It was good at the beginning, i like how they resolve the mystery. But then focus of the story shifted to something else and makes it too draggy.
Romance doesn't seem to be the main plot, the leads were cute, but they don't have much chemistry.
The misunderstanding between them doesn't dragged for too long. But throughout the drama, they keep lying and pushing each other 'for their own good'. When i thought, 'they finally understand that they need to be honest with each other', they lied and hide again. It's just a tiring circle.
Instead i like the side couple, like xiao chen - ying yu and su zui - princess yu they got better chemistry in my opinion. Prince Ning was also a good character, he comes off as clumsy most times but was smart when needed.
There are some annoying characters, but they didn't bother much.
The acting were okay. I think the problem lies within the script. Don't expect much from the cgi and fighting scenes.
Conclusion; it's not bad, but not good
I do like the comedic part. But overall, it's not my favorite.
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Amazing and Talented Young Cast, but the Storytelling couldn't keep up with them.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75In the early episodes of “Taste”, it reminded me of another K-drama, “Celebrity”. Set in high school, teenager Bambi has always wanted to be popular and famous. But no matter how much makeup she puts on or tries to distinguish herself, nothing is working for her.
This is until she becomes the Princess of Trash, and with this viral fame befriended a group of rich and popular kids. You know the drill, her eyes are really open now into a world she’s not familiar with. She wants to not only stay there but climb to the top.
I binged through the first 4 episodes of “Taste” easily. We are slowly introduced to the dynamics and the background of the teenagers. We also follow the initial steps Bambi took to distinguish herself. You may not agree with her ways, but you can’t deny her courage and persistence in achieving her dreams. However, the second half of the drama falters. It became too melodramatic and lost the initial fun. The pacing also slows down. It’s already a very short drama, yet these 8 episodes feel very long. “Taste” was unable to find the balance in the latter half when it dived into the consequences of actions. The tone shifts understandably as it should be, but the execution is where I have trouble with. Of course, it also could be because I was very tired after work, and I just couldn’t focus more on the serious stories.
I actually like all the characters, though not all are saints. They are grey and interesting. I wish the drama would be longer so that it can develop the relationships and friendships between them better. At times, things seem to move really fast, and at times, it has no development but harps on the same tune. I want to know more about the friendship between Pure and Namkhang instead of just a couple flashbacks. I want to know more about Tokyo and his boyfriend. I want to know more about Bambi and Mhong, similarly I want more than just flashbacks. I want a little more development between Diesel and Dream when they were gaming, since after they met in-person, all things happened too fast. So much is being glossed over with a couple flashbacks here and there.
On the other hand, I think the major strength of this drama is the incredible and talented young actors and actresses. I have to say, I am incredibly impressed. Before watching “Taste”, I think I only recognized Phuwin and Charlette (I might have seen the rest in other roles that I don’t remember). I’ve seen Phuwin in a few dramas before and was very surprised to see that he can really act. I’ve seen Charlette in “Bangkok Blossom” and already knew she could act. But I have to say, she was more amazing in “Bangkok Blossom” due to her character, but she’s good in “Taste” as well. Mabelz as our female lead was amazing. Her big eyes are mesmerizing. I have to say she was a big surprise because as I went through her drama list, this is only her second drama and first main role. Oh and I discovered the cute patootie, Tony Anthony. He’s the sweetest guy in the whole drama, and he’s just so adorable. LOL. The rest of the supporting cast is awesome as well and they are all very charismatic. What a talented cast!
This is not a cheap production. You can see there’s some money poured into the drama with beautiful costumes, hair and makeup, lighting and sets. I guess they make good use of the money they get from all the advertisements. Unfortunately, I was unable to find good English subs for this drama. I watched the second half with very poor AI-translation and that’s not helping when I already was having a hard time enjoying the last few episodes
“Taste” has the potential to be a much better drama especially with such a talented cast. It has the ingredients of very interesting characters but does not have enough time to develop them all. This could easily be a 12 to 14-episode drama with better developed stories and pacing. I am disappointed to not rate this higher because I did have a hard time watching the last few episodes. It’s not a bad drama, but the first few episodes raised my expectations and I was disappointed. I was debating a 7.5 or 8.0 rating for a long time. I am going to settle with 7.75 (rounding up to 8.0) because I like the cast so much.
Completed: 7/18/2025 Review #604
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more like 8.8?
apparently there's a difference between a movie and a film, the 1st one has an obvious plot and development while the other is deeper more symbolic, and this falls in the 2nd category.they don't talk alot and the story is reeaaallly uneventful, but the 1st part and the last part were really well done, I was emotionally invested in the last part and I went through so many emotions!
I started this 90% for my Yoo Teo week and another part for Chun Woo Hee from Be Melo but Jung Jae Kwang stole the show, he was slightly stalkerish and there were alot of unnecessary scenes but over all I really enjoyed it
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I am a sucker for a good meet cute and it was really fun to see these two leads have such electric chemistry from the very beginning. Their chemistry was definitely the strongest part of the show. Moo-hak ended up as a very sweet character that I enjoyed, but it was hard to watch the way he yelled at her so much in the beginning. Da-li on the other hand was so passive that it was very frustrating. The show explains it away as her being just kind of rich and naive, but she seemed to lack any survival or basic life skills altogether, which felt odd when she’s a thirty-something woman who has lived on different continents. The dynamic between the two of them was a little rough towards the beginning when Moo-hak was acting so hostile, but it was enjoyable after he softened a little. At the end of the show he was so obsessed with her and sweet to her, so he did have a good evolution of his character.
A lot of what didn’t work in this show was all of the scheming subplots. Everything to do with the different companies illegal maneuvers was so boring to watch and it really took away from the rest of the show. The plot could have been much stronger if they focused on the romance and Da-li struggling with losing her father and having to grow up, but instead they threw in all of these random real estate crimes, drug trafficking, and other crime plots that made things really convoluted.
The second male lead is probably the worst one I’ve ever seen, he was like a cartoon villain. It was infuriating to watch the scenes he was in. Moo-hak’s family also really seemed like terrible people and it did not feel like they deserved a redemption arc at all. I know Korea has a very different culture, but the adoption plot line was baffling. I have no idea if the way the show made it so scandalous is at all accurate, but it felt way over the top.
The final episode was such a huge letdown that it really bothered me. It felt like the show was trying so hard to pull one over on the audience that it was willing to have a terrible final episode as long as they could do that.
The art museum as a backdrop for the show was a cool idea and some of the installations and exhibits were very visually interesting. Da-li’s dad was also very endearing and it would’ve been great to see more of him, even if just in flashbacks.
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Cafe Midnight Season 3: The Curious Stalker
14 people found this review helpful
Confusing but worth it
This was hella confusing but come on...we all came for Doyoung.This drama gave me a headache even before it aired. I was scurrying around looking for sources to watch it and after the "first episode" aired, it turned out to be the whole drama. (https://youtu.be/gL9dbtDRl2M)
As for the story, I didn't watch the previous seasons because I also couldn't find them. It was confusing at first, but near the end, I got the hang of it. They definitely needed to spend more time on relational development in the story, especially Son Ji Woo and Kang Sun Min.
As for the acting, Doyoung was good considering this is his first acting gig. The female lead's acting was much more natural, considering that this is also one of her first acting gigs alongside "True Beauty" as a minor role. The support characters did their fair share of confusing me, but I don't think I should dissect this too hard because it's only a short.
The best part of this drama is probably the OSTs that we got from Doyoung (https://youtu.be/PyWedT7IVkw, https://youtu.be/gmzSPOx5gmQ) I especially liked 'Night Air.'
Overall, I would only RECCOMEND if you are an nctzen. If not, I don't think this is right for you :(
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I've watched all the ISWAK dramas, and wasn't too impressed with Joe Cheng's acting there, and if I hadn't seen this wouldn't have believed he was as good as he is based on those dramas alone. He is able to convincingly portray the range of emotions that are quite demanding for his character in this drama. He basically carries this drama, I have to say. (And I don't say this because I am a fan of his, because I wasn't based on his ISWAK role, but you'll have to watch a few episodes to understand!)
There is a good dose of romance, enough to make you feel that warm fuzzy feeling. However, I also found there was too much crying for too little reasons in order to tie the characters together. Everyone loves a good emotional tug in a drama, but sometimes you wanted to shout "Stop being such a crybaby over nothing!" to the characters.
As with many dramas, it could have been 16 episodes, but I understand the emphasis was on character development in this drama, and many shorter dramas rush this.
In summary, I would watch this for the great acting job that Joe Cheng did, the oddity of characters, and the different viewpoints that are brought in a romance drama.
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I wonder what everyone loved that I missed?
Things that stay in my mind: Shao Fei's exaggerated facial expressions, Tang Yi's meaningless blank stares, bad environmental shots and absurd plot, cute workplace friends and fatherly chairman who are very enjoyable to watch.When Tang Yi gives a little face, Shao Fei, who falls in love without waiting or thinking, immediately accepts it without doubting or wondering if I am gay. Because if your same sex is close to you, your first thought is to be gay. Because there is no such thing as intimacy, friendship 😩
Our second couple was very nice, but it was cut very short. I loved both characters 😭 I wish they had reduced the scenes of the first couple and increased the scenes of this couple
In general, it is a series that I did not like, I did not feel much passion, I could not connect with the characters. Of course, it's still going, whoever likes it will like it again. If it got such a high vote, I respect it to the end. I wonder what everyone loved that I missed?
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The plot veered off tracks slightly past the halfway point. There's a decided shift in direction so noticeable that I'd thought the writers had changed hands. In truth, apparently internal politics at SETTV coupled with need to meet public demand caused this; either way it seems the writers clearly bit off a little more than they could chew. Character motivations became muddy; one promoted character totally vanished. Plot lines disappeared partway, then reappeared only to be wrapped up unsatisfactorily. Those that were necessary were often shuffled along in favor of trying to fix the problem of choosing the OTP, but even this was somewhat rushed.
What makes this unfortunate is that the main cast is so lovable. Nikki Hsieh has fine chemistry with everyone else in the drama, believably interacting with any character according to their intended relationship. She also does a great job in her dual role, because there are even speech differences between Da Hua and Liang Yan. James Wen is a personal favorite, but he was calling in all of his talent to keep his character from imploding. His Lin Guan Jun was handled poorly by the writers and his actions often made little sense in the final episodes. Wen has a natural charm about him though, so the eye is always drawn to him regardless.
Chris Wu is the favorite for most viewers, because he's such a talent; Terry could have reasonably been as interesting as cardboard. Instead, he's gorgeous, magnetic, compelling, and sympathetic; it's easy to see why he won the hearts of viewers so easily...and he's likely the primary reason many kept tuning in. I can't blame them.
My personal favorite part of Substitute Princess is the music. This is one of the OSTs I will be importing once it's available. Both the intro and outro suit the show unbelievably well, from the tone to lyrics. Each insert song is memorable and used effectively also. A special mention has to go to James Wen, who sang Guan Jun's love theme "Why Bother." Once when it played it got me teary-eyed due to its effective usage; it's such a beautiful song and his voice is quite pleasant.
Sadly, I can't think of any reason to re-watch this drama once you've completed it--unless you want to relive the experience that is Terry. I probably won't be coming back to it any time soon.
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Short, beautiful and well made
The story is simple but deliver some great message and reflection to real world which we ended up thinking about after finishing watching such a short story.I have nothing much to say about the plot except I want everyone to watch it and I really really wish they made this into a series instead of just one hour special because I already loved both Mizuki and Ryosuke.
Here I want to point out what I noticed about the writing choice of making Mizuki a lemon farmer and Ryosuke an elementary teacher. For it, when I first heard the plot it was almost too random and hilarious. Why so oddly specific?
However, after watching it I think I noticed something and how those are important to shape the characters and their story here.
First of all, Ryosuke as a teacher who works with kids, he wanted to make everyone happy even though It’s out of his reach. He didn’t tell his childhood sweetheart He’s gay afraid that it would hurt her feelings and it ended up making her wait endlessly for him. He didn’t tell his fiancé that his family didn’t approve of gay marriage bc his fiancé told him he wants a wedding in front of everyone. He fell into a deep dilemma because he was desperate to make everyone happy. The whole mess started because he was too ambitious to please everyone and it made him selfish and hurt the one he loves instead. For Mizuki being lemon farmer led to the comparison of his relationship to the bitter sour taste of it and yellow color is very aesthetic. Speaking of aesthetic, I hope you also notice how they purposely made Mizuki and ryosuke wear clothes that complement each other color both their casual and wedding suits lol IMO made the movie very pretty and pleasing.
Overall, it’s well thought and I’m glad I watched it.
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Good premise marred by cliche storytelling
Firstly, this show blows the bechdel test out of the waters. There really is nothing more attractive than powerful women, ambitious women, women being straight out "badasses". This was something Samuel L Jackson said often about The Long Kiss Goodnight, that the industry needed to produce more of these "women being badasses" shows because they just rock. Despite this, I could not give this series a high rating.To begin with, I found Do Hee's redemption arc implausible, to say the least. The plot pivots around her "awakening" from having seen an employee "commit suicide" after Do Hee had been hard with her. Really? She's never caused someone's death before in all the years she's worked under psychopathic chaebol matriarch Young Shim? Really?!? Mine eyebrow is duly raised. Secondly, how did Kyung Sook manage to camp herself on conglomerate property for her protest for so many days? That's clearly trespassing. How did she manage to evade security?
Also, the whole series relies on Do Hee's capability in the performance of her duties however, when the employee says that those messages were not txted by her, that should've alerted Do Hee to the need to verify. Something as simple as ringing the phone number on the txt msg, which she does later on, should've been the first point of order, but no. She just brushes the employee's comments aside. She believes the guy's word for it completely without doing any investigation into the veracity of his claims which doesn't come across as competence but extremely incompetent. One doesn't investigate because one distrusts a party's claim but to know the full scope of what to expect, what needs to be protected, and what reprisals would be forthcoming from the victimised party. Queenmaker? Hmmm...
The rest of it are stereotypical "gotcha" games where a male powerbroker's weakness is always connected to his groin (mistress, indiscretion etc) and so he is easily blackmailed that way. As someone who's familiar with legal procedures the rest of the series really devolves into WTFs. While finding out the truth of corruption on the enemy side, it's all easily subverted by them with tearful pretentious displays and mercurial social media moods. However, when the enemy side makes up a "truth" about Kyung Sook and her campaign, we are led to believe that her past allies will just forget about their past friendships and loyalty and public won't ask for an investigation into whether the evidence stacks up or not. For the enemy, there needs to be solid evidence which is easily subverted; for Kyung Sook's team, the enemy side just needs to fart a BS and the whole house of cards crumble to the ground. It is just too implausible. Are the Korean public idiots? The part where her son was charged with a criminal offense was just... what am I seeing here...?!?! I don't know how the Sth Korean justice system works but it's not a given that the minor will go to jail just because the antagonists say so. There are systems in place to ensure a fair trial. I'd like to believe that the prosecution isn't so incompetent as just to be easily bought out. Plus, there are evidentiary requirements too. And I'm making this conclusion from legal kdramas I've seen which shows that Sth Korea's criminal justice system doesn't deviate so much from where I'm at.
Plus the male counterpart strategist was just another WTF buildup to a nothing. Dragging an old senile man and leaving him in an unfamiliar place where he eventually got run over was not strategy. It was criminal. For all the talk about Carl being THE kingmaker, the character was nothing but an amateur and a thug who brought a chainsaw to a surgery that required a delicate scalpel.
There were several, several, nails on the coffin—when Do Hee doesn't even clean up her loose ends well enough to ensure that her father is out of danger, when she doesn't even ensure her own safety, but the crowning one: when there were moles in Kyung Sook's team. It's always the same sh#t—they need money so they're willing to betray their principles. Seriously? Why even bother doing anything if money is the common denominator. It's too cheap and too easy of a plot device to use and, as a psychological motivational tool, too illogical. Kyung Sook has spent time with the protestors. She's put in effort and heart into their fight. She represents their suffering and the overcoming of it. To have us believe that a single parent would go against her own survival, and that of her children's, by doing something so short-term as getting monetary gratification now... these people were screwed over by the very conglomerates offering them bribes now, are we to honestly believe they'd side with them again to stab Kyung Sook in the back? The writers need to research into the various electoral results in the democratic countries that Sth Korea shares governmental constitution with, as well as union members' community spirits. Corruption has not been met well regardless of how much a politician has tried to show a "caring parent" side to them nor do union members forget whom their allies were in their times of fight.
Despite all this, I do look forward to season 2 as it looks like they're pushing for one. It would be interesting to see if the writing would get less cliche and much more in line with the premise of this project.
Would I recommend this? Honestly... I would. If only because I know series like this are rare as a hen's tooth so the first few attempts would be shite to begin with but, as per economies of scale principles, it should improve as more of these types of shows are made. Plus... there is one memorable part in the series where I ended up applauding at the screen. There was a scene where young Dong Joo slams himself against a moving vehicle to stop them. I had never seen such a ridiculous move before—using a flesh and blood body against a hard, metal and iron object. It was memorable for the extremely creative application of physics.
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Acting/Cast: I loved the cast in this drama. From the two main Cyndi and Ken, to the secondary main Pink and XJK, to the parents.. and all the rest of the cast. Cyndi was so pretty, sweet and pure and Ken was just hilarious. I've been really impressed with Ken's acting and am glad he seems to be getting a lot of roles lately. They were perfectly adorable together! I really loved the parents too, they are the best played parent couple I've seen in TW dramas hands down. They were wonderfully perfect. The whole interaction with the whole cast was just amazing.
Music: I've always been a fan of Cyndi's singing. I think she has one of the sweetest voice ever, so it's not a surprise that I loved the opening song.
Rewatch Value: If it wasn't for the length, I would totally watch this again.
Overall: I really loved this drama. I'm not sure why I gave it a 9 only back when I watched it - I would happily give it a 10 now. This is one of the best family dramas that I've seen and having 70 episodes was not a problem at all. I enjoyed every minute of this and if length is not a problem, I would highly recommend this to everyone who loves a simple, cute, romantic, and hilarious drama.
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The movie was a perfectly imperfect mixture of light romance, comedy and heist. Of course, it was not the perfectly detailed thrilling con games like others in serious genre, but it was exciting enough to keep you laughing and anticipating for the next scenes. The actors were the perfect cast, no one else can pull of Tower but Nadech and no one else can own Ina like Baifern did. Bank, Phuak and Kathleeya each shined with their characters, so did Ter who had a special participation. Overall, the plot was simple. It was about a woman who was conned by her ex bf, now seeks revenge with the help of another conman. The main
conflicts lie between trusting another with the probability of getting deceived again at high stakes, overcoming your own sorrows and meeting people who might share the same.
The Con-Heartist was entertaining and fun. Its comedy may vary with people's taste on jokes, but fun nonetheless.
The light romance leaves us wanting for more, but Nadech and Baifern's chemistry was definitely a win. It radiates in all their key scenes. The heist was fit for its romcom genre, still exciting to watch. And lastly, it is heartfelt because of all the life lessons that lies underneath its adventures.
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One of the best dramas that exceeds its expectations with well deserved popularity/ratings!
*️⃣ Ranked at the top for 4 days in a row, stayed on the list of popular high ranking dramas for 47 days and 56 days across all networks, received the top 1 spot as the best military drama on Tencent, and was the most viewed drama on the CCTV-8 channel ranking #1 for 15 consecutive days (basically throughout its entire broadcasting period) and for another 10 consecutive days upon rebroadcast on CCTV-1!!! *️⃣➡️ Check out the photos section for the data statistics
➡️ This link contains more data information on the ratings from various sources: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/465493242
First off, this was a very well executed drama from the beginning to the end with a refreshing theme to watch. Each episode was filled with the right amount of emotions and momentum to keep you engaged/watching without ever feeling bored and it is not one of those very cliched storylines where the leads are just with the looks. Usually military genres do not spark much of an interest but I have to say that this was an exception - even the short trailers alone were enough to be intriguing. There have been so many dramas that are popular these days just because the leads are (for which the story itself is not exceptionally outstanding) and I can’t stress this enough because most people tend to choose what dramas to watch based on their biases rather than the actual plot, BUT it should not just be that way! This undermines other good dramas with good actors that also deserve recognition but fall short in popularity which is unfair. I noticed however that of those popular dramas, the overarching image for a handful of them appears to be that certain actors/actresses are typecasted where they play similar roles over various dramas following the same romcom storyline in different variations, and that essentially impedes acting improvement and establishes a digression of interest in a drama overtime as it lacks something new/fresh.
A truly successful drama is one that incorporates good acting along with a good storyline (with popularity being a minor boost) and a good actor/actress are those who are versatile and can deliver definitive emotions within their characters. This drama touched on all those points and although our leads, Gao Wei Guang and Hu Bing Qing are not among the more popular actors, their acting skills are noteworthy in this drama with their roles serving as a breakthrough image. They have displayed their diversified acting skills throughout their different drama roles and this is probably the best one. Gao Wei Guang as Qin Guan really exhibited the characteristics of what a captain should be. He is strict as needed but caring and funny on the inside which we see throughout his interactions with everyone on the team. It is as if the role was designed for him since you can hardly picture any other actor who could take on that role in the same way. On the other hand, Hu Bing Qing as Ning Meng also did really well in exemplifying the characteristics of a strong, smart, cheerful, and lovable female soldier who was unknowingly facing PTSD at the same time. She would always help others whether they were close or not because they were a team and proves herself worthy from time to time. I have to say that Hu Bing Qing is able to convey emotions in her character really well. In the beginning, her PTSD was made evident with various hints but it was pushed aside and was never actually addressed until she was hit with it in a similar scenario during a mission. You can see and feel her pain and desperation throughout those episodes that were solely focusing on her mental state 😢.
Analysis of the PTSD scenario
The sudden explosion was the main trigger to NM’s memories of the bus incident, leading her to recall visions of her brother. As she tried to come back to her senses to kill the lady that was trying to escape, she couldn’t control her emotions and her brother’s vision came back which was why it became in place of the terrorist, causing her to be caught up in an emotional whelm and unable to shoot, thus almost costing her and the captain’s life. That moment led her to start associating a terrorist with her brother. Therefore, every time she faces a terrorist (both disguised and real), she has those hallucinations and is afraid to shoot.
The PTSD issue had to be addressed at some point in the drama and they decided to make NM face it directly. Even though forcing her to face it head on was not the proper thing to do, it can be understood why the captain kept pushing her during the stimulated training setup as he was in desperation to help her overcome that barrier. The way they resolved her PTSD does not fully serve as a breakthrough from it entirely but the general idea was that she is able to get past it during a critical moment and it was brave enough for them to expand on this topic. This goes to show that no matter how capable you are, mental health always comes first, otherwise you end up losing to yourself. Her psychological problems should have been addressed early on for the best outcome but they wanted to focus on her persistence in becoming a part of the blue lightning team for her character development, or else it would have interfered with her eligibility.
Central Ideas/Themes
I liked how they placed the emphasis mainly centered on females because it is a unique sight given that it’s a military genre where in many cases would occasionally be male centered (as seen in a prior military drama: Ace Troops as well as in the upcoming Glory of Special Forces). Those plots normally focus on the male's growth as a soldier and although there are some female characters, their roles do not contribute much/directly on the battlefield but this was the first to challenge that with female soldiers. We got to see both male and female soldiers together on the front line and grow together in the process. This is primarily why the drama stood out and makes the better plot. It was introduced right from the start about the needs for recruiting female soldiers into an elite team and even though the reason they gave for the recruitment was not the best, the point was made clear that female soldiers are just as important as male soldiers and it breaks the stereotypical view that women are weak and establishes equality. Through their persistence together we see them grow stronger both physically and mentally overtime. There were many instances that effectively showed how females were just as capable as the males or even smarter. During the male/female barehand battle training, the females were able to win through using tactical skills despite the fact that they were not as strong as the males in terms of strength and the same results during the devil’s week team battle when the special forces team thought they could easily defeat the female soldiers. The main terrorists throughout the drama were also females (the one that got away in the very beginning and the main boss behind everything) and it all essentially shows that thinking wisely is the key to winning and strength is not all.
Training/Action
There were many training scenes particularly in the first half and that is because the main purpose of the drama was to give more insight about the life of soldiers and honor them for their hard work. For the most part, soldiers just train regularly to improve their strength/skills to fight in war and the drama does a very good job with its realistic portrayal by providing various rigorous training scenes throughout. Although training took up most of the episodes, it was interesting to watch with the different tasks they had to go through (devils week) that tested different aspects of their abilities.
Each of the major terrorist battles involved different situations and techniques carried out under different settings for their mission which was very interesting to see. The desert scenario in particular was the most impressive where the team had to take into consideration the dry/dangerous climate conditions and also move through the dark to stop the terrorist team in action.
All the actors/actresses received some training under real soldiers prior to adapting their roles in regards to learning about the proper etiquettes of a soldier and all the action scenes (fighting, training courses, explosions) were done on the scene by themselves without the use of any substitutes - you can see the hard work they all put in during the behind the scene footages where they were injured a few times and were pulling through in the cold weather/water. Those action scenes were all done nicely and my heart was beating fast for the team during the terrorist battles near the end as things were getting much more intense. That one final battle where everyone were all ready to risk their lives for the safety of the people was very heart-wrenching and brave as we see them mentally prepare for the worse and go through the bloodshed, reminding us that soldiers are very honorable for what they do. We don't ever actually see/know what is happening during a war in exchange for peace/safety and this was effectively represented as the foreign president arrived at his destination. He was never aware that a forceful fight was happening behind the scenes upon his "safe" trip and the phrase "Let the living live a better life" primarily defines this disparity.
*️⃣ Based on one of the director's interview, certain scenes/scenarios in the drama were adapted based on real events that had happened previously.
Teamwork
The display of teamwork/team spirit was phenomenal. From purely competitors trying to join the team to becoming very close brothers and sisters that cannot bear to separate in the end. It was really nice to see that everyone was needed in order to make the team complete. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and they were all able to use them to the team’s advantage by helping at certain moments. When they were met with difficulties, they were always there for each other/together and encouraged each other which is what a team should be: going through ups and downs together. During devil’s week their companionship was very touching, giving up their only supply of food for others or for something else they felt was more important. It was the first time they genuinely became a true team and no longer just thinks with “I” but in terms of “we”. All of their backstories were just as important and very emotional.
I loved how Ning Meng was able to befriend everyone slowly and change their views of each other, especially Yang Shu, since she was hard to get close with mainly due to that fact that she was always so full of herself and looks down on others.
Qu Bo’s addition to the team later on was honestly a pretty nice touch to the storyline too. We got to see a different side of his character through a reflection of his true inner thoughts on the relationship with Lin Yi as it made him view things differently. He came to see/understand that working hard is the key that goes hand in hand with the responsibilities of a soldier’s duty and the spirit that makes up a truly good team. Thus, he sees blue lightning team in a different perspective and wants to join/help them succeed with their mission.
*️⃣ Interesting notice: The upside down curl up competition with Zheng Zhong from the special forces team, mirrors the pull up competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu previously which shows that they like to outright compete to prove themselves in order to solve their problems. This was also seen in the beginning where Ning Meng competed with Xu Dong Dong and Tong Meng Yao in the training obstacle course to get them to apologize to Li Si Si if she won and during another private competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu for the best candidate selection as the team assault leader.
The team slogan “The harder it is, move forward” should be properly translated as “to keep moving forward especially when faced with something more challenging” was a very powerful statement that kept the team’s persistence and motivation going under any circumstances they were in. It constantly reminded them that they can surpass anything with a positive mindset.
Romance
Qin Guan and Ning Meng pretending to be a couple on the final mission definitely made up for the romance we all wanted to see from them. It blended into the storyline perfectly as the focus is primarily mission oriented and was actually the only other way to make them be together that made sense, as opposed to forcing a happy ending that doesn’t quite fit. The part where they received blessings from the foreign president to have a child soon and everyone started making fun of them as they heard it in the hearing device got me good 🤣. It was too funny and shows just how compatible they are together (even in disguise and in the perspective of an outsider)! They are so cute together!
Their formal attires were a plus and looks so good on them. It’s probably because we always see them in their military uniforms so that was an appealing appearance haha.
It was also evident that they like each other through their interactions near the end (last battle and hospital scene) and everyone sensed/knew that 🥰.
Also, not to mention all the little things that the captain did for Ning Meng after giving her a lecture was very funny and sweet:
➡️ Asking Hao Zhe to give her the book she wanted to read while being locked in as punishment in the beginning and beating around the bush to the detachment leader with an excuse to end her punishment
➡️ Getting everyone to find a place to order a cake late at night to arrange a birthday surprise
➡️ Putting in good words to the chief of staff about giving her the chance to join the exchange meeting on the discussion of tactic skills after her constant pestering
➡️ Going back to the training place to find a new flower to give Ning Meng after seeing that the one confiscated was withered badly but denied doing so (it was obvious he went to find a new one since he didn’t take back the flower and also the new jar which Ning Meng caught on fast haha 😂)
~ And of course there was a new meaning to the flower now. It became a memory with the captain (a gift from him) which to her is a stronger motivation than when she found the flower standing alone in the rain to not give up
➡️ Going to the movies with her and accepting her gift after rejecting the first time (he cannot bear to see her heartbroken 🤭)
Love doesn’t have to be shown with physical affection for viewers to know/feel that it is there between the leads and this was done wonderfully in the drama with just words, thoughts, and actions. It was the proper way to incorporate a subtle romance element that fits into the military theme and successfully avoids any unnecessary cringiness that happens in many romance integrated dramas when it’s overdone.
There were also many implied side couples besides Xu Dong Dong & Lin Yi being the most obvious ones:
1. Tong Meng Yao & Guo Xiao Wei with the constant arguing/bickering against each other whenever they meet
2. Li Si Si & Tie Quan when TQ mentions how he wants to lessen the difficulty for LSS when he saw how the girls were training really hard while wearing the heavy sandbags
3. Yang Shu & Qu Bo when they rooted for each other (QB rooted for YS to win the pull up competition against NM while YS rooted for QB to win when he represented the blue lightning team to prove himself capable of carrying on Lin Yi’s position) and also with their interactions in the final mission
4. Zhuang Qian & Jing Ke where it was slightly implied when JK said wanted to go up against ZQ in the male and female barehand competition
*️⃣ The members were paired up most of the time through their lineup (evident during the brick/board training & devil’s week) which I thought was pretty funny.
OST
All the songs fit into the story really well. They are catchy after listening to them throughout the entire drama.
I was particularly surprised about Hu Bing Qing’s voice when I found out that she was the one who sang the ending theme song ("You and Me"). She can really sing and would have no problem becoming a singer as well! The song has a very soothing melody that can fit into any circumstances, happy or sad, which we see it play throughout various scenes in the drama. I am glad all the songs are available on Spotify which is very helpful.
Shortcomings:
1. Certain scenes may be exaggerated but it still brought the intended tension up to point.
2. It can be seen that some scenes were cut in between with the abrupt transitions at some point but the overall flow was fine.
3. The villains were not smarter than they should have been in order to increase the tension that Blue Lightning had to face with them to make the battle more intense. Blue Lightning team basically took down each and every subordinates as they encountered them rather easily until facing the main mastermind behind all of the evil plan.
Final Points:
Don’t hesitate to give this drama a try just because it is a military genre. It starts and wraps up nicely and is very promising. You won’t regret! Eagerly awaiting for a season 2! The casts were all amazing and worked really hard for the production of the drama! ❤️❤️❤️
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Proof that (university) romcom’s can still workk!
Every time I think I’ve had enough of the university romance series, Thailand proves me wrong. Since Khemjira, Domundi have really stepped up their game!Coming into this series, I was fully expecting to be underwhelmed and was just using it to placate my boredom. However, only one episode in, I realised that this show was not that.
THE STORY:
Although the plot on paper sounds so uninspired, I love that Duang and Qinn’s personalities match their behaviour, which I believe is one of the most important aspects of series like these, with pretty simple, character-focused stories.
Plainly the plot is ‘guy sees a cute guy, flits with him, and they get together’. However, the way it’s presented on screen is so enjoyable and genuine. Dang is a passionate and genuine lover who is flirting with a guy he truly likes. I also love that we see Duang’s feeling develop from initial attraction to genuine love. Similarly, Qinn’s character was well written. He takes Duang’s pursuit of him seriously and considers important factors that may determine their compatibility. This makes all the different stages of the series so enjoyable as you see a clear plot and character development.
I also love the balance between cute funny scenes, and more serious and mature moments.
ACTING/CAST:
The casting of this series for the main couple was perfection. I don’t remember the last time I watched a similar relationship dynamic to the one in DWY, but all I know is that it’s now my favourite. The actors portrayed their character so well, that I have been enamoured by the series since I started it. i loved how they showed a significant level of emotional maturity whilst still maintaining the energy of young university students.
Rewatch value: I would rewatch this show 100x over due to its simplicity and sweetness.
Warning: TeeTeePor occupied my attention so much that I honestly paid no attention to the other couples and have not much idea what was going on there, so I won’t necessarily be addressing them.
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