ Likable main leads and supporting characters | I don't know any of these actors but they were pretty solid! I was hesitant towards the FL at first - she gets saved by the ML in one of the first scenes (like yes I guess it's necessary but is it really??) and her dubbed voice was a bit annoying. BUT she gets so much better! Throughout the story you can see she's a good soul and knows enough kung fu to stand up for herself and help other people. She's determined to get to the bottom of what happened three years ago and find her senior brother, even if it means going against the governor. I liked how capable she was.
On the other hand, the 'governor' aka our ML aka a powerful puppet is a literal puppet being used by the bad guys. When he meets the FL, he sees color and a potential future past being just a heartless puppet. It's really adorable how innocent he is about emotions and the world outside the government. (Of course, he just needs a spunky heroine to show him the good stuff!!)
The senior brother and FL's master are great characters that I also enjoyed - they definitely added color to the script!
❀ Creative settings | I loved the steampunk foundation of this movie. We got to see the illegal puppet market, an underground palace/prison place, and other cool background settings. While the plot wasn't anything new, I enjoyed this puppet-centric historical (I guess it would technically be a xuanhuan?) romance.
❀ There's an OST I really like | It's the second track in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9_Mp97iPY8. In general I thought the music was well-placed and added to the overall atmosphere.

CONS
✕ Honestly the beginning was rough for me | But hold on tight - the movie gets better!! Like I mentioned before, the FL wasn't the best at first and the first scene's CGI was... omg, it was so bad. There's a reason why Chinese movies have a special place in my heart with their questionable CGI (Bollywood movies are also up there, lmao). But after that over-the-top puppet scene in the beginning, everything else that follows is is pretty solid.
✕ Romance is kind of rushed since the movie tries to fit a bunch of things | My rule for going into these types of movies is not expecting much from the romantic storyline. The main leads get around 3-5 scenes (maybe 20 min in total?) to develop feelings and then they get pushed to the rest of the plot. While they're falling in love, there's an evil commander, random evil woman who wants to get with the puppet governor (which is never explained why), missing senior brother, mysterious events 3 years past, and a secret plot in the background. We get usual Cdrama tropes from hidden identities to "I can only see color near her" to asking the age-old question on what it means to be human. Anyway, I stan.
✕ Kind of forced the ending | I think this story could have been completed in one movie, but a random move by an unimportant character added angst which led to the need for a second movie. Was it satisfying? Not at all, and we could have saved screen time by instead getting the main couple to see rainbows or something as promised. Was I okay with it? Yeah, I'll bite because there's another movie... but still. The execution left a lot to be desired.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 3/10 | Happens once towards the end of the movie with your typical noble sacrifice move. Doesn't happen for a long time, but I have to note that it's another trope the movie utilizes.

OVERALL
If you're looking for a quick movie with steampunk/historical Chinese vibes and a sweet romance, I recommend this series (should watch both of them to get that happy ending). It's not a must-see, but I'm a fan of romance movies with happy endings in general and it's good enough to pass the time. Just a warning, this one has a bittersweet ending (low key cliffhanger) but the next movie completes the couple's story. Happy watching!

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Light, unfiltered, and adventurous love story between two broken souls

The premise didn't intrigue me but the comments about "dark comedy" did.

Was it funny? Well... sometimes. The kind of funny that gets a smile or short "ha!". But nothing too hilarious.
Was it satirical? Most definitely.

The storyline follows cases that were based on the Chinese prosecutor's office (Supreme People's Procuratorate) throughout the adventure of two characters (our ML and FL) that have downtrodden views of life. Their inner narratives are quite unfiltered, and the visuals which remain light in saturation + plucky music finish this theme of a raw, realistic view of the world. It's less romcom funny, more sarcasm+poking light of a situation funny. Overall though, Definitely Not Today is a refreshing drama in a world of cliches, tropes, and cold-hearted CEOs.

PROS
❀ Great acting featuring realistically imperfect characters | The ML has mental illnesses (the synopsis says social anxiety, but translated eps say OCD as well? Might be a mistranslation since he doesn't really exhibit OCD tendencies) while the FL is dealing with trauma from the past and trying to stay alive in a world out to get her. He's indifferent, she's prickly. Together they make a surprising duo and learn to care about the world around them - as well as living in it.
I've seen the ML in another drama (My Love, Enlighten Me) and he plays the indifferent look quite well. In this show though, he really puts the uncaring attitude to another level. The ML basically wants to die by suicide, since he doesn't think there's anything worth living for, and you can tell how much he doesn't care from his messy hair to his barebones apartment. The FL's actress is new to me but she played a brash woman who hides her heart pretty well. Apparently these actors are reunited from a previous drama of theirs, which is fun. The chemistry is pretty tame and the relationship goes from mistrust -> mild friendship -> trust -> something more (romantically). I like that it didn't jump into insta-love and they had an organic relationship progression (with bumbles and fall-outs in-between).
❀ Good production value | From the music to the small-town sets, this show went out of its way to give a realistic storyline while poking fun at the more violent bits. I honestly recommend to watch it in one go like a movie (especially as it has a widescreen ratio on YT, giving it a more professional vibe) and the contents are interesting enough to keep you going. What happens when 2 flawed people find themselves entangled in a mess that brings them closer than ever?

CONS
✕ It's not that deep... or maybe that's a pro? | Despite the show tackling intense subjects such as sexual assault, it doesn't go beyond a surface level of how it affects the main characters, keeping the tone light-hearted. I guess if this is a pro or con depends on the viewer, but I expected... more. I ended the drama with an "eh, that was pretty good" feeling and felt emotionally detached from the events going on.
✕ Misunderstandling level: 0/10 | In this just less than 3 hour drama, the main characters are unabashed and straight-forward, leaving little room for misunderstandings. Ones that do come up are on the antagonists' side lol.

OVERALL
While this Cdrama wasn't as profound as I was expecting, its "at-face-value" plot is welcoming and refreshing. I think all the actors did a great job, and the production in general makes this show unique compared to other contemporary Cdramas. Really recommended if you're looking for a light-hearted adventure that defies the usual drama tropes!

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Falling in love on the rink + competitive friendships!

I've read comments that viewers enjoyed this skating drama more than Skate Into Love and My Unicorn Girl which says a lot about the standard of ice skating romances. Not to say To Fly With You wasn't good - it was! It featured a heartwarming story of perseverance, sportsmanship, hard work + diligence, forgiveness, and falling in love. But it still ultimately resorts to classic Cdrama cliches that lengthened the storyline for nonsensical reasons and tested my patience. The overall feeling from this drama is a positive one though, mainly because I thought the production value of the skating scenes was impressive, and it got me emotional with the main characters' dreams (I must say, gotta love a training montage, and To Fly With You had one every couple of episodes lmao).

PROS
❀ Do-gooder short track speed skater x goofy/lovable figure skater | I love how the main leads are both ice skaters, but interested in different sports. There are great scenes of them helping each other out in their respective fields, which I just *clenches fist* love. The synergy!!! Their romance was one of those "first love + innocent" ones where they quickly catch feelings but are ignorant of the others' feelings. They start off as a bickering pair, intrigued by each other, follow up as friends that help each other in the rink + random contractual relationship, and end up as a couple by ep 22. Did it take too long to reach there? Lowkey yes because of dense feelings going on. I would have accepted it if they were too busy with training/resolving conflicts in their respective sports/anything sports-related, but the fact that we had to sit through a disgusting, gnatty 2FL who the FL was too nice to... bruh, we deserved better.
The good news is that once the couple is together, they're good as gold. They continue supporting each other in their endeavors and even trust each other when family drama happens. The FL's unwavering confidence in the ML really bolstered him in his pursuit from pair figure skating to single figure skating, while the ML's enthusiasm for the FL in chasing her dream pushed her forward. She's the type to think well of people, no matter what, and he's a golden retriever who's spunky and energetic. Both actors are new to me (although I've seen the ML in some clips of Forever Love, and it seems he has a similar playful character), but they both portray a youth/college role really well and had great emotion in their scenes.
❀ Sismances and team bonding | While I was annoyed at some characters at first for their cattiness, they quickly grew on me as the shows explored their backgrounds. The whole "she's mean but there are underlying reasons why she acts this way and once you dig those out and psychoanalyze her she'll turn a new leaf" trope is just *chef's kiss* muah. Especially for sports dramas. I love the eventual progression of the speed skater team and seeing the FL rise from a self-taught skater to a professional who beat previous winners. Her diligence and passion for skating was well-portrayed by the actress! I also enjoyed the friendship she has with another skater, Zhu Lele (lmao which is my Chinese nickname). Lele was annoying at times, but their sismance was definitely A+.
❀ THE MOMS!!!!!!!! | Me during the mom scenes: "Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry."
One of the reasons why this show stuck with me is the story behind the main couple's moms. The blurb already hints at some undelying animosity, but I love how the moms were able to reconcile through their children and communication. Both actresses were SPECTACULAR. Great angry and crying scenes, great expressions of regret, great acting to gain our sympathy. I love how both moms' legacies on the ice were carried on by their children (who end up dating!! Sheeesh). They were both passionate and headstrong women that had moving scenes. Coach Zhuang Ye (the ML's mom and FL's coach) and the FL's relationship was also well-done and nicely developed. The moms were the heart of this show.
❀ Impressive visuals/production on the ice | I don't have many expectations for Cdrama effects, but To Fly With You had pretty good visuals. I never skipped the scenes on the ice and although the music was rather repetitive, they utilized it in a way that dramaticized the skating scenes. It really made you pumped!! I couldn't even tell if they used stunt actors for some of the scenes (I mean, they must have, right?), which added a realistic layer to everything. Also,,, the ML did an AMAZING job with his figure skating scenes. Honestly his last match made me so emotional and got me rewatching Yuri On Ice scenes (a figure skating anime that's phenomenal).

CONS
✕ I started fast-forwarding/skipping the secondary couple scenes | Don't get me wrong, the second couple consists of the best friends/roommates of the main couple and they cute af, but...,,, it's the typical secondary couple storyline. For some reason it's as much drama as the first couple, paired with misunderstandings, even a break up (whatt??), the FL's friend dating some other dude beforehand, among other things. Did I care about their theater club? Absolutely not. (I feel like they could have incorporated it better with the main leads and developed bonds through their scenes but it remained pretty separate from the main storyline.) Did I care about their romance? Not really either... the girl (Lele) was a mess half the time with indecisiveness and in general there was a lot of pushing/pulling that got me impatient. I think these characters are great as the silly foil/bffs of the main leads, but their romantic storyline was a no from me.
✕ THE MOST unnecessary sibling combo to ever exist | AKA the Xiao siblings. On the left, we have an immature male coach that, although he's an adult, uses young women's dreams of skating as a way to resolve his past trauma in seeing his best friend's death (btw, did this ever get resolved?? If it did, I must have fast forwarded past it. If it didn't... even more reason to dislike him). On the right, we see an immature younger sister who creates misunderstandings with every word out of her mouth because she's obsessed with the ML and can't take "no" for an answer. The left is a cockroach because despite all the shit he pulled, he survives it all and is still loved in the end by the team. The right is a gnat, because she be appearing EVERYWHERE and getting between the main couple for literally no reason. Their faces made me so annoyed I started watching their scenes at 2x speed, and even fast forwarded. For a sports drama, I didn't think there was TIME to put an annoying 2FL with evil intentions but I guess this is what happens with 33 eps. Tbh even skipping their scenes, ya ain't missing much from the show.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10 | Definitely miscommunication between the second couple, and a slight misunderstanding between the primary couple when the ML confesses to the FL. Don't know why this misunderstanding was dragged on for a literal episode (he confesses at the end of ep 20 if I recall correctly, misunderstanding is the whole theme of ep 21, and they finally get together in ep 22). It was a juvenile situation (ML confessing to the wrong girl) and added screen time to the gnat, which was wholly unnecessary. I came in for a skating drama about teammates and chasing dreams - why did I have to sit through ~45 min of me yelling at the gnat for not telling the truth?!? ;__; alas.

OVERALL
I'm not sure if To Fly With You brings anything new to the drama game, but as a drama dedicated to the Beijing 2022 Olympics, it definitely makes a viewer emotional and pumped for the matches. The sismance, team camaraderie, and romance(s) make for a relationship-driven show that captures watchers' hearts as we follow the characters' dreams on the rink.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Heartwarming cliches, surprising depth, superb chemistry

I'm going to miss this dimple couple!!
Many viewers describe this as a "feel-good" or "healing" drama, and this is exactly the case. Homcha's cozy seaside village setting already lays the foundation of its biggest themes: found family, love in unexpected places, diamond in the rough, overcoming prejudice, forgiveness/acceptance, wholesome bromance, and more. If you can ignore the product placement, the fictional town of Gongjin is a heartwarming place to visit when watching Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.

PROS
❀ Production value was A+ | The thing about romcom tropes is that depending on the way the drama shows them, they can be ridiculously annoying or pleasantly refreshing. Homcha's tropes were the latter for me, and I think it was due to the accumulation of production, acting, and directing. The music was added in expertly (seriously, I associate the best vibes when it comes to the singer going "La-la-la-la-lalalala. romantic Sundayyy" for one of the OSTs), and the cinematography was an added bonus. I really think Homcha's production elevated this romcom for me, despite the well-worn tropes and dialogue.
❀ Literal flirting since day 1 | I saw this Instagram reel with Du-Sik eye-ing Hye-Jin the day they first met, and one of the comments was like "flirting since day 1." This is accurate. Although the characters aren't officially together until around ep 10, their chemistry is off the charts at first meet! I enjoyed their romantic progression from Du-Sik helping Hye-Jin settle into Gongjin as friends/neighbors into a romantic line between similar but different people learning from each other. Du-Sik opens Hye-Jin's eyes to the charm of a small-town life (be patient with her, as her socioeconomic prejudice is pretty conditioned and it takes her a few incidents to get out of that mentality), while Hye-Jin gets to spoil Du-Sik as this king deserves.
As for the characters themselves, they're both lovable. Hye-Jin is the more flawed one (more comments about this in CONS section), but this makes for excellent character development. She starts off as a snobbish dentist with a sense of justice who's trying to adapt to the sleepy seaside village of Gongjin but ends up really comfortable with this village and its people, despite a rocky beginning. She's a character with strong morals, definitely a sense of what's right or wrong, but is also empathetic (especially to children). I love that she's strong both mentally (thinks over her decisions and makes them resolutely) and physically (doesn't take sexual harrassers off lightly).
Du-Sik is the village chief and handyman. He's hilarious, light-hearted, and doesn't take anything too seriously. One of my favorite introductory scenes is when he pulls out all the licenses/certificates he has as a handyman - LMAO! To be honest I thought this guy was way too perfect - in his house, he pretty much made everything. He woodcrafts, fixes up boats, saves people from harm, delegates jobs, makes his own wine and tea, and everything in between. This man is literally self-sufficient. Underneath that playful exterior is a man plagued by nightmares and a deep-set trauma, which this drama later goes into.
As a couple, we have the uptight and snobby dentist x relaxed and easygoing handyman. You KNOW that's a set-up for cute happenstances, lessons learned, and a slight opposites-attract love story. Love this Sikhye couple! ("Sik-hye" combines their names and is also a sweet wine.)
❀ Superb side characters who are holistically explored | Homcha really dives into the side characters' backgrounds, and each one of them faces something that makes you want to cheer for them. (Also, love the 3 mysterious of Gongjin that the script includes haha.) Some of these conflicts include the difficulties of being pregnant/having children, losing a child, raising a child as a single dad, loss of loved ones, misunderstandings in marriage/divorce, failed careers, and more. Some scenes are heartbreaking, others are heartwarming. The common denominator is that the characters grow and come out stronger, emboldened by their new experiences and lessons learned. I'm in love with the imperfectly perfect villagers of Gongjin!
❀ Happy ending for everyone!! | Seriously, I was smiling the whole time while watching ep 16. Every character you root for in Gongjin gets their happy ending. Their stories felt completed and their endings were so satisfying to watch.

CONS
✕ Don't watch if you dislike romcom tropes | Personally, I loved the cliches that the writers of Homcha used, but I know some people may find it boring (including friends of mine). Others, like me, love the way the drama utilizes these cliches to make you fawn over the couple. Some of these cliches include: coincidential childhood/teen meetings between main couple, (slight) love triangle (although the 2ML takes it very well and finds his own romance later on), ML with mysterious/tragic past, getting saved from a stalker/harrasser, surprise angst towards the end, etc. Honestly though, it wasn't too bad and didn't have tropes I dislike like amnesia or forced separation. All the tropes used had feel-good romcom energy.
✕ Inconsistent character development | As much as I loved Du-Sik and think him a perfect ML, he was TOO perfect sometimes... even the 'flaws' about his mysterious past towards the end (ep 14-15 were the angstier ones) didn't really add depth to his character. He was just perfect from start to finish. Which is fine, I guess? But in contrast, Hye-Jin was imperfect and her character showed it well, which led to satisfying character development later on. In this way, the main couple's character writing felt inconsistent and lacking.
✕ Lack of logic when it came to the "incident" revealed in ep 14-15 | Don't know why the drama decided to use this heavily hinted incident as a point of conflict, but the actual reveal was anticlimactic and made me go "wat." The people who were mad/angry/upset were pretty emotional/illogical when it came to those feelings, and the guilt Du-Sik had was unwarranted. Sure, it added dimension to his character (the trauma leading to issues such as PTSD and survivor's guilt), but the set-up was weak. Very weak. I don't know, there was just this big build-up and foreshadowing and for what? It felt like the writers just crammed those characters/their emotions in for the sake of emotional angst to lead to the finale.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 | I don't remember any that jump out (feel free to point out any). One thing I liked about this drama is that the main couple is pretty open with their communication (ex: Du-Sik calling out Hye-Jin for her superficial attributes, them saying sorry to each other when warranted, etc). The other villagers had more misunderstandings, exacerbated by the hilarious gossip group, but it was all in good fun.

OVERALL
If you love love, family, and reconciliation, then Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is the heartwarming romcom you're looking for! However, if the first couple of episodes don't capture your attention, I feel like the rest of the show won't (and this is what I tell my friends who were bored of it). Otherwise, I was in love with it from ep 1 and understand why people call it a "healing" drama. Only good vibes and energy from Homcha!

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Low-key shook at how much I enjoyed this drama

The fact that I watched this in a day without fast forwarding,,, that's never happened to me, lol.
There were so many things going against this drama when I first stumbled upon it, and I've been avoiding it ever since. They include:
- Multiple seasons (I get so tired after 30 episode dramas, I don't even know how I could last 3 seasons)
- Time-travel/different lifetimes aren't my jam (I thought this show had reincarnations for some reason (it doesn't), but that also isn't my jam either. After struggling through Eternal Love (TMOPB), I tend to avoid romances in different lifetimes)
- Body-swapping between the FL (at first I was worried they would both fall in love with the ML... nah. That doesn't happen)
- Random YouTube clips of this drama that I stumbled upon were weird (they really didn't do the story justice lmao)
BUT one day I was like "why don't we give it a go?" just because I realized the FL was Liang Jie, who I really liked in The Day of Becoming You (another body-swap!). And y'all... once I started, I couldn't stop.

PROS
❀ Romance, romance, romance | I think I fell in love with this drama because it's wholeheartedly devoted to the main couple's romance. There's a bittersweet secondary romance that's between the other character in the FL's body that I thought would be annoying (not a fan of tragic second couples - cough @ Fake Princess), but I actually enjoyed their storyline and thought it added depth to the whole throne-seeking storyline.
The main couple had excellent chemistry and were so darn cute together. Think, modern-day spunky heroine trapped in ancient times x stoic, doubtful, and suspicious 8th prince who has his hands full with his new wife. Cue the antics!! There's the typical historical cdrama tropes like jealous childhood friend, jealous other prince, fight for the throne, awesome servants of the main leads, plotting/conspiracy, sus empress dowager, and all that jazz. Sometimes I get tired of this court intrigue but I like the way it was written in The Eternal Love! It reads kind of similar to Chinese webnovels, with satisfying face-slaps (they aren't afraid of getting people to die/escape death lmao), one-dimensional villains that our main characters outsmart, and the main leads working together to navigate the conspiracies. We stan a couple team in ancient China!!
❀ The way it mish-mashes different genres | Alright, so I came in knowing about the time-travel into another woman's body, which made it become a historical cdrama, but after ep 20 it turned into a xuanhuan?? It was honestly so shocking and the plot twists got me gasping in bed. I don't want to delve into it too much because I feel like it'll ruin future watchers' enjoyment, but I have to say, as a fantasy lover I REALLY liked where that storyline went. Granted, it made for some lackluster exposition near the end full of dialogue, but it also added so much depth to the story. Shook!!
❀ I kinda liked every character | Whether it was the competent emperor, scheming palace ladies, 14th prince (love him!), ML's bodyguard, FL's maid, and even the other personality sharing the body with the FL,,, I liked them all. At first I kept thinking the other personality was a heartbroken pig teammate (she's more calm and reserved than the FL so it's really easy to see when they switch), but she ends up being pretty understanding and helpful. It's rare in a cdrama where I like all the characters, and I think the way they divided the screentime was perfect and kept me engaged without skipping scenes. (Especially since I'm the type to skip over secondary plotlines just to see the main couple bahaha)
❀ Well-rounded acting from FL | Although Liang Jie's character comes off as more child-ish than what I'm used to (after watching The Day of Becoming You), I was still impressed by the way she handled two personalities. I can tell her acting got better since this drama too! The ML's character was pretty straight-faced the whole time so he didn't really make an impression on me, but boyyyy can he kiss. Ooh lala. I think romantic moments in this drama were leveled up with his directness (heehee).

CONS
✕ It's all fluff/fun, not much depth | If you're looking for complex palace intrigue and twisty schemes, look elsewhere. The politics are fairly simple and, like I mentioned, very reminiscent of webnovels. I haven't read the novel this show was based on, but from my experience historical webnovels and manhua are more about satisfying face-slaps and triumphant main characters than deep schemes. I guess I would define it as "light in historical, heavy in romance, medium in comedy."
✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10 | ALSO high-key shook at how few misunderstandings happen in this drama. I guess because of the main couple's devoted love for each other, there leaves little room for misunderstandings. I feel like half of this rating comes from the inherent misunderstandings of the plot (eg., confusing Xiaotan with Tan'er), while the remaining half were misunderstandings from noble actions. The best part is that the show resolves them quickly ( a couple of episodes at most) and doesn't use those misunderstandings as major plot devices.

OVERALL
I'm so glad I came in with no (almost low) expectations!! I fell in love with the main couple and can't wait to see how they fare in season 2 (which apparently people like more than season 1, woohoo). I can definitely understand the hype with this drama and recommend it for romance-lovers in general. I love how the main couple stay true to each other from beginning to end, no matter what time, space, or dimension they're in, and despite the complex turns the story takes. Truly an eternal love!

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Fast-paced and Cute with a capital "C"

Shanai Marriage Honey was the perfect translation of a shoujo manga into a live action drama. The romance is fast-paced and rushed (especially in the beginning), and while you don't really see the leads "fall in love" with each other, their interactions as they work out being a married couple are sooo Cute.

PROS
❀ If you're in a romantic mood, this show hits the spot | It truly highlights the normal stuff a married couple does, such as acting cute at the workplace, kissing/fade-to-black bed scenes (heehee), and all that romance jazz. I love how because of the length of the show, you don't have to wait HOURS to get to the couples' confession and the lovey-dovey interactions.
❀ Main leads had great chemistry | Wowww this actress has the most adorable smile. I like how the narrative highlights the thoughts of the couple, including their worries and assumptions of being married. The ML is your charming, popular-in-the-office kinda dude, while the FL is a happy-go-lucky, sometimes wily but mostly sweet accountant. They work great with each other and all the romance scenes are sizzling with cuteness and chemistry. Both actors were super nice to look at which is always a plus!
❀ Short length of the show was perfect for me | I'm the type to get tired of 30+ episode shows (and even 30 episodes is a stretch), so Shanai Marriage Honey, at 7 episodes (~25 min each), was sugary sweet, simple, and the perfect length for a quick romance story to love.
❀ Happy ending, of course | How could it not be?

CONS
✕ Misunderstanding level: 2/10 | Very small misunderstandings happen (maybe a couple of them?) and are resolved within the episode, aka within 20 minutes lol. Overall the couple has pretty good communication and the FL especially is pro-active about her feelings. Love that.

OVERALL
It's the perfect, happy marriage kind of show if you're in a romantic mood. Lovable characters and limited cast make for a tight-knit romcom that'll make your heart smile. Plus, it's easily bingeable and won't take too many hours out of your day.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Medical + military + slice of life = romance drama all in one

While the synopsis of You Are My Hero caught my attention, the length stopped me from starting it. Fear not though, the writers keep your attention from the beginning all the way to ep 40 through events such as earthquakes, toxic workplaces (in the hospital), cute secondary couples, and more. I really loved this drama and recommend it for contemporary drama watchers!

PROS
❀ Lovable leads and couples that you want to root for | While the three main couples (there are four, but the other one is much more minor) have different backgrounds, you want to root for all the characters to get together and find their happiness! The themes of each couple go like this:
1. Mi Ka x Xing Ke Lei: Throughout the series they take turns saving each other, as one is a doctor and one is in the special police force. I love this balance! While their romance wasn't steamy, it was sweet all the same. Both of them are in their first relationships as well, so except a lot of blushing and not knowing what to do when it comes to relationships.
2. Ruan Qing Xia x Shu Wen Bo | City girl/popular reporter meets country himbo who's heartfelt but a tad ignorant. I thought this pair was sugary sweet and loved their chemistry. Fair warning that for this couple there IS a second ML that is also really nice and wholeheartedly devoted, lol, but Xia's loyalty to Shu Wen Bo stays true.
3. Xing Ke Yao x Dr. Shao | LOVE this mature couple, who's on the older side compared to the other couples, and getting their second-chance relationship. Dr. Shao's character is terse/strict yet kind-hearted while Xing Ke Yao, who is Xing Ke Lei's older sister, is savage and straightforward. They were together when they studied abroad and broke up, but neither forgot the other. With the help of friends, they slowly grow closer after meeting each other again in China!
❀ Slice of life energy when it comes to communication and trust | This translates to very little misunderstandings, and although there is some miscommunication going on, the couples learn and grow from those events.
❀ Highlighting frontline workers | When the earthquake event happens (around the teens episodes), it was thrilling to see all the characters step up and work to save earthquake victims. Sometimes they were a team, sometimes they were doing their own department's things. But the whole time, the cast was being pro-active in saving lives in such an intense emergency.
❀ Cute romances and chemistry | I really loved Sandra Ma's character as a hardworking neurosurgeon and her interactions with Bai Jing Ting's character who was in the special police force. While both had busy jobs, they were understanding of one another and flexible when it came to their relationship. Not much skinship or kisses (maybe a couple throughout the series), but their silly and relaxed interactions were so sweet and always brought a smile to my face. They had great chemistry and in general the acting was really well done!

CONS
✕ The second couple (Ruan Qing Xia x Shu Wen Bo) got a little iffy at times | I like how RQX is the chaser in this relationship, but I feel like their conflict was dragged on a bit in the drama. That is, SWB felt as if he wasn't good enough for her, even though she's open about chasing after him, and keeps rejecting her. It got tiring at some points, and RQX's chase was annoying at others. I felt bad for both characters throughout the chase, BUT when they do land on the same page it's really sweet and satisfying to see. I just think it could have dragged less, lol. (Also, I love how the nickname for SWB is "piece of wood," because he's a little dense when it comes to relationships.)
✕ 40 episodes became too long for me... | I don't think the show dragged the 40 episodes out, as there was also some form of conflict that needed to be addressed throughout the series, but I personally didn't have the stamina to keep up with 40 eps. I think when it comes to contemporary romances, 30 eps is my limit haha (and 24 is the sweet spot!). Nonetheless, it helped that the plot never got boring. I think I was just exhausted since I basically binged the series in a couple of days. If I spread the episodes out more, this might have been less of a problem.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 3/10 | They happen but are discussed and fixed because the characters are written as proper adults. This goes for all couples. Nothing that will drag or make watchers annoyed.

OVERALL
This was the first contemporary romance Chinese drama I've seen in YEARS, and it was a great one to start out with. The three powerful couples were composed of lovable characters and the production really allowed the actors to shine, despite it being 40 episodes. Definitely recommended!

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More

Modern meets history in this goofy romcom with a lovable cast

I originally watched this because I saw it contained similar elements to The Romance of Tiger and Rose (main couple goes from modern to historical times, FL goes back as a villainess while the actual "heroine" spirals, etc), but I think I like this one more! The historical plot is better written, imo, and the leads are more likable. It probably helped that they started off in a relationship and it only grew throughout the series.

PROS
❀ Loveee the OST and soundtrack | I'm obsessed with the opening song, which is so light and fluffy and romantic and a perfect reflection of the drama's tone. I thought the writers did a wonderful job mixing the historical with modern elements, which showcased for some hilarious scenes (ex: playing Beethoven's 5th on the zither when the cast was trying to join a music competition, dancing the tango for the competition, etc).
❀ Understanding FL and loving ML | Even though in the beginning of the drama, the main couple's relationship was strained due to Tu Si Yi's (the ML) fame as a musician, the FL stayed strong and devoted when she went into the VR game to get him back (and despite a lot of obstacles). I loved her upstanding attitude and thought the actress did a wonderful job with her role. Despite the ML losing his memories for a bit in the drama, you can still see his love towards Zheng Zheng (the FL) even though he doesn't quite understand it. It was sweet seeing him "fall in love" again and their reconciliation when he regains his memories.
❀ Lots of side couples to root for | And the fact that they all get happy endings in the last episode... *chefs kiss* We love to see it. Even the villain (second prince) is more hilarious than evil; you really can't take him seriously. Superficial plus... but all the actors/actresses were gorgeous too hehe.
❀ In general, each episode brought a smile to my face | Seriously, some of the characters' antics were so funny (especially the second side couple with TSY's lil sis and Cui Xun). If you don't take this drama seriously (which you shouldn't, going in), you'll be left with all the warm fuzzies each episode.
❀ Wonderful happy ending in the modern times | In To Get Her, the main couple is trying to get back home ToGetHer (get it?) and make awesome relationships along the way (although technically I guess the rest of the game characters are NPCs, lol). The length of 30 episodes was perfect to keep the plot tight and flowing. It's light-hearted, playful, and features lovable characters.

CONS
✕ VR game details were underutilized | I think the scriptwriters got a little lazy with the video game component. You reallyyy have to suspend reality to let the details for the VR game slide by (which is fine, since this is a romcom and not a scifi, but they could have done so much more imo). After the FL goes into the game and looks at her stats, there's not much "game-related" options that happen. She gets some random skills here and there that didn't add to the plot and the explanation for getting their consciousness back by beating the game was a bit iffy. Not a big deal, but kind of a lost opportunity.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 1/10 | Not much in this drama... I'm adding a point though, for the inherent nature of the plot where the ML lost his memories and wasn't in the know for a bit. There were also small misunderstandings in their relationship in the modern time, which were resolved quickly. None of those "I pushed him away for XYZ" or "she didn't know why I did XYZ for her own good" misunderstandings that last for episodes.

OVERALL
Hilarity + couples you want to root for + low stakes game = fun romcom that'll leave you smiling.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

Read More