The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
17 people found this review helpful
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.
This highly anticipated movie has all the elements of a huge fantasy, suspense thriller hit: an unlikely bromance between a demon sympathizer and a demon hater; a powerful demon hiding in plain sight; a murder mystery and above all; a desperate conspiracy arising from an intense, obsessive love that risks all for a dream of eternity. It is beyond doubt a visual extravaganza that leaves viewers in no doubt of Guo Jingming's cinematic virtuosity. Unfortunately the production tries too hard to impress with technical pyrotechnics at the expense of good storytelling. As a result, the glowing magic circles and time portals that are allegedly knocked off from Marvel's Doctor Strange are over-used and characters are gratuitously transported to odd places; all unnecessary digressions for a ~2 hour movie.Despite the lavish images and sensationally choreographed action scenes that culminates in an apocalyptic clash with a demon serpent, the plot is flimsy and the characters are unevenly developed. This is a pity because this is hardly the first adaption of the popular novel Onmyoji; I have to believe the story has more substance and the characters are better fleshed out than what was served up in this version. The evolution of the relationship between Qingming and Boya from distrust, even antagonistic to lasting spiritual bond could have been more convincingly developed with better dialogue. The cursory development of the other main characters, stiff performances and stilted dialogue devoid of clever repartee or banter results in a lack of any tangible rapport and chemistry between the broader cast. This makes it difficult to empathise with most of the characters and what should be a moving, obsessive love story. But it is at least more convincing than the bromance between Boya and Qingming. I believe both Mark Chao and Deng Lun put in a decent effort but the script and storytelling falls too far short, there is only so much the actors can do.
Instead of peeling away the layers of the mystery after an intriguing introduction, most of the plot is just simply and abruptly revealed all at once so that we can get back to more heavy duty action and cinematic fireworks. In the thick of the fray, the story tends to shift to flashbacks, which would be frustrating if I am actually gripped by excitement. But even the climax of the action lacks intensity; there is no impending sense of doom or imminent danger. Boya and Qingming are just standing around chatting casually as if a gigantic demon serpent is not about to end everything. They are so lacking in a sense of urgency they could be discussing the weather forecast - "...cloudy with a chance of meatballs " while sipping beer. I never watched Doctor Strange so I have no view of whether some of it was plagiarised here but I have watched enough Marvel to know that the spirit and ethos of what makes the Marvel fantasy universe so enthralling is markedly not present in this movie. Anything that may or may not have been stolen is definitely in form over substance. All the ingredients for a good story are present but without even knowing the novel, I can already tell that the drama does not capture the essence of the original plot and characters. This sets a low bar for the Chen Kun version that premiers in a few days to beat.
Overall this is a decent watch for the visuals alone. I found many parts of it dull and draggy where it should have and could have really pulled me in. It is best watched in a group, whether virtually or in person. I rate this a 7.0 overall - I actually think its a 6.0 but I threw in 0.5 for the crowd pleaser shots of Deng Lun's cut upper torso (please PM me if you have his personal trainer's number) and another 0.5 points because my kiddie nieces really liked it and they always know better than I.
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I probably won't see it agin but it was very nice to see...
This is a drama worthy of it's name showing the fear and struggle with the questions:Will I see you again, did I see you again, do I actually want to see you again... Will the Yellow umbrella insure that I see you again...
As most of the characters are very lovable and fun to watch there are those that truly do make you wonder if you want to see them, on screen off screen in the past or in the present... The one character that is annoying na oddly/poorly written is probably the villain, which is kind of a drag and does drag down the score of this otherwise pretty good drama.
Hu Yi Tians performance here was lovely, even though he has a lot of lines he does seem to keep his mysterious cold side giving me a lot of gif material of him drinking coffee, drinking liquor, drinking boba,,, with a lollipop in his mouth, smiling...
The female lead is also pretty decent fun, a bit naive at times but no too naive, creative, bubbly... a person that can stand on her own even if she is poor. Showing us a drama where the writers both seem to have met a woman or two and actually seem to like them... All very lovely indeed.
The side characters (except for one of the villains), do their part well, they show great friendship (but not the annoying type) are a first for the eye, and though some scenes do come off as a bit stupid they do seem to make up for it as it goes a long... That said I do think they could have cut this one down to 24 episodes if they tried, as some parts just felt meeh or unnecessary, that said I do think they did a pretty decent job showing fear, toxic obsession, the difference between love and obsession, the difference between healthy fear and complete panic in fear of loosing some one as well as how that fear can paralyse a person... Not always fun to watch but well shown.
There is also some kind of boy that cried wold feel to it, as they do seem to put the audience to the test of how many times can a person disappear, the other panic and then show up again before the audience gives up and wished the male lead gone... (sorry).
There were several times where I wonder how the *** are they going to wrap this up, and without giving away anything I am willing to say they actually did a decent job with the last episodes, giving us an ending that almost makes sense... As much as a love story between a dude in the 30s and 2018 can make sense,
Also the umbrellas, clothes and cinematography in this was off the charts gorgeous... a bit to much slow mo... but oh so pretty
Deffientely a drama that was fun to watch, not a masterpiece and far from perfect but gif friendly and a joy for the eye...
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This Season Makes You Choose Which Sides Are You
This season makes your heart flutter and makes you disappointed because the main characters have good chemistry that make you annoyed if they are broken up for their reasons. Admit it or not the leading man has a good portrayal I expect that I hate him because of his character but I can't forget him.Every episode makes you choose which sides are you because each episode has its own story.
I wish more cells shows for the leading man and other supporting characters, but the title says a lot hahahaha
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I loved the casting for this drama. I've seen quite a few of Lee Min Jung's dramas/films and I've previously watched Han Chae Ah, Gong Hyung Jin and Kim Jung Nan's dramas, so I was excited to see a cast I was well familiar with. And I absolutely loved Shin Ha Kyun's acting.. He may not have been your basic eye-candy, but with skills like that you can't complain. And his character did turn out to be one of those characters you just fall in love with because they are the way they are. When it comes to the certain character's traits, I wasn't a fan of Han Chae Ah's character. Not because she was an obstacle in the main couple's relationship, but because of how the writers wrote her out to be. This is just my opinion, but I found her character to be quite pathetic and petty at times, excluding some of her comedic relief in the drama, but I think the writers could have gone a slightly different route with her character instead of making her out to act like basically a jealous teenager who couldn't get the man she loved. But I will admit, her character did change quite a bit even helping the lead's relationship towards the end, so in the end all was well.
The OST was pretty good as well. Cute and upbeat songs that you might possibly find yourself singing along to over time. Overall I recommend this drama if you're searching for a cute and bubbly rom-com to watch. Don't let the politics matter psych you out.. I guarantee you'll see this drama's value as you watch more episodes!
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Do not miss this if you enjoy this type of drama: Friends, Family, Career, Romance
This drama is so so so so so bingeable. The whole cast is perfect, the acting, the storyline. I adore Tamia Liu since Nirvana in Fire, and she really does not disappoint here. Strong female lead as usual. I usually watch period pieces but gave it a shot because of Tamia Liu. From the beginning, I could not wait to see the next one. It shows the prejudice in the workplace, the pressures of society, the depths of depression, and how each struggle to survive in their life. I find it highly inspirational and hope more and more people watch this gem. It is an adult drama, not the high school love type (which I enjoy as well) but as an adult in the workplace, and those of my friends who are new mothers, it is highly relatable, sometimes infuriating, and always interesting.Was this review helpful to you?
The story starts during the world war 2, in a small island in Japan far away from all the war, the only thing they know about war is that some of the young men on the island get chosen to serve in the army, and the little propaganda speeches they hear on the radio, the story moves on quick to when Japan was defeated in 1945.
The movie is about how the lives change after the defeat and how many things change from the point of view of war heroes who became war criminals after the lose, the students (10 year old) who lost their parents during the war, and the scary rumors about the Americans that was spread between the students.
The students and island people start moving on and adapting to good changes and go through life by sharing their love to a team sport newly introduced to them (baseball)
All these changes were perfectly narrated in this 2 hour long beauty.
Emi takei plays the role of the elementary teacher,
Movie quotes
"When dad died a gracious death in battlefield, he turned into a toothbrush"
"If you don't come back alive I'll be left hopeless"
http://kissasian.com/Drama/Setouchi-Shonen-Yakyu-dan/Full?id=30487
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At first, I wasn’t too eager to watch this drama: an older woman-younger guy kind of stories weren’t exactly my favourite, the main actors were complete strangers for me and the number of people on MDL who saw this drama wasn’t too encouraging also. But then, after few days of fruitlessly searching for a good drama to watch I became a bit desperate and thought “ whatever, if it sucks as much as I think it does, I’ll drop it”. And I watched episode one.
...
Then, after two days, I woke up from a trance and realised I’ve watched it all. And absolutely loved it! Main actors, the chemistry between them, the script, the humour, the older ahjussi with mysterious something on his butt, her meddling mother and his aggressive sister, being shockingly open (as for Korean standards of course) about sexuality... I loved everything. The only thing that stopped me from giving this drama a full 10 was the ending, which seemed a bit rushed and kind of out of place.
So what I try to tell you in this review is this: seriously, go watch it, it’s too hilarious and sweet and touching and awesome and... I could go on like this for ages! The point is, you won’t be disappointed. That’s all.
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For mature audience (not in a sexy way)
PSA: One thing that I really appreciate on MDL is that little thing called "tags". It helps you know what you're getting into before deciding to watch a show. Sometimes, I feel they are misused (I had a little rant about it already actually). But most often, they are used the right way. For example, for this drama, you can clearly see "extramarital affair" as a tag, this will help you know if this is catered to you or not. Take me for example, I wouldn't watch a drama with the tag "heavy torture", then give it a 1star and complain about all that torture in the show. Why? Because that would be immature, and irrational.This show is about real people, living real situations. It's not a romcom, it's a drama, as in, heavy themes being employed here. It's really well acted, produced and written. I found the story absolutely compelling. All the characters were very 3D, and their motives made all the sense in the world. This type of story is very common place actually, even though it remains a taboo topic (illegitimate children being raised in the household). I am not a cinema buff, but even I was able to appreciate the cinematography. I also never really pay attention to the music, and this time around I was hearing it and appreciating it (the use of happy music in very bittersweet moments for example).
What I mostly care about in dramas are the acting and the story. I already gave my opinion on the story, very good.
As for the acting, all the actors did a really good job, especially the two leads. I've known Tanaka Kei from Ossan's Love, let me tell you, this guy can act. You will see a completely different character, deeper, darker and also more restrained. But Matsumoto Wakana (FL) definitely gave him a run for his money, she is great in this.
IN SUMMARY: Watch this if (1) you are a grown up who wants to see grown ups going through grown up things, (2) you know fiction is supposed to make us think of situations that may or may not have happened, so that we can walk a mile in someone else's shoes, (3) you're just a cheating cheater who cheats ;D
PS: there are worse things someone can do to their spouse than cheating. Like raping them for example. Just sayin'
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Absolutely beautiful and astonishing with being unique!
Having a storyline without any plot holes, mesmerizing cinematography and CGI, great acting, and almost perfect execution with the most suitable soundtracks and OSTs. 'Rattan' nailed in every aspect giving me pleasure and a smile on my face... till the last minute of the show. Surely made a place among my most favorite once. Being a fan of fantasy and mystery finding such drama is the best thing for me.Story:
Revolves around Si Teng who is from Yi Tribe, in other words, an alien, and Qin Fang who's helping her first unwillingly but not for much time as gradually he starts to know her and also like her. Here's a perfect combination of mystery and romance genre without overlapping each other but side by side complementing each other is another strong point of the drama. Well, it's a female-centered plot so it mainly focuses on Si Teng's story and her journey. The unexpected twists and surprises are the best thing, we can definitely say it's so unpredictable without any typical cliches and overused troops in it.
Characters:
Si Teng being the center of attention, her character is one of the best FLs I've ever encountered. Strong, intelligent, elegant, stunning but still upright and kind (Though she doesn't like to admit it) her character is the soul of the show. Being badass her cuteness and sometimes adorable actions never fail to put a smile on our faces. Qin Fang aww he is just so sweet and adorable, his willingness to help and do anything for Si Teng to any extent is just amazing. They both compliment each other and make a perfect pair for sure! Another character I would like to mention is definitely Yan Fu Rui he is really a show stealer at many points, in the mystery and romance genre he is the one who makes it to comedy too! being super cute he has definitely nailed it.
Cinematography:
One of the most beautiful cinematography I've ever seen, with a mesmerizing scenario, stunning greenery the cinematography becomes the most astonishing aspect of the show, it surely is a feast for the eyes to see such beautiful locations and set.
Other things I would like to point are...
Music and OSTs at the perfect scene and enhancing the beauty of it with it.
The costumes being most beautiful and elegant surely beautifying everything with it.
I would really love to appreciate the child actress who played the role of Si Teng... the role was made for her.
Though ending not be in everyone's like still for me it was the most suitable and perfect ending.
Last not least Wafang didn't get much screentime after the first few episodes but he was such a cutie.
So overall I loved it, and hats of for being so consistently good from the starting to the end.
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No matter what “they called”, bromance or what so ever, but the love story amongst of those two (Yi You and Yi Ling) were very clear especially when their eyes met. 👀
Sometimes we don't really have to label a series as a BL from kissing scenes let alone sex scenes, but with very good storytelling it can satisfy some viewers like I did.
Translate to Indonesian:
Meskipun cerita yang sedikit kurang masuk akal, namun chemistry antar dua karakter utama yang dibangun secara perlahan sejak episode pertama membuahkan hasil maksimal hingga akhir.
Mau mereka sebut ini hanya sekedar bromance, tapi kisah cinta keduanya sudah amat jelas terlihat dari kedua mata You and Liang saat bertemu.
Terkadang kita tidak harus mencap sebagai BL series dari adegan ciuman apalagi sex, dengan pengisahan yang sangat baik sudah dapat memuaskan penonton seperti saya.
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This is not for those who are intimidated-shy with well-done nude love scenes and these actors did a very convincing job in all aspects - not too many and not too explicit, remember this is about making babies & lusty love for this triangle. This movie reminded me of a chess piece roles... Pawn helps/loved King; King loves Pawn; Pawn services Queen; King alone & in love; Queen loves Pawn; Pawn is always sacrificed. Would I watch again? Probably not, too many more to discover.
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1Underutilized everything, but the chemistry.
I’m just kind of underwhelmed by everything I witnessed - the last episode just made me crave for me. Why center your plot around such an interesting concept to barely use it? What’s the point?Starting from the good - the chemistry between Pond and Peterpan was amazing. Fireworks on screen, literally and metaphorically. The tension was there, the desire, love, fear and hope. I did believe every emotion that was presented in the context of their relationship. Especially from Thada. Yes, I do believe Armin loved Thada, but Thada LOVED Armin - all caps. The devotion this man presents. I am sorry, but he deserves better than Armin - I said it and I’ll stand by it. Both actors delivered amazing performances though.
Then we have the true MVP, easily my favorite character Veynai. What a comedic timing this man had. There was not one bad scene of him. He often delivered just one or two lines, but they were so on point we did not need more. Also, shoutout to Janine who was the best pro manager ever. I wish they actually did more than vague hints that maybe one day there might be something between them. What an unstoppable duo they would be.
From the good I’d also give props to music and aesthetics. So many songs were such bangers, and even if the night sky at times gave me AI generated vibes, the drama was still visually stunning.
Onto the bad - everything else.
The plot was so mid it’s actually sad. At least they could have made it ridiculously entertaining. The villain was both tragically cartoonish, and painfully boring. The whole mystery was non-existing, we know from the start who is behind everything and it’s just frustrating for the leads to do NOTHING to eliminate the issue from the start. The “reincarnation/waking up in old body” aspect is barely used too. This could have brought so much more angst and tension, but instead we had like “I’m old” jokes every 2 episodes. And then there is the whole issue of the last “accident” which I rant about in the comment under spoiler. That thing though, almost broke my brain, I was so frustrated.
Overall, yes for the chemistry, no for the plot.
Side note, around half way through the drama I was chatting with a friend how whenever someone says Tada, I always repeat after them with the ‘ta-da” intonation and I’ve sent this gif: https://media.tenor.com/8pLlGDVzPRYAAAAM/muppet-family-christmas-muppets.gif and then… till the end of the show I had that muppet in my brain whenever someone said ML’s name.
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This review may contain spoilers
Slow paced, but in a good way
Let me just start this off by saying I do not entirely enjoy watching thrillers. I tend to find them a bit boring at times with just how slow they can move along and end up dropping them halfway through. When it came to this series on the other hand, it was slow at the beginning but once I got over episode 3, I feel like the episodes flew by.When it comes to the story... just wow was it messed up. I was shocked by just how dark and twisted it was going to be, not something I anticipated when I put it on my to watch list. This is definitely a series that I can say I have never seen anything like it before and I would not say I was unhappy with anything that happened throughout this short series, but the pacing is just so slow during the first half that it felt as if it was dragging along.
Favorite character of the series has to go to Choi Sungjun who is played by Park Heesoon. Seeing the dynamic that he has with Park Sangmin and their issues grow throughout the show to see how it also ends. I especially love how they show Sangmin telling Sungjun to go visit his son and the last scene of the series we see is him going to visit his son. Just touches my heart.
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The acting was really well done by everyone especially the crazy Seh Hee/See Hee.
This is one of those movies that makes you think. The end is a WTF just happened. I didn\''t really understand but it was still an interesting movie so I\''d recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Masterpiece People Are Sleeping On
I don’t usually write reviews, but Shadow Love has completely blown me away, and I feel like more people need to know about it. This is easily my favorite drama of 2025, and trust me, I’ve watched a lot.The premise itself is fresh and bold: a superhero story set in ancient China. It feels like a clever answer to Marvel’s global success, but instead of copying, the production makes it uniquely Chinese in both spirit and execution. The world-building is rich, the action is sharp, and the storytelling ties it all together in a way that feels both modern and deeply rooted in tradition.
At 38 episodes you’d expect some drag or rushed arcs, which is a problem in many long Chinese dramas. But not here. The pacing is masterful. Every storyline is given enough space to breathe, and nothing feels confusing or underdeveloped. I never once felt lost, and every subplot tied back beautifully to the main narrative.
And then there is the chemistry. Cheng Lei and Song Yi absolutely light up the screen together. I know some people hesitate to watch because they are hung up on Cheng Lei’s previous roles or Song Yi’s off-screen rumors, but honestly, that is a shame. Their on-screen connection is electric, mature, and natural. They bring out the best in each other. And yes, Cheng Lei has plenty of shirtless scenes sprinkled throughout, which definitely does not hurt (I may have replayed a few too many times.....🥺🥺)
Speaking of Cheng Lei, he was born for action roles. His fight scenes are exhilarating, but what impressed me more was his range. In his previous dramas, he often played cold, domineering types. Here, he is carefree, playful, and charismatic, yet still deadly when needed. His ability to switch between these personas shows just how versatile he really is.
As for Song Yi, this was my first drama with her, and I’m stunned. Some viewers have criticized her use of a bow as her main weapon, calling it impractical, but honestly, her fight choreography is still compelling. What really sets her apart, though, are her emotional performances. Few dramas have ever made me cry the way Shadow Love did, and that is largely thanks to Song Yi’s ability to embody grief and vulnerability with such raw power.
Overall, Shadow Love is a drama that deserves way more attention than it is getting. It is not just another historical fantasy. It is a rare combination of gripping storytelling, stellar performances, and unforgettable chemistry. If you are sleeping on it, you are missing out on what I would confidently call the best drama of the year.
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