Reviews

I'm obsessed!!!

I really love OffGun's chemistry and was excited to see their new project together. I was pleasantly surprised when I was coming back every week to watch it for the excitement of the story and not just for their chemistry (which was still absolutely amazing btw defo the cherry on top). The second couple DanYok, which I haven't seen these actors together before (don't know if they were in another drama together) their chemistry was off the roof. I really loved how their story was real, mistakes were made, feelings were hurt but isn't that with all relationships? I loved their development.
Anyways onto SeanWhite (OffGun). The story of White going undercover in his identical twins life, Black to discover who put him in a coma really kept me on my toes. To me it was quite obvious who beat Black up but it was still portrayed in a really good way. This was definitely a slow burn/ enemies to lovers (I LOVE THAT) as Sean and Black do not get along, so White acting as Black made both of them butt heads at the start but alas they get their happy ending.
This covered some really heavy topics as well, not just your fluff action you get in other BL's, this portrayed fighting for rights of those who get discriminated against and holding those high in power accountable for breaking the rules. Sean, Gram, Yok, Tod and Black (well White) are apart of a 'rebel' group which try to expose these people by doing various stunts to gain social awareness and to put a stop to their illegal businesses. All the people in the group have good story for why they are doing this so it really brings the watcher more joy when they succeed in their little adventures.
Overall, amazing show, really eye-opening and the romance was absolutely amazing, not too much where is dilutes the action of the story but enough to be screaming internally when watching the cute moments (and trust me there is a lot)

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Obsession and Possession

Enthralling. Intriguing. Mind-blowing

It is probably the perfect three words to describe this drama.

The whole drama narrates the story of Lou Qianyi and Hou Youze's relationship after an avalanche that renders Qianyi amnesic and how Qianyi tries to figure out her identity.

Initially, the plot of this drama is not straightforward and kinda complicated, which may leave your mind and train of thought all over the place. However, as the plot progresses, you will be able to gradually grasp the background and motivations of the various characters and understand the past incidents that shape current events.

The show is not draggy, you might get hooked unconsciously after watching a few episodes!! If I'm not mistaken, this drama was initially planned to have 40 episodes, and I am glad that they cut it down to 29 episodes. 29 episodes are the right number, it is not draggy and it is well-paced too. The pacing is well-paced and the drama also transitions seamlessly between suspense, tragedy and thriller with a few twists and reveals mixed in.

What makes this show spectacular is of course the male lead's acting. Ou Hao acted as Hou Youze, an obsessive yet pitiful person. His acting is spectacular!! He managed to bring Hou Youze role to life through his gaze and nuanced micro-expressions. I can't help but feel a bit scared while watching his acting. I watched a few of Ou Hao's dramas before, and he is really versatile, a quality which hopefully garners him more varied roles in his future projects!! Victoria Song's acting has also improved much!! She managed to play 2 different roles so well, she is getting better and better in each drama she stares in.

The background music and sound of this drama fits in perfectly with the whole ambience. The background music makes you feel the suspense and your adrenaline rushing. Though I feel like the background music was excessively used in some parts to the point that the background music is dictating you what you should feel. As for this scene, suspensive background music is used, therefore, you should feel suspense. But regardless of it, they still managed to make me feel the suspense and be on the edge of my seat while watching the drama.

As for the flaws, there are some scenes where it lacks logic and coherence. For instance, how can someone who just suffers a heavy accident and need to go through cosmetic surgery look so normal in just a month?! But if you don't really care about all the small details, you will love the drama!!

Another flaw is the CGI used during the avalanche, the CG looked so fake that I can't help but laugh a little, the cuts and CG used in the avalanche scene does not do justice to the quality of the storyline. But it is only a small part of it so don't mind too much!!

You might like or hate the ending. But for me personally, I think that ending is a perfect ending for this drama!!

Lover or Stranger is probably one of my favourite dramas of 2021!! It is rare to see a Chinese drama that takes on this genre, and in the future, I hope to see more kinds of Chinese dramas with this genre!! Give it a try, you might love it!!

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Good Action, Yearning Romance, Amazing Acting

I actually didn't expect much from this movie, no hype about it or anything like that, yet it turned out to be one of my favorite watches of 2026 so far.
The story itself isn't what keeps you engaged, but rather the raw action scenes and the characters who were extremely interesting (actors are amazing omg). The Politics and other topics are not so hard to follow, but it felt like the movie was lacking more advanced plot in some areas.
Cinematography was great, I loved the whole ambience of it.
The glimpse of romance and yearning was the best part in my opinion, and it's been a while since I've watched this type of love on screen.

NOTE!!!!!! Humint is very brutal and heavy watch (I love action, thriller and crime kdramas and movies, though this one was rough, violence targeted mainly towards women)
Overall, 9/10 or even 9.5/10 for HUMINTTTT MUST WATCH

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I wanted this to feel electric and full of chemistry and sweetness, but it just felt hollow. Most of the scenes of the main couple were... sweet, but they were missing something. I don't know if it was the script, direction or actors themselves, but I kept looking for some kind of real rawness and never got it. Felt overwritten and overdramatic without the heart or realism to ground it in a meaningful way. If I had encountered this when I was new to dramas I think I would like it a lot more, but I've seen too many at this point to be impressed by this.

Greatest Weakness: the romance that just never clicked
Greatest Strength: the female lead

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A Clueless Shifu with an Unlikable Pouty Face FL

The Journey of Chong Zi is a romance story of a shifu (master) and his beloved student, and the challenges they face. However the female lead character is being so poorly written, interpreted and acted that it renders the drama unimpressive. Plot holes everywhere and are simply being brushed over with bad logic and poor screen play. The immortal sects are gullible with little intelligence, believing in any gossips, and the demon sect is a confusing sorry lot. This is one of those series that can make the viewers vomit blood, and yet I completed watching it, and aged 10 years.

The storyline is nothing new as teacher/pupil romance is rather typical and tropey in xianxia stories. We’ve seen it in The Journey of Flower and in various others. The story is basically about the venerable immortal, Luo Yinfan (Xu Zhengxi aka Jeremy Tsui), falling in love with his disciple, Chong Zi (Yang Chaoyue), and their journey of romance, retribution, death, reincarnation, and their eventual confusingly bizarre ending.

Chong Zi is pure and kind despite her birth. Apart from her shifu who is Chong Zi’s true love, Chu Bufu (Gao Han), Qin Ke (Deng Wei), Zhuo Hao (Asher Ma), Mu Yu (Li Daikun) all love her unconditionally and are willing to die for her. Even some female characters such as Yan Zhenzhu (Zhang Keai) and Yin Shuixian (Yang Xinying) love Chong Zi in their own ways. From here, we can deduce that Chong Zi is a very lovable girl. Unfortunately, this message hasn’t come through.

Yang Chaoyue is simply not lovable at all and couldn’t give the viewers an authentic Chong Zi. The actor has a constant pouting face, making her look angry all the time. Even when she’s supposed to be playful and mischievous, she is not funny nor lovable. Yang Chaoyue really has to go back to acting school. The writing of the Chong Zi character is bad enough, made worse by Yang Chaoyue’s unconvincing portrayal. Despite Chong Zi is loved by many in the story, she is not loved by the viewers.

The drama tries hard to portray all the injustices Chong Zi faces that leads to her capitulation into the Ultimate Demon. But all her encounters do not seem dire enough to lead her down that path; she has been misunderstood for most parts as the immortal elders believe in fake stories of her. She’s being blamed for things she doesn’t do, for trivial things she may have done unwittingly, for being loved by her shifu and by most other men who know her. It is really frustrating to watch how such misunderstandings have not been clarified sooner and the perpetrators manage to get away scot-free, again and again.

The reason for her final transformation into the Ultimate Demon is totally unconvincing. After having some blissful days with the man she loves hidden away, she decides to become the Ultimate Demon to protect herself because her man is away for some chores and cannot protect her. That is simply a glaring hole for me.

My Verdict
I pressed on with this series for the sake of Jeremy Tsui though the character he played wasn’t that impressive (what a dumb shifu he was). I give this drama a rating of 7.5/10 to reward myself in completing the story.

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A solid, worth-your-time watch if you really love horror and mystery

Although this was more of a mystery-thriller than a horror for me, nevertheless there was a time when I felt like there was someone watching me beyond a door at night while I was in the middle of watching this series. I loved the overall idea, the premise, the twist and the ending. I also liked that the police were involved as well, and there was a nice overlap of natural and supernatural. I could not stop clicking on the next episode, one after the other.
The only complain I have about the drama is the motive behind the actual spirit's hatred/resentment. That could have been more fleshed out. But overall, I really enjoyed this.

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Tokyo is all bark but no bite

More than a love story this whole tale is a commentary on Tokyo's state during different period of time, the Manga which is written during the bubble era, the 1991 drama before it pops, and the modern version when the economy is more stabilized. Each represents Wild Energy, Uncertainty and Resolve which would resonate in the character of Rika. The story described her as the living image of Tokyo, and in these 3 versions there is a dialogue where kanji says Rika is Tokyo itself. Having said that Tokyo Love Story is not remake but a reimagine, reimagining the same characters and story beats in modern times, similar with Final Fantasy 7, and just like how gameplay in modern Final Fantasy changes over time and so for Japanese dramas, the mundanity of the old was replaced by more fast paced approach, and elements such as female empowerment was added to fit the theme different from its predecessors. Tokyo as a city has this scary and intimidating vibe, and that never change. It's still the hub for lonely people. But "Tokyo is all bark but no bite" they say, so it's up to you whether you allow it to swallow you, tame it or run from it.

Just a heads up their journey as couples won't be that pretty at all, so if you want the same cute romantic stories then just watch until episode 3 and make that airport scene as your ending. After that the story will go into the more realistic territory, misunderstandings will develop, triangles will form, they will also go back and forth as a couple, and as a viewer it may feel personal to you especially if you relate to either of these couples. You'll witness the start of a toxic relationship, and you decide the source of that toxicity. You may take sides or no side; you may hate one or both of them.

The clash between their beliefs might be a fresh concept for a romance genre, but it's still the same misunderstanding between couples. It also feels a bit preachy, but that's fine since it's a mainstream drama, and by doing that they made Rika a bit comprehensible. The philosophical element of their relationship will fascinate you, its realism will immerse you, now the question is, would that be entertaining for you, because honestly the storytelling became weaker as the story goes, the second couple felt like a supporting characters, and it even dragged in the middle episodes. But for me before knowing it I already got invested in these characters that it made me curious what would be their fate, especially for Akana Rika.

Rika in this version is the anti thesis of everything we love about the romance genre, concepts like "destiny", "the one", "love never dies", those fairy tale words didn't exist in her vocabulary, then partnered it with her personality, moody, self assertive, independent, selfish but selfless then you get a complicated yet compelling character. She's flawed and many would misunderstand her, but that only makes her less of a manic pixie dream girl trope similar to the Manga.

Then there is Kanji the voice of us normies, sane people or whatever you want to call it. He is shouting all the time like a shonen character for hopeless romantics. Kanji is the traditional guy who just wants security and dependability different from Rika who is for mystery, exploration and freedom. Kanji is also obsessed with this thing called romantic possessiveness, he wanted to own Rika, but Rika doesn't feel the same way, she doesn't want to own Kanji, she just wanted to own the wants.

It's a bold move from the writer to incorporate the concept of "Modern Love" in this story and I like it, it enriches the psychological and philosophical aspect of this entire thing. I also love how they handled it, the drama could have criticize Romanticism so much and to be honest I had a feeling they are going in that direction, but the drama choose not to, it remained gray in the end and let the audience decide what to feel especially for its principal character Rika. Personally I get her, that mindset is common nowadays at least for me since I am surrounded with these kind of people and I notice there is one thing common to them, their work is somewhat related to art, just like Rika. I would say this topic is well researched or maybe the writer feels the same way. The problem is in Japan, people there would be too traditional, so I can't even imagine them being open to this type of relationship.

Production quality is not what you would expect in a typical Japanese drama it's WOWOW level or even Japanese dramas on Netflix. Cinematography is absolutely beautiful especially long shots, those shots that wonderfully captured Tokyo's vibrant and colorful lifestyle. Fashion is a thing is Tokyo Love Story, since they wanted to convey a particular period in time, from Rika's sophisticated office attire to Kanji's normie get up, I think they nailed that part. It also seems they wanted to play parallels with the 1991 drama, they not only altered Rika, but most shots are also during the night. Music is really good and I wonder how they found those English insert songs because it feels both are written for this story. Those songs didn't just provide modern vibe, but western vibe as well. I also love main theme "Touka", it's so catchy, so modern, sounds a bit like bump of chicken, and it brilliantly served its purpose as the cliffhanger song. The cinematography is beautiful and songs are exceptional but more importantly the casting for the main couple is spot on.

Japan has this stupid policy when casting actors in their dramas and god knows how many careers got derailed or even ruined just of that, but from time to time they do it right. Casting Ishibashi Shizuka for the role of Rika is the best thing they've done since Rena Nounen in Amachan. Their vision for Rika embodies Ishibashi so much, among the young Japanese actresses she's the one that exudes the strong modern woman type and her being an acclaimed indie actress means her acting style is more in a subtle category, the art of telling without telling, which fits perfectly for Rika, a woman who can't express herself properly. Ishibashi's contemplative look is so good that you would feel the psychological and emotional vulnerability in the character even her not saying a single word, so when she explodes in episode 10 you really feel it. She didn't just break the fourth wall; she drove a f-cking truck through it.

Kentaro is also a nice pick for the role of Kanji. I thought Ishibashi's captivating screen presence would eat him alive when I see his name in the cast but no he manage to stand his ground, he didn't disappear on the background. Kentaro's more japanese animated acting compliments Ishibashi's subtlety, un japanese acting style, it creates an interesting rapport between them. His goody-good image also fits this version of kanji which they describe as rice that goes well with anybody. Their chemistry might not be as good as those older classic Japanese dramas but to compare it with recent romance dramas with grounded characters then I think this is one of the best. I would give the acting a 10 if just for those 2 but since it's a collective effort I can't.

The problem is other couple, Anna Ishii is a great actress but she can only do so much with that boring character. I wish they put spice in her character and gave it a back-story just like what they did with Mikami. Her talent is wasted in this drama. Such a shame because I only watch this drama for her. Mikami in this version is more layered than the old Mikami. I kind of see why they put that disturbing scene in the drama but I don't agree with it, I don't think it's needed. If they want a stronger reason for Satomi to do what she has to do then why they didn't bother giving more backbone to her character. Sho Kiyohara is also the weakest actor among the four, I just wish he nailed that scene with Rika but the dude just can't cry, even the actress who played Nagasaki is better, now that girl can act. Mikami still fits him though. He's as charismatic as the old Mikami, like a model every time he's on screen.

It might seem I'm neutral, leaning towards trashing the show, but no because I really like this version. It has its flaws just like its characters, but for me I still consider it well made adaptation. Also, since I view it as a commentary my opinion on it just became better, not just this version but the 1991 drama as well. However if you want to know the difference between both, this one is less cheesy, more mature, less entertaining, but more realistic. For a story that is already 30 plus years old, it's given it would be a trope fest of a show, but for me there are 3 things they nailed right. It fascinates me, it immersed me, but more importantly, it makes sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HBZt3H8VXo
To understand Rika's mind watch this

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Don't drink the Kool-aid!

When Korean businessman Kang In Gu traveled to Suriname he never dreamed that he would end up between a rock and a hard place and the deep blue sea. Not only a fish out of water, but one desperately trying to stay out of the frying pan, Kang had to use all of his wiles to survive in a treacherous place dangled between a deadly Korean drug lord and a maniacal Chinese one.

Kang In Gu learned early to hustle between multiple jobs to earn a living. Now with his own family he's barely making ends meet when an old school friend shows up with a business opportunity. Skate fish are popular in Korea, but the sources for the fish were dwindling. Across the globe in Suriname they were throwing the smelly fish away. All the men needed to do was to buy the strange fish cheaply in Suriname and sell them for a huge profit back home. After a problem with a local police chief and city hall employee at his karaoke bar, Kang throws in with his friend Park Eun Soo and travels halfway across the world to seek his fortune.

Kang's business experience dealing with bribes helps him in Suriname until Chinese drug lord Chen Zhen (Taiwanese star Chang Chen) lets him know that he owns the water. After a chastising phone call from his religious wife, Kang dutifully goes to church where Pastor Jeon takes him under his wing. With a little help from the "saint", Kang's skates head to Korea. All is well until the ship has to stop in Aruba where a custom's search discovers cocaine in the fish. After a brief prison stint in St. Martin's, Kang ends up working for the Korean NIS to bring Jeon down. Turns out the good pastor was also the head of a cocaine cult and one of the largest drug distributors in Europe.

Narco Saints was not particularly original in the drug and crime genre but it was well done. Reducing the drama to 6 episodes helped keep the story tight as Kang and his NIS contact navigated the dangerous waters between Jeon and Chen. The story showed how Kang was able to read Jeon and play on his and Chen's suspicions and paranoia. Quick on his feet and always willing to negotiate, NIS agent Choi came to rely on Kang's instincts in dealing with the dangerous gangs.

Ha Jung Woo brought a subtle intelligence to his role as Kang. Hwang Jung Min delivered a pleasant menace to his evil pastor without going over the top. Chang Chen as the sadistic Chinese gangster particularly had to straddle the line between menace and madness and did so well.

Narco Saints was tense right up to the end, though it did devolve into some unrealistic fight scenes. It wouldn't be the first to do so. What Narco Saints did well was show the temptation for Kang to cross over to the bad side in order to make more money than he could have ever wished for and relatively easily. He wouldn't have to work himself to death like his parents but he was also pragmatic enough to realize that Jeon's days were numbered. His journey from only wanting to make money to only wanting to survive was an interesting one.

This drama covered much of the world and involved people representing several countries. It might not have broken new ground but it did itself proud in the drug crime genre. Worth trying out if you enjoy this sort of suspenseful and violent at times story.

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I would give up my golden core to watch this for the first time again

Where to even begin? This is the first ever drama that I have watched that I consider to be completely perfect. Everything, from the acting, to the CGI, to the costumes, to the BGM, to the plot is so perfect.

Story:
This story takes many twists and turns but somehow manages to feel so coherent and bring back central focus effortlessly. This is definitely a character-focused drama, which is amazing as all of the characters are so compelling and beautiful written and acted. A few episodes at the beginning are dedicated to a flashback, which for some reason I found really funny. We were just inside of Su Yishui's memories for three years. The only parts that I would say were weak were Wei Jiu and Tu Jiuyuan's storyline, although that had its own charm, and the whole ending of the plot with Prince Ping, because it ended up just going to nowhere and was kind of confusing. I understand why it wasn't explained as there was no reason for Su Yishui to info-dump during his flashback, but a little more exposition would've made the situation a lot clearer. This drama took me on the ride of a lifetime, and I'll never forget it.

Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran:
I honestly don't know whether to categorise them as two different characters, or the same character. From the moment I saw her I loved her, to be completely honest. Mu Qingge has such a fun, playful yet straightforward charm that is just so attractive, while Xue Ranran's bright, lovely energy brightens up the screen. It is a bit of a pity that we didn't see more of the actual Mu Qingge, as she only got all of her memories back in the last few episodes, but the amalgamation of their two characters was also so compelling, and excellently handled, in my opinion. I've seen some complaints that Mu Qingge basically died and never came back, which is of course valid, but I don't share the same opinion as 1. I believe she did come back after she regained all of her memories and 2. It wouldn't be a fun or engaging story if there were no consequences to events. I think the direction that they went with her character is the most reasonable, as technically she never should have been revived according to Heaven's will. Her just coming back exactly as she was before would've made Heaven's will something to be taken much less seriously than it actually should've been in the story. Another complaint that I've seen is that Xue Ranran is a boring character, and I just can't accept this. Xue Ranran is a little bundle of joy and nobody is allowed to hurt her. And, she's an extremely relatable person because yes, I would also be thinking about my master that much if he were Su Yishui. If there is one thing that I dislike about both of their characters, it is their tolerance of Su Yu. However, I can ultimately see where their feelings come from, as he did treat them well for decades. I just hate him too much...
Su Yishui:
My favourite character hands down. It used to be Mu Qingge at the start of the story, but Su Yishui quickly stole the show for me. He is the standard for every single male lead character and I stand by that. He is a perfect character, but not in the sense that he is a perfect person. He's made plenty of mistakes and bad decisions, and yet I can't bring myself to hate him for any of them, exactly like Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran. He is a perfect blend of cold, straightfoward, brutal and no-nonsense towards others, and soft, sweet, playful and loving when it comes to the people he cares about. I genuinely have nothing else to say about him, he's just so perfect to me! Although can I just say that he really had me fooled when he was pretending to be the Mortal-Demon Lord.
Su Yu:
Possibly one of my most hated characters ever. He's just genuinely so insufferable, is willing to do whatever it takes to gain power and get what he desires at the cost of everyone else, and then turns around in the last second and gets to die an honourable death. I don't believe it. His passive-aggression and condescension is genuinely so infuriating and I was cheering for Su Yishui every time he tried to kill him, and every time he was suffering the effects of the poison. The scene where he got kicked out of Su Yishui's body and his spirit was being brought back into his own body, I was just saying, "Yes! No! Yes! No! Yes! No!!" the whole time. The fact that he threatened her into marrying him is absolutely despicable and he doesn't deserve anybody's sympathy, respect or affection. He doesn't deserve any of them, Mu Qingge, Xue Ranran, Mu Ranwu or Zhou Feihua. I think that he is at the center of one of the only problems with this drama, which is his constant infantilisation. The number of times Xue Ranran, Mu Qingge and Zhou Feihua said that they wanted to prevent him from making mistakes really pissed me off. He knew exactly what he was doing, including all the unspeakable consequences, so therefore it wasn't a mistake. I understand that there were decades of good feelings between him and those three, but it gets to a certain point. Especially after he invaded Su Yishui's body, I was shocked that Xue Ranran/Mu Qingge had any concern for him left. Genuinely about to punch a hole through the screen every time he spoke, especially when he had the audacity to imply that Su Yishui is interrupting his conversation IN HIS OWN HOME.
Mu Ranwu:
Just an annoying character overall. Feel infinitely worse for her than for Su Yu any day of the week, but she's still not good by any means. Even if you hate your sister that much, doing what she did is unforgivable. I believe that even if she was constantly compared to her her whole life, a genuinely good person wouldn't have blamed Mu Qingge for being talented, or for the choice she made to save the lives of innocent people. The only thing I respect about her is how fast she switched up on Su Yu. However, her switch up on Wang Suizhi was completely out of left field and felt so unnatural to me. Maybe I accidentally skipped a few lines in her scenes out of annoyance, but I didn't see any warmth from her side until the very last moment. Pretty in-character, though. Losing her sanity is what she deserved in the end. Living neither a happy or horrible life.
Other characters:
Let's start with positive ones and end with negative ones. Bai Baishan, Gao Cang and Xi'er were so funny and perfect as the three comic relief characters. Gao Cang was kind of weak but Bai Baishan completely subverted my expectations, he showed the most growth out of all of the three and was quite a pleasure throughout. Xi'er was just super cute, I adored her dynamic with Ranran and she was even able to save the chemistry between her and Gao Cang. Yu Tong, like Bai Baishan, subverted my expectations. Her unconditional support of the leads was heartwarming and refreshing. Zeng Yi's nickname for Su Yishui was super cute and their dynamic together was super entertaining. something that I appreciate is that his "protectiveness" of Xue Ranran was not at all dragged out, again subverting my expectations. Wei Jiu was an irrelevant character to me, the only thing I liked was his dynamic with Su Yishui and Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran. I could not bring myself to be compelled by Tu Jiuyuan, she did all of that for Wei Jiu? (strong doubt) The weakest major character (that I'm not forgetting about) might be Zhou Feihua. I wasn't paying attention when she was first introduced, and I continued to not really pay attention throughout all of her scenes. Her childhood backstory with Su Yu came of nowhere for me. They could've done some more with her character, but then again she's not really that important. Her insisting that Xue Ranran end her relationship with Su Yishui, and constantly going back to Su Yu really irritated me, though.
Overall, one thing that I appreciated in this drama, that maybe besides the Mortal-Demon Lord, nobody was evil just for the sake of being evil. This drama really cares about and cherishes its characters.

Rewatching:
I'm writing this review immediately after finishing the drama, but I am already excited to rewatch. It's the type of drama that's super nostalgic for me because the story came so far from where it started and so it's going to be such a blast to rewatch and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch... Will probably skip the scenes with just Su Yu, Mu Ranwu, and Dun Tian, though.

Romance:
The chemistry is immaculate, the writing is immaculate, I love everything about Mu Qingge/Xue Ranran and Su Yishui as a couple. I wish there was some more affectionate moments between them after they both regained all of their memories, though. Mu Qingge is stronger than me for sure. Something that I've seen about them and that I definitely agree with is that their dynamic and relationship throughout the story is very equal. They both sacrifice a lot for each other, both lose their memories, and even switch the master-disciple relationship. I can't possibly put my thoughts into coherent sentences, I just adore them so much!

Overall, the first and maybe the last 10 star rating I have ever given to a drama. Xian Tai You Shu you absolute masterpiece. I love art made by truly passionate people, and this drama screams passion, love and care to me. And by the way, what was in the air when Deng Wei and Xiang Hanzhi were filming? They look breathtaking.

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A Golden Classic DRAMA from the 90s


Story :
Basically it's a love story between so many people. She love him, he love her, she love another, that another loves another.
It seems cliche but trust me, you would somehow be wrapped into the whole drama and you would find yourself getting into their conflict like as if you're experiencing it yourself. I dont know how the drama made it that way, maybe it's the way how 90s dramas present themselves. But it just works so magically well and you just want to watch it more, to satisfy your curiosities.
Though, one thing i love in this drama, is that it doesnt go out of the way and just stay realistic as it can be.

Acting:
Can i just say how much i love everyone in the cast?

I dont know any of them at first but I just want to fangirl suzuki Honami . She has done a good job in portraying the cheerful friendly girl in the whole story . From the start, she has already got me to like her. And probably 100% of the time, I continued watching because of Akana Rika (her character), She is so relatable in so many ways. Plus, that million-dollar smile she does when she is actually hurt.

And this is my bias opinion, but I believed many japanese actress have the same character with the same persona, but Suzuki Honami has this uniqueness in a way that I dont think others can beat. I can't seem to find the right words.

I would go on more about praising her, but really, the whole cast of this drama definitely had their own charms and has contributed to the drama which make the whole thing a success.

Music:
The soundtrack is the best. Even though it is old school, it touches the deep of my heart like no other songs in this generation can make. Such an up beat melody but the emotion it brings , really makes you like as if you yourself are experiencing the issues in the drama. The song definitely deserves the 9th most best single that has sold in Japan. I could just repeat that song forever.

Over all:

I love it so much ! I never thought i'd be this obsessed with a drama,especially a drama that is older than I am. Such a classic gem that everyone should try and watch . Tokyo love story made me wish I was experiencing the life style during the 90s , and the way how people love during that time. Totally worth watching, even in the midst of our busy real lives. And for a classic-oldschool drama lover like me , this has definitely over-meet my expectations and how I wished there's more dramas like this nowadays.

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"Unconsciously, and even consciously, you're all I can think about"

When was the last time a drama made you smile like an idiot?
I can only speak for myself, but it's been a long time. Sure, there are many romantic dramas that I have watched and loved in the last few years but the last time I held a pillow while watching a TV Show was when I was still into CW shows. But somehow I found myself squeezing a pillow a couple times thinking "damn, this is soo good!" while watching 'Fake It Till You Make It'.

Even as a somewhat drama veteran (thanks to excessive binge watching) I counted several "Firsts" and unique dialogue in this drama. The writing of the two leads, as their relationship grows as well as their individual character writing, is exceptionally good and ultimately what makes me rate this drama so highly.

A quote from Neil Blumenthal says "Details matter. They create depth, and depth creates authenticity."
I would say this, aside from superb acting and chemistry, makes it stand out.
These days many romantic dramas leave out details left and right.
It's all about Girl meets Boy in an awkward way, they go back and forth for a bit, she trips, he catches her - boom! They are in love (ofc there have to be some slo-mo shots too). - In the world of romantic tv dramas I would even go as far as to say it's acceptable because it's so cleary fiction.
However with FITYMI you get the realism of not just falling in love but also the uncertainty, the feeling of "what are we?" and the many details that ultimately lead a pair to decide to start a relationship together. The flirting in this drama is creme de la creme (hence the giggling I mentioned earlier) but also the daring moves are very exciting. Taking one step forward, which often is enough to become gf/bf in dramas, can be just a flirt in reality and here it's just that sometimes. A kiss is just a kiss as they say.

A few more things I loved about the couple:
- truly intellectual dialogue
- joking with each other a lot, without it being a plot device
- everyday talk and actions, laying on the couch playing some Nintendo switch - just people being people (4 dimensional characters)
- friendship rings, phone calls, texting - all the goodness of flirting!
- best confessions scenes ever

A little detail (among many) that I want to highlight so you get the idea of what I mean when I say it's a very real drama.
The ML scratches off his address from his mail and packages before throwing them away. This is just a normal scene, no explanation added nor does it spark any dialogue. Just something he does, like so many of us. THIS! That's how you create tangible characters.
Especially considering that the drama only has 14 episodes it's amazing how they fit so many details in that episode count. Thankfully that also meant there was no dragging. Yes, it's a slowburn love story but not in the way you are probably used to. Slowburn as in, we're actually going from encounter, flirting, friendship, some more flirting to testing each other, becoming more comfortable, many deep talks and then relationship. And even then, being in a relationship isn't the goal nor is it ever a goal in general. That's when the real work begins because you grow as a person and as pair. A relationship where everyone stays the same, is one doomed for failure.

ANYWAYS, I definitely got carried away here.. I could talk about what I think every move of the characters meant for hours (hit me up if you want to do the same, lol).

(big spoiler alert)
Moving on from the main couple, there is also a storyline earlier on that I think could have been easily dismissed but I want to mention it because it has, again, some very important context details that many other dramas lack. Lin Xin Zi and Xu Jia Bai's relationship and especially how it ended. Big city life dramas often have at least one pairing with an obviously toxic relationship that is bound to end. A guy that is slowly but surely getting more and more controlling. At some point (in dramas) they start to get physically violent and or verbally abusive. Sadly, this often serves as a plot device for the ML to swoop in and save the girl from the hands of her violent ex. Case closed. But is that what happens in reality? Rarely. Unfortunately being in a controlling relationship that start with things like, asking where you went (in a normal tone), to asking you not to wear revealing clothing is far more common. When the relationship ended, it was really heartbreaking because it was so obvious an unhealthy relationship, but on both sides. Someone that is deeply insecure and has a psychological problem needs treatment, not shaming and I liked that he was not painted as this "monster" but rather as someone with a problem, while still being responsible for his actions. That scene on the bridge was probably my favorite non-lead moment of the drama.
I wish other dramas could take a slice of this and at least stop portraying unhealthy relationships in one way only because the audience almost gets trained into black and white thinking. Either someone is good or bad, either they ship someone or not. Red Flag or Green Flag. Is that really how life works? I don't think so. We all have flaws, we learn to grow, we change, we mess up but we also take responsibility when it comes down it.

Now for the last part of this review / love letter, the more uncomfortable part. No drama is without flaw and although I want to state that the short comings of this drama did not negatively affect the main story of the leads, I still have to admit that it's not flawless. The business talk in the first half was somewhat too much for me, yes it was needed in a way and I liked the general writing too but it was just too much in my opinion.
The director, Li Mo, is also behind another MangoTV hit called "Remembrance of Past Things" and I can definitely see the similarities in realism, intellect and storytelling. But like with ROPT I wish he would focus a little less on the business side. I am patiently waiting for a drama of his, that is focused only on human connection and interpersonal relationships because I believe that would have massive potential. In case you have seen the 2021 Korean Drama "Lost", I believe he and the scriptwriters he works with could pull off something in that direction.

All in all this drama is just so FLIRTY and so good! And I loved every single bit of it! ... I was supposed to be on drama break while it was airing but I could not help but to sneak each episode in my full schedule and it was just like candy!
I also want to note that I left many things out my review (aka glorified long comment) but I decided to just focus on a few details :)

I will leave you with some quotes from the drama:

"Having you by my side is like having candy in my mouth.
No matter how bitter life gets, it always tastes sweet."

"if you can't solve something with a kiss,
try with more kisses."

"Tang Ying, you're not looking for someone out of your league,
You're waiting for a worthy rival."

"I've met many people in this city and they eventually taught me that
the word is big, too big to imagine, so walk your own path,
not according to the script.
Throw away the script and struggle to find your own life.
It's okay to fail, it's okay to take the wrong road.
Life freely.
Isn't that the most stylish thing?"

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This has a great plot, it's not something you haven't seen before but the way the story was told was just great. Painfully beautiful. I first used the term with A Beautiful Life (series) and this will just be the second time.
No matter how many times you go back in time to try to change things if it isn't meant to be that it will never be. Seems you really can't change what is bound to happen. You just have to accept the fact that whatever is meant to be will find its way eventually. Enjoy the moment and make the most put of it, keep those memories and make sure you tell those you love how much you love them.
Full review here: elijahmaliksmom.wordpress.com

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