Reviews

Another unnecessary mystery

Out of all the dramas recently that randomly inserted a mystery/thriller subplot (Cheer Up, Crash Course in Romance), I think this one disappointed me the most. I loved the premise of reunited rivals, and the theme of mental health is one that always tugs at the heartstrings without fail.

Instead, I feel like this drama used the mystery as a plot device instead of learning how to develop its characters by themselves, and the mystery itself turned out to be underwhelming anyways. Instead of both our main characters having to deal with life just going wrong sometimes, there was a villain to blame. Everything became a very cliche drama plot, particularly that one already-very-memed trope that I can’t believe they did in 2024.

In terms of the slice-of-life and humor aspect…it worked until it didn’t. I’m actually not a huge fan of this type of “goofy” humor anyways, but at the start it actually worked in the drama’s favor by not treating depression like a life-ending, horrible thing. Over time however, it started feeling like the drama gave up on serious moments in order to have humor.

As the drama progressed, however, it became pretty clear that they didn’t know how to move the plot forwards in organic ways. It became super repetitive with the characters drinking every episode (and yes social media has already called out the fact that they’re not supposed to be drinking while on medication!), and side characters constantly leaking information by accident. Both just feel like really lazy ways to get the characters to talk.

Now — the romance. This is what I was looking forward to the most, but it wasn’t really written in an interesting way. There’s a sort of tension that rivals-to-lovers promises, but with Haneul and Jeongwoo it all felt too easy. Aside from a few reminiscing scenes, the fact that they were rivals ended up having little impact on the plot or their romance.

Even with so much focus on the mystery, it still felt pretty underwhelming. The motivations are weak, there’s no tension in it, it ends really early, leaving you wondering what the rest of the drama is even going to be about.

In terms of the mental health theme, I also just think it ended up not being very deep. There were some well-written moments where it talked about burnout, the stigma of antidepressants, parental expectations, or toxic workplace culture, but the drama never took it one step further and gave it the seriousness it deserved. There were moments where toxic positivity was treated as a funny moment instead of describing its dangers, for example, or how the FL’s brother was a bum and it was mostly played for laughs when it really just felt frustrating since the family theme could have been fleshed out more.

Overall, I know our leads our top-notch actors, though this drama doesn’t really show it. The comfort vibes are like, three-quarters of the way there — it could’ve been helped out by much, much better writing.

Leggi di Più

Did I watch the same show as everyone else?

After watching this, I've found myself so disappointed that I really have to ask myself: did I watch the same show as everyone else?

This was a show I eagerly anticipated watching. I was over the moon (haha) when I heard this drama was airing soon. I was expecting something amazing. A stellar cast, with a celestial horror/mystery? Count me in!!
Looking at the other reviews and comments about this show, it looks like, generally, most people have been really liking this show. So it puzzles me that I had such major issues with this show that it seems that other people did not have. I'm honestly wondering if there's just something I'm missing here.

One of my biggest problems with this show was the characters. I had no problems with the characters during the first episode. They seemed interesting and unique, and I was curious to see where they'd go with Bae Doo Na's character. And I had no doubt that the excellent cast, which was one of the main reasons I was excited for the show, would be able to deliver quality performances.

Where the drama went sharply downhill for me was about the second episode or so. My problem was that I could not understand why the characters were acting the way they were acting. Here's what I mean. As soon as the scientists make it to the space station, it is exceedingly obvious that there's something not right here at all. The drowning victims, the lack of radiation. More importantly, there's the people dying terrifying, unnatural deaths. But during all of this, I could not understand why the scientists seemed to unbothered?? Obviously, they shouldn't start panicking or running around like headless chickens but I feel like they don't seemed fazed enough? There's not enough of a sense of urgency in their actions despite the profoundly distressing situation. It's so bizarre to me I felt like a crazy person watching the show. I just could not understand these characters. Now, I think this does improve later in the show, where the characters act more logically. But by this point I'd already lost much of my interest in the characters and their success.

However, my biggest problem with the show was probably the plot. I hate crying plagiarism for no reason and I'm NOT saying that this drama plagiarized. But the set up was so similar to this Doctor Who episode I watched in the past. I think it's called "The Waters of Mars" or something? Anyways, both of them have the set up of these astronauts in space at the mercy of a sickness spread by water. I think they both even have the infected person expelling huge quantities of water, though that might just be in this show. And, to be fair, I can't remember enough of the details regarding the backstory and the characters to say that the two are similar in this regard. I digress. But what the problem for me was that the novel premise of the threatening water in the space station fell flat for me because I'd already seen it before. I was able to predict so much what happened, which killed a lot of the mystery and suspense for me. And I'm usually someone that's terrible at predicting what's going to happen next when I'm watching dramas!
To be fair to the show, the backstory behind the water, Luna, and the newer parts of the plot were in the last two or so episodes, which I skipped through a lot. I probably should've given the show more of a chance with these elements of it, but by this point I was so disappointed and annoyed I couldn't care enough. And the elements with the drought on Earth were interesting, but they weren't explored enough for me to give the show much more credit there.

Basically, to sum up my feelings, I really did not like this show. The suggested overall rating that MDL is giving me for this review is a 5/10, and that probably would be more fair. But I'm just so bitter about this show I can't give it more than a 3/10. I really wanted to like it, and I was so sure I would. However, this show just really didn't work for me. I would still recommend it if you're interested, though, since a lot of people seem to like it a lot.

Leggi di Più

Good but definitely not the best BL series ever

Wow... I'm surprised by the amount of reviews and comments that have labeled this series as the "best BL series ever" writing long reviews that basically don't say much as all tend to go around in circles. People tend to give positive reviews based on how cute or hot the actors are, how well they acted, how much chemistry the main couple has, and other banal things that have caused an explosion of mediocre BLs over the past 2-3 years (most of GMMTV BLs for example) and an explosion of BLs done by low-budget companies who just produce a BL for the sake of getting some money. Most people forget to judge the show on concepts like plot, storyline, writing, and directing... which are always difficult to judge as many get blinded by how hot Tee looks or how well Tae portrays his character. In reality, "Triage" was good but it was definitely not the best BL series ever, I mean, did we watch the same show? Here is why...

First, the good (which I admit, there is a lot of):
1. The acting: I believe we've seen Tee (playing Aek/Tol) and Tae (playing Dr. Tin) at their best. Tae was recently with Singto in "Paint With Love" and the show never really brought that much excitement and Tee played a cute/lovable character (for some moments) in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear". Both played the originals Forth and Beam in "2Moons" (before the whole cast changed for "2Moons2" and then changed again for "2Moons3: The Ambassador" that is supposedly coming at some point this or next year), so we knew they were familiar with each other and it shows. The chemistry is there, and not only for the kissing scenes, but also for the more dramatic moments as both seemed to have a connection in terms of what to expect from the other. The supporting cast was also good with Tonnam (playing Dr. Sing) and Dr. Aob (playing Dr. Gap) being the secondary couple but providing real support to the leads while dealing with the organ harvesting and corruption of Dr. Sak and Dr. Doi. Fiat (playing Rit) had some solid moments and it is a shame that he is currently dealing with some mental issues and on hiatus from acting until he recovers. Morris (playing Jinta) and Kradum (playing Dr. Sak... who we recently saw as an exemplary police officer who was also the father of Tee's character in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear") take the more adult roles in the show one serving as the guide to all the loops Dr. Tin has to go through and the other serving as the villain of the series. The other doctors and the lead male nurse all provided good moments in the show as well as it was clear they were there to fill a specific purpose and not just to fill the show with more faces.

2. Dr. Sammon: The writer does it again... "Manner of Death" with Max and Tul and this series have been two of her most successful stories so far (she also wrote "Bite Me" but that was mediocre at best due to terrible directing), as both are set up in other places different from the hundreds of BLs set up in university and both deal with serious topics that are barely covered in Thai TV and/or a BL story such as abuse of power, human trafficking and prostitution (in "Manner of Death") and organ harvesting, corruption, bribery and abuse of power (in "Triage"). In both stories these subjects are dealt head on by the lead actors and are handled correctly. In addition, being a doctor herself, the actors who had to work in the hospital received actual training from real doctors and Dr. Aob was also selected to play a character (Dr. Gap) but had the role of supervising his fellow actors in the challenging medical scenes. I think that made a huge difference from just training Tae, Tonnam, and the others, and then just let them do it on their own compared to training them and have an actor who is an actual doctor going to the scenes alongside them, that was a good move. As a side note... Dr. Sammon's next story to be adapted into a BL has more doctors but with a supernatural theme and apparently will have Judo (who appeared in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear") and Fluke Natouch as the leads... it might be weird to see Fluke without Ohm but also interesting to see how that story is developed.

Now, the in-between:
3. The plot: Here is where the series begins to falter a bit... the idea of someone living inside a time loop and having to repeat the same storyline over and over is not new on TV but it is for BLs... so, from that point, the show scores one point for being original and forgetting about engineering/medical students, universities, trope parents who either ship gay couples or who are completely against them, screaming/whining/ultra jealous female characters, unnecessary love triangles (sometimes even love squares), and boring storylines. The plot then also becomes a bit of weak point of the show after episode 10 as these episodes were set from Dr. Tin's perspective, this is his time loop after all, right? Jinta mentions that he needs to save Tol to break from the loop cycle and he gets better and better at connecting the pieces together and trying to solve all the issues around Tol's death. We are aware that his actions have consequences in what he changes on each loop and also we know that while he takes a bit of time to remember previous loops, I was under the impression that the others were not able to remember them. From episode 11 until the end we switched to Tol's perspective as Dr. Tin is killed in one of the loops and Tol begs Jinta to bring him back. That to me was the weak point as the series begins under the premise that Dr. Tin MUST save Tol's life or repeat the loop over and over... on episode 10 he does that, but he dies in the process... in theory, he broke the loop and that should be the end, EXCEPT for the fact that now Tol feels bad and wants to save Dr. Tin so he is now able to summon and see Jinta and ask for one chance. What takes Dr. Tin 10 episodes to partially solve, takes Tol only 3 thanks to the magical notebook with all the notes from the previous loops that Dr. Tin can't see on episode 12 and the magical kisses that suddenly restore the memories. The side couple of Dr. Sing and Dr. Gap doesn't even have a relationship until the final loop and while we know Gap likes Sing, Sing's personality is trending towards being a bit of a jerk towards Gap, so it was weird that all of the sudden, a new loop happens and they are happily together. Finally, some of the female characters in the show like Mai, Dr. Fang and Dear are good characters in the whole Dr. Sak saga but just bring unnecessary tension between the lead couple in their relationship as in some loops Dr. Tin seems to be close to Dear and Tol is jealous and Mai is just using Tol to pay for her mother's treatment when she is already dating Heart.

And the not so good:
4. The final episode: Once again, and I'm not sure if this they way Dr. Sammon planned it in the written novel, but just like in "Manner of Death", the ending of "Triage" felt so rushed. The episode is around 45 minutes long (taking out the introduction, the reminder of what happened in episode 13, the final credits, and the pictures of the cast and crew), and in that time Dr. Doi kidnaps Rit and Dr. Sing, shoots Sing, takes Gap as hostage, fights with the latter two, gets knocked out, suddenly appears in the basement where Dr. Sak and the organ trafficking gang were keeping Tol and Dr. Tin hostage and tries to kill Tin with a poisoned needle and then is captured and goes crazy. That's a lot for a character that was simply moved by greed and power and then apparently had some daddy issues or needed Dr. Sak's approval as he "is doing all of this for Dr. Sak" and "wants to show him he can do the job of cleaning up". Such a useless character played a major part in the final episode and as it happened on "Manner of Death", the villains don't get proper punishment through the justice system, which is quite disappointing... Dr. Doi goes crazy and Dr. Sak is murdered by the organ traffickers who are never captured. But, what I think bothered me the most of the ending was the actual ending... Dr. Tin is in a comma after being poisoned by Dr. Doi and Tol writes him a diary in the magic notebook for him to remember when he wakes up as he is transported to a different hospital. Tol goes on to live his life until one day Dr. Tin suddenly appears in the clock tower where they kissed for the first time and after pretending not to remember Tol, he tells him about how the magic kisses bring back memories so they kiss while Tul makes another special appearance to discover the organ traffickers harvested Dr. Sak's kidney before he died. Oh the mystery!
The way Dr. Tin came back was a bit underwhelming as he is in a comma and then suddenly he is there, next to Tol... AND Jinta is nowhere to be seen after the loop ends... for a character who appeared in every silly way possible and in every unexpected moment possible, it was odd not to have him in the final scenes at all.

So, in summary... "Triage" is a good series and a ray of light in a sea of mediocrity that BLs have become lately as it brought a different story with a different pace and brought great acting and solid writing. But, is most certainly not the best BL series ever written, let's be real about that.

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FAVE WUXIA THIS YEAR

Compelling from the very beginning, Love a Lifetime hits all the good parts for me. It sticks to its core plot and does not move away from its theme. The writing nor the editing may not be the best, but its unpredictability and the way it set up the characters truly gives this drama an edge.

Wuxia has never been my genre because I tend to lose interest halfway through. But that is not the case at all for this drama. I was intrigued from the start, wondered about the main lead’s identity and was quite confused about the plot which motivated me to keep going. The pace is neither fast nor slow, but rather just enough for the necessary events to occur.

It has less frustrating scenes than the usual Chinese historicals and has taken on quite a few fresh tropes. One, it is filled with multi-dimensional characters. It leaves you thinking what the characters' next action will be. A character may seem to be bad, but they could also have a bit of humanity in them. Secondly, misunderstandings that could have easily been developed from the leads' family conflict did not happen. The trust between the main couple is amazing and did not cause a lot of hiccups in the plot. Yes they doubted each other at some point, but overall? They were solid! I definitely salute Rong Hua’s unwavering trust to Nalan Yue. There were many instances that tested their relationship, but they stood strong, which made this a really good one to watch. Third, there is no third party. Initially i thought the fiancée would cause a problem, but nope! She turned out to be good (even helpful) until the end. This drama also did an amazing job with exhibiting different meanings of love. It could be selfless love towards your lover, your own family, or your power.

Its unpredictability is commendable. It took me along with every character, brought me along with their struggles and somehow felt their pain and dilemma. In short, it made me empathize with them. And so eventually, i get to witness how their characters changed because of certain events. I grew to care for the villain that I initially disliked, but also learned to hate a character that I used to love in the beginning. I got to love Dragon Howl City and even hoped for its survival when they faced some threats. And before I knew it, I was already cheering for another sect halfway through.

Let's also not forget how clever the female characters are presented here, most especially Rong Hua. She may not have the best martial art skills but she's smart enough to execute a plan that has always been helpful/successful. She may look fragile, but she's more than that. She knows how to pick herself up against adversity and think of ways to fight her problems.

Acting wise, everyone did not disappoint. Ren Jia Lun's acting has got to be the best thing here. He did a good job, regardless if it's a funny or a dramatic scene. The fighting scenes are also very gratifying to watch. Even the OSTs are amazing !!! They even get better as you watch more episodes lol.

Overall, this has to be one of the better wuxias out there and a personal favourite of mine despite its flaws. I'm the kind of person who values and loves a fresh plot + multi-dimensional characters, hence i think this drama worked really well for me. It successfully kept my interest and I don't think i even got bored at some point.

Leggi di Più

This drama could've been way better if they didn't add the romance into the mix. The only romance that intrigued me was Scarlett's. Bae Ta Mi's relationship with Park Morgan really had no substance. If you watched it, and really think about it, their relationship was driven by looks. I felt like it was very one sided; feels like she took him for granted.

I truly think the heart and soul of this drama belongs to Scarlett. Her character exudes "main role" as she racks up screen time. I only kept watching the drama because of her story; also because of the web portal plot. Everything else, mainly the romance, was filler that wasn't needed.

I would rate it 8+, but because of the romance, it sits at a 6. I don't find it re-watchable since half, or more than half, of the story is the main romance.

Leggi di Più

Let me try to describe A Korean Odyssey in a few short words: It's like a fantasy movie in 20 episodes with a lot of cool and stunning scenes, some great and some crappy CGI and an awkward chemistry between the leads. But it's cool.

Story: The story is actually not as bad as some people say. I loved the story premise, it's different from what you usually get from Korean dramas. It has a lot of backstory but they managed to give it to you bit by bit and not make you bored or hate the overall story. Sure, sometimes the script wasn't the best but the story premise is great!

Acting/Cast/Characters: The acting was definitely great from all the actors and actresses. The chemistry between MaWang and Son Oh Gong, the "bromance", is really enjoyable and brings like 50% of the comedy in the show. Cha Seung Won shined in this drama with the many characteristics MaWang showed and I think it's a great comeback drama for Lee SeungGi. So big compliments to all the main and the supporting actors for showing us so many sides to their characters.

So now to the bad part: The chemistry between LSG and Oh Yeon Seo was well...not good...kinda cold and if this was a normal rom-com I would never have watched 20 episodes with them, definitely not. That's not the fault of OYS though, it was just that her character was really crappy...I mean there has to be a limit to how naive, self-centered and gullible a person can be?! Jin Seon Mi -the character- is the only reason I'm taking some points off here.

Music: The music fit the drama well and I looked up almost all of the songs.

Rewatch: Some scenes definitely but probably not the whole drama...

Overall: Overall this drama had like one main character, Lee Seung Gi and all the others were supporting characters. The drama has a great premise but while it starts off kind of unusual for a Kdrama it turns around at like halftime and goes right into dramaland, which makes it a little bit more boring in the end but bearable. The acting was amazing, character design awesome (except for one) and another thing: it's oh so detailed. I loved it and I would warmly recommend it but let me tell you, if you don't like it after 5-6 episodes drop it. Before that you won't get the right feeling for it and after that you're either into it or you're not.

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A Second Chance Story Destroyed by Stupid Writer and Terrible Director

The drama Rebirth should honestly be renamed Refuck, because watching it feels like being trapped in a loop of the same bad writing, bad decisions, and recycled nonsense again and again.

Watch it only if you have too much time, nothing better to do, and a high tolerance for recycled stupidity.

The plot is a mess. The female lead is written as a perpetual damsel in distress who repeatedly sleepwalks into obvious traps, makes foolish decisions, and waits to be rescued again and again. Instead of character growth, we get the same helpless cycle dressed up as drama.

The story also tries to look clever with multiple endings, but they feel less like meaningful narrative choices and more like confused writing. The logic collapses, the tension becomes repetitive, and by the end, it feels like the writers were simply throwing shits at the wall to see what might stick.

For a drama built around rebirth, revenge, and second chances, it somehow manages to waste all three.

What it actually delivers is repetitive stupidity, lazy plotting, fake suspense, and characters who behave as if basic logic is a luxury item they cannot afford.

By the end, the only person who needs rebirth is the viewer, preferably into a timeline where they never started this drama in the first place.

Not recommended unless you genuinely enjoy frustration, weak storytelling, and characters who keep making the same stupid decisions until your patience dies.

Leggi di Più

Love Among the Vast Galaxy of Stars

Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2, or Yue Sheng Cang Hai (月升沧海), is the continuation of the first part of the drama, Xing Han Can Lan (星汉灿烂), with a bit more of a political twist to it. The titles of these two parts are simply gorgeous, as they relate to the shining stars and vast waters of the sea. To be completely honest, I did not even plan to watch Love Like the Galaxy, not expecting the plot to be so gripping, the character development to be so well-rounded. With many veteran actors in this drama, the characters were brought to life, with bright smiles as well as tears to be shed.

“If the husband is the sun that brightens the road for thousands of Li way, then the wife would be the star, the brilliant galaxy. The sun, the moon and the galaxy neither is superior or inferior, they’re indispensable. We can only create a world by coexisting."

STORY- 8.5
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While the first part of the drama was focused on Cheng Shaoshang’s journey of getting to know her family members, the second part also highlights Ling Buyi’s path to seeking revenge, with bits of political strife among officials as well. One could perhaps use the term “Star-crossed lovers” on Cheng Shaoshang and Ling Buyi. Although loving and caring towards one another, it was clear that the two did not truly come to understand each other fully in Part 1 of the drama, and Part 2 witnesses the two gaining the full trust of each other and walking towards the frontlines as a duo, and not one person trying to protect the other.

Again, I write that the second part does include more political scenes, which do affect the couple’s relationship. The audience also learns more about Ling Buyi’s past and the path he has decided to take for the future. Being the sole living descendant of the Huo Family other than his mother, he is forced to choose who to protect. Both Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang grew up with minimal love, learning that they had only themselves to rely on. This caused both of them to grow up to become strong-willed people who were determined to do whatever their heart was set on. This, however, also meant that it took much longer for both of them to start trusting other people, and their frustrating stubbornness sometimes caused what you could call unnecessary arguments. The drama undoubtedly has some of the most heartbreaking scenes that were filmed in the most beautiful way, prompting the audience to rewatch specific scenes over and over again.

If you’ve already watched the first part, you probably won’t be able to list many common drama tropes that show up in Love Like the Galaxy, because simply, the director was smart enough to avoid these annoying tropes. No second lead causing unnecessary misunderstandings, no close friend turning evil, and even no fighting in the emperor’s harem. The relationship between Empress Xuan and Consort Yue is so pure and loving. Even if the two did not have many direct interactions, their dialogues are one of the most heart-warming scenes in this drama. Xuan Shen An lived a life of longing, longing for true love, longing for a life without high authoritative power. Unlike other empresses, she isn’t a haughty, all-above woman. Instead, she only hopes for her children to live a happy and free-spirited life, unlike her, bound inside the imperial palace, knowing that Emperor Wen loved another, Consort Yue. But even so, this didn’t hurt the two women’s strong relationship. They treated each other as true sisters, with no scheming and hatred.

The last few episodes were a bit of a drag, with the precedented time skip, but the separation was executed strongly, even with just actions and no dialogue. The last arc, which was about Shaoshang and Zisheng getting back together, was edited a bit messily, putting some more focus on unprecedented side characters. Apparently, 10 episodes were edited out of the series, resulting in the rushness. This was a bit unfortunate as the audience wasn't looking forward to the multiple Ling Buyi-Comes-to-Shaoshang's-Rescue-Again scenes as much as the scenes that focused on the couple's relationship, which was overshadowed by schemes and headstrog leads.

However, even with the numerous tense scenes in Part 2, some comedic scenes were added here and there for bits of laughter. Emperor Wen wins Funniest Man in a Historical Cdrama, no joke. He cared for Ling Buyi as if he was his own son, and was probably the couple’s best matchmaker. It was beautiful how the emperor and his two wives stood up for Zisheng and Shaoshang, as if they were their own children. Empress Xuan was Shaoshang’s quiet resort, her paradise.

CAST - 10
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Again, LLTG is filled with experienced actors, many well-acclaimed in mainland China. The eye candy is a plus, but the emotional expressions on every single one of the actors’ faces were astonishing. Each tear fell at the perfect time, each smile crooked at an angle. Leo Wu’s face was truly terrifying at times, showing the revenge he had to take, his hatred toward those that killed his uncle and the rest of the Huo Family. Zhao Lusi’s Cheng Shaoshang started off as a hyper and chirpy girl, and if you’ve watched a few of her other dramas, is a role that she shines in. However, this girl became a quiet and virtuous young woman as time grew by, and Zhao Lusi brought this time and the experiences that Shaoshang faced to life.

Rather than saying the character development was the most amazing, the development between character relationships was even more phenomenal. More than half of the Part 1 of LLTG had a Xiao Yuanyi that the audience strongly disliked. She was portrayed as a heartless mother who only knew of military punishment, and frankly, this description is not very wrong. However, her estranged relationship with her daughter slowly thawed as she started to show love and care physically, and not just inside of herself. Xiao Yuanyi slowly learned what it meant to have a daughter, and how to truly care for her. This is only one detail of the strong Cheng Family. There is not a single person in the family that does not care for Shaoshang’s well-being, and her parents, siblings, cousin, and even grandmother were always ready to step in front of her, to protect her. In the direst times, even the shy Yang Yang looked the opposing official in the eye, ready to fight.

No team of actors could have executed each scene as intricately as this team did. The audience could feel the heartwrenching pain, not only for the leads but for the supporting characters as well. Each supporting character had their own story, no matter loving or evil. With lovable characters came jealous figures and power-hungry villains.

PRODUCTION- 10
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Although not a formal MDL review category, LLTG’s production is worth mentioning. Each scene is set at a thought-provoking angle, from the bird-eye view of a lone carriage among the grand walls of the palace to the ancient curtains that basked in gentle candlelight. Even the opening to each episode showed figurine scenes of the drama, instrumental and mysterious. As simple as the costumes seemed at first, clothing colors were chosen with care, ranging from mahogany reds to soft cerulean blues. The earrings were studded with one of two beads that highlighted the beauty of the actresses’ faces. The hairstylist also did a good job of putting the long hairs up in a regal way, but also with a simple air to them. The costumes seemed much simpler than in other dramas at first, but the gentle patterns and colors were unique to every character. Although it is important to ask if Wang Ling was wearing the same purple dress the whole time. Perhaps it would of been better to give the supporting characters some wardrobe changes as well.

Another point was the terms in this drama, which I’ve never heard in other historical dramas due to different time periods. Instead of Jie Jie (姐姐), for example, older sister was called A’Zi (阿姊), and mother and father were called A’Mu and A’Fu, different from other traditional callings such as the much more common Mu Qing (母亲) and Fu Qing (父亲).

MUSIC - 9.0
LLTG has three sung OSTs (two of them were special to the two parts), as well as a few theme songs played with traditional Chinese instruments for a few characters. The OSTs were sung with emotion and feeling, prompting the listener to close their eyes and enjoy the tender melodies. As beautiful as they were, it would have been to have a few more supplemental OSTs to enhance the drama atmosphere.

The OSTs are a beautiful treat, though:
Love Like the Galaxy (星汉灿烂) - Sung by Shan Yi Chun
Song of Strings (弦歌) - Sung by Ayanga
Sigh of Starry River (星河叹) - Isabelle Huang

Overall, Part 2 has nicely wrapped up the historical series, with a gripping plot and lovable characters, both leading and supporting. Character relationship in Love Like the Galaxy is one of the most precious and unique parts of the drama, showing every kind of love, and not just romantic. Through interactions and experiences, Cheng Shaoshang has finally come to accept her position in the world, and Ling Buyi has come to trust Shaoshang as not just the person he loves, but as her own separate person.

“I know it’s her with just one glance, it’ll be her this lifetime, this century.”

Leggi di Più

My dear, I don't give a damn.

Gone with the Rain is one of the few Chinese dramas out there that has a very apt English title. It is also set in a time of civil war and the design of the four main characters are unmistakably inspired by Margaret Mitchell's epic classic novel Gone with the Wind. It is very much a character drama that is at surface a romance, but the true love story is the one between two women who are almost diametric opposites of one another.

This story takes place in a fictional Jing state but the costumes and background suggests this loosely is late Tang dynasty when the powerful local military governors rebelled. Vast swarths of the country was thrown into civil war during which the central government had little knowledge or control over what was happening. The drama's greatest failing is that it is very sloppy in terms of clearly explain who the different factions and what their agendas are. Events unfold conveniently and not always logically simply to enable character conflict and development.

The story is told largely from seventeen year old Tang Moxi's perspective. She breaks the fourth wall in the beginning and continues to share her thoughts via very vivid, at times funny and at times silly daydreams. Moxi is illegtimate and orphaned at an early age, she grows up on sufference in the household of her uncle Bai Wentao a scheming mid-level official. Her first cousin Bai Fengyao its the only one that cares for her. The drama opens with the country on the verge of civil unrest. The cousins are colluding to evade their family's efforts to marry them off for advancement. Moxi rescues a dashing wounded soldier Wan Jiagui and falls for him. She also encounters an infuriating general Chen Wende. Through a series of misunderstandings, some self inflicted Moxi finds herself caught between both men while Wan Jiagui finds himself engaged to both women. A tortuous romantic quadrangle between the four plays out as the country slides into chaos. The romances are secondary to how the relationship between the women navigates civil war and a messy love rivalry.

Despite their different personalities and perspectives, Moxi and Fengyao share a touching and unbreakable bond. Moxi is fiesty, selfish, cynical, manipulative and tough as nails beneath her lovely exterior. She is above all a survivor; she has to be as there is only the rather helpless Fengyao in her corner. Fengyao is pretty much everything Moxi is not - selfless, well educated, gentle, sentimental, idealistic,and impractical; in other words quite useless. Their strengths and weaknesess complement and together, they are able to acutally fend quite well for each other. Unfortunately they both fall for the gallant, noble hero in heroes clothing Wan Jiagui who when tested is actually a weak character. Moxi spends most of the drama fighting her devastating attraction to Chen Wende, a rough, uncouth warrior who is more than what he appears to be. He is the only character that remains charismatic and likable throughout the drama. After awhile, it is quite obvious where these four main character blueprints are from.

The first half of the drama is quite enjoyable as Moxi and Fengyao find their strengths and struggle with their flaws in trying times. However, Moxi's wilful blindness and her obstinate pinning for her first love went on for so long it became tedious. I wanted to hurl my remote at her and yell "My dear, I don't give a damn!" Even though all the portrayals are well done and the characters are multi-dimensional, this drama spends too much time rehashing character flaws without a well fleshed out plot to keep things engaging. The conflict and attraction between Chen Wende and Moxi is the only highlight of the second half of the drama which made it less of a struggle. I also enjoyed the casting of an actress in the role of Wu Yin. The second relationship however is not sufficiently developed because all of the men can only have eyes for Moxi. The final arc is rushed and Moxi's ability to transform herself is not well explained and frankly impossible. The story does come to a satisfying ending with the final episodes making up for the sag in the latter half. This is different enough from the usual run-of-the-mill historical Chinese drama that I enjoyed many aspects of it. It is quite well acted and had it been shorter and more tightly written, I'd probably rate it better than 7/10.

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There's a part in me that appreciates wickedness, so I don't necessarily fault the show for its ugly illicitness, but they try to sell it as romantic and that is wrong. There are repeated sexual assaults culminating in a scene where the perpetrator eventually tells his victim that he would kill him if he didn't return his feelings. This turns into a consensual love scene.

It's called Obsessed, fine. I feel like it may have worked had they both been so equally possessive and twisted, but they weren't and the result is a power imbalance and the dynamic is ultimately abusive. The narrative sells the abuser's actions as all in the name of love. There's no self-awareness.

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It takes 60,000 years worth of patience to watch this show...

So, I really tried to like this show. I mean, it has good actors, a splendid wardrobe, amazing production and special effects. Even the opening and ending OST match the vibe that this show is trying to achieve...

BUT:

1. The Gods are weaker than the Devils till the 46th episode
2. The secondary lead/Muguang is a complete and utter fool but also gets major screen time
3. The villain is known from episode 12 and continues to go undetected and run rampant till episode 46. AND you get to see this all the time as everyone else is taken for a ride but you still ought to believe that they are Gods and not idiots.
4. Only saving grace are another pair of secondary leads - TianQi and Gu Jun - who unfortunately do not get enough screen time or the power to solve anything
5. The ML is too busy falling in love/out of love/ reincarnating/ suffering amnesia/ solving reincarnation problems and acting like the entire universe 's problems are on his shoulders
6. One avatar of the FL which is all powerful and can actually solve problems is there in approx 22 episodes. The first 12 eps where she is busy training and falling in love (so in my eyes - basically doing nothing), and then the last ten where she alone is able to devise how to make good triumph over evil. The rest of her avatars are powerless and only involved in entangling with the ML and suffering in the hands of the villain

SO:

Story:
If you can't tell from the above points how frustrated I am with the overall pace of this story then my rant has fallen on deaf ears. The storyline is pretty interesting as it has been derived from a popular novel. All story arcs are also fleshed out sufficiently with multiple secondary leads. My only bone of contention is that this story will try your patience to the limit and then some.

Acting:
TianQi and Gu Jun were good. The female lead is a good actress and Xu Kai is good at looking good. To me the story overpowered the acting. I have zero tolerance for fools and characters that just don't take the hint. Unfortunately, this show is filled with them so I wasn't able to get past my frustration with the characters to appreciate their acting.

Overall:
This is watchable if you are a fan of xanxia/wuxia genre. The production value is fantastic and the special effects are truly wonderful. The acting is okay and if you are a fan of the book you'll probably be a fan of the show. I think I would have rated this higher if it was a K-show with only 16/24 episodes. If I am watching something for 49 episodes it had better be sensible and keep me invested in the characters. I lost hope after ep 40 and only sheer grit made me finish this show so I could share my review truthfully.
All in all, if you have low patience for issue resolution and do not suffer fools gladly then do not bother to watch. You will thank me later!

PS: This is my opinion. If you don't agree that's fine but please desist from writing rude comments.

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Overrated; fast forwardable (if there’s such a word)

Plot: weak, mostly focused on the male lead’s talent and work, slow-paced romance is okay with me but there are too many unnecessary scenes like gaming and aerospace; they should have made a movie out of this than a drama. Finished this in one day because i pressed the fast forward button a lot; no deep character development just passion for their job and each other; humor is okay

Acting: I like reba but her acting here is just the same in fashion designer — bland and restrained. She’s better in TLB. I like yangyang too, compared to love o2o, his acting is better here. His eyes are more expressive. Both actors definitely have chemistry together, if there’s one thing I love about this drama, it’s their romance. Normal conflicts of couples that get resolved easily; to compromise; more on slice of life

Music: forgettable

Rewatch value: only all the kissing scenes and their banter

Overall: it was okay. Or maybe I expected too much and it didn’t reach my expectations. Just overhyped and full of visual attacks from these two good~looking actors. I wish they collaborate again but not with this kind of plot.

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Many people love this drama, but some didn't and I am one! I thought it was good to start with, but in the end I felt like my time was wasted with this. (The drama is tagged as "tragedy" but my low rating has nothing to do with that!)

If you like revenge dramas where the leads (the two male leads in this case) are willing to do everything, including hurting people who love them, to get what they want, then you might like this drama. If you like plots where memory loss plays an important part to create conflicts and misunderstandings, then this is also for you. If you like love triangles where both male leads are determined to love the girl no matter what (including some noble idiocy), then this drama has it.

On the other hand, if you are like me and dislike those things, then you probably shouldn't watch this drama. And I just don't understand revenge. The main character, princess Xiao Feng, is carefree and happy, but love hits her hard and breaks her heart because the men in her life want something "greater" than her and she becomes a tool in their hands. Yes, they try to win her over, more or less, but the whole memory loss thing makes it more complicated. If the Crown Prince had actually trusted her a little bit... To put it simply, I really didn't like the plot - even though I enjoyed the drama in the beginning, my enjoyment and my rating dropped as I watched. After the first episodes (before she gets married) I very rarely felt that this was "romantic" at all. Also, it got draggy and repetitive in the middle (who knew it was so easy to sneak out of a palace!).

So, it's the story and the writing that I didn't like. Sometimes I do enjoy power struggles but in this drama that part wasn't interesting enough for me. If there is an Emperor - Empress - Empress uncle power triangle, there has to be something in their personalities and not just the fact that these are their roles and we know that the Empress is always cold-hearted and her uncle is always power-hungry… but that is not reason enough to care.

There were, however, a few things that I liked. For one thing, everything is pretty and the drama is a real feast for the eyes. Nothing looks fake or plastic and the costumes are gorgeous. The makers of this drama paid a lot of attention to such details! I didn't like the main characters, but I did like some of the minor characters a lot. I also liked that while there were women who were rivals and hated each other (as in every palace drama!), this drama had a lot of genuine female friendship - I appreciated that. Also, I think the acting was good, even when I didn't like the characters or didn't agree with their choices. The pain in their hearts appeared to be "real"… and yet I couldn't feel anything for most of them. (That might sound contradictory but it was how I felt it, and for me, my "feeling" is important when I rate a drama!)

The music wasn't memorable in my opinion, and the re-watch value is very low. That's because I didn't like the drama of course, but I also never re-watch dramas so I guess this part doesn't matter a lot.

Okay, so now I've shared my unpopular opinion, because as watchers we are all different and not everyone likes the same drama as everyone else. It could be helpful for those who are thinking about watching this to know that there are different opinions.

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