This review may contain spoilers
General Abs
I saw this for the Abs. Was not disappointed. The leads and second lead actually performed really well. Kissing scenes were 🔥🔥🔥🔥They definitely did not shy away from those scenes. Although the female lead seemed to have swapped brains with a pigeon, the actress performed it really well. I might be blinded by his abs but the ML was also great in his performance of a domineering, trigger happy but brain dead inlove General. Saving grace in the plot movement was Liutenant Liu, bless his brain. The 2nd lead was very 2D in his evilness but also a little brain dead, he's a manipulative turd with the conscience of a rat. The actor was so convincing in this role that I might prolly just tag him as evil in any other role he will play in the future.If you are looking for great storyline with great character development, better move along you won't find that here. But if you are looking to be entertained and/or just looking for a way vent your frustrations out watch this and shout away at your screen because will give you a LOT of reasons to scream.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Search for Identity & Self-invention
I just saw the full length movie version of The Ambiguous Focus (2017) not the 6 episodes drama (2018) and was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of both the story and cinematography. This is not your typical BL movie with fluffy, hilarious, or angsty scenes about teenage love. Right from the start the viewer is pulled into mature scenes with a gay couple trying to maintain their relationship.The male leads, Nan and Zhe, know each other since school, their love story is shown in the prequel Kinematics Theory (2018). Both males are introverts, one is highly intelligent, highly sensitive, struggling to become a writer, the other is a good looking sporty guy who earns a living for both of them combining an office job with housekeeping. Just like the title their story is told, and filmed in a cryptic way, with different points of view from both men alternately, complemented by comments of their friends.
Plot
Nan and Zhe are nearing their 10th anniversary together, Nan is secretly saving money to buy a new apartment for them which makes him vulnerable for a rich guy named Jimmy who likes to bribe and sabotage Nan into a relationship with himself. Suddenly Nan's father must be hospitalized and from that moment on Nan's lot spells disaster, forcing him to make rash promises and decisions that have a huge impact on his partner Zhe, and his own future with Zhe.
Pros
I've read a lot of comments on the sadness of this movie, or the quality of acting, but I don't see it that way. First, the story has an open ending, second the actors were eye candy, their acting above average even natural at times, third, I found the story beautifully told, not overly dramatic... although living in a homophobe world is dramatic enough as shown in the side stories of gay friends who aren't living on cloud nine either.
The scope is on relationships, and questions about love. "Do I really love this person, or do I love it that he needs me, and I need him? Do I love him so much that I can withstand other alluring people?"
Cons
Misunderstandings are needed in a script to give a boost to a story, but I hate it, personally. A lot of grief could have been avoided if the characters would speak their minds. Further I disliked the passiveness of Zhe's character, but again, that's personal taste.
Verdict
This movie reminded me somehow of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest". It shows that people are busy with image building and pleasing others, but it all comes down to our search for identity and self-invention to make relationships work. Go watch it!
Was this review helpful to you?
May scratch your guilty-pleasure itch for trope-filled, angsty dog's blood drama
Okay, let's first be very clear, the ML is a serious, problematic P.o.S. for the first half dozen episodes or so, and their "explanation" (that he is bi-polar and was "cured"?) is just as problematic. This is a terrible portrayal of mental illness and using it as a throw-away story-telling device (it doesn't really get mentioned again for the rest of the drama) does such a huge disservice to an important issue. (C-dramas in general have a long way to go still when it comes to attitudes towards mental illness -- even in serious, high brow, well-scripted costume dramas, it's still common to see the villain "go crazy" at the end.)This is otherwise, your classic, trope-filled, angsty dog's blood low-budget soap; this should be very obvious from the get-go. So if you are looking for a high-quality modern romance grounded in reality, you can safely skip this with zero regrets. But if you're looking for a relatively short melodrama fix (20 episodes, 30 minutes each) with low expectations, this might satisfy that guilty-pleasure itch -- you have tortured break-ups, revenge, family drama, backstabbing, people who do terrible things for unrequited love, disapproving in-laws, an ML who really suffers and is put through the wringer when the FL finally leaves him, and an ML who changes for the better and is willing to give up everything for the FL. The only trope missing, as commenters joked, are twins. Don't expect a well-crafted script that offers character development that makes sense -- this is low-budget dramaland at its soapiest, so leave the over-thinking and expectations at the door, make a lot of assumptions, and fill in the blanks yourself. Do all that and you might find yourself not minding this ridiculous ride! And to be perfectly fair, when it comes to plot holes and making sense, there are many, many worse offenders out there.
I watched this primarily because I was curious to see He Riuxian as the FL -- she was stunning in Warm on a Cold Night and her character was pretty kick-ass from what I remember. I also liked Luo Zheng in some of his earlier supporting roles, and -- as my bio notes -- I'm a sucker for angsty journeys that end in happily-ever-afters.
A few good things I wanted to highlight:
-- Asian dramas love their over-the-top public proposals, or proposals that generally put a lot of pressure on the women to say "yes" out of obligation and guilt. So I was pleasantly surprised by a scene that calls out these types of proposals.
-- Modern C-dramas seem to love making their FL's look frumpy -- high-waisted jeans, boxy, unflattering blazers, ugly shirts, bad hairstyles, you name it -- one has to wonder, do the stylists hate them? Here, He Riuxian's character has pretty great style and clothes -- a genuinely rare sight in my viewing experience!
-- The mothers are hilarious near the end. The ML's mom starts off as your typical rich wife/disapproving mother. (It takes a very long time, but she ultimately just wants to see her son happy and comes to accept the FL, recognizing her kindness and formidable strength.) Her encounter with the equally disapproving FL's mother was fairly amusing, but the scene that had me cackling out loud may be when the ML sneaks into the FL's bed to snuggle .... only to stare right into the glaring eyes of the FL's mother, lol. Priceless.
Was this review helpful to you?
The king maker is king of kings.
Note: There are some statements of well known. historical facts in this review. They are by definition not spoilers but be warned in case you are unfamiliar with the history of this period.Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda. History's most cunning grifter, a man who stole a throne and an empire more than once! I always enjoy dramas like this because they bring larger than life historical characters to life and deflate them into close to normal human beings. I never imagined Sima Yi would be portrayed as such a timid, groveling, deceptively harmless and well, just ordinary fellow. Or that he would be so terrified of his wife. That just cracked me up. Audacious.... sacrilegious even.... love it!
The drama opens with Zhongda, a brilliant scholar and tactician, welcoming his firstborn son Sima Shi into the world. His father Sima Fang is a shrewd and influential minister of the Han Imperial Court. By then, warlord Cao Cao had already openly seized power and repeatedly bullies the Han Emperor into a sniveling, terrified puppet. Zhongda unwittingly catches the eye of Cao Cao as he deftly extricates his father from a dire situation. He goes to extreme lengths to avoid serving Cao Cao who is both keen to make use of his talent and wary of it at the same time. Recognizing his innate cunning and ambition, Cao Cao regards him suspiciously as a double edged sword and comes close to killing him dead many times.
Initially I was surprised and a little bit underwhelmed to see such a timid and groveling Sima Yi. But the layers peel away very satisfactorily to reveal his hidden ruthless nature, his scheming and bold ambition. He is a king maker, someone capable of securing the throne for Cao Pi, the less favored son against Cao Cao's own wishes. He then proceeds to steal an empire for Cao Pi but this part seems whitewashed. I doubt Liu Xie was really that eager to so simply hand over the throne. Not surprisingly, he also intervenes in Cao Pi's succession plans. At that point, it is clear that Sima Yi the king maker is king of kings; that three generations of Cao rulers' succession is determined by this man. Notwithstanding his many contributions, Sima Yi is portrayed as a selfish and cunning character who parleys his own interests ruthlessly. He manipulates two revered ministers into sacrificing themselves to ensure Cao Pi's ascension, but it is clear his primary motive is to save his brother's life.
Sima Yi's great rivalry with Yang Xiu is rivetingly played out in the bitter succession battle between Cao Pi the worthy son and Cao Zhi the favored son. Both are ambitious and brilliant tacticians but they couldn't be more different in nature. Yang Xiu is arrogant, outspoken and extremely intuitive. He cannot help showing off, often over estimating himself and underestimating his enemies. This cost him his life and Cao Zhi the throne his father so badly wanted to give him. In sharp contrast, Sima Yi avoids attention and while he is is often underestimated, he has a healthy respect for his enemies capabilities. His final conversation with Yang Xiu, someone he empathized with, respected and learned from as a worthy opponent illuminates how Sima Yi managed to hang on to his head through many dangers. I have not watched Wu Xiubo before and I was hesitant about him as he is not the image that jumps to mind when I imagine Sima Yi. My concerns faded almost immediately and I cannot think of a better actor to play the role of Sima Yi as characterised by this production.
This drama largely sticks to history in terms of the key events and leading characters of the day. Told chronologically, the drama unavoidably peaks with the exit of the veteran actors who also play the most interesting figures of the day. This drama's highlight for me was Xun Yu's (played by none other than the fabulous Wang Jin Song) opposition to Cao Cao's decision to form his own feudal state. Their bittersweet final exchange that touched upon their long friendship, mutual respect and alignment that turned into reproach and disappointment is a powerful, memorable and compellingly acted drama moment that only two actors of such caliber can deliver. I can recommend watching this drama for that scene alone. I feel pity for anyone attempting the role of Cao Cao after Yu Hewei. I almost wept with joy at the perfection of his rendering of Cao Cao in his twilight years; the ambitious warlord stymied by the limits of his own mortality and torn by his succession dilemma between his most worthy son and his most loved son. Needless to say he is as bad a dad as he was as good a warlord and statesman. Ironically, Cao Cao sows the seeds of the downfall of his own empire as Cao Pi is also a terrible father who also messes up his own heir. Whereas the Sima family in sharp contrast are paragons of Confucian family virtue, the foundation of a moral society.
When it comes to the inner palace and familial relationships, the storytelling embellishes wild history and heavily fictionalizes the historically insignificant aspects. I was sad but unsurprised to see Cao Pi's deep friendship with Zhongda become distrustful and utilitarian after he becomes emperor. While I understand the audience appeal, it is well known that Zhongda's relationship with his wife was much less cordial but I love Liu Tao and was happy to buy into this Disney version. However the whole song and dance with Lady Bai and how Zhongda was "forced" to accept her went too far and just made me roll my eyes. I expect a man of that status in those times to have concubines I don't see the need to waste so much time suggesting he meant to be monogamous when he definitely was not. I also was not compelled by the chemistry between Cao Pi and Lady Guo but at least they didn't try to suggest he didn't have a harem. Lady Zhen's story could well just be speculative history but she is the character I felt the most sorry for in this drama.
The Advisors Alliance is the first instalment of Sima Yi's story and ends with Sima Yi retiring from active duty under Cao Pi. By then, Sima Yi and his proteges had succeeded in pushing through agricultural and structural reforms that made Cao Wei great and restrained the power of the Cao clan warlords. It is a fascinating account of how an understated and often under estimated Sima Yi was ruler in deed if not in name. His machinations paved the way for the Sima clan's rise in influence which eventually led to the founding of the Jin dynasty, which many still argue was not a legitimate state. I enjoyed this enough to rate it an 8.5 and will probably go on to watch the second season Growling Tiger, Roaring Dragon which focuses on his rivalry with Zhuge Liang.
Was this review helpful to you?
Why watch? I confess, I own a bookstore ;) and yes we have all these kinds of characters enter our store&life;.
Was this review helpful to you?
Could've Been Great
Ditto (2022) had the main essence of the story down already. The casts were also good in portraying their roles. Especially the main lead, Yeo Jin Goo. He was able to flawlessly show the emotions needed; from falling in love, being paranoid, jealous, up to being broken. The cinematography was also brilliant. The usage of colors to differentiate timelines and create mood was perfectly executed.The downfall of this movie was it's flow. It failed to show the relationship of the other characters to the main lead, Kim Yong. And these relationships are the backbone of the story. This is what would've make all the difference. These relationships are what'll make viewers invested to the story. Sadly, the movie focused on moving from past to present which led to very disorganized story.
As an example the past storyline:
The friendship of Kim Yong to Eun Sung. They were supposed to be best friends. But in the movie, it seemed like Eun Sung is the only one portraying best friend. Kim Yong was suddenly this overly jealous and paranoid boyfriend to Han Sol. Then his relationship with Han Sol also seemed rushed. We weren't given enough scenes to be invested in their story. We just see Kim Yong being really inlove with her, but on Han Sols part, there weren't enough scenes to staple or depict her feeling the same way. If the movie gave more light and exposure to their relationship, I think, viewers, such as I, would've felt more about their story.
Was this review helpful to you?
I neither liked the FL nor the ML .there was no chemistry between the couple
The second couple was good and the only reason I continued watching it till Ep 24 was LusiThe romance was extremely slow-burn/after 23Eps just a cold hug🙄
I couldn't follow and understand the political parts fully and the war scenes were awful
The FL couldn't portray that princess well and from the beginning I knew that
The idea that she dressed up like a guy and nobody figured out that she was indeed a girl was really ridiculous
I think it wasn't my cup of tea and taste. Some people have enjoyed it a lot though.
Was this review helpful to you?
A story about two souls the universe wants to separate
Episodes 23 and 24 are superb. From what I've read from those who have read the original novel "Time Machine" that this was based on, the ending was changed in the TV adaptation, based on that information I could say that the director and writer did an amazing job in giving us a different ending--it was heart wrenching, lovely, and touching.As with most adaptations with a different ending than its original source, it is rare that the new ending leaves an impact to the audience, most often than not the original ending is still better. Not in the case of First Love Again (2021) TV adaptation, their ending deserves to be an official ending too, especially since we are talking about parallel universes and time travel.
The male and female leads were a perfect match. They portrayed perfectly what many of us experienced back in High School and whenever we fall in love. The anger, the sweetness, being playful with each other, even the little things they captured it all awesomely. The same with the side stories with their friends, like the pain of being rejected or the unexpected surprise classmates no one expected will be together ended up getting married.
It is also worth mentioning that they effectively used all 24 episodes to tell us different interconnected stories. It was not rushed nor was it lacking. They also kept the physics of spacetime travel (yes, one word "spacetime") simple and to a minimum. If we are going to talk about how logical it was, at this point it is hard to say. In the latter episodes, there appears to be some leaps when it comes to spacetime travel, but since I have not taken the time yet to fully review and gather my thoughts about it, I can not say anything about it … yet. Regardless, the spacetime travel is overall good and easy to follow for the majority of the episodes. Those who are not keen with parallel worlds and time travel stories would find it easy to watch this.
And hey, the overall story, the romance between our lead characters, are more than enough reason to watch First Love Again (2021) even if the Science does not make sense. This is a story of two High School friends that not even the universe can ever separate. A story about two souls who will always find each other and fall in love again and again and again and again …
Was this review helpful to you?
Fifteen Years to Wait for Migratory Birds
26 people found this review helpful
-The friendship part which was so pure and beautiful between: Li Li, Shang Xuan, Li Jun and Daniel.
-Li Li's love for Migratory Birds (which actually was what I liked the most about the drama and also the reason why I got interested in watching it).
When I started 15YWFMB I didn't expect anything from it but I immediately found it pretty original especially Li Li's hobby, her love for the migratory birds and how it's linked with her love for Shang Xuan, so wonderful and subtle metaphors about love <3
First and foremost, I recommend this Chinese drama to everyone especially to those who want to watch a good Chinese modern drama with well written and developed characters, I've always wanted to find one which would impress me when it comes to character development and definitely it was a success for me. On the surface it's a pretty relaxing drama but as the story progresses I could see that it was more complicated than it first seemed, Ok I did guess at some extents how it would end but definitely I think it was well done. I'm just really disappointed by the ending or should I say the way they ended the drama.
Our leading lady really grew on me all throughout the drama, I could totally see myself in her and I had similar experience as her during my high school years (so it was easier for me to connect with her character), how she was bickering all the time with Shang Xuan, they did not start their relationship on the best terms but they ended up appreciating each other, and I'm sure many of us had a similar adventures during adolescence.
I love so much how their relationship is evolving in the drama, how since the beginning she loved him and kept her feelings for herself and how everything was developing slowly but surely in such a mature way , all of that was done so well. In a few words I would say LiLi is a really responsible, sensitive, smart, selfless and kindhearted girl (became a wonderful and elegant young woman for whom I only have admiration), she always stays true to herself and is always there for her dearest ones, definitely the best friend/family member we can ever have.
Shang Xuan is such a lovely and dependable man, he had his issues and sometimes he could be odious and all of that I understood it because he had his reasons to act the way he did but just like Li Li when it comes to friends and family he would do anything<3
I love other characters too particularly Qian Ren, sincerely this guy is such a sweetheart that sometimes I didn't know if I should ship Li Li with him or Shang Xuan, really too hard to choose only one. Two handsome, reliable, lovely men for one amazing and wonderful woman, I guess that for many other viewers it must have been hard to choose their side, at least for me it was hard <3
I truly loved both leading actors and oh why is Deng Lun (Qian Ren) younger than me just why ? Also I need to say that I'm not into Love triangle and I hate that so much but here so unexpectedly it was not exaggerated nor complicated maybe because all three characters (Li Li, Shang Xuan and Qian Ren are very understanding and mature persons).
Supporting characters were so adorable too and they had their own stories so that's a very big plus, it was good to see that the writer didn't focuse only on Li Li's relationship with Shang Xuan and Qian Ren and showed more of other characters like Li Jun and Daniel, both really caring, honest and loyal friends.
I read some comments about Han Yi Chen being a bit too mean or something like that but honestly I think she was a pretty fine rival to Li Li, I never hated her and thought she was too bad though of course as a rival she was very selfish and jealous of Lili. By the way it was kinda annoying seeing that they put so much make up on the actress's face to make her look older, actually it didn't work in my opinion as it seemed too forced.
As for my rating I decided to go with a 7.5 and it might sounds weird I'm not giving a higher rating when I enjoyed the drama this much however though it's a really great drama and I don't have complaints about it (well only on certain aspects such as the ending, some turn of events which did bother me a little bit but nothing too disturbing, the OST= almost non-existent and not my taste at all) so I just can't give more. Of course I definitely recommend it especially for the reasons mentioned above plus the actors did a very decent job though some of them lack experiences. I found two actors I would definitely stalk : Sun Yi and Deng Lun as I loved their portrayals of Li Li and Qian Ren, both being my two fave characters of the drama as well <3
The drama itself didn't give me goosebumps nor made my heart palpitated hence this rating.
Was this review helpful to you?
The film relies on a careful exchange of romanticism with that of the supernatural elements that, plausibly, promote the growth of its two main characters and their love relationship. It does not fit into the overly tempted notion of the tragic and common loss in novels, especially considering how many other films usually have one of the characters with some deteriorating disease or terminal illness to defend ideas of forced separation. His uniqueness in the narrative structure separates it from similar films that maintains the genre and, along with an excellent cast and direction, produces an emotionally touching, unconventional, and ultimately quite memorable viewing experience.
"Tomorrow I Will Date With Yesterday's You" makes you think more about the situation in which the two main characters were and the consequences that this would mean to them.
By Japanese standards it may have been some movie, but it is not, the story is well written, it has a coherent logic, it seems to be difficult to understand at first, but they have a transition of interest that makes you understand it perfectly. It's worth it!
Was this review helpful to you?
Sleeping with the enemy.
This drama weaves some of the most prominent historical figures of China's Three Kingdoms period into a fabulous and exciting tale of intrigue, adventure, and romance reminiscent of a Dumas plot. This is a highly fictionalized yet disarmingly convincing exploration of the motives and relationships of the key figures of the day that manages to stay broadly true to history.The last Han emperor has a secret that could shake the foundations of the empire and shatter his tenuous hold on power. Aided by a small intimate circle that includes the empress, his boyhood friend Sima Yi and a dwindling number of old Han ministers, he embarks on a desperate quest to escape the clutches of Cao Cao and restore the glory and power of the Han empire. But the cruel strategies and sacrifices needed are at odds with his benevolent nature and inclination to show mercy to his enemies. Ma Tianyu impressively pulls off a complex portrayal of this seemingly weak and powerless emperor who frustratingly sticks to his guns against all odds to ultimately succeed in winning the hearts and minds of his enemies with his enlightenment and magnanimity. It is very clear that the emperor and the notorious Cao Cao have very similar world visions and goals but their methods are extreme opposites - one rules by fear and sheer brute force while the other kills you with his kindness. Both are pragmatic and when the rubber meets the road, have little choice but to sleep with the enemy in order to achieve the outcomes they are after. We get to decide for ourselves who was more effective, who really won their epic struggle for power and whether it was worth it.
There are no real villains in this drama - even the emperor's enemies are portrayed in a very balanced manner though it is fair to say that the so called villains out-acted the heroes. Guo Jia is my favorite character in the drama - I often found myself rooting for him and oddly moved by his and Cao Cao's loyalty and affection for each other. And Tse Kwanho's Cao Cao must be by far the best Cao Cao I have ever seen - so cunning, powerful and menacing I was actually scared of him. Some of the most gripping and intense scenes in this drama are when Cao Cao and the emperor go toe to toe. My one big criticism of this drama is Han Dongjun's Sima Yi is shallow, boastful and unemphatic. For a highly rated actor to miss the mark on such a key character is just not acceptable. While some of the bromance moments with the emperor are decent, most of the time he is not in character and does not convincingly pull off the legendary strategist. Cao Pi is also extremely well acted but overshadowed by all the other outstanding performances. There is quite a bit of sizzling romance this drama, notably that of the emperor and empress as well as Guo Jia's but Sima Yi's was just kind of flat.
This drama is full of suspenseful moments and action as danger lurks around every corner. The second arc however is a bit draggy and requires some suspension of disbelief but that is also where the awesome Guo Jia emerges so don't abandon it there.
I will stop here and keep this short as it would be a crying shame to spoil this one. I highly recommend this very enjoyable and under appreciated drama that I would rate higher if not for Sima Yi
Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliantly evolved
Season 2 is vastly different from season 1.Although the main leads remain in place, the transitioning of an extended stellar cast to a distinctly more complex and elaborate plot distinguishes Lee Soo Yeon's follow up effort from the hit first season that took the world by storm back in 2017.
From the intense and visceral depiction of criminal investigation into corruption and scandals, the 2020 version has evolved into an in-depth study of a sophisticated web of corporate and political conspiracies intricately woven amidst the backdrop of judicial uncertainty and bipartisan face-off between the prosecutors and the police. This evolution, in my humble opinion, has been brilliantly done.
There is less action and much more dialogue, Hwang Shi Mok and Han Yeo Jin share less screen time together, and even their individual roles have been somewhat diminished by the presence of many new characters. However, in the grander scheme of things, the overarching plot is given so much more depth and significantly enhanced by the performance of the extended cast. To balance the slow-burn nature of the start, the business end of this season provides the dramatic closure that ties up all the loose ends and plot twist that viewers have been patiently awaiting the entire run.
We know all about Jo Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na, the quality of their chemistry never falters even in the face of reduced screen time. The debutants to the franchise have been immensely impressive. Jeon Hye Jin's Choi Bit is a display of empowerment and relentless zeal to protect what's at stake for the police force and for herself. Choi Moo Sung, I suspect, was entirely in character playing a version of himself. His brazenly supercilious Woo Tae Ha has such screen presence that dominated every scene. Yoon Se Ah, personally for me, is such a delight to behold. Her Lee Yeon Jae is the epitome of elegance and grace combined with a quiet resolve and shrewdness, as befits her role as the head of a chaebol. Lee Joon Hyuk returns as the opportunistic Seo Dong Jae. This time, he has a notable story arc that culminates in many viewers agonizing over his welfare.
Overall, Stranger 2 is a well developed production and fantastic addition to the hit franchise. Even though it may not hit the dizzying heights of popularity garnered by the first season, this drama still represents compelling viewing for the discerning viewers of this genre.
Was this review helpful to you?
They served......justice!
The story follows Detective Park Yeong Han, who's a total pro at nabbing cow thieves (≧▽≦)But now, he's been transferred to Jongnam Police Station, where he and his teammates gear up to tackle corruption along with other crimes occuring in the 60s.So let me put it out straightforwardly to y'all: the story is, most of the time, ordinary, like nothing groundbreaking or unimaginable, but the way Unit 1 solves each case charms me up and keeps me intrigued. Watching the dynamics and the bond and friendship among the teammates feels genuine and real.
Each episode brings in a new crime, which our detectives solve. As I mentioned, it's pretty ordinary, so here's the twist: you usually spot the culprit early on in this drama, but the real puzzle is figuring out the tactics they'll use to reel them in because it is more like a socialist economy (as in the 60s) where everything is controlled within the government/police authorities, and it's not easy because they have the power unless there is some solid evidence ¯◡¯. One of the main storylines is corruption in the police department, so buckle up to watch some good for nothing cops￣ヘ￣
The actors and characters were so endearing to watch, but there are some annoying ones too. And how can we forget Lee Je Hoon?! Man never disappoints with his acting in the action genre; it's so fun to watch him: > Yeong Han and Sang Sun duo was the highlight for me. >>
The romance could've been more developed, I felt. It was subtle and cute nevertheless, but not a main focus.
One of the things I didn't like is how some characters were used as plot devices. It wasn't fast-paced, more like a laid-out story with a leisurely pace, so sometimes I skipped scenes.
Overall, the cases are not out of the box or overwhelming, but if you enjoy the bonding between the characters, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the show! And honestly it was pretty light hearted as a overall watch, the crimes weren't heinous compared to other crime dramas, with a sprinkle of humour!
Thank you for reading my review ^^
End
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama was a wonderful mix of different elements from family drama to romance to corporate scheming. The cast and character dynamics were just fantastic- I adored Jingfan and Xie Chuang's relationship! That being said, the romance was still my favorite part. Yang Mi and Hawick Lau are flawless; my otp in real life and in the show! Hawick's portrayal of a flippant playboy was great and his chemistry with Yang Mi's character had me flailing in happiness because they were just so darn cute.
I laughed. I cried. I fangirled. I very nearly threw my laptop across the room in anger. And then I repeat the cycle as I rewatch the series for the third (or is it fourth?) time. Seriously, I cannot gush enough about this drama and I highly, HIGHLY recommend!
Was this review helpful to you?
Demon in red.
Zhao Yao is a fun fantasy love xanxia drama where both leads belong to the dark or demon sect. The unconventional "good vs evil" plot challenges the idea of what is "good" and what is "evil" as the good guys are really the bad guys in this drama. The best thing about this drama is the sizzling chemistry between the two leads. What totally really drags it down is that it is littered with fillers - it should at best a 30-40 episode drama. That made me grumpy and is the main reason for the less high rating.Zhaoyao (Bai Lu) the female lead is an unapologetic bad-ass she devil who falls for the Demon King's son Moqing/Li Chenlan (Xu Kai). Li Chenlan is imprisoned by his father until he can free him from the powerful evil demon force within him. Zhaoyao is raised in solitude by her grandfather; it is their sacred duty to guard Chenlan until the Demon King returns. Led by the powerful immortal Luo Mingxuan, the righteous sects decide to preemptively kill Chenlan before he can wreak devastation on the world. Instead, they accidentally free Chenlan and an injured Mingxuan is rescued by Zhaoyao, who becomes infatuated by his chivalry and righteousness. She is outraged when she discovers his plans to kill Chenlan and boldly rescues him, earning his undying love in the process. She is captured and tortured by the thwarted Mingxuan and her freedom comes at a devastating personal price. Enraged and disillusioned, Zhaoyao forms and builds up her own formidable Wanlu Sect that wreaks havoc on Mingxuan and his "righteous" sects and protects those persecuted by them.
While recovering a legendary sword, Chenlan accidentally releases a deadly force that kills Zhaoyao. Boy is she pissed!!! She returns as an angry, vengeful but much weakened spirit that is hell bent on killing Chenlan dead. By then, Chenlan is practically invincible and it further incenses her to discover he has taken over as the leader of the Wanlu sect. This man enjoys living dangerously - he is so besotted with Zhaoyao that he is amused by and even welcomes her efforts to alternately kill and/or seduce him. The best moments are all centered around their occasionally funny and wholly adorable interactions. He is totally putty in her hands and cannot deny even her most dangerous requests. The sparks literally fly between them and their body language and obvious affection for each other is mesmerizing. All the early to middle episodes of them falling in love were the best and totally re-watchable. Bai Lu's Zhaoyao is just simply phenomenal - she is fiery, fearless, impetuous, occasionally wicked and completely bewitching. She also really brings out the best in all of her co-stars. However, outside of Bai Lu and Xu Kai, the cast is rather dull and didn't to engage me. Two of the other main female characters have a tendency to wail, which always has me scrambling for the fast forward/mute button. Sigh! When will they get it that wailing, whiny and noisy female characters are a nuisance?
The second female lead in this drama plays Qin Zhiyan (Yan Xiao), whose body Zhaoyao shares in the first half of the show while she tries to reclaim her own. The two are polar opposites yet form a strong and cute friendship. I wasn't wowed by Yan Xiao's overall performance, she got too much airtime in the first 20+ episodes that her cuteness turned into boring/whiny. The editing is sloppy - it jumps ahead, flashes back and in some cases explains what happens much later. I would rewind thinking I missed something that gets explained much later on - like how Mingxuan was out of the blue in a sealed state by Zhaoyao. I have FOMO so I hate fast forwarding but there were too many flashbacks and boring conversations between the righteous sects. Both the female and male love rivals were total cliches - they each sought to win Chenlan/Zhaoyao's love by killing off their rival. Wow -such a time tested losing and deranged strategy. The other main antagonist Jiangwu was an immature and swaggering pest until he redeemed himself slightly at the end. There are also a bunch of forgettable side love stories. The pace overall is painfully slow.
This drama went downhill toward the end. It didn't help that they randomly (and unnecessarily) killed off secondary characters. The ending was a bit rushed, garbled, messily executed and a bit wishy-washy when it could have and should have finished very strong. What is truly baffling is the countless wasted filler moments that could have been cut so that the ending could have been done properly.
I still recommend this but wouldn't bother to watch the whole thing. It wouldn't be a bad idea to drop it after Zhaoyao and Chenlan get together somewhere in the early 40s. Fast forward with impunity every time one of the two excellent main leads is not on. I will be looking out for more dramas with them (together would be great) and especially Bai Lu.
Was this review helpful to you?
