A drama where just 10 stars are not enough.
Warm sunshine on a winter morning, or a cup of coffee on a rainy day- we all know how comfortable it feels like right? These are the only ways to describe this phenomenal piece of work named Meet Yourself.If I have to name one thing that I would watch every single day of my life without getting bored, it will be this drama. A slow-paced drama that doesn't feel slow but leaves you wanting to watch even more of it- sounds a bit exaggerated? But no, that is exactly what this drama is. 40 episodes that are about 45 minutes long each and I still want to watch about 40 more episodes of these sweet characters just going on with their lives, doing the most mundane things. I'm confident to say that I won't skip a second of it, just like I haven’t while watching the whole drama.
I won't name a favourite character because you know what? Every character shone. From our main leads whom we saw from episode 1-40 to Xie Qiang who was only seen in the last few episodes- everyone absolutely nailed their character. I smiled when they smiled, cried when they cried and laughed when they laughed.
The OST- every single song made me feel so much and was perfectly fit for the moment, the playlist is going to stay saved in my Spotify forever.Whenever "Days" played in the background it became hard for me to concentrate on the drama, it's such a soulful song that makes you think, hope and believe that everything will be fine, just take everyday as it is.And every time I hear "Saddle Of My Heart", it makes me pray and hope for a love like the one described in the song, the love that I felt between XZY and XHD.
This drama made me feel like I was there, I was also a part of the tiny, gorgeous, peaceful village of Yunnan. I iust know that nothing will ever top this drama for me, this will forever be in a league of it’s own. I will be recommending this masterpiece to everyone for the rest of my life.
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall, I have mixed impressions of the drama. Weirdly enough I enjoyed watching it (in terms of entertainment factors), but I will definitely say that this drama had a LOT of issues and weirdness about it, but a few good points to almost balance it out.STORY:
The plot line for this drama was honestly all over the place. I know it was based off of an IP novel, so maybe it made more sense in writing? IDK. I also know that it's supposed to be an "Odyssey" which I guess it really was, it was just such a convoluted path to get there.
The story began easily enough. Rich, young, beautiful daughter of a court official buys an amnesiac boy from a market. Girl also meets a city detective and together they solve crimes around the city with some help. Ok, cool. There's a bit of fantasy involved (obviously), but for the most part, it's relatively logical (for a Chinese drama at least xD)
Fast track to the middle of the drama, the slave boy remembers his true identity, has stolen a precious treasure, and returned to his original homeland. The female lead (IMO) has been getting more and more immature as time passes and is just downright whiney most of the time (I still love Janice Wu though). The second male lead is weirdly one of my favorites at this point in time (he's mature and brave, but still has a bit of a playful personality behind him). The fantasy aspects pick up more, and things start taking a weird turn.
By the end of the drama, we have people turning into dragons, bats, and moths. There's "soul splitting" occurring (Hey, Harry Potter), time travel (multiple times), and magical spells running amok. Relationships are fully formed by this point, and just overall there's honestly a lot going on that you somewhat get lost in the mix.
The romance is super slow burning, which isn't a problem (there are still a lot of cute moments that happen throughout), BUT my biggest issues are how they played out the various romances.
*** SPOILER *****
*** SPOILER ****
The writers spend basically the first half of the drama with Yuan'an having a crush on Lan Zhi, (which honestly I kind of preferred because he was matured and balanced out her somewhat stubborn and child like tendencies). And at the same time, she showed that she cared for Mu Le, but wasn't really in love with him (even though other people just kept saying it to her as the writers way of making people care about Yuan' an and Mu Le's relationship). They keep this going for more than halfway through the story, up until the point that Lan Zhi is no longer an option. So basically this way, whether it's true or not, it feels like Yuan'an is only going to end up with Mu Le because she couldn't have Lan Zhi anymore. Not because she actually chose him.
And to make matters worse, it's not until after Mu Le remembers who he really is that Yuan'an and him get together (so now she not only chooses him because she doesn't have another option, but she only realizes her feelings when he's not her slave boy anymore. Cool.)
Obviously this isn't how the writers want their relationship to be portrayed - probably aiming more for a "she didn't realize until he wasn't her slave boy anymore that she was in love with him and loved him no matter what his real identity was." But honestly, I personally feel like it backfired for them because it undermined her credibility for falling for him.
Also I really disliked Ming Hui as a character for the fact that she spent the majority of the drama being an adversary to the characters and never REALLY redeemed herself (to anyone but Lan Zhi), but gets to have a happy ending by the end. Bleh.
Overall, the story made sense (I guess), but it just wasn't well paced and fluid like I would hope. You're taking your audience on this epic journey, so making things make sense and fit together is a big part of that.
ACTING:
Overall I think the actors were all pretty good.
Janice is very good at the cutesy and stubborn personality types, though there were a lot of times I couldn't take her seriously when she got angry and what not. (I do think it was refreshing that her character was so blunt and somewhat sarcastic. It's not super common in Chinese dramas).
Zheng Ye Cheng - very believable as the loyal and loving Mu Le. Had a very innocent charm to him. As Ah Ying, (and it might have been his age playing into it for me) but I certain times couldn't take him seriously as a powerful prince. But he was very good IMO.
Zhang Yu Jian - it might have been more of his character (kind of my type lol), but I honestly really liked him as an actor. As I mentioned, he was a very matured character with a strong sense of justice and loyalty, but he had his moments of being romantic and also being playful/flirty which balanced him out well. I personally think he was the most well rounded of characters because you saw his strengths and faults more clearly and ZYJ did a good job portraying those different parts.
OVERALL:
Again, I didn't severely dislike this drama. I honestly think it was relatively captivating and fun to watch, BUT there were just a lot of plot issues and character problems that I wasn't a fan of, hence my lower score. It seemed to be a fairly popular drama while it aired, which I can see why, but looking at it overall, there were too many core problems I had with it for me to give it a higher score.
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A must-have for makjang-lovers. A roller coaster of evil where you end up feeling for the worst, too
"Five Fingers" is a must-have for all those who love "makjang". A roller coaster of evil... and it doesn't stop. The spectators are allowed to tear their hair, wriggle, turn, annoy themselves to the bitter end... It's about the piano, too - some battles take place while playing, being around and doing business with the grand piano.This is about family and South Korean family values/virtues in particular. Submission to the value system is declined as a virtue in all its fatality. In the interweaving of events, the viewer inevitably faces the question again and again: is it virtue or stupidity, virtue or impertinence, virtue or arrogance?
The series dates from 2012 and makes a cunning attempt to challenge viewers to confront the value system. The rebellious thoughts inevitably arise in the minds of the viewers, because the well-meaning decisions that the protagonists make over and over again drive the values surrounding family (love) to the absurd and trigger suffering one after the other.
The ambivalence inherent in this is exploited perfectly. The actors do their part.
With 30 episodes there may be a tendency to flee in between, but I don't know anyone who didn't stick it out to the end. The ending may not be the classic happy ending, but it may be the true happy ending: the wheel of fortune comes to a standstill. Peace.
At first glance, the greed for money and power seems to be the driving force behind all evil. But actually it is the greed for love and recognition. The wheel of fate and suffering has already been turned on long before the protagonists - the two half-brothers In-ha and Jin-ho - compete against each other. To a certain extent they live out the unresolved conflicts of their parents. If you want to ask who is to blame for everything, then the root goes back a long way. The father pulls the strings out of the grave and it goes even further. A nice psychological study. Especially since you can't help but feel sympathy for everyone, even the worst troublemakers.
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If I were to describe this story, I'd say, imagine tossing a stone into a pond. This drama is about the ripples extending outwards from the stone; but not only are we looking at these ripples, we are also prompted to ask ourselves why the stone was tossed in the first place. It's of interest to note that the title is translated literally as, "The Distance Between Us and Evil," which really says a lot, because a major theme in this series is examining the distance between labels: good/evil, victim/perpetrator. In the end, the story serves as a wakeup call for society, a reminder that we all tread between the lines.
I would recommend this to those who prefer serious, heavy dramas that bring important topics to the table and enjoy character studies. This is produced by HBO Asia, so those with HBO subscriptions may be able to access it; if not, hopefully subtitles surface soon.
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Beautiful Fantasy Romcom -A tale entangled with music, love and fate ❣️
**May contain spoilers*"The Theme is unique, Sets and Costumes are beautiful, Plot is smooth and Acting skills are excellent. Each character has his/her own connotations and thoughts and storyline.
The highlight for me is the music and the musical performances 👌❤️
I already enjoy Chinese music a lot but there is a bonanza of musical instruments that accompany here which is a treat to watch for viewers with musical interest! The actors are so good with the instruments that it gives us a very natural , relaxed feel while we watch them play! All songs are beautiful ❤️
ML, YunMu, Young Master and the only Son and potential heir of the ruler of Dongsheng, pretends to be playful on the surface and keeps a low key but is actually quite resourceful, strong in martial arts and has amazing musical knowledge and is extremely handsome! But he has to put up that act due to an undisclosed secret! Only his closest aide Xiaoqi knows this. Miles Wei with his amazing looks, talents (sings, dances, musical instruments, martial arts!!!) and excellent acting skills fits the bill perfectly! He has sung the song "Acquiescence" which is beautiful. It is just that much more impactful when the actors sing the tracks!
FL, Su RuoFei, is an exceptional talent in music and looks forward to establishing her Green Flash Music Workshop and help talented fellow musicians. She is fated (through the green light/Jade) with the ability to help YunMu with his secret and through some comic situations ends up being his private entertainer! Kiki Xu, plays her character well. She has strong dancing ability and I am so looking forward for the "Highlight Clip" of her "dancing on the drums"! She has sung the OST "Living up to the encounter " which is amazing! She probably knows how to play musical instruments too.
Su Ruoshan, FL's sister, owner of Melody Musical workshop, is power hungry to become the Music Minister and uses every means possible to achieve this! Zhang Yue's acting is very good as the evil sister! This actress is so easy on the Harp that it makes me wonder if she can actually play it irl!
Then there is an Uncle, Yun Shang (His Majesty's brother) who eyes the throne and had schemed against his nephew previously. His love interest is the sister of FL.
SML, Jin Shangyu played by Caesar Wu, is a childhood friend of FL and another musical genius! He is hot and amazing as always! He is the calmer and the sensible one of the lot and he is in love with our FL.
Huang Ying, daughter of SML's teacher, whom he cares for (and doesn't love!) only because her parents die in floods, is pursuing him against all odds! Her character is like an obsessed stalker at the beginning but it develops into a nice kind helpful one in the later episodes!
Will these characters come together and become a couple? How will their characters develop? Will Su RuoFei help YunMu with his secret? Will YunMu become the Royal Advisor and successor to the throne? Who becomes the Music Minister? Will there be a redemption arc for the villains?? The rest of the story seems to be about all this!
It's only 24 episodes and nicely paced. The first 14 episodes are light-hearted and entertaining. There is some angst from episode 14-19 as the FL gets framed! There is a bounce back from 19 onwards with some real musical performance challenges, martial arts, romance and enjoyable friendships!
Considering that it's a low budget production, the sets, costumes, music , cast, visual effects are all great!! Remember this was filmed in 2021 and C drama has evolved since and so have the actors!
Overall it's a well made, light-hearted , thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable drama!!
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A Wonderfully Crafted Love Story
This is a wonderfully crafted love story that takes a unique spin on the time travel genre. I've seen many time travel dramas, but this one is undoubtedly the most intriguing. In this drama, the first time our male lead, Shen Bu Yan, travels back in time and meets our female lead, Lu Yuan, is actually the last time she sees him. He first meets the older Lu Yuan - and each time he time travels, he meets a younger Lu Yuan. So it's like a reverse timeline story which makes it even more depressing imo.It is a low-budget drama, but I think they've used the budget very well. I can tell there's been a lot of care put into this. The cinematography actually looks really good and has some memorable shots.
I have to say, Zhang Ya Qin [Lu Yuan] carried this drama! She absolutely nailed the character. She perfectly showed the different personalities of each Lu Yuan, from a carefree Lu Yuan to an empress. She's also so beautiful I can't- On the other hand, Guo Jia Nan [Shen Bu Yan] honestly delivered a very mid performance imo... He was definitely outshined by Zhang Ya Qin.
Overall, I highly recommend this gem. It's a short one, so it should be very easy to get through. Plus, the story makes you wanna watch the next episode right away lol.
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Visually stunning with a truly poetic story. Insights into the early 16th century art included
"Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" is an excellent KDrama with historically impressive dimensions. The focus here is on the legendary artist Shin Saimdang, whose head is also depicted on the 50,000 won note today. The KDrama pays tribute to the great artist and also pays tribute to her roles as a devoted mother and virtuous, yet uncompromisingly progressive woman. The focus is on a time and space transcending, tragic love story - fictitious... or at least not historically documented. (But why should´t it have happened in this way or another? ... :-)----------------- SIDE NOTE --- Shin Saimdang (1504 -1551) ---
... was a painter, calligrapher and poet who was valued in her time and far beyond. Since her father had no son, he gave her (rather unorthodox for a girl) an education and training in literature, poetry, calligraphy, embroidery and painting. Her works as a painter are characterized by their particularly sensitive view of nature and its subtle, sensitive representation. Today only about 40 paintings in Indian ink and mineral colors can be directly assigned to Saimdang. However, it is suspected that many more works of art have survived, although they are not clearly signed as her works. Shin Saimdang has also gone down in history as the ideal of the good mother. She had five sons and three daughters, some of whom also inherited their mother's talent. One of her sons is the even more famous Neo-Confucian scholar and politician Yul-gok Yi I.
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In addition, as far as the perspective of traditional art is concerned, the special focus of this KDrama is the nature of the world of animals, plants and mountains. Actually, it could be mentioned here, that South Korea is characterized by several mountains and 21 national parks on more than two thirds of the country's surface. This KDrama aesthetically focuses on the spiritually legendary mountain region around the Geumgangsand - The Diamond Mountain. It probably got its name in connection with the Diamond Sutra of Buddhism. It was a center of Korean Buddhism, traces of which can be dated back to the 1st century. At the beginning of the 20th century there were still more than 40 active monasteries in the region. In any case, the mountain world plays in several respects an important role in this gripping historical drama.
Special dynamics arise through the play with intertwining time and space. There are two plots. One is set in 2017, the other in the early 16th century during the Joseon era. One follows a young art historian writing her PhD thesis on artist An Gyeon's work 'Geumgangsando'. The other follows historical Shin Saimdang through the first 3-4 decades of her passionate yet virtuous life. Parallel to the art historian's research and struggle with it, that is at the same time enhanced and endangered by Saimdang´s diary, insights on the artist´s eventful life are revealed. Both storylines are quite exciting in their own way. Particularly charming: people from Saimdang's time-line seem to have reincarnated in Seoul in 2016 and are once more somehow connected to each other... Surprisingly, the fulcrum where the timelines converge is Tuscany in Italy.
This extraordinary and visually stunning KDrama offers a truly poetic, heart-rending story, added with interesting insights into the special aesthetics and sensitivity of contemporary Korean art of the early 16th century, as well as the paper production craftmanship of that time. It is rounded by an atmospheric soundtrack and, last but not least, actors who are as if absorbed in their roles. At last, there is plenty of makjang, too.
Taking everything into account, the story is effortlessly captivating over 28 episodes.
At the end I was left in bewilderment, yet to some extend somehow surprisingly satisfied, too.
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This review may contain spoilers
The reality of broken families and the impact on mental health.
An incredible representation of how a family environment can impact a child’s mental health. Perhaps it was because I could relate so well to this drama that made me love it so much. My first review ever because of this 11/10 show. Warning: long & a lot of spoilers.Main Characters:
It’s without a doubt that each family will go through their own troubles. Let’s talk about Ling Xiao first. The entire time I was just hoping that he truly receives proper therapy and releases his repressed feelings that he’s been harbouring since childhood. Firstly, he had to live through the trauma of seeing his younger sister die. Then he was blamed for it by his mother. (God, seeing how much blame he put on himself for his sister’s death…heartbreaking. You see it in his eyes. And she also throws out all of their photos together… I wonder if he still remembers how his little sister looks like.. ) Then he had to witness his parents go through a terrible relationship following it…. and then HE GETS ABANDONED BY HIS MOTHER.
You would think that’s all he would go through. His heart and emotional stability gets stomped on again when the mother comes back, then is injured and he is expected to take care of her… and then suddenly he is needed again. And then she hates the people who truly gave him the love that he so desperately needed to fill the gap of being abandoned.
Although calling Xian Xian his “heart medicine” demonstrates some unhealthy reliance for someone to “fix him”, putting a lot of pressure on her, anyone can understand that. She was the positive light in his life ever since he met her. Her and Li father gave him so much warmth from the get-go, knowing that his family was broken. She accepted him at all costs, irregardless of his stoic and reserved attitude.
Jian jian and her father’s healthy relationship is truly the backbone of this entire drama. Time after time, you see the dependence on Jian jian from her friends and from her brothers for that love, positivity, and support. Same goes for the father - people go back to that restaurant and that home again and again to feel that love, to feel that care that he so generously gives. These two were the epitome of genuine, healthy, healing from their trauma.
Moving forward to Zi Qiu.. my baby. Oh, my sweet baby. The number of times I cried because of him. You can see that he takes a different approach to his anger - he regularly releases it, does things impulsively, and voices when he’s in pain. Tbh, I appreciated this a bit more.. I just wanted to hold him tight and close whenever I witnessed his breakdown. I knew from the beginning that his mother would never just leave without a proper reason.. and when the truth was revealed. Wow. Damn. I just wish she knew that her son would have forgiven her. How could he blame her? What could she have done? She did the right thing back then, but I wish Zi Qiu had known the truth. I believe that Zi Qiu would have a healthy recovery and that he would truly live life to the fullest again.
I also had a huge liking for the side characters, especially Jian jian’s besties. Ming Yue’s mother is that “tiger mom” that all us asians know of. The need to control her daughter’s life, “for her benefit” - man, we’d be dead drunk if we took a shot every time we heard “wei ta hao!”. Although they ended up with a warmer relationship at the end, I still don’t know if Ming Yue’s mother learned from the divorce and saw how much she put Ming Yue through. I think the releasing of the fishies in the trapped little tank had something to do with Ming Yue’s freedom though.
Tang Can’s mother was a bit like that too, but not so bad I would say. I liked that the primary focus for this character was her genuine, hardworking, and relentless desire to pursue her dream. She knew exactly what she wanted for herself, and struggled for so long to convince her mother (and all her friends) that this was what she was always meant to do. What she needed was that push. That trust and belief in her dream - and I am so glad that Zhuang Bei discovered how her eyes simply lit up as she talked about acting, and took that extra step to help her fulfill her dream. Incredible. I was rooting for her like crazy and was SO sad when she took up that museum job :(.
Another one I truly felt for was Little Orange. Xiao cheng zi, gah. She’s definitely lived through some brutal trauma... having her father die and then witnessing her mother’s crippling mental health, constant suicide attempts, and seeing how badly she treated her older brother. I genuinely hope she finds her way back to this loving bunch, and lives off their love. I could tell that she really enjoyed her time with them, and that she found a sense of security. I can also tell that she built a genuine relationship with Ling Xiao, despite all of the hurt that he was going through. During their time in Singapore and the reality of their mother’s situation… they needed one another.
I am so thankful for Li Ba. Tbh, Ling Ba was aight - I felt that there could have been more appearances of him in this drama or that he showed a bit more warmth. He always seem to appear ‘from work’. Towards the end he definitely showed more care towards Ling Xiao, but I think he just didn’t believe in himself as a father. Cue the self-deprecating comparisons to Li Ba and how he just isn’t the best father to talk to. Well… if you say it so candidly like that, then you simply won’t be the best father to talk to. I wish the conversation that they had in the last episode was like that for all of their previous conversations. But, I guess it shows how much character development Ling Ba went through and his epiphanies of how much damage the relationship he had with Ling Xiao’s mother caused Ling Xiao.
OK real talk though wow Chen Ting was so messed. She needed serious help. Her manipulation tactics were seriously on point. Threatening suicide and constantly flipping into victim mentality to get her son to stay. Yes, it is evident that she was suicidal and had little hope for life. But it’s one thing to get help and ask for support.. but it’s a whole different story if you are using it to blackmail someone to stay. Her loss of her child and her husband - she really did blame herself. But she took it out on others. I wish that she could have forgiven herself. I’m so glad that her final attempt didn’t go through. I know that she will eventually be okay.
Oh my. The amount of tears I shed in this drama. The chemistry between the characters, the love in these families, wow. I kinda was hoping for a wedding, but I guess the little family portrait was good too. Perfectly wrapped up.
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Definitely recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
The smoothest series, watchable- not bad but not exactly amazing.First a quick recap. The cutest motorcycle driver (Mork) was dumped by his girlfriend for being poor. The (probably rich) doctor (Tawan) was heartbroken by a cheating lover. Together, they formed a friendship, and becasue the doctor, who brings his own protection(i mean the helmet), keeps riding the cute guy, I mean getting his services, I mean as a driver (SPOILER ALERT) they fell in love. And lived happily ever after. The end.
But seriously, who wouldnt fall for those dimples. Those sweet smile can make one wet and flood the dryest of the Saharan desert. The real question is why it took Tawan approximately 9 episodes to finally admit his feelings for Mork, still puzzles me.
There are so many things to love about the series. First, its a breath of fresh air that the series is not school or university themed, because god knows we have way too much of that already. Second, the main couple, their chemistry is not exactly electric but its hard to hate them. Did i mention how cute Fluke is? Everytime i think the show is too boring, this guy hooks me back in. Third, i love Mork's uncles specially since it is rare to see long-term same sex couple in a series. Fourth, the motorcycle ride in episode 7, when Tawan fell asleep behind Mork is BL gold.
On the other hand, these are some of the things they could have improved. First, Mork's friends were ok, but the riot act during the festival was totally unbelievable and could have been played better. Next, the second couple Toy and Boss. I loved seeing Yoon but Best could use some acting workshop, i just cant believe their chemistry. Third, I also hate to say this but Nadia and Mayom couple didnt make much impact, if only they gave them better arc. Fourth, and i dont know why, has something to do with the pacing, sometimes, it can feel a little too boring.
So, in overall, would i recommend? Yes, like i said, the dimples alone deserves the screen time. Would i rewatch? Hard to tell, but maybe not anytime soon.
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1WHY IS THIS SHOW SO CUTE I CAN’T BREATHE!!!
Duang With You is literally my emotional support chaos. It’s so stupidly CUTE and unhinged in the best way that I’ll be sitting there giggling like an idiot one second and hiding my face in a blanket the next because WHY are they like this. The embarrassing moments hit so hard I physically curl up, but somehow that just makes it even funnier and even sweeter. It’s the kind of show that grabs your bad mood, shakes it around, and yeets it out the window.If you’re ever feeling low, bored, or just need something that feels like a sugar rush to the brain, watch it. It’s silly, it’s soft, it’s chaotic, and it absolutely works as a mood‑reset button. I SOOO recommend you to watch this!!!!! IT'S SOOOO GOOD!!! EEEKK!!
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Enemies at the Beginning, Lovers at the End.
I started Lie to Love on a whim. It basically went like this, “Ooh, Cheng Xiao and Luo Yunxi? Cool, I’ll watch.” I wasn’t looking for much, I admit I went into this drama for the visuals. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I’m going to get this out of the way, if you’re looking for Cdramas similar to A Love So Beautiful or My Little Happiness, don’t dilly-dally here because Lie to Love isn’t your best option for Next Fluffy Cdrama Rom-Com. BUT of course, the audience is provided with plenty of sweet scenes that makes you yearn for more.The story begins with an amazing scene of ‘bad-ass’ Su Xieyi (Cheng Xiao) on some under-cover mission…and she has amnesia? The drama isn’t as tropey as it seems to be in the beginning. It does have amnesia, the concept of Enemies to Lovers, but instead, the flower blooms into a drama full of secrets and investigation, with a huge shocking moment that either makes you want to hate the story or feel even more compelled. In my case, these twists and turns caught my attention, and like the characters in the drama, I was always on my toes for the next scenes and episodes. Again, side characters do pose some problems in the leads getting their Happily Ever After, however, the difficulty is more directed towards power struggle rather than the leads losing their trust towards one another. Like many dramas, Lie to Love is like a story in a fantasy world, the details in this drama are not going to happen in real life. This is what makes the plot intriguing. The investigation aspect is the bright cherry on top of an ice cream scoop.
Acting/Cast - 9.0
The actors’ eyes say everything, they paint love, worry, desperation, shock. This was especially evident in Luo Yunxi. Li Zeliang (ML) could be standing on the concrete sidewalk, and you would still be able to see the emotion pouring from his eyes. As for the character himself, he has his setbacks, but he proved himself worthy of standing amongst the top leaders of the hotel business industry. His moves weren’t unpredictable, but rather deserving of applause. Luo Yunxi brought a new aura into any room or scene he was in. Besides his refined looks and dazzling smile, his confident and intelligent image enhanced his character.
On the other hand, while Cheng Xiao can still be a newbie in the drama industry, she had been improving endlessly. As opposed to her character in the popular drama Falling Into Your Smile, Su Xieyi (FL) carries a stronger air of dominance. She, unfortunately, wove some disappointment into my intrigued soul, however, this feeling was quickly wiped away. The small loss in her Strong FL spark was replenished as Su Xieyi made her solid decisions. This was more of a small bump in the plot roller coaster rather than Cheng Xiao’s acting, which she did wonderfully in fulfilling. Su Xieyi isn’t a very complex character, however, the audience received a mixture of determination and care from her.
Luo Yunxi and Cheng Xiao’s pairing was satisfying. Their chemistry was not ‘The Bomb’, however, it was powerful but also cute. (The eye candy as well!) The sweet scenes were especially fun to watch, as Zeliang and Xieyi is such a lovable couple. Of course, I think it’s safe to say that a big portion of the audience was demanding more fluffy sides to the story.
With only a few important side characters, it was fun watching character progressions, whether it be the playful musician Oscar or the talented and poised Shi Chuchu. As much as side characters are often disregarded under the spotlight of the main leads, these supporting characters play a major role in the progression of the plot. Of course, some of their actions were in the wrong, but these were the steps to achieving a rolling plot. In the end, I was more than satisfied with many of the characters’ endings, especially with those who ‘grew up’, who became better people than before.
Music - 9.0
It’s not rare to see me vibing to fun and cute Cdrama songs, and even more so with the addition of Lie to Love’s OST. Nothing much to say about the soundtrack besides the fact that I love it. Another surprise? Luo Yunxi sings a song! (It’s beautiful.)
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Overall, Lie to Love was a fun and enthralling watch with a blend of both sweet romance and captivating mystery. Characters had secretive pasts and unspeakable confessions, however, they were all given the endings they deserved. Production was high-budget, which was clearly evident in costumes and props. Lie to Love was a breath of fresh air among the cutesy rom-coms that I’ve watched.
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From Belittled Concubine's Daughter to Respected Marquis's Wife
As a historical Cdrama lover, The Sword and the Brocade was certainly a delightful watch, giving an insight and story that is both informational and enjoyable. Set in the Ming Dynasty, viewers follow the journey of Luo Shiyi Niang, as she gains respect from the people around her as she rises from a concubine's daughter to the wife of a powerful marquis. As a 45 episode drama with 45 minutes per episode, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the drama, especially the progression and improvement of many characters' personalities.This is definitely not a low-budget drama, with colorful and intricate clothing, realistic Ming dynasty props, and nice sets. Shiyi Niang's clothing showed off her sunshiney personality and simplicity, showing off pastel colors of many shades to viewers. And rather than clothing that looked too royal and fancy, Shiyi Niang's clothing fit her personality perfectly.
Story-8.5:
If you enjoyed The Story of Minglan, you will most likely love this drama as well. The drama doesn't have a very spectacular plotline, but rather shows how the many characters in the drama changed as they experienced more of life, and the very inspirational outcomes from various circumstances.
Born in the rather influential Luo family, Luo Shiyi Niang (Luo= last name, Shiyi= 11, Niang= character given to all Luo girls) is not given upmost care from the family, with the exception of her concubine-ranked mother. In ancient China, children born of the main wife were considered the legitimate children, while concubine-born children were illegitimate. As a young girl, Shiyi Niang only experienced true familial love from her mother, who later dies in a tragic and mysterious way. Determined to find the murderer and avenge her mother, Shiyi Niang can only marry Xu Lingyi, the powerful marquis of the Xu manor, who was the husband of her eldest sister, Yuan Niang, before she died.
Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi's marriage is a perfect example of a normal marriage in ancient China, where parents would decide the spouse of their children. This couple started out without any love at all, but through various circumstances, romance started to bloom. The drama explores love from family, lovers and friends, as well as life in ancient China.
It should also be noted that a harem of a few concubines and children was perfectly normal in ancient China. Some viewers may be uncomfortable with this significant detail, but this picture of an influential official's harem frames ancient Chinese polygamy quite well. (I'm not implying that this is acceptable now, just that it was normal in ancient China, and we can also learn some history from it.)
My story rating dropped from a 9.5 to an eventual 8.5 after a few parts of the drama. Some parts were rather unnecessary, while other parts would have been much better off with more explanation (especially the ending, which felt very rushed). I have to admit that I started to get bored at times, but fortunately, the plot managed to keep the drama rolling.
Acting/Cast-9.0:
First, please allow me to say that the main reason I gave this drama such a high rating overall (9.0) is being of the character development. The Sword and the Brocade has one of the best character developments I have seen in dramas. Shiyi Niang is such an influential and motivational figure. Although she is concubine-born, she managed to win over the hearts of the entire Xu family, who were all cold and distant to her at first. Adding on to this trait, she also displays kindness and care towards her family, friends and anyone in need, and is willing to sacrifice if necessary. She is definitely not the whiny female lead, or a woman in ancient China who has to depend on her powerful husband to live well. She starts a, we'll call it an embroidery educational system, and she is quite good at teaching the young girls embroidery, being amazing at embroidery herself. (which is an essential talent for women in ancient China) As always, Tan Songyun slayed her role, perfectly pulling off this headstrong but caring female lead, who used her wits and kindness to gain the affection of her husband and respect of her new family members.
Wallace Chung did not disappoint as well. He kept the image of a powerful and intelligent marquis throughout the drama, one traumatized by the death of a few of his family members when he was quite young. This event also changed him to the cold man seen in the beginning of the drama, who only cared about filial-piety and protecting the nation. After Shiyi Niang's arrival, though, his change was clear and evident. He began displaying signs of affection towards not only her, but other family members as well. He began to understand the hardships of others, and also the importance of family (which, Shiyi Niang saw importance in as well).
There is a rather significant age gap between both the actors (Actress Tan Songyun and actor Zhong Hanliang) and the main leads in the drama, the gaps being 16 years and most likely 10 years respectively. I have noticed a disturbance in viewers after this discovery, but this gap did not bother me from enjoying the drama at all. Seven Tan and Wallace Chung had acceptable chemistry. Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi are a cute couple. Not so-cute-I-could-look-at-them-at-day cute, but they were a nice couple. There were a few intimate scenes, which were conducted fairly well.
Some of the other characters who won me over were Shiyi Niang's sisters, her Fifth Sister-in-Law, Hu Po, and so many others. Almost of all of the characters had amazing character development (excluding the antagonists, of course). It was normal for sisters to fight over the most trivial things, as the atmosphere in families were highly competitive, but Shiyi Niang stayed back, while her other concubine-born sisters gained more of the main wife's favor. One of her sisters was most deserving of my scorn, but I took the hate back as the drama started to near the end. Most of these actors and actresses did a wonderful job playing the roles of people living in ancient China, managing to make everyone's stories and goals realistic but also pretty relatable. The antagonists were fine, wanting to gain from greed and influence from others.
How did Shiyi Niang even manage to gain the respect of so many people and also establish such successful and stable relationships? These results can be attributed to a tiny bit of luck, but mostly her high EQ and patience that helped her in the long run. Even Xu Lingyi's mother, who disliked her greatly at first, eventually took to her as her own daughter. Shiyi Niang's personality is one that all of us can learn and benefit from.
Music-8.0:
The Sword and Brocade does not have a very memorable soundtrack, but it had nice songs nonetheless. I especially enjoyed he song sung by Seven Tan. Who knew that she has such a sweet and gentle voice! Fortunately though, my ears did not receive any complaints of the bgm or OSTs not matching with what was going on eith the drama, making the music a nice add-in.
Overall-8.5:
Overall, a great drama, and a great perception of Ming Dynasty life as well! Not only was the story intriguing, but the character developments are so rare and motivational, showing us how patience and kindness will pay off in the end. Greed will get us nowhere, and the antagonists got what they deserved in the end. From a girl who no one took much importance in to an influential wife of a powerful marquis, Shiyi Niang managed to achieve many things she never thought she would achieve, as well as help many people in the nation.
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