I give it a 9, because overall the story, casting, directing, and rewatch value are very good.
A story about genius crossdressing painter in Joseon era, it highlights the arts, especially paintings and makes it one of the most artistic Korean drama. Not only that, the cross-dressing story also create problems to hero's journey to find love and soulmate. This drama will taught us that love is not as simple as people think. Love is complicated question.
As a sageuk, this drama delivers compelling story with enough politics but not make it as boring as in any sageuk. The characters feel and think like human being. The villains are interesting and the leads really adorable.
There's also some comic relief injected throughout the drama. But the drama itself won't be this great without outstanding performance from Moon Geun Young as Shin Yun Bok and Park Shin Yang as Kim Hong Do. As a duo, they're really amazing and adorable.
Overall, it's a very good historical drama that not focused on politics but more on the arts, especially paintings.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
My Creditor Became My Boyfriend, Then My Husband ?❤️?
Just finished both episodes of the JohanNorth Special (Ep. 1 – 48 mins, Ep. 2 – 55 mins), and I’m giving it a full 10/10 — what a warm, heartfelt treat for fans of Fourever You! 🥹💕I’ve always loved Johan and North as a couple. They were one of my favorite pairs in the main series, and I’m so glad the creators gave them this continuation. The story picks up seamlessly and focuses solely on their life together — no unnecessary drama or extra characters, just pure domestic bliss.
✨ From North being a devoted househusband — cooking, cleaning, and fussing over Johan’s health — to Johan coming home from work and spoiling his baby with love, gifts, and attention, every moment felt intimate and real. Even their little quarrels felt grounded in care, not the usual overdone jealousy tropes.
💋 The bathtub NC scene was hot and romantic — intimate without being excessive. And let’s not forget Johan’s proposal at the campsite. It wasn’t under the stars, but his heartfelt words in broad daylight still completely melted my heart. 💍
🎄The ending, with the two of them celebrating Christmas cuddled up with their duck plushie, was the perfect final touch — sweet, soft, and full of love.
Maxky and Bas have undeniable chemistry — they’re so adorable together that I couldn’t stop smiling. The episodes flew by, and not once did I feel bored. Sure, the plot is simple, but that’s the beauty of it — a slice-of-life glimpse into a maturing, loving relationship. Honestly, one of the greenest, fluffiest BL couples out there. 💚
Was this review helpful to you?
2"When raising a blade and bringing it down, just think of nothing"
The Double was a wild ride revenge lollapalooza that didn’t seem to take itself too seriously at times. There were plot holes deep enough to bury bodies in and 30-year-old actors playing teenagers. I didn’t really care that it was messy for the most part as the two leads were engaging to watch and I love a good case of comeuppance for evil doers.Long story short, Xue Fang Fei has to take the identity of Jiang Li in order to avenge both of them and right injustices. Despite looking exactly like XFF, everyone seems to accept the new identity since the real Jiang Li had been hidden away for 10 years. Duke Su is hard to fool and initially uses XFF as a pawn though he also enjoys “the show” that usually surrounds her as she takes down her enemies and Jiang Li’s one at a time, occasionally asking for his help. XFF’s compassion and intelligence help her make allies and friends along the way. A constant fighter for justice, she also makes numerous enemies prepared to end her life.
I enjoyed Xue’s calm demeanor as she plotted and planned. Her relationship with the equally scheming Duke Su who also needed to right wrongs and protect the country was a delight to watch. Xue Fang Fei was fairly well developed and while not realistic in some cases, I was happy they let her solve many of her own problems with an occasional assist from the Duke. She was laser focused, fiercely protective of those around her, and never stooped to her enemies’ methods in her desire for revenge and justice. Duke Su lacked the complexity of other characters but Wang Xing Yue’s performance at least made him moderately interesting as the fan waving mastermind. The murderous and increasingly deranged Shen Yu Rong was given more writerly care. However, I never connected with Liang Yong Qi’s bland portrayal of the cowardly, whining, court officer who simply could not cognitively accept responsibility for his heinous actions. Li Meng as the Princess Wan Ning made up for his stone face as she chewed the scenery when she wasn’t throwing it. Several of the villains were given all sorts of reasons for becoming the way they were which did not give me one ounce of sympathy for them. They made choices to pass the buck and pass on the pain.
For whatever reason, I’ve never had a problem with cross-dressing. I was even able to go along with everyone buying that Xue Fang Fei was Jiang Li. Where my brain seems to have drawn the line is 30+ actors playing 15–17-year-olds. The hardest part for me was in the early episodes when the writers kept reminding me that Jiang Li and her friends and sisters were teenagers. When the Jiang family said Li looked different, that was because the seven-year-old they sent away ten years ago came back a grown-ass woman! Despite some of the other actors playing up being immature, Wu Jin Yan didn’t look or carry herself like a teenager. The character was also written with a wealth of knowledge and experiences that seemed beyond her age. When they finally stopped mentioning how young she was it helped me to accept her as the crafty, complex, elegant adult she acted like.
This drama loved its overly dramatic moments. So much twirling, whirling, and cape wearing. The drama world also suffered from insane climate change as one scene had petals falling from the sky, the next had snow, then back to petals, and for most of the drama, Duke Su’s tree at his mansion was ever autumn. Very few scenes passed without something falling from the sky or the Duke flying in for a visit. The wind usually only blew on the one showing emotions, even when characters were standing side-by-side! There were magic pigeons who always knew the address of the current villain- not exactly how carrier pigeons work. The non-disclosure agreements were lethal. And there was no shortage of knockout karate chops, people going insane, princess carries, and amazing guyliner! The only thing underdone was the anemic white makeup for the women.
While I enjoy corrupt officials and lying, murderous family members being brought low, the story had a tendency to become redundant in order to fill the episodes as XFF righted wrongs in the Xue family, the Jiang family, and in the country. Characters, conflicts, and backstory were being added right up until the last four episodes. There were times I lost interest as the villains (so many villains!) monologued about how they were going to bring XFF down. Maybe if they’d cut down on some of the villainous plotting there would have been time for a more well-crafted ending. It felt like they had a closing scene they wanted to show and tried to twist the plot to make it happen which came across artificially. I would also like to have seen more meaningful scenes with the leads. XFF and the Duke suffered physical and emotional wounds that were often forgotten the next day. I will not even get into that coitus interruptus candle.
If it sounds like I didn’t like The Double, that would be wrong. While it was deeply flawed, it was also fun and I have a high tolerance for cheese, especially with a truly strong female lead. Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xing Yue had great chemistry and I enjoyed many of the side characters, especially the bickering and loyal Wen Ji and Lu Ji. I liked Xue Fang Fei and thought she was a memorable heroine for being intelligent, resilient, and compassionate if not a little too perfect. What would have made it a better “show” is if the writers had developed Duke Su to be as memorable a player in the revenge tour ensemble as his leading lady.
7.75
26 July 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Ji Sung- I have so much love for this man. He captures my soul every time he comes on-screen. He has always been one of my two most favorite actors and will always remain that way. I can sing odes in way of his acting and it still wouldn't be enough. In this drama he plays a Chaebol with 7 different personalities and his transitions are so real and vivid, that each of the seven personalities seem like entirely different people.
Shin Se Gi= The over dramatic bad boy who made me giggle, swoon, cry and fall in love.
Yona= The side-throbbingly hilarious and bratty mean girl who I wished I was friends with.
Ah Sub= The genius and serious teenager who had a penchant for suicide.
Perry Park= The ahjussi who shined so brightly and tinkered with bombs for fun.
Nana= The child without a voice.
Mr. X= The man who brought forth reason and rationale when Do Hyun was truly ready to embrace himself.
Cha Do Hyeon= The beautiful and complex man who suffered so much and yet, never stopped fighting.
I used to believe in the stupid "real men don't cry" stereotype that our society worships. I was so awful that if a hero in a show I was watching cried, I'd think him weak and turn away but Korean Dramas changed it for me. Korean characters often communicate with their tears, the feelings they don't verbalize, express themselves in the way of salty water. Tears are not a sign of weakness, they are a sign that you're alive. Cha Do Hyeon often had tears leaking from his eyes and every single time they moved me. Sometimes my heart hurt from all the pain, sometimes my lips hurt from smiling wide. His tears were gorgeous as was his struggle and will to become whole again.
Ji Sung deserved that Daesang and more.
People call Ji Sung the king of Kill Me, Heal Me and he no doubt is but what many don't say is that Hwang Jung-Eum was also undeniably the queen. I've heard many complaints about how Jung-Eum screams too much, how her obnoxious loud voice is unbearable, how she over acts and tries hard and frankly, I think all these people are just tripping. True, she does shout more than is necessary and she'll probably rupture your ear drum with all the noise she makes, yet there is not a single other actress who can even dream to properly pull off the roles she has executed.
She always grows on you and makes it work. She is the Empress of expressions and I don't know why but whenever she cries ( and she cries a lot and it's rather ugly) I always cry too. I don't even know why. I love her so much and to this day, she's one of my favorite actresses. The roles she plays, whether it's the self-sacrificing woman in Secret or the scarred psychiatrist in KMHM, always show inner strength. Oh Ri JIn is a brilliant, full of light and empathetic woman whose strength knows no bounds.
Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-Eum are undoubtedly the Korean industry's most powerful pairing. They are both excellent actors in their own right and together they are undeniably magic. Their chemistry is off the fucking charts. They move in sync and it's apparent how much they understand each other. Secret had left an impression on me and yet, KMHM without being influenced by that, made its own indent in my heart. Usually, in K-dramas the female character is overshadowed by the male's but Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-Eum exhibit equality of the sexes. They are both formidable players at their game and they play effortlessly together and bring the victory home, every single time. Despite the fact that Ji Sung's role was very powerful, Jung-Eum held her own and due to that, they co-existed beautifully.
Then comes Oh Ri On. Ah, my baby. He was also one of the best characters in the show and literally the best brother ever. He loves her but he let's her go. Park Seo Joon couldn't have done a better job in my opinion.
Every single actor from top to bottom brought their greatest to this drama and made it the masterpiece it was. I think it's rightfully one of the best Korean productions ever made. It had me bawling and heaving at one point and clutching my stomach laughing and gasping for breath at another. It made me feel bittersweet melancholy, made my heart fill with warmth and made me be so unwilling to let it go that despite dying with curiosity, I wanted to prolong it in some way so that it wouldn't end. This drama has pain yet joy, tears yet laughter, incredible heartbreak yet so much love. Not a single second is filler, it's filled to the brim with powerful dialogues and the suspense element is excellently done. You simply cannot get better than KMHM.
The OST (Auditory Hallucination) is definitely one of the best ever made. It always played on the perfect time and made the already soul stirring scenes a thousand times more impactful.
Yes, there were some medical errors in the drama but despite that, mental illness and trauma have been wonderfully explored to their core. It offered a peek in the life of a man waging war against his own mind and how an equally scarred woman became his sword and together they were conquerors.
This drama showed everything that makes Asian dramas so raw and poignant. If you haven't watched this and you call yourself a K-drama fan, I say you need to check your priorities.
Rewatch value is worth more than can be described. The moment I even begin to forget it (which will be hard) I'll watch it again because I never want to lose all that I felt while I was on the journey of watching Kill Me, Heal Me. I am sincerely thankful to Jin Soo-wan for writing this gem.
Was this review helpful to you?
There is this thing with a 10 point rating. Some give it very easily, some almost never give 10 points. As for me, it's like this: If a drama is successfully absorbing me into its universe and everything just seems to be perfect to me, then it reached a point where it's worth receiving my whole dedication. It doesn't matter if others say, there are flaws in it, whether it's true or not. I just don't see them anymore as I am part of that new world where there are no 'story-faults' and such things.
Signal was successful in every matter.
Story.
First episode and it just pushes you right in the middle of the event. You get immediately drawn to the characters, the suspense and the story. You don't have time to take a deep breath, instead you completely hold it. And when you think it's over and you can take some minutes to rest, the next incident is already starting and you just get sucked in again. If you're lucky, you get some minutes to reminisce about and take in what just happened. But as the story continues, the suspense intensifies and breaks loose in a shocking finale.
Characters.
They like to play with your emotions. Ups and downs, but most of all excitement and anxiousness. Plenty of. The acting was on point, it captivates you. There is this female cop you're dealing with. And there's the present version and a past version of her. They are completely different as the older version has matured and became stronger. You just see the growth. And there's this guy. You see him and you want to help him. You see his conviction and his struggle. You just want to be by his side, so he won't be the lonely hunter in a forest full of wolves. And then there's this boy. He's so full of himself and full of hate for others and the world. But he gets a chance and a view from another angle. And he takes it. And don't forget this villian. You don't know about him right away but you soon grow to hate him like no other. Extremely. Wholeheartedly.
Music.
Every minute, every scene, every moment. It just fits. It just gives you this special feeling about the story and its meaning. And then there's this nostalgic feeling to it. You can't even discribe it. It just takes you back in time and like you're reminiscing about your own past, it carries this wistful desire to actually go back, live again and maybe change something.
Background.
To get to know that many cases are real-time cases makes the drama even heavier and impacting. Sometimes you think writers create scary non-realistic monsters. But truth be told, our world, our reality creates the most fearsome monsters you just wouldn't believe them to exist among us.
Message.
Whether there is one or not. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. But the drama depicts some really interesting and worth thinking about questions. Most of all: What would you do if you could change the past?
Deserved 10 points.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great actors, bad writing!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeju scenery and the photography in this series. Some of the support roles were excellently played, and for me Kim Mi-kyung stood out, together with the other Haenyeo women. I found their interactions very believable.Unfortunately, the lead actors were dealt a different card: Shin Hye-sun, excelling in Mr. Queen and JCW, absolutely great in Healer and Empress Ki, were cast as a couple that (to me) had no chemistry at all. But that would be hard in the first place if you are dealing with a bunch of rather misogynist writers who live in the past century. In that case the 'love' story becomes a rather ridiculous and non-entertaining spiel between two 40-year old "Never Been Kissed' virgins. Because they have been pining for each other for 30 years.... The repetitive whining, 'misunderstandings', temper tantrums, the sentimental look-backs: I found it all unromantic, unrealistic and...boring.
It made the series quite unwatchable for me. All of the actors deserved better writing. Because they are all great actors!
Jeju Island is a wonderful location, and in well-written series like Our Blues or Legend of the Blue Sea, the scenic beauty adds great value. Here it was the main attraction...
Let's hope that these SK drama writers will revert to writing strong female lead-stories, and treat their cast to well written dialogues and realistic story lines. It makes or breaks a series!
Was this review helpful to you?
A great storyline, solid cast and some incredible romance is all I look for when I want to watch a romantic movie and this one had it all. I am a sucker for cuteness along with hotness which the couple in this movie possessed. :D
I have been repeatedly let down in the past by a lot of movies- be it lack of romance, excessive melodrama, lack of decent kisses/chemistry between the leads or a sad ending. However this one did not disappoint me. The leads acted well, had good chemistry and were very pleasant on the eyes. The movie has a few sad parts but it's not too overwhelming. The romance was sweet without being cheesy and the humor was good without being over the top. Every thing was just in the right amounts.
Sometimes it's good to see the girl doing the chasing than the guy. It wasn't done in a horrible way. It was just kind of sweet and the guy was too. I loved the certain innocence their love had. I liked their kisses as well. There is also a minor side romance which was also cute. The only thing I didn't like was that a couple of things in the story were not required but it seemed like they were included just to make the movie longer.
The best part was definitely the ending. It was cute and reminded me of Bollywood movies. LOL. So I'd recommend to every person who wants to watch something light with a bit of seriousness. It sure won't disappoint.
Was this review helpful to you?
Han Ye Seul really impressed me as a strong character who always gets to the bottom of the story. She may have been a little naive but was not the stupid female cliche. I liked that she looked for sincerity. The two second lead males Seung Chan and Ji Ho had cute interactions that were always fun to watch.
It was a weird idea to that experiment but it was interesting and entertaining enough to watch. The main problem was it dragged on too long. Also it feels like Soo hyun never learns and that was annoying. I still don't know what the point of the doctor was.
Overall, I found the drama to be a little over the top and unrealistic, but as a romantic comedy it was good. The romance part was a little disappointing though because too much of it was an experiment, at least to Soo hyun.
Was this review helpful to you?
The most boring show I've ever seen
This was probably the most boring show I've ever seen, I honestly would have given up halfway on the show if it wasn't for Lian Song and Cheng Yu. I really wanted to give up on the show especially at the part when Feng Jiu got trapped in the A’Lanruo dream. I felt like I was wasting my time looking at a world and stories of characters I don't care about. I don't care about the people in the dreams, I don't know where they come from, or their previous life, and I didn't care. I think the show spends way too much time showing the dream that I really just wanted to give up. I only finished the drama because of Lian Song and Cheng Yu's love. I thought that their love is funny and sweet in a way that made me want to finish the show. The show was so boring to the point where I took like 5 minutes to finish an episode. I've seen better shows than this. Now Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms actually had a good storyline, I understood everything that was going on, I cannot say the same for this show, everything happens out of nowhere, and again the A’Lanruo dream was not necessary at all.The fact that in Season 1, it was mainly about Bai Qian and Ye Hua but we there were at least in total 10 episodes of Dijun and Feng Jiu which were unnecessary and then in Season 2, there is like 5 minutes of Bai Qian, which is completely messed up because, season 1 is on Bai Qian and Ye Hua, but they had to throw in Feng Jiu and Dijun when Feng Jiu and Dijun have their own love story.
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting: I really liked the acting. The initial reactions everyone had, the way people mourned. I've never seen a "nokanshi" work, but the way the actors gave life to the ritual in those scenes through the movement of their hands, and body in general, made it look like art. It was beautiful and I felt fascinated by all of it.
The way the movie closed was also touching and beautiful.
Music: The music was excellent. It created the right atmosphere by intensifying the feelings and actions the actors were portraying or by creating a calm atmosphere when needed. It never felt like it didn't belonged.
One thing you should know before starting this movie is that it's not a terribly exciting like those with lots of action sequences. It has a slow kind of pace, but it's over before you know it because of the way the story flows and the way the music helps that flow. It also has a few minor comedic scenes tossed in there. I'm sure I'll eventually re-watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story- I love sport movies, and this one was no exception. I loved both main characters, one who was very talented but didn't wamt to swim and the other one who was less talented but trained a lot and was pressured by his dad. I specially liked the bromance between Wu Sang and Won Il, it was my favorite part of the movie. The weakest part of the story for me was the romantic part. The female lead was shallow and poorly written so I could never understand how they would fall in love with her? What did they see in her?
Acting - I already knew both SIG and LJS could act really well, they have proven it before, and this movie was no exception. Seo In Guk nailed his performance of an orphan rebel kid, bringing life and joy to a character who could've been very tragic and Lee Jong Suk also excelled in his role of a pressured kid who doesn't know how to have fun. Sadly, I can't say the same thing about Yuri. Saying that I suffered watching her acting was an understatement. I understand that the producers were trying to attract a younger audience and that's why they chose an idol for the love interest, but why did it have to be Yuri? She barely knows the basics about acting and her character seemed too plastic, taking credibility from the love story.
Music- Again, it was a weak part of the movie, way too mellow and pop-ish.
Rewatch value- I will definitely rewatch this again because it's the kind of movie that you enjoy watching several times
Overall, if you're looking for a good sports movie about friendship and bromance, this is your movie! PLUS! Lee Jong suk and Seo In Guk shirtless 95% of the movie! :D
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This contains all kinds of spoilers...It has been a while since I wrote a review but i thought I should since this drama is getting such bad ones.
The story is well done. There are a few flaws but overall it connects everyone and everything well. If people are mad about who the FL ends up with, then I'm not sure we are seeing the drama from the same perspective.
Cha Hyung Bin helps set up Gong Ji Chul as a serial killer just because that is what he believes and NOT because of any real evidence. One murder does not make a serial killer. Who really cares that Ji Chul who was habitually mistreated kills a woman that has killed a child in his misguided attempt to save the one person who was kind to him? I don't. It seems justified to me.
Jung Ha Eun is who pisses me off. WTH? She doesn't even try to see the truth and betrays Ji Chul in the most hurtful way by calling him an animal. She is blindly in love with a man that is blinded by his own bias against Ji Chul. Hyung Bin is a know it all trying to act all righteous.
Then in the reincarnation Kim Soo Hyuk is no better. He's doing the same thing with more power. Setting people up based on his belief. The writer tries to pull it off as righteous judgment but it is just plain wrong.
Then we have Chun Jong Bum who is again misunderstood and mistreated. What a messed up family. Still he does the best he can, but Soo Hyuk tries to set him up again. Then Soo Hyuk friggin' shoots him in the head with no consequences. What kind of BS is that?
It is ridiculous to me that people see Chun Jong Bum/Gong Ji Chul as the bad guy and Kim Soo Hyuk/Cha Hyung Bin as the good guy. They both have depths to their characters and there is a bit of grey area in both but I feel Jong Bum is a way better person than Soo Hyuk.
At least in the reincarnation Jung So Bin tries harder to see the truth and finally sees both men for who they are in this life time as well as the previous one.
Personally I feel like she didn't deserve Jong Bum or Ji Chul.
The rest of the enter twining characters made it interesting.
All of the acting was good. Those boys did a really good job.
The music is good.
No reason to watch it again.
I recommend this drama. It is very entertaining and makes you think.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is slow paced, but it's extremely addictive. It's very mysterious you never know what's going to happen, and I didn't figure out what happened during ''the day of the incident'' until a few seconds before that scene started. I loved the way they used the scenes of ''the day of the incident'' throughout all the episodes, adding a few more seconds to the scene in each episode. There were a ton of beautiful moments too. Also, the character development was brilliant.
The acting was AWESOME. Nana Eikura was amazing, she did a great job playing Nozomi, one of the best performances I've seen in a while. Masataka Kubota, Kento Kaku and Keisuke Koide did a fantastic job, too.
The music was SPECTACULAR. This is probably the best OST I've ever heard in a japanese drama. I can't stop listening to it. And the theme song is really beautiful.
The cinematography was so beautiful that it left me astonished. You need to watch this in HD.
To sum up, N no Tame ni is a really mysterious and beautiful drama, filled with great performances, a fantastic story, outstanding music and a spectacular cinematography. You really need to watch this as soon as possible.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Why? Just Why?
This has been on my anticipated list since it filmed back in 2021. I really wanted to see VG in a Republican Era vampire role because I knew he could hit it out of the park (which he did); at the time I didn't know the rest of mains or some of the supporting cast. But what started as an interesting drama and story devolved into yet another ridiculous push for a supporting character to outshine everyone except the lead. Why? Just seriously why?Pros: VG as a vampire or SZH was truly awesome even though his character wasn't very smart at times and couldn't put two and two together. I loved everything about him as an immortal that did his absolute best to be human. It was a great role for him and I hope he does something like this again just maybe with a different director and script. I loved SZH relationship with SWL who turned out to be his younger brother. Those two really did deserve so much more screen time even SWL by himself or with other characters like ML, our child-like FL or Jing Xue (who I really wish sounded like an adult not a 12 year old when she spoke or whined/cried). The four of them made this drama worthwhile to watch. The real antagonist was the Mu lady at the end and she gave the right kind of villain vibe. I loved the vampires kicking butt parts very much but then again I'm usually happy with any sort of martial arts in a drama or the kicking of the butt.
I have to say unlike SZH who was being as human as possible, SWL was the opposite. He was born as a vampire and didn't know human emotions or what being human really meant and though it seemed ok with him at first, he started getting confused once his feelings couldn't be explained with vampire logic and that's why though he came across as unserious or goofy, his character really was quite complex. Mi Lan remained as child-like through out her entire portrayal whether she was blind or when she was turned and could see (being blind to start and than getting used to seeing, ON really nailed her role). It being republican era, made the sets and costumes just really beautiful as well as the OSTs.
Cons: Was it really nepotism that swung TML and supposed villain into basically second ML lead status but in the worst way possible? Second drama that has done that after TPR. The director was determined no matter how many people he harmed, killed, etc., to give him a redemption arc death but he made most of us want to vomit because, I'm sorry but this actor couldn't be taken seriously, was miscast, and/or was just no and given way too much screen time, side tracking the story seven ways to Sunday. He had mental health issues and many complexes I couldn't remember or explain. I just wanted him gone and had to ffw a lot of his scenes because they were so repetitive, it was boring to the point of headache inducing. His death redemption arc was in the form of a lava bomb when he pushed SZH out of the way and you had to yet again do a facepalm as his life with SZH flashed before him just before he went kaboom. And Mu lady's death was laughable because one moment they were just on an erupting volcano fighting, the next SZH gets another power and he throws her into a very convenient and somehow nearby lava flow which of course consumes her though just minutes ago, she was able to control the lava.
What happened to that ending? HE in the book supposedly but filled with plot holes, the death of SZH (or maybe he just disappeared for a few decades and reappeared later and walked over to her playing piano in a park with an umbrella as per some HE writing released by production) in a completely ridiculous manner that made no sense; so after all of that, I'd call it an OE that still made absolutely no sense. Furthermore, they had to do it in a phony Titanic themed method of both floating on a wooden board in the ocean and than without us seeing it as the camera panned out to the sun that hadn't bothered him until recent episodes, he supposedly disappeared as Mi Lan was calling his name.
Sorry y'all but I didn't feel any chemistry between SZH and Mi Lan and it had nothing to do with their age difference as actors or vampires for that matter. But just because Mi Lan acted so child-like that they appeared as a family of three with SZH being the big brother and protector of SWL (even though didi was way stronger) and ML.
Loopholes included; how did Mu lady survive? How did Mu Lady get all those people from Chi's office on her side and when? Why and when did Mi Lan put that necklace back on? Had she not had that pendant on her, Mu Lady would have been killed and SZH wouldn't have had to fake die? If there's traffic on the road, why use horses when one is a crow and two are vampires that fly as well? You're going after a boat and yet back to a horse you go for starters? Mi Lan may have been weak but she could have easily overpowered that shadow soldier before he pushed the self destruct button of the boat. Oh and episode 24 had zombies that came from some weird location when that was never even part of the story. Many others I can't wrap my mind around. Like make it make sense, please! I'm just glad I never set expectations on dramas before watching them because when they essentially self destruct, I don't have to deal with disappointment.
Why couldn't the remaining living characters get proper endings? They ended SWL and Jingxue in mid conversation with dead bodies all around and no ML but a voice over of what she was going to do in the future. Oh and her flower bloomed. One of the most "wait, that's it?" endings ever!
Would I recommend it? Only for VG, ON, and SDC (actor's acronyms). The beautiful era and sets and costumes plus OSTs, but the storyline fell apart in the teen episodes. So I can't say one or another, sorry.
Was this review helpful to you?
1AN UNSUCCESSFUL YET APPRECIATED EFFORT
Meet You at the Blossom is a series many of us were anticipating. It was supposed to be the first non-censored period same-sex novel adaptation and it is a co-production between China, Taiwan and Thailand with the latter being the one that distributes it.Now, China -despite the censorship- has produced some great series in the past years. The Untamed and Word of Honor are probably the most well-known. Those two series got super popular to a point that China ended up having even stricter rules when it comes to censorship, even banning, at some point, novel writers from uploading their -uncensored- work online. Those two series gained a huge fanbase -especially The Untamed- and the actors starring in them are currently some of the most popular and well-paid people in Chinese entertainment industry having tons of opportunities to expand their careers even more.
I know, we all know, that those series along with many others didn’t have a decent budget when they were made. The production quality and CGI were horrendous, BUT, those series had many elements that most dramas were missing at the time. They were entertaining from beginning to end, the chemistry between the leads was on fire and the plot and characters were interesting to watch and well-written. Especially when it comes to The Untamed, the series managed to bring a very complicated story with some flawed yet relatable characters that we rarely get to watch nowadays.
Those adaptations, those adaptations that no one wanted to watch when they were announced, got so popular domestically and internationally, that the companies started mass producing danmei adaptations. They invested tons of money to film them. Actors that may have not been that popular when those series were filmed, are currently dominating the C-entertainment industry. Actors like Chen Fei Yu, Luo Yun Xi, Zhang Ling He, Tan Jian Ci and others. Unfortunately, all those adaptations have not seen the light of day yet and maybe they never will, but China has proven despite the change of the original sources that they are the best when it comes to stories portraying same-sex relationships.
What does that have to do with Meet You at the Blossom? Nothing and everything.
This series was announced out of nowhere. I obviously had zero expectations that it was going to be like The Untamed or Word of Honor for multiple reasons, but I was sure I would watch it on a legal platform, cause let’s be real, this was an experimental project. It was more to see if it will gain any money and if it is worth it to produce more series like this one. We have Taiwan making great efforts lately when it comes to danmei adaptations with Unknown being fantastic and with projects like The Only One airing soon. BUT, they didn’t touch the “period” danmeis for a reason.
Was this series worth the wait? No. But does it give some hope that maybe in the future we will get something better? Yes.
But let's get to the actual series.
Friendly disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and it is completely fine to disagree with it, as long as you are not being rude.
PRODUCTION QUALITY
As everyone can see, this series doesn’t have a big budget, but it honestly looked much better than I anticipated. And like previously mentioned, production quality is the least important when it comes to the final result.
ACTING
Unfortunately, acting was not good. It wasn’t unbearably bad from most of the actors, with Wang Yun Kai -Xiao Bao- doing a pretty decent job along with some actors in supporting roles. On the other hand, Li Le – Huai En- was very very bad. He barely had any expressions that looked real and most of the times I couldn’t help but roll my eyes every time he appeared on screen.
DUBBING
It was horrendous. I have seen worse in the past, but it is pretty bad here especially when it comes to specific characters, where the dubbing -or sound mixing- makes the sound, sound very artificial.
CHEMISTRY/COUPLES
I personally felt zero chemistry when it came to the main couple, or maybe one-sided chemistry from Xiao Bao’s side. Them falling in love or lusting for each other was so sudden, it is not possible to make it look interesting enough. Same with the other couples that their interactions were, however, much more interesting than the main one's.
CHARACTERS
Most of the characters are flawed, but not in a way that makes them interesting and fun to watch. I am not sure how to explain this, but because of how the plot/directing was handled, the characters felt "unnatural". I knew I was watching a series when watching them on screen. They didn’t feel real and I didn’t feel for any of them at any point of the series.
PLOT
Despite the fact that the romance is not getting as much screentime as I expected, for some reason, it feels like the plot is more of a background and the romance is the main story. Like the plot and the rest of the characters were there to fill screentime and in reality all the scriptwriter wanted was to focus on the main pairing. I have seen this tons of times in bls. I have seen this in tons of bls that wanted to make the plot the main focus and couldn’t. And this is where most period -well written- danmei’s (and their adaptations) differ. The general plot and all characters are more important than the main pairing and their love story and this is one of the reasons this series could not gain my attention.
HUAI EN AS A WOMAN
Okay, just mentioning this, cause I have also seen this a million times and it is never done well. Huai En would never pass as a woman and especially a pretty one, taking into consideration the beauty standards. This is a main plot-point in many Cdramas. Woman dressing up as men (The Legend of Fu Yao, Eternal Love and many others). Men dressing up as women -in danmei- (Heaven Official's Blessing, Kaleidoscope of Death). In live action it is very difficult to work and MYATB is no exception.
TOXICITY
First things first. People who know me, know how much I love toxic relationships in dramas, how much I enjoy watching flawed/toxic main characters on screen, NO MATTER how toxic they may get. Here, we have such a toxic character -and not only one, but let’s stick to that one because he is the most important-. If you have watched it, you know who I mean. And you know what? It’s not like I hate him or like him. I just find him bland and uninteresting. Even the way they portray the toxic scenes are shown in a very romantic light to a point that is laughable and can’t be taken seriously in any aspect.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE
I won’t lie. I enjoyed and laughed by how ridiculous the first 2-4 eps were. After that, I just felt completely bored and the only reason I finished watching it was because I had promised myself to support this great effort. Taking into consideration all the negative points I mentioned above, it had almost zero entertainment value for me.
All in all, Meet You at the Blossom, adapted from the Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow novel -much better title btw- felt more like a Thai-parody of a danmei-adaptation than a serious try to make something good. Both serious/sentimental and funnier scenes felt equally ridiculous. However, even though this was an unsuccessful effort in my eyes, it was an -appreciated- effort nonetheless.
I feel like I will completely forget everything about this series in a few days, but the hope that this may bring better period danmei-adaptations in the future will stay with me -along with my hope that the already filmed series will air someday-.
Was this review helpful to you?
