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Good stuff. Complex. Powerful at times. Yet you better don´t set the primary focus on the romance.
No idea why the international title is what it is... so beware! If you're expecting a love story here, you'll get one, but certainly not in the way you thought it would. With their motifs and soft focus, the posters for the KDrama also promise more heartbreak of the shallow kind than the story does justice to.
The original title "The most beautiful moment in life - the moment when life becomes a flower" describes the moment in which life (not love) acquires meaning, beauty, direction, form and can blossom. And here we are closer to the topic. The two protagonists have been in love with each other since their student days in the 90s. Yes. But it has grown through their attitude to life, the meaning they give to their own lives, through their principles and quite specifically through the class struggle, the union struggle, the demonstrations for more democracy. By boldly standing up for what they believe in, life is transformed into a (bright, fragrant, inspiring) flower.
To reduce life and its beauty to love would not be enough. But love is definitely part of it - just like water or the sun - to let these flowers (which can/want to be a person's life) grow. This flower reveals its inherent beauty in the creative expression of what is important to you, what you stand for, what you believe in.
In that sense, Yoon Ji-soo's seedling came to life after she met Han Yaeh-hyun during his pro-democracy and workers' rights protests. Ji-soo's enthusiasm for Yaeh-hyun's cause didn't go unnoticed for him either.
-------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Early unionists, political protest and rebellion against injustice ---
We are learning about South Korean democracy movement when it was still in its infancy. During the decades of the dictatorship, conservative politicians skillfully exploited the fear of the communist north and consistently interpreted or pursued any commitment to workers' rights as a communist threat. Strikes and demonstrations were always uncompromisingly dispersed and participants and leaders sentenced to prison terms. Even recently, in the last 5 years, trade unionists, fighting for workers' rights, have been and continue to be arrested for "offences against public order". In the case of convictions of corporate bosses/Jaebeol, a pardon usually follows quickly. Unionists, however, always have to serve their long sentences. Recently, for example, the KCTU chairman Han Sang-gyun was sentenced to three years in prison during an organized mass rally for workers' rights (2016) and Jang Ok-gi from the construction workers' union was imprisoned for a protest march for higher pensions for non-permanent construction workers (2017).
---------------
So the context of this love story is quite serious. And the KDrama cleverly wraps and links this 'seriousness' around the love plot of the two protagonists. The story is told in time leaps between then and now. It tells how Ji-soo's father (head of the district attorney's office) opposes the young love, it tells about Yaeh-hyun's father's unsuccessful struggle for worker´s rights, about Jaebeol Jang Sang, into whose family Yaeh-hyun marries, and about the unscrupulous intrigues of father and daughter, as well as the elite family of lawyers that Ji-soo married into. It tells of the intolerable arrogance of the wealthy towards the lower-income classes, which continues in the form of bullying among their children. It tells of courageous class struggle and rebellion against injustice. It tells of the almost hopeless struggle for one's own rights in the face of powerful opponents. And that it's never too late to let the flower of your life bloom.
So, should you watch it? Yes, it´s good stuff. Complex. Powerful at times. But don´t set the primary focus on the romance. Otherwise you might be a bit disappointed.
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1NOT a BL but a proper queer movie
I find it important to make it clear that this is not a formulaic BL aimed at a (mostly) female audience, who enjoy watching pretty men get it on. Yes, men fall in love in this movie and yes, there are sex scenes, but this is where the similarities to BL end.This movie explores gay relationships and gay life in today's Japan without being overly dramatic, but also without any of the "Love is Love and it'll all be good in the end"-sugar coating we see in most BLs.
During the Q&A session at a film festival, the director Matsunaga Daishi said that he deliberately cast queer (amateur) actors in some roles (eg. Kosuke's friend group) to further LGBTQ representation.
Suzuki Ryohei is simply stunning in his portrayal of Kosuke. He manages with sometimes minimalistic expressions or what should be mundane tasks, such as drawing in his eyebrows, to portray a man, who has learned to navigate a world which is hardly accepting of the LGBTQ community. A man, who has armored himself with success and a seemingly hard shell, but who shows vulnerability and his true self in places and among people he knows he is welcome.
The movie isn't perfect. There are aspects of Kosuke's and Ryuta's relationship I wish it had explored in more depth, but it is impactful and (as I said before) Suzuki Ryohei's performance alone makes it very much worth a watch.
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Empress Ki, I must say, is a very compelling, powerful and controversial historical drama. I am always deeply enthralled with every scene that leaves you in awe and keeps you wanting for more. I suggest you (future watchers) dramathon it and don't skip a single episode nor a single scene.
Story - I love how the story of EK started and ended. Not the usual save-all-the-main-characters-protagonists kind of plot. I love killings, and I think these killings were the most highlighted parts of the drama aside from the intriguing plot. If you know what I mean. I was overwhelmed by it to the extent that I didn't look for any flaw. And mind you, when I'm really enjoying a particular drama, I become LESS OBJECTIVE. (You might disagree with me on this, but it's actually true.) It only means that I am satisfied about it. But, nevertheless, it was an EXCEPTIONAL sageuk. One thing that I loved as well was the turn of events. They were really unpredictable. I like unpredictable things.
Acting/ Cast: Every actor in this drama did a stellar job in portraying each character. I have not seen any actor acting with an expressionless face nor overrated acting. Again, if you know what I mean. Ha Ji Won's acting here was outstanding. She has that MAJESTIC BEAUTY. Joo Jin Mo did great as well. Just like how much he was great in A Frozen Flower. I mean, his acting. LOL
Special Mentions:
Ji Chang Wook - My first time seeing him in a drama. He did a great job in acting esp in crying scenes. He was the best. Actually voted for him in the MDL 2014 poll for best actor.
Baek Jin Hee - portrayed the Tanasiri character very convincingly. I hold her dearly to my heart. *whispers* I have a girl-crush on her. Hihihi ^^
Jin Yi Han / Tal Tal is a bonus here.
Lee Mun Shik / Bang - ahjussi, I will never forget how well you played in Iljimae and also here in EK. For the comedic parts, I salute you.
Jun Gook Hwan / El Temur - I never hated him even though how ruthless he was.
I loved all the villains in this sageuk except for one. His name is Yom. Yom the Scum.
Music - OST overall is pretty brilliant. Gosh, the feels... I especially liked Xia's I Love You.
Given the chance that I'd want to watch this again, I WOULD.
And finally, watching EK is an adventure which will be with me forever. It felt surreal when I finished it. I can't even start a new drama after watching it. No drama can surpass the roller coaster ride of emotions I felt in this drama.
P.S: Don't get surprised by its long episodes, it's totally worth watching!
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That said, I couldn't give it this movie a 10 because there are some problematic ideas about beauty expressed, specifically about skin color. As I watch more Thai movies, I'm realizing the prejudice against darker skin is in fact very real and pressing in Thai culture. Although this isn't a focus of this movie, the idea that darker girls are ugly is clearly present (whether it's completely endorsed or not,.) That makes me concerned about younger girls of color seeing this film without discussing it first.
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Well I'm just glad to be watching a show in which REDACTED doesn't die by the end!
I really loved watching this show. In fact, I couldn't stop watching it! It's possibly (probably) one of the best shows of the year. With a raw storyline, amazingly complex characters, and competent production, this show is a good option for a mature and gut-wrenching experience.Throughout the watching experience of this show, I noticed a lot of viewers were upset by characters not being easily categorized as good or bad, or judging characters too harshly, or just being upset that the romances were not cute. So just upfront, let me tell you. This is not your next Love is Sweet or Begin Again, or even Go Ahead (though that show is pretty close, content-wise). This show is raw. It's like an open wound. It goes for realism and it exposes the characters' faults on purpose. Actions have consequences in this show and everyone is a bit more complicated than meets the eye. I could write pages on character studies alone but this is a show review, so I'll stop!
You should watch this show if you like:
1. Mature stories. No black and white morality to be found here or cutesy characters whose bad decisions only lead to quirky shenanigans. Nope. You make a bad mistake here, you go DOWN!
2. Good acting
3. Later 20th-century history
4. Family dramas
5. Generational stories
Summary: The show follows the Qiao children as they struggle to survive in their father's home after their mother dies in childbirth. Yi Cheng, the eldest, makes a silent vow to never lose his dignity no matter what he faces in life. He struggles to raise his neglected siblings, keep them fed and in school while also following his own ambitions of raising himself out of his bad situation through education, all while maintaining his pride. As the story progresses and their lives get complicated by mistakes and tragedies, the siblings stay close together like the threads of a knitted sweater!
Plot: The plot is simple. It's life. It starts in 1977 and ends in 2005 and the show is committed to historical accuracy but other than that it shows the characters, their love life, their triumphs and failures with little judgment. You will hate some decisions and you'll love others. It's chaotic and illogical, the way that real life is. In real life, sometimes people make bad decisions and they commit to them longer than it makes sense to do so. It's the same in this show. I personally found everything in the story tolerable and nothing made me so angry as to make me want to stop watching. Everything flowed naturally. Nothing was dragged out and nothing was wrapped too fast. The pace was great and it helped to keep the viewer interested. Each episode is packed with one event after another to the point that missing one episode might lead to missing entire arcs!
Acting: Perfect. All across the board, everyone was amazing. Special shout out to Liu Jun who played their father. His character was a jerk but he played him so well that I was just so impressed by this veteran actor. Also, the young actors playing the Qiao kids in their childhood, especially the young actor for YiCheng, were amazing. Guo Zi Ming made me tear up more than any other character in the show. Kudos!
Music: I actually loved the music for this show. Especially the song called Wild Bird which I have been listening to on repeat since I watched the first episode. I can sing along now!
Production: It was near perfect. Gorgeous cinematography, meticulous location setting, attention to details, historically accurate objects but also experiences, symbolic lighting (happy homes colored with warm colors and unhappy ones with cold ones), (almost) perfect continuity. Most importantly, I think the production wasn't as expensive as it seemed and that it was just very well-budgeted.
Rewatch: I wouldn't say no. It was a very endearing watch and I particularly enjoyed certain parts that I would love to watch again.
Negatives: Characters make bad decisions a lot but I thought they made sense in context. While bad decisions, they still made sense for the characters. It's a bit hard to keep track of the passage of time. It's probably easier for Chinese people to figure them out because the show touches on important historical events but even so, there were certain points where time moved in loops (as it so often does in cdramas!) and it was a bit confusing but it didn't harm the show. It was just surprising to learn how much time had passed, once we did get a date. Some scenes were censored and there is some propaganda in the show. The censored parts do not redact from the quality but they do raise questions of "what if"s. The propaganda is light and harmless for the most part. One or two subplots lead nowhere in particular but given how packed the show is, it's fine. Qiqi gets WAY less screen time than everyone else. Not sure if it was a good thing or not because what we got from him was so sad and upsetting that I wish we hadn't had that either!
Overall: Highly recommended. I don't usually enjoy modern cdramas. This show stands out with its near-perfect everything.
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Money Flower paints a very interesting story about the Jang’s familial power struggle. Everyone has their own motives and agenda. Though this drama falls into the typical makjang, revenge category, the execution is beyond anything I’ve ever watched before.
The ability this drama has to deliver an intense, plot heavy story week over week is admirable. Characters are calculating, logical and heartless. Jang Hyuk stars as Kang Pil Joo. His delivery and ability to build suspense without even saying a word is pure power. His melodic delivery when he does speak as the calculated attorney leave the audience anticipating every word and syllable. He is absolutely mesmerizing. The drama also delivers on other strong portrayals by Park Se Young, Jang Seung Jo and Lee Mi Sook.
If you are looking for something that is intense and utilizes amazing story telling and acting, I would strongly recommend giving this drama a try. I can’t praise this drama enough. It has kept me guessing all the way through. The way this drama can suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, champing at the bit for the next episode is truly note worthy. What are you waiting for?! Let yourself get swept away!!!
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Cute but couldn't avoid cliches
"Hello I'm at your service" is a lovely office romance that is both binge-able and cringey. One of those sweet, sugary dramas that we get every year from China but it still has some elements that you would enjoy. For me, it was a unique CEO male lead and the concept of your workplace being your family.Our ceo male lead, Lou Yuan (Miles Wei) appears like a cold, aloof, very typical at first but he is rather friendly and nice. He is not a total introvert either. Behind this perfect ceo is a down to earth, frugal guy who dotes on the female lead.
Contrasting to him is the female lead, Dong Dong En (Xu Lu) who is quirky and efficient at her work. As a customer service representative she is good at flattering people too. She is just too smart and knows how to talk through her way.
She works for a small company called Ba-Er (Eighty two studio) which has less employees but they all are like family members who go through hardships together. An amusing company which barely makes any money but stays up for nights to meet the client's requirements. The founders are like elders of the family where an employee is casual enough to nag or stare at the boss. They even dine together daily. Her bonding with them was one of the parts I loved in the drama.
Now coming up to what took 2 stars away. Its the stereotypes of a Chinese Romcom. You get a CEO, rich ML- poor FL story (which gladly is the main highlight here although they presented a very healthy relationship since Lou Yuan was not domineering and rather understanding), you also get a bitchy childhood lover out of nowhere (with zero self respect obviously), a toxic Ex (who you wish could die bald, many might enjoy this arc tho becoz I laughed a lot at the end).
But anyone watching this for the romantic story wouldn't get bored for sure. Along with these adorable leads we also get two second lead couples who have interesting stories going on parallely.
And all throughout this drama one thing you can definitely learn is how to butter up people. Like no one here is talking in a sane way without adding compliments. Its so cheesy at some scenes but its funny too. Comedy makes this drama light and an easy watch.
Overall, it was quite a mid, okayish drama that you can binge watch over a weekend or keep as a side dish for a strong ongoing angsty historical you're watching.
Sweet, a lot cliche yet fun!
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Tree With Deep Roots
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1A vividly told emotional story about the creation of Hangul and its impact. Absorbing. Gripping.
Of course, this historical drama is (as many others) full of intrigues, power struggles and revenge. But King Sejong, the 4th Joseon king, who is the historical subject of this KDrama, was indeed a bright shining star in the Joseon sky. So is this KDrama.King Sejong created the Korean alphabet. Not just him alone. But this great achievement goes back to his driving force and his vision of a mature people. The story impressively tells of the bumpy road to Hangul. It also tells of how important it is as an identity-creating medium for self-confident citizens. Previously, Hanja - the canon of sheer countless characters of Chinese origin - was the country's binding writing. Not only that, but a whole range of Korean words are loanwords of Chinese origin - to this day. At the same time, this reflects the asymmetrical balance of power between the Korean dynasties and the Chinese dynasties. The use of the Han signs not only symbolizes the hierarchy among the peoples, but also within one's own people. Scribes and scholars were needed, who had the muse and time to learn these characters (more than 100,000 in total). Thus, they had the authority to interpret. It was hardly possible for ordinary people to learn. A scripture that connotes words and meanings in characters is based on a completely different concept than a scripture composed of a compact alphabet. Based on the phonetics of the Korean language, King Sejong developed an alphabet finally consisting of 14 symbols for consonants and 10 for vowels. The writing system to apply those in a way to form words and sentences can be learned comparatively quickly, even by ordinary people. What a progressive concept at the time! What a threat to the elite of scholars and noblemen!
The title "Deep Rooted Tree" refers to verses from the 'Songs of the Dragons That Fly to the Sky' - the Yongbieocheonga. This contemporary document about the Joseon Dynasty and its legacy was the first book that was ALSO written in the new Hangul writing system.
"Deep Rooted Tree" is (among many other truly exciting dramatic events throughout the story) about the impact of scripture for the people of Joseon - a story vividly told in an absorbing manner. A truly fantastic presentation. With gripping protagonists. Multidimensional. With high emotional impact.
The dramaturgical setting introduces the king (from the perspective of the male protagonist) as the bad guy. But the 24 episodes (analogous to the alphabet?) provide an impressive insight into the fascinating life´s work of that great king - embedded in the excitingly increasing momentum of the vendetta of a boy from humble origins who grows up to become an outstanding warrior and finally ends up as royal guard.
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The world of banking portrayed in this drama is one of deception and treachery. Bankers don't care about their customers or even the integrity of the their banking institutions; they seek only to improve their positions by manipulation and betrayal. The senior banking officers make bad decisions and their underlings have to clean up the mess or risk demotion or even worse relocation.
In walks Hanzawa Naoki. A brilliant banker who cares about his customers, his bank and his friends. He is thrown under the bus by his boss and must clean up the mess or get transferred. There are so many hurdles in his way but Hanzawa is a fighter. His catch phrase, "If you screw me, I'll screw back. Double payback!" It was exciting to see him get fired up in these situations.
The story was a bit predictable but it was so well told that I don't mind that at all. The acting was astounding with the exception of the guy who played the inspector from the tax bureau (gross over actor) and the only thing about the drama that i didn't like really. Sakai-san was in one word SUPERB; the best actor overall in the cast. I wish we got more of Ueno Aya but what we got from her was great. She played the role of the strong dedicated wife well.
I live in Japan and people can't seem to stop talking about this drama. It is one of, if not the best drama for 2013. It is a must watch for jdrama fans. And with Hanzawa's tenacity, the fan love and the way this drama ended I fully anticipate a season 2. Hopefully we will get it next summer.
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The reality of broken families and the impact on mental health.
An incredible representation of how a family environment can impact a child’s mental health. Perhaps it was because I could relate so well to this drama that made me love it so much. My first review ever because of this 11/10 show. Warning: long & a lot of spoilers.Main Characters:
It’s without a doubt that each family will go through their own troubles. Let’s talk about Ling Xiao first. The entire time I was just hoping that he truly receives proper therapy and releases his repressed feelings that he’s been harbouring since childhood. Firstly, he had to live through the trauma of seeing his younger sister die. Then he was blamed for it by his mother. (God, seeing how much blame he put on himself for his sister’s death…heartbreaking. You see it in his eyes. And she also throws out all of their photos together… I wonder if he still remembers how his little sister looks like.. ) Then he had to witness his parents go through a terrible relationship following it…. and then HE GETS ABANDONED BY HIS MOTHER.
You would think that’s all he would go through. His heart and emotional stability gets stomped on again when the mother comes back, then is injured and he is expected to take care of her… and then suddenly he is needed again. And then she hates the people who truly gave him the love that he so desperately needed to fill the gap of being abandoned.
Although calling Xian Xian his “heart medicine” demonstrates some unhealthy reliance for someone to “fix him”, putting a lot of pressure on her, anyone can understand that. She was the positive light in his life ever since he met her. Her and Li father gave him so much warmth from the get-go, knowing that his family was broken. She accepted him at all costs, irregardless of his stoic and reserved attitude.
Jian jian and her father’s healthy relationship is truly the backbone of this entire drama. Time after time, you see the dependence on Jian jian from her friends and from her brothers for that love, positivity, and support. Same goes for the father - people go back to that restaurant and that home again and again to feel that love, to feel that care that he so generously gives. These two were the epitome of genuine, healthy, healing from their trauma.
Moving forward to Zi Qiu.. my baby. Oh, my sweet baby. The number of times I cried because of him. You can see that he takes a different approach to his anger - he regularly releases it, does things impulsively, and voices when he’s in pain. Tbh, I appreciated this a bit more.. I just wanted to hold him tight and close whenever I witnessed his breakdown. I knew from the beginning that his mother would never just leave without a proper reason.. and when the truth was revealed. Wow. Damn. I just wish she knew that her son would have forgiven her. How could he blame her? What could she have done? She did the right thing back then, but I wish Zi Qiu had known the truth. I believe that Zi Qiu would have a healthy recovery and that he would truly live life to the fullest again.
I also had a huge liking for the side characters, especially Jian jian’s besties. Ming Yue’s mother is that “tiger mom” that all us asians know of. The need to control her daughter’s life, “for her benefit” - man, we’d be dead drunk if we took a shot every time we heard “wei ta hao!”. Although they ended up with a warmer relationship at the end, I still don’t know if Ming Yue’s mother learned from the divorce and saw how much she put Ming Yue through. I think the releasing of the fishies in the trapped little tank had something to do with Ming Yue’s freedom though.
Tang Can’s mother was a bit like that too, but not so bad I would say. I liked that the primary focus for this character was her genuine, hardworking, and relentless desire to pursue her dream. She knew exactly what she wanted for herself, and struggled for so long to convince her mother (and all her friends) that this was what she was always meant to do. What she needed was that push. That trust and belief in her dream - and I am so glad that Zhuang Bei discovered how her eyes simply lit up as she talked about acting, and took that extra step to help her fulfill her dream. Incredible. I was rooting for her like crazy and was SO sad when she took up that museum job :(.
Another one I truly felt for was Little Orange. Xiao cheng zi, gah. She’s definitely lived through some brutal trauma... having her father die and then witnessing her mother’s crippling mental health, constant suicide attempts, and seeing how badly she treated her older brother. I genuinely hope she finds her way back to this loving bunch, and lives off their love. I could tell that she really enjoyed her time with them, and that she found a sense of security. I can also tell that she built a genuine relationship with Ling Xiao, despite all of the hurt that he was going through. During their time in Singapore and the reality of their mother’s situation… they needed one another.
I am so thankful for Li Ba. Tbh, Ling Ba was aight - I felt that there could have been more appearances of him in this drama or that he showed a bit more warmth. He always seem to appear ‘from work’. Towards the end he definitely showed more care towards Ling Xiao, but I think he just didn’t believe in himself as a father. Cue the self-deprecating comparisons to Li Ba and how he just isn’t the best father to talk to. Well… if you say it so candidly like that, then you simply won’t be the best father to talk to. I wish the conversation that they had in the last episode was like that for all of their previous conversations. But, I guess it shows how much character development Ling Ba went through and his epiphanies of how much damage the relationship he had with Ling Xiao’s mother caused Ling Xiao.
OK real talk though wow Chen Ting was so messed. She needed serious help. Her manipulation tactics were seriously on point. Threatening suicide and constantly flipping into victim mentality to get her son to stay. Yes, it is evident that she was suicidal and had little hope for life. But it’s one thing to get help and ask for support.. but it’s a whole different story if you are using it to blackmail someone to stay. Her loss of her child and her husband - she really did blame herself. But she took it out on others. I wish that she could have forgiven herself. I’m so glad that her final attempt didn’t go through. I know that she will eventually be okay.
Oh my. The amount of tears I shed in this drama. The chemistry between the characters, the love in these families, wow. I kinda was hoping for a wedding, but I guess the little family portrait was good too. Perfectly wrapped up.
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Once again I've confirmed my true love for sagueks. I was blown away by the brilliance of this drama right from the first episode. The way it is told, directed and acted is what makes this drama special for me. I've seen a lot sagueks, but this one is one of the rarest and I guarantee it'll stay in my heart... forever.
Story is quite unusual. In Yub, young noblewoman, precious and only child in househould falls in a status of a low-maid when her father gets accused of a treason. She then, must learn to adapt to a poor and cruel life of maids. With a help from Moo Myung, a servant with hidden identity and other maids in a household she learns what a true happiness and love in this world means.
Personally, watching this drama gave me a lot of emotions, I was 100% invested in a story and its characters' and I really respect when a writer can brings that to viewers. I call that quality. Every character is perfectly written, with its own story and depth giving this drama a darker tone and deepness. What I love the most is that the story is told of a maids' perspective, showing us their emotions and thoughts they had, what they can do and what they can't do. Also, a great demonstrating a difference between a noblemens' and maids', in fact a difference in their actions and their punishments for that. I have to say that it's a very cruel drama, however once you start it, story will pull you in and you won't be able to stop it. At least that was a case for me.
As I said before, characters are perfectly written, from the main to the supporting ones. There wasn't a single boring moment, because every character that is shown is worth showing and she/he will always have some influence on a plot. Believe it or not, but that's how it is.
I TOTALLY became a fan of Jung Yoo Mi. That girl blowed me away! Her acting is first what makes this drama worth a try. She made her character to be so believable and true, that I don't think any other acterss would be able to bring a character of In Yub as she did. BRAVO! Her struggle when she falls from the priveleged status to the one of the lowest in that period, her emotions, thoughts, actions is so very-well written. You could actually feel for her. Definitely going into my list of the strongest female characters. ;)
I adore Oh Ji Ho and they totally chose a right actor for a role of Moo Myung. Wooden, emotionless, cruel... ufff just right. Moo Myung is a servant with a hidden identity, clever, calculative and skilled man, a man that you don't know what he thinks. He's loyal to his masters, but when In Yub enters in his life, his world will change.
Actually, no matter how I love OJH, this time my attention stole Kim Dong Wook. Damn, that man sure deserve some prize. His wonderful performance to the sweet, kind-hearted to the evil man was absolutely AMAZING. However, I COULDN'T get angry no matter what he did. BECAUSE, all he has done and all he did was for a In Yub's sake. His endless love for her, really never ended. He is a true proof to that. And that's why his character is sooo special to me, really, really special.
Also, that girl Sa Wol is the most positive and kind-hearted character I've ever met in dramaland. Believe it or not, I cried for her at least three times. Likewise, all maids and servants in this drama are not just to be written, they did have a good reason to be made in this drama.
It's the first time I hear that in a drama, especially in saguek they didn't use any single ost. It's not that I'm complaining though. Even instrumentals were very beautiful and they exactly fitted the scenes.
If we were to look from the perspective of twists, cliffhangers and turn of events this drama gave, I would say that it's not something new, although there were REALLY some epic moments. But they way this drama is made and showed to the viewers is definitely worth giving a pure 10, for me. Cinematography, directing, clever, life lesson's dialogues and also very unique story is definitely worth to be remembered for. I'll never ever forget this outstanding drama.
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There were subtle doses of humor sprinkled throughout. From the cliche situational comedy with our leads, to the caring but disgruntled "forever-alone" best friend who was stuck in an ongoing cycle of on-again, off-again with his off-screen boyfriend.
The kiss scenes were built up to pretty well, but generally lacked in the proportional execution for the build-up. I enjoyed it nonetheless though.
What I did not enjoy is how poorly constructed and inconsistent the plot was, even for a character-driven drama. It seemed to want to be a food drama, but lacked the proper attention and care for the food aspect to really warrant the title.
Even with Korean alcohol culture in mind, Jiyu could be interpreted as at least on the cusp of alcoholism for the majority of the drama (before someone comes at me with the most common rebuttal: it's been over half a year since the break up). Meanwhile, Kihoon's reason for not liking alcohol, that we seemed to have been building up tension to for so long, was too flatly delivered to have impact. Not to mention, the pacing from him being angry about the prospect of being around alcohol to selling it to openly drinking it with the rest of the characters was enough to give whiplash. Not to mention the fact that this same man who passed out after one shot is now able to drink multiple glasses with ease in the span of MAYBE a few months...
And then there were other areas of tension that were introduced and resolved too quickly. Or even an area of tension that was consistently put into subtext from beginning to end, but never resolved (the fact that Jiyu's superiors all seem to think poorly of him, resulting in a palpable lack of confidence in their presence).
I liked the ending messages though:
-The prospect of everyone liking the same dish, but liking it prepared in different ways. This same message isn't exactly uncommon with food dramas, and even dramas that only have minor focus on food (Moonlight Chicken for example).
-Food and drinks are best enjoyed in the presence of friendly company and tastes best when celebrating.
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Heavenly potential, demonic execution
The novel “Chong Zi”, penned over 10 years ago, features a once popular, now outdated premise — master-disciple relationship. To adapt such an old novel in 2023 is a risky move; not only has the audience already seen similar works that they would naturally draw comparison to (e.g. Journey of Flower), but even the official “synopsis” gives the entire plot away. There is not much room left to tell a compelling story, let alone something new and refreshing. This drama ended up having a very mixed reception and for good reasons. Here I will try to review this drama honestly by listing out why it is good and why it is bad.【Why is it good?】
— Interesting male lead —
One would think all this drama could offer is an old-fashioned story absent of any surprises. But behind the datedness, there lies an innovative gem. The highlight of the show, and a huge reason why people are enjoying it, is the male lead Luo Yin Fan’s intriguing characterization (and Jeremy Tsui’s perfect portrayal of him). Luo Yin Fan starts off being quite the typical gentle, warm and caring male lead, but behind that exterior lies something darker waiting to be manifested. While most anti-heroes eventually achieve greatness, Luo Yin Fan slowly descends into madness for love. If you’re interested in fifty shades of morally grey leads, then you’re in for a treat. This is as much a story about Chong Zi becoming a demon as it is about Luo Yin Fan going bonkers. They are like the mirror image of each other, or the yin yang couple — one has light under their darkness, and the other has darkness under their light. One is an immortal with a demon skin, the other a demon with an immortal skin. They complete each other like the Taichi symbol. This goes to show that there is no pure good and evil, a human is an embodiment of both.
— Thought-provoking message —
The side characters also illustrate this message — seemingly rightous immortals commit the most heinous of crimes, and inside their hearts live demons that are far worst than any physical demon in the story. The message is powerful and well presented. As a fan of the original novel, I came into this drama with very specific expectations — to see in action one of the most interesting male leads ever written, and to witness the beautiful symbolisms and character nuances from the original work. In these regards, the drama did a passing job at delivering. However, certain pivotal scenes from the source material (that were meant to tie into the core theme) were butchered by nonsensical changes in the story due to censorship and bad writing.
— Nice symbolism —
The Taichi symbol appears in the drama poster. It is also in the black-white necklace Chong Zi gifts to Luo Yin Fan. The costumes are simple but have symbolic meaning In them as well. Kind-hearted demons wear costumes that are mainly black but have white fringes, while evil immortals/fairies wear costumes that are white but have dark accent colors. The male lead, Luo Yin Fan’s costumes were mainly white at first, but gradually turned purple the more he fell for Chong Zi (“Zi” means purple in Chinese). I found that to be very cute. The OSTs of this drama were also very well crafted, with beautiful melodies and lyrics that were themed around each of the main characters.
All in all, stellar work from the cast, costume designers, music producers and the source novel author.
We then shriek in agony as we witness this hard work go down the drain... due to the points below.
【Why is it bad?】
— Sloppy directing, writing and editing —
For starters, the director does a poor job grasping what the audience wants to see and what they don’t. Often times, people would wait for a certain scene in anticipation, excitedly picturing it in their heads, only to end up with a choppy, censored, and emotionally underwhelming rendition of what they were expecting. Meanwhile, uninteresting parts of the plot would take up more time than it should. Scenes that were meant to elicit emotions from the audience felt flat, and just like another commenter has said, "the angst is not angsting".
Behind-the-scenes clips would reveal that many scenes did not make it into the final release. This is due to censorship - protagonists cannot do anything borderline evil, master & disciple cannot be intimate with each other, everything that's core to the story is lost. Certain scenes do not transition well due to cut scenes. Each episode also does not start from the end of the previous episode and feels disjointed.
— Changing the novel in a bad way —
Certain parts of the plot were changed to make the male lead more likable and forgivable, which is understandable because the male lead in the novel does not deserve the female lead. But not all changes were good changes. Around 60% of the story and dialogue comes from the novel, and that 60% lives up to standards because they stem from the original author’s consistent understanding of the source material. But the remaining 40% that was added by the screenwriter, not so much. Dialogue was occasionally cringey and showed a general lack of logical thinking from characters. The forbidden aspect of the master-disciple romance was also removed, thereby causing certain character decisions and dialogue to not make much sense as they were originally written under the premise that master-disciple relationship was taboo. The screenwriter tried to come up with other reasons for the characters to do or say those things, but the reasoning was weak. (e.g. Ep.23-26). Many unnecessary misunderstandings were added just to drag the plot along. It’s fine to deviate from the novel and tell a different story, but have it make sense and do it only if it enhances the work.
— Poorly written side characters —
While the characters all serve a central theme or message, the characterizations of most of the characters are lacking. Often more than not, characters feel like tools to move the plot forward and do not resemble real-life people. Several evil female supporting roles have shallow character motivations and all serve the same purpose, and most male supporting roles are merely love interests (5 of them!) of the female lead but without solid chemistry. Reverse harem was probably meant to be a gimmick that sadly did not work out. Not only do those love interests lack screen time to properly flesh out their relationship with the female lead, they also fall in love with her for no reason. (Ironically, the one character who has the most chemistry with the female lead is not even a love interest.) Luckily, the main couple has decent chemistry to offer. The romance is a slowburn and the leads start off as more like teacher and student due to female lead’s childish personality at first, but this grows into something fiery and passionate later on when the female lead gets character development. However, it takes time for the ship to sail and some may find the chemistry lacking early on.
— Childish female lead —
A lot of people cannot get through the first arc of the story, mostly due to their distaste for the female lead’s childish, bratty and trouble-making personality. The female lead goes through a three-stage character development. She starts off like a kid — naive, impulsive, overly sheltered and spoiled, but has a kind heart that would help anyone in need. She is showered with love but caged like a bird. In her second life, she becomes more calm and composed, but also more possessive and insecure, like a young maiden in puberty. And by the end, she becomes more independent and free, takes justice in her own hands. Since she does not mature quick enough to satisfy certain audiences, if you hate childish female leads, this is probably not the drama for you.
— Costumes/Makeup/Props —
The costumes are the typical “funeral” style you’d see in other xianxia dramas — white, white, and shades of white. There are quite an amount of details they tried to add to the costumes, but the overly bright and smooth filter effects managed to undo all the hard work the textile team put in. The makeup was a hot mess. Handsome men looked less handsome with overdone eyeshadow. Close-up shots would reveal unblended powder and face-neck skin tone differences. As for the sets and props, they would’ve looked better with less CGI applied, since the CGI looks quite subpar for an S tier drama.
【Conclusion】
It may sound as though I hate this drama, but as a novel fan, this is the only adaptation I could root for, and I wished for nothing but the best to happen to this drama. Sadly, it didn't deliver to even half of its potential. I suggest the director and writer to either quit the industry, or stop working on this genre. There might not be a clear distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, but there definitely is a clear cut between good and bad storytelling, and sadly this drama falls into the bad side. For those who are interested in the premise, I recommend you to read the original novel instead.
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