Reviews

Not too good but also not bad

This drama is not such extraordinary kind but you won’t get disappointed for watching this because except how they executed the story everything is good enough to spend our valuable time like cinematography, background music and songs, chemistry and romance. Still why I am feeling unsatisfied is everything is easily predictable and also the ML who is 900+ years old acts like 10 years old child (may be to match the FL who is sooo bubbly), or may be because the ML is social outcast kind, if so it is still unacceptable because he was the general of his army and he was matured on that time.
I must appreciate the cameraman, cinematography, choreography, music and songs, so many times I was stunned thinking that which special effect camera they are used in this drama and once again the music and songs with that situation is really heart-felting one. And one more thing what I felt disappointed is when ML disappears she went for some blind dates and she develops feelings to someone(even though he his her loved one but she didn’t knew on that time) even though she was unclear about her previous love and also she knew that she was the bride of some one whom she love very much or may be I interpreted it in a different or a wrong way may be the director intend to show that the love is that kind of magic even though you don’t have memory (about him) but you will have the same feeling with that right person.
In an over all I can only say this is good drama in all aspects but poorly executed.

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With 135 episodes, definitely not a drama that I would watch again. I thought it was well acted by all. I especially liked the fact that Heo Joon's character wasn't a squeaky clean character from the beginning but morphed into the great man that he became over time.

Only the second time seeing Kim Ju Hyuk (Heo Joon) in a drama but definitely a fan of both Nam Goong Min (Do Ji) and Park Jin Hee (Ye Ji). Go Doo Shim (as Heo Joon's mother) as always is a consummate actress. I was impressed with Park Eun Bin (Da Hee, Heo Joon's wife) because there is a 20 year difference in their age (yeah, I was shocked too) but she held her own from start to finish. The rest of the cast was great. There are a couple of the younger actors (who remain nameless) that I will be looking forward to in the future.

Overall, this is a drama only medical and sageuk watchers would possibly appreciate. I don't recommend it otherwise.

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I enjoyed watching this edition to the OCN's Vampire series. It was nice to have new chracters, lure and dynamic added to this fictional world. Lee Joon definitely played his part as Yoon San. The reason the series worked out so well for me was the main cast. They all conveyed their chracters very well. The writers did a good job of mentioning V.Prosecutor that has gotten me excited hopefully for the third season. Seeing Min Tae Yoon and Yoon San on one screen would make me really happy. Can't wait for the next season. If you liked V. Prosecutor you will most likely like this drama as well. The action and cinematography are all done in traditional OCN fashion.The music is forgettable but works with the story. Acting is portrayed realistically (within this world) and the characters are funny and loveable. I'd rewatch if I was going on an action binge or recapping the whole franchise.

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For those who like male lead

I watched the drama Renascence only because of the male lead. I have watched his other dramas and I really enjoy his acting.
Regarding the drama, I liked it until the 19th episode; the story was somewhat captivating. After that, it became flat. I didn’t like the direction of the plot where she spent the whole day with him to complete her date list and even expressed her feelings by kissing him, but left him the same day. Since she planned to marry the king, why did she give him false hope, especially knowing he was already heartbroken?
Another part of the plot I didn’t like was when she surrendered herself to the king and spent a night with him, although Ye Jun Qing still resided in her heart.
After watching the entire drama, I felt it was a little boring.

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Don't lose patience and keep watching. It may kinda seem boring in first few episode

When I first started watching it was pretty boring. But I challenged myself and got through first few episodes. OMG it was so beautiful after that. When you can understand all the things it seems so awesome to you. Please if you're thinking about watching it then please watch it. It's so good. You won't regret it. And about the age difference i think it's cute. I laughed and cried with this show. There was no unwanted scene. Every episode always ends at cliffhanger. There is some awesome twists in the drama. That's all there is to say. Everyone praises the OST of this show. But I didn't found it that amazing. I mean it was okay.

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Forgiveness Love and Redemption

Weĺl this is my very first review, been watching cdrama for awhile, my last day of my 4 days off and i am happy that eventually i followed my instinct and watched this drama, i read some reviews as well, it is indeed a very long 41 ep it needs patience and time to watch, what i love about this show are the playfullness of both fmale leads and male leads, sure tears will flow, get upset with few characters but i love most the character transformation between the 2 leads, their journey to heal each others pain and eventually falling in love, sure there are no extravagant proposal at the end but they are together, it is an open ended ending, a happy one, what he said to her that whenver wherever she goes he will go, he will follow, he wants to watch the sunset with her till they are old, beautiful love story, the music is so sweet and yet sad to listen, definitely highly recommended ....

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woahh! i'am seriously smitten with mulan, such a powerful and inspiring character, this drama was such a great great drama, it's soo good and addictive, i have NO IDEA WHY ON EARTH IS THIS SOO UNDERATED!!

the cast was perfect although i didn't like the heroine at first, she looked and had the air of a weak little girl while in fact she proved me wrong as her character develops, there is major character developement in this drama, the cast proves to us THEY CAN ACT!

the first part of the story is about this girl named hua mulan who is a great embroider, coincindentally, i have started an interest in embroidery just a week before, this was perfect for me, as a series of killing happens, you'll find yourself trying to solve the death myseries, which is THRILLING!! it'll give you such a thrill and a pleasure trying to solve the crimes, then the story develops to the upcoming of war, where mulan takes us to the battle field, and teaches us the value of comradeship, home and family as well as love, the most exciting part is that she will be leading an army of wei against her lover who will be the general of rouran, okay, no more spoilers....

you want to watch this:

because you're reading reviews about it :b
because mulan is not just fiction, but a real chinese heroine.
because you love thrill and this drama is soo good and so perfect for you.

the rewatch value is low because i don't rewatch dramas.

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This movie's first half excited and fascinated me with it's chase scenes, the serial killer manipulating everyone and the abduction of Kim hye yoon's character. I loved the family part of this movie, especially the mother-daughter relationship. But the last half was extremely disappointing to me. The serial killer's actions were impulsive, but the police were oblivious to them. The police's potrayal, to the very end, was very badly done. For most of the parts in the last half, they showed some chase scenes and some action scenes between the serial killer and the female lead.

The casting was perfect and everyone in their character did an awesome job, especially, Jin ki joo and Wi ha joon. Even though Wi ha joon's character's only job was to swear, hit people, manipulate everyone and getting away after doing some very impulsive actions that explicts shows that he is the serial killer. Honestly, I feel that the latter half could have been better if they didn't try to stretch the movie by showing a lot of unnecessary chase scenes and very predictable plots.

I didn't even notice that the movie had any music because I was just staring at the movie for the sake of finishing it. I really expected something better after watching the trailer and the teasers. I thought it was going to be an intense mystery and a psychological battle between the female lead and a serial killer as there aren't many K-movies that shows something like a mental fight with a female lead. But what happened was that they revealed the serial killer to everyone too soon. They should have gone for some more manipulation from Wi ha joon's character, instead of those impulsive actions. It would have created a fear in the viewer's heart(?).

I am not someone who like action scenes in thriller or mystery movies. So, it might not be for me. But if you are someone who likes action scenes and mystery, then it might be a good movie for you. I would recommend it. But the story didn't seem that interesting to me.

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The reason why the story part gets an 7/10 has more to do with the original novel written by Tong Hua. I would've given Tong Hua's story a 10/10 but the drama version has changed parts of the plot and development of characters to suit the likes of the production, and while not all that bad (some I liked and others not so much) it isn't commanding nor does it leave an emotional impact - an emotional legacy if you will, on the readers like the original does. Tong Hua's story makes you feel for the characters and did what they did, and as depressing as it makes the story - one will be left with a deep impression of each by the end of the book. The drama does rather the exact opposite, manages to make the characters and story more simple but less memorable. Gray areas turned black and white. For those who have read the book and are interested in starting the series, if you don't mind the book being 'watered down' and some of its central elements of subtlety, complexity and pragmatism being exchanged for more romance then this may be what you're looking for.



I understand that most good books out there adapted into television will never quite be what its original created. Nor do I expect it to be as good, that's not a fair standard to judge any adaptations by. However it seems out of touch with the mood and style of the original, which is what sets and moves the story along all the developments and contrasting relationships between characters.



Moving on, I think the drama is inconsistent. It either gets UNNECESSARILY draggy (had no business being such for those parts) or it moves too fast on things that could use more development or elaboration to say the least. The only thing that remains constant throughout is that the series eventually gets better - the best parts of the series are near the end.



By far the weakest link is the chemistry. There is none between the leads, and that is the make or break factor for a story that bases heavily off that. You will find yourself much more impressed by the secondary characters and their relationships than the leads.This is Angelababy's first TV series and I actually think she does a fairly decent job although her acting leaves much to be desired. Unfortunately the chemistry with her two male leads is also affected because of it. There is no standout performance in this, but a few decent performances in particular among the supporting leads and other secondary characters.



It is a very visually stunning series, with gorgeous costumes, sets and people. However I will probably selectively rewatch this for the good parts near the end.

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What a Great Comedy!

What a hilarious show! The number of comedy is extremely generous. This you can make you laugh, cry, then laugh again. The storyline doesn't need anything complicated.

Unfortunately this show is far from flawless. The big names in this movie are somewhat a waste. With Jung Seon Ji having two personalities, I thought Yoona will have to play two characters. However, the day version of Seon Ji doesn't seem well developed. Character Jung A Ra and Hui Beom are both just cosmetics, their involvement is far too minimal. Also the story itself has a big letdown at the end. Actually, nothing wrong with the jar plotline. But why the jar has to be buried and placed under the boulder when it's just kimchi inside???

Still back to the first point, it's a show with generous number of comedy!

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Forever my favorite japanese bl ever..

Since i just watched the new movie that came out for them on kisskh with ai subtitles, it was kinda confusing at times since the caption wasn't always correct, but its really easy to understand after. This movie was as amazing as the series and i really don't care what anyone says, if its a toxic relationship, no its not, its just a lot more realistic and not all happy like some shows are. Its such a deep meaning inside of this movie and all the shows and i absolutely love it. I don't write reviews at all but i just had too. Please make sure to watch it ( after watching both series of my beautiful man though). It will forever have such a personal space in my heart and it kinda hurts knowing this is it and i have to let it go, but thank you so much for making such an incredible show/movie. Its a one of a kind experience i hope for everyone to enjoy, thank you so much whoever read this and i hope you enjoy as much as i did!

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Emotional LGBTQ+ Coming-of-Age Story

"I felt like a guest at a cult meeting"

Based on a web novel which was already adapted into a drama, "What She Likes..." is an emotional LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story about Jun, a closeted high school student struggling with his homosexuality, and Sae a BL manga obsessed classmate that develops feelings for him.

I'm a bit torn about this one. Overall, I did enjoy it and thought it was a touching story with beautiful cinematography and some heart-wrenching moments. My main issues were how unrealistically they resolved some of the conflicts they were dealing with. The way they brushed over some characters and themes lessened the impact for me. Moreover, they should have focused more on Jun as the main lead. One could argue this was about Jun and Sae which is true to a certain extent and there were aspects I really liked about these two. However, considering that this, at its core, is a queer story, I would have preferred a louder voice from the queer character instead of the BL loving classmate.

In conclusion, this was an intriguing movie that while it does have its flaws still managed to move me. I quickly have to mention Kamio Fuju's performance as Jun. I genuinely feel he's a talented guy, who's nuanced portrayal of Jun stood out to me the most.

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Goodbye Solo isn’t your average Kdrama. Its more like an indie movie that lasts 16 episodes. The way its shot makes you feel like your watching a documentary featuring characters that give you a sneak peak into their world.

The story actually isn’t anything new or special and there’s no exciting moments or surprises/twists. You won’t laugh or experience gut wrenching emotions. The romance also isn't anything special. However, one thing that this drama does have is fascinating characters.

There are many main characters so a lot of the scenes are just them interacting. What makes that so fascinating is that all the characters come with a past their not proud of but together they overcome these pasts and loneliness to find their own happiness. To me that’s what the title means is trying to convey. As each episode passes by you want to know more about these characters. What brings these characters to life are the amazing actors portraying them. All 6 main actors did a very believable portrayal. I think the stand out though was Kim Min Hee. Her character kind of seems bi polar but she has this way of making Mi Ri make sense. Na Moon Hee plays Jalmoni that grounds the main characters. She plays a deaf/mute character and although she has no spoken lines her amazing acting shows through her facial expressions. She gives a very moving performance.

To some, this drama might not be their cup of tea but for people who want a more realistic drama with fascinating characters I dare you to give this a try. I usually don’t like realistic dramas like this one but I was pleasantly surprised and took away life lessons.

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Good to watch if you're bored

STORY: Way too rushed. It could've been more interesting if they handled it properly, and focus more on some points. The story had potential, but sadly they tried too much for the screen-time that some couples/actors had. There are 4 main couples (or maybe 3 main couples and one side couple, but I'm not sure since the cast says that all of them were main roles), which is too much even for the typical thai bl dramas, that usually consist of 13-15 1-hour episodes. This one, though, had 15 episodes of 25 minutes each. You see what I mean? Too little time for that, but they still tried to do it. Still, the drama was pretty cute and funny. If you look for something deep or with an unique storyline, this is definitely not the one, but if you just want some entertainment and fun, this should do it.
I'm pretty sad that they didn't clarify the relationship beetwen Plod and Kaowkla at the end, they were my favourites (Plod is so cute I'm literally in love lol).

ACTING/CAST: For actors that are new to the industry, they did a pretty good job. They weren't the best, but since only Mark and Run (Kun and Thann in the series) had some experience, that was understandable. However, for the ones that hadn't any experience, I think Ohm (Plod) and the one that played Kavin (I don't know his name sorry) were the most outsanding. Mark and Run did a good job as well.

MUSIC: Nothing special, it was ok. It went well with the scenes, in my opinion.

REWATCH VALUE: Maybe I'll watch it again one year or two years later if I'm really bored lol.

OVERALL: It was ok, too rushed but fun if you've got nothing to do, even more with this whole corona situation if you are stuck at home like me. It is funny, and I liked the effects that they put sometimes on actors, they were funny as well. More comedy than romance honestly, but that was ok too.

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The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

This is the spy thriller that I will compare all other Republican period spy thrillers to going forward. It is that good. Each of the engrossing 61 episodes just flew by and I haven't been able to watch anything else since. I put this off for a long time due to poor reviews of the female lead's performance, which unfortunately is beyond dreadful. The rest of the cast however, is so phenomenal that they more than make up for it, to the point that the rating simply does not do justice to this drama.

Set in 1940s Shanghai during the Wang Regime (Japanese puppet government), Chen Shen works for his best friend Bi Zhongliang who heads up the Special Operations Division. At surface, he is an indolent playboy, an aspiring barber until he was propelled into a position of favor and authority for saving Bi Zhongliang's life. In reality, he is a double agent loyal to the CPC. Things get complicated when his former student and true love Xu Bicheng and her husband Tang Shanhai are assigned to the Special Operations Division. The paranoid Bi Zhongliang eyes them with suspicion because Bicheng is his superior and rival Li Moqun's niece. He is already under growing pressure from both Li Moqun and their ultimate superiors, the Japanese for failing to capture the notorious communist spy Sparrow.

The overarching plot of this drama is rather simple and clean. The main communist and nationalist protagonists have just one mission; to steal the Return to Zero plan hidden within the Special Operations Division. The antagonists are aware of this and use this knowledge to try to trap them into revealing themselves and to capture Sparrow.  The subplots and unpredictable way the storyline unravels with many twists along the way are largely driven by the characters as they react to stressful life and death situations that force perilous split second decisions. One of the weaknesses in storytelling is that the writers resort to coincidences and sheer luck a little bit too often to facilitate twists or bail the main protagonists out of tricky situations. Nonetheless it all comes together to deliver an intense aura of suspense that builds towards the thrill of unexpected victories, shocking betrayals, blindsiding plot twists and sudden death.

Chen Shen is the perfect spook - he is on the one hand an innocuous ladies man; a charming, stylish teetotaler who can't even bring himself to fire a gun. Yet he manipulates Bi Zhongliang masterfully; ruthlessly stoking and soothing his insecurities at the same time. This is by far the most fascinating relationship in the drama. Although he mistrusts Chen Shen, Bi Zhongliang is also touchingly sincere and protective of him. Chen Shen's feelings towards him are complex; they have an unusual bromance that pulls them together regardless of the fact they are on opposite sides. Chen Shen is not only the most intriguing character in the drama, he is also considerably more ruthless and manipulative than the main antagonists. This is by far Li Yifeng's most memorable role to date, well complemented by Zhang Luyi's disarming portrayal of Bi Zhongliang. The dialogue is sophisticated, pointed, witty and laced with sarcasm and dark humor that often relieves suspenseful tension with laugh out loud moments and encapsulates the complex character dynamics.

Even though I am a huge sucker for morally ambiguous characters like Chen Shen, there are almost too many moments where Zhang Ruoyan's Tang Shanhai eclipses him. And it is not just because he looks so incredibly scrumptious in a suit. Too often the second male lead is dumbed down to elevate the male lead. While it is true that Tang Shanhai is not quite the consummate spy that Chen Shen is, Zhang Ruoyun pulls this off without portraying Tang Shanhai as less intelligent; just a tad less ruthless, a tad less composed and a lot more heart. He is thrust into many parallel situations with Chen Shen but the way he processes and reacts to the situation, how he is clumsier at manipulation, how his remorse is more visible; makes it clear that he is a less hardened spy. His relationship with Chen Shen evolves from rivalry and distrust into mutual respect and a grudging friendship that compels the two to work together when their interests align. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a recurring motivator in this drama that pits multiple characters alternately with and against each other.

The female lead, Xu Bicheng is by far the drama's weakest link. Unlike many, I don't think the writing is the problem; on the contrary I find the character to be one of the best written, most complex female roles out there. Bicheng is a flawed character; stubborn to the point of recklessness with a bleeding heart for lost causes who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is also often underestimated, can be very cunning, is a fantastic liar when cornered and is able to manipulate both Chen Shen, Tang Shanhai and Tao Dachun into doing what she wants and her character undergoes tremendous growth. None of these positive aspects are conveyed by the acting because Zhou Dongyu is a very limited actress who just lazily recycles the same four boring, mopey, terrified and pitiful expressions throughout the drama. The only things she does well is child ugly cry and child uninhibited smile from the heart. Which is wonderful... if she were playing a child. In this role, it is at odds with the role of a woman in her mid twenties, a spy and a married woman for crying out loud. It is also obvious no one ever told her it does not suit her naturally rather mature facial features and incredibly grown up styling in this drama. She fails so badly at projecting that je ne said quoi that has every man fall in love with her that its not even fitting to call her a Mary Sue even though she does need constant rescuing. I could not empathize with her at all and couldn't care less what happens to her.

Kan Qingzi was robbed - her Li Xiaonan stole the show and she really deserves top billing as female lead in this show. Her performance puts Zhou Dongyu's to shame even though the character is at surface, less complex and interesting. I normally loathe ditzy, lame characters like Li Xiaonan who are capable of loving wholeheartedly even when it is not reciprocated. But wow, she made me laugh, she made me cry, she made me respect her single-mindedness, I was 100 percent behind her. And that is what a good actor does, it is what every actor in this exceptional cast other than Zhou Dongyu managed to do - impress me with their acting and make me empathize with them even when they play dark or weak characters. Geez even Yin Zheng or especially Yin Zheng managed to make me empathize with his portrayal of the rabid, vicious, cruel and dangerous Su Sanxing.

A criticism of this drama is that love seems to have overshadowed the spy story; that the unrequited love trope is perhaps overused in this drama. While there is some truth to that, this is still very much a spy thriller that is chock full of excellent twists and turns. And the bigger point is that the unrequited love trope is used brilliantly to explore how each of the main characters bestows and responds to unrequited love in completely different ways. I normally approach Republican dramas with a stone cold heart - I go in pretty much expecting everyone to die it is just par for the course. In this one, too many characters still managed to steal my heart and made me bawl my eyes out. That said, the drama ends very fittingly after the final showdown.

My favorite line in the drama is Chen Shen's heartfelt "Please... don't tell anyone you were my student." This is by far the best Chinese spy thriller I have seen to date (August 2021). This is a 9.0 for me but I could easily rate it 9.5 were it not for the appalling execution of the female lead role.

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