A different kind of BL drama

Completed - 2/21/2022

Coming into this, I’ve read some comments on “My Beautiful Man”. It seems quite controversial and it’s not the typical fluffy BL drama. This is a love story about two individuals who have their own issues and demons to deal with. If I watch this drama when it’s aired weekly, I might feel the same way as most watchers, just hating how Kiyoi treats Hira. Because honestly, it’s a lot of bullying.

Hira is an introvert who suffers from stuttering. Because of that, he has a difficult time making friends and is made fun of all the time. He retreats to his little cocoon and becomes invisible. His parents bought him a camera when he was young, so that he has a hobby of his own by being socially isolated. On the other hand, Kiyoi is the total opposite. He’s the “King” who is surrounded by admirers. He’s viewed at the top of the social hierarchy but also has secrets of his own.

Hira’s obsession with Kiyoi is abnormal and unhealthy. Even though it’s mean for Kiyoi to call him creepy and a stalker, that is quite true. Hira is creepy and he is a stalker. Their complicated, master/slave relationship is the central point of this drama. It doesn’t matter that years have passed, their relationship is still as dysfunctional as ever.

But once we get to hear Kiyoi’s side of the story and his own internal struggles, viewers begin to understand the “why” behind some of his actions. But do his reasons justify his actions, that’s up to the viewer to decide. I actually really enjoy Kiyoi’s internal monologues, more so than Hira’s. I would have loved to see more of Kiyoi’s story. For someone who is new to acting, Yagi Yusei’s portrayal of Kiyoi and esp. in the last episode is really good. We see a different Kiyoi that’s not shown in the first 5 episodes.

This drama might not be for everyone. But if you are up for a different kind of BL drama, I would recommend it. Besides, Yagi Yusei IS really a beautiful man.

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Completed - 2/11/2022

I don't remember how I came across this drama. It's short and sounded interesting. Without knowing much about it, it appears to be a comedy full of laughs and life lessons. I then realized this drama shows our protagonist's journey of revisiting and re-examining her relationship with her mother, and dealing with her mother's sudden death.

Liu Lian (FL) aka Durian is an independent, happy-go-lucky 30-year-old feminist, who is trying to live her life to the fullest and not caring about what others think of her. She's a little quirky and a little weird, is loud and obnoxious. Like her nickname, she's spiky like a durian and protects herself with those outer spikes She's a fun character to watch. However, deep down she is lonely and really misses her mother. She has a hard time dealing with her mother's sudden death.

Throughout the drama, there are many flashbacks of Liu Lian's life with her mother. From these flashbacks, we learned of their complicated love-hate relationship, and saw how much they are alike. There are many life lessons learned in this drama, and the opening theatrical acts are an interesting way to peek inside Liu Lan's inner thoughts and feelings. Though this is a small budget web drama, I don't feel that it's a cheap production.

However, there are quite a few plot holes where things don't line up. Why did Liu Lan go back to work for the same company after her fake pregnancy announcement, as if nothing happened? How come she couldn't pay her ex back from the insurance money? What happened to her relationship with Ma Ye?

Since it's such a short drama, it's worth a watch if you have some time to kill. It's very easy to binge all 12 episodes in one day.

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Coming Out story of a Confused teen - full of sweetness and angst

Completed - 2/10/2022

This is my first completed Thai drama (BL or not). I am not a serious BL drama watcher and I am a straight woman, so I can't really comment on how realistic this drama's portrayal of a teen's coming out journey. However, I have to say that among the BL dramas that I have watched (Chinese, Korean or Taiwanese), this one is the best produced and most "realistic" to me. Most BL dramas focus a lot of the romance and skinship/kisses and are usually comedies. This one shows us Teh's conflicted feelings of realizing that he is attracted to his male best friend.

I really like the first episode. It was well-produced like a movie. It describes the young friendship of two adolescents, how they had a fallout and then back together as friends. It was innocent, and just about rekindling and repairing a lost and broken friendship. I was hooked after watching the first episode.

Episodes 2 and 3 brought us more joy and the developing of feelings for each other. You see a little jealousy from both Teh and Oh-Aew, when they are not quite sure why they are feeling a certain way. Is it just pure friendship or more than that? We also saw a few very intimate and sensual scenes from the pair of friends, yet not sexual as other Thai BL dramas I've seen. There are so much emotions in these episodes and I really enjoy the acting from both of our leads. Oh-Aew is so sweet and caring, and such a great friend to Teh.

Pacing slows down in Ep 4 and 5 and I lost a little of my focus. The focus is on Teh's mixed feelings and confusion. Others might think that it took him too long to understand his feelings. However, I disagree. Though I don't have such experience, it can't be easy to have your ideals and belief system turned upside down. He needs time to think and process and really feel. Teh is not sure what to do with these new feelings for Oh-Aew, as he's brought up to like girls and not boys. His heartfelt talk with his older brother conveys, I assume, many teens' concerns about how others view them as "different". Oh, what a great and supportive brother he has.

If I have to say one thing I don't like about this drama, is the overdramatic crying of Teh. He is quite a crybaby and the saliva and snot are a little too much for my taste. Otherwise, the acting is solid. I really like PP (Oh-Aew) and prefers his acting and showing of emotions over Billkin (Teh).

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Good pacing and overall acting - but lack mini climaxes here and there

Completed - 1/18/2022

"Sword Snow Stride" is one of my highly anticipated dramas as we seem to lack a true wuxia drama in 2021. However, after watching it, I realized it's not a wuxia drama in a traditional sense. There is a lot of special effects instead of martial arts fighting. The story is a combination of politics and pugilistic world.

It's undeniable that Zhang Ruo Yun, our male lead, has some great acting chops. I've seen him in the highly rated "Joy of Life" and also his earlier work in "Novaland: Castle in the Sky". He's an amazing actor. He reminds me of the Korean actor, Yoon Ah In. Both give off similar vibes, not handsome in the traditional sense, but with such charisma. In this drama, he is surrounded by some great veteran actors, especially, Hu Jun (ML's dad), Qiu Zin Zhi (God of Swords), Tian Xiao Jie (Grandpa Wei) and Wang Jian Guo (Old Wang). Comparatively, our young female lead, Teresa Li, pales in comparison. She's not horrible, but when you are playing against someone like Zhang Ruo Yun, she's not quite at the same level. Hopefully, we get to see more of her in Season 2 and her acting improves.

For a 38-episode C-drama, the pacing is good. There are enough events and little missions throughout the drama to keep me entertained and focused. But when looking back, everything feels very smooth-sailing. I don't think I was ever on the edge of my seat, worried something awful might happen to our leads, or that I really, really want to find out what happened next. I feel like it's missing some thrilling events. However, maybe it's also a strength that even without these minor climaxes, I am still engaged throughout.

We have many strong female and male characters in this drama. No one is naïve or makes dumb decisions. There isn't anyone annoying that I want to yell at. We have women who can fight and/or use their brains. How awesome is that! We have a family of intelligent people who are ruthless and cunning, yet selfless enough to sacrifice for the common good. They have some pretty fun and heartwarming family scenes and dynamics.

However, when "Snow Sword Stride" was promoted as a wuxia drama, it comes with certain expectations. I was hoping for amazing fight choreography and strong fight scenes, esp. from our male lead. What we have is a "modern" version of a wuxia drama with slow-motion fight sequences and a lot of special effects. I do enjoy the special effects - leaves, water, raindrops, flying swords, etc. But I was also hoping for actual fight scenes and not posing and slow-motion sequences.

Other Observations:
1. It seems like our male lead doesn't fight much and have others do the dirty work for him.
2. Our female lead seems quite useless in the first half of the drama, a little better in the second half. I hope she has a more significant role in Season 2 both in politics and in romance.
3. Why is the white fox at the fight in the last episode? What's that got to do with her? Just to help out a friend? Or want to give her some screen time before the drama ends?

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Overall, enjoyed it better than "Guardian"

Completed - 12/30/2021

When I watch "Killer and Healer", I can't help but compare it to the more popular drama, "Guardian" (2018) starring Bai Yu and Zhu Yi Long. I have not read either novels, so my reviews and thoughts are solely based on my enjoyment when watching the dramas. "Guardian" is a lot more popular and probably due to the two male leads. Mao Zi Jun and Ian Yi might not be as famous, but I really enjoy their (b)romance. If you are only looking for true bromance, this is not the drama for you. It is very obvious that our main leads are in love with each other.

The main selling point of this drama is the chemistry between our male leads. Zhou Yue Lou (played by Mao Zi Jun) and Dr. Chen Yu Zhi (played by Ian Yi) are obviously in love with each other. The way Yue Lou looks at Dr. Chen is full of love and affection, and you see that within the first episode of the drama. On paper, they might have very different personalties and family backgrounds. However, deep down, they have the same beliefs and ideals. They understand each other, and have a very honest and trusting relationship. Their trust for each other never wavers even when life's circumstances challenge them.

I also enjoy the overall acting of the whole cast, compared to "Guardian". In "Guardian", aside from Bai Yu and Zhu Yi Long, I did not like the acting of anyone else. In "Killer and Healer", aside from the leads, I really like Zhan Jun Bai and Patrick Quan, who played the tragic secondary couple. Our female lead is not annoying and did a pretty decent job. We have two characters who provide comic relief and they are funny in their own ways. The characters are pretty smart and didn't make any dumb decisions, and there isn't any annoying character.

The general plot of the drama is decent. It's nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. I do enjoy a Republican drama that is not about spies, the revolution or Japanese occupation. The big villain was not exposed until toward the end of the drama, though it's not hard to guess who that is. However, I do have a problem with the pacing and felt that some of the crime investigations felt repetitive. I lost my concentration in the middle of the drama, but I think it finishes strong in the last 10 episodes.

One big reason why I like this drama more than "Guardian" is that it doesn't look cheap, even though both dramas are not big budget productions. I was very annoyed with the flimsy sets in "Guardian". Here, aside from some questionable gun fights, everything looks decent and the costumes aren't bad. Our leads look dashing in their suits and uniforms. I would compare the production quality to be similar to "Fall in Love" (2021).

p.s. When watching this drama on MangoTV YouTube channel, the sound keeps on going in and out. It's very, very annoying!!
p.p.s. I heard there's an alternate ending somewhere.

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Sex Education with G-rated kisses

Completed - 11/2/2021

If the goal of the director/writer is to provide sex education to teenagers in an interesting, non-preachy and easy-to-understand manner, then I believe they achieve their goal. As a non-teen (and far from it), I enjoy the stories surrounding the three main teenage girls. Each episode covers a topic that is important for everyone to know and understand.

Here are some topics presented in the drama (not sure if it's considered spoilers):
1. First time having sex/Virginity - the fear and pressure experienced by both teenage boys and girls.
2. Asexuality and Bisexuality - prejudice, rumors, acceptance and understanding
3. Outing of someone's sexual orientation
3. Masturbation & Vibrators - stigma
4. STDs
5. Teen pregnancy - inaccurate information, lack of support school support, lack of sex education offered in school
6. Familial relationships - daughter/mom and daughter/father - misconceptions, misunderstandings and lack of communication

As a regular drama, the acting is decent and we have some pretty good-looking boys and girls. I do find the main girl, Sakura, a little annoying in the beginning. Her character does grow from an innocent girl, to one that is supportive of her friends and is willing to learn, understand and accept. However, I still find her not deserving of her boyfriend, Asahi Yu. Asahi Yu is my favorite male character in the drama. An eccentric boy who doesn't care about what others think of him, and very supportive of his girlfriend through actions. However, I am not sure if I like the acting of Mizusawa Rintaro. My favorite female character would be Hara Tsumugi, and how strong she is.

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Low-budget production that affects my viewing enjoyment - watch for the male leads

10/15/2021

As one of the first mainstream BL adaptations, I am sure it has paved the way for future BL hits (e.g. The Untamed and Word of Honor). I have not read the novel, so my review is based solely on the drama itself. Unfortunately, I do not share the same positive experience as most reviewers here. I failed to see why it has garnered so many positive reviews. Is it because it's a BL adaptation? The low production value of this drama greatly affected my enjoyment. I've watched other low-budget dramas in the past, but for some reason, this one bothered me the most and did not keep my focus throughout the drama.

What I like:
1) Main Lead's acting/chemistry: Without a doubt, the best part of this drama are Johnny Bai and Zhu Yi Long. This is my first Johnny Bai drama and my second of Zhu Yi Long (I've seen him in "The Story of Ming Lan"). Their acting is great and I would have dropped this drama long time ago if not for them. I believe in the deep affection when they look at each other. I love how their characters' personalities complement each other as well. It is definitely a love story, and not a bromance. I will be looking out for more of their dramas in the future.

2) Opening/Ending Theme songs: It says a lot about a drama when the only other positive thing I can write about are the opening and ending theme songs. It's interesting to have an English song in the opening. But the melody sets the mood and the tone for the drama. I also enjoy the ending theme, and also the behind-the-scene footage as well. I wish more dramas would do the same, instead of giving us spoilers.

What I don't like:
1) Low Production - Unfortunately, all of my complaints stem from the low-budget production value. As I've said before, I've watched other dramas that are low budget, but this one really bugs me.
* Sound/Voice dubbing - I watched this drama both on YouTube and on Viki, so I am sure it's not because of the platform, but the drama itself. The volume of the dialog fluctuates in each episode. The worst is that when the actors are speaking, you can hear the change from one voice to a dubbed voice. This happens ALL THE TIME for all the characters. Sometimes, the sound effects are louder than the dialogs.
*CGI/Sets - The special effects are quite bad in this drama. This is a 2018, so it's not like it's made in 2015. The set designs all look very fake to my eyes. The only acceptable sets are the leads apartments. Every other place gives a very "cheap" look. Maybe it's the director's fault in not knowing how to take better shots?

2) Acting - Aside from Johnny Bai and Zhu Yi Long, the rest of the supporting cast's acting is just OK. I am referring to the Investigation team. The other extras and other cast members for the shorter storylines, their acting is not good at all. Some are wooden and bland, others overact and exaggerate. It was really not enjoyable at all.

3) Plot/Stories - I feel that the plot lines of the shorter crime stories were too simple and not sophisticated enough. They are so easily solved and not creating enough mysteries to tie back to the bigger plot. As much as I love the leads to have this star-crossed romance, I don't think having just one deep conversation 10,000 years justifies the deep love that Shen Wei has for Zhao Yun Lan. I want more of their stories 10,000 years ago and there aren't enough scenes of them together. The minor love triangle plot is somewhat weak as well. The drama tells us how much Zhu Hong loves Zhao Yun Lan, but it's not showing us throughout the drama. I enjoy the dream scene when she finally confessed, but I want to see more of this unrequited love before this, so that that dream scene has a bigger impact. There are also a few head-scratching plot holes but they are minor in this case.

Overall, watch this drama for our two male leads. They are indeed great and they have great costumes (one thing I couldn't fault because of the low budget).

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SLOW-paced healing drama, beautiful cinematography and great acting

8/28/2021

I wanted to like this drama more but the slow pace and pauses between dialogs kept me from giving it a higher rating. I've watched melodramas before but this one is quite slow compared to the likes of "When The Weather is Fine", "Piece of a Mind" or "Chocolate".

Things I like:
1. Acting/Characters - Acting is great and the leads are veterans in the industry now. I've watched quite a few rom-coms that FL is in and it's nice to see her in a different role. I believe in her pain and am glad that her character doesn't cry all the time. She stays strong despite her traumas. I cried with her when she finally opened up to ML about her childhood trauma. I've seen ML in "Tomorrow with You" and liked him there. But I like him even more here. You see his serious and calming therapy side (love his soothing voice), then the silly lovey-dovey side, his traumatic/sad look and his adorably dorky side. I can see all those emotions in his eyes. The supporting cast also did a great job, whether they are the younger generation or the child actors.

2. Cinematography and OST: The feels are there. The drama is beautifully shot with great angles. I am not an expert in cinematography but in layman's term, it's just a very pretty drama. The music complements the mood and the feel. There's no annoying loud music or the constant playing of the same song over and over again.

3. Main Healing Romance - I love a slow-burn romance. This one is developed beautifully from strangers to neighbors to lovers. I feel that the best part of the show is when the leads are on the screen. I enjoy their dialogs, their bantering and being silly together. Some commented that they don't feel the chemistry, but I do. It's not a hot-burning fire, but a gentle, comfortable warmth between them. They care for each other, supported each other and healed each other. A love that is mature and open without misunderstandings.

4. Friendships - We got sismance and bromance. They are the comedic parts of this drama and really help lighten up the mood. Otherwise, this drama will be sad and depressing. You can also see how different the leads are when they are with their friends.

Things I don't like:
1. Pacing - As I mentioned, this is a very slow-paced drama. I understand we should be "feeling" more and not be rushed, but the pauses in between dialogs are too much for my taste. Maybe because I've been watching too many C-dramas that my tolerance for K-dramas slowness has decreased.

2. Murder mystery - I feel like the murder mystery plot seems to be its own drama on the side. It's not working very well when it's merged into a melo-romance. But without this plot, the drama would need to be shorten significantly, as there won't be enough stories to fill a d16-episode drama. There's not enough interaction between the 2nd ML and the main leads in the mid/2nd part of the drama. It's like the murder plot is totally forgotten.

I would recommend this drama to someone who loves a slow-paced healing melodrama with a slow-burn romance. Also someone who likes to pause and think and feel the emotions along with the characters. But if you like a fast-paced rom-com, this is not for you. If you are looking for a crime/murder drama, this is not it either.

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Amazing acting, big production, unlike any K-drama

7/24/2021

What an amazing end to Season 1. The long journey of waiting for Season 2 has begun. It took me a while to finish Part 3 as it's not a binge-watching kinda show. Each episode feels like its own movie.

I am in awe of everyone's acting. From the youngest children to the most senior and veteran actors, each one of them portrays their characters so well. You believe in each of their emotions and you laugh and cry with them. The four main leads are without a doubt worthy of their praises. And I agree with many that it's Song Joong Ki's best role playing both Eunseom and Saya. They are such different characters yet SJL did such an amazing job, all that the small facial expressions and mannerisms. However, I am most impressed with Kim Ok Bin, who played Taealha. This is my first time watching her. I am in love with her character. She has such a presence on the screen that I can't take my eyes off her whenever she's there. The chemistry between Tagon and Taealha is off-the-charts. Each character is so layered and gray. You understand why they make certain decisions because of their background story, and you can't help but feel for them, even though you don't agree with their decisions.

We see equal parts of Saya and Eunseom in Part 3. I am glad because I miss Eunseom in Part 2. We saw the rise of Tagon as King, Tanya as High Priestess and Eunseom as Tribal leader. There's plenty of fighting and bloodshed in Part 2 and they are all essential to the major plot. The pacing of Part 3 is faster than Part 1, but they are still somewhat slow compared to other dramas. There are so many smaller plots that have to come together for the main storyline. If one doesn't pay attention, you might miss out on something.

I wasn't aware that there are Seasons 2 and 3. If I had known, I might not have started watching this show. I waited until all 3 parts are out before I watch Season 1. Now the long wait begins. I am not sure when the cast would be able to line up their schedules and start shooting Season 2 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With so many people involved in this big production, it might be a long while before the audience can see Eunseom and Tanya reunite. I am looking forward to that. As much as I love Saya, I ship Euseom and Tanya more :)

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A Rare, Dark Wuxia Gem with supporting cast stories that touched my heart

“My Journey to You” dropped without much promotion and it appears to be a dark horse this late summer. I also succumbed to the hype and wanted to check out a dark wuxia drama, and I am so glad I did. You might not agree with me, but this drama reminded me of a combo of “Bloody Romance” (female assassins, gray characters and love stories) and “The Wind Blows from Longxi” (scheming and plot twists). I don’t have any major criticisms, just a few that are very subjective.


What I Like:

1. Genre - A dark pure wuxia drama is hard to come by. No matter the tone, cinematography, or the theme, “My Journey to You” tells a story of secrets, scheming, plotting, and you don’t know the real truth until the very end when everything unfolds. I wish there are more wuxia dramas like this.

2. Main Cast Acting -
= Esther Yu - I applaud Esther Yu to finally branch out and not play another cute character. I’ve seen enough of her in that role in 3 of her previous dramas. I would not say she was excellent, but she definitely meets my expectations and more. I still find her serious face quite emotionless (I have the same criticism of her in the body swap portion of “Love Between Fairy and Devil”), but overall her sad scenes are much better than anticipated.
= Zhang Ling He - Quite a few criticisms of his acting and character when I read some comments. His character might not be as interesting in the beginning (more of that below) but I do find him decent in this role. He improves throughout the drama as his character grows.
= Ryan Cheng - Wow… this is the perfect role for him. He’s not my kind of handsome, but he’s definitely charismatic and attractive in his role as Gong Shang Jue. HIs side-eye looks are devilishly good. I went back to watch clips of him in “A Familiar Stranger” and he is definitely a lot better in this drama. I am glad to see him in a big production after so many smaller web dramas.
= Lu Yu Xiao - Is this really the cute teenage girl in “Time and HIm Are Just Right”? She’s only 23 years old and is so talented and beautiful. She captures the essence of Shangugan Qian beautifully and has excellent chemistry with Ryan Cheng.

3. Supporting Cast - Love all the characters, including the little annoying brother Gong Yuan Zhi. The acting of the supporting cast is great and I don’t have anyone to single out and pick on. I’ve only seen Jolin Jin in “Remembrance of Things Past” and I really did not recognize her as the hilariously crazy and obnoxious Gong Zi Shang. She really brings some comedic relief to this serious drama. At one point, I worry she’s a little too much, but her antics stop and we move on. I love the supporting cast stories (more so than the main romance) and I was worried how many would survive in the end. In C-dramaland, you know there will be plenty of deaths and I just pray they are not my favorites. Each of their stories touched me and I’m so glad this drama balances the main cast’s stories and the supporting cast’s stories very well.

4. Different Perspectives of the World - The four main characters have very different upbringing and they bring their own perspectives of the world they’re living in. One thing in common is that none of them had a very happy childhood. Actually, most of the characters seem to be missing some type of love & affection when growing up.
= Gong Zi Yu (ML) was criticized for being dumb and not as intelligent as the other leads. But I beg to differ. If you look at things from his point of view, he has intentionally ignored all that’s going on in his family and world. When he was pushed into the leadership role, of course he can’t have the same knowledge and wisdom as everyone around him. He needed time to learn, experience and grow. This drama really did focus on his growth.
= Gong Shang Jue (2ML) was the strongest and the smartest, yet he was not chosen to lead. He has got to be one of my favorite gray characters in a C-drama. His perspective has never wavered - to have the best person to lead, whether that’s him or someone else.
= Yun Wei Shan (F) is the unwilling assassin. She was forced into the world of assassins and longs for her freedom. In a way, she reminded me of the FL in “Bloody Romance” (but she actually kills and is a lot smarter and more experienced).
= Lu Yu Xiao (2FL) is such a beautiful little vixen. Without going into spoilers, her motive of causing trouble and her assassin instincts are fun to watch.

5. Gong Shan Jue/Sangugan Qian romance - I love these two intelligent characters trying to outsmart and out-scheme each other. Their interactions sizzle with chemistry. Their conversations are a game of chess. Did they really fall for each other despite all the mistrusts? Probably. Was I looking for a little more PDA and skinship? You betcha! But what we get is a game of cat and mouse and I am quite satisfied with their ending.

6. Production Value - I love all the elegant costumes. Simple hairstyles for men and women. Detailed patterns on their clothing with layers over layers. I also appreciate the use of natural lighting. Even though the drama appears a little dark (figuratively and literally), no fake bright light was used in many of the scenes. I enjoy the simple sets and rooms, which reflect the characters' lifestyle. Beautiful people and beautiful cinematography. Most importantly, almost all the main characters and supporting cast are using their own voice. I also like all the songs, especially the title song 云之羽 by 张杰 Jason Zhang and 远山如昨 (love the sound of a guitar). I am so glad the songs are not overplayed.


What I have Mixed Feelings (Minor Criticisms):

1. Main Romance - I hate to pick on a romance when this drama is a lot more than a love story. However, when the romance between Yun Wei Shan and Gong Zi Yu does play a big part in the big scheme of things, it does matter. Unfortunately, I am not feeling the chemistry between Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He. Compared to the secondary romance’s sizzling chemistry, this love at first sight is lacking in depth and feels. Is it because of the assassin’s personality/role, or Esther's emotionless acting? Or maybe It’s Zhang Ling He’s acting or the writing of the romance? I actually do feel the love from Zhang Ling He’s gaze but not much from Esther.


2. Action/Fight Scenes - I was going to put this in the positive category, but then the slow motion scenes are gnawing at me. “My Journey to You” has beautiful fight choreography and cinematography. I would say the use of slow-motion scenes are probably better than many other wuxia and xianxia dramas I’ve seen before. However, I still feel that there are too many. When it was a big fight, the excitement is halted when a slow motion scene comes into play. I also would have loved to see more fights throughout the drama, especially in the middle of the drama. This is a minor criticism because I do really think the fight choreography is excellent and the actors did a really good job as well.

3. Pace - I wonder if this drama is trying to make the episodes a lot longer (a little over an hour) to bypass the 40-episode guidelines. If you add the runtime, this equates to a regular 36-40 episode drama. There are a lot of dialogs because of the scheming, so it could feel slow if you don’t like the conversations. I find the pace to be OK, maybe a little slower in the middle. The last 5 episodes are my favorite because it’s action-packed. But, when it’s slow, it feels so much slower when everyone walks and talks slowly, especially with some slow-motion scenes.. Is it just me?

4. A few questionable things - The 3rd assessment, I was prepared to ball my eyes out but then ML sorta bypassed it so easily? The secret passage isn’t really very secretive when everyone uses it. Some characters I thought would never survive after getting hit and stabbed so many times, but they did. Others get stabbed once or twice and they die, or someone is still alive and body intact after a huge explosion.


Overall, I strongly recommend this drama if you are looking for a more serious and darker wuxia drama. There are comedic moments, but this is not a fun drama. Many criticized the ending but I am quite satisfied. I am not sure if there will be a season 2, but one should never expect a very happy ending with such a dark C-drama (not saying this is a sad ending either.. LOL)


Other Random Observations:
* These supposedly cold-blooded assassins are full of feelings and emotions.
* I love the first real kiss of the main leads after CPR. It was quite nice and romantic.
* This is a drama full of sad characters with no good childhood. Parents seem to be non-communicative with their love for their children.
* It’s so sad when the green jade turned to red ?



Completed: 9/17/2023 - Review #354

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Great acting but not touching enough - missing something

Rating - 8.25

I thought I would be crying my eyes out watching “If You Wish Upon Me” and surprisingly, I did not. There are some touching moments, but I feel that the drama is missing the ‘oomph’ or ‘it’ that makes me fall in love with it. The whole premise of Team Genie is great, just like the hospice's own Make-a-Wish Foundation.

I have to applaud Ji Chang Wook for branching out to different roles. He was great in this drama and his character is not the usual good-looking, cold Chaebol, a hero or a heart throb. He actually looks and acts the part of Yoon Kyeo Re. Someone who has had a rough childhood and life, and is not a hero to save the world. He is a little dorky and timid, but lovable and gentle. Seo Yeon Joo also plays such an interesting female lead in Seo Yeon Joo. Nurse Seo is a badass but in a sweet way. She is a workout maniac and a gentle angel. She’s also the one who saves our male lead from drowning in his past. It’s lovely to see Choi Soo Young again after her other very memorable role in “Run On”. Oh and she’s so pretty! What more can I say about veteran Sung Dong Il. I don’t think I need to shower praises on him as he’s universally recognized as one of the most amazing actors out there (ok, maybe to me he is). Acting has to be the strength of this drama, including the supporting cast and especially everyone in Team Genie.

However, I feel that plot wise it’s missing that special sauce. The hospice patient stories are somewhat underwhelming. One or two of them are well-written and heart-tugging, but overall not memorable enough. One can say the patient stories are secondary to the main characters' stories. I do enjoy Yoon Kyeo Re’s story and character development - from being an orphan/convict to the trusted Junior Supervisor of Team Genie. The bond that he has with his Son (doggie) is very sweet. I also love the friendship and father/son relationship between Yoon Keyo Re and Kang Tae Shik as well. I think the complicated brother/sister dynamics lasted a little too long and slowed down the pace of the drama in the middle. The plot about the gangster/loan shark is a little over dramatic and doesn’t jive well with the overall tone of the drama.

I would love to know more about other members of Team Genie. I am a little disappointed not to see more of Cook Yeom Soon Ja’s backstory. I love how she can see through Yoon Kyeo Re and Ha Joon Kyung's sad childhoods of never having enough good food to know what their favorite foods are. I really like her love for everyone by providing delicious meals. But I want to see more! I also want more of the lovely older couple. Don’t we all wish to grow old with someone who loves and cares for you just like the older gentleman? The way he looks at his wife is so full of love.

Overall, I do think this is a good drama. But to me, it’s just missing something to really move me and hold my attention throughout the whole 16 episodes. I do have to say it ends on a strong note. The last episode is touching (not heart wrenching) and very sweet.


Completed: 10/28/2022

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Beautiful production but SUPER slow

Completed - 4/5/2022 - 7.75 rounding up to 8.0

It's really unfortunate that I don't love "The Longest Day in Chang'An". It's a masterful production with a great general plot and meaningful lessons of loyalty, friendship and sacrifice. However, I was really forcing myself to finish this drama. I just couldn't get into it. The pacing is really slow for me. It took me about 15 episodes to get into the story. By approximately Ep 16-30, I became more interested as finally, there's action and explosion. Unfortunately, after Ep 30, things slow down again.

I wish this drama is only about 30 episodes long. We can use a couple episodes for the setup/buildup, then one episode per day for the real plot, and then another episode or two as an extended epilogue. 48 episodes of talking is really too much.

I was tempted to give this drama an even lower rating. However, there are certain aspects of the drama that are excellent, and prevented me from lowering my rating even more.

1. Acting - Top notch acting all-around. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Production quality/Cinematography - I didn't do the research, but I heard the drama is very historically accurate - set designs, props, costumes, etc. You do not see flimsy sets or props that are about to break. Everything is top notch. The cinematography is also fabulous. I have a fondness of natural lighting from candles and lanterns. With the lantern festival as the backdrop, there is no shortage of beautiful night time scenes. It's no wonder "Luoyang" is being compared to this drama so much, esp. when it comes to cinematography. I would say the colors of this drama is more natural and realistic. Whereas, the colors in "Luoyang" are more vibrant and high-definition.

3. Actors voice - All actors use their own voices and there's no dubbing. You can also hear there's actually live recording on set, in addition to studio voiceovers. Occasionally, you do hear a dubbed voice during post production maybe because of censorship. It's just such a delight to be able to hear actors own voices in a historical drama. It makes the acting and emotions shown so much more realistic.

4. OST and background music - What a beautiful original soundtrack "The Longest Day in Chang'An" has. Traditional songs and music just complement the scenes so well. Many of the song lyrics are actually poems from the great poet Li Bai. Though the BGM could be loud at times and overshadow the dialogs, the music is just beautiful.

5. Fight Scenes - I enjoy the gritty, realistic fight scenes. They are gruesome and harsh, but each time a fight broke out between our ML and a bad guy or his former comrade, I can feel the ML's emotions. There are no weak punches by anyone. Every single actor gives it 100% when fighting. And, how badass is our lady assassin!

Even though I listed all these positive aspects of the drama, the rating comes down to my personal feeling. Unfortunately, the sum of the parts do not bring me great enjoyment.

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Is this a healing romance, a melodrama or a fluffy rom-com?

9/2/2021

This drama has really good reviews when it first started airing, that's why it attracted my attention. However, the writing is inconsistent and the drama seems to be having an identity crisis. It wanted to be a good healing romance, then it became a melodrama and then a fluffy rom-com.

Things I like:
1. Evan Lin (ML) - I am glad I discovered Evan Lin, as he's a newbie and this is his first drama. He is gorgeous to look at with beautiful eyes and smile. He also has a very nice, sexy voice and his singing is beautiful. His acting surprises me and he plays the role of a blind, introverted songwriter and teacher really well. I enjoyed all of his scenes before he regains his eyesight. He also did a good job as a jealous, childish, overprotective, lovesick CEO. Though I don't like the writing of the second half of the show, Evan's acting is good.

2. Challenges of the visually impaired - I enjoy watching the show's tackling of the challenges and life adjustments for the visually impaired. I am not sure how realistic they are, since I am not blind, but that part of drama is most interesting to me. I like scenes at ML's home and at school. I also like the relationship between ML and the little girl, and how caring he is to her. I enjoy the scenes at the school's fundraising event, where the little girl was "used" by those who might have the school's best interest at heart.

3. Music - The songs in this drama have great lyrics and melodies. Several different songs were played throughout the drama, and I like every single one of them. I already added them to my "Liked Songs" on Spotify. The piano instrumental bgm is nice as well, except for one (which I will discuss below).

4. Chemistry between the Leads - Evan Lin and Wan Peng have great chemistry and I totally enjoy their banter. As much as I enjoy the sweetness of their hugs and kisses in the last few episodes, I enjoy the quiet companionship they have at home before ML regains his eyesight. That calm romance when they're just sitting on the couch reading and cuddling, or taking care of each other in their own little ways, are more romantic than any cheesy love declaration or fluffy silliness. I do wish Wan Peng can kiss better because Evan Lin seems like he would be a good kisser. I can see all that love in Evan's eyes.

Things I don't like:
1. Plot change/Plot holes - There are just too many convenient circumstances that broke our couple apart. Both fathers in the hospital at the same time, losing cell phones, and all the lack of/miscommunication are just too convenient. The 3-year time skip is not a favorite of mine. If they were going to stop talking for 3 years, I would like to see a longer courtship from ML in order to win FL back. What's with the surprise death of a friend and PTSD? It came from the left field and was subtly and easily resolved by watching the movie and coming out of a dream. FL is a psychology major and although I don't expect her to know everything, she did not seem to be doing a good job at the Autism research center. And why does she have to ask others to analyze her boyfriend's actions? I thought her EQ was pretty decent.

2. BGM - There's this one particular instrumental piano piece that comes up each time and sounded like the music of doom. Whenever that song is played, I feel like something bad is going to happen (but not necessarily). I also find BGM comes up quite often, and often a little too loud for my personal taste.

3. Secondary romance - This has to be one of the most uninteresting and boring secondary romance I've seen. The acting of the actor/actress isn't that great either, granted they are pretty inexperienced. You can totally skip all their scenes, and won't be missing a thing.

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Intricate and interesting storylines, beautiful cinematography and OST

Completed: 1/2/2021 - 8.75 rounding up to 9.0

"Rainless Love in Godless Land" is written by the same person who wrote the popular "Someday or One Day" and the less popular "Attention, Love'. The intricate and complicated storylines are reminiscent of "Someday or One Day", especially the last few episodes of both dramas. I find that you really need to stay focused throughout the whole episode. Otherwise, you will miss a detail and then be very confused. The drama was told through stories of the Taiwanese Aborigines, Ami Tribe, passed down by generations through stories told.

What I like:
1. The Amis' animated story - At the start of each episode, the audience is treated to the animated story of the Ami tribe. We learned of their gods, people, and traditions. It also leads into what the actual episode is about. I am not sure how accurate these stories are, but I really enjoy learning and watching the animation. This is an interesting way to give us some insight into the upcoming episode and learning more about the culture.

2. OST - I usually don't rate OST as the second item I mentioned, but I really like all the songs. The lyrics of all the songs complemented the mood and the story. I especially like the ending theme song "雨不停。流" sung by 孫盛希, the opening theme "最後一秒鐘" by九澤CP and the acapella version of "讓我聽見你" sung in Amis when FL was quietly praying for the appearance of Orad. If I remember correctly, "Someday or One Day" has a great soundtrack as well.

3. Acting - The overall acting of the cast is great. Our main leads have to portray many different emotions throughout the dramas. I have to say that both Joanne Tseng (FL) and Fu Meng Bo (ML) were best during emotional scenes. I also enjoy Samantha Ko as FL's grand mother, Alice Ko's gray character as the Cloud God, Joe Cheng as Wind God and the funny Yan Yu Lin as Wisdom God. A special shout out to the child/young actresses in this drama. Oh another shout out to the gods needing to learn a different language. They all sound so believable.

4. General plot - Doomsday + Gods + Human + Special Power + Inter-species Romance + Pollution! That is a lot to unpack in this drama. The drama does a good job in slowly revealing the stories of all characters and how they intertwined with each other. It also reminds us that we have not been taking care of Mother Earth. Even the gods give up on us and leave us to our demise.

5. Guest Roles - This is just a personal preference of mine. I just finished watching "Attention, Love" not too long ago and I really enjoy seeing so many actors/actresses appearing in both dramas (roughly counted 6). This is very likely due to the same team producing both dramas.

What I Don't like as much:
1. Romance - The majority of the romance is shown through flashbacks of when Orad was protecting TianTi before she lost her memory. I would say this is a slow-burn romance. However, I feel that it's lacking intensity (even if it's quiet intensity) to have this romance to be so central to the main plot. I would like to see more about the couple right now, and not through flashbacks. The flashbacks also feel repetitive and not enough variety.

2. Revealing the Lie - As much as I enjoy how intricate the storylines are, and how everything is slowly revealed, I find the last 2 episodes a little confusing. The main reveal was done by the Wind God in the last couple episodes, and he just blurted everything out. I have to really pay attention to what he said, and then think back to all that happened to understand what was the "lie" he was talking about. He kept on using the word "lie" but it wasn't explicit enough for me to understand right away. Of course, it could also be my comprehension problem.

Other Observations:
1. I want to see more powerless adorable Orad. He's so adorable when he becomes human and has to learn about sweating, eating and making choices.
2. Did they just call FL the Steph Curry of the tour company? LOL
3. Fu Meng Bo (ML) doesn't look attractive to me in the beginning. But he grows on me esp. in the last episode.

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Melo Romance/Action Drama that requires your patience

Having watched quite a few first responder dramas (You Are My Hero/A Date with the Future/Light Chaser Rescue), it’s difficult not to compare “Fireworks of My Heart” with them. For many elements, “Fireworks of My Heart” is very similar to these other dramas. What differs, is the romance story of the main leads. The romance between Song Yan (ML) and Xu Qin (F) is melodramatic. The romance in the other dramas are more fluffy and sweet and rom-com like. It has about 50% romance and 50 % cases/missions.

Romance
Song Yan and Xu Qin were forced to be separated due to FL’s parents' strong disapproval. They are reunited after 10 years. The drama did not set a good foundation for viewers to understand their love for each other that could last more than 10 years. I am a big fan of second-chance romance, but I had a hard time rooting for this romance in the initial 10 episodes. I disliked Xu Qin and thought she was pathetic, selfish, cowardly and greedy. She was also very shameless in wanting to get back with Song Yan and became stalkerish and clingy. I had such a difficult time continuing. HOWEVER, I stuck with it and then realized why she acted that way (more about that later below). I was expecting the romance to be rom-com like, but then it dawned on me that this is a melo-romance. Once my mindset changed, I started to enjoy this romance a lot more. I understand why she acted that way and I slowly root for them to be together. When they finally get together, we have some scenes of sweetness and fluffiness, after all the angst we went through. A few decent kisses, a lot of hand-holding and hugging. I find the chemistry between the two leads OK but not great. I heard many of the kisses were censored out because they disappeared towards the last third of the show. This is probably due to the fact that this drama is broadcasted on national TV and the content is more controlled than web dramas.

Xu Qin (female lead)
As mentioned, I disliked Xu Qin so much in the first 10 episodes. But then I realized she has been emotionally abused and manipulated all her life by her mother. She was grateful for being adopted but she was having a hard time standing up for herself. I bet all viewers hate the mother and most are disgruntled about her ending. It was really sad to see how traumatic Xu Qin and her adopted brother are because of their parents. Xu Qin’s relationship with her mother seems like a domestic abuse situation. You want to leave, but you can’t. However, I am glad to see that she’s trying really hard… little by little, step by step. It was rewarding to finally see her stand up and leave her family for the man she loves.

Missions/Cases/Firefighting
If you have seen enough first responders drama, the cases in this drama will not surprise you. They are very similar to those I’ve seen in other dramas. I think “Fireworks of My Heart” actually does a better job in showing a variety of smaller, regular missions, e.g. catching a spider, helping an old lady, snapping a ring off a finger. Compared to what I’ve seen in other dramas, the bigger accidents, fires, and natural disasters are not as dramatic and the CGI not as good.

Firefighters and camaraderie
The boys together are always the most fun and most enjoyable parts in such dramas. You can expect funny banters between the guys, shirtless scenes here and there, training very hard and unfortunately, the loss of a life. I accidentally read a spoiler in the comment section and found out who died. Arggh… don’t be like me and please put a spoiler tag, people! We all look forward to the guest appearance of Vin Zhang, and like many, it was lovely to see his bromance with Yang Yang. I was expecting a certain exit for this character, but it was different than what I imagined (it was better). Now we just need another drama of Yang Yang and Vin Zhang as leads together!

Main Acting
I am a big fan of Yang Yang and think that his acting though might not be excellent, does not warrant all the criticisms. I think he did fine here, not as good as his performance in “Glory of Special Forces”. However, I don’t find him ‘posing’ instead of acting. And if so, it was the director’s fault. His acting of emotional scenes are more subtle since he is the captain and has to maintain a certain demeanor. On the other hand, Wang Chu Ran has a more difficult role to play. You can see the stark difference of her acting when she’s with her family, at work, and with ML. She is emotionless, soft-spoken and obedient when she’s speaking with her mother. She’s a cool, genius doctor who could be authoritative and business like at work. It’s when she’s with ML that her smiles, pouting, whining come out. I think Wang Chu Ran did an admirable job. For a drama playing against Yang Yang, I think she might have gotten my attention just a little more.

Supporting Cast
I do not get the ship between FL and her brother. There’s no way I will pick Meng Yan Chen over Song Yan! Everyone in the supporting cast did a pretty good job with no obvious subpar acting. I find Jiang Yu’s character quite adorable and he’s a good stand-in after Vin Zhang’s exit. I like the feisty little cousin, who stands up for Song Yan and says everything the ‘adults’ want to but are afraid to say. I love the sweet aunt and uncle who are there to support Song Yan. I dislike the subplot between Meng Yan Chen and Ye Zi. There’s something about Ye Zi that I don’t like from the first moment she’s introduced.

I worry many dropped this drama because they couldn’t get past the first 10 episodes, and were also expecting a rom-com instead of a melo. But if you like a more angsty, melodramatic romance in a drama like this, I would recommend this for you. This is not the best drama for its genre, but it has its own charms.


Other Random Observations:
1. Bad teenage wigs!
2. So many coincidences for the leads to meet in the first few episodes.
3. They really like to pour a whole bottle of iodine (?) on the wounds and cause pain.
4. Love the scene when families cook meals for the firefighters (but also quite unrealistic).
5. Like the healthy competition between the doctors. Not too many medical cases.
6. I quite like the songs in the OST. The lyrics are perfect for some scenes.


Completed: 7/29/2023 - Review #335

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