Reviews

Story

Well Im mixed about my feelings watching this series.I didnt think the two actors suited each other. Tuo looked more mature in height and build whereas junxi came across as gullible .. over trustful and easily led. I didnt like the way Tuo latched onto him and wanted it his way or noway. He was jealous and ignored junxi if he spoke to anyone besides him.I loved the young girl Lam but she didnt help the situation. At times she pushed Tuo and junxi together. The trope of growing up together and ending up together later on in life ..having a bad childhood is part and parcel of bls now so you know the ending more or less. Cant complain about the acting as both MLs were really good
with great visual I loved the theme song sung by chance.Amazing voice.I did watch the whole series because I enjoyed the storyline..

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The "time travel" makes (almost) no difference. It gets forgotten in the middle of the story.

I went to watch it without knowing what it was about, and I'm finding the series "average." Neither bad nor good. The main couple didn't charm me, the secondary characters are nonexistent, there's no comic relief, the romance is reasonable, a little boring at times, so far I haven't found a "dramatic charge" in the series, and I found the acting to be mediocre. In addition, I didn't like Ran's personality; she cries too much. I understand that she lost someone she loved many years ago, but the series didn't give time to "show" how much she loved Lene. I can't empathize with her because I didn't see that love on screen. It lacked better development.
The good part: The series had good production, the script also seems to be good, and the plot and depth of the characters is the best part of the series. For now, that's it.

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Can't anyone be original?

I saw a recommendation for this in the reviews for another show. So far it's pretty solid.

But, I swear, if I see another drowning scene, I'm going to flip out. First of all, it's been overdone. Seems like 90% of old China dramas have a drowning scene. And it's never realistic. How are their hair and clothing dry, wrinkle free, and perfectly styled five minutes after coming out of the water? Why does the hero not remove his cape and shoes, both hazardous when attempting a rescue? Anyone can tell it's done on dry land and the "water" is added later.

And, of course, three or four men swoon over the FL. Also an overdone trope. Honestly, aren't we sick of the same 3 or 4 scenes considering recycled?

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the leads. I was unfamiliar with them. I especially enjoyed aren't Min, she's cute without being nauseating. I will be checking out her other work. Ci Asha in another great addition to my library of actors. These two are the reason i put up with the nonsense scenes.

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Pretty Good Drama

I had forgotten that the leads had been in the drama The Rise Of Ning which I am currently rewatching. The FL and ML in this drama ended up having one of the best CP's I have watched this year. I really enjoyed their interactions and felt they were truly immersed in their characters. I enjoyed all the support cast as well. All of them played their parts to perfection. My low rating is due to the production team and how it was a let down in the end. Too many people died in the last confrontation that it made me upset. I had wished for a better ending and was disappointed by all the lives lost and felt it unnecessary. I'm not a script writer, but this could have had a much nicer and thoughtful ending. It almost made me wish I hadn't wasted all my time watching this drama. The overall ratings would have been higher if the production team had thought it through more. Losing ONE or TWO is enough to startle watchers, but the overall devastation was too over-the-top. I won't rewatch with an ending so horrendous.

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How disappointing!

My expectations for this drama were high! The director of the great drama Blossom was directing this one, and we had the gorgeous ZHANG LINGHE as the male lead, and I automatically thought, "Wow, this is going to be amazing."

BUT unfortunately, this is awful! I saw the reviews and comments on MyDramaList and even wondered if I had watched it with my eyes closed because it wasn't possible!!! I don't understand why so many people liked this drama!

Okay, let's go, first I want to clarify that I couldn't get past episode 18, honestly.

Anyway, I think one of the biggest, if not the biggest, problems with Chasing Jade/Persuit Jade is the female lead.

How terrible she is! I don't know exactly if the problem is the actress, who doesn't have the best acting or charisma, or if it's simply the FACT THAT THE CHARACTER IS A MARY SUE!

This girl manages to excel at everything; she doesn't FACE ANY REAL DIFFICULTIES! She's simply perfect: she knows how to fight, she's considered beautiful, she's independent.

Look, I'm not criticizing these character traits themselves. I'm criticizing the fact that it's very poorly constructed! Seriously. "Oh, but because her father was a general and blah blah blah." Wow, the protagonist is also a MARQUIS and lived in battle, but look: even living in a VILLAGE, killing pigs, without daily training, she manages to be more skilled than him, she manages to defeat... I forgot his name, but he's the brother of Deng Kai's character, who even fights against that city commander in the massacre, he easily defeats. But to fight against the female protagonist... WOW!!! She can already put the knife to his neck, at any time, with the greatest ease. Oh, PLEASE!! 🙄

The female lead has no charisma. She didn't manage to captivate me at all. It got to a point where I didn't care if she died or not. When she jumped off the cliff, the only thing I could think was, "How predictable."
It simply didn't evoke any empathy in me. And you know why? Because she didn't face any difficulties, since nothing was difficult for her, the character didn't truly suffer, and I couldn't feel any empathy!

Besides, she also didn't present ANY complexity or backstory that would make her interesting! She was always the same: kills pigs, knows how to fight perfectly, is beautiful, beats up those who despise her and make things difficult for her. And that last thing I mentioned is what annoyed me the most: She was constantly beating up the neighbors who bullied her. "Oh, but look how mean they were!" Please, I was told she was an intelligent character, but NO! She is NOT intelligent! She just has the screenwriter's armor to get out of any situation, and she beats everyone up. She didn't have any intelligent strategy to deal with any situation! She just beat up others.

That ex-fiancé of hers, at least up to the episode I got to, serves no purpose other than to get beaten up or to be used as leverage for her to stand out when she sees him, and his mother is the same. CANNON FODDER characters!

And more! That's right, it's not over yet. The first episodes were torture to watch! (And honestly, they continued to be until I gave up after watching episode 18.), practically the entire episode was ONLY about the female protagonist! "Oh, but what did you expect? She's the female lead!", Good grief! And the development of the other storylines? And the other characters? And, most importantly, THE MALE LEAD? WHERE IS HE? If he appears for at least TWO MINUTES per episode, that's a lot!! The political plot he's involved in is simply dragged out and poorly explored, because we have to give the entire stage to the boring, forced, and daily story of the female lead. This only makes the plot drag!

Everything is about the female lead! And worse, if her storyline were interesting and well-written, it might be forgivable, but NO! It's boring! She doesn't have a shred of charisma! She's not interesting, she doesn't show any facets, and she has no complexity whatsoever. On the contrary, I found her extremely forced! There were fight scenes of hers that simply made me cringe.

Anyway, what can I say about the other characters? Nothing. They simply appear for a few minutes and then disappear. And again, we return to the female lead beating up others or following her extremely monotonous story!

Something that bothers me is that the fact that she fights well was poorly constructed, which made her a forced character. For example, she's the daughter of a fugitive general, and he taught her. Okay, so what? Is that all? So, is it only necessary to have a general father who teaches you to fight, before he dies, to become invincible?

From what I've seen about the web novel, the female protagonist starts the story at 18 YEARS OLD! HOW? How can someone who is only 18 years old, who was taught by a general father who died prematurely, apparently fight better than everyone else?

To have all the enemies massacred in the city, including one of the villains who is used to battle? That's a lot of convenience from the screenwriter/author.

Look, when she screamed and jumped into the fire, killed all those enemies, and jumped on the horse and slit the throat of the guy who was one of the leaders. I just said, "Enough. I can't take it anymore."

And the marquis? Well, he only appeared at the end, when she had predictably already jumped off the cliff and defeated most of them, because she's the best of them all and obviously she doesn't need any man to save her during the battle!

I have to laugh at this, because it's extremely ridiculous. Not the fact that she defends herself, but the fact that it's done in such a forced and poorly written way that it just makes me cringe.

Finally, regarding the production direction:

It didn't bother me. Sure, there are some errors that could be corrected, but I like how the angles and scene direction were filmed.

Now, regarding the acting:

The actress who plays the female lead doesn't seem to give the best performance. I didn't like her acting.

The male protagonist is gorgeous, he really is wonderful. But I don't know what to say about his acting, since he practically doesn't appear.

Regarding the other characters, it's the same: I can't say anything about them, since they almost never appear.

Plot:

Poorly written. Completely poorly constructed. The politics that could move the plot forward and make it interesting are not explored. The female lead storyline is boring. The male lead practically does almost nothing, or doesn't even appear. The same goes for the other characters, who do the bare minimum. The plot is too dragged out.

Soundtrack:

It's not bad, but it could be better. Honestly, it's not very memorable.

Finally, I should give it zero, but I'm giving it 3 stars for the direction and for Zhang Linghe's good looks, even though he almost never appeared.


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My original language:

Minha expectativa para este drama era alta! O diretor do ótimo drama Blossom estava dirigindo este e tínhamos o lindo ZHANG LINGHE como protagonista masculino, e eu automaticamente pensei "Olha, isso aqui vai ser de arrasar."
MAS infelizmente isso aqui é horrível! Eu vi as críticas e comentários do Mydramalist e até me perguntei se eu tinha assistido de olhos fechados por que não era possível!!! Não entendo por que tanta gente gostou deste drama!

Ok, vamos lá, primeiro quero esclarecer que eu não consegui passar do episódio 18, sinceramente.

Enfim, eu acho que um dos maiores, se não o maior problema, de Chasing Jade/Persuit Jade é a protagonista feminina.
Como ela é péssima! Não sei exatamente se o problema é a atriz, que não tem a melhor das atuações e carisma, ou se é simplesmente o FATO DA PERSONAGEM SER UMA MARY SUE!

Em tudo esta garota consegue se sobressair, ela não ENFRENTA NENHUMA DIFICULDADE REAL! Ela simplesmente é perfeita: ela sabe lutar, ela é considerada bonita, ela é independente.
Olha, não estou criticando estas características de personagem em si. Estou criticando o fato de que é muito mal construído! De verdade. "ah, mas porque o pai dela era general e bla blá blá". Nossa, o protagonista também é um MARQUÊS e vivia em batalha, mas veja só: mesmo vivendo em VILA, matando porcos, eu não tendo um treinamento diario, ela consegue ser mais habilidosa que ele, consegue vencer o...esqueci o nome dele, mas é o irmão do personagem de Deng Kai, que inclusive para lutar contra aquele comandante da cidade, no massacre, ele vence facilmente. Mas para lutar contra a protagonista feminina... NOSSA!!! Ela já consegue colocar a faca no pescoço dele, a toda hora, na maior tranquilidade. Ah, POR FAVOR!! 🙄

A protagonista feminina não tem carisma. Ela não conseguiu me cativar em nada. Chegou a um ponto que eu não me importava se ela morria ou não. Quando ela se jogou do penhasco a única coisa que consegui pensar foi "Que previsível."
Simplesmente não me despertava nenhuma empatia. E sabe porque? Porque ela não enfrentava nenhuma dificuldade, como nada era difícil para ela, a personagem não sofria de verdade e eu não conseguia criar nenhuma empatia!
Aliás, ela também não apresentava NENHUMA complexidade ou história que a tornasse interessante! Ela era sempre a mesma coisa: mata porcos, sabe lutar perfeitamente, é bonita, bate em quem a despreza e dificulta as coisas para ela. E essa última coisa que citei é o que mais me enjoou: Toda hora ela tava batendo nos vizinhos que faziam bullying com ela. "Ah, mas olha como eles eram maus!" Por favor, me disseram que ela era uma personagem inteligente, mas NÃO! Ela NÃO é inteligente! Ela apenas tem a armadura do roteirista para sair de qualquer situação, e bate em todo mundo. Ela não teve nenhuma estratégia inteligente para lidar com nenhuma situação! Ela só bateu nos outros.

Aquele ex noivo dela, pelo menos até o episódio em que cheguei, não serve para nada a não ser para apanhar ou servir de alavanca para ela se sobressair quando o encontra, e a mãe dele é a mesma coisa. Personagens BUCHA DE CANHÃO!

E mais! Isso mesmo, não acabou ainda. O primeiro episódios foram uma tortura de assistir! (E sinceramente, continuaram sendo até eu abandonar ao ver o episódio 18.), praticamente durante todo o episódio era SÓ sobre a protagonista feminina! "Ah, mas o que você queria? Ela é a protagonista feminina!", Puxa vida! E o desenvolvimento das outras tramas? E os outros personagens? E, principalmente, O PROTAGONISTA MASCULINO? CADÊ ELE? Se ele aparecer por pelo menos DOIS MINUTOS por episódio, já é muito!! A trama política em que ele está envolvido simplesmente é arrastada e mal explorada, por que nós temos que dar o palco inteiro para a história chata, forçada e diária da protagonista feminina. Isso só torna o enredo arrastado!

Tudo é sobre a protagonista feminina! E pior, se a trama dela fosse interessante e bem escrita, até daria para relevar, mas NÃO! É chato! Ela é não tem um pingo de carisma! Não é interessante, não apresenta facetas, e não tem qualquer complexidade. Pelo contrário, eu a achei extremamente forçada! Havia cenas de luta dela que eu simplesmente ficava com vergonha alheia.

Enfim, o que posso dizer sobre os outros personagens? Nada. Eles simplesmente aparecem por mínimos minutos e depois somem. E novamente, voltamos a protagonista batendo nos outros ou seguindo a sua história extremamente monótona!

Algo que me incomoda é que o fato dela lutar bem foi mal construído, o que a deixou uma personagem forçada. Por exemplo, ela é filha de um general fugitivo, e ele a ensinou. Ok, e? Só isso? Então é necessário apenas ter um pai general que te ensine a lutar, antes de morrer, para se tonar invencível?

Pelo que vi sobre a webnovel, a protagonista feminina começa a história com 18 ANOS! COMO? COMO alguém com apenas 18 anos, que teve o ensinamento do pai general, que inclusive morreu precocemente, consegue, aparentemente, lutar melhor que todos? Vencer todos os inimigos no massacre da cidade, inclusive um dos vilões que está acostumado a batalha? É muita conveniência do roteirista/autor.

Olho, quando ela deu um grito e pulou sobre o fogo, matou todos aqueles inimigos, e pulou no cavalo e cortou a garganta do cara que era um dos líderes. Eu apenas disse "Chega. Não dá mais."
E o marquês? Bem, ele só apareceu no final, quando ela já tinha previsivelmente se jogado do penhasco e derrotado a maioria, até porque ela é a melhor de todas e obviamente ela não precisa de nenhum homem para salva-la durante a batalha!

Eu tenho que rir disso, por que é extremamente ridículo. Não o fato dela se defender sozinha, mas o fato de que isso é feito de maneira tão forçada e mal escrita que apenas me dá vergonha alheia.

Finalmente, quanto a direção da produção:

Não me incomodou. Claro, tem alguns erros que poderia ser corrigidos, mas eu gosto de como foram gravados os ângulos e direção de cenas.

Agora, em relação a atuação:

A atriz que interpreta a protagonista feminina não parece ter o melhor dos desempenhos. Não gostei da atuação dela.
O protagonista masculino é lindo, ele realmente é maravilhoso. Mas não sei o que disser da atuação dele, pois ele praticamente não aparece.
Sobre os demais personagens, é o mesmo: não consigo dizer nada sobre eles, já que eles não aparecem quase nunca.

Enredo:

Mal escrito. Completamente mal construído. A política que poderia fazer a trama andar e torna-la interessante não é explorada. A trama da protagonista feminina é chata. O protagonista masculino praticamente não faz quase nada, ou nem aparece. O mesmo para os demais personagens, que fazem meio que o mínimo. O enredo é arrastado demais.

Trilha sonora:

Não é ruim, mas poderia ser melhor. Sinceramente não é muito memorável.

Por fim, deveria dar zero, mas estou dando 3 estrelas pela direção e pela beleza de Zhang Linghe, apensar dele ter aparecido quase nunca.

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Enemeys to lovers!!!!

Took a long break from dramas and this being the drama to bring me back in was everything!!!! I absolutely love everything in this drama, from the story to the music to the costumes to the acting, everything was chef's kiss. I am so glad this is the drama I watch to bring me back into the game.

Story :
The story was beautiful. An epic battle that caused the loss of two great heroes from opposite countries at war, meet at a pool of healing where the female lead forgets everything and a male lead trying to figure out who is the mole and sold out their country. tarted from hate, to mutuals, to partners, to lovers!!!! Literally amazing. I love how the story progressed, not to fast but also not too slow, just absolutely beautiful. I don't really have a favorite trope but after this drama, enemy to lovers might be my fav! The plot twits in this drama was insane, the amount of things that the director and producing team added to the drama but still made it so it didn't feel too overwhelming was perfection.

Music :
I looooooved the music. The song that plays during the sad scenes, especially for the Princess of Susha was heartbreaking. The lyrics are so touching, because the princess is fragile and was spoiled growing up, the lyrics constantly saying not to cry, telling the princess to stay strong. And the other lyric saying I will remember the way home touched my heart! The song for the couple was also beautiful. All in all the soundtrack was breathtaking. I also love the costumes, the way the team designed both countries to have different styles was a really cool detail. The difference in building structure as well, 10/10. I love the Fu Yixiao's costumes, I love how they are simple but still elegant and allows her to be agile and move. I hate when the females dress in tight or heavy clothing and then perform martial arts, it never makes sense.

Acting:
I absolutely loved the acting. I expected no less from Chen Ze Yuan! He did amazing, the role he played of the unkillable demon king and how much aura he had when in battle. His emotions was perfect every time. The female lead was also so good, her acting when she initially lost her memory was so good, you could really feel the confusing and fear through the screen. I want to especially give flowers to the acting of the Susha princess! Holy moly her acting was phenomenal. The fact that she transitioned to a careless princess to someone who can manipulate and kill was amazing. Her experience in Jinxiu really sold her role for her. The actress playing her did an amazing job. I also love how there are no misunderstandings between the main leads nor any unnecessary love rivals. The subordinates of Feng Suige was so cute and funny, their interactions with eachother and their loyalty towards Feng Suige was sooo touching.

Ending:
The ending was everything and more. I love how the story ended, no lose ties or nothing felt rushed either. The evil people got what they deserved and all the people I liked lived and it was an happy ending. Although I really wished the Jinxiu emperor didn't have to die, although he was a killer and villainous and evil, all he wanted in his life was to feel needed, and the way he begged someone who he always looked at as under him just to save Feng Xiyang and her baby, a true ruler. He's just a misunderstood character who deserved to be loved. And I will stand on that hill till the day I die lol.

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Must watch!

Alchemy of Souls completely swept me away and was an absolute joy to watch, especially Season 1. While the series certainly has its flaws, the strength of the storytelling, character development, and emotional investment it builds makes them easy to overlook.

I loved everything about Season 1. The characters, the plot, the perfect balance of comedy and romance, and the fascinating fantasy world. Fantasy isn't usually my go-to genre, but this drama completely changed my perspective and I'm more open minded to it.

Jang Uk and Mu Deok quickly became one of my favorite drama couples. I'll admit that after the first episode I was rooting for Seo Yul, but as the story unfolded, I found myself completely invested in the journey of the main leads and their incredible chemistry.

The drama is visually stunning, beautiful costumes, and magical. Paired with an incredible soundtrack that elevates every emotional moment, Alchemy of Souls delivers an experience that is both captivating and memorable.

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A fairy tale with a bit of confusion...

As usual the love-story started with a misunderstanding, which is of course nothing new. But how they went with it, was new for me... In the right circumstances a wish from a shooting star can become true. At least I did not expect going that way, because "He Xiangyong" wished to be forgotten. And that had massive consequences with his dad, friends and when he met his highschool sweet heart again. Only his childhood friend recognizes him and he fascilitates the second couple by kicking his friends butt, so to speak, something he could not manage in highschool himself.

The scenery is quite rural and is supporting the story. We got quite some nice scenery, especially the underwater footage in the finale. All the actors did a good job, especially the young versions of the MLs. The second couple had a dead fish kiss in the finale which makes me wonder, if they filmed the finale first, because of course the dumb intro did spoil the end - which I hate.

In the middle of the second half of the show, it gets a bit confusing, because "He Xiangyong" wakes up and something changed. First I thought it's not only his wish, but many wishes intersecting from people around him. But that's not the case, it's just confusing. But at least the God and his helper turn up to save the day. The background music is often offputting and makes no sense, especially when it has a comedic touch but the scene is serious or when a song is playing while a serious conversation is taking place. Of course I understand why they only went with one actor playing "He Xiangyong" and "Zhong Xiaoyou" but for me it would have been better if he really looked different for more immersion and that "Chen Haowei" fall for the second version because of his soul and character. At least it would have been more impactful. Also the "art" was left something to be desired, not good enough to be believable that "He" choosed this as his profession.

So overall a taiwanese production which was good and had some depth and a wonderful story also about two childhood friends. Compared to all the thai crap now airing, this was a refreshing story. Even with all the downsides I mentioned, it is still a good series.

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Should Be Called The Grand Saga of Cheng Shao Shang's Stupidity feat Palace Version

It is even a miracle that I managed to endure and finish this elaborate grand shitshow. The story pacing is too slow. Why were 56 episodes in total required for such a basic drama with this low-caliber storyline? The excellent cinematography was the only saving grace. There was no proper character progression and growth for any of the characters. The romance was not that good either. There was no proper communication between the couple, and both acted independently. Why was such an elaborate separation phase even required if the FL eventually forgave the ML for his mistakes?

Key Features of Dumb Yet Proud of Her Dumbness Type FL Called Cheng Shao Shang
1. The most infuriating character here is the FL. I have hardly seen such FL who is so proud of her uselessness (somewhat narcissistic even). There was no change in her character throughout. Moreover, so many episodes got wasted but there was not even a single scene of the wedding ceremony. Part 2 is all about the dumb FL spreading her foolishness in the palace. She is hardly 15 and does not know many things as she claims, but will not agree that she can be wrong sometimes. She even dares to give her self righterious speech to the royal family. If she were not the FL, she would have cost the heads of her entire family because of her reckless manner of speaking.
2. Writers are expecting me to believe this fool has any characteristics that the princesses of the palace would be jealous of. It is odd that they are behaving like street women and bullying the FL just because this foolish FL looks smart, cute, and miserable to the viewers. She jumps into palace politics just because she is there, despite the warning from her fiancé. She has to give her self righterious 2 cents here also.
3. Takes everything for face value. Just because someone spoke nicely to her, she goes all out to help them without thinking about anything. This is not being smart and caring, but rather idiotic, as she will implicate her entire family and her fiancé.
This girl is too straightforward for my liking. Straightforwardness is good, but to a certain extent. If you exceed it you will be called disrespectful and arrogant in my opinion. This FL lacks manner to speak with anybody. I am not telling her to listen all the bogus comments but rushing headfirst to fight like a bull every time you don't like someone is plain stupidity.
4. The audacity of the FL to forge a fake tiger seal that could cause catastrophe in the battle just because she likes the empress and wants to save the crown prince on behalf of her mother, despite the warning from her fiancé. She needs to be slapped day and night by her mother so that she develops some brain. She grew even more foolish after staying with the overlenient empress. She clearly needed a real-life disaster that would harm her for real, so that she finally thinks before doing anything. A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing.
5. This fool, out of her love for the empress and the injustice of the world, has now turned murder investigator, somehow. Interfere in other people's matters with the bare minimum knowledge. Came to the crime scene and gave the 2ML big speeches about her own relationship and praised how excellent lady she herself is. Then looks for things by locking the door so that she can get kidnapped, and ML can come to her rescue. Now she is boasting about who would have solved the case if not her, as if no one in the world could have found out that hidden room.
6. Oh, she also loves to have an engagement once in a while just to spite her mother. Donated the first one in the name of doing service for the country. Hated the 2nd one for saving her and her entire family's lives. Though I understand her somewhat, I hated her actions after the breakup. Instead of focusing on her career, as she bragged earlier, she went to become the caretaker of the ex-empress. Gave the 3rd one some hope after years and got engaged with him, but broke it again after she saw the 2nd one, whom she could not forget. Then rants all about how ill-fated she is.
7. Knows nothing about swords and any self-defence tactics, but like an idiot, she went to stand in front to pose with a sword in the name of military defence. If she were not the FL, she would have died 10 times over already due to her stupidity.
She is extremely arrogant and rude, who loves to run her big mouth in front of all. As if none of the problems would ever be solved without her 2cents about justice and bla bla bla, despite not having enough knowledge about the matter. If all the young female characters were not written deliberately as jealous, brainless, blindly bullying the FL due to their obsession with the ML, then this stupid FL would have been absolutely hated by viewers.
8. She loves to blame the ML for losing her identity as Cheng Shaoshang. But honestly, did she have any self-made identity ever? Did she make any effort to make one ever? Does she even have the capability to make one? She won't listen to her fiancé, mother, or father or anyone, as she is always right, and she even claims that she is not the one to follow her husband blindly. Does this fool have enough brain to do things properly except for that self-righteous, arrogant attitude of hers? The writer is the main culprit here for writing such a dumb yet narcissistic FL.

Overall, if you like such a FL you can give it a try. I absolutely loathe this type of adult baby type FL who won't ever accept her mistake, nor will she put any effort to improve herself, and will do dumb things that can bring serious problems for other but then will rebel if she is spoken harshly. A FL who self-praises all day without contributing much for real (due to her dumbness), is not really my cup of tea. I absolutely hope to forget this horror show.

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Appreciate Now

It was enjoyable, chaotic, a bit far reaching but just right. Sure there were moments that felt a bit repetitive, the circle it ran in, just to get to the conclusion but it didn't feel too unnecessary. All the actors had character. They felt natural in their surroundings, even the supernatural ones.

Ultimately, a story about choices, good or bad, would have repercussions. Also, I liked the aspect of valuing yourself and never feeling a failure to who matter. Self and those who love you and those you love. Failing at something doesn't mean you are a failure. Show up for the people who love you.

What I loved about this was that each had a story interesting to be told. The cp's complemented each other well. The island life free flowing body movements were refreshing. Uncle and Dad were an easy watch. Wisdom without heaviness.

I knew Jed Chung could act and I was happy to view him here. His smile just makes the angst worthwhile.

Note to Sam Lin: I miss seeing you.

It was fun, lively and Taiwan redeemed their legacy..... a bit. It was more coherent than what we have seen in a few years.

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Perfect Crown: A Story of Power and Connection

Perfect Crown is a 12-episode K-drama starring IU and Byeon Woo-seok, available on Disney+, Wavve, and Hulu. The story is set in an alternate 21st-century Korea governed by a constitutional monarchy.

Seong Hui-ju (IU) is the daughter of a prominent conglomerate family and CEO of Castle Beauty. She has it all: beauty, brains, and a competitive drive to be the best—but she lacks the royal status that would open the final doors to her success.

Grand Prince Yi-an is the King’s second son—a title that grants him high status but officially bars him from the throne. While the people adore his charm and dignity, his life is anything but enviable. He owns nothing, holds no real power, and must constantly hide his true desires to survive the rigid politics of the royal court. When Hui-ju meets Grand Prince Yi-an, she proposes a contract marriage, and from that point on, both of their lives begin to change.

More Than Just a Marriage of Convenience

At its heart, Perfect Crown uses the classic strategic alliance—or contract marriage—giving it a fresh twist through the lens of modern ambition and ancient tradition. Seong Hui-ju, a powerhouse in the corporate world, initially clashes with the rigid, tradition-based rules of the palace. Meanwhile, Grand Prince Yi-an, who has never stood up for himself after a lifetime of being taught to simply obey, slowly learns to fight for his own needs with Hui-ju’s guidance. As they shield their partnership—and each other—from those intent on their downfall, a simmering, complex attraction begins to define their bond.

Bringing the Characters to Life

Some critics have dismissed the lead performances, but I find these takes to be a fundamental misreading of the characters. Both Hui-ju and Yi-an are survivors, constantly battling a world that demands their silence and conformity. To survive, they’ve both retreated behind steel walls—what some viewers perceive as arrogance or "stiffness" is, in reality, a deliberate, defensive act of self-protection. Both actors capture the pain of being rejected for who they are, as well as the vulnerability required to emerge from behind those walls for one another. They brought remarkable depth to these roles, navigating a wide emotional range with precision. As the story unfolds, they grow closer, perfectly balancing their chemistry between sweet and intense. They are, simply put, a deeply believable pair.

Final Verdict

Should you watch Perfect Crown? Absolutely. While some reviewers have struggled to connect with the lead characters, I found them instantly likable and profoundly human. So, ignore the bad reviews and go enjoy!


If you’re interested in more of my thoughts on this series and others, feel free to check out my profile.

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aoao oooa ao ouu

TLDR; as someone who's watched enough coming-of-age stories, I know that even w/ the first few eps, it's def skewed towards a certain direction. I would not recommend watching for the main romances--side ones are better imo--but what I like most are the messages from the parents, which def hit harder as an adult. There's also quite a lot of character development (albeit probably not fully realistic). Acting is natural. Music was alright. I do love the costuming, esp fl's outfits (which I would unironically wear if they existed). Ending was okay--had some parts I liked, others not so much. Would not rewatch bc of that teensy little plot drag that ruined my rating of this show.

Story: I do appreciate that it starts off w/ the childhood story instead of inserting it into the narrative just to check off a thing. It shows that they were planning that part from the start as an important plot point. I do appreciate the friend group dynamic.. Story is pretty predictable for the romance genre. Honestly, it could've been a better story if they did a switcheroo bc fun fact: puppy love exists and grade-school romances don't always work out. It could've been a better story if she knew how to move on from her first love and find her better self, but here we are. ep 15 ruined the story for me, and it rlly makes it hard for me to pity the ml, and ep 20 actually made me angry lool. Fl literally cannot move on from her first love/the past and needs to learn to grow up to realize that ppl move on. She's so clingy to ml after the climax like why. Even ml told her that everyone grows up. Her best friends moved on persuing their love interests, while she's over here stuck in the past bc ml said one thing and will follow him unconditionally. Also we never fully tie up the second leads' story. Ml isn't any better than fl. Has he ever heard of communication?? ig it's a result of his parents, but even among friends he never says anything even if it's life-changing..atp you're being hella selfish, and you're always changing the topic even when they ask directly. After ep 20 I started mentally spacing out. Now you might be wondering why I watched til the end. bc I hate myself and maybe the ending will redeem everything somehow, which it kinda did?
Acting/Cast: ml looks like 30 trying to play a high schooler lool. Anyways, acting is pretty natural, ml loves to cry, kid actors are surprisingly good.
Music: There's one particular song that's grating on the ears bc of that one part (see title of the review). Other than that, the rest aren't terrible.
Rewatch value: absolutely not. It is shorter than a lot of cdramas but not worth it if I have to endure ep 15+ lol.

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8/10 Not Perfect, But Still a Good Time

My Dear Gangster Oppa has a pretty cool concept that instantly caught my attention. One of the things I really appreciated was the inclusion of gamer representation, especially the MOBA kind. As someone who used to play mobile games online, that part really hit home and made the characters feel more relatable.
MeenPing definitely carry the show with their chemistry. I have to say, 1 really like Guy (Ping) in this; he's such a sweetie and brings a warm charm to his role that makes it easy to root for him.
That said, not all the characters were enjoyable. Guy's friend, for example... whew. His obsession with Guy was way over the top and honestly just annoying. He really tested my patience every time he appeared.
Now, 've always been a sucker for mafia/gang-themed stories, so was excited to see how this one would play out.
Unfortunately, the mafia angle here felt kind of shallow. The fighting scenes weren't convincing, and the overall gangster storyline didn't have the depth or grit I usually look for in this genre.
Visually, though, the show is a treat. The cinematography is amazing, with beautiful shots, great lighting, and overall polished production.
As for the side couple... yeah, they didn't work for me. There was no spark between them, and the pairing just felt forced.
On the bright side, the villain Kenji was surprisingly effective. He got under my skin in all the right ways, so props to the actor for really selling that role.
Despite its flaws, My Dear Gangster Oppa still managed to keep me entertained from start to finish. It's not perfect, but if you enjoy sweet chemistry, a touch of gamer life, and a sprinkle of mafia drama (even if a bit undercooked), it's worth a watch.

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