Reviews

A Forbidden Love full of Yearning (and a little toxicity)

What a journey this was. These 37 episodes flew by so fast I didn’t even have time to get bored or drag myself to the finish line. I was hooked, on the edge of my seat throughout the entire drama. Very few c-dramas manage to capture my attention like this.

TROPES:

Wuxia
Past influencing the present
Forbidden love
Strong, smart FL
Manipulative, scheming ML
Flirty, clingy ML

So what is it about? The story follows Cai Zhao, a spirited, lively girl who joins a sect to train for a year (reluctantly, she’d much rather stay home, have fun, and run a business). There, she grows close to Chang Ning, a boy whose family fell victim to a massacre. But Chang Ning isn’t quite what he seems…

Cai Zhao, our female lead. Aka my future wife. Or bestie, at the very least. I love this girl so damn much. She is PERFECT. She’s highly skilled with a sword, so she is absolutely NOT a damsel in distress. She’s also NOT a dumbass. In fact, she’s intimidatingly smart. Sharp, clever, and not easily fooled. She knows when to be serious and when to be playful. She’s genuinely such a fun character.

Mu Qing Yan, our male lead (the one pretending to be Chang Ning), is an absolute meal. Yes, I said that with a straight face. He may be a red flag, but I am colorblind. And honestly? Even if I weren’t, I wouldn’t give a shit. YES, he’s toxic and I love him. Not despite it, but because of it. He is MY brand of toxic, okay?!

My husband over here was playing chess while everyone else was busy with checkers. Manipulative. Cunning. Scheming. (And every other adjective you can think of with negative connotations, he is all of them.) But do you know why I love him? Because manipulative little bitches are attractive, of course.

But also because he manipulated everything to be with her. (And yes, also for his revenge, but never mind that.) Time and time again, we see that she matters far more to him than vengeance. He would give it all up if she just promised to stay with him. His chain of schemes left me astonished. Some I could see coming, but others? My jaw was on the floor.

He is SO obsessed with Cai Zhao (he calls her ZhaoZhao HOW CUTE AHHHH). And I mean it. He had me pacing around my room, hiding my face in my hands, blushing and giggling because MY GOD, this man loves her to death. He is completely shameless in his pursuit. No matter how many times she rejects him (and trust me, it was a LOT), he never once thinks, “Maybe I should have some self-respect and give up.”

No. He persists. He flirts constantly, finds every excuse to be near her, to hold her hand, to hug her and just... to BE around her. He thrives in her presence. He even says the only time he feels peace is when he’s with her.

Shameless, relentlessly obsessed men who will manipulate the world itself just to be with their women?

Ahem.

Okay some people didn't like that he also manipulated Cai Zhao herself but LOOK (me getting ready to defend a red flag guy) he did not manipulate her in order to like... harm her. He only did it so she would be with him. And yeah, yeah he threated to kill people if she left him BUT he did it because he LOVED HER. That... makes everything better right?

*hiding in my corner of shame*

I am ENTERTAINED by a man who will rearrange the universe like a deranged chess god just to keep his girl, is that so wrong?

This man was willing to abandon everything for her. And he DID abandon so much. Even she admits that his devotion to her far surpasses hers to him.

And what makes it even better is Cai Zhao herself. They’re from enemy sects. They cannot be together. The world would never accept them. So she tries to take the practical route and stay away from him (and fails, because she does love him, no matter how much she wants to deny it).

But Mu Qing Yan? He doesn’t care. He wants her. So she pushes him away, and he clings tighter. MY FAVORITE DYNAMIC EVER.

And yet, whenever he’s injured or on the brink of death, she forgets everything, everyone, and runs to him. To protect him. To save him. To take care of him.

I love these two so much. They are perfect to me. I love how far he’s willing to go for her, even when it crosses every line, and I love that she’s strong enough to stand her ground anyway.

Aside from the main leads, I also really enjoyed the stories of the previous generations. Cai Zhao’s aunt also fell for a demon sect member—and so did another ancestor. All of their stories ended tragically, which only reinforces why Cai Zhao tries so hard to stay away from Mu Qing Yan.

MY MINOR COMPLAINS:

The editing was a little off-putting, especially in the earlier episodes. It felt choppy at times. I also found out the director worked on The Double, which explains those… interesting camera angles.

I was also confused till the very end about who was who. There were just so many characters, and I could not keep their names straight. Half the time, I had no idea who people were talking about.

I would have preferred a higher budget. The cinematography could have been better. I’m used to high-tier dramas with intricate sets, detailed costumes, and stunning shots. But these are minor complaints, and they didn’t significantly affect my enjoyment.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, this drama made me light up inside. It gave me butterflies. Definitely one of my top dramas of the year.

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Underrated drama

I actually don't want to watch this drama when it was released since i didn't have any mood to watch this. But the recent duanju release was so dull nowadays and i decided to watch it via tiktok (Tiktok got duanju series? it was nice). This is no romance and no BL so you can skip this. Zeng Hui and Wang Peiyan gave a great performance. The two team up to hunt ghosts and raise a child, going from enemies to risking their lives, redefining family. episodic ghost-hunting adventures, the theme is fun and engaging, heartwarming and healing, with a touch of humor. This is basically Tinghuadao gathering so most of the artist are from tinghua (i think Jiang Shiqi has already left tinghua back then since most of her recent work are not related to tinghua artist now). There is few plot hole but i can tolerate it since it was first trial and error from tinghua to get this fantasy drama. The poignant love story in the cat demon tale, the deep sisterly bond in the rabbit demon tale, and the unwavering devotion of the MLs mother are all incredibly touching, yet not overly sentimental, just the right amount to bring tears to your eyes . It's a very comfortable watch, and the little girl's performance is also very lively; the sibling bond is subtly hidden amidst the laughter and playfulness. It was unfortunate because it was quite underrated drama and it actually has potential to get season 2 but market are more important nowadays.

Recommended if you want non romance drama

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“More Than Just a Love Story”

I gave The Love in 1970s a 9.5/10 because it was one of those dramas that slowly pulls you into its world and then never lets go. At first, I thought it would just be another simple romance drama set in the past, but it turned out to be much deeper than that. It had romance, family emotions, struggles, friendship, dreams, and that nostalgic feeling of old times that made everything feel more special.

What I loved most about this drama was the atmosphere. The 1970s setting was done beautifully. From the clothes to the streets, houses, music, and even the way people talked, everything felt very real. It really looked like the drama team put a lot of effort into making viewers feel like they were living in that era. Sometimes while watching, I forgot that I was watching a drama because it felt so natural and believable.

The main leads were amazing. Their chemistry was one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed this drama so much. Their love story did not feel rushed or fake. It was slow, emotional, and very realistic. You could see how much they cared for each other even in the smallest moments. Sometimes they did not even need words because their expressions were enough. Their relationship had a lot of ups and downs, but that is what made it feel real and emotional.

The female lead was probably my favorite character. She was strong, kind, hardworking, and someone who never gave up even when life was difficult. I liked that she was not shown as a perfect person because that made her feel more human. The male lead was also very good because he was caring, loyal, and always tried his best, even when he had his own struggles. Together, they made such a beautiful pair that I could not stop rooting for them.

Another thing I loved was how emotional the drama was. There were so many scenes that made me smile, but there were also scenes that made me feel sad and emotional. The family moments were especially touching. The drama showed how difficult life could be in those times, but it also showed how people stayed strong and supported each other. It was not only about romance, it was also about family, sacrifice, dreams, and never giving up.

The side characters were also very memorable. Usually in some dramas, I only care about the main couple, but here even the side characters had interesting stories. Some characters made me laugh, some annoyed me, and some made me emotional. It felt like every person had their own purpose in the story, which made the drama feel even richer.

The music was beautiful too. The OST matched the mood of the drama perfectly. There were some songs that made emotional scenes even more powerful. Even after finishing the drama, I still remembered some of the music because it stayed with me.

The only reason I did not give it a full 10/10 is because there were a few parts in the middle that felt a little slow. Some episodes could have been shorter, and there were a few scenes that felt repetitive. But honestly, these small issues did not stop me from enjoying the drama because the overall story was so good.

Overall, The Love in 1970s is one of the best Chinese dramas I have watched. It is emotional, beautiful, realistic, and full of heart. It made me laugh, cry, and become attached to the characters. If someone likes romance dramas with a nostalgic setting, strong emotions, and meaningful relationships, then I would definitely recommend this drama. It is the kind of story that stays in your heart even after you finish watching it.

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Good for a Part 2 but cannot reach the supremacy of Season 1

Bloodhounds 2 was in my opinion a solid continuation of of the original, with familiar faces from season 1 as well as new characters, good or bad, and high-rated cameos (All I gotta say is Park Seo-joon!!!)

Here are my thoughts on Season 2 and why it was good:
- new villains were more brutal and interesting than in Season 1. Especially the hacker and Tae-geom were very interesting characters…

- less death cases of characters, as well as less defeats. I felt like in season 1 they constantly lost! It almost drove me crazy. In season 2 there was a bit more of an even chance of winning for either sides.

- The cameo of Park Seo-joon was HILARIOUS!!!

- The ending of this season was definitely more thought through. Season 1’s last epiosdes and ending were so weird. They probably had to change the plot last minute because of what happened with Kim Saeron…

And here are some reasons why I don’t think that Season 2 was as good as Season 1:

- No cliffhangers… For me the crazy cliffhangers of Season 1 were the reason why I got so hooked on that drama! Season 2 didn’t really have that. Which was better for my sleep cycle but in the end it didn’t really leave auch a lasting impact on me as the original.

- Despite the great choreographed fighting scenes (especially Gunwoo’s scenes with Rain), there was a tad too much unnecessary violence… the ripping off the ear, biting the bath tub and shaving off the skin etc were all unnecessary imo… I had to close my eyes more often in this part than in the first one…

- I didn’t understand the need of bringing back In-beom… like what was the reason??? they wanted to use him to lure gunwoo but they never did that… Part of me thinks they just wanted to lure him out to have more reason for more brutal violence… I didn’t like that… In-beom should have stayed in season 1… I wanted to see more background info of the green-haired hacker…

- Overall plot seemed messy and uncreative at times… especially using the mother and/or his friend(s) again to lure Gunwoo… And then the fact he stayed so calm in the end when his mother ended up getting kidnapped was a bit strange… Woo-jin was sadder than Gunwoo… I was actually quite confused…

- I wanted to see a revenge scene of Min-beom (Choi Siwon) on the villain (Rain)… but all we got is a hint on Season 3 and Park Seojoon’s real motive…

- Just the feeling of a found family was not as big in this drama as it was in Season 1 with Me. Choi and Kim Saeron’s character 🥺🥺🥺

All in all it was a good drama with old and new characters, extreme violence and hot men displaying their muscles 😅😅😅

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It is watchable but that’s just about it

I managed to get to the end of this, but mainly because the episodes are short and it's easy enough to stick on in the background. 24 episodes at approximately 13 minutes each. The core story actually had potential, which is probably why I kept watching, but the execution is where it falls down.
The biggest issue is the "villain plot armour." It’s a bit of a struggle to watch the leads get injured and cornered, only for the antagonists to walk away unscathed every single time. Shen Li (the ML) is the only one who seems to have his head screwed on, but even he is forced by the script to be far too passive. By episode 17, when the Female Lead is actively saving the villains' lives, it starts to feel less like virtue and more like the characters are just being doormats for the sake of stretching out the plot.
The ending is a bit of a let-down, too. After all that build-up, the villains are either just killed instantly or whisked away by the authorities in the final few minutes, and we get a very rushed wedding to wrap things up. It’s a shame because with a bit more "bite" and some smarter writing, this could have been a decent little thriller.
Give it a go if you’ve got nothing better to do, but definitely watch it at 2x speed.

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A SOLID FANTASY WITH GOOD CHARCTER GROWTH

Honestly, I enjoyed Season 1 of Alchemy of Souls more than I expected. The story takes its time, but in a good way. It builds the world and characters properly instead of rushing everything, so you can actually get invested in what’s happening.
What I liked the most is the character growth. It doesn’t happen in big dramatic moments, but more through their interactions and how they slowly change over time. It felt natural to me, especially with how the main leads go from using each other to actually caring about each other.
The romance is there, but it doesn’t take over the whole story, which I personally liked. It stays in the background and doesn’t distract from the main plot. It’s not super obvious or intense, so I get why some people might not fully connect with it, but for me it worked in Season 1 because it didn’t feel forced.
Also, even though it’s set in a historical/fantasy setting, I think it’s still easy to watch even if you’re not usually into historical dramas. It doesn’t feel heavy or difficult to follow.
There are a few moments where the emotions could’ve been shown better instead of just being said, but overall it didn’t really ruin the experience for me.
Overall, I think Season 1 is really solid. It feels different from typical dramas and keeps you interested without relying too much on clichés. Definitely worth watching if you like fantasy with good character development.

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This show is watcheable and deserves a better rating.

It’s a simple story. But because it’s a mini series, it’s straight forward and direct. I like it because there are no fillers.

Although the story is a typical FL marrying into a general family and deal with all the evil characters in the family. The story is done very straight forward so it’s a welcome. It’s fast paced.

The FL and ML are not top rated actors but they did a decent job in portraying the characters.

The drama perfectly balances the thrilling tension of Zhai Dou (mansion-fighting) with a satisfying slow-burn relationship. You get the classic "enemies to allies" trope wrapped in an arranged marriage to a "dead" general, all executed at a brisk, addictive pace over 24 short episodes.

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Little unsatisfied

Things that i liked:
1) liked the main leads, both of them were perfect for each other. Their whole story was good and a perfect ending too🥰❣️
2) the sml got what he deserved; he was the only bad character that got what he deserved. He was silent throughout clg when rumors of fl were spread by people saying she was trying to take him from sfl Rong which wasn't true. He never called out lies infront of others. Silence is nothing but supporting the wrong.
He inturn got rumors spread about him in his office and then he realized what he did wrong towards fl. Also him being miserable throughout...good!! Well deserved 👏

Things that i disliked:
1) Sfl yu rong absolutely deserved karma for what all she put the fl through, not only did she lie many times to sml but manipulated him and others around her. The rumors fl faced is bec of her. But nothing zero nada she didnt get any retribution at all. I wanted what all she said to sml be out there in her friends group but that never happened. I wish she got what she deserved but nothing sadly😒
2) then comes so called fls friends they were pathetic too. They stayed silent whenever this girl was putting her down it was a constant thing. Good that fl didn't go out of her way to be friends with them.
3) the times fls friends used to pity her in clg as well was after annoying...same thing never happened towards Rong and sml after what was revealed.
4) fls was pathetic guy a loser. Again he lost nothing. Neither did his mistress and daughter. They lost nothing. No karma. As the mistress said atleast rhey got few yrs of living a lavish life. I would say very lacking. He even paid their dept. Atleast if he didnt and they were gambling their way to make money for it woukd have been nice. Idk man. Very disappointing .

5) overall i felt when fl was going through something bec of bad ppl it was made around lots of people, very loud declaration type. But when retribution came a little that too. .....somehow everything became intimate and less known.

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Ok slow burn, but this is an ice lolly

I love slow burn dramas, but here I can’t understand where is it going…I can only save the first two episodes and actors’ work. in my personal opinion, don’t waste your time.


***Spoilers***




the FL is insufferable, make up your mind girl! Every episode with this miserable bitter-sad-angry expression. ML without spine!! Just move on! This unrealistic story of “one love forever” has bored all of us.
Got together, split up and got back together just to conduct the exact same conversation (or non conversation), depression just to prove a point, plot holes, extreme slow development if any…I could manage up until ep. 7, then I had to drop.

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A Beautiful Wrapper for a Predictable Story

This is a real find for film lovers. The cinematography is impressive, it's rare to see such a talented and distinctive visual style. The background, color palette, and shot composition are all top-notch. Even the bloody fight scenes are well-choreographed and original.

However, the story itself is quite simple and predictable, lacking real intrigue. The pacing is slow, especially at the beginning, with many drawn-out scenes and dialogue filled with unnecessary fluff. At times, the film falls into genre cliches like a 50kg heroine knocks grown men aside with her miracle kick or emerges from a fight with just a few scratches and pretty bruises instead of real injuries and broken bones.

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Not perfect, but very enjoyable with a strong FL

I found the series overall quite enjoyable.

I must say, I really liked the FL's acting. In the first few episodes, her character felt a bit annoying, especially when she was quite obviously pretending to be interested in the ML. I even thought I might drop the drama if that continued. However, I'm glad her actual character turned out to be bold and mature, which is something I usually prefer in cdramas. The actress did a great job portraying her.

The relationships and bonding were soothing to watch. It was especially fun seeing the cat in human form and I loved how the dragon was a bit slow headed. Loved watching them bicker with each other. I must admit, the actor looked really handsome in that costume.

I was really hoping to see Situ Ling remain as Situ Ling rather than what he chose to become in the end. It was just saddening. The character came across as unnecessarily obsessed with the FL and his storyline could have developed better. I also felt like, the FL didn't show proper gratitude toward Situ Ling. They also lacked a proper communication thougout the whole series.

The villains were defeated too easily..... almost disappointedly so. The misunderstanding between the FL and the ML, it could have been resolved much earlier with proper communication, instead of dragging on for several episodes.

Overall, the story is good, enjoyable and fairly consistent, but not particularly unique or anything extraordinary.

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Too slow and boring

Unfortunately too slow and boring, with lots of "Captain Obvious" moments that get mulled over for too long. Cases are nothing special to write home about either, if you've seen a decent amount of detective dramas, there's certainly nothing memorable here. Cases are so so in the first part, but they turn into a real snooze fest when the plot moves to the capital. Everybody and they mother (literally) are plotting like uncouth thugs, even the royal family, and it turned this drama into a circus, where you can't take anybody seriously or relate to their problems.

This drama is one of those that quite unsubtly drills feminist ideas, not as blunt as in Blossom, but somewhere close. FL here is a typical Mary Sue, made to stand out among the rest of the cast by dumbing them down. She's made here a super pro out of nowhere, who looks like she was making 10 autopsies a day before the start of the drama. She has a super modern approach to conducting them as well, that wasn't established at all in ancient China, where autopsies were considered a taboo for a long time because of religion. Yet with all that, they somehow forgot to put an apron, a cap and a mask on her - she conducts autopsies in her fancy dresses, inhales the fumes and lets her hair down to swipe all the nasty stuff. Perhaps it was done so as not to obscure FL's pretty face and body, but it looked dumb af and threw all seriousness of autopsy scenes out the window, especially considering other historical cdramas have coroners wear proper work attires. And even in this very same drama there were other coroner guys wearing full set up.
She's also a very knowledgable medic, that puts to shame all the rest. Furthermore, it's like there are no medics or coroners of any decent level at all there, even in the captital. It could have been believable if it was some backwater village, but it's been deliberate and forced here to make the rest look dumb and her to stand out.
So all in all, her background is not believable and feels forced - a sheltered daughter of a judge, who out of nowhere got as if decades of experience as a coroner, a sleuth and a medic. Sure, her father could have told her some, she could have read some books, and got some experience at the medical valley (though she didn't live there for 10 years like the real person she took her persona from did). But it's been made clear she wasn't allowed to conduct real autopsies or investigations before the start of drama.

The actress is also rather stiff and they overdid something with her eyebrows and makeup, making her look older that she actually is.

ML is also pretty meh, your typical pretty boy general (though is so thin and non-muscly, it's rather hard to believe he trains in martial arts), who's got all the power to order people around and allow FL to help him conduct investigations. He got into her out of nowhere very early on, while investigating her fraudulent persona.

Often having FL very conviniently to be present at just the right place to save high ranking people from death, as well as solving cases like no other grants her tons of boons over the span of the story. And ML is fawning over her like a simp basically from the very beginning. If it's your cup of tea for romances, then go for it. Personally, the more it went on, the more cringe it looked.
Dorky side couples weren't interesting either, since most of those young actors were overacting too much.

It also has too many useless side characters that don't contribute much to the story. You gotta pay attention who's who in those sprawling scheming families, with more cartoonish characters introduced every few episodes.

Anyway, overhyped and I'm genuinely disappointed.

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It would be an 8 if it weren't for the Jia character

Things I loved

1 I repeat that every time but I love the panel. They are the funniest and so relatable when they comment. Not to mention that Lee Da Hee is gorgeous. On of the most beautiful women out there.

Things I liked

1 The concept is silly but if you accept its silliness it's enjoyable. I'm the last person on earth who would fall in love in a few days or would ever participate in such a show but I still can enjoy silly concepts when they are well done and embrace their silliness.

Things I disliked

1 Some of the participants, which is normal. I'm sure it's the same thing for everyone who watches that kind of show. We have our favorites and our less favorites.

Things I hated

1 I didn't develop on which participants I liked or disliked because at the end of the day they didn't help the show positively or negatively. The reason? That Jia character who ruined every enjoyment I felt watching this. So phony, so ugly I can't imagine anyone on this earth falling for her and they wanted us to believe that not one but several players were under her spell. I don't mind ugly people, I consider myself ugly and I live just fine. But when you are phony ugliness isn't only about features but about personality. This was one of the worst participants in Single's Inferno and I stand by it.

2 The focus on one woman, and as luck would have it, it's always the character I dislike the most, and the negligence of some participants that we seldom see. It's a shame and the major defect of the show.

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