Reviews

War of Faith: Best Financial Espionage Drama

History would tell us that Shanghai in the 1930s was, to say the least, wild. In the midst of all of this, enters a poor young man named Wei Ruolai, played by Wang Yibo. Wei Ruolai has little to no money, came from a province controlled by the communist party, and was having a hard time receiving his diploma. It's a recipe for a bleak future. But with grit, determination, and his genius brain, he managed to secure a place at the Central Bank and work alongside distinguished officials like Shen Tunan, played by Wang Yang. Here begins the gripping story of Wei Ruolai finding his faith and fighting for it. No matter the cost.

To be completely honest, I am a fan of Wang Yibo. His acting has been improving rapidly and all his films released in 2023 were a massive success so naturally, I was looking forward to this drama. However, I was not expecting to get so much out of this than I actually did. Republican era drama is my least favorite genre in dramaland. It's suit porn but I think this genre is the least famous internationally for a reason and my username is what it is, also for a reason (LOL), I watch romcoms and healing dramas! It's a finance drama set in the 1930s-- how riveting could it be to watch people talk numbers, right? Boyyyyy, was I so wrong!

The story is told in the ML's POV. Viewers get taken along his journey of finding his place in the world, finding confidence in himself, and finding his passion only to lose them all. He goes through a series of pain, heartaches, and grief-- and in the midst of it finds his true faith and his true passion. We see the ML transform several times throughout this drama. Through this journey, viewers also get shown the world of finance during the troubled times of the 1930s. We see how finance plays such a huge role in war and economics. We see people's greed. We see how innocent people get sacrificed, and we see how the government can turn a blind eye.

The series in itself is very action-packed. There is no dull moment and the story keeps moving very rapidly. A lot happens in the first 4 episodes to set-up the drama but everything that happens in the story has meaning. No fillers. It's 38 episodes but it is very fast-paced without sacrificing compelling and complex storylines. Every episode makes you want to watch more. I was watching earnestly and the foreshadowing in this drama is so smooth and clean that I probably missed some tiny details along the way. I'm already excited to rewatch this drama now that I know what I'm looking for!

This is an original IP so my hat is off to the screenwriter and the director for creating such a marvelous piece of art in television. The cinematography in this drama is also of high quality that is rarely seen in c-ent. It felt like watching a movie, and despite the 2.5 weeks of airtime, I wish the story goes on. I want to see more.

The casting of this drama is also top-notch. No holes anywhere. Everyone down to the little girl acted so incredibly well. Wang Yibo was such a star in this production and it is his best acting to date! Wang Yibo's Wei Ruolai feels so incredibly human and real. He conveys very complex emotions with his eyes and his face. His performance is so captivating because of the precision and nuance he gives the character. You can feel through the screen every single thing that Wei Ruolai feels throughout the drama-- and to be honest, it was a lot to handle!!! This drama also spanned 6 years and many transformations for Wang Yibo's character and if you compare his transformations, you can clearly see the contrast between each one. From his starry-eyed full of hope young man, through the disappointments and desperation, and to becoming an integral part of the communist party. Wang Yibo did such a stellar job and as a fan, I am so incredibly proud.

Wang Yang, Li Qin, and the rest of the supporting characters also deserve their flowers. Everyone was captured in such a humanized way that you can feel empathy for every character. You believe everyone's storylines and you get to feel that a lot of the big players in this drama are morally gray. Everybody had their purpose and I was hooked! The storyline and acting did its thing for me. I hated who they wanted me to hate, and cried for the ones they wanted me to cry for. I've never felt a story so real and close to me like this in a very long time. Certainly not in c-dramaland, and not in a Republican era drama. A gem of a find for me is Lan Xiya who played Niu Chunmiao. She was introduced halfway through the story with such a very firecracker of an entrance. I loved Niu Chunmiao as a character and I loved Lan Xiya for her talent in acting. She's so new and young but her ability to act is very high. I'm so impressed with her just as I was impressed with her character. Another treasured character for me is Wei Ruolai's best friend, A'Wen played by Li Weilong. A'Wen allowed us to see many layers to Wei Ruolai so very early on in a drama. Also, special shoutout to Zhang Tianyang's Lin Qiaosong-- he put me through the ringer all 38 episodes!

Lastly, the music. I think all I gotta say is Zhou Shen.

This has been a very long review but if you're still with me, please go watch War Of Faith. It will be worth every second of your time. You can find out how apropos the English title War of Faith is. And if you don't believe how a Republican drama can be so good, check it out yourself! :)

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I will be making small comparisons between Age of Youth and Age of Youth 2 in this review.  We see two departures in season 2.  Ryu Hwa Young intermittently appears in the drama as a support character. The reason for this is because she was busy filming another drama. Secondly  Park Hye Soo left the show and was replaced by Ji Woo to play Yoo Eun Jae. We see the addition of the character Jo Eun as the new 5th roommate.  Overall I was not as impressed with season 2 as I was with season 1.  That's not to say that Age of Youth 2 was bad. I simply liked Age of Youth  (1) better.

Story:  [8.0/10.0]
Age of Youth 2 starts out with the group going on a hilarious little trip to airport to pick up Han Ye Ri. They proceed to get lost and another hilarious encounter ensues. I laughed so much in the first few episodes. Soon Kang Yi Na moves out of the house and the group proceeds to find a new roommate. Soon we see Seo Jang Hoon enter the scene. She initially enters the house to investigate a strange letter. Ooooooo what's going on??? Anyways most of this drama focuses on Song Ji Won trying to investigate what had happened during her childhood. We also Yoon Jin Myung get aquainted with her job. A nice portion of this series revolves around her and her job as well. Of course we see some nice house antics between roommates in this season as well. However, I must admit that I feel like Season 2 took a more darker approach to the story. I really liked Season 1 for it's freshness and how it was very realistic. Season 2 seemed realistic in terms of their college life as well, but the ending was kind of anti-climatic. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really like dark slice-of-life shows. It just makes the show seem like a melodrama.

Acting/Cast: [8.0/10]
Overall I can't say that I really liked or really disliked the acting. It was okay in my opinion. I more so had a probablem with Ryu Hwa Young leaving. Personally I felt like Ryu Hwa Young  and her Kang Yi Na character really made this show a lot more funnier and light-hearted as apparently seen with the first few episodes. I felt like the show tried to replace that comedy bit by emphasizing Song Ji Won's sex life (or lack of sex) to make up for it. I wasn't sure if they were trying to make us laugh or not by including those bits, but they definitely weren't funny. Otherwise the acting and cast is pretty consistent compared to the first season.

Music: [8.0/10]
An 8.0 is generally the score I give to most show's music score. I don't usually give 9s or 10s unless the show is a music-based drama that had great music and OSTs.

Rewatch Value: [7.5/10]
Overall this show has middle of the pack rewatch value for me. It'd probably be a long time before I watch this again since I've completed 150+ dramas already (lol I have no social life). I will probably watch the first season again before I watch this one.

All in all, this was a decent follow-up to the first season of Age Youth.  I'm sure you all noticed this, but I do have a slight bias to the first season. I honestly always multi task when I'm watching Korean dramas or my anime shows. This often means that I pay less attention to shows if I find them boring. I generally don't watch slice-of-life dramas as well. This show gets a thumbs up because it kept my attention the whole time even though it was a slice-of-life drama. I hope they make a season 3 and that Ryu Hwa Young comes back.

Thanks for reading my review! Please hit the yes button if this review was helpful to you!

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Life is a strange thing; funny and worth living for, as well.

"Be My Dream Family" truly defines what a family should be like despite of difference in opinions & personalities, least communication and distance. I watched this with lots of anticipations after finishing "Once Again" earlier this year and this, for my 2nd Korean soap opera, is very pleasing to me, if not as good as Once Again. Rather it has more realistic elements and less melo stuffs than Once Again.

Soap operas with big fat joint family drama, do not have a solid plot development; instead a goal at the end, leading to a happy family life for everyone and this drama is no exception.

Geum Jong Hwa & Kang Mo Ran are in their twilight ages and happen to be single when they meet each other as neighboring business owners. As they hang out with each other, both fall in love so much that decide to marry only after 6 months. Both of them have their big families already but now that they become family, they have a hard row to hoe in order to bring all of them together to one plate. The drama is about the journey of the family members going through various challenges in their personal lives as well as fighting among themselves, until they come to embrace various shades of each individual, finally accepting each orher as their own.

Both the screenwriter and director have done a good job in this drama I swear, it's like developing a perfect partnership. The way the script is interlinked between different scenes and director's editing work upon that are very nice. For 80% of the story, one scene starts with a conversation on the topic upon which the previous scene's conversation had ended. The 120 episode dailysoap might feel a bit slow for the first 10 episodes but it definitely gets better as you watch further. There is almost no background score for majority of the drama but again, that's another feature of Korean daily soaps.

Since soap opera family dramas don't have a solid plot, rather daily live happenings are showcased with an ultimate goal leading towards a happy family life, together, I don't there is much to talk about things. So let me just talk a bit about the characters.

I loved the character development of all the characters...

# Geum Jong Hwa: Lonely, aggressive old man to a loving father.
# Kang Mo Ran: Loves and cares for every single family member and tries her best to bring everyone together despite problems.
# Geum Sang Gu: Naive, jobless, family man to a good businessman. Loving husband & father.
# In Young Hye: Responsible mother & wife who craves love. Becomes close to step-in-laws very fast.
# Geum Sang Gu: Rude, arrogant drama PD to caring son and loving husband.

Oh Min Hee: Ambitious actress coming back to industry after 20 years hiatus. Despite difficulties and public backlash she holds onto things and detrmines to do better. One of the best character development of the drama. Loved the way she changed over episodes.

# Geum Sang Min: Twin daughter. Hardworking yet struggling & dirt broke artist of years. Becomes a better son.
# Geum Min Ah: The 20yo SNU student, hardworking yet stubborn and does things without any thought. The cutest probably.

# Geum In Sol: Twin Son. Another best character development. The 20yo guy was neither studios nor decisive. Clueless with what to choose, he tries various job in order to decide what he wants. Regardless, a very good son to parents who thinks clear and takes care of his family.

# Han Geu Roo: 32yo single, with a closed heart. Protective of her family to a great deal and does a very good job work as an editor.
# Han Da Bal: Widowed, a single mother and an amazing judo artist. Loves her daughter and family a lot but still not open to have another partner.
# Min Ga Eun: Orphaned girl living with sister inlaw's family. Very ambitious at work and works hard. Soft-spoken and bubbly.
# Min Sol: Thoughtful despite of her age, loves her mother a lot, loves to befriend everyone.

# Choi Ji Wan: Divorcee, loving father, an amazing CEO of Aarang Publication. The humblest yet clueless.
# Hyun Shi Woon: Temporary marketing head at Aarang. The friendliest and mood maker. A cupid to many lovers. Loved the way he talked.
# Choi Yi Jae: Very shy kid, stuck between separated parents. Changes a lot by opening up to his father with Da Bal and Min Sol's help.

# Ki Young: Physiotherapist, alcoholic, divorced, friendly yet hard to open up to.
# Im Heon: 20yo brilliant student yet a stupid guy just like his wife, Min Ah. Causes trouble together.

COUPLES:

Jong Hwa & Kang Mo Ran: Married at their twilight years after falling in love. Becomes closer with time. Together, bring the 2 families together.

Sang Baek & Young Hye: Felt in love in highschool, married despite situations, care for each other and together manage their small family. Concerned for their children.

Sang Gu & Min Hee: Fall in love as asst. Dir. and rookie actress, marry after pregnancy. Maintain a bitter relationship but later turn in into a loving couple and embrace each other's flaws.

Sang Min & Ga Eun: Formerly student & teacher, met each other after years as step families. End up staying under the same roof, working together and finally falling in love with each other.

Geu Roo & Shi Woon: With a embarrassing first impression, both avoid each other at work but while helping Geu Roo as a cupid both fall in love unknowingly and faced difficulties to maintain it.

Da Bal & Ji Wan: Both the single parents had to go through various challenges to end up together till the end because of their children , family and situations. It was like contrasting characters attracting each other.

Min Ah & Im Heon: Married at 20 bcs of unexpected pregnancy. The cutest couple, both clueless and immature. Cause trouble for family but decide to do everything for their baby to come.

So many important things anf factors of life at different places like home, education, workplace has been portrayed along with various aspects of life. A number of relationships and their various shades are beautifully represented. I am very glad after watching this drama.

Many other things that's also been thrown light upon are: stress from study, early pregnancy, failed business, family responsibilities, alcoholism, fraudulent, cheating, extramarital affairs, highschool first love, dirty sides of entertainment industry, hatred & online abuse, sincere worker, struggle in performing and creative art sector, atmosphere in publication company, child mental health, divorcee life, widower life, love & care within family, understanding, privacy, concerns, etc.

Ep 100-115 were the peak of the drama where life-changing events happened for most of the characters. It has literally everything summed up and despite many problems, the last 5 episodes ended the drama in a very good way. Loved it.

I am happy I decided to watch it soon, bcs I don't really watch daily soaps (this is my 2nd). This drama brought out all kinda emotions from me and I was laughing, crying, smiling widely, cursing and all through out the drama. This drama is in fact more of a funny comedy and ngl, my laugh has become uglier after watching this TT. Korean daily soaps grow on you no matter how you watch it, ongoing or binging.

PLEASE GO FOR THIS.

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NOT YOUR TYPICAL THAI BL

STORY
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When SUPERNATURAL meets BL this series is what you will have. Despite just having 3 episode. each one will definitely make you stay at the edge of your seat. May it be you're expecting for a jump-scare or anticipating what will happen next, for sure, you will be asking for more. Unfortunately, 3 episodes is just too short. However, that works in the favor of the story itself as it did not have any filler scenes or unnecessary characters and side story. But do I hope for a longer one? Definitely yes, because this is a unique story comparing to the 99% of Thai BL's. No school/uni scene(s) and the fact that is can be categorized as supernatural as well.

What I really like about the story that it does not follow a linear time line. It does not spoon feed you and will make you think despite that this is a love story. Yes, thinking is more for the mystery type of story; but somehow, the mystery side of the plot is what will make you hooked. True enough, what was shown in the Episode 1 will definitely leave you scratching your head until you watch Episode 2 and realize what Episode 1 is the effect of Episode 2.

Episode 3 is the most emotionally packed one. Grief, anger, sadness, pain and letting go. I am actually surprised that a 16 minute long episode would contain so much of emotion. A 16-minute emotion roller coaster ride indeed. The very last scene, the most ironic "lines"... Kinda reminds me of the song "Punchline" by Aidan Martin because the word 'punchline' was said on the stage.

And as the video darkens, is also the time my heart dropped.

Story-wise if you want to have a sense of the order of the episode based on their timeline, what happened first is Episode 2. It is your choice which will follow next if it is going to be Episode 1 or 3. But I prefer Ep 2 -> 1 -> 3 as it has a sense of acceptance.

ACTING/CAST
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Jeff and Gameplay are relatively newcomers in the Thai entertainment industry. BUT, they are already showing an awesome acting skill!

Jeff's characters as Mike (in this mini-series) and Marwin (Ingredients) have the same vibes; HOWEVER, in this mini-series, Jeff have already shown multiple of emotions. I must admit, I have watched the first 7 episodes of "Ingredients" before watching this one, after all, it was not complete until today. I like his character as Marwin and I have thought that it suits his looks, charming and cute and is working for him. Then I have watched this. Oh Boy! This guy have a lot of potential and can be on the level of the actors under GMMTV and Nadao Bangkok.

Gameplay, I really like his rugged looks here, and in the series Ingredients, is more neat and organized. Similarly with Jeff, he shows a number of emotions already as to his character "Tops" in "Ingredients". It really hard not to fall in low with Tops when he smiles, but in this, I really want to hug to comfort him as he has been through a lot. If you watch closely, you can see him shows hint of emotion in a number of scenes. It is actually hard for any actor to do that than to show the full emotion. Think about this, a smirk could mean a lot of things; but Gameplay show that facial expression and immediately, you know what he is trying to make you feel.

MUSIC
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Two iconic songs that definitely put the watching experience in a different level.
1st is MOMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT993S1FDNM
Jeff and Gameplay singing an excerpt of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJwJuBq5y6U

2nd is COMEDY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuKy6aQvcrs , from Jeff's YouTube channel
with hardcoded lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFmh2nvo00

Both were sung by Mike (Jeff Satur). Coincidentally, Moment is also featured in another BL series which feature both Jeff and Gameplay.

Jeff is fast becoming my favorite Thai Actor-Singer-Intrumentalist.

REWATCH VALUE
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As almost all series I have watched I rarely rewatch a series or a movie and this is definitely not one of those that I will rewatch.

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a thriller/horror turned into an examination of how awful people can be

Overall: I struggled with how to rate this as there were parts that really worked for me and others that didn't. I was also disappointed but not surprised when some viewers victim blamed the character Non. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI. Production company is Be On Cloud which also produced KinnPorsche.

Content Warnings: murders/death, blood/gore, decapitation, animal death, vomiting, bullying, manipulation, coercion, mental health struggles, suicides, attempted suicide, parental abuse, beaten up, grooming, teacher/student, non con sex, non con recording/sharing, cyberbullying, drugging

Thoughts on Victim Blaming Non
- consent is multifaceted, one part is non-coerced and Non was definitely coerced, he was groomed by someone he had respected and felt he owed that person, Non did not deserve the terrible things that happened to him
- for people who said "why didn't he just switch schools", we don't know the cost/transportation difficulty with doing that, also I think Non was an abuse cycle with the friend group, Jin was the little bit of sweetness that made Non hope for things to get better and then when they were terrible it was difficult to break free, viewers also forgot that Non had been lied to/manipulated and believed the first thing was his fault and that he was mainly responsible for all of the awfulness happening to him (update in episode 11 around 7 minutes Non says "if you didn't see me as a friend I could have moved to another school" which confirms for me that Non would have left if all of them had been terrible all the time but Non had glimpses of kindness an that kept him at his current school)

Watch Notes
- if you like horror/thriller (and don't want to see a ton of bullying/people being awful), watch episodes 1-4, then watch the beginning recaps of episodes 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 which are all flashback, watch episode 10 thru the end
- if you like sweetness, watch the first 5 minutes of episode 7 and watch episode 11 33-41:25
- if you like spiciness, watch the scene at 26 minutes of episode 9

What I Liked
- mystery aspect
- the NSFW/intimate scenes in the first episode and episode 9 were well done
- character actions sometimes felt realistic
- that they talk about not splitting up like in a horror movie
- sweet moments beginning of episode 7
- fleshing some characters' backstories out
- flawed characters

Room For Improvement
- slowly paced for being a thriller, flashback episodes 5-9 provided important context but they also interrupted the thrilling part of the series, they could have condensed them or interspersed with the thriller part in the present
- there were 9 main characters and it took me quite some time to figure out who they all were and their relationships to one another
- Jin got off the hook way too easy for something absolutely terrible that he did, it felt unrealistic and was disappointing
- episode 10 was an exposition dump/reveal with some scenes (wandering around the woods) that dragged
- one character did not deserve what he got (wish there had been some kind of twist with this character)
- ending felt rushed and too much fantasy (no way would hallucinations have been exactly like that), wanted more/different twists and then the 31 minutes onward didn't work for me

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You're wonderful just as you are regardless of what planet you come from

Call Me Chihiro reminded me of Mary Poppins, if Mary Poppins had been an ex-sex worker. Like a warm breeze on a cloudy day, Chihiro brought kindness and healing to the people she came across whether it was a mischievous little boy or an ant helpless on its back. Short on plot and long on healing human interactions this film is one you experience with your heart, not your mind.

Chihiro works at a Bento shop handing out warmth and food often with a gentle sense of humor. She makes friends with a small boy whose mother works nights, a high school girl whose father is at a minimum verbally abusive, a homeless man, and the blind woman married to the Bento boss. Despite her work background she never hides it from any of the people she helps. We don't know much about her except that she had a painful childhood and a traumatic experience that caused her to flee her massage parlor job.

Even though Chihiro helps the abused and downtrodden, she cannot always feel the warmth she gives. Without a second thought she buries the dead-both human and animal-afterwards taking a shower and then eating ramen. With her trans friend she explains that if love is about owning and being owned she wants no part of it. She reaches out to others yet cannot bring herself to truly feel and be open.

This film was filled with sweet, touching moments showing how kindness and healing are passed on. As the circle of people she has thrown a life vest of acceptance to begin to interact and support each, the story feels stronger and more interconnected. Yet as profoundly as Chihiro touched others she was filled with an "air of loneliness" and trying hard to run away from it; though near the end, the sun began to break through the clouds in her eyes.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is when Chihiro tells the high schooler about a client she had. He believed that people were actually aliens in human suits. The reason people don't get along is because everyone is from different planets. She and the high schooler always have their eyes open for someone who might be from their planet. What she really wants is for someone to validate her feelings and see her worth. When she thinks she's finally found someone from her planet it clearly touches her that this person thinks she is wonderful just as she is, even if she can't see that in herself.

Call Me Chihiro is a film for when you need a feel good story that doesn't require much brain power. Watching these disparate people begin to find a sense of belonging and someone who cares about them was heartwarming. It may also motivate you to see others beyond their physical appearance and faults and to discover how far one good deed can spread.

2/23/23

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DOYA-JAA!!!! drama of the year for sure...

My opinion on sato takeru change from a so so actor to good capable actor and this was his best performance I must say and he deserves the best actor role on this. IF he continue do performance like this then he might join the ranks of those top class japanese actors. Haru kuroki is one of the best young japanese dramatic actress today and perhaps she is the best. Her acting here is like silent-but-deadly and she never overact and thats the best thing i notice on her.

The story is very engaging definitely one of the most inspiring drama's I saw and i love how they dramatize tokuzo akiyama who is a real person, his antics, his movements...I love it. I also like the way they manage those time skips it didnt feel rushed. The acting here was phenomenal even the foreign actors did well specially that french girl and I wanted to know what happen to her after. This wont become that much inspiring if not of this drama's music....they inserts right music at the right moment. I notice this in every episodes they will build up you emotion, just as you thought that was it but there still a final kicker at the end then BAM.

I didnt cry while watching this but i do feel like I wanna work more harder after. Watch it you wont regret it.

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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how good is it? well...it’s a long story...一两句说不清楚

my review is split into two parts: (i) the first part is a spoiler free review for those who are looking for a general recommendation, (ii) the second is a more comprehensive breakdown with spoilers that contains production details and tidbits gleamed from interviews with the actors, director, scriptwriter, casting director, etc. that might be interesting to those who have watched and enjoyed this drama.

Part 1 - Recommendation

based on script and directing alone, this is the best chinese webdrama i’ve seen this first half of 2021 and, while not perfect in execution, it is subjectively my favorite ancient setting suspense drama since nirvana in fire. i didn’t skip a single scene and even rewatched episodes twice or three times to make sure i got every detail (for someone who wanted to be a detective as a kid, this exercised my brain in the most enjoyable way).

after being used to webdramas with unnecessary storylines, useless characters, uninteresting secondary pairings to fill time (the amount i haven’t fastforwarded are in the low tens), this was a well-appreciated surprise. anything unnecessary is excised, the plot does not drag, no one is dumb for no reason just to extend plot. chekhov’s gun (the dramatic principle every detail within a story must contribute to the overall narrative) absolutely applies - even a slightly longer than normal focus on a particular person, action, or prop indicates it will likely be referenced later (see footnote 1 for details/spoilers). it’s fascinating to see how every single case contributes, like a set of keys on a ring, to the larger culminating plot. from an audience’s perspective, the mystery/detective part of the story is really enjoyable - you can literally follow along with the clues (question everything because it will all be answered!) and try to solve the larger mysteries along with the cast. importantly, the script doesn’t try to be too smart in tricking its audience - if you’re looking for more of an easy watch, everything will end up well-explained; if you’re looking to involve yourself in the mystery and pay attention to subtle clues, you’ll be rewarded with answers (see footnote 1).

i also like that it’s a “warm” drama with heart - while the story begins from betrayal and advances with high stakes, it is not so involved in its seriousness that the audience is buried in continual stress. lighter moments are sprinkled throughout providing humor (actually funny in a dry kind of way - like that darn omnipotent spoon) and emotional touch points - complementing and enriching its core story (see end of episode 21, which absolutely floored me in how beautiful it was presented). i’m reminded of nirvana in fire, where in midst of bleakness and intrigue, heroes remain heartbreakingly good, and where the story is focused but also balanced and colorful. if you’re looking for a great detective story, if you’re looking for a historically driven plot, if you’re looking for comedy, if you’re looking for an ensemble cast with great chemistry, you will find it all here.

on that final point, i love that characterization of the main cast and various side role, as well as their relationships, are all so well-developed - the villain cohorts are multi-dimensional and fun to watch (instead of just the usual cartoonishly evil), the female lead and female second are so, so supportive of each other (instead of competitive/jealousy), the various brotherhoods are sweet, even the parent-children relationships are touching and humane (instead of oppressive/overbearing). on romance, it’s a mix of slow burn (with small cute moments sprinkled throughout) and straightforwardness (with misunderstandings cleared up in hours) that is refreshing to see in chinese dramaland and feels very realistic. there’s also a subtle epic dimension to the main couple’s romance some alert viewers may come to realize (see footnote 2 for spoiler).

as for “failings”, this is a small budget drama (more on this in part 2), which is apparent in production, acting, and the ending episodes. the emperor basically never leaves his own room, he never attends court, he has no empress or concubines or female servants. the casting director mentioned casting was especially constrained by cost because they wanted to focus their budget on production - and so the main pair of actors are very green (this drama was basically a graduation gift [from beijing film academy] for both of them) although tolerable for their roles; they along with the rest of the cast were paid below market. many of the supporting casts were essentially cameos due to their relationships with the director and the production team, and extras were all staff. tencent also only allowed 36 episodes (in the beginning they were only given 24!) so the last 6 episodes were noticeably rushed - logic breaks down, we lose some of that emotional underlay that carried the first parts, and pacing went into overdrive. given how intelligent the show had been up to that point, it makes sense an outer force caused the deterioration in standard. i can almost hear the production team’s discussion - instead of lowering quality across board, they decided to make sure as many episodes were as good as they can get. but these are all “failings” by a higher standard than i normally would accord the typical chinese webdrama, and they did not greatly affected my viewing experience.

as for comparative dramas, madam holmes, miss truth, under the power, i’ve fallen for you, and honey don’t run away are similar in genre but they have rather weak detective plotlines that are more vehicles for romance - it’s almost the opposite here. young blood and the plough department of song dynasty are closer in being balanced and having great cast chemistry. i also have ancient detective and nirvana in fire in mind in being well-rounded suspense dramas featuring honest, good storytelling.

footnote 1: a few examples: (1) i was puzzled why the dancer didn’t kill herself right after she was caught (unlike other assassins) considering she had the poison on her from the beginning. we later learn yan ming’s death was intended to draw attention to duke chang’s existence so then it made sense she lived long enough to make sure they find the scroll; (2) mr. xue was suspicious from the start - we see him constantly feeding and taking care of fishes (the chinese word for fish being similar to jinyu’s name) as if he was playing/controlling jinyu; the antique owner also used “fish” as code for jinyu so one can deduce he and mr. xue were cohorts; various references to his separation from the emperor by a screen point to his state of being so close yet far away from capturing the throne; (3) the story doesn’t even waste a dog - it is used to show jinyu’s intelligence in the beginning and then much later to find chu he.

footnote 2: as the son of a general and daughter of the general’s right hand man, jinyu and chu chu would have grown up together from childhood (青梅竹马) if not for the eunuchs’ meddling. that they still ended up with each other in the end, despite and because of that past, gives a beautiful, fated quality to their relationship.

Part 2 - Background and Details
*more spoilers ahead

this webdrama became more atypical the more i dug into its history and production background. i had fun researching, and thought i would share.

as most know, this webdrama is based on a webnovel. i read a bit of it and basically there’s no correlation besides some similar names and roles. it almost feels like a juvenile, romance-focused fanfiction version of the drama. the web novelist (qingxian yatou/清闲丫头) and another young female scriptwriter (qian xiaobai/钱小白), as newcomers to scriptwriting, took three years to slowly grind the bones of the webnovel into script.

during this time, the director’s (lou jian (楼健)) contribution was invaluable. he was xiaobai’s teacher and guided their process. the scriptwriters said it was almost like homework with the completed drama their graduation project - lou jian taught them how to ground the story in history (the webnovel doesn’t reference any specific eras but the drama is set in late tang dynasty) which steered the plot direction, to revise the script in endless iterations, to round out existing and create new characters (like using qin luan’s obsession with hair to show his inner ambitions; xiao heng, a driving force behind the emotional impact of the drama, wasn’t even in the webnovel).

lou jian also became their director due to his earlier tutelage. as a well-respected older director whose other works all have been formal dramas (mostly spy/war oriented) for tv stations (as opposed to lighter idol-esque webdramas most international audiences are familiar with), this was also a new experience. he mentioned chances to direct webdramas aren’t usually given to older directors (he was born in 1967) because younger ones are seen as more in touch with the youthful demographics webdramas are targeted at.

but i think this symbiotic relationship between younger female scriptwriters and an older, more traditional director end up being key to the drama’s success. lou jian helped shape it out of an otherwise dime-a-dozen romance-driven webdrama it would have been, and gave it foundation in traditional storytelling and directing techniques - for example, he insisted on candle lighting for night scenes, better suited to the drama’s historical nature and suspenseful atmosphere than harsh artificial lighting which are usual webdramas’ bread and butter.

at the same time, he respected his scriptwriters and other younger workers’ thoughts. the two writers added modern details about women’s struggle in the world, values, and viewpoints (“girls saving girls is the most natural thing in the world”/“女子保护女子是天经地义的呀“). during a romantic scene in which jinyu delicately lifted chu chu’s chin with fingertips, lou jin debated whether to go with a more aggressive approach and was course-corrected by the female staff on the set. he kept a scene where jinli hugged jinyu out of concern (one of the best cp’s in the drama) because of the excitement it caused a young female staff.

so many others contributed. the editor’s decision to not cut the background music at the end of episode 21 was pure genius. certain parallel edits (between jinyu’s tea-making and chu chu’s examination; between mr. xie/mr. jing’s chess match and jinyu/jinli’s chess match) and the use of different title sequences to break up the story arcs were also great. the actors filmed everything without stunt doubles. they performed the actual fight scenes, the fire scene, the outdoor water scenes in the middle of winter.

as mentioned, this drama was poor and affected by tencent’s meddling which led to some quality failings in production and storytelling towards the ending arc. originally, the drama was supposed to be even shorter, at 24 episodes, which would have been more comfortable for their budget. but their production company did not want lose important details to the cases and characters, so it became a painful process of counting coins and cutting scenes to meet the 36 episode requirement. originally jinli was supposed to have a love line; editing at the end suggests many scenes were taken out. their production team mentioned how much they envied the scale of other dramas that were filming alongside them at the studio (“a 3,000 yuan wig and a 200 yuan wig are not the same”). the director had to fight for every additional change, and spent his lunch hours figuring out how optimize costs with the production team.

that they can tell a story this great (albeit not perfect) with all the limitations seems almost superhuman. i also appreciate what they did focus their budget on. the female lead doesn’t have pretty clothing and makeup, which wouldn’t be true-to-life for her status (but seems de rigeur in other webdramas). but production did decide to relocate shooting (very expensive) from the studio (hengdian) to hubei, china for the qianzhou arc, to make the scenes more realistic.

their efforts were well rewarded. despite its tiny budget, unknown stars, and no pre-show publicity, the drama managed to stay at the top of the datawin list of popular shows during its run. the two leads entered vlinkage’s top 20 list for media coverage (in midst of intensely popular traffic stars). reporting that the leads couldn’t promote the drama because they were revising their graduation theses trended to the top of weibo. its viewership, based on tencent’s numbers only, started at near 1 million views per day and climbed to 35 million (totaling almost half a billion) on the day its running ended for vip/fast-track viewers. su xiaotong even went back into costume to film a new ad insert for the show. review-wise, it started at an 8.1 and climbed to an 8.4 on douban as of its final airing for vip/fast-track viewers, which is equivalent to a crown in chinese webdrama land.

even with all its successes, i had a constant question while watching the imperial coroner - would it have been as great with a larger budget? or could it have achieved even more success with a larger budget? imagine if it kept its quality and had 4 or 6 more episodes to fill in the ending arc - the potential for an unquestionably perfect drama was within reach; production tried its hardest amidst unimaginable constraints. but maybe if tencent had put its eye on it from the start, they might have been forced to use traffic stars with their diva demands, to fill the script with nonsense and extend the plot unnecessarily, to hire a director that’s younger and more “in touch”, to be less than the very genuine story it is today.

i have a tiny hope platforms can learn the right things from this drama’s success (alongside other recent small budget/well-scripted shows that have blew up and beat out extravagant shows driven by traffic stars). at its core, dramas are about storytelling and the audience shows it responds to those who show sincerity in telling a great story.

- rrenaace
——
sources:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzU0NTA3ODkyNw==&mid=2247495456&idx=1&sn=fd33c0477b3aa1d4aae58ad792da07d1&chksm=fb70c4c0cc074dd669cb5f1bb85b4f2d754ed482e5dd022bd8f71e9787acd157dd80ef31821e&dt_dapp=1#rd

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nh7FP7OwICoaIpfpgM5PWQ

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzAwNDk2NDc5OQ==&mid=2247506241&idx=1&sn=bb4ac0ba209664b88fbe64b2ae1dee88&chksm=9b217191ac56f8874ab0c3952ef3a903cd80b46c958516b275143fca39f7fa8a1760448e0cc5&dt_dapp=1#rd

https://share.api.weibo.cn/share/223656447.html?weibo_id=4637132620828147

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eFFjb_m1ktNAZYY9nb93OA

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzU1NDgwMTY3MA==&mid=2247513218&idx=1&sn=7136df7812f0ff74f7b425c378408083&chksm=fbdcfbebccab72fd337c6004e74b9d2d49ed5d14af00258097fc3daa41539a5f6fa6c63a70db&dt_dapp=1#rd

https://k.sina.cn/article_5737990122_15602c7ea01900sopz.html?from=ent&subch=oent&sinawapsharesource=newsapp&wm=3200_0024

https://www.douban.com/group/topic/227310396/?dt_dapp=1

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A moment might be short but it's strong enough to illuminate a lifetime

Lie to Love is a contemporary rom-com which starts with many elements of revenge, amnesia, a cool FL and mysterious ML and soon takes you on a romantic voyage.

What I liked (Pros) —
➢ It has the right amount of mystery and everyone plays it cool, like they know each other's secrets but everyone is good at pretending

➢ The whole tree, camping and rock climbing concept was something I really liked… that could be made into a whole different drama and it would be so fun to watch that… I was enjoying the couple's flashbacks more than their current romance…
➢ The main leads, Li Ze Ziang and Su Xie Yi's chemistry stands out differently…

➢ The OSTs, even Luo Yunxi sang one song but Cheng Xiao also has good vocals, no idea why they didn't give her any song… or maybe those songs didn't suit her style…

➢ Oscar, Ohh! Such a nice friend and he is such a sweet character and "Chestnut" is the cutest part of this drama… he deserved some more screen time

➢ Acting was well done by the main important characters ~ Luo Yunxi, Cheng Xiao, Gao Han, Tian Yi Yong, Zhao Zheng and Wang Zi Yun…


What I didn't liked (Cons) —
⚘ FL's character was so confusing for me… they raised my bar too high with the first episode, she was flipping her clothes on air like that, it looked damn cool… but what to do with the great start as later Xie Yi loses her charm… like you went there with a big task… with this and that plans… but you end up depending on the male lead totally… thankfully her role got a little better towards the end again…

⚘ I feel sad for those people (including me) who came in this drama for "pretended amnesia" plot… cause that stayed for very less episodes only…

⚘ I feel like this base story (which is given as sypnosis here in MDL) had so much potential but what they actually showed in the drama had spoiled it… if they gave little less importance to Romance, this would have been more better…

⚘ there comes a span of boring episodes in between, around 15-24 where I was skipping most of the things…


Music/OSTs
❆ ♪Circle Of love♪ — Tien Chong (loved this song! )
❆ ♪Because of you♪ — Luo Yunxi (the song is filled with over sweetness. With this song in Yunxi's voice, I was getting "Love is Sweet" drama vibes… )
❆ ♪Memory of last life♪ — Curley Gao ( her high notes seem so natural, she sings every song in such a mysterious way )
❆ ♪Your moon♪ — Ariel Ann
❆ ♪How are you♪ — Wang Sulong
❆ ♪there is light in the tree hole♪ — Li Runqi
❆ ♪Venus♪ — By2 ( another pretty song with pretty lyrics and pretty voices… one of the singers was giving me "Frozen" vibes )
❆ ♪My sun♪ — Si Nan

… this drama really had many songs… and these songs really saved many points from me… "Circle of love" and "Venus" are my favorites out of these…

I enjoyed watching this at some points while I got bored at some… won't be rewatching this… So, overall, a mysterious drama that will reveal things to you on the surface but hang on, there's more to the story… it's mixed, sometimes very good and sometimes just a watchable drama…

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When the Only Way Forward Is....Acting

Double is a tour-de-force of acting and writing for the small screen. Chiba Yudai and Nagayama Kento disappear into the roles of two struggling stage actors, a mentor and a mentee. The ten-episode script by Yoshida Erika, a co-writer of Cherry Magic, focuses on a period in the two characters’ weirdly co-dependent relationship when the career of the younger actor begins to eclipse that of his mentor. Chiba plays Takarada Takara, who begs to join a penurious theater company after randomly catching one of their plays on a rainy day. Nagayama plays Kamoshima Yujin, an established actor befuddled by the awkward oddball’s request to upend his life and join the troupe. Eventually seeing in Takara a potential for acting greatness, Yujin agrees to take him on. That summary accounts for the first episode, but the second leaps seven years forward in their relationship. By that time, Yujin has become not only Takara’s mentor, but also his closest companion, defacto manager, and personal warden. Chiba and Nagayama inhabit the inner and outer worlds of their characters, as Yoshida’s deft script plumbs the psyche and pathos of their friendship.

Episodes Two through Seven depict the deep connection between Yujin and Takara following those seven unseen years. Their bond fuses the professional and the personal. The duo block acting roles together. They study filmed works of famous actors. They occupy adjacent rooms in a ramshackle dwelling. Because Takara has some sort of reading impediment, Yujin steers their acting process. Because Takara evinces no interest in household chores, Yujin cooks and launders for both. Because Takara loses track of details, Yujin nannies him to ensure he arrives at his appointments. Mostly symbiotic, the dynamic contains dysfunction. When sent to auditions on his own, Takara becomes easily overwhelmed. To cope, he conjures an imaginary version of Yujin, and the specter proffers advice to fit the circumstances. It’s fair to say that both Yujins—the real one and the avatar—own considerable real estate between Takara’s ears.

Change disrupts the established pattern of their comfortable routine when Takara’s career begins to flourish. He secures flashy acting gigs in TV dramas, in commercials, and, most notably, in an arty film directed by a high-profile auteur. Meanwhile, struggling to survive between acting gigs, Yujin languishes as a short-order cook. Success splits the pair. Famous Director resents the unheralded Yujin (or the conjured specter of Yujin) influencing his actor’s on-film decisions. New colleagues question and undermine their closeness. A fresh, professional management agency whisks Takara away to a new living arrangement. On the strength of these novel outside influences, Takara begins to blossom into both a functioning, independent adult and an actor confident enough to make his own performative choices. He is evicting Yujin from his headspace.

The series’ title references two usages of the word “double” in the acting profession. Both usages allow Yoshida’s script to delve into the mental world of each lead character. In the process, Yoshida offers viewers a veritable seminar in performance studies. First, “doubling” is a rehearsal practice in which one actor rehearses their scenes with an actor who won’t actually play the part onstage. The substitute’s job is to double the performance of the absent actor, thereby enabling the scene partner to hone their own portrayal. The technique requires the double to understand the motivations not only of the character, but also of the actor whose performative choices they must emulate. A secondary usage of double, “double-casting”, refers to the practice of having two actors alternate performances in the same role. During their seven years in the theater company, Yujin often employed both senses of doubling as techniques to help teach Takara the craft of acting or to learn his lines in myriad plays. Doubling one another became second-nature by the time outside forces intervened in their dynamic.

Episode Eight features a second time jump, merely six months this time, a period in the pair’s lives when Takara’s success has led to the duo’s near complete estrangement. Having broken her characters apart, Yoshida’s script now must bring them back together ahead of the looming series finale. An instance of doubling, when Yujin fills in for Takara’s co-star in a new theater production, provides the catalyst for the duo’s reunion, both professional and personal. During that rehearsal, the play’s director marked not only Yujin’s own considerable talent as an actor, but also the way his portrayal of the part elevated Takara’s performance. Recognizing that ineffable spark between two performers, the director unceremoniously dumps the actor previously cast. Due to this play’s difficult subject matter, she also seizes Yujin’s addition to the company as an opportunity to reimagine her version of the production. Henceforward, Yujin and Takara will alternate roles. For the characters, the double-casting amounts to regression: having just attained independence, the two will once again become doubles to one another. The final trilogy of episodes explore the repercussions of the director’s double choices. Takara seems to value his fledgling self-sufficiency, and initially he resists the latter’s reinsertion into his life. How he handles the mental crisis created by this development drives the plot in those final three episodes. But is his emotional opposition to Yujin’s casting merely professional anxiety?

The dynamic between Takara and Yujin contains a subtle sexual tension that burbles beneath the surface for the first seven of the ten episodes. Takara’s attraction to Yujin (previously unspoken but implied a few times) erupts into the open in Episode Eight. That verbal outburst proved one-sided, and neither character dwells on the romantic tension in the penultimate episode. The issue ripples through the finale, but primarily as an accent to the character arc, not to flavor the story arc. “I want your everything. Your voice, your eyes, your hand, your foot, everything,” Takara confesses in the Finale. At first blush (and one wants to after hearing the raw, soul-baring need inherent to those words), Takara aims that confession at Yujin. But on consideration, flesh-and-blood Yujin was not there. The confession went to the conjured Yujin in Takara’s head, which means Takara really said that to himself. So it’s an open question whether Takara is asking something of Yujin in absentia or exhorting himself to get his act together. In context, the words come across less as an expression of romantic desire and more as a lost soul’s yearning for connection.

That any sexual attraction arises at all creates a temptation for some viewers to classify the whole series as BL; yet, Double frankly lacks most of that genre’s telltale tics. I cannot fathom the series even aspires to be seen as BL.* If Double never reads as BL, it likewise never reads as LGBTQ+. Its mostly-latent queer tensions never drive any story arc. For these reasons, the stunted gay storyline does not represent a betrayal of the queer sexual tension in the story or of the characters themselves. Queerbaiting, this story is not. Double does offer a beguiling exploration into the friendship bond between two men, a product of one’s need to find greatness and the other’s…need. Everything else, including the putative romance, proves incidental to the other business this series aimed to portray.

Yoshida’s strong focus on character makes Double compelling television. Watching Takara and Yujin—or Takara and Specter Yujiin—takes viewers on a journey that nearly fractures reality. While doubling during rehearsals, the actors explain their performative choices to one another and, by extension, to the audience. This recurrent doubling in Double offers ample opportunity for Yoshida to comment upon the theory and psychology of performativity, the psychology of friendship, the psychology of co-dependency, and the psychology of suppressed attraction. Those scenes where Yujin and Takara explain their acting choices to one another offer viewers a window into the characters’ innermost thoughts. This device of having the characters speak aloud what’s on their minds echoes an earlier series on which Yoshida contributed as screenwriter, Cherry Magic. In that series, two characters acquire the ability to read minds, allowing the inner thoughts of other characters to be shared with the audience via dialog spoken aloud. Double dispenses with Cherry Magic’s fantastical whimsy, replacing the wizards’ mind-reading with a masterclass on how actors create their portrayals. In both series, this added insight into how the important characters think during important moments helped make the characters vivid and memorable; their stories, plausible and impactful. Primarily a character study powered by a provocative script, powerhouse acting (especially from Chiba), and competent direction, Double achieves an echelon of thoughtful brilliance few other series can aspire to match.


Easter Egg: In episode 9, a poster for the play reveals the dates and venues for the performances in 2024. Make plans now!

*-- The class of BL fans who consume the genre just to watch a fluffy story wherein two handsome men kiss will want to skip this series. Double does not deliver what they seek. The class of BL fans who enjoy their same-sex romances accompanied by intelligent dialog, adult drama, or insight into the human condition will consider Double a mixed bag. If such fans can overlook the minimal same-sex romancing, then those other attributes will reward their dedication to watching. The class of BL fans who enjoy a quality drama because it's a quality drama will simply be pleased.

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Kissing scenes were not satisfying....!

One thing I liked most about this drama is cast!.
why "Friendship" or "Best Friends" tag is not added???

Actors and acting is only good thing in the drama. Bad editing, bad direction, no budget, bad screenwriting, scriptwriting(story was draggy when not needed and was rushed when it was supposed to be draggy/detailed), no promotion and everything was mess but not actors, their acting and their chemistry.

Chemistry and understanding between ML and FL was so smooth and perfect. Their relation was so pure and transparent l, there was no misunderstandings, no love triangle, no plotting against each other for love and also other couple(young dragon lord and his fiance) was very much sorted with their feelings.
These days they have started making more cdramas like this where there's no toxic love and tangled relations. Even tho kissing scenes were not really good or mayb lack emotional touch, it worked because of their chemistry throughout the drama.

I cannot even tell how good they portrayed their character, each and every actor-character did their best, The Squad- bestest thing in the drama and probably the only reason to watch drama until the end.

This drama perfectly justifies the phrase 'Friendship is inevitable and Friends are destinated to be'. In the group of four each character had their own bond, story, chemistry equally love, hate, care, responsibility with every other character. There's no grouping or partiality in their squad, all four love all four equally! For someone like me who really cares about Friendship, This drama will not disappoint in terms of Friendship.

There are many mistakes from other teams of drama-makers (like editing team, direction, screenwriting) but not from actor's end and that's what makes this drama deserving!

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oof… where to begin. The premise of the show is borderline offensive. The scene where a guy pretending to be gay lectures an actual gay man on gay rights and coming out made me want to dig a hole and bury myself alive.

It’s obviously a straight story, but they were pushing the “gay love line” so badly. The scenes between ML and SL were more romantic and shot in a more “typical for romance” way than the ones between the actual main couple. As if they wanted brownie points for being “progressive”, but they were not willing to actually give us a gay couple, just bait us with stuff like we had here.

So, let’s talk about the characters, because there is quite a lot to unpack.

Park Jin Sung is a disaster of a character. I love me some flawed ones, but he had no redeeming qualities. While I can empathize with his initial decision to join the pilot episode of the show to get money for his dad’s surgery, the fact he kept going with this lie later on was laughable. Why? His reasoning for not dropping the show was: it will hurt my crush. What was in the brain of that dude? He became so amazingly preachy, I wanted to teleport myself into a drama and slap him at least a few times. This whole mess happened, because he did not think about anyone else except what Ah Jin thought and felt. What’s even more frustrating? He didn’t really lose anything in the end. He got his happy ending and we didn't see that much backlash happen directed at him. None of the characters were even that angry with him. Karma ain’t real here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kim Ah Jin… well. I like to think there are two types of naive female leads - nice naive and dumb naive. She is the latter one. When people questioned her on the reasons for the “gay chef” show, she had no real answer. She said she wanted to show how gay people are normal and not different from others, but that’s dumb, since the main focus of the show and its promotion was that it’s a GAY chef as if this was the most important description of him as a human being. She had NO IDEA what she was producing. It shows when she gets so amazingly shocked about these 3 people protesting and asking for the cancellation. “Their eyes were full of hatred” YES HONEY, THERE ARE HOMOPHOBIC PEOPLE.

As someone who was willing to make a whole show focused on the fact your host is gay, you should do some research to know what you are getting yourself and said person into. So you can prepare. So when homophobes show up, no one needs to protect you and make you feel better. It’s you who should stand strong and defend your host and the program you are creating. Her whole character was so amazingly useless and no true development happened.

Luckily we were graced with Kang Tae Wan, the true star of the drama. First, I want to say Lee Hak Joo is an amazing actor and I believed every line he delivered. When he was happy, I was giggling like an idiot, when he was sad I wanted to fight whomever made him sad. Thanks to that awesome performance I was able to engage in his part of the story more. I also appreciate that they avoided going with stereotypes and making the gay character “less manly” with over exaggerated movements, way of speaking and fashion. Tae Wan was none of that. I loved to watch his emotional journey and how he slowly learned how to smile and get close to people around him. I loved the closure he was given and his scene with the dad in the last episode.

The plot had so much potential and could have offered us so much, but for some strange reason they decided to not do it. Why did they give us the typical side couple? They could use that time to explore Park Jin Woo’s character more. Deliver more scenes of Park Jin Sung cooking while they film the show, with some nice messages and a calming mood. Dive deep into the struggles of LGBTQ community. Let Jin Sung taste it a bit, so when he finds out Tae Wan is actually gay, it would truly hit him how much of a bullshit what he did was. Truth to be told, the whole 12 episodes felt like the beginning of the drama, just an introduction. What happened to the characters’ development? We only got Tae Wan opening to people a bit and Gyu Jang being slightly less of an asshole. That’s it.

Not to mention the random journalist which was used in the show two times, when the plot needed it. They should simply incorporate him more into the plot. Otherwise, him being so invested when we saw him only twice makes no sense. Then there is the last episode. They legit got the main couple to break up 20 minutes before the ending, then we jumped to the future and the last scene they met again… wow. hOw oRiGiNaL! In the last scene, I was hoping we will get all three main characters live their lives and move on, taking different paths and not seeing each other anymore. With that I would consider giving it 7.

That said, I might have disliked the story, but I truly liked the directing. How at times the camera focused on smaller details and not the faces of the actors as they were talking about emotional topics. Or when the screen turned to black as the important lines were delivered. This allowed me to truly focus on what was being said and how it was being said. How the whole drama was not overly produced and had this cozy feel to it. Not to mention that bop of ost. I need it all on my laptop asap.

Overall, I would truly not recommend watching. Sure, Tae Wan was amazing, but the amount of frustration I had to deal with as I was watching the rest of the characters was unimaginable. If you decide to watch it, don’t get invested in any character in hopes of seeing them improve and have some nice development - it ain’t gonna happen.

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A Sword-Grabbing Saga That Will Tickle Your Bones

The Legend of the Female General is a hilarious drama that I enjoyed immensely. Its entire premise is a crater-sized plot hole, so if you can't suspend disbelief big time, best give this one a skip. The title makes its mythic, Hua Mulan-esque aspirations obvious (Mulan, of course, being a legend herself). The indisputably romantic and lyrical Chinese title, 锦月如歌 (Song of the Brocade Moon), makes it clear this is more Art of Love than Art of War. And in that, it delivers in spades as a sword-grabbing saga that will tickle your bones.

For me, the unwitting humor here far surpasses that of A Dream Within A Dream (which I dropped), which tried so hard to be a parody it was more stressful than amusing. This drama comically embraces a bunch of the best, most incredulously well-loved tropes with abandon and just runs with them, not caring if they are well-stitched together. While I found it a nonsensical riot, I totally understand why it's been panned.

To preserve their military status, the (dumb-dumb) He family swaps out their sickly, all-important male child, He Rufei, for their robust and completely expendable daughter, He Yan. They couldn't find a big and tall girl, so they made do with a short, scrawny, and chesty one. She grows up wearing a mask and achieves glory as the redoubtable General Feihong, whose military successes are so awesome they make the real He Rufei wish he'd been born short and scrawny sans boobs. He stages an epic recovery at the height of her fame and swoops in to steal her glory. Of course, no one notices the one-head height difference because this kingdom is a classic Darwin 101 example of a state doomed to extinction. After reclaiming his name, he arranges for her to fall off a cliff, evidently unaware that no one dies falling off a cliff in a Chinese drama.

Disguised as a man, He Yan later joins the Yezhou army led by the no less renowned General Feihong—her old classmate, Xiao Jue. Suspecting "he" is a spy, Xiao Jue gives "him" the hot side-eye many times until the thrust of his mighty sword is parried by a pair of boobies. Yes, shame on me! I loved all the dirty jokes and naughty-but-nice innuendo that had me gawking at my big-screen TV with a stupid, lovestruck grin. I wasn't bothered at all that the cross-dressing "pretty boy" He Yan went full-on girly on Xiao Jue with her shameless flirting and half-innocent innuendo.

The truth is, I don't dislike trashy idol romance dramas when they are made like this. Most of the time, I drop them because I've seen the leads go through the same tired motions with so many other pairings that the chemistry feels contrived. There is nothing more nauseating than the dreadful dead-duck stare that so many third-rate traffic actors try to sell as infatuation. This drama works because I was hooked by Zhou Ye and Cheng Lei's chemistry. I saw an explosion of sparks every time he side-eyed her and she ogled him right back like she was ready to misbehave. True story: after the hot moment of enlightenment in Episode 4, my old big-screen TV literally died on me, and I had to rush-order a new one.

I won't bother shredding the plot and logic holes—there are lots of them, and far more articulate voices have already gone to town on it. Undeniably, the compelling chemistry and strong portrayals by both Cheng Lei and Zhou Ye carry this drama, bolstered by solid performances all around. I was charmed by how naturally Li Qing brought to life the face-swapped role of Cheng Lisu, and his romance with Song Tao Tao was cute and funny. Chu Zhao is the best-written, most multifaceted character in the story. The conflict between his ambition and his morality is well-played by Zhang Kangle. I had to laugh at how Bai Shu totally hammed up his cartoon villain with wildly exaggerated facial expressions; he seemed to be having the time of his life.

By far the strongest aspect of this drama are the fight scenes—they are brutally intense, fast-paced, and thrilling. This director is known for problematic storytelling, but his action choreography is really something else. Some of the war tactics are creative takes on famous Three Kingdoms battles.

As for Zhou Ye, she is a total firecracker who absolutely lights up the fiery scenes as delightfully as she owns the cute, girly bits. On the surface, she may not look the part of a female general, but she certainly acted it in the fight scenes. Too many idol actors shirk hardcore action, daring to pass off a few showy twirls and wimpy sleeve-swats as fighting. As He Yan, Zhou Ye really wielded her spear and sword powerfully and vehemently; the strain of demanding moves was visible on her features. She is a professionally trained ballerina—incredibly strong and athletic despite her size. Not all generals have to be tall and physically imposing; many famous ones were more brain than brawn. Zhuge Liang of Three Kingdoms fame was skinny and runty with mediocre combat skills, wandering into battle with his fan. While the fearsome Cao Cao was a killing machine, both he and the unbeatable Yue Fei were allegedly quite short and possibly even stocky. Oh, the preconceived notions we have! What pains me most is that no one asks why cast such a tall actor as Bai Shu as He Rufei instead of why cast Zhou Ye as He Yan.

I'm not trying to deflect the well-deserved criticisms. This is indubitably not an award-winning masterpiece, but it won my heart with its cheeky adult humor, melting romance, gripping action, and overall engaging rehash of cheesy tropes. Even with my 9.5+ rated dramas, I'm not much of a re-watcher. But this is one of the few trashy gems with scenes I can see myself replaying when I'm bored. Happy to rate this 8/10 as a top-tier guilty pleasure.

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