Reviews

Pretty but soulless

The Silent Sea seems to have all the right ingredients, from premise to set design to casting, but unfortunately somehow failed to truly grab my full attention.
I don’t consider my time with this show wasted at all, I did sit through all eight episodes in three days after all, but this is not a drama I see myself ever coming back to nor thinking about ever again

Visually speaking, this is a very impressive show. Probably the most expensive-looking Asian drama I have ever watched. The CGI definitely didn’t disappoint. And yet, for the most part, the cinematography didn’t leave a strong impression on me. Not implying that it was bad, not at all, I consider this to be a pretty visually stimulating drama, but it wasn’t anything more than competent. None of the shots felt bland or flat per-se but I can’t shake off the feeling, that The Silent Sea just lacked a certain something. Nice to look at, but not particularly interesting. The only thing I can say with certainty is that this show is dark, thematically, but also literally at many parts. So dark in fact, that at many points I was having real difficulties figuring out what was going on. That can be a stylistic choice of course, but I still don’t feel like it was an exactly smart one.

However, in my opinion, the biggest fault of the drama lies in the characters, which I couldn’t bring myself to really care about. For starters, I thought that many of them were too similar in personality. But I also just failed to connect with anyone emotionally. I don’t think that the actors are at fault here, if anything I was more than pleased with everyone’s performance, but it seems like The Silent Sea didn’t leave any room to showcase human emotion. For the most part, I don’t feel like we got to know anybody. There were very few scenes where I got a clear image of the crew’s dynamic with each other. I don’t need media to have banter and funny and witty one-liners every second scene, in a Marvel-movie-fashion, but I still needed something, anything from The Silent Sea that would have convinced me that these are truly individual people with their individual flaws, strengths, quirks, aspiration, and dreams.

Plot-wise I think this show was fine. The premise was what originally attracted me and the twists and turns kept me engaged, but I really do feel like a story can only be as strong as its characters and unfortunately, this drama just missed the mark here.

Please don't read this and conclude that I consider this to be a bad drama, I truly don't but it didn't really leave me feeling anything. It didn't make me smile (which, considering the genre, was to be expected), it didn't make me sad, it didn't frighten me, it didn't even really make me think about anything much.

Would I recommend The Silent Sea? Kinda a tough question. Personally speaking, it didn’t hit the spot, but I also feel like this might come down to a personal preference in genres. If you like science-fiction, violence, and (most importantly) cool-looking space-stuff, I’m sure you’ll have a field day with this. If you’re looking for a more emotional experience, maybe skip this one.

Leia Mais

I do not say this lightly - TOTAL MASTERPIECE.

I have seen over 400 dramas. I have given a 10 to a drama only ONE time. But I will say unequivocally right now, that this is one of the best asian dramas of all time, and not only will I award it my second 10 ever, but if I could I would give it an 11.

Learning To Love stands toe to toe with the heaviest hitters of drama like What Happened in Bali, A Million Stars Falling From the Sky, Meteor Garden, Goodbye My Princess, The Rose, Secret, Que Sera Sera, That Winter The Wind Blows, Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Yanxi Palace, Kleun Cheewit, Chugakusei Nikki, or Rise of the Phoenixes. This is so good it's hard to put into words, but for the sake of leaving a review, I will try not to go on too much and keep this brief... while still conveying the insane degree to which this show is both A) a really effing good watch and B) an incredible work of art.

Where to even start....

The main theme of the story is refracted in a hundred tiny ways all throughout -- each character and each action kind of mirrors possible past or future or parallel lives of the other characters in this incredible kalidescope where you can see how any character could 'there but for the grace of god' be another character, and they all reflect aspects of eachother while retaining a deep and unique individuality at the same time. It's so gorgeous how it's all laid out, and how everything subtly connects to everything else. It's just poetry. Every aspect of this drama transcends the sum of its parts in a myriad of fractals that would be impossible for me to describe in less than 10k words, so I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, it is just so damn good.

This leads into mentioning the cinematography which was classic, beautiful, balanced, powerful. Cinematography that actually added it's own voice to the story, like a narrator's voice in a really good book. Plus, it has that throwback feel we all crave and miss so much from classic asian dramas. We all complain that "they don't make em like they used to". Well, this IS like they used to make 'em. So much so, that when they mentioned "covid" at one point, it kind of threw me off for a minute, because this drama feels so much like one of the really good older dramas.

(And can I just mention here that the ost/bgm is a SLAVE to the story. It serves ONLY to accent the emotions carried in the scene, and it is just as perfectly executed as every other part of this production.)

The characters - all of them - are compelling and SO well-acted. A flawless ensemble, led by two fantastic actors that deftly carry the story and convey so many emotions... this was impeccable casting, and impeccable acting. I haven't been this impressed in a long time. This is where imo it stands above even major classics like Rise of the Phoenixes... Kimura Fumino and Murakami Raul Maito are doing double the lifting compared to Chen Kun and Ni Ni in RotP. I almost can't find an equivalent to compare them to, and they deserve to be considered among some of the best performances of all time.

The vibe of this drama has a very classic flavor, the emotional angst and tension is so palpable, so much happens in each episode, not a minute of screentime is wasted. Gives off an aura of 'A Million Stars Falling From The Sky'. And something really incredible happens as the episodes progress.... the story could end in so many different ways, or it could end on any scene itself and still be really really good. You know what's going to happen like a trainwreck in slow motion, and yet you don't actually know what's going to happen at ALL because there are so many possibilities for where the story could go, and as it hurtles toward it's inevitable ending, you still get the feeling like each new scene will hold some fresh magic in it. You get this incredible blend of dread and hope mixed together indistinguishably from one another, and it just relentlessly ratchets up and up through each episode as the possibilities for how it will end keep multiplying. Every character's psyche is peeled layer by painstaking layer and we are afraid and excited by what we will find at the core of each person. Each character is slowly and inexorably pushed towards their breaking point... the true selves they hide to the world have less and less room to hide... and it all feels so volatile and mysterious as you watch it unfold.

I cannot say enough good things about this drama, and I cannot possibly recc it more to anyone prepared for a serious watch. This is gripping and angsty and a little bit of a hard watch, but so so so freaking good. Nailed the ending. Actors are just so incredible here. So much heart and soul are in this.... it feels like a masterclass in what an asian drama is supposed to be.

Leia Mais

Seriously don't watch this one. I was happy to find this drama out since it looked like a GL so I was happy that Viki is getting wlw relationships some spotlight as well.
But damn I was wrong, I can't believe I survived watching all the 8 episodes. The only pros are that both the female leads acted quite good and that I liked the OST but that's all.
The characters are awful, manipulative and cheating. All the relationships (romantic or friendship) are so toxic it hurts.
I'm not even sure if this can be considered GL since the female leads were always like "we're just best friends" and they had friendship rings and each of them got a boyfriend at the end of the drama. Like what?!
Lesbians and wlw in general deserve much better representation than this sh*t.

Leia Mais

Just don't even bother, save yourself the headache.

This deserves a much lower score - but I did enjoy the first 15 episodes, and she did write some damn lovable children, but holy hell was this a disaster, and this writer has been officially blacklisted by me, lol. First of all, not a family drama. Especially if you go in after watching some great ones like Once Again, Never Twice, Five Enough, etc. Definitely more a makjang disguising itself as a family drama. But not even a good makjang. You've got multiple amnesia plots, beyond awful parenting, schemes, a lady who screamed most of the series, a weak ass ML, a female lead that literally never got a break and was always in tears, traumatized children, Sa Ra (she's a whole thing herself), and it goes on. Not a cute healing drama about a older widowed man finding love with his children's teacher.

As many have pointed out in the comments a better title would have been a Gentlemen and a Witch, because somehow Sa Ra was the female lead in this. So much of the narrative was wasted on her and her awful self. The amount of terrible things she did disguised as love, were not love. She was basically an obsessed stalker who wanted a rich husband. If you thought she'd get a fitting end - no, she just left. After everything she did she could just walk away. And the male lead was pretty damn pathetic because he fell for literally everyone of her schemes, even when everyone around him was telling him it was suspicious, which of course hurt the female lead every damn time. At first I was shipping him with Dan Dan but by the end I - along with many others were wondering why she would keep running after this man. And then there's Cha Gun, who was in love with Sa Ra for what? She used him and dumped him every damn time, and he still thought she was a good person?

Literally everyone of the parents were terrible, one trying to sell her daughter off for money and would always play the victim, another one (Dan Dan's dad) who seem liked a timid man but was really a controlling POS still obsessed with his ex who treated his daughter like a child and reacted very hostile anytime she disobeyed him and was consistently disrespectful to his wife's feeling because of his stupid pride. Another mom who just went along with her daughters nonsense specially when her child clearly need professional help who was also a thief. Another who thought she could make up for her mistakes by tricking her daughter and and ex into moving back to the states with her.

Sure there was a happy ending but it felt pretty bitter after everything you suffered through for 52 episodes. Well, less for me since I either skipped through or just flat out didn't watch at least twenty of them, thanks to other people recapping the episodes, lol. Sure I ran the range of emotions from loving it to, eh whats this? to the wtf? to angry to just a complete lack of empathy to eh I guess the ending is cute? But what was the point. All the nonsense in between was just nonsense.

The kids? I give them all the props. Literally more mature than all the adults. The boys themselves were freaking little angels who deserved so much more. I'd keep a eye out for the actors, they were better than some of the rest of the cast. But I guess I should be fair - I think most the cast are better in other dramas.

But yeah, just don't watch it and go watch a lakorn instead. At least you'd be more entertained.

Leia Mais

OK, this was seriously not what I was expecting. I originally thought this was about a spoiled right girl getting into a sticky spot but it isn’t at all that. She’s not a spoiled rich brat. She is smart, confident, kind and hard working. Completely different from so many other rich girl/boy kdrama. I have watched several series that have originally aired on Netflix and they have been blunders. This one was surprisingly refreshing and fun to watch. I laughed so many hard on some scenes. There were many scenes that were heartfelt and that made you feel like you wanted to cry too. I can only give this series a 10. It was unique, funny, heartfelt, romantic and a had some action to go along with it. Even the small fight scenes were good. The leads had an amazing chemistry and the supporting cast really felt like a major part of the series. Their presence was felt and if they weren’t there you’d notice, I seriously grew attached to all the cast.

Love, loved, loved the series. This was so different and fun. The supporting cast had the personalities that made you laugh or cry. I knew when I saw them on a scene something funny was about to be said or happen. They were brave, somewhat smart, loyal to a fault and honest. Loved the female lead as well. Her personality was authentic and just yes.

Watch it. Get ready to laugh, laugh and swoon.

Leia Mais

Love it!

I'll say this once and I hope this review clears your mind. This drama is not a serious historical drama and it's pretty much clear why starting from the title. I feel like people see the tag historical and expect a super story plot cdrama with a serious meaning and deep plot and have high expectations. If you actually watch cdramas you would know there is a genre for everything, historical dramas with a deep plot and then their are this historical dramas that have no sense but they are enjoyable because they are for a good time. My sassy princess CLEARLY is not one serious heavy deep plot cdrama. So people that rate this 3 or even less don't get it. If I'm watching who rules the world I have different expectations than watching My sassy princess. If you can't make a difference about what kind of public this drama is searching for then it's not for you. It doesn't mean the drama is bad.

Over all this drama is all I can ask, no slow burn, funny female lead, romantic and same level of teasing male lead. Funny story line where you're meant to have a good time. If you take this drama seriously of course you won't like it. But this drama is just for fun.

Leia Mais

5 reasons to watch Fighting Mr. Second

I am absolutely in love. Literally. I usually never write reviews or for that matter watch shows live or pay attention to the BTS stuff but this show grabbed my attention and never let go. It will forever hold a place in my most memorable and favorite dramas not just a BL

1 - Cast/Chemistry

The whole cast is pretty great, from YU’s eyes that break heart to Chih Tian Shih whose monologue left everyone in tears. But the stand out will always be Sam Lin, he is just amazing at making you feel exactly what Shi De is feeling. Who knew a “Hi” could be that sad.

Also there chemistry is undeniable. Whether it’s the angry scenes, sweet ones or smexy times there is always a kind of tension between the 2 mains. They just feel so natural together and never felt forced or overdone.

2 - The Mains

Shu Yi - I love this dramatic baby. He is a force of nature, selfish, arrogant but in such a cute way that you can’t help but root for him in the end. I love that he never backs down from Shi De, always challenges him at his level and calls him out on his crap.
Goa Shi De - I think he is my overall favourite character. He was originally going to be more macho and aggressive but with the input of Sam they changed him to agreeable, bendable , humble and accepting. I think the writer (of the show) said it best when she said that Shi De’s biggest flaw is he’s always been the pioneer in his relationship with Shu Yi and feels like he should go out first to clear the way of obstacles but he underestimated Shu Yi ability to catch up to him so he made mistakes. He holds everything inside and when he explodes it left me in tears of sympathy.

3 - Storyline

The story is quite simple for the most part, it’s about the after of the happy ending. In season one we see Shi De and Sho Yi finally get together but what happens after that? Can young love in all its immaturity conquer insecurity, distance, pride, misunderstandings and get to a more mature place? When you’ve been hurt by your most trusted one, is possible to let go of angry in order to forgive? Can you withstand your partner’s hurt and hatred to earn the forgiveness? Are you willing to walk hand in hand instead of always being the strong one that shows no weakness? These are main conflicts.

At first I didn’t think I was gonna like this as much as the 1st season because the “misunderstanding” troupe is so damn over used but if you roll with it and stick with the characters, the internal reasoning from episode 4 allows you to sympathize with the real why.

One of the shows flaw is focusing on the Alpha plot at the second part of the drama and cutting out the emails scenes that many felt was a necessity. However I felt like the director did the Alpha plot to show the mains working together in a common goal to show a glimpse of what there future working together is like. And it also was a vehicle for Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan to be in each other orbits again.

4 - Music

The music in this show is actually really good, only rivaled by ITTSAY as my favourite BL soundtrack. Usually I find the music overused and distracting because sometimes it doesn’t go with the scene it’s in (I’m looking at you Love by chance and Tharntype). But here it fit the theme of the season because it’s slightly bluezy/moody and YU has a beautiful voice.

5 - Side Characters

I actually don’t really every like multiple couple stories in general because it draws too much time away from the main couples storylines especially in shorter dramas. But here they gave us interesting side story between Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan that was just enough to make me want to see where there story goes in there spin off series without annoying me with too much screen time. I ended up falling in love in Yu Zhen Xuan in episode 6.

Will I rewatch this drama? Yes it’s now cemented in my heart as 1 of my favs. Should you? I say don’t hesitate, some people might find it not as fluffy as the first season or can’t overlook some flaws but give it try cause it might surprise you.

Leia Mais

a coming of age story with 3 protagonists

Overall: the first half of the series had me hooked as a romance/coming of age. However, the addition of a 3rd protagonist and the lack of romantic progression changed the focus of the story which I did not enjoy. I think I read the first volume of the manga a long time ago and I've seen the prior 2017 movie but I'm basing this review on the 2024 series' own merits. 12 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4485/i-hear-the-sunspot-2024-e01 and iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/i-hear-the-sunspot-episode-1-2556woqrs6s?lang=en_us

Content Warning: punch, grief/mental health struggles

Watch Suggestions (to focus on the m/m leads)
- watch episodes 1-6
- skip episode 7 (can watch the 40s recap the beginning of ep 8)
- start episode 8 at 14 minutes
- start episode 9 at 7 minutes
- in episode 10 skip 19:30- 21:40
- watch episode 11 beginning to 4:20 and 15 to the end
- watch episode 12 at 12 minutes to the end

What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads (in the beginning half, then they needed to communicate)
- acting
- representation with a character who has hearing loss, showing how even people who are trying to be kind can isolate a person
- generally not a fan of extended flashbacks but episode 2 and the beginning of episode 3 gave us critical background information to understanding the characters and I'm glad we had this towards the beginning of the series
- that Taichi sought communication in episodes 2 & 5
- sweet moments like fishing together
- production value (some really gorgeous shots in the beginning episodes that conveyed things by showing like opening the curtains or how the basketball court went dark and empty, also good shots in episode 11)

Room For Improvement
- started the series with a flash forward and also some of the ominous voice overs
- the camera blocked kiss, I don't care if that's how it was in the manga, we are at a different time and place from when the manga was written and I expected a non camera blocked kiss
- Taichi was written to seek communication but then was unbelievably dense and didn't communicate any more
- Maya's backstory was way too late and the way she was written did not evoke empathy, the writers did her character dirty
- too many flashbacks in episode 9
- anti climactic ending, the finale had a protagonist talking with other characters for the entire first half of the finale

Leia Mais

Have you ever watched a show that made you feel like you are a dirty pedophile? If not, and if you are looking for one, then this one is for you!

Before anything, lets talk about the good things:
1.Newyear and Jur's King and Burger. Newyear somehow reminded me of a young Ohm and Jur's obvious over acting is endearing. I think the series will have a more positive reaction had they made them the focus of this show.
2. Is there a number 2?

Truth be told, I cant tell how anyone behind the show thought this was a good idea. This series is so reminiscent of the director's past works- Make it Right and What the Duck, but it seems like they never learned their lesson and instead amplified what people hated from those shows. Now lets talk about the not so good things:
1. The story. Cramming so many things within a 6 episode show is just too much, plus you really cant tell what the show is about. Is it a love series? Is it a murder mystery series?
2. Just like Love Sick 2, they managed to add another 2 of the most annoying characters ever on a tv show. There's no need to explain why Bookko's teacher is so despicable. And there's Mint's Pakaiwan. Also, special honorable mention to Ning's Pimtha, because
3. I really dont understand why some showrunners are so intent on making girls the villains in a boy-love series. Adding hate-able female characters doesnt automatically make viewers accept boy-love, if anything, its just lazy writing.
4. Speaking of lazy writing- this one seems like a mash up of a few other shows but is much more poorly executed. It is quite obvious that Burger King's story is derivative of Kieta Hatsukoi and there's an abvious attempt to make this into an Agatha Christie show.
5. I mentioned earlier that this show can make you feel like a dirty pedophile - the short shorts (it somehow felt like shorter shorts from Make it Right) is just too much and way too distracting. There was also quite a lot of disturbing shirtless scenes. I remember i was cringing during that scene when King removed his shirt and is trying to strip Burger - they obviously doesnt have what it takes to do that mature scene (they look like naked 10 year olds with those tiny bodies) but to force it does not look sexy, at all.
6. Bigboss' permanently constipated puppy sad look face. No matter what scene he is in, its the same sad face.
7. If they're planning season 2, which we all know is coming despite all the company's drama, I sincerely hoped they kept Pakaiwan dead because we dont need to see her anynore.

What's sad is there are hints that this could be a much better show. Overall, if you lower your expectations, it is still watchable and because of Burger and King i will give it a 6 (and also because i hate giving lower than that). Skip if you can only watch a few shows a week and save your viewing time for something much better.

Leia Mais

The Love Story of a "Wolf Pup" and a Spoiled Princess

EDITED 12/02/20

Summed up for lazy readers:
-Wuxia Romance involving some politics and obviously, the concept of wolves.
-Not exactly tragic, but you will probably cry.
-Misunderstandings that some would call "stupid" or "unnecessary", but show the purest love. (just don't watch it for you can't bear misunderstandings)
-All main leads and seconds leads mature throughout the drama.
-Not the best CGI, but not the worst either.
-Not for people who dislike darkness and war.

This drama is simply...how would I say it...majestic. You may not be a big fan of wolves and darkness, but one thing is for sure: the moment you click that play button on episode 1, you are sucked into this mesmerizing world in which you cannot escape from. I ensure you, this drama will result in your panda eyes for the next few days.

(this review is kind of long. The main parts are in the first two or so paragraphs in every section)

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Story: 9.0
The Wolf is a romance drama in which their story starts with an unbreakable bond of friendship. We have "Lang Zai", or Wolf Pup, the nickname given to him from Xing'er, our female lead. He was abandoned at birth, but miraculously saved and then raised by a wolf pack. They become his family, and he learns the way of the wolves. He is a "wild man", but he has the purest and kindest heart inside, and will protect his family and friends at all costs. After he meets Ma Zhaixing, the pampered and doted daughter of the city master, he starts to learn that he is a person, not a wolf, and they become the best of friends. It also includes the concept of political power; Prince Bo must learn to avoid the devious plot of others and gain the emperor's full trust. And with this, he must obey the evil emperor, even if it means sacrificing his purest love. At times, these scenes bored me, because I'm not particularly a fan of politics in dramas, but it was satisfying when the evil are exposed.

Why would I call this drama majestic? The story simply reminds me of mountains, of peaks that soar into the sky. First of all, the CGI in my opinion, is quite breathtaking. The animals created by computers may seem simple to make, but they include such intricate detail that their interactions with Wolf Pup, the later Prince Bo makes it hard to believe that wolves would have such kind hearts to take in a baby boy, a human, a wolf's greatest enemy. They truly do give us that feeling of familial love, the warmth, the affection, how much they care for each other. And when Wolf Pup's family members sacrifice themselves without any hesitation to save him, the tears start falling like an endless waterfall, they really do.

Xing'er starts out as this spoiled girl, the "jun zhu", or princess, of the city. Even though she is just the daughter of a concubine, she is most doted on by her father, and they have a very strong father-daughter bond. She is a playful and adventurous girl, always giving off happy bouncy vibes. After she meets Wolf Pup, she begins to go to the mountain to visit him regularly, and she eventually even persuades and encourages him to go down the mountain to see the world of humans, and that not everywhere is as evil as he thinks.

(SPOILER ALERT) We meet our next box of tissues when they have to separate. (I will not say much in case I spoil it too much) In every drama, sacrifices must be made, and unlike many other ones, this one was certainly not "childish" or "stupid". The female lead had a very good reason to leave our dear Wolf Pup, even if it was too heartbreaking for some of us to handle. The separation lasts 8 years. Xing'er still refuses to marry, as she can't let go of her love for Wolf Pup. Meanwhile, Wolf Pup has been adopted by the emperor and is made the third prince, Prince Bo. He is strong and powerful, but it hasn't occurred to him that his survival was just for the emperor to manipulate him for more power. After a tragic event, our princess meets this cold and ignorant prince, who keeps denying his true identity. Their relationship starts out on a bad note, but they become closer and closer over time. But as we progress further into the story, we meet our doom: a misunderstanding that causes even more heartbreak. Unlike the first sacrifice, this one seemed a little stupid and cliche. Chu Youwen breaks Xing'er's heart on purpose to "protect her" and although this is pretty necessary, his way of overcoming this situation was not the very best. Misunderstandings lead the drama for quite a long time, but we, the audience, could definitely learn a few life lessons as well as enjoy the bitter romance. At first, I thought that explanation would've been better, but I was wrong: The silent sacrifices that both of them made for each was true love. Some people say that it was dumb and that they could've just told each other everything, but would you be able to tell your love that you betrayed them? Most likely, no.


But the few misunderstandings doesn't stop us from loving this drama and following the couples as they experience love, hate, trust and doubt. It is truly an adventure. As for the ending, if you want to be spoiled, it will be at the very bottom.

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Acting/cast: 9.0
CHU YOUWEN- Darren Wang's wild side is truly wild. (and sexy!) He starts off as that "wolf" who is oblivious about everything, but after he experiences the terrible heartbreak from the person he was closest to and becomes a royal prince, Chu Youwen. That cold air around him is so cold that it makes me literally shiver. He still loves Xing'er, but thinking that she despises him, tries hard to let go of his past. (which, obviously, he fails at) We can see the desperation in his eyes when Xing'er is in danger, and he always saves her in that moment of terror. Xing'er's hero. And when he's cruel to the enemy, he is truly c-r-u-e-l. If anyone hurts his Xing'er, they're basically doomed. Prince Bo is not just a royal prince, he's also a wild wolf, loyal to the ones he love, but merciless to the ones he hate.

MA ZHAIXING- Personally, Li Qin's acting at the beginning was not the best, but the emotions she showed eventually were so top-notch that (you guessed it!) my tears start falling every few minutes or so. I wouldn't consider myself someone who cried often, but I'm just a few episodes in and my eyes are strawberry red. Xing'er's love for Wolf Pup is just so pure that you sometimes wonder why she won't simply just go explain to him why she said those terrible words to him. The tragic event causes a personality change in Ma Zhaixing, and although she is still bright and relatively talkative, we don't really see that spoiled princess anymore. Xing'er is intelligent, and undoubtedly kind. She will sacrifice almost anything for the people she loves, including her life, if she has to.

When I said that they were made for their roles, it also included chemistry. Their chemistry is one of the very best. When the main leads get close to each other, we also feel the excitement and the butterflies in our stomach. Their expressions show everything. Even if they try to be cold to each other, the coldness is only temporary.

As of the supporting roles, we have quite a few talents, including the subordinates of Prince Bo and Ma Qing, Zhaixing's friend. They are servants, but they are the most loyal and most caring. The evil characters were unlike the ones we see in other dramas. They are purely evil, evil to the point that they could manipulate people so easily that they wouldn't be discovered for years. We also have two other supporting characters that really gained my love: Ji Chong and Bao Na.

JI CHONG- Ji Chong, played by Xiao Zhan, is the second lead that will give you second lead syndrome. (unfortunately) He's there when the female lead needs him, and loves her as much as the male lead, but he just doesn't get the chance to show how much he loves her, because the female lead only sees him as a friend. He married Zhaixing, kissed her, hugged her, but failed to gain her affection. It has quite heartbreaking for me, because Ji Chong is a talented, caring and intelligent man, and he's no worse than Chu Youwen. He stayed with Ma Zhaixing for quite a long time, and helped her a tremendous amount, but no matter what he did, it simply wasn't enough. He met her later and that was the main disadvantage. Xiao Zhan's acting was especially nice (but it could also be because I'm a fan of him). As Ji Chong, he showed he care and desperation for Ma Zhaixing clearly, and I felt him tremendous pain when he knew that they weren't meant to be together. So yes, we have the ill-fated love triangle.

BAO NA- Bao Na is another character that I love. She starts out as the bratty princess who thinks that she will get everything she wants. She was "deeply in love" with Prince Bo at the beginning, and was terribly annoying. I was afraid that she would be a second female lead, but she actually isn't. She realizes her mistakes and after seeing Ma Zhaixing also die to protect her, becomes great friends with her. She also grows into an intelligent and brave young woman, very different from the whiny and bossy princess she started as.

YAO JI- She starts off as the archenemy of Chu Youwen because of certain reasons, and we hate her from the very start. I mean, even her look is 100% evil! She is skilled in astronomy and poison, and is very skilled in scheming. She is that most hateful character at the start, but she's unlike Bao Na, who just pesters Prince Bo. She's more of his competitor, but it always seems like she wants to kill him. But...that's not the case. As we move further into the story and she reveals more of her personality, it is clear that she cares deeply for Prince Bo, but she simply can't express her feelings. She has helped Prince Bo go through multiple hardships, and in the end, they become great friends, the kind of friend that will stick together no matter what. Bravo, Xin Zhi lei, for showing us that someone may look evil, but are the most caring inside.

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Music: 10
There are only a few songs (7 to be exact), but I simply love the OST. While they may seem repetitive at times, the songs are presented to us in quite a few ways: Normal singing, different instrumental backgrounds, and the change in speed and pitch. The singing is beautiful, the background instrumental music matches perfectly and the lyrics are like the ripples of a river, moving the story along slowly. The songs clearly show us the longing the two main leads feel for each other, and the unsaid words they just need to say. There is also some rap incorporated into one of the songs, which takes the music up another notch.

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Rewatch value: 8.5
I do not think that I will ever get tired of this drama. The amazing scenery alone is enough for me to stare at the screen for hours. And with the interaction of the main leads and second leads, oh, how would I not want to rewatch it?

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Overall: 9.0
This beautifully written and majestic story is one rarely seen in C-dramas. We do start with a spoiled princess, but she meets the wild boy, and learns that some people have the evilest hearts. Even if you wanted to go take a break, I don't think you could, because this drama is certainly not merciful in terms of allowing you to get out of your seat. There are a few misunderstandings that seem a little unreasonable, but they all work out in the end. We are presented with the occasional comical scene to give us a short break from the next situation. Oh, and prepare the tissues and the explanation to your friends and family about why your eyes are so swollen and red.

Leia Mais

Thoughts left the room, all that is left is me simping for the oppa.

Not gonna lie, this show made me feel pathetic - reminded of my young teen self getting obsessed over the rich entitled oppas. It’s been ages since an oppa oppaing so hard evoked so many emotions in me. He served us nothing, but served so much. The never changing face, monotone line delivery, 2-dimensional writing spiced up with all the possible cliches - all that to deliver the truest oppa ever. How shallow of me to open the review with that statement.

Surprisingly enough, no matter how ridiculous, unrealistic and over the top the drama might have been (which, by the way, were all the reasons I loved it so much), it actually had some thought-provoking scenes and moments. Social commentary dressed as fancy makjang? That might be an overstatement, but I’d be lying if I said it did not present even one aspect worth reflecting on. Basing your worth on your popularity, addiction to attention, seeing people around you as tools to be used and discarded when they stop being useful, how far can one go to achieve success, differences in how people perceive reality depending on their socioeconomic status and more. Bits and pieces of potential, all overshadowed by the entertainment.

And I’m not even mad about it. This is such a stress-reliever brainless entertainment I’m actually grateful it exists. Once you start watching, it’s hard to stop. There are awful and selfish characters to bitch about, a female lead that’s worth rooting for, a few characters you end up loving (even if the reasons are painfully shallow), twists and turns that come out of nowhere and make you question the reality that already makes no sense. And then there is the glamor and fashion that’s just so pretty you can’t turn your eyes away from it.

How’s the acting? On average mediocre. Some performances were good (looking at you Lee Chung Ah), some were fine (I love you Park Gyu Young, but not all of your scenes were to my liking), some were either barely existing or yet again typecasted (Kang Min Hyuk serving nothing but hot looks and Lee Dong Jeon playing the same character he did for the past few projects). Did it bother me? No. I have no idea why. I have no idea why all the things that usually make my blood boil just did not bother me here at all.

Overall, I finished the online exam in 15 minutes just so I can continue watching this drama as soon as possible - that will tell you how addicting it is. The pacing was fast, there was no time for chill and breaks, the characters were either unrealistically great or comically awful. Han Joon Kyung was the most oppa of all oppas. Whoever the casting director was - they need a raise.

Leia Mais

I love contract relationship dramas, but this one infuriated me

**SPOILER HEAVY**
I've been lurking on MDL for the longest time but I HAD to make an account to post a review - that's how upset I am with the drama. I'm fluent in Chinese so I've watched the entire series without subs.
Don't get me wrong, the actors are great and it's of no fault of theirs that the writers decided to mess with the characters. But I really wonder what went through the writers' minds when they wrote this.
First off, the ML is downright creepy. He watched the FL go on with her daily life for months? years? as she went about with her life as an adult. Thankfully, he didn't stalk her after she moved away from the house he saw her in.
He’s fixated on her cos hemet her when he a kid at the orphanage and fell in love with her as she's a ball of sunshine. He also says creepy things like ‘it doesn’t matter who she wants to find, cos I found her first.’ (there was another boy at the orphanage that she remembered)
AND!
After the FL's twin sister started working in the ML's company (he's the CEO btw), he did a background check on the FL, so he knew exactly who she was and what she was doing.
When the FL's twin sister got into an accident and the FL went to the ML's company to take her place, he instantly knew it and constantly tried to get closer to her. Coincidentally, the FL's twin sister was pretending to be dating the ML before the accident, so the ML took the opportunity to act all lovey dovey with FL, even getting her to move into his house so that she would fall in love with him. He also guilt trips her into spending time with him and basically gaslights her all the time. The show tries to use this as a way of showing how much he loves her, but all I could hear were sirens reminding me that these are huge red flags.
The FL is also really badly written. She's whiny, immature and constantly jumping to (the wrong) conclusions. She never changed from the start to finish so I felt that she had ZERO character progression. It really felt like I was watching an angsty teenager rather than a working adult.
You'll be fine if you turn off your brain and moral compass to watch this, which is what I did. The leads were also super cute together, which helped matters immensely.
Oh, and it has a happy ending, in case that matters!

Leia Mais

I really wasn't expecting to fall in love with this drama as I tend to watch dramas with absolutely NO expectations but then the countdown began and I started to get excited the more trailers and previews I watched which all grabbed my attention. I am happy to say that I wasn't let down.

I absolutely loved the drama from beginning to end especially the romance. It didn't matter to me that Nam Shin III was infact a robot as I've seen other robot dramas with human/robot romances so its not anything weird to me. So as sci-fi with romance dramas go what else would I expect from it? I felt the leads had great chemistry especially as the drama progressed. I liked the fact that whilst there is indeed a second lead who I very much loved he wasn't your "typical" second lead. This drama made me fall for Seo Kang Joon, NS3 as well as NS. I think he did amazingly well portraying both NS and NS3. I also loved Kang So Bong's character, mostly because I saw a lot of her in her MOLS character. After the amazing character development, I loved her even more if that's at all possible.

The music for me fits perfectly with this drama, I love each and every song especially Kang Joon's one.
This drama is definitely rewatchable for me seeing as I've already rewatched it 12 times....not that I'm obsessed or anything. lol :D

I recommend this drama to those who enjoy robot/human romances because its been brought to my attention that a lot of people weren't happy about this but we each have our own individual preferences. Next, if you enjoy sci-fi, action, comedy then this drama is for you. Just make sure you have tissue because I honestly couldn't control myself.

Leia Mais