Tsundere feels!!!'
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The music was okay; nothing special or memorable but not horrible either. But the rewatch value, for me at least, is very high. I liked it so much - just not the ending; I really wanted it to be just a slight little bit different to make it happier for everyone - but it still raised a smile. However, that's why it wasn't a 10 overall for me.
This are my scores -
Story - 9.5/10
Acting/Cast - 10/10 (especially Ikuta Toma, who wound the dial all the way to 11)
Music - 5/10
Rewatch Value - 10/10
Overall -- 9.5/10 (just because of the ending).
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From the beginning this drama draws you in. This drama made me cry my heart out (no joke I cried for hours...yeah i dramathoned this drama). The story is just amazing. Despite Kim Tak Goo facing many difficulties he always has a smile on his face, moving everyone around him. His character just captures your heart. Kim Tak Goo Fighting!!!
So if you are in the mood of watching a drama that will make you cry, smile, laugh, then I recommend you to watch this one.
This is a must see!!!
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Story: Is there a love story in this? Yes, but it's not the main focus of the story. I thought a love story was unnecessary, because the main focus was Jin Woo fighting against a hugely corrupted company / judicial system that falsely accused his dad, which I thought was 10x better.
This story is depressing, melodramatic, and I experienced a lot of moments where I was frustrated with the writers for making the story so sadistic and sad. But this frustration did not prevent me from enjoying the show; every episode was thrilling, intense, and played with my emotions wholeheartedly. There is so much satisfaction when you see injustice turn into justice and how the downfall of the villain is executed. There is always something happening in every episode, and I thought the story was well paced for a show with 20 episodes
Acting: I feel like in this case everyone's perspective on each character will be different based on your own morals, preferences, etc, but I found the cast to be amazing, but a little frustrating to watch as I questioned some of the characters and their significance to the story
Major props to Nam Goong MIn as the evil guy, he really knows how to make the audience's blood boil. I enjoyed Park Sung Woong as Dong Ho, not only did I love his Busan accent, but he is a very rational character that knows what's right and what's wrong, regardless of how the show/audience portrays him. To be honest, I found Seung Ho's character kind of annoying due to his stubbornness, but he is very passionate and ambitious. Park Min Young's character is very civil and determined, and at the same time she also was Seung Ho's emotional support. I felt the chemistry between Seung Ho and Min Young was amazing, but not in a romantic way at all.
Music/Overall: I haven't really payed attention to the music cause the opening theme song kind of overpowered the rest of the tracks and it constantly plays in my head (LOL), but pretty decent OST collection.
I am giving this a 9 for minor reasons (love story, over usage of flashbacks, frustration of characters, etc.), but If you like thrillers, want to take a rest from all those romance dramas, and cry from sadness you should definitely give this a chance.
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1
1"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, STAR-CROSSED LOVERS- ME & YOU"
2 INDIVIDUALS, 3 LIFE TIMES, 10000 YEAR.ITS THE STORY OF angst, love, pain, miscommunication, jealousy, sadness, sacrifice, helplessness, and betrayal.
IT THE STORY OF EMOTIONS, DESTINY and FATE!!!
We have heard of enemies to lover but have you heard of star crossed lovers?
Imagine the universe bringing them together but also throwing them apart!!!
"SHE WAS BORN SO HE COULD DIE"
HONESTLY, NO one should be reading a review to watch it.
People should watch it and decide if its worth it, cuz i know once you start watching episode 1 you will be hooked like an addict!!!
WHERE DO I START?? This drama is one of the best drama made in the history of C-drama, dare i say the best xianxia!
The CGI is TOP CLASS, it screams money and beauty. The plot is just crazy, it full of angst, literally never a dull moment. The music is not repetitive and a collection of many OST, the main OST grows on you as the episodes pass. The cinematography and camera angle are AMAZING.
It is fast paced but its not rushing. I love the pacing, less filler scene and cringe moment. For the first time watching a C-drama i never once cringed in second hand embarrassment. IT'S STRAIGHT PLOT.
The starting and ending credits on start of each episode are so beautiful that I don't skip them, those are one of the best intro i have ever seen.
The costumes, jewellery , hairstyles are amazinggg!!! I MEAN they look like a million bucks!! YOU CAN SEE THE MONEY.
The fight scenes SLAP YOU on your face, they are insane. You can see the work and dedication in them. But the craziest thing is that LYX did them all on his own without a body double.
ACTING/ACTORS-
When a character either make you want to KILL them or SAVE them from the world it means the ACTORS are outdoing themself!! Here each and every actor may it be the main leads or a simple maid has done such exceptional job in portraying their characters, you actually connect to the emotions of the story.
PSYCHOTIC, RUTHLESS, COLD-BLOODED, EMOTIONLESS, UNHINGED, PITIFUL AND SINFULLY INSANE, that's what our MALE LEAD is!!
TANTAI JIN is not your common ML that changes in blink of a eye as soon as the female character comes into the play.
HE IS EVIL. He was born evil. YOU KNOW IT, HE KNOWS IT but you can't stop loving him and defending him.
We see him go from an bullied and tortured individual to the DEMON GOD/GOD OF WAR/KING OF JING/SECTOR BROTHER everyone FEAR and ADMIRE, we see his journey.
You see and understand why he is like that. THEY [the world] made him like that, they sowed the seeds if their doom in form of Tantai jin. They made the DEMON GOD by their action. THEY digged their own grave and they were the one lying into it!!
I had hoped they don't whitewash his evilness!!! I know it was nearly impossible to show him as evil as in the novel but i wanted them to keep his origin as much as they could with censorship and all, AND THEY DID!!! THEY MADE HIM UNAPOLOGETIC, not unhinged but still the perfect amount of evil.
There's just something believably sinister, unhinge, creepy and scary about him.
Tantai jin is soooo creepy!!! I can't explain in but the way that man looks, moves his body, flickering his hands and speaks is soo strangely different, still you cant stop watching him. His face changes from innocently handsome to creepy af handsome in SECONDS according to his mood.
AND OMG HIS SMIRKS AND SMILES WHEN HE LOOKS AT THE 'Female lead' OR IS 'PLANNING MURDER' make me fall on my knees.
Some scenes when i watch them I get the feeling like I'm watching a gothic horror.
Even SUSU is not your common FL. She's not helpless, it's so refreshing to actually have a strong female lead in a xianxia!!! At some incidents you will find her too CRUEL for the things she does to the ML and you won't like it but at the end of the day you get her, she is doing that from the world and even for him to an extend. God, her actions pissed me off so much but you know how it has always been.
LYX I HAIL YOU SIR. YOU WERE INSANE FOR DOING THIS!!
LYX changes his personality in a blink. He literally played 4 characters [THE ANCIENT DEVIL GOD, MINGYE, TANTAIJIN, CANGJIU MIN]and you can differentiate those character by the way they speak and carry themselves. There is something about LYX voice, its so soft but goes soo well with his characters. And for once i thank the universe that they didn't dub his voice which makes it even better!! LYX was made for this role OR i should say this role was made for LYX. His fight sequences, his smirks, his eyebrow raise will make you week.
I am on my knees of that man.🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️
LEO LUO x BAI LU-
LYX and BL CHEMISTRY IS CHEMISTRYING. I swear you can't move your eyes off them. The eye contact they have, the touches they steal, the kissed they share, the intimate scenes they slay. the mocking glances they send each other, the way they see each other make you SCREAM!!! Their CHEMISTRY is CHEMISTRY-ING.
THE OTHER MAIN LEADS-
I am not actually very interested in the 2nd CP, the 2nd FL is just so bland and evil. Watchers on MDL called nicknamed her BITCH-ang [you will know why and get it when u watch it].
Honestly i literally wanted to skip their scenes. The 2nd FL is sooo frustrating that i wanna shout and scream and punch. The 2nd ML suffers from HERO COMPLEX and has a thing for evil damsel in distress.
But holy hell the 3rd CP has me on my toes!!! The demon fox is a freaking seductress. She screams seduction in every action she does, may it be talking or fighting or seducing!! Our poor 3rd ML didn't have any chance.
THE ONLY NEGATIVE THING-
Firstly it will be the makeup in some of the closeup scene in earlier episodes. Due to the high camera quality you find it cakey.
Secondly due to the new censorship they had to make a 56 episode drama into 40 episode so sometimes the editing seem choppy [though honestly it wont matter].
OVERALL, THIS DRAMA IS WORTH YOUR EVERY HOUR, EVERY MINUTE AND EVERY SECOND!!!
It may not be perfect but its definitely the best out there.
I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I got sad. I mourned.
LAST EPISODE HAD ME SOBBING. UGLY CRYING IS TOO SMALL A WORD TO SAY WHAT I FELT. This series is a masterpiece.
"It all started with tantaijin and it all ended with him"- BAILU, A BTS INTERVIEW.
NOW I UNDERSTOOD WHY THE TITLE WAS-
"Until the end of the moon".
[TANTAI JIN=🌕]
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If you're looking for a good quality bl, Reset is the answer.
We still have a few more episodes to go, but everybody can see that this show is definitely one of the best ones this year. I would like to point out that I really appreciate the fact that there aren't a lots of unecessary NC scenes like we usually see in other Thai bls. Instead we got perfect acting, perfect chemistry, perfect storyline and a genuine unconditional love between the mc's. This show will really make you YEARN for a partner like Tada, but you will adore it anyways.My final say - MAKE MORE BLS LIKE THIS
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I was at first suspicious about whether I'd like MiKa and Do Ha as a couple, since their chemistry isn't immediate. I know there are often big age gaps in dramas, but her childish behavior, and his stern maturity, initially felt like such a bad casting choice. Then, once Do Ha turned on the charm, I started to really like them together, and got very invested in their romantic dilemma (No spoilers, but I knew tears over them would be involved eventually). I think this is the first "grown up" role I've seen Lee Sung Kyung in, and definitely the most tragic, but her youthful fun personality kept her character from being too depressing to watch as she watches how much time people have left to live. I was also very surprised by how much I liked Lee Sang Yoon as a leading man. He has a very low key seductive quality that I loved, and I felt like I could see all of his characters love, heartbreak, concern, and guilt, just in his eyes alone.
My main, and only, criticism of MiKa... too much dang singing! Unfortunately a lot of this drama becomes about the making of a musical, which started to become extremely annoying. I get that performing is a huge part of who the character is, but I cringed every time I knew she would be singing a full song AGAIN. It's not that she can't sing, but she still sang too much, and none of the performances were epic enough to be repeated. The soundtrack is also pretty good, but because of all the songs from the musical being sung on repeat, I just wanted all the music muted after a while. I honestly wish that most of the scenes and characters revolving around the musical were cut, but maybe it would have worked better with just less. I also say this as a person who LOVES musicals.
The rest of the cast was great, even if some of their characters were written to be cliché, or pretty useless. I really did like everyone... mostly. MiKa's bff was awesome, her brother was cute, and her mom was irritating but also adorable, and I liked Do Ha's banter with his secretary, but there were 2 supporting characters in particular that I liked the most, maybe even more than the main characters.
I'll start with my favorite KDrama actress Kim Hae Sook. She is always good, and this drama is no exception. I feel like her character's story touched me the most. She had so many moments that got me in the feels. I wish I got to see her with MiKa more than many of the other characters, especially Do Ha's family, since everyone but his Dad and half brother were completely forgettable.
My absolute favorite character though is Im Se Mi and Bae Soo Bong. I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I thought she was flawless. Her outfits were flawless too! Usually I cringe at the idea of a female character who's only there to ruin the main couple, but Soo Bong is that to the best extreme! There were 2 moments when I came very close to dropping this drama completely, and she kept me watching. Her character became definitely overly melodramatic, but it was much more entertaining than the repetitive mess that the rest of the story started to become, or the ex girlfriend who I forgot all about until typing this sentence.
That leads me to my main issue with "About Time". Even though the basic idea of the story is good, the actual drama decides to fill the time with unnecessary filler stories (family rivalries that go nowhere, useless exes, showbiz drama involving a cute but completely ridiculous "genius" temperamental director...) and then resorts to clichés, and flashbacks. I would be lying if I said there weren't still moments that brought me to tears, or made me laugh, but when I finally made it to the final episode it was clear that there was no original thought put into how the story would end. I felt like the ending chosen was a total cop-out, and I even laughed inappropriately at one point. Sure, there is closure for the characters, which will satisfy some, but for me it didn't live up to this story's potential.
Overall, I cannot say that this drama is worth the time. If you decide to watch, and feel the urge to hit fast forward, do it! That's the only way I would rewatch this. There are some good moments, and some thoughtful themes about truly enjoying life, and not taking anything for granted, but, If this drama had a life clock I would definitely cut a few hours from it.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is a nice watch at first, but at some points it just gets really boring, esp when they officially get together. I feel like I have nothing more to anticipate from the couple. They get married and even have a child, I don't understand why fans are asking for a Season 2. A new drama with the same couple is better. But i will have to give some merits to Gu Wei Yi. Personally, I think he is quite an original character that I maybe haven't seen in any romcom drama before this; a genius yet a little bit dumb (in a cute way). I love the fact that he is always googling anything that he does not know, very adorable. Overall, despite finding myself getting bored towards the end of the story, I would say that it is still a good light show that you will enjoy admist a busy life, except that 24 episodes is probably too much. Was this review helpful to you?
*** Lovestruck was unbelievable, electric, and TRAGIC. Don't hate the ML and FM for their flaws
I have watch 100s of kdramas, american shows. Lovestruck in City first to hit my heart the way it does.You need to watch 15 straight episodes to see the progression. Every episode is entertaining because you get a perspective never seen before in kdrama concerning relationships. You will be mad, cry, intrigued the entire time. *****Don't judge you opinion about characters. They are flawed, relationships are messy.*******
I don't hate the FL (EUN OH/ KIM JI WON). She made me teary-eye the entire show because I know the feeling of hating yourself. She is selfish I agree, but her wanting to "FIND HERSELF, and to LOVE HERSELF", I completed understand. She abandoned him, but this relationship was destined to fail. She ghosted him and should have just dumped him properly. But ML himself was superficial in YangYang saying he wouldn't love her if she was not who she was without the tattoo and carefree style. She was scared and ML was superficial to start. Both made the relationship NOT WORK. *****Kim Ji Won is the most charismatic, expressive, and REAL female actress I have ever seen in this drama. The emotion she depicts in her eyes is .... incredible.
The absolute sadness that the ML (JAE WON/ JI CHANG WOOK) shows is real. You might not like it, but it is REAL. Dwelling over a girl he fell in love with, the anger for being abandoned. After every moment and flashes to the past, you root for him even though he is not perfect. ****Ji Chang Wook getting criticism for this drama is wrong. His electric chemistry with Kim Ji Won was breathtaking. Throughout show he was energetic because he is passionate and has anger problems, which I relate to. Many people I know have these spurts of emotions. Don't hate someone people they are displaying weakness in character. I appreciate the REALNESS OF IT.
But breakups are ALWAY messy. I have been ghosted in the past as well. Relationships ending in a flash. So I understand this. I have also ended relationships due to my own insecurities and still dwell about them.
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Story (6/10): For those who read the novel and are curious about the drama version, it would be wrong to even call it an adaptation for it is nothing like it. "Inspired by" is far more fitting and is to be used loosely here. In a nutshell, the drama version of Princess Wei Young is about a Liang princess who tries to avenge her fallen kingdom by taking up the identity of a forgotten, illegitimate daughter of a Prime Minister in the enemy state of Wei and along the way meets those who either want her dead or love her for her wits, character and bravery. Of course, the drama is littered with people who want her dead because how else will we know she is the heroine?
The premise is exciting enough, though nothing entirely original. But it did deliver in terms of entertainment for the first half and had everything you would want in a drama: good pacing, decent story, romance, action, a likable and brainy female lead who isn't afraid to punish her enemies seeing as this is a revenge drama. Then up until halfway, the story soon became draggy and repetitive with similar conflicts in different guises, lack of development/depth in characters who even seems to have gone through reverse development all of a sudden. Even Weiyoung who was supposed to be resourceful yet showed signs of being a damsel-in-distress in the presence of her Prince Charming (aka. Tuoba Jun), completed the transformation into a full on Mary Sue and in my opinion, stopped being everything we loved her for in the beginning. It no longer became a tale of retribution or justice, but pure laziness on the writers' part.
I blame the production for dragging the series out to 54 episodes, when it could have - and should have- wrapped up by 30-40 episodes.
Acting (7.5/10):
All I can say is if there is anything worth watching here, it's the chemistry between the leads Luo Jin and Tiffany Tang. The type to give you butterflies from the way they look at each other. Luo Jin is such a wonderfully talented and natural actor, he never overacts and his crying scenes are so well done. Not usually impressed by Tiffany Tang, but she did well here and I think a lot of it has to do with her chemistry with Luo Jin (4th collaboration and reel to real relationship!)
Didn't think much about the rest of the cast in terms of acting, but a few grew into their characters as the show went on. Vanness there is something awkwardly charming about the way he portrays his character - it grows on you even though his character becomes gradually more despicable. His dubber deserves a star.
Rewatch: For the romance maybe, and especially strong beginning up until episode 30 or so. Could skip the rest until the end. But sadly no, won't be rewatching this personally.
I almost feel like the drama deserves two ratings, one for the beginning up until episode 33 then for the rest.
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This review may contain spoilers
Felt like a different drama
From the first time i saw the trailer, I was scared that it would be too different from the first season. The whole feel of the drama felt forced, not just the storyline but also the shots and pacing. Because of the change of directors, the season felt like a whole different drama compared to the first. While the first season had more of this lighthearted, comic feel to it, this season had a more serious, adult vibe. At first, I thought this would be appropriate since this is where they mature but it lost some of the dramas charm. Even though the first had this lighthearted vibe, it didn't take away from the seriousness of situations. This season made the maturity and seriousness feel forced.The setting are also all different than the previous season which made it further feel like youre watching a whole different drama. The school, the houses, the convience store. Like, they had to change the CU to a 7-Eleven. Even though it had 2 episodes less than the previos, the pacing made it feel longer. And the OSTs was forgettable, unlike the first.
Eventhough I dont agree with the ending, i didnt like that the relationships weren't developed that much and it made me not sympathize with Jojo unlike the previous season. The drama didn't solve Jojo's real problem: running away. From the very start, when things get hard, she runs. She said that she put on the sheild to "protect" Sunoh, at first sure, i can see that, but when Sunoh found out about it, "all she can think about was Hyeyoung". Like, girl, you gave this guy that was so in love with you, hell for 4 years, and now he knows about it, you can't even think about how you've hurt him. She didn't give Sunoh the proper apology that he deserves. She said she loved him, but she loved herself more, leading to both their suffering. And with all this, unresolved problems, she runs to Hyeyoung. It felt like just because he's Hyeyoung, she should end up with him.
With all this, I think the story and especially the direction the director chose in filming this season is really disappointing. I think even if the story turn out the same but had the same style, or even the same colour palette of the first season, I would have enjoyed it more because it would connect; but from the first episode, I already knew this wasn't the same drama I waited for. I felt like it wasted the 2 years I waited for this drama. It made me hate Jojo and made me feel bad for Hyeyoung and Sunoh. I'll just pretend this season never happened.
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Sisyphus in a Suit
You stare at the screen and can’t help but think: Oh, humanity. Always longing for a restart because, predictably, we messed it up the first time."The Judge Returns." It’s 2026, and the world remains a damp cellar filled with greedy old men. At first glance, it feels like an echo of 2022’s "Again My Life". Has South Korea not moved on since then? (Looking at the current geopolitical landscape, neither has the rest of the world...)
The message is so sobering you’ll want to retreat into a dark room: Without magic, without some metaphysical glitch in the system, you can’t knock these corrupt fossils off the board. It takes a time-reset just to summon the courage for basic decency and integrity. What a pathetic indictment of our species. You take a few pieces off the board, but the Game itself just laughs. Corruption isn't a bug in the system; it is the system. An endless war, a tiny victory—but in the end, does everything stay grey?
Then there’s Ji Sung. He carries that unshakable face of his through every frame. As a judge on his second attempt, he seizes his chance with absolute consequence. For a moment, it feels good to believe that something could actually move.
The Verdict?
• 10/10 for Ji Sung (honestly, just watching him is enough).
• 3/10 for Hope (which, as we know, is merely a lack of information).
But it’s not just about his face. It’s about what that face embodies.
(And thankfully, he isn’t entirely alone in this.)
Amidst the mire, there are these delicate moments where the series actually reflects on the Law. This KDrama (based on the webnovel Pansa Lee Han-young) bows before the Idea of Law. Not because it’s perfect—heaven knows it’s as full of holes as Swiss cheese—but because it’s the only thing standing between us and total whimsy. It is Sisyphus’ work: rolling the stone of the rule of law up the mountain every day, only for it to roll back onto our feet. But that doesn't mean the work is meaningless.
The Koreans have a beautiful term for this: Cheon-myeong (천명). Literally: The Mandate of Heaven.
Embracing the burden of destiny as a call to action, however bleak the odds.
So, would I recommend watching it? Yes. Even if—or especially if—those lying men in suits are increasingly getting on your nerves. It’s an act of defiance to watch someone tirelessly roll that stone up the hill, if only for those few episodes. (I think anyways.)
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Lust, love and a whole lot of drama
What a difference a budget makes...Same Same But Oh So Different...
Love at second sight....
As I recently watched the first version (same cast, different budget), of this drama I was a bit unsure if watching this adaptation would be worth it but my oh my was this a good choice, a very good choice as this version gave me all I was missing in the first version and more... a lot more , okay it gave mes some highly problematic content as well making it impossible for me to give it a full 10 even if part of me was so entertained I wanted to give it a 15... but enough about that.
What this drama does offer is a lot of fan service, entertainment, some important issues here and thare chemistry that is off the charts, friendship, toxic masculinity, sweetness, and everything but relations goals. Again not something I would want to be part of but highly entertaining to watch. It also made me fall head over heals for Mark (War Wanarat Ratsameerat) as a person who was both adorable, funny, bad ass, sassy, honest and brought out my protector instinct making me want to just give him a big hug most of the drama .
There is also a slight realism to the portrayal of duality in relationships.. falling in and out of love meshing in a big complex web of emotions... loving two people simultaneously, pain, confusion, coming to terms with all kinds of stuff,,. and so on was portrayed pretty well, and is what I assume bothered some viewers but I actually loved how they portrayed this side of infidelity and relationships gone bad... But then I do love watching conflicted emotions, angst, lust and pain. So if you are bothered by any of this stuff you may not enjoy this drama at all or at least not as much as I did.
In my opinion there are not truly annoying characters or elements making it an easy binger and again a lot of fun to watch, but again kids, do not try, well anything of this at home.
So if you are looking for a feel good fluff piece where people actually seek consent move along there is nothing to see here... but if you want som highly entertaining drama, mistakes, steam and real drama this is definitely a good place to look for it,
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This review may contain spoilers
The drama delivers a great story of brotherhood and politics. It's not a very emotional drama, so maybe you will not cry watching this, but it delivers a great message of friendship, sacrifice for greater good, and idealism.IMHO, because the drama is loosely based on real history (which they turned into a fiction), you don't see much of character development, but more into how the characters from two factions use tactics to fight one another. Not much character development means that the personality and the ideas of every character in the beginning stays the same until the final episode (except for the Empress'!).
Some people got disappointed on the ending, but I'm rather satisfied as it shows how the main character's heart and priority never changes. From the very beginning he knows that peace is the most important thing, and peace does not lie only in one family name. His determination and personality never changes until the very end.
I love how Regina Wan played the empress role. Very elegant, especially the way she speaks.
I also love the opening and ending music. Perfectly matches the drama.
To sum up, the series is worth watching if you're not looking for a too emotional drama, or wanting a good politics drama.
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Long hair/makeup plot, unexciting mysteries, lack of romance and chemistry
When I first read the synopsis, I found the plot quite interesting. Although I have not read the novel, I know Priest is a very popular writer, especially her BL novels. So, I was interested to find out about this non-BL story by her. If you read the novel, I would love for you to write me a comment and let me know what you think of the adaptation. Unfortunately, I am not impressed with the script and find the plot uneven and lack excitement for a mystery drama. Is the adaptation bad? Or the source material bad?Plot/Pacing
The drama spent way too much time on the hair and make up plot. I understand the need to set up each character and their different circumstances. However, spending so much time in the hair salon with unimportant characters (all the hairstylists) is a waste of time and slows the pacing of the drama. Additionally, there’s also too much time spent on the backend of the drama on FL’s makeup career. I also do not think the drama has struck a balance between romance and mystery. The mystery part is forgotten when the hair salon takes so much screen time. By the time the drama remembers its mystery plot in the last third of the drama, I have already lost interest and don’t really care. I also have some plot holes to pick. I know ML is rich, but he seems to have unlimited resources and can dig up dirt on anyone in record time. I wanted more background on Xu Jing Yang’s reason for involvement and how he and Qi Lian connected in the first place. I’d rather have more flashbacks of their friendship, instead of more hair and make up. The villain’s story is also weak and I don’t care about her enough to sympathize with them.
Romance
Unfortunately, I am not feeling the chemistry between the two main leads. If you are a romance lover like me, you might not be satisfied. There aren’t enough romantic scenes and I am not talking about pure kisses, skinship or PDA. Just the feel of the drama and the scenes of the main leads are not romantic enough. On the other hand, if you are NOT a romance lover, you might be turned off by the seemingly focus on the romance in the beginning and the lack of fantasy/mystery element. There is also a period of time when the male lead changed 180 degrees and became such a meanie. There’s too much animosity, wrist/arm grabs and manhandling of the female lead that is uncalled for. Those scenes are hard to watch and totally not in line with male lead’s calm, smart and mature personality, no matter how surprised and disappointed he is. The drama seems to finally realize the lack of romance, especially after the leads officially became a couple, and then in the last 2 episodes, we finally get more scenes of them.
Acting
This is Liu Hao Cun’s first drama, though she has done movies in the past. She single-handedly carried the show on her back. I’m so glad to have discovered her. She and her character are a breath of fresh air. Li Hao Cun is able to portray Jiang Xiao Yuan’s spunkiness, independence, stubbornness and grit. She is the best part of the drama. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Lin Yi. This more mature role doesn’t suit him. He frowns a lot and when he’s crying, it seems forced and exaggerated. I think he got better towards the latter half of the drama, but I am disappointed in his acting. He does not appear to be mature enough to be casted in this role. The rest of the supporting cast did fine. Luckily, there isn’t anyone too irritating, and no actor/actress sticks out like a sore thumb.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I will recommend this drama, unless you want to check out Liu Hao Cun. “Derailment” is unable to hook me in on the fantasy/mystery plot and the romance is so lukewarm that it’s not enough for me to tolerate the lack of excitement.
Completed: 3/13/2024 - Review #416
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