This review may contain spoilers
Side Story: Super Girl Contest
Ever wonder what happened to Chen Xiao Xi in the Super Girl Contest?Don't remember when they mentioned this? This was the song that Jiang Chen was playing on the piano for Chen Xiao Xi when he was trying to win back her affection. This is the background story to the song - how the competition came about, Chen Xiao Xi's crazy antics, and the aftermath of Jiang Chen saving her again. This short story is about half the length of an episode (25 mins). I probably wouldn't watch this again unless I am bored. It's not essential to the main story line, but I do remember seeing some clips from this short story in the drama.
Story (Spoilers):
Chen Xiao Xi heard Jiang Chen listening about the Super Girl Contest, so she decides to take part in it (obviously, making a song about Jiang Chen and dedicating it to him). Problems arise in her family, them blaming her for taking a coupon and her grades. Chen Xiao Xi goes to the contest, and her parents think she ran away because of the fight. They couldn't find her and her phone was off because it ran out of battery. They ask Jiang Chen for help, and he finds her at the contest crying because she failed. They spend some time together until her parents pick them up, then she reconciles with her parents.
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This review may contain spoilers
What in the tarnation did I just watch?
**Lots of spoilers**Of the 427 dramas I've watched before I started this show I can easily say this was the worst. It was the crap icing on a poop cake. It starts off as a trainwreck and quickly spirals into insanity. The plot was so choppy and disjointed that I literally asked myself if I was high while I was watching it. Alas, I was not, but the sensation of "WTF am I watching? I must be high" persisted for all 20 episodes. There are bad guys, bad guys with bats, bad guys with knives, stabbings, jealous friends, jealous siblings, jealous classmates, plots to drug and rape someone, plots to kill someone, plots to overthrow a company chairman, plots to overthrow a grandpa, plots to overthrow a father, plots to overthrow a brother, plots to overthrow a sister, slaps, more slaps, even more slaps, fake disability, literal insanity, pregnancy, and bombs. All within 20 episodes clocking in at less than 10 minutes each.
The Acting: TERRIBLE
The Plot: RIDICULOUS
The Ending: THE WORST I'VE EVER SEEN
Do yourself a favour and give this one a skip. I suffered so that you don't have to. Trust me. That's time I'll never get back... but yet I finished it.
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This review may contain spoilers
A most compelling story on coming-of-age and overcoming-almost-insurmountable struggles...
This is just the third time that I got to fully finish a full-length Chinese TV Drama where I eagerly looked forward to watching the next episodes not only because of the generally well-written plot and storylines, but also because of the excellent acting and portrayal of characters by the main leads.Xu Tan, angst and expectations-driven, initially evokes a cerebrally calculating but physically weak youth with a generous-to-a fault wholesome, almost naive, personality in the beginning, but then evolves into this emotionally strong, mentally focused, and physically tough athlete who emerges as a champion in his own right. Bai Jing Ting exceptionally and convincingly plays Xu Tan whose remarkable physical transformation and emotional maturity over the years was matched in real life by Bai Jing Ting's physique-change and character portrayal. Xu Tan withstands and emerges triumphant over multiple adversities that life hurls at him: struggles and challenges in his family life, love-life, career, and more importantly, in his relationship with his main rival/friend, Yu Ke Nan. (Bai Jing Ting, also excellently portrays the lead, Xing Ke Lei in "You Are My Hero")
Yu Ke Nan, sternly brought up by his Pingpong-crazed father through rigid training and selfless discipline is a naturally-gifted pingpong athlete whose initial persona is that of a self-assured, arrogant and selfish individual single-mindedly devoted to winning at any cost. Eventually, his personal friendship and professional relationship with the amiable and selfless Xu Tan transforms him. In a sense, while coming from the opposite ends of the personality spectrum that makes them clash often, the differences between the two, their almost parallel career tracks, and their apparent love and respect for each other are what will eventually forge their deep and lifelong friendship. Timmy Xu Wei Zhou perfectly captures the wide-range of emotions that run through the tough but broken and temperamental yet sensitive Yu Ke Nan. Of note, especially, is his charged performance in Episode 43 where he visits and reconciles with his estranged father. (Timmy Xu Wei Zhou was likewise outstanding when he portrayed the challenging role of the pensive and emotionally-conflicted Bai LuoYin in "Addicted").
Over-all, the plot is great, with the scriptwriters carefully establishing the pains, struggles, growth, and maturity of our main protagonists as they journey through their lives. The writer(s) carefully interwove the positive influence of the main supporting characters, especially the masterful approach with which they molded the sagacious, staunch & steady father-figure types of the personal coaches, Lei Cheng (Liu Zhi Bing) and Teng Biao (Wang Jian Xin), respectively for Xu Tan and Yu Ke Nan. Another notable figure is that of delightful romantic, Liu Shi (aptly played by Wan Guo Peng) , best friend / teammate / roommate of both Xu Tan and Yu Ke Nan. Of last important note is the antagonist character of Coach Zheng Hao (Gao Dong Ping) that superbly stitched and strikingly prototyped the seemingly hopeless and endless struggles of both Xu Tan and Yu Ke Nan. On the other hand, the storyline could have been tightened a little by doing away with some unnecessary sub-plots like the post-pingpong career and mischief of Jia Yu, or in tempering some of the overly-written romantic twists.
While primarily a sports drama, the storyline touches deeply to the core of human desires---sentimental reminders about our own hopes and dreams, of our failures and triumphs, of our loves--lost and found, of our disappointments and betrayals, but more importantly of our constant and unquenchable quest for meaning and self-actualization. The more than few superbly written phrases and one-liners about living a more meaningful life makes this series worthy of multiple re-runs.
For even non-sports enthusiasts, the brilliant demonstration of the beautiful game of Pingpong inspires awe, and the most exciting exchange of volleys in many tournament scenes warrant deep admiration for these exceptional table tennis athletes at the peak of their game. An added bonus are the enlightening technical narratives of the game, or mini-glossaries that follow at the end of every episode.
Cinematography is tastefully and greatly done especially showcasing the economic, scientific, and cultural achievements of Modern China as gleaned from depictions of ordinary Chinese life and of China's magnificent cities. Finally, the whole story fully succeeds in the triumphal portrayal of the Chinese Sports programs---the science & rigor involved, and the human & material resources allotted to their perfection, as exemplified by Pingpong, its national sport---particularly timely for the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
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If you enjoyed Fated to Love You or Master's Sun (2 of my favorite dramas), I think you will enjoy this show also. Dok Go Jin reminded me of both Lee Gun and Joo Joong Won - like he was a mashup of both these characters. He starts off as arrogant and self-centered and he can't imagine why he's having feelings for Gu Ae Jung who is not on his "level". And he can also be childish and petty. A character that I was not remotely interested in at ALL became a very beloved character to me throughout this show. And Ae Jung is a sympathetic character - the one who gives and gives.
I would have given this a perfect 10, but the story was really just a simple fluffy romance. But it was a romance story that warmed my heart anyway. It had some flaws in the story, but they did not take away from my enjoyment in any major way. Dok Go Jin's love for Gu Ae Jung was unstoppable. There were cute moments, funny moments, teary moments, frustrating moments...The Hong Sisters really know how to illicit emotion. It may not have been a groundbreaking story, but it was enjoyable and full of heart and I know that I will watch this again. I thought the chemistry between the leads was good, and I enjoyed the secondary characters for the most part. I especially loved "Ding Dong".
I may be over-rating this for some, but I truly enjoyed it despite its flaws. And ratings are entirely subjective. ;) I also loved the way the ending was done. I'm a fan of epilogue moments, and I feel like this story was wrapped up very well with a very satisfying ending.
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Short and Sweet BL Series
Overall: though I disliked both of their "plans", this was pretty well done for a high school setting BL. Watched on YouTube.Content Warning: stalking, punches, manipulation, sexism, homophobia
What I Liked
- funny and cute moments
- great to see how Uncle Man was an actual character and not a stereotype
- supportive family and friend group
- good production value
- the self promotion with the location of the audition
Room For Improvement
- what stupid "plans"
- the interaction with Uncle Man and X was a bit odd in episode 3
- bored by the two side plots, with the short run time I think they should have had only 1 side plot
- ending was a bit abrupt and I wish we would have seen and not just heard the final line
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This review may contain spoilers
Story 6/10PROs
I love Gao Xing. Her cheerful personality makes everyone smile. Her bluntness about her emotions is something enviable. She isn't afraid to tell everyone upfront how much she likes them. Qin Zhe Mo, Jiang Shang Wu's cousin, is also a beautifully woven character, initially Gao Xing's crush. Gao Xing and Qin Zhe Mo's friendship is honestly so cool. They tell each other about their love lives over dinner and they both know how much the other loves their significant other. Whenever Han Xiao misunderstands Gao Xing's and Qin Zhe Mo's relationship, Gao Xing would always meet up with Han Xiao to tell her that Qin Zhe Mo really loves her. I loved the ending of this drama, especially the trip Gao Xing and Jiang Shang Wu takes to find a certain type of coffee bean. The drama really describes, in much detail, how to make coffee.
CONs
Jiang Shang Wu's personality is terrible. He's yes and then he's no. They were in the boss and worker zone, then friend zone, then family zone. His sole reason for not being in a relationship with her is his dislike for her tomboy nature, which does not make sense because he keeps on thinking about her. In the Korean drama it made sense because Han Gyul had to reconsider his sexual identity, which is not a simple understanding. In this Chinese remake, Jiang Shang Wu clearly knows she's a woman, so he's not facing a sexual identity crisis like the show suggests. I disliked how Gao Xing had to apologize to Jiang Shang Wu all the time for hiding the fact that she's friends with his cousin, which is a ridiculous reason to break up with her.
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If you love the Nie Brothers or want a great take on the side characters of CQL, this film is for you! The conflict between the Nie brothers will give you a lot of feelings and how they will resolve it through loyalty, trust and outright love for one another is a tier of its own.
The production did an amazing job too. It really has the feel of the hardy QingheNie that they are. The actors did so well giving to life the characters that they played. Mad respect to Ji Li and Wang Yizhou. Their chemistry as siblings is very enjoyable. Plus, the disciples and that one new character? Must protect haha. Overall great film.
CQL pulled off everything for this last bow. 10/10!
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a different subber used
This review is especially for 'Shadnasty' who dropped this drama after finding that the subber did a disasterous job in subtitling it to the english language. i have watched this drama from a different subber who least knows the language, heh heh... 😊 The subber is Fresh Drama. In Google, type Fresh Drama You Tube and it will take you to the site. Once you are in Fresh Drama on you tube, choose the drama name and all the episodes will be available to watch online. Unfortunately you don't have the option to download from 'Fresh Drama, but you can download using a you tube downloader. I used Ssyoutube Downloader.( Fresh Drama subtitles their own dramas of choice). Enjoy!! 💕Was this review helpful to you?
Female Lead Was the Only Problem
So many people love this drama, but I feel like the same amount of people also complain about the age gap with the main couple. I don't have an issue with it as he is meant to be like 900 years old so it's whatever. The issue I had is that the female lead acted like a literal 12 year old for most of the movie.Again, she's meant to be like 18 or whatever, which some people already had an issue with, but why did she act so child-like the whole movie? It was super annoying and gave me the creeps. Like, a little part of me hated on him for liking her when she's like that, but mostly it was just her behavior that gave me the creeps.
I honestly only finished this because Lee Dong Wook is my absolute favorite actor ever and the bromance between him and Gong Yoo's character was AMAZING. Female lead is the reason for the 9/10 above, and despite her being super cringey, I would totally re-watch this just to experience the bromance again.
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ACTING/CAST: A fantastic cast all around and Golf is so good. Honestly, he became my most favorite character of this show because he's so over the top and hilariously funny.
MUSIC: I like the new theme song and this series did have some decent music sprinkled about.
REWATCH VALUE: Um, not sure. Maybe parts of it? Or maybe just the second half of the season? The first season is VERY rewatchable but not sure about this one.
OVERALL: Slow start but got better.
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The story was great... A heartwarming one... I would not elaborate too much, I don't want to spoil anything. Again, a very inspiring one! You'd realized a lot of things. Things and thoughts worth keeping. This is based on a real life story... that's why it amazed me much...
The cast were outstanding... They have done a great job in performing their roles. Music was good and definitely a movie worth a rewatch. Overall, this is one of the movies that has inspire me a lot. I've learned and realized many things...
This is worth it! Your 2 hours and 24 minutes would not be put into waste! (^-^)
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This drama is set in the decline of the Joseon era and perfectly portrays the changes within Joseon at the time. The Joseon Dynasty was closed off from the rest of the world but was forced to modernize, and later became occupied by Japan.
Story
The story is about 3 youngsters who struggle with their modern ideas in their beloved country. We watch them grow in character here are the 3 main protagonists:
Hwang Jung/Little dog
A smart man within the butcher's class. Butcher at the time were seen as less then beggars and thieves, they weren't even allowed to have a name. Little dog commits the worst crime to get money for the surgery of his mother: Illegal Slaughtering. He becomes an outcast for the butchers and is being followed by the authorities. He steals clothes from a nobleman and still gets caught and shot with a gun. He is then saved by Yu Seok Ran (the woman he loves) and gets treated by a western doctor (doctor Allen) he then becomes intrigued with medicine and his story begins.
Yu Seok Ran
A sweet and smart woman within the middle class of the Joseon Dynasty. She is the daughter of a trader/translator. Making her extremely good in the English Language. Her biggest struggle is the equality of men and woman at the time. She wants to become a doctor too but the only woman who worked at the time where giseangs. She saves Little dog and her story begins.
Baek Do Yang
An arrogant and cunning man from the noble class. His father is a minister of the palace and he himself a medicine student. But he founds out the effectiveness of western medicine and he wants to study it. His father is against this. After his father's death he joins doctor Allen in order to become a doctor.
The story was amazing. I love medical dramas an this is one of the most if not the best I've watched. But the story goes a lot deeper and its also about family, love, friendship, patriotism, war, historical its almost everything and yet is still great in every one of them. The only bad thing about the story is the Japanese side, the were portrait extremely evil and dumb.
Acting/Cast
I loved each and everyone of the cast. Doctor Goh with his accent and Ji Gwak with his humor and Ran Ran with her cuteness. Doctor Allen who I found weird at first (He is a Korean acting an American) but loved while I watched more Episodes. Director Heron was cold at first and became much better. The giseangs who became nurses was funny at first but then they became real nurses.
Music
Really great Ost, I still listen to songs from this drama on youtube they got the whole soundtrack there :)
A real gem this drama, I'm so glad I watched it. A really underrated drama that should be watched by a lot more people. Really give it a change if you are interested in the Josean Dynasty and its decline. A masterpiece!
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This review may contain spoilers
This movie was done so amazingly, it's beyond words. It's a roller coaster ride with many nerve wreaking peaks not knowing if it'll end safely. Cheating as we all know is wrong and comes with consequences and I think it's fair to say that everyone has probably cheated once in their life, whether big or small, but this movie takes cheating to a whole new level. It outsmarts cheating and only a genius could come up with such plan, hence why its called Bad Genius. This movie also exemplifies the definition of buying your friends. Pat and Grace are both wealthy but that doesn't mean their lives are perfect too, they have expectations to live up to which is what leads them to bad decisions. None of them truly cared about Lynn, they were selfish, they bought her with money knowing she's in need of it. Lynn's misfortune was meeting Grace and Pat, she would've had a bigger future without them. However, as the saying goes, cheating is a choice not a mistake. Lynn is a grown woman who knows what's right and what's not, she chose to help her fellow classmates in exchange for money while knowing the consequences if she got caught. On the other hand, Bank was heavily ruined by everyone else due to their selfishness. Bank is a smart righteous person who doesn't tolerate cheating or injustice. But his whole life falls down because of others and soon the Bank we knew was no longer there. He changed because he was used and cheated by them so why not cheat them back for more money. This movie deserves so much more attention and appreciation. It includes the perfect amount of thrill and suspense to keep the audience excited. It did an incredible job portraying the fear, anxiety, and thrill of test taking. Was this review helpful to you?
If you know the meaning of unrequited love, there's no much explanation needed. The whole drama revolves around the title itself. Every character had their fair share of their own unrequited love.
What makes the drama beautiful is the exposition of that abstract feeling because they made you feel it too. Watching it was a roller coaster of emotions. I felt the pain, the heartbreaks, the longing, the sadness, the happiness and of course the love. The drama was capable of portraying feelings not only to themselves but also to the the audience/watchers. Seeing the first few episodes made me bored, there were so many characters and so many side stories, but as I get through I felt one with the story.
After seeing so many dramas, this is by far the most touching drama I've watched. I love the female lead, it was so painful seeing the flashbacks and the efforts. Her character was nicely written, not your usually clingy and annoying leads. Not the one who's world crumbles for the guy. I didn't like the male lead at first but overtime I also fell in love with him, well everyone falls for him. The character and the friendship development grew within me. There were lovely characters and frustrating exes at the same time.
If you're looking for a fluffy romcom, this may or may not be for you. It is a feel good drama. About youth. Love and friendships specifically.
I believe we all encountered unrequited love. As an audience, I also had a fair share of my story. Maybe I was bias because I used to be in the same shoes, but I guarantee you it will give you realizations. Someone is always in an unrequited love, it could be you or to you.
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I Love the Sea & I Love the Show
In a variety show, what are you usually looking for? Your favorite actors/idols as members & their interactions or a good combination between sense of humor & the soul theme? I started this show looking for both of these. I wanted to watch a few of my favorites (Kim go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Onew) together & along the way I was looking for more about sea & nature. There's no adventure here. The nature, the sea, the vacay vibes & relaxation is all you get from the Show. This show deserves some Cinematography Award or something like that, I know it's the sea & sky that's so beautiful but they were shot from the perfect angle. Although the weather was not with them like rain disturbed their plans but it still went on quite smoothly.
Concept —
I don't feel like writing any much detail here or I will just end up revealing the Show to you. Just Ep 1 and the show straights up to the corner of the sea where they will stay & shoot further. The scenery is like Oooo & Oooh! The soul of the show the SEA rules the camera like an Eternal Queen. The view is so magical & attractive that it made me fell in love with the sea. The perfect combination of blue & white colour, the different shades of them, the greenery around with the perfect music. What else more do we need!
In the beginning, interaction among the members was rather strange & awkward. Jong shin, being the eldest one among them often said that "it's awkward" but he took the responsibility to make them more close & comfortable. Ultimately, they started getting along with each other & that's when there was more laughs and fun. Whole this, felt like character development lol. Towards the end, they are even reluctant to say goodbye. Some people may get bored, as the show is slow in middle and there's lots of cooking and general conversation that may take off the interest and the long duration is there too but nevertheless I enjoyed the show.
One thing I cannot forgot to mention, KIM GO EUN IS SO BEAUTIFUL. YEAH, SHE TRULY IS! I like how she often closes her eyes quickly as if she's winking with 2 eyes with a smile. She looked so cute. She went diving with a team in some episodes to collect garbage from the sea. That's a really good step that deserves appreciation. She carried that 35 kg heavy equipment into the sea everytime. Wow she's so strong.
Cast —
All the members are beautiful in their own way. Su hyun is something I should mention, she's the youngest and cutest one among them but she's taking care of everything. If you notice properly there's always a line at the top whenever she goes to help someone "In conclusion, nothing gets done without Su-hyun 22 (Count of how many times she helped)" lol.
Music —
It's impossible to list all the songs played in the show xD… Su hyun has got a soulful voice. Her voice is so magical & mixes with the vacay vibes of Show. Onew & Yoon Jong-shin are also awesome singers. I think this show focuses a lot on relaxation theme. So, particularly songs are usually smooth & those peaceful kind that just gives more of a connected to nature feeling. A special round of applause to 2 members who played instruments for all those Song performances ·–·•• Zai. Ro & Jeong Dong Hwan. I almost got crazy, listing all songs played over there & then looking for them one by one, then turning to their lyrics & then saving them in a playlist again & again.
Performances that I loved from the Show »»»»
✓Rollin – Su Hyun & Zai. Ru [Og. Brave Girls]
✓Flying Deep in the Night – Su Hyun, Onew [Og. Lee Moon Sae]
✓Departure – Onew, Jong-shin [Og. Hareem]
✓Wind, Where does it blow from? – Onew [Og. Kim Yeon Woo]
✓A Doll's Dream – Su Hyun, Onew [Og. Weather forecast]
✓Lucky – Rosé, Onew [Og. Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat]. This song especially suits Onew. He sang so Perfect!
✓If – Su hyun [Og. Bread] Oooh Her Voice
✓Time walking on memories — Rosé [Og. Nell]
✓Stay Put – Sunwoo Jung-a [Og. Sunwoo]
✓City of Stars – Su hyun, Lee Dong Wook [Og. Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone]… Yesss! LDW finally sang!
✓I'm in love – Onew [Og. Ra. D]
A single line to define Music here — Music is like the 2nd soul of the show.
Rewatch Value —
Well I don't think, variety Ssows hold any much Rewatch Value. They are usually suitable as a single watch. It could be possible for some people to rewatch it years later but for Me, variety shows completely falls in one-time watch category.
Conclusion —
Since there's no format to be followed or no draggy Story, The show is definitely a good choice. it's like a relaxing show where they sing, chat, cook & enjoy by the Sea. My #ScenicSaturdays were all ruled by screenshots from this show only.
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