Reviews

My obsession for a month

Acting:
My favorite role of 田曦薇 and 張凌赫! I was absolutely addicted to their romance and so cheering XZ on getting the girl. BOTH OF THEIR JEALOUSY AND ANGER AT EACH OTHER WHEN SEPARATING. WHEN HE PROPOSES TO HER AND GETS REJECTED AND THE DEVASTATION ON HIS FACE. The sparring scene when they finally make up (me crying tears of joy). THE BATTLEFIELD SCENE OF HER GETTING PICKED UP. Cinematic masterpieces and absolutely amazing angles and filming.
The side romance of GSY and QS was so sweet and long awaited. The tragedy of YQQ and QM. They all ate it up.
But it does really bothers me how people are really into QM because he's hot. The whole point of his story is the tragedy of obsession with power and control over others. He never truly loved her, he thought he did, and only at the very end does he realize.

Music:
Amazing. On repeat. Give me more. 張碧晨 is such a goddess and her vocals do this drama so much justice.

Story:
I think this was ultimately why I can't rate this drama above a 8.5 even though the acting and music are phenomenal. I think the plot is very strong and well paced for the first half of the show. Once FCY joins the military, everything happens too quickly and without enough depth to really continue driving the story forward as compellingly. I had problems with how she just got away with breaking so many military laws? How she's allowed to command soldiers or lead people with no military knowledge? I love how strong her character is but some things just felt unbelievable.
I also wished we got more fleshed out battles. I didn't ever feel like we were really seeing a large scale war. I think I've been spoiled by Who Rules the World, Legend of the Female General, Fated Hearts, Wonderland of Love with the epic battle scenes.
I think part of the problem is that 33% of the drama was well covered in 20 episodes and they squished the last 66% in the final 20 episodes because of the episode limit. I would've been perfectly fine with the drama being split into 2 seasons to fully do the story justice.

Overall totally recommend! Definitely worth a watch.

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An incomplete masterpiece

1st thing i wanna point out about this drama would be the cast. You rarely find dramas especially in Thai with this great acting. The story is pretty good but i felt it was incomplete.

They never told us how this entire time travel cycle even started. We have 2023 timeline and we have 1923 timeline and they also hinted a timeline from before that where Yai has a mustache but the only info we get from the 1st life time is the ring🙃 i am guessing all this cycle started cz they couldn't be together in the 1st timeline but... well that was never addressed so🙃

Another thing i liked was how Jom's ex got a sad ending cz Jom didn't help him and the modern era Jom didn't end up with him.. kinda like karma returned back to him. There were some loops like this that were properly closed and some that weren't. Like what about Ming, James, Robert and others if Pheung, Yai and others are tied to Jom is the modern world even they should've been tied one way or another.

Ngl my heart really hurted for James❤️. He and ming are one of my favorite characters. This drama made me both cry and laugh. It did get a little boring in the middle but that's fine. That was like an ep or 2.

It was good but for a time travel drama. They could have done better by closing loops and adding context which were missing in a lot of places. I was hoping for that to happen atleast in the special episodes but unfortunately it didn't 🙃

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One of my favorite types of shows

I have a soft spot for jianghu series where the world exists of amazing martial artists. One that isn't based off fantasy where their abilities are based off colorful magic but one with realistic skills. And this one definitely did not disappoint.

Positives:
-- The action scenes were amazing - unlike many others where you have to accept the cheesiness because the good-looking actors don't have any type of martial arts background at all.
-- The characters were great and the actors made them come to life. They didn't need to dramatize anyone in particular in order to prove a point. Even the children did an amazing job.
-- The ML doesn't have hundreds of drooling females after him. Instead, he had two very mature women who truly loved him and respected each other's love for him.
-- While the plot isn't particularly unique, everything was done well enough where it doesn't matter.

Negatives:
-- My only slight qualm is the pacing could have potentially been picked up a bit. While I completely understand why they wanted to focus on certain relationship developments and conversations, it sometimes took a bit too long.

I'm quite surprised at how little reviewers/ratings there are for this series. It's really tragic that shows with idol actors who have less than average acting skills or shows that spend a ton on production but cheapen out on actual details of the story are the ones that are more popular. Subtle details used to always be the magic of what makes Asian series surpass Western series for me - such as the gift the ML had for one of the females in which she no longer had use for in the end...

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Watch at your own risk for trauma and tears

Acting:
I think these are some of the best characters all of them have played. 田嘉瑞's range in this drama? Switching between the bright and innocent JL and the cold Dragon Deity? The devastation and sadness of LWY and JL as they take turns dying for each other and never being able to be happy together? THE SCENE WHEN WWY WAS PLANNING ON CUTTING OFF HER TAIL AND THEN WSG STOPPED HER. THE MUSIC THE FLASHBACKS THE TEARS. CHILLS. And WSG's absolutely falling for WWY and the conflict of not being able to stop loving her even after knowing what she did. This was an absolutely MASTERPIECE of emotions. I cried so many times, clutched my pearls, cheering, rooting for these two couples. An absolute emotional roller coaster, and I think my level of immersion has everything to do with their stunning portrayals of their characters.

Story:
I think this was the weakest part of the show, but by no means bad. I think there were some parts I was bored, or I was less invested, likely because of pacing problems. I was confused very often but just enjoyed the ride.
I think one thing VOS did really excellently is you can totally see the complex relationships between all the characters. How WWY x WSG romance is a beautiful quiet and subtle love while LWY x JL is absolutely tragic but sweet. The friendships, sisterhood, brotherhood. I do wish that we got more of WWY x WSG towards the end, it was definitely more emphasis on JL x LWY.
MAY I SAY WE WERE ROBBED OF HAPPY ENDING EPISODES. LIKE BRUH IK YOU HAVE SPACE FOR SOME EXTRA EPISODES. Something I absolutely adored about this drama was seeing WWY and WSG growing old and living life together in the middle, because we NEVER see that in cdramas, you never get a sufficiently long ending. I can't believe it just ended with WWY having absolutely no memory of their love spanning 50 years and everything she and WSG went through. And JL and LWY not getting their long awaited HOE? And LJ not finding JL? I need more.

Music:
SO FIRE IVE BEEN LISTENING ON REPEAT.
I've always loved how you can associate specific songs with specific couples in cdramas. Whenever 雾時光 plays during WWY x WSG moments UGH. ALSO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY ROBBED OF THE DUO VERSION OF 不苦 LIKE WDYM WE GET IT FINALLY AT THE END. ACTUAL CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.

Overall definitely recommend. The first few episodes are the slowest but keep going, it just keeps getting better.

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Still visually beautiful but takes a freaking nosedive in quality

I was so eager to finish this story. But it bored me to tears that I skipped nonstop. What the heck?!

1. The good:
- The visuals.
- The effortful and mindful Tang elements.

2. The heck:
- FL turned into a Mary Sue. She had Mary Sue's tendencies, but she turned full-on Mary Sue this season with plot armours as thick as the makeup of this whole cast combined! FL can do no wrong. She is smarter, braver, savvier than anyone. [SPOILERS] She needs no saving. Actually, she can save anyone just as she can expand her businesses endlessly and successfully. She's boring.
- ML is kind of a companion but somewhat a simp for the FL also. I have little to no memories of him.
- I don't get the "will they won't they" here. The romantic tension dies down as the season progresses.

3. The bad:
- Wasted potentials on the ex-husband.
- The county princess and her father turned into caricatures of lazily written villains.
- The female empowerment message turned into performative wokeness and propaganda.
- Uninteresting side characters and storylines.
- Flimsy tensions. No real stakes.
- Writing quality drops to hell.

Conclusion: Pretty much a waste of expectations, time and potentials. At least it concluded.

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What a disappointing start

I was real excited for this drama because it brings back some old faces we’ve not seen in a while like the handsome Michael Miu, Eliza Sam, and even Eric Li, but the first few episodes had me going what? Now I know these are inspired by true cases that have had some creative liberties taken to them to make them flow in the drama, but holy moley.

The first case involved Rebecca Zhu who was this sad and unhappy woman that could not keep a pregnancy for more than 4 months. The pressure to have a baby from her husband and mother-in-law causes her to go nuts and so she starts murdering pregnant women to take their babies and pretending to still be pregnant. Michael’s wife played by Catherine Chau, who is heavily pregnant, happens to know Rebecca and so when Rebecca was going to jump off the roof of a hospital with a newborn, Catherine asks Michael if she could try and convince Rebecca to move away from the edge. Now this was so stupid on so many levels, she was heavily pregnant so she should have been at home or at least stayed out of the situation but nooooo, she wanted to help. After some nagging, Michael agrees and the predictable happens… Catherine gets shoved, she drops on her stomach and loses her baby. The scene when we find out she lost her baby I was screaming at the TV like wtf was wrong with you, you stupid woman?! And poor Michael having to deal with the aftermath that as well.

The next case started off even dumber. Eliza sees a huge teddy bear outside a cafeteria and tells the employee there to take it inside as it was a limited edition super teddy bear or something. Apparently it was not theirs and they were gonna throw it away so Eliza takes it to the police station to clean up. Michael walks in and immediately with his sharp nose smells something funky and goes “what is that smell? Are you crazy picking that teddy bear and bringing it here?” Suddenly he asks the team to cut it open and they find a skull inside it. How lucky was that Eliza would bring in the next case. And to top it off when forensics reconstruct her face, Eliza recognises the face as an old friend of hers! What the actual f? Who wrote this script?

This is gonna get worse I can tell and I’m only 3 episodes in.

Up to episode 6: I was wrong, it actually got better. The next cases with Tony Hung and Cheung Kwok Keung were great. Now my issue is with Michael Miu and how he solves the crimes, and the show tries to show how Michael has great detective instincts but at the same time it feels so forced sometimes. For example, Cheung Kwok Keung murders his wife and puts her into a wooden box he put together. He puts three together and was only able to show two of them with the third missing. Somehow Michael saw a garbage truck drive by and goes “stop that truck and search it” and sure enough it was in there. Like there was no lead up to Michael making that logical conclusions just a brief shot of him seeing that truck and boom.

Also everything feels like it is moving along at a break-neck speed because this drama is only 12 episodes, but the way the drama shifts from one case to the next and the time taken to solve the case is literally bang bang bang clicking of the fingers fast. This needed to be a standard 20 episode drama to allow us time to breathe and learn more about Michael’s team.

Up to episode 8: Michael Miu has a subplot where he is investigating the death of his sister and is getting very emotional onscreen. I have not heard him swear on TV for a long time so the scene where he swears at his boss for being taken off his sisters’ case was very surprising, and yet I get it. The new main case is also great involving human flesh being cooked into roast pork. It was really sickening and the characters in it made me sick like they all were beyond redemption in their own way.

But man the point that had me going “whaaat??!” Was when Michael goes home and his wife drops a “I’m pregnant” on Michael. Now, there is no sense of how much time had passed since she had her miscarriage but at most it had been 2 months. In that period she should be recovering still, but somehow she was already pregnant wtf?? So you’re saying she recovered enough in that time for Michael to rub uglies with her? Or did he wade into her murky waters and risked it? Completely unrealistic and again it feels like it was written by somebody who has never experienced it in real life.

Up to episode 9: I didn’t want to update so soon but man I noticed a pattern where the drama doesn’t show you the cops arresting the bad guy. Instead it cuts to the police station where Michael’s boss Wilson Tsui says, “our guys arrested so and so trying to leave Hong Kong at the airport. Good job.” This has happened multiple times and it is a good example of showing and not telling so you can close the case in a more satisfying way! I know it was done to speed things up but it feels so lazy and clearly to save time and money. Why wouldn’t the cops investigating it be the same cops to arrest the bad guys? Again, the latest case of a fake child kidnapping was great, but they somehow managed to mess it up with this.

It seems that for every good thing the show manages to drag it back down with something ridiculous, almost like getting ready for a night of passion with your partner and when they undress they are wearing old underwear with holes in them. Jesus.

Episode 10: oh my goodness. I was going to leave it until the last episode before updating but this episode threw such a standard trope at us that I had to comment about it. The current case is rather stupid with rich HK woman Toby Leung being tricked into thinking she is a undercover police assassin, but what took the cake was when Michael Miu took his wife to see the doctor because she was complaining about feeling dizzy. I knew immediately Youku would throw some typical medical trope in here, and sure enough at the doctor after doing an MRI scan, the doctor tells them that he sees a white spot in her brain and it could be a cancerous tumor. I shouted like “oh come on seriously??” This was so forced in to try and get more drama out of a short series that I am just lost for words. The only thing that could top this off is if Michael loses a limb while on duty and his wife sacrifices her life to bring the baby to term as a building is burning down around them. Come on Youku, stop getting your interns to write your stuff!

As this is a 12 episode drama, my money is on wifey being told she has cancer then she would say, “I will not do chemo, I want to keep the baby” because that is also another trope.

Completed: man the ending sucked. The last case was supposed to close the case on how Michael’s sister died but the reveal was so unsatisfying and Michael’s wife still has cancer and doesn’t want treatment to keep the baby. Essentially the show ends on that and that’s it.

Disappointing is an understatement. There will be no rewatching of this, one viewing is enough for me.

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The heaviest Chains that bind have little to no weight, like a Veil made of satin and silk, of Fate

A flood demon, blind and broken, once said: "Love can make one seek the bright light... but it can also sink you deep into an abyss."

What stands there that makes a fool of you, blinds you, soft like a veil and heavy in meaning is what this series is about. The things you cannot run from.

Behind it, shadows who will gladly destroy themselves to bear its weight. And every one of them would walk into the dark to reach it. In every timeline, in every choice.


Story:

An intriguing premise right from the start: A fox demon carves hearts from living bodies or so the rumor goes. Everyone is chasing the culprit. But the truth? The real horror doesn't need claws. It lives in the space between a promise and a betrayal.

You will see a world painted in silk and blood, beautiful enough to hurt, with characters who carry a second skin, soft enough to hide. Behind every glance is the quiet dread of the knowledge that no beauty lasts.

Horror, wuxia, rofan, obsession, they are all here, woven together like the chains you cannot see. This is not chaos for the sake of chaos. but the weight you bear by choosing, again and again, to embrace even when you cannot save.


Characters:

(I feel like introducing everyone is a spoiler, so skip this or read at your own discretion.)

They are all shadows behind the same veil—each carrying a chain they cannot see. Some were born into it. Some walked in willingly. None of them will leave unchanged.

Tons of characters, yes. Yet you'll be shocked that everyone gets a good climax, resolution, and a couple. Even the man made of muscles, Li Jie, is so loyal he becomes a GPS; he hasn't got time to even feel alone (jokes aside). And yes, there is even a slice of abs and biceps thrown in here and there.

The Female Leads
Wu Wang Yan (WWY) and Lu Wu Yi (LWY) are siblings to seven others, sharing a very strong bond and one memory. Born as immortal foxes, they are obliged to follow only the orders of their oracles and queen.

WWY always shows her seductive side, but is actually empathetic. Deep within, she has always despised how her loyalty brought her many regrets. She had nowhere to pour her own overflowing feelings and always tries to hide it even from her own little sister.

LWY comes across as hard to understand as she is often vague in her words, decisions, and thoughts. You will feel like you'll never know or understand her fully as a unique person. That's intentional. Her origin, revealed later in the series, explains why.

But beneath the surface, both are deeply sensitive to emotions the very thing that makes them aggressive and broken, until they meet their equal person. Both sisters hide their emotions well but will do anything for the people around them.

The Male Leads
Some wear their hearts like open wounds. Others hide theirs behind lies, muscles, or revenge. All of them are reaching for something they cannot name.

Ji Ling shows many sides throughout the series, each surprising without fail. A disciple of the Shiling sect and a pharmaceutical genius (think Gong Yuan Zhi from MJTY, but the silly, hopeless romantic version). He's empathetic to the point of foolishness and shows his affection like there's no tomorrow.

Wu Shi Guang is a man haunted by a gruesome past, full of misty hours. Blood never leaves his side wherever he goes but neither does his sweet and sour personality perfect with the spiciness of his partner and the cuteness of You Chi, his best man whose a feisty and fiery lad.

Chi Wen is pragmatic and deceitful, a piece-of-something smarty-pants. Everyone looked up to him, and that obsession became his cage. He's hard to reach… until one person sticks to him like glue.

Li Jie is the man who never skipped pec day. His position as commander probably made him want to rip the sleeves off his clothes to show off his biceps, especially when his master gets depressed.

Others Behind the Veil
The Old Master - He likes mushrooms in his meals, otherwise he won't bother eating what you serve. Very kind, but will turn you to stone once angered.

Bai Ze – The all-knowing encyclopedia / kind / loyal secretary / gorgeous fae. You will absolutely admire him.

Xiao Wei – Who can command the day to turn to night instantly, yet cannot even speak the truth behind chestnut cakes.

Wu Zhi Qi – A man whose guilt chains him to the past and drowns his dunes.

Han Ba – Someone whose identity makes the words he can't say hurt everyone. Him and Wu Zhi Qi are like sand and the scorching sun: overwhelming and heavy.

All of them were part of a journey that stays with them and with you long after the screen goes dark.


Music:

The music does not sit beside the story. It lives inside it. Every time a character stands at the edge of a choice they cannot undo, a track rises: part traditional, part something else. Unforgettable.

But here is the strange thing. Almost every cast member sings an OST for this drama. And my favorites? None of them came from the artists I already know and expected.

There is 雾时光 (Misty Hours) by Xin Liu. There is that unreleased BGM that still lives rent-free in my head. And then there is 不苦 (Not Suffering) sung by both Ju Jing Yi and Tian Jia Rui. There is a duet version that I (and others) am still waiting for. The other is 赤子如狐(Innocent as a Fox) of which TJR sings the opera part of the song. I am continuously stunned by his talent. My favorite line from that song is "The moon accompanies me as I walk this world and as it looks at me it says: You're not alone."

Funny, isn't it? I got in expecting my favorites. Yet I leave enchanted for the ones I never saw coming. (So yes, the series pulled Mao Bu Yi, Zhou Shen, Sa Ding Ding and Liu Yu Ning. I'm ecstatic. But they are not the ones haunting my playlist.)


The Flaws:

The pacing sometimes drifts. You will watch characters circle the same wound for longer than necessary, and you may find yourself willing the screen to move faster. Though if you're like me that finds unpredictability very interesting, the pacing is no bother.

The cast is vast. Some faces will blur together on first watch, and you might not remember their names until their third appearance. Yet if you can handle them, and are attentive enough to remember things even after a long day, this is not a problem.

And the sorrow? It is not shy. If you need your pain whispered, this series shouts. Every glance, every pause, every silk sleeve carries the weight of impending heartbreak. It can feel like too much. Unless you're used to or prefer the angst and heartbreaks.

The ending? Somebody must have rushed writing it. Otherwise I won't feel dissapointed that there were this two bonds I wish were not broken. I'm sure if you finished this drama or read other reviews, you'll know whom this unfinished bonds belong to. If you really want to know (Spoiler) Lu Wu Yi &Wu Wang Yan, and Ji Ling & Li Jie. I said earlier that everyone gets a good resolution though it wasn't enough in my eyes. Its hopeless to wait for a 'Director's Cut' with a GJM directed drama, because it was a HE, but clearly not for everyone.

I deducted the .5 for these flaws. Though it didn't affect my appreciation for this gem of a drama.


Overall: ♡

This series will not hold your hand. It will blind you, slowly, like the flood demon who spoke its first truth. You will watch shadows destroy themselves for something you cannot see, and you will understand why.

Do not watch this for comfort. Watch it to feel the weight of chains made of silk. For the music that knows your heart will break before you do. Watch it for the characters who smile like they haven't lost everything even as they lose everything.

And when it ends, you will sit in the dark, reach for something you cannot name, and realize: you have been behind the veil all along.

Come for MJTY's angst, TTEOTM moral chaos, or just the beautiful faces. Stay because you already know what the characters you'll watch are about to learn: the heaviest chains have no weight at all. It could be a veil made of silk and satin, of chestnut cakes, of flowers, of knowledge, of your memories, of fate. And even if the veil is not flawless.

PS: Loved reading all the post, theories and comments for this series. It made visiting MDL this month enjoyable for me. If there is a Season 2, though improbable, I'd be happy to see the same people on the page.

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Visually beautiful with a good script

Got pulled in because of a friend raving about its visual and efforts in bringing out accurate beauties and customs from the Tang Dynasty. Friend was right.

1. The good:
- Visually stunning. The colour templates. The costumes. The set designs and props. The cinematography.
- Mindful and interesting showcases of some of Tang customs, decorations, etc.
- Well-intended and well-executed female empowerment message.
- The comedy. The goofiness of the two leads.
- The acting.
- The flowers.

2. The divisive:
- I think Wu Niang's arc was one of the best in this series. [SPOILERS] For me, her storyline can be a representative to traumatised victims in abusive relationships. She could be saved but decided to burned everything, including herself, to the ground. It's poignant. It's also realistic how victims can be turned into abusers/criminals. I so wanted her to live a good life with Mu Dan. But the vicious cycle didn't spare her. This can serve as a cautionary tale. On the other hand, it could have been a tale of raising above all else. This series decided on the former.

3. The eh...?
- Tang Dynasty was one of the most prosperous eras in Chinese history with open commerce and trading. The series tries to have diversity. But it didn't feel that diverse... just yet.
- I'm all for feminism and female empowerment. But the effort in female cross-dressing in this series is low. [SPOILERS] I can see drawn-on mustaches on cross-dressing female background characters quite blatantly. Like, what's the point?

4. The potentials:
- Since this is the first part. I think it will be interesting to see what the ML actually does in court and the court war in the following season.
- I'd love for the ex-husband character to have more storylines too. Not just him whining and being hopeless and delusional about his imaginary connection with the FL. I want to see him turn evil and wreck havoc for the leads, the county princess and her asshole father. This series is too calm. It desparately needs proper tensions.

Conclusion: Commendable costume series with potentials for an even better second season.

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Hard to Like a Drama with an Unlikeable Lead

I was disappointed initially that this wasn't a continuation of the original ML/FL from the first Soundtrack drama. This has lesser-known actors, but it was an improvement over the first drama, because it actually had a story (albeit, annoying) and some substance.

The drama suffered from having an unlikeable FL. She was rigid and unreasonable. I have to admit she reminded me of myself when I insist on doing things on my own, often to everyone's discomfort. It was baffling to me why the ML loved that sour, disagreeable face. I didn't like her: why did he? In true K-drama fashion, she flipped a switch and changed her personality in time for a happy ending. If only life worked like that. Give me some of what's she's drinking!

I liked both new-to-me actors. I hope to see them in something I enjoy more.

I added a half star for Steve Noh's jawline. So sharp, it could cut diamonds!

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Thai-centric, faithful but modernised adaptation of the manga

The manga is a classic. Most, if not all, adaptations of it have been hugely popular since the 2001 Taiwaness series. I have read the manga series a couple of time but I have not finish a single adaptation until this one. And...

1. The good:
- It's faithful. Many of the main plot points are well-kept. The portrayals are also straight up their manga counterparts.
- For me, Dew as Ren is the best Rui yet with good expressions and understanding of the character. Even his height and him being the tallest in the group add small but good details. I'm not sure about his voice though since I don't know Thai. Voice acting can play a significant part in characterisation. Somehow it feels somewhat lacking here?
- Akira is less prominent compared to the other F4. But his extra story has always stuck with me. So for this series to expand and place an importance on him as the "glue" of the group and the one who holds everyone together: seriously, good job! I remember MJ wearing moon brochure or some sort of jewel too, which is a nod to Akira being compared to the moon, gently watching over the whole group. I didn't watch the add-on story of him and the basketball girl, so no comment.
- It adapts. It isn't a play by play. It updates the story with modern youth problems and make it relevant not just to Thai society but broader.
- Compared to Yuuki in the manga and Gaeul in "Boys Over Flowers", I find the character of Kaning here adorable and much more likable. She actually puts efforts into helping Kavin and doesn't pine for him. Maybe it also helps that the actress is very pretty.
- I enjoy Tu's portrayal of Gorya. She is charming, cute and bubbly. I have read people complaining about her screaming on the rooftop. I didn't mind that one bit.
- I like the new addition of Gorya and Kaning working part-time and having fun with the uncle owner of the flower shop. The uncle is charming.
- I feel a bit bad about Lita's storyline though. I fell in love with her character here. Wish she had some more to play after her arc concluded. But if she stayed any longer, she would be too distracting to the main cast.
- The song "In the Wind" fits Ren and Ren/Gorya scenes to a tee.

2. The so-so:
- I didn't like Ki Bum's portrayal of Yi Jung or even Sojirou in the manga. But Kavin here is alright. The pairing of Kavin and Kaning also makes sense and cute.
- Thyme is stereotypically Tsukasa. Still pretty crazy and violent but caring and puppy-like. Better than Gu Jun Pyo. Okayish when it comes to manga Tsukasa.
- The parents are still annoying AF. But I guarantee, less than the manga...
- Tsukasa's sister and Shizuka receiving less attention here is a good thing. More focus on the main characters and stories. This series is only 16 episode, very compact.
- I have a love/hate feeling towards Thyme's mother. Cindy is stunning in person and ruthless in this role. She is better than any of the predecessors. She feels so right. But, the script snaps off her villain development. It didn't make sense. It wasted a good actress that if given better writing and development, her character might surpass even the manga's. As in, she has been a cunning and heartless businesswoman whose entire life has prioritised her family's empire above all, even her children, she can't possibly turn around with just Thyme suffering and lovesickness in the final episodes. He suffered so many times before, what makes this any different than the last? At least give some insights and explainations.
- Talay has a memorable arc and a fitting conclusion to the school bullying/violence reflection in society. I think his episode got the highest rating of the series. But it's a bit too dramatised the acting for me. Good intentions, could benefit from better execution from the whole production.

3. The bad:
- Thyme turning from a playboy (as in he plays around a lot, not fooling around with women) to a successful young businessman after a year? Was he a CEO? VP? Habits die hard. People need years. No investors or board members would bat an eye at the sight of a pampered rich kid. It's their money, capitals and profits. Without good explanation, it's just pure fantasy.
- Decline in quality in the last arc of the story aka Gorya running away, Thyme gave up, Thyme suffering memory loss, etc.
- I don't buy any of that rich kids trying to change the world. Most likely, a gloss-over and oversimplification for younger audience.
- I still don't buy the troupes of "I can change him" or "with you in my life, I've changed". It's still contrived.

4. The fun:
- Plenty of comedy.
- The blatant commercials and product placements LOL.

Conclusion: Actually good and proper adaptation that falters somewhat towards the end. But still good.

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Time waste

Starting is good plot is good goes downhill and romance is random and looks forced from FML at 15 she suddenly confess him ? girls you dislike him as bf from 1st eps keep denying now suddenly confess? FML is really dumb chases childhood friend gets betrayed and still talks to the friend who did that ? and ml is so good boy is trying from 1st ep to get her like him she keeps rejecting him for no reason? she's dumb enough to like the friend but not like ml ? ml did so much but she won't budge she will keep rejecting him, avoid him ? I'm bored of this it's already half of the eps and nothing happened and ml and his friends literally all dumb they give only bad ideas to him, watched because of her but dropping because of her

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Глубоко

«Когда жизнь даёт тебе мандарины» — это та дорама, после которой не хочется сразу включать что-то новое. Не потому что она идеальная, а потому что она как будто немного выбивает из привычного режима «посмотрел — забыл».

Сначала кажется, что ничего особенного не происходит. Всё развивается медленно, почти упрямо медленно. Нет ощущения, что тебя развлекают. Скорее ощущение, что тебе просто показывают жизнь — без попытки её приукрасить или ускорить. И в какой-то момент это начинает работать сильнее, чем любые сюжетные повороты.

История сама по себе простая: люди живут, взрослеют, ошибаются, любят, терпят. Но за счёт того, как это показано, ты начинаешь цепляться за мелочи. За взгляды, за паузы, за какие-то бытовые сцены, которые обычно вообще не воспринимаешь как что-то важное. И вот из этих мелочей складывается ощущение настоящей жизни, а не сценария.

Отношения между героями — отдельная тема. Здесь нет ощущения «идеальной любви». Скорее наоборот: любовь здесь — это что-то тихое, упрямое, иногда неудобное. Люди не всегда понимают друг друга, иногда делают неправильные выборы, иногда молчат, когда нужно говорить. Но при этом между ними есть что-то, что держит их рядом. Без громких слов, без красивых жестов.

Эмоционально дорама бьёт неожиданно. Не в лоб, а постепенно. Сначала ты просто смотришь, потом начинаешь узнавать какие-то вещи, а потом ловишь себя на том, что тебе уже некомфортно, потому что слишком близко к реальности. Особенно темы, связанные с упущенными возможностями, семейными обязанностями и тем, как жизнь не всегда идёт по плану.

Визуально всё очень спокойно, почти медитативно. Много воздуха, света, каких-то простых сцен, которые выглядят как воспоминания. И это усиливает ощущение, что ты не смотришь историю, а как будто проживаешь чью-то жизнь вместе с персонажами.

Актёрская игра тоже без лишнего. Никто не переигрывает, нет попытки выжать эмоции из зрителя. Всё держится на деталях — интонациях, взглядах, паузах. И за счёт этого верится почти во всё.

Но честно: это не дорама для всех. Если хочется динамики, постоянного движения и событий, здесь будет тяжело. Она требует терпения и вовлечённости. Это не тот формат, который можно смотреть фоном.

В итоге у меня осталось странное чувство. Не восторг и не «вау», а что-то более тихое и тяжёлое. Как будто посмотрел не историю, а кусок чьей-то жизни, который зачем-то очень хорошо понял.

И, наверное, самое точное ощущение — это не про то, что дорама понравилась. Это про то, что она задела. А это уже куда серьёзнее.

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Lost Romance: A Creative Twist on Your Standard Romance Drama

Lost Romance is a nice change of pace compared to other Taiwanese romance dramas. While I do like other T-dramas such as Just You, Bromance or Refresh Man, the plot of these romance dramas are very fantasy like and full of common romance tropes. Lost Romance avoids falling to these tropes by ironically doubling down on them. Since a majority of the plot takes place in the novel world, many of the "fated moments" or "chanced encounters" all make sense because in romance novels the plot is like that. The show makes fun of these tropes while also using them to drive the plot forward.

Story:
The main FL is hilarious and quirky and as a romance novel editor, is very quick to adapt when she wakes up in a novel of her own . I find her motives in the show very understandable, as she is a "corperate slave" in the real world, so she makes a strong effort to do as much as she can to live her perfect life in the novel world. Due to her self aware nature and knowledge of the genre, she is able to work towards her fairytale ending in the novel world with the main ML. This show has everything you could ask for in a romance drama; it has many funny interactions, full of plenty romantic/emotional scenes and the dramatic music every few minutes lol. Pacing wise it manages to take things slow with the main characters, while also giving plently of side characters a time to shine as well. The second ML is a very well written character, so much so that i found myself caring more about his plot sometimes lol. The novel world moments are so interesting and juicy, that you often forget that there is a plot going on in the real world at all. The plot in the real world is often an after thought(the whole sibling drama felt unessacary). The most important part of cutting back to the real world seems to be to remind us that the novel world may be more than "just a dream". While the pacing in the novel world part of the plot is good, the story does weaken in my opinion once both characters return to the real world. A lot of the events that takes place in the real world feel like they lack build up or almost feel unessacary. Still the story still manages to conncect both story lines together and lead to a satisfying ending .

Acting:
the acting was absolutely amazing. These actors pulled of a wide range of emotions, able to make me laugh feel sad or get mad at some of there actions. Vivian Sung(Main Fl) portrays this complex character so well, able to make me feel her emotions through the screen. Marcus Chang also delivers a good performace being able to play to diffrent characters, as well as many actors who do the same thing.

Music:
Although not the main attraction, was enjoyable to listen to and added to the dramatic effect haha

Rewatch Value:
Im not much to rewatch dramas, but i can see myself possibly watching this again in a few years

Overall:
Lost Romance is a new take on romance dramas and brings a new concept to a genre thats known for being repetitive and cliche, and while sometimes it may lean to hard the tropes to move the story forward, it manages to tell a heartwarming love story that is both familiar but unique.

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Watch because everyone is doing it glad i did

It’s been a while since I last watched a historical drama—the last one was back in 2020, titled *Blessed Girl*. It was actually my first historical drama, but I didn’t enjoy it much, so I stopped watching that genre altogether. It’s also been a long time since I watched a C-drama, and I was kind of skeptical about starting one again because I wasn’t sure if it would be worth my time.

Then suddenly, this series started showing up all over my FYP and it caught my interest. For the first time in years, I found myself wanting to watch this kind of drama again. There were definitely some parts that annoyed me, especially when certain characters reacted in ways that tested my radical side, but overall it was really good. It was also my first time watching Zhang Linghe, and I’m glad this was the first series I saw him in.

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