Reviews

Dragged out and repetitive plot

I think Chinese romance dramas are just not my thing. I watched this after Ashes of Love and both are so bad. Both have a plot that's repetitive and repeats the same few gimmicks for over 50 episodes.

The good: the acting. Mark Chao was really good at conveying intense emotions. He has such expressive eyes. Yang Mi was quite good too. She portrayed three very different characters.

The bad: literally everything. Where do I begin?

1) The characters are boring as hell. I have particular beef with Ye Hua. He lost all personality after meeting Susu. All he does is pine and angst. I suppose I am watching a romance, so I shouldn't complain so much, but while I enjoyed the acting, I was so done with his character. Can we have something new other than the rinse-and-repeat of pining, hoping, angsting, pining, hoping, angsting? Also, Si Yin, Su Su and Bai Qian don't even make sense as a continuous character. The three of them are the same person? Really? Why don't they have any common personality traits? I'm not talking about the behavioral traits that Ye Hua used to identify Bai Qian, but I'm talking about continuities in her personality. Su Su was a blank slate after her memories were removed. She should be what Si Yin and Bai Qian were like without the trappings of social class, power and wealth, but she was nothing like her other selves. It was so weird. I don't buy her repeated rebirths/transformations. Also, how come she just doesn't care about her kid?

2) The plot in the middle part was literally just misunderstandings and everyone missing the person they need to talk to by seconds. The drama needed to make sure that no one knew what was going on, so that the two main characters' hidden identities could stay hidden, but it was really dumb watching them all just walk pass the person they need to talk to.

3) Villains who are evil for the sake of it. I am swearing off Chinese romance dramas. If I see one more female villain who became a villain because of jealousy, I am going to lose it. They are so flat and hateful. Also, there was a lot of bitchy infighting among the women. Bai Qian was an ass to nearly all the female characters.

I started skipping episodes around episode 30. The only thing that saved the last arc was the side pairing of Feng Jiu/Di Jun, who were actually more interesting than the main pair. I feel like I just wasted all those hours of my life.

Leggi di Più

There is life under the surface of dead brain comedy.

This show could have been a very good one and at moments it was.
It strengthened my interest in Japanese social comedy past the annoying and ludicrous reactions in some scenes that usually hold me back. Actually, this jdrama landed not too far away from being a hidden gem. Here is why.

First the writer pulled off surprisingly realistic and deep character. Most of the characters have more layers to them than what is hinted at the beginning. Take the groom to be Keigo for example, The stainless charming prince turns into a double standard jerk and finally into a despicable coward. Each layer slips in a very natural way, in harmony with the story development, not forced at all. The same occurs with Hitomi's mother and sister who have much more to their characters than what their silly introduction lets on. You can catch a glimpse of the struggles and doubts the mother has come across even if just hinted. Finally the main lead Manabu is the finest example of these “layers” paradigm. His character is quite disappointing at first as a marriage wrecker (not that he does anything to be a marriage wrecker actually), so straightforward and dull. But as the story develops his inner layers appear and let on a mature, respectful and bright personality, who was just waiting for someone like Hitomi to come and shake his world.

In addition to good characters writing, the issues it deals with really hit home. First I thought I would never relate to the show. What is a young woman supposed to do : give up to a fling or be a sensible person who invests in her future? That kind of dilemma doesn't strike any chord with me and I was about to give up on the show when it took a different path. It's built around the idea that double standards and hypocrisy deeply shape our choices. Social status is obviously assumed as a major thing in Japanese culture and society (or at least that's what I understand from my limited knowledge), nothing new here. But this show succeeds in showing some of the powerfull social structure that leads to it. It does not come only on your personal choices, but on all your interactions and values. As a European I could perfectly relate to this analysis.

Unfortunately though, what the show misses is still crucial.
Mainly time and substance. To tell the mother and sister's character development, Manabu's change of heart. And above all to account for Hitomi's poor decision making which really doesn't make any sense with her character arc.
Last but not least, what a poor and rushed happy ending. This show deserved much better.

Leggi di Più

Full of tropes, but in a good way!!

STORY: Seriously, if you want tropes, this has it in spades! Enemies to lovers, ex-girlfriend that comes back after years, expecting to pick up where she left off, amnesia, cold boss, illness, bullying, revenge - you name it, it's in here! The reason this show works so well is that it doesn't appear to take itself too seriously. It spends a lot of time being over-the-top and let me tell you, it's a blast! Physical comedy, revenge, strangely it all worked. Episodes 14-15 went a little awry, those episodes felt somewhat like they threw a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what would stick. Thankfully, it got back on track. I don't want to say anything else about the story, I think it's better if you don't know what to expect.

ACTING/CAST: Kim Jae Wook as Noh Go Jin (I loved him in Her Private Life and was glad to see him again.) - Straight-laced, bitter, mean and any other word you want to use for unlikeable, but you could sense his loneliness and sadness. His transition from the beginning to the end of the show was lovely, a person redeemed. Krystal Jung as Lee Shin A (I loved to hate her in Heirs) - she looks completely different, I originally only recognized her by her voice. Her character was wonderful (not a doormat and not a b**ch). She was strong when she needed to be, but she saw the good in people, which was a good foil for the ML. Hu Joon as Oh Se Gi - I don't believe I've ever seen him in anything before, and his character was very understated, so you never quite knew what his deal was. Im Won Hee as Park Yang Tae - his characters are always cartoon-like, which fit well in this drama. Go Gyu Pil as Joo Jun Pal/"John" - he had a relatively small part, but I love watching him act, he's got a great sweetness about him. I also liked the woman that played the cleaning woman at work, and how she went from hating the ML to being his staunchest supporter.

MUSIC: I'll be honest, nothing stuck out to me, but maybe that's a good thing. There was nothing to distract from the story.

CHEMISTRY: I loved this couple!! Their hatred was palpable, but the progression to liking one another made sense. Once they finally did get together, they had a healthy respect for one another, and their relationship was mature, without stupid misunderstandings or time jumps (hallelujah!). They were so cute together, I probably had a stupid grin on my face as I watched them. I think the supposed second couple (her brother and her roommate) were somewhat wasted, but I was glad that they didn't take time away from the main couple.

HAPPY ENDING and a peek into their future.

I am so glad I watched this (it was recommended by someone here on MDL, thank you very much!), it really worked my emotions, as well as giving me all the feels. Which was an absolute relief, as my recent luck with romance shows has been like a vast, desert wasteland.

Leggi di Più

Saigo kara nibanme no koi is a very good drama. It’s quite simple (while you could say that most of the characters’ relationship statuses can be described as “it’s complicated!”, the plot is not at all complicated to follow) with interesting characters and funny situations. It’s not a comedy that will have you rolling on the floor laughing, but it is sometimes hilarious in a quiet sort of way.

Yes, there is romance as stated on the drama information page, but it is also about family and friendship. There is the Nagakura family – four siblings and the oldest brother’s daughter – who often argue and banter but love and care about each other deeply, and then Chiaki comes to live next door. Romance leads to friendship and friendship to romance, and there’s romantic friendship that leads nowhere; all this is sort of obvious from the first episode. What surprised me was not the romance theme, but rather the friendship and family themes, and the warmth and humor throughout it all. In the end, this drama is about family: The kind of family that you chose and create for yourself.

This is a drama about adults. The main characters are all between 35 and 50, so if you’re used to watching dramas about young love and high school kids, you might think that this is not for you. Well, personally I appreciate variation and I like watching dramas about people older than myself sometimes. I think this drama can be enjoyed by anybody no matter the age. Also, this is a drama without evil and scheming second leads. Well, there are second leads and some weirdo characters, but nothing that will make you want to scream with frustration.

The characters are all very likeable, even though they’re pretty odd. The older Nagakura brother cares a lot about appearances and always tries to think about what’s proper and responsible, but at the same time he also does things he doesn’t always quite understand, out of love. Also, he has a hard time saying “no” to things, he’s a nitpicker, and somehow he can’t seem to be near Chiaki without picking a fight with her. The twins are also nice people: Shinpei who is an “Angel”, because although he’s scared of commitment, he is very “helpful and generous” and aims to make as many women happy as possible (yes, if it’s sex they need, that’s what he helps them with, although it could just as well be some company). All this is done with a sort of innocence and naïveté – he doesn’t quite seem like the typical womanizer even if that’s sort of what he is – that probably only works so well because of the general atmosphere of this drama. Even though you like the characters and feel for them, you can’t take this too seriously.

This is especially true about the twin sister, Mariko. You’d barely recognize Uchida Yuki under all that hair and the crazy clothes… Mariko is… special. At first I thought she was mentally disabled, perhaps she is but she’s also smart and observant. She’s not a complete recluse but she’s scared of people sometimes, and she's very fidgety, with her smartphone glued to her fingers… I just don’t know what’s “wrong” with her, but I guess not even the drama writer knows that… ;) Sometimes I found her a little bit too much but I loved her. The fourth sister is also an important character, but her plotline is a bit more typical that Mariko’s: She’s the rebellious housewife who is tired of being taken for granted by her husband and son. What I like about this drama though is that all of these characters are important and all storylines are completed; you don’t lose interest for anyone just because someone else gets too much screentime.

(As for the other supporting characters, not all of them are fully developed, but that’s not to be expected I guess. Chiaki’s friends are just there as a background, because there needs to be scenes where she can talk about things that are happening…)

Chiaki is a drama producer and there are also scenes from her office. It is mildly amusing when characters in a drama talk about a drama and about things that should or should not happen in one…

Also, I have to give this drama a special gold star in my book for stating openly that yes, sometimes a woman can fall in love with another woman. This is not a huge thing, but it is there, and this is the first time I have seen anything even remotely like lesbian love in a j-drama. Well, it might be there just because of the “comedy” that comes out of it, but it’s still undeniably there.

As always, there’s not much I can say about the music, but at least I did notice it this time around. There were mostly just the same two or three songs that played, but they added to the atmosphere and I liked them, for what it’s worth.

To be honest, I started watching this drama as a first step of stalking Koyzumi Kyoko, but I really did enjoy it and not just because of her! Now I’m looking forward to the special, and then let’s just hope we’ll get subs for season two this spring! The ending made me want to know what’s going to happen next, or rather, I just don’t want to let go of the Nagakura family yet!

Leggi di Più

Para mim, valeu apena assistir mais de duas vezes

Este foi o segundo dorama bl que eu assisti, e devo admitir que amei, desde do primeiro capítulo que fiquei completamente apaixonada pelo casal principal, assisti este dorama no final de 2022 e foi uma das melhores experiências que tive, tanto que fiquei com "ressaca de bls" e não consegui assisti nada por pelos três semanas.

Aos meus olhos, o casal principal Daonuea (Dunk Natachai) e Kluen (Joong Archen) tem uma ótima química, o bl me fez chorar, me deixou triste e contente pelo final feliz. Devo mencionar que a cada frase no final dos capítulos me deixava com uma leve angústia, as frases mexia muito com os meus sentimentos.

Enfim, eu amei o bl, amei os sentimentos que ele provocou em mim, amei o elenco, os atores.

Leggi di Più

Loved: Abe Hiroshi is excellent in this role (it was the first I saw him in and probably still my favourite) - he maintains the balance of strictness, understanding and self-interest well and the students develop a real rapport with him. While the students were all quite young when Dragon Zakura was filmed most of them are now big names (Yamashita Tomohisa, Koike Teppei, Nagasawa Masami, Aragaki Yui) and it's interesting to see where they started out (although the acting of some has definitely improved with time!).



Didn't Love: The student's homeroom teacher (played by Hasegawa Kyoko) can be annoying at times but she always has the student's best interests at heart. Like most high school doramas there is a whole bunch of anti-change teachers to irritate the viewer and an incompetent but well-meaning principal with a penchant for hats tops it off.



Dragon Zakura isn't just another high school dorama - it's unique, funny and focuses on encouraging the students to want to improve themselves and their lives, rather than just mass-producing exam bots who can't think for themselves. A feel good show with some wacky characters and teaching methods thrown in for good measure.



<< See more of my reviews at doramasan.wordpress.com >>

Leggi di Più

A beautiful, intelligently written show

This series is so self-aware and intelligently written. All the way through there has been a realistic portrayal of love, and specifically queer love, and the acting and emotionality shown in combination with this makes it such a good show. It doesn't fall into the tropes we see constantly in other series, instead it's aware of these tropes and its navigation of them actually informs the story. It's also such a fascinating setting being in a BL show production and featuring a character whose job is to write BL novels - really cleverly done and subtly satirical/aware of itself and its setting.

The main couple might have their communication problems but it doesn't make their story any less impactful and just lovely (pun not intended). Watching their relationship grow as they learn about themselves and grow in confidence and in love is beautiful, and I felt every emotion along with Gene, the main character.

It is one of my favourite shows ever and it will stay with me for a long time.

Leggi di Più

Basically "Save Myself" plot but different in a pleasent way...

I am not a huge fan of Shen Hao Nan`s work since i find many of his dramas really lacking plot wise, but the man himself can act, kiss and just take my screen by storm by his gorgeous and deadly charisma! His co-star is absolutely lovely Wang Yun Yun (my first time seeing her on-screen) and these two really caught my laptop on fire with their quite steamy chemistry! I mean if looks could BURN,YUMMM!And i really enjoyed this story by the way, especially with the emotional depth it got near the end. It totally fed my romantic soul!
'
It does start with our gorgeous ML witnessing a wedding, in this case he sees FL marrying another man. Her beauty does catch his eye, but alas she is a married lady now. Well until he stumbles upon her in the Hotel corridor and find her drunk in his embrace. SEDUCTION ON POINT, PEOPLE (Ah i live for this!!) Not only does he become her secret lover, but also her secret sword against her enemies who wants to steal her inheritance.

Leggi di Più

Timing is Everything.

Season 2 does not give me the same feels and gone are the innocence and sweetness. All the characters seem to have grown up and are forced to face certain challenges in life. No longer can they hide their feelings but they all become more courageous and more honest with themselves.

The talk of the town is probably Kou’s indecisiveness and going back-and-forth between Yoshioda and Narumi. One thing Kou said resonated with me. He wants to move on but he’s also afraid that he will forget. Therefore, being with Narumi in a way is a security blanket. If you have lost someone close to you, you can probably understand where Kou is coming from. But of course, logically we all know he needs to cut ties with Narumi and be honest with his feelings. I also do not agree with Narumi’s emotional blackmail, but I can sympathize with her actions.

I liked Yoshioda in season 1 and I continue to like her in this season. She continues to grow and I’m glad she tries to at least not be a pushover and really wants things with Toma to work out. Toma is a lovely guy but it’s just not the same when your first love is someone who’s broken, and you want to heal with him and be with him throughout the process.

These characters are young and they are not perfect. Going back on decisions is not the end of the world. Sometimes, we just need to be more forgiving of ourselves and know that we can’t always make the right choices at first try.

Yuri has a very small part in season 2. The love triangle between Murao/Kominato/Tanaka has a little more screen time. I would have liked to see more foreshadowing/scenes in Murao’s final choice of the guy she ends up with. There doesn’t seem to have enough transition from one to another.

Season 2 did not hit me the same way as Season 1. But I did have an enjoyable time watching this. I’m glad the acting is pretty good all-around and even though Narumi is a third wheel, she wasn’t that bad.


Completed: 2/25/2024 - Review #410

Season 1 review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/voicelesslove/reviews/342617

Leggi di Più

Love on the clock, but don’t expect overtime! Short and sweet! !!

My Damn Business is a mini-series that blends light-hearted humour with a sweet office romance. Despite its short runtime of around 10 minutes per episode, the series does a good job of developing its two leads, Han Yu Jin and Yoon Su An and crafting an engaging story that kept me hooked every week.

The chemistry between the leads is the highlight of the series for me. From the first episode, it was evident. Han Yu Jin is confident, assertive and just a bit dominant while Su An is reserved, shy and cautious. Their contrasting personalities created a fun and sort of affectionate push-and-pull dynamics.
The romance here is not in grand gestures but in small, meaningful moments, in those quiet glances, subtle touches and tender conversations over drinks.

However, I wish the episodes were a little longer. It would have allowed for more depth to the characters and the workplace setting and also made the pacing a lot smoother. Also, waiting for a single episode per week made the story feel a bit disjointed.

The cinematography and production were good that it felt much larger and more polished than you'd expect from a short format.
Also that ending shot was beautiful! <3

Overall, this mini-series was a guilty pleasure with a satisfying romantic comedy that delivered even though it has pacing issues considering its short run time. Hoping to see more dramas with longer runtime.
Recommended if you are looking for a light, sweet and feel-good romance. There is nothing groundbreaking or deep here but few cliche tropes that are done well.

Leggi di Più

Birth of a Beauty might be aptly renamed "The Tale of Two Dramas," because the second half of this show could not be more different from the first half. And no, that's not particularly good.


STORY
While it started out as a fun rom-com with a campy mystery B-plot, it eventually bought into that campy B-plot completely, abandoning the rom-com aspects that were so strong in the beginning and trying (and mostly failing) to sell itself as a serious thriller drama.

While comparisons can be made to The Count of Monte Cristo, the show itself was more Jekyll and Hyde than anything. This irritating misdirection and mishandling of characters was punctuated by possibly the worst and most unnecessary Noble Idiocy I have yet come across in all of drama. While it's not as insulting as something like Angel Eyes, Birth of a Beauty is still guilty of turning its lead female into a bonehead in order to drum up cheap conflict without having to write something original.

That being said, the premise of the show itself is still not without merit. If you enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll enjoy aspects of this as well. A normal, everyday woman is mistreated and, eventually, murdered by those she trusts. Except she survives, transforms herself, and returns to exact retribution on those who did her wrong. However, don't expect it to be as satisfying as Monte Cristo; while that classic slowly seeds his revenge over time and then reveals it mostly in the climax, Birth of a Beauty belabors the revenge plot early on and offers very little satisfying resolution over the course of time. By the time some of the villains have actually tasted justice, I barely noticed, since it was often handled with little dramatic impact and usually the effects of it were only temporary, seeing the villains shortly back to their misdeeds with almost no consequence. Expect to see lots of mustache-twirling here from the innumerable villains and, especially in the back half, multiple minutes per episode of people just looking dramatically at each other after nothing of consequence was said.

You're probably thinking "This sounds worse than a 7/10", but the reason it scored that high is because the romance plot was far superior to the revenge plot. While that, too, was mishandled (badly) in the back half, it was still good enough to keep my wife and I interested throughout. Most viewers will have little trouble buying into the romance here, as JSW and HYS have some SERIOUS chemistry with each other. Not only that, but despite how poorly written the back half is, the resolution and payoff is actually pretty good. While I would have preferred at least an entire episode dedicated to falling action and character send-offs, what you get is good enough.
If, however, you're someone who simply cannot tolerate main characters behaving stupidly, Han Ye Seul's character here will almost certainly have you dropping this before you reach Episode 15.


ACTING/CAST
I never thought I'd see the day where I give a Joo Sang Wook drama less than 8 in this category, but here we are. Not MUCH less than 8, of course, but still. Han Ye Seul is charming and fun, but from what I could see, comedy is her strength. She wasn't bad at all with the dramatic stuff, but I wouldn't say she was good either. Her face seems custom built to smile (literally, perhaps?), and when she is smiling, you could almost really believe that men would follow her around Korea like sheep with a shepherd. However, in her one melo scene, her face contorted so unnaturally that it took both me and my wife right out of the moment. Would definitely love to see more of her in a strictly comedic role. While the aforementioned JSW was, of course, great, even he started dripping into "dry" territory in the back half here. Not his fault; he really just didn't have much to work with in the script. That being said, he is at his comedic BEST in the front half. Many many hilarious moments, the absolute best being when he dresses up as a mariachi with a big fake handlebar mustache and sings (you just have to see it for yourself).

All of this, of course, leads me to our second leads. Wang Ji Hye was probably the second best actor in the show, talent-wise. She handled the subtleties of her character with ease. Again, though, she wasn't given a wide variety of things to do. On the other hand, this is the second drama with Jung Gyu Woon I've seen, and I don't think I've seen his facial expression change once in either drama. He's better here than in Oh My Venus, but only because his character is comically evil. Even with such an extreme character to play, don't expect much from him here.

As for the Supporting Cast, exactly two actors are worth mentioning:
Han Jin Hee plays a stern, loud buffoon for 19 and a half episodes. In his final scene, he is given a touching moment with one of the main characters and he ABSOLUTELY KILLS IT. His character is one of the more interesting and dynamic throughout the plot, despite having very little of consequence to do.
Kang Kyung Hun has the most honest acting moment in the whole show, a throwaway moment barely given time to shine and yet it drew a teardrop or two from both me and my wife.


MUSIC
Weird that I gave this highest marks, but really Wife and I were singing and humming so many different songs from this one. While the incidental music is forgettable, the vocal themes are consistently strong and memorable, especially the opening credits theme, "She" by SHINee. Very catchy.


REWATCH VALUE
The first half is immensely rewatchable, honestly. So many cute and fun moments. High-energy, lots of comedy, lots of intrigue. And the very first episode, particularly, is superbly shot and edited. But that back half of this drama.... ouch. It was hard to get through it once, so I can't imagine trying to watch it again. I remember laughing out loud once because there was one particular reaction shot that I think had to be over 60 seconds long. I'm not exaggerating. The camera just stayed on JSW for forever while he looked serious. I imagined JSW in his head thinking "Uh.... is someone gonna say 'cut'.... sometime?" And that right there is par for the course for the second half of Birth of a Beauty. Lots of reaction shots, lots of people staring at each other, lots of villains twirling their mustaches. Not a lot worth seeing beyond a few decent plot points and, of course, the resolution, which really does manage to satisfy and is worth watching a few times.


All in all, if you're in the mood for a good rom-com, exhaust your other options first. If you're in the mood for a thriller, look elsewhere. If you're in the mood for Joo Sang Wook and you've seen his other dramas, dive right in to this one! Despite my serious complaints, there is still an odd charm to the show; an intangible factor that can still hook a viewer. My wife complained about a lot of it, but at the end said "You know, I still liked this." I can't say I disagree. You may have the same reaction, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.

Leggi di Più

This drama is a lot like its characters: campy and self-aware, gorgeous and ambitious. Followers is trying to do a lot, maybe a little too much, but I really liked it and think it's definitely worth your time.

If you're familiar with director Ninagawa Mika, you know that she’s all about playing with bright, loud colour, and she definitely isn’t afraid to do things outside the box. This drama is dazzling, hypnotic and oh so gorgeous. Every scene is a complete sensory overload. You can tell that this is a high-budget drama, not only because of the great cast, but because every episode is filmed like the most eye-catching Hollywood movie you’ve ever seen. The music, the costumes, the sets, everything is so well done.

To keep it simple, Followers is about women working in the entertainment business, an industry that both loves and hates successful women. This drama touches on a lot of hot button topics that you probably won’t find on network jdramas: there are multiple LGBTQ+ characters, a LOT of feminism, women of different ages being unabashedly open about their careers, sexuality, motherhood etc, and not so subtle societal critique thrown in as well. This isn't your average network jdrama, that's for sure!

My only complaint (and it’s kind of a big one) is that the drama has a lot of characters and probably tries to cover too many storylines in only 9 episodes. 2-3 more episodes to develop some characters and tie up lose ends would have been great. It just felt like there was a rush to end everyone's storyline just perfectly, even though some characters probably deserved a bit of imperfection.

Last but not least: KOM_I was a total scene stealer in this drama and I hope she continues to pursue acting!

Leggi di Più

Hilarious, Good Acting and Great Chemistry - Shut down your brain to enjoy this Slapstick Comedy

In order to enjoy “Egg and Stone” or not to be disappointed, there are a few things you should know. Sometimes, It’s important to set your expectations and know what you are getting yourself into.

1. This is a COMEDY first and foremost. Not just any comedy but stupid, crazy, over-the-top slapstick comedy.
2. Do not expect this to be a wuxia drama. The setting is in the pugilistic world/jiang wu, but wuxia elements are scarce and fight scenes are limited, and not very well-choreographed.
3. Romance is also a big focus, more so than mystery or investigation.
4. This is a low budget production - do not expect fancy costumes, sets or hair/make up.
5. You need to shut down your brain for some crazy fun.

If you are not OK with the above-mentioned points, then I will dissuade you from watching “Egg and Stone”. Unless you are a big fan of the actors, and are on a mission to watch every single one of their dramas.

Having said that, I lowered my expectations and waited for the right mood to watch this drama. I had a lot of fun watching it, and also laughed out loud at many moments. Of course, I rolled my eyes as well and wondered why established actors such as Xu Lu, Caesar Wu and Riley Wang signed up for such a project. Are they being blackmailed by their companies, or do they owe the director a big favor? Or maybe they just want something different and have some fun with friends?

I do applaud the actors for diving right into their roles and do not mind acting silly and ridiculous. I actually think the acting of the cast is a big strength of this drama. To be honest, there are quite a few sad and emotional scenes, and I was so touched that I actually shed a few tears. Less experienced actors might not be able to pull this off.

The drama follows the journey of female lead, Huo Xing Chen, and her dream of helping the weak in the pugilistic world. She doesn’t want to follow the traditional role of a woman, getting married and staying home. This is quite a feminist drama in a way. She was met with opposition from the men in her life at first, but she slowly persuaded them and also fell in love with someone who believed in her and supported her dream.

I enjoyed the romance between the leads quite a bit. Xu Lu and Caesar Wu have great chemistry and are so fun when they have scenes together. I like the development of their romance, not too fast and not too slow. Jiang Bu Ting has become one of my favorite male leads, especially in comedies. Not only is he good-looking, he’s smart, funny, and shy-cute. But most importantly, he’s the one who believes and persuades FL to follow her dreams. He supports her but doesn’t spoil her. He allows her to make mistakes and learn the hard way, but secretly protects her. There’s enough romance throughout the drama to keep me happy. I do wish they give me more than dead fish kisses. I’ve seen them in other dramas and they could both deliver! I blame the director.

Riley Wang really needs to pick other roles where he’s not the third wheel in a love triangle. I feel bad for him as an actor, and also the character. I was dreading the direction that his character is going, but was fine after knowing the whole backstory. The secondary romance is cute and adorable, but could have been better. Jiang Bu Ying is so dumb, cute and funny.

I think the weakness of this drama is the more serious plot. The mystery and investigation parts are not written very well, and this is mostly towards the second half of the drama. There are inconsistencies and plot holes, and a lot is told to the viewers and instead of shown. I actually got bored and was distracted.

Another weakness is the production quality. You can tell this is a low budget production. The same two songs are played all the time. The actors wear the same outfits in each scene. If you are a main character, you might have 2-4 outfits, otherwise, you wear the same thing every day. On the one hand, it’s a nice change to see actors not getting the smooth-faced, white filter treatment. You can clearly see the makeup not done perfectly or if anyone has unsmooth skin. On the other hand, in some close shots, I do wish the filter is on. Luckily, the actors dubbed their own voices. This makes the funny scenes even more fun. I think dubbing would mess with the comedic timing. However, I can’t stand the fake Cantonese-Mandarin accent of one supporting character. It bugs me quite a bit, since I speak Cantonese.

Overall, I had a lot of fun watching this drama. I can’t totally turn my brain off, thus, I can’t bring myself to give “Egg and Stone” higher than an 8.0. There are still things that bug me, but this is definitely a lot more fun than I thought. I am glad to re-discover Caesar Wu and I look forward to his future dramas. Xu Lu also surprises me and I can’t help but compare her to Li Qin in “Thousand Years for You” (Xu Lu is better). I will recommend this drama to you if you enjoy slapstick comedies and are looking for a stress-relief drama. Just shut down your brain and enjoy the craziness.


Completed: 1/14/2024 - Review #394

Leggi di Più

Light romcom drama with a bit of a twist

yes, i came here for Seo Ji Hye after crash landing, I wanted more of her acting.

the story was kinda normal, the only twist in the drama was that the mains ( Do Hee and Hae Kyung) were "Dinnermates" despite that the series was still enjoyable. all the characters were well portrayed, the cast was also exceptional. cinematography was on point. All in all the drama was wonderful. Wouldn't see myself rewatching it though.

Also wanted to add that "Ah-yeong" (played by Ye Ji-Won) was my favourite among all the characters, her presence in the drama was exceptional. All her scenes were really wholesome, Especially the scenes with Do Hee just watching their scenes together warms my heart.

This is extra but lol the scene where they went on a company trip, and had like this paint gun fight was so extra I was laughing the whole time. Plus everytime "Keanu" comes to the screen this specific like sound plays HAHAHAHA I cant- I just love it.

Anyways would recommend this to people who enjoy light romcom dramas with a bit of a twist.

Leggi di Più

Before I rip in to this thing. I will say that all the actors did a fine job with what they were given. Now.......

As another reviewer stated, for a show called Miss Lee, they truly don't focus on her that much. They don't even really make her the glue that holds things together. She mostly is kind of hopeless, and never really hits her stride like you expect. So you either want a comedy about a person who gets thrust in to a unique position and funny things happen, or you want a serious drama about the person figuring it out along the way through tough trial and error. Neither really happen here, and you are left wondering what the point of the main character even is.

The writers contradict themselves multiple times in the story. The characters are very gullible, and unlikable, with the exception of one or two. You know that cliche where everyone falls for someone's gossip story, but eventually they stop getting duped because they learn their lesson? Forget that. Everyone just believes everything they are told, and when they do question it, they are still eventually convinced by a quick rebuttal.

Not only does Miss Lee herself not get much attention. The second female lead also gets very little screen time and story development. I kind of want to do a spoiler review so I can point out the kabillion writing mistakes/contradictions, but I am not sure it's worth the time.

Verdict: This thing is a damn mess. I was kind of floored at how incoherent this was.

Leggi di Più