Reviews

Did we need this?

Probably not, but it's always nice to see the characters again after the main series has finished. We got to see that Shulang's ex is doing fine, and Fan Xiao & Shulang are getting married, or they got married. Shulang helped Fan Xiao get over his trauma, which honestly took no time at all, but I get there were time constraints. I know they had to rush this special because of some problems with fans, and that we are lucky to have gotten it at all.

The only thing I wish we had gotten to see is them co-parenting Tiantian. Do I think Fan Xiao is someone you expose a child to? No, but I would have liked to have seen it regardless, and I feel like Tiantian has the same level of protection as Shulang.

"People are watching." Yes, yes, they are. Honestly, the tourists being actual tourists made it more real. So what if they gawked? I'd be sitting in the sand watching as well and squealing like the fangirl I am.

Leer más

feelings

-Dù không mong chờ gì về phim ngắn nhiều, nhưng mình không nghĩ phim tệ vậy… Thật sự là mình không hiểu nội dung thông điệp muốn truyền tải từ phim=))), dù biết nội dung là 2 người die nhưng sang bao kiếp vẫn yêu nhau. Nhưng mô tuýp nhảm…

- Mở đầu vào phim là mình đã thấy khá kì rồi, tự nhiên hai người gặp nhau rồi vô tình cùng chung sở thích, xong ông kia lôi cha kia về nhà rồi yêu nhau hôn nhau đòi múc bang nhau=)) rồi tự nhiên sét đánh này kia nữa

- Rồi đoạn ở kiếp thứ 2, tự nhiên cha kia nói thế giới diệt vong rồi hiến tế gì đó :)) rồi tự nhiên xuyên qua vô đâu đó chả biết luôn má, rồi lúc ông kia ngủm thì ông còn lại thoát ra khỏi bể bơi kiểu gì

- Rồi sao tự nhiên đầu thai rồi vẫn nhớ hết mọi chuyện được =)) nó phi logic vô cùng luôn á

- Còn nữa, tự nhiên sao có thể vì một ca khúc cũ thôi mà nhớ lại mọi chuyện:)))

- Nói chung còn nhiều chi tiết khác nữa t chả hiểu phim nói gì luôn á

- Tuy nhiên có chê cũng khen. Ờm… Phim này khen chắc được mỗi visual diễn viên chính nhìn oke, ưng mắt. Với cả cảnh quay cũng đẹp, cảnh tuyết, cảnh ở chỗ bán đĩa,… nói chung phim ngắn nhưng có đầu tư cảnh quay một chút thấy cũng cũng

*Lưu ý: đây chỉ là cảm nhận riêng của t, vì mỗi người mỗi gu phim nên khuyến cáo bạn chỉ đọc với mục đích tìm hiểu thêm thôi, mình mong bạn sẽ tự xem phim và nhận xét theo cảm nhận riêng của bạn, vì mỗi người mỗi khác

Leer más

Good drama

in my side of the story it's really good but idk bout others if u watch it's not a waste of time your just curious it includes romance and mystery and

Leer más

Comedy Done Right

Rebecca.
Chewbacca.
Olivia.
"Gwenchana, gwenchana." 😂

If you've watched this drama, you already know exactly why these live rent-free in my head.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did because I don't usually gravitate toward more comedy, and I rarely laugh at corny or cheesy jokes. But somehow, this drama proved me wrong. Every episode was just as hilarious as the last, and I found myself constantly looking forward to what ridiculous situation the characters would get themselves into next.

What made this drama so special was the chemistry between the entire cast. They worked so naturally together that none of the comedy felt forced. Everyone played off each other's energy perfectly, making even the simplest scenes incredibly entertaining.

I also appreciated how fresh the comedy felt. The jokes rarely felt repetitive, and the drama constantly found new ways to make me laugh. At the same time, it balanced the humor with romance and the characters' personal struggles as they worked toward achieving their dreams. More than anything, they genuinely felt like a family. Between all the banter, chaos, and unforgettable moments, there was always an underlying sense of love and support. I especially liked that, despite being a comedy, the drama never forgot the importance of friends helping one another through life's challenges.

I had an amazing time watching this, and it's one of the few comedy dramas I can confidently say I'd watch over and over again.

Leer más

Trigger Warnings for SA, rape, self-harm, drugs & alcohol, violence, & manipulation.

Even after this series has been over for months, I still see people who are obsessed with it. They post photos and reels almost daily about the show and the main actors, and after finally watching the series, I really don't understand. Overall, it was a good series, but nothing that I would put my time and energy into months after it's finished.

I have one question that I asked myself at the end, and that was, "Is this Stockholm Syndrome?" Is that the real reason Shulang goes back to Fan Xiao?

OST wasn't invasive, and when I do notice it, I like it.

I liked that they made Fan Xiao such a black flag. He's not the worst character in the series by far, but he's obsessive and possessive to a dangerous degree, and had the money to do what he wanted. All the trigger warnings are because of him. The man needs therapy to deal with his past trauma and his current obsession. They made it easy for me to want Shulang nowhere near this man, while also feeling a bit sorry for him when he's trying to be a better person, and Shulang is RIGHTFULLY pushing him away. (Sometimes my empathy is a problem; I see someone hurting and I hurt with them.)

I also like how Fan Xiao marks his territory. Sorry, not sorry.

Shulang was easily my favorite character (even though I got freaked out/worried by his hands a couple times) because of how much he reminds me of my mom. Kind to a fault, but you don't fuck with the people they love. He's stupid for going back to Fan Xiao, but I wasn't surprised either because no matter how bad the manipulation, you could tell he still loved him, and once the good things he did were brought to light, you could see that it was easily breaking down the walls Shulang built. This is why I suspected Stockholm Syndrome; he went back to him so easily.

The only thing I didn't like about Shulang was how quickly he moved on from his boyfriend that he'd been dating for years. At least I think it was years. He didn't seem affected by the breakup at all until he learned Fan Xiao's role in it.

I wouldn't blame Lu Zhen for breaking up with Shulang because he felt like Shulang wasn't emotionally available enough & he didn't see that until Fan Xiao started showing him attention. Sadly, it seemed less like he realized this and more like he liked the attention because after only the second meeting with Fan Xiao, he was already telling him that Shulang was a relative. He realized what he lost too late, and I can't bring myself to feel bad for him.

We have a relationship happening in the background between Xue Bao Tian and Zhang Cho, and I really wanted to know more about it. It was a red flag relationship that they just teased us with.

My least favorite character in the whole series has to be the brother. I don't know how old he was, but it acted like a 16-year-old who thought his brother owed him his life. Anyone who does a fake suicide attempt so they can live an easier life on the back of someone else's work should be ashamed of themselves. And his reasons made no sense. Why was he mad at Shulang for defending himself from bullies, but not the bullies themselves for his mother's death? How do we know if Shulang even defended himself? We get 1 flashback, and it didn't look like he was.

Alright, on to the things that I didn't like/annoyed me.

* The only thing that annoyed me more than it was actually a problem was that the main characters seemed allergic to closing doors sometimes. Multiple times, they just left doors open while having very private conversations or while it's freezing outside. Close the damn door!

* They smoked too much. Every time you turn around, they are smoking. Did they need to smoke that much?

* They say each other's names too much. Honestly, this goes for all Chinese dramas.

* Why are so many people speaking English? Why are so many people speaking Chinese? We are in Thailand a majority of the time, but everywhere our characters go, it's either Chinese or English being spoken. I'm not talking about the main or supporting characters either; I'm talking about the background/extra characters.

* The kissing was just okay, but the chemistry was good.

* Our main actors really didn't show that much emotion, and maybe that was down to direction so that it would be more impactful in the emotional moments. It made their acting feel stiff for the first couple of episodes.

* I didn't get invested in the story or the character until episode 8, where Shulang starts learning the truth behind Fan Xiao's lies and manipulations. For a series that is so highly rated and praised, that is too long before getting pulled in. I should have been gripped from episode 3 at least, but even after I got into the series, my feelings for it were still at "whatever". I was even a bit bored in the first couple of episodes.

* This series didn't need a happy ending, but if they had to give us one, I wish they had spent more time redeeming Fan Xiao in Shulang's eyes. Have Fan Xiao slowly redeem himself, not have them jump back into a relationship after Shulang's friend inadvertently points out that he's still in love with Fan Xiao, and that's why he can't let go. He should have already known that; what's important is Fan Xiao changing and winning Shulang over again.

* I hate that when time passes, they don't tell us how much.

* I would have liked to see Fan Xiao do some actual work, not just control & manipulate multiple people's lives, or drink & smoke.


Despite all the hype, I went into this show with little excitement or expectations, and my feelings stayed at a 7/7.5 the entire time. There was never a moment that got my blood pumping or my heart hurting so bad I cried. Nothing that made me mad or overly happy. I honestly didn't feel much of any emotion while watching this, which feels strange. I'm not going to tell anyone not to give it a try because it seems a lot of people really enjoyed it, but to me it was like throwing a pebble into the water.

Leer más

The Jokes Got Old

Do I think it's really bad? No.
Do I think we needed a Season 2? Probably not.

To be honest, the one truly carrying this season is Lee Yi-kyung. We already know how talented he is when it comes to comedy, but I didn't feel the same level of comedic impact from the rest of the cast. They certainly had their moments, but the humor just didn't land as consistently for me.

What made Season 1 so memorable was the cast's chemistry. Everyone played off each other's jokes so naturally that even the simplest scenes became hilarious. Here, that dynamic just wasn't there. Instead, it felt like the production leaned more toward casting visually appealing actors, with names like Kim Seon-ho and Moon Ga-young joining the cast.

I also noticed quite a few recycled comedy skits that had already been done in Season 1. Because of that, many of the jokes didn't hit as hard the second time around. It wasn't terrible, but compared to the first season, the comedy felt repetitive and lacked the same freshness.
I also wish they had kept at least a few more of the original cast members instead of replacing almost everyone and leaving only Lee Yi Kyung behind. I know why they did it, because he's easily the funniest character, but part of what made Season 1 work was how perfectly the entire cast complemented one another. Here, it often felt like Lee Yi Kyung was doing most of the heavy lifting.

Overall, I still enjoyed Season 2 and had a good number of laughs. It's still a fun watch, but compared to the first season, it lacked the same chemistry, freshness, and comedic impact that made the original so unforgettable.

Leer más

The dialogue is good the plot is a mess.

My response to this drama is quite mixed. The last 10 episodes were engaging and the dialogue and voice overs were good and thoughtful in a philosophic sort of way, but the rest of it had some serious problems.

One of them seemed to be an identity crisis. It was seeking justice but was not a legal drama, seeking revenge but lacked the requisite bitterness, it had hints of magic but was not a fantasy. Now I’m not averse to a non-genre specific drama, but, the reason that the legal framework and the bitterness and the flights of imagination are there in the first place is to add structure, interest and most importantly, tension to a story. If you do away with them, you need to replace them with something else. And here, for me, that just didn’t happen. One genre it did get right however, was the love story. Not a steamy, hot passionate love story, but a beautifully tender and caring one. However, as this is not a full on romance, you cannot ask it to carry the whole thing.

Let’s start with the plot. The flow of the drama was off. A good plot leads you by the hand on a path where the next step clicks into the past step, and significant characters are enmeshed from early on. But here the plot was erratic and was not helped by the disjointed editing. New characters were introduced and not firmly bound into the ongoing narrative. Things moved forward in a scrappy way and there seemed to be no driving central motivation that you could hang onto.

There was an emphasis on the wrong things. Important plot developments were not exploited but casually introduced as a throw away line in a conversation. Major events to featured characters were almost skipped over, as though they were less important minor characters. Dramatic scenes that were central, were presented with little tension building beforehand so landed with no real impact. I’m particularly thinking about Eps 26 - 28, where far too much was happening that distracted from landing the key scene.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t survive on character names alone. Even in western dramas where names are familiar, I can’t remember a character simply by their name, but need an indication or reminder of how they fit into the story. Well the first 5 episodes in particular were awash with names and I just had to let them flow by and hope to keep up. Also, the opposing factions had little to distinguish them in any way, with fairly nondescript characters which made it hard to remember who they were or where they fitted.

Talking of characters, Bai Lu was best in the early episodes but Ryan Cheng shone in the later ones. As this is a C-drama, half the praise needs to go to the voice actors. I’m not sure if the two leads had voice actors, but whoever spoke the lines in Eps 31-34, truly deserves the plaudits. The scenes on Li Mountain were genuinely moving and the best of the whole drama. The Empress had depth written into her part and was well played by Dong Jie. But the parts of Prince Li (Cai Zheng Jie) and his wife (Yang Shu Yi) were unconvincing. They felt shallow and cliche in a production that managed in general to have a bit more subtlety. It was almost as though their parts were written by someone else.

To finish with the positives, I really loved the sense of ordinariness that the slow pace, simple dialogue and understated acting created. Although very different in character, it reminded me of Ming Lan. The muted, natural colours and lighting help create believability. The sound track used the zither to great effect and overall the production values were very good. Aside that is from the person who got carried away with the mist generating machine on Li Mountain.

Overall, the dialogue was very well done and I suspect that a lot of it was lifted from the novel. There was a deliberate use of Chinese philosophical writings which added nuance to the characterisation and story.

A bit hard to rate as a 6.5 feels unfair to the overall nuance, but there was so much meh, so I think it will have to be 7.5.

Leer más

Love in the Clouds ❤️

Welcome to my review of Love in the Clouds.

Love in the Clouds follows Ming Yi, who is poisoned during a tournament and sets out to find a cure. Believing her enemy is responsible, she gets close to him, only to uncover a much deeper and more tragic story.

At first, I honestly didn’t enjoy the series. It took around nine episodes before it really found its rhythm, and if it hadn’t received such high ratings, I probably would have dropped it early on. One of my biggest struggles with Xianxia dramas is how difficult they are for newcomers to understand. The series throws viewers into a huge fantasy world without properly explaining its cultivation system, currency, power scaling, or even how the Six Realms actually work. Even halfway through the drama, I was still confused about what the Six Realms were because only two of them were ever explored in any meaningful way. While the world is visually beautiful, I constantly felt like I was missing important information that would have made the story much easier to follow.

Despite that, the series has many strengths.

The biggest highlight is undoubtedly the two main characters. Ming Yi and Ji Bozai have incredible chemistry, and their emotional scenes are some of the strongest I’ve seen in a C-drama. In my opinion, their relationship is the main reason why the series is so highly rated.

The story also became surprisingly engaging once everything started coming together. Ji Bozai’s tragic past, his desire for revenge after losing his master, and Ming Yi’s own struggle for survival create an emotional and compelling narrative. I especially enjoyed how the mystery surrounding the antidote was handled. The reveal that Ji Bozai had secretly given it to Ming Yi long before was a clever twist that I genuinely didn’t see coming.

The production is another strong point. The costumes are beautiful and detailed, while the soundtrack perfectly enhances the emotional moments throughout the series.

My favorite scene was Ming Yi’s betrayal, when she tries to steal the antidote. Both characters clearly love each other but are forced into opposing positions because of their own responsibilities and promises. The mixture of love, fear, anger, sacrifice, and tragedy—especially with the death of the cat—made this one of the most memorable scenes in the entire drama.

Unfortunately, the series also has several weaknesses.

Worldbuilding

My biggest criticism of Love in the Clouds is its worldbuilding. While the world itself is visually beautiful and clearly filled with history, it rarely explains its own rules. As someone who isn’t familiar with Xianxia, I found it extremely difficult to understand how this universe actually works.

The cultivation system, the currency, the power scaling, and even the structure of the world are barely explained. For example, I never fully understood what the stones used as currency actually were. Are they cultivation stones? Precious gems? Why do they have different colors? Does the color determine their value? The series never gives clear answers, leaving many aspects of the world feeling vague.

The power system is equally confusing. Characters become stronger through cultivation and knowledge rather than physical training, but the drama never properly explains how cultivation works or how large power jumps are possible. Different realms and levels are constantly mentioned, yet there is very little explanation of what separates them or how they relate to one another.

The biggest example is the Six Realms. For more than half of the series, I had no idea what everyone meant whenever they talked about them because only the Jinxing Abyss and the Mountain Clan received any real attention. It wasn’t until much later that it became clear there were actually four other realms, but by then they still felt underdeveloped. Instead of gradually introducing the world, the drama throws the viewer into a complex universe and expects them to figure everything out on their own.

Because of this, the world often felt much smaller than it should have. Although the lore suggests a massive fantasy universe, we only get to explore a tiny part of it. I constantly wanted to learn more about the other realms, their cultures, and how this world truly functions, but the series never fully delivers on that potential.

The limited number of filming locations also becomes noticeable over time. Many scenes reuse the same rooms and environments, making the world feel repetitive instead of vast and alive.

I also felt that Ling Situ and the fox girl deserved much better. Ling Situ was one of the few characters who genuinely helped Ming Yi without expecting anything in return, yet he was often treated coldly. Meanwhile, the fox girl became one of the most tragic characters in the series, and I believe she deserved a much happier ending.

The action scenes were probably my biggest disappointment. The fights often felt slow, lacked impact, and the CGI creatures failed to feel convincing. Compared to other fantasy productions, the combat simply wasn’t exciting enough.

Finally, I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying. Although everyone achieves peace and the Six Realms begin sharing the Blessed Rain, it felt like the series removed many of the world’s original conflicts too easily. Earlier sacrifices and tournaments lose much of their meaning when the solution turns out to be simple cooperation all along.

Final Rating

Despite my criticisms, I genuinely enjoyed Love in the Clouds. It offers a touching romance, memorable emotional moments, beautiful music, and excellent chemistry between its two leads. At the same time, I believe the worldbuilding, action, and overall use of its fascinating setting never fully reached their potential.

I would definitely recommend this drama to viewers who prioritize romance, emotional storytelling, and strong character relationships over perfectly explained fantasy lore and action.

Thank you for reading my review! I’d love to hear your thoughts and know whether you agree or disagree with my opinions.🪽🌸

Leer más

10/10 Season 2 even better!

This show is great! A period piece in Tang China with more adventures of Su Wuming and Grenral Lu Linfang. Kung-fu, wizards, demons and they solve mysteries. This show has it all. Very well acted and written spectacularly as well as shot in some absolutely beautiful places, this show is absolutely awesome. Rates right with Academy of Souls. The characters are very likeable and the mysteries are intriguing and not run of the mill nonsense. would highly recommend this show to fans of Mysteries and Kung-fu action series and those period pieces that come from China, Japan and Korea.
This is my favorite show of 2024. Blows HBO's Dragons away.

Leer más