Reviews

A realistic portrayal of modern day relationships

The last 10 minutes of the movie will leave you mind-blown. That's where the twist is, and you need to watch it again to get a complete grasp of the story. Thank goodness it's on Netflix! We can rewatch the scenes until we fully understand what's going on (lol). This is a well-executed film, with three equally talented stars at the forefront. It has a good balance of seriousness and humor as the characters matter-of-factly tell their story, a characterization of why relationships in this fast-paced world are short-lived. This is rated 13+ by Netflix, but it tackles a more mature topic apt for, perhaps, a more open-minded perspective on dating and relationships. If you are expecting a feel-good happily-ever-after romantic comedy sort of thing, this, without a doubt, will disappoint you. Watch something else.

Chae Soo Bin impressively portrayed her role as the lively and cheerful turned lonely and weary nurse, Da Eun. She's one of the younger stars whose acting prowess is commendable. The camera immaculately captures her sweetness. A real beauty who's a class act of her own. Jang Ki Young (Jang Hyuk), nailed his role as the struggling young professional climbing up the ladder. An imperfect guy with a perfect smile. Such a charming young man! I've watched him portray different roles in dramas, he never disappoints, always a pleasure to watch. His scenes with Krystal (Bo Young) were fun and light in contrast to the serious and heavy scenes with CSB (Da Eun), yet he wonderfully delivered. He's got good chemistry with both CSB and Krystal, too. Krystal as Bo Young was exceptional. She playfully and brilliantly brought the character to life.

I love this movie. I like how it ended. I let out a satisfying chuckle at the final scene yet, at the same time, heartbroken for the sweet romance that turned sour in the end. I was left with an afterthought of what could have happened if they had done things differently. The main leads are not bad, they're just young people who still have so much to learn--perfectly flawed humans who are newbies in the real world and still have a lot of growing up to do.

Leia Mais

A hero’s journey through personal growth, love and friendship

Don’t let the first episodes fool you into believing that this is a childish drama. Yes, the drama starts off as goofy and light-hearted but from episode 13 the tone completely changes to serious and mature and it stays that way until the end. The drama is about the male lead who has lived in isolation all his life until he meets the female lead. Together, with their two newfound friends, they go on a journey to find the truth about the male lead’s parents and the mystical sword left to him by his father.

This drama is based on a video game of the same name thus the atmosphere and script feel quite different from the usual wuxia cdramas (in fact I believe it’s xuanhuan genre). All Sword and Fairy dramas are stand alone, they take place in the same world but have different stories.

PLOT:
This is a plot driven drama with some romance on the side. The first 6 episodes are extremely goofy and lighthearted. Until episode 12 the story is at the setting stage, we discover about the world, get introduced to the four main leads and see their adventure side quests with other side characters.

Episode 13 is when the main story begins. The tone is changed from lighthearted to more serious and mature. The main conflict is addressed and we begin to learn the truth of what has happened 19 years ago (which all characters are involved with). The good guys meet the bad guys and the angst begins. Here the drama does a fantastic job showing the characters growth and the many wise life lessons they learn.

MAIN LEADS + ACTING:
The male lead appears dumb at the start but is actually uneducated as he has spent all his life in isolation. Despite that he adapts very quickly and shows us the wisdom he has learned from his father. He is kind-hearted, brave and protective. He has tremendous character growth throughout the drama. The actor Chen Zhe Yuan showed brilliant performance as always. He is the reason I started to watch this and his on screen presence did not disappoint me. The actor has such expressive eyes that all his emotional scenes HIT ME HARD.

The female lead is confident, outspoken, perceptively and brave without being annoying. She appears tough on the outside but is actually soft-hearted. She is quite unique from the typical female leads that I’ve watched. She has fantastic character growth from being morally conflicted and somewhat selfish to becoming the most supportive friend who is the glue of the friendship group. The actress Ju Jing Yi shines brightly like a diamond in this role, her on screen presence is fantastic and her acting radiant.

The second male and female lead are both more reserved and their stories are directly connected to the main leads. The male lead is called an Ice Cube. Despite his cold nature, he has the warmest heart. The actor is fantastic in his performance with micro-expressions and has a strong on screen presence. The female lead is kind but firm.

POSITIVE:
- A fantastic execution of a hero’s journey - from zero to hero.
- Engaging main plot. From episode 13 the plot was executed fantastically and I didn’t find a single episode boring or having the urge to skip parts.
- Villains are usually boring and evil for the purpose of being evil but in this drama the characters were well developed and a delight to watch. Everyone in this drama has a strong purpose and legitimate reason for what they were doing.
- Chen Zhe Yuan and Ju Jing Yi shone bright on screen with their brilliant acting and fabulous character’s growth. Both actors really stood out to me and pulled me into the story. Their performance was wonderful to watch.
- Pacing of the drama was perfect. The mystery and plot was built very well. With each episode the stakes were higher and higher and I could feel the angst towards the approaching end. Until the finale episode, I couldn’t guess what would happen.
- Cute romantic moments.
- Nice visual fight scenes especially towards the end of the drama.
- Great chemistry between the main leads. I was rooting for them from the start. I loved their banter and bickering.
- Many morally grey characters (including the female lead at the start) which I loved to see.
- Fantastic character growth for all important characters.
- Wise life lessons shown.
- Epic adventure vibes.

NEGATIVE:
- The first 12 episodes gave a wrong impression of the drama and were not particularly strong which is a shame as it made a lot of people drop this. There were side stories of side characters that I found boring. The main leads would help side characters and receive a small amount of information which meant it wasn’t a filler but at the same time the actual stories didn’t add any value to the plot. However the guest appearance of these side characters were done by actors that I knew and their acting was really good.
- At the start of the drama there was focus on the romance which made me believe that it would be a huge part of the drama but it wasn’t. In most episodes the romance was completely gone and the plot took the driver’s seat. The hopeless romantic in me needed more romance.
- One sided love stories that I wish weren’t there at all. Not really love triangles but both the second male and female lead fell for the main leads. They didn’t interfere in their relationship and were very respectful so I’ll give them that but I felt it kind of ruined the friendship aspect of the drama. Whenever the main leads would have a romantic moment, the director would always zoom in on the second male and female lead’s unhappy faces which didn’t sit right with me. I wish the focus was more on developing their friendship with each other rather than them falling in love with each other.
- I didn’t like the second female lead most of the time. Her character’s reserved personality was quite boring for me and I found her acting wooden at times especially compared to the rest of the cast. However she did improve towards the end of the drama. Despite what I said, many people loved her character so this is just a personal preference.
- Second male lead stole all romantic moments with the female lead. I honestly didn’t understand why the writers did it this way. But the female lead had so many emotional bonding scenes with the second male lead that were very impactful compared to her scenes with the male lead. I wish the writers focused on writing platonic friendships between them.

OVERALL:
If you are looking for a well executed plot driven drama about a hero’s journey through many trials and emotional growths with morally grey villans + you love Chen Zhe Yuan, give this drama a chance.

Leia Mais

This is how you do a gay musical

“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.

MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.

The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)

Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.

There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.

Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.

It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).

Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!

MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.

And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.

Leia Mais

This review is intended to offer you an opinion of what I thought about this drama. It is not intended to sway you in anyways.

SPOILERS:

OMG YES!!! What a satisfying ending to such an interesting drama. This drama is interesting to watch, but you must have an open mind. If you aren't into cheating, pseudo incest-relationships (that is Nira and her uncle-in-law kissing etc), gender identity/transgender identity, revenge for the sake of revenge, etc...you will not enjoy this. However, we should always remember that there are lessons to learn from dramas like this.

WARNING:

This drama deals with lots of human issues.
1) transgender identities/gender identities
2) cheating
3) domestic violence
4) Mental Illness
5) Suicide
6) Cross dressing
7) Niece (who used to be a nephew) falling in love with uncle-in-law

You name it, it has it. It was a very well acted drama and every single actor did well in bringing their characters to life. MY GOD, that young woman playing Nira was amazing. I have never seen any of her work, but I have read from others how good she is, and I must say she really gave Nira a voice.

My second favorite character, believe it or not, was her father. He was introduced as an abusive, narcissistic, shallow and bigoted person. He was for intents and purpose a character you hated through the whole series until before the last two episodes, where he was humbled by learning the secret of who Nira was. Yes, as a viewer we are led to hating such a person, but his entire flawed nature as well as his realizing how horrible he had been showed how much range and development that character had. He was brought down from his high horse so to speak. I really loved the way his character did a complete 180 and became someone I actually sort of felt pity for. True he was a cheater and abusive to his wife and child, but losing his son did hurt him in some way. And then to find out he was now Nira, but still lost her when she left, left him as a shell of a man.

I was also surprised with the aunt. She was so unlikable and really selfish, just like her brother, but it was sort of sweet how she took care of him in the end and how she also felt sadness for what she did to Nira. It doesn't completely erase how horrible she had been initially, but again just like her brother's character, she too grew and showed more sides of her.

I was completely HAPPY with the ending we got. I was all for Nira either being alone, but happy with herself, than together with her uncle. Their relationship was doomed from the start. IT was obvious.

Nira had some deep seeded hate and her mental illness did not help. She needed to find herself and who she wanted to be, before even thinking of having a healthy normal relationship with ANYONE. I am so glad, that despite her suicide attempt, the drama ended with her staying alive and learning to love herself.

Supporting cast was also great!

Fantastic cast.

Music was nice and nostalgic

Leia Mais

In a unique way affectionately told. Critically nuanced. Not off-the-shelf. Still easy to digest.

I might have easily missed “Not Others”, if I hadn't volunteered to help out with the German subtitling. I'm glad I didn´t miss it, because "Not Others" turned out to be an unorthodox surprise - being unexpectedly substantial and also pleasantly true to life, thus rooted in a rather simple, normal, everyday world. It is the story of a family, above all of a single mother and her daughter, but there are also a few contemporaries who are related by blood or by choice.

The story goes on and on as life goes on and we go with it as a matter of course (and gladly so). (Well, at least that's how it was for me.) There was nothing particularly extraordinary and exciting about it. Just normal madness.

Well, admittedly, a bit more than normal madness... after all, the mother herself is still a teenager when she has her child and doesn't want to give up on some of the youthful pleasures in life - regardless of responsibility for the child. However, the script and the two leads find a good pitch for this very special, unusual and inherently difficult relationship dynamic with all its challenges. A clearly structured 'I'm the grown up and you're the little one' doesn´t exist. It is rather upside down here. Instead of the classic authoritarian hierarchy between parent and child, they both ended up bonding as allies sort of, in a world from which they have fallen. Due to the unusual role constellations, the arguments between mother and daughter often have a slightly funny touch. Behind this, however, lurks a rather unconscious overburdening on both sides. And this earnest approach of this emotionally tricky situation shines through again and again in the strategy of both of them trying to cope with everyday life. However, mother and daughter are overall impressing with their casual authenticity as well as pleasant directness and openness - a communication style that clearly sets them apart from so many others in the story. Choi Soo-young shines here, but especially Jeon Hye-jin, who can show herself from a completely different side in the role of the still youthful mother...).

At some point it's about a criminal case - eventually almost symbolic for the unwanted and eventually professionalized role of the daughter within the mother-daughter-relationship: the need to/the urge to look after her mother. And at some point it's also about romantic love - symbolic for the very human longing to rely on a partner on eye level, to lean on a shoulder... This human need actually concerns mother and grown-up daughter alike. But can there even be a place for 'outsiders' within the mother-daughter relationship?

Please don't take "Not Others" as a crime thriller or even as a RomCom. (The men in particular come along rather secondary...) Ultimately, it is the complicated emotional behavior patterns that characterize the family life of mother and daughter in the context of their very close and extraordinary relationship. This makes the KDrama breathe in and breathe out in its very unique pacing. It is primarily about this uncommon family, with an affectionate, yet critically nuanced look at their very special relationship dynamics. "Not Others" is cautiously questioning established (conservative) family models, too...

Overall, “Not Others” is no off-the-shelf KDrama (like so many others in 2023...).

Leia Mais

It started out AWESOME. I was super addicted. I'm a big fan of this genre, especially when it's done well and I felt like a lot of that was there at first: the story was interesting, there was a lot of chemistry between the leads (and holy molly those kisses....), the cinematography was pleasant to look at....

But that all quickly went downhill when the Big Misunderstanding that plagues many dramas hit and not only was it really not executed well, but suddenly everything just kind of fell apart. The writing was mediocre at best, the acting was cringe-worthy, the story was less than exciting, and I really did not care much for the leads anymore. Such a pity! There were still a few shining moments in the later episodes that tried to bring back a little of that initial charm this drama had but overall: I was over it.

I was also not a fan of the ending. It was a really frustrating and confusing last episode that did not leave me satisfied at all. The very end itself was awkward and didn't make sense. Whatever.

I can't completely say it isn't worth a watch, since as mentioned before the first half was really, really good. It might also be a little better if you can just binge your way through it in it's entirety without having to break for new episodes later on as I did. *insert shrugging emoji here*

Leia Mais

A plot as thick as Dao Ming Si's eyebrows

Only real trash connoisseurs will understand the true value of this masterpiece. The most irritating finale i've ever seen but would this show really be as entertaining with an average vanilla finale that doesn't feel like you're tripping on LSD ? Think again... Like a river, the plot flows and flows. Not a single dull moment except for the whole episode exploring the unnecessary drama between Mei Zuo and Caina. You can skip it without feeling guilty.

Last but not least: Thomas powerful, gripping and iconic performance at the London restaurant will never be forgotten.

Leia Mais

I want to begin this review first by addressing it in relation to "A Love So Beautiful."
With the popularity of "A Love So Beautiful", I see a lot of people hoping to find a similar drama to fill the void now that it has ended. There are similarities in the two dramas in the sense that they are set in high school for a majority of the run time and take place during the same time period. However, outside of those similarities, the two dramas set out to fulfill different purposes. With "A Love So Beautiful," I feel that it is a love story first and foremost and the life of a student is given secondary focus but "With You" focuses more on a student's life and how those formative years in high school set the foundation on who we become as we grow older. Of course, love is one of the things that students first start to experience in high school but that is just one of the many items that preoccupy a student's time.

For instance, this drama also looked at how students are tasked with huge responsibility at a young age to make a choice that can very well affect the rest of their lives, deciding to focus on liberal arts or STEM. However, instead of leaning one way, it is implied that one should do their best to be well versed in both in order to be a well rounded individual. We come across many different characters (students, teachers and parents) throughout this drama, each with their own hopes, desires,  fears and dreams. And just like in real life, they will come and go but there will be those that leave an impression on you or impact you in some way.
What I also liked about this drama is how helpful and supportive everyone was to one another whether they were friends or "only" classmates. There was a real sense that high school is just one of many stops in your life and how it prepares you to learn and grow throughout life.

Next, I will speak about the Romance portion of this drama which is what I think most people are curious about. And once again I will speak on this in relation to ALSB. In ALSB there are more displays of physical affection and because in that drama they have known each other since childhood they are more comfortable with one another right from the start of the drama. However, in "With You," I enjoyed seeing Yu Hai and Geng Geng's relationship develop over time especially with the way they got off on the wrong foot in their initial encounter.  It's not to say one drama is better than the other in the way they portray love but that they portray different forms of love. In "With You," I feel that the writer wanted to portray how blissful it is to simply be together with the person you like/love. Whether that means being "desk buddies" and helping each other with math/physics problems or playing video games together. No matter what the activity/event was, as long as they were able to do it together, made it all worthwhile.  Similarly, both characters had their own strengths and weaknesses and complemented each other well and were each other's pillar of support when they needed it. This drama is not really about the grand gestures (at least in Yu Hai's case) but about the little ones. For instance, risking the chance of incurring a strict teacher's wrath by asking him to repeat his explanation of a problem that you already understand because you notice that the person you like is having a difficult time catching up but is too afraid to ask.

Ultimately, if you're looking for a drama replacement for ALSB, I suggest you look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a drama that primarily focuses on youth/school and the growing pains associated with that time period of our lives, I think you would be hard pressed to find a better one than this one.

Leia Mais

I’ll cut to the chase. Uncontrollably fond is melodrama 101 and while I can see how this translates into “this sucks” for some people, for others this initially means “this is daebak”. The drama features a lot of one dimensional characters who don’t think rationally most of the time, a lot of nerve-wrecking and heart-wrenching situations, while the direction of the whole thing can be easily seen as unnecessarily overdramatic. But as I told you, this is melodrama 101, all those are to be expected so people who cannot tolerate heavily overdramatic melodrama it’s time you left.

Story
Introduction to melodrama. One character is a self-hating guy with mommy and daddy issues who is dying from a terminal illness, one character is seemingly the knight in the shining armor who is a coward and makes the wrong choices for noble reasons, one is a bad raging bitch who things she owns the world, and lastly one is a fighting hero who tries her best to stay sane and survive but fails miserably furthering the overdramatic nature of the whole thing.

The backstory and plot here is probably the best thing this drama has to offer but will probably be appreciated only by the melo fans; others will find it rather stretched and too fake and I won’t say it isn’t. However, in all its greatness it is nothing new. It gathers all the clichés, car crashes, illegitimate children, hit and runs, terminal illnesses, rich vs poor people, and lastly the legendary –at this point- cycle of the leads chasing each other. Female lead wants male lead but he’s a bastard and 5 episodes later male lead wants female lead but she’s a bitch while they love each other like crazy and they have barely any reasons to act this way. This is probably the worst part of the drama imo but then again it takes a special viewer to appreciate it.

The story has nothing new to offer, and the plot gets heavily dragged midway due to the chasing around, but does this mean this is the worst drama ever? No. Does this mean this is totally unwatchable? No. It is just addressed to a certain type of viewer who will love it and its flaws completely. That’s all. If you like usual melodrama you’ll like this, there is no funny side character, there is no comedic relief, there is scarcely any rationality in the writing, and the whole plot is over the top, but to be honest that is melodrama’s charm. Take it or leave it.

Acting
Stellar performances by everyone; however Kim Woo Bin is probably the only memorable actor in this one. His acting was very emotional and he was very pleasant to look at.

Syzy won’t be winning any awards for her performance but her acting was way better than expected and didn’t bring the show down at all.

Recommend/rewatch
We all know what melodrama means. If you like overly emotional and depressing stories, you want to cry and watch a doomed romance then go ahead. This not the best melodrama i've ever watched but it isn’t bad at all, on the contrary i'd say. However if you expect smiles, fluffiness, butterflies and funny cute situations give this a pass. I will never rewatch this.

Leia Mais

One of the best melodrama I've ever seen and also one of the best dramas period. To be honest when I first started watching it, I dropped it at the first episode because it bored me, but then I tried it again after reading the reviews and right then and there I was hooked. I pretty much finished in 2 days and didnt even skip a second of it. Everything about this drama is perfect, from the cast to the acting, to the story, the romance and the chemistry between the leads were incredible Hwang jung eum's acting was on a different level. I actually cried every time she cried. (lots of crying in this one) That was how convincing she was. Ji sung was amazing too but I feel like his talent is showing more on KMHM. In the end of it all, this drama broke me into little tiny pieces but I will never regret watching it and re-watching it over and over again.

Leia Mais

DO IT FOR THE MAIN COUPLE & THEIR CHEMISTRYY

Please, PLEASE, if you're thinking about watching this show, DO IT. START NOW.

The main couple's chemistry is off the charts. If you hate bad kiss scenes, this is the drama for you. Not a fish kiss in sight, and the intimate interactions between both couples were perfect. And there were sooo many ;)

Luo Yunxi (Leo Luo) was AMAZING. I saw him for the first time in My Sunshine (one of his first roles) and let me tell you, the boy can ACT. He was hilarious, and the perfect mix between a serious, childish, and romantic male lead. Bai Lu did really well too, I loved her character!

I was hyper-focused on the main couple, and the other side stories were just okay. To be honest, I skipped around the actual drama scenes, as it was uninteresting and unnessasary, which is why story/plot got a 4/10. But it's got tons of comedic moments, and barely any drama between the leads. Bonus, there is no evil second female lead so the couple barely has any misunderstandings between them!

Trust me, this is one you'll definitely want to give it a try!

Leia Mais

Moonlit Reunion was one of my most awaited dramas of the year.. But guess what, it didn’t live up to my expectations.. Maybe it’s just me.. Maybe I was in the wrong mood, or maybe my expectations were set too high.. I wanted more.. In the end, I could just barely bring myself to give it 8 stars.. The story felt a bit too stop and start for my liking.. Almost every time it seemed to be building momentum, it slowed down again.. With the kind of material they had, the drama really should have kept ramping things up consistently until the end, but it doesn’t..

The visuals were top notch and I really loved the cinematography.. The VFX though, were a mixed bag.. When they were good, they were really good.. But when they were bad, they were just plain bad.. Some scenes felt outright poorly done.. And the action scenes looked well coordinated.. It’s always fun to watch action mixed with magic, spells and demons and they did a good job with that..

I stopped counting the number of guys in her life halfway through the drama.. They really could have eased up on it after the incident with her cousin.. But no they had to bring in yet another guy in the very next episode.. The ML and FL already know they love each other, so what more do they need to prove?? Honestly they could have used that time to explore more important story arcs.. Twenty episodes in and we have only caught glimpses of how good the drama could have been.. If they had just cut out this unnecessary nonsense, the drama wouldn’t have felt so dragged out and would have been far more interesting.. Instead halfway through, we still don’t have an established story to follow, we are just stuck watching him get jealous over the nth guy..

They both have their secrets.. So how is this relationship supposed to work?? I can understand her reason for keeping it hidden, obviously.. But him?? He could have told her about himself, at least before marriage.. I guess his silence comes down to that promise he made to never speak of it again and the fear of losing the person he loves most if he broke it.. Still I think he could have handled it better.. Anyway, their breakup was inevitable.. When it finally happened, it was long, hard and painful.. But it had to be done for them to start over I guess..

Xu Kai was impressive.. He had very limited action scenes.. His fights, even though short and scarce it created expectations.. If he had a full blown fight, it would have been awesome.. That whole speech to the Miasma Demon after, ‘ Do you know what kind of person she is?? ’ was damn good.. And then the use of his sword with the line, ‘ Since it’s a secret, you should take it to the grave along with your life.. ’ Absolute 10/10 scene.. His face off with the FL was also really good.. Tian Xi Wei was equally impressive.. Their romance and chemistry were good.. Their romance was another thing we just didn’t get enough of..

I definitely need to talk about Wu Zi Shu, the FL’s sidekick.. Honestly, his track record is as evil as it gets.. He killed countless demons to harvest their cores to make her a full demon, without her knowledge obviously.. He kidnapped her while she was with the ML and unleashed the demonic fire, which could have killed countless innocents and the ML as well if he was an ordinary person.. He killed her evil cousin and his girls, revived her archnemesis Elder Hui and even released the dream demon to wreak havoc during her wedding.. He also had a hand in the demonic fire incident 18 years ago, manipulated Hu Zhu into a reckless chase that got her hurt and used that rat Elder Hui again to hurt Liu Tai Zhen and ended up killing Xuan Hui.. He said some nasty things to the ML that made the FL sound like an adulteress with immoral relationships.. On top of all this, he was the mastermind behind the demon uprising which he staged to lure the Changxi Palace to Chang’an and spark a war between humans and demons.. So, someone who did all of this and how did he pay for his sins?? With an easy death.. His last moments were the best he could get considering everything he did, that was kindness overflowing from the writers.. The more I think of it, the more it annoys me..

The last arc had its moments but again, it was underwhelming.. The amnesia storyline dragged on for too long.. The villains were defeated too easily and we still didn’t get a full blown action sequence..

I would say the script was good.. It’s just my personal feeling that’s swaying me toward so many negative remarks.. I am tired of good scripts being butchered for the writers kink for angst and jealousy.. This drama is a prime example of what could have been.. Such a powerful script with talented actors, not just the main leads but the supporting cast too.. If only they had refined the story and fine tuned it, it could have been so much better.. The ending comes a little too fast for my liking.. The last task felt very short and rushed.. And why did it have to be a rushed ending?? I mean you had 38 episodes to play with, yet we get another rushed conclusion.. Even though there is a post credits scene, it doesn’t feel like enough..

P.S. It seems the CDrama industry is blessing Cheng Lei with all its satisfactorily ending dramas…

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Fantasy Healing Fable

I will preface this by saying that this is in all likelihood the best drama I’ve seen all year. By a strong margin. It’s certainly one of the best I’ve seen in the last 12 months. Until Shards of Her, I hadn’t watch any Taiwanese dramas in several years. Yet in the last couple of months, I’ve discovered a treasure trove of good shows. This is perhaps the best one with the widest appeal. While it has whodunit elements, there’s no gore or violence to deter the faint-hearted. It’s a gloriously perfect blend of coming-of-age, fantasy, a touch of horror, detective and family drama. The weakest part I’d say is the police procedural side of things occasionally played for laughs (which doesn’t help especially from the perspective of a seasoned watcher) but all is quickly forgiven because this show is driven by great storytelling and is imbued with plenty of heart. It’s the kind of show that the Koreans call a “healing drama”. Which usually results in an outpouring of eye water once the waterworks are turned on. Good grief. I don’t remembered the last time I cried this much in a drama.

The star of the show is Pu Yiyong played by Tseng Jinghua, an underachieving high school graduand whose only talent is calligraphy. It’s hereditary. His grandfather is a renowned calligrapher and a teacher in the art. But that distinct family trait has a habit of skipping a generation. Calligraphy however is a dying art form, quickly being superceded by technology. On the other hand Yiyong’s only ambition is to be a comic book artist after completing high school. One day on his way to a calligraphy competition, Yiyong, his father and grandfather board a bus which unfortunately falls prey to an incoming airplane. The lad survives but wakes up after being comatosed for over 2 years. His grandfather barely makes it and is still unconscious in hospital even after all that time. It is left to Mother, Ye Baosheng (Cheryl Yang) to pick up the pieces.

While time has moved on and everyone else with it, Yiyong is lost at sea with no paddle. Or map. Metaphorically. He has no idea what’s next for him until he becomes entangled with supernatural beings who insist that they need him to settle unfinished business on their behalf. So an almost 20 year old unemployed Yiyong reluctantly takes on “cases” that contain at their heart a riddle that needs to be unravelled. Enter Chen Chuying, a junior police officer (Vivian Sung) to lend him a helping hand and takes the lion’s share of the credit for clearing up these mysteries in front of her colleagues. Still cracking these cases is a team effort. Along for the ride is former schoolmate and med student Cao Guangyan (Peng Cianyou) who coincidentally moves next door with his dad (Mario Pu) when Dad’s days in publishing comes to an abrupt end.

Yiyong becomes a reluctant sleuth as he wrestles with his own future and the loss of his father which has left a gaping wound with guilt at the centre of it. He has nightmares that he can’t make head or tail of. There’s also a shadowy figure in the background determined to test his mettle at every turn. Unlike others who have come before, Yiyong is a reluctant superhero. He would rather get on with life and not be haunted by beings that only he can see. Until he starts drawing them that is.

On a deeper level, like many crime shows, this is about the forgotten people in our communities. Those who have suffered loss. The lonely. The homeless. The victims of crimes. This where the show tugs at the heartstrings effectively. The rollercoaster of emotions that I feel in this comes only very rarely. Beautifully intertwined with all of this is also the message that everyone has something that they’re good at. Even a designated “loser” by current social standards can contribute in unexpected ways. Academic smarts aren’t the be all and end all. Everyone has a part to play in the social engine regardless of social status, education, smarts or rank.

This journey of course isn’t Yiyong’s alone. Chen Chuying and Cao Guangyan, his so-called “superiors” who accompany him have a lot to learn from him as well as these out-of-this-world experiences. Chuying understandably is desperate the climb the ladder and break glass ceilings in the police but is forced to confront her own motives for wanting to a respected detective. And Guangyan, for once in his life doesn’t have all the answers regarding his future.

I am new to most of the cast and Tseng Jinghua who leads the cast is definitely brimming with potential. He brings the right balance of confusion, grumpy frustration and a reluctant compassion to the role. Despite Yiyong’s brusque demeanour Tseng Jinghua manages to keep him relatable and likeable.

To give credit where it’s due, I leave my highest praise for the script and by extension the writer. It’s the kind of story that could easily lose its way or get derailed by all the moralizing but unlike many others it’s unusually disciplined by keeping the main thing the main thing. The result is a coherent piece of storytelling which is undergirded by a surefooted direction. Once it takes off it never falters. Furthermore they also manage not to butcher the finale in order to leave the door open for another series. Which is entirely doable if the will (and a decent script) is on the table.

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It's a very heart warming romantic comedy about two people who need to get over their painful first loves. They also make fun of traditional kdrama tropes a little -- it's so funny! For those who have watched Crash Landing On You, you'll find special sentimental value in the references (and perhaps some closure... you'll know what I mean after watching the first 5 minutes)

Both leads are seasoned actors already but this puts them under a different light -- Seo Jihye, who is almost always "the rich and proper/cold second female lead," plays a completely different personality in this drama; and Song Seung-heon, whom I honestly only remember vaguely from Autumn In My Heart, also gets to show off his comedic side with this drama. Both the chemistry and the comedic timing are impeccable, and the show has me laughing really hard every week. The two second leads are also well-chosen for the role, even though it's my first time watching either of them act!
And omg the older couple (you'll know who I mean) -- comedic value A+

There aren't a lot of songs in the OST, but the few songs truly convey the vibe of the scenes they're associated with, and I would put the songs on repeat! Would also rewatch the particularly funny scenes -- omg those CLOY references are A+!

I would say this is a great show in the rom com genre, and is a must-watch if you liked Seo Jihye in Crash Landing On You!

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