I'm writing this few moments after finishing the last episode, while crying still, so forgive me if I'm not 100% rational and non biased. I can say for sure that this is one of the most emotional dramas I've ever seen. It's a beautiful story about friendship, love, human value, ethics and morals.
Although it's a sci-fi show, it totally reflects reality and behavior of human beings under certain circumstances and shows pretty realistic relationships between 'non equal' humans. For those who like psychology, there is a great deal of it in this show as well. For those who like character development, strong emotions, all mixed together, this drama is 100% must see.
I have no heart to criticize anything about this show at the moment, because I feel like I just got off the roller coaster of emotions I will never forget. Good points are too strong to let me pay attention to the minor flaws, so I'll just finish positively, like I started.
I don't know if I will be rewatching this, it feels like I won't forget it so soon, so maybe sometime in the future, and I'm sure I will equally enjoy it.
Once again, I hope the subs will be done soon, because it's a shame not to let everyone enjoy this amazing show till the end. Subs for Algernon, he deserves it <3
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This review may contain spoilers
People jealous of the female lead
Thank God this drama is just 24 eps! 24 eps was pushing it for me! There's way too much going on and too many people in this drama.Su Bei ( FL) is a fashion designer gets framed for plagiarism. Also her mentor? mysterious jumps off the bridge. She goes to Italy for seven years and finally comes back to investigate what happen. She is married to Lun Nan ( ML) who is the CEO of a fashion corp. He doesn't remember his wife because he had an accident, which left him 5 years in a coma.
Su Bei has a bitchy younger sister who's a model. She's a model under Lu Nan's company. Lu nan doesn't buy into her schemes. Lu Nan is a rich, smart and cold businessman. He wants to divorce his wife but somehow ends up being in a contracted marriage to save the image of this company. Thus beginning from what was hate towards his wife to finally falling in love with her. They have some cute moments and pretty steamy kisses.
The annoying part was too many freaking side characters, like Lu nan's adoptive sister. She basically liked her brother and didnt want him and Su bei to be together. She did a lot of things to sabotage their relationship.
2) Su Bei's sister. She's annoying as hell, stuck up, trying drug her sister's husband......Also tried running her sister over with a car.
3) Evil guy - he had a complicated backstory,...He was basically behind it all. He was a wolf in sheep skin. He is the illegtimate son of the Gu family. Gu family is the other major contendor in the fashion industry.
4) Su Bei's so called sister (not blood related but related to her mentor). She ends up being with the evil Gu guy and like betraying her. Like her part of the story is so freaking random and out of place...
Characters I liked
1) ML AND FL 'S SON. He's like the cutest little thing ever, smart, cute and talks a lot.
2)FL'S best friend- she is very faithful to female lead and helps her a lot
2) ML's right hand hand- He's very supportive of the male lead , helping him out.
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Best thing I did that month.Because I didn't knew anything about the drama, I didn't had much expectation but that was a good thing. Because it blew me away. It completely took me by surprise.
Though I really really enjoyed it, it might not be every-ones cup of tea. It's heavy on the crime part of the plot and there are some jaggersons or technical words- which are hard to understand. But once you get past that part it's all gold.
The story. It's a crime story. The good guys taking on the bad. There are some plot holes - like every other stories. But beauty of this drama is that you can never guess what's gonna happen next. Every time I thought 'oh, i know whats gonna happen next' nothing like that happen. Sometimes I had no idea what was going on, until ten minute later.
And it doesn't resolve around the good guys. It shows the 'evil' peoples side too, their reasoning, their plan. A side to their story. I really like that.
This isn't heavy on the romance which I was ok with it, because it isn't a romance story, the lack of that romance tag says it all. But Min Joon and Ha Ri's chemistry was a bit to ....hot. I was screaming ship, ship from the moment I saw them. Another slow romance couple is in there but I'm not going to spoil it. Same is the bromance. It's more on to the brotherly-love bromance and that goes perfect with the story line. Makes more sense.And I really really really liked the ending.
The cast is amazing. There is no point on saying how great they were, because we all know that. I am not going to take a single person apart and talk about them, because I liked all of them. I loved how Woo Do Hwan played Min Joon. I liked Jang ha Ri and Ryu Hwa Young's attitude just made her ten times more sassy. I liked Yoo Ji Tea playing Choi Kang Woo, he brings a different set of emotion to the table. This is also the first time I saw him and I am going to check on his other dramas. Then there is Jo Jea Yun playing soft hearted, ex-gangster cheetah-shi and Kim Hye Sung playing Noo Ri. And Cho Won Young playing JH. He is a really versatile actor. I really liked his last scene.
There are three songs in this drama. All of them are so so good! NiiHwa's song is my jam!!
Totally gonna re-watch it. Have to.
Again I am not gonna tell you that you have to watch it. But if you give it a try it will win you over on its own. So do try it!
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FOR REVENGE- WHATEVER IT TAKES
This is a revenge based drama, with a 80's vibe to it. The heroine is ready to do whatever it takes even if it means seducing and becoming the concubine of the ML's father.LOW- budget, SHORT, the CHEMISTRY is mind-blowing, the PLOT is phenomenal, OST is quite catchy, NO green tea bitch/2nd female lead drama, surprisingly it is HILARIOUS as well, ENDING is thrilling and dramatic
The chemistry between the main leads is EXPLOSIVE, it oozes SEXUAL TENSION!! I mean when they are in a scene together you sit on the edge of your seat thinking are they gonna kiss? like you cant take your eyes off them!!
Though they just had 1 kiss, i swear i wont be forgetting about it for a long long time.
THEY BOTH HAVE SECRETS AND THEY BOTH SEE BEHIND EACH OTHER'S MASK THE MOMENT THEY MEET!!
The FL is strong, she has her vulnerable moments but its only Infront of the ML, She shows the power and passion for both love and revenge.
Girl didn't come to play, she came to conquer, by whatever means it may take.
The ML, is just PERFECTION in a 3 piece suit. That man is sexy, intelligent and intriguing. Something about his aura pulls you towards him, maybe its the sense of mystery that he has around him or the way he doesn't get fooled!!
From day 1 he knew the FL was unto something, when no one could see past her façade he was the one pulling away her cover.
THE Cinematography, OST, Camera angle is BEAUTIFUL!! I am not kidding when i say it surpasses some of the most high budget chinese drama. The shots taken are beautiful!!
It is SHORT and that's a pity but those 13 minute episode do such wonders in conveying the story that sometimes 40 episode long C-drama cant do. Due to the less time the story FOCUS ONLY ON THE PLOT, no necessary filler, just the main plotline.
OVERALL. IT WAS FANTASTIC and i would really recommend it!! Believe me its worst every minute.
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Contrary to naysayers, the story is intact. Brave and noble, too.
If you're looking for a fluffy, bubble-gum drama that would not require you to think, or if you just want to see Dylan Wang's kissing scenes and are not in the least bit curious about the title of the drama, take note - only by firing up some brain cells would you fully appreciate this.Unchained Love tells the love story of Xiao Duo, a mysterious eunuch who is the second most powerful man in the empire next only to the emperor, and Bu Yinlou, a young concubine-born noblewoman who is swindled by her father's legal wife to become one of the aged emperor's concubines. Before Yinlou meets the emperor, he dies, leaving her to become one of his childless widows who are to be sacrificed as tribute ladies to accompany him in the afterlife. Xiao Duo saves Yinlou from this cruel fate, starting a collusion between two intelligent, cunning and passionate characters that develops into friendship and eventually love.
Dylan Wang is perfectly cast as Xiao Duo, the head of an imperial bureau that enforces peace and order in the empire. Six years ago, he entered the Imperial City then used his martial arts skills and charms to gain a powerful position that would enable him to investigate the murder of his younger brother. Yuqi Chen shows exceptional acting skills as Bu Yinlou, the illegitimate daughter of a noble family who pretends to be stupid and lazy to hide her intelligence and wit, refusing to participate in palace power games.
The rest of the cast is as remarkable and three-dimensional, notably Peter Ho as the new emperor who is obsessed with Yinlou, and Zeng Li as the previous emperor's empress who is obsessed with Xiao Duo. The emperor's and ex-empress's oppressive desires to possess the objects of their obsession contrast with the unchained love between Xiao Duo and Yinlou that seeks the beloved's survival, freedom and happiness.
The title of the novel on which the drama is based, Fu Tu Ta, refers to the tower where tribute ladies are sacrificed to join newly-deceased emperors. It is thus a symbol of oppression that brought about such inhumane practices as requiring newly widowed imperial concubines to either become tribute ladies or attend to their dead husbands' remains in the Imperial Mausoleum for the rest of their lives. Another oppressive law forces male palace workers to give up their manhood, that is, become eunuchs. Oppression is also manifested in the new emperor's obsession with Yinlou and the ex-empress's obsession with Xiao Duo.
Much ado has been made about scenes that were cut due to censorship. In my opinion, only about six cut scenes had some significance but none affected the story. The absence of those steamy scenes doesn't matter as the intensity of Xiao Duo and Yinlou's passion still shines through and the remaining romantic scenes are more meaningful than the cut ones. In fact, I think the removal of some scenes served the story better. I would have been immediately turned off Yinlou had the scene of her tastelessly jumping on and kissing Xiao Duo at the start of their acquaintance not been cut.
It's rather amusing how the censored scenes provide a metaphor for Xiao Duo's manhood. Despite the cut scenes, the story is intact.
In a genre that glorifies revenge-killing, I applaud the bravery of this drama in showing how true love can rid the heart of the oppressive power of hatred that fuels the obsession for revenge. In a master stroke of storytelling, justice for his brother is served without Xiao Duo resorting to such a cowardly act as killing an unarmed man cold-bloodedly. Thus, I consider any alleged flaw, such as choppy editing due to a few censored-out scenes, more than offset by the uncharacteristic noble values espoused by this drama - love, peace, patience and forgiveness, among others.
Another thing I love about this drama is how humor that is mostly subtle and witty is injected every now and then. The ridiculous knock-on-the-wall communication, Yinlou outwitting kidnapping attempts and other hilarious situations and witticisms had me in stitches.
And yet another thing I love is the ending that is so loaded with symbolism it could occupy hours of discussions about oppression. About hope rising from its ashes. About love prevailing over its chains. That scene startled me that a Chinese drama could be that poetic, daring to disappoint fans hoping for a more explicit ending. It also gave me respect for low-budget cdramas that could dare to choose art over a crowd-pleasing happily-ever-after scene.
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Mnet at its finest, delivering some manipulative editing.
I’m not gonna lie, this was a fascinating watch. Trying to see all the shady business and tactics Mnet delivered, seeing viewers' different reactions depending on their knowledge of the industry and how Mnet works. What a ride it was. And behind all that mess was a bunch of talented trainees who could not breathe in the wrong direction, or they will be evil edited till their elimination.This is probably the worst survival show I have seen from the production standpoint. The editing was atrocious - they gave us 10 takes of the same 2 moments from different angles and different speeds, while completely cutting out most of the performances. How can we judge the stages and trainees skills when we see the same smile or wink just repeated countless times?
Then there is the issue of evil editing. I’m not saying just exaggerating existing issues, I’m saying complete lies, like using footage from two different interviews and making it seem like they were both filmed about the same situation. Translating what foreign trainees say in a vague and misleading way to frame it as them being disrespectful. Making it seem as if teams had massive disagreements in the episode, when we could see them work just fine during the practice lives.
And I don’t even want to talk about the G versus K trainees concept - that was dumb, since the plan was to debut a mixed group. Mnet framed it as rivalry so hard, I’m not surprised Koreans went so strongly voting for Korean trainees - it seemed like a matter of pride for them with how it was presented in the initial episodes. Showing G trainees in a bad light, only “promoting” G trainees that are either Koreans just living in different countries, or been in Korea for years…
What’s more? The legal rigging votes. they knew exactly what info should be released when to make people mass vote for specific trainees out of fear of them not debuting. Just naming the 2 or 3 k-trainees’ ranks that went down - panic voting from the audience. Only showing the 3 trainees ranks based on ONLY G votes - panic voting.
All that said, I loved the kids so much. While I am sad we did not get many strong rappers, and literally barely any in the finale, I’m still more than happy with overall skills presented. Yes, some got into the show as a joke to make the public laugh, but in their case, I could see they truly put in the effort and tried to grow from this experience. The level of talent was high and honestly, one could randomly pick 9 trainees from top 18 to make a team, and every variation of it would make a strong debut.
The trainees had amazing friendships and I loved to see them support and encourage each other. We could see the most honest versions of them in the additional behind the clips mnet uploaded on youtube, and for these I am grateful.
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This review may contain spoilers
You Can’t SHAME The SHAMELESS
Shen Wenlang is a blabbermouth who have the emotional awareness of a tablespoon, Sheng Shaoyou is a fluffy bunny with the temperament of an angry wolf, Gao Tu is a professional lair, and Hua Yong is…well, there’s a lot wrong with Hua Yong, but imma leave that for later, cuz right now I’m in a hurry. My aunt just called a family meeting, my grandmother is pregnant and she ran away with his boyfriend so…WTH was that ending? People where are we running to? Who is chasing us? We were this close to perfection.
Anyway, I know for sure Hua Yong managed to manipulated me through the screen too, but I just can’t prove it. Cuz, tell me why I started this drama screaming at his lying arse, and here I am today, ready to defend him with all I have. Regardless, it isn’t much, just a half eaten sandwich and some gum, but still, I’d gladly give them away to defend that lunatic, who frankly needs to be smacked in the head with a Bible or put in a straitjacket, cuz the mfker is cray cray.
And I thought Cir (Boy Next World) was a psycho for inventing a whole parallel universe just to get a boyfriend, turns out there are levels to being a Lunatic when it comes to love. Let me lay it down for ya.
THE LUNATICS HOT 100: BL AUDITION
#1 Duan Zi’ang (New entry) = Kill to Love. REASON: Dude went to war and destroyed an entire country so he could kidnap his ex-boyfriend in hope to rekindle their doom relationship. Spoiler alert: it worked-ish.
#2 Hua Yong (New Entry) = ABO Desire. REASON: He’s a Hua Yong.
#3 Huai’ En (-2) = Meet You at The Blossom. REASON: Destroyed the livelihood of his lover’s family, so his lover would only be dependant on him.
#4 Ming (-3) = My Stand-In. REASON: It all started with Ming having a back fetish… smh.
#5 Cir (-4) = Boy Next World. REASON: My man invented a whole different universe just to get the boy.
#26 A Tuo (New Entry) = Secret Lover. REASON: Dude dated every girl who was interested in his crush to keep them away from him. That’s next level dedication.
Just to list a few. The only reason Hua Yong isn’t #1 is cuz the level of causalities he left behind weren’t as much, though, I have no proof, so it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
First off, to get something off my chest real quick. It’s getting real annoying with all these ‘I’m only here for the second couple’ nonsense crap that’s been going on in the bl world lately. “I’m only watching this because of the second couple. I skip all the other scenes except for the second couple.” OKAY AND? Dafug you want, Sharon? A cookie? An award, is that what you want Bob? I need some of y’all to give it a rest, cuz it’s no longer cute.
And I'm not talking about screen time, cuz in the case of Gao Tu and Shen Wenlang, although they were barely in the main story of the novel, I still had high hopes, and want more scenes with them, cuz they didn't have enough for my liking. I want ten episodes of Wenlang begging, Gao Tu being treated like he deserves and lots of kisses, but ya, we got what we got, and that finale was...yeah.
Anyway, so yes, I get it, sometimes we all get second couple syndrome, or the story of the second leads interest us more, but some of y’all have started to make it your entire personality and won’t shut up about it, to the point you start hating on the main couples, and have to let everyone and their mama know you're only here for the second couple. In the last couple of months alone, I saw it with Revenged Love, The Next Prince, Memory of Rati, to mention a few. Like, we get it, you are not that special Susan, go sit down.
I watched this drama for all four characters and l did not skip any scenes, and let me tell you, I had the most fun without being bitter and counting screen time even in effing previews. These four characters made the show and I remember them all equally and fondly, cuz really, it’s a story about MEN BEING PREGNANT, even if Shen Wenlang and Gao Tu were in the entire series for 5 seconds only, we’d still remember them. Cuz again, mpreg. Arrg.
SHENG SHAOYOU
32, 33 exes who were soft and loved to cry. Yeah, at some point we need to dissect this behaviour, cuz damn ho! Hua Yong was right, Mr. Sheng is a playboy, cuz did y’all see the moves he put on in the beginning of the drama when he was trying to get Hua Yong’s cookie? OMG, that s-tier Alpha was on!!
Mr. Sheng’s temper was adorable, omg, who even looks that cute being angry? Worse thing, it was just a front most of the time for his softie heart which was just so forgiven, cuz forgiving Hua Yong after he pouted a little and looked real sad at the cameras for an episode was wild.
I felt so bad for Mr. Sheng when he was being manipulated. Him and Gao Tu needed hugs, cuz those two best-friends (Don’t tell them I said this) from Country P had them and me stressing with their antics. I cried with him when Hua Yong left after attacking him. Hua Yong in the name of love put this poor man through heartbreak, high levels of stress, emotional abuse, physical pain that needed trips to the hospital, childbirth, Shen Wenlang, an identity crisis, and well… Hua Yong. Poor, poor fluffy bunny.
On a side note, Mr. Sheng is not all that innocent. The 33 crying virgins aside, dude was hitting that Omega girl while in a situationship/living together type of thing with Hua Yong. And, he was too soft-hearted and forgiven to the people around him. His father, brothers, Hua Yong. The way I’d have milked my anger with Hua Yong. But, after everything was exposed, Mr. Sheng went ‘alright, but lie to me again and walk out that door.’ Dude, that's it? The two s-tier Alphas in this drama were such losers when it came to love. Someone stalked you for years and homeboy went, ‘oh you’re a fan of me.’ No, Bob, he’s a stalker! If only you knew the things he did with your hands while you were sleeping.
Anyway, I love how kind-hearted Sheng’s real personality was, and how soft and adorable he is while secretly loving being pampered. Not gonna lie, I love the mouth on him too. There’s an episode when he was in a hurry, and dude literally shouted at his driver. ‘Have I lived long enough? is that it why you are planning to waste some of my time for me?’ LOL. Imagine if him and Mr. Shen were actually friends, they’d be so insufferable to be around.
GAO TU
My baby, my sweety-baby boo. Oh my beautiful Omega, how I wanna slap you with a rubber chicken. Hear me out, in the beginning I felt so much for Gao Tu to the point, I was looking for tickets to travel into my computer and punch Shen Wenlang in the throat, but as time went on, I went…
Yeah, Gao Tu is literally creating his own demons, and must like being miserable cuz, Sharon why? That fake Beta kept lying, and lying, and lying. Like, we all keep saying Hua Yong deserves an Oscar for his acting, but Gao Tu deserves one as well. He’d kept this lie going with Wenlang for 10 years, that’s a lifetime achievement best actor award right there.
Anyway, I felt the most for Gao Tu, everything with his sister, that sperm donor of his, and being in love with a man who hated Omegas. Man could not catch a break, and I just wanted to bubble wrap him and hide him away. But at the same time, I wanted to shake him. Yes, Mr. Shen sucks, but please talk to him, at least give him the benefit of the doubt for the sake of your friendship. Arrrggg.
I had a protect Gao Tu voice in my head that went, ‘Count your days Mr. Shen, it’s on sight! Whenever he said something hurtful to him.’ But at the end of the day, misunderstandings and miscommunications were their biggest enemy, and Gao Tu was rather the kind who’d rather go quietly into that night than make a whole lot of noise, and so in the end he had to endure all that hurt.
Mr. Shen didn’t suffer enough for my liking, but also, it was enough cuz of the lying. I’m glad our Gao Tu got his happy ending, a lovely son and a lover who…well, he’s Shen Wenlang and he comes with Hua Yong, so… but, he got his love and if he’s happy I’m happy for him. Still, I wanna shake him for making me sad for him when his problems would have been solved with the truth.
SHEN WENLENG
Abeg, make no one’s son come disturb me like Shen Wenlang did Gao Tu, cuz brotha why? At one point I was like, this man needs to rent out his brain and put his mouth out for sale, cuz he clearly don’t know how to use them correctly.
In kinder terms, Mr. Shen is pathetic and an embarrassment. No, I will not be explaining myself. Cuz really, you all saw it. Dude was literally trying to start a fight with a poisoned pregnant s-tier alpha on his hospital bed. He visited someone he’d missed and in love with and immediately insulted his home.
Yes, Mr. Shen’s mouth is a problem, but you know what, I don’t blame him for everything that happened. He trusts Gao Tu who he’s known for 10 years, so if he says he’s a Beta, that’s what he’s gonna believe. Sure, the Omega hating part is all on him cuz of his past trauma, and as a CEO of a pheromone company not being able to smell Gao Tu is an omega is wild, plus he’s emotionally constipated, but at the end of the day, they both to blame. Though, after the finale, I too would have ran away for three years.
Yes, we can argue: how the eff was Gao Tu supposed to know he felt different than the words he spoke? Cuz Mr. Shen was out there pretending to be with Hua Yong, telling Gao Tu his scent smelled, and he wasn’t pretty enough to be office decoration. HAHAHAHAH, No but, why is he like this??
But yeah, huge fan of Mr. Shen, you know, when he isn’t speaking. I think he should become a silent monk or something, cuz whenever he opens his mouth I go: Aeiii fresh boy, mr. mouth, mr spoke inside, mr information super highway, my friend will you keep quiet?
I’m glad he grew the eff up when he found out the truth. Truthfully, Shen Wenlang was the best. Yes, dude should pay taxes whenever he opened his mouth cuz all he did was littered with his words, but he was also a gentle soul. He cared and loved so much. Whenever Hua Yong was sick he was there, sure with an attitude but he was there, and the lights at Gao Tu’s… even being concern for Sheng Shaoyou, and they were born enemies. Plus he's basically HuaSheng’s second dad, cuz he’s the best godfather ever.
Also, I don’t care what both of them says, Hua Yong and Shen Wenlang are besties with a bow, cuz come on. I’m pretty sure someone would be like, ‘Mr Shen, where’s your best-friend, and he’d go, that lunatic? Who’d be friends with that crazy enigma?” hahhaa, but they do care. Asking each other for love advice and whatnot. I have no doubt when he asked Hua Yong ‘you cooking, who are you poisoning?', if he’d said a name and asked him to come and help, he’d complain but still go be look out.’ Best friend behaviour if you ask me.
HUA YONG.
HAHAHAHA. I’m sorry, but this enigma had me dying of laughter whenever he was on screen. Especially in episode 6. FAM!! Dude acted so traumatised, didn’t want to be touched, felt dirty and whatnot, and the whole time the mfker was a virgin. Sheng-xian-sheng was losing his mind with worry and regret, and Hua Yong was probably thinking, ‘1, 2, 3, cry now. 4,5,6 look real sad and shake a little.’ HHAHAHAHA
Every time I see Hua Yong on screen, I go, ‘here comes Mr. Sheng-xian-sheng-ing, he’s about to go, ‘Sheng-xian-sheng’ and completely do something diabolical while looking like an angel. FAM, this enigma for sure needs to be put in a zoo to be studied, cuz why?
No, but, this Enigma saw some foreigner boy one time under a tree and went, ‘that one, I want that one right there,’ and made it his whole identity. He’s a black flag, sure, but when all is said and done, he’s just a loser in love, who happens to have psycho tendencies. Man even had a proposal strategy in place, and while I was going awwww at their kiss, that enigma was like ‘taming desire is like taming an animal.’ Hua Yong trained poor Sheng-xian-sheng like a dog with the cookies. Ahhhh. He wanted that man, and he did not care how he got him, and frankly, I respect that.
Also, I wanna know, did Hua Yong wake up in the mornings and while brushing his teeth went through his scenes for the day? like: Today, imma pretend to be an Omega, make pregnant soup for Sheng-xian-sheng, pack my suitcase in case I wanna be dramatic, get more pink makeup, speak slow and low, make some cookies, oh and overdose on pheromones and almost die to teach Sheng-xian-sheng a lesson. Yep, it’s gonna be a wonderful day. HAHAHAHAH.
Oh Hua Yong. Compared to him, Gao Tu’s lying was nothing. This man was so manipulative and such a professional liar, it took literal natural disaster for his lie to come to light. The gods were probably watching, and Mother Nature was like, naaah, fuck that dude, that’s enough, then boom, earthquake. Then the mfker had the audacity while Sheng-xian-sheng’s world was crumbling to go, ‘Yes, it was me that night. Yes, I am not an omega. Anyway, I love you, can I keep pursuing you?” HE HAD NO SHAME WHATSOEVER. Cuz, dude, read the fucking room.
Speaking of shame, I was dying of laughter when he invited himself to dinner with Sheng-xian-sheng’s ex that time while he was being iced by him. Hua Yong was like, ‘yes, come with us for dinner, I won’t kill you.’ And I was like: ‘Who is us? aint no one invited you to this. Honey, read the room, you are the effing elephant.’ HAHAHAHAH. So shameless. I love him. And yes, I am questioning my morals, thank you.
Like Hua Yong was so good, looking all soft and cute for Sheng-xian-sheng so he’d get what he wants. Me? I can’t even act cute to ask for something from a partner. I tried one time, even stood in front of the mirror to prepare and everything, but at the end of the day all I could come up with was, ‘hey hmm dude, send me money, my pet chicken swallowed a spoon and its in the hospital. She needs emergency chicken surgery.’ Yet, Hua Yong is out there lining up Sheng-xian-sheng’s exes for insight, drafting proposals to get his man and marry him, making soups and cookies, learning to cry, running a company that could literally buy half the planet, while still finding time to be Sheng-xian-sheng’s dream man.
Poor Hua Yong is not a lunatic, no, he has suffered, while having to keep up with his lies, it must have been so hard for him. He worked so hard, and I frankly think he deserves applauds for succeeding instead of that straitjacket. I’m glad he also got his happy ending, regardless he’s beefing with his 3-year-old child cuz he's a jealous idiot, but he’s happy so that’s all that matter.
FINALE: Yeah, liked it, but not gonna lie, I expected more, instead it was rushed and we barely got to enjoy it. I am hoping for a special episode or like deleted scenes cuz... that was just cruel.
Plot-wise, this is a bl drama about pregnant men, I don’t think I need to sale anyone on watching it. Like, you should already be watching it, have finished watching it, or like me, on your 56th rewatch. There's no in-between.
All in all, I read the novel and enjoyed it, so I was all in for this drama, I laughed, cried, cursed and laughed some more. I’m now a die-hard D4 fan, cuz those four were really good in their roles and managed to make me like them outside of the drama as well. I want yearly dramas from them. I HIGHLY recommend this, it may appear slow in the start but trust me, it gets better. Was literally counting seconds to Saturday every week.
I’m gonna miss them. The wait for more drama from them is gonna be torture.
Anywho, thanks for reading and Merry Christmas. Yes, you read that right, I’m now in my enigma era, so I do what I want and I aint gonna follow no damn calendar, so Merry Christmas!
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“It’s not about getting better. The next stage just comes...
Then comes another stage, followed by more stages to go”.I don’t think I have ever watched a show that introduces so many interesting topics to think about in such a light and heartwarming manner. The episodes might have been only 24 minutes long, but the impact lasted for hours, making me reflect on my opinions, thoughts and behaviors.
From the opening till the end - it felt both realistic and strangely eccentric and dream-like. Following Ha Jyung on the trips allowed me to take a moment to just relax and enjoy the views and the scenery. The straightforward and honest personality of our female lead added to the charm. I also appreciated how real her character was - a normal person in normal circumstances, taking a break from the busy and overstimulated world.
The wide range of topics tackled in the show included, but was not limited to: reflecting on our past goals and dreams, the role of an educator, adults' involvement in creating certain paths for children, focusing on their future rather than the current happiness, the disagreements and different perceptions generations have, where we always villainize the other side, not seeing the flaws in our own thinking and behavior.
We were faced with questions like: is striving for success correct, or should we just focus on doing what we love, even if it does not bear fruits? Why is it so hard to show interest towards another person and since when saying “I love you” or even “I like you” becomes so hard, that we found new ways to convey exactly the same emotions?
This is not all, and I’m sure each and every person would focus on different aspects, different scenes and different lines - seeing their own unique version of what’s presented in the drama.
Lee Na Young was such a perfect casting choice to portrayal Ha Kyung. On one hand her character was truly relatable, on the other hand she had her own charms and quirks that not many people possess. Creating a character that is both unique, but also relatable is not an easy job.
The production was stellar. All episodes were filmed, directed and edited in a similar fashion, but at the same time, all had specific tricks that enhanced whatever story was told in each episode. Be it adding more blur and slightly distorted shots to create these dream-like sequences, or using first person perspective to make viewers connect to the scene and potential feelings the characters are experiencing. The soundtrack was the cherry on top, making me want to drop whatever I was doing and set on a trip myself.
Overall, I feel like no matter how much time I would spend on writing this review, it would be impossible for me to truly convey how much I love One Day Off. It's a rare clean 10 for me.
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How to be a Family
The idea of a contract marriage, and seemingly a child from a previous marriage, didn’t appeal to me initially. But how the story is being told and how everything unfolds make this drama a very worthwhile watch. All the characters are lovable despite each has his/her flaws, making them believable. A child is always the center of attention, and here this cutie is the most adorable child in recent dramas. What seemingly a fake relationship and marriage that initially try to address the psychological issue of the boy by giving him a complete family that he craves, have become a real outcome as the fake parents fall in love.He (pronounced as “her”) Qiao Yan (Wei Zhe Ming aka Miles Wei) is the CEO of a conglomerate owned by his family and a single father. He loves and dotes on the child, at the same time tries to discipline him like an adult. The outcome is ineffective and hilarious until he meets Qin Yi Yue (Hu Yi Xuan), a child psychologist. Seeing how readily He Wei Fei aka Xiao Bao (Lennon Sun) takes Qin Yi Yue in as his own mother, He Qiao Yan coerces Qin Yi Yue into a contract, with high compensation, to be a pretend mother of Xiao Bao and a pretend Mrs He, for he is a “number” guy who does everything in black and white. Little does he know he falls head-over-toes in love with Qin Yi Yue himself. He misses and thinks of her whenever she’s not around, and he would find ways and means, using Xiao Bao as an excuse, to see her. The interaction is cute and hilarious. The family dynamics are warm and pleasing. What seemingly two very different personalities, he is meticulous and analytical, and she is spontaneous, come together and form an enviable family with a ready-made son.
He Qiao Yan is a person who doesn’t express his emotions very well and openly. He doesn’t understand human relationships and has lived a monotonous life. In other words, He Qiao Yan is a boring person and Wei Zhe Ming captures that 100%. Despite being an immaculate person, I really love how he acts to protect Qin Yi Yue by dropping everything he’s doing and come to her rescue. He Qiao Yan may be a genius in everything but is an idiot in love relationship.
This is my first drama of Wei Zhe Ming. At the first look, he didn’t appeal to me. But he grows on me and by the end of the drama, I find him the most eligible single father to die for. His acting is so convincing with small little facial expressions such as a raise of the corner of his eyebrow, a blur look on his face etc, capturing all the essence of his character.
Qin Yi Yue is disorganized, intelligent and quick witted. Despite being a doctor, she is not very health conscious as she feasts on junk food. She finds He Qiao Yan a weirdo initially but moved by him when she sees his devotion for the child who is not his, and his consideration for her well-being unspoken. Their love development is gradual and solid.
I have liked Hu Yi Xuan’s acting in “Sleepless Princess”. I find her charismatic with an air of freshness and authenticity. Here as a child psychologist, she is soothing and gentle. Even at times of helplessness, she still smiles with tears and resignation in her eyes.
Chinese dramas will not be complete without some tropes such as arranged marriage for economic benefits which is not much different from marriages of the old days among the royals. And of course, there are the side couples who are also the best friends of our ML and FL.
My Verdict
This is a very enjoyable drama most romance buffs will love. I love it myself. It’s funny and light, especially when it comes to dealing with the child. The parent-child dynamics are really fun to watch. Both main lead characters are mature with a tsundere ML and a warm and approachable FL. Although some parts of the editing are lacking, it hasn’t turned into a disaster and ruined the story. Overall, this is a wonderful drama not to be missed.
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Cast is quite young but excellent acting and great directing. Some scenes could have rushed to improve the rewatch value but didn’t bother me.
Like the plot and script as it was very logical and reasonable. No silly dramas due to lack of communication. Really like the way the story flows between the two mothers. Very realistic.
Really enjoyed watching it.
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Pretty but soulless
The Silent Sea seems to have all the right ingredients, from premise to set design to casting, but unfortunately somehow failed to truly grab my full attention.I don’t consider my time with this show wasted at all, I did sit through all eight episodes in three days after all, but this is not a drama I see myself ever coming back to nor thinking about ever again
Visually speaking, this is a very impressive show. Probably the most expensive-looking Asian drama I have ever watched. The CGI definitely didn’t disappoint. And yet, for the most part, the cinematography didn’t leave a strong impression on me. Not implying that it was bad, not at all, I consider this to be a pretty visually stimulating drama, but it wasn’t anything more than competent. None of the shots felt bland or flat per-se but I can’t shake off the feeling, that The Silent Sea just lacked a certain something. Nice to look at, but not particularly interesting. The only thing I can say with certainty is that this show is dark, thematically, but also literally at many parts. So dark in fact, that at many points I was having real difficulties figuring out what was going on. That can be a stylistic choice of course, but I still don’t feel like it was an exactly smart one.
However, in my opinion, the biggest fault of the drama lies in the characters, which I couldn’t bring myself to really care about. For starters, I thought that many of them were too similar in personality. But I also just failed to connect with anyone emotionally. I don’t think that the actors are at fault here, if anything I was more than pleased with everyone’s performance, but it seems like The Silent Sea didn’t leave any room to showcase human emotion. For the most part, I don’t feel like we got to know anybody. There were very few scenes where I got a clear image of the crew’s dynamic with each other. I don’t need media to have banter and funny and witty one-liners every second scene, in a Marvel-movie-fashion, but I still needed something, anything from The Silent Sea that would have convinced me that these are truly individual people with their individual flaws, strengths, quirks, aspiration, and dreams.
Plot-wise I think this show was fine. The premise was what originally attracted me and the twists and turns kept me engaged, but I really do feel like a story can only be as strong as its characters and unfortunately, this drama just missed the mark here.
Please don't read this and conclude that I consider this to be a bad drama, I truly don't but it didn't really leave me feeling anything. It didn't make me smile (which, considering the genre, was to be expected), it didn't make me sad, it didn't frighten me, it didn't even really make me think about anything much.
Would I recommend The Silent Sea? Kinda a tough question. Personally speaking, it didn’t hit the spot, but I also feel like this might come down to a personal preference in genres. If you like science-fiction, violence, and (most importantly) cool-looking space-stuff, I’m sure you’ll have a field day with this. If you’re looking for a more emotional experience, maybe skip this one.
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I do not say this lightly - TOTAL MASTERPIECE.
I have seen over 400 dramas. I have given a 10 to a drama only ONE time. But I will say unequivocally right now, that this is one of the best asian dramas of all time, and not only will I award it my second 10 ever, but if I could I would give it an 11.Learning To Love stands toe to toe with the heaviest hitters of drama like What Happened in Bali, A Million Stars Falling From the Sky, Meteor Garden, Goodbye My Princess, The Rose, Secret, Que Sera Sera, That Winter The Wind Blows, Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Yanxi Palace, Kleun Cheewit, Chugakusei Nikki, or Rise of the Phoenixes. This is so good it's hard to put into words, but for the sake of leaving a review, I will try not to go on too much and keep this brief... while still conveying the insane degree to which this show is both A) a really effing good watch and B) an incredible work of art.
Where to even start....
The main theme of the story is refracted in a hundred tiny ways all throughout -- each character and each action kind of mirrors possible past or future or parallel lives of the other characters in this incredible kalidescope where you can see how any character could 'there but for the grace of god' be another character, and they all reflect aspects of eachother while retaining a deep and unique individuality at the same time. It's so gorgeous how it's all laid out, and how everything subtly connects to everything else. It's just poetry. Every aspect of this drama transcends the sum of its parts in a myriad of fractals that would be impossible for me to describe in less than 10k words, so I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, it is just so damn good.
This leads into mentioning the cinematography which was classic, beautiful, balanced, powerful. Cinematography that actually added it's own voice to the story, like a narrator's voice in a really good book. Plus, it has that throwback feel we all crave and miss so much from classic asian dramas. We all complain that "they don't make em like they used to". Well, this IS like they used to make 'em. So much so, that when they mentioned "covid" at one point, it kind of threw me off for a minute, because this drama feels so much like one of the really good older dramas.
(And can I just mention here that the ost/bgm is a SLAVE to the story. It serves ONLY to accent the emotions carried in the scene, and it is just as perfectly executed as every other part of this production.)
The characters - all of them - are compelling and SO well-acted. A flawless ensemble, led by two fantastic actors that deftly carry the story and convey so many emotions... this was impeccable casting, and impeccable acting. I haven't been this impressed in a long time. This is where imo it stands above even major classics like Rise of the Phoenixes... Kimura Fumino and Murakami Raul Maito are doing double the lifting compared to Chen Kun and Ni Ni in RotP. I almost can't find an equivalent to compare them to, and they deserve to be considered among some of the best performances of all time.
The vibe of this drama has a very classic flavor, the emotional angst and tension is so palpable, so much happens in each episode, not a minute of screentime is wasted. Gives off an aura of 'A Million Stars Falling From The Sky'. And something really incredible happens as the episodes progress.... the story could end in so many different ways, or it could end on any scene itself and still be really really good. You know what's going to happen like a trainwreck in slow motion, and yet you don't actually know what's going to happen at ALL because there are so many possibilities for where the story could go, and as it hurtles toward it's inevitable ending, you still get the feeling like each new scene will hold some fresh magic in it. You get this incredible blend of dread and hope mixed together indistinguishably from one another, and it just relentlessly ratchets up and up through each episode as the possibilities for how it will end keep multiplying. Every character's psyche is peeled layer by painstaking layer and we are afraid and excited by what we will find at the core of each person. Each character is slowly and inexorably pushed towards their breaking point... the true selves they hide to the world have less and less room to hide... and it all feels so volatile and mysterious as you watch it unfold.
I cannot say enough good things about this drama, and I cannot possibly recc it more to anyone prepared for a serious watch. This is gripping and angsty and a little bit of a hard watch, but so so so freaking good. Nailed the ending. Actors are just so incredible here. So much heart and soul are in this.... it feels like a masterclass in what an asian drama is supposed to be.
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This review may contain spoilers
Seriously don't watch this one. I was happy to find this drama out since it looked like a GL so I was happy that Viki is getting wlw relationships some spotlight as well. But damn I was wrong, I can't believe I survived watching all the 8 episodes. The only pros are that both the female leads acted quite good and that I liked the OST but that's all.
The characters are awful, manipulative and cheating. All the relationships (romantic or friendship) are so toxic it hurts.
I'm not even sure if this can be considered GL since the female leads were always like "we're just best friends" and they had friendship rings and each of them got a boyfriend at the end of the drama. Like what?!
Lesbians and wlw in general deserve much better representation than this sh*t.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just don't even bother, save yourself the headache.
This deserves a much lower score - but I did enjoy the first 15 episodes, and she did write some damn lovable children, but holy hell was this a disaster, and this writer has been officially blacklisted by me, lol. First of all, not a family drama. Especially if you go in after watching some great ones like Once Again, Never Twice, Five Enough, etc. Definitely more a makjang disguising itself as a family drama. But not even a good makjang. You've got multiple amnesia plots, beyond awful parenting, schemes, a lady who screamed most of the series, a weak ass ML, a female lead that literally never got a break and was always in tears, traumatized children, Sa Ra (she's a whole thing herself), and it goes on. Not a cute healing drama about a older widowed man finding love with his children's teacher.As many have pointed out in the comments a better title would have been a Gentlemen and a Witch, because somehow Sa Ra was the female lead in this. So much of the narrative was wasted on her and her awful self. The amount of terrible things she did disguised as love, were not love. She was basically an obsessed stalker who wanted a rich husband. If you thought she'd get a fitting end - no, she just left. After everything she did she could just walk away. And the male lead was pretty damn pathetic because he fell for literally everyone of her schemes, even when everyone around him was telling him it was suspicious, which of course hurt the female lead every damn time. At first I was shipping him with Dan Dan but by the end I - along with many others were wondering why she would keep running after this man. And then there's Cha Gun, who was in love with Sa Ra for what? She used him and dumped him every damn time, and he still thought she was a good person?
Literally everyone of the parents were terrible, one trying to sell her daughter off for money and would always play the victim, another one (Dan Dan's dad) who seem liked a timid man but was really a controlling POS still obsessed with his ex who treated his daughter like a child and reacted very hostile anytime she disobeyed him and was consistently disrespectful to his wife's feeling because of his stupid pride. Another mom who just went along with her daughters nonsense specially when her child clearly need professional help who was also a thief. Another who thought she could make up for her mistakes by tricking her daughter and and ex into moving back to the states with her.
Sure there was a happy ending but it felt pretty bitter after everything you suffered through for 52 episodes. Well, less for me since I either skipped through or just flat out didn't watch at least twenty of them, thanks to other people recapping the episodes, lol. Sure I ran the range of emotions from loving it to, eh whats this? to the wtf? to angry to just a complete lack of empathy to eh I guess the ending is cute? But what was the point. All the nonsense in between was just nonsense.
The kids? I give them all the props. Literally more mature than all the adults. The boys themselves were freaking little angels who deserved so much more. I'd keep a eye out for the actors, they were better than some of the rest of the cast. But I guess I should be fair - I think most the cast are better in other dramas.
But yeah, just don't watch it and go watch a lakorn instead. At least you'd be more entertained.
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Love, loved, loved the series. This was so different and fun. The supporting cast had the personalities that made you laugh or cry. I knew when I saw them on a scene something funny was about to be said or happen. They were brave, somewhat smart, loyal to a fault and honest. Loved the female lead as well. Her personality was authentic and just yes.
Watch it. Get ready to laugh, laugh and swoon.
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