Reviews

This Is My Roman Empire

This drama is Pizza, and Pizza is life. It’s a warm blanket on a winter night, wine and popcorn on a Sunday evening and fluffy clouds candies all wrapped in one. It’s one of the best dramas that came out this year, heck it's one of the best bl that came out of the industry. That being said, X and Namping traumatised me so much, I almost had a heart attack half way though the finale.

Listen, when the first episode started I went: what in the Wangxian, ao3 tags #soulmates #hurtnocomfort fanfic is this??? And why is it bloody awesome!?! I love it, please give me more! This drama is like when you enter a random restaurant and order the first thing you can pronounce but when it comes it's like a five-course meal, tastes like happiness with a side of chocolate fountain and have a live performance by Adele, all for the price of €6.99.

What I am trying to say is that, this drama is really great. It's a gem, a unicon. And you should be watching it like yesterday. I love the premise so much. I might just be that one person and try to sneak it into every conversation I have from now on.

Random waiter: Are you ready to order? I recommend the chicken and peas.
Me: So Namping left, right? And X waited and fixed the car but then... no, you don't know them. But then... and the box had photos and his videos. He filmed a farewell... *starts crying*
Random person at the next table: See Sharon, I told you we should stay home and ordered pizza, outside people are crazy.
Me: *still sobbing*: I'm not crazy, my mom had me tested. Nampingggggg, why? why you do this to meee! waeeeeeee.
Random person at the next table: I hate you Sharon.

No but, the funny thing is, I went into this series without even reading the summary. I had no idea what the hell it was about, other than I added it from one of those lists of upcoming bls on a random Tuesday. But yeah, I clicked on the first episode and fell in love with the leads and the concept so much, I legit stalked the actors socials after the 4th episodes just to make sure Top and Mick are okay, cuz that episode broke me. Then the audacity of those two dancing and smiling on tiktok while my heart was broken. They lucky I couldn't reach into the phone screen and slap them with a rubber chicken for making us cry buckets.

Anyway, here is my review of every story arc and my ratings.

DOL & SUN: (ep1) -- 8.5/10
This episode with people seeing colour for the first time when they meet their soulmates in the rain, reminded me sooo much of a Wangxian soulmates fanfic I read once on ao3. Sidenote: Anyone else keep rewatching untamed and reading the novel? Literally, why can't I move on from Wangxian? It's been years. Anyway, the carrot washing...wait, wrong episode. I meant colours. So, this episode was straight out of a fanfic, and I loved it.

At first I was like, Dol, stop playing hard to get, look at how adorable Sun looks in that helmet. And then that loser ex-boyfriend showed up, and I felt so sad for Sun, who has been hurt and lied to, and still had to endure physical abuse from that mouth breather. So when Dol showed up, I clapped. The plot of this one was straight forward, Dol had problem opening up cuz of his childhood and Sun was naive believing in soulmates. Thankfully, they figured it out in the end.

My fav part with Dol and Sun was when Sun showed up at his work to celebrate Dol's birthday when everyone seemed to have forgotten. I knew then and there they were gonna end up together. It was like that part in a fanfic when the writer leaves a note like... sorry, my cat is in therapy so no updates this week, but next week is gonna be #fluffy #weiwuxiangetsahappyending.

Anyway, as the opening to the series, it did a good job keeping my attention. They had that one episode to tell a story that felt complete and they did it so well. Mick and Top were great leads, and they made me fell in love with the characters, and the drama immediately.

PRIN & FRIST: (ep2) -- 9/10
Imagine my surprise when this episode started and they seemed to have switch things up, and now Prin is rich, the boss, looks like a prince from one of those disney movies, and First is a clumsy adorable secretary. I was like... wow, why you two such good actors, making me believe this is a completely different drama. No, but someone give Mick and Top their flowers!

Prin and First story was so simply. It was as easy as breathing, At first I was sad First was hiding the deal with the grandma, and thought it was gonna create a nonsense misunderstanding that would make them fell apart, but then Prin was so far gone, he didn't even care when he found out. I also love how the grandma wanted Prin to find someone and legit didn't care who it was. I was so happy it was only 1 episode, cuz imagine the nonsense episode 11 we'd have gotten, making us cry.

First was so cute in this one, with his pen and notebook being all adorable and quietly quitting cause he couldn't find anyone for Prin, and the whole time, I'm like... it's you. Come on brother, take a hint! The ending of course was so cute and fluffy and I was like... awww this drama is going to be all cute and lovey dovey for 8 episodes. Good, I need some fluffy Sunday dramas. BUT BOY WAS I WRONG. I WAS SOOO WRONG.

X & NAMPING: (ep3-4) -- 9.5/10 -- disclaimer (Pain level 100000000^2)
This arc sucks. It should be burn with fire. Matter of fact, throw the whole thing into the pits of hell. Dafug you mean he didn't show up the next year right when X finally brave up and got to know him?? TEARRRRSSSSSSS. And to think X wasted all those years not talking to Namping, and instead pretending to visit a random arse ghost he didn't even know. His ancestors must be proud. If only he'd had the courage to make a move faster. If only.

It's my fault, already in episode 3, I was like: hmmm is he sick? why is he dropping stuff? But then X lifted him from the shattered glass like he was the most precious element in the world, and I immediately went, 'naaah, he's fine. Look at them, adorable.' So yeah, should have seen it coming, but I was too busy going 'awwww' like an idiot.

Personally, I don't really remember the side couple in this one, did they end up together? I started sniffing when Namping broke down crying when they were about to do the devil's tango. Then, my eyes watered when X woke up and Namping was gone. And when Namping started crying without picking up X's calls, I went... no, bish no, don't do this to me. THEN... THEN... he didn't even get to see that the car was fixed. X breaking down was a process, from his realisation to full on sobbing was.... Me sitting in front of my TV on a Sunday evening sobbing was not in my plans, but that Sunday ended with me going to bed sad. I was sad about this until like the next week when I saw a behind the scene and Namping(Top) was there during that sobbing scene and went to comfort X(Mick).

Okay, but... NAMPING is the most graceful, angelic, cloud, fluffy, beautiful character ever! No, really how did Top managed to look so cloudy with a chance of angel like that? Like, even when he was sitting on that luggage he looked like an angel or some heavenly deity that shouldn't even be disturbed. It felt like it was even a sin to just touch him, cuz he came off so pure. Namping is the definition of clouds and desserts. He deserved all the princess treatment he got and more. And when they were in the river, literally those two have great chemistry, and their combined beauty seemed almost unreal.

Then of course there was X in those mechanic overalls, looking like whoever invented the word 'damn!' saw his picture at a museum one time. Like, he went from being soo clumsily cute in the last arc as First, then suddenly he was walking around like a tasty offering making those ghost brush. I'm still in awe at how amazing those two are able to switch roles so seamlessly.

I think this arc, although it hurt like a motherfather was my fav, cuz it forced me to feel, and it stayed with me for a while when it was completed. It's what a good story should do. And as always Mick and Top were amazing in their roles.

SIAN & BLUE: (ep5-6) 9/10
Now, how in the world did Namping go from being an angelic person to being a little gremlin? No, he was such a mood. When he kept sending Blue off to look for him, then he'd reopen the door looking like a beef cake, distracting the poor guy, I couldn't stop laughing. He was a little sh!t and I loved him so much.

This time it was Blue who was the cute, adorable one, painting and cooking, and just being the best brother ever to Green, while also thirsting after Sian and his hair and inability to put on a shirt. That fixing the pipe scene where he was just outside the window having an impromptu shower, while Blue tried to remember how to breathe was pure gold.

This was also a relax episode, even though there was some depth with how Sian seemed to have lost his passion with the lost of his ex, and Blue having wronged a friend. My fav part is how Blue, Sian and Green formed their own little family. And when he sang the song (Every Tears) he wrote and all their past lives was playing. TEARS. I'm gonna miss their arc so much.

Also, why the hell he always have some ex-boyfriend? Like, that dude just can't wait until his soulmate finds him? Not gonna lie, up until now, I have no idea what happened to that boy Sian wanted to marry, did he go out and never come back, or did he die? Felt like he went out to get eggs one morning and then dipped. Oh well, Blue got to see that water scene out the window, so a win is a win. Oh and, washing my carrots is gonna be interesting from now onwards.

INN & PUN: (ep2, 4, 6-8) 9/10
When these two first showed up in ep2, I was like: whomst? where are we? then the second time, I was like: ooh, so they are actors, and the arcs we are seeing are their series as partners, so no soulmates? Alright, cool cool, what a twist, but I get it, I love it, I'm here for it. When Inn asked Pun to be his boyfriend after Namping and X destroyed us, I was very happy, and went... okay, we good, no matter how the stories they are acting in hurts me, I know they are together behind the scenes and that's all that matters.

So tell me, why right after Sian and Blue got their happy ending, those two out there talking about they've been on and off and now they've definitely broken up cuz they can't change for each other? Bish then don't change? I swear I was prepared to sue for emotional damages if they'd broken my heart like X and Namping, After episode 3-4, I couldn't do the weeping alone in my house thing anymore. It was starting to feel sad and frankly, a little bit pathetic.

These two are my parents. I thought no matter what happens in the project they act in, they would be together forever behind the scenes, so then I won't be sad, so the dafug you mean you've broken up?? No, but when I saw Inn so happy with his ring, ready to propose, then Pun just broke up with him... I teared a bit. Cuz suddenly, Inn was back to being X, crying for Namping in that damn car. And the years later tag did not help at all, cuz I was like... oh, no, they about to break my heart again. I don vex when I saw the Otto Inn best couple thing... like y'all better be playing out here or something, cuz...

But thank the eff, everything ended on a happy note. I was sad Pun let them break up, saying it was was for the best, but then the flashback happened, and I understood. He gave them a chance to become the best version of themselves, so they could come back together and grow stronger. That proposal was the best ever. Like one random morning over breakfast, Inn just saw Pun as the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and then, he went down on his kneels and Pun said yes. Ahhhh tears.

The story of these two was such a rollercoaster. They were on and off, then off for years even though they loved each other. That workshop scene was amazing, really showed what good actors Mick and Top are. They said so much with just repeating the same words. Talented indeed.

It was interesting, knowing that while playing Sian and Blue, two people so lovey dovey, all that ish was going on backstage with the actors. Also, Pun, darling, that's not a face for being behind the scenes. You need to be center stage in front of the cameras. Then Pun was talking about not wanting to see Inn's work, cuz he'd be jealous of his co-stars, girl, who's fault was that, huh Mr. Cool Director? But all ended well, so I can't even complain. I loved Inn and Pun as much as I loved the other characters, perhaps even more, cuz there are OG.

OVERALL:
Yes, everything wasn't flawless, because they had limited time, some things were not expanded on, or were vague, or felt rushed. But, we had enough to make every arc feel complete and keep our interest. The production team on this did a really good job, and I'm sad we get only 8 episodes. It's not enough, this deserves like 5 seasons and a reunion season in 2030. Usually, I rant and nitpick, but I simply enjoyed this drama way too much, so imma just let all that slide. The stories we got were great, the characters great, and the chemistry was chemistrying. Mick and Top were really versatile and such greats actors. They made each new character their own, and completely made me immersed in them, without even comparing the previous characters. Where do they live? Imma use my last couple of dollars to send them flowers, and an angry note for making me cry in episode 4.

One thing I also liked was that, normally there's a clear top and bottom, but it took me until episode 3 to realise they are switching in this, and it was amazing, cuz it gave the actors room to be versatile and portray different characters with different set of emotions and actions

I can't wait to see more work from Mick and Top. I pledge to watch whatever they put out, even if it's them watching grass grow. I HIGHLY recommend this drama to all bl and drama lovers. It's a unicon, a true gem, and you need to watch it like yesterday. This is now my most favourite drama this year, and perhaps all time fav bl drama. GO WATCH IT, trust me.

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Excellent, heartfelt, charming, happy ending

Excellent, heartfelt, charming. Strongberry's short films always deliver.

It's rare to see intergenerational gay relationships featured in Asian media and this is a welcomed change. Both actors are handsome and charming. The acting is natural and understated yet you can really feel the atmosphere and emotion, especially the Professor's disappointment near the end. I rarely pay much attention to how movies or shows use music but here, the use of music has a great impact. Music represents the Professor's state of mind: 80% of the film consists of background noise and no background music because it conveys the Professor's loneliness. When they get together, a romantic track plays, followed by a quirky, happy tune. The dialogue is succinct and romantic. I'm as surprised as the Professor that the student already consider them in a relationship. That was so cute! Their hand-holding and flirting at the end is also extremely cute and heartwarming.

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Wow. No ones written a review. First, this drama special is basically a movie. A 1 hour movie. No more episodes, this is it. Also warning it is open ended, BUT I think the ending is pretty clear, so feel free to message me if you're confused. Now onto the review, first this drama is very realistic in my opinion. The characters, their reactions, the ending they all feel realistic to me. It doesn't feel like "ugh another romance I'll never have" it feels more true to life. Secondly, the acting is great. I mean guys it's chae soo bin and dong Yoon, fairly new faces but they've been great in everything. Dong Yoon always impresses me. I mean not just "wow good acting" I mean whatever character he is, his story always leaves a mark. Ji Hoon (Solomons Perjury), Dae Hwi (School 2017), and Gi Seok (If we were a season) all left their own mark on me. I applaud Dong Yoon for always picking stories/characters that I can't get out of my head. Now onto Chae Soo Bin, she is also a great actresss, but unfortunately always pick characters that grate me. Finally, she FINALLY picked a character that I loved and could root for. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?? For her to pick a character that I liked! I loved her character, and she feels so real and relatable. She has her own story, and feels like her own character not just a pairing to dong Yoon, no she's her own person too. Her story had a great message to all people dating and *spoiler* it's ok to date multiple people, you don't always know what you want, and sometimes it's better to wait*spoiler end* so few dramas portray this, and so few movies, so I'm glad this one did! Thirdly, I personally love the ending. Both characters grow, and I think it really turned out for best. Again, if any confusion message me, and I can maybe clear things up, or we can have a healthy debate lol. Overall this drama special  was definitely well done, would have no problem rewatching! I reccomend to all out there!

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This is a pretty good drama. There are both positive and negative points (only a few) in it, in my opinion.

I've been thinking of watching this for a really long time, but I didn't really have high hopes, cause I had read some negative reviews about it. I started it on a whim and turns out I was watching it the whole day and couldn't wait to finish it.

Story: I really liked the plot. When I first read it, I thought ok girl falls in love with her boss, that's new... But the way their relationship develops, the whole story in general, the characters, not only the main characters but also the supporting ones, their stories are all very nice and interesting and I really really enjoyed watching it.

Negative point: At some points you might think that things are dragging out too much. And in my opinion they do. This drama could have fewer episodes. The other negative thing, is that the episodes are really long. If you like watching a drama after it's completed, like I usually do, and wanna watch more than one episode a day, you'll probably get a bit tired at some point.

Acting/Cast: 9/10. Almost everyone was great. Aaron played his role sooo well!!! The other main and supporting actors were extremely good as well. Also, there are many good actors in this, like Hsieh Isa and Shen Meng Sheng. At some point I thought Kuo Puff's acting was too much, but yeap, only a couple of times. This doesn't get a 10 out of 10 from me, cause I didn't really like Lin Lyla. She is the main antagonist in this. Although you'll probably really really hate her, I think it's the character. Ding Jia Yu is probably one of the worst antagonists I've seen in all 6 years of watching asian dramas. I think the role was too big for Lin Lyla, she wasn't really good. But I just checked her profile and found out she's really young and this is probably her 1st drama (how did she get such a big role?) so I think, and hope, she'll improve in the future.

Music: I don't really have much to say, I really liked most of the songs. Too bad Aaaron only sang one song in this drama.

Rewatch value: I'd definitely rewatch this drama. It has both funny and sad sences, and some really cute and sweet ones. You can definitely fall in love with the characters, not only the main ones, but almost everyone. They are all so unique and cute in their own, adorable way.

Overall, I really liked it and I'd recommend it. Really nice story, very good cast and music. Eveyone did a good job in this drama, you should give it a try!! ^_^

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As bad as Jeon Jong-seo's veneers.

I made some notes as I was watching it because I had questions, and some of the things I found answers to, other things are still a mystery.

And I'm all in with a spoilers on this one so be warned.

Why did Do-Hans boyfriend get beaten up, when his family doesn't know he's gay? I never found the answer to that, I assumed the people that went and threatened the boyfriend were people that his grandfather hired? But since he kept saying nobody in his family knew he was gay, I don't know who threatened his boyfriend.

Ji-Han and the car accident. So the mother left her husband and had 2 more kids, did I miss the part where these children had a father in the picture? What happened to him? Jow did the reporter driving the car get involved in all of this? And her ex-husband was chasing her and caused the accident, but somehow the grandfather blames himself for that. And hates Ji-Han for know reason. And the father is still hanging around I thought? Why isn't all of this animosity directed at him, since he did a hit-and-run.

Why did Ji-Han come on so strong that he was going to seduce her away from his older brother, only to then freak out when he had feelings for her and have such a guilt trip about betraying his brother?

Why does he want his brother to run the company when his brother doesn't want to and he doesn't seem to want to either?

And after all of that tumultuousness why is the grandfather like yeah I don't care if family doesn't run the company anymore.

Where did Ji-Han go for a year? What was he doing all that time?

Why in the end does it show her getting married to someone else and Ji-Han showing up and running away with her? That was incomprehensible.

I've seen the FL in Ballerina. And she seemed well cast for that, her features are kind of sharp and she's not very expressive which made her seem tougher and kind of emotionally stunted. I did not like how she portrayed the character in this drama. She really does not emote, and I don't speak Korean but I know words, and I couldn't understand her, was she mumbling? I need to ask a native speaker because her voice was really hard for me to track. And I'm not kidding about those veneers they were distracting me so badly because she couldn't fit her mouth over them. Whoever styled her gave her the boxiest outfits, stringy hair, they really downplayed her attractiveness. I think another actress would have been a lot more cohesive for this role, I don't think this is her genre.

She had this wonderful capacity for ad libbing or stepping into a role with confidence and I wish they would have played that up more, because that part was interesting when she used her skill set like that.

It was bizarre that she was faking a marriage to her friend, but they never spoke, they never even pretended to like each other, it was so incongruous. There should have been some scenes where they awkwardly held hands or made some attempt to be into their own wedding. But really all we saw was her trying on dresses and him saying she looked nice. They really needed to add some connection there between those two characters.

Sometimes I'll lose focus in a drama and miss some key points, so they might have stated the answers to some of the questions that I had but I truly don't know 🤷

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Just your typical fast paced, manga based romance movie.

I watched this movie because I want something light, though I got what I want still the pacing in this story bothered me. I haven't read the manga and I have no idea how is the development of each character there, so this movie got me scratching my head because some scenes doesn't make sense like suddenly one character likes another character, not enough development to make that believable. I also have hard time connecting to these 2 main characters, not enough scenes for me to truly understand their actions, the pacing is just too fast. Also, some characters are wasted like minami hamabe's character, I thought she is part of the main cast, but felt like she's just a cute stray kitten who walked passed me, no idea what happen to her after. It's still a pretty good movie though, fun story, cute moments, lovable characters.

Technically, cinemagraphy is nice, Iove the camera work during those cute scenes. Music is also good, nice songs, though I felt it has too many songs, I think I heard 4 songs played throughout this movie. Acting is also good, you have both suda and tao as main lead and you can never go wrong with them, they also have great chemistry in this movie.

You might love this movie more than I do if you read the manga or if you're already familiar with the characters but it might be enough for you to love this if you are only after for a cute story, lovable characters, great kissess and good ending.

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

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I am so happy I watched this drama! I had been holding it for a while because I wanted to watch it in a relaxed state of mind. It is a fairly refreshing drama. It has a very captivating plot and most of it fairly original. While exchanging of partners in movies not unheard of, this drama presents that concept in a whole new light. It has its shortcomings, but I think this show truly deserves a rating of 10.

In some aspects, I can say this show comes close to being genius. Hats off to its writer because he wrote one of the most challenging stories involving romance that I have come across in quite a while. I can say that the first seven episodes were absolutely not predictable. I am generally very good at guessing things, but this show proved me wrong every time. Even after a certain 'twist' at the end of episode 7, I was pretty sure about the outcome of the story and even that left me in surprise. This is the reason why this show has very few dull moments. There is always something that you won't see coming in every episode that takes place that thoroughly makes you laugh. It is a rather bold drama compared to regular Jdramas with few scenes of intimacy. It would appeal to a more mature audience. Also, people tired of cliches should definitely go for it.

This show has a good cast and the acting department was quite good. There were a couple of characters that came off as annoying- especially Usami but there were lots of other things that kept me occupied. Dynamics between all characters have been explored fully. The ending felt sort of forced, but even that ended up being funny. Every time a serious situation sprouts up, it eventually turns into comedy. It is a very lightweight drama. I loved the role of Matsuda Shota the best because his character was that of a playboy photographer. He carries out roles of bad boys pretty well. His female counterpart was ridiculous but I kind of fell for it too by the end.

Also, the psychology involved in the story is pretty interesting. Almost every theory they put forward made sense and could not be argued against. The psychologist's character was a freaking genius. He very splendidly changed his shades from good to bad and back again. Airu was also a solid character among all females. Right from the scene where they all get stuck in the lift, she became my favourite.

This drama has great comedy, good romance and great entertainment value. It makes you laugh without being too ridiculous, gives you romance without being cheesy and entertains you till the end. This is a highly recommended drama!

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Chinese Game of Thrones with a Great Brotherhood

I've been anticipating this one for a long time; now not saying I had high expectations especially since it sat on a shelf for nearly three years. Now that part one is over, I feel something is missing. Watched primarily for LYN and I knew a few other of the supporting casts though not the other leads. But the vibe of this was the Chinese GoT with a great Brotherhood.

Pros: I loved the brotherhood; them three together on screen or when they could know what the others were thinking when they were so far apart. The comedy in the beginning was nice. LYN played ruthless DiLin very well and yet had a soft spot only for his two sworn brothers, his precious wife and unborn child. The rest of the world be damned. Pretty proud of him as the role was done early on in his career. SYL was the sexy hero of the trio and the woman he fell for molded him to a T. Their sexy time was very well played and left my iPad smoking. ML was the goofball with the secret ninja powers not even his brothers apparently knew about. He comes off as a playboy but has a great strategic mindset; so he's their hidden weapon.

Part 1 revolved around the GoT like power struggle and rebellion of one of the older keepers of the country. As well as the invasion of North Clan who are barbaric in nature. The one in control however was the one who pitted people against each and was the real mastermind to keep power for himself. Even ML's Shifu who never planned on rebelling was made a pawn of just so the old fart could stay in power. The old fart chief who looked feeble and sickly was really hellbent to keep everything to himself; doesn't matter who he destroyed and how. He had DiLin kill one of his "most trusted" spy's entire family just so they wouldn't form an alliance later against him. The actor played a very conniving and scheming antagonist pretending to be a protagonist very well. But all of that scheming, has made him more enemies than I'm sure he's aware of. His main phrase was "I trust you the most." That's how you knew he didn't trust you at all. Thankfully two out of three brothers have figured out that he is not who he appears and are very wary of him.

The budget was definitely on the lower side with major edits done plus a title change but the GoT low lighting atmosphere and that kind of world setting was only missing a few dragons and looked really cool. OSTs, costumes, scenery otherwise were all on point. I really hope they release part two soon.

Cons: One word: Ning! Her character though as completely unimportant as it was took up so many episodes, we feared instead of it being about the brotherhood, it'll be about this royal poodle gorilla glue and her childish crush on ML. While I understand this story had to show her childish behavior but not for 15 episodes. Oftentimes, only one brother would make it into an episode and it grated on everyone. The 12 year old tantrums she would throw thinking the entire planet—especially the nails on chalkboard "Xiu gege" she would whine—revolved around her and her needs was mind boggling. Her country was at war where people died left and right but all she could think of was the pretty dresses she hasn't worn etc. She ran away from home just to whine to the ML about how he had to cater to her like she was on some vacation while the man was trying to keep people alive. It was disgusting and she had way too much screen time where for a while, the story hiccuped a lot. Instead of wasting time on her, they could have told more about the brothers upbringing and how they became sworn brothers in the first place. Would have been far more interesting. Or even on the story of North Clan and why they couldn't keep still in their own territory. Anything but her. I hope in part 2 she takes a very serious seat in the back row.

The fact that there was more talk than action other than the very beginning and ending, we can attribute to the low budget as I would have preferred more fighting scenes then just the aftermath with explanations. Or after DiLin massacred an entire battalion, he just stands there, covered in blood. Would have preferred to see that actually play out as opposed to what we saw, same with SYL's battles.

Would I recommend it? Despite the lord awful Ning and lots of talking, it's actually a pretty decent watch and does grab your attention. It is an OE as there's a part 2 that's apparently already been filmed and needs to be released; so hopefully soon. I say give it a go.

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Watch for the cat and the humanoid

7 Tips to Find that Door into Summer:
1. Pete the cat is adorable. I want that cat. Scratch that. I NEED that cat.
2. Pete the humanoid is equally adorable. He is more human than the human in this movie.
3. Acting kudos goes to Pete the cat AND the customer service humanoid. They are believable in their characters.
4. Expect some mind-blowing sci-fi movie? Lower it down.
5. Pete the cat is adorable. I just need to say it again.
6. Watch if you need a respite in between or after a heavy gut-wrenching drama/movie.
7. Treat this movie as if you're going to watch a super fluffy romcom/comedy.

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heartwarming

The drama follows Qing Ye and Xing Wu from their high school years into adulthood, allowing viewers to witness not only the evolution of their relationship but also their personal growth. Rather than focusing solely on romance, the story explores dreams, family struggles, friendships, and the difficult process of discovering who you want to become.
What Dazzling offers is a warm, heartfelt, and refreshing journey filled with growth, friendship, first love, and the feeling of finding your place in the world.

Without a doubt, my favorite aspect of the series was Zhazhating. More than just a setting, the town becomes the soul of the drama. Its streets, its people, and its strong sense of community create an atmosphere that feels incredibly authentic and comforting. The coastal scenery and small-town charm give the drama a unique identity and contribute greatly to its nostalgic and healing atmosphere.

The romance itself is sweet and easy to root for. Qing Ye and Xing Wu complement each other beautifully, and their relationship develops naturally over time. I particularly appreciated that the drama allows them to influence each other's lives in meaningful ways. Their story is not built on endless misunderstandings or unnecessary drama, but on mutual support and shared experiences. Guan Xiaotong and Li Yunrui also have a very comfortable chemistry that makes the romance feel genuine and effortless.

What surprised me most was how relaxing the drama felt. There is a lightness to Dazzling that makes it incredibly easy to watch. It captures the emotions of youth, summer, and small-town life without becoming overly sentimental. The story has a gentle pace that allows viewers to simply enjoy spending time with the characters and their world.

That said, I do think the final part of the drama was weaker than the rest. Some developments felt rushed, and a few storylines could have benefited from more time and attention before reaching their conclusion. After such a carefully built journey, the ending occasionally seemed eager to tie everything together too quickly. However, while I was not completely satisfied with every narrative choice near the end, I still found the conclusion emotionally satisfying and consistent with the overall tone of the drama.

Overall, the charm of Zhazhating, the warmth of its people, and the gradual growth of the characters created a world that was easy to become attached to. It felt like spending time in a place you wouldn't mind visiting again.

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Love this drama. From the soundtrack to the plot, it's perfect.
"Wednesday 3:30 p.m." It tells the story of a woman who was abandoned by her boyfriend and tries to recover her heart by doing so with jealousy ...
Throughout the drama features a very beautiful morality about true love in its purest form. Featured for the wonderful cast.
The story mixes all the genres and elements of a dramatic romantic comedy and very entertaining, pleasing even the most demanding.
It also has factors such as innovation and cinematographic environment incredibly beautiful giving the drama a special environment for the romance of the two protagonists.
His soundtrack basically consists of several genres that by the way very well chosen, going from the classic to the contemporary.
In short a fun and cheerfully charismatic drama with a love story of comings and goings in the purest form of being. Highly recommend!

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This drama is so underrated for being one of the best I’ve ever seen. It has a little bit of everything, comedy, drama, friendship, and one of the most touching romances ever. I admit I was skeptical at first because I didn’t feel Chen Zhe Yuan and Dong Qing would be a match, but the characters work so beautifully together and have great chemistry.

Unlike most Asian dramas, they actually act like they love each other. They are very touchy and the female lead actually admits her attraction to the male lead. The characters are all quite unique and interesting.

There are some twists and turns, some angst, and the most adorable male lead of all. Acting is on point, especially Chen Zhe Yuan. He totally became Zhen Jun and brought him to life. I cried and suffered and smiled and felt happy with him. I don’t cry watching dramas, but dang, this boy ripped out my heart. Anyone who has ever said anything negative about his acting, know that during the filming of this he got so into character during a dramatic/sad scene that he actually passed out. That’s dedication.

I highly recommend giving this a try. The music is amazing. And the opening sequence and song are so good I could just sit watching it on repeat. I’m going to miss this drama so much.

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A Beautiful, Sad Story

This is an excellent short film (30 mins) which chronicles the central relationship in sensitive ways. It does not shy away from focusing on the pain that both of the characters feel -- from external bullying as well as internalized homophobia. The characters deal with these pains in their own ways.....some of which are frankly heartbreaking, but very realistic. (Running away in the face of challenges is not at all rare.)

The plot also features some cute and funny moments.....the one involving shopping in a pharmacy was beautifully acted and had me laughing out loud. I found these moments disarming -- they make you empathize with the characters, which heightens the impact of the ending, which while sensitively handled, is quite sad.

The cinematography was excellent -- nice scenes along the shore but also back at school. The camera does not shy away from the blood and bruises that result from bullying.

And the messaging is very clear -- bullied teens need help, and when they don't get it, bad things happen.

P.S. Pay no attention to my rating for "music." I was so captivated by the plot that I cannot remember the music at all, but MDL requires a number!

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Delicious cake but half baked

If you were to ask if you should watch it - Yes.
From a light hearted BL standpoint with a good plot, this drama does justice. It was cute as well as a little emotional. But they put so much on the plate that you wanted to taste it all but couldn't.
For a 8x15 episodes, it was enjoyable and a great one time watch. It showed how you want something and are scared that it might become an obsession. But the heart wants what it wants. I wished they worked more on how they differentiated between love (and need) and obsession.
The story had potential to be a good 16 episode drama. There was a supernatural element and a mystery element with gay romance, side bromance and a traditional family.
But it was like we got a little bit of everything but were left craving for more (but not in a good way).
Without spoiling, I'd say that if you're adding a mystery, provide some closure to it. The romance and co-dependency element of the leads was done okay, but there was so much more that could have been developed in terms of how they come in terms with their feelings (I conclude that they both settled that their exclusive need for the other person is love) and also, I wished for a some more details about the side characters.

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