Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Well-rounded characters managing real-world problems
This series is a huge accomplishment with a misstep in the direction of the plot in ep 11, discussed below.First, some praise…
It has been a while since I've enjoyed a BL so much, and I think it's because this show felt realistic. It depicts well rounded characters managing real-world problems.
Bai Lang suffers from childhood trauma that affects his relationships with others. He is not just afraid of the dentist. He cannot fathom entering a romantic relationship because he thinks he brings bad luck to the people around him. Flashbacks to the past help the audience understand his trauma, phobia, and the coping mechanisms he's developed (like his cadre of plushies on his bed).
Xun An falls head over heels, and ardently goes after his man! To my surprise, he approaches Bai Lang as both a courting lover and a medical professional, recognizing that he needs therapy. I was shocked when the series brought therapy up. A cool plot development would have been to see him accept that he needs treatment and not just a lover. But credit is due for speaking favorably of therapy.
I saw some comments from viewers saying they were annoyed by Bai Lang's manic personality, but I loved that the show dared to show a truly messy, but good intentioned character who is grappling with the belief that he's too much for any lover to handle. Don't we all think that sometimes? I enjoyed seeing him accept that he's worthy of romantic love. Because he is. And when he realizes love is worth risking, he pursues Xun An in the most, hilarious charming way!
The stories of the two side couples develop more slowly, with little morsels included along the way that show the couples' dynamics and growth. I appreciated that we didn’t see insta love from Alex's perspective. Instead, we saw something more believable. The younger guy, RJ's, massive crush on the hot, older bartender. RJ did everything he could to send out romantic signals, trying to get Alex to see him as a man and possible boyfriend. The other couple, the hockey player and Da A, couldn't have been more adorable. The hockey player was so obvious in his pursuit of Da A, while Da A was confused.
I was disappointed the secondary couples didn’t get more screen time or resolution. We needed more, especially from Alex and RJ, at the end. Their story is incomplete. Season 2, please!
There was a misstep in the plot in episode 11. While earlier episodes hinted that Xun An’s relationship with his family wasn’t harmonious, the introduction of domestic abuse was an unnecessary and unmanageable addition. It felt tonally out of step with the rest of the series. With only one episode left, there just wasn’t time to treat this very serious issue. Instead, it would have been more fruitful to deal with Bai Lang’s mental health issues.
Another misstep was to include a surprise fourth couple in the final episode. Rather than this couple, or their wedding, I would rather see one of our established couples get married. At least we did have a sweet proposal!
Overall I'm amazed by the intricate storytelling and tight direction from Ray Jiang, with little details and finishing touches in each scene coming together to form a powerful series. The long take at the end of ep 8 was really impressive! Outstanding acting and OST.
Make sure to watch past the credits after each ep! There are bonus scenes and they matter!
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Acting/Cast: If you want to know what is professional, solid, honest-to-goodness acting, watch this. The actors and actresses will make you feel as if you are watching history unfold before your screen. They will put all those idol actors to complete shame! Everything was to the dot - from settings, costumes, etiquette to speech...they all accurately depicted the correct era in Chinese history.
Music: If you are expecting great OSTs, you will be disappointed. But if you are expecting music that accurately reflects the music of the era in the 'Three Kingdoms', you will be delighted. During those days, ppl compose music to be sung as a poem with accompaniments from traditional Chinese musical instruments. The words sung are very meaningful. Even the OST at the start of each episode adequately summed the entire novel in eloquent words. This is a story about war, the end of a dynasty, ambitious men, heroism, political plots and personal struggles set in an era known as one of the bloodiest in Chinese history.
Rewatch value: I set the re-watch value as low because of the 95 episodes. However, most ppl I know who had watched this series would usually re-watch the parts they like; eg: Diaochan's plot to bring down Dong Zhuo through Lu Bu, the appearance of Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the battle of the Red Cliff, Liu Bei's marriage to Sun XiaoMei and the ensuing struggle to establish his own hegemony at the south, Zhuge Liang vs. Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang vs. Sima Yi etc. It also helps that wikipedia breaks down the series' episode based on the book chapters it covers - making selective re-watching easier.
Overall: A perfect series with perfect actors and actresses. A must watch for lovers of chinese history and literature. The only complain I have is the length but then again, it cannot be helped considering how this series follows the novel closely.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
This drama is in some ways your typical historical Chinese palace drama which as expected, revolves around rivalry between concubines and endless plots to take each other out of the picture. However, Yanxi Palace provides a less conformative story line with an independent and smart heroine who is loyal to those who genuinely help her and doesn't take BS from anyone (even the emperor). The plot twists within the drama were also unique and often unexpected, when watching I never knew what was going to happen next. It is these minor details that differ it from other palace dramas and make it worth a watch.
I'm sad this is over especially as who knows when I'll next find a drama that can match up to it but I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone who doesn't mind seeing all the male characters with the half shaven head hairstyle (doesn't matter how many dramas I watch, still not a fan) and likes a sassy and smart heroine who stays true to herself.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
1Really cute and with a good message
On the face of it, the main character, Fukuhara, has terrible luck. One day, he realizes the popular Shinomiya is the opposite - he has fantastic luck, and Fukuhara decides to get close to him to take advantage of this, and accidentally becomes his boyfriend.This seems a fairly straightforward fake relationship to real relationship story, with the lucky/unlucky framework. But where the story takes on some complexity that is easy to miss, is that Fukuhara sees everything in black and white - good luck vs bad luck - but he never considers how good luck can be a curse too. Shinomiya never knows when people really like him or if they're trying to exploit him - he doesn't have to develop any skills, or work at anything, or can he get a sense of satisfaction for accomplishing anything, because everyhing goes his way. In fact, the first time they meet, it's Fukuhara that rescues Shinomiya from being swamped by adoring girls - and it's "bad" luck that brings Shinomiya into his life. It's very yin and yang - good luck and bad luck are also each other.
But the other message of the story is that luck is a matter of attitude. Have you ever noticed that when you're in a hurry, all the traffic lights are red? Why is that? It's because when you're not in a hurry, you don't really notice them. They're just part of driving. Likewise, if you have a negative outlook, you focus on unfortunate things that happen, and might miss all the positive things happening around you, or fail to take advantage of opportunities that come your way. The opposite is true for someone who has a positive outlook.
How unlucky is Fukuhara? Everyone likes him, and a beautiful man, inside and out (especially out) falls in love with him instantly, both for his looks and his quirky personality. A lot of the "bad" luck leads to positive results - it's just that he doesn't see it that way because he's focused on the negative. Even the final crisis - was it unlucky? It certainly appeared to be spectacularly unlucky - but nothing bad happened, and nothing bad could have happened, but it had a very positive outome. So wasn't it actually lucky?
Deep, right?
The writing avoids predictability and cliche - Shimomiya is a classic Prince Charming, but there are times when Fukuhara makes confessions that in a "standard" BL would result in a serious and romantic swoop by the seme, but here Shinomiya cracks up laughing - and it's perfect instead of cringey.
The acting is wonderful - both actors have great comic timing. Soto Ryosuke is adorable and hilarious, OTT, but in just the right way, and Sato Yusuke is just beautiful. Especially when he takes his shirt off. (I'm shallow. And I own it.)
What prevents this from reaching 9 or 10 territory for me is that it's really almost a bromance, and there's really no particular reason for this. A little too much of the run time is taken up by what feels like a repetitive cycle of Fukuhara resisting Shinomiya. In the discussion forum, people came up with many justifications - Fukuhara felt guilty, Fukuhara had low self-esteem and didn't feel worthy, etc. The problem is that we hear Fukuhara's entire inner monologue, and he "thinks" none of these - he just feels the needs to resist. This, and the lack of any physical resolution to their relationship - not even a hug - smells of institutional homophobia. The writing isn't explicitly so - Fukuhara never says "I can't be gay!", and Shinomya appears to be gay, as he states what his "type" is. Fukuhara doesn't think he can manage to fall asleep in the same bed as Shinomiya, suggesting he's sexually excited by the intimate proximity, etc. But, well, actions speak louder than words, and at the end they have a tickle fight, which is cute, but not really the most satisfying end to a romance.
Still, this is a pleasant watch, with some funny moments, more depth than it appears to have on the surface, sharp dialog, and plenty of eye candy, so I have no problem recommending this to everyone - it's hard to imagine anyone not liking it.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Story: The story was cliche, but I live for cliches, especially mob-related so basically I adored it. Due to the length, certain very small scenes were a tad confusing if only because the cut into them seemed random, but they soon became clear. By the end of each chapter (which are usually ~15 min. segments), I had a very clear understanding of what was going on, so the confusion wasn’t long-lasting.
Acting/Cast: I’m not gonna lie, for a small studio film, I wasn’t expecting much re: the acting, but I was absolutely blown away. The actors are incredible and create such dynamic characters through facial expressions alone. They were an amazing cast that I would love to see in future dramas.
Music: So cute! The reoccurring song that played every time Gitae and Chisoo had a moment was sweet, gentle, and just downright adorable. It encapsulated that fuzzy feeling of butterflies in your stomach. The music for the action scenes were perfect for creating a high intensity environment, as well.
Rewatch Value: The only reason I am not immediately rewatching this movie is because I have to go to class in the morning. Needless to say, I will be watching this movie many more times in the future.
TL;DR: If you’re looking for a good LGBT movie with great acting, a fun plot, and a happy ending, then Long Time, No See is the choice for you. Please support this movie and the studio STRONGBERRY by buying the chapters ($12) so we can hopefully see more wonderful content like this in the future!
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Ruyi's Royal Love In The Palace's not about fighting in the harem, not about being on the top, having powers. It's about Ruyi's and Hong Li's love. From flames to dust, from a beautiful rose to that of a withered one. People might not get why wouldn't Ruyi fight and kill all of those who have done her wrong. It's not because she couldn't but she doesn't want to. She, from the start of the drama until the end, her heart and endurance are all because of her most beloved Hong Li (Emperor Qian Long).
Hong Li said that she's the one who changed after she cut off a strand of her hair. But no, Ruyi has never changed. Right from the beginning until her very last breath, she's still being that Ruyi who loves Hong Li wholeheartedly.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
First of all, this drama should not be called ‘Legend of Fuyao’ because didn’t focus enough on Fuyao. It should not be called ‘Legend of Wuji’ either because Wuji was willing the risk the safety of all the people in the 5 kingdoms for his love interest. Though his love and devotion to Fuyao was admirable and touching, this is not what a good ruler should be doing. So, no, Wuji does not deserve to be called a legend either.
I think a more appropriate title for this drama would be ‘The story of Fuyao, the woman who changed Wuji’s life’, because Fuyao turned Wuji’s life upside-down and brought his arrogance down a few notches the moment she entered his life. It is also a coming-of-age story of both Fuyao and Wuji as it shows how they change as a result of knowing each other and going through the trials in their lives.
The story takes us through 5 kingdoms (Taiyuan, Tianquan, Tiansha, Xuanji and Qiongcang) and has a lot going for it – court intrigue, action, adventures in strange lands, long lost identities and an epic love story. However, the focus, development and pacing of the script was inconsistent. . The drama’s title and first 8 episodes in Xuanyuan Mt. had us anticipating Fuyao embarking on a quest to find her true identity and remove her 5 seals. However, after she left Xuanyuan Mt, the focus changed all to Wuji and Fuyao became an accidental follower in his schemes instead of leading the story as the main character. Too many episodes were devoted to the court intrigue in Taiyuan which did not move Fuyao’s quest along one bit. The result of this was that everything else had to be squeezed into the remaining half of the drama and so there was no time for proper development of the stories in the remaining kingdoms. The story in Xuanji kingdom - where Fuyao’s childhood story and true identity were revealed - was especially short and rushed (only 6 episodes). Wasn’t this drama supposed to be about Fuyao? I would have loved to see more time devoted to Fuyao’s backstory (because it was just so tragic) and how it shaped her strong character.
ACTING
(1) Yang Mi as Fuyao
I liked Yang Mi since TMOPB, but after Fuyao, I have become a fan. Her performance was simply PHENOMENAL! I love actors who can emote with their eyes and Yang Mi did this superbly here. Her eyes are so gorgeous and expressive, I found myself drawn to them every time she appears on screen. She had a lot of epic scenes that had no dialog – the attempted rape scene, Yao City battle, rain scene, when she regained her memory, when she turned evil). She relied only on her eyes to convey Fuyao’s emotions and slayed every scene. Just a simple change in the expression in her eyes could convey so much, especially when she teared or cried – my heart just went out to Fuyao and I could really feel her pain. I particularly love her scenes with Uncle Zhou as the surrogate father-daughter bond was just so heart-warming and touching. And despite all the heart-break and hardships Fuyao endured, there was always strength and fire in her eyes.
I feel a lot of viewers do not give Yang Mi enough credit. I guess this is because majority of viewers are female and prefer to focus and swoon over the male lead. When a male lead cries, it is hailed as good acting whereas the female lead can cry buckets and no one takes notice. Is it because females are expected to cry, so that no one thinks much of it anymore? I vividly remember 3 scenes - just before Fuyao passed out after her fight with Zhangsun Ping Rong, right after she regained her memory and just before she stabbed herself. In each of these scenes, Yang Mi dropped a tear that totally broke my heart. It’s sad no viewers bother to mention her great acting in these, as well as many other scenes, whereas when the male lead drops a tear, viewers shout about it.
So, I do wish to give special mention to Yang Mi here because her exquisite and excellent performance was one of the main reasons I enjoyed this drama. At the end of the drama, I realise the character I remember most is Fuyao. Yang Mi made Fuyao come alive. She made me care for Fuyao and want to continue watching the drama to find out her fate. I only wish she had more screen time. She lights up the screen every time she appears and stole the show.
(2) Ethan Ruan as Wuji
This is the first time I have ever seen Ethan Ruan acting and so I did not know what to expect from him. His performance as Wuji was both a hit and miss for me. It was a hit because he looks handsome as Wuji, had great chemistry with Yang Mi and was good as the cheeky and flirty prince. But it was also a miss because some of his facial expressions, especially his smiles/smirks, come across as sleazy and goofy instead of suave or endearing. There were several OTP scenes where he suddenly gave a goofy smile that just totally spoiled the tender moment. And he tends to overact, such as crunching his face into an unrecognisable mess to express pain or angst. It made the last few episodes, when Wuji was crying over his parents’ betrayal and when he was chained to the ice on the mountain, very difficult to watch. I cringed more than I felt touched. I just wish he had used more of his eyes to emote (like the senior actors and Yang Mi) instead of such exaggerated acting, because some of his emotional scenes were good.
OTP’S LOVE STORY
Fuyao and Wuji’s love story has got to be one of the most well-written and best developed I have ever seen in a Chinese historical drama. Their epic love story is one of the things that really draws you in to this drama. It was wonderful seeing their relationship grow from the initial fighting and flirting to trust, support and finally self-sacrifice for each other. And Yang Mi and Ethan’s chemistry was simply sizzling! They looked so natural and comfortable around each other and their scenes together were a joy to watch.
MUSIC & CINEMATOGRAPHY
I absolutely love the OST and BGM. Every piece of music suited the mood of every scene so well. I daresay I prefer Fuyao’s OST/BGM to TMOPB’s. Cinematography, sets and costumes were also very good and gave the drama a grandeur more common to movies than a TV drama.
FIGHT SCENES
One of my favourite are the fight scenes. There are more fight scenes here than the average Chinese historical drama and you could tell a lot of effort was put into these as they were all very well-choreographed and visually stunning. Fuyao had the best fight scenes and Yang Mi just looked soooo freaking COOL fighting and flirting!
FINAL THOUGHTS
As someone who read the novel before watching the drama, I was very frustrated over how the drama scriptwriter had changed and butchered Fuyao’s character. Drama Fuyao was a victim of circumstances. In contrast, novel Fuyao was a dictator of events. All the schemes that Wuji planned in the drama were actually plotted by Fuyao. She single-handled plotted and helped put all 5 male leads on the thrones in their own kingdoms. So, I didn’t like the fact that the drama made Wuji more like the lead character and accredited all of novel Fuyao’s achievements to him.
When writing this review, I had to treat the drama as being NOT RELATED to the novel at all. Otherwise, it would not have been fair to all the cast and crew who put up such a fine production. Other than the inconsistent script, everything else about the drama was very good – from acting to music to cinematography and fight sequences. Putting my drama vs novel bias aside, this is still an entertaining drama with lots of action, adventure and intrigue to keep you engaged. If nothing else, Yang Mi’s and Ethan’s superb chemistry and love story will keep you invested and wanting more.
If you are debating whether to read the novel or watch the drama first, do yourself a favour and watch the drama first. You will enjoy the drama a lot more this way. Then go read the novel to understand what a truly awesome character Fuyao is and why she is a legend. The drama totally does not do any justice to Fuyao and the novel.
REWATCH VALUE
I will definitely rewatch this drama for my favourites scenes, action sequences and Yang Mi’s superb acting.
* ENDING SPOILER ALERT *
In case anyone is still confused about the ending, Fuyao and Wuji did not die. In the last scene, they are alive and well on a bridge (probably in Tianquan), not in heaven. The words spoken by Wuji in that scene (ie. follow her to the mortal realm etc. etc.) are actually lines from the novel that novel fans love. The scriptwriter probably put it in thinking that it would please novel fans but instead, it ended up confusing everyone about whether they lived or died.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
I wasn't too sure about the story in the beginning, and I'll admit that throughout this drama there were moments were I thought it would go south. However, after I finished it, I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. The writers pulled off the storyline wonderfully. Even when the plot seemed a bit too complicated to execute well, the writers did a great job at it!
Now, I just want to talk a little about the acting in this drama. Honestly, this is one of the most well acted dramas I've seen so far. Park Bo Young and Jo Jung Suk have AMAZING chemistry. I would find myself playing certain scenes over and over again, just because these two are so great together! The way their relationship grows from beginning to end is so sweet. I also want to say that these two share the most real and believable kisses I've ever seen in a drama. Seriously! Whenever they were on screen, I would always look forward to how they would interact with each other. Part of that is because this drama has really down to earth acting. You can tell that all the actors have fun with their roles (especially the kitchen crew), and they bring that excitement to the screen. Not only are the interactions between Na Bong and Chef very real and believable, but the interactions between all the other characters as well. I loved watching the kitchen crew going through their day, bickering and cracking jokes at one another. Their acting was so real that I would forget what they were saying was actually scripted. It was fun watching them, especially during the moments where you could tell they were about to break out of character and burst out laughing! I especially loved Sous Chef (Kang Ki Young). Some people might find him a little annoying, but honestly he made me laugh numerous times throughout the drama!
Im Joo Hwan is also amazing in this drama. His portrayal of Officer Choi was spot on, and I was really moved by his character towards the end. The same goes for Kim Seul Gi (Soon Ae). There were times where I was a little confused and annoyed about where her character was going plot wise, but toward the end I'd come to understand and appreciate what she did for the story.
This drama does have some minor flaws, like pacing issues in the last few episodes and sort of a rushed ending. Despite all that, this drama is still a perfect 10/10 for me. I don't normally do reviews, so the fact that I came here to write this immediately after I finished it is saying something. If you're looking for a great romance/comedy/mystery drama with amazing acting and lovable characters, then give Oh My Ghost a chance!
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Like a mucus bath.
Don't be fooled by this drama's engaging start - a hint of intrigue, the promise of adventure, a powerful secret weapon, political conspiracies aplenty and a heart stopping romance between a intrepid princess and a valiant guard. After about a dozen thrilling episodes this drama turns so icky that it feels like a mucus bath.Instead of the incomprehensible Rebirth For You, this drama's real title should be The Story of Miaorong. Because over 30 super long episodes (50+ minutes), practically all of the screen time is hijacked by the deranged machinations of the female and male love rejects' pathetic, slimy and absurd schemes. Every time you are about to jump ship out of frustration, they will throw some sugar at you with some sweet scenes between Bao Ning and Li Qian but make no mistake, the very boring actress that plays Miaorong gets MOST of the screentime. The final insult to the injury is this smart couple becomes stupid and their devotion and absolute faith in each other devolves into angsty and immature misunderstandings toward the end. The promising plot threads and interesting antagonists are left largely under exploited while the writers strive to bore us to death with every silly, malicious cat fight and scorned lover trope ever conceived of. This is a total waste of both Ju Jingyi and Zeng Shunxi's acting talent and is little more than a shameless exercise in letting second rate actors get too much exposure.
If you are die hard fans, watch about the first twelve episodes and the last one or two. All the rest can be skipped but my overall recommendation is to save some brain cells and not watch this at all. This is my shortest review ever to avoid wasting any more time on this abomination. Rating 3.5/10.0.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
A highbrow production with broad appeal.
The Longest Day in Chang'an is an immersive, visually stunning, culturally authentic and thrilling journey back over 1000 years in time to Lantern Festival in Chang'an at the peak of the Tang Dynasty. This is a highbrow and very demanding drama that is immensely enjoyable even if taken simply at face value. The viewer gets to decide how much they wish to invest in it. The production basks in rich historical and cultural detail that marvels over the intellectual, political, legal, administrative, military, cultural and scientific sophistication of Chang'an and the Tang Dynasty more broadly. The faithfulness to historical accuracy and strong edu-drama aspect to this show has history buffs raving with ecstasy. As a layman, the finer nuances would be lost on me were it not for the many knowledgeable insights on this and other sites. That doesn't appeal to everyone and some have remarked on the frequent historical and cultural digressions that interrupt the story-line. My simple take is that "smart fillers" are better than the nonsensical fillers that other dramas spam us with.The absolutely stunning cinematography is the first and most consistent impression throughout - every frame is beautifully angled to create a visual, vibrant feast for the eyes. Even flames from explosions burst in an artistic pattern of controlled natural assymetry. The production is not shy about indulging in artistic license and is littered with lithe and gorgeously willowy Tang ladies with only one small section acknowledging more ingrained images of the classical, prosperously rotund Tang lady. A number of Chinese manhua worthy characters are almost casually dropped in among the otherwise characteristically Tang dynasty cast including Djimon Hounson's Gao Le, the menacing African slave-trader and lord of Changán's underworld; a deadly female assassin who is fanatically devoted to her radical master; and a wildly improbable Western Persian Prince priest with impressive kung fu and building leaping skills. At the end of the day, this is very much a work of fiction and suspension of disbelief will be required as the lead characters achieve superhuman physical feats and survive certain death. All of which make for gripping, visually compelling and heart stopping action scenes.
The drama is not an easy, light watch. The first season (24 episodes) opens with the intense urgency of a fast moving, action packed thriller as the two leads Zhang Xiaojing (Lei Jia Yun) and Li Bi's (Jackson Yi) race against time to foil a terrorist plot during the Lantern Festival. The constraint of the 24 hour timeline forces the narrative to alternate between the high speed chase, political machinations around a power struggle and flashbacks that set up the backstory; all threads which converge in the unraveling of the conspiracy. The many plot twists interact with an extensive cast of complex characters from various factions with unclear and/or malleable loyalties in the power struggle between Li Bi's patron the Crown Prince and his powerful rival the Right Chancellor. In short, there is already a lot to take in so the occasional non sequitur cultural or historical digression can come off as one thing too many.
It took me a long time to care for any of the main characters in this show. Even relatively "good" characters are flawed, primarily driven by self interests and had questionable loyalties and morals. It wasn't obvious that Li Bi' s cause, the Crown Prince was more worthy than the Right Chancellor. Zhao Xiaojing's dealings with Gao Le alienated me; especially when it appeared his real motive was to protect the reckless and misguided Wen Ran. That episode and short lived character stayed with me for a long time because it is the first of many times that bad things happen to good people. And that is how good people can end up doing bad things. Thus there are no outright good or bad characters in this show, they are all products of events beyond their control. Time and again the drama explores how circumstances can push any character to act against his innate nature and self interest. It is a very realistic portrayal of the complexity of human nature's capacity for both good and evil and was acted out compellingly by a truly superb cast. I started to understand the true spirit of the drama when the plight of the common man of the Peacekeeper Corps moved the phlegmatic Li Bi to tears and made him their reckless champion. The real "heroes" in this drama are the common people; that is why it intentionally neglects the main characters and does not attempt to make you root for them and does not care if they have a happy ending. It celebrates the hardships and unrecognized capabilities of the nameless, faceless, powerless, voiceless man - from the forgotten soldier that gives his life for king and country to the ordinary citizens of Chang'an. It wants you to see them, hear them and care about them.
Season 2 (episodes 25-48) was much more enjoyable for me as the intensity of the chase abates and the narrative focus really zeroes in on the power struggle and the unvieling of the conspiracy and ulitmate mastermind. Finally the lead characters are also allowed to shine and shine they did. Zhao Yi Wei's Long Bo was the most provocative and masterfully portrayed character in the drama. As his path converges with that of Zhao Xiaojing, we see the many parallels between the one who seeks vengence and the one who fights to keep dreams alive.
I was surprised by how much I fun I had unraveling the conspiracy. It was very well done and largely kept to the unspoken bargain of hiding enough clues in plain sight that I was able to figure much of it out on my own. The motives of the ultimate mastermind were not convincing. While I had my eye on him as a suspicous character early on, I assumed he was just a link in the chain but not "the guy". It was a stretch that was probably one plot twist too many. One of the other suspects may have been a more credible choice.
Of course it is a foregone conclusion that the emperor was the ultimate villian. While the power dynamics between a manipulative and insecure emperor and his most trusted advisor and his heir has been done before, it was still extremely very well done here. I was completely satisfied when the son takes a leaf out of his father's book in the ultimate act of emotional manipulation. Checkmate. This was the most satisfaction I got from the ending. The bigger question of whether good things happen to good people is left open.
This is definitely the most epic, most idealistic, substantive and thought provoking drama of 2019. Its biggest flaw is that it is overly ambitious and tries to take on too many themes. That it came together so well is a feat in and of itself but as a result, it was not always easy to watch and certainly not something I wanted to dive right into after a hard day at the office. That said, I truly believe it is a must watch and may even be more enjoyable if taken more simplistically just for its stunning aesthetics, intrigue and action.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
The Plagiarist Cookbook
Who Rules the World is based on a well-loved, strong female centric novel that is normally my kind of story. However, the drama adaptation was undermined by the mid-production departure of the director and a key scriptwriter in the bitter aftermath of over fraternisation between production staff. It is clear that the drama was salvaged by borrowing heavily from other dramas and accusations of plagiarism have further weighed on the reception. I watched this for lack of anything better but to my surprise, it comes together quite well. It is indubitably the result of The Plagiarist Cookbook and is best enjoyed with a sense of humor for its stirring romance and parody plot.This drama starts strongly, promising a sensational fusion of romance, wuxia, palace intrigue and art of war. Set in a fictional Dadong empire, the Empyrean Token, which vests the imperial family with the mandate to rule mysteriously disappears, sending the empire onto the brink of war. All six vassal states vie to recover the token and potentially seize power. Longtime friendly rivals and top martial artists Bai Fengxi and Hei Fengxi get dragged into the fray as they stumble across a string of inexplicable killings. Together, they discover a sect with shadowy motives that could be linked to the struggle for control of Dadong. Behind their carefree jianghu personas, they both conceal identities with vested interests in the coming battle to decide who rules the world. Can their romance survive the battle for a new world order?
This drama's strongest selling point is Bai Fengxi and Hei Fengxi; they are simply the most awesome jianghu power couple. I was expecting more of the same old, same old Zhao Lusi. And my first impression of Yang Yang in what looked like Wang Yibo's hand-me-down Legend of Fei wig was meh, just another idol actor with a sharp, useless look about him. So to my surprise and delight, I enjoyed Lusi and Yang Yang's combined chemistry immensely. I love that their romance develops after years of friendly competition, when they are both secure, fully realised beings. Their relationship dynamics are captured in as much in their witty banter as in the nonverbal communication of their eyes, facial expressions and small gestures. They make for such a stunning looking couple with 夫妻相/fū qī xiàng or the look of a couple that it is hard not to root for them. That said, their relationship is mature and already perfect. They are on the same wavelength with mutual understanding that even in the matter of their secret identities, the reveal is in each case rather anti-climatic; an unimportant and unsurprising detail. While they experience many challenges together, most of the time they sail through them so effortlessly that the intensity is diminished. Since the drama is all about this couple, as charming as it is, their relationship after awhile feels static.
I really like how the smart women (to be clear, that means excluding Langhua) are portrayed in this drama. They are clever, independent and capable decision makers who don't succumb to the dumbest and most boring love rival tropes. Yet ultimately this is not the strong female-centric story I was expecting as it is much more Lanxi's story than it is Xiyun's story. Which is a shame because Lusi really takes her acting to another level in her portrayal of an indomitable and powerful character who cries as persuasively as she laughs and whose stomach is a bottomless pit. Her comedic expression remains her forte and in this production, her articulation is more mature and subtle than her earlier works. Hopefully down the road, she gets another shot at playing a strong female lead character and preferably one that drives the plot.
This is my first Yang Yang drama and wow, he is a sight for sore eyes and a much better actor than I guessed. He has incredibly expressive eyes such excellent micro expressions that he pulls off every imaginable romantic expression effortlessly. I can only applaud the neck breaking effort and dedication that goes into presenting his incomparable jawline at the most optimal camera angle at all times. If only we can unlock that frozen shoulder and see more natural body movement. Beyond that, he appears determined to cling to a righteous, gallant and conventional interpretation of his character. But I did not see the greyer, more complex side to Lanxi which I believe is consistent with how the role is actually written. While I enjoyed the slap that reverberated across the Dadong empire, I needed more. Like his father, I wanted to see Lanxi rise to the occasion, get angry, voice his resentment and demand justice. Instead, his brothers stole his lines while Lanxi simply stares down regally at the antagonists, best chin angle forward and nary a hair out of place. So definitely a young actor with lots of potential but Yang Yang's performance overall does not rise to the level of the character's complexity.
If I had to pinpoint where another writing/direction team takes over, it must be in the over extended Yongzhou arc. It is manifestly obvious that the Yongzhou royal family blueprint and at least two sub-plots in that arc are dumbed down knock offs from Royal Nirvana. I could be forgiving if they'd managed to make it better or more interesting than the original but nope, that did not happen. It is baffling how they chose to focus on done before royal succession palace intrigue tropes and less intelligent, archetypal villains at the expense of more compelling plot threads of conspiracies around dark sects committing murder and mayhem, missing tokens with fascinating grey characters like Huang Chao and Yu Wuyuan. There is an entire missing arc that could have better explored their back stories and more interesting dynamics.
The drama ends well after an exciting climax but the final six episodes are rushed and don't quite manage to close all of the open and more interesting plot threads. The war sequences are very well done even though they don't come together that coherently. But I don't like how they kill off good characters. To me, a few side characters I managed to get invested in deserved better deaths than what they got. And as for the final outcome, everyone got what they most wanted. If only Bai Fengxi knew the irony of her insistence that bai (white) precedes hei (black) in all matters.
The problem with using The Plagiarist Cookbook is the end product feels familiar but ultimately lacks substance and definition. I genuinely enjoyed watching this and laughed my way through it but more so because the MDL thread was amazing with many viewers with a great sense of humor and openness to plurality of opinions. I probably would have still enjoyed it but a lot less had I watched it by myself. While this has been my most fun watch of 2022, I can only rate this 8.0/10.0.
As promised for posterity:
Rules of The World:
#1 Falling down a steep cliff does not result in death
#2 Bai always precedes Hei - it is just the natural order of things
#3 Food has no calories and should be consumed at every opportunity
#4 When bad guys try to kill your love rival, let them
#5 Bai Fengxi remembers what she sees
#6 If you are going to dance seductively, wear a red dress
#7 The sleeve and the fan are mightier than the sword
#8 Don't bother with blankets, just use body heat
#9 Hand made noodles will unlock his life story
#10 Must have at least one bad parent and imaginary cousins
#11 The timely ankle twist is a more important skill than showy gravity defying flying kicks
#12 Must have strong piggy back and copious blood factory
#13 Never hold hands with just any girl in the streets, only that one girl
#14 You don't draw that well, she just looks that good
#15 Be greedy when it comes to food and all four elegant gentlemen
#16 Funerals are for dead people and not those you wish dead
#17 To eat or to Hei Fengxi, that is the question?
#18 Heaven hath no thunder greater than that of a long dead queen
#19 Be known by a dark foxy stripper 名号/name
#20 Surprise - they met when they were kids!
#21 Spicy exotic delicacies to ward off black dogs blood is just another excuse to eat
#22 Introducing your girlfriend to the girl who wants to be your girlfriend makes you the third wheel
#23 Don't give your master love advice unless you like memorizing military stratagems
#24 You get better love advice from romance novels than from your inexperienced subordinate
#25 A real hero need not take advantage of a woman to rule the world
#26 I promise to feed her well
#27 Foreshadowing is when her drawings and clay figures of you are all so.... round
#28 Be sure to let the villain and no one else know you are on to him
#29 When in doubt just stab the least likely suspect in the back
#30 The flower medicine kiss is a cure all for inner energy loss to deep stab wounds
#31 Greatest fool theory of sect leadership
#32 Stop dreaming about kissing her and just do it
#33 Two can play hide and seek in closets made for one
#34 Don't: As my most important wife and empress, I will give you the world
#35 Do: Xiyun who? You are my world
#36 Give your treacherous brother the coup de slap that is heard across the Dadong empire
#37 Revenge is a dish best served with a piece of long white cloth
#38 Let me see if you are good looking enough for my daughter?
#39 It is Hei Bai (black and white) that no son of mine should have to marry above him!
#40 Mess with my woman and I will knock the sacred jade out of your moon
#41 Nothing says hands off, he's mine like your bright red lipstick plastered over his cheek
#42 If Mo Yuan and Ye Hua can survive a weapon of mass destruction, so can I... oh... oops... wrong genre...
#43 Honey, 白头偕老/Bái tóu xié lǎo (grow white hair/old together) is not meant to be taken so literally or so independently.
And they lived heavily one decade after. Burp!
The End.
Warning: DO NOT try at home. May result in substantial weight gain, stomach ache, premature greying and/or loss of life and limb. Also, backstabbing and bitch slapping could be offences punishable by law in your jurisdiction.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
How To Get 4 Men to Fall in Love with You at the Same Time
To enjoy watching this drama, viewers are advised to watch it with a sense of humor, and not with your normal logic, for this drama that seems dead serious (no “comedy” tag), may seem to have loaded with bizarre and unfathomable logic. Many actions and scenes are over exaggerated with overacting which are also embellished with playful music. The pace is rather fast with many events taking place in each scene, only temporarily slowing down for the romance. If viewers can endure the first couple of the episodes which may seem farfetched, the later part is rather addictive. Therefore, sit back and let the story take you away, and enjoy.This drama is said to have adapted from a web novel of the same name. However, according to some readers, the main female character has been drastically changed “to make her seem more relatable for audience consumption”. In the novel, her personality is said to be, to quote a reader, “the most endearing element of the storyline. She's casual in demeanor but absolutely savage in her plotting. They did such a disservice to the female lead.” Even with the altered toned down version, I still love the female lead character as I find her strong, determined, intelligent and devoted.
Princess Jiuling (Peng Xiaoran) is an inspiring character. Despite the horrendous change of her life including the loss of her family, her identity and her look, she is determined to stay low, strengthen her power, and make a comeback for revenge. Her patience and her endurance to injustices, at the same time, honing her skills and waiting for the right moment, are qualities that are commendable. She exudes confidence and composure even in the most trying conditions, and her dignified demeanor captures all hearts.
Peng Xiaoran who plays the Princess Jiuling role, is an amazing actor. I got to know her in Goodbye My Princess when she was relatively unknown and was chosen to play that role because of a clash in schedule for the original actor who was a lot more popular. I was so glad they made the switch then as it brought us another talented actor who would have been buried if not for the opportunity. Here, as in Goodbye My Princess, Peng Xiaoran is so natural, graceful and authentic, successfully bringing her character to live.
Despite Jiuling is surrounded by numerous men who are deeply in love with her, she has only one true love, Zhu Zan (Jin Han) whom she had spent a great deal of time with when they were growing up. Zhu Zan is now a general guarding the frontier with his father since their separation. Free spirited and unrestrained, Zhu Zan is humorous and chivalrous. He continues to care for orphans, finding shelter and providing food for the displaced people due to wars and disasters. It is these qualities that Jiuling falls in love with him again as they align with her own values. Zhu Zan is infatuated with Jiuling, and regardless of how the world sees him and what trouble he may get into, he goes all the way out for Jiuling and helps her overcome her obstacles.
Jin Han’s portrayal of Zhu Zan is adorable, making the character very lovable like a big cuddly teddy bear. Unfortunately, many viewers criticize the choice and complain that Jin Han is not good looking enough. Perhaps these viewers hope to see a more effeminate actor as this seem to be the trend in today’s historical dramas, and Jin Han’s physical appearance is the total opposite to that. Some viewers also complain that they cannot place Jin Han’s face as a protagonist as the actor has previously played some antagonistic roles in other dramas. Whatever the criticisms are, I feel we all need to give these young actors opportunities to prove themselves, and Jin Han has proved that he is a versatile actor.
My Verdict
Sure there are flaws everywhere like in most Chinese dramas. But if we look pass these flaws and be less critical, this is a rather decent drama. A lot of the story only happens in conversations instead of in scenes, hence non-native speakers may want to get proper English subs to ensure accurate conveyance of the messages. The development of the main characters is quite well done with very well acting by the whole cast including the supporting cast. The storyline may be serious but this is a very humorous drama.
Overall, this is a drama deserved to be watched. I have enjoyed it very much.
Recommended! Bravo!
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
No words can describe the feelings “The Red Sleeve” gave me
But I will try.
“The Red Sleeve” felt like hymn of love,
but also, like condemnation of love.
"The red sleeve" is the perfect rendering of the dual nature of love, of its bittersweet reality.
At moments it made me laugh my heart out, at moments it made me cry. Sometimes I was over the moon, filled with joy or my blood was boiling to the point I wanted to punch the screen. I was amazed, I was entertained, I was disappointed. “The Red Sleeve” was a pleasant and thrilling ride that offered me all kinds of feelings, positive or negative ones.
The Story
“The Red Sleeve” is a historical romance drama of 17 episodes. The story is based on the novel “The Red Sleeve Cuff” by Kim Mi Kang and revolves around the relationship of court maid Sung Deok Im and Crown Prince Yi San.
The story is also based on historical events and figures. As I’m not an expert in Korean history and I haven’t read the novel, I can’t analyze this any further. For anyone who wants to know more I will comment on my review- comment the link of the MDL discussion thread “Drama vs Novel (vs History)”. This contains spoilers so I’d advise you to read after you’ve watched the drama.
Even though the story is romance-centered, it deals also with other things that make the drama quite interesting, like the life of the court maids, the fairies of the palace. From their point of view, the story manages to show how the institutions of the palace work but also, the sad and brutal reality of it : the intrigue, the political corruption, the inequality, the devaluation of human life.
In addition to the above, another benefit “The Red Sleeve” has, is that although it starts with a very common romance trope, generally it doesn’t contain a lot of cliché romance scenes. Thus, I believe that even if you’re not into romance dramas, you can give “The Red Sleeve” a chance and you may be satisfied with the outcome. I’m not really a fan of historical or romance-centered dramas and yet, “The Red Sleeve” kept my attention till the very end.
The Pace
The pace of the drama is neither fast or slow, it’s something in between and varies from episode to episode. Thus, I think the pace is just right and manages to keep you unbored. I also noticed that after an intense, thrilling and serious episode, the next episode is mild and relaxing, like it is a comic relief. That creates balance in the drama’s tension and makes it pleasant to watch.
It has to be mentioned that some comic reliefs and serious scenes also exist inside the intense and the mild episodes respectively. These changes between funny and serious are well structured and not abrupt so they don’t destroy the drama’s serious and melodramatic tone. Not everyone though likes this kind of alteration, even if it is well made, so if you belong to this category, you may be a little disturb from time to time.
The Storytelling
I don’t know if it is because the drama is based on a novel, or the screenwriter did a very good job or because of something else, but the storytelling is beautiful.
There is harmony between every situation and relationship, everything is perfectly tied together creating perfect coherence. The story slowly and unsuspectingly escalates, comes and hits you unexpectedly. Watching the last episodes and realizing how much has happened and how every character and situation has changed was a shocking experience.
The greatest thing about the storytelling is how poetic it is. This drama has one of the best scripts I have ever come across. The dialogues and monologues are so impactful and powerful,full of beautiful words. The feelings and thoughts of the characters are very well imprinted that can touch the audience and make them feel the same as the characters. Reading the subtitles of this drama was so appealing that even someone who hates reading subtitles would enjoy it.
The Characters
The characters are very well written. There isn’t any dull character, almost everyone has a multidimensional personality and depth. Everyone has their own purpose, acts accordingly and ultimately, it is their actions that determine their fate. Even if some characters had bad intentions, you can’t define them as villains because they weren’t completely bad people, they were just humans.
I like many of the characters but I especially like Sung Deok Im, the definition of the “strong female lead”. Sung Deok Im is smart and she has her way with words. She used her charms to survive in a very tough environment. She is confident, fearless, independent and she always puts her logic over her feelings. Her acts are very mature and thoughtful so she is a person to rely on.
The Acting
I was impressed by the acting and I was completely satisfied with the result the whole cast provided. All the actors did a great job.
The two main leads, Lee Se Young and Lee Jun Ho had perfect chemistry and their performances were breathtaking. I have seen many dramas of Lee Se Young and she has never disappointed me, she is always on point, as she was in this drama too. It was the first time I saw Lee Jun Ho and his acting surprised me. In the future, I will see more of his dramas.
My favorite actor was Lee Deok Hwa (King Yeongjo), he was remarkable. I was captivated by his solid performance. His reactions was so natural that made me predict something that happened later.
The Production
What I liked about “The Red Sleeve” the most, was its production. “The Red Sleeve” is technically perfect from all the aspects. Everything is so well made; the production is indeed very meticulous. The directing contains beautiful cinematography with the artistic shots of nature, vivid colors that made the drama visually stunning. This directing combined with the soundtrack, created thrilling and romantic scenes that made my body shivering and sad scenes that made me want to cry a river.
Conclusion
I believe that “The Red Sleeve” is one of the dramas that you know from the first episodes if you like it or not. The technical aspects of the drama are very decent; everything else depends on personal taste. For me, “The Red Sleeve” was pure art from all perspectives. This drama has a lot of beautiful moments that stole my heart and I will always remember. It was indeed a delightful journey.
I hope if you watch it, you will experience the same feelings as I did.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
