I rarely do fast forward when I'm watching but with this--especially scenes & conversations about politics, I just did. I also got disappointed on how they came up with episode 1, it didn't leave any impression at all.
BUT, i loved the sweet moments between Ying Zheng and Gongsun Li especially when GL gave in and finally learned to love YZ
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Pshh.. This is well documented Korean history.
But that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be more to the story than history has to say. Or that the inner motivations of these highly visible personages were ever truly known by more than themselves or a few other people.
In other words, history always gives us this much leeway to make a romance out of nothing. If you want to approach Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love as infallible history, don’t. But if you’re in the mood for a sweeping epic love story set in historical period based more or less on real people– this might be a good drama for you.
We’re certainly not working with highbrow historical revisionism here.
JOJ: Live in Love is a snapshot of Joseon history ca. 1680s. It's a complicated and very violent story of King Sukjong (before, Crown Prince Lee Soon) and his wives/concubines- among whom are some of the most well known female figures of the age, including the famously tragic Queen Inhyun.
JOJ, however is a romantic and simplified spin on what’s probably 10x more complicated than the drama depicts. I’m actually okay with that, because it does a decent job of making all these events make sense in a way that won’t make your head spin.
But it’s also romantic in that the story it tells is exactly opposite from what history tries to tell. Give a quick thought back to last year’s hit drama Queen Inhyun’s Man, and the depiction you get of Jang Ok Jung is of a conniving bitch. So who wants to see Ok Jung get a makeover? Apparently not Korean audiences, because the ratings were just not there. It took an extra dose of romantic scenes to garner interest in the show. I think it’s shame because despite the unconventional retelling, Jang Ok Jung wasn’t all that bad.
The actors were fabulous, particularly Hong Soo Hyun- she just does sageuk figures so well, and I loved how they played with her Inhyun character in tandem with Ok Jung's dramafied character.
Overall, it was compelling. However, this is history, and history has an outcome that won’t be undone by fiction no matter how good your script is. As for the love between Lee Soon and his beloved concubine/queen, I bought it completely. Even within the grounds of how unhistorical it was that King Sukjong could’ve only had one person he ever loved (or even slept with – because, history says he had tons of concubines and a parcel of children). But I liked how the relationship between the two worked as an anchor for the overall political story. Ok Jung was portrayed as smart and wily, King Sukjong as a master politician, and as such their teamwork was a boon to the storyline. It kept things fresh and interesting at least 80% of the time.
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The drama is only 5 episodes long, so there's hardly any boring parts. The background music is amazing. It's so well done and fits the drama and the mood perfectly. I am really looking forward to the OST being released.
Anyway, this is seriously a must-watch. Best japanese drama in a very very long time.
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the cast and the acting was great!
Decibel is a sound terror action film that revolves around a bomb designer who wants to occupy the city center with a special bomb that explodes when the noise increases and a former naval deputy commander who becomes his target.the combination of the great actors was awesome everyone was good.
KRW, JSH, CEW, and of course my dear LJS.(the main and the supporting cast are great)
lee jong suk as a villain is so damn good. same as BM liked the challenge he took for himself and hopes to see it more in the future.
the plot wasn't boring but the storyline felt ordinary, not particular. don't hope for something special well my main reason to watch was LJS and I enjoyed seeing him!
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This review may contain spoilers
NOT A CINDERELLA STORY
A May-December chaebol-poor girl love affair, that to be honest, doesnt offer anything new, that you have to question what's the point of this entire series, if there's anything.This type of story has been done so many times in a K-drama. Its not even a fairy tale, i dont even get why they titled it Cinderella at 2AM - main lead putting on a pair of shoes to the female lead a few times doesnt make it a Cinderella story. It doesnt even draw parallel to the fairy tale title. And why 2 AM, maybe i just dont get the symbolism.
Whats sad is this is such a waste of the talented cast. I dont know why Moon Sang Min's management team chose this project for him, are they trying to sabotage his career? This is very similar to the tone and vibe of Wedding Impossible, even down to his personal styling. Such a waste of a talented actor because we know he can do more. Shin Hyun Been did the most of the heavy lifting in this drama and she is as beautiful as ever and lets just say she did a good job with the material she got.
What's even worse is at only 10 episodes, it still felt too long, with repetitive and extended scenes. I bet they can squeeze everything to 6 to 8 episodes without losing the story. The two office co-workers are so annoying and unnecessary.
There are some hints of discarded gold here - Yoon Park and Park So jin's pairing and love's story was a much more interesting story and could have used a lot more screen time and their characters could have been elevated more to co-lead status. I also feel like they have underused Lee Hyun Woo here because they just conveniently pulled the rug on his storyline just when he is starting to make an impact.
Also, I need to mention I am inlove with the soundtrack! Yeonjun's Boyfriend is so catchy and fits the sh ow perfectly!
Will i reccommend? Not really unless you are big fans of the actors, just watch the soundtrack music video. Will I rewatch? My goodness, no! Is it bad? No not really, but it is also not good enough to make an impact. This is one of those rom-coms that is just there because some producers have money to throw away - for sure I wont event remember it's story after a few months.
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Overrated
Stop writing fluffy reviews about this drama. It's not that good you'll just have backlash because it WON'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS. I went to watch this after seeing the unusual 9.2 and was highly disappointed with how cliché this is. The fans of this are too ride or die and idek why. Probably because of the cute graphics that resemble Tim Burton style but besides that and the autistic character there's nothing special about this show, it's tropes galore and honestly Kim Soohyun performance in this in kinda dull. Yes he's a good crier but besides that his character is not captivating.Was this review helpful to you?
2
1Too good, might as well be the best xianxia this year
This drama is phenomenal. It quickly climbed to my top one rewatch series, and it will surely stay there for a while. I can say that this is the first time I am not utterly disappointed with the FL losing consistency in her mission when she meets the ML. The first time i see a FL so determined to finish her mission and not give it up for love. LYX really is a masterclass actor, he is able to showcase so many different characters and not even one of them looks or behaves the same. Bai Lu also did phenomenally well in bringing me close to her characters. No stupid ML nor FL.ACTORS/ACTRESSES
LYX plays Tantai Jin, Ming Ye, Cang JuiMin and one more character that i will let you find for yourselves. Every character is totally different from the others, you can differentiate them from one another just by the way they walk, talk and look at the female lead. Let me break them down below.
Tantai Jin is our male lead and to an extent, the antagonist. He is a mortal born as the vessel for the Ancient Devil God, aka devil fetus, and he possesses the evil bone needed/ for the resurrection of the ADG. He is a complex character, and the same goes for Cang JiuMin. He was born without feelings and love thread, born to live miserably and get betrayed; all for the ressurection of the Ancient Devil God. And he does not know that truth, he just thinks the world is cruel and ugly, especially to him. Born in Jing Kingdom, he was sent as a hostage prince to Sheng Empire, where he spent the majority of his life in the Cold Palace. He got married to Ye Xi Wu, and continued to suffer. He is utterly cold and unmoved, sinister and calculating, willing to do anything for his survival, and ready to pay you back ten fold if you betray him. He is evil, but we are shown that side of him a less compared to the novel. When Tantai Jin dies, he becomes the Devil God, and that is another character all together. More ruthless and evil than Tantai Jin, the ultimate Devil God that will destroy the four continents and three worlds, not carrying for anything or anyone. More about the Devil God after Cang JiuMin's section.
Ming Ye was the God of War in the Shangqing realm, who was alive 10 000 years prior to the current timeline. He is a dragon from the East Sea. He was the typical XianXia God, detached from worldly desires, but determined to save the world. When he was on the brick of death, he was saved by Sang Jiu, whom he later married. Due to a misunderstanding, he divorced Sang Jiu, ready to die in the upcoming God x Ancient Devil God war. He was again saved by Sang Jiu, who looked after the injured Ming Ye and healed him. You would think after all the misunderstanding they will have their happily ever after, alas their fate had other plans.
Cang JiuMin is an immortal that was saved from the bank of the Nether river by the Xiaoyao sect's master Zhaoyou. He was taught immortal arts, and missed his wife for 500 years. In order to find her soul and resurrect her, he stayed in XiaoYao sect to look for ways to bring his dead wife back to life. He is different from Tantai Jin, but has his memories and is ultimately a changed Tantai Jin. He no longer sees the world as cruel and ugly, he is not evil or sinister, he is a changed person that misses his wife. He meets Li Susu and discovers she was his wife 500 years ago. Alas again fate has other plans.
Devil God TTJ/CJM - this character can also be broken down to 2 different characters - Devil God 2.0 that we see in episode 1, and Devil God 3.0 that will greet us around the last 5 episodes of the drama. The difference between 2.0 and 3.0 is like the moon and the sun. Devil God 2.0 is more cruel and ruthless than TTJ, he cares about nothing and no one, he wants to destroy the world as the world only showed him cruelty and misery. Devil God 3.0 is a Devil that loves the world and loves Li SuSu. A Devil God that has only one mission - save the world that Li SuSu loves so much.
Bai Lu plays Ye Xi Wu, Sang Jiu and Li SuSu. Here again you can differentiate between the three characters, with the difference that Li SuSu goes back in time and resides in the body of Ye Xi Wu.
Li Susu is our female lead. She is the daughter of the Hengyuan sect's leader Qu Xuanzi. She is the dearest daughter of Qu Xuanzi and she is protected and spoiled by him. She is called The Lady of Spirituality as her body is the purest immortal body that cannot be tainted by evil. Li SuSu is a complex character. She witnessed the wiping of the immortal world and the death of her family first hand. They could only send her back to time to stop the birth of the Devil God. When she goes back to 500 years ago and meets Tantai Jin, she is even more determined to stop him and finish her mission. Bare in mind she does not have to kill him, but destroy the evil bones. And she does everything she can to finish this mission, even if it costs her life as Ye Xi Wu.
Sang Jiu was the clam princess that lived 10 000 years ago during the time Ming Ye lived. She was in love with Ming Ye as she witnessed him defend the Mo River from the demons. She is born a demon, but with divine essence, meaning she can ascend to godhood. The clam clan is neutral towards both gods or demons. After Ming Ye almost dies, Sang Jiu saves him, but pays a price for that decision. She marries Ming Ye, but due to misunderstandings she ends up getting divorced. She saves Ming Ye yet again, but ends up paying a greater price for the decision of saving Ming Ye time and time again.
Ye Xi Wu is the body that Li SuSu ends up in when she goes back to 500 years ago. She is the daughter of the Ye family - a noble family. She is also the wife of TTJ. The original Ye Xi Wu was cruel to everyone and utterly spoiled by her family. She was also bullying TTJ. When Li SuSu ends up in her body, she is determined to finish her mission. She may seem cruel to TTJ, but that all is because she needs to save the world from the destruction TTJ will bring if he dies with the evil bones intact. It is thanks to her we end up seeing Cang JiuMin in the immortal world.
CDL plays Ye BingChan, Tian Huan and Mo Nv, she is an antagonist throughout her 3 roles.
YBC is the sister of YXW and a daughter of aconcubine. She loves no one but herself, and is the reason for so many of the things that happen to TTJ, YXW and Xiao Lin. She is married to Xiao Lin, but she is constantly insecure and paranoid Xiao Lin will leave her.
Tian Huan was a fairy in the Shangqing realm, who was in love with Ming Ye. She is the daughter of the previous God of War and Ming Ye's master. She is utterly despicable and the reason for everything that happens to MY and SJ.
Mo Nv is a drought demon that was saved from the immortals by the Ancient Devil God and made into an umbrella. She was send to the mortal world for 10 lifes so she can rebuild her soul. She has memories of her life as YBC and is in love with GYJW.
DW as Xiao Lin, Sang You and Gong Ye Ji Wu.
Xiao Lin is the crown prince of the Sheng Empire. He is righteous, honorable, and a pure person. He is married to YBC, whom he loves.
Sang You is the clam demon prince and brother of Sang Jiu. He is the closest to Sang Jiu and often ends up protecting her from harms.
Gong Ye Ji Wu is the senior sect brother of Li SuSu. His character goes through a change that makes us as an audience not stand him.
SZN as Pian Ran
Pian Ran is a nine tailed fox demon that once loved a mortal. She lost her love thread when he died. She is alluring and cunning, sweet and cute, and all in all behaves like a fox. She meets Ye Qing Yu and gradially falls in love with him. Pian Ran lost 2 of her tails when she escaped the Barren Abyss, the place where demons reside.
GYT as Ye Qing Yu
Ye Qing Yu is the second brother of YXW, a comandable general on the battlefield. He meets Pian Ran and falls for her. He is also the type of person that will wake you up if you try to delude yourself - the wake up alarm if you will. He is really honorable and upright.
Every point from acting, costumes, OST, CGI, FX is really well made. This drama brings the whole genre one stage up, not level but stage up. It is so well done that you would not get bored as every character is intresting. The main plot has almost no plot holes, but due to it being cut down from 54 episodes to 40, there are many scenes missing in the immortal part of the drama. Nevertheless, i would say the drama follows the novel for about 65 to 70%, with changes here and there, but the overall main plot is consistent with the novel one.
Rewatch value: 10/10
You can try the drama for yourself and see if it's your cup of tea. Happy watching!
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Not a 10/10 for me
If you’re wondering whether to start this drama, just know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And just because I expressed my different opinion about this drama, I received hate from those who loved it. But that’s ok, it’s contrary to popular opinion and I guess some just cannot have an open mind.The pace and the storyline is quite fast and interesting. I did not really fancy the first 25 episodes. The general storyline of starting university, facing its ups and downs was fine. However I could not like the ML and the way he treated the people around him. And the way the FL just followed him like a puppy just didn’t sit right w me. Episodes 26-36 was much better as it showed more maturity and development in most of the characters.
The one I felt most sorry for was Lao Gao. Yes, what he did was terrible, very malicious and downright horrible. BUT… I do believe Li Xun had a part to play in how he turned out to be. And the fact that till the very end- Li Xun was not even a little bit remorseful of how he treated Lao Gao during the early days was truly sad.
Li Xun was the most disappointing character of all. At the start of uni, he was arrogant, tactless, self-absorbed and narcissistic. After going to prison for 3 years, you would have thought that he would change, be more humble, learn a tough lesson in life no? Truly.. no. He comes out of prison, he’s still the same incorrigible stubborn a**hole. He even admitted it himself. There were many many things he could have done better:
1) Treated his teammates in his IT club with more respect, more courtesy and be less condescending. That is a mark of a good leader.
2) He should have treated Zhu Yun with more dignity and respect. Instead of doing things his own way, he shld have been open and honest and letting her decide and make her own choices. Not manipulate the situation “for her own good”.
3) Zhu yun- in a way I respect her for sticking by his side. She could get past all his flaws and “help” him become a better man. But in that manner, I felt she lost her own self respect and what could have been a different future.
4) make more effort in trying to convince ZY parents. At least show them how much he loves her, that he will take care of her etc.. after all, that’s what most parents want for their children anyway. That assurance. nope nothing… didn’t even try. Or try harder. Ok the mum was over board and pretty much condescending (just like LX) and prejudiced towards him as well. But I did not agree with them getting married just like that behind the parents back.
The ML had a god-like complex, where he thinks he is the best and he is superior. If he had changed towards the end of the drama (which had some hints of it around Epi 30-34) but come 35/36 again he showed his superiority, I may have liked him more ;)
Anyhow, in conclusion: the drama itself is quite good. I just won’t glorify the ML’s character and behaviour or agree with his actions. So it’s not your typical hero/ fantastic/ romantic/ “perfect” ML, FL.. just watch with an open mind:)
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Suzy is somewhat not that effective here for me. I was really amazed with how she acted in Anna and I can see her improvement there but this time around it was hard watching her crying because she is bad at it. I don't know maybe I expected a lot from her already.
The ending is bad, I am really not satisfied with it. I'm happy that they release all episodes in a day because I don't think I would watch this ongoing.
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Toxic badass FL, Doormat ML ..
At the beginning I was so happy finally The FL has a Self_esteem, Dignity, freestyle- I'm tired of Stupid, weak and Humiliated Girls who lose her mind, insults herself with Embarrassing acts for crush And love in C-Dramas ..
but Unfortunately, Good things never Complete ..The ML is a Doormat, keep insulting himself for Her. fr !!!!
I think Chinese Writers have some issues, I piss off of Thier writing, Either they create an Arrogant ML insults the stupid FL OR a toxic badass FL insults the dump ML . They have to know what DIGNITY and Healthy relationship means.
I bet no one of those writers were in a relationship Before that's why they don't know HOW to write a Light and creative Love story
I really can't handle FL , she keep hanging out with her Ex then blame ML for literally NOTHING and made him apologize !!!!!!!
FL take advantage of all Males around her (Her boyfriend, Ex , Firefighters.....etc) for her Damn store ..
I like ML's friend he's so cute and funny.. the decorations in drama are amazing as well , FL outfits are chef kiss .. this is the only things I like
for me I didn't see any romance scene made.me flutter or something ..
- let's see EP 14, hope it will get better but I don't think so
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The lead acting was mediocre at best. I compliment Goo Hye Sun on her improvement, but it wasn't enough to warrant another lead role. I desperately wish Ahn Jae Hyeon had stuck to modeling and minor roles, because I'm left with a sour resentment towards his involvement in this drama that will take a long time to heal. The supporting cast was average and unmemorable, bordering on uncomfortable to watch. The exception is Son Soo Hyeon, who made the best of a lack luster character.
Musically, Blood neither excelled nor stood out. The scores were overused enough that when a certain tune began, you could predetermine the outcome of the accompanying scene. The OST features boring ballads, certainly nothing I would want hear of my own volition.
In order to re-watch Blood, I would have to be offered money. Even then, it would take a heavy amount of consideration based on both how much money I was being offered, and how little else I had to do at the time.
I'm left with feelings of resentment, but at who, I don't know. Maybe the writers, for attempting to pass of this untenable excuse of a story. Maybe at myself, for excusing Blood's flaws until it was too late to quit.
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I had fun!
I'll keep this review short and say people are haters.This was a delightful show. A generic but unique storyline, with well-written characters, a great cast with superb acting, an OST that complimented the show so well and aesthetically pleasing cinematography. It was well-paced, consistent, short and sweet. The show was extremely warm and fluffy. I found myself smiling, giggling, swirling my toes, laughing and internally screaming at how cute, fun and funny it was. If you are looking for a simple, cute and enticing storyline, then this is the show for you.
If you don't like romance then this show is not for you. Simple.
People were just so salty about the age gap that the rating ended up very low. There are plenty of dramas that have the same agenda but apparently this was a world crisis.
If you are an open-minded person you might enjoy this, don't ponder over the other bad reviews and just go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it. I won't go into extensive detail about the show because it's not very complex and it's better to see it for yourself. However, I believe that the show dealt with relationships and break-ups in an insightful and somewhat relatable manner.
I 10/10 would recommend and watch again!
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This review may contain spoilers
Tune in for laughter & second-hand embarrassment! Starts off with a bang but eventually peters out.
Ep 1: The leads look so good & they are funny! It starts with a fake police (our FL) handcuffing our sweet Mobster with toy handcuffs for a crime he didn't commit. The FL is really gutsy and crazy! First meet, she mistakes him for a guy who tried to harm a waiter with a broken bottle. Second meet, she thinks he is stealing money from the kids! As if the handcuffs were not enough, she hits him in the head from the back and runs away! She is waring a mascot getup for her part time job. The ML thinks she sells drugs because he mistook the kid candies she had for drugs. You know a drama is good when you want the first episode to be longer than 1 hour. The SML also seems to be connected to these somehow, we'll find out how. The Thirsty Deer gang is so fun to watch.Ep 2: Damn the FL has a very overactive imagination! I still can't believe she let go of him when he was about to fall. Poor guy can't seem to catch a break when he is around her. And he is already falling for her. Wow, his guy gang just couldn't take a hint that he wanted them to get out. Okay this episode was a little less crazy than the previous one, but it was nice. I honestly like the leads a lot, all three of them. I wonder what's up with the SML. Is he really the Hyeon U, she has been searching for. Their history sounds interesting. I wonder what happened between the two & if he remembers her.
Ep 3: I was watching binge-watching the cdrama "Story of Kunning Palace", so catching up on this episode was a sudden change of genres & language for me. I thought the intensity of Kunning palace might make me loose interest in this drama (I didn't want that to happen), but thankfully the ML did something that was in character for him to do, the map of India no Indonesia. He clearly was so bothered that Yeong asked her to call him if she wanted to go on a drive sometimes. Yeong knows the effect he has on women and he uses it well. Oh man, he is so adorable with the coat thing! Okay this episode was lovely & next one looks even better.
Ep 4: Okay both ML & SML made me laugh at the strangest things they did. The slide scene reminded me of Lovely Runner's slide scene where Sun Jae was trying to hide from Im Sol. I don't like FL's coworker who tried to humiliate her. Even though she is doing good career wise, she wants to bully FL because she holds something against her (No reason has been provided so far) Here's to hoping that the Thirsty Deer Crew doesn't hire her but chose to work with FL because she truly seems to care about the children.
Ep 5: These two cuties are making it so fun to watch. I'm sure no one watching the drama is Kang Ye Na's fan. From the way things are going, it is clear that Ji Hwan is Eun Ha's childhood sweetheart. But the change of name and another Hyeon U taking fancy to her needs to be explained so have to wait for the revelation. The names of the gangs are so funny, we have Bull Dog & then Meow/Kitty. That kiss was so unexpected, I wish all of it was shown from the front and not back but we'll make do. Ji Hwan's reaction was worth watching!
Ep 6: Oh, I wonder if the thing between Ju Il Yeong & Koo Mi Ho is going anywhere. He did seem like someone who has a way with women so it is hard to figure out if he is looking for than a fling. Koo Mi Ho was attracted by his looks so not yet sure she feels anything tangible as well. But they looked good together. That one flashback we got was so damn steamy & far too short. Ji Hwan is one of a kind, with the way he started flaunting his shoulders. The preview for next week's episodes look sad, I wonder where it is going.
Ep 7 & Ep 8: Ah so there's the explanation about how he is her childhood sweetheart. So the prosecutor with the same name is such a big coincidence. The gang is all so silly. Ju Il Yeong pulled the it was a mistake card! (facepalm) Poor Mi Ho was so embarrassed. I wonder how she ended up in the same hospital room as he did in the first few episodes. Ji Hwan trying to protect Miss Minnie but it is in vain. What have we learned from watching countless similar plots? They end up admitting their feelings anyways! Next week's previews look exciting, however, they seem to need liquid courage to kiss each other.
Ep 9 & Ep 10: Ji Hwan is being so frustrating. I love Ko Mi Ho, the way she confronted what made her uncomfortable was gold. I wish they had focused more on this second relationship. Oh my, episode 10 gave me lot of second hand embarrassment. Wow there, even though I like corny scenes some of these were too over the top. At least, they did not fail to give me shivers or make me laugh. I knew it was Mi Ho's test! Whose else could it have been? Ji Hwan can barely kiss Eun Ha without fainting (Lol). We finally see some sort of reciprocation of feelings from Ju Il Yeong, even though right now they are borne out of jealousy. The pregnancy might complicate things or help them out.
Ep 11 to Ep 16: Right now, I'm more interested in Mi Ho's and II Yeong's story than the main leads, because it is getting a bit too corny even for me. I think they missed the right balance here. The last two episodes were kinda sweet for the main leads, they were finally back to adorable. I think halfway through the drama lost its appeal for me. This should have been a shorter 10 or 12 episodes drama. I did adore the dynamics between Hyugnim and his bros. Enjoyed Mi Ho's love story till the end. Had they toned down the crazy a little bit the leads story would have been better. I hope to see more of Uhm Tae Goo from now on.
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Unnecessary deaths for the side characters done in a very unappealing way
First of all, I will make myself clear that I didn't watch the Donghua or read the Manhua. Nor did I watched Red Moon Pact. I only jump into this because I saw this Drama on my recommendation online and Neo Hou is in this one (but alas, he was a cameo and he died in episode 2).Second of all, I will make this clear for those who read this review of mines, if you love the drama and give this a 10/10 then good for you, congrats for finding something you love and enjoyed, when I said this I am being genuine, and not sarcastic, I won't judge you for loving this drama, BUT if you judge me for not liking this drama towards the end in writing perspective, and not giving this a full 10/10 then I WILL judge you for this because you are judging me first and not respecting how we all are entitled to our own preferences on what we like and dislikes.
We all watch the same drama, but can interpret certain scenes differently, just because we find certain scenes questionable, it doesn't mean we didn't pay attention to the explanation provided BUT it just means we don't agree with it, and we question why the writers have to handled it this way since it could be done better.
Now, with all that being said, time for my review, and I will try to maybe summarize my feelings, and will (try!) to keep my review short (although I doubt it since I have a tendency to express in lengthy reviews to express my feelings).
Acting-wise, I won't go into the full cast, since that will be long (like I said, I will try to keep this short). There's a few familiar faces here, and one of them, I will have to say Joe Ma. He surprised me to see him in this drama since I grew up watching him in TVB (Hong Kong) dramas, but in this one, he was given a role as Wangquan (Hong Ye and Zui's father). Although he can be considered more as a guest actor in this one.
Zhang Yun Long did an excellent job in portraying Wangquan Hong Ye. I actually didn't mind the mask he was wearing at the beginning since it makes it more mysterious than just a half face mask like the others was wearing. In terms of pairing chemistry, I do like him with Dongfang Huaizhu (played by Liu Shishi). But I didn't like the kiss scenes between them because they are those "dead fish" kiss scenes as we call it. So honestly, if they can't give us a decent kiss scene, than perhaps it is good to go without it imo, since they still have chemistry with expressing their love without these kiss scenes so that in itself, shows them having chemistry.
Ding Yuxi role as Zhang Zheng is among my favourite character in this Drama, I found him appealing at the beginning when he made his brief appearance and I was looking forward to his scenes. When we finally got those scenes, I came to like him even more and his backstory with Mu Yuan (played by Meng Ziyi). They have a nice backstory that built up to them being together as a couple, and I was so excited for Zhang Zheng to finally join the Mask Group, since I always wanted him to, so you bet how happy I was when he was finally part of the Mask Group. But that happiness didn't last because how the writers handled his ending really just ignored all the growth and developments he went through, which is why I found it so off-putting that they have Zhang Zheng (played by Ding Yuxi) go through that growth to FINALLY accept and allow himself to be happy and right after that he was killed off. What pissed me off and annoys me is he wouldn't have died like that if it weren't for Mu Yuan(the woman he loves) being manipulated and controlled by the Black Fox... I hate these tropes to have the couple from one side kill the other.. that's the worst kind of ending for me...
I was totally cheering and praising Zhang Zheng for breaking free of his own inner darkness and then he got given that ending... He didn't lost or died because he was weak against the Black Fox (since he was able to break free from the control and manipulation) he died because he was killed by the woman(Mu Yuan) he loves, because he didn't want to attack or kill her and he let his guard down when she put that sword through him and when she pushed it in even further, I don't want to watch it anymore!!!
What's worst is, the writer wrote a similar scenario for my other favourite couple, being Yitan and Wangquan Zui. This pairing is really likeable, and I really hope they got their happy ending but this was another pairing the writers made one side kill the other due to the manipulation.
I honestly hate these tropes and I cannot express just how much it actually ruined the pairing strong love for each other because it really made me question was their love for the other person not strong enough to overcome the darkness at all? They didn't even display a sign of struggle to show they want to break out of the control on their side... Was there no light or love in them at all to show their struggles in wanting to overcome this darkness when they are facing the person they love?! But how it ended was their love wasn't strong enough and the darkness took full control where both Mu Yuan and Yitan kill the one person they love....
The writers really did give them the worst ending possible and yeah I hate how it turned out and nothing can change how I feel about those two scenes of having the pairing of one side kill the other...
Also, I felt part of their downfall was because of Yitan was being controlled when he broke their barrier....but then he was being controlled, so can't blame him(?!) BUT it doesn't mean I enjoy it because I didn't like it on my end for what happened.
Give me a break honestly, they all just happened at the same time, that it is hard to sink all this in!! These Deaths and being killed off on our beloved characters is SO UNJUSTIFIABLE, and they are NOT my favourite trope when characters I like being controlled and do things that will hurt them in the long run!
You know what the irony here is? when people were complaining about the deaths of the side characters in Moonlight Mystique but at least in Moonlight Mystique, the death has meaning behind it, and it is not killing off for the sake of killing off and each character deaths have an important role to shine, also, in Moonlight Mystique, they were given hope they will come back later but in Love in Pavilion?! NO, they are gone/dead!!
In Love in Pavillion, how their deaths was handled is everyone just died so tragically in the worst way possible and it makes us question and brings realization to us that their death wouldn't have happened if they believe in that light in their heart where they can break free of Black Fox darkness. Just like evidently how Zhang Zheng had darkness entered into him, but he managed to break free from Black Fox manipulation because he was strong enough, but the others who gets manipulated (and controlled) is like a contrast to how each person have darkness (or hatred) inside of them, which gives Black Fox the ability to take control of them. I don't like this, I mean I get the logic behind it, but how the writers handled it like this (the deaths of everyone in the mask group except Wangquan Hongye and Qu Zhou) is NOT my cup of tea. They are my honest feelings here.
So as much as I like and enjoyed the drama at the beginning to midpoint, the drama just went downhill and lose a lot of points towards the end. After they killed of Zhang Zheng, Mu Yuan, Yitan and Wangquan Zui, I already don't feel like finishing it but I kept to it since I love the main pairing but then again the writers have to do questionable things that made me question 'Why!' And they were certain actions I don't like what I saw in how the plot was handled in 'that scene' when Hongye came to rescue Huaizhu, he really should have used that opportunity to kill Jin Ren Feng, this was something I wish was done better but didn't, how the writers handled that scene, in the end lead to the death of Huaizhu because of the poor decisions made by the writers choice in pissing off the viewers, and how Huaizhu explained in her dying moments that when Jin Renfeng gave her a hit to try and stop her bloodline and from then on she's been losing her life force. This really puts emphasis in that point that IF things were done better in 'that scene' when HongYe came to save her, than perhaps Huaizhu wont die...This was indirectly highlighting it in a subtle way that the writers handled it poorly. If not, then their ending will not be subjected to this tragedy.
Sure, it was explained that Hongye lost a lot of power after killing the Black Fox, but I don't see that at all. Honestly, Hongye came into the scene displaying his powerful aura, despite his original sword broke but the real Wangquan sword appeared and with the help of the forces he gathered in that scene, you can't expect me to believe he is not strong enough(with the others help also) to fend off and defeat Jin Ren Feng right? Yes, it was explained Jin Ren Feng took his master sacred fire etc, but I don't see him as that strong if he have to use underhanded method to poison Huaizhu first which shows he was a coward, so this is what I don't like, the writers just let that bastard Jin Ren Feng off for the sake of the plot device added to give a reason to kill off Huaizhu later, which Huai Zhu provided the explanation on why she was dying, so knowing this, the drama DID lose its charm for me near the end...
I just felt like there is no real purpose for the writers to do this or go this direction, except to make it tragic for the sake of it being tragedy and this is what I don't like... Unnecessary deaths...
Well in the end, I know I might be a minority but I am not happy with how the drama was handled near the end. I know some people likes it but I don't so this is my personal journey from watching this drama. Don't come to my review and try to justify the actions and decisions by how the plot was handled near the end, and don't judge me for feeling differently to you. Like I said at the beginning of my review, I won't judge people in loving this drama, so don't judge me for feeling differently to you because I don't like how things were handled near the end for my reasons provided. We can watch the same drama but feel differently. We are allow to feel differently since everyone is different. What appeals to you doesn't mean it appeals to me. I question how it was handled because I don't agree with those actions...
Characters sacrificed so much and in the end they can't get their happy ending. Poor Wangquan Hongye lost everything in the end and I really cried when he was grieving everyone's death. I feel so sorry for him, he had finally found his light and happiness to move on with Huaizhu when he found out she's pregnant, he finally got that light again and smile and look forward to their child being born and him raising their child together with Huaizhu and then Huaizhu being killed off.... and her explanation to why she was dying was because of that 'one scene' is why I didn't like how the scene was handled when Hongye go save her from that bastard Jin Ren Feng. In the end, it was another tragic and unnecessary death IMO. The writers is so cruel...
I don't know if I will watch this again. Maybe on the scenes I like and pretend the ending for this drama ended at this certain point before they fought against the black fox...
Also an honorable mention to Jiu Huo and Jia Lan. I can't believe I am feeling this way but their tragic backstory grow on me when I learned about their past and story. To me I actually separated the Jia Lan from the past from the Black Fox version of her since the original Jia Lan had love and she was sincere towards Jiu Huo but the reborn her is pure evil. Poor Jiu Huo, I did got teary in that scene when he died though especially all he ever wanted was to bring her back since he loved her. Its a dark couple but appealing one.
All the best to future watchers. For me, I certainly won't be recommending this unless you want to see all your fav characters die in the worst way possible, in a very unjustified manner too IMO.
Maybe if I have watched the Donghua or Read the Manhua (the original source) then I can come into this being prepared, but no I didn't so how the ending was handled was a slap to the face for someone who enjoyed and like the story and characters from the beginning...
In the end, how do I summarize this drama? Your hardwork doesn't gets paid off and reward you with the happy ending. You persevere only to found out that you are destined to not have a happy ending. What you fought for or believed in only to end with sacrifices that rewards you with this sad ending. To me, this is NOT a happy ending, I wouldn't even call it Bittersweet either. It is more of a Sad ending, although I felt it more like a Bad Ending at the end, I don't care if this continues to the sequel, I just want the characters I love to get their happy ending first and next generation second. They deserve it. We (as viewers) deserve this after following the Drama since release date!
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