Reviews

Roller coaster ride

Yes it was a roller coaster ride. It was boring, frustrating, interesting, good, frustrating and wtf in just 5 episodes. Can I just say how annoyed I have always been with kurumi’s character and how Hibiki kept chasing after her, killing everyone who followed him in the process indirectly. (Yes people died for their love story, good characters, just so kurumi could be reunited or rescued). Didn’t realise Asuha was another frustrating character they added so we don’t miss kurumi.

There were moments that made this so good. And instead of keeping it good and interesting they ended the season in the most frustrating way with such dumb writing and literally useless deaths which could have been avoided had charters been given a chance to actually think.

Kimi seka really kills off people in the most useless way. Maybe trying to follow the Game of Thrones example of characters die, but not in such dumb annoying ways when there was no gain from it. Or I think in zombie verse of Kimi seka people die pretty easily for dumbest reasoning lead characters could think of.

Good to see some familiar faces from earlier season but even their appearance didn’t save the show.

So yea overall it just became a killing frenzy once again, but this time it was this close to being a really good season.
Yea I need to go eat some thing good to get rid of this frustration I am feeling after watching the ending.

P.s. if I were to make a poll who would be more annoying, kurumi or Asuha.

Read More

Not Like Your Typical Thriller KDrama

If I'm being honest, I watched this without knowing anything besides the fact that Wi Ha Joon was in it. Bro, go watch it. It's so good and the story, characters, and production is very inspiring. The cast is perfect, the story is perfect. The ending is also really impactful, and you can take in a lot from this drama. I can't even describe how I felt after watching it. Usually after finishing a drama, I would want there to be more in the story. But the ending felt empty but complete, not in a bad way. The actors made me feel some type of way, especially Wi Ha Joon. The story his character had and how he interprets Jung Ki Chul is the best. (Also, very attractive). But anyways, 10/10 for sure and totally recommend because the story isn't basic, and the writing is far from bad.

Read More

Best Fricking Thriller K Movie!

I've only seen a few clips, so I didn't know if the movie would meet my expectations. However, it very much went beyond it! Everything was pieced together so well, and I truly enjoyed it. I could and would definitely rewatch this. Each scene was so captivating, and the ending was pleasant and pleasurable. The characters are interesting in a good way! I can't express how much I LOVE this movie, especially since thriller is my all-time favorite genre. I was always looking for this type of thriller with this insane serial killer with interesting characters, and I've finally found it. I've got to give credit to the cast, director, writers, and producer. You can tell everyone's efforts and hard work made into this film. This is just a 10/10 masterpiece.

Read More

China needs more Esports dramas

This drama blew my expectations of what a Chinese drama could be. I didn't think an esports drama could be as good as Falling Into Your Smile. TLDR: The story could use some work with some points of the story being drawn out and some points being not as well explained, but I think the story overall was still really good. The acting, on the other hand, was lackluster but still better compared to some of the other competition. I think the music from WayV and Seventeen fit the theme of the story with perfection. What makes this drama stand out over dramas like Love 020 and Kings Avatar, however, is it's rewatch value because this drama has so many small details that you can miss. To any new C-Drama watcher, I definitely recommend this drama.

Story - 9/10
The story is quite good in general, however there are sections that aren't really explained in much detail. I find Cheng Xiao's character to be written quite poorly. I don't think there is quite as much character development in her. The only character development the story gets is with the Korean player defeating her in the game, however, the plot point really misses the mark towards the conclusion of the story arc. I don't think it takes away from the story quite enough to deduct points but its something that I marked down on my notes. I think the supporting cast like Lao Mao and Lao K could have gotten more screentime. They have some really funny bits but I feel like it could have been expanded upon even more, but when they were on the screen, it was absolutely excruciatingly funny. I also find the female and male lead to have really nice interactions throughout the story. That's why although there are some sections where the writing could have been better, the general gist of the story was well done and there was good, funny bits from the supporting case which deserves a 9.

Acting - 8/10
Cheng Xiao is a great singer. She's a great entertainer, but she doesn't belong in acting. I know it sounds harsh, but her acting felt out of place throughout the show in some places. I don't she shouldn't ever act again, but I don't think it was as polished in this show. With that said, I think she has a lot of potential to be one of if not the best singer turned actor in modern C-Drama history. I can see the potential in the emotional scenes. When they hit, they hit really hard. I think Xu Kai's acting was the same as all of his other roles. He has this cold hearted man turned nice role in the majority of his shows which I find somewhat peculiar. It doesn't take away from his role in this show since it fits the show perfectly and his acting was some of the best I have ever seen from him, and believe me when I say I've seen a ton of shows from him. The supporting cast was definitely the best casting and acting I have ever seen in a modern C-Drama, especially Xiao Pang. He has a really big range from being emotional in one scene to being cute to being hilarious. All of that said, the acting was good in general, but I think there are some points deducted from Cheng Xiao, but I definitely think if this drama was done in 2024, this category would definitely be better. Waiting for Cheng Xiao's next role, hope she proves me right.

Music - 9.5/10
The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful. I don't think there could have been another original soundtrack that could have beaten the one they had for Falling Into Your Smile. I also really enjoyed the features from bands like WayV and Seventeen making appearances. I think their songs fit each Esports team's main idea. If you read the lyrics, it adds extra details to how each team adds. I like the extra marketing effort with Everytime by WayV and FNATIC. I think it was really cool to see an actual esport team represent in an esports drama for one of the very first times, despite the drama surrounding it (I don't really know what its about so if someone could explain that would be great). I also thought the Chinese bands did a great job for ZGDX team theme which in Chinese was a really good sample of past music for gaming. The subtle hints to League of Legends were amazing and brought me back to League's hayday. The only reason why this category is not a 10/10 is because sometimes they overplay the music. I think the only reason why I don't have the songs from this drama on repeat is because of how many times they repeated them in the actual drama.

Rewatch Value - 10/10
There is absolutely no question with this. I know many people don't like rewatching this drama. To those people who don't like to rewatch this drama, you aren't a real critic. You don't recognize the best parts and small details in this drama like how you can see the FNATIC players stream and how he donated to the FL. There were many different small details that people could have missed. I loved rewatching this drama to find the small details that I didn't see the first or second time. I feel like more people would agree if they actually rewatched this. I think the wholesome love between the FL and ML were made to a ripe perfection that can't be matched.

Read More

Love after reincarnation, a risky plot

It started out pretty good, but then the plot became so much weirder, and so did the age gaps. It's like Until We Meet Again (TH drama) if it was straight and didn't give a fuck about morality, so I wish it had expanded more when it comes to the connection between characters, like you know, the "love" lingers, but it takes different forms now, the characters still appreciate each other, but don't try to get together again, as a couple. That just left a bitter aftertaste.
Random commentary:
* They should've hired more actors to play their older selves, that one scene where they call Meguro "middle-age looking" while he looked exactly the same was insane.
* It was hard at the beginning to hate Tanaka Kei's character, but his acting was so good I genuinely wanted to punch him, specially when he's chasing them in the car, the face--- pure sickness.
* The soundtrack was pretty solid, it was also a very sweet surprise to hear Arimura Kasumi's voice in the credits.
* The acting was pretty good, I don't think I need to say that. Though the child actresses disappointed me a little, but that's a given I suppose.
It's not that bad overall but because of the plot I don't think I would ever rewatch it.

Read More

Highly recommend

I loved it then, I still love it now. I rewatched it after a long time, I remember when i first watched it, I enjoyed it so much that i recommended it to many many people. I still feel the same way, I could still smile so big and get excited for every scene. This is absolutely perfect, and i would say realistic, a beautiful introduction to whoever is curious enough about it. I love how it looked closely and carefully to every single thing. how you can find information, how you can start, how you can and should treat, how feelings are apart from orders and you can't force love, how you should take responsibilities for the decisions you make for instance the one night stands. It tried to comfort people who belong to the group that they're just fine. It went beyond my expectations. The movie was and is absolutely perfect.

Read More

A Darker & More Mature Sequel

I thoroughly enjoy this so much. As opposed to popular sentiment, I love this season more than Season 1. People has been complaining about how this season is much more serious and lacking the ligheartedness of the previous season. But I think that's what make it outstanding.

All of the QiZhai members have been facing so much tragedies and losses (Yuan Zhongxin's beloved brother's tragic death, Zhao Jian also lost her father, Ya Nei's dad is in exile, and the death of their mentor, Lu GuanNian) it's only natural the tone is a lot more somber and they are getting more mature. If after all that they have faced & they still act like they did at the beginning of S1, the writer simply fail at character development.

The Good:

1. The Antagonists

Li Yuan Hao is such a menacing & vile villain but also intriguing at the same time. You want him dead yet a little part of you want him to survive. The actor did such a great job portraying the charismatic tyrant and he also a good looking guy with a beautiful smile (d*mn that smile *aggressively fanning myself).

I also love Yuan Tian Guan character. Not sure if he counts as antagonist but anyway. For me, him and Yuan Hao are the real scene stealers. I sat straight whenever both of them appeared on the screen bcs I know some real stuff was about to go down. Yuan Tian Guan is an abusive dad, no question. But the way he was protecting Yuan Zhongxin in secret is just classic dad move.

His method is extreme & ruthless, but once you get to know the real reasons behind his action, you kind of get him. He is the type of person that you just can't take his words at face value but rather you have to observe his action. When he showed up during the final showdown, I was so excited I literally screamed "yass papa yuan!"

Lu Nanshan is also good. He was so unintentionally funny. Despite his plan to betray the QiZhai, he was still willing to lend them money and it was a lot of money too! I love that scene. Ya Nei is really something else.

2. The Plot

I think the plot of S2 is a lot more tighter and well written compares to S1. The thing about S1 is the plot twist felt contrieved and forced most of the time. The whole time I was like "where the hell did that coming from??" But in this season, the plot twists are actually reasonable and make sense.

The storlyline is also a lot darker with a lot of tragedies. If S1 is a teenager espionage story, S2 is a proper wuxia drama.

3. The acting & casting

I don't know who the casting director is but I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I am obviously dissappointed that Bruce couldn't make it as Ya Nel bcs he was so iconic. But the new guy is surprisingly good. They did a great job casting someone that resembles Bruce (although he looks younger and thinner) so I didn't really have a hard time readjusting to the new face. I also love how Lu Nanshan actually kind of look like Lu Guan Nian. They definitely look like father and son.

The acting has improved a lot esp for Su Xiaotong. The scene where she stopped Wang Kuan's bleeding was so convincing and heartbreaking. You can feel all the emotions played out on her face.

The Bad:

1. Slow Start

I almost gave up halfway through the first ep bcs of how slow it was. Glad I persisted bcs once they arrived at Helan Mountain, the pace was improving.

2. Forced Humour

The humour among the QiZhai is there but it felt really awkward most of the time. The Wei royal family surprisingly did a great job with the comedic part.

3. Atrocious Eng Sub

I know it has nothing to do with the story itself but really Mango TV, you can't even hire a decent translator?? The only eps with decent subs are 1-4 and 25 & 26. Why the inconsistency?? I rely solely on context clue and my very minimal knowledge of mandarin chinese to get through most of it. Don't be stingy and hire a proper translator. Non-chinese speakers cdrama fans are actually doing a lot of free marketing in this era of social media so make a good use of it.

So, overall, I love it!

Read More

Thriller Family Melodrama at its Best

Two mothers with different agendas and priorities!

MBC’s “Bitter Sweet Hell” pulls off hijinks in the most egregious manner possible; it can be considered as a journey of maternal love but from two different perspectives. While Hong Sa Kang keeps a tight rein on her only son, Dr. Choi Jae Jin; No Yeong Won gives her son, Do Hyun the breathing space he needs. Both love their sons but in different ways and this familial love becomes the cruz of this family melodrama. Starring a ginormous casting like Kim Hee Sun, Lee Hye Young, Kim Nam Hee, Yeonwoo; the show portrays complicated family relationships in the most realistic way possible. At the epicenter of this show is the terse, strained relationship between a sharp mother-in-law and her smart daughter-in-law, who have been at loggerheads forever. Their dynamics start to change when a psychopath decides to destroy the familial ties. Decidedly, there is nothing new in the script but the show keeps you on your toes. The thrill factor could be attributed to the unrestrained antagonist, Lee Se Na, who plays the “Devil’s Reincarnate”, judging the entire family and handing out punishments.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/07/01/bitter-sweet-hell-series-review/

Read More

A rare drama with ambition, but ultimately bogged down by cliches

I give a lot of grace to dramas that dare to tackle complexity, but for this drama, that grace gets chipped away by repeats of the same character motivations and plot-lines.

On the positive end, the drama has interesting themes - the barriers faced by women at every strata of society, the hypocrisy inherent in the concept of filial piety, the difference between loving someone and actually building a life with that person. It showed how inherently broken the imperial system was, how many women in that era viewed gaining favour with the men in their lives as their only means of agency. . Female characters are allowed to flawed and want more from life. Male leads are (sometimes) called out for their lack of respect for their romantic interests.

A special shoutout to the soundtrack of this drama. Most dramas use music in such a heavy handed way, as if they don't trust audiences to get the hint with the action on screen. But the music in this drama was appropriately used, especially in tense scenes.

But the number of characters motivated by obsessive love is exasperating. Not one, but three characters never seemed to get the hint. Or try a different strategy when their last bare brained scheme failed to pan out. Worse, those schemes were aimed at bringing the same person down. Episode after episode consisted of one character framing the female lead only to be be outwitted. And that outwitting wasn't particularly clever.

Also, I kept wondering about the inner logic of the world this drama is set in. For a story set in the imperial palace, the female lead had a lot more agency than one would logically expect. She's allowed to openly contradict members of the royal family without an automatic death sentence. Said members of the royal family also don't seem to get anything done. They seem to mostly attend feasts, plan stupid revenge/wooing schemes, while their empire falls to pieces.

I liked the bleaker lens of this drama, but someone should have showed the screenwriter a few harem dramas to crib ideas from.

Read More

One of the best Xianxia drama out there

Good points:
- No misunderstandings
- Straightforward main leads
- good share of humours and heartbreaks
- Mature main leads (sometime just lol-ed at Xingzhi)
- One of the shows with better CGI (except for the chicken phoenix lol)

Not so good points:
- one dimensional villains? (not so into their mission)
- some parts are draggy (e.g. heavenly lord scenes, sometimes Furong & Mofang)
- revelations of certain scenes (e.g. where she knew Xingyun is Xingzhi, i geddit that she's smart, but i guess from Xingzhi's childish behavior, lol, she sort of get it. Another one is, Shen li's parents reveal, this part was SOOOOO underwhelming.)
- it wasn't mentioned what is the purpose of Xingzhi's task, was it destroying of Tianwai Tian (i can't remember the english word lol) ?

Regarding ZLY & LGX:
- Initially i was quite bothered by LGX (not because he's old whatsoever), this is my first time his drama, and LGX look so mature for this. ZLY too. since both already transit to mature acting/dramas now. But eventually i got used to him, and his funny scenes were so naturally good but the scene at ep38 (iykyk), was the killer. Both display their capabilities as actors, that scene was sooooooo heartfelt and immersive.

The show has its merits and not. However, i do enjoy. Especially it gave 1 whole ep of FLUFF at the end.

Read More

Addictive is the right word for this drama!

Couldn't get enough of this drama. I love everything about it, the thrill is thrilling.
I would love to watch the same cast again in another drama. Would also love for another part of the story.
Love. Love. Love.

Couldn't get enough of this drama. I love everything about it, the thrill is thrilling.
I would love to watch the same cast again in another drama. Would also love for another part of the story.
Love. Love. Love.

Couldn't get enough of this drama. I love everything about it, the thrill is thrilling.
I would love to watch the same cast again in another drama. Would also love for another part of the story.
Love. Love. Love.

Read More