Reviews

Under all the crazy, this is a sweet story of a found family: the madhat residents of an apartment building where girls are strictly forbidden, people get lost inside washing machines and the existence of aliens surprises exactly nobody.

I admit that the first couple of episodes didn’t really hold my interest outside of Pun - and by extension Nott - but slowly, as we got to know all the characters, I fell in love with most of them. Especially Porpla, the very eccentric owner of the building, crazy of mind and big of heart - it was her scene with Pun in the very last episode that made me cry so hard that my throat closed up and my nose got all stuffy.

It’s a very short series, 6 episodes only, but AFAIK S2 was already confirmed by someone on the show. I’m glad. But even if there is no S2 - you never know - I would be content with how the drama ended.

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A Different Kind of BL... One that is Beautiful, Messy & Real!

Slow-paced. Contemplative. Addicting. Frustrating. Beautiful. Real. Many viewers disliked the two leads, but I loved them. They were flawed and real, which made them beautiful. Pin Jun learned to let go of Hai Qing because he knew that Hai loved another man. Pin Jun loved by allowing his lover to find happiness, being grateful for being able to experience loving Hai for a period of time. Hai Qing was able to reunite with the love that he lost a year ago. Yan Fei learned to let go of a toxic relationship and was able to embrace a new one. One that was meant to be. Soulmates that were meant to be together in the dark blue and moonlight.

It was very smart for the writer to have the two leads reunite so late. It made us viewers wait. We felt compelled to continue watching to see when they will reunite. And the wait was literally unbearable! It may turn some people off, but I absolutely loved it! It was real, though its circumstances felt a bit forced. Hai wasn't able to call Yan because the lifeguards threw his phone into the pool. They bullied Hai because he got angry at one of them for not doing their job but rather flirting. Their action didn't make much sense as Hai could have easily reported it and they would have gotten penalized. Also, I felt like Hai Qing and Yan Fei could have easily met. They went to the same gym! It's not hard to go to the gym (specifically the pool) at around the same time that they did when they first saw each other on a weekly basis. Surely, they would have met one another. Other questionable plot points include when did Ping Jun become Hai's math tutor and when were they in the same class? Also, the alternative party where Jimmy gets his fortune read is a bit too on-the-nose and blunt.

I was so happy that Hai Qing and Yan Fei got together at the end! Hai Qing only loved Pin Jun because Pin was really good to him. It took a lot for Pin to realize this and learn to let him go. However, that is the reality for a lot of people. Many people settle. They choose to stay with someone because that person is really good to them, not because of love.

I also loved how they touched on the fears of a parent when their child decides to pursue an artistic endeavor rather than a stable job, which is a theme that other BL's have surprisingly yet to explore. Also, I enjoyed how the series dealt with the struggle of coming out to traditionalist parents.

Dark Blue and Moonlight has become one of my favourite BL series ever! It is different which sets it apart from the crowd! I hope that more people will watch this series and I will make sure to promote it whenever I can. I absolutely adore stories with chance encounters like this. Hopefully, I myself will be able to experience a chance encounter love sometime in my life...

On a side note, I loved the grandpa! He was so supportive, kind, innocent and funny!
On another side note, the poster for this series is so BEAUTIFUL! The best poster for a BL that I've seen thus far!

P.S. If you finish this series, make sure to watch the special that takes place after this series, which I will be doing now.

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Like a puzzle...

That was my first thought after completing the movie because in the end all three storylines connect to each other and make the movie whole despite an open for interpretation ending which I find quite fitting actually.
This is why I think this is a good movie, despite the negative reviews. It's not something you can watch while focusing on other things though. It needs your full attention, otherwise you'll get lost as the movie does not follow a consistent line but jumps between the three different storylines of the three main characters.
Only in the end will you see how these puzzle pieces connect. To some it will feel chopped, I find this sort of storytelling interesting. I also loved the color design of the movie with lots of warm colors in contrast with grey or black just like in the cover.
The acting was great. I watched it for Ma Si Chun, Vivienne Tien and Xin Peng which I've seen before in other dramas but Elaine Zhong and Johnny Huang also caught my eyes.
Plus, the OST was totally my cup of tea. Not sure if it's because I'm a 90's child or it just happened to get straight into my ear but I immediately went on a search for it.
I'm not sure if I'll rewatch it someday but I definitely recommend it for a one-time watch.

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"There's always a cause that results in consequence"

An Ancient Love Song may have been a low budget, shorter Cdrama, but longer, more expensive Cdramas could learn a lesson or two from it. The story was written well and the writers believed in the old adage, “Give them what they need, not what they want.”

Shen Bu Yan is on a book tour touting his most recent title which covers the Demon Queen during the Nine Kingdom era. After an argument with his editor, he encounters an old woman selling trinkets to tie to an ancient wishing tree. He spots a broken jade pendant he’d seen in a dream the night before. Back at home his editor tells him he’s required to write a trilogy despite not having any more research for such books. A drop of blood touches the pendant from a nosebleed and he finds himself at the Great Sheng Palace in ye olden times. The Demon Queen is expecting him and the game is on.

I don’t know how this drama passed the censors and the “no time travel” edict, maybe Shen Bu Yan’s jade pendant dazzled them or there was enough standard warfare propaganda to appease them. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful. I’ve never seen Zhang Ya Qin in a lead role before and thought she played Lu Yuan well regardless of the character’s age. She brought Lu Yuan's patient love for Shen Bu Yan to life as well as Lu's determination to do the right thing. And a definite plus, she was no shrinking violet in a fight. Guo Jia Nan as Shen went from hapless fish out of water to strategist just as believably. The two had a nice chemistry despite the characters’ brief interludes throughout the story as each was traveling in different directions. I admire the writers for bringing the drama to a logical end, as logical as time travel dramas can be. Although no one seemed to be concerned about the Butterfly Effect.

Though not a big budget drama An Ancient Love Song was impossible for me to stop watching once I started. It took only the first episode to realize, one’s life and heart was set in “drive” and the other’s was in “reverse”. Forever in each other’s minds yet never quite together, it was a heart wrenching ride as they attempted to save each other and the kingdom, always hoping the next glimpse of the other would be forever.

3 April 2024

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Japanese drama have excellent ideas in their plots and never had the same storyline like any other countries drama that I have seen in the past. Usually the actress Keiko Kitawaga plays different roles and most of her drams is about romance, comedy, and tragedy. This time, she plays as a professional medical doctor who found herself becoming an autopsy specialist. Now, there are strange cases that she encounters every time. I do strongly recommend this drama to anybody who likes investigations series, autopsy, and medical field. Again, excellent performance and exciting stories.

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Best C-Drama of the 21st century

I watched this drama later than everyone else; 16 months after the original TV broadcast. I watched the entire drama in three weeks, staying up until 3AM, to watch episodes.

Nirvana in Fire is a TV drama masterpiece, that was brilliantly written and produced. All the actors in the primary and supporting roles, gave exceptional acting performances. Hu Ge and Wang Kai were the perfect casting choices for the Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing Yan roles. The costume designs and the set designs were flawless, and the music soundtrack was perfect. The directing and editing were very good.

The intricate plot flowed like an English Literature textbook. Hai Yan's novel, "Lang Ya Bang", deserves recognition in the Asian and Western literary worlds, and the TV drama deserves honors in the Asian and Western entertainment industries. All TV production houses should use the Nirvana in Fire as the benchmark for their dramas.

This is the first TV drama that I awarded 10 points across the board.

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The standard by which I measure all other dramas

It's been 5 years since this drama came out, and still there is almost nothing that compares to the magic of NIF:
- a focused, structured story that is well-paced, doesn't have any filler content, and also doesn't think of its audience as idiots
- strong, intelligent characters that are unique and lovable (or at least understandable), both male and female, with character arcs that go somewhere and feel earned
- natural, expressive acting where you feel the full personality and history of each character
- beautiful costumes, settings, and scenery as befitting a historical/costume drama

NIF has the clear elements of good narrative storytelling, which seems rare in dramas nowadays - setup, rising action (with each step a necessary piece of the plot and building up the tension), climax, and resolution. Most other dramas that I've seen fall into a trap of just having things that happen one after another, with nothing to link them together and no clear advancement or tie to the plot = it's less a story and more just a series of events.

The only criticism I might have of NIF is that I felt the resolution was a bit rushed, but otherwise this is the drama that I measure all others by, and the vast majority of them fall short.

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Bittersweet, Mature, Heartfelt.

To begin, I am not a fan of contract relationships. However, after finishing Something about 1%, and being completely blown away, I decided to give the genre another chance. Marriage Contract was not at all what I expected! This drama was different from many kdramas in the seriousness with which it portrayed its themes without over-dramatizing as is common in melodramas. It was a thoughtful and slow-burn type of drama that was not flashy but had a ton of heart and deep emotions.

I also enjoyed the OST as it was reminiscent of an instrumental version of "My heart Will Go On" from the Titanic (which as one of my favorite OST, was highly enjoyable at least for me!) However, despite all its positive attributes such as a wonderful cast, interesting take on a common genre, etc., something about this drama felt off too me. I am not sure what it was exactly, but I think it fell down to the pacing. It somehow felt too long and yet too short. The big reveal did not come until episode 11 and then everything after felt hurried. Also, their relationship felt rushed, and then all at once but not in a love/hate sense. There was just not as much development for me to truly believe the intensity of their feelings. All in all, a good drama worth watching, but not one likely to make your top three.

Happy Drama Watching! :)

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At the very start I was really on board with this show. The story sounds interesting on paper and the actors where doing their best with the materiel that was given. However, as the show when on it took a turn. This show has an interesting plot on paper whoever, I feel the writers didn't really know what to do with the plot and character after the two leads got together the first time. After this the show devolves into someones does not like the two main leads relationship two leads fight break up for the episode, make up get back together and then break up again the next episode. Repeat this for about 10 episodes. Toward the end of the series the writers also decide to throw in a bunch of cliche drama story plots instead of doing anything to advance the couples relationship. The only character that felt actually had good character development and changed into a better more well rounded person is the second male lead. Overall this show isn't bad just a little boring and had wasted potential. If you're in the mood for a swimming drama just watch My Mr. Mermaid instead

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Badass but adorable AF

I just wanted to mention both the two main women characters were drop dead adorable! Each of them were attractive in a different way, FL was tiny but feisty and I loved her short hair. The second female lead is almost otherworldly in her beauty and pulls off a very feminine look that just works for her so well!

This isn't going to win any major awards, it's pretty much a fluff filler drama. The acting was slightly above average but you could tell there was still room for improvement especially in a few scenes where it was supposed to be dramatic and it just felt a little stiff and forced.
The kisses on the part of the FL felt like she had no experience, the ML was slightly better but they both definitely need real world experiences to draw on and it pretty obvious they don't have much of that. :/

Now about the general story, this is set up as a very badass female lead and for the most part she pulled it off well, though there were a few separate situations where she was made weak by the writers so that she could be "saved" by ML but for the most part HE was the weak one and she saved him and everyone else from start to finish. I loved how she had a great personal code of responsibility for the greater good and she was the same while in the army as well as when she was just a civilian.

Ling Ting (SML) is set up as a character to be love interest triangle potential for FL but don't worry that never really materializes and the majority of the drama is focused on the main couple's interactions and their slowly warming up relationship.
Fair warning in this 23 episode drama it takes 12 episodes for the main couple to be official and that's all I'm going to say without spoiling anything.

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So This is my first official review for a Drama & The first for Kamen Rider Kuuga. So bare with me if it's not up to par with those that are way more seasoned writers/reviewers. I will try to keep it nice and short for everyone's sake and mine because I can go off in novel style. So here we go:

What I liked about Kamen Rider Kuuga is that it was a dark and was deep, to elaborate, I liked that this was dark in that the theme and stories were meant to make us all think about what the characters were going through, we could relate to them (the lessons), that the good guys don't always win and take a beating. That one must not give up even though it looks like a losing battle, one must keep on trying to beat and over come evil. I liked that the main characters did a good job giving life and substance to their characters and made me enjoy this drama that makes nostalgic in that I was a Teenager when this Series Aired :'(

I Also liked that Whole meaning behind the Smile and The Thumbs up symbol, see I learned someone at the end of the series! :) The opening song and ending song are so addicting that it had me playing them both on repeat! It helped me like the series more as well associate it Godai Yuusuke aka Kuuga :) The other tracks as well are great! The plot and story was one that is not meant for children, it was for young adults, teens and adults since the dialogue and theme was one to deep for the kids to understand properly. But my 5 year old nephew liked it too as he would join my viewing sessions :) He & I loved his different Heisens suits and color variations! :p

Now what I didn't like (gripe) was the two filler/recap episodes, not going to say which episodes they are at the moment. I am not saying that it doesn't take away from the series or are not necessary at all, I'm saying that I can do with out them but I understand that it's there for a purpose. In that it helps you remember what has occurred to a certain point if you haven't seen it in awhile and need a refresher. But if you are Marathoning like I usually like to do, it can be A bit a bother or an annoyance.

Now I can officially say that Kamen Rider Kuuga Is My First & Favorite Kamen Rider! :) Since He's my 1st rider, He isn't going to be bumbled off that #1 spot ever :)

Geez I'm already sad that it's over :'(

Hopefully Kamen Rider Kuuga gets some more loving from all drama lovers and add it to their Watchlist!

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I never gave a drama full points but I feel like this one deserves it.

It's my first drama with Jung Yu Mi but I love her ever since. The characters were so real that you get drawn into their story immediately.

I was definitely Team Tae Ha from beginning to the end and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop wayyy too much.

Sung Joon is a real gentleman in this drama, you cannot not love him though I still preferred Tae Ha for Yeo Reum hehe

I feel like this is a more mature love story.. not too cliche and cheesy.

and OH GOD THE OST! Sooo beautiful and fitting to the story.

Would rewatch it right now if I had the time.

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