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1This review may contain spoilers
" No tree it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell " - Carl Jung..
The Road to Splendor for me is arguably one of the best historical dramas of this year.. This is certainly not the butterfly romance type of story.. If you watch it expecting cliche romance and lots of sweet moments, you might be a little disappointed.. The romance is there, the sweet moments are there too but it’s more mature and restrained which I kind of liked because that was perfect for the script.. The screenplay, cinematography and the performances of the leads were what carried the story effortlessly..Ding Yu Xi and Deng En Xi served us with undeniable chemistry.. They were so good in their respective roles.. DYX's journey from a smuggler to being in the same space as the emperor, standing in the same room as some of the most powerful people in the empire, and eventually becoming someone they actually fear while earning the peoples respect.. That entire transformation was carried by one of the best emotional performances I have seen.. Deng En Xi was a standout too.. It felt like she didn't let her character down even when the script let her down with some forced angst.. Their romance, chemistry and journey together was beautiful.. They fell for each other early in the story, but it took them an awfully long time to actually get married.. Well, we could thank the emperor for that.. Always getting the ML into shit he definitely didn't sign up for but had to do it anyway for the people he loved and cared..
The supporting cast in the drama is very well written too.. Several of the antagonists are genuinely well written enough that you understand and resent their logic.. They literally were ready to do anything just for money and power.. They were absolutely vile and then there was Yu Jingxiu, who was absolutely pathetic.. The rest of the antagonists had an objective or something they fought for, even if their reasons were selfish.. But this guy was just a pathetic whiner and a loser.. Till the end..
Fan Yake, I am glad that she survived and got another chance at life, on her own terms.. She finally realised that she is more important than catering to the emotional needs of a selfish husband and a vile family and took control of her own life.. I am not saying she made up for her mistakes, but she did atleast try to make things right by saving the FL, whatever her reasons for doing so..
The cinematography in this drama was so good.. There are some scenes you just can't forget.. Quite a lot of the dynamics are shown through framing, like the visuals are doing the narration for you.. For example, the way they show the power difference between the noble families and everyone else with that simple scene where the nobles are standing at the top of the building while the others are standing at the bottom of the stairs.. My favourite was the last episode, where the Emperor also goes down on his knees just to reach the ML's eyes.. It's like he too finally understood what it had cost him all this time.. Anyway, there are quite a lot of scenes in this drama where the visuals tell the story better than words ever could.. I want to say this again, the drama had beautiful visuals, colors.. Truly a feast for the eyes..
Episode 20, the story sort of shifts.. Their reunion after 5+ years.. How the power balance has completely flipped since we last saw them.. He has become the man the FL once wanted him to be.. A person who understands the language of power.. But that spark that made him Zhao Ling in the earlier episodes is now gone.. He knows what he has to do to keep everyone safe and give the FL the life he thought she wanted and he also knows the price he might eventually have to pay for it.. He knows all of that and you can clearly see how it's slowly draining his soul.. And DYX as Zhao Ling portrayed that transition so well that you could actually feel it..
Another thing about this drama was that it sort of reminded me of Flourished Peony.. Ahem, the first season, only the first season.. The way the women were portrayed as if they were trapped in dependence, but infact they were the ones pulling the strings when you look at it.. Mo Yi and his downfall and eventually his death, is one of the examples of that..
Overall this was a really good drama.. I would say this drama is a feast for people who are ready to watch it for the script, screenplay, cinematography and all the other aspects of a drama, for the absolute craft instead of expecting just romance and angst in every other scene.. People blame this drama for being a slow burn, but come on.. These two loved each other so much that they would have died for each other without a second thought.. That's not a lack of romance, that's romance built on something sturdier than butterflies.. Trust, sacrifice, choosing each other again and again when it would have been easier not to.. Physical intimacy is one language a drama can use to show their love, but it's not the only one and this show proves that patiently, scene by scene, right up to the end..
So I will end this review the same way I started it.. This is one of the best historical dramas of the year..
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The worst regression of a plot and its characters I've ever seen
This entire drama is a fraud. It pulls you in from the beautiful pilot episode filled with symbolism, breathtaking cinematography, and the heartbreaking backstory of who you THINK is the main lead, Han Jipyeong. And then it pulls the rug from under you.Nam Dosan is the main lead, though he had a 10 second clip only in episode 1. Regardless, he was great in the beginning. Relatable, cute, dorky, and very lovable. Until he's not. I really can't pinpoint where this happened, but Dosan quickly became the most toxic, manipulative, serial liar with anger issues and violent tendencies, male lead who never gets called out for his actions. In fact, he is rewarded for everything he does, good and bad. Why? Because he's the main lead, of course! Duh.
On the other hand, we have Jipyeong, our second main lead who feels like the main lead but is treated like a punching bag and a waste disposal. Everything revolves around him: the plot, the letters, the character development, and the relationships with all the other characters. He is the heart and soul of the story, no matter what the writers were trying to convince us otherwise. This was in part Kim Seon Ho's doing, as he breathed life into his character. What I firmly believe happened was that Han Jipyeong was not MEANT to be as loved as he is. Rich, quick-witted with a sharp tongue and a self-made man, he could've easily become the antagonist of the story, but Seon Ho achieves in making him out to be a beautifully flawed human, a man who grew up with nothing and has had to fend for himself all his life. Props to Kim Seon Ho, who was a hidden gem that was discovered through this mess of a drama, and for that reason only I don't regret watching it with my entire self. As much as the viewers learned to love Jipyeong, the more the writers began to hate him, and his entire character arc ended with a whimper, leaving us unfulfilled and demanding justice for him.
As for Seo Dalmi, our female lead, the writers were amazingly horrible in developing her. She went from being independent, hard-working, dream-filled to a pathetic and helpless nobody who couldn't do anything without the help of a man. We never really learn what she's thinking, or why she's doing anything, or the reasoning behind any of her thoughts or actions. Honestly, I don't even know who she is. The show failed in fleshing her out and showing any sort of character growth and development on her end. She's a mystery box. You can't predict anything she'll do or say because nothing about her is consistent. Very disappointing.
Overall the show advertises itself as a business youth drama, but it really isn't. It pretends to be one until the plot falls apart and character development is thrown out the window. Plot holes everywhere, dead storylines, and "main" characters are more like cameo appearances- AKA Kang Hanna. The writers forgot the overall arc of the story and instead focused on a love triangle that went nowhere for 10 episodes. In all honesty, the plot could've been concluded in about 6 episodes. It dragged on for so long and so painfully, with virtually nothing happening in the second half. Without Seon Ho's portrayal of Jipyeong, I really doubt that this show would've caught the hearts of the viewers, and as amazing as he is I would still never recommend anyone to watch this show. You're better off watching clips of him on youtube.
Lessons and morals of the story? Cheat, lie, play dirty, fight your mentor and those who help you, blame others for your failures, never be grateful to your friends and family, use "fate" to explain your mistakes, and win the girl. Wonderful, very heart-warming.
I don't think I'll be watching another Bae Suzy or Nam Joo Hyuk work for a while to cleanse my palate from their portrayal of the worst characters in kdrama history, which is ironic given that I started this for them in the first place.
1/10.
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After watching episode 12, I had to change the review about this drama.
This drama is very promising at the beginning because the theme, storyline and actors are very good. But only for the first 8 episodes.
From episodes 9 to 12, in my opinion, the quality has decreased dramatically in terms of the storyline.
The only thing that kept me watching was because of the character Han Ji Pyeong, who in my opinion he was a very extraordinary scene stealer.
As the second main character, he can attract the attention of many audiences to beat the main character.
There are still 4 more episodes left, but I didn't expect much.
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This drama went from 만점 (100) to 빵점 (0) real quick ?
The issue isn’t the fan ship war that has erupted lately.
It’s that This has become the most important question for viewers to judge whether they come out of the drama slightly satisfied or not: “who the female lead is going to choose as her beau?”
•The second female lead has been reduced to a poor cameo role; who despite being sister, daughter & granddaughter doesn’t even get told in 3 whole years that her Grandma is losing eyesight.
•The female lead turns from an independent, almost self-raised woman with a bold personality to a damsel in distress who cannot function without help from the men in her life.
•The Start Up title is a bait. We start off with a group of inexperienced + Zero business knowhow but passionate people who hope to become the next Steve Jobs or Google. Whilst the first half of the drama gives you hope that this team will slowly learn how to become entrepreneurs and encounter common start-up problems.... We end up with a bunch of (very) immature people who rely heavily on plain luck to secure investments, recognition & success and then proceed to Sell off their company in ONE day without any forethought about their goals. The drama then proceeds with a misplaced time skip to gift this team success & wealth from jobs at other companies.
•One of the worst time skips ever. Not just because the actual scene transition was terrible. First due to when it takes place, it robs the characters of the opportunity to reflect and learn from their mistakes. Second, zero character development in 3 years skip. Everyone seems to have frozen in time. (stagnation) Third, all the previously struggling characters have found (lucky) career success & wealth and we miss their journey through it.
•The show seems to Romanticise/gloss over undue violence and immaturity Especially in a workplace/professional area. (Guys if you punch your mentor At work or school because he made your girlfriend cry after your Own friend told Him to tell Her the “harsh truth, no feelings involved”..... You will be kicked off campus/site and not allowed back in. There may also be lawsuits on assault.) The main characters consistently & unrepentantly make business decisions based on personal emotions- love life, jealousy, euphoria, entitlement. I cannot stress enough the lack of maturity a bunch of 25+ somethings show in their Place of Work- that even teenagers in contrast can seem more wise.
•The male lead has been reduced to a whining entitled toddler who, like a broken radio in order to gain sympathy points from everyone around him, keeps crying & repeating he “has nothing” just because his love life isn’t sailing smooth. THIS, despite the fact that he has 2 very loyal friends, supportive parents (regardless of their expectations of him they still invested into his loss-making, no-real-plan, debt-run business for 3 whole years prior to the show start), a close cousin who’s more like a brother that does marketing for him for basically free, genius coding talent, handsome & tall looks, a warm family house (not an apartment!) to return to.... and after a time skip, even becomes successful & wicked rich..... Like dude, what the hell more do you want ?!? And what’s more ridiculous is that he’s the most well-off character in the show. One of his own friends has lost a brother to suicide. The girls have a dead parent + blind grandma + enemy like stepfamily. The other guy is a literal friendless orphan whose success is all self-made......
It’s a wonder we’re still watching this drama. The effort of the actors, the pretty cinematography, the enticing OST. There’s not much else bringing us back except needing to know the conclusion of a drama we already invested our time & energy in.
*credit to someone*
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What´s life if our heart threatens to tear? Emotionally intense KDrama. About crime&politics, too
“Wonderful World” is painting a wonderful psychological picture of people desperately trying to come to terms with their inner suffering. The focus is on feelings that we would rather not experience. Accordingly, the KDrama is anything but funny. This is once again a KDrama that isn't afraid of drama.What is life like when our heart threatens to tear? If someone is losing their child, for example... There is no stent nor bypass for that. Guilt and loss of control, the desolation of existence and sheer agony are shaping the terrain through which one has to survive every day. At best there is grieving. But to get there even, that is a long way... “Wonderful World” takes on these emotional dimensions – carefully, sensitively, seriously and urgently.
At the same time, this KDrama vividly documents how the selfish decision of individuals, who see themselves as elite or want to be seen as such, unscrupulously, ruthlessly and brutally throw the lives of 'insignificantly normal' people completely out of balance. It is thus a political drama about a world that is not as 'wonderful' as it claims to be, too.
“Wonderful World” is also a crime thriller because there is a murder to be solved. This brings tension and additional dynamism to the story. “Wonderful World” could also be understood as a story about one or two revenge missions. In my opinion, however, these are more stencils in the background. In the foreground unfolds the emotional world of those who feel left alone in their pain and their helpless anger - but still, they carry on, somehow. Two humans see and understand each other in their suffering and are/feel/come close to each other because of this ...and ultimately try to regain a sense of control over their lives. Therein lies the power and beauty of “Wonderful World” (I think anyways).
As I said, this KDrama is not afraid of drama. It's right in the middle of it and even better. The increase in entanglements, and the music, too, remind me in places of the early KDramas - and gladly so. A great script. Yes, bitter life experiences, admittedly. Nevertheless. Intense acting. Serious. Authentic.
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Only if you're a Liu Yu Ning fan
After watching The Prisoner of Beauty I really wanted to love this but it wasn't meant to be. Don't get me wrong Liu Yu Ning was terrific as the male lead Nan Heng / Li Shi Liu unfortunately he couldn't save this drama.I have never been so angry watching a drama before. But this one managed to piss me off to no end. How could one character (the male lead at that) be so hated. Everyone (aside from his people) were mean, downright cruel to him. And then along comes the female lead and dang if she isn't the worse of the lot (and that includes the emperor and that's saying something)
His own father hated him for something he didn't do. Honestly how could a child be responsible for a grown up's death? And it just went downhill from there.
Every episode seemed to get worse starting from the very first episode. In just a couple of episodes I was actually rooting for Nan Heng to ride off into the sunset and leave the rest to their own fate.
Then around episode 30 the writer decides to change it up and have the emperor realize he'd wronged Nan Heng. And of course the female lead finally comes in with the "White head, same heart" but personally, I felt it was too little too late.
Great happy ending.
Would I recommend it? No. But if you are a Liu Yu Ning fan and you've seen everything else of his then give it a shot, he's the only reason to watch it. However, I'd recommend a rewatch of The Prisoner of Beauty instead.
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I adored the first 5 episodes, liked the sixth -- but then the drama went downhill. Actually, I was slightly bored when the end credits of last episode started.
The first half of "Me and Thee" took several tropes, like the age-old "love conquers class differences", the "rich people are detached from reality" and a few others, and played with them -- inverted or subverted them, played them for laughs and so on (cf. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlayingWithATrope). Khun Thee was the perfect mix of clueless and charming, with his lakorn-style over-the-top view of how the world works, and he made me like him a lot, even though I usually despise the ultra-rich.
I adored the silliness that at times bordered on the absurd, and thought I'd understood why this series got so much praise.
But even in the first episodes it was very obvious that the post-production team was doing the heavy lifting. The precise work in the cutting room as well as the clever use of background music were what brought the comedy to the on-point timing it had. I can see that Pond ("Thee") did his best -- and he wasn't bad at all! -- but in my view, his role would have deserved an actor with the abilities to *really* lean into the absurdity of the character's quirks.
Thee and Peach are a classic comedic duo (aka "double act"), with Peach taking over the "straight man" and Thee being the "comic"; and they would have been brilliant if both actors were able to play it up much, much more, so that most of the comedy comes from their own performance and not from the work of the post production team.
Better acting abilities might have also ironed out the weaknesses of the screenplay in the second half to some degree.
Because the screenplay let me down from episode 6 or 7 onwards: It decided to pivot away from playing with the tropes to playing them straight, but not to the point where they got funny again -- and that reduced the charm of the first episodes to a minimum and left only the eye-roll-inducing cheesiness. Great comedic moments were few and far between, and that was just not enough to keep up the energy of the first half.
An excellent screenplay would have been able to keep up the comedy *and* develop the romance at the same time -- but the comedy was reduced in favour of ramping up the romance. Unfortunately, the repeated use of the same tropes -- once to play with them, then playing them straight -- doesn't work for me at all. The romance part of the script also failed for me, see below.
The writer *also* tried to give some character growth, depth and background to their main characters. On the one hand, I love some depth with my comedy. On the other, the way they did it causes inconsistencies with previously set-up characterisations.
And I don't understand why this happens again and again (Ossan's Love Thailand is another example of this) -- Thailand has some very good screenwriters, and Thai productions are often surprisingly excellent at integrating different genres into one story, and even giving it some additional depth by doing so; but with GMMTV BLs, this just doesn't happen.
Overall, the last four episodes should have been condensed into two, to keep up the comedic energy of the first half, and maybe they shouldn't have tried to make it swoon-worthy romantic, if they can neither integrate it with the comedy nor deliver a heart-felt romance.
And that is a problem that quite a few (GMMTV) productions have: If you want to make a story romantic, then commit to it and make it so.
But the love and attraction just isn't there to see. Really, have any of the people working on the drama -- writers, director, actors -- never seen a couple in the springtime of their love? I don't mean the continuous snogging of teenaged couples or explicit sex scenes. But new couples in real life (yes, exen if they are adults) can't help themselves: they touch each other often, sometimes as little as a small brush on the shoulder, they look at each other constantly, they seek to be as close to each other as possible. None of these things can be seen here. On the contrary, Peach continues to hold Thee at arms length at every turn, and stays passive whenever Thee initiates physical intimacy. It's as if he doesn't even want any of it! Up to the point that Peach initiating a kiss is somehow a big thing -- in the last episode, *after* both of them vowed to stay together.
Maybe it could have worked if the second half of the drama had reversed the roles of the "double act": Make Thee the "straight man" and give Peach the role of the "comic"; for example make his "reluctant bottom" role carry the comedy. Even if that has been done many times before, it might have given the series a second wind that could have carried it to the finish.
That Phuwin's ("Peach") acting abilities are limited only makes things worse. In emotional moments, Phuwin is not able to convey fear, grief, love or any other deep emotion to a point where I can feel with his character.
Both of these two points combined make for a relationship dynamic that is severely lopsided -- from Thee's side we get the over-the-top, I-would-die-or-at-least-buy-all-of-Thailand-for-him romance, from Peach's side we get a grudging friendship.
Other than that (and let's not speak about the ubiquitous product placements, which were occasionally, but not often enough, well integrated into the script), there were some holes and contradictions in the way some points were resolved. Which is not a problem per se in a comedy of the style they had in the first half -- and could have been used to keep the drama on the silly, even absurd side of things. But it wasn't, see above.
Was it good?
The first half was brilliant, especially due to excellent use of cuts and background music. But then a combination of unfocussed writing and average acting made the comedy lose its steam and the series lose its charm.
Did I like it?
As with most GMMTV productions, this was an easy watch. But while I loved the first half, I was bored by the second.
Would I recommend it?
I don't think so. But "Me and Thee" is adored by many, so I recommend that every one should see for themselves.
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PURE MADNESS!!!
I understand why many viewers felt disappointed with the ending. At this point, the drama could have followed the webtoon more closely, especially since its ending, though still sad, felt more complete.That said, I genuinely enjoyed this drama. It’s one of the rare shows where I didn’t skip a single scene. From start to finish, it held my attention.
The early high school episodes were a highlight for me. I actually wish they had lasted longer. Without them, if the story had begun only when Baek Ah Jin became a celebrity, her character would have seemed like just another fame-obsessed star willing to do anything to rise to the top. But that’s not who she is. Those early episodes showed the roots of her trauma, and because of that, I could empathize with her, and I pitied her, even if I didn’t agree with her choices at all.
And it wasn’t just her. Every character in this drama had their own brand of madness. Let’s be honest: the world Baek Ah Jin lived in was far from sane, and the people around her were just as chaotic in their own ways! Everyone was mad in their own way!
Despite all this, I admired the two male leads. Their devotion to the female lead was unwavering, and they were willing to do anything to support her. Still, I can’t say I condone all their actions, especially Jun Seo’s behavior toward the end, which was absolutely wild (although that's not what happened in the webtoon).
Overall, I’m really satisfied with this drama. I usually gravitate toward lighthearted romantic comedies filled with cute fluffy moments between the leads, and this show was the complete opposite. Yet I found myself appreciating it deeply, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something different.
I’m just giving it fewer points for rewatch value. Because of its dark themes and how emotionally heavy it is, I feel that watching it once is more than enough.
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An energetic idol drama with soothing love and dreams
This drama is so great. All aspects are so amazing. The acting of all the cast is pretty good especially for our main cp Wei Zhi and San Chong. Yu Shuxin is always clever at captivating the hearts of audiens not only men but also women like me. Sooo cute my baby zhizi. Lin Yi's acting is also quite good in portraying the character of San Chong. The performances of the cast are also great. The scenery shown in every frame in the drama makes me unable to stop smiling. The storyline is light and flows naturally. I was impressed because this drama not only presents visuals but also full teaching about mature ski teaching. The transition of each scene also really good. I Love this drama so much. I hope the flow will remain good until the end and I always look forward to the episodes every day. ❤️❤️Was this review helpful to you?
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"One is not Born to Kill"
Originally I wasn't sure I was going to watch this one though I loved TBOY and had watched DY. I just wasn't sure GJ could pull off a complex character as SMY, as he's commonly known to have a one note face. But in this case it worked plus the addition of CHS as SCH was right on point. It can be watched as a standalone or as I enjoyed comparing with TBOY.Pros: Here we really delved into An He or Blood River and the pasts of many of its characters which was the best part; especially the main 2. Everyone starts somewhere, with different lives and names. As SMY said on numerous occasions "no one is born to kill." The show really reminded me of peeling back an onion. Reason being is because just as in episode one it seemed that the guys were going to be able to get out on their own and create a new An He, they were met with a new host of challenges. They would clear those challenges away and then something else would pop up. They always knew that they were as I like to call them the three ghouls sitting in some platform, a dungeon that they thought were the ones that dealt out the missions as in who to go kill, but it turns out that there was as mentioned above a whole onion to be unraveled(ie Shadow Sect who's figure head was none other than father of consort Xuan aka Prince Xi and Wu Xin's mom from TBOY and above him a shadowy Eunuch responsible for his share of massacres). SMY at first was not on board with the change and turning An He into something new as well as walking in the light and swimming or going to another shore so they were just like any other sect. He he grew to that idea even when SCH did tell him that he could leave if he wanted to, but because of how close they were to each other to the point where there were times during the series, you could swear they shared a brain cell. Originally SMY was supposed to be the patriarch and SCH head of the Su family once all the other three families older heads were gotten rid of, but for whatever reason the opposite happened and for those of us who watched and enjoyed TBOY; this fateful decision proved to be the unfortunate demise of many innocent souls later on.
I'm not going to go too much into the other series, but with this one, what was great was that even though it was a darker drama, it had a lot of comedic standpoints, as well as gave a lot of history and backstory on both of its main leads, as well as some side stories of other leads . It gave you a much more deeper understanding of who SMY really was and never changed even in the later series, however, something changed in SCH though in this one, he was comic gold and the actor that played him did a phenomenal job. I will say that every person for, however, long or short they were on screen did a great job. I was very worried to be honest because SMY and SCH coming from the other series are very complex characters so for these two actors to pull them off so well was a wonderful thing to see.
Even though we ended up losing two important characters, though they played minor roles, and it was sad they did essentially help their family members, even though not by blood escape. I did feel a slight bit of déjà vu for those who did not watch TBOY, prince number one because I don't remember his name and his actions nearly perfectly match those of as I called him the asswipe prince or number seven in the other series. Absolutely everything he did the underhanded tricks, trying to kill off his brothers and uncles and everyone else humanly possible just to get that throne, the only difference was that prince asswipe also had the help of the now older SCH who was a completely different person then who we saw here, though we did see the beginning of this person, and it was mentioned by another character how he can go from laughing to talking normally to deadly serious to lethal in a flip of a switch.
Again, because I am a huge fan of the other series I really liked how a lot of that series sons played their fathers or even themselves if they were old enough. The one that took me a little bit to understand was SMY's father because his hair was different and he smiled a lot, and his clothes were different. It took me a few flashbacks to realize that this actor actually played SMY himself in TBOY. The sad part was that they all ended up in An He (trained to be brutal assassins) because someone decided to take it upon themselves to slaughter a town or a clan, and then these boys and girls as children would end up in An He. No one was born to kill.
I loved how they had both the CGI fighting scenes and the regular fighting scenes on wires or even without wires and it was just spectacular. This series was very rich in the storytelling and I'm not going to go into every single bit of it because then what will be your point in watching it. In the timeline of the universe DY goes first, then this one, and then, TBOY; though I do not remember exactly how many years in between each. I'm sure that there are much more knowledgeable viewers in the comment section. Every single character except maybe the two goals had a purpose, and my favorite were the younger family. Once all the trash was gotten rid of subtract of course the original patriarch even though he was a stone cold killer he understood loyalty, which are two things that usually would contradict each other, but in a way he sort of reminded me of the Italian mob. There was even a father-daughter duo. He was part of the organization and she was a miracle physician (they only reunited by accident in the beginning of the episodes,) who fell in love with SMY and vice versa, thankfully romance was not even on the radar, but there were a little glimpse between them and two other side couples, one of which unfortunately perished. The sets, the costumes (all were beautiful), music everything landed as it should've.
Cons: I'd have to say I don't have too many of these things that bugged me. One would be the age difference of certain characters, especially when talking about both DY and TBOY; it seemed like some actors between DY and this one did not change in age at all or this one and TBOY and then you had young prince number two who will eventually become the real emperor already blind, and his sword deity is the same exact age as when he saved him in the third film as an adult so that already does not make sense. I think what they should've done was cast appropriately so you could go with a timeline if that's what you were going with. Also, where did Prince Langya's Frost poison go? For people watching this as a standalone, it may not pop out much but for those that then we'll go on to watch the third series, these age discrepancies will become glaring and confusing. Another glaring issue was I guess you can call them couple number two she was MYM and he was basically the future leader of the Tang clan and they fell in love. Now, in the third series when she recounted their meetings to the Wushuang in the bar, she says every single time we met, which was a total of three times it was because she was going to kill him, which in this series we see is completely false. She came onto him first she was flirting with him until she got him to reciprocate her feelings. She even saved his life a few times as he did hers, so that false narrative is very much unnecessary, especially since in this series, they promised that once all of their obligations were done, they would reunite and be together. I wish this type of writing was more consistent, standalone, or not.
Also, where did ghoul number three go after he was done helping our guys with getting rid of the other two? He literally vanished without a trace and we never saw him for the remainder of the series. It's these types of things that I'm not a fan of. If you're going to have someone who's even remotely important to some kind of cause then you need to exit him out properly.
The other thing I didn't understand was the master of SMY and SCH when she saved SMY she also knew that fire palm thing which was supposedly taboo in their organization and then when she saved BHH a.k.a. SMY's lady, she made her father swear that he could not tell SMY that she was alive. He had to lie and say that she was dead, and that basically went on for 12 years until they reunited and that happened after the ending credits of the last episode for three minutes they did not speak, they stood 10 feet apart like you would see in a Xianxia; which this wasn't. By this time, the third series had ended and An He was disbanded but because for 12 years, he thought she was dead, he had become a shell of his former self and I think it also in a way contributed to SCH getting away with a lot that he did. So that one woman set in motion, a domino effect just because of her studies (or lord knows what) in the medicine valley that harmed so many people. I think it was a good thing that they closed them out with the proper reunion, not just the voiceover before the credits, but they should have at least hugged.
Would I recommend it? I 100% absolutely would. Whether you watch this is a standalone or is in conjunction to the other two or however, you want to watch it. It is wonderful storytelling with rich backgrounds and you really get to know the characters that in series three which happened first were very much on the sidelines because other folks were important. Definitely give it a shot.
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A Classic treat for xianxia Fans
A classic typical xianxia with a Youthful taste to it. the last Immortal had pretty much done a good job in character execution. Turning a simple xianxia plot into something to cherish.With a unique Youthful feel to it. We get characters whom might come off as Annoying In the beginning ( Because of course they're immature youths lol) and then grow into the mature versions of themselves. One you would journey with and root for along the way. Therefore the characterization of this drama was well done and executed. I personally Enjoyed them.
Plot wise, The last Immortal is nothing new to xianxia. It falls under the basic recycling of Cliché xianxia plots. And it didn't fall short in it's worse way, So to say it really execute the classic Cliché Nicely. So typical lovers of the genre can easily find this enjoyable.
A professional intake into the writing Could note that this isn't the best Xianxia script written. but hey, it's not the worse either. and Considering how Outdated the novel it was adapted from is, I think this really did pretty well. Giving the xianxia feel for it's lovers to enjoy. And it's also easy enough for new xianxia watchers to dive in and enjoy.
I think CIG is a idea that varies in taste. Some have their definition of good CGI and some bad. So to say ,I pleasantly Enjoyed the CGI given here. It wasn't the best and most expensive set (Considering how fast and rushed it was shot and released ) but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed most Scenery and the colour contrast was beautiful.
The OST is something I love! It was heartfelt and beautiful and matching to the theme and situation. So I personally enjoyed the Ost a lot! Obviously going to my playlist hehehe.
Overall the last Immortal is a Drama I found myself engrossed into and loved. And a beautiful story with perfect ending that I cherished ( Omg the fact of the last scene of the ending really moved me) So I would certainly recommend this to all interested to check it out. Don't be Fooled by negative remarks, all drama has that. So Check it out for yourself
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1This review may contain spoilers
the best female centered plot
watching The glory was my best decision this month,i started watching this drama as i like female centered revenge plots also i fell for fu yun xi,the chemistry between the leads were firee but they decided not to give us romance,but they gave it at the last episode,it was a good ending guyss,i truly enjoyed thiss,this has the same author as the double so it has similar vibess,i really liked itt,u should watch this asapWas this review helpful to you?
The female lead made me cringe. there were moments that had to make her look mature but failed... The writers probably wanted her seem like strong person- bullied and neglected by a lot of people, but even with such a hard life she keeps being super kind and joyfull, tries her best in school and ect... ok, that is good... but the writer forgot about her behavior. They trully over did it. She acted like a 8 year old girl, she way too cozy in a strangers house . I dont know if the actress (she is good) is in the wrong or the writers. I really tried to force myself to watch this till the very end ... Maybe the drama should have been about the grim reaper, cause I always saw the goblin more as a father figure to the female lead. Its seems creepy and she doesnt help with acting kind of spoiled sometimes. The goblin legit acted like a creep sometime tho, how is that sweet or romantic? I hope that those that liked the drama wont feel bad if they read this~ XD
I just wanna add, that I have seen similar type of "relationship" in real life to the one in the drama. Thats why maybe I am a little triggered. He legit can get registered as an offender (done something or not), cause she is a minor in the start. So ya, think about that and other unwise things Eun Tak did though the drama. Then you will understand maybe why I kind of dislike it :(
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I wanted to like this so bad
I'm currently watching this drama, but dude it got so boring.I had high expectations from this one, but seriously it's like a teen drama with labs, and science.
The plot is kind of interesting but after 25 episodes nothing much has changed. There are some really annoying characters that get too much screen time.
Honestly I have not dropped this drama (yet) because I like de lead actors and still have hope for a more exciting second half, but seriously, right now, the fast-foward button is my BFF.
Just finished and I regret so much that I have spent even one minute watching this. Seriously, the plot has more holes than a sieve.
For, supposedly, smart leads they are SO DUMB and clueless!!
The best "romance" scene with a Lead Actor isn't even between them, it's between the ML and an ex-girlfriend, so even if you are in for the chemistry (no pun intended) you'll get close to zero.
Don't waste your time, this drama is bad.
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The only slump for me was the plot. It was a great plot, beautiful and touching. But the end was..ridiculous. It was stupid. I didn't even cry. All I was thinking was "Are you kidding me?". If that's the kind of end they were supposed to have, why go through so much hassle? I was real disappointed with the end. But overall the plot was good. I might've given this drama a 9 if they had a different ending. I'm not even asking for a happy ending exactly. Just something that makes more sense.
The OST was really good and powerful. The kind that attracts you with it's beautiful voices, not the catchy music. It was great and I want it on my phone!
Overall I feel people should give this drama a try. It's a little underrated here on MDL.
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