180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
27 people found this review helpful
I am completely empty
This series was a blow to my emotions that I will never recover from. It's not just a depiction of a complicated story but a painful moment realization.Wang, who has been searching for the remnants of his father's memory his entire life is suddenly drawn to a house in the middle of nowhere. An oasis... a cave? a cage where the man holding the key to the mystery lies impatient.
An unstoppable force meets the immovable object. As a young man full of resolve and fire, crashes into a man that only knows fear and regret masked as prudence.
With a Strindberg-esque theater in it's core, this show brings blade-sharp monologues and dialogues with amazing rythm and ruthlessness. It plays into the inevitability of family and the unfortunate blooming of a love that grows like weeds in concrete.
The cinematography is beautiful, the use of lines and colors to depict meaning is raw and subtle at the same time. Its impossible to pinpoint the "good moments" because it's all so meticulously planned that everyone I tried to get a quote written down I ended up with a transcription of the entire scene.
It's not necessarily sad. I don't cry at "sad". It was just too much. The situation, the emotions, the dialogues are multidimensional and overwhelming.
Pond offered a gut wrenching performance that was always topped with a smile that passes through you.
F*ck, how this shit tore me apart.
If you do not find theater entertaining, if you like explicit, easy, quiet shows definitely skip this one. This is not your typical BL, for the ones coming towards it only because of that label. It is BL, but it became so much more.
This is not a "fun" ride. It's a story of a bird trying to convince another to leave the cage. The door is not locked, the air is much nicer up there... but how could you convince a bird with no wings to fly?
Id rather stay in the labyrinth than join Icarus in the sea.
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This review may contain spoilers
CUTE FLUFFY ROM COM SHOW WITH HAPPY ENDING
Loved this show so much and hope that it will be more popular its so funny and light hearted. Love the characters especially his parents and his relationship with his wife.he loves his wife so much and she thinks hes the best person ever even when everyone else thinks hes a bully.
plus the food looks delicious.
its a good show to rewatch for the couples scenes.
the mystery aspect was a little dull to me but I def reccommend this show plus the 2 songs they use are so cute and catchy
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This drama starts in the very middle of things. Unless you have watched the 2010 special - which I haven't yet - you won't see any introductions, neither of the characters, nor of the setting. You are thrust into the first crime and given brief flashes of the characters' past, pieces of a puzzle you'll only complete by the end, and not in full. It's realistic, harsh and frustrating, but it worms its way into the viewer's interest in a very subtle, gradual way, until you come to the end and wish there were another entire season to watch at once.
The cases brought me more than once to the brink of tears. They are desperate and intense, involving such human characters I couldn't remain detached even if I wanted to.
The cast is downright brilliant. My favourite Takeuchi did not disappoint me. Her character's very complex, with a perpetually seething anger as palpable and incomprehensible at the beginning as it is understandable once her past is slowly revealed. I have a weakness for characters who are incapable of expressing their feelings, because when they finally let the slightest glimpse of vulnerability surface it's so much more intense and heart wrenching.
Which inevitably leads me to her loyal subordinate Kikuta, portrayed by an impeccable Nishijima Hidetoshi. He reads her without fail, and I love that his evident attraction to her originates from his admiration for her skills rather than a simple man/woman dynamic.
Some of the characters are downright irritating. The police director - whose role is quite a mystery to me - is so obtuse the sole purpose of his existence seems to be to provoke his detectives' reaction. While it works on a dramatic level, I hope such individuals do not exist in real police departments, or I'd give up on the Japanese justice entirely, mostly if he's paired with the older corrupt detective whom I wanted to punch in the face.
Good or bad, none of these characters left me unmoved, proof of their outstanding job here.
I loved the music: well chosen, well used, well balanced.
Re-watch value is very high, because at first viewing I found some details hard to follow, mainly because of the fast delivered lines and the unusual way the crimes unfold. Most of all, though, I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms regarding the characters and am looking forward to a continuation. I'd vote for a second season in no time.
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Avoid this truckload of bullsh!t
A dating B who is connected to C who dates D who is the ex of A who reconnects with D who disappears and E dates H and marries with I the father of B who likes and hate C who cares for J the son of E who is D who used to cheat with A ...Total ridiculous shitty crap. The story is basically piling some of the dumbest tropes in lakorns. These are sent into the face of the viewers the most ridiculous way to just outrage them and bait them into watching the next episode. Because viewers think they are going to be relieved of their frustration by one nice cute entertaining development which just never happens. This drama is just baiting and baiting and baiting until the viewers have swallowed all the bs but never had an entertaining and fun story to enjoy.
The plot is centered around the evil character who is the pivotal point of the story and all other characters evolve around that person and the bullshit that character is doing episode after episode. The two leads become frustrating and not endearing and accessory characters that I finally did not care to see together or not.
This has to be one of the worst lakorn I have seen and if I inflicted this to myself I surely do not wish anyone to do the same for himself. Stay away from this torture which will never give you any moment of joy or any real satisfaction of being entertained. Even if the performance of the lead actors is commendable I will give this 1/10 because I really lost my time on this crappy lakorn.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is definitely underrated! I started watching it because, well, my screen name is Crazy4you and the name of this drama is "Crazy For You" haha. I realized later that Yoon Kye Sang was also in it, and I was happy to see him in a main role after seeing him in The Greatest Love. The story isn't anything over-the-top. I was curious to see how it'd turn out, what were they going to do after they realized that the person that Chae Joon had killed was Jin Young's fiance? (Not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis and you see it happen in the very beginning of the drama)The acting was pretty good. Again, I've seen Yoon Kye Sang in The Greatest Love and seeing him go from his adorable role as Yoon Pil Joo-ssi to a more serious one makes him a versatile actor. Although his character was adorable at times as well! I want to see more with him in it, he's a great actor (: And this was my first drama with Lee Min Yeon but I felt she did a really good job as Jin Young and really pulled off her emotions. Also the halmoni is the same one that was in Coffee Prince - I knew I saw her before but didn't realize until now that that was the drama I'd seen her in. The rest of the cast was great as well (:
I loved the music! I was surprised at hearing such a nice soundtrack to this drama. "Saranghe Michida" (Crazy For You/Crazy For Love) by Lee Soo Young is a really pretty song. I also loved the song "Never" by Yoon Yeo Min! And "Crazy For You" by Mr. Mimi (the artist's name makes me laugh haha).
I can see myself possibly rewatching this drama again, although not anytime soon that's for sure (look at my plan to watch list!)
Overall - I think it's worth giving a try! It's not overly serious, there are some light moments, but there is a good bit of drama. It may not be the best drama out there, but it's still a nice drama! So if you think it sounds like something you would like, add it (:
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Though Jung Wan (Eugene) might be considered a traditional heroine, there are actually three leading ladies. Each woman has her own fully realized plot, with journeys so unique from the others (yet still connected!) that they could stand as three separate dramas. Does this result in a disjointed feeling? Not at all! The writers have a talent for seamless transitions, balancing characters and their evolving circumstances from episode to episode. Instead of being drawn out forever, even conflicts were frequently solved within an episode or two (crazy, I know).
This isn't true of the entire drama unfortunately; I could practically feel the steam seep out around near in late episodes. While not nearly enough to derail the entire experience, some cliches and melodramatics slithered in, while other bits were managed a little awkwardly.
A big pro for “Can We love?” is realism, despite obvious exaggeration here and there for entertainment’s sake. These characters have mundane worries for the most part (such as money trouble, single-parenthood, or romantic uncertainty). They have their foibles and quirks, but even at their worst they’re never the maniacs one often encounters in similar dramas. The second female lead will not be hitting her rival with a car, here, folks. You’ve probably met or heard of people like the “antagonists” in this drama…though in the case of a certain abusive mother-in-law, I hope not.
But for me, honestly, the best part must be the romance. Great kisses abound, with actual moving lips and touching. Because the characters are adults and act as such, they’re not mortified by the prospect of sex (pre-martial or otherwise). Couples communicate, both to solve problems and to build intimacy and knowledge of one another. The "main" pairing even felt like they were actually in love. I admit to giddiness with certain scenes, an uncommon occurrence.
Uhm Tae Woong was a primary source for such giddiness, as fast-talking charmer Oh Kyung Soo. Discard thoughts of him from other dramas, those intense and serious men; this role is completely the opposite. A “world-famous director,” Kyung Soo flirts, teases, and pursues what he wants with sincerity—whether in work or love. You might fall a little in love yourself, however your tastes run; he might be my favorite leading man to date. Leading lady Eugene embodies a gentle presence, easily becoming a sympathetic lead in Jung Wan. Her chemistry with Uhm Tae Woong sparkles, and her mothering scenes are fantastic.
Also notable: Kim Yoo Mi presents a complex and controversial Sun Mi. This actress masterfully handles tough, flawed women with hidden vulnerabilities. Choi Jung Yoon capably maneuvers the emotional tribulation and wide nuances required of Ji Hyun, though the character did not satisfy my interest as much as others. Kim Sung Soo (gentle and mature Do Young) and Park Min Woo (puppy-eyed noona killer Yoon Suk) round out the cast quite well.
What about the music? I found it above average, often memorable and always well-placed. While there isn’t a false note in the bunch, certain songs might wax repetitive for some viewers. The vocals are where the soundtrack really shines: “Everyday” (GGot Jam Project), “I Want to Love Again” (Lunafly), and
“My Hero” (Kim Ji Sook) are all excellent examples. Others include “Softly” (Sum & So Yeon), and a more elusive track, known affectionately to viewers during the drama’s run as the “Hey, Boy” song. You’ll know when you hear it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved this drama and was excited to watch new episodes every week, it was filled with fun scenes, the romance was cute, the couple looked good together and both actors are really attractive, also I liked the 3 cleaning fairies plus o sol's relationship.I used to like this drama so much that I was sure I going to rewatch it someday, but that changed because I disliked how the story unfolded.
To me it all went downhill when O sol stopped working in the company and started living in Seon kyeol's house. Sure we were blessed with some great kisses and domestic stuff, but to me that was when the plot started becoming nonsensical.
I didn't like Daniel at all, I found him clingy and annoying as all hell not to mention his stalking behavior. I didn't like O sol's rude brother and his attitudes as well as her father.
I even started disliking O sol and not understanding her decision of breaking up with Seon kyeol (not to mention how unoriginal and boring that ''have the couple breakup in the last few episodes'' kdrama trope is) and her attitude towards him, a person who didn't deserve any of it. To me that was the final nail in this drama's coffin. What his selfish grandfather, who physically attacked him as a kid (I also didn't like how the writer seemed to have forgotten that and gave the grandfather a redeeming scene, expecting us to feel sorry for him) and who caused his misophobia, did, wasn't his fault.
The final episode was painful to watch because of how o sol kept rejecting seon kyeol and how her and her father kept blaming and making him guilty of something that wasn't his fault. I didn't like seeing him acting so pitiful around the father and her.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not, sure the ending was a happy one, there's lots of funny scenes and the couple had good chemistry but there's lots of things that prevent me from doing so. I guess you could give it a try if your a fan of any of the actors because everyone did a great job.
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~Story~
First off, it's a brilliantly written comedy featuring badass YAKUZA. How does this NOT get butts in seats in anticipation to this show!? This show is freakin' hysterical; I think I considered rakugo as a profession for a while (it gives me an excuse to rewatch the show too). I questioned my own manliness as I saw Tora, the most loyal, manly yakuza this side of Shibuya, grace the screen. His glare of anger will strike fear into the most hard-boiled viewers; I thought his eyebrow-muscles were permanently altered to give off such glares. When I become a Yakuza boss (in my dreams), I WILL hire Tora at all costs. Even though he's part of a questionable organization, you realize he is a man of loyalty to a great faction in Yakuza.
The show mostly features Tora's (and Ryuji's) daily life once Tora learned of rakugo. Tora really sucks at rakugo (or just making anyone laugh, as his story-telling skills are the same as Buzz Kilington), but practices like a champ. For the most part, each episode features Tora describing how a real-life event is similar to the story his master told earlier; flashing back to the moments where the real-life action took place. The drum beat when they announce Tora's rakugo act is still second-nature to me; I still expect his stories. Tora even grew better as a storyteller as the story progresses, becoming a stage-favorite.
At the beginning, the blend of his rakugoka (traditional Japanese comedian) job at day, and debt-collecting Yakuza at night was comedic. However, Kudo-sensei couldn't just leave it at that. The Yakuza part of Tora's life is a major part of who he is as a person, and owes his life to his organization. As the story DEVELOPS (mature story development in a comedy!? OMIGERDZ!), you realize how Tora and his life isn't a comedy. I won't say much about the ending, but it was PERFECT. I'm sad that the ride ended, but it was one of the best. The post-drama haze is strong. It's been about a week, and I'm still wondering when I'll hear a story from Tora.
~Acting/Cast~
The cast consists of actors Kudo has worked with in the past, and in the future. Nagase is an excellent actor; the way he shows emotion with his whole face is a rare talent. It doesn't even need to be an over-the-top moment; you FEEL his character. I first saw him as the self-conceited detective from "Unubore Deka," but that disappear once he spoke. I admire actors with versatility in their roles. I can't praise his acting enough without turning this review into "Why I love Nagase Tomoya: his face." Junichi also acted as the easy-to-anger shopkeeper who is somewhat insecure about his clothes. News flash: he sucks as a designer; brace the bizarre fashion he thinks is "cool." Seriously, these actors from Johnny's are NOT just pretty faces; they have acting chops that are on par with non-idol actors.
The rest of the cast instantly grow as their characters. The show makes you feel like you're watching a family, not a group of actors. The show features visualizations Tora sees when he hears master's stories; the cast act as the characters in the rakugo stories extremely well. I LOVE versatility in actors! The actors/actresses in this show just makes you feel right. They feel natural in their roles; which is the best thing for viewers to be immersed in the story's universe.
~Music~
Being a drama with Yakuza, they have some Yakuza music. My favorite song from the OST was "Tiger & Dragon" from the Crazy Ken Band. The song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rwW7Qx9z2E) describes the Yakuza vibe from Tora quite well. The ending theme was from V6, as most dramas featuring Johnny's HAVE to feature a Johnny's song SOMEWHERE. It was a bit out-of-place, being the idol song in a drama with a solid OST featuring the Crazy Ken Band, but the song grew on me. Your mileage may vary, as there are probably some people who aren't too keen on pop music, especially idol music.
~Conclusion~
This drama is another show to add to my shrine of Kudo-worship. It's funny, grows up with you, and is touching. Really, it's a show to watch if you have a sense of humor, love Yakuza, or want to learn about a great & original writer working in the industry right now.
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This drama got criticised a lot. That a lot of people would just not give it a chance. But believe me, if you're a fan of (( melodramas )) or (( romantic )) ones. This is one of the best.
…….
STORY:
This drama got one of the best story lines. It's not about a romance between chicken restaurants owners, or competitors, or whatever you read from the plot. One thing to say, ITS NOT. This drama is really deep, the romance is deep, different than what you usually watch. It was touching. I won't say they got chemistry or something like that, no it was TOUCHING. A weird one that you won't even understand unless you keep watching.
ACTING/CAST:
Bae Su Bin: If you think you got no reason to watch this, then give Su Bin a one chance to create this reason. Watch one episode and you'll have the reason to continue watching. I watched 26 episodes switching from (I like you), to (I dislike you). Then I finished up watching this drama not knowing, is he a good guy, or bad. I don't even know if I like him or dislike him(drama). But that's not a negative thing, because that's what he is in the drama, a bad guy..and a good one. You know what that means? His acting was DAEBAK, I never knew he was this good.
Jang Shin Young: sometimes got me confused, but you'll get to know her acting style later on. She did really well on the last episodes.
Rest of cast: They did pretty well.
MUSIC:
The music was good, nothing that grabbed my attention, but fitted the scenes.
…….
HOW I RATED THIS:
First episodes: 7.5-8
Last episodes: 8-8.5
Final episode: 10
TO SUM THIS UP:
- Watch it! Do not hesitate. You won't regret it. Listen to me, and WATCH IT!
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ERROR: Errors could not be found. Please try again. Never.
KOREA FINALLY DELIVERED another masterpiece <3This will be a tough one. Really. I was having high expectations for this series, and I am extremely glad they were able to adapt the manhwa this well. As I said in another review, the Korean LGBTQ+ industry is growing and improving its series in terms of production and duration. I´d even say that “Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point in this year so far. Alongside "History 3: Trapped", this series would be my first choice to recommend to somebody if they asked me about good series including the love of two men. Why? Read below.
PRODUCTION / Music >> 9.0
Saying that nothing in this series is extra outstanding, and that “Semantic Error” is just like any other Korean LGBTQ+ series would be an incomplete statement. Let me elaborate on this thought:
While the filming itself is getting closer to the normal standard of Korean dramas, the details and highlights are much more present. This is especially noticeable in the use of colours and lights at the ending of Episode 5. The production is finally focusing on the Interplay of all components, both in music, action and especially in the visual. Additionally, the story feels less rushed than usual Korean LGBTQ+ dramas and I am sure we can expect similar dramas to be produced soon. However, - without sounding too pessimistic - as awesome as this drama is, setting "Semantic Error" as a standard could lead to unpleasant disappointments ... Yes. It is that good.
PLOT >> 8.5
The entire series and the original work are unique and exciting to watch and read. When focusing on the adaption I especially enjoyed the energetic but not rushed pacing and the humour of this series. Both characters are written as "extraordinary" people who had an unfortunate beginning in their relationship which makes this a case of ENEMIES TO LOVERS ... AHHHH…excuse me. This was the easiest way to show that I am a sucker for that trope. Honestly/ Personally, if that is not the most non-toxic/ non-forced ETL love story then I don´t know which one is.
Another detail to mention is the focus on the contrary of both personalities. While one of them is a famous and adored extrovert, the other one is an anti-social and overseen introvert who cares a lot about a systematic and calm daily routine. Jang Jae Young and Chu Sang Woo are as different as one can be. They are incomparable but still such an exciting match.
ACTING / CAST >> 9.0
The main leads both did an outrageous job, and I am glad Park Seo Ham and Park Jae Chan were chosen as the main leads, because they match with the characters, thus the entire series is harmonious and gets close to the overall harmonizing couple in the manhwa. Considering that both Park Jae Chan and Park Seo Ham are originally idols makes their performance is even more outstanding. I also love that both support the show a lot on social media, giving no f*** about the haters. It´s something I highly want to point out because in some Korean LGBTQ+ shows I always had the feeling they were forced to promote it but these two (Park Seo Ham & Park Jae Chan) seem to do it willingly. No. These two seem to have a lot of fun doing it. :D
The Supporting Cast also showed a solid performance in their roles. I can't think of anything that I would have found disturbing or unfitting. Well done. Because we don´t get a lot of insight into other characters, it´s hard for me to review their performance. They all did well!
Rewatch Value 9.5 / 10 + OVERALL 9 / 10
“Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point of Korean LGBTQ+ dramas this year so far and I am glad that so many people support and enjoy this show. Personally, it´s one of the best adaptions/ overall shows I came across. No doubts!
“Semantic Error sucks and is just like any other Enemies to Lovers story, duh...”
!!! ERROR 404: Your opinion was not found in the data system. Submit a reasoned criticism for our servers to deal with constructively, if you can't, please STFU !!!
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When you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead.
I expected Youku's short "Revenge" series to be a xianxia in disguise featuring the many hot re-incarnations of "The Best-est of the Chest-ests" Dai Gaozheng in all his topless smoking hot glory. If that is also what you are here for, let me save you some time because Bride's Revenge is nothing but chest bait. In this incarnation as Mu Anhe, Dai Gaozheng is over-dressed and so camera shy he is in hiding for over a third of the drama. When he reappears, it is uncomfortably obvious there is no spark between the leads. While their chemistry is sweet and loving, it notably lacks the passion and intensity of the previous incarnation.The plot is uncannily similar to Maid's Revenge where two related men Mu Ancheng and Mu Anhe duke it out over the family assets and a woman. Except this time a bunch of "green tea bitches" scheme, bitch slap and scratch each others' eyes out over a scrawny and unappetising scumbag. That entire arc of not very smart people trying to out dumb each other made ten minutes feel like an hour. Even a happy ending cannot save this drama. The dissatisfaction level is just like when you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead. Give this one a pass unless you are super bored and need a quick Dai Gaozheng fix. And in that case, just watch the last three episodes or better yet, rewatch Maid's Revenge.
I generously rate this 3.0/10.0 because Dai Gaozheng is still the chesty definition of hotness.
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Under "Your" Skin
Under The Skin is a 20 episodes crime drama produced by Linmon Pictures . The narrative revolves around a forensic criminal profiler and a detective who meets again after 7 years and proceeds to work together to solve cases while uncovering what happened 7 years ago. Under The Skin is compelling, thrilling, and emotional. It has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction.As a crime drama, Under The Skin is not groundbreaking, but in my opinion, it is one of the best out there. What makes Under The Skin different from any other crime dramas is how they solve the cases. Instead of just going through the tracks and pieces of evidence like any other crime drama, this drama focuses on another aspect, forensic art, which is rarely seen in other dramas.
The drama has simple yet interesting cases, it is compelling, easy to follow, and has good moral messages behind every case. The process of case solving is also relatively simple, but still engaging. Each of the story arcs manages to be complex and intriguing while still showing the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. I love how there is always a human element in each case, the culprit is not labeled as a "black" character, but more to grey. The drama shows you their own fascinating background story and makes you understand why they took down "THE" path.
Under The Skin script shed a light on social issues, there’s a human element and empathy in every episode. For instance, in the first case, you can see women’s prejudice in the workplace and what women need to go through to break the glass ceiling. The cases are realistic, it may resonate with the audience. My personal favorite case is in episodes 11 and 12, “girls help girls - woman can understand woman, woman protect woman”
Under The Skin is written by 6 scriptwriters, 5 of them are females which is why you might find that a lot of the cases and plot mostly revolves around women. The drama also manages to showcase the diversity in the police force, there’s a female detective, police officer, forensic doctor, and more (also there’s a lot of pretty ladies in the drama).
Other than a compelling script, the script is also immensely elevated by the excellent acting of every actor and actress in Under The Skin. The actors and supporting actors and actresses acting are phenomenal, they add so much emotional nuance that brings the characters to life. Both of the male leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia portray their character very well. Tan Jianci as a natural and gentleman, and Jin Shijia as a charming yet rough character.
Despite all its hits, it also has it’s miss. For me, the only miss from the drama is the plot holes in the cases and some of the cases are not wrapped clearly and perfectly. But other than that, the whole drama is a hit!
Under The Skin keeps you at the edge of your seat with the thrills and suspense at the end of every episode. I believe this drama is worth the binge, those who watch this will feel addictive to consume the whole drama in one sitting.
Fun fact: yes the whole criminal profiling profession is indeed that amazing and 神奇. In 2017, the murder of Zhang Yingying in the United States. The police was not able to identify who was the culprit, and they asked help from a Chinese forensic profiler, Lin Yuhui. And he managed to draw out the culprit just from a blurry CCTV and helped solved the case!
P.S. Season 2 is coming! on one of the scriptwriter weibo post, she mentioned she went to gather some materials for Under The Skin season 2 and she also mentioned the drama should've have some more art aspect but was omitted due to the limited number of episodes, and she hopes that she can put those ideas in season 2 and the extra episodes!
Weibo post: https://m.weibo.cn/1461807075/4673683987108245
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Watch it ............with a bottle of depression medication and tissues
Tbh the only reason I made a MDL account was to come cry about this show. This show starts out phenomenally strong and draws you in to make you invest your emotions and interest, but then throws all of those into the gutter towards the end. There is nothing actually wrong with the show. But at point some shows exceed the tragedy tag because "life simply cannot be so damn cruel" to a single person. This show does exactly that so be ready for multiple stabs to your oh so poor heart.It took me a while to recover from the blows that were dealt to me.Good things about :
Cheng yi's acting is absolutely mindblowing. I am head over heels for this man. His expressions of happiness, pain and crying are so so natural that you want laugh with him and cry with him.
The costumes, sets and production is high budget. Visually it is appealing.
Bad things :
The story starts out very strong. But then goes totally in an unexpected direction. Many plot points are introduced which should been executed but end up going nowhere which is frustrating as hell.
Some characters are extremely repetitive and predictable to the point of you wanting to pull your hair out.
There is no emotional payoff or satisfaction towards the end of the show. Not a single one.
TLDR : Cheng yi is the MVP of the show. Overall a good watch but definitely not a happy or satisfying one.
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This series is over rated and disappointing.
Don't get me wrong I love the actors and the first half of the show. I even re-watched the first few episodes just to ease the pain of waiting for one whole week for the next episode. As I said, early episodes were good. I thought they had chemistry and spark. The plot was also good and promising BUT.....As the story progress it also lost its spark. The plot became repetitive, the side stories were set aside, the conflict became lame, the character development was nowhere to be found, in short the script/screenwriting became too dependent to the popularity of the show and the visuals of the actors. If the actors of this show were not good looking, this will be criticized heavily but since they are both handsome and popular, the bad storyline and acting was overshadowed.
Not to mention that they neglected the second main lead of the show which is Drake and Frank. They were literally set aside. It was so bad that it felt that they were just used to make this a BL series.
The chemistry of the early episodes was lost due to lack of character and relationship development. The last four episodes made the characters look and act too straight to be gay. They looked like friends and not a couple. The actors are too reserved to be called as a couple. Ironically this series lost its spark when the two main leads became a real couple. Sad that they are more in love when they are fake dating.
I was expecting more from this because it came from the director of Kiss Me Again and was written by the author of Theory of Love. Now I feel bad for Jittirain, the author of the novel, because this series messed up her creation. Unfortunately it did not live up to its popularity and standard. They can't say its because of COVID19 like Why R U?, because this was pre- produced and they have already finished filming the entire series, so I think there can be no excuse to all of its flaws.
The last episode DID NOT save this series at all. It even made it WORST to the point that viewers felt the awkwardness of the main actors, as if they don't like touching each other. The ugly directing and the story that sucks can no longer be tolerated. Sorry for using this kind of words but this is the best way I can describe what happend to this series. One comment even said, and I love how he described the ending, confession in front of an audience doesn't make it extra special.
The actors made it so obvious that they don't like to act as BL couple at the same time the director and script did not help them with making them look like a BL couple. It was a sub par acting (though I am trying to let it pass since this is Win's first series and Bright's first BL role). I think the actors should reconsider accepting BL roles if they are not fully committed to it because even if you are a good actor but you are doing something against your will, it will always show. The director, producer and screenwriter should also try to reflect what went wrong.
I remember the actors of this show said that love is just love. I agree. Love is something you can show without the racy gestures actually love is best shown with small gestures. The bad thing about this series is NOT the lack of intimate scenes but the LACK OF LOVE in their supposedly real relationship.
Things that are good in this series? Well, this has good OST (except the TINE song, it was meh) and the early chemistry but other than that, it was just a series about two handsome guys that was said to be boyfriends but act like buddies.
Not all trending series are good and even if the actors are good looking and lovable doesn't justify the bad screenplay and execution of the story.
This is a very disappointing drama.
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Silk Knives
A Splendid Match unexpectedly became one of those dramas where I kept waiting to be annoyed…and somehow ended up finishing.
This is a family drama wrapped in romance, household politics, complicated loyalties, unfortunate timing, and people repeatedly making painfully understandable mistakes. Less political chess, more emotional consequences.
Think family grievances, household loyalties, emotional debts, and people repeatedly trapped between duty and feeling.
This is also the kind of drama where soft words frequently hide sharp consequences.
The politics are not exactly:
“everyone gather around while I execute a 14-dimensional chess move.”
The writing frequently wanders into melodrama territory.
And there are frequent moments where the plot politely asks you to suspend disbelief and simply continue moving.
But somehow?
I minded it less here.
Because even when people behave dramatically, and occasionally irrationally, I could usually understand why.
Messy?
Absolutely.
Emotionally recognizable?
More often than not.
And perhaps most importantly:
these people occasionally look like they have lived through mild inconvenience before.
I know.
The standards are in hell.
But seeing actual skin texture, shadows, and lighting that occasionally remembered human faces are supposed to have dimension felt oddly refreshing. Nobody looks permanently trapped inside soft-focus perfection.
Thank you.
Beneath the drama, there is something slightly more mature than expected. Less interested in exaggerated romantic fantasy, more invested in complicated loyalties, family tensions, political obligations, and people making painful decisions for reasons that feel emotionally believable.
The Jinzhao / Chen Yanyun / Ye Xian situation worked better for me than expected too. Not because this becomes some dramatic “choose your favorite man” competition, but because each relationship quietly represents something different emotionally: longing, timing, emotional dependency, partnership, loss.
The romance itself works less through dramatic intensity and more through the quiet accumulation of trust, consistency, and emotional safety.
Meanwhile, the Fu Huailian political situation slowly collapsing into tragedy gave the later episodes more emotional weight. Watching loyalty gradually turn into collateral damage ended up more compelling than the drama gets credit for.
Does everything work?
No.
The scheming is far from brilliant.
The pacing stumbles.
Parts of the drama absolutely could have been stronger, especially toward the end.
But truthfully?
I still ended up enjoying it more than expected.
At this point, a costume idol romance where people mostly behave according to recognizable emotional logic already deserves partial credit. Add an atmosphere that feels appropriately grounded for the world these characters inhabit, without constantly exaggerating itself for dramatic effect, and I found myself appreciating the restraint.
Recommended for: viewers who enjoy slow-burn romance, complicated loyalties, emotionally messy relationships, unfortunate timing, and watching emotionally complicated people make painfully understandable mistakes.
Not recommended for: viewers expecting flawless plotting, high-level scheming, or enough emotional maturity to prevent half the problems in this drama.
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