Reviews

The fear of death follows from the fear of life.

Reminded me of a quote from Harry Potter, "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure". Indeed, HELLBOUND is the adventure on the way to death and a survival game against the angle of quietus.

TW: Dystopia, Violence, Killing, Cult beliefs, Brainwashing, Superstitions.

Hellbound, written and directed by the acclaimed director Yeon Sang Ho, the PD or some famous apocalypse thriller movies like "Train to Busan" and "Psychokinesis", has been able to deliver another mind-blowing piece with his experience and skills. Can't really say that it's a groundbreaking show but surely a good one that keeps you entertained throughout and evokes all kinda feelings.

Basically, the story is set up in a dystopian world along with supernatural elements. Some people see predications of their death as a decree of being bound to hell for the sins they've committed and no matter how much they try, they can't prevent it. Some unknown monster-like giant creatures appear from nowhere and execute them and send them to hell. Jung Jin Su (Yoo Ah In), is the founder of the religious group "Saejinrihwae" (literally The Truth), tells the world that this is God's work and make people follow the group. They name the monsters "Angle of Death".

"Hwasalchok" (literally arrowhead) are the radical follwers of the religion who are very dangerous. They punish anyone who questions the existence of their God. Min Hye Jin (Kim Hyun Joo) is a lawyer at Sodo Law Firm, trying to find out about the truth of this religion. Jin Kyung Hoon (Yang Ik Jun) is a detective whose daughter Jin Hee Jung (Lee Re) somehow gets involved with the cult.

The plot development isn't steady, rather the story is divided into 2 parts; the first 3 episodes showing about the rise of the cult group and the latter half showcasing it's consequences and got a solid plotline about Bae Young Jae (Park Jung Min) and Song So Hyun (Won Jin Ah) who are married couple with a newborn baby. The execution of these 2 seemingly different storylines set up in the same scenario is very well done by the PDnim.

Personally, I couldn't find anything great in the first episode to feel the urge of continuing the show but I had to do it anyways. The 2nd episode did interest me a bit, ngl. The 3rd episode is what makes you hooked because of the intriguing elements that will definitely raise your curiosity level. There is a leap when the 4th episode starts and whatever follows, is very crazy and insane; enough to make your blood boil. I've already mentioned it's a dystopia so be careful in case you're sensitive because this ain't for the light-hearted.

The back story of the entire show isn't completely explained, just like many other Netflix Korea Original shows, in order to keep the suspense for another season and this clearly is the case here. Some might cite things happening in here illogical, but do keep in mind that it's dystopia.

Acting as an overall, is pretty good. Skillful ones like Yoo Ah In, Kim Hyun Joo, Park Jung Min, Won Ji Ah, Yang Ik Jun, etc have done a good job as usual. Also, the supporting plus minor characters have delivered a decent job. Not to forget, Kim Hyun Joo's action skills were nice, though wasn't shown for long and well, I loved that part. Wish they made her do some extra stunts hehe.

The CGI could have been better bcs tbh, the monsters weren't even scary. I admit the story is mot just about the monsters, rather the story about wrong beliefs plus some sort hidden power, who's doing all these, but still; the monsters looked like somky hulks and least scary... However, as always the sound production is apt which enthralls and enrages you and makes you anxious.

Many important factors, shown in here are: false sense of justice and righteousness, crime and criminal minds, victim and their families, bloodlust, superstition, wrong beliefs, brainwashing, radicalism, abuse, parental love & care, death & it's essence, desires to live or survive, relentless fear, agony, vengeance, sadism, etc.

My most favourite line from Hellbound is from the finale episode where this random person says, "I don't know about Gods, neither do I care. But what I know is, this world belongs to people. And we should deal our matters by ourselves."

Again, Netflix Korea has done a bad job in regards of English translation, idk what has happened to them since Squid Game. No one is asking for literal translations but for goodness's sake don't divert the context of a conversation by translating sentences in a sense that doesn't even match the essence of it.

In fact the very ending of the finale episode indicates the beginning of another tragedy, hence implying about a second season. But well, I am disappointed that Netflix Korea keep doing it on a regular basis and go silent about the clarification for a 2nd season. Then they come back after a long while saying they will make it but by that time, a major portion of the cast gives up the drama, wth. Do better, Netflix Korea.

I must admit, the ending consequences have made me cry. Given the storyline, it was bound to be a sad and tragic ending but I don't expect they'll put forth some essence about death, relationship and beliefs, which actually made me see the entire thing in a good light by the end of the drama. The finale episode is the best one out of the 6. I was totally enthrilled by the entire episode.

By the end, from What, How and Why, one thing that wasn't explained was the "What" aspect and the root cause of the entire happening. Wish they would make a full-length drama out of the webtoon so that we could rate it a whole, or a movie could have been better. Anyways, the overall development was good, if not excellent. I would have given a 8.0 but honestly not that impressed.

Overally, Hellbound is a very good one time watch and worth the binge. I enjoyed most of the parts of the show, though I am not really awed or taken aback by this. I haven't read the original wentoon so can't say what alterations they've made or whether it meets the standard or not. I suggest you watch with a strong hold on your heart. Even if you're not that interested, please do it for the one and only Yoo Ah In bcs his visuals are top notch, oof.

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Great characterization but unable to engage

The story had some great characters. I really like how each character was represented, their conversations, the themes the show represented, visuals and overall feel of the story. I enjoyed overall positive relationships. I liked all the couples and also enjoyed the main character's journey to find himself and how he becomes agent from an athlete.

At the same time, there wasn't a point where I got deeply involved in the story. I never waited for the next episode and never really had any urge to complete the story. There were good elements but it didn't get to me. I also wish they had spent more time on the athlete/track side of the story and his growth. That would have been more interesting. It gets very slow sometimes and conversations between characters seem all over the place. There were many times I didn't understand what the characters really wanted to say. Also, the show doesn't really show the difference between selfishness and self-love. The terms are used interchangeably.

Overall very interesting characters & themes, coherant relationships, but not a great story telling.

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At first I wasn't planning to write a review but after seeing the end I just thought I had to write it. This is one of the best drama ever ( you can see my list and I watched quite a lot of dramas so it's hard for me to choose my favourite ones ).. The cast is just perfect, I couldn't imagine anyone else but Park Ki-Woong for Shunji's role as I couldn't imagine anyone else but Joo Won to play Kang-To. At first I thought it was seriously addictive but it's more than that, I mean, it's important to watch this show. I've learnt so many things while watching this drama not just from the historic side but also on the "human side". The fact that so much people fight for freedom what's going to happen to them and how they will succeed became the most important thing for me while watching this show.
Actually I began to be a bit bored around the last 5 episodes but anyway I decided to watch it and I'm so happy I did that because in the 150 dramas I've seen in my life this one has the Best.Ending.Ever. Seriously, I can't get over it.
I'll stop here and one last thing. Watch this show.
( Sorry for the mistakes there could be, English is not my maternal language.. )

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A respectable attempt at a remake, but misses the mark in some crucial ways.

The original Korean version of this story was already sort of short on actual substance. As a story it has very simple moving parts, and the engine that drives everything else is the magnetic fiery attraction between the ML and FL. It is the centerpiece of the drama. The Japanese version tamps down that fire, and lacks the same level of chemistry, which is a huge mistake, because it sucks what precious little substance there is right out of the story and leaves you feeling like you watched some empty avant garde show about nothing.

Sure there's some chemistry in the Japanese version, and the ML and FL look like they could share a nice wicked kiss in an elevator or something. But in the Korean version, the ML and FL look like they are always 3 seconds away from leaping over the table and attacking eachother right there on the floor. This is a CRUCIAL difference in the shows. The whole POINT of it is that the ML is a player, and the FL makes him completely unable to be impartial or emotionally divorced from their insane attraction. She knocks him off his game, and he tries to hide that from her. Whereas in the Japanese version, the ML feels enigmatic and calculating, smooth and controlled. His eyes don't have that wild dark animal look for her. What he looks like is a womanizer who finds that the FL tugs at his heartstrings. That's a totally different dynamic, and one that doesn't work for this story.

So we have two totally different ML's. And we also have two totally different FL's -- In the Korean version, the FL is capable of seeing her world through the glasses of realism and caution, but at the end of the day she is a free spirit, and she is unconventional and independent. When she gives in to her attraction to the ML, it feels like she's liberating herself; shedding a restrictive part of herself that gives her pure relief and joy to take off... like she's flying. That's not the essence of the Japanese character's FL. When the Japanese FL gets together with the ML, it feels like she's driven by wild impulse that frightens her when she confronts it. She doesn't feel the sensation of flying, she feels the sensation of vertigo. She worries, she becomes insecure, she doubts herself and doubts him.

I can see how they tried to create a good artistic take on the original, but you can't make a story that's supposed to be about a wild powerful intense attraction, and then dial down the actual attraction between the ML and FL and expect to faithfully recreate the story. The Japanese version is "sexy" but that's not enough for this story. It needs pure fire to drive it, or else it loses its original meaning.

And what stylist dressed these actors, it's completely god-awful.

Korean version = better version

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Assista, mas com o coração aberto.

É um drama que mexe com a gente de um jeito que poucos conseguem. Confesso que em muitos momentos eu fiquei com raiva, especialmente do prota. Achei ele egoísta, egocêntrico, narcisista (tudo que nos tira do sério quando alguém parece não retribuir o amor que recebe). Já a protagonista parecia sempre correr atrás, sempre se doar, mesmo sem ser valorizada. Isso me irritava profundamente, porque eu via nela uma mulher que não tinha amor próprio, e isso machuca de assistir.

Mas aí vem a parte mais bonita do drama: ele não é simples. Ele exige maturidade emocional para ser entendido. muita mesmo. Eu tive que aprender a ter essa maturidade até o fim do drama, eu confesso.
Com o tempo, fui compreendendo o porquê das atitudes dele. Ele foi formado por traumas, por ausência de amor dos pais, de si mesmo, dos outros. O único amor genuíno que ele teve na vida veio justamente dela… e do primo. Quando a gente entende isso, a raiva começa a se transformar em empatia. Ele não sabia como amar, porque nunca havia sido verdadeiramente amado. A prota, por outro lado, transborda amor. Mas não aquele amor idealizado, o amor dela é real, é sacrificial, é doador. Às vezes até demais. Ela cuida de todo mundo, pensa nos outros antes de si mesma, principalmente nele. E mesmo assim, dá para perceber que ela não é completamente dependente dele; ela tem um coração generoso com todos. O grande erro dela é não se cuidar tanto quanto cuida dos outros. Mas apesar disso, o drama é lindo. E eu recomendo sim que todos assistam, mas com o coração aberto. Não é um romance leve e fantasioso como amamos num geral, é um retrato dolorido, mas honesto, das relações humanas. E embora nos traga reflexões profundas, é importante dizer: não devemos romantizar a dor ou nos submeter ao sofrimento dos outros como se fosse nossa obrigação. Todos nós sofremos, todos temos traumas e precisamos aprender a dividir nossos fardos, a viver com leveza.

A própria Bíblia nos ensina que não fomos feitos para andar sozinhos. Precisamos uns dos outros, e o amor quando é verdadeiro não deve isolar, mas curar. E é aí que esse drama me tocou profundamente: ele me lembrou de que o amor sacrificial, aquele que cuida sem esperar nada em troca, é o mesmo amor que Jesus tem por nós. Cristo sofreu por amor, se doou completamente, mesmo sabendo que nem todos o valorizariam. E ainda assim Ele ama, ainda assim perdoa, ainda assim permanece. Quando olhamos por esse ângulo, entendemos que esse tipo de amor, que parece até loucura, é o mais puro que existe.

Esse drama me confrontou. Me faz ver o quanto às vezes estamos cegos dentro das nossas próprias relações. Nos faz repensar a forma como amamos e até como esperamos ser amados. Nos lembra que não precisamos ser perfeitos para sermos dignos de amor, e que dividir nossos sentimentos não é fraqueza, mas maturidade.

No fim das contas, esse drama me trouxe uma nova consciência. Sobre mim. Sobre o outro. Sobre Deus. E por isso eu recomendo, assista, com o coração aberto pra entender e chorar, sofrer, se divertir e amar. Aprender um amor diferente.

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Most underrated drama series! If you love deity kind of fantasy drama you must watch!

Similar to the two Three Lives Three World series (Ten Miles of Peach Blossom & Love of Dream), this show has a fantasy background (talking about deity). The story probably similar to Eternal Love of Dream (an older god with a young god) but the production is very similar to Eternal Love! Which if you simply enjoy these two you will enjoy this too!

Due to its similarity, people will tend to compare these few, but I personally think it is almost as good as both of them. People tend to pinpoint on the male lead's appearance but honestly he is the perfect fit for the role, his acting skills has proven himself being the best actor for this character. Also with the female lead, regardless of being so much younger (as compared to male lead), her crying scenes were so on point that makes the viewers heart broken. I LOVE the main actor and actress, they were sooooooo good!

Some things I love about the show: The couple's chemistry and the love story :) An old guy who never feel love before and a girl who was always expressing her puppy love to win his heart. The two main leads was protecting each other from the start to the end (even when they hardly know each other), then they fall in love, grow stronger and fighting their ways to be together. You will laugh with them, cry with them and cringe so much (in a good way) whenever they were saying their devoted lines! But the two of them were just so cute that you don't mind watching them being lovey dovey at all times. Side couples were very pretty hilarious too that even though the show was sad, you will have a great laugh from time to time.

If I were to pick on something for this show, it might be some parts where the logic wasn't that clear, and the ending is a bit rush, without proper explanation. Oh and I personally don't quite like having too much of the "mortal life", it became a bit draggy, because I personally enjoy watching them as deity instead of a mortal; or maybe I just don't like watching the female lead with the second guy, that's all haha!

But other than that, this show was REALLY GOOD, one of the best Chinese drama I've ever watched, very worth watching! I'm glad that I watched it and I will miss it a lot!!! :)

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Suspension of disbelief needed, and not because of the fantasy elements.

I’m usually one to say that we cannot excuse lackluster execution simply based on the short length of a show. Here though, I feel like that was truly the biggest issue, and no matter how they would try to approach the story, it would not improve much without additional minutes of runtime.

The story itself, the premise and idea behind it - great. It was truly a refreshing concept for a BL. Dealing with past trauma was the major theme in the show, but I feel like we get to that idea only by the end of the show. That’s when it hit me and the ending made a perfect scene in the context of the whole drama.

How about romance? It was decent. Lee Hyun Jun and Moon Ji Yong had a rather good and natural chemistry, but the way Shin Jae Woo was written made it hard for me to truly appreciate their scenes together. His antics and rather child-like demeanor makes more sense by the end of the show, but it still makes it hard for me to see them as more than just friends.

The thing about Shin Jae Woo’s character - he acted like his younger self. At times, I felt like his behavior as a child in the past, and now the grown up did not differ that much. Did it make his interaction with Ji Hoon cute and entertaining? Yes. Did it interfere with the romance for me? Also yes.

Then there was also the problem of realistic progression of the feelings. I kept asking myself “when, why and how did Ji Hoon fall for Jae Woo?”. They barely meet, Jae Woo was acting borderline creepy and weird around Ji Hoon. Does the guy just have a peculiar taste in men? Not to mention the strength of the feelings. My man, you barely met this guy. This is not a Shakespearean story to have people deeply in love on the first meeting.

That was one of the issues we usually have to deal with when watching short BLs. I kind of started to accept that, but it’s still worth pointing out with hopes of improvements in the future.

I have some thoughts about the ending, you can find them in a comment under spoiler below. Overall… I’m just not completely sure I understand the mechanics of it… It was also the part that made me question how far I am supposed to ignore logic and reality.

Acting wise, better than many K-BLs. Were these groundbreaking performances? No. They were believable though, and that’s all I need. Moon Ji Yong for sure did the best, especially in the last episode - one scene truly impressed me.

The OST - perfection. All songs worthy of being added to a playlist to listen outside of the show. “Time” was my favorite. The melody and the vocals were just amazing.

Overall, it was fun. I liked the characters and their interactions. I wish the show was longer so the pacing would feel more natural, and the relationship progression would not feel so abrupt.

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teased spice and delivered a romcom

Overall: I mostly enjoyed this series, though there were some nonsense character actions and cliched plot points that started in episode 7 which frustrated me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel. Later re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40678c-wandee-goodday

Content Warnings: manhandling, punches, drugging?, grief, trauma, past death, non con kiss, non con touching, held against will, violence, blood, beaten up

Watch Suggestions
- skip episode 7 except watch part 4
- stop episode 8 part 3 at 9 min and start episode 8 part 4 at 9 min
- watch ep 9 part 1 at 10:30 to the end, start episode 9 part 2 at 2:28, then episode 9 part 3 start at 6 min

What I Liked
- intro got my attention, though not a fan of flash forwards/backs in general to start a series
- did laugh a few times
- asexual representation (however wish they had developed this more instead of just a little at the end)
- established couple*
- sweet moments
- excellent grandma, supportive friend & supportive brother
- ongoing physical affection/interest and discussing preferences
- HPV public service announcement/skit
- easter eggs of The Eclipse, room 609 (for 609 Bedtime Story) and 666 which revers to the devil, Tanwarin Hospital
- mentioning that seeing a psychologist was normal
- incorporating marriage equality

Room For Improvement
- the slapstick comedy sound effects detracted from the humor a few times
- the very fictional so drunk a person is passed out and then a few minutes later appeared not drunk at all
- friend left him extremely drunk, he should have said he had a hospital emergency and called a taxi which Wandee then didn't get into
- in episode 2 a character says stop and the other character didn't though it can be inferred the 'stop' was not an actual 'stop'
- nonsense medical stuff like gossiping in front of patients
- the worry Yak brought up in episode 3 suddenly didn't seem to matter
- *in episode 5 Cher was acting immature which is not what I wanted to see (more steam would be great/realistic from the beginning would have made more sense from an established couple)
- corny/too stylized like the neon lights or spray painting 'friends with benefits' on the window
- switching between 2 couples' NSFW scenes in episode 6
- in episode 7 several characters did 'because the writer said so' nonsense stuff, also nonsense doctor things like lack of patient doctor confidentiality
- a dead fish lip press
- stupid "plan" in episode 9 which makes zero sense
- throwing in a nonsense couple (Dr. Ter) and not giving enough screentime to an asexual character/s

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Watching this drama was like chasing a mirage, the closer I got, the more it faded into nothing!

If I had to retitle this story, it would be "ChanYoung and his love story in Class 2...featuring Heesu" because that's honestly what it felt like most of the time. The supposed main characters were treated like glorified side characters, popping in and out of the plot as if the writers themselves forgot they existed.

Speaking of the writers, they seemed just as confused as Heesu about what direction the story should take!
It was as if they started with a vague idea of the story but halfway through completely forgot what they were trying to say. Every episode felt like a shot in the dark with no clear progression, no deep character development, just a lot of floating from scene to scene without any real progress.

The biggest flaw for me without a doubt, was the pacing. It was almost painful to watch at times. The story kept stumbling between focusing on the main couple ( Heesu and Seung Won) and pushing them into the background. Although I haven't read the original source material, which is a BL, it was still clear that Heesu and Seung Won were meant to be the heart of the story. Yet their relationship felt so underdeveloped and sidelined that it almost seemed like a subplot.

Every time there was a heart-fluttering moment or a genuinely sweet interaction between them, the drama in the next episode would abruptly cut away to the other couple. It often felt like the show was too hesitant to fully commit to its main romance, offering just a few crumbs of real connection before quickly retreating into safer territory.

That said, when Heesu and Seung won did finally grace the screen together, they were adorable. Their chemistry was natural, their little interactions genuinely sweet and both actors gave performances that deserved a much stronger script. You could tell they poured sincerity into their roles even when the writing gave them little to work with. It’s almost tragic how much potential was wasted.

Coming to the second couple Ju Chan Yeong and Choi Ji Yu, they were your average couple with their own meet cute moments here and there. I wish they were just friends with the main characters and not   a couple because I wasn't sold on their chemistry till the very end!

While the love stories here didn't work for me, the small little details did. Like I really liked how they incorporated astronomy into the story. The references to the Big Bang, asteroids and the star gazing scenes were all elements I truly enjoyed. It added almost a poetic layer to the narrative, especially in the way they tied cosmic events to the Heesu' s emotions.
Also, I also found Heesu’s bond with his sister fun to watch, even though it wasn’t explored as much as it could have been.

The OSTs were beautiful and complimented the drama well. Props to the team for intro too. I loved the animation!

Overall this was like a beautifully wrapped gift, the one that promised so much but left me standing there with nothing but disappointment. The pacing dragged, the main relationship was sidelined and the emotional payoff I waited for never truly arrived.

Was it disappointing? Without question.
Was it occasionally endearing enough to make you hope for more? Frustratingly, yes.

In the end, it was a hot mess desperately trying to sparkle, but only managing to flicker and fade away.
I would not recommend this!

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Even though my rating for this web-drama is fairly low, I still think you should watch it (for a singular reason I'll get to in a second), but first I want to touch on the things I didn't like:

1. The characters were very wooden and one-dimensional. The acting wasn't very good--I honestly was cringing a lot of the time. I'm a person that loves to be swept away in a drama and feel EVERYTHING that our characters are feeling, but it was impossible with this drama. Perhaps because it is borderline parody and they're trying to wink to the audience quite a bit (the sole component I liked). But these characters never really came together to the point where you believed the emotions they were feeling, which was kinda disappointing.

2. Our main male lead was....awkward. I mean obviously he's supposed to be this super-character. He's the LEADING MAN and they try to portray him in that way. But his shifts between Korean/English were off-putting and just how he interacted with Claire....he was where most of the cringing took place. His lines were just not delivered very well.

3. The writing. Some of the lines they had these characters say....just shouldn't have been said. I liked their plot-twists, but I didn't like how the scenes all came together. Sometimes things got just a bit too ridiculous and over-the-top.

Now, here comes the part of my review where I say you should watch it anyway:

1. THE META. Oh my goodness, they covered SOOO many tropes within dramas and managed to play off of them and it gave some REALLY good laughs. The touched on giving drunk girls piggy back rides, karaoke, product placements, dangerous briefcases, brand names being blurred, etc. And they were SUPER-DUPER smart about all of that.

2. The episodes are only 12-ish minutes. And there's only 10 episodes, so just give it a whirl to see what you think. Like I said, while I think it really deserves the rating I gave it as a whole, those meta moments were just spectacular. Spectacular and funny enough that I'd say it's worth the watch. <3

Watch this in one sitting when you have the time, it'll be more enjoyable that way. Also, just don't take it too seriously and try not to think too hard about how horribly the lines are being delivered. xD

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Great ingredients gone astray

More often than not, a rating of 8.7 or higher on MDL equals something that delivers. This however, did not. I can see that the screenwriter, actors, and director have talent. Unfortunately, the individual elements just didn't work. What a disappointing ride.

First, the positives:

Every line was delivered naturally by charismatic actors. Lee Sung Kyung as Bok Joo played her part naturally (as much as she could), and I enjoyed her expressive way of acting in this character. Nam Joo Hyuk as Joon Hyung was super earnest in his portrayal of the young, fun swimmer. I also applaud a show focused on a female lead who is supposed to break the norm of appearance and gender stereotypes, especially in a society that focuses so much on gender roles. Finally, the script included straightforward lines that were endearing in their honesty, even if they were overdone sometimes.

Now, the negatives:

The entire plot was based on immature and silly misunderstandings and dramatic twists that didn't fit. It was as if the writer didn't know how to create challenges naturally so they resorted to making up far-fetched dramatic build-up for the characters to get tangled in. Instead of simply presenting unrequited love, they had Bok Joo make excuses and steal away to the clinic and have friends cover up and then get in trouble from coaches and parents for it all. Instead of letting Joon Hyung's childhood trauma play out naturally, the writer added lies that the adopted family kept up for years, tried to tie this to his relationship with his adoptive brother, and had the parent return to cause more drama. The list of ways in which natural drama could have built up and how each character could have grown as they dealt with it was completely wasted. And the heap of random characters and side plots were brief and distracting.

What could have made this show great:

- Focus on Bok Joo and have the drama in her life revolve around: sick father, working on accepting her unconventional appearance and value as a weightlifter, slowly falling for Joon Hyung, and of course, her actual training and competition hardships (which were handled so minimally and poorly in the show)
- Focus on Joon Hyung and have his story revolve around: abandonment, inability to start races, maybe throw in a rival swimmer to push him forward in swimming, and slowly falling for Bok Joo
- Get rid of all the rest of the meaningless characters and random tiny dramas and let the athletes actually show us what it's like to be an athlete: train hard, win and lose, get injured, pick themselves up again, have conversations about all of this, and sprinkle in a bit of drama and romance

All the ingredients above are things we've seen in dramas before. Even if they were handled in conventional ways, it would have yielded great results: deep conversations, personal growth, and inspiration. Unfortunately, we are left with the opposite.

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First off its really refreshing compared to all the other previous makes. The white snake in here is naive while xu xuan(her husband) is the smarter one.
Also fa hai(the monk) is nice in here he wasn’t just an evil guy trying to exterminate everyone.

The acting from all characters surprised me since it’s my first time watching any of them act, and they did a pretty good job. There wasn’t any overly dramatic acting or plot.

The cgi is pretty good and xiao bai in the snake form is just too cuteeeeee!

The music is decent mostly the opening I liked it a lot.

What I didn’t like was just how the black dragon kept trying to harm xiao bai the whole time and I’m just like seriously she’s saved you... like he’s suppose to be smart since he got the dragon king’s son to listen to him but no he mistakes everyone else for his savior.

So if you like a naive but strong female lead, smart but caring male lead, and cute supporting characters that are loyal to the people they care then yeah you should watch this show. Overall 10/10

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Dylan Wang shines as Xu Qi An

"Guardians of the Dafeng" is an absolute gem of a drama that has completely captivated me from the very first episode! The blend of humor, action, and a touch of mystery creates an engaging storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Dylan Wang shines as Xu Qi An, bringing charisma and depth to his character. His performance is both relatable and entertaining, making it easy to root for him throughout the series. The chemistry between the characters is electric, adding a delightful layer to the narrative.

The production quality is top-notch, with stunning visuals and well-choreographed action scenes that enhance the viewing experience. The comedic elements are perfectly timed, providing a light-hearted contrast to the more serious moments, making it a well-rounded show.

What I love most is how the series balances fun and excitement with meaningful themes of friendship, loyalty, and justice. Each episode leaves you wanting more, and the cliffhangers are expertly crafted to keep you hooked.

Overall, "Guardians of the Dafeng" is a must-watch! It’s a delightful escape into a world of adventure and camaraderie, and I can’t recommend it enough. Whether you’re a fan of crime dramas or just looking for something entertaining, this show deserves a solid 10/10! 🎉✨

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One of the hidden gems of 2020 with unique storytelling, beautiful music, and amazing acting

I haven't watched many really good and captivating Chinese dramas this year, but this one made the cut!

To Love has a unique way of storytelling as it shows the perspectives of both Xiao Ou and Yan Jin so viewers can piece the full story together for the first 14 episodes. Then the remaining episodes continue with the present timeline as the leads work to solve the murder of Zhan Yu. The writer does an excellent job of introducing and developing the story and slowly divulging more facts. I am happy to say that the writer does not disappoint with the pacing even though this is a 40-episode drama. The drama shows that every character has their faults, that no one can be perfect, as some show personal growth. As for the ending... it may not be the ending many of us wished for, but I think the writer did well to stick to the original novel. If you are hardcore HE watchers though, this may not be a drama for you.

Anyways, the directing and cinematography are really well done, transitioning smoothly between scenes and creating an element of suspense/drama too. It is clear that they spent a good amount of money on producing this drama as the locations are beautiful and the sets and props are very realistic. There is also barely any PPL :) And the soundtrack is SO BEAUTIFUL, matching perfectly to the mood of every scene. Props to whoever decided the BGM because the score maximizes the tone and emotions of each scene. The music definitely helped pull at my heart and draw some tears to my eyes. Another thing worth mentioning is that this drama does not have any dubbing (except for the "live" singing) and kept the real voices of every actor!! I wish every drama could do this, so I don't have to see anymore cringey dubbing.

On that note, the leads have AMAZING chemistry. They look so cute on screen and the dating rumors make it even more so! I have seen Li Geng Xin in Princess Agents so I know he's a pretty good actor, so I have no complaints in the way he portrayed Yan Jin with a good amount of confident, cocky, and sweet. I love his bromance interactions with Zhao Ting Hui (even though ZTH was frustrating at first) and Cheng Rui Min. The lead actress is a new face to me, but she is pretty good, so no complaints with her either. Her emotional range is as good as LGX, with her heartbroken teary eyes. The supporting actor playing Zhan Yu is great too. He is a relatively new actor but I can see his potential. Not only does he have a handsome appearance but his acting is good too, drawing my empathy for his character's unfortunate family background. I'll definitely keep an eye out for his future projects.

And that concludes my review. I hope this was relatively helpful to you who is reading this.
To all of our first encounters and last partings... :')

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