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virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Too long for an uneven pacing SLOW healing drama.
Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25“Meet Yourself” is a beloved drama here on MDL and I can see why so many people are in love with it. I was hoping to love it too, but unfortunately, I only like it. I hesitated to watch this due to its rave reviews and I need time to ensure I am in the right mood to watch this drama. Objectively, this is a great drama but for my subjective rating of my personal satisfaction and enjoyment, I can only give it an. 8.25. I have two main criticisms only but they are enough to prevent me from truly enjoying the drama.
What I Like:
1. Grandma Xie - Who doesn’t love grandma??? She’s witty and funny, and it’s a ray of beautiful sunshine. I love how she defends her loved ones both verbally, physically and emotionally. I love her intelligent way of pulling strings behind the scenes to get what she wants. We need more grandmas like her!
2. Sceneries - Can’t really argue with the picturesque landscapes and relaxing sceneries in this drama. I want to visit this little village and take a long vacation as well. I really like the boarding house with the courtyard, even if it doesn’t have good soundproofing and I might fall on my face when walking down those cobblestones.
3. Acting - Great acting all around… from the youngest to the oldest. Those four child actors are amazing and I believe they use their own voices and speak the lines themselves. The main cast did not disappoint, nor the supporting cast.
4. No annoying characters -Oftentimes, dramas set in the rural areas or countryside will have annoying side characters or villagers. I actually like all the aunties and grannies in this drama. They are loud, but they are not annoying and each of them has their own personalities.
5. Chemistry - Though I think the romance is a little too slow burn, I do think once Xu Hong Dou and Xie Zhi Yao get together, they have really good chemistry. Their display of affection and skin feel natural and mature.
What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
1. Slow Pacing - My biggest criticism is the pacing of the drama. I understand this is a healing, relaxing slice-of-life drama. I’ve seen my share of them as well. But the first 20 episodes really are slow with nothing much happening. 40 episodes for a healing drama is too much. I feel that the drama could have spent some time on the stories of the supporting cast in the first half, instead of jamming them all in the second half. There are so many interesting stories that could have been explored more instead of doing so half-heartedly.. The romance can be slow-burn, but when everything is slow, the slow burn romance feels even slower. I am a binge-watcher and I keep on falling asleep (I am also tired from work). Even though I stopped binge-watching and watched only a couple episodes a day, the drama still doesn’t hold my attention throughout. I find myself not tempted to hit the “play” button for the next episode. If I wasn’t persistent in continuing, I could have easily dropped it within the first 20 episodes.
2. Music - I actually quite like the songs in the soundtrack. BUT, they play the songs waaaay too often and too loud, and often the same songs repeatedly for many episodes.. For a healing drama in the countryside, I would have liked to have fewer songs with lyrics blasting when the actors are speaking their lines. Maybe some relaxing instrumental background music to complement the tranquility of the drama (but will I fall asleep more? Mmm….). I was quite annoyed with all the singing.
I would definitely recommend this drama if you are in the mood for a slow, healing, slice-of-life drama. It has beautiful scenery, excellent acting and a very fun supporting cast. The drama is just too slow for me. Additionally, this drama should not be compared to the Korean drama “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”. HCCC is a rom-com with annoying characters. “Meet Yourself” is totally different. Two very different genres and feel to them.
Other Random Observations:
1. FL has so many pairs of sunglasses.
2. There’s a lot of cooking and eating.
3. There are some pretty funny moments, and lovely conversations.
4. Those 4 kids warm and break my heart.
5. Ep 19 is one of my favorite episodes - the mushroom episode brought out so many different emotions.
6. Reminds me of the Taiwanese drama “A Thousand Goodnights”. Both dramas are like promotions from the local Tourism Board.
Completed: 9/12/2023 - Review #353
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Sweet, Cute and Low-Stress.....but doesn't quite set itself apart from other youth dramas.
China is the expert in producing youth dramas like “When I Fly Towards You”. Therefore, it’s really hard to have another youth drama that stands out. “When I Fly Towards You” is rated really high at 9.0 and receives glowing reviews from many. But is it really worth such a high rating? To me, not quite. It’s a good drama, but it doesn’t set itself apart from many of its predecessors.Having said that, I have a very enjoyable time watching this. I do think the strength of this drama and what makes it different from others, is the characterization of our main leads. Su Zai Zia (FL) is bubbly and cute. She’s not naive and will fight back against injustices and those who are unkind to her. Zhang Miao Yi plays a very lovable Su Zai Zai. It’s so easy to cross the line of being cute and bubbly, into annoyingly cute and fake. Luckily, I find Su Zai Zai very easy to root for and very adorable. I enjoy all her pursuit of Zhang Lu Rang without being stalkerish.
On the other hand, Zhang Lu Rang (ML) is adorably shy. Who can resist his dimples? I’m glad to see he’s not the typical arrogant, cold genius. He’s actually just quiet and introverted, and is never mean or unkind to Su Zai Zai. In fact, he always responds to Zai Zai neverending questions and comments, though with short phrases. The contrasting personalities and family backgrounds make their romance sweet and romantic. Because of Zai Zai’s loyal and unconditional love for Zhang Lu Rang, he’s able to heal and believe in himself. In the last episode, when he is on stage answering questions from the panel, the answer/confession he made sums up their love story perfectly. Zhang Lu Rang is another Mr. Green Flag.
The friendship of the 5 friends is sweet and cute as well. However, I’ve also seen friendships like this in many other youth dramas. Each friend is given their own spotlight to tell their own (short) story. “When I Fly Towards You” is a very easy watch. It doesn't really go into any serious issues that high school students tackle such as bullying, extreme family pressure or poverty. If that’s what you are looking for, this is the perfect drama. The secondary romance is also nothing special. It’s a story that we’ve seen many times before. However, the characters are fun and very likable.
Another minor criticism I have is the pacing of the drama. In 24 episodes, we follow the characters from when they’re 16 to being adults and getting married. That’s a span of 10 years in 24 episodes and the majority of the time was spent in high school. I feel that the drama is trying to cover too much and would benefit from stopping somewhere after college. Or if they want to adequately tell 10 years worth of stories, the time spent in high school should be shortened. Otherwise, it feels like the drama is rushing through the college and adult days.
There are a few characters that need to cause some trouble, but not to the extent of them being overly annoying. There’s not enough time for the drama to dwell on these characters anyway. In fact, it’s so lovely to see a caring and lovely grandmother, supportive parents, good teachers who really care and classmates that are generally sweet.
I recommend this drama for those who are looking for something sweet and cute, without angst or misunderstanding. Everyone is really cute and fun. But if you have seen many youth dramas before, this drama might not impress you. It’ll make you smile though. 🙂
Other Random Observations:
1. Zhang Lei (FL’s father) - He is in SOOOOO many youth dramas either as a parent or a teacher. I’ve seen him in “With You”, “My Huckleberry Friends”, “Skate into Love”, “The Best of You in My Mind’, “Lovely Us”, and “Forever Love”.
2. Every time I see a lovely grandparent in a C-drama, I worry if anything bad is going to happen to them. I always wish C-dramas don’t kill them off. You never know!
3. So many snacks in this drama. PPL for the win!
4. As much as I love the leads, I have enough of hearing FL calling ML “Rang Rang” a billion times.
Completed: 9/6/2023 - Review #350
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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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Great chemistry and a fun watch, but with some questionable actions that dampened the mood
Subjective Rating - 8.25When I first saw the English title of “Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi” I was like, so this drama is giving the middle finger as in “Fxxk You” to contract marriages? Well, of course, that’s not the case. The title, “The Third Finger Offered to a King” probably means the engagement finger, not the F U finger. Doh! Ok, maybe only me that thinks this way. LOL
For the most part, this is a very typical contract marriage drama with the usual tropes and cliches. But the leads have so much chemistry and are so fun together that this is really an enjoyable watch for the most part. I recently saw Yamada Ryosuke (ML) in “Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu Shohikigen!?” aka “My Cuteness is About to Expire!?” and he was adorable with all the cute smiles. It’s funny how he’s playing opposite the female lead who’s the one with the (fake) smiles. Nonetheless, he is still so cute and gorgeous and I appreciate his acting more here as well. Female lead, Hashimoto Kanna, is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous here. She has big round eyes but not quite the drop-dead gorgeous type I have in mind.
There are many lovely side characters in this drama. A very supportive family on the FL side, especially the adorable parents. The siblings don’t have a lot of screentime, but they have a tight bond and scenes of their family are always heartwarming. The co-workers for the most part are supportive and not irritating. The ML’s side of the family is a different story and we’ll get to them in a little bit.
The acting is pretty good and considering this is a manga adaptation, it does not have the usual over-the-top comedic acting. The wedding stories are interesting enough and do not take time away from the leads. They add some flavors to the story and generally help move along the plot with the focus back on our two main leads.
However, there are some really questionable actions and/or inactions that frustrate me a little and distract from the general cute, fluffy and funny vibe of the show. Thus, I lower the rating for that.
-The actions of the second male lead when FL was drunk.
-The inaction of the FL after the second male lead openly confronted her and ML.
-The actions of the ML without communication
-The inaction of ML’s father where he could have prevented many things from happening
-The actions and obsession of ML’s mother are not quite justified
There is still so much to like about the drama especially if you are a fan of contract/fake marriages. There are also many funny scenes.
-Love the use of scenes in “The Battler” - reminded me of the good old days when I used to watch “The Bachelor”
-The dog is so cute and I am not even a dog person.
-Duck dance instead of chicken dance at a German restaurant? Interesting.
-Love the gradual increase of pictures on the shelf/mantle
-Is the drama also promoting tourism? Hakone, Gora, Premium Outlets? I feel like these are places I researched to go when I was planning my Japan trip.
-Speaking of outlets, I am not sure if I would go to the outlets to buy a present for the President of a Company….but I understand she’s on a budget.
Despite its flaws, this is a very fun and bingable drama. If you can look past some of the questionable actions/inactions of some characters, the drama is lighthearted and can put a smile on your face.
Completed: 7/2/2023 - Review #324
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Good Mix of Comedy, Romance and Suspense with some minor inconsistencies
It seems to be getting harder to find an original script in a Chinese drama these days, especially for wuxia/xianxia/fantasy. So, it was a pleasure knowing that “Warm on a Cold Night” is not an adaptation (it wasn’t noted on MDL). Although there are plot holes, I quite enjoy the general plot and the mystery cases, and how they all tie back to the big story. I am not an episodic-case person, thus, this type of cases/dramas are right up my alley.Li Yi Tong is one of my favorite actresses and I believe in her acting ability. However, I am not quite sure of her choice to be in this drama. I feel that with her experience, she is way past acting as a young, cute (thank god not naive) girl in any drama. Nevertheless, I watched this because this drama was well-received and, well, I like her. For whatever reason, this is my third Bi Wen Jun drama this year after “Double Love” and “The Silence of the Monster”. I have yet to see him play a lively, active, outgoing character. His roles remain somewhat similar, cold, cool and hard to approach in the beginning. But I am glad to see his acting continue to improve and his role as Han Zheng differs in a way that I see his evil smirks and mischievous side a little.
Li Yi Tong and Bi Wen Jun have pretty good chemistry together. Bickering couples are one of my favorite tropes and I enjoy seeing two intelligent individuals trying to outsmart and work together to solve the cases. I also really enjoy seeing Bi Wen Jun/Hang Zheng’s smirks, loving gazes and when he acts all jealous. Li Yi Tong is cute as a button, and plays her role, Su Jiu Er, so well that she gains the affection of two good guys. I also am relieved to see that the love triangle is done well. It’s really hard to find the balance between bromance and love rivals, and I think “Warm on a Cold Night” did a good job in this respect. Wen Jun is such a thoughtful, caring and sweet guy and I felt bad he didn’t get the girl. There isn’t any character I hate and even the annoying 4th wheel Princess did not last too long. On the other end of the romance, I, along with many viewers, would love to see more of the story between Chi Lan and Wen Ying. If there’s going to be a second season, I wish we can see the continuation of where the drama left off.
I am actually more interested in some of the mystery cases in this drama than in “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty”. I think my favorite is the one with the paintings. It was quite an elaborate set up with many twists along the way. But after that plot, the drama’s pace slows down a little and I lose some of my focus when binging. Overall, I am quite happy with how all these cases lead us to the finale. I was expecting a certain character to show their true colors, but not that final twist in the end. However, I think the final episode was too rushed. The transition from one scene/emotion to another is quite abrupt.
The production quality seems decent enough. Everything seems appropriate but not extravagant. Costumes, sets, lighting, etc, are just fine. The dubbing isn’t that great. Li Yi Tong continues to use her voice (she’s one of the rare ones), along with Wang Mao Lei (godfather Hu) and Li Shi Peng (Wen Jun’s bodyguard). All other actors used voice actors. The fight scenes in the first couple episodes are pretty good and I was hoping to see more. But I am disappointed that the action scenes disappear and even in the final showdown, there’s more pushing and throwing you across the room, than close combat fight scenes. There are only a handful of songs in the OST and they sound nice enough. Luckily, the songs are not overplayed.
Overall, I had a good time binge-watching this drama. It has enough comedy, romance and suspense to keep me interested. There are plot holes and inconsistencies, but not enough to dampen my viewing pleasure.
Completed: 3/18/2023
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Simple and touching short drama with adorable kids!
8.25First of all, the episodes are about 1 hour long, so I am not sure why MDL listed them as 1 hr and 25 mins. These four episodes are just regular K-drama length and not the long Thai drama length.
In four short episodes, "Fanletter, Please" is able to tell a story of the struggles of a top actress and a single father of a young child with leukemia. The plot itself is quite simple and predictable. There might not be twists and turns, but the acting is solid and the story flows pretty well. The stars of the show are definitely the four children. Although they are all battling different illness, they are upbeat and funny, and more mature than some adults in this drama. They are really a joy to watch. Yoo Na, the lead child actress did an amazing job displaying different emotions. Not once do I find her annoying nor super, overly cutesy.
Choi Soo Young (FL) and Yoon Park (ML) have good chemistry, not sizzling hot, but good. They play their characters well and I root for them both. I wanted some more flashback scenes of them during high school, but due to the short length of the drama, I will have to be satisfied with what I got. Their struggles though real did not seem overly depressing or realistic. I guess this could be the light version of the trauma and hardships that they are going through. The romance is quite slow burn and there aren't many cute and fluffy scenes. I would say it's more mature and fluffy. The sweetest part of their romance is in the last episode with the gifts ML prepared for FL. They are thoughtful, sweet and super creative!!!
There are a couple annoying characters, especially those two hospital moms and the cartoonish villain. FL's mother has limited scenes and I want to know more about the mother-daughter relationship. Other that than, this is an easy watch, even if the tone is not as happy as I thought it would be by looking at the poster.
Completed: 12/24/2022
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This is a super fast-paced romance in true Japanese fashion. From meeting to getting married, it only took about 4 episodes and these are short episodes. However, Osahima Miyuki (FL) has a sunny and optimistic disposition. This makes the drama enjoyable as we don’t have someone who is always crying or acts as a victim. And due to her personality, she attracts the attention of Suzuki Osamu (ML). Miyuki brings out the best in Osamu, believes in his talents and supports him in any way possible (a little too submissive for my personal taste). Their romance is decent to me. Everything is just too fast, too soon.
Most of the criticisms of this drama would probably be the portrayal of the female lead as the ‘ugly’ girl. Miyuki is really not ugly but she’s overweight. I guess overweight = ugly in many Asian dramas. Not only is she called ugly and is bullied, the writing of all the second-hand embarrassment is overkill for such a short drama. How many times is she going to trip and fall? Do overweight people fall all the time? I don’t think I do! You get all the usual stereotypes - clumsy, easily picked on/bullied, naive, eats a lot, etc. This is definitely not a drama about body image and self-esteem.
If you are very sensitive about body image or people being picked on due to their outward appearances, I would not recommend you to watch this. This is a simple and easy watch and it’s interesting to see a drama about voice actors. But I would not go out of my way to watch.
Completed: 11/30/2022
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Crazy Fun + Strong Sismance + Drinking + Food + Laughing + Crying (rinse and repeat)
Completed - 7/30/22This is such a crazy drama! “Work Later, Drink Now” is a highly bingeable, short drama focusing on the friendship/sismance between our three leading ladies. They met through a dance competition (all have amazing dancing skills) when they were in college, and continue to be by each other’s side through thick and thin.
The drama started off with three consecutive blind dates. Each crazier and funnier than the other. The tone of the drama continues to be fun and crazy, mixed with life’s challenges (personal, familial, professional and romantic) and A LOT of drinking. Towards the second half of the drama, things got more serious as we know more about each character, their background stories and struggles, and certain life events change this drama to be a little more realistic.
The bond between the ladies is tight and unbreakable. I like them all as they are so different yet complement each other so well. It did take me a while to get used to Han Ji Yeong’s personality as she’s quite over-the-top.They are truly there for each other and understand each other, without pressure to find out what/when/where/why. Without going into spoilers, something happened to a family member of a leading lady. The other two women not only rushed to be with their friend, but were there BEFORE the friend arrived to help take care of everything.
There are romantic subplots but romance is not the main theme of this drama. I assume season 2 will focus more on romance and I look forward to Kang Ji Gu’s romance with possibly Mr. Nice Paper, and the crazy relationship between An So Hee and Kang Buk Gu.
Everyone will notice the excessive drinking in this drama. Well, we know Koreans drink a lot but I am not sure if they do drink to this extent. But let’s not forget about the lovely dishes in this drama. There are many food shots and they make me want to try them all. There are also many guest appearances and cameos in this drama.
“Work Later, Drink Now” made me laugh, cringe, smile and cry. Ending this review of a quote from the last episode that summarizes this drama and their friendship:
“As always, we work hard not to fall down today. It’s okay if we are unsteady on our feet on our way home. So when we can drink, and when we have a friend to drink with, let’s get drunk.”
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Such great reviews came from China regarding this drama that it hit Douban ratings at a high of 8.9 in the first week or two of its airing. Now that the drama is just done airing, the rating remains at a high 8.5 (as of 7/2/2022). I came in with pretty high expectations as I am a sucker for amazing romantic chemistry between the leads.
Plot:
“A Dream of Splendor” tells the story of three women who for a variety of reasons, had to leave their hometown for the big city. They are strong and independent, and are feminists who are ahead of their times. We follow their journeys to build their careers and find love. The pacing of the drama is pretty good. There’s enough going on to keep me interested throughout the 40 episodes. Though the last few episodes are more focused on court politics, our three female leads are intertwined in this storyline as well. Compared to another female-centric drama “Marvelous Women”, this is less slice-of-life and hooked me right from the start. But as the story goes, I think I enjoyed the weaving/embroidery plot in “Marvelous Women” a little bit more than the tea house/restaurant/music plot in “A Dream of Splendor”. However, the tone in “Marvelous Women” is more serious than that in this drama. I rated this drama higher because the romance storylines are more interesting to me than that of “Marvelous Women”. There are many comedic moments in “A Dream of Splendor” and I am not sure I enjoy them as much as others. Dai Xu/Chi Yan Nei provides a lot of comic relief, but it’s too over-the-top for my taste and doesn’t quite fit in the general tone of the drama.
Romance:
I really enjoy the initial chemistry between our two leads and I can see why everyone is raving about it. I can totally see how Chen Xiao/Gu Qian Fan is so smitten with Crystal Liu/Zhan Pan Er. Every time he looks at her, I see admiration, respect, love and desire. However, I am not sure if I can say the same for Crystal Liu especially towards the second half of the drama. Maybe I am just too critical of female leads? I find Crystal Liu’s best scenes are of her as a business woman. But as a woman in love, I can’t see that passion in her eyes. Nonetheless, their romance is mature and honest (for the most part). The leads are very supportive of each others’ careers, and will not hesitate to provide some honest/harsh feedback when necessary. There’s a lot of PDA in this drama, which is quite rare for a somewhat ‘serious’ and non-romantic comedy. Are the kisses amazing? Not really, but decent enough that I see effort from both parties. I actually really enjoy the romance between Sun San Niang and Du Chang Feng. Opposites attract yet they are quite adorable together. The way they fall in love seems natural and I enjoy how Sun San Niang takes charge in their relationship. Song Yin Zhang is probably my least favorite female character but I pity her journey to find love. Poor girl just couldn’t catch a break. There’s plenty of romance in this drama to satisfy romance junkies like me.
Production:
There are quite a few nice scenes with lanterns and candles, but not quite the quality of top-notch productions such as “Luoyang” and “The Longest Day in Chang’an”. Those two dramas have become my golden standard. Nonetheless, we have beautiful people in nice costumes, decent set designs and props. A certain popular YouTube reviewer mentioned that Chen Xiao and Crystal Liu are the most beautiful couple in a period drama in recent years. I am not sure I agree with this reviewer. They are a good-looking pair, especially for a more mature couple, but there are plenty of good-looking couples as well. In this drama, I think Jelly Lin and Claire Jia are just as beautiful as Crystal Liu (or maybe more). I do think Chen Xiao looks the most handsome in his uniform. I also want to criticize the action scenes and the camera work in this drama. There are a few fight scenes, but the camerawork is shaky/blurry (maybe intentional?). This affects my enjoyment of watching Chen Xiao fight. The director also likes to use a lot of slow motion scenes in this drama for ‘dramatic’ effects, when it’s not necessary. I want to see Crystal Liu walk at a normal speed.
Other Random Observations:
1. I like the interesting tea competition - especially drawing on tea foam.
2. It seems like everyone can just go into FL’s house/courtyard. No security at all and the door is never locked.
3. It rains all the time - at least people don’t get sick often.
4. Spinning and pouring tea is a little too cringey for my taste.
5. I like boat rides as a major form of transportation.
6. I really like Xu Hai Qiao in "Lost Love in Times" but I hated him here as Ou Yang Xu. I wish to see another drama of his to fall in love with him again.
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Enjoy this as a standalone but not an adaptation of "Journey to the West"
Completed - 6/10/2022This Korean adaptation of the Chinese classics “A Journey to the West” is mainly a fantasy-romance drama. It is quite interesting to me to watch these characters and think of their Chinese counterparts. This is definitely not a serious adaptation, but it’s a fun and comedic version (some might think it’s a little over-the-top). If you don’t take the word ‘adaptation’ seriously and just watch it as a standalone Korean drama, this could be quite fun. I am a little late to the game, since I am watching this 2017 drama in 2022.
Plot/Pacing - As a binge-watcher, I watched about 5 episodes a day and finished this in 4 weekdays. I think splitting them up helps with not feeling the drama dragged out in the middle. I think the pacing would be a lot better if this was only 16 or 18 episodes long. This drama revolves around demons, deities and evil spirits living among humans. We learned about their background stories from thousands of years ago, and how they’re still affected by the consequences of their actions. The main plot is about the fated love story of Song Oh Gong, the Monkey King 齊天大聖 and our female lead, Jin Seon Mi/Sam Jang 唐三藏. Just like in the Chinese version, everyone wants a piece of Sam Jang. We follow their journey of love and how they save the world. We also learn of the tragic love story of Woo Ma Wang, and his interesting bromance with Song Oh Gong. The main cast also includes pop idol Jo Pal Gye/PK, CEO Sa Oh Jung and Secretary Ma Ji Yeong. I actually would like to know more about these characters. How did PK come to work for Ma Wang? Why is CEO Oh Jung serving and listening to Oh Gong? How did Ji Yeong end up being Ma Wang’s loyal secretary/dog? I also think the ending is a little anticlimactic. I don’t want to say too much as it’ll be spoilery. The ending is not really a big surprise. The last episode explained the aftermath through many dialogues. When the main event happened, I didn't feel a lot of emotions. I wanted more!
Acting - I am surprised that this is my first Lee Sung Gi drama. After watching “A Korean Odyssey”, I can understand why he has such a large fan base. Son Oh Gong is a multi-layered character and this role allows Lee Sung Gi to showcase his acting skills. This is also my first Cha Eung Won drama and I am so not expecting how hilarious and over-the-top his character is. Personally, his acting or character just tipped over the cheesy/cartoonish line. I actually enjoy the more subtle comedic moments of Secretary Ji Yeong. Coming from watching Lee El in “My Liberation Notes”, I like her so much better here. She’s perfect as the loyal dog. However, I am most impressed by Lee Se Young as our zombie/priestess. She was young then, and was able to portray the innocent zombie well (and her mannerisms), yet also the complicated feelings of the evil priestess. No wonder she continued on to deliver excellent performances in “The Crowned Clown” and “The Red Sleeve”. Our female lead Oh Yeon Seo also gave a pretty good performance, but I think Lee Sung Gi, Cha Eung Won and Lee Se Young might have overshadowed her a little.
Romance - I enjoy watching the slow-burn romance of Oh Gong and Sam Jang. Because there are so many episodes, the back-and-forth question of whether Oh Gong’s feelings for Sam Jang are real lasted a little too long and became repetitive. I do think they have good chemistry and it doesn’t hurt that we got a few good kisses. On the other hand, the tragic love story of Ma Wang and Princess Iron Fan is a little lacking. I don’t think the drama is showing us enough about their love for us to understand Ma Wang’s pain. Instead of gazing at the princess’ painting repeatedly, why not provide us with some flashbacks of their times 1000 years ago? Show us how their happy lives were before. How did a demon and deity get married and have a child? How did she steal souls for her son? I just needed more.
Bromance/Frenemies - I quite like the dynamics between Oh Gong and Ma Wang. They act like rivals, trying to con and outsmart each other. They will lie and hide the truths. Yet at crucial times, they care and help each other out. Their interaction is interesting, but I do think Ma Wang’s complaints about his bull acting as a coat hanger got a little repetitive.
Ghost Stories - The ghost/evil spirits stories are not as memorable as the episodic stories as in “Mystic Pop Up Bar” or “Tomorrow”. They don’t carry as much weight, only seem to exist to move the plot along to show that Oh Gong will save Sam Jang at all times.
Other Random Observations:
1. I like all the random but casual celebrity name drops
2. Great fashion for the whole cast - I love FL’s long coats, even though they are all black
3. Watching this in 2022, the special effects were not that great.
4. Great OST - like all the songs
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This review may contain spoilers
Plot holes and inconsistent pacing - but Interesting general plot and good Acting
Completed - 6/6/2022 - 7.75 rating, rounding up to 8.0 because of the good-looking cast (LOL)I am watching this 2016 drama in 2022, so I am aware that the CGI and technology 6 years ago were very different from today. I might criticize what I don’t like, but it won't affect my rating (that much).
“The Mystic Nine’ follows the story of the nine grave-robbing families and it spans quite a few years’ time. It was great to see these famous actors and actresses when they were quite young and fresh-faced, especially Zhao Li Ying and Yuan Bing Yan.
What I Like:
1. Overarching Plot - I find the general plot of the drama quite interesting. This is my first tomb-raiding drama and instead of just raiding tombs after tombs, we have internal power struggles amongst the 9 families and within the government, while having Japanese invasion as the backdrop, as in most Republican era dramas.. We also have two romances that are quite central to the plot. This drama has a little of everything to please a pretty varied crowd.
2. Fight Choreography - Although this is not a wuxia drama, I find the fight scenes pretty good. Yes, they did have the slow-motion sequences and over-the-top spinning, but for the most part, we did not have chopped up scenes. You can see continuous fighting, especially by our main male lead, Zhang Qi Shan. William Chan played his character well and you can see he put in effort to fight (and looks damn good in doing so). It was also fun to see Hu Yun Hao as Chen Pi, uses his chain-weapon (I don’t know what it’s called).
3. Smart Characters - It’s always such a relief to see smart characters in a drama. No one makes dumb decision, no character is naïve and simple. They are all smart in their own ways and use their talents to solve different crises. I was initially worried that I won’t like Zhao Li Ying’s character. I worry she’s the annoying, cute, naïve type. Fortunately, she turns out to be smart, logical and quick-thinking. A perfect female counterpart to our male lead.
4. Songs - There are only three songs in the soundtrack and each one has its own flavor. The opening theme song, "My Clan (我门)" sung by William Chan, is upbeat and fits the action genre. The second song, "Returning Soul Door (还魂门)" sung by Anson Hu, is a ballad and gives me all the romantic feels, especially scenes between Er Ye and Ya Tou. The ending theme, "Dian Yu Si (典狱司)", sung by Li Nan feels like a homage to Lang Zhang and his character as Er Ye. It’s pop/rap with a dash of Chinese opera. This is also the only drama that I remember where they switch the scenes during the opening themes. The drama tries to keep you interested, but I avoided them because of potential spoilers. I also enjoy seeing the BTS and interview clips during the ending theme. However, the song is too loud that I can’t hear what the actors/actresses are saying as there is no subtitle except for the interview by Australian actor, Andrew Charles Stokes.
5. Costumes - Because we have a good-looking cast, they all look good in their suits, dresses, casual and formal wear. I personally enjoy how dashing William Chan is in uniform and suits, and when he’s topless (Sorry!) However, I also really like the cheongsam that Lay Zhang wears. Since his character, Er Ye, is an opera singer, he’s usually in more traditional attire. I love his bright and patterned cheongsams, especially the one that’s red and white.
What I Don’t Like or Have Mixed Feelings:
1. Pacing/Writing/Plot Holes - As much as I enjoy the general plot and characters of this drama, the pacing is quite inconsistent. I think the drama spends way too much time in the first half of the drama on the Japanese/US/Chinese politics while introducing all the characters. There wasn’t enough time spent on the actual tomb raiding and the romances. For a 48-episode drama, the ending episodes should not feel rushed. There should be enough time to tell the ending arc without editing out scenes (or not shooting the scenes) in the last three episodes. I am also not satisfied with the ending of our villains. Additionally, why introduce all 9 families in one big montage in the last episode, instead of slowly introducing them throughout the drama. Events were told after the fact, instead of showing us what actually happened. It was quite disorienting as I thought I fell asleep and missed something (no I did not fall asleep) There are so many illogical and inconsistent scenes and plot holes in this drama, that I wonder if it’s the screenwriters’ fault or censorship.
* Poking holes in blindfold with thin needles shouldn’t let you see through.
* Suddenly everyone could go down to this dangerous tomb in the last arc, when it was so challenging in the beginning.
* Where did the cursed hair go in the last tomb raiding when it was such a big deal before?
* I guess even though you have Wanted posters all around town, it could all be forgotten when a certain plotline is completed.
* After not knowing where the third copper meteorite was for hundreds of years, all of a sudden everyone knows where it is.
* Our main lead can never die or hurt badly even though he was shot and slashed many times
* It was so anticlimactic when our main lead woke up from his trance.
* Hypnosis can be done when someone is in a coma?
2. Romances - Zhao Li Ying (Xin Yue) and William Chan (Qi Shan) have pretty good chemistry. However, for most of their relationship, Qi Shan always keeps Xin Yue at arms’ length. There isn’t enough romantic interaction between the two that shows me Qi Shan likes Xin Yue as much as she does. I don’t think the drama shows the development of their romance adequately. The romance between Er Ye and Ya Tou is also lacking scenes of telling WHY they are so in love with each other. The flashbacks only show how Er Ye saved Ya Tou and it seems like they haven’t seen each other for a very long time. Once Ya Tou is saved, I wish for more flashbacks of them falling in love. The drama did show/tell us they are so very deeply in love, but I want to see how that happens, since their love is such a big part of the storyline. Similarly, what did Ya Tou do to Chen Pi to make him fall in love with her? Just a bowl of noodles when he was young? Since there are so many repeated flashbacks why not show us more of how it all happened?
3. Green Screen/Dubbing - Ok, it’s 2016 and the green screen scenes are bad. It’s very obvious that green screen technology back then wasn’t and it’s especially obvious with the motor cycling scenes. The dubbing is bad where the sound is not matching the mouth movement. I am especially annoyed with the voice of our Australian actor. His actor is actually not bad, his voice and the fake foreigner Chinese accent are very annoying.
Overall, if you don’t mind plot holes and inconsistencies, the general plot is interesting and the acting is pretty good. If you are a fan of the actors/actresses, it’s worth a watch (I watch this for William Chan). However, it’s a big 48-episode investment.
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Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita dake desu ga
5 people found this review helpful
Only watch it if you are a fan of contract relationships/marriages
Completed - 3/31/2022Contract Relationships/Marriages is one of my favorite tropes. I was willing to overlook this drama's flaws when I binge-watched 7 episodes in one go. I had a lot of fun, and I laughed and cried with the characters. The next day, my previous enjoyment and passion died down. I became more annoyed in the last 3 episodes of the drama. My initial 8.0 rating on day 1, went down to 7.5 at the end of the drama, and that's mostly because I like contract marriages.
This drama also has one of my least favorite things - misunderstandings between the leads. It was fun and cute for a while, esp. when we have a male lead who is anti-social, introverted, and inexperienced in love. I found his totally adorkable, even though he could be rude. The reason for going into a fake marriage seems interesting (but bizarre) enough for me to continue watching. He's a cute and dorky white asparagus (it must be the asparagus-like hairstyle). But the repeated misunderstandings due to lack of communication or miscommunication just becomes too much. The adorkableness of the male lead also wanes when he still acts so dumb in the last few episodes. No matter how inexperienced he is, he is still a 30-year old guy who is a professional working at an advertising agency. He clearly demonstrates his intelligence at work, but why not in his personal life? I was also annoyed that a lot of time was spent on the unrequited love for his sister-in-law. I understand it's an important plot of the drama, but I feel that it just drags on for too many episodes. But if the drama doesn't focus on the sister-in-law, there isn't enough content to last for all 10 episodes.
Unfortunately, I am not sure I would recommend this drama. If you like contract marriages, then it might be worth a try. Otherwise, don't bother. Oh, the drama does have a cute grumpy cat. 🐱 So, if you are a cat person (which I know many MDL'ers are), it's worth a shot when you have nothing else to watch. LOL.
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FL who is way ahead of her times. Power Couple + Amazing Chemistry
Completed - 3/23/2022 - 8.25 ratingI believe many are attracted to "The Autumn Ballad" because of the two main characters. It's rare these days to have an original script and not any IP adaptation. I believe this drama was shot back in 2020 but isn't aired until early 2022. With an original script that's only a couple years old, it's really great to see scriptwriters spending time on strong and interesting characters, such as Liang Yi (ML) and Qiu Yan (FL). They are both flawed but interesting.
What I Enjoy:
1. Qiu Yan (FL) - It's not a surprise that I like Qiu Yan. It did take me a while to get used to the acting, but as a whole, Qiu Yan is a refreshing female lead. She is way ahead of her times. She sounds like a modern girl stuck in a historical drama. She wants gender equality, she wants to fight for injustices, she wants to have the freedom to do what her heart desires, and she doesn't give in to fate or traditions. On top of that, she's smart throughout the whole drama. How nice is it that we don't have a female lead who loses her intelligence after she falls in love? How nice is it that she actually helps devise plans to save people instead of the one being saved? There really isn't that many smart female leads out there. On top of my head, I can only think of Wei Ying Luo (Story of Yanxi Palace) and Jun Jiu Ling, who are smart from start to finish.
2. Liang Yi (ML) - We are seeing more and more grey male leads and I am loving it! Liang Yi is smart, ruthless, scheming, and evil. But he's also loving and caring and will do anything for his love. His best quality is that he supports Qiu Yan's dreams, knows when to let go and really wants what's best for her even if it hurts him deeply.
3. Actors' own voice - With a quick search, it seems like almost all actors/actresses are using their own voice, except for Kabby Hui who played Qiu Min since she's from Hong Kong. It's really rare to have a period/historical drama that is over not overdubbed. It really adds to all the emotional scenes and the audio enjoyment of the whole drama. I do think that Jeremy Tsui needs to better enunciate his words. If you are just reading subtitles, it might not matter. But if you want to learn Chinese along the way, I find that he mumbles a little. But I will take a little mumbling over dubbing any time of the day. Besides, his voice is so deep and sexy. LOL
4. Main Romance - Qiu Yan and Liang Yi have such great chemistry throughout the drama. This started from when they were enemies and bickered all the time in the first 1/3 of the drama. When this slow-burn romance continues to develop, I just can't wait for them to get together. I am usually a fan of slow-burn romances but for this drama, I actually want them to hurry up! That's how amazing their chemistry is. I want to see some cute and fluffy scenes between them because you know they will continue to bicker and their sweet scenes are not going to be the typical rom-com sweetness.
What I Don't Quite Enjoy or Feel Lukewarm:
1. Ending - I've read complaints about the final plot twist in the last episode. Without going into spoiler mode, I do agree that it's unnecessary. I see where FL is coming from, but there's no way in hell that ML will believe her. It's evident how smart ML is and how well he knows FL. Why bother?
2. Secondary Leads - I am not a big fan of Qin Xuan (2ML). Even though he is very nice and sweet, I find him quite boring and don't see any chemistry between him and FL. I just want him to go away. On the other hand, I've never liked Qiu Min (2FL) from start to finish. Even when she's timid and shy, she seems too manipulative to me. She would cry and then let FL do all the dirty work for her, so she won't end up being the bad person. I can't stand her obsession with Qin Xuan. I find her resentment dissolving way too easily in the final episode. Why do we always have evil 2FL who are jealous, backstabbing and manipulative?
3. Investigation Plot - I am lukewarm towards the different crime/investigative storylines in this drama. There isn't a whole lot of excitement because our leads are so smart that they see through everything. There was never a time when I was worried for them.
4. Fight scenes - I know this is not a wuxia drama but the fight scenes are mediocre.
Other Observations:
* There's way too much make up on Jeremy Tsui's face. He looks so white. If he is a little tanned, he would be so much more good-looking.
* I noticed this in "Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2" as well that Jeremy Tsui seems to slouch a little. He is always looking down eve when he's not talking to someone, and his neck is slightly protruding forward? Am I being weird and imagining it all?
* I don't understand the sisterhood between Qiu Yan and Qiu Yan. Does Qiu Yan hate her elder sister or not? At times, she seems to resent and hate her, and then turn around she would be all sisterly.
* Acting is OK all around. No one is especially amazing, and no one sucks. Jeremy does have very expressive big eyes.
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Need to turn off my brain to enjoy - then it's a funny, adorable drama.
Completed - 3/12/2022Watching “My Girlfriend is an Alien” in 2022 might have brought me in a more cynical and critical mood when rating this drama. I might have liked it more if I watched this in 2019 and am a newbie to romantic comedies. Unfortunately to me right now there are elements in this drama that I don’t quite appreciate or enjoy. There are plot holes and inconsistencies but if I could turn off my brain and just go for the ride, it’s enjoyable, funny, low-stress and full of laughs.
I would recommend this drama to those who:
1. Love adorable female leads who are not especially dumb or naive in rom-coms
2. Like bickering between the leads
3. Enjoy a somewhat low-stress, no angst, easy-to-watch drama
4. Are OK with uncomfortable/sensitive treatment of characters
5. Don’t mind annoying 2FL and simple ‘villains’
6. Don’t mind misunderstandings
There are already many reviews for this drama so I’ll just write 1 thing I like best and 1 thing I like the least. I agree with most of the critical/negative reviews in the review section.
(+)
Our Leads:
Wang Peng played our funny and cute alien, Xiao Qi. I am glad that her adorableness did not border on being overly annoying and naive. I have seen Wang Peng previously in “When We Were Young” and “Crush”, and I have to say she looks the prettiest in this drama. I’ve never found her to be that pretty, but maybe her makeup and her character’s personality make her super attractive to me. It’s also funny that you saw clips of “When You Were Young” shown on TV in this drama. Wang Peng’s acting is on her usual level as I’ve seen in her previous dramas. She plays the cute yet stubborn Xiao Qi pretty well.
Bie Thassapk Hsu, plays the cold-on-the-outside but warmhearted male lead, Fang Leng. This is my first drama of his and I am quite impressed with his acting. I didn’t find him bland when he’s playing the cold CEO role, and I enjoy watching his more emotional scenes. Additionally, he is so handsome, looks good in both suits and casual wear, mm… shirtless as well. Xiao Qi and Fang Leng have great chemistry in this drama and is the drama’s biggest selling point. They bicker and fight, don’t really declare their love for each other but you know how much they care for each other.
(-)
As much as I want to caress Fang Leng’s muscular chest as Xiao Qi, I became increasingly uncomfortable seeing him fondled like that throughout the drama. The whole plot with Xiao Qi being uncontrollable with the smell of pheromone just becomes a way for uncomfortable, double-standard sexual harassment. I can’t deny I laughed when it happened for the first couple times, but then my brain cells kicked in and asked, what if it’s a man fondling a woman’s breast, is that funny? Additionally, there’s a lot of wrist grabbing, ML pushing FL against the wall and manhandling her. Some might find this to be romantic but I can’t seem to turn off my brain and just enjoy the ride. Because of all this, I can’t give this drama a rating higher than 7.5. It would be lower if I didn’t enjoy the leads acting and chemistry.
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Mature romance + beautiful scenery + rural village life
Completed - 3/10/2022 - 8.25 ratingAs my journey to explore more Thai BL dramas continues, I came across this highly rated drama. I was in search of a drama that is not about high school or college students, but a more mature drama. I am glad I came across "A Tale of Thousand Stars". The majority of the drama was spent in a rural village. The beautiful opening theme already sets the mood for me.
Our male lead received a new heart and wanted to fulfill the wishes of his organ donor, and traveled to become a volunteer teacher in a rural village. I would say the story is quite predictable and there aren't any crazy plot twists. We know our male lead, Tian, had to adjust to life without luxuries or even city-life basic necessity such as water and electricity. We know he's going to encounter some challenges with the villagers and that he's going to fall in love, and had to leave the village eventually (or not?). None of this is surprisingly, but that doesn't deter me from enjoying it.
"A Tale of Thousand Stars" is the only BL drama I've watched to date that has the least amount of physical contact or public display of affection between our two leads. This does not mean their romance is not good. In fact, you feel their deeper connection through conversations and actions. The chemistry between Tian and Phupha is sizzling. You can feel the attraction and the hesitancy in crossing the friendzone boundary. For a stern character such as Chief Phupha, he's quite flirty and suggestive with Tian. Yet, he's also so shy when his friends question his feelings for Tian. Tian on the other hand, is supposedly the younger and more outgoing of the two, yet he's the passive one in the relationship in expressing his feelings. Looking back, I do not think they outright confess to each other, but it's without a doubt that they are very in love.
I really enjoy learning about the food, livelihood and traditions of this Thai rural village. I I actually also quite like the house that Tian was staying at. I might not survive without electricity and running water, but I like the wooden house and feel of it. We also see many beautiful scenery of nature - luscious mountains, view from top of the mountain, view from off the cliff, forests and grassland.
The acting of the leads is pretty good, but not amazing. I like Mix's acting more than Earth's, especially with the more emotional scenes. There are times I find Earth's acting a little emotionless, unless he's smiling shyly and then I melt. 😊 But overall, I think Mix did a better job. I can't deny what a handsome fellow Earth is. I criticized "Bad Buddy" for its fanservice of excessive shirtless scenes, and I was glad I didn't feel that way with Earth. On another note, I think Earth was using his real voice singing and I love it. Was he also playing the instrument for real? It seems like it. I really like all the young actors/actresses in this drama. I think the students acted better than many of the adult side characters/villagers. The 'villains' are quite underwhelming.
I do find the pacing of the drama a little inconsistent. I was very interested in the first 5 episodes, but then it seems to slow down a in the middle episodes. I also find the last episode to be a little slow - too many slow motion scenes and flashbacks. I am probably not the only one who wanted to see more cute scenes between the leads, and not just the last couple minutes. I know product placements are needed, but it is quite weird to see the snack mix popped up so often in a rural village.
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