ACTING/CAST: I felt as though I could relate with each and every actor/actress. No matter what role these people had, they were able to convince me that they were in fact, that character. This drama will make you emotional. There will be times where you WANT to flip tables, cry, d'awh, etc.
STORY: I made the mistake of starting this drama while it was airing. The cliff hanges after every episode made me want to rip my hair out, literally. I wanted to know what was next!! GAH! I basically marathoned like the first 8 episodes in one day. OTL Anyway, the storyline will most definitely keep you interested. If you enjoyed Innocent Man with Song Joongki x Moon Chaewon, get ready to fall in love with Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum.
MUSIC: The music was beautiful. I felt like crying at some parts. Sorry, I'm such a softie. Derp. /) ~ (\
REWATCH VALUE: If you need a buddy to cry, punch walls, flip tables with, etc while watching this drama, I'm your girl. Hit me up. It's THAT good. ;D
OVERALL: WATCH IT NOW WOMAN/MAN/WHOEVER YOU ARE. I promise you will NOT regret it. If you hate it, I'll take full responsibility. (okay, maybe not FULL, but srsly go watch it now. :DD)
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"It's not that I've fallen in love again. I've never stopped loving you."
All These Years is a beautiful film about two young people finding the very best version of love and helping each other grow through life's hardships, family's expectations, distance and time.The script is tight, coherent. Beautifully sad and hopeful at the same time. The characters well rounded with very real problems based on actual contemporary issues, such as social classes and expectations based on gender, which makes it even more heartbreaking. You understand the decisions they are making are the best option for each other, even if it means being apart. Still, their love always makes them cheer for the other to become the best version of themselves.
Sun Qian and Zhang Xin Cheng's chemistry in INSANE. Like, DAMN! Not once I didn't believe in their performances or the story they were telling me. They carried the entire film flawlessly. Bravo.
I enjoyed every single minute of this film right up to the end, which left me with a chuckle and the biggest smile.
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No logic to the story but the sweet moments are worth watching
I haven't watched the original Full House so I don't compare this to anything. The story has a lot, I meant, A LOT of flaws in the plot. Things don't add up and illogical. How could Luo Tian Ran act like nothing happened to her BFF who just sold her house? How could the crepe maker easily walk into Tiffany's office without anyone stopping him (Tiffany's office is full of A-Listers!) Anyway, the illogical things are endless and it's painful to watch. The should have checked all the gaps in the stories more carefully.HOWEVER, the series are good in creating sweet moments between LTR and JZY. Zhou Zhou is an amazing actor (#xuweizhou I hope you will read this one day!) with very impeccable micro-expressions. I think he has saved this series from total fail. The OST and the cinematography are also strong. Overall, this is not the best series but Zhou Zhou rescued them!
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This review may contain spoilers
came for the main leads, stayed for the second leads
i just wanna start this off by saying personally ever since the second leads appeared on screen, they singlehandedly carried the drama till the very last ep for me. i was actually quite pumped for the release of miss the dragon cause i really enjoyed dylan's acting in his previous work the rational life, he did great there. just when i was starting to get into him, this drama dropped and literally ruined his whole reputation for me. i feel like his acting has two sides, an ai robot side and the quirkier side, no in-between, i never really understood what his real personality was. in my opinon anyone from the whole cast acted their role better than dylan the main lead like . . . apart from this, i was looking forward to bambi as well, her acting was just okay, though i never bought her character.the storyline was just too rushed, they really expect to shove four lifespans into 36 ep and actually create a powerful story. like no. there was almost no chemistry i could feel from the main leads, no build up. also even though the plot is extremely romance and character focused, i never really understood some sub-plots like the one in the third life, the one about the female leads long lost old friend and that creepy weird enemy dude. what did that have anything to do with the story. but maybe it's cause i skipped it cause i didn't care. music was alright, i enjoyed the frequent sound effects and the opening and ending song is beautiful. cgi is also decent, although why did i feel like the editing team made the dragon look so feminine and not "dragon-like" idk just a personal opinion.
okay now onto the second couple, i could honestly go on and on about their set up and development. i think it's also when compared to the main couple, they are superior in my opinion. their storyline actually makes sense and has a lot of depth especially cause of their love story in the past, forgetting it, then meeting once again. also i can't believe this is deng wei's first role, he really be doing the most. like even though both the male lead and second male have similar personality, he still manages to use these micro expressions to add layers to his character unlike dylan the robot.. i think that deng wei just has a more persuadable cold aura as well. so whenever he does smile (like five times through the show), it just creates more contrast. also i found second female to be quite cute as well, specifically in her scenes with the second male. deng wei has definitely made it as my favorite actor along with second leads being my favorite couple of the month. very much excited for their future projects respectively.
all in all this is just a seemingly high production, but in reality, low production drama (plastic looking sets) if you watch, you just gotta pretend the second leads are the main leads and vise versa. turn off your brain and just enjoy your time at this laughable and almost unreasonable story.
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really cute series
I honestly loved the series it had a good plot and a it was also new unlike anything before. I liked both the couple and the group of friends they had who always supported them. This is a type of series which gives you the heart flutters and always going how cute they are, there are a few twists and turns and at moment your on the edge of your seat as to what is going to happen next. sometimes you may feel that the characters are taking wrong decisions but what is a good story if it doesn't have a few mistakes made by the characters .overall it was a good series highly enjoyable and puts a smile on your face every time.Was this review helpful to you?
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Did i read the same manga that the screenwriter ??
First i'm totally aware what "adapted a writed material" means ! Chnage need to make for the viewers to clearly watch what was written beforehandSo here my title and question : Did the screenwriter had read the same manga as me ? Because except their job, the place and theirs names so many change had make that the story doesn't even respect the essence of the manga
Surely the manga wasn't full of angst and more a slowburning love story but here to create something they think was more attractable for the audience they add dramas : exes, stupids break up, intrusive coworker
At some point they make the exploit to bring down one of the main character to the point he had less screentime and interesing story than the created side character !!!
Because let me be clear here : Sakae ex lover doesn't appear in the manga, not even sure he was mentioned ! Same with Soga ex wife she is only mentioned to explain why Soga is low self-esteem (because she want kid and Soga is sterile)
I really don't understand how you read a manga with likeable character and you make the exploit to write a serie where none of them is likeable anymore ?
I understand the need to adapt sometimes the serie is even better that the book (Not me for example) but sadly not here
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Lovely little drama. Not as good as it could be, but worth a watch.
~PROS~Production:
Colour grading, scene composition, lighting, music, set design are all pretty great. Adds a lot of richness and atmosphere to the drama and each scene. The entire OST is beautiful.
Costumes/Styling:
Main characters have a variety of outfits, and there's different levels of wealth/class level being communicated through the costumes among the cast. In later scenes in the capital some of the fabrics and textures look great, robes look HEAVY and layered. Liu Xue Yi's styling in particular is outstanding in this drama, really works to highlight his best features and he looks true to his character's reputation of being particularly handsome.
Story:
The story has an interesting premise, isn't overly complicated, and focused from start to finish. It's not a literary masterpiece, but nothing meandering or offensive here. Pacing is also generally consistent all the way to the end, doesn't seem super rushed and crammed like some other dramas in recent years.
~CONS~
Fight Scenes:
Choreography of the fights aren't bad, but it feels like the director isn't experienced in filming them. There are instances where you can see the actors moving a bit slow and you become very aware they're going through a planned choreography, which took me out of the scenes sometimes, as someone who likes wuxia dramas.
Ju Jing Yi's acting:
Let me preface this by saying I'm completely unfamiliar with her and her acting prior to this drama and have nothing personal against her, but this section is lengthy because her role is extremely important on multiple levels for this drama. JJY's acting in this drama is just okay/passable for me. She goes through all the motions the script demands of her, and displays all the appropriate emotions, but I think this role is a bit out of her depth. I do not see Yang Cai Wei in her. I'm often aware that it's "JJY acting like Yang Cai Wei" instead of "Yang Cai Wei in the body of Shangguan Zhi". Any resemblance to YCW in her acting are from superficial things (such as saying things YCW would say or displaying YCW's deduction skills), she doesn't have any of YCW's body language or facial expressions, nothing that makes her FEEL like YCW, that this is a character who's carrying a complex past and resulting mental burden. I've had to remind myself many times that this person is supposed to be YCW and not a completely new character. It's no surprise that there are so many jokes about Pan Yue "cheating", because it does feel like that sometimes, especially when the chemistry between post-swap PY and YCW is also very different. The dubbing voice actress remained the same for both versions of YCW throughout the drama but even that didn't help convince me that JJY was actually YCW. She's not a deal breaker, but her lack of ability does drag the drama down compared to if they'd casted an actress with more acting ability. And while I liked seeing the main couple together for plot/ship reasons, on a technical level Liu Xue Yi and Ju Jing Yi's scenes together lacked texture and flow compared to LXY's scenes with some of the other actors (his father, SGZ's brother, original YCW). The gap between their levels of acting ability and commitment is very obvious sometimes, to the point where I have to applaud LXY for doing the extra lifting in some scenes of them together.
~OVERALL~
As a whole, I actually really enjoyed this drama. I've had to suspend my disbelief a little bit when it came to JJY's YCW (remind myself that it's really YCW in the story's universe regardless of what I'm getting from the actress in reality), but I can only do so because I find the drama generally very charming and I wanted to continue and see PY and YCW get together like they deserve. The main couple is very sweet and their affection for each other is steadfast and reliable despite the initial mutual suspicions (understandable). There's a lot of things this production does well, and I admire the team for spending time and effort into things that really matter to make this production feel more expensive than it is. If they make a second season I'll definitely watch it!
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In two timelines: how to find that something less common in life ?
Two timelines run at the same time. In the third episode, when the female lead gets on the bus, the second timeline begins. In the first line the story continues with her in the small town, continuing her interaction with her childhood sweetheart: Yu Jian. In the second timeline, it's Xia Guo who didn't give up on going to Shanghai and now she will have another story with another man in her life, her boss: Xue Yu Ming.The two male protagonists (Yu Jian and Xue Ming) have completely different profiles. But, the one who has the most screen time is Yu Jian (Liu Xue Yi) who crosses both timelines, and will have to make choices in both timelines.
What will be most extraordinary about Xia Guo's choice that we will know at the end of the drama? The choice she makes in each timeline is to get to know that something more extraordinary, less ordinary in life.
________‾_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Observation:
I think the third boyfriend in the story won't be as important in the plot. The two men in her life: Yu Jian and boss Xue Yu Ming. (but there are two stories happening at the same time).The First Xia Guo chooses to stay in the small city and continue her love story with Yu Jian. The other Xia Guo gets on the bus and chooses to go to the big city and gets a great job. And at a certain point she gives up on Yu Jian completely and starts a love story with boss Xue Yu Ming.
What I want to say is: some say that the male lead is Xue Yu Ming. But in reality it's as if there were two male leads (who win the heroine) each in a different timeline. These male leads (Yu Jian and Xue Yiu Ming) are completely different, they are like water and wine. So: whoever prefers the charming boss, says that the male lead is Xue Yu Ming. Those who prefer the naive, honest and loyal male lead, attached to their family and their dreams of starting a family and never giving up on taking care of their parents, those who prefer this profile more (will say: Yu Jian is the male lead).
However: what happens is that the one who has the most screen time is Yu Jian. He crosses both timelines, he will have in both timelines also make diametrically opposite choices.
But in practice: There are two dramas in one drama, with their respective heroes. But they are two distinct genres of drama (forming a single TV show).
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This review may contain spoilers
FRIENDSHIP? WHAT’S THAT?
I wrote a review for Friendzone and this just feels necessary to do. Season 1 dealt with the relationships of 4 couples - each with their own storyline, depth, length of relationship and set of problems.Season 2 deals with the aftermath of the decisions made in the Season 1 finale, and the story continues from there on. Saying that the relationships portrayed are extremely real would be a lie on my part, because honestly I’ve never seen relationships like these. Yes, they are quite realistic on the outlook that people today have on relationships and love, but I have never seen relationships so toxic in my life, including some friendships.
Unlike the first season, where the friendships between the characters was the key reason as to why all the relationships seemed to be so flawed, the second season does not imply this. The only couple where “friendship” seems to be taken into account is the Earth - Sam - Stud and several other men saga. In fact, even simply friendships seem to take a backseat to highlight relationships. Somehow though, the final episode brings us back to what was the basis of the show.
The thing about this season is that it completely changes your beliefs and views after the first season. Earth fan? After season 2, I’m not. Hated Stud? I don’t now. Thought Boom and Tor were toxic? Season 2 showed that there are way more toxic relationships than them. Of course these are my opinions, but I must warn you, opinions are subject to risk when you watch season 2.
Another thing I noticed about the series in this season is how aware people are of their actions. Every single character in this series is entirely aware that what they are doing is just toxic and hurtful, but they do it anyway. They know the consequences and yet soldier ahead. They sleep around, cheat and lie, and behave with no remorse. Every character is extremely manipulative, even if it wasn’t evident at the beginning. They know how to turn a situation around for themselves and they do it! The thing is, if you watched season 1, you know what they went through there, and even if you hated them there, there is serious character growth here. Props to the actors here, they managed to make me hate and love their characters all at the same time.
Ultimately, what this series seems to be is a somewhat realistic and relevant take on relationships today. If you liked season 1, you should absolutely watch this, because if I’m being honest, this was leagues better than season 1. The storylines are more indulgent, the new characters are complex and flawed, the older characters are changed and better. I’ve tried to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but here come a few. So if you want a spoiler free review, I would stop reading right here.
Seriously, stop here if you don’t want spoilers.
Now, spoilers.
Here are all the ships in the final episode, in the order they concluded
1. Boom / Tor - They’re married y’all!
2. Stud / Ta - Yes, Stud and Ta ended up together, and even as a Stud Earth shipper, I couldn’t help but jump ships. Somehow the two of them together just makes sense and honestly they look soooo cute together!
3. Cris / Amm - They ended up together! First actual GL by GMMTV has a happy ending!
4. Earth / Sam - They broke up. It was a decision coming from the first season and it finally happened in the season 2 finale. Hopefully the break up helps them actually grow.
5. Music / Locker - Oh boy this was a great one! The way she rejected him was straight up savage and honestly the guy had it coming. Good for her! (Not actual Good)
6. Good / Boyo - They decided to stay friends and that’s a solid decision. Totally respect and agree with it.
All in all, a genuinely satisfying ending!
Honestly, this is a good show. It’s like an America drama and a telenovela had a baby and that baby carries mild traits of both parents, if you get what I mean. If you love relationship drama, and some instances of romance and friendship, but mostly drama, then this is the show for you. Plus, it’s got a ton of familiar faces if you love Thai dramas. This is one of those dramas you can watch to just turn off your brain after a long day and scream at your TV if you don’t like something. And that’s a good thing.
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made with taste and keeping it real up until the end, we get to see the evolution not of one or two but almost every character and it makes us see the good and bad side of everyone, focusing on the main points of this drama selfishness and image, everyone trying to hide things about themselves is such a real thing, it happens daily and although this type of drama tends to deviate in a pretty unrealistic way this drama excelled at being able to keep it real but still catch the attention of it's viewers.
The production was excellent and the ost was on point everytime, I really enjoyed specially the instrumental parts. Please give this drama an opportunity, it really does deserves it!
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DON'T WATCH THIS IF YOU ARE PRO IN WATCHING SERIES
Unhealthy Relationship, Lack Of Communication. The Comedy Aspect Was Good. I Won't Connect With The Second Half Of The Show. It Was An Ok Drama With A Weird Setup. Both The Male Lead And The Female Lead Were Making A Silly Decision, Which Made Me So Frustrated. My Overall Rating For This Show: 07/10Was this review helpful to you?
I'll get some thing out of the way first: Wilber and Dean are terrible actors. Rainie's voice was cute but irritating. OH THE CLICHES!
BUT
the humor was there and was strong enough to bring me back another time. There was chemistry between the two leads. They were cheesy, albeit fun. I did say the guys were bad at acting, but all you have to do is suspend disbelief (that people could act so fake) and find the heart that's there.
I guess most people just don't see the cuteness and purity of this drama. If I were to rewatch any drama with horrible acting, cliches, and over the top fluffiness, I'd pick this one.
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The inseparable Hei-Bai Fengxi and The Quest for the World
Who rules the world (Wrtw) is a diverse narrative based on the novel "Qie Shi Tian Xia" (且试天下) written by Qing Ling Yue that stays true to it's title. A full politics driven drama that revolves around the power struggle between 6 States and the main Imperial State of Dadong. And I have so much to talk about so forgive me, this is gonna be long…I was super excited for this drama for many reasons… I had high expectations also considering the star studded cast, this plot, the posters and the trailer that was definitely so promising… so that was the only reason why I started watching this right from the first day it aired it's Episode 1.
The strengths/what I liked —
✧ The leads compliment each other so well. (Bai Fengxi and Hei Fengxi)
Bai Fengxi is a strong righteous woman who is hard not to be liked. she is a total foodie so I know where her energy comes from lol. As cute and cheerful she looks while talking, the more clever she is while fighting her enemies with her white cloth or her sword… she loves to live a carefree life, traveling… with Zhao Lusi acting in this role, this turned out to be my favorite character of Wrtw.
Hei Fengxi is a smart elegant man who has got both brains and beauty. He never gives a chance to others to outsmart him… he is kind at heart with an ambition of world peace… what I love about him ~ He trusts Bai Fengxi as wise and capable and as his equal. He helps her often but you will also hear him say "it feels nice to be protected."
✧ the chemistry between the leads. Beyond romance, they have a level of friendship, trust and respect for each other. You can observe that they spend 10 years with each other in the martial arts world because this is the kind of understanding that only comes with time… because their minds are so much in sync and they can read each other through… yet they become childishly jealous and bicker which gets you all smiling and blushing…
✧ Of course, the good looks/visuals of Yang Yang, Zhao lusi and cast helps a lot. I have to admit I was fascinated by how gorgeous Lusi looked in those simple robes and damn! that hairstyle of Yang Yang. Just who came up with his whole Hei Fengxi look. Oh! He looks so good. And I officially declare, I want Yang Yang in more historical dramas.
✧ martial arts. Bai Fengxi does it in quick-witted way while Hei Fengxi prefers looking graceful even at that. I liked how those enemies got kicked down here and there just by blow of air or a slight push.
✧ it's fun to watch opponents respecting each other for being smart and accepting their mistakes with honour.
✧ one of the best supporting female leads till now — Feng Qiwu (acted by Xuan Lu). Two beautiful strong women (Bai Fengxi & Feng Qiwu) appreciating each other and it was one of my favorite scenes when even Hei Fengxi felt like a "third wheel" between them. I just love strong women forming a good bonding.
✧ Acting couldn't have been any better. From fighting, body postures to expressions everything was top-notch. Yang Yang, Zhao lusi, Xuan Lu, Leon Lai, Leo Rui Lin, Zhang Hao Wei, Carman Lee, Zhang Tian Yang and others all did a great job.
✧ Powerful and soulful OSTs. My favorite was the opening theme song ♪Unparalleled♪ (无双) by Liu Yuning and ♪A Dream Come True♪ (梦浮生) by Silence Wang was also great. These two are the kind of songs I will like listening to even after the drama ends.
The weaknesses/what I didn't like —
⚘ The main theme is family + palace politics with some super annoying characters. The plot holes lies somewhere in the politics part only like how everyone is so intelligent yet not even doubting the villain for once… and I like villains with reasons and well built-up around his actions… but they rushed over that… I wish it was explained in a better way.
⚘ the names - Even the two main leads have similar name and looking at the complex court/palace characters, new people keep entering with a new name and even different identities. Even the city names made me go off…
( but I appreciate all those MDL'ers who cleared other's doubts in comments section and even that one discussion page with whole family/relation details )
Nevertheless Wrtw was a great drama, worth my wait for so long as I got to be so excited after a long time, the leads kept me hooked up. No matter how some plot holes affected me, at the end of the day, I still love the leads and will come back to watch Bai-Hei Fengxi and some other characters I loved. I will skip all the palace scenes though…
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Story 9/10 - Because I think it's not a new story and I still did not see the ending I give it a 9. But certainly it is easy to watch for a full hour, well paced and with an awesome message behind it. The japanese like their stable jobs and a little while back it was normal that a company would employ people for their lifetime. But since recessions struck this country hard "restructuring" became a synonym for angst. Kimura playing a homeless guy with a bright personality might give people hope to not give up completely after falling into poverty (people over there tend to do stuff like suicide). It's a story that gives hope through trust and friendship - still an all-time favorite. Throughout the series there is always the same question coming up - do we value what we have? Didn't money, greed and comfort zones destroy our joy in the simple and priceless things of life? You can checkout yourself - how much are you able to handle? When do you surrender to selfishness?
Acting 10/10 - well what should I say? It's Kimutaku. That guy is a natural at comedy. The rest of the cast is just as awesome with Karina (Nikaido) and Nikai Kiichi (Moai) or Fujiki Naohito (president of miracle electronics). Can't find any miscast - all are really great at what they are doing.
Music 9/10 - Who doesn't like the rolling stones? Come on^^ I jumped through my room when that came in the ending. again. and again. Well the rest is not that special (sounds like a pirate movie) but totally solid stuff.
I would watch it again. Really. And Overall - 9/10 - really a great drama.
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