Reviews

Marvellous masterpiece: 3 lifetimes 3 magnificent stories of main leads

It's one of my most anticipated fantasy and romance drama, I couldn’t be more happier when it was released. Ever since it has been released, I have been deeply engrossed and always excitedly waiting for next highly spell- bindind, gripping and mesmerising episodes.

💫The story of the drama is extremely refreshing and highly unpredictable yet it successfully enthrals, fascinates, engages, entrances and enchants the audiences with its extraordinary and unique top-class and out of this world plot💥💯. One of the noticable features of this storyline is time cycle encounters (where she learns about past lives). It's neither simple straight timeline nor just a circle. The main characters are influenced by irregular timelines, their identities and circumstances change in each life time. These encounters allows them to meet and confront each other. At certain points, the main leads loose their original memories in past lives. However, very importantly, XY's final time jump to place where she met HY in the demon valley, is completely different from previous time. In the last encounter, both of them have the knowledge of their previous lives ✨️.

💫Hong ye is highly complex and intricate character portrayed brilliantly, magnificently and impeccable by phenomenal actor HMH. Although, Hong ye at present is very morally good, just, kind, smart and responsible demon lord, he doesn't have the commanding aura of a formidable demon king, showing self-blame, repentance, and a deep internal struggle as he has yet to rediscover his true self. Fortunately over time, particularly after meeting Xiao Yao, he gradually reconnects with the bold, trusting, fearless, extremely formidable and unrestrained version of himself that existed centuries ago. I absolutely adore Hong Ye, I love his extremely sweet, protective, romantic, mischievous (influenced by Xiao yao), strategic, playful, kind, bold, reflective and righteous sides. He is extremely precious demon, who is XY's treasure. He has stolen my heart ✨️❤️‍🔥.

💫Xiao Yao is also very complicate and sophisticate character, portrayed flawlessly and effortlessly by versatile actress TSY. Xiao Yao (half demon and half human) in her original third lifetime is very special person, who has very pure and incorruptable heart despite being of very explorative, mischievous, jolly, and tricky nature. She always stays true to her heart and sticks to her moral principles. Always be kind, friendly, playful, just and protective of all beings around her whether they are humans or demons. Although she likes money, she always uses it for proper needs and is never blinded by greed or desire of extreme power or immortality. Xioa Yao with her untarnished beautiful heart molds and influences the opinions and principles of many demons, spirits and humans during her exciting journey together with Hong Ye in 3 lifetimes. I absolutely love her cute, adorable, bubbly, flirty, calculative, tactical, prudent, combative, witty, romantic, wise and thoughtful sides. She is very lovable and unforgettable character, she has won my heart 🥰🔥.

💫Hong Ye and Xiao Yao, through the 3 lifetimes encounters, always triggers long standing conflicts between humans and demons. We are shown through many stories, how desires, trust and moral choices effects the fates of both races. However, Xiao Yao's pure heart becomes a crucial power that drives the story toward reconciliation and redemption. Thus, making this drama different from conventional romance yet the 3 life time romance we experience between Hong Ye and Xiao Yao is extremely remarkable and heart-warming. Their chemistry feels incrediblly natural and romantic. Hong Ye is always extremely accommodating, malleable, attentive, soft, tender and protective to Xiao yao. Same goes for Xiao yao she is extremely observant of Hong yes's hidden feelings and worries, does anything to protect and help him and is always concerned for him. Their romance is extremely sweet, intimate, synchronized and natural, sending viewers hearts into total frenzy✨️💖.

💫Not forgetting to mention, whenever, they have misunderstanding or disagreement they very quickly, effectively and proactively resolve it in best way possible, which very beautifully brings them even closer. Every trial or event bonds them together more firmly then ever. They trust, rely, and protect each other no matter what. Through out the 3 life times ardous journey, these two have created really powerful feelings and overwhelming emotions, which have greatly moved me. Both of them are striving towards establishing peace for humans and demons by employing their responsible, righteous, courageous and selfless hearts to attain this dream/goal.
I have completely melted 💘🫠 for this breath-taking, very compatible and beautiful unforgettable couple. They are totally made for each other.

💫All the others actors have also enchanted me with their brilliant, dynamic, dedicated, committed, creative and powerful acting. They have displayed their deep emotions, passion, feelings flawlessly and their stories unfolded magnificently and seamlessly well with good pacing. Their dynamic and smooth chemistry with each other and the main characters brought this masterpiece to life. The short stories were very touching and engaging endorsing the hearts with meaningful messages about making the right choice under various circumstances while always rememberering that demons and humans have good and bad people amongst them.

BZ's character development started out well, with him and his sister standing up for their principles while learning to distinguish between good and bad demons. But sadly he seems to have lost his way along the way for quite some time due to PP's predicamen. Thankfully, he got his sister back and redeemed himself. Now, for the other characters: my personal favorite are XM the cat demon, LL the pig demon, the little herbs and Bamboo demon. They are very adorable and funny, there is never a dull moment with them around. The 3 great demons, were at times very adorable, chaotic, intriguing and funny. However, they made HY and humans suffer a lot, they got chance to change their ways and later they paid for their mistakes with their lives.

💫The CGI, FX and cenimatrography of this drama is incredibly beautiful and stunning💞🔥!The attention to detail, photorealism, seamless integrations, lighting and texturing makes geographical lands in the story enchanting and magical. The CGI in this drama not only gave us compelling visual experience in the action scenes but it effectively communicated the stories and emotions of the characters too. It successfully engages the viewers and leaving an everlasting impression. The gorgeous costumes, stunning hairstyles and mesmerising make up for the casts is breathtaking making the drama very enticing and inviting visual feast. But it's not just the visuals that stand out, all the OSTs especially the opening OST 'desire and calamity' and 'afraid it's only a dream' are extremely beautiful. They have emotional resonance, clear production, and originality. All OSTs give emotional and atmosphereic depth to the scenes and and events.

💫I absolutely fell in love with this most magical, sweetest, beautiful, adorable and naturally romantic couple. With their superb acting, they have manifested one of the top-class heart warming, touching, emotional, magical, romantic and unforgettable Xuanhuan ever for me. Looking forward to next episodes very eagerly. Only downside is that the episodes are coming to an end and I absolutely don't want it to finish because I just can't get enough of this enchanting unique magical story.

ENDING:

It seems that the main leads have achieved their major goal of bringing lasting peace to both races. Everyone, who has made bad moral choices either got retribution and paid for their sins some way or repented and redeemed themselves. Eventually, the vicious cycle of voilence and revenge between demons and humans was broken. Ofcourse, 10,000 years of chaos and feud came to an end with price of selfless acts of bravery.

Even though the end was little ambiguous, I find it totally worth the watch beacause there is really nothing HY and XY didn’t do together as a couple in 3 lifetimes.

✨️With XY (having special body) mastering the art of time travelling, I guess she can relive the numerous happiest times with HY in 3 lifetimes while correcting the mistakes made before or possibly find another way to seal the kunlun mirror! Possiblities are endless when she can travel any point into past and can change anything and this time she knows everything!✨️💞
☆⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝☆

✨️Any point she jumps to is a new beginning!!

"Everything has started anew"
"Everything is just a beginning"

✨️Thus, this timeline is not a never-changing cycle, nowhere it says that everything repeated the way it was.

🌈Looking at the last seen: both XY's and HY's aura was different from the original scene because both of them know and remember everything this time around and are about to start a new. It's already a chance to change everything. 🎊

🌟So, it's Not a repeat But a Reset!!!💕💯⭐️

Overall, I thorougly enjoyed every second of this masterpiece 😍 ✨️ 👌 I highly recommend it to people who love fantasy and romance.

Leia Mais

Good acting, but there's no point - just Earth crying-porn.

This is a little like a dish that has only the best ingredients, but then is overcooked and not quite what you were hoping for.

The plot is really repetitive, with Eiw being hurt and crying, and Santa cute-bullying him into not being angry with him (to be fair, that would totally work on me). Anyway, it goes around in circles for 9 episodes, and as we see in the Synopsis, we know it's building up to Cake leaving for a few years.

Eiw is the uke-est uke that ever uke'ed. He has no agency, is incapable of anything - there's even a scene where he has to run in PE class, and he literally only gets in three paces before the effort makes him collapse in a coma and he has to be hospitalized. He is wholly dependent on Cake in every conceivable way. Cake has a girlfriend, and this is endlessly painful to Eiw and so we watch him cry almost non-stop for the first 9 episodes.

So when Cake leaves, we're hoping to see Eiw blossom, become independent, and then when Cake returns, it's Cake who has to fit himself into Eiw's new life.

But nope, they just pick up right where they left off. There's no girfriend to make Cake cry, so instead, something randomly tragic happens, and the entirety of the last two episodes involves Eiw crying.

There is no point to this series. It's not about coping with loss, it's not about love, it's not about individual growth or coming of age. It's just Earth crying porn. The only purpose of anything is to make Earth cry. A man in his mid 20s, cast an adolescent who whine-cries for fourteen episodes.

And it's strictly G-rated, even when they're college grads. It's definitely a BL, but a very bromancy one - nearly chaste. They hug a lot, but that about it. A few sniff-kisses and one peck on the lips.

The acting is good, especially Santa, who is extremely talented and first-rate leading-man hunk material. And Earth has definitely mastered wailing and crying.

This is a qualiy production, but at the end of it I just don't understand what the point of it was, and I doubt I'll remember any of it in a month. Except for a scene where a doctor says something so outrageous that I burst out laughing. Even if you think this is the best series ever made, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. There's also the most horrendously-timed move made on a girl that I've ever seen. Another LOL moment.

Story: Meh. I'll give it a 4.5. It was pointless, but coherent, and kept all the characters consistent. Maybe too consisent.
Acting: 8.5 - quite good all around. Santa is the clear standout, but Prem Warat surprised me with his depth - he's so much more substantial here than he is as a stereotypical uke.
Music: I don't remember any of it, so not bad or outstanding.
Rewatch value: none. I would never rewatch this, and Santa doesn' really show us any of his hot body, so there's no shower scene to play on an endless loop.
Overall: 6.5. OK, but dull, repetitive, and forgettable. I don't think I would recommend binging it, or its repetitiveness will really stand out. If you're an Earth fan, you may like it. If you hate Earth, you'll definitely like it because he's suffering and crying for the entirety of the series.

Leia Mais

A complete rom-com fit for 2023.

This is my first time reviewing a series on MDL and I start now because I just really felt the need to tell people how great I found this series. I have marked it spoiler as a precaution because I might end up spoiling unknowingly.

This kdrama's ensemble of characters looks like this - an independent and confident female lead, an open and understanding male lead, a very fine second male lead who is the best bro a man could have, and a very caring and supportive second female lead who is just a tad bit self-doubting.

The story has everything from hilarious little bits, to toe-curling scenes, moments of hate and moments of understanding alike. A little thing to dislike is the pacing in the very last 2 episodes BUT I entered watching this knowing the pacing might suffer due to the short length of the series and it'd be wise of everyone else to do so too. Because otherwise the show's storyline, plot points everything was on point.

My very favourite part about the series is that the female lead has not been shown as a troubled damsel of any sorts, neither has she been forcibly empowered. She is a hard-worker and good at her job. And she lives her life as she wants without much concern for judgement of others.
The male lead is wary of women for he has only ever met the manipulative ones, but after meeting the female lead, he starts understanding her and liking her for exactly who she is. And THE VERY MOST IMPORTANT THING is that he RESPECTS her. Which is perfect because for the female lead hearing 'I respect you' is more important than hearing 'I love you.'

And I feel this year in 2023 I think we should strive for this sort of kdrama, one which emphasizes on the mutual respect required in a relationship. Because we have seen enough love, hate, hate-to-love, but all of that is useless when there is no respect in the foundation of the relationship.

Leia Mais

The same cliche and boring story

This drama has nothing new neither fresh, it was funny but that was their strongest point (and all the memes that came from here).

Will you remember the message of the beauty? No, probably you will remember the okey dokey dance more, but it's natural since they didn't focused on female lead struggles with her appearance, they care more for the tedious love triangle. The story is that lame that the side characters are actual more interesting than the FL and that it's not okay cause she should carry the drama.

The second male lead, another great and charismatic character that ended up being a heartbroken guy till the end. I'm tired of that, why is so difficult to make him happy with another love or something. Anyway, he stole the show for me.

Leia Mais

Ridiculous storyline and unappealing characters.

This drama quickly turned ridiculous and boring. I stopped watching it in the middle of the 3rd episode. The first 2 episodes were already a sign of how poor this drama seemed but the 3 episode confirmed it. Don’t waste your time on this one. if you’re truly curious then just watch the 1st episode then you’ll know… It goes downhill from there trust me.
I cannot understand how anyone can give this drama anything above a 4.
The “Dr.” is portrayed as an incompetent space tourist with a secret “mission”. Although he has been training with the Team of astronauts for a year before their takeoff he falls apart during and after takeoff. The Commander pulls a gun on the Dr. because she suspects he’s up to something suspicious but then she hugs him after he saves a lab rat during an open heart surgery in space. If this doesn’t sound ridiculous yet, there’s more! They delayed connecting to the space station for 20 minutes because of 2 fruit flies mating in space to the Commander’s fascination and obsession. I just can’t! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Leia Mais

ML: the punching bag

So quickly I’ll say this supposedly high budget drama looked cheap, used a lot of AI(ew) and the music was…woooo, horrific. Moving on, I have never sided with a republican era ML and never thought I would, until now. I won’t say much about the FL, I found her mostly unlikable and selfish but she had valid reasons sometimes. ML was a good guy despite his circumstances. He had good intentions, loved his brothers, he loved FL, he continued to obey both parents despite how they abused him. Now what does he get in return? Everyone around him(including FL) controlling, manipulating, hiding things from him and just being outright mean to his face. Some claimed to be doing these things for his sake out of “love”, but it was just completely ignoring his feelings and what he wanted. Now after spending 98.7% of the series being treated poorly, ML who sacrificed so much should get a happy ending right? LOL, guess not. ML has the *tiniest* glimpse of happiness before it all ends for him. And not only did the ML spend the entire drama miserable, all the other characters did too. Which made it miserable to watch and a waste of time.

Leia Mais

Drama is so good

Oh my goodness, this drama is so good! 🥺😭🤍
Daily dose of sunshine is my new favorite drama! Even though Daeun's first day is already stressful it was a heartwarming drama. I found myself getting quite attached to the characters from the psychiatric ward because they had their own personalities nurses, physicians, guardians, and patients.

I enjoyed how each episode's narration and the patient's perspective on mental illness were portrayed. It was also entertaining to watch the love line between Go Yoon-da-eun and Yoo Chan-da-eun Yeo Hwan-deul-le!

One of the best of the recent Netflix originals!!! ♥️

Mental illness is an unpredictable illness that can strike anyone, anywhere, at any. I'm thinking a lot about this line.

**

Leia Mais

1) The reason I watched this:

I watched all versions of Hana Kimi, thus I wanted to discover the Korean incarnation.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*I already knew the general story which means that I didn’t try to discover it (predictable). I will basically compare storylines and plot changes.

Positive Points:

*Unlike other versions, this one focused on the romantic side; there were too many fluffy moments that would make the drama more enjoyable. Moreover, this Korean adaptation gave the romantic elements its right to be intensively present.

*This version had the best visual cinematography; yes I had to admit that since other versions didn’t focus on this aspect. I am glad that this one took it into consideration and actually pulled it off in a good way.

Negative Points:

*The huge negative point that I found in this version was the absence of friendship and relationships inside dorms, it was the main element in other versions that’s why I felt betrayal when I didn’t find it here. Yes, the version should stand out but cutting such an important element made the drama lose its taste.

*Another important negative point: The lack of humor; It was an important element too, maybe it wasn’t present in all other versions but here, it felt absent or maybe “left behind”. That was annoying; the lack of funny scenes was simply bothersome because it created many boring moments.

*I hated the fact that script writers wanted to cover up for everything by showing the cute romance the whole time, it felt like cheating the audience and creating fan-service scenes by using Choi Min Ho’s body and Lee Hyun Woo’s face.
*Dragging: The drama fell into dragging especially near the end; that wasn’t nice to watch.

Story: 4/10.

2) Acting/Cast:

*This drama’s cast is mostly singers so you can’t expect to have strong acted scenes plus the storyline didn’t allow actors to show their skills since it focused on the cute side. However, that doesn’t deny that Choi Min Ho, Sully and Lee Hyun Woo did a respectable job in this.

*As for characters, Tae Joon’s Sano was a decent portrayal out of all versions I’ve seen. Goo Jae Hee was average: no love, no hate.
Eun Gyeol character was the worst Nakatsu portrayal mostly because it lacked humor and took the triangle side way too seriously, yes, there were some cute imagination moments but they didn’t last for long. That being said, I have to refer that Hyun Woo was the best actor in this drama, it wasn’t his fault that the storyline made his character more serious than it’s supposed to be.

*Side characters were uninteresting most of the time which was the storyline’s fault for cutting and changing many important characters.

*Appreciated character: Min Hyun Jae because he had a different character from what I remember plus his presence was always good to watch.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: On terms of chemistry, I can’t say that it was the greatest ever but there were many cute and fluffy moments all over the place.

--->Friendship: None! I haven’t felt any friendship between characters except some moments with Eun Gyeol and his roommate. Other than that, it was annoyingly absent.

--->The triangle: It was taken way too seriously than other versions so it felt bothersome to watch.

Cast: 6/10.
Acting: 7/10.

4) The ending:

Finally! I kept waiting for the drama to end ever since the 10th episode. It was a normal ending, no special feelings.

The ending: 6/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I was really excited at the beginning but after three or four episodes, I just lost interest somehow.
*This was a disappointing remake for me, I expected a lot from the K-version but I end up watching something pretty and shallow.

*Is this drama memorable: No, I can’t possibly remember this drama because it dragged a lot which made it pretty boring but I may remember the vivid colors and the cuteness overload.

My impression: 3/10.

6) Overall:

*If you’re looking for a cute school drama then you may like this.
*If you watched other Hana Kimi versions and want to see more romance then you would like this.
*If you want something pretty to look at then watch this.

*To the Beautiful You was a cute drama that dragged a lot and delivered nothing when it comes to friendship and school relationships. As a remake it was a disappointment.

Overall: 5/10.

Leia Mais

Love's Cruel Fate: A Soul-Crushing Journey of Heartache

🍁OVERVIEW OF PLOT:-

Lost You Forever season 2 continues the epic tale of Xiaoyao and explores the complexity of love, responsibility, family and pursuit of characters to achieve what they desire for.

Recap of Season 1:
-Xiaoyao got engaged to ChiShui FengLong.
-Cang Xuan became the king of Xiyan.
-Tushan Jing married Fangfeng Yiying.
-Xiang Liu is busy with arranging provisions for his army.

This season explores timeless themes, including the consequences of ambition and enduring nature of love and more of a tear-jerker.

🍁MY VIEWS:-

This season delves deeper into the complexities of love, loyalty, insecurity and obsession. Xiaoyao's hidden identity and her pursuit of finding true love or a suitable partner are expertly woven throughout the narrative, showcasing her inner conflicts. Her journey has its share of ups and downs, but unfortunately, I didn't see any notable character growth, which is a disappointment. Ultimately, Xiaoyao got what she wished for her entire life, which, in my opinion, can be said a happy ending but not entirely so. While, I don't agree with her choice, I can't bring myself to blame her, it's the result of her painful past; considering that, she was unable to do otherwise.

Cang Xuan's obsession with Xiaoyao reaches new heights, while Xiang Liu's torn loyalties between his army and foster father, and love for Xiaoyao create a poignant and tragic arc. His selfless decision to break ties with Xiaoyao and ultimately sacrifice for her happiness and his army is a heart-wrenching testament to his character.

I get where Cang Xuan is coming from for his obsession with Xiaoyao. When someone loses loved ones one after another, they often become obsessed with the one who remains, driven to protect and keep them by their side, fearing separation. This is a fundamental human instinct, observable in many people. In my view, Cang Xuan's feelings for Xiaoyao aren't romantic love, but rather a deep-seated desire to keep her close, stemming from a misunderstanding of his own emotions - a classic case of obsession.

Now, we have Xiang Liu, the one who tugs at my heartstrings the most. He embodies the true definition of selfless love. When it comes to loving Xiaoyao, no one can surpasses him. His love is not possessive but progressive for Xiaoyao. His love never limited her growth nor did it become a binding chain for her outstretched wings. Instead, it made her strong. He is the one she felt the most comfortable with, to showing her vulnerable side without hesitation. She knew he can understand her and her pain the best. That's why I always say they are soulmates. She always restrained herself to not love him but love can never be restrained. She never willingly opened her heart to him, yet he unknowingly entered her dreams. He made her strong so she could protect herself, gave her someone to rely on, and provided a place or home to go even when the whole world turned on her.

"For a general, the best end is to die in battle."
- Xiang Liu
Heed these words, for they foretell a fate that will soon unfold.

Don't even get me started on Tushan Jing.. I'm so sick of this character that I don't want him to appear on my screen. While other characters are intriguing, Tushan Jing alone makes me so infuriated that I feel like throwing my phone every time he shows up. If there's a definition of a useless male lead, he'd be the perfect fit. In Season 1, I had a slightly positive impression of him and expected him to become more assertive and active, but in this season, I found myself wishing he'd die early on just to spare myself the frustration and high blood pressure. He remained a sobbing mug and a dog wagging his tail for Xiaoyao all the time. Oh! My bad, it's an insult for dogs, implying they are as pathetic as him. This guy has nothing else to do and is incapable of doing anything. All he's got is the money to win the game. And what's the point of his so called intelligence and kindness when he can't use it to solve a single problem in his own life?! But this opinion of mine is solely based on the viewing experience of drama, I still have a good impression of Jing from book.

The character development of some characters in Season 2 is done well, with characters facing significant challenges and transformations, especially A'Nian and Xiang Liu. Xiang Liu's heroic ending is a fitting conclusion to his story, leaving a lasting impact on the audience and making me bowled my eyes out for him. Grandpa of Xiaoyao and King of Haoling are one of the best characters in here.

As this season is a continuation of Season 1, a brief recap is provided to refresh our memory of the story. However, the pacing of Season 2 is somewhat slow, with noticeable scene jumping throughout the drama. Unfortunately, many important scenes were cut and changed, resulting in a lack of depth in some areas. I am dissatisfied with the changes, which left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. This season feels somewhat rushed and jumping through story arcs too quickly, so transition is choppy waters and lacking the intensity of the arcs. Nevertheless, be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster, as I mentioned earlier - have your tissues ready!

🍁ACTING:-

This show boasts a talented cast, with Yang Zi shining bright as Xiaoyao and evoke strong emotions. Her sad and confronting scenes are breathtaking. Her chemistry with Tan Jian Ci and Zhang Wan Yi is sizzling and undeniable, while on other hand, flat and forced with Deng Wei.

Zhang Wan Yi also gave remarkable performance showcasing the pain of Cang Xuan, his obsession and ruthlessness.

Tan Jian Ci masterfully weaves a subtle magic, his eyes speaking volumes as Xiang Liu. His performance is a raging storm on a wild night- intense and unstoppable. He will make you feel heartbreak and smile like an idiot.
Other supporting cast also did a good job.

🍁CONCLUSION:-

In conclusion, Lost You Forever Season 2 is an emotionally charged continuation of the first season. With its exploration of complex themes, character development, and outstanding performances, this season is a must-watch for the ones who are looking for conclusion to the stories of the characters.

Some lost, some gained, but the gain can never make up for the loss.

While having its flaws and some characters may frustrate or infuriate, the heart-wrenching story and remarkable acting make up for it.

"You don't want me to come into your dreams.
You must sleep soundly and have sweet dreams every night.
Otherwise.....
Xiaoyao, from now on I can no longer protect you.
Take good care of yourself.
May you live in peace without worries."
- Xiang Liu

Be prepared to cry and smile as you follow Xiaoyao's journey and the touching arcs of Xiang Liu and Cang Xuan. Overall, a fantastic and memorable watch!

Leia Mais

finally, a real bl from China, and so beautifully intimate

Oh how I loved this show. I've seen so many mixed reviews and while I understand the complaints, this story was an absolute gem.

In an attempt to avoid censorship by airing this as a webseries outside of China, they started off strong by pushing out the first 4 episodes on iqiyi, but of course the censorship gods got to the series so they had to take a long pause and figure out how to get this back on air. Eventually we got it back on Gagaoolala (which is great bc no one is more suitable to air this show than a Queer Taiwanese streaming platform), and I'm so proud of this Chinese team for fighting so hard to get here.

The story-- Qi Lu is a rich student artist desperate to get out from underneath his father's abusive thumb, one day he coincidentally meets his muse, a poor student artist Qin Xiao who's rough around the edges. After some back and forth they end up becoming close and deeper feelings start to form. The friendships and family dynamics are messy and realistic, but the restless romance between our leads is sweet, exciting, and wholesome. Their story plays out almost like a slice of life bromance that naturally develops into a romance, and its absolutely beautifully done.

What I love about this show is how effortlessly intimate it is. When their skin touches, you feel a warm buzz rush through you and the tension of the scene is a tight knot in your throat.

The actors-- they do such a great job making you fall in love with the characters, no over the top acting or cringe dramatics from our main leads. Full transparency, I skipped over almost all of the second couple romance, their story was a major miss for me. Initially I liked that there was deaf representation and they seemed cute enough, but to be honest their story is a bit of a toxic mess and the chemistry just isn't there.

My only other complaint in the story is the end, while I'd say it's a happy ending, it felt rushed and didn't leave you feeling quite satisfied. I do wonder how much of that was within their control, and its possible they ran out of budget, support, or other essentials mid filming.

The production-- honestly it was great, you can tell that this show didn't have an endless budget, but that didn't stop them from making it beautiful.

Overall I may have rated this higher than most people, but I have to follow my heart here. I loved these two, my recommendation is to skip the second side couple storyline and just fall in love with our main couple's beautiful intimate chemistry.

Leia Mais

Have I watched a different show than everyone else? I don't like commenting negative stuff but I am genuinely so perplexed as to why this show is so highly rated. I was insanely excited when I heard about the premise of this show. I thought that this is something new and fresh and maybe (just maybe) even bold. NOPE. It was a very typical story full of cliches. It was an alright, nothing to write home about sort of story, at least for me. But it might be because I've been watching dramas non-stop for 10 years now. So I am genuinely curious if this drama is also so loved by people who'd seen a lot of Kdramas. Bcs I don't believe it's just me that thought it was really nothing special.

Or rather that it would be nothing special except for one very big issue. That this light vaguely nonsense story was set in North Korea. You know the actual hell on earth, a dictatorship with prison camps, and no regard for human rights. I HATED how it was portrayed. There were many instances where I cringed at how tone-deaf it was . One example would be the opening sequence of a bird flying over the demilitarised zone with almost magical music playing over it. I was so taken aback by this that I showed it to my friend without any context and asked what she thinks. She said: "This is totally like the Harry Potter scene with Hedwig flying over the castle."... IN NO SHAPE OR FORM, NORTH KOREA SHOULD EVER BE FRAMED IN THE SAME WAY AS HOGWARTS.

Framing is powerful. Framing is key. Even if you do all the research right, to get some small details correct it will all crumble if you don't portray it as what it is: a nightmare.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the main plot on the North Korean side was about a corrupt evil dude within the system. Which any other time would be great and we've gotten many like that in the Kdrama world. However, the situation changes when the system we are talking about is the North Korean military. In this case, making a story about a corrupt man abusing a system for his evil doing ... helps to maintain a status quo by suggesting the man is evil, not the system. To some extent, I can understand it...South Korea is trying to maintain a good relationship with the North so a drama really digging into the topic could have been an issue for them. Before it aired I was really curious how it will go down on the political scene. Clearly for nothing since this drama refrained from making any meaningful commentary keeping it in the unrealistic Kdrama World.

Sure one can say "it's not that deep" just enjoy a cheesy romcom. And normally I agree with that. It was boring for me but sure was a cute romcom. But the creators really stepped on a minefield choosing to set it in North Korea.

Idk maybe I missed something important since in the later half of the show I just started skipping since I got too board.

Leia Mais

Overall “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” is a good movie and it’s easy to imagine why so many love it. Unfortunately the great concept they had going was lost in a so-so story and a main character that you, as a viewer, don’t really get to know.

But even though it has some major flaws, I kind of like it, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. So here’s some reasons why it isn’t an amazing movie, but why it’s still worth the watch.

The first half of the movie feels a bit flat in my opinion. The main character is put through these trials that are somewhat repetitive and don’t really engage you since he feels like a stranger, empty and lacking a clear personality. A problem that persists throughout the whole movie. It’s hard to care about the outcome of the judgments when you can’t really connect with the characters.

Another thing that is off putting with the trials, is the fact that they never get exciting or serious. You never feel nervous for the outcome because of how predictable and silly they are. I still, as I wrote previously, love the concept though.

In the second half of the movie you get to know all the characters a little better, better but not well enough to make them feel like 3-dimensional, full characters. Even though it’s still very predictable, you want to see how the story unfolds and if you are a crier like me, you might even cry a little. I must say though, that the comedy and the tragedy in this movie isn’t that great. They play on your emotions in the most typical ways and often fail.

What I really like about the movie is the CGI. Almost every setting and fight was nicely done, something that is rare for these kinds of movies. The great surroundings truly make the movie come alive.

So all in all, I think that they could’ve made the movie a lot better and way more interesting if they wanted to, but at the same time it is an enjoyable movie and totally worth the watch. At least if you are into things like the afterlife, reincarnation, angels and Gods. I know I am, but are you?

Just because a movie isn’t amazing or flawless, doesn’t mean it’s not worth the ride, so don’t let all the not-so-great stuff prevent you from watching this nice movie.

Leia Mais

The Best Sapphic Themed Romance in a Long Time

You were my dream, my longing and my one and only Prince!”

If someone had told me that a supporting character would rise to be the main lead’s love interest, I wouldn’t have believed them. That was until I watched “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” and was left mesmerized by the romance between Jeongnyeon and Jooran. A classic retelling of the webtoon “Jeong Nyeon” (정년이) written by Seo Irae (서이레) and illustrated by Namon (나몬). If you are worried that the show is a censored adaptation, so it won’t have the same romantic connotations as the original, fret not. “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” encompasses a spell binding romance in the midst of encapsulating the Korean art forms, Pansori & Gukgeuk. For those unaware, there is a difference between both. Pansori is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer, where the singer tells the story by singing and the drummer accompanies her on the drum. Gukgeuk refers to a theatrical performance that combines both singing and dancing. The show embodies the very essence of both art forms that were quite popular in the post-war era. Being an all women production, even the male roles were portrayed by females. We are going to talk about the different facets of this show that strongly betray its homoerotic context!

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/11/19/jeongnyeon-the-star-is-born-series-review-ep-1-to-12/

Leia Mais

um just watched all of this show how do people like it? he is sexually assaulting yin? is that his name? and he is never happy agh im so pissed they condoned this level of harassment and so many people like it. up to the episode where he kidnaps him he is so nice and is worried about hurting him like when he touches the wound on his head and is then worried but after that he goes on to rape him. this is how rape culture exists teenage girls and boys are watching and reading shows like this and come to believe this shit is right no way! is this a healthy relation ship yes yin kisses him himself but that is after talking to his ex he is so brain washed by whatever his face is and is worried about what would happen if he tried to leave him so reassures himself by being with him. the rapey guy also wanted to get the virus that yin had that could possibly kill him that's not love that badshit fuvking crazy I honestly thought it might have ended with him killing someone like the "feminine guy" for being close to yin. the first half was so nice and I really believed this was going to be the best show I've watched in awhile but it became so unbearable to watch and made me feel so uncomfortable I've lost all hope for humanity if people truly believe this pairing is perfect

Leia Mais

I was a little hesitant to start watching the drama, because of the storyline. It didn't seem like it was going to be a good drama. When I started watching it I really did expect the story to be overtaken by the conversation of politics and sadness, but it was the exact opposite. The romance in this drama was so beautiful! There was, of course, some political talk, and sadness, but it was replaced with very humorous moments that I have not ever seen in a historical drama before. There were times when I was desperately heartbroken, and others where I was literally unable to breathe, because of something being extremely hilarious. The acting was great all the way through. I have to give huge props to all the actors who played the younger versions of the main characters. They all did a wonderful job, and are beyond their years in the world of acting. I loved, loved, loved Soo Hyun in this drama. He took his character to a knew and complex level. The music was absolutely beautiful!! I can still not get over the music that was played throughout this drama. It had an eerie grand warrior feel to it, if that makes any sense. I would rewatch this drama in no time. I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure anyone who watches it will. Overall, I give this a 9. Based on my personal rating I gave this drama a 10, but I feel that the storyline wasn't the absolute best, but you really cannot judge a drama based on it's initial plot. Loved this drama, and you will to. So! stop reading this review and go watch this drama!!!!!!

Leia Mais