Okay, yes 'Go Ahead' is absolutely phenomenal. And yes, Noodle Dad steals the show - hands down - but y'all haven't discussed Ling Xiao and the smitten goon that he is.
This boy goes from being this sad, isolated kid that sat out in the stairwell to avoid having to hear his parents fight to a sweet and s o f t top-tier student who moons after his next-door neighbor, Jian Jian.
Ling Xiao has been Jian Jian's, body and soul, from the moment she said to his mother "You don't want Ling Xiao, right? If you don't want him, can you give him to me?" That was it. He was a goner, hers for life. Of course, I don't think he realizes this until his later days of adolescence.
When we're introduced to the teenage versions of Ling Xiao and Jian Jian (in later episodes), it's already obvious to us veiwers that LX regards JJ in a way special kinda way. The way he gazes at her tenderly speaks to her, and warmly treats her just screams "I adore you. I love you." I'm surprised no one catches it, except for maybe his kinda-absent-but-means-well dad.
And these achingly sweet interactions continue to happen between these two until Good Boi has to leave the country to take care of his Shitty mom. I'm sorry but it had to be said; He has a shitty mom. It just be like that. Anyway, I digress. Jian Jian finds out in a quite jarring and hurtful way that Ling Xiao has been keeping this Big Secret from her and he's going to have to leave her, all by her lonesome. As one can imagine, this causes a strain in their once sunny and trusting friendship.
This is where one of my favorite scenes so far in the drama comes into play:
The scene in which Ling Xiao goes to Jian Jian's room to try to make amends for not telling her earlier that he was leaving the country for the foreseeable future and in turn, leaving her.
In the process, the boy ends up confessing to Jian Jian in a vague yet profound way; "When you grow up, we'll be together for the rest of our lives, okay?" It sounds like a promise and definitely hits like one when uttered from his lips. Here's this 18-year-old boy, in love with this girl who doesn't yet understand the weight his words truly carry. And at this moment, Ling Xiao knows Jian Jian won't catch the deeper, more significant meaning behind what he says to her. He just knows he has to give her something to hang on to while he's away. It's said in such dejection, desperation, and love, it truly broke my heart.
Fast-forward 9 years later and Ling Xiao and Jian Jian are practically strangers. Yes, they kept in touch all those years; well wishes on holidays, short FaceTime's, and awkward phone calls. They tried to make it work. But being separated from someone for so long is bound to put a strain on any relationship. Even a deep-rooted one such as theirs. It's just inevitable. People grow, people change, and all that jazz. But do not fret!
Shortly after a few excruciating episodes of these two being kept apart, Ling Xiao finally goes back home, back to Jian Jian to keep his "promise". Unfortunately, their reunion isn't the happy and joyous one would expect.
Jian Jian no longer sees him as the boy that hung the moon and stars. He's virtually a stranger to her, going as far as avoiding him any chance she gets because of the awkwardness that ensures by being around him. But Ling Xiao takes it like a champ! He knew going back, that would probably be the case. Like the Good Boi he is, he patiently and slowly pursues Jian Jian, building back up what was lost between them. But this time, in a more...put-a-ring-on-it kinda way, one could say. *wink wink*
But you know what really had me rolling out of all of this? Come to find out, this Smitten Goon -while in Singapore - went to school for dentistry. All because as kids, Jian Jian made an offhand comment about wanting him to be a dentist after her totally justified scare after getting her tooth pulled.
Having him beside her at her dentist appointment, gave her courage and a sense of safety in her moment of fear as a young girl. He was her rock. And you know what? That point in time stuck to him like glue. So much so, he decided to become her own personal dental hygienist so she'd never be afraid of going to a dentists' office again. I mean come on this is pure, unadulterated love in its purest form. *cries in single*
As of now, there's only 14/40 episodes out, so their pinched relationship is still on the mend. But I'm super excited to see where their romance arc goes in upcoming episodes. Y'all have no idea.
This is absolutely phenomenal. Best review I've ever read. Brilliant. Bravo. I shall tell my grandchildren of the review that finally defeated the evil.
The first 12 eps are definitely 10/10 worthy but after that, the quality starts to decline, unfortunately. It's like every other episode, the women just continue to scheme and plot to make poor Yue Niang's life a living hell. I'm ready for karma to be served on a big flat platter to the Huang family.
Three episodes in and I'm already in love. The storytelling/narrative reminds me that of one of my all time favorite C-dramas "Battle of Changsha". Each episode is masterfully told, woven with a lot of heart and history. This drama could possibly make it on my god tier list if it keeps up the quality.
I noticed ep 9 of MHiL used an instrumental version of Three Laws's "As We Are" as a backing track and immediately started to fangirl since it's one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. XD
question why did he break up with her, not sure if i missed a part
He broke up with her because he thinks he's susceptible to inherit his mother's illness which is Hereditary Bipolar Disorder. He's afraid they'll end up like his parents down the road.
Having watched episode 11 &12 (6), I'm starting to warm up to this drama. I'm still nowhere close to loving it but it's entertaining and intriguing enough to keep me coming back for more each week. Instead of writing solely negative things about it, I'm going to dedicate this comment to what I like about said drama and my thoughts so far on it.
*WARNING: long post ahead*
I like the gothic victorian-esque ambiance of the drama itself and the manner in which it's being executed on-screen. I feel like the writers have captured the quintessential nature of novels like "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre" and implemented the tone wonderfully into Born Again all the while adding their own flavor of culture to it. So that aspect of the drama, I'm thoroughly enjoying.
Secondly, the characters are all very flawed, just like the protagonists and antagonists you'd read about in classic works of literature. Again, I feel like the writers are following the vein of works like JE and WH and many books alike. The main characters, I feel are toeing the line between black and white - grey - making for a interesting dynamic between right and wrong. Furthermore, each character is driven by emotion rather than thought. Like in Wuthering Heights, the characters are driven my obsession and passion. Which is why some of the characters actions in BA can come off as rash and nonsensical, making no sense to the viewers.
Thirdly, and lastly, I'm very intrigued by the romance aspect of the drama. Like in WH, love was mistaken for obsession and infatuation. In this case, I believe it's Chun Jong Bum whom gets caught in the crossfire of these warring emotions. He's never know love - neither in his past life nor his present. So it's hard to emulate emotions that have never been shown to you - only fragments of it. Which was proven in his past life. He was obsessed with the FL, to the point of stalking and murder. He never could love her in a way that wasn't harmful to himself or her. The question this poses is whether or not he can learn to love in a way that isn't all consuming and destructive in his present life. Can the past be re-rewritten or is it destined to repeat itself?
As for Kim Soo Hyuk and Jung Sa Bin, I didn't feel like their past selves were very convincing in terms of "being in love." I think it's partially because we only got so much screen time with them as lovers. Had we gotten the whole storyline of them in the past, I believe they would've grown on me. Now, their present day chemistry is a whole different story. I feel like they glow when they're on-screen together now. They're very intrigued and drawn by one another, yet they can't figure out why and it vexes and mystifies them even more. Well, mainly it bothers Kim Soo Hyuk. Jung Sa Bin gets under his skin, having this uncanny ability to mess up his carefully, constructed composure just by being near him. Suffice to say, I'm pretty on-board this ship. Of course, they have their flaws as characters, but overall, I think they're a good match. I'm interested to see where the writers take their relationship and whether or not their present love will be as pure as their past or if their love will take on a totally different form in their present life.
These leads on to the next question: who's the main lead at the end of the day? A lot of the promo material released in the early stages of the dramas production made it seem like Chun Jong Bum would get the girl in the end while KSH would be the SL. But considering how the story is unfolding, I say it seems fair game. It could be either one at this point. But if we follow the well known tropes of Korean cinema, with the whole concept of ill fated lovers' reuniting in their new life and finding the happiness they couldn't before, KSH is our ML. It's typical K-drama form. Although, I could be wrong and they're taking a new approach and actually making us guess whom the ML could be. If so, I'm game. I think it would be interesting seeing as how I could swing either way.
Overall, I think this is a dark and gripping drama with many flaws and setbacks but redeemed by it's talented cast and stellar screenwriters. They make this drama watchable.
26 
69 
3 
2 
3 
1 
10 
1 
1 
2 
1 
1 
1 
2 
1 
1 
5 
3 
3 
2 
This boy goes from being this sad, isolated kid that sat out in the stairwell to avoid having to hear his parents fight to a sweet and s o f t top-tier student who moons after his next-door neighbor, Jian Jian.
Ling Xiao has been Jian Jian's, body and soul, from the moment she said to his mother "You don't want Ling Xiao, right? If you don't want him, can you give him to me?" That was it. He was a goner, hers for life. Of course, I don't think he realizes this until his later days of adolescence.
When we're introduced to the teenage versions of Ling Xiao and Jian Jian (in later episodes), it's already obvious to us veiwers that LX regards JJ in a way special kinda way. The way he gazes at her tenderly speaks to her, and warmly treats her just screams "I adore you. I love you." I'm surprised no one catches it, except for maybe his kinda-absent-but-means-well dad.
And these achingly sweet interactions continue to happen between these two until Good Boi has to leave the country to take care of his Shitty mom. I'm sorry but it had to be said; He has a shitty mom. It just be like that. Anyway, I digress. Jian Jian finds out in a quite jarring and hurtful way that Ling Xiao has been keeping this Big Secret from her and he's going to have to leave her, all by her lonesome. As one can imagine, this causes a strain in their once sunny and trusting friendship.
This is where one of my favorite scenes so far in the drama comes into play:
The scene in which Ling Xiao goes to Jian Jian's room to try to make amends for not telling her earlier that he was leaving the country for the foreseeable future and in turn, leaving her.
In the process, the boy ends up confessing to Jian Jian in a vague yet profound way; "When you grow up, we'll be together for the rest of our lives, okay?" It sounds like a promise and definitely hits like one when uttered from his lips. Here's this 18-year-old boy, in love with this girl who doesn't yet understand the weight his words truly carry. And at this moment, Ling Xiao knows Jian Jian won't catch the deeper, more significant meaning behind what he says to her. He just knows he has to give her something to hang on to while he's away. It's said in such dejection, desperation, and love, it truly broke my heart.
Fast-forward 9 years later and Ling Xiao and Jian Jian are practically strangers. Yes, they kept in touch all those years; well wishes on holidays, short FaceTime's, and awkward phone calls. They tried to make it work. But being separated from someone for so long is bound to put a strain on any relationship. Even a deep-rooted one such as theirs. It's just inevitable. People grow, people change, and all that jazz. But do not fret!
Shortly after a few excruciating episodes of these two being kept apart, Ling Xiao finally goes back home, back to Jian Jian to keep his "promise". Unfortunately, their reunion isn't the happy and joyous one would expect.
Jian Jian no longer sees him as the boy that hung the moon and stars. He's virtually a stranger to her, going as far as avoiding him any chance she gets because of the awkwardness that ensures by being around him. But Ling Xiao takes it like a champ! He knew going back, that would probably be the case. Like the Good Boi he is, he patiently and slowly pursues Jian Jian, building back up what was lost between them. But this time, in a more...put-a-ring-on-it kinda way, one could say. *wink wink*
But you know what really had me rolling out of all of this? Come to find out, this Smitten Goon -while in Singapore - went to school for dentistry. All because as kids, Jian Jian made an offhand comment about wanting him to be a dentist after her totally justified scare after getting her tooth pulled.
Having him beside her at her dentist appointment, gave her courage and a sense of safety in her moment of fear as a young girl. He was her rock. And you know what? That point in time stuck to him like glue. So much so, he decided to become her own personal dental hygienist so she'd never be afraid of going to a dentists' office again. I mean come on this is pure, unadulterated love in its purest form. *cries in single*
As of now, there's only 14/40 episodes out, so their pinched relationship is still on the mend. But I'm super excited to see where their romance arc goes in upcoming episodes. Y'all have no idea.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
This is absolutely phenomenal. Best review I've ever read. Brilliant. Bravo. I shall tell my grandchildren of the review that finally defeated the evil.
Yo Yo English Channel on YouTube will be subbing this drama starting next Monday (Aug 3rd)!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3UUwfyntghfisq02q5v2tw
*WARNING: long post ahead*
I like the gothic victorian-esque ambiance of the drama itself and the manner in which it's being executed on-screen. I feel like the writers have captured the quintessential nature of novels like "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre" and implemented the tone wonderfully into Born Again all the while adding their own flavor of culture to it. So that aspect of the drama, I'm thoroughly enjoying.
Secondly, the characters are all very flawed, just like the protagonists and antagonists you'd read about in classic works of literature. Again, I feel like the writers are following the vein of works like JE and WH and many books alike. The main characters, I feel are toeing the line between black and white - grey - making for a interesting dynamic between right and wrong. Furthermore, each character is driven by emotion rather than thought. Like in Wuthering Heights, the characters are driven my obsession and passion. Which is why some of the characters actions in BA can come off as rash and nonsensical, making no sense to the viewers.
Thirdly, and lastly, I'm very intrigued by the romance aspect of the drama. Like in WH, love was mistaken for obsession and infatuation. In this case, I believe it's Chun Jong Bum whom gets caught in the crossfire of these warring emotions. He's never know love - neither in his past life nor his present. So it's hard to emulate emotions that have never been shown to you - only fragments of it. Which was proven in his past life. He was obsessed with the FL, to the point of stalking and murder. He never could love her in a way that wasn't harmful to himself or her. The question this poses is whether or not he can learn to love in a way that isn't all consuming and destructive in his present life. Can the past be re-rewritten or is it destined to repeat itself?
As for Kim Soo Hyuk and Jung Sa Bin, I didn't feel like their past selves were very convincing in terms of "being in love." I think it's partially because we only got so much screen time with them as lovers. Had we gotten the whole storyline of them in the past, I believe they would've grown on me. Now, their present day chemistry is a whole different story. I feel like they glow when they're on-screen together now. They're very intrigued and drawn by one another, yet they can't figure out why and it vexes and mystifies them even more. Well, mainly it bothers Kim Soo Hyuk. Jung Sa Bin gets under his skin, having this uncanny ability to mess up his carefully, constructed composure just by being near him. Suffice to say, I'm pretty on-board this ship. Of course, they have their flaws as characters, but overall, I think they're a good match. I'm interested to see where the writers take their relationship and whether or not their present love will be as pure as their past or if their love will take on a totally different form in their present life.
These leads on to the next question: who's the main lead at the end of the day? A lot of the promo material released in the early stages of the dramas production made it seem like Chun Jong Bum would get the girl in the end while KSH would be the SL. But considering how the story is unfolding, I say it seems fair game. It could be either one at this point. But if we follow the well known tropes of Korean cinema, with the whole concept of ill fated lovers' reuniting in their new life and finding the happiness they couldn't before, KSH is our ML. It's typical K-drama form. Although, I could be wrong and they're taking a new approach and actually making us guess whom the ML could be. If so, I'm game. I think it would be interesting seeing as how I could swing either way.
Overall, I think this is a dark and gripping drama with many flaws and setbacks but redeemed by it's talented cast and stellar screenwriters. They make this drama watchable.