A True Unpolished Gem
This review addresses both the original and fan re-edited versions of this drama. As I'm sitting through my second pass of The Legends, I started an account because of how compelled I am to write a review now. If you had gripes with the ending, hear me out. There is more to it than what you might know.The Legends, a.k.a Zhao Yao, is a beautifully touching story about how actions, not your birth status, determine true character. This is most prevalent when comparing Zhao Yao (the female lead) with Luo Ming Xuan (the male antagonist) but it's a recurring trait throughout almost all the characters found in The Legends.
There is no shortage of vast character growth, either. Many of the mains, such as Mo Qing, Zhao Yao, Luo Ming Xuan, Su Ruo, Zhi Yan and Cang Ling go through so much growth/change they are simply not the same people as who they start out as. This is good, because decent stories want you to witness progression. As a viewer, you are on this journey as much as they are and it's rewarding to perceive the slow changes. For other side characters, if they didn't completely change, many still underwent trials that grew them in little ways, such as the vigorous Shi Qi, Pavilion Master, Qin Qian Xian, wandering demon Jiang Wu and even Tower Master Shen Qian.
However, if you thought this drama's biggest strong point was character growth alone, you would be wrong. It's actually the chemistry. Hot dang!
The two leads and eventual lovers Zhao Yao and Mo Qing (Li Chen Lan) played by Bai Lu and Xu Kai pull off such a believable magnetism that it will draw you in, completely. Maybe it's two characters written as such perfect opposites they match like puzzle pieces, or maybe it's the natural and effortless chemistry the actors carry with each-other? Either way, Zhao Yao and Mo Qing are ever-endearing and lovable as heck. Which makes the drama's eventual ending so tragic. The more invested you are, the more that ending is going to hurt.
This brings me to my next point. If you read about or saw the last few episodes yourself then you might think everything concluded all happily. But you might also have been left scratching your head. Here's the deal.
The script was worked on by the same author as the web novel, Jiu Lu Fei Xiang. She originally envisioned a shorter drama, with a happy ending, not unlike the book. When asked for more episodes, she changed a bit of the plot for extension. This is why a lot of the filler, even though it was filler never felt out of place. But this new script was written, directed and acted with the aim for an ambiguously tragic ending instead. Then somewhere near the end the decision was made to switch it back to happy, but so late in production meant it would have to be at the expense of Episode 51-55 (or 56, depending), the climactic episodes, making any sense. These episodes were chopped up and re-arranged out of order to fabricate a "happy" ending. The result was more confusing then satisfying and at worst, now anti-climatic.
What do you do with such a drama? Well I was not willing to let that stand, especially when the episodes contained most of the needed events to uncover the true conclusion, they just needed to be put back in order.
So that is what I did, and after two weeks, I discovered that the original intended ending is far more touching and more beautiful than what actually aired. It turns out the author stated fact. It's indeed, 'ambiguously tragic' but that means it is left up to the audience to interpret the very last scene, and for all 'intensive porpoises" it's actually ambiguously hopeful, we just don't get to witness the aftermath.
I liked what I saw (after editing) a lot better. It was fulfilling and dare I say, a perfect fit for the tone of the drama. This is one of the few times I agree with the direction it planned on taking. I want a happy ending as much as the next shipper but I would never request it at the expense of the climax, nor simple comprehension for that matter.
Now that is out of the way, the whole ending fiasco should be a big indicator as to what this drama suffered from the most. It's the editing. It's actually more of a tragedy then the episode finale. It's such a shame because so much about The Legends knocked it out of the park.
Costumes were elegant and double-meaning. Music was impacting and emphasized key moments. Cinematography; gorgeous! Sets were very unique, especially Wan Lu Sect. As stated earlier, characters are likeable, well written, with plenty of growth and the chemistry between Xu Kai and Bai Lu was just exceptional. Props to the actors who brought them to life because it wouldn't have been this good without their skill.
And yet, oh that editing. Why?
Earlier on you'll notice small oddities, such as audio spikes. Then, each episode starts a pattern of teaser sequences; scenes taken out of the timeline and played before the intro. Most times, you'll never see that scene again so you have watch, even if it's a spoiler but you'll probably won't immediately guess where it fits either. You might also be perceptive of scenes where the night filter was forgotten. Like when Zhao Yao appears during the day despite only having the ability to appear at night. Music will also sometimes overlap and play over transitioning tracks and often fade out clumsily, with episodes themselves ending very awkwardly in the middle of conversations. On top of all that, there is multiple cuts of The Legends and depending on what version you watch, some will even have cut content. Episode 37.....
All in all, the editing could have been handled a lot better. This drama did not deserve it, but if you can forgive it that, then you might walk away having a experienced a truly, albeit unpolished, gem of a Chinese Drama.
I will confess, I loved it more then Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. That might make me lose any credibility as a reviewer but it has to due with the important requirements I look for in every story I read or watch. Those three things being;
-a compelling story
-main characters I care about
-banging hot chemistry between the leading couple
Peach Blossoms is all three for most, but I found I loved the secondary couple of Dong Hua and Feng Jiu more then the main couple of Bai Qian and Ye Hua. That is why The Legends, funnily enough, became a bigger favorite. Though it has caused me a lot of grief to even reach that conclusion. Bai Lu and Xu Kai are a lot of what makes this drama work, and it seems they are some-what newbies to the acting business too. You can look forward to them again in Arsenal Military Academy!
If you are interested in the fan-edit cuts I made to episode 50-55 for The Legends, visit this drama's topic at Soompi forums and go to page 56.
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its a surprise for me too
a few hours ago I was really bored and I had a lot of free hours and lots of cramps so I was like I want something trashy to watch that has no real plot because I'm not in the mood for heavy stuff. so I opened up my regular website and I looked for something that looked and had the name of an unserious drama. so based of my intuition I thought this was the shitiest show ever.7 hours later and I have just finished all episodes released and actually looking forward to the next!
despite the amount of toxicity and controversies in this one starting from cheating to non con sexual activities which was f up the actors excuted it really well. the acting was so good! one of the best especially mark and the chemistry is phenomenal I literally haven't seen that much chemistry before.
the worst thing about this is the controversial events there is a lot of scenes that made me feel guilty for actually liking their chemistry, the scene in the first episode was non consensual. most of their relationship at first was flirting and cheating so I find it weird that vee was so shocked at his gf but never talked about the fact that he cheated on her too.
anyway I actually found the show enjoyable and bingeworthy despite everything and I really really really and I repeat really liked the chemistry. some scenes I just found myself blushing with them because of the phenomenal energy they are emitting.
I'd recommend this if you don't have problem with angst, and controversies and like me you watch everything despite of how f up it is sometimes.
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Simple but adorable.
"About youth" is one of the dramas that after finishing we ask: "Is that all" ? "I want more..."As many other people, when the drama first started being aired , I did not know about its existence. It appeared out of nowhere and maybe not revolutionised but brought something refreshing and calming to the bl drama world. What is great about "About youth" is that despite being simple and light it was manage to captivate important issues such as abusive parent's behaviour and its huge influence on a child. The chemstry between two leads was really natural and charming without many sophisticated romantic kisses, hugs and NC scenes there were lot of fluffy moments which made me blush when I obsereved how they become friends, brothers , lovers and the biggest supporters for each others. When it comes to the other couple I was not really invested in their story since it was quite typical but still adorable. The most fantastic element of this drama is its OST- I fell in love with the music and since I finished watching the drama I cannot stop humming: "I can't forget your face in slow motion.." Masterpiece !! Deffinitelly worth watching if you search for something light. This drama is so simple yet so endearing. I highly recommend :)
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1This review may contain spoilers
Absence of Acceptance 대도시의 사랑법
From the very first scene, you know this show isn't here to play it safe. It hits hard and it tackles the kind of deep topics a lot of people avoid. Go Yeong's story feels painfully real, he is drowning under the expectations of his family, dealing with the constant judgment from society and on top of that struggling with the kind of love that consumes you but might never be enough. And there is also his mom's denial of his sexuality which isn't just a personal issue it's also showing what so many families go through. They love their kids but can't reconcile that love with the traditions they have been brought up to believe. The show doesn't sugarcoat this and it's not here to hand out easy answers. It is messy and uncomfortable, the way it is when you are queer in a world where acceptance is still trying to catch up.And unlike with other shows, Go Yeong's growth isn't that epiphany that comes out of the blue and then suddenly everything just falls in place. It is slow and it is frustrating at times. The pressure of fitting into the mold wanted by society and family does not just disappear and the show keeps the tension alive. It's his story but at the same time it says something many people are feeling right now....the struggle of trying to figure out where you fit when the world is constantly shifting and when who you are is in direct conflict with who everyone expects you to be. And the beauty of it all is in the balance which is great because the show manages to be introspective and deep without tipping into melodrama and there are still these little moments of humor that remind you that even in the darkest times there is still room for joy.
Mi Ae is another key piece of this puzzle. She is proof of how important chosen family is especially in LGBTQ+ narratives. In a country like Korea where traditional family values are so embedded in the culture, acceptance doesn't always come from your biological family. Mi Ae and Go Yeong's relationship is showing that the people who really have your back aren't always the ones you share DNA with, they are the ones who choose to walk alongside you through the mess and the beauty of it all.
I think this show is a gutpunch in the best way possible. Messy love, identity and family are all told so delicately. I also really like how real these characters are: the struggles are real and it doesn't shy away from hard truths with respect to what being queer entails. Heartbreaking at times, hopeful at others and yet another reminder that love in all forms leaves its mark on you, even when the happy ending isn't there. I am STILL not over it!
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Three men, one love.
Kim Nam-gyu : He represents the kind of love that Go Yeong wasn not prepared to face, it was intense, genuine and emotionally demanding. He is everything Go Yeong might have needed but wasn’t ready to reciprocate. Nam-gyu is the "what if" love, the one who could have been a transformative presence in Go Yeong’s life but circumstances, timing and Go Yeong's own hesitations held them back from ever fully realizing that potential. He is the person who stood on the edge of becoming something more, someone who could have brought stability but it never quite happened.
Youngso: He is the love that Go Yeong was finally ready for but the other one wasn’t prepared to meet him at the same place. Unlike the other relationships of his past, with Young-so, Go Yeong had reached a point of emotional maturity where he was willing to invest, to open up and to fully commit. He saw in Young-so the potential for something lasting, something real. But did not get the love he needed in return.
Gyu-ho: His true first love ♡ the one who he genuinely loved and who wholeheartedly loved him in return. There was no pretense in this, Gyu-ho was the love that Go Yeong needed, someone who truly saw him, accepted him and loved him for who he was. I think Yeong found a security that had been missing in his other relationships. It was a love built on understanding and care. He is the one who made him feel safe, seen, and wanted in a way no one else had. He was the anchor Go Yeong needed, the one who grounded him in a world that often felt unstable.
Gyu-ho was that person, the one who embodied everything Go Yeong had been searching for and at last found.
His only Wish.
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On that note, can we just take a moment to appreciate the incredible talent of the actors in this show? they are absolute STARS and they completely brought these characters to life in a way that left me SHOOK! Go Yeong is portrayed so sensible and I am just in awe of how the actor brought all those emotions out. You can literally see the struggles in his eyes, he perfectly shows us the heartache and longing that makes you root for him.
One last thing: as someone who has read the novel, I can confidently say they absolutely nailed it with this adaptation! they managed to keep the essence of the story intact while adding just the right amount of creativity to the characters and their struggles. You can tell the creators really understood the source material and respected the things that make it so impactful.
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highly recommended BL to someone who wants to start BLs
Why I love bad buddyPeople talk about red flags
I have a green flag
His name is pat
He's greener than ever
He's the ocean and the forest
He's the world
He's everyone's ideal
He's my ideal
There you go
I found my ideal type
This show really brings out emotions that I have never really felt
Ohm and Nannon have done such a splendid job. The acting was on point. The music score was on point. This show didn't lack anything. It has become my comfort drama.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA
Each episode brings some kind of nuance that we don't expect. we see rivalry, small fights, brawls and then they go full emotional. Nannon being so expressive with just his eyes was something that drew me in this BL. But then it was ohm that made me stay. he played pat to perfection. He transcends all the toxic male leads nonsense and knows the importance of communication. He just goes on and literally demands a spill of emotions. He's the character I love. This show made me fall in complete love with both of them. Nannon's first BL being the best it could ever be. and I am just so glad that he did it with ohm.
If you still didn't get the gist, GO WATCH NOW
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In a nutshell, a saeguk for kids. Take a Disney film, split it into several episodes, dress the characters in hanboks and you have this drama. It mimics The Moon embracing the Sun - without ever nearing its intriguing plot or romance - in almost every aspect except for the detail of a girl dressed as a man despite the fact that she could never in a trillion years be mistaken for a man. To keep the parallel, we could say this is a fluffy rom-com dressed up as a Saeguk.
The romance is so cheesy I welcomed the politics with a sigh of relief. Everything happens too soon and... too much, depriving my otherwise romantic heart of the needed suspense and, yes, what I consider a must for romance: trepidation. I can't say I am an expert in historical dramas, but the little I know is that almost everything the two main characters do and say here is totally implausible: stroll hand in hand in the palace courts without anyone seeing them? Right. This is just one example out of dozens unlikely - no, impossible - situations. Unlike other reviewers here, I believe the second half of this drama to be a lot better than the first, with at least some plot developments, albeit rushed, at times.
The real saving grace of the show is Park Bo Goum. He clearly is talented and a pleasure to watch. His character is too good to be true, but well played out and multifaceted. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed in Kim Yoo Jung's performance. I know she's very young and has a lot of potential, but she didn't manage to make me feel a thing. By some camera angles, it was clear she wasn't looking at her partner when supposed to do so, and the result was kind of ridiculous. Her character is neither particularly brave, nor very strong or intelligent, so what's left in the end is a super nice crown prince who falls madly in love with a sweet pretty thing because she's a sweet pretty thing. I even came to prefer the appointed crown princess, she was refreshingly spunky.
The music is a collection of pop songs fit for everything and nothing. See above for the age target.
In conclusion, this drama had some real potential, even when the plot twists are predictable, but the final package is fluffy at best. Can be marathoned through for an overdose of lovey-dovey chirping.
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The thing is...this isn't so much of a remake as it is "loosely" based upon the Japanese Liar Game world. With that being said, for viewers who have seen the Jdrama I would advise you to keep that in mind (I was a bit frustrated towards the end). For those of you who haven't don't worry.
Putting this aside however, Liar Game was surprisingly riveting. I was beyond impressed with the three main actors, especially Shin Sung Rok, who plays Do Young the host.
Story: The story was decent. It was straightforward in the beginning, but as time wore on revealed that nothing was quite as simple as we had all thought. I was actually pretty excited about this, the mystery added to the allure of the show and games. I do feel like the ending lacked...a bit of a punch. It was definitely good, but not up to par with how the drama had been in the episodes leading up.
Acting: This was BY FAR the strongest aspect of the drama. Shin Sung Rok was unbelievable in his role as the mysterious host, and our other two main leads were excellent in their own rights. Kim So Eun played her character as believably naive and trusting, which I was beyond grateful for (the Jdrama, as much as I liked it, had me bashing my head sometimes in frustration). Her character development was gradual, but believable, and ended on a great note.
Music: Suspenseful at the right times, and light hearted all the other times. This drama didn't try to have an OST with standout songs (I'm looking at you Almost Paradise), which would have detracted from the story.
Rewatch Value: I'm not one for re-watching dramas, but if I were to this would definitely be at the top of my list!
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JapaneseDrama (over on Tumblr) was raving about this drama a few months ago so I decided to ditch my piles of homework and check it out. I didn't know too much going into it, but i was pleasantly surprised. Actually, I had pretty high expectations, but it was still a cute drama. The story was very very very typical, yet i still found myself on the edge of my seat, anticipating what's to come. The acting and characters are probably what won me over. Our protagonist was perfect! She's relatable, funny (facial expressions on point!) and all too kawaii. The SLS is very very intense in this one as well, and our second female lead was interesting and different. I COULD NOT STAND OUR MALE LEAD THOUGH. He was bland yet somehow super frustrating and confusing. I could go on and on ranting about him but i don't think he's worth the time. Though props on the cinematography.
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The story is really exciting and highly psychological. The chasing for dreams forces the candidates to open their mind reflecting about all their mistakes in life. This is often highly thrilling.
Meanwhile the main story develops and is solved in a fantastic final with a not forseeable conclusion.
Katagiri Jin does a great job because you allways feel that there is something hidden deep inside his character which will hurt everybody.
I am a rock fan so I was really surprised by the opening song which can be categorized as metal which is not typical for dorama is think!
The episodes are round about 20-25 minutes long so you can finish the whole dorama in a short time. This is also an argument for my high rewatching score!
Finally I can only say that it is not fair if you skip this season just watching the second with Sakurai Sho, because it is really good and it creates the base for the continuation.
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Started out entertaining but dumb and ended up just being dumb.
This wasn't anything like the Chinese original version but I was willing to forgive this version because it was so much fun. I liked that there was more humour and that the romance was less of a slow burn and was more sexy, though I missed the little animal drawings.But then in the last few episodes everything went wrong somehow: the writing and acting got so sloppy, it was like the police and the criminals were competing on who's less competent...
This could have been (and was for a while) a nice, lighthearted take. It's a pity that they didn't follow through and let their standard slip.
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THE MOMENT I NEED YOU... When you analyze it, it is hanging. It doesn't have a complete thought... Yes, the creator behind this mini-series can make the phrase into a sensible sentence. HOWEVER, they decided for you to continue the phrase. And when you watch the 4 episodes, you will realize that what they want to say and it can not be put into words because it is a combinitaion of small gestures and events that lead to the ultimate ending.
The very first striking difference in other Thai BL is the setting. It is not the typical school/university. However, those that enjoy the typical setting can enjoy this one too... The looks of the characters are not that old, as if they are newly graduate.
I like how they showed what really happened (flashbacks), one can easily think that they deserve each other. Viciously cunning to achieve what they want. You won't get lost because the flashbacks happened almost immediately after. I could also say that the creator behind this is an evil genius in doing that.
The story is pretty straight forward which is sometimes a breath of fresh air that you will stop thinking and just feel the interaction of the characters. Kinda reminds me of the HIStory series. Fast-paced and every episode will give you different feelings, emotions.
The first 3 episode is a very good build up to the emotion everyone likes to feel. But of course, all relationship go through rough and shaky times. May it be before, in the middle or towards the end, there is always one event that will question our feelings. Their relationship is no exception.
"THE MOMENT I NEED YOU" was shown and delivered to the audience without too much fuzz and it can not get any more raw than that. Didn't concentrate on the drama too much.
"THE MOMENT I NEED YOU", one will think that it is a person, but this mini-series showed it in a different way. The person you thought you need is actually a person in the past but rather another person that make you truly smile when it matters the most. Someone who is patient. Someone who is willing to make sacrifices. Someone who is honest. And little did you know, you became that person you are "needing".
"THE MOMENT I NEED YOU", yes we need a full series for this.
For me, for th title to be complete in thought...
The moment I need you...
... you just came in the perfect time.
ACTING/CAST
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Both Bank and Pon playing Mok and Bay respectively, given that this is their first formal acting is pretty good, actually excellent.
For a moment there I thought Bank missed an acting in Episode 1, the key scene how this story started, but later I found out that it was all deliberate. If stare could kill, Bay would not last long. Reminds of Dean how he looks at Pharm in Until We Meet Again. The laser-focused stare.
You can see that the interaction between Mok and Bay has no awkwardness as if they are acting together for a long time now. Their exchange in delivering lines and or facial expression and body language seems too natural.
Do I see a brigth future for the two main actors? Definitely a very bright future in the entertainment industry.
MUSIC
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The tempo is just right for the kind of relationship that the two is building. Not too slow and not too fast.
The beat is on point as well. Not too dramatic and not too heavy on the percussion.
The song is like pepper and salt to your dish, it heightens the flavor. But for this, it enhances the emotion that you are feeling.
REWATCH VALUE
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Since this is so short and fast, it is always easy to watch it again and again and again. Especially if you are feeling down. Imagine you can be in love in the idea of being in love in under an hour. Would I watch this again? Honestly, not in the near future. But when I'm feeling blue and sad, this is a nice medicine to shoo-away the blues.
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This review may contain spoilers
Light-hearted Romantic Comedy
I love love love love this drama!!! The first half of the series was so hilarious, it often put me in stitches. Then it got a bit more serious in the second half. ****Spoiler**** It was a nice twist when it got revealed that he was the missing Prince. Then the story moved to be more palace like, compared to when it started (it was mostly about the silk business).The chemistry of the main leads are amazing too. Bai Lu is so likable, she never failed at creating perfect chemistry with her onscreen partners. I actually watched this drama straight after I watched Love is Sweet (she's the FL there).
The ending song is so mesmerising. It matches so well with the ML! I'm so in love with him 😍. I first saw Lai Yi as Die Feng in Eternal Love. I watched The Legend of Fuyao merely to watch his story arch (and fast forwarded the rest - the main leads there got stabbed to death every couple of episodes and managed to survive every single time, it was just too much for me LOL). Lai Yi is such an underrated actor. He has this elegant aura, yet he can play evil role so well too (as in The Flame's Daughter).
The second male and female leads are so good that your heart bleeds for them. It's their bad luck to be fated as second leads!
I often drop drama series after watching several episodes if the storyline got a bit silly/ridiculous/draggy, regardless how much I ship the main leads. But Overlord is definitely not one of them. It has been very enjoyable thoroughly.
A light-hearted romantic comedy drama worth watching. It's just the right amount of palace politics, right amount of total episodes (36), and excellent performance by all cast members!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Beast Mode Activated
Picked this up on a whim when the air date was announced as I had seen HYT (ML) in two republican era detective dramas and this was a totally different genre plus a romance so was interested in how he'd do. I'd heard of ZJY before but never seen her in anything and was familiar with some of our supporting cast especially the main antagonist. This was a female-centric drama about going through hardships and evolving. Not to mention ML's ability to go from quiet and kind to beast mode activated.Pros: I have to give the martial arts of ML or GYX main pointers here; it gave this review a title. At 6'2 or 6'3, GYX towered over everyone including emperor psycho aka his own uncle (which baffled me when I saw it in the first episode as I had seen the actor who played big bad twice before and thought he was monster sized but here he looked like a mouse in comparison), so when he deployed his martial arts be it sword or fists, he could destroy a human in seconds. This was also funny to me because his fat guard in the brigade who could carry two people at once and the guard he killed upon assuming his post as commander; both actors played bad guys in TLB (ironically the aunt who was raising the kid of the concubine played the main antagonist in TLB too; reunion!), and they were huge there; yet here they paled in comparison. Props to HYT for doing the stunt work himself. The chemistry of the leads was on point as well; they were just too cute together and great partners in crime. Loved how no matter what—even during breakup—he had her back 100%; even if it meant as stealthy Batman. The story was nice about the FL and how she leads her female family out of disaster after disaster while they evolve from dependency on men to independence as the men are exiled north and just in general because once the men returned, they learned of the new normal very quickly. GYX also led the bureau to a change from barbaric to a brotherhood that was united and supported each other. Was also great that his three guards (my favorite was spider monkey guard though CQ was good too), always protected HZ and her family too however they could. It was like the Hua family and them became a massive family. Called the entire bureau the Spider-Man brigade; their ability to assassinate goons in a midst of a food competition at the restaurant while picking up blood drops took the cake. We're talking Cirque du Soleil meets Special Ops action here.
This drama was not short on comedy be it intentional or not. There was always something that made people laugh at any given point. The comment section here was lively. The OSTs and BGM really fit most scenes especially the beast mode ones. Favorite single character was actually very hard but both leads fit, wish we saw more of the SML as he spent like 30 episodes studying lol. The secondary couple (SY and SH) was adorable, SY stole everyone's heart (and boy is her actress versatile; from a cunning seductress spy in MJTY to a young woman with high functioning autism as it seemed here), Ah Jian, empress dowager (who I wish went to the wedding) as mentioned guards, the eunuch (first kind one I’ve seen in any drama next to a nasty emperor), all aunts and cousins of HZ, the maids and their men, one uncle, grandpa and grandma (grandma's death was the saddest thing of the entire show other than Hua Rong's).
Let's talk about our main antagonist; emperor psycho as I dubbed him. Actor never disappoints; you hated his guts from the first episode to the second he died in the last one. Hell has never had a more deserving candidate from a drama. A narcissistic psychopath that only with death could people be free. Though I loved how HZ finally took him to town in 38 and GYX let himself be heard too, the man himself was the absolute monster and played it very well. Costumes and sets were nice as well.
Cons: I wish the script let the leads emote more as HZ was far too perfect and could get through any turmoil without so much as an eyebrow lift. Only saw her really show negative emotions twice, when she was told by the emperor she couldn't redeem the men through money and she went from catatonic to ballistic in under 2 minutes and when GYX took on the palace guards and got himself severely injured, she was shrieking and crying. Same went for GYX, the actor has a difficulty emoting in general apparently as his are very subtle; but when he's fighting, he's not playing around. But his negative or even positive emoting was rare i.e. breakup scene and when emperor psycho croaked were the only two times he cried, I think I saw him really smile maybe three times in the entire show. He smiled more in their BTS when they did the actual scenes; so wonder why director didn't use those scenes.
I had more issues with the script than the acting; though the breakup scene lacked gravitas especially given it was a nobility arc for a change and not a dumb misunderstanding. It just seemed that many important scenes where angst was required, were never given a pause but just rolled along to the next whatever it was. The spy astronomer and last adult prince were more like plot devices to get to the death of emperor psycho; I forgot who that prince even was as he appeared a total of two times prior. Felt very disjointed from the rest of the show. The last 6 episodes were a sprint to the finish line as for a story that large you needed to pack it in. Especially the very last episode. They really sacrificed quality for quantity here, sadly. Instead of focusing on many smaller characters and story lines, they could have chosen less of those and really fleshed out the leads, second couple, SML, a few others and stuck to a more conducive storyline. What we got at the end, was a dizzying amount of people whose loose ends needed to be tied and it was done in 30 seconds or less for each batch while the leads were forgotten for a bit.
Wish the Jurassic sized CGI dolphins didn't take up the ending of the leads as they were unnecessary and made that scene laughable for the wrong reasons. Continuity and dubbing were also visible issues during the show, the other CGI wasn't that great either though thankfully rarely used and mostly for the background and I wish the music didn’t drown out some of the conversations as well.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. Despite the running around and kinks, it was an enjoyable series and one I would recommend especially if you like female-centric with sweet chemistry types of dramas.
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SO DAMN GOOD
Two hitmen falling in love with informants on them. Messy but so dang beautiful. I lLIVED for joongdunk in this show omg, don't get me wrong FirstKhaotung were incredibly cute too but oof stylefadel really had the IT factor. GREAT plot, AMAZING actors, CRAZY chemistry, I don't know why I didn't hear about this show earlier it had me squealing and glued to my screen. The show has action, comedy, loads of romance (ngl I'm pretty sure we all saw the plot twist coming from a mile away but that said) they managed to make the ending very satisfying too. KUDOS!! Sidenote but oh my god DUNK IN CROP TOPSSSS petition for that man to only ever wear crop tops all his outfits were so slay and he's so hilarious this entire showWas this review helpful to you?
Great Potential But Suffered from Slow Pacing
STORY:My initial excitement for this drama fell by the wayside as the series progressed. Although the writers presented several interesting and unique concepts, they suffered noticeably in execution. As a result, the series became somewhat of a mess that left me wanting more. The pacing was horribly slow, with lots of silence in each episode, creating a very stagnant story line with very little plot development. I don’t mind a bit of silence as a creative decision to set the tone, but if you’re going to do it, then I need both the silence and every bit of dialogue to be important and push the story forward significantly. I didn’t get that with this series. And I know that with tight, skilled writing, a lot can be said in a small period of time, as I’ve seen fantastic dramas with half the number of episodes able to deliver rich, compelling stories (Obsessed, Right or Wrong, Boundary Crossing, Gay Ok Bangkok, etc.). The story here wasn’t terrible, but I just feel that with 12 episodes at their disposal, the brains behind My Dream could have given us a bit more.
Next, although some parts of the fantasy story line were fleshed out (albeit not nearly enough), the main story between Runway and Dream took a back seat to everything else in the drama, which was a bit surprising given the synopsis. In addition, some scenes that seemed important lacked sufficient exploration; there were also scenes introduced that had no apparent purpose other than filler, because they certainly didn’t aid in progression of the story.
The romance grew tedious and a bit tiresome because the characters were just running in circles every time.
Overall, with some tighter writing, this could have been a beautifully complex, multi-dimensional story. As it is, I think the writers got in over their heads and lacked a clear vision and the drama suffered for it.
ACTING/CHARACTERS:
Most of the actors and actresses did well in their roles. The one that just did not do it for me Taro, who plays Tanai. Bless him, he seems sweet, but his acting was incredibly stiff and he couldn’t really deliver expressions very well, which was off-putting as he was a main character. Best, who played Runway (again, another lead), though better, still wasn’t as strong as some of the side characters. But other than those two, I thought the cast did really well in their roles, though conversations at time felt a bit stilted and awkward. I wish they were given better material to work with.
MUSIC:
I overall like the OST. The opening theme especially is beautiful, and it complements the fantasy theme nicely.
RE-WATCH VALUE:
I may re-watch it once, a long way down the road, to see how the story feels when the next episode can be watched without waiting a week. But due to slow pacing and an under-developed plot line, I probably wouldn’t re-watch it more than once.
BOTTOM LINE:
I went into this drama with high expectations but was ultimately let down. It was okay, with some entertaining parts, but definitely not the best drama out there. I’m kind of surprised to hear that SS2 is coming (as of right now anyway), but I’ll probably watch that one as I’ve already committed to the story. For this drama, not sure that I’d recommend it, but if you’re curious about it I’d say give it a try.
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