This review may contain spoilers
He is a true king and she is his princess knight
There was not a single moment in this drama where characters were OOC.Amazing chemistry between leads and the heartwarming story line was something I can never forget. They were so true to themselves and their love.
From the start to the end of drama it was not a let down. Not a moment felt draggy and pointless.
LX and ZY were amazingly played by chen fei yu and zhang jing yi. You could see the emotions in their eyes. Their love and guilt and regret.... it was so heartwreching and beautiful to watch these two together.
The story line was meaningful and had a lot of lessons in it.
Almost all the characters had depth in their personality. There was no complete black and white -except for FZJ that was a true trash- and I cried when I finished the drama just because it was truly beautiful.
I'm glad the drama ended on a high note and didn't disappoint at the final episode.
The song tracks were so so beautiful that I couldn't resist playing them over and over.
I will rewatch it again because I can't get enough of this truly wonderful couple!
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This series. First off, I adored the main female lead. She was always very strong and set on her ways. Sure, she had her times when she was infuriating but she was the reason why I always kept coming back. Her pride and way to get things that needed to get done were always so great to watch.
The remainder of the cast, was also infuriating at times but everyone of them, no matter how much you hated, you wound up connecting on a higher level. We knew exactly what drove them to be that way and the way their characters went on with their lives throughout the drama was wonderful to watch. The good guys you wanted to protect and always have a happy life and the bad guys you wound up wanting to throw things at them and violently scream at the screen (or maybe that was just me...). The cast was excellent! Everyone of them were great.
The music was also very beautiful. I cannot wait to get my hands on the soundtrack.
Over all, or the TLDR version: If you want a historical drama that will give you TONS of feels, have TONS of strong actors that you will cheer for, have SIDE characters that you will adore a little too much, have EVIL characters that you will hate too much, do watch this one. The many episodes may be daunting but I promise you that (even if this drama gets dull for you, it never did to me honestly) every episode is a ride within itself and you will keep coming back to see what happens to these beloved characters.
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Don't listen to the cliche korean viewers!
This is a kind of drama that I try so hard to find. why? It's free from all the unpleasant and repetitive elements of many korean dramas. Now, what do I mean by unpleasant and repetitive elements generally present in 80% of the romantic korean dramas?1) Childhood/prior acquaintance (the ML and FL have already unknowingly acquainted; i.e. their love story is fated) This is also present in one of my most beloved korean drama CLOY, which is pretty recent.
2) PTSD (even in many of the famed korean dramas , you will see that this element can't be avoided)
3) Rich ML, Poor or clumsy FL
Also ,this drama has very realistic and interesting storylines. I can understand if you don't find the main couple's story that attractive, but the progress of the story can be reasoned . The side storylines are very distinct and cover broad issues that one can face in relationships.
Please note that this is not the rom-com as written in the details section. Expect a slight melodramatic romance from the main couple. This is a light watch ,so don't expect very high emotional turnover
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All the cast did great jobs - especially Jung Kyung Ho as Kang Min Ho & Kim So Yeon as Kim Soon Jung - Their interactions were always funny & cute. The actor (won't give out the name) who played the villain did a great job at making himself a believable villain. This was also the best role Ahn Suk Hwan has ever played! A kind-hearted dad for once who didn't have a stupid laugh between every word. PLEASE play more character roles like this one!!!
The OST fit the drama but was nothing too impactful - the song I remember the most vividly is Dong Wook & Min Ho's Ringtone song: "Each Time You Do That"/"?????" by Toy/?? - If I had a cellphone I'd make this my ringtone^^
Yes, I would re-watch this - even if it was just to watch Jung Kyung Ho's adorableness some more ^-^
I recommend it for anyone who loves cute romantic dramas with a splash of detective/business...
"People forget love with the excuse of work." - Kang Min Ho
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This review may contain spoilers
I was drawn to this because the vibe seemed so different from most KDramas, and I really liked that, but Itaewon Class is the kind of drama that I think tries too hard to be cool and relevant. I like that it tackled a few topics like race, gender identity, ageism, and social status, but it also does it in a way that was too corny for me to take seriously. I still want to give it an E for effort because I liked the idea of the diversity and inclusive vibe of Itaewon. What initially drew me in about the story was the revenge plot, which sadly got overshadowed by an annoying love triangle... square... pentagon... which eventually ruined everything for me. The only consistent likable thing for me throughout was Park Seo Joon as Sae Ro Yi.I think Sae Ro Yi is a great character. Watching him navigate epic hardships and relationships with an endearing stubbornness and loyalty was my favorite thing about the show. I've loved Park Seo Joon in so many dramas, he never disappoints, so this drama just solidifies what a great actor I think he is. Surprisingly the one area where he is weakest in this drama is the "romance" aspect, but that's not his fault. From "Witch's Romance" to "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" it's obvious to me that he is a great romantic lead, but the problem here is that the romance plot is the weakest part of this drama. His relationship with Nara as Oh Soo Ah had an initial spark of chemistry but was soon too repetitive, and I thought his relationship with Kim Da Mi as Jo Yi Seo made absolutely no sense! They had no chemistry but seemed to appease some fans so it felt like it was forced into a story that didn't need it.
More than romance this drama focuses on friendship and loyalty. The cast is full of interesting characters who learn to accept and depend on each other with Sae Ro Yi as their guide. I liked the supporting cast in general, even if their acting skills weren't all equal. My favorite performance of the supporting cast was Lee Joo Young as Ma Hyun Yi, and sadly my least favorite was Chris Lyon as Toni (who's Korean was way more impressive than his acting... but I don't speak Korean so that's just a guess lol). I also thought Ahn Bo Hyun was great and consistently unlikeable as Geun Won, and Yoo Jae Myung was epically evil as Jang Dae Hee, and I love epic villains worthy of epic revenge! I can't really say that anyone was bad, but many in the cast were more decent actors than amazing.
The breakout star is clearly meant to be Kim Da Mi as Yi Seo, but she was not my favorite. She's a great actress, and was an interesting character in the beginning, with her sociopath social media savvy persona, but she soon became annoyingly obsessive and childishly whiny. I wanted to root for her being a young empowered and clever female lead character, but instead, she felt needy, self-involved, and just too hard to like at times... most times. The forced love story definitely didn't help me like her character. I guess some people found her devotion cute, but I thought it was creepy. I think people liked her IDGAF attitude, but I found her selfishness irritating, which overshadowed anything I liked about her initially.
That brings me to the plot, which was just messy! It starts out as the motivational story of a pied piper of misfits bringing random people together to create his dream to fulfill his epic plans of revenge, and suddenly focuses instead on a really bad love story. I can't blame the age gap, because the first drama I saw him in was a romance with a huge age gap. I just think the match didn't work and was so awkward to watch no matter how hard they tried to make it a thing. Then evil characters started to be less realistic and more cartoony, and things suddenly resolved and fell into place way too easily. Even though there are many moments I still liked, overall the script is more bad than good. I waited to watch the last 4 episodes because I stopped caring, and the last 2 episodes were so painfully drawn out and dragged so much that I was tempted to drop the drama with only 30 minutes left in the last episode. Even all of the confrontation and fight scenes that the show was building up to were boring to watch.
This has the same Director as " Big", one of the most ridiculously awful dramas I have ever watched, so maybe this turn isn't surprising after all.
Would I watch this again? Obviously not, and I almost wish I would have dropped this sooner, but I was still too invested in Sae Ro Yi and all he went through to give up on this completely. The ending was good about addressing everything that needed to be addressed and had a few moments that I liked but It still was not satisfying enough to make me like this drama as a whole.
Overall, I was excited by the beginning but the thrill didn't last till the end. Yes, there was an overall message that I am not mad at... about friends like family, what real power is, and what really matters in life, but the weak love story, rushed character development, predictable resolutions, and lack of emotional depth didn't execute those themes well enough in the end. It looked visually cool, but the substance felt too immature and unrealistic for me. I wouldn't personally recommend this drama, but I can understand how people can like it more than I did, especially if they liked Kim Da Mi's character a lot. For Park Seo Joon fans it may be worth it to watch even just the beginning, then decide on your own if it's worth your time. Personally, I wish I could edit out whole parts of the drama to make it better, but instead, I will move on to something better while looking forward to the next Park Seo Joon drama instead. It did make me curious about visiting Itaewon when I finally make it to Korea, because they did make it look cool, so I guess that's a good thing too.
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You're Beautiful conveys both so well :D
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The writing can be structurally erratic, but it’s always balanced and humane in its portrayal of both its heroes and its demons. This is a show driven by the “Heal Me” part of its title, emphasizing not vengeance for past wrongs, but reconciliation and re-integration for future happiness. Some plot threads are left hanging, but its exploration of how people are broken and put back together, medically implausible as it may be, is metaphorically lovely. It’s fiction, but it’s a show that knows that the stories we tell have the power to reshape our lives.
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Revenge doesn't stop.
Created by Logos Film in association with Studio Dragon, "Military Prosecutor Doberman (군검사 도베르만)" is a Military-legal cum revenge thriller Kdrama accompanied by action and dark comedy. The drama written by Yoon Hoon Mo and directed by Ji Chang Gyu was broadcasted on tvN.The story basically portrays two gungeomsa or military prosecutors who, together, attempt to avenge the death of their parents, which has ruined their lives to great extents. While they're aware of the culprits' existence within the military, they conspire to take them one by one, with law and order.
Do Bae Man (Ahn Bo Hyun) is a highschool dropout who due to his persistence enlist into army as a military prosecutor. In spite of his urge to conquer the truth, he goes for the pet cases of his superiors for fame & money. But his life takes a turn upon meetung Cha Woo In (Jo Bo Ah), who is a newly recruited permanent prosecutor, supposed to replace his post upon his discharge. Cha Woo In has a mysterious personality, meaning that she's not what she seems. Becoming alone in the world from her chaebol life, she's determined to do anything she wants. As time takes a toll, making both of them aware of their intertwined past, will they be able to seek vengeance from the military within which the influentials cause ruckus during power trip among themselves?
Many of the familiar and skillful actors in tbe show are: Kang Mal Geum, Oh Yeon Soo, Kim Young Min, Kim Woo Seok, Jung In Ki and Go Keon Han. The performance from all of the main and supporting cast is up to par and special mention must go to Kim Woo Seok for carrying out such a complex and variable character well. Whom I loved the most is Jo Bo Ah; I honestly have watched her thrice before this drama but the character she played in her demanded patience, self-control and obviously acting skills, and she gave her best to it, I felt that sincere attempt through her delivery.
Plot development... Not so good, not so bad, yet way beyond the average mark. "The children avenging parents' death" trope ain't anything new for Kdramas per se, so what matters is the script and it's execution, which is well done, in fact, very. I suggest you to have a good amount of expectations from it. The pilot episode was just okay, and gave me the impression that the writer will mess up by the end, but I was once again proved wrong. The furtherance came as a carefully plotted progression, with stepwise manner, having elements of variable kinds and touching different sensitive topics, that requires attention. It's engaging and entertaining, the courtroom and fight scenes being the best. The one-by-one manner of taking down a group of antagonist was well-drawn and should be appreciated. I am happy they didn't run out of context at any point of the story. Likewise, the ending sequence was amazing and I loved how the writer has wrapped up the show by not leaving any ends loose.
Yoon Hyun Ho jakkanim is a famous name, known for his legal thriller scripts, most of which is coupled with revenge plots. This show definitely bears the authenticity of his own genre, and you might be able to picturize his previous dramas. The basic storylines, the screenwriting, the plot development and the plot elements, everything is so well crafted and drafted that it made me forget about the flaws which amount to only a handful number. Even so the final quarter of the show exaggerated things a lil to achieve a dramatic conclusion, I felt it was manageable.
Jin Chang Gyu PDnim who's still very new in terms of direct experiences, however have been able to get his dramas some recognition and I wish this drama creates a path for his future endeavors, as it's the best among them. His work has been tremendously incorporated into the execution of the script, the scenario setups and screenplay editing. The cinematography remains dark for most of it's parts and the bright light courtroom scenes with yellow hues are awe-inspiring.
I l ove all of the OSTs, most of which are highly adrenaline-bursting, woah! I can go on dancing to them the entire day. Composed by Kim Jang Woo, there are 5 OSTs in total. "Doberman" by Guckkasten Ha Hyun Woo ahjussi is a perfectly fitting theme song for the drama with hardcore lyrics about challenging your life. "My Zone" by SAYY is a song meant for the FL with sassy lyrics and depicts courage for facing anything offered by life. "Ignite" by YELO is a cry about the injustice done by the unjust society, abd is more on the melancholic side. Isaac Hong's vocals never fail to reach the deepest point of our hearts and "Dive in" by him in the drama is a touching track about reminiscing the pains from the foregone past. "Flame" by Kim Han Kyeom is an open call for war and is surely a mood booster.
What I liked...
# The plot elements used are definitely unique, from each of the cases fought in the legal battle, to the ones involving the characters' personal affairs, and in fact the plots of conspiracy and revenge.
# The complexity to characters is what I didn't expect out of it, from my side at least, but seeing that the writer has carefully drawn the arches, with angst, resentment, anger, intelligence and everything, I was slightly taken aback go acknowledge it is actually a good show.
# Real cases of bullying in society, particularly in the premise of the army, that claims to be the most disciplined, was heartbreaking, though the portrayal was necessary, in order to be shown and conversed about. I was happy how they were dealt in the show, regardless of the fact that it's all fiction.
# Relevant events of military, other than the violence and slavery, such as the power trip for hierarchy, corruption, desertion from camp, unfair & unequal treatment and significantly the role of gungeomsa (military prosecutors) is well depicted ane presented.
# The action scenes were stupefyingly fantastic, for it has several scenes where the ML & FL have to get involved with Thugs and villains of different kind. It includes both simple fighting techniques and breathtaking stunts. Jo Bo Ah in her alter ego was the best in this regard, I never imagined her playing such a character.
# The courtroom scenes or the legal battles were obvious scenarios you could expect given the title of the show, though it comprises of only 15-20% of the show, but whatever proportion it shares, it was good, detailedly taken care of of and well executed.
# The rap battle between Sang Ki and the discharged soldier in the guest role, was soooooo pleasant and funny, like we could never expect such a scene. It kicked off instantly and lasted for barely 2 minutes, but woah! What a face-off it was!
What I didn't like...
# Pacing of the development isn't at all bad per se, but at few instance around the interval of the show, it felt somewhat inconsistent. As in, the characters and the furtherance of the plot wither slowed down or seemed like the characters were forgetting their goals. But I would say, they don't suffice to a level where you might want to give up or drop the show.
# Less of Kang Ha Joon (Kang Young Seok) disappointed me and it could be a personal one, since I was expecting him to have a good share of screentime and play greater roles in the game of vengeance. Him disappearing after first few initial episodes did disenchant me even though he had hia parts in destroying the evil.
# The chief prosecutor and his role didn't seem to be of any single use. I get that he was there to fill in for the comedy scenes but still I was kinda turned off by the character.
# Over-domination by the leads led to reduced scrrentime for the co-workers in the prosecution office, which is another flaw from the writer's side. Even so Bae Man and Woo In were central characters, the investigation process should have involved the other 2 with some importance to their characters and significant contribution by them.
# The thugs are another set of hugely useless things the writer have incorporated into the story, as a bad decision. The cheap comedy from their part didn't interest me, and them appearing from time to time, just to fill in was funny (sarcastically). They should have disappeared after the bridge fight scene, may be.
# The lil amount of drag in the last quarter was noticeable, though it doesn't really affect the overall story & development. On that note, the script never ran outta contents and even for the last 4 episodes, it had sufficient elements left in order to treat the audience.
Final Remarks... "Military Prosecutor Doberman" is a beyond decent and fair one time watch, with a entertaining story, good direction, amazing performance and up to par outcomes. Despite the little flaws it bears, I would recommend people to give it a try and see to it, whether it suffices their tastes. Giving it a 8.0 because I think it's fair provided the limitations that I have mentioned above. Anyways, go ahead if you are into a bittersweet revenge game.
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Meandering plot that leads to nowhere, unresolved subplots, ridiculous ending
The series started off decent enough. I was rating this a 7.0 at Episode 6. By Episode 10, I was completely disillusioned by the terrible writing that didn't really allow Lee Jong Suk, Im Yoon Ah and Kwak Dong Yeon to display a wider range of their acting skills. Surprisingly for me, Yoo Tae Joo is probably the best thing to emerge from this chaotic, confusing mess.This series spent more than half of its episodes in the penitentiary. It wasted most of its time getting the audience trying to guess who Big Mouse is, who in the world is the "invincible" guy who managed to swindle something like 100 billion from crooks in the upper echelon of a shady corporation. The possible suspect moved from person to person, and this was how the drama dragged its feet from Episode 1 until Episode 10. The inanity.
The mayor, Choi Do Ha, turning out to be the big bad was no surprise, it was obvious from the point he sought out Park Chang Ho and got him involved in his quest to retrieve the ever so secretive "scientific paper". CDH's reasons to enlist PCH's help was superficial and illogical, it just didn't make sense to me. Right here and there is a big glaring plothole. There's no such thing as a "secretive scientific paper". Do the writers know that peer research papers go through a lengthy review process and is processed dozens of times before the final publication can be made? There's no way a paper that exposes the hazards of a radioactive substance of that magnitude can be kept secret for so long. It's just ridiculous writing.
Not to mention Hye Jin's murder was unnecessary, and to top it off, her death didn't even serve any purpose other than providing nonsensical shock value to the audience. She escaped to the US only to come back to get murdered. LOL. Why? If I were thousand of kilometres from my psychopathic ex, I wouldn't go back to where he was. Yeah, her ex-husband is worse than scum, and he didn't even get punished for her murder. Her body was never found! This subplot was completely dropped by the writers. For what? Yeah the mayor Choi Do Ha is also scum for helping him dump Hye Jin's body. Then it turned out Choi Do Ha wasn't even Choi Do Ha, he usurped the identity of a dead boy! What in the world. LMAO. Tell me how you do that as a kid. Who helped this kid changed his legal papers? This trope is tired and old, and honestly if people want to pull this in modern storylines, they need to provide a more viable and cogent explanation.
After all the twists and turns this drama flipped out, it was revealed that Big Mouse is really not a single entity. It's one guy, who's the head of some secret organisation, like Freemasonry, but mafia ala vigilante-style, with some dozens of members who abide by a set of organisational "code" - that also wasn't made clear to the watchers. Lmao I don't even know how to describe this circus house - this is the worst drama Lee Jong Suk has ever been in.
There was a scene where Park Chang Ho was tortured in a white chamber - why?! To extract information about the 100 billion dollars he siphoned off - allegedly. After he became Big Mouse, did PCH expend any energy to find this place he was held in, and did he bust it with his newly gained cronies of the Big Mouse organization so as to prevent future abductions and illegal imprisonment? No. And because of that, while we saw that the mayor truly "loved" his wife Joo Hee, in the end he nevertheless subjected her to the same white chamber torture after learning that she had betrayed him. It was just so inconsistent with their characterisations.
Holy crap, I still have so much to go on, but I'm trying to end this review quickly. The loving relationship Park Chang Ho had with his wife Ko Mi Ho was dealt a cruel blow after she was exposed to "radioactive" water. She quickly developed cancer, which progressed to Stage 4, within weeks of exposure. Like?? LOL, that's crazy. First of all, the drama told us NK9 is a highly toxic material that was found in the wastewater of their plant, but we weren't told how toxic it was. We just have to believe that it's super-super toxic, okay? I wonder if the writers came up with this idea from the time Japan announced dumping wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean, which was met by protests and condemnations from Korea and China, but endorsed by the US. Anyway, in real life, allegedly, drinking water with radionuclides in it could take years for harmful effects to show, and yes, that includes an increased risk in cancer like leukemia. But the people in the drama who had contact with this radionuclides-filled water actually developed leukemia and died within weeks after its one and only exposure (Tak Kwang Yeon, Ko Mi Ho)! What's even more hilarious is that Choi Do Ha was eventually killed by the same radioactive water (that looked as clean and clear as your normal chlorinated pool water btw) on the same day he swam in it. Upon being told by Chang Ho that the water was radioactive, Do Ha then crashed into the pool like a plank. LMAO.
So what about the 100 billion that everyone was after in the first place? The 100 billion that placed Park Chang Ho in this predicament he said he didn't want to be in? Where is it? Gone, Soon Tae said. Someone stole it, and that was that. No mention of it ever again. What about the hospital that Joo Hee was serving director at, the hospital that had forced the next-of-kin of their dying patients to sign DNR agreements? Joo Hee had been serving at the hospital as a director, there's no way she was ignorant of all the criminal activities in the hospital. She's very much aware, and her last minute redemption by exposing everything her husband had done gave no closure on whether she was being held accountable for her actions as well. For a massive scandal like that, she would have been imprisoned IRL. I mean, really, what about the rushed cremations of the dead patients, what about the evil head nurse and all the other bitchy nurses who distributed life-threatening pills and injections, masquerading them as flu shots, medicine and vitamins? There was no comeuppance for them. Nothing. So really, what the hell did I just watch?
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Reunion at Ruyi Pavilion
2 years after the much loved Legend of Yun Xi ended, the gang got together once more to give us The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion. This is a reunion of the cast and crew, comprising:Director - Lin Jian Long
Screenwriter - Jin Yuan Yuan
Main cast – Ju Jing Yi, Zhang Zhe Han, Xu Jia Qi (Kiki), and Wang You Shuo
Supporting cast - Lu Xing Yu, Chen Jing Yu, Tan Li Min, Tong Rong Qin, Li Rui Chao, and Jin Xiang Dong, among the notable ones
Unfortunately, Merxat isn’t part of the reunion (which is just as well, since the SML’s character here wouldn’t have suited him anyway).
UNOFFICIALLY, this is the sequel to Legend of Yunxi about the reincarnation of Han Yun Xi and Long Fei Ye. OFFICIALLY though, The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion is a totally different story - it’s apparently an extremely loose adaptation of the novel Chong Hou Zhi Lu (宠后之路) aka The Way of Favors by renowned web novelist Xiao Jia Ren (笑佳人). This drama is essentially about LOVE in its many incarnations – affectionate love, enduring love, familiar love, romantic love, playful love, obsessive love, self-love, and selfless love (also known as the ancient Greek’s 8 types of love). Included in the mix are subsets comprising the dreaded love triangle, and the most unusual of all, love gone horribly wrong (more on this later).
This concoction of love themes is set within the context of palace politics with an underlying conspiracy brewing throughout and, to some extent, an exploration of ancient jewellery-making and commercial rivalry between diverse jewellers, chief among them being Ruyi Pavilion (in addition to other “activities” it’s involved in) and Feng Lai Yi, the royally-commissioned supplier of palace jewellery. Although the synopsis says otherwise, I really consider these as mere side stories and plot devices that accentuate the main story, which really is all about LOVE through its assorted manifestations among the various characters.
This drama is largely character driven rather than concentrated on an intricately woven plot. The plot itself is rather straightforward and the so-called villains contained therein belong to the quite harmless category. I do appreciate its unique premise that centres around the fascinating concept of foreboding dreams, much like LoYX’s distinct focus on detoxifying poisons as a healing art. Sadly, this concept was not explored in-depth but instead only fleetingly referenced at the beginning of the show. This has led to much discussion on the cut scenes involving dream sequences (particularly in episode 1) in both the Chinese and International versions of this drama. The uncut version is available on cable subscription in certain regions and, having seen the deleted footage, I can safely conclude that it does not diminish the overall storytelling. As such, viewers can be rest assured to enjoy this drama with a peace of mind and without fear of plot holes to adversely impact your viewing experience.
This is a well made production with excellent quality art direction and cinematography. However, the editing is rather choppy which is made glaringly obvious particularly during scene transitions. For the most part, the wuxia action scenes have been superbly choreographed. Interestingly, these martial arts skills (particularly the Qinggong 轻功) feature prominently during courtship and dating scenes e.g. the dashing male protagonists holding the female love interest tightly in their arms as they gracefully leap across the night sky from roof to roof or to the top of the watch tower to gaze longingly upon the constellation of stars and even the floating Kongming lanterns孔明灯 (definitely more visually stunning and stylishly romantic when compared to using the clumsy step ladder). Without doubt, the martial arts choreography reached its zenith through the spectacular display of awesome swordsmanship by the main characters of Prince Su and Prince An during the night skirmish in episode 31.
The FL Fu Rong is a character that’s supposedly written to be adorably cute, selflessly courageous, and intelligently bright. Whether intentionally or not, the character design did come across as somewhat immature and irrational at times, thus infuriating certain segments of viewers. However, seeing as all that’s well ends well, I have since resigned to the fact that the FL for this show is not written to be as consistently strong and intelligent as the character Han Yun Xi in LoYX. I’m a big fan of Ju Jing Yi and I thought she delivered what was expected of her, since actors can only work with what they’re given. The other aspect that bothers me somewhat is JJY’s heavy makeup and excessive red eye shadow (much like in In a Class of Her Own). I honestly hope that her makeup team would make the necessary adjustments to tone down the vampire with conjunctivitis look in her future projects. She did look much better in LoYX back in 2018 anyway, so sometimes less is definitely more.
On the other hand, I’m quite pleased with some of the other main characters. The ML Prince Su initially gave me Long Fei Ye vibes, the cold and stoic military man. He turned out to be much more that that - he gave us a nuanced display of emotive expressions and glimpses of a cheeky and mischievous side. Zhang Zhe Han has done a brilliant job here and portrayed probably his most endearing moment of the show when he cried his guts out in episode 21. That visibly touching scene truly tugged at the heartstrings and you cannot but sympathise with his insufferable plight. A masterclass in acting perfection indeed.
The highlight of the entire show is undoubtedly the delightful interactions and amazing chemistry between the OTP that’s reminiscent of their time together in LoYX. It’s as if they had stayed married and never parted ways since 2018. From their hilarious first encounter, to their eventual acceptance of each other as lovers and soul mates, and finally working together hand in hand to unravel the underlying conspiracy, their romantic development is somewhat slow burn this time but still evenly paced where they finally get together around the halfway mark. Although they encounter much adversity along the way, these are promptly resolved without the prolonged angst and the OTP’s many sweet moments throughout more than make up for those anxieties.
The SML, Prince An, is played by Liu Yi Chang in what is perhaps his first serious role as a “villain”, compared to his previous roles in youth and comedy dramas. As the “third wheel” of the low angst (and highly implausible) love triangle, he is perhaps the perfect example of how “love”, no matter how one-sided, can go wrong on so many levels – by being the only guy who has ever given away, willingly, the love of his life to another rival (considered to be his bitter enemy, no less) to be married. Such a magnanimous character indeed. His version of the lovelorn and vengeful antagonist who is seemingly motivated by familial piety and misplaced sense of justice is as feeble as the basis of his motivations. What started out promisingly in the first 5 episodes devolved into a depiction of an utterly unbelievable twisted psychosis of love sickness and vengeance.
Meanwhile, the second couple is truly a pleasure to observe. Portrayed by the exquisitely talented and gorgeous Kiki Xu and the undeniably charismatic Wang You Shou (with a really captivating voice), the supporting characters of Fu Xuan and Wu Bai Qi are one of the major compelling reasons that kept me watching this show. I honestly find their individual character growth as well as their emotional connection when they eventually got together to be extremely well written and remarkably depicted. How their entire story arc unfolded, is so believable and relatable without ever being contrived, cringeworthy or OTT. Fantastic portrayal and outstanding acting! At times, I do wonder whether Fu Xuan and Fu Rong are biological siblings for they seem worlds apart. Perhaps the screenwriters would know the answer to this.
There are side characters who compete for attention in annoying the heck out of viewers. None more so than the unholy trinity of the Emperor, the Marquis, and the Princess. The Emperor, played by Chang Cheng (who was much more pleasant in Love is Sweet), antagonises with his peculiar mix of incompetence and fanaticism in matchmaking his son with what he considers to be the “proper noble wife". Lu Xing Yu’s Marquis Zhang is the perfect example of the lousy parent. Even from beyond his grave, his villainy continues to cause much torment. The Princess of Xihe, Cui Wan is one of the most infuriating characters ever created for a C-drama. Jiang Shan’s portrayal of this idiotic, bratty and loathsome airhead leaves us all tremendously exasperated and literally gasping for air.
The OST for this show is truly exceptional. Comprising 5 tracks, 3 of which were sung by JJY while Kiki sings one track. JJY’s singing, as always is enthralling, much like her OST for LoY. Her rendition of the opening theme is particularly touching while the duet, Dreams Crossing is hauntingly enchanting. Kiki showcases her soulful side through her song, Deep Feelings. Track listing as follows:
古画Ancient Painting - 鞠婧祎Ju JingYi
芙蓉Fu Rong - 鞠婧祎Ju JingYi
梦渡Dreams Crossing - 鞠婧祎·霍尊Ju JingYi·Henry Huo
意浓Deep Feelings - 许佳琪Xu Jia Qi
祈愿Make a Wish - 孔肖吟Kong Xiao Yin
The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion is, to many, a much needed “sequel” to the uncertain outcome of Legend of Yunxi. Although we were given alternate endings then, there was a feeling of unresolved emotions that needed a proper closure. Fortunately, the production team gave us a definite happily ever after ending this time. I believe fans of LoYX would probably savour this more than those who have not watched the “parent story”. There were many references that paid homage to LoYX in easter eggs such as the puppet show highlighting the story of Han Yun Xi and Long Fei Ye, as well as the “cold poison” that afflicted the MLs of both dramas. Having said that, I think this drama provides enough entertainment value for newcomers to the romance between Ju Jing Yi and Zhang Zhe Han, who also get the value-added second couple’s romance between Kiki Xu and Wang You Shou. Despite its imperfections and not surpassing LoYX’s overall quality of script and storytelling, I still had fun watching this show, and I think most viewers would too.
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1The Art Of Park Hae Young ✨
My liberation notes , My mister , another miss oh , we are all here trying
We’re in a universe of one of the best korean Screen Writers Park Hae-young. Every character will be flawed and often at their worst phase of life
Her writing is always a meditation of the pain every character feels. She finds ways of bringing it out at Her pace. every character of hers shows feels real vulnerable and imperfect ...
every word every dialogue every discussion has meaning and depth ..
these shows show u the hidden truths .. the unwanted talks and cuts deep into your soul ... every story feels deeply personal and reflective, almost like reading a diary .. some type of therapy
these shows have no plot twist or major turns out .. they focus on emotions feelings ,mental health .life challenges
Every character in her shows is searching for a way to live to love to survive .. a way to life
aren't these issues the most important ones after all 💟
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This review may contain spoilers
A Must-Watch Drama That Redefines C-Drama Storytelling
As a fan of this director’s mini-dramas and familiar with the leads, I had this show vaguely on my radar, but wow—what a ride! This drama breaks away from tradition and delivers everything I’ve ever wished for in a C-drama. From the exquisite directing to the engaging characters, it’s a masterpiece through and through.
Directing and Cinematography:
The directing is stunning, with shots crafted with clear intention. There’s an artistry in how unspoken emotions are conveyed visually, creating a narrative that feels almost poetic. Every frame tells a story, and the attention to detail elevates the entire viewing experience, no additional voice narrating is necessary.
The Plot:
We start with a bold twist—our leads are at the end of their lives, poisoned and let down by the world. They connect on a profound, kindred level, only to die together. And then, just when you think it’s over, the story rewinds. The female lead wakes up in her childhood body, armed with memories of her past life. This familiar premise is brought to life in a refreshing way.
From the very first episode, you’re hooked. Unlike many dramas that rush through backstory in a few minutes, this one dedicates almost an entire episode to immersing us in the leads’ tragic past. By the time their deaths hit, you’re already emotionally invested. This makes their “redo” all the more meaningful—you want them to rewrite their fates.
The Characters:
-The Male Lead: He’s a brilliantly written character— just irresistible. Unlike the FL he did not keep his memories from his past life. A badass fighter unafraid to make difficult choices, he’s captivating from start to finish. Watching him fall in love with the FL and become a devoted husband was pure joy.
-The Female Lead: She’s smart, strategic, and compassionate—a true standout. It’s no wonder the ML (and others) are drawn to her. She is a badass queen!
Their chemistry is electric, and their relationship is everything I’ve ever wanted in a drama. They get married out of love (not duty!) in the middle of the series, and their relationship is free of miscommunication or unnecessary drama. They’re a true power couple and absolute #CoupleGoals.
-Ji Yong (3rd Favorite Character): A complex and fascinating character, Ji Yong is cunning, intelligent, and emotionally detached—but not evil. His ambition is understandable, and despite (appearing) to be on the opposite side of our leads, he’s impossible for me to hate. Knowing he gets a second chance also with his memories intact makes his journey even more compelling. Also, when his true intentions were revealed it made him the most interesting character in the show for me.
Palace Politics and Villains:
Though I’m not usually a fan of palace politics, the intrigue here kept me hooked. The villains are as twisted as they come, showcasing the theme, “No one can mess up your life like your family.” It’s painfully relatable and well-executed. Also, the showdown in ep.31 in the court kept me at the edge of my seat. And the finale is everything I expected it to be.
The Beautiful Happy Ending:
What truly cemented this drama as a favourite was the beautiful and uplifting ending. Despite the bleakness of their situation and the overwhelming odds against them, our leads stand together against the world, showing how love can transcend hate and bring light even in the darkest times. Their unwavering commitment to each other and their shared goal of a better future made the finale deeply satisfying. It’s rare to see such an authentic portrayal of love’s power, and it left me with a sense of hope and joy that I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Final Thoughts:
This drama came out of nowhere and completely swept me off my feet. The beautifully crafted story, unforgettable characters, and emotionally resonant themes make it my favorite drama of 2024. If you’re looking for a C-drama that delivers heart, depth, and an unforgettable journey, this is it.
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I'll give some justice to to it!!!!
MUST READ to those who haven't watch it:
when I first visit the page Big I was hesitant to watched it due to the negative comments about ending and the story but then I decided to give it a try. After watching the 1st ep BOOOOOM!!! I was like UH OH! I'm glad I watched this drama!!! the name itself says it all, its BIG that you should not miss!!
let me give you 5 reasons:
1. Pure love story
2. the flow of the story is smooth and interesting, it has it's "own" potential to make the viewers keep track on it, it's like a whole puzzle that you must complete to see how it will end.
3. it will make you LAUGH!!!! (i guarantee it to you ;)
4. The sloooowmo- moments )
I'm gonna miss this magnificent drama soooooo much!! :(
When the clock strikes to 10:10 you'll definitely remember this drama!! curious? then gooo watch it now so you can relate :>
PS: I hope my review removes your hesitation in watching the BIGGEST drama!:> why don't you give it a TRY like what I did :)
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Romance of the Female General
The scriptwriters for this show need to write a 10,000 word apology essay for butchering such a high budget, highly anticipated drama. There is absolutely no excuse for this poor of a script when the source material is right there for you to pull from, no matter what constraints and editing they had to do after.I have to say that the title of this drama is horrifically misleading. When you think of a drama called "Legend of the Female General", your first thoughts are probably of a female-lead drama and her journey and heroic rise to becoming a female general. This drama is not that. Instead, what we got was a was a bland, extremely watered down version of what the trailer promoted. It's like ordering a sandwich and receiving a half toasted slice of bread instead. They have completely cut out what should have been the core and bulk of the show - her journey to being a general. They have provided no context and almost no background on her past life as a general and instead, the audience is just supposed to go with the flow and accept that she's a well revered general despite having received nothing to support this fact.
While I have no issues with a FL who has a personality, she is also clearly overwhelmingly feminine for someone who has supposedly been living as a man AND among fellow soldiers for most of her life. She is seemingly so well versed in battle plans and tactics but the audience has no idea where or how she learnt this. She's angry and upset over the loss of her past comrades? The audience doesn't care because, again, we don't know anything about her life past life as a general. There's so many holes in the plot that it is honestly a bit frustrating to watch because we can see the potential but it's just not giving. There's also very little battle scenes and the few that we do get, leave a lot to be desired. Shaky sword-wielding with little strength behind it as well as overly embellished sound and visual effects by the editing team lead to unsatisfying fight scenes.
I think the scriptwriters and directors of this show aimed for this to be a romance story right from the start, and as such, it was terribly disappointing for most of us who expected more. One scene that really stood out to me and really highlighted how absolutely romance based and ridiculous this show was, was when they were in the middle of the battle and the FL thought the ML had died so she went crying out to find him and then ... she let go of her sword completely. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLEFIELD. WHERE PEOPLE ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES. And then after she finds him, they have a touching moment with soft words ... in the midst of the battlefield. And the audience is just supposed to believe she's an experienced general?
Truly, the only thing that pulled me through 36 episodes was the chemistry between the two leads. However, for the record, I don't think this is a terrible drama. It's just disappointing. And bland. It's perfectly serviceable as a romance drama. But would I recommend it personally to people that I know? No.
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