Reviews

Enough with the dumb FL

30 episodes. It started well though. But I have gradually more and more problem on how they portray FL in Chinese dramas. It’s not a very nice way to show women.
They are all clueless, gullible and encouraging bullying. The only positive point is that this FL ha a bit more gumption than her counterparts. At least she holding her grounds, until she falls stupid for Mr. Gu and lose all common sense.
Mr. Gu’s character is no surprise. The typical overbearing boss who doesn’t seem to have any other purpose in life than work or torturing people around him. The actor is handsome but never smiles. Ok we get it he’s a cold one. But this is getting tiring.

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Think of a kdrama cliche, any cliche.
Amnesia? Chaebols? Mean rich guys? Clueless poor girls? Bitchy second leads? Truck of doom? Dead family? Fated meeting? Literally I could list All.Of.Them. And find that this drama almost definitely has it. Throw a pin and you’ll land on a cliche.

But I still liked it?

I’ll be honest, there’s a lot of reasons why ordinarily I wouldn’t. And I can’t say I didn’t get annoyed often watching it - I didn’t like a single character from that office for e.g and Bok-Shil’s passiveness irritated me.

But I still liked it?

Well, I liked it once I stopped thinking too much about it. Simply put, this drama lives only by its leads. They have excellent chemistry, are super charming, so so easy to watch and when they’re together their cuteness literally overrides any bad or boring or cliche problem this drama has. Like, it COMPLETELY overrides it. I skipped through plenty of scenes but not a single Bok-Shil x Louis one. Luckily, the drama also clearly knows that the leads are the stars because the plot doesn’t spend much time away from them and even the traditional kdrama angst moments are pretty short lived.

In the end, despite so many reasons I normally wouldn’t, I still loved this drama. It’s so fun and sweet and wholesome and if you’re like me and just skip all the dead weight, it’s super short too! I would genuinely rewatch just to see Louis being the cutest puppy of all time and Bok Shil smiling so sweetly, she’d make sugar jealous.

I recommend to everyone!!! Just know what you’re going in for first and it’s unlikely you’ll not enjoy yourself with these two being the softest kdrama beings ever put to screen.

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A Real Chinese History Drama

This is the story of Li Chu (Tang Dynasty Emperor Daizong) and it is divided into 2 seasons with 60 and 32 episodes respectively. For this drama, it is during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Xuanzong (712-756 AD) and later the reign of his father Emperor Suzong (756-762 AD). The time was a tumultuous period of Chinese history. There were the An Lushan Rebellion, the loss of Chang’an to the rebels, the escape of the royal family, the capture of Li Chu’s consort by the rebels, power struggle, usurpation, filicides and fratricides. Many of these historical events and important figures are depicted in the drama, and it’s an enthralling watch.

The drama romanticizes Li Chu’s and his favorite consort, Shen Zhen Zhu’s love affair and their devotion for each other. Understandably, some of the events may not be true historically but only for dramatic effect. This has been done rather well with few noticeable plot holes. However, there are also many tropes and clichés. Some of the logic seems to be over simplistic and unrealistic. Some historical characters are depicted as villains, cunning and sinister. Li Chu (Ren Jialun) and Shen Zhen Zhu (Sally Jing) are living in a dangerous environment that they both have to tread extremely carefully with every step they move and every word they say. One wrong move or word would immediately lead to their deaths. It is this angst that has captured the viewers attention throughout the drama.

Ren Jialun’s acting is acceptable in this drama. In fact, he’s rather convincing as the character Li Chu, except he may not look his best in armor and helmet (his head looks weird in the helmet). However, I’m not so comfortable with Sally Jing, and not very impressed by the Shen Zhen Zhu character that she plays despite she (Shen Zhen Zhu) is supposed to be very intelligent; time and time again, Shen Zhen Zhu is fooled by her own cleverness and that has created a lot of frustration over the character for viewers. I also find the pairing of Ren Jialun and Sally Jing not ideal as Ren Jialun has a small boyish face whereas Sally Jing (she has a large face) looks very mature with disproportionately large eyes laced with plastic brush-like eye lashes. There’s hardly any chemistry between the duo.

The side couple story is sweet and heart wrenching. Lin Zhi (Jennifer Shu) and Li Tan (Qin Jun Jie) are the saddest couple as Lin Zhi’s experience is very real to many women who have to live through such pain everyday and she is totally relatable. Jennifer Shu’s portrayal is wonderful and very convincing. Qin Jun Jie’s performance portraying Li Tan as an impulsive man is equally laudable. This pair has wonderful chemistry together and their story is painful. Despite Lin Zhi may not have been a real figure historically (Li Tan is real as Li Chu's younger brother), I find the side couple story more compelling.
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The general tone of this drama is somber. Apart from some flaws here and there, there are also some hilarious moments that are really fun to watch. Overall, this is a fine drama based on real events, but the story interjected with too much fantasy may have been a bit overdone. After completing the 60 episodes, I find myself needing a break before continuing on to season 2. I wish the series had not been this long.

This is a good watch for history buff if you don't mind some added fantasy.

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A Laughable and a Hare-Brained Makjang...

“A Man in a veil” is the epitome of the infamously coined “ Makjang” by South-Koreans ( used to describe plot concepts which are equivalent to the reputation of telenovelas - so ridiculous, cliche and unrealistic that they often fall into the “ so bad, it’s good” category). From ‘ pseudoscience’, ‘ revenge’ to ‘ lost family’ cliches, “ A Man in a veil” throws in all the towels to be a ridiculous hundred and five-episode extravaganza of wooden acting , fairly one-dimensional characters and tropes.

“ A Man in a Veil ” takes on the typical revenge cliche of a man with an intellectual disability called Tae Poong ( Kang Eun Tak) whose destiny is gradually torn apart by two sisters; the intrinsically “selfish” Yu Ra ( Lee Chae Young) who begins to manipulate and blackmail him throughout the series, and the “ kind-hearted” sister Yu Jung ( Uhm Hyun Kyung) who holds strong feelings towards him. His life changes forever, however, when a tragedy causes a second chance for Tae Poong to extract his revenge on everyone who has wronged him.

Whilst the revenge cliche was possibly the most intriguing of the show, “ A Man in a Veil” didn’t truly use this to either flesh-out nor deepen the characters, with Tae Poong often feeling more like a “ stock male lead” with little interest for viewers or emotional depth behind his actions. ( Apart from Eun Tak’s random screaming matches and “pained “ facial expressions when it was necessary for the “ plot”). Arguably, Yu Jung did have a little more depth than Tae Poong, due to her complicated feelings for both him and the second male lead Seo Jun ( Lee Shi Kang), her later tragedy and motivation towards getting back at her sister and a family revelation as well. On the other hand, considering the emotional and traumatic depth in reality towards this tragic event which took place in the series, Yu Jung not mentioning this again after it was necessary for the “ story” felt both lacklustre and poorly- written in the grand scheme of character- writing.

Ironically , one of the worst-written characters in the show must go towards Yu Ra as both an individual and an antagonist . It was evident from the get-go that screenwriter Lee Jung Dae wasn’t attending to make Yu Ra a “ sympathetic villain”” - she’s inherently a selfish and despicable character who later becomes deluded by her own abilities to outwit others. On the other hand, it’s hard to really understand what makes Yu Ra actually tick or the actual motives behind her thoughts, apart from not wanting to “ be in poverty” and “ survive”. To make matters worse, we very rarely got to see Yu Ra as an actual human being. The several moments which could have offered genuine intrigue into Yu Ra as a character ( such as her past and later events) were entirely written-off to make Yu Ra’s schemes more and more unbelievably ridiculous by each episode. ( Counterpart to the other antagonistic character played by Kim Hee Jung as Joo Hwa Yeon.)

This certainly leads the storyline to take on a dragging and lacklustre focus between the three primary storylines; Tae Poong and his revenge, Yu Ra’s attempt to climb-up the social ladder and the dirty secrets of their associates ( including Yu Jung and Yu Ra’s parents as well as Seo Jun’s mother and father). Whilst arguably each storyline did have some attraction in how they played out, before even the halfway point, the show began to draw itself too much away from the main protagonist’s own ventures into other characters’ lacklustre storylines, which took away many of the twists which were supposed to be “ emotional” and “ shocking” for viewers with little delivering impact for viewers .

Consequently the plot inconsistencies of the show were beyond incoherent - CCTV cameras, criminal investigations and actual forensics are nonexistent , the characters are ridiculously dumb enough to make the same mistakes over and over in favour of “ plot motivation” and later “relevant twists” completely contradict earlier statements made in the show.

Perhaps it is due to the fact that the show is so detached from coherent plot line , or, the fact that the stylist’s choices are so outdated ( including product placement) helps the show to seem older , but, “A Man In A Veil” is a perfect example of a show more than a decade behind recent trends - the characters have no depth or actual intrigue for viewers , the storyline is filled to the brim with more and more ridiculous cliches, and even the ending felt a little lacklustre. ( In particular after building more than 80 episodes of Tae Poong seeking revenge only to be “ miraculously solved” with little sense of conflict or poetic justice for our main lead . )It’s fair to say that “ A Man in a veil” is a typical makjang- certainly not worth watching if you’re looking for something deep, but so laughable, it keeps you watching to see what hare-brained scheme the scriptwriter tried to come up with next.

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It is a long time ago since I watched this drama, so I don't remember all the details. But there was no review or even a comment to this series, so I wanted to write something.

I liked the series. I remember it as easy to watch, with a lot of funny moments. If you are looking for sophisticated humour, you're in the wrong place, it is more of the slapstick kind.

The mother was a great character, but I loved Saul (Li Ya Shou) the most. He was very cute. Lei Sheng Da was quite nice too.

The acting is not great, but I had the feeling it was somewhat done on purpose. It was just the typical overacting you see in more of the Chinese drama's.

If you are looking for something light and funny, with a bit of gender-bender and cute romance this is a series for you. Be aware that there is a love triangle (I know a lot of people are getting sick of those).

Please like my review. Reviewers need love too! For more reviews: http://reviewasianseries.com/

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This is very well crafted layered drama which does a wonderful job of weaving multiple stories through one another. Like a very fine piece of embroidery. The writer came up with an interesting concept of combining the supernatural with the real world but full credit needs to go to the director and the producers too. The level of production is incredibly high. The action scenes are quite believable, the production team actually makes their actors sweat LOL.
The locations are gorgeous, I would love to have that house by the river!! This has it all fast-paced action, sweet romance, old love, the strength of family bonds, friendship, loss, revenge and above all, hope.
You feel for every character, there was a reason why they did what they did. Everything is so grey, nothing is black and white. Incredible acting by the actors playing the villains that in spite of their evil doings, you still feel a touch of pity and regret for them on a basic human level. In an odd way, the strongest stories were all the ones surrounding the main plot, The characters are so sensible here. no over the top hysterics! This drama was really like having a window into the basic human nature of people. There are certain scenes which just grab you with their intensity of silent emotion and dialogue.
The family ties between Prin and his grandmother, between Bella and her mother, the affection between old loves is all handled with a sweet touch. Even relation ships with the workplace, between the chief and his subordinates, the relationships within the neighbors, was well structured together. Romance takes a back seat initially, the emphasis is on the who-dunniit and what-happened, but Prin is awesome in his expressions and action scenes and Bella's smiles are infectious. The supernatural isn't forced and works hand-in-hand in moving the story forward. My particular favorite had to be Aunt Prik! You will know what I mean when you see her.
The music was very well done, very apt and sweet. I will re-watch this for sure, with a little fast forwarding, the cinematography is outstanding, the open credits and song are amazingly well done, the supernatural is handled deftly. The pace of the drama could be kicked up a few notches in certain instances, a few less weepy scenes would be good but nothing a little fast forward wont take care of :)

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Yes it's the same concept as Gokusen, but its way better. Its edgier, its funnier and its got Mokomichi! I really liked this drama because of the exciting plot and situations that unfolded. I also liked how it had a touch of a psychological aspect to it as Otowa (Mokomichi's character) really scammed everyone by getting in their heads. Although the main concept is that this teacher comes in and changes the students and the school by teaching in unconventional ways, this story has so much more. The teacher isn't a teacher but an ex conman on the run, and we don't really know his name. I liked how this drama really let its characters mature and even though the viewer is privy to the inner workings of the con-mans set up you still don't know how things are going to turn out. This isn't a tear jerker but makes you think, laugh and gasp.

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A kingdom for a concubine's smile.

Adapted from Ma Boyong's novel of the same name, The Litchi Road is a biting satire of a besotted old man's folly; an emperor who squanders a kingdom for a concubine's smile. Set during the twilight years of Xuanzong's reign, it is about Yang Guifei's well known love for lychees. To mark her birthday, he orders fresh lychees ferried 2,500 miles from Lingnan to Chang’an—a fool’s errand, as the delicate fruit spoils within days, dooming the 5,000 li journey.

Enter Li Shande, a humble Shanglin Bureau official, gifted in mathematics, poetry, and botany but too scrupulous and apolitical to climb the ruthless Tang bureaucracy. He’s the perfect patsy, duped into the role of “Litchi Envoy” for this impossible mission. Written with dark humor and irony, Li’s stoic resolve—“I wish to live”—resonates with powerless commoners who rally to his cause, aiding his experiments in preservation and test runs. They are aided by merchants who see a profit opportunity in an ancient cold chain logistics network that transports this prized fruit inland to Chang'an and beyond. Yet bureaucratic hurdles and corrupt officials thwart them at every turn. The narrative sharply critiques imperial excess and elite callousness while quietly celebrating the “ants”—individually inconsequential people whose collective efforts achieve the unthinkable.

Zheng Ping’an’s parallel espionage arc, clearly not Ma Boyong’s creation, feels extraneous, though Yue Yunpeng’s comedic flair—obsequious groveling masking seething resentment—adds humor and depth to Li Shande and Xiu’er’s characters. His grudging aid, driven by his affection for Xiu’er, is touching, but a sharper writer might have made his plot arc more relevant and ended his and Gouér's journey in a more fitting way. Lei Jiayin shines as Li Shande, a relatable and at times frustrating anti-hero; a well-intentioned person who makes promises he can't keep and whose forbearance is ultimately exhausted by the iniquity around him.

Fans of Longest Day in Chang’an will spot familiar faces in new roles, with similar aesthetics and themes as this story unfolds over a dozen years later. The emperor, still smitten with Yang Guifei, balances power between the Left and Right Chancellors. The prose sparkles with wit, weaving classical phrases, puns, and Li Bai’s poetry for layered meaning. Lingnan’s sun-drenched palette and tropical costumes showcase the vastness and diversity of Great Tang. While Longest Day is a higher budget and more polished production, Litchi Road is a more fun watch. The sharp social commentary and heavy profound moments are balanced by levity and memorable hilarious scenes—like the uproarious, very 1990s cockfight (no animals harmed) that had me in stitches.

The ensemble, villains included, earns applause. He Youguang, the petty tyrant, and his scheming secretary Zhao Xinmin deliver comic gold, their fowl play both hilarious and menacing. The evolution of the ancient cold chain, aided by foreign merchants’ spice-transport methods, fascinates, while diverse characters add exotic richness. Amita’s strory ends abruptly, likely due to actor Nashi’s controversy, which taints the drama’s reception. However she landed the role or got where she is today, Nashi's acting is solid; far better than many popular leading actresses. Her look is so stunning and exotic it is hard to imagine anyone else pulling off Amita with that kind of boldness and flair.

The finale takes an odd turn, flirting with supernatural elements before winking at its own fictionality—an acceptable, if imperfect, close. The recurring “bad things happen to good people” theme feels realistic but heavy, with two gratuitous deaths and undeserved outcomes (good and bad) for many. Still, many bad guys fall, the good guys score a small but significant victory, and and fresh litchis are enjoyed by the story's true beauty in a poignant reunion. Despite a strong start, it misses a 9.0 but earns an enthusiastic 8.5/10.0.

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Refresh Man is a sweet romance with some corporate games thrown in. The corporate story is good, but nothing that is intense or gripping. I felt like it was predictable and sometimes boring. However, if you look at it from the love story side of it, then it is beautiful and fun. It is a little cheesy at times, but it seemed to go with the flow of the story. The side stories for each character actually add to the story and to the understanding of the male lead. Also, it helps with character development. I think the ending was well done, but could have spent more time on the lead couple.

I don't watch many Taiwanese dramas, so I don't know the actresses well. I wonder if Tseng Joanne is a popular actress. She drove me crazy with that frown look. Very rarely in this drama was she smiling naturally. I don't know how to explain my aversion to her acting, but she is pretty. She did an ok job as Zhong Yu Tang. I didn't think she had any chemistry with Ji Wen Kai played by Yan Aaron. Maybe it was because they knew each other since high school. I hear Aaron plays a lot of CEOs. I can see why since he does it well. He was efficient but not cold. I enjoyed his character a lot. This is the second time I have watched Lee Jack play the second lead. In this one he was more of a jerk as Wang Zi Yu. He is cute though. LOL The other actors are good also.

Some of the music I really enjoyed and some of it I absolutely hated. Lalalalalalala

I won't rewatch this.

If you like romance where the guy loves the girl from beginning to end, then this is the drama for you.

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i haven't seen the Chinese version

I haven't seen the Chinese version, so I can't compare it. I look at the Korean version separately. It was beautiful, she showed her friendship very, very beautifully, but there were some problems. For me, there were places where it should have made an impression. It didn't make an impression. I don't understand the reason why the girl was wearing the boy's necklace. In some places, Kim Damie's character was too full, while she should be ashamed in front of her friend. . In some places, I did not understand the decisions of the characters, what was the reason, how did they feel when they made this decision. I didn't understand the reason why Kim Dami didn't tell the truth to the boy, but overall, I think it was a work worth seeing once

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Breathtakingly beautiful

This drama was just perfect, I rarely write reviews
but I highly recommend this to everyone...
starting from the story line, to the characters performance, the music, the script and their monologues.. everything about this drama was on point.

This drama teaches you more than you know, it gets through you and takes you to brighter places slowly and beautifully,
if you are going through hard times, if your down, this starts its journey with you and ends up giving you hope in an inexplicable way, its more than just two people meeting each other, its understanding of the whole image and the characters, its not something to expect as overly dramatic and misunderstandings but pure mature people and conversations that you would love. At least personally that what it was for me !!
Its been a really long time since I felt this emotionally invested in a drama, I was absorbed, immersed and fully engrossed by the whole set.

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Based on a true tale, 'The Case of Itaewon Homicide' is a chilling movie. It is so realistic and well-made that you would want to believe that it's the real footage of the whole case that you're watching. Why the hell didn't I watch this sooner? It was so engrossing that I didn't even move for its entire duration. I was almost biting my nails all the way through the end.

This movie has no romance and happy moments in it. It is tense when it begins and remains that way till the end. The direction of this movie is absolutely brilliant and the writing is top notch. The supporting cast was probably not as good as the main leads but both Jang Geun Suk and Jeong Jin Yeong were terrific in their performances. Jang Geun Suk was creepy and hot at the same time in this movie. This has to be his best performance till date.

Overall, it delivered excellently. In spite of being tragic and having a dark theme, it made me smile several times. There were great arguments and defenses put forth while the oppositions accused each other. It was IMPOSSIBLE to figure out the answer. I admire the prosecutors and defendants. I think we almost always forget how difficult their profession is and this movie reminds you just that.

I googled and was surprised to find out that after this came out, the victim's families actually appealed for a re-trial of the case. I can see why. It does provoke that thought in you. Kudos to the director!

I will most definitely watch this movie again because it was so enjoyable. It also has great score in the background. It has never a dull moment and remains consistent. Give this a try if it sounds like it's the genre for you. I totally one hundred percent recommend it.

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I'm not an expert on Korean movies but I'd say that this wasn't bad at all. Obviously, a two-hour movie cannot have the same depth of character development as a 16- or 20-hour drama series but since the main focus was on the main characters, I think you had enough time to get attached to them. I even shed a few tears at the end of the film (or then I'm just too soft... :P)

This movie isn't full of drama but it is not a light one either since it touches upon themes like violence, alcoholism and depression. However, all these themes are illustrated in a warm-hearted manner, not too realistically, and hope is definitely present all the time. This is certainly not too serious a movie, and that is largely because of the more or less twisted and dark humour that spices the story up and makes you laugh.

The overall plot goes onwards at a good pace and has some interesting twists that I was unable to predict, especially at the end. Shin Hyeon-Jun portraits in a very endearing way the professional killer Hyun-Jun who is a serious, warm hearted and troubled man questioning his profession and quietly looking for someone he could talk to. Kang Hye-Jeong's Jin-Young is a bit crazy, not an ordinary woman, but very adorable.

This movie has some very endearing and funny scenes and that is why I liked it so much. The main characters are very likeable as well. If you have two hours to spare, go and watch it, it isn't a waste of your time.

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