Like normally these kind of movies are very cheesy and too predictable and frankly the acting usually aint that good either. But man this movie really blew my mind! Not to mention how hot Darren Wang is but his acting skills were BOSS! And his cute little smirks and face expressions literally took my breath away. The way Hsu tai-yu looks at Lin is probably how every girl dreams to be looked at by a boy even I found myself smiling whenever he looked at her with those dazzling eyes.
And yes this might seem like a cliche story which you have seen in other dramas but it really isn't and this one definetely takes home the first price. I'm not even joking!!!
Vivian Sung did quite a good job as well with her acting, unlike from other movies her awkwardness isn't too much and she isn't overly clingy with her emotions and shit or like over dramatic like most girls are when they have crushes!
I cried and laughed and cried and laughed through the whole movie it fckn touched my soul! I've always liked those kind of movies where the main character is some sort of bad boy but deep inside he's the sweetest guy ever. And it really got to my feels when he did all those cute little things for Lin in the movie. It made me want to have a guy friend like that too!! It didn't feel like a cliche love story, it went in its own pace and it felt like a real life love story. It didn't go too fast and it didn't feel fake at all. Their feelings towards each other felt very relateable so overall it was a FANTASTIC love story!
So if you like romantic/comedy/friendship stories then this is something you MUST watch! I'm gonna rewatch it 9848493 times cuz it's THAT awesome.
PS- this is my first review so don't judge XD thanks :*
Was this review helpful to you?
Put Your Head On My Shoulder Special Episode
13 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
Reasons why you should skip this show {SPOLIER'S AHEAD]:
The male lead is a whore who wants to get with the female lead, make her love him only to dump her when she falls in love with him
-The female lead is supposedly very smart, but gets outsmarted by the whore of a male lead at every step
-The male lead juggles around everyone and interferes with the lives of everyone around him to the point where everything revolves around him wanting to get girls and somehow having to fix up the messes he creates because he can't help himself from being a lecher
-Apparently the only thing that the male leads balks at is rape, so sweet of him when he thinks hooking up with any willing female, cheating on multiple women at the same time, being a chronic compulsive liar and destroying the lives of those around him just to feed his 'God' ego make up for him not being a rapist on top of all this, THANK YOU SO MUCH WRITERS FOR LETTING HIM HAVE ONE REDEEMING QUALITY, I MEAN, IT MEANS SO MUCH TO US VIEWERS TO SEE SUCH A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL
-Male lead almost ruins the female leads parents marriage by hooking up her father (to get him on his side so he can keep tabs on the female lead when she's with her parents) with a prostitute who ends up extorting money, a house and even a car from the father (aside from the fact that he ALSO cheats on his wife of 20+ years)
-Male lead at multiple occasions tries to break up and destroy the love life of his "best friend" (I put that in quotation marks since who needs enemies when you have friends like the male lead?) by framing him time and time again. Male lead sets up the situations thus that his best friends girlfriend always finds her boyfriend with other girls, even though the poor dude wants nothing to do with the disgusting behaviour of the male lead, who is his best friend.
-If there was an olympics for a male whore who can juggle between numerous females and still not get trapped, the male lead in this show would win, hands down
-The worst part about this show is that at the end, the male lead still doesn't reform, he stays a flirt, and the ending scene is literally his wife having to drag him out of some sort of strip show/bar
-Female lead apparently can't stand guys like him but somehow can't help herself but fall for this slimy manwhore
-Female leads acting is stiff throughout the show, hard to enjoy when you just want to cringe anytime she tries to be cute or sexy
To the writers: I hope you stop trying to make shows where such despicable behaviour is rewarded and constantly wins over those who have better morals and behaviours. It is not funny that the female leads mom tries to almost kill her husband after she finds out he was cheating on her. I can see an argument can be made that by making this a comedy that the writers are trying to present a serious issue in a lighthearted way, however, thats not how this came across as. If that was the intention, they completely missed the mark. The whole show seems to be about how male chauvinism is rewarded and you can get away with anything if you love someone, but just not enough that you are willing to stop cheating on that person every now and then.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Chaotic, Cringy and Unhinged But I LOVED it a lot!
Yeah so I watched The Heart Killers and I liked it. A lot. Like, way more than I should have. Clown level of obsessed.First of all, this is a romcom that has a crime and action background story, so do not expect logic. I’m serious. Romance is THE plot. Everything else is just a build-up for it, so keep that in mind. And honestly, this is amazing!! I was completely entertained from the start to the end. I didn’t even care how over-the-top or unrealistic it was. It was just that fun.
So the story is about Bison and Fadel, two hitman brothers who run a burger shop. Yep, a burger shop. Kant, who is a tattoo artist with a criminal record, becomes a police spy to stop them from reopening his car-theft case. He’s tasked to investigate them but then realizes one of them is a one-night stand he hasn’t forgotten… Bison. So naturally, he tries his best to get close to him to get information. But the older brother Fadel is super suspicious and not having it. So Kant asks his best friend Style to seduce Fadel and take him out so Fadel would be less focused on him. Like that was the plan. And it kind of works. Somehow.
The story is quite new and unique for a BL. It is messy. Everyone is a red flag and I LOVE that!!!!! Seriously. I live for this energy.
This is a total cringe fest, and there were a lot of times I felt the embarrassment not only for the characters but for the actors too. Especially in the first half before I got used to the tone. This is not a complaint. I like me a cringe show haha. It added to the charm in a weird way. Once I accepted the show was unapologetically chaotic, I was in.
So about the characters:
Fadel: I liked him a lot. Like, a LOT. I felt like he and I have some similarities. Minus the fact that he’s a gunman obviously. I related so much to him. His thoughts were so much like mine. He had this whole "no matter how much you love someone, I just don't believe that you can completely lay yourself in front of them" mindset and I could not agree more. Love and trust are different things. He was so closed off about his feelings and thoughts. He has his walls so up, guard all the way up, and it's not easy at all to break through them. He believes in logic more than feelings. He is so INTJ. I liked his development arc too. Like, as he slowly accepts that he loves Style, he doesn’t just become a fool in love. He still is not all trusting even in love and I adore this so much.
I liked this man a lot. I don’t even know how to say it properly. Can he accept me as his sister? I want the lifestyle of not getting involved with anyone. Like??? That quote — "no matter how much you love someone, I just don’t believe that you can completely lay yourself in front of them." — has always been my motto. I wasn’t expecting to see it in a drama and it hit hard.
Style: Our unhinged crop top boy. He definitely has a style for himself. He didn’t even have to open his mouth for me to feel embarrassed. He just appeared on my screen and I got that second-hand embarrassment immediately. He is an extrovert and the word shame does not exist in his vocabulary. He is an auto mechanic and can’t resist when Kant offers him his father’s car he has been eyeing. So he goes all out to win the heart of Fadel. He annoys him a lot and keeps messing with him without even knowing he is a gunman. Like every "I’ll kill you" joke could’ve been real and he had no idea. Then the day after Fadel agrees to date him, Kant tells him about Fadel’s job and it hits him that he could’ve literally died in the woods while confessing to him. But it’s too late to back off.
I actually liked his scared reaction after that lol. And he did eventually fall for the killer but stayed unhinged. I want more characters like him. He was SO FUN. He is a diva. Every line he says is iconic. I can’t. I need a friend like him.
"You made me hit on a gunman. I could’ve made headlines: handsome man found in the woods."
Fadel threatening to kill him with a gun and Style says, "Can I buy clothes? Let me at least die in style. Handsome man with clear skin found dead in crop tops. My dad would recognize me."
And so much more!! My search history for the next years: Style iconic lines lol.
Kant: We have a tattoo artist with a dark past and a teenage brother he has to take care of alone. He is sweet but a red flag too. I liked him. I thought I’d have more to say about him but that’s really all. He didn’t have much of a story besides that and his relationship with Bison. I liked that he still did the job of getting info even though he was in love with Bison because YES!!!!! Don’t let love take the lead. He is a good big brother. Everything he did was for Babe (his brother). And I understand him a lot. He can’t just leave his brother alone because of a man.
Also, his tattoos looked fake as hell.
Bison: Literally an adorable puppy. But a bit dumb for a hitman. He was bringing out that damn gun every time like it’s his phone or something. Like?? But all this little cutie wanted was love. But a cutie can be crazy too lol. His feelings after knowing the betrayal from Kant? He went CRAZY. And it’s valid. Especially for a hitman.
Fadel: "We let them fall for us and then kill them. Make him believe you're crazy for him. Crazy in love, not crazy like psycho."
The way he had to specify that? LOL.
But seriously, with how Fadel and Bison killed people, they should’ve been jailed way sooner than they did. Carrying guns everywhere like it’s normal.
I don’t think I even have to talk about the chemistry because HELLO?!!!!!! It was off the charts. I will say though that I would’ve preferred some of the scenes to be just a hug or a small kiss instead of going all out, you know? But still. The tension. The vibes. The longing. All of it worked.
I really liked the scene when Fadel found out his ex didn’t leave him but was actually killed by Lily, his "mom," and Style comforts him. That moment was so good. It’s the one time Style’s quirkiness cools down and he makes sure Fadel knows that it’s not his fault. That Style would love him for who he is and stay by his side. It was soft. It was real. It was needed.
Also loved the friendship between Style and Kant. Besties for life. And Fadel and Bison, They are not blood brothers, but that bond is chef’s kiss. Total sibling energy. They’re so different but they just get each other. Gladly they’re siblings because I cannot imagine these two being friends with how opposite they are.
Anyway, I loved this show. I want more. I want chaos. I want crime. I want crop tops. I want Style quotes on a t-shirt. I want to emotionally detach like Fadel. I want more unhinged romcoms where everyone is a red flag and no one makes good choices.
I am begging for more messy, iconic dramas like this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
A simple show about a young woman navigating life. And it is a most extraordinary show.
Simplicity is one of the most confounding and elusive qualities in any context. Take a stroll through a supermarket and try to count how many brands of bottled water are on the shelf. It’s just water. They are just putting it in a bottle. But there are countless variations of it. Spring water. Sparkling water. Distilled water. That’s just some of the kinds. A product as common as an apple can be green or red and within each of those colors are multiple varieties each with their own combination of sweetness, tartness, firmness and suitability for eating raw or baking or to be used for cider or sauce. Simple things that somehow complexity mushrooms out of seemingly without end.“Yumi’s Cells” is, on its surface, a simple show: a young single woman navigates her career and personal life. The narrative device of animated cells, each of which are responsible for a particular trait of her personality, is intermittently inserted to illuminate her inner mental and emotional processes and how they manifest in her behavior.
While the combination of animation and live action may be novel (at least in Korean dramas), that’s not at all what is remarkable about “Yumi’s Cells”. That is not to say that the animation is not terrifically entertaining. It may not be Pixar quality work, but the cells are mostly cleverly written. The dynamic between the primary logical cell and emotional cell helps keep a bit of a de facto organizational hierarchy. The cells add more than a dash of humor and some of it is in moments where a bit of lightness is decidedly welcome. Done poorly, these segments could have been dead space fillers. But they instead both advance the narrative and entertain simultaneously.
The quality of the animated scenes, however, is secondary to the live action. The production here is perhaps not award-winning, but it has a lovely OST. The photography is well done. The wardrobe, particularly with Ahn Bo Hyun’s Wung, has some standout contributions. But this is, on the surface, a simple show: a young woman navigates her career and personal life. Massive amounts of cgi and a thundering score would be woefully out of place.
As for the supporting cast, its purpose is mostly to provide scenery as Yumi and her inner cohorts navigate daily life. Lee Yoo Bi stands out a bit as Ruby. Park Jin Young is mostly in a half catatonic trance as Yu Ba Bi, but that may be by design. But this is not an ensemble show and the ups and downs of the minor characters are barely on the relevance spectrum here.
“Yumi’s Cells” has three things that shine and shine brightly. One is the editing of each episode and how it so cleverly advances the narrative. No shows, or at least very very few, proceed through time in a straight linear fashion. All feature some manner of flashbacks or time skips or possible futures. Here, although there are flashbacks, it is more that the action is revealed not in a linear sense, but in increasing magnitude of importance. But it is done in a way which does not require a viewer to have a degree in quantum physics to follow. They are simple stories, but revealed in a complex manner. The storytelling is absolutely masterful. Concealed things are revealed at the most opportune time. The pace of how the story progresses within each episode never lags. And although it is a simple show, there is an incredible amount of suspense and it is so cleverly and slowly ratcheted up to a climactic moment. It is a simple show and it simply executes brilliantly.
In addition to the narrative, Yumi and Wung are not just immensely adorable, but they are painfully realistic and relatable. These are not chaebol heirs or hero cops or exorcists or genius orphans. They have anxieties and are emotionally scarred and don’t say the important things that they should say and they don’t always understand each other and they say part of what they need to say but never say the most important part of it and they hurt each other and they hurt themselves and they have all these flaws and, despite all of these things, they still find a way to intimately connect as human beings. And they struggle as two people intimately connected. It is one of the most honest depictions of a relationship in any medium.
The centerpiece of all of this is Ahn Bo Hyun as Wung and Kim Go Eun as Yumi. For Ahn Bo Hyun, this is new ground, both in terms of the personality of the character he’s playing and the magnitude of the role. If there is a theme in his previous roles, it’s testosterone with a side dish of not exceptionally intelligent. Physically, he’s not transformed beyond the hair and a few whiskers. Frankly, his impressive physique is one of the few out of place elements here. Wung is eating, hanging out with Yumi, eating and hanging out with Yumi or coding for hours on end. That distraction aside, Ahn Bo Hyun is a delight as the very left-brained, somewhat awkward but massively good natured and warm Wung. He has range. He has talent. And this is a role that suits him. Quietly, especially towards the end of this run, his depiction of a character who is lost internally but desperately trying to keep it buried is painful and lovely to watch.
As a swirling ball of earnest, bright, vulnerable and determined, Kim Go Eun is magical. She’s had no shortage of starring roles on blockbuster shows. But unlike those roles, here she’s the straw that stirs the drink. Not only that, but as the show is so deeply focused on Yumi, it is her performance that the success of the show largely hinges on. As the show delves deeper into Yumi’s character, Kim Go Eun’s portrayal grows more layered and nuanced. She hits all the notes in the emotional spectrum. She displays both speaking and physical prowess as an actor. The performance may not have a singular spectacular moment, but it is so uniformly deftly accomplished.
Separate, these two leads are wonderful. Together, they are indescribably transcendent. And the show as a result is a marvel.
Overall, it is a show - a simple show of a young woman navigating her career and personal life - that has seamlessly integrated exceptional lead performances and superb storytelling into a captivating package.
Recommended for everyone without any reconsideration, reservation or regret, as “Yumi’s Cells” is the most outstanding drama of 2021.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is something different. Even though time travel sometimes is a cliche, in this movie it isn't. That isn't the focus or the story and it develops nicely apart from that fact. All the characters had something you could relate to, and had something that you just HAD to love. Besides, the story has twist that while watching it I just kept thinking "what the heck? This wasn't supposed to happen here!", so it never gets tiring or boring.
The cast was great. Nishikido Ryo's acting was superb, specially if you have seen him acting in other stuff and you realize just how wide his acting is. The female lead and the little kid also did a great job, and the 3 of them together could create a feeling of a real family.
The music wasn't something special. It wasn't bad but it isn't something that I would download to listen to it all the time.
On the rewatch value I'll definitely watch it again soon because I liked it a lot.
So overall, a solid 9. I would've given it a 10 if it weren't for some stuff about the story that I didn't like and I won't mention here to spoil. Watch it, I think you'll like it :D
Was this review helpful to you?
What’s not to like
I’m not very good at writing reviews but I have to for this drama! The acting was top notch, the story was beautiful and the ost was incredible. This drama had me crying, laughing and feeling upset at times. I had all the emotions in the spectrum. The 2 main were perfectly cast and the supporting cast felt like the main as well. I was so invested in the secondary relationship as much as the first. The way everything came together was perfect! To be honest it took me a while to actually watch it this drama. But I’m so glad I finally did.Was this review helpful to you?
Like most mystery story leads, Kaga is a genius who solves all mysteries that comes him way. However, what makes this drama unconventional is how each mystery and its characters are interwoven together to the main plot and how they all tie together into one long emotional journey that tugs at your heart. I enjoyed watching each episode for not only solving the mystery but also its believable characters who all have their own realistic reasons for their actions.
Another aspect I liked was how the drama plays with the setting which is something I rarely ever see in mystery dramas. Each mystery/episode was like a small trip down one of the streets of this fictitious town. Toward the last episode, I felt have explored the whole town with Kaga learning about the ordinary yet moving lives of its inhabitants living on each street.
While you don't learn much about the backstory of Kaga, I feel this doesn't take away from how great this drama was. This drama injects its own brand of quirkiness and creativity in its unique way of storytelling that is so different from the mystery dramas we are used to seeing today.
Overall, I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who is getting tired of watching mystery dramas with essentially the same set up and is looking to try something new.
Was this review helpful to you?
This movie is dark. While watching I felt the same emotions they did as their journey progressed. I was bored in points, sad, tense and wondering how and where it would end.
The acting was actually very solid. It is no secret I am a fan of Matsuda Shota. He does a wonderful job playing Kento who seems, on the surface, the calm and more sensible of the pair of boys. With his emotions being repressed and boiling under the surface like a dormant volcano. This guy can act. Kora Kengo who plays Jun as more frantic; all his emotions out there for you to see. And almost a relunctant follower who doesn't want to be left behind by the only friend he has. There were many points in this movie when I found them both hard to like.
The plot is a bit wanting. Their journey a bit abstract. The ending intense. I felt as if the writing was good but this movie has quite an "Indy film" feel and so an artistic angle sometimes negates exposition and a solid trajectory of story. This left me unsatisfied.
The music is forgettable but I don't think it was meant to be anything but background sound so I gave it a 6.
My rewatch value is low but I'm not going to express why as that might spoil a person interested in watching. If you are a fan of Shota, I say give it a try. Also, if you are a fan of gritty, independent films you may like this. I'm giving it a 7. Mostly for the two leads.
I stayed with this for the acting and for that I don't regret watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Truly Worth!!!
My all time favorite Drama is Goblin. I would say this is the best of all the Korean dramas that I have watched.Selection of cast is really amazing, exactly matches their characters in the drama. This is not just the leads every single role played by every cast in the drams is perfect.
Music is awesome. Both songs and the background music is too good.
Graphics was also good.
This drama includes every genre available. I can keep watching it.
Untamed is my favorite Chinese Drama and Goblin is my favorite Korean drama.
I want to thank the directors for producing such nice dramas for us to binge watch. Thank you.
I like watching dramas that come under the fantasy genre :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama Festival 2014: The Diary of Heong Yeong Dang
15 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
Decently good, but probably not every BL fan's cup of tea
The story is told reasonably well. For those who are curious about whether this is just bromance: no, it's not (but this may not mean much). The story goes that a man is in love with his his adoptive brother, but he has to get married. He is unable to consummate his marriage, but is his love even reciprocated? The story doesn't seem altogether original and may remind one of older movies like A Frozen Flower, but it does keep one guessing how the adoptive brother feels. I wish the ending had been clearer about the brother's actions though, for the revelations don't necessarily cohere with his actions.The story is tragic and rather moving, but sometimes the camerawork seems a little amateurish. It is around an hour and it feels as though some parts of the story have been cut short for no good reason. The back stories of the wife and adoptive brother are alluded to, but more could have been revealed.
The production is fairly good overall, but it may not go down too well with BL fans today who often prefer happy endings and more show of passion to depictions of angsty, repressed homosexual desire.
Was this review helpful to you?
Queer Movie Butterfly: The Adult World
15 people found this review helpful
Story: I think the story was quite good because it tells a different tale of what people would think the "Adult World" is like and shows it from a different perspective as well. Some people would get confused easily if you do not pay attention to the whole movie from beginning to end so you have to pay close attention to understand all the characters roles and how they play a part in the movie.
Acting: The acting I think was quite good as well. They showed most of the emotions needed (THE BEST SCENES ARE THE KISS SCENES)
Music: You would usually hear music during a kiss scene obviously since in my opinion it would just be weird hearing the noises you know. But the music was nice when played.
Rewatch: I would honestly rewatch it for only specific parts which I enjoyed the most.
FREE MOVIE (not eng subbed):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_545CVq9pA&index=1&list=LLdkNPQVCKt5mwR62PJ57G6A&t=1886s
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Quick and Uncomplicated Watch
I started watching this on a whim because I have been watching short(er) dramas lately and this seems to fit that category. Plus, I like shows centered around demons and all that jazz. The Fragments of Kylin was a short, mostly enjoyable watch, featuring a sweet and noble male lead, bubbly female lead, and fun side characters. I am neither amazed nor disappointed by this show because it wasn’t one of my highly anticipated ones and I wasn’t expecting much from it. While the female lead being bubbly did not bother me, I preferred her attitude and personality when she was in the demon’s realm. The Demon lord version of the female lead promised angst and pain, which I very much wanted, but sadly never got. Despite it being a lower budget show, they had some pretty costumes and even some of the CGI and OST songs were decent.If you want a quick, easy, uncomplicated story with some funny moments, this is it. It’s perfect if you commute to work and just want some mindless fun while making sure no one talks to you.
Was this review helpful to you?
Gritty and epic
This version, out of the numerous adaptations of the same Jin Yong saga, the “Legend of the Condor Heroes”, was the least popular amongst those made in the last 30 years.However, this review was written with the hope that this version will receive more positive attention, as it was certainly deserving of it, being an earnestly and beautifully produced, directed and performed show which did the fantastic saga justice.
Plot:
Story-wise, this was one of the most faithful to the saga in the novels. It was also relatively well-executed. Hence, the plot, story and execution were the strengths of this adaptation. However, it was not without flaws as the show focused on certain parts of the story more than others, resulting in an imbalance (as per the story in the novels). If one was not too nit-picky, that was still one shortcoming which can be overlooked.
Particularly worthy of note was the period while the story was based in Mongolia. There was more emphasis on this phase of Guo Jing’s journey in this version than there were in the others, and the care taken were admirable. If there was an absolute I dare assert with regard to the adaptations, it was that the 2003 version had the best Mongolia-based-phase out of all existing adaptations, no ifs-or-buts about it. It was truly fantastic, even with the inevitable flaws.
Cast/Acting:
There were many criticisms and controversy with regard to the casting, especially for the main leads. However, while everybody had their own preferences for actors/actresses and their interpretations of the characters, personally, I found the acting and interpretations to be solidly competent and robustly interesting. I love the Huang Rong and Guo Jing here. Both the portrayals by Zhou Xun and Li Ya Peng were impressionable and highly memorable. They left their own marks on these classic characters.
The only main issue I had was with Yang Kang and his actor, whom I thought overacted most times. Still, he did well, just not really my cup-of-yes. The rest of the cast also did excellently and left a deep impression. I particularly appreciated the presence and gravitas some of the more veteran actors and actresses brought to the secondary characters, especially the more major characters of the wuxia masters.
Action sequences/CGI:
While there were some annoying overuse of CGI, overall, I thought the usage was appropriate for the scenes they were employed in, and did not unnecessarily overshadow the more traditional kungfu moves during the same action sequences.
Cinematography:
The cinematography here was simply breathtaking, with shooting locations spanning the breadth of China from the north to the south, giving a sense of deep realism to this version that moved me. In tandem with that touch of realism, the framing used also brought out the ethereal aesthetic of a black and white ink painting in many scenes, lending many scenes a sense of immersive beauty.
This version used a palette of muted and darker colours for its scenes, lending a dirtier, grittier and more epic feel to the whole show, which really matched the wuxia genre, I thought. Not only that, it lent a tinge of tragedy and bittersweetness throughout. While the story was a somewhat positive exposition on the journey of a patriot-hero, it was also a story littered with deaths and tragedies, and I applauded the show for not shying away from this sense of sadness through its visual presentation.
Costumes:
The costumes and set pieces utilised here could be considered simple and drab, but were actually custom made for the show based on historical records and the novels, and here too, the effort to be true to its source material and historical background was clearly shown.
Music:
While the tracks used here would have their work cut out for them in topping the nostalgic impact of the TVB adaptations’ theme songs, I never once thought it paled in comparison. The opening theme song, “Heaven and Earth Are in My Heart” was a marvelously epic encapsulation of the whole ‘hero’ journey, and the ending song, “True Love is Beautiful” was a lovely sentimental ballad which could well ensnare your audio senses. The musical score employed throughout the show was also suitably impressive - compositions which were predominantly classical Chinese instrumentals - elevating the impact of many scenes.
Conclusion:
This was the least pretty adaptation so far, with an intensity and realism that made it a more plodding viewing compared to other versions. However, it was the one which I thought captured most concisely the essence of the saga as written in the novels - from story, acting, backdrop, feels, props to cinematography - which was essentially a distillation of the idealisation of Confucian and patriotic values through the epic journey of Guo Jing. Hence, this version resonated deeply with me, and has remained my favourite out of all the ones I have had the pleasure to watch. It was truly a masterpiece worthy of its source material.
Choices:
If dark, gritty and epic is your cup of tea, the 2003 version is highly recommended.
If a slightly revisionist-story, specific/well-known actors/actresses and general prettiness are your preference, the 2008 version might be a good choice.
If bright, pretty, romance-weighted and ‘idol-ish’ are your preferences, the latest 2017 version would be a fine choice. This is quite a marvelous adaptation and relatively a faithful to the source material.
If a good story, wonderful acting, memorable OST, nostalgia and simple curiosity (as to why they were such beloved classics), the early-1980s TVB/HK-versions are a must.
The 1994 remake from TVB would also be a solid choice. Good performances and overall fabulous drama. (This was the series where I first fell in love with the saga and characters, and a well made adaptation which did not veer off much from the source material. Sometimes, first love doesn’t always leave the most lasting impression, and I am glad for that).
The 2024 adaptation had superb Wuxia vibes and was a relatively turbo-charged version of the saga as a whole. While there were some clear issues, it was nevertheless a highly entertaining watch. What made this adaptation special for me, however, is Ci Sha and his portrayal of Guo Jing. The 2024 version has my favourite Guo Jing and JingRong to date, and I am a fan who love all the Guo Jing and Huang Rong (also JingRong) I have ever watched.
Was this review helpful to you?
