Reviews

I am not really into teenage dramas. I was going to skip this one even though I watched 2013, but I saw so many comments in the feed that I decided to watch 2015. I'm glad I did. The plot of the story is really good, but the character development was lacking. Honestly, I didn't really care what happened to the characters as much as I thought I should. It may be because of my age and an actual teenager or younger person would probably enjoy this drama more than I did. The mystery was good, but the ending was anticlimatic.

All of the actors did a good job. That little Kim So Hyun who just turned 16 is no joke. I could tell the difference between the twins Eun Bi and Eun Byul at a glance. She is a talented actress and I hope she doesn't lose that appeal as she grows up. The other actors are good too. I like Yook Sung Jae in Plus Nine Boys and he was cute in this also. I have to say though that some of these people are too old to play high school students and they look it.

The music is good.

I won't rewatch it, but it is rewatchable.

I recommend this for a younger viewer and it is enjoyable for all ages.

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Cliche 1 check, Cliche 2 check ….Cliche 453271 check

So whatever you might look for in a typically cliche storyline ….you’ll be offered everything here ...from the very basic…. plot about contract marriage (ofc with a stupid reason) ... a melting iceberg ofc due to global warming (I mean cold ML becoming all sweet and kind …) a strict mother in law (who’ll eventually fall for our kind hearted cinderella) …. a sweet and cute grandma (who obviously adores FL from the very first interaction )...typical side characters….a bitchy SFL (who lives by the virtue- anything and everything for love) ….and a perfect secretary (free with cold ML's in dramaland ….it’s dramalands special combo) ….a bit sad childhood (why else would he be cold ...we need a reason ...ofc we do ...and they give a very obvious one... like always) ...a typical good for nothing FL’s bff (ahh ...or who else would support our hardworking, a bit too dumb and godess of goodness type FL through her very obvious hardships)…and well there’s no way we can forget our beloved SML(the never acknowledged saviour of our damsel in distress) ….after all we’re to suffer too ….

So yaa as I said if you were to ever have a checklist for cliche’s this drama definitely owns a top spot ...but then when we talk of cliches, we talk of execution ...I wouldn’t say it’s a fresh execution ...but I’ll say it’s a decent attempt ….
You know with those contract marriage to love tropes there’s not much scope for freshness ...but still the leads portray a decent chemistry ...with fun moments scattered all the way …you are in for a decent ride …

Have realistic hopes and the show delivers well …hope for misunderstandings ...hope for SLS (second lead syndrome) hope for a not so necessary leap...hope for typical gender role reversal through horror movies and roller coaster rides (that’s the typical way to describe things...I am not a discriminating fella ...both are allowed to be scared...) ….hope for a lot of cute scenes and laughs...hope for fillers ….hope for a cliched drama ...and there you are ...this drama will meet all your expectations ! (aren’t you wondering ….why am I stressing so much on cliches ….bec the drama wouldn’t exist without them...no not even an ep)

The acting ...on point in most cases ...the third couple storyline was neither interesting nor fresh and I mostly skipped through them ….our main couple ...with a fairly high share of screen time ...do deliver and ...our second leads ….yep they do fit their roles perfectly ….but sadly do feel a bit underdeveloped …!

The company/work setup ...well I won’t say unrealistic ….but too convenient !

For the rest...music ….no I am sorry it didn’t catch my attention ...no rewatch value either….cuz the first watch also feels like rewatch ...lol

So well in short if you are looking for a cliched drama ...this one is a perfect bet ...with cute moments and every cliche you can possibly expect ….this just makes a proper time pass drama !
Hope you enjoy watching ...cuz I did too ...for I knew what to expect ….and this became a good watch !

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This drama would be great and much more enjoyable if it weren’t for the female main character. I have never seen such an unlikeable and annoying main female lead in all the dramas I can remember, so much so that I created an account just to vent my frustration. I have seen many dramas with spoilt rich main leads but they all had some sort of redeeming and enjoyable qualities about them. I do not understand why the writer had to ruin the series like that. The romance was just so forced in this drama. I wish these writers understood that not all series require romance. The female main character is spoilt but not cute, an annoying bully and does not think she is wrong, manipulative and has a ridiculously “everyone has to listen to me” kind of attitude. The writers were probably going for a spoilt but good vibe but it was just poorly done. And the scenes between female and male main characters were supposed to be funny but it was just awkward. The crime solving and two male leads were the only thing that kept me watching. The crime solving scenes and the way it plays out also become repetitive but I could still carry on, it is the female lead that made me want to throw my laptop!

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Everything about this drama is superb. Let me tell you that I only had few little times in my life this feeling while watching some Asian or western show, this amount of excitement, fascination and admiration. I've fallen too deep in this endless hole named Nirvana in Fire and I don't want to go out from here ever. No seriously, this is one breathtaking, majestic piece of art, it crawls under your skin so naturally, so addicting and it stays there, I think forever. Every detail is incredible, from such high and expensive production, brilliant idea and intricate plot, amazing script where each episode was heavy and carefully detailed to magnificent acting, character development and music. I don't think I could ever put in words all the praise I have for this drama nor I think it could ever be possible, it just has to be seen to be understood.

I cried, laughed, cringed, shouted, smiled, raged and did all sorts of things while watching this drama, I even had to make pause of few days cause I didn't want to finish it. Ever. I know, it may seem too subjective, I guess it is but if I take out all too attached feelings still this is a drama which deserves to be praised and greatly received.

The cast was brilliant. From Hu Ge as too intelligent and clever strategist with many secrets and Wang Kai as loyal, brave and reckless prince who were the main leads in this woven plot, to other side characters: funny and dense General Meng, sweetie pie and awesome martial artist Fei Liu, astonishing and beautiful princess warrior Ni Huang, calm smart and always looking relaxed consort Jing, joyful, carefree and weirdly intelligent Lin Chen, crazy over power and greedy Emperor, faithful and innocent Jingrui, the dignified Marquis Yan, the most loyal retainers of Su ge ge, all of them were simply outstanding, list is too long. ;)

The one who shined the most in this drama is no doubt Hu Ge as Mei Chang Su, he was truly amazing. Man who lost everything where he was young, who lived and fought with only one purpose- to avenge his family and all those innocent lost lives of Chi Yan's army. He became a grand and calculating man with intelligence higher than everyone's else. I loved how Hu Ge portrayed him, as cold, emotionless man who didn't let feelings get in the way and cloud his judgement not one single moment, always being rational and moving forward according to his plan which he was making for 12 years. Cause in this game he couldn't afford himself that, otherwise his enemies would easily defeat him. But under that shell he was the same Lin Shu, kind with good heart and will to fight against injustice and evilness. I fell so much for him, his gestures, mind, expressions, movement, everything was really powerful about that man.
And the other one who has won me was certainly Prince Jing. He was opposite of Su Zhe, quick-tempered and disobedient, always hot headed and too reckless but loyal, brave and firm in his decisions, I really respected that side of him, his unyielding morals and fighting for justice no matter what. It was so entertaining to watch two of them bickering, arguing and sharing their opinions, prince Jing was always bringing fear to Su Zhe cause he was the only one who could actually make Su Zhe's plans not going in the way they should and mess something up, I loved their bromance, their powerful bonding, their attachment to each other, they looked so cute, sometimes like a romantic couple. ;) And I think that Wang Kai really nailed it, he is such a talented and great looking actor, looking forward seeing him more in the future.

I enjoyed in the feeling they gave me, their characters so endearing and strong, greatly written indeed. I enjoyed in all of them but those two especially captured my heart along side with little monkey Fei Liu. What is so fantastic and attractive about this drama are so many awesome bromances, friendships, funny moments in all that seriousness and revenge fights, many of those characters were like a family, I loved their talking, their joking around the house, their ultimate protections towards each other, and that subtle, little amount of romance I really really loved, it was such a wonderful addition to all those powerful feelings.

Without even one little dull moment, I can only say KUDOS to the whole production team and the writers. Production quality is so high and impressive with great action scenes, wonderful costumes where even the shades of colours fitted perfectly to the characters who wore them and not to mention settings and sceneries, every scene shot outdoor was really delightful for watching and every scene shot indoor also was beautiful. Effects and CGI look very realistic, which is pretty awesome for some Chinese drama. And the best thing of course is the script, it is something the most important that made this drama to be this breath taking, intense and phenomenal.
Oh well what else did I expect when it's the same team from whom big names like Battle of Changsha (personally my fav.), The Disgusier, All quiet in Beijing and Love me if you dare are from? ;)

So if you like badass action scenes filled with fantastic developed story line, interesting plot with revenge, political maneuverings and intrigues, astonishing melodies (music in this show is so beautiful, whole OST is wow) and if you're into The Count of Monte Cristo kind of feeling then you should definitely give it a try. Plus many eye candies who weren't there just to be eye candy, they actually had a role and importance. ;)
It may seem too confusing in the beginning with introducing too many characters but after a few episodes you''ll get used to it, just don't give up.

I got too attached to this drama, too fascinated by its existence and in such an emotional state I dare to say that I'm anticipating more dramas like Nirvana in Fire, more dramas which will engrave in my heart and capture me in their little world for a lifetime. Thank you. Thank all of you who participated in making this grand and glorious show. I'll never be able nor I ever want to be able to forget this drama, the most wonderful Asian drama with most mind blowing script.

";In this world, there’s no carefree person. If you have desires and feelings, you won’t be carefree."

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It didn't give what it was supposed to give

*Sigh*
I was really looking forward to this one.

I rewatched Go-Go Squid just before I watched Dt. Appledog's time, and I wish I hadn't.

In short, it's no match for Go-Go Squid. My head hurts from how BORING it was. The plot was just okay. I was really hoping for more, but I think the original Go-Go Squid cast is what made it so GOOD. This cast just didn't have the same chemistry as the old one. The sets also didn't feel the same, KK headquarters felt... Cold? The GGS KK headquarters felt like home, but the set they chose to felt so empty.

I was glad to see Hu Yi Tian finally saying sentences, and his chemistry with Li Yi Tong wasn't too bad either. I was rooting for them the whole time but couldn't bear to watch their story through.

I think this drama might be interesting to people who have not seen Go Go Squid, but if you haven't seen it yet watch GGS first! Don't bother with this one :p

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Appreciable attempt...

The literal translation might be "shooting stars" but I still wanna call it "shitting stars" for 2 reasons: firstly, it has 똥:tong (poop) in its original title and the very fact that they've used asterisks (**) for the international title. So, even though many people say it's shooting, the intentions of the makers is very clear, huh!

Produced by "Mays Entertainment" and created by "Studio Dragon", "Sh**ting Stars (별똥별)" is a romcom plus idol-life drama. Written by Choi Young Woo and directed by Lee Soo Hyun, the show was originally broadcasted on tvN while iQIYI took charge of international distribution.

The show could be a romcom drama having the main couple at the center, surrounded by many other lovelines, but deep down, it portrays the life at Entertainment agencies, as personal managers of celebrities and members of a a PR team, all of whom are indulged in cleaning up the mess created by the stars, hence justifying the intended title.

Oh Han Byeol (Lee Sung Kyung) is the PR team Head at Starforce Ent. and a long-time close buddy to the topmost actor in Korea, Gong Tae Song (Kim Young Dae); both of them are like sworn enemies and the story mainly follows their story, as they develop feelings for each other. Kang Yu Sung (Yoon Jong Hoon) and Park Ho Young (Kim Yoon Hye) are two managers at the same agency, while Choi Ji Hoon (Ha Do Gwon) is the director. Cho Ki Ppeum (Park So Jin) works as an ent. reporter whereas Do Soo Hyuk (Lee Jung Shin) is the legal advisor to StarForce.

Other familiar faces in major roles are: Lee Seung Hyub (N. Flying), Jang Hee Ryung, Kim Dae Gon, JunQ (MyName), So Hee Jung, Choi Ji Woo and Jin Ho Eun. There are many rookie actors who did deliver well. Also, you'll see many guest roles including Kim Dong Wook, Lee Sang Yeob, Jang Ki Young, Song Ji Hyo, Moon Ga Young, Chae Jong Hyeop, Lee Ki Woo, Kang Gi Doong, Lee Sang Woo, Park Jung Min, Seo Yi Suk and Lee Joo Woon.

Plot development is average yet decent and likable. The pilot episodes and the follow-up didn't create any impression, ngl. But it suddenly became interesting from the 4th episode, idk why. The furtherance is smooth, with so many up & downs and several peak moments, accompanied by twists and revelations. Except for the first few episodes, I didn't really see it going down or dragged or exaggerated. Imo, the 13th & 14th were the ones where the show was at peak throughout, and everything is put to rest by the end, opening a smooth path for the finale week. Thr ending sequence and the finale ended in a grand way. So overally, it might not be very good in sum development, but it was nice and decent with minimum flaw and damage.

The show as an usual romcom, that too in 2022 did not require immense talent to create, however, maintaining the decent quality throughout is what should matter the most. In my opinion, the writers have been able to achieve so to a great extent, if not entirely. And provided that the writers are both debutants, they should be appreciated and encouraged for this was able to be acknowledged by a huge number of audience. It was a wise choice in their part to make it more about the "behind the scenes" workers than the stars, and also giving sufficient share to each of the couple development, adding the character goals to it.

Lee Soo Hyun PDnim who has debuted only 2 years back, has been able to create about 4 moderately acclaimed pieces and I believe this drama also belongs to the same category. His previous experiences surely has helped though this was his first romcom, unusual of his genre. The decent job in case of screenplay, screen-editing, sound editing, sequencing, etc. should be appreciated. Setup in modern urban vistas, there was no need of visual excellence, and everything has been kept simple. The extraordinary failure of cinematographic work in Africa should deduct a point from overall though.

There are 5 OSTs in total and all likable, perfectly blending to the drama and properly utilised throughout. "Shooting Star" by Nam Woo Hyun is alluring track with tranquil music describing how it feels to be in love. "How I Feel" with Kim Jae Hwan's captivating vocals has a jolly rhythm and a piece of confession. "My secret, My everything" by Sondia and Vincent Blue brings back the vibes of old K-romcom OSTs, I cry every time I listen; their harmony is everything. "Departure from a Country" by SuJu Kyuhyun is a melancholic yet alleviating song with stimulating lyrics. "Won't give up" by Choi Yuree is is a softcore track about assuring one about staying by their side and comforting for ever.

What I liked...

# Chemistry development between Tae Sung and Han Byeol was very fond, sweet and likable. Even though they get together sooner than expected, the follow-up journey was nice as well.

# The second couple (won't say who) were the cutest, I'll cry. I wish they had more screentime as couples or their prior development but I'm actually very happy that the couple existed. Let me cry again. The same goes for the third lead couple as well. Let me informq that there are 6 couples in total and each of them are uniquely heart-winning. Look forward to them.

# Park Ho Young, as a person was sweet and her acting is so adorable no matter the situation. The cheerful character she played, surely will remain in my memory.

# Kang Yu Sung, as a responsible and handsome manager did give me flutters throughout. The man is so charming, I will literally pluck stars for him. The character was well written.

# My Lee Jung Shin did shine in the show as well. Him in formal is paradise. The couple chemistry might have come very late but it was nice.

# The PR team, Manager team and the entire organization have been an amazing experience. I don't think such importance was given before? The office scenes were mixed bags of emotions, depicting various situations.

# Emphasizing mental health issues in idol dramas is common but this show did a good job in exposing variable sides of it and also throwing light upon the "behind-the-scene" efforts from the companies, which might not be entirely real.

# Dae Soo calling Yuna-yaaaa was so funny yet so pleasant, I swear. I will miss that for a while, hahahaha.

# There are more than one bromance in different forms though none of them is greatly emphasized, starting from co-stars to managers then between stars & manager and then stars and staffs, and what not. Each of them were fluffy.

# I love the very way the OSTs has been utilized in the show; not only they're good on their own, the appropriate use during the melodrama is actually well-handled. I don't usually see this as a specific point but this drama made me realize so.

What I didn't like...
# Kim Young Dae's acting was a bit off imo. Outstanding performance should be expected from a lead but I guess he was still not prepared to takeover the ML role. It wasn't bad actually, the thing is he needs more training and polishing, and definitely has the potential to become a good factor.

# Unnecessary crossovers did irritate me. The "Find Me In Your Memory" appearance was fine and relatable but the "Penthouse" one was annoyingly cringey and wasn't necessary. Def felt like a filler.

# The cinematography in 1st ep was disgusting, infact, very much overdone. No, seriously, Africa doesn't look like that irl.

# The less of the 2nd couple came to me as disappointing when I realized that even with the seemingly lees screentime, they outshined the lead couple.

Final Remarks... The pros definitely outweigh the cons: in simple, it was a good show to look forward to. Unlike a lot of people, I think it a fairly average drama with very few flaw, which makes it a decent one time watch, yet something that everyone should watch, provided that these days, old-styled romcom dramas with good production values. Go ahead.

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Unique, refreshing and riveting!!!

This drama has indeed shocked me, I can understand it took a while to air because of various reasons one of them being censorship so let's say I had lost hope that it was going to be as good..or if it was going to even air but it finally did and here we are....

This is definitely one of the best dramas this year...2024 hasn't been the best C drama year so I have to specially thank snowfall for pulling me right out of that slump.....

This dramas had a riveting, refreshing and sort of unique plot..that despite facing issues of censorship managed to keep you engaged and entertained..the story was a mixture of fantasy, action, suspense thrill and a bit of comedy but was also really emotional and heartwarming.

The characterisation was good..the characters especially the main characters were written to be complex but also interesting and also had personality..... except for the villain antagonist that came off as rather aimless and one dimensional but I can put him aside because these other characters made up for what he lacked.

The acting was absolutely incredible, I need to applaud the actors and actresses for devouring and being commited to their roles in a way that made me connected to them and the story.

Gao weiguang's character as Shen zhiheng was absolutely Mature charismatic but also principled, disciplined, kind and dignified..in addition to generating a really strong aura that made me love and appreciate his character.

Ouyang nana as Milan was such a precious Character, I love how she managed to portray a blind character so well, her eye expressions and body language was so convincing..and I loved her character development after she changed....she was smart, witty and charming....she was a great addition to the cast.

Win wins Character as Situ weilan was another amazing character, he was potrayed as grey and witty but also a bit mysterious....and generated this charming era....

These three had such amazing character chemistry and I enjoyed their interactions throughly.

One character I had a problem with was the supposedly antagonist Li yiyang, his character seemed aimless, and cartoonish and one dimensional and I wasn't sure about whether to take him seriously or not..he was so annoying and definitely not entertaining but regardless I have to commend Ryan Ren's acting in some scenes especially in the last Episodes..he did start off as overacting but I loved how he improved towards the end...it was indeed a development.

I must say I also enjoyed...the heart warming relationship between Gao weiguang and Ouyang Nana's characters Shen and Milan...it was heartwarming and beautiful despite them having subtle interactions.....I really yearned to see more of them.

This drama was visually appealing...the costume designs the cinematography everything was shot so beautifully....it was appeasing to the eyes.

The osts and soundtracks were amazing too.

Now which brings me to the part I kind of didn't like but also sort of understood..THE ENDING Iam still collecting my self to describe exactly what I feel about the ending..it felt a bit quick abrupt rushed....it would have sunk in more had it been a little longer...let's just say it definetly broke my heart but the series overall minus those last few minutes of EP 24 was amazing.

Do I recommend it ?

YES skip the last episode if you can't take a heartbreaking ending but watch the rest of the drams the only difference is that you might get too attached and connected as I was which would lead to a heartbreak.

All in all this is one of the best dramas this year!!! For me so I give it a 10 consider it an emotional rating because even if it wasn't the most perfect drama I was still entertained so much to give it anything less than that.....so enjoy!!! It's a nice drama.

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It's against my principles to give anything 10/10 but on mydramalist, I had to for Miss Korea, because a mere 9 would have been a criminal libel. I'm almost pleased that they had LSK looking ridiculous as a "teenager" in a few shots because it gave me the wafer-thin excuse I needed to justify calling this "not 100% perfect" I can't give a list of pros and cons, because there really weren't any cons, so here are the top pros I found most remarkable:


1. ZERO, let me say again ZERO, nada, nil, bupkiss, makjang. Twenty episodes with plenty of grim but no nonsense. The absence of time skips, noble idiocy, zombie spouses etc was so bizarre for a K Drama that its very sanity almost seemed makjang. It was the primary example of

2. The revolutionary idea that viewers might be intelligent adults, and treating them accordingly. Characters who behaved credibly, and stayed in character. When noble idiocy loomed, it was called out as BS, which it always is. Shite happens and the bad guys DO get away with it, but life can go on and happiness can still be found.

3. The music. Really intelligent and well thought out choices, from the best ever use of Mickey and Barbie Girl to the song that ALWAYS makes me think of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi behind chicken wire - Stand By Your Man The music was note perfect and the use of so many English language songs really helped this old man feel the nostalgia feels.

4. The acting. Unlike many, I HATE Pasta to the the core of my soul with a loathing that will burn forever. It was the very first K Drama I ever dropped and I still resent it bitterly for wasting 9 hours of my life that felt like 9 weeks. I could rant about everything I dislike about that Drama for nearly as long as I could laud this one to the skies, which is what makes it relevant here. LSK's performance in this Drama showed that he's an actor, and becomes his character. From partway through Episode 2 I did not even think of him as the loathsome tyrant of Pasta once. A great performance as a real human being. I know that it was the same creative team too, which makes the credibility and humanity of the characters all the more remarkable to me. Oh Jung Se was as reliably awesome as ever, adding one more big black mark to the record of those criminals who wasted his talents in MHIYD

This is also the third Drama in a row where I watched an actress for the first time whose previous works had been panned but who delivered in style.Go Ara, Yoona and now Lee Yeon Hee had all been lambasted as pretty faces who can't act, but all three for me delivered solid performances worthy of commendation. I absolutely loved LYH's delivery of the "You're Mine, and I'm mine" lines, perfectly encapsulating the character she so ably brought to life. And of course, very much unlike Yoona, LYH got a good ...

5. Ending. Perhaps the most remarkable feat of this Drama was its conclusion. It took real courage to end the pageant when they did, but then to give a masterclass in how to wind down a Drama was equally remarkable. In her recap of Episode 18, koala talked about the K Drama fixation with the drama lasting until the last couple of minutes then a quick happy ending as the credits roll. Or a handshake and a smile, which in some parallel Universe apparently counts as a "happy ever after" ending. The alternative to this "cry, hurt, pain, anguish, separation - kiss,smile, fade-out" style is normally a soggy, pointless pile of sap that looks and feels like the fan service it almost invariably is. But here, even when the BIG drama was done and dusted, there were enough smaller dramas to make it feel like a real, ongoing story, even while it wound down toward a truly satisfying happy ending.

At times I reveal a tendency to be a bit hyperbolic in my reactions to negative characters. It's a tribute to the brilliance of the 3-4 episode wind down of this Drama that by the end, all that bile was gone, and I was OK with the two villains getting away with it, actually getting off scot free. Because the Drama eased off gradually and showed the OTP being so perfectly perfect for each other while still being believable human beings, I wasn't left ranting "you call THAT a happy ending, why aren't those two snakes being skinned alive and boiled in oil?" Instead I was (quite literally) smiling and clapping with delight at the ways the Drama surprised me.


I am so indebted to the soompi friend for never missing an opportunity to sing this Drama's praises, and completely understand why he referred to it as the new Gold Standard of K Drama writings. It quite unarguably is, and that is itself a real problem. Even though my tally of 60-something Dramas watched means I'm still a beginner, I'd already got used to lowering expectations and looking only for good characterisation and believable OTP chemistry in the Dramas I choose to watch. Now I feel like I've seen a glimpse of K Drama's own Asgard, where the Drama Gods sup on ambrosial shows we never get to see. The end of Episode twenty meant the beanstalk was hacked out from under me, and my brief ascension to the dizzying heights of this medium's potential was terminated, leaving only very happy memories and the sad conviction that "we will not see its like again" . Except, of course, when I watch all over again from the beginning, this time with my wife.

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The Princess’s Gumboot more like…

NB. Unlike the majority of my reviews this one contains mild spoilers.

To be honest, this drama suffered even more from the comparison to Nirvana in Fire which I’ve just finished watching. I described that as “sophisticated and intelligent” but unfortunately this one is lame, painful and naive. In reality it is a romance in the enemies to lovers trope wrapped up in an intrigue/mystery plot that has about as much twist and tension as a scrunchy. Because whatever happens, you know beforehand that it won’t cause much of a problem to our dashing, devilish hero who will emerge shining bright like a TRESemmé ad with his wig still immaculate.

How do I know that? Because a good plot is one where the odds have real bite and there is both winning and losing, so that the audience is left insecure. But when death is the only stake from the get go, two things become obvious: firstly there will be no gradual increasing of tension and anticipation, only more of the same; and secondly, the hero/heroine can never lose, whatever the circumstances; come hell fire, explosions, high water, incompetent assassins, miracle survivals, impossible escapes and of course, the compulsory memory loss.

Another consequence is a stupid, one dimensional villain, who has to mess it up every time. The character of Prince Wu You was bafflingly extreme and contradictory but not to worry, he was just the aperitif and was soon replaced by another one. Unfortunately, Prince Wu Yin was cut from the same cookie dough but had an added creepily erotic nanny fetish over the linchpin villain of the piece, whose most notable feature was her absence from the majority of the drama. The loss of the only credible villain, Meng Hui Jin about a third of the way through was a sad day for the plot. One wonders if having an opponent equal to the task was something the writer was not skilled enough to handle.

I wasn’t convinced by the love story either. In fact the writer’s level of emotional literacy throughout, especially in the characters of the villains, hovered around zero. If on first encountering someone they try to kill you, just believe me when I say, you really are never going to trust that person again. Then heap on top of that a huge number of dodgy scenarios and a great deal of warranted mistrust and you have an unredeemable situation. So to think that these psychological obstacles could in some way be cast aside (however much two people lust after each other) is totally naive and snuggled-up-safe-in-bed fantasy-land imagining. And there you have it, I suppose I’m just too old and grounded in reality to appreciate this style of storytelling. I assume that this is a known fact to people who choose to read my reviews (and I’m genuinely grateful to you for being one of them), so no surprises here, lol.

This wasn’t a low budget love story. There was a cast of thousands, a big costuming budget and all the trimmings which were on constant display (they’d got them, so they might as well use them type of attitude). Which might go some way to explaining why our intrepid heroine felt it necessary to still wear a barnet full of ornaments and a silk gown whilst rough travelling hundreds of miles on horseback to rescue her brother. But despite all that jingling finery, the drama still didn’t make the cut because the script and the plot was sooo bad.

It began with a perfectly acceptable high stakes drama (if I was generous, a 7.5) and then, almost purposefully, slid down the long slippery slope to end in the farce that was the coronation scene (now plummeted to a 5) before falling apart completely (which is how we arrived at 4). There were too many threads that were hanging loose and not bound together into a cohesive narrative. The last three episodes felt like having to clean up after a party—washing up the characters, vacuuming out the various plot rooms and polishing off the last dregs in the wine bottle just so you can keep going.

As for the dialogue, it was superficial, explainy and lacked any sort of subtlety or emotional intelligence. When characters start explaining their backstory to people who lived it with them, then you know the writer was chucking an all-nighter to get the scene finished before the dawn shoot and patch the holes made by the scenes that got cut earlier on. This happened throughout, but most cringeworthy was Empress Lv in Episode 34.

The acting wasn’t anything to write home about either. But then it’s difficult to excel with banal lines and wooden direction. It’s hard to pick a winner but I’ll back Lui Ling Zi’s performance as probably the best of a very average bunch.

And the soundtrack? Was there one? I’ve forgotten…

However, to end with, there are one or two things that attracted a favourable response from me. I really like the sets for this drama. Particularly the gambling den, with its rich colouring and ambitious costumes. Also the cinematography followed through on that theme, with some dramatic lighting that provided an interesting visual feast (which saved it from a 3.5).

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I Swear if That Boy Don't Remove That Thing On His Face!!!

At some point we need to find out who keeps giving Star Hunter investment to make these nonsense bls, so we can throw eggs at them or boo them in public, cuz what the hell? Just why? Who green lit this? And what was the point of the ugly arse maid custom, and did y’all see that ugly lingerie? Also did that boy put a plastic bag over the lead's head?

Listen, is Star Hunter looking to go out of business or something? Cuz seriously, what the eff was this? Yes, this had a plot, with a start and a middle and an end, but it was executed so badly, with awful acting, cliches, cringe, awkward dialogue, horrible direction, stupid cheesy sound effects, basically, they found a 'do not do list' and said, wanna bet? This whole show was unfortunate. Let me explain:

The lead was naive to the point of stupidity and talked so loud it was like he lived inside a washing machine. The love interest's whole thing was that he was a dirty smelling dude who looked like a creepy uncle and came off as a garbage collector. The second couple were meh, cuz the smaller one was so obnoxious he made me wanna hurl. There was a female couple who could have been replaced by a houseplant and it wouldn't have made a difference to the plot. The lead's friends were annoying and loud, and wasted screen time on nothing. There was attempt at a love triangle, but the rival was so boring and uninteresting, chalk had more personality than him. Another random dude was in love with the dirty love interest cuz he saw his cow photo one time or something. And there was one guy with blond hair who's purpose for being in the drama seemed to be filler person. No really, his whole thing was to fill in the empty spaces on screen. If there was an empty chair, he was sitting in it, if there was white noise, you can bet he was saying something stupid to fill it.

And that was about it, and don't get me started on the cringy arse scene with the 'Can I taste your lips' or 'I am thirsty' crap. Or the ugly arse facial hair that vexed me to no end, why did he have to have it for so long? Oh, and that tv remote bit, where suddenly the lead was no longer acting like he was born yesterday. And the milk. OMG the milk, what was up with the milk?? I mean everyone need a thing but...you know what, never mind. I'm not doing this today, if you're looking for a bad bl show or your time is worth nothing, go ahead and give this a chance.

Star Hunter, thanks for nothing Bob!

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If you want an endearing romcom with explosive chemistry, then I highly recommend this!!

The main characters are truly the star of this show! I really can't be more in love with the main couple, they are the absolute cutest. Yes, the story isn't anything special or new, but the execution and acting of the cast, especially our MCs, makes this drama so much fun and endearing to watch.

The main couple does not disappoint at all; they were charming and adorable from the very beginning until the last second. Their moments do get cringy at certain points, but it's also the kind of cringy that just makes you want to smile. Aside from that, I think the characters as individuals were also very lovable; Jin Bei is so cute & Shi Yun couldn't be any sweeter. I like Jin Bei's boldness, it's quite refreshing, and I love the fact that although Shi Yun is "cold", he's also very caring & isn't afraid to express how he feels. Their relationship was mature, organic, and very engaging. Kudos Ryan Ding and Zhang Yuxi for their amazing chemistry because it was so natural, straightforward, and just absolute fire! I think the actors did a great job and played their parts very well (their kiss scenes were also plentiful & truly a *chef's kiss*).

Although I'm not nearly as invested in them, the side couples were also cute. At the end of the day, I was happy for all of them so I think that's the important thing.

I definitely think that what is lacking in the story is totally made up for by the acting and chemistry. I highly recommend this drama to everyone, even if you think you don't like super fluffy shows (because that was me & I absolutely love it). Will 100% be rewatching this in the near future when I need a cute little pick-me-up.

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