This review may contain spoilers
How To Turn A Crime Into A Romance...Badly
Watching the trailer for this drama, I got serious KinnPorsche vibes which, despite its own issues, I mostly enjoyed. What I imagined was a slightly dark, gritty, adult drama. What I got was a hot mess and not in a good way. Dark yes, but, again, not in a good way, actually very problematic. Not gritty and not adult, but your typical college BL with typical first world problems, an overpacked plot and very little substance. In short, a disappointment.Let's start with the premise. Everything I read basically said that our two male leads get drunk and have a wild romantic night together. Yeah, not what happened. Yai gets jealous that Mangkorn is evidently vying for the affections of the same woman as him and more successfully at that, and decides to drug and rape him while video taping the whole thing in order to ruin him. Its a truly messed up and sadistic plan. The only hitch is that his bodyguard uses the wrong drug, I'm guessing some kind of aphrodisiac instead of the sedative that was intended, and drugs both drinks so they end up having sex on tape. Mangkorn takes the memory card and proceeds to use it to threaten Yai several times. And somehow, after all this, after making it quite clear how much they dislike each other, in an incredibly, unrealistically short amount of time, they've fallen madly in love. I understand shorter dramas make it necessary to speed things up, but this is borderline absurd. And this whole mess is portrayed as being hot and sexy when its in fact dangerous and criminal. Neither guy comes off looking good here, they're both morally corrupt characters, but Yai is definitely the worst and his behaviour and what he tried to do is really never addressed.
But then there's more. Mangkorn, a fifth year architect student, has apparently been in love with Yai since their first year. Besides the fact that absolutely nothing he does or says gives any inkling that he has romantic feelings for Yai prior to their drugged intercourse, he honestly treats him with derision and contempt for the most part, this is the man who is seen routinely hooking up with and casually flirting with women. So maybe he's bisexual? Both men actually since they're both seen with women. That would have been refreshing. But no, it's never addressed, and they both just suddenly stop being attracted to women apparently which goes into the whole "only gay for you trope" which is problematic in and of itself.
And speaking of women, they seriously did them dirty in this drama. I was so excited watching the trailer that it looked like there was going to be a lesbian couple. I'd never seen that before in a BL so I thought that was going to be a really nice addition. Nope, they screwed that up too. You could barely call them a couple. They didn't act like a couple and they didn't really give off that vibe. It seemed like production just didn't know what to do with them and they ended up coming off just as good friends. I'm not blaming the actresses, I actually thought they did pretty well with the scraps they had to work with. Another issue was the way Yai and Mangkorn, though primarily Mangkorn, treated women like sexual objects, hooking up in back alleys, and showing little respect. That coupled with the way some of the men talked definitely bordered on predatory. Like come on, you have to know that a large part of your audience is women, can you not treat the women in your story with some level of respect? Women in BL dramas are generally underutilized but Thai dramas are the ones that typically go the extra mile of downright disrespect and misogyny, this being one of the worst I've watched recently.
The character development overall felt pretty minimal. Yes, there was some, but when you have characters talking about how much they've changed when they really haven't changed that much, its eye rolling. I know 8 episodes is short, but I was hoping for more. I'm also going to throw in here that the attempts at comedy, mostly with the bodyguards just really fell flat. There were one or two moments that were moderately funny, but I was mostly wondering how two such idiots could possibly be considered bodyguards. If there was ever a legitimate threat on Yai's life, he'd be dead in two seconds flat.
The problems the lead couple faced were equally eye rolling. I mean, talk about first world problems. Okay, not so much the arranged marriage, but even that was blown massively out of proportion. I get being nervous talking to your parents, but seriously, the fact that neither of them had the guts to talk to their dads was a little ridiculous and then it turned out to be no big deal. And maybe because the whole "I have to go abroad" trope is used so frequently, I just really didn't have much sympathy for their separation. It seemed like they made a much bigger deal of it than was necessary. Planes are a thing, Yai's family is absurdly rich, you visit each other. I don't know. I was pretty over them and their petty drama by that point. Their constant fighting and miscommunication and refusal to act like adults, mostly on Yai's part, was incredibly frustrating to watch.
There was also just far too much packed into this drama for 8 episodes. It may have been slightly more successful if they had pared it down and focused on two or three plot points instead of ten. It made an already messy story even more so and added conflict and side stories that served little to no purpose. Was it kind of cute that they actually met when they were kids? Sure. Did it do anything to further the story or really serve a purpose? No. It could have very easily been cut out and almost nothing would have been lost.
There was just so much potential here. Enemies to lovers is always going to be popular and it could have been good here if it hadn't been so dark and downright sinister. There's sexy and then there's wrong and disturbing; this was definitely the latter. And if its done in a way that's at least somewhat believable. There were also some things that were hinted at but never allowed to fully develop. The lesbian relationship was one, but the BDSM aspect was another. It was briefly toyed with, mostly in the first episode with Yai's bondage gear and his friend, and then never seen or mentioned again. That definitely would have added some interest.
There were a very few things that I did like. The smaller cast was nice. Thai casts almost always seem too big and cluttered and its impossible to keep everyone straight. I was thankful they didn't do that with this drama. I was also surprised, but again, thankful at the lack of secondary couples. Again, normally Thai BL dramas are clogged with three or four additional couples to the main and I liked that they didn't do that with this one. Aside from our poor lesbian faux couple, there was no competition, though I kept suspecting they were going to put the bodyguards together. As there's evidently going to be a season 2, that may still happen. The OST was overall good. In particular ISBANKY's song was gorgeous. It embodied everything I had hoped this drama would be in a song but so completely wasn't. I love it, its the one good takeaway. The acting was overall pretty good. I really am going to blame the production and writing for pretty much everything wrong with this drama at this point.
All that being said. Don't waste your time. If you were one of those who thought this was going to be KinnPorsche 2.0, it's not, not even close. It's not even a good knockoff. The only reason I'm rating it as highly as I am is because I didn't think the acting/casting was bad for the most part and I did like the music. The story was a mess though and as for rewatch value? Don't make me laugh.
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From a cold general to one who loves and cares for his wife, and their encounters
For ancient drama I give this a solid ten ! First all of it wasn't draggy at all , despite it being 30 episode.Storyline- The daughter of the Shen family has to marry a general far away. This general is heard to be ruthless in battle, giving him the nickname Devil. The female lead ends up going in her sister place, because her sister didnt want to marry a ruthless monster. Female lead didn't want her mother to suffer so she accepted the marriage. On the way, she is met with some other tribe people, the male lead ends up saving her( she didnt know who he was atm) She and her maid makes their way to the general's house. From getting to knowing the general, to being with him on the training ground their relationship grows and blossoms.
Romance- This one had quite a lot of kissing. They are a pretty cute couple. They have good passion. It's really cute to see their love develop for one another. It is most definite that the male lead loves the female lead a lot and is very patient with her. She can be over bearing somethings but the male lead still supports her. Their kisses gets better as their relationship blossoms, which is very cute. Its quite natural, like a everyday couple. Their relationship has it ups and down.
Reason why this drama is good
Wasn't too heavily focused on one specific topic. The underlying story was the general wanted to investigate what happen to the 8th king's family. Others included the female lead and male lead in their training ground, when she goes back home to live, finding her old friend, starting up her own business and some more.
Starts off with a bang, already have a kissing scene in ep 4 lol
Male lead and female lead's love for one another.
Some things that i didnt care for
- ugh hated with a passion her two annoying sisters! same dad different mom. They were quite annoying , but its very limited. I cant stand those drama who has a lot of the evil people getting their ways.
This drama surpassed my expectation. I loved it!
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1
5Revenge drama done right, thrilling and satisfying
Revenge is one of the most common genres used in dramas, but The Double stood out because it never lost focus and strayed from its main revenge theme. Too many revenge shows started off strong but lost their way when romance became the central point. To add salt to injury, smart leads suddenly became love brain and lost all common sense, or even worse, any ounce of intelligence that they used to have.Not this show.
Oh, there was definite romance, one so tantalizing and the build up of our lead couple's relationship so engaging that it set my heart aflutter even when there were no kisses for most of the show. However, the plot stayed on course, showing how our female lead, Xue Fang Fei slowly but surely got revenge for herself and her family, and also for her savior, Jiang Li whose identity she assumed after getting a second chance at life. Furthermore, the crew and cast, from the director, the screenwriters to the leads and supporting actors, they owned this show, expressing the story with their own unique voices and perpectives.
Revenge is visceral, evoking deep feelings and grabbing our attention. Viewers hate to see a grave injustice go unpunished and most of us can get behind a little vigilante action in our dramas, especially when we get to watch the deeply wronged victim avenged. In this show, the injustices were montrous and I find it completely justifiable for Xue Fang Fei to seek out the people who so badly betrayed her and wronged Jiang Li. The drama unfolded well, ensuring that the viewers formed an emotional bond with the characters, getting outraged, wanting revenge as much as Xue Fang Fei did.
What is great about Xue Fang Fei was that she was truly likable, a protagonist who had most viewers firmly in her corner, rooting for her. She was of course full of rage but she was not one-dimensional, driven only by revenge. I would not have been surprised if Xue Fang Fei felt the desire to overstep moral boundaries, not caring about others, but she almost always exercised a degree of restraint, trying not to harm the innocent as she carried out her elaborate plans of punishment. She reflected on everything including seeking justice for Jiang Li, even prioritizing Jiang Li's retribution first. Even when she had a love interest as enigmatic and attractive as Duke Su, she stayed on the revenge course. There were moments when she wavered, foiled by the villains' scheming but she always managed to recover and retaliate beautifully. Even better was how she considered the interests of Duke Su, protecting and helping him in her own way. Xue Fang Fei was a female lead worthy of respect.
Duke Su or Xiao Heng, now he was a drool-worthy male lead. Powerful, skilled, intimidating while being gorgeously green flag. What I love about this character was his interesting dualities. Xiao Heng will tease, and be all assertive and domineering but also be so attentive via his acts of services and care. I enjoyed watching this cocky, confident and composed man stay consistently that way and yet was also clearly a great partner to Xue Fang Fei under all that so called posturing. The thing is that he was really all that, but he made sure that Xue Fang Fei knew that they were equals, that she owed him nothing and most importantly, she should live her own life for herself, and no one else. Not even him.
The show hit the jackpot with our lead couple! As individual characters, they were endearing and as a couple, they were a force of nature. I appreciate the consistent portrayal of both leads, who did not suddenly lose brain cells or rationality just because they fell in love. They were sensible and intelligent enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions. Gotta love a show where there were no tropey prolonged misunderstandings.
While some may think the romance too slow-burn and lacked passionate acts of love, I find it tantalizing and meaningful. It reminded me of myself experiencing the thrill of a love interest, getting to know the person, developing feelings, finally falling in love and wanting to protect. The interactions between the leads was packed with chemistry and emotions, showing how from enemies, they've become friends and finally lovers. There were no official moment of when they finally got together. Even when Xiao Heng confessed with just two lines, it was more of an acknowledgement of how they were already one. This is one show when waiting for the full culmination of the leads' love will be worth it. The last and special episodes nailed that.
Wu Jin Yan as Xue Fang Fei and Wang Xin Yue as Xiao Heng were excellent. The directors' use of close up shots was very effective and all I can say is that these two can really act with their eyes and facial expressions. I am so impressed with the lead actors and also the supporting cast. There were so many times when I thought that the directors must be amazing to inspire and draw out so much emotion from the individual actors. Speaking of the cast, it was a very attractive set of actors who can act including the villains.
The array of villains was an interesting mix. At first I thought the earlier ones were caricaturish, almost one dimensional but as the plot developed and revealed more of the backgrounds, I understood that there were a lot more angles and aspects to these antagonists. They were shown in different lights, evoking sympathy and at times doubt. All the female ones were victims of circumstances in the beginning but ultimately decided to take control of their fates by choosing the paths of self-interest that made them into villains in some form or another. Joe Chen deserved a shout-out. She clearly had the female lead aura which drew eyes to her when she was on the screen. Not so much the actress playing Princess Wanning, there was just something off about her expressions.
The best part though is that who we thought were the worst villains turned out to be victims and the ones who perhaps evoked sympathy in the beginning ended up being the ultimate evil ones. I enjoyed the twists introduced in this drama.
Another aspect that the show did well was its pacing. The show did not end up dragging on way too long or climaxing too soon. The revenge and romance kept me invested until the end. Watching karma do its thing provided a nice catharsis, the final release of tension that led to satisfaction. With the great OST, beautiful costumes and setting, excellent cinematography, this show is worthy of its excellent rating if not higher.
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Story: This is by the best story line I have ever seen. All the actors are perfect. I felt their pain, their happiness, their frustrations, everything. This drama made me smile, laugh, and cry. Nothing can explain the feelings I had while waiting every week for new episodes.
The writer did such a good job at keeping the suspense always there. The fact that the story has many questions left to answer and is kept for the audience to decipher on what they want to happen is so breathtakingly beautiful. Its just so amazing that the writer and director was able to mesh all that and bring this wonderful work. This drama is definitely by far one of the best detective dramas, or drama overall.
Actors: I love the actors. Every one of them meshed into their character so well, I couldn't even tell they were acting. The child actors just hit my heart so so bad, especially the famous omelet scene. Gotta give it to the boy, I cried so much watching that scene. After this drama, I am definitely having an ahjussi-crush on Jo Jin Woong. The mains of this drama was just the best ones the directors could have gotten. I can't even imagine any one else playing their characters. Kim Hye-soo was also superb. Her acting during the shock scene was just...no words possible. Last but not least, Le Je Hoon was not just eye candy. The emotions he showed touched my heart soo much. I fell for him even more after this drama. Overall, the actors and actresses were TERRIFIC. I wished this drama never ends.
Music: Love the OST. Been jamming with it every day. It's definitely going to be on repeat to relinquish my withdrawals from this drama.
So many questions are left after I finished this drama... Despite that fact, this is still a must watch drama!
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Now I’ve always loved the HIStory series, and there’s no different with this one. I must say, this one is my favourite of them all simply because of the realism of it all, it’s a simple storyline of enemies to lovers set in a high school surrounding, but, it’s also so much more than that.
I didn’t really care for the side couple as much as I did whilst watching Trapped but I’m honestly very tired of the age gaps in BLs. However, despite this, their story was beautiful and you get to see a realistic couple and their struggles. However, in this review, I will mostly talk about the main couple, Haoting and Xigu. (or xianggu lmao)
Without spoiling anything, the story has a very nice pace, it never felt too rushed nor too slow, and you could really tell how the characters were evolving throughout the series. Haoting being really aggressive in the beginning as he thought Xigu was flirting with his girlfriend to later realise he has feelings for him might be cheesy but I also think that it’s charming, not every LGBTQ series has to go deep about social norms, the gays also deserve a cheesy romance like this one. Just a big guy being head over heels a boy who is the polar opposite of himself and doing everything to get him to like him back. This premise is often a very grey area as consent often is forgotten in BLs and with an aggressive main lead I was very worried he might overstep his boundaries but the way Haoting tries to get Xigu to like him is so different from what I first thought and I was surprised by him many times. We get to see how love can change a person and I think that’s beautiful and although Haoting is aggressive he is always respectful and always wanting the best for the people around him. He makes mistakes but you can really tell that he knows when he’s in the wrong and does everything to make up for it even though he even might hurt himself in the process. (Also wanna talk about how much I love their entire friend group!! Precious!)
I keep seeing people complain about this series focusing too much on sex but remember that they’re in high school so it’s completely normal to think about that sort of stuff when you’re that age + I wouldn’t say it’s focused on sex all that much. The scenes that DO focus on it are so well thought out, meaning the cinematography is amazing, passion, intensity, build-up and climax, it all just made me sit in awe and I really want to applaud everyone who created it. They never fetishize gay people like BLs tend to do as they want to appeal to fujoshis and I appreciate that, they make it all feel so realistic and that might not be super interesting to some but it’s perfect for me.
Now the acting, one word. Amazing. You could feel every single emotion of the characters, despite most of the actors being inexperienced in acting. You could feel the love, the confusion, the sadness, happiness, everything. When the character was in pain my heart hurt too because the way it all was displayed really just made me feel as if I was right there with them, experiencing the struggles myself and that is very powerful.
Although not a lot of songs, the ones that you hear fit perfectly, it never felt out of place or awkward to watch any scenes as the music fit very nicely. The intro is also probably my favourite HIStory intro of all time and the outro is also very very nice to listen to after you sit and stare into the void after finishing every episode lmao.
I have so much to say about this incredible drama but I will never be able to put those feelings into words I just hope you watch it and get to experience it by yourself.
Onto the only negative with this drama, the ending… Don’t worry there aren’t any spoilers here!!
Well going from the best drama ever to a horrible ending, uh I truly do not know what to say about this ending. It felt so out of place and with all the characters so different it just didn’t sit right with me, I truly feel like this ending could be from an entirely different show. It was so sudden and just felt like they didn’t know how to end it which is very disappointing. Watching the preview for the last episode I never would’ve imagined it would end like this and despite the characters not feeling like they used to I cried like a baby, I probably cried throughout the entire 55-minute episode… I can myself think of at least 10 different endings that would fit better with the characters and tie the plot up nicely, it just feels like they threw away all of the work they put into the series right in the last moment which is just so sad.
I will definitely rewatch this but I’ll probably skip the last episode…
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- the male lead is NOT portrayed as a wealthy powerful man with whole of the universe revolving around him
- he is NOT someone who is chased by dozens of girls for his popularity
- the female lead is not negative minded and is really a positive minded person
- no character is obsessive or obusive
- NO CHARACTER is hatable.. i mean, eventhough u are annoyed the second male lead and the director for some eps, once u get to know them more, u will not hate them..
- no crazy annoying love triangle
-the second lead girl is NOT evil at all.. rather she is likable as episodes progress..
- Everyone has their own problems. They deal it in their own way..
- daebak chemistry between main couple
- not only the chemistry, gang doo's relation with his granny, noona, little sister, sangman etc were amazingly portrayed..
- the love story between the webtoon writer&artist, director&noona, they were well written..
- the ending concentrated on all characters life that was amazing..
- TOTALLY THIS DRAMA WAS PORTRAYED IN A REALISTIC MANNER.. it takes through many emotions..
This drama has many amazing quotes too.. Most lovable drama and i am sure u will fall in love with junhoo at end..
Finally the drama is daebak and it breaks off all cliches of kdramas..
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Soulful & Healing
This drama is probably not for everyone. It's more than just a kdrama that's why it doesn't apply to a global audience. But it gives heart to those who can relate to having had mental health issues, to those having someone close to them suffering from it or those who're interested in the subject from a scientific point of view. More than just stories about the patients, we also get to see the healing process; even simple anger management exercises feels like they could be easily implemented by anyone else. Those scenes are rather long at times and that's why I suspect they are there for that purpose, for that second purpose which might not be applied to everyone but could possibly help someone in need.It's a beautiful series.
There has been a few dramas that broach the topic but compared to some extraordinary or rare diseases I feel like the way this drama is approaching the subject is hitting closer to home. Anxiety, delusion, anger issues, depression, eating disorders; fighting to stay clear minded despite facing challenges in a society that expects us to always be ready and on their feet is a common issue that isn't talked about enough. Compared to other dramas where mental health issue is either the main focus on the story or is a background feature of a character, something that the character can make use of or hide, here we see ordinary, working people that can't hide away from it because it shows in their daily life. We get to see how they struggle to overcome, frankly, themselves, and how hard it is to do so when society doesn't take you or your mental health seriously.
If that didn't convince you to give this drama a chance... let me ask you this then. Have you ever felt burdened by the things happening in your life? Have you ever felt it was unfair how many bad things kept happening around you? Well, this drama not only answers from the perspective of those that are lost and deeply wounded by this but also from those that keep fighting through it. And unlike the usual kdrama trope where the main leads are suffering from painful memories and keep on a straight face, here we see main characters that are suffering, who are not okay, but they keep searching for that light with all their might.
"Whatever your illness may be, don't struggle alone. If you can overcome it on your own, it's not an illness."
This drama is giving me so many emotions. I love how Han Woo Joo can see right through the ML. She just 'gets' him. It's an entertaining dynamic. They're a pair of dorks, and at their best, they just work together. It's interesting to watch them because we're not only being told that they like each other, but ultimately we can see it and judge for ourselves. They are two wounded souls, and sometimes it can be rather scary to see their vulnerable sides so out in the open but ultimately they're people that need each other and are able to help each other heal. As long as one doesn't give up, we can continue to move forward. An additional bonus is that this drama skipped on a lot (if not all) the usual, annoying, repetitive kdrama cliches regarding romance while staying true to the main storyline and keept us entertained with continuous character development.
Jung So Min is an extraordinary actress. The variety of emotions she portrays is incredible. It's both feels-inducing and also fascinating to watch, seeing how one actress can play so many raw emotions on screen. And Shin Ha Kyun...how can he be so pure and adorable? He's precious. Sophisticated but also a real dork at heart.
Before anyone says our male lead is too old let me redirect you to Ji Sung's profile page. Ji Sung might look like a baby duckling but he's still a mature man in his forties. Also our couple has 14 years gap, but that's not a new thing in a kdrama world now, is it? Furthermore...female lead being 31, she's a mature woman herself.
Other issues? There are a few. I know of a patient-doctor contraversary issue, dubious psychiatric methods used in the series...but that's just not it, not what this drama ever was supposed to be about.
What this drama truly teaches and the message it is trying to portray throughout the various stories and lessons is that - You Can Heal. And that each person is unique on their own so the healing method is also something unique for you. It might even be something only those deeply invested in you or you yourself can truly find. But that's okay. Because each of us has that answer in our hearts. We only need the will to move forward.
I can't praise this drama enough. It's a true gem. It truly met all (and more) of my expectations. It's a soul healing drama.
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The best Multi-Leads Chinese Drama Ever!
This is my first time writing a full review here on MDL, and this drama absolutely deserves it. First of all, I started watching it right in the middle of its hate train because—what do you mean it’s getting so much hate when I genuinely enjoyed the first few episodes? It’s one of the very few dramas where I actually liked the opening episodes. It’s not boring, it’s not dull—it’s a romcom, and they did it so right!Pacing
Right from the first arc, they introduced us to the Li sisters and established the tone of the story. The backstory of the Li family—why there are only daughters and why they have a single mom—was explained well, with no glaring loopholes. Then, just a few episodes in, the two leads got married. I was shocked. Like, why did they get married so fast? Is the angst coming? But I was even more surprised when the focus suddenly shifted to the 1st sister. That’s when I started piecing everything together—this drama isn’t just about one couple; it has multiple storylines between different leads. Since I didn’t check the plot beforehand, I was confused at first, but honestly? It made me so happy! I was excited to see how the rest of the sisters’ stories would unfold. Overall, the pacing was great—every lead had enough screentime, and everyone felt equal.
Storylines & Character Dynamics
Each couple had their own unique storyline:
1st couple – The noble introverts
2nd couple – The chaotic duo
3rd couple – The scheming masterminds
4th couple – The cold husband and cutie wife + amnesia plot
5th couple – Enemies-to-lovers
Brother’s story – Childhood lovers
This variety in plots made each couple stand out, which is why I never felt like there was a main couple. Instead, it truly felt like a story about a whole family, where everyone was equally important.
The Li Family – Best Family in C-Drama?
Speaking of family, I love the Li family. Honestly, they might be the best family I’ve seen in a C-drama. The bond between the sisters, their mother’s strength, and even their relationships with their in-laws felt heartwarming and genuine.
Production, Acting & Overall Experience
The acting was fantastic—I could feel my blood boiling whenever the villains appeared, but I also found myself giggling at all the sweet moments. The comedic timing was on point, the production quality was solid, and the entire ambiance of the drama was just chef’s kiss.
Rewatch Value? 100%!
I would rewatch this over and over again, just to catch all the subtle interactions between the leads and appreciate the details I might have missed the first time.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
If you love romcoms with strong family dynamics, engaging storylines, and well-developed characters, then this drama is a must-watch.
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More than a remake. Delicate timbre. Powerful. Reckoning with the void of a luxury-branded world
"Pale Moon" develops a particularly delicate timbre. Fine personality portraits, none of them smooth and pore-deep clean, but rather inwardly crumpled people with dreams and weaknesses, people who sometimes make questionable decisions, who don't stick to the rules, who succumb to the temptation to take the chance to realize their dreams.A little 'noir' here and there. In any case, emotionally dense. Unexcitedly emotional. Quiet and yet powerful.
The KDrama is based on a Japanese Original (Mitsuyo Kakuta), which was successful as a series and movie, too. This is now a South Korean remake. Apparently, Kim Seo-hyung was immediately (after she saw the original in 2015) determined to play the female lead in any potential South Korean remake. You can tell, she is breathing her role.
The original novel is about the embezzlement of bank funds as actually happened in Japan. In South Korea, the list of embezzlement in billions is also long and the remake is accordingly well placed.
However, the South Korean remake is about more than misappropriation of wealth on a large scale. This is generally about lies, deceit and deception - even on a smaller, manageable, interpersonal level. However, it is also about human vulnerability, the cracks in the facade.
The story unfolds against the background of unstoppable consumption - a veritable frenzy of consumption that has long since left any connection or grounding behind. A life-style in a parallel world, that only a few can really afford. This world of luxury, which initially seems appealing, develops an intoxicating, addictive character and ultimately catapults itself into the void. What remains when the lover equips the lover with the designer goods from head to toe, from the car to the house including the interior and the laptop, too? Alert, alert: the luxurious world of matter - initially well camouflaged as the lifestyle of your dreams - becomes an ugly parasite that feeds on substantial emotions, liveliness and passion, but in the end leaves nothing behind...
In the field of tension between the dreary normality of a boring everyday life that is perhaps pimped out on the outside, but emotionally rather empty, almost everyone here is willing to deviate from the path of virtue in order to get a piece of the promisingly dazzling consumer cake.
Nevertheless, the story also tells of the sincere moments of perception and recognition of unsightly vulnerability. These are the moments when sincere encounter happens to become possible. On the outside, these are not the nice, shiny TaDa moments, but on the inside they provide light and warmth, they nourish the soul, like water making flowers bloom. Moments that cannot be bought with money. Moments that are among the most worthless in the dazzling world of consumption, shunned, despised, marginalized, excluded.
In this way, "Paper Moon" is an intelligent approach of reckoning with the consumer-driven social reality in which 'appearance' takes the place of 'being'. Quietly and constantly the KDrama is reminiscent of the basic in human, which has nothing to do with staged perfection, but rather with irrational impulses and irreconcilable paradox. At most, beauty in ´being human´ unfolds when weaknesses become strengths, when ruptures make the whole, when betrayal opens the door to freedom, when loss becomes the gate to abundance, when I find myself by losing myself, etc.
Since we are all human, we can remember (that we are like that too) and empathize and accept ourselves (and others!) even in our (their) 'ugliness', 'despair' and 'failure'. That makes life truly valuable and remains as a valuable experience, even if any material value has long since disappeared.
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SIDE NOTE: -------- 'Paper Moon' vs. 'Pale Moon' ----------
The original title "Paper Moon" was for the international title particularly changed from "Paper Moon" to "Pale Moon" in order to create a certain degree of selectivity from the Japanese original. The story may be remade, but it's retold in characteristic korean-style. Successfully so. And if you like, the changed nuance in the title already testifies to a finely nuanced, additional facet within the KDrama production.
The term "PAPER MOON" refers to a fake, oversized crescent made of cardboard, which became fashionable at the time, with the advent of photography, as a specific variant of (cheap but effective) portrait background. At fairs, etc., photographers as a special gag offered the cheerful visitors unforgettable portrait photography in front of an artificial crescent moon made of cardboard. The happy couples (but also everyone else who had their picture taken) floated optically above the clouds, removed from everyday life, yet oh so close to the (artificially fake) sky... A reMINDer, documenting a very special moment.
Since then, the meaning of the ´paper moon´ generally refers to an object with the help of which a void is filled with fictitious, purely optically reality – a make believe. However, the emptiness is still there. The symbol, enriched with meaning, inspired many a great work. One of them is the piece of music "It's only a Paper Moon" (originally "If you believed in me"), which summarizes the basic idea or the basic feeling in a striking way - as a tightrope walk between hope and hopelessness...
"Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world (=circus attraction)
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believe in me"
...The unreal reality, the deception, the lie, all of this could be true if only one can convince the others that it is so.
"PALE MOON" on the other hand refers more to the real, pale (full) moon in the night sky, which is repeatedly staged in this KDrama. It's not dazzling like the radiant, all-illuminating, blinding sun, and not loud and spectacular like fireworks, (and not as big and dominant next to me as a paper crescent moon). The pale (full) moon only shimmers in the dark hours of the day. It may light the way and also cast shadows, yet from my perspective it is just tiny and far away.
Nevertheless, despite appearing almost fragile and delicate, is solidly stands there like a vague, quiet, soothing reminder of something truly beautiful and valuable. Something that is there repeatedly, with beautiful regularity - remaining, just being, no matter what. Something to relate to. Far away it may be, yet emotionally quite substantial - and thus close to the HEART.
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The Funniest Narcissistic Idiotic Moron Ever
This is one of the funniest dramas I’ve ever watched. At the beginning, I found it comedic and thought I wouldn’t like it. After the first episode, I couldn’t stop watching and laughing because it’s so hilarious. The narcissism is idiotic but at the same time so so cute.Mu Jue Chen (Fiction Guo) is a narcissistic youth who is so absorbed into himself that whatever negatives would become positives in his mind. Everyone around him brushes his ego but rolls their eyes and curses him behind his back. All his actions and demeanor are bombastic and egregious. This drama has the most eye rolls and the Mu Jue Chen character is the most egoistic person that I’ve ever come across and it’s super funny. I must applaud Fiction Guo for his amazing acting as Mu Jue Chen. I have almost believed that Mu Jue Chen is Fiction Guo because the actor has really immersed himself into the character totally.
Qian Yu (Li Nuo) is the only person who knows Mu Jue Chen inside out; she knows all his strengths and weaknesses, and knows how to capitalize on this knowledge to her advantage. Though seemingly a lord and servant relationship, there is more to the relationship that is not revealed at the beginning. Li Nuo plays her character well as a submissive servant and then later as a powerful head of the valley.
By Episode 10, the plot thickens. There are hidden mysteries. Who is Qian Yu? What has happened in their childhood? Why is Mu Jue Chen so protective of her? All these questions drive the plot. The tone turns serious at times (only when Mu Jue Chen is not around - it's almost impossible to be serious with him around) with beautiful sword fighting and “qing qong”.
Everything is exaggerated out of proportion and the CGI is really bad, but together, the whole thing is simply hilarious and adorable. A lot of the dialogues are unexpected and many scenes are out of expectation. I almost choked when they start to play the tune of The Flight of the Bumble Bee. They have also used EDM (electronic dance music) as background music extensively, so much so that I have to roll my eyes too. There are a few dark humors here and there. Though they banter and fight all the time, the lead characters’ chemistry is wonderful.
I love the use of oxymoron phrases here, such as, “Don’t let my face lose face”. There is also frequent play with pronunciation of Chinese words, e.g. the character 恶 (e). Depending how one says it, it can mean different things - fierce or loathsome. Therefore, non-native Mandarin speakers may not appreciate such humors.
There are of course the typical tropes such as falling off cliff and memory loss stuff. Overall, if you want a drama to laugh and take away some stress, this is the one. I’m loving it!
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Special for ‘She Fell First He Fell Harder Trope’ sucker like me?
I simply love it!For those who are sucker for she fell first, he fell harder trope, this is perfect for you.
Acting:
I personally think both leads have very good acting. They acted so well together with good syneryg. I’m a fan of ML, Miles Wei and I can confidently choose FL here Huang Riying as his best leading lady in term of acting and chemistry. He’s quite a king of chemistry but it’s on another level here imo.
I had watched 2 works of Huang Riying before this, both were more to comedy that she’s good at but in this drama I can also see her nailing emotional scenes very well. She’s very expressive actress imo. I look forward to watch her more. I’m glad to see her list of upcoming works and she’s getting better projects in S+ level drama.
Miles Wei & Huang Riying nailed Tang Yu & Tang Xin perfectly since I also read the original book.
Good acting, good chemistry and a big bonus…. they’re so visually pleasing to looks at when they’re together. Gorgeous couple imo. My eyes have been blessed watching them towards the end of the year 2023 lol
Plot:
As you can read from the synopsis, the plot is simple and you don’t have to expect extravagant plot twist whatsoever. Just enjoy the romance, occasional comedy and most important…expect to watch push and pull before they get together. FL is someone insecure and in disbelieve that the ML that had rejected her suddenly courting her back. Some viewers get annoyed by her stubborness but I understand her POV so I just enjoyed the ride.
Yes this is cliche romance but some people watch romance for the clicle anyway. I personally think this drama is cliche done right.
OST:
One of plus points for this drama!
The OSTs they used, I love it all. I sometimes purposedly listened to the opening and ending credit songs while watching because they’re nice listening to. The choice of bgm music was good, they fit the scenes most of the time.
Rewatch Value:
I will definitely watch it back just for Tang Yu & Tang Xing especially their sweet moments when they’re finally together.
Recommended drama from me, I also promote it to my friends and they like it.
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A Delightful Sweet Fluffy Romance
If you want a romance that is sweet from the beginning till the end, this is it. Since their first meeting in episode 1, our main couple holds hands, sleeps together and hardly gets separated. There’re hardly any moments they are not together, and when they are not, they miss each other dearly and cannot wait to get back into each other’s arms again. This drama is easy to watch with very little angst though the last few episodes become rather tensed. All the characters are lovable, an antagonist that is revealed from the beginning, and an ending everyone loves.Ji Dinglan (Wang Xingyue) is a prince born with no taste buds nor emotions. He cannot feel pain, happiness nor sadness. No one knows about his condition because if exposed, he is deemed a demon and would be persecuted. He becomes a hermit, changes his name to Mo Qingchen (meaning strange light dust), and lives far away from the palace and everyone else. When he accidentally touches Lin Chi (Bu Guanjin), all his senses come back temporarily. For the first time in his life, he experiences a new world which he has never known before. Since then, he attaches himself to Lin Chi and they quickly fall in love and inseparable from each other. They also realize they can transfer their power to and fro via each other’s tears. Lurking under this romance is Ji Dinglan’s ambitious and vindictive half-brother, Ji Dingyue (Nie Zihao). Time and time again he tries to expose Mo Qingchen’s secret, and he tries to hurt the couple to achieve his goal. Again and again he fails because of the unyielding love and devotion Mo Qingchen has for Lin Chi and she him; both do not hesitate to sacrifice for the other.
I have watched some of Wang Xingyue's previous dramas and find him an excellent actor. This drama is his first drama as a main lead, and his acting here is believable and again outstanding. At the tender age of 19, Wang Xingyue has a chisel good look and mature in his demeanor. He has a great potential ahead of him. Bu Guanjin on the other hand is a lot older than Wang Xingyue, but the pairing doesn’t look awkward because the couple has great chemistry together. Her acting is natural without trying too hard making the Lin Chi character very lovable. As with most young actors, Wang Xingyue is not stingy with his kisses. Nie Zihao has been acting as antagonists for several dramas I have watched. He has a very good-looking face with a sliver of hideousness in it and he is perfect for this tormented role as Ji Dingyue whom I’ve come to empathize. His acting here is applaudable.
I like the second couple and all the side characters. The acting by the whole cast is solid with an intact script and commendable editing. The background props look authentic and the costumes are carefully designed and made. The official soundtracks are some of the most impressive ballads in recent historical dramas.
My Verdict
This is such a delightful drama that has a very clear plot with very few visible plot holes or flaws. The flow is good and the pace is on spot. Despite the couple spending a lot of time conveying their love and admiration for each other, this doesn’t feel draggy because there are other things happening simultaneously. The acting is solid by the whole cast. The comedy is light and dialogues are humorous. Though rather predictable, I find this drama a great de-stressor that gives us a make-believe world that perhaps such love and devotion do exist. If you’re a romance buff and want something easy to watch with no angst, this is it. This is a story well told and deserves a bravo!
Don't miss it!
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Cheesy? Damn right.
Shameless bromance? Hell yes! I wouldn't miss a single moment of it.
This is one of those brainless, binge worthy dramas. It doesn't take itself too seriously and makes the most of its cheesiness. The many ways the hero tried to ingratiate himself with the dark lord had me rolling my eyes while laughing like a hyena. I love all the characters: From the dark lord's venomous foster brother to the hero's slightly dense senior brothers. From the sassy servant girl to the foxy courtesan. They are a hoot to watch in action.
Their hilarious absurdity aside. The drama pleasantly surprised me with its fighting scenes. They are pretty decent and I can honestly say this is a wuxia drama (comedy) and not a wuxia wannabe.
If you have a couple hours to kill and just want a lighthearted drama that gives you good belly laughs now and then, this is the drama to watch.
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script sat in the sun too long
Overall: The number of times I screamed "what is going on?" might have been a record. I was both bored and confused. Beautiful location and great actors were wasted with this nonsense plot. Watched on iQIYI.Content Warnings: suicidal ideation played as comedy, dub con kissing, held against will, manipulation, slap, drugging
What I Liked
- beautiful ocean side location/beach town
- cute intro but on the long side (3 minutes)
- Boun & Prem!!! It was fun to see actors from several different BL series together in this series
- the end of the boxing match was bizarre but cute
- the dads discussing love is love
- the outro with the behind the scenes footage
Room For Improvement
- too many couples, there were (I think) 4 and maybe one or two love triangles. This was just too many for six episodes.
- boring, 1/3 of episode 3 was getting down from a mountain, 5 full minutes of cleaning in episode 4
- confusing, there were several times where I just did not understand what on earth was going on, things just happened and we didn't get enough explanation. The most clear plot was the two boxers and they had about a minute per episode of screen time.
- nonsense things i.e. what was the dad's "plan"?, who leaves their (expensive) adult stuff lying all over a bedroom?, Arthid's elaborate plan instead of just...talking to him?
- some choppiness
- the comedy fell flat for me, the comedy sound effects didn't help
- that suicidal ideation was played as comedy
- the two trans/effeminate male characters played as slapstick comedy characters
- the red/orange hair and glasses weren't my favorite style (would have preferred tattoos/lip ring/etc) but I didn't take off points for it
- subtitle errors, but I didn't deduct points for them
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but i promise you if you love watching flawed like characters grow, if you love touching music, if you are bored with the stock dramas in dramaland and want to try something new and if you are ready to be shocked episode after episode then this drama is for you.
This drama is not for the fainthearted or for the casual viewer. It took me whole of 17 episodes for me to decide if i love this drama or i hate it with a vengeance. This one lies somewhere in the middle.
None of the 4 protagonists are your stereotypical characters from dramaland. All of them are flawed and selfish enough to self destruct themselves and everything around them.
Eric Mun as Kang Tae Joo is forever etched in my mind as the bastard with the human heart. Don't expect to love him but he is the type of man who we love to hate. Eric did a fantastic job portraying his character and brought such range of emotions that i am shocked that this drama is so under appreciated and received low ratings in its time.
I stand conflicted if i love the heroine or not. She is something for sure. She is the most unique heroine you will meet in dramaland. She looks naive and stupid but you will get to know her slowly and understand the things that she does. If you get past that horrible hairstyle that Jung Yoo Mi portrays throughout then you will see that her acting is pretty darn good.
Their is quite a good chemistry between Tae Joo and Eun Soo. When I saw them together on screen i felt everything what they were feeling. Those simple touches, those hugs, those kisses. The chemistry is well done and their is no tight lipped kissing here. The Romance has a mature tone so no fluffy stuff here.
Lee Kyu Han continues to get supporting roles but this man seriously needs his own drama to bring out the acting that i know he is capable of. He is quite good as Shin Joon Hyuk and as the man who is utterly cold and lonely in his life.
Cha Hye Rin is the type of woman who is easy to understand and someone who is just as lonely as anything or anyone.
The protagonists live in the hell of their own making and that is why this drama is full of so much angst. Their is lot of crying and moping and emotions flying around but it is not driven by external factors. This drama shows that we as humans are selfish and base. It is twisted and dark but oh so lovely to watch. It is told with raw realism and something akin to as if the writer can read our mind. Some shots, some quotes will forever remain in my memories. This was an intense drama that slowed down and kept on picking itself up at the same time. Don't expect a plot here.There is a plot though and it is quite good but not much happens in the way we viewers are used to. All the 17 episodes were about these 4 lives and their entangling and their character growth.
The music is downright phenomenal from Gotan Project to "Moonrise"
this is too intense a drama to be rewatched again.
Give this one a chance..this starts a little slow but will be up and running in no time. Que Sera Sera will bring you a little closer to understanding the human nature and much closer to life's realities as well. But as Peter Bishop says "behind every cynic their is a romantic".
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