Reviews

It's not so bad to get married afterall if it's Fang MuYang

This has got to be the perfect slice of life Chinese drama for me! As an old soul who always long for anything nostalgic and a sucker for romance who just wants to enjoy a good watch, this show got it all and I am beyond amaze how everything has been put together, from the slightest detail of each characters imperfection (no fancy clothes and makeup) to how the flow of the story went and everything in between. I like how it looked so raw and unfiltered that everything just looked natural but still beautiful. It's almost like you also travelled back in time. Although the cutting of the scenes were not that smooth, but the director was still able to capture the emotions of each character.

This show also made me realize how although life was so hard before, it was so easy to get married. And it's not so bad to get married afterall if you have someone like Fang Mu Yang or Qu Hua to depend on. You can conquer everything as long as you have each other.

I really like the fact that this is not your normal fake marriage story. Since the beginning you can already see how ML already has feelings for FL. The way he looks at her, I wish there'd also be someone who looks at me that way. His eyes really are so full of emotions.

Everything about this drama just feels so good and I loved how the love of each couple grew and made them a better version of themselves.

I hope there'd be another season showing their college life, but for now, I'll just continue to reminisce the scenes that were shown to us and the scenes that were left out for our imagination.

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Had so much potential, couldn't utilise it fully.

UNPOPULAR OPINION!

No hate, I do think it was entertaining. But in a guilty pleasure sort of way, rather than intellectually stimulating. It had all the elements of a satisfying story, but somewhere along the way it lost sight of its purpose.

What I liked:

1. Tian Xiwei as Fan Changyu- TX is apt for the role. Her character has a "Hagrid" energy to it- Brute strength but a softy at heart. Someone who does not know her own worth at the beginning, but later realising and using it. The drama has a lot of situational comedies and she nailed her expressions in them. I hear she herself is a fitness enthusiast and it shows in her movements. She communicates well with her body language as well. I watched some of the BTS and she came across as someone very professional and easy going with charisma. I am not sure I would describe her portrayal as sensual, but that is perhaps because of the second leads in the story.

2. Which brings us to the next thing that fascinated me- The story of the second leads. Yes, it was toxic. But it was also layered, it gave off the images of desire and vulnerability clothed in pitifulness. Both leads played the part and worked together well. Kong Su'er had that sensual quality, and her character displayed intelligence. I read somewhere that her character had actually transmigrated from the future, and that shows, she displays a modern air about her. Deng Kai- Phew. He played that obsessive villain well! The whimpering, whipped, possessive madman had so much to offer.

Which brings me to the parts I didn't like:

1. Wasted storylines- The Second leads packed a lot of intrigue which was criminally under explored. Makes me think the writers actually wanted this drama to be their story, but given the toxic nature of their relationship it wasn't viable so they hid it in the larger premise. I also did not understand why every character had to have a romantic subplot. The Strategist-Grand Princess arc was well portrayed, but could have been avoided to leave some breathing room for the rest of the story. Same with the bandit boss- villain brother arc, with a scene with the cousin. They are not bad, but they made the whole thing so dense and did not feel impactful. The villain brother also had sizeable chemistry with the FL., but to my disappointment it never got explored. The story with adoptive father arc- a long scene with a lot of dialogues, which could've been either shortened, or explored in detail and connected in a larger context.

2. Pacing that destroyed character development: Everything was good initially, but so much of it was "told" rather than "shown". I get that watching idol dramas demands the viewers to suspend belief to a considerable degree, but even fictional universes obey some rules. I see that this is one of the most common complaints about this drama, even fans found it hard to believe the FL climbing up the army ranks just like that. Still, not a big red flag.

3. The Politics: Again another common complaint- I found the mystery extremely confusing. The who is who. The Why's. It is explained, yes, but in the last two episodes! Why are there so many people dying in so many fires? Anyway, my point is that there is no "main villain", instead there are many villains. and it was overwhelming. The motives were unclear, and I found it impossible to track the relationships. Uncles and nephews all fighting with each other. Also, Fan Changyu's mother is also from a General's family but that arc is also not deeply explored. It was tiring to keep wondering what is going on while the acting and the scene setup were gorgeous, affecting the viewing experience.

4. ZLH: He looks gorgeous. So good looking. But I felt he displayed a limited range of emotions, not quite convincing, but not too bad either. His story was overshadowed by the other stories, so despite being told many times that he is traumatic I did not feel the connection. Something was lacking.

I loved Blossom. This one pales in comparison. Maybe that is the problem with the people who rated this one low- they had very, very, very high standards.

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The Tragedy of Wasted Potential

“A masterpiece of what could’ve been… and what never was.”

⭐ Review of Pursuit of Jade
Rating: 8/10 (pure generosity, by the way)

I went into this drama expecting brilliance.
What I got instead was a visually stunning collection of unrealized potential.

This isn’t a bad drama.
It’s worse.
It knows exactly what it wants to be… and still fails to become it.



📉 Story & Writing — All the right ingredients, none of the right execution.

“A story with depth means nothing if it never dares to descend into it.”

The drama sounds incredible on paper: revenge, trauma, identity, justice.

And yet—
A story can have depth, but if it doesn’t flow, it drowns in its own ideas.

The male lead’s revenge? Supposedly his life’s purpose.
Reality? A side quest he remembers in the last 10 episodes.

His trauma is introduced like a checklist:
battlefield ✔
dead mother ✔
nightmares ✔
…and then promptly forgotten.

The female lead’s identity arc? Powerful in theory.
But instead of driving the story, it just… exists.

This isn’t a narrative—it’s a series of missed connections.



⏳ Pacing — Why is everything either dragging… or sprinting?

“Time moves forward, but this story stands still—until it suddenly runs.”

This drama does not understand time. It lingers where it shouldn’t, and rushes where it matters.

First few episodes: engaging
Middle: painfully stretched
Ending: speed-running emotional closure

And don’t even get me started on the final episode.
An entire alternate timeline reduced to a rushed afterthought. That could’ve been a masterpiece. Instead, it’s a footnote.



💔 Romance — They lived together, so… love?

“Closeness is easy. Connection is earned.”

Let’s be honest. Proximity is not chemistry.

The drama confuses:
living together
caring for each other
being comfortable

with:
falling in love

The real issue?
I was told they loved each other. I was never shown why.

They feel like:
roommates → acquaintances → suddenly soulmates?



❓The Missing Emotional Core — Love without weight is just presence.

“Love is not built in silence—it is revealed in what breaks it.”

No:
shared breakdowns
emotional dependence
exclusive vulnerability

Just… presence.



🕊️ The “Peace” Narrative — A feeling that was named, but never nurtured.

“Peace is not a statement. It is a pattern.”

We’re told:
she gives him peace
But do we feel it?

Peace isn’t stated. It’s built.
There’s no repetition, no emphasis, no emotional weight.

So instead of:
“She is his only safe place”

It feels like:
“She’s… around.”



🧠 Emotional Disconnect — Parallel lines that never meet.

“They share a story, but never a soul.”

Here’s the biggest problem:
They exist in the same narrative, but not in the same emotional space.

She has her realization. Alone. Good.

But then? No meaningful moment with him.

No:
reassurance
belief
promise
A bond isn’t built in silence—it’s built in response.

That one missing scene—
where he tells her he’ll stand by her, help her clear her father’s name — would have turned presence into love.

Instead?
Two strong characters. Zero emotional intersection.



⚔️ Character Logic — Realism quietly left the chat.

“Growth without process is just illusion.”

Now let’s talk about logic.

Martial Arts Arc — Skill without struggle is spectacle, not storytelling.

She:
stops training
becomes a butcher
gets advice
…and suddenly defeats a seasoned general?

Character growth is not unlocked through dialogue prompts.

Where was:
practice?
struggle?
progression?
Even prodigies don’t work like this.

“Talent explains potential, not miracles.”



⚰️ Missed Opportunity — Connection was possible. It was simply ignored.

The male lead helping her train? That would’ve:
built realism
built chemistry
built connection

But no.
The story skips the journey and expects the destination to matter.



🧩 Continuity & Identity — Important… but not important enough.

“If it doesn’t linger, it didn’t land.”

Major revelations feel forgettable. If the audience doesn’t remember it, it wasn’t impactful enough.

Her identity as the general’s daughter should’ve been:
emotional
defining
unforgettable

Instead, it’s:
underwhelming and poorly reinforced



👑 Feminism — A concept introduced… and then abandoned.

The drama hints at feminism:
female shop owners
women in positions of power
a female general
Sounds promising, right?

“Representation without exploration is just decoration.”

Where is:
systemic resistance?
structural change?
narrative payoff?



💔 The Biggest Miss — Power offered, then quietly taken back.

The royal princess could’ve ruled.
She didn’t.

If you introduce power, let women actually hold it. Instead, the drama plays it safe.



🎬 Direction — This is where everything collapses.

“A story is not its ideas—it is the way they are brought to life.”

At some point, you have to ask:
Was it the writing… or the direction?

Because the ideas are there.
The execution? Not so much.

Compared to:
The Coroner's Diary
Fated Hearts
…the difference is obvious.

Good dramas show growth. This one implies it.



🎥 Production — At least it’s pretty.

“Beauty can elevate a story, but it cannot replace it.”

Let’s give credit where it’s due. If nothing else, it looks beautiful while disappointing you.

✔ stunning cinematography
✔ aesthetically pleasing visuals
✔ emotionally appealing moments (in isolation)

And honestly?
The edits might be better than the actual drama.



⭐ Final Verdict — A beautiful almost.

“It reached for greatness—and settled for potential.”

This drama is not bad. It’s just:
Painfully aware of its own potential—and still unable to reach it.

It had:
strong characters
emotional depth
meaningful themes
But failed to connect them.



⭐ Rating: 8/10
And yes, this is generous.
Because sometimes you don’t rate what it is—you rate what it could have been.

If I were being honest?
This is a 6.5 disguised as an 8.

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No romance just fantasy

So after watching some fantasy and historical I'm done with these chinese genre overly Melo dramatic always, always weak FML , always dying, sacrifice? this isn't the part of love or how love is shown ? story focus is 100% fantasy and 10 % romance? i watch for romance not for other genre? i have skipped last 6-7 eps because they don't show up main lead but fantasy and side characters, so this is not for me ,I do enjoy fantasy but with equal amount of romance included, this is like some Korean manwha I read that name it romance fantasy genre when they don't show romance at all ,I liked the couple so wanted to watch if all historical and fantasy like this I rather quit ,I had avoided this in chinese but decided to watch I should say they're 10-9 for fantasy or historical but romance in these is 1-4

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Yellow, Love, & Second Chances.

Stumbled upon this film randomly without knowing anything about it, and I'm so glad I did because I ended up loving it.

The premise is unusual and a bit chaotic at first, but that's what makes it interesting. It slowly pulls you in, and before you know it, you're trying to piece everything together along with the characters. I really liked the contrast between the two leads. Their interactions seem simple at first, but there's something underneath that makes you keep watching. I also appreciated how the tone shifts — from light and playful to something more bittersweet. I was a little confused at one point, but everything coming together later made it worth it. That moment of realization is what stood out to me the most. Even though this isn't usually my type of film, I enjoyed how it focused on subtle emotions and small gestures rather than being overly dramatic. Overall, it's a unique and heartfelt story about connection and second chances, and I'm glad I gave it a chance and so should you. <3

Ending with the OST lyrics, "I love you, I love you more than myself..."

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It’s a dose of cuteness

I watched this on IQIYI under the title “The Lost Daughter”. A really sweet with a hint of spice romance comedy. The FL is not your typical doe eyed 18 year old character in an age gap trope. She has depth, substance and the plot revolves around her. ML’s chemistry with FL made the show vibrant. There were multiple scenes I enjoyed so much I replayed them. The writing and directing conveyed a fun and playful mood which the actors excelled in performing. My favourite parts were the artistry during scenes with atmospheric haze, hair breeze and costume styling. The soundtrack was well done with popular songs in the background adding to overall mood. Rated this a high rewatch value due to how entertaining the production, performance and story were.

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The things one comes across when just going by the poster and the title!

I had no idea how this ended up on my "Watch Later!" list on iQIYI, and was not aware at all what this would be about. So, it took the first two episodes to figure things out -- is it horror? Mystery? Thriller? Elements of these were present in the first episode -- and the second turned out to be more on the silly side?

Finally, I understood that this is a collection of short stories -- they are just all happening in a remote run-down hotel.

Now, short stories are a genre that not everybody can get along with. They tend to have no real introduction, only outlines of characters, and often an abrupt or open ending. Nowadays, when we are used to media that spells things out more often than not (and, when in doubt, more than once), we are occasionally thrown by this form of story telling.

Keeping this in mind, these twelve short stories (each of them just about ten minutes) were well done. In each episode, we get a guest (or a group of guest) who come to the hotel -- and most of the episode is spent trying to find out what on earth is happening, who they are and why they have come there. All of the stories are more or less absurd, some silly, some surreal. Some with a layer of meaning below the obvious.

It's very clear that this was made on a shoestring budget, but that it was used well! The location fit well with the stories, and the actors were mostly doing a good job -- with the shortness of the stories it was occasionally hard to tell. I wish the writer had given the recurring cast -- the hotel's employees -- a bit more character: Not necessarily multi-faceted, broad strokes are more than enough, but just slightly more -- especially the two female characters stayed too bland.
I did like how they integrated elements of horror and mystery as well as rom-coms, mixed with comedy, into their little absurdist stories -- you'd never quite knew how things would turn out.

Overall, it was a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed some episodes a lot, other were ... forgettable, which is the norm for me with anthologies. I liked the dramatics of the hotel manager and the absurdity of the short stories.

If the English subs on iQiYi had been better better (they were machine translated, and I occasionally had to guess what was being said), this would get a rec from me.

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Great story but lacking a bit in the chemistry department.

I enjoyed it... Some things were really predictable, others not... I like how all the sub-plots were interconnected and served the main one... This should have been tagged "tragedy" though, because it's basically tragic stories piling up on each other.

But for some reason, I could never believe in the main couple... It's my first time seeing Bai Lu in a drama where I just can't feel any chemistry with her co-star... I see what the drama and the actors want me to feel, but it just felt fake so I couldn't connect.

I liked the story of the 2nd couple better though I think they moved from enemies to lovers a bit too fast which removed part of the credibility of their story... Also, they should have avoided making them kiss. They only had one kiss together and my GOD, it SUCKED SO SO BAD.

The CGIs and costumes were great. I loved all the colors displayed especially in the lunar sea.

Overall a good watch.. although I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

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Ending has disappointed me ?

In this drama you might feel confused from the starting but as you move further in episodes you will find their different reincarnation story and and every story is engaging cause both lead's have suffered for their love . When I first saw that she killed him i was shocked but when I saw the reason in further episode I was crying because of her helplessness and how heart broken the male lead was but he still trusted her , his eyes was filled with tears but there was love to. HAO MINGHAO / TAN SONGYUN . Best drama but I am disappointed by the ending others might think she goes in the past to meet him they are happy there but I didn't expected this ending after being through so much .
And I am not into sad ending that much it would hurt for days in real to so I watch less sad ending dramas 🥰🪷🐉

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light fun watch

went in it with little to no expectations just to kill some time and I think that helped me appreciating the show more. it was a fun and light watch and some of the scenes were really funny. the starting felt like a vertical low budget drama but later all turned out well. I wish they would've incorporated more 90s thing most of the time it did felt like I'm watching a modern drama set in today's era and not the 90s. i usually disconnect with a show when the main leads start dating or fell in love it becomes boring but surprisingly this was fun and i enjoyed every bit of their dating era as well.

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I loved it ?!

This was very well written and put together. I'm not a fan of Force/Book together(just Force), but the director did a great job with casting them for this role. The last couple was so funny! I loved how Junior acted in this series. Now my main reason for watching this series; Perth/Santa; the BL couple I never knew I needed. Whoever decided to pair them up; KUDOS! They are my favorite in this series and the chemistry they have is indescribable. It's really next level and they were exceptional in this. I may have watched their portion of this series 10 times! The acting and all three stories had good plots to them, but Perth/Santa's hit me the hardest and in my opinion; had a better plot and storyline to it. Will definitely be watching this again! I loved it 😍!

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This wasn't for me....

This is a "jumping all over the place" type of BL. I love Force, but not Book and I just don't think they mesh well together chemistry wise. I think there was a missed opportunity to develop a better story, especially with the cast that was chosen especially since this has a very similar plot to Manner of Death, yet this plot was a bit weak. The actors chosen are good actors, yet I feel all of their talents were wasted on this BL. I feel the director did a so-so job directing this; like he/she felt lazy and threw something together to film this time around. I will not personally watch this again, but I won't suggest no one else watch it as they might like the series. This definitely wasn't for me.

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Taiwanese BL Comeback?!

This has the potential to resurrect Taiwanese BL, which hasn't popped off lately. You'll first notice the high-end cinematography and color grading matched with a beautiful island town backdrop. It's eye candy in every scene. And every character/relationship has a bit of mystery to their backstory. The touch of supernatural elements while still being grounded in reality is the final cherry on top.

Besides that, the acting, writing, and perfect sound effects are great. There's no wasted fluff. Though at this point I don't feel the chemistry between the 2 leads, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as it's only ep2.

I have high hopes for this one and will update with new thoughts!

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