Reviews

What If and What Is.

August 17, 2012, was the worst day in Zhou Jin's life. It was the day Zhou Chuan, the older brother she adored, was brutally killed in a SWAT operation gone wrong. Her life continues to unravel as her childhood sweetheart, Jiang Cheng, betrays her. Five years later, she is numb and still seeking answers as she advances in the police force. A close call convinces her it is time to get on with her life. She decides to marry longtime admirer Jiang Hansheng, an acclaimed criminal profiler. Together, they unravel the truth behind her brother's death and race to track down Hansheng's nemesis: the Red Dress Killer.

There are two main plot arcs in this story. The first is the tangled triangle between Zhou Jin, Jiang Hansheng, and Jiang Cheng. It is one of the few well-written and complicated triangles where no one is truly to blame, and everyone's point of view is understandable and empathetic. All is fair in love and war, so I appreciate that everyone is slightly selfish and fights for what they want. After all, in matters of the heart, it is best to try and fail rather than give way and live in regret. In the end, there is no real winner or right choice—it all comes down to timing. The narrative skilfully explores Zhou Jin's heart wrenching conflict between what if and what is.

This is an excellent cast all around. As a huge fan of both Jing Boran and Qin Junjie, I was genuinely torn between Jiang Hansheng and Jiang Cheng. But in the end, Jiang Cheng won me over. I found Jiang Hansheng's obsessiveness and subtle manipulation too suffocating, although Jing Boran was masterful at highlighting his stoic loneliness and vulnerability. Qin Junjie floored me with how well he played the bad cop—I never thought he had it in him to pull off such an excellent gangster. Although Cai Wenjing always delivers a credible performance, I didn't like Zhou Jin, and I feel this was not her best role.

The crime plot is well-paced, suspenseful, and fairly well written, but there are enough holes to stop me short of calling it tight. What I really didn't like is how Zhou Jin was allowed to participate in what was clearly a personal investigation. She also recklessly charges into too many situations, and even though she can hold her own, I found her obstinacy and recklessness annoying. She was my least favorite of the three main characters, and she failed to convince me she was worthy of such devotion from the two men.

For me, the romance and character dynamics are worthy of an 8.5, but the crime story is a 7.0/7.5. This works out to be slightly short of an 8.0 from me—but Jing Boran is a sexy beast, so I can round it up to 8/10.

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Life post-divorce included new love, career restart & unfortunately ex-husband's harassment

I was in the mood for Meng Jia Hui drama so I picked this one because it's the latest on his MDL profile. The synopsis was fascinating. Xia Xun Zi is unfamiliar to me so all these added some excitement and expectation. It was a good watch despite bloated antagonist arc.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - This drama centred on FL's life post-divorce. I liked that she didn't have a pity party for herself. She knew her worth.
2. ML characterisation - I really liked him. He was smart, supportive & focused on his goal.
3. Romance - Wow, ML had tricks up his sleeve. Well he had crush on her for 10 years but never meddled in FL's relationship with previous husband. I don't like deception but the lie was discovered quite soon after the marriage. I liked that he negotiated with FL about the terms of their marriage.
4. Supporting character - I loved ML's mother who initially played along then decided to tell FL the truth.
5. Styling - Good outfits chosen for both leads. FL looked great and fashionable. XXZ seemed talk too because she wore kitten heels and height difference wasn't too big.
6. Duration - Just over 2 hours is nice.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Ex husband was scumbag for denying his cheating behaviour. The mistress was annoying gold-digger and an imposter. His mother and sister were selfish too. Anyway I disliked that antagonist arc was given too much screen time.
2. Romance - I wish the antagonist screen time was cut short and reallocated to the main couple. I'd love to see their romantic progression develop with substance.
3. Acting - While I liked her voice, I found her performance was monotonous. I didn't also sense much chemistry and warmth between Xia Xun Zi and Meng Jia Hui.

Favourite scene
When ML introduced his wife at the banquet

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There will be neither forgiveness nor glory.

"There will be neither forgiveness nor glory."

Forgiveness can mean many things. And it is telling that the Pie Jesu Domine from Fauré's Requiem is the last thing we hear in the final episode, as the two protagonists enter the prison. From a Christian perspective, it means entrusting oneself to God and choosing to accept things as they are. "Lord, forgive those who have offended us." Mortal justice would serve no purpose. That kind of forgiveness does not grant absolution. A loophole that can sometimes save lives… Or impose silence and impunity, depending on who offers it. The heroine chooses neither option. She will take her revenge. They will pay for it, just like in that first scene at the motorway checkpoint.

It's exhausting to stay angry. A destructive emotion. It feeds on itself and needs to be fed. You mustn't lose focus and must keep in mind the source of that inner rage. But at times we allow ourselves joy because we're entitled to it ; those moments prove that we're alive... How many days does that add up to in total ? Not many, no doubt. Revenge doesn't change the past and we have a lot to lose, of course, but what about someone who has already lost everything ? The truth is that harassment seeps into the flesh and revenge destroys everything. The two are completely unrelated.
Not understanding it means you're in luck.

An ideal role for Song Hye-kyo, who had just learnt of her divorce from the press whilst she was in China. Her cowardly husband is forcing her to make this choice in public. A rather disgraceful attitude.

"I am not looking for a prince, but for an executioner who will join me in my dance of sacrifice"

I've read that the bullying aspect was exaggerated and too violent. But the (talented) screenwriter drew on a true story. Those wealthy young people who brutalised, confined, burned and SAed a disadvantaged pupil at their school : it really did happen, as the first episode shows. The school, the doctors and the police failed to defend the victim and instead protected the perpetrators.
(Seeing Shin Ye-eun as a sadistic villain wasn't something I expected at all, and her cruel smile is truly cold-blooded)

"Why do poor people believe that good always triumphs ?"

The mere mention of Kim Eun-Sook's name in the credits usually suffices to make you want to watch it. The story unfolds brilliantly, with each element falling into place according to its own logic. And the plot builds tension skillfully, knowing exactly how to show rather than tell, and then confirm without imposing. Exceptional.

I absolutely love the way the protagonist doesn't even try to make these privileged pieces of [redacted] feel guilty. They don't understand what she wants. Simply unthinkable to these people that anyone wouldn't want to make them confess their crimes or squeeze money out of them. And they feel no guilt whatsoever, so it becomes unbearable in their minds. Their "enemy" doesn't think like them ; that is the worst torture they could face. "When one has the intelligence to understand, one has the sense not to ask", wrote Balzac. They will ask, take offence, drive themselves mad, turn on one another, but they will never have the intelligence to understand. Too used to seeing things work out for them. How could it be otherwise ?

These wealthy families inflict violence on others and on themselves. That is simply what Dong-eun, their victim, exploits. Their world is violent ; to survive, they must be violent, to stay at the top of the hill of wealth. People underestimate the violence of the rich. Consequently, revenge isn't even particularly satisfying ; it is simply a continuation of this oppressive logic. Dong-eun derives no satisfaction from it. A clever narrative choice. Very clever. No doubt the reason why some people find the series disappointing or boring ? I, for one, find it fascinating.

The music remains understated for the most part. Bowed strings, violin harmonics, a shift from one chord to another with a pad added. At times it becomes lyrical, with strings and a piano taking centre stage. Kim Joon-seok and Jeong Se-rin do a fine job.

_Sa-ra, the painter, her paintings are reminiscent of Olivier Debré’s. Clearly beautiful.
_The alcoholic mother sent to a psychiatric hospital... I’m not a fan.
_A fine performance by Lim Ji-Yeon ! you almost feel sorry for her character whilst hating her.
_Yum Hye-ran, always in roles as mothers having a rough time on this earth.

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A Masterclass of Bench-pressing by Phenomenal Actors and a Beautiful OST

Years late to the party on this one, lol.

Surprisingly enjoyable (the whole show, not just this part 2), despite the editing being a mess at times (did we really need to spend THAT long on the Lamp Lady Arc, and the Whiny Sister Arc in S1, only to suddenly jump to 'by the way, X has been seriously injured/died in some battle shown totally off-screen'?) Started off at a crawl and by the end of S2 we were dimension hopping towards the finish line, but overall loved it, held together throughout by some truly phenomenal acting by the main trio especially, but also shout out to the arcs of Dragon Lady and Mr Big Bad, which I also enjoyed.

Mortal arc was my favorite, and Tang Zhou has a special place in my heart ;-;

Yan Dan was beautiful, loved her arc coming full circle from almost possessively loving /only/ YY in S1 and not able to see why he couldn't just forget duties/the world and love /only/ her back (to the point of not actually giving him a choice about rejecting her in that lucid dream thingy (YD, honey, even someone truly in love with you has the right to refuse to be with you. They do, even if they're just being a noble idiot trying to protect you, or self-guarding against inevitable rejection that isn't actually going to happen. I know you know this because you demonstrate it beautifully to TZ + YY in 60% of S2)) to slowly seeing it dawn on her in the mortal world just what happens to his organization/the world/himself if she does get her wish of him putting her before all and ditches his responsibilities, and finally her push in S2 to get him to re-prioritize the world and the expressions on her eyes and face and actions that make it so clear that she loves him /because/ he is a totally selfless dude, and how she falls a tiny bit more in love with him at every selfless action she hears some third party casually drop, or sees him secretly/openly do. (Meanwhile, TZ/YY, this lovesick backslider who isn't /actually/ a selfless doormat /unless/ Supreme Majesty's demanding it and/or the world will be nuked if he isn't, is doing an A+ job of not blindly laying his life out for duty anymore, and is giving up divine objects that can nuke the world/whose loss can kill him just to keep YD safe from situations a well-placed "no" and better planning could have prevented in the first place, but such is the strength of the acting on both sides here and the soulful tenderness and teasing warmth between them that my heart was fully moved and engaged by this devotion on his part to respect her free will to make terrible plans and back her in following through with them, as well as her determination to not be sidelined but help protect those she wants to protect as an equally useful person. In short, my brain was screaming 'um, that is a bad plan', and my heart was clicking 'next episode' with each disaster that befell these two.)

Did the story make sense by the end of it?
Admittedly, no.
Did I care?
Also no.
I was too busy remembering the main trio fondly and looping the gorgeous OST.

Kudos to all the cast in this for making me enjoy the ride except the annoying sis and lamp lady, and maybe Monkey Immortal Dude. YY blind with blond hair remains his most handsome self, and I understand why YD fell for him entirely, but I don't think even Blond YY trumps TZ's wistful longing or teasing warmth for me.

9.5/10, losing its marks for Annoying Lamp Lady and Annoying Sis.

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Yumi's Cells Season 3 Literally Healed My Heart

FINALLY after waiting since 2022 after season 2 ended, Yumi's Cells season 3 is finally here and I swear this drama made me laugh, giggle, feel butterflies, then suddenly emotional all over again 😭

At first, I honestly didn’t expect to love Yumi and Sunrok THIS much because I used to be such a Yumi and Babi supporter. Even though I already knew Sunrok was the endgame, I still wasn’t fully convinced. But WOW Kim Jae Won really surprised me. He fits Sin Sunrok SO perfectly and totally captured that cute younger boyfriend energy.

And can we talk about how SWEET Sunrok is??? Like finally... FINALLY Yumi gets loved the way she deserves after everything she went through with Ung and Babi. Watching Sunrok love Yumi so openly made me so emotional because Yumi spent so much time feeling disappointed in her past relationships. Meanwhile Sunrok is over here expressing his feelings so honestly that even Yumi gets shocked herself 😭 Watching them together seriously made me want a younger boyfriend too lol.

What made me fall for Sunrok the most is the way he treats Yumi. He listens to her carefully, buys her snacks, respects her boundaries, stays honest, and always reassures her whenever she feels insecure. And when Yumi asks what he likes about her, he actually answers properly every single time 😭 Bare minimum for real men but somehow it felt SO refreshing after watching Ung’s huge ego and Babi being too easily swayed by other women.

Honestly, following Yumi’s story from season 1 until now feels so personal. It feels like I grew together with her all these years. Seeing her slowly learn, get hurt, heal, and finally receive the kind of love she deserves made me genuinely emotional. At this point, whatever decision Yumi makes, I’m supporting her forever.

And the cells??? STILL the best part of the drama 😭 The Yumi cells and Sunrok cells were so funny and adorable. But Sunrok’s naughty cell seriously stole the whole show because WHY was it so giant while Sunrok himself looked tiny next to it 😭 I couldn’t stop laughing every time it appeared. I’m seriously going to miss all these cells so much.

Also the OSTs NEVER disappoint. Every season somehow keeps delivering amazing soundtracks. The whole drama honestly feels so well made. The acting, the writing, the music, the production, the visual effects, everything just feels full of heart.

One of my favorite things about this drama is the message behind the cells themselves. In our own lives, we are actually the main character inside our own little cell village. Our cells love us, protect us, and always want the best for us even when we don’t realize it. Watching this drama weirdly made me feel comforted and reminded me to love myself more too.

BUT I only have ONE complaint WHY did season 3 only get 8 episodes 😭 Previous seasons had 14 episodes and I am NOT satisfied. I needed way more sweet Yumi and Sunrok moments because they were way too cute together.

Still, no matter what, this drama will always stay special to me and I already know I’ll keep rewatching season 3 again and again because it was just THAT sweet, comforting, and lovable 😭💛

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Follow journey of Don Quixote

Strong 8,5/10
Quite an emotional movie and it even managed to make me feel a little sad.

The premise is straightforward and carries a clear Don Quixotish vibe.
The female lead is an arrogant director in trouble who finds a local man convinced he is Superman. She starts filming him because he is perfect content, something funny to exploit for her project.

At the beginning the whole thing plays like a joke. They follow him around because his “hero work” is entertaining and absurd. He lives in his own world, completely committed to his mission, and that is where the Don Quixote feeling appears right from the start. You watch a man on a personal quest that only he fully understands.

As the journey continues, the tone shifts. The director slowly realizes he is not putting on an act for the camera. He truly lives in his own heroic world, and the moments where his imagined feats overlap with ordinary reality make it clear that she misread him from the start.

What began as easy content turns into something heavier. She starts to sense there is a story behind him she never bothered to see, and the joke she wanted to film becomes something far more human.

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Heartwarming and profoundly moving "must watch" series

This series is a beautifully poignant, and heartwarming story that piqued my interest in China on the brink of Deng Xiaoping’s economic reform. I would not have been equipped to navigate the complex social landscape depicted in this series. Pressures from families, community and the economy appear to be intense however it was inspiring to see characters gracefully meet the demands and overcome the difficulties they encountered. The acting appeared natural and realistic- evidence that the actors truly understood their characters and made them memorable for the viewers

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The perfect final chapter that could have only been made better with a larger dose

As a viewer who have watched and enjoyed the first two seasons it was no brainer to watch the final season (though I have to admit I knew nothing about the original webtoon or how it ends so I had no idea this was supposed to be the final installment to the series, and I have to admit I went into this season with extremely scant recollections of the details of the first 2 seasons’ storyline), but coming from this experience, I have to start by saying that this drama could be enjoyed as stand-alone drama, so even people who have never watched the previous seasons could easily give it a go, especially that there is very few references to the past MLs or their story arcs in this one.

I deeply enjoyed this drama, it drove me to giggle, laugh, swoon, but above all it drew a huge smile on my face a lot of times. I loved all the characters even the annoying or side characters, I especially adored the OTP to pieces, their relationship and how it advanced from cold professional to animosity to interest to attraction to love, the shift was so well portrayed and I personally appreciated the time and story progression the writers gave the first half laying the groundwork to both of their mindsets and gradual attraction, how they both reignited feelings in each other that woke up their dormant cells and sparked a fire in their lives. Her shift from apprehension towards him to attraction may have seemed sudden at first considering how at that point he was still being his rationally cold demeanor all the time, but I liked how even the show admitted that the sudden feelings that were depicted as a bolt from the blue that hit her village, was unexpected and felt more like it came out of a romance novel, it shows how different feelings could switch so easily by just a little gesture or small moment.

The show is a light rom-com, but still has its deep and meaningful undertone through the fun psychological analysis of the characters through their cells, It was super heartwarming to show us the extremities in personality between different people, how they interact with each other, at times attracting other times clashing, at times hurting and other times healing, affecting and being affected by each other, ultimately growing together.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Yumi and SoonRok's villages with their different cells, the animated parts were not just fun to watch but served a very important role to shed light on their inner thoughts and emotions especially the introverted and taciturn SoonRok who felt like a riddle at first, but then we were allowed to peel off the layers of his character and finally be amazed by his true personality at the end. We were reminded of Yumi's quirky, fun, smart, sociable and lovable persona, and I believe fans of the previous installments who had recently re-watched them before going into this season would especially be more appreciative of the obvious emotional growth, maturity and character development that Yumi has achieved through her experiences and over the years building her career.

Yumi our female protagonist is a sociable and successful person, who is funny and cute at heart, and despite maintaining an overall mature personality, her quirky character sometimes rears its head and turns her extremely petty and sometimes downright childish. She has gained social and romantic experiences over the years which have built her mature and cautious character in this season, but at the beginning of this one she has been through a 3 year-long stretch with no romantic involvement, and such a lack of emotional stimulation left her life quiet and uneventful, which for a character like hers could easily feel dull and monotonous .

Then we are greeted with our main male lead SoonRok, whose character was a delightful journey to discover. During the first two episodes the viewer is not shown any glimpses into his mind, which I believe was a deliberate choice by the writers. We were only allowed to see his words and actions through Yumi’s own eyes, leaving us wondering if he was just an awkward extremely introverted person who lacks experience in social interactions and conversational cues, or was there more to him than meets the eye. His dry monosyllable replies, and his aloof behavior could either be his true nature, or a choice he takes to build walls around himself and maintain a level of peacefulness in his life.

Then starting episode 3, we are greeted bit by bit with his inner village and shown glimpses into his personal life and inner struggles, how he has shaped himself into someone who perceives life most of the time in a purely rational way, weighing his relationships and analyzing his boundaries with others through a set of unwavering principles and guidelines that he has put for himself. His inner cells reside in a sleepy quiet village that functions on low energy mode through the daytime; the time when he is forced to mingle with other people causing his energy to drain, during which time the only cell functioning is the rational cell which acts as his prime cell. and then once it is nighttime and he returns home, his homebody side turns on and he starts to charge his social battery, and his different inner cells wake up.
It is partly his choice to depend on his rational self and maintain a strict separation between his private and professional life, and at the same time he is genuinely not people person to begin with, so his few and lacking interactions and awkward behavior make his outer persona seem over calm, composed and somewhat cold almost to a robotic level. This was an interesting visualization of introverted individuals like SoonRok, who might seem awkward and unsociable on the outside and to strangers, but they have their own quirky and fun nature which they only display in front of the people they cherish and open up to.

I also enjoyed the contrast in the character from an age perspective, their age difference might not be huge, but they sure come from different generations with varying levels of life experiences and challenges, and the way they perceive their relationships, their priorities, their pace and their commitment differs, the final two episodes’ animated parts that highlighted the gap in both of their approaches to romantic pacing was downright hilarious. I also noticed how there were certain cells that were acting in the forefront with our female lead, such as emotion, pride, anxiety, and angry piranha fishing cells, while on the other hand we are never shown any pride or anxiety cells in SoonRok’s village, but his hardworking rational cell at the helm, his surgeon love cell, and his straight-path general who guards his tower of principles. The contrast between each one’s primary acting cells that take the lead was rather relatable, females tend to be more emotional-driven and easily swayed by their pride, whilst males in general are rather rational and logical and not easily swayed by their emotions and have the ability to keep them at bay.

I enjoyed the few moments we spent at SoonRok’s village and would have loved to see more of it, hell as my title suggests, I am of the opinion that this drama would have been made better if it was given more time for the relationship to bloom and mature on screen, a 12-episode format would have been just perfect for this story. So, although I loved the drama, the last two episodes felt rushed to me, and despite having to admit this might have been on purpose to highlight the fast pace SoonRok adopted when it came to their relationship’s progression and Yumi’s lingering hesitations towards commitment stemming from her past romantic experiences, but still having more time to enjoy their shift from casual attraction to romantic commitment and their HEA would have made things much better and would have created a better pacing and a better balanced story.

This is a fun and quick rom-com that is a must-watch for viewers of Yumi’s Cells, and if you have yet to watch any season, I would recommend you do, highly innovative fun and original series.

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My royal disappointment

Honestly, this drama feels like a collection of recycled, kitschy clichés with very poor execution. The characters lack any sense of naturalism, they come off as exaggerated and caricatured, and the progression of events feels forced and unconvincing. Im Ji-yeon’s performance is disappointing, and the male lead feels particularly stiff, which doesn’t help the overall dynamic.

I genuinely don’t understand the hype. There’s nothing new or compelling here, it’s entirely predictable. You can already guess the culprit and how everything will unfold. Watching characters who are supposed to be in their 30s or 40s act this immaturely, with over-the-top expressions and childish humor, is more cringeworthy than entertaining.

As for the typical SBS-style humor, it’s the same issue as always, it’s loud, forced, and completely unnatural, more focused on spectacle than substance. There’s no real depth, and at times, you can’t help but feel bad for the actors. The tonal shifts are also poorly handled, jumping abruptly from one mood to another. The comedy overwhelms everything else to the point where even the serious moments feel insignificant and impossible to take seriously.

The dialogue is equally shallow, and the story relies on an overused “enemies to lovers” trope, the classic arrogant, money-obsessed CEO who gets “changed” by a woman. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, and it’s not executed in a compelling way here.

There’s also no real “wow” factor, and when I finish an episode, I don’t feel any urge to continue or see what happens next.

Overall, it just feels like a waste of talent, especially when it comes to the actress. I’ll pass.

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Salmokji: Whispering Water (2026) emerged as one of the most disturbing and visually hypnotic experiences in recent South Korean cinema. Unlike the traditional "slasher" style, this film delves into psychological folk-horror, using local folklore to construct a narrative of guilt and paranoia.

Immersive Sound Design: As the title suggests, sound is a character in its own right. The "whisper" of the water is mixed in a way that makes it seem to come from behind the viewer, creating a constant feeling that someone is right there, invisible.
Atmospheric Horror: The director avoids cheap jump scares. The fear in Whispering Water comes from anticipation, the use of empty spaces, and the bluish, cold cinematography that conveys an almost palpable sense of dampness and mold.
Central Performance: The protagonist delivers a raw performance, especially in scenes where the line between reality and the delirium caused by exhaustion and guilt dissolves.Symbolism: The film is a brilliant metaphor for the subconscious. The drying reservoir represents the mind that can no longer contain repressed secrets. Aesthetics: The beauty of the drone footage over the submerged ruins contrasts terribly with the horror unfolding on land.
Slow pacing: The film is a slow burn. It takes time to build tension, focusing more on the psychological disintegration of the characters than on frenetic action. Ambiguous ending: Following the trend of new Korean horror, the ending doesn't give away all the answers, requiring the viewer to piece together the metaphorical puzzle.

Salmokji: Whispering Water (2026) is a masterpiece of modern horror. It proves that the genre still has room for innovation by blending ancient legends with contemporary anxieties about trauma and responsibility. It's a film that, like the waters of a reservoir, will linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

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try pursuit of my happiness

It’s been a minute since I’ve watched a Chinese historical series, and I can’t say that I miss them, though I have missed out on a few things, such as the humor, amazing cinematography, fun action, and good camera angles. If I were scrolling through Netflix, Pursuit of Jade would have never caught my attention, but it was on my aunt’s top 5 list, and it was her no. 1, so I gave it a try despite our usual different tastes in shows. Spoiler alert: I haven’t seen the final episode and won’t watch it because I guess they’re going to spend a lot of it on the Marquis and Changyu’s wedding, and I’m not a huge fan of wedding scenes in finales.

I’ll start with the pros, then move on to the cons:
- The acting was great from both main and supporting characters. It’s obvious that sometimes the child actors are just reciting their lines, but they’re kids for crying out loud, so no hate there. Just found it cute at times. For the most part, the characters and actors have good chemistry. I actually enjoyed Fan Changyu and Sui Yuanqing moments, despite him being mostly creepy. I found it interesting that more people weren’t hitting on Changyu. The villains in here were villainizing, so it was nice. The whole cast is also good-looking so it was a bit refreshing?
- Music was top-notch and amazing! I did wish they had used a different song for Yan Zheng’s return as the Marquis, but otherwise, the music and sound effects were phenomenal
- Funny moments were sprinkled throughout the show and were actually funny. The King is a coward, but boy, he cracked me up. The Pig Butcher Squad was also very fun and lightened up the mood.
- The village: every moment inside and within the village was fun. Although I knew they would eventually leave the scene behind, I sort of wished they had shot more of it. Kind of a bummer that we didn’t get to see them protect and rebuild it.
- Cinematography was amazing. The sets were amazing. Probably some of the better ones I’ve seen in a while.

Cons (in no particular order):
- You cannot perform CPR on someone with a pulse or heartbeat. They did CPR at least three times throughout the show, and the people weren’t flatlined.
- Let’s talk about Yan Zheng’s free-floating bangs. His bangs were always blowing around, even when there was no evidence of wind or a draft coming through. It’s like they’ve set a fan in front of Zhang Ling He’s face and just had it blowing all the time. I don’t know if he was hot or something and they were trying to avoid him sweating, or if it’s for aesthetics, but it started to annoy me after a while. If they’re going to blow his bangs, they might as well blow Changyu’s too. I mean, I guess they did when they put a fan in front of them after their bed scenes towards the end. Why was it so windy in their room???
- Changyu slayed two main villains just like that? A man whose strength equals 10,000 men was defeated just like that..? The other man, who’s had over 20 years of fighting experience, was killed, just like that? Uh okay, thanks for their anticlimactic deaths.
- The force kissing. All of a sudden, well-mannered and patient Yan Zheng can’t control himself and has to keep forcing himself on Changyu? Yan Zheng’s jealousy, which led to a forced first kiss, was also uncalled for. Still annoyed, he never cleared that up with Changyu. Gotta admit, I skipped all their kiss scenes because why tf would I watch them?
- The lengths Zheng and his men went to hide his Marquis identity from Fan Changyu were both interesting and extreme. Although it created funny moments here and there, most of the time, it was just annoying that he wouldn’t tell her the truth.
- Gongsun Yin and the Grand Princess’ relationship was weird as heck. Grand Princess went from admiring and daydreaming about Gongsun to suddenly constantly being mad and acting proper/pompously towards him. Also sad that we didn’t get to see more of their Go moments later.
- It was always snowing, but there was no buildup of snow…how are they not knee-deep in snow? Especially after a snowstorm?
- Why was the whole village always gathering around Changyu for anything and everything??? On more than four occasions, people would flock to any Changyu activities and leave the whole village/town empty from a far distance (the director should have clocked it multiple times). I get that she’s the main character, but it throws off the naturalness of everything. Her life can’t be that interesting for everyone in her town to pause for her.
- Have I mentioned not liking Yan Zheng and Fan Changyu towards the end? Yeah, they became unlikable really quickly and were always pointing fingers at everyone and the past. It got annoying fast. They had great communication in the village, but outside of it, it’s like they had to learn to talk again.
- Why tf is Yan Zheng fighting his uncle in the biggest battle against Qi Min??? Especially after his uncle was mocked for having almost no soldiers? Yeah, I stopped there, wasn’t interested in whose bigger and better.
- Is the white bird fake...? Not that it matters, but just curious.
- Some revelations were outright boring and flat. Examples would be how Changyu found out that Zheng is the Marquis. Grabbing her from the battlefield isn't it... The master finding out that Zheng and Changyu (his student) are the married couple, was drier than the Sahara desert. Mandi's death was poorly executed. Obviously, he was going to be killed off after their portrayal of him in slow motion, then the show did a plot twist where he actually didn't die. Then we get another plot twist where he does die, and at that point it was "...okay? Who cares?".
- I enjoyed a lot of the action bits, but there wasn't a lot of it. I'm actually surprised that, as the Marquis, Zheng had very few action scenes, probably even fewer than Changyu. His war strategies were also NOT new and were very shortsighted.
- All in all, I believe the actors did well for their roles, but the character design wasn’t the best. A lot of characters did a 180 out of nowhere. Wen Kan was also an oddball. Song Yan was also weird, talking about taking Changyu in as a concubine, and not having mentioned anything about the village or his mother after she was slaughtered was also strange. He started as a genuine guy who was known to help the villagers due to his intellect and had good feelings for Changyu, but suddenly, he’s this petty and ambitious guy who doesn’t even recognize Changning’s voice.

The series is a decent watch the first time around, but unless you really love Zheng and Changyu or other characters together, you’ll probably have a hard time finishing it, too.

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Melo movie

I really liked this show. I liked the fact that we could listen both perspectives of the main characters and how they viewed each scenario. As well as their feelings and opinions which made me understand more about the meaning behind their actions. Also I liked the way the male lead made all this effort to regain her trust to win her back with the small ''coincidences'' that he planned which really showed his character.
I also understand that some people say that it didnt have enough of the movie aspect they expected however , i think that the way the show was presented was like a movie ( the colors , the way that scenes were presented ) so it could give the audience the feeling that they are wayching a movie.
Overall it was a very comforting show , from the way communicated ( after they reunited ) to the way they showed their love to one another and it was very easy to watch.

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