Reviews

why ?????

Honestly, Season 1 of Love Alarm was good. The whole app concept was good, the tension between Jojo, Sun-oh, and Hye-yeong was on point, and the vibe was both cute and a little unsettling. for Season 2 after that insane cliffhanger… and man, what a disappointment.

TWO YEARS FOR THIS, and they gave us just six short episodes that start with a really weird time jump. They completely ignore the final scene from Season 1 like it never happened. From the very first episodes, I could feel the pace was way too slow. Not much actually happens we just go in circles with Jojo’s doubts, her family traumas, and her quest to remove her shield. It’s more mature, sure, but it quickly becomes heavy and repetitive.
My biggest issue is Jojo. She’s so indecisive, passive, and sometimes selfish that I ended up finding her really annoying. Her choices don’t always make sense, and it feels like she’s hurting everyone without really owning up to it. Sun-oh (Song Kang) is still likable even though he gets a bit toxic at times, but the real gut punch is the ending: Jojo’s final choice. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say most Sun-oh fans (including me) were pretty disgusted. The chemistry with Hye-yeong isn’t bad, but it never comes close to what she had with Sun-oh in Season 1. Hye-yeong is way too “perfect,” almost bland.

On top of that, the message about the app is inconsistent between the two seasons: is Love Alarm good or bad? They flip-flop on it and you can totally tell. There are plot holes, underused side characters (Gul-mi seriously got on my nerves), and overall, the magic from Season 1 is completely gone. We went from a fresh, addictive drama to something melodramatic and depressing without the same emotion.In the end, I don’t totally regret watching it because I needed some closure, but I’d clearly recommend stopping at Season 1 if you don’t want to ruin the good memories. Season 2 is slow, frustrating, and the finale leaves a bitter taste for a lot of people.

annoying asf for me !

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"Alone, I can't do anything. I can't redeem myself. I can't comfort anyone or be comforted myself. The only thing I can do on my own, it is feeling lonely."

One touching aspect of this series is the attention paid to how the characters look at each other. People like to see others happy. The series deals with sad topics, such as grief, but it also has some sweet, funny and tender scenes. (The story with the young girl in the convenience store is very touching.) It's terrible to feel guilty if you start to feel better after losing someone. This cult of suffering in our societies, truly poisonous. And these people struggle to get out of it.

A series I watched, taking breaks. Quite long breaks, to be honest. Its pace, its subjects, its slowness, all these elements make it challenging despite its great qualities. Two episodes in, and it starts to feel heavy. I cry far too much. It has to be said, some of the characters can become downright unpleasant, behaving badly or hurting others, wallowing complacently in their own misfortune. They are whole, complex, real, and don't always know what to say or even how to feel. It requires a heavy investment on our part.

The brother, for example, I didn't want to follow his story. He becomes interesting when he interacts with his father or sister, but the rest of the time he's unbearable. And I really wonder how he ended up with his dancer girlfriend. What does she see in him ? It's a mystery. This kind of relationship is best avoided. Everyone ends up hurting each other...
On the contrary, we see the brother's childhood friend doing all the emotional work for him, even mourning his mother's death in his place. She invests herself in their friendship, almost like a second mother ! And I would have preferred them to remain friends. Friendship is beautiful too, isn't it ? He remains incapable of saying I love you to the one he loves. It exhausted me to follow all this. I'm sick of seeing guys who make no effort and live like parasites off their girlfriends.

Overall, the women in this series... I feel sorry for them, so sorry. The last episode is hard to watch. They deserve better. They have to put up with everything, plan everything, manage everything, and (unfortunately) it's very realistic. The series has a happy ending (what a relief !), but it's still primarily to the benefit of the men and at the expense of the women's work. Emotional work, particularly.

"Without you, I'm a total disaster."

Seo Hyun-jin/Joon-Kyung is more or less the main character. All her life, she has made so many efforts without success, yet she does not realise how far she has come. But she is terribly lonely and unhappy. She leaves her mother feeling angry, even furious with her, and doesn't immediately realise that it's over, gone, and that one day a wall of silence will hit her head-on : her mother is no longer there. She is left alone, carrying their memories. But this triggers a realisation that she has the right to be happy. It's a complex and mixed set of emotions, enough to make you sick.
This character's journey is very beautiful. She makes mistakes, she overcomes them, she finds love. This strength has always been within her. She just needed to find a way to open the door wide.

Her partner confides in her, explains how he feels, suggests activities, cares about her. Incredible. A rare gem. It's so good to see men like that! I don't know if we realise how rare this kind of representation is ? (Well, the story with his ex was tough) This K-drama presents quite different types of men in heterosexual relationships. That's one of its strengths, its subtlety, its raw complexity.

"Just because we are a family does not mean we are supposed to know everything, understand everything, endure everything and persevere."

However, we need to have a conversation here. People in this series do not know how to respect other's privacy. You don't just invite yourself into someone's home without warning ! What's more, with their strange doors, everyone knows each other's codes and can just walk in unannounced. That's not right at all.

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A series that would have been better off as a film. In terms of its legal-crime style, it's well made, to be honest. The plot elements are just well enough developed to maintain tension despite a very thin premise : we are asked to believe in an incredible cure. But the filler is noticeable (episode 6 and its restaurant scenes where we are just reminded of elements we already know), accompanied by excessively weak cliffhangers. You shouldn't do that. No, because then we want the plot to be resolved, even though we know we'll be disappointed.

I don't know why, but for some obscure reason, a lot of people in this series go from whispering to screaming in a fraction of a second. In a nutshell : annoying and ridiculous.

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A K-drama about a chosen family, in a way ? A whole group of merry pranksters, united in adversity and divided in the gold rush. The entire building refuses to give way to a despicable company.

It's so zany and grotesque at times, it's like The Fiery Priest but with lawyers this time. It goes way over the top in terms of silliness. That said, I suspect the trials aren't very accurate in terms of how the Korean judicial system works. And, sure, the series is funny, but damn, it's about some really serious stuff ! Killing your employees is not okay. It's not reasonable. Babel, the most evil company in the world. The mafia seems almost more likeable in comparison. (Between us, I think that's the point here, to show us that they're equally bad... except Vincenzo Cassano)

Everyone loves Vincenzo. That heartbreaker. Even pigeons. Nice pigeon, by the way, Vincenzo, congratulations. Not all heroes wear capes, sometimes they're just pigeons. And Vincenzo knows how to make good police officers : force them to resign. An example to follow.
Anyway. But Jeon Yeo-been has class, she's an impeccable actress, I need to see more of her performances. Ms Incognito was really good, even if it didn't get a very good reception, it seems.

So ! I solemnly declare that if I hear that cover of Bach's chaconne in D minor for violin again, I'll go berserk, ok ? I'll smash tiny objects while screaming. My strength doesn't allow me to express my anger any more furiously than that.
Also : those adverts for instant coffee and chocolate squares wrapped in plastic ? Embarrassing. No one buys that rubbish, wake up.
And at some point, we need to take two minutes to think about xenophobia towards Chinese people. They are always portrayed negatively in almost all Korean productions. One character has a caricatured name, "Wang Shaolin", then we hear about "Chinese hackers from the North Dragon gang". It's getting a bit much.

_"This idiot's brain is a black hole." A teacher must have written that in one of my school reports.
_"You're a subhuman, unworthy of being human, you don't deserve to live." It all reminds me of my father.

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"Introductions ! This is Rachel, Phoebe, and Chandler ! Hi !" Nobody loves Monica.

Miss Hong is so cool. She and the 'queen bee' are a killer duo ! It was really nice to see a show that didn’t focus on romance with guys, but on female friendship.

When Miss Hong goes undercover on her first day at work, she notices that the managers don't do anything, the bosses don't know how to do anything except to be extremely misogynistic, and the only one who works in the department is the guy at the bottom of the ladder with the lowest salary. Realistic. What's more, it's a financial investment company, the ultimate bullshit job, legendary parasite level. If I've learned one thing in the world of work, it's that there's no point in overworking yourself, you won't be rewarded for it. The wool will be sheared the same from our tiny round backs. Glad to see that Miss Hong's colleagues have understood this. A fine example for young people. "They're overdoing it ! Why give us work ?" A French joke just for fun : They gave us work for four people ! Luckily there were eight of us. And, of course : I talk in my sleep. At night it's annoying, but at work it's worse.

"If experience made you grow, you would be surrounded by saints."

Revenge, then ? We love that here. Especially when it's the little employees that no one takes seriously. We enjoy accompanying this cast of characters throughout these sixteen well-filled episodes. Albert Oh and No-ra annoyed me at first, but in the end, I love them. Everyone has their goals, becomes friends, teams up : the usual stuff. Studio Dragon does a great job of mixing humor, serious topics, and redeeming endings that are comforting after their emotional roller coaster. We talk about harassment, suicide, misogyny, single mothers, domestic violence, working conditions... Poor Kim Mi-sook... And then, No-ra engaged to a man 20 years older than her ? Hell ! But it's a joyful and kind series despite all that.
It should be noted that there are always an investigation, but not by the cops, which is good. Everyone hates the police. All my homies hate the cops.

In any case, the writers manage to make these stories about investing in a company cool and fun. That's why we love K-dramas. I'm ready for season 2. Totally ready.

"A man who disparages you for having lived with him deserves to be judged.

PS : The t-shirt "Vivre est un journey", I don't understand. "Vivre est un voyage" or "to be alive is a journey" but not a mix of two ! It stresses everyone. Never do that again.

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O amor verdadeiro (Mo Xun / 9º Lorde) , que tudo sacrifica por quem ama (Xin Yue).

Amo demais os romances tristes de Tong Hua, e adorei a forma como O Som do Deserto destruiu meu coração. Comecei a assistir ao dorama por causa do Hu Ge (Mo Xun / 9º Lorde) e da Liu Shi Shi (Xin Yue), e para mim eles são os verdadeiros protagonistas dessa história. E eu sou uma pessoa com deficiência, por isso me emocionei muito ao ver Mo Xun / 9º Lorde na cadeira de rodas!!

(Essa resenha contém muitos spoilers)

No começo da história eu fiquei tão feliz com o fato de Xin Yue estar apaixonada pelo 9º Lorde!! E achei tão linda a forma como ela se declara para ele, a forma como ela o ama tão sinceramente, sem se importar com a deficiência!!

Mas no meio da história comecei a ficar triste demais, pois percebi que no final das contas, era com o Wei Wu Ji que ela iria ficar... Por culpa do próprio 9º Lorde que foi um burro em ter rejeitado o amor dela, mesmo a amando tanto. Ele a rejeitou pois pensava que a Xin Yue seria mais feliz longe dele (que tem deficiência, que era de outra etnia, que tinha relações políticas complicadas e perigosas entre o Imperador chinês e os povos nômades do deserto). E sim, nesse ponto do dorama eu cheguei a ficar com raiva do 9º Lorde, por não ter valorizado o amor sincero da Xin Yue.

E infelizmente o 9º Lorde percebeu isso tarde demais, que a Xin Yue realmente não se importava com nenhum desses problemas. Xin Yue queria apenas se casar com o 9º Lorde e viver ao lado dele! Isso já seria a felicidade para ela! Mas após ela fazer uma linda declaração romantica para ele duas vezes, e ser rejeitada nas duas vezes, ela decide fugir, pois está com o coração partido.

E é aqui que o pior acontece. Wei Wu Ji que era apaixonado pela Xin Yue, resolve se aproveitar da situação, sequestrando a Xin Yue e a levando a força até o acampamento militar. (Aqui ele também esconde dela a verdade, diz que ninguém mais a está procurando. E mente para o 9º Lorde, dizendo não saber onde Xin Yue estava).

O grande problema é que Wu Ji sempre foi uma pessoa intrometida, que ficava toda hora aparecendo na casa da Xin Yue sem ser convidado, e ficava incomodando ela, quando ela claramente não queria a presença dele. Era muito insuportável assistir isso. E quando aparece essa oportunidade de sequestrar ela, ele não pensa duas vezes.

E praticamente 1 ano depois, quando Xin Yue finalmente descobre que o Wu Ji mentiu para ela, ao esconder que o 9º Lorde a estava procurando quando ela fugiu. Xin Yue fica muito magoada com a mentira de Wu Ji, em especial porque Wu Ji também mentiu para o 9º Lorde fingindo não saber onde Xin Yue estava. E quando Xin Yue confronta Wu Ji, ele fica teimoso e age como um cretino, não aceita o que Xin Yue está dizendo, diminui os sentimentos dela, e afirma que ele não fez nada de errado em ter mentido.

Um nojento! Ele manipulou toda a situação, para que Xin Yue pensasse que apenas ele Wu Ji estava ali para ela. Ele manipulou a situação para que Xin Yue ficasse no escuro, sem saber a verdade, sem ter o poder de pensar, sentir, e decidir as coisas por si própria. Sei que essa palavra está na moda e perdendo o peso, mas sinceramente ele parecia um narcisista.

E é muito triste, pois durante 3 anos Xin Yue amou única e exclusivamente o 9º Lorde. E sofreu muito com as suas duas rejeições. E depois, quando ela é sequestrada pelo Wu Ji, e começa a gostar do Wu Ji, ainda assim ela passa vários e vários anos sofrendo, pois ainda ama o 9º Lorde, mas começou a gostar do Wu Ji, fica dividida, e infelizmente sente que não pode voltar atrás, pois ela teve relações sexuais com Wu Ji (diga-se de passagem, quando ela estava super bêbada, e ela só percebe o que aconteceu na manhã do dia seguinte, e tenta suavizar o ocorrido dizendo que Wu Ji não a forçou - sim, não usou força, mas usou um momento vulnerável, e com ausência de capacidade de consentimento, para tirar vantagem dela).

A cena que mais me fez chorar, foi quando o 9º Lorde resolve finalmente dizer a Xin Yue o maior motivo por ter rejeitado ela. É que ele tem uma doença hereditária, altamente fatal em bebês. Ele foi o único entre seus irmãos que sobreviveu. E igualmente a mãe dele foi a única sobrevivente entre vários irmãos. Então ele não queria fazer Xin Yue passar pela dor de ver a morte de vários filhos. E Xin Yue chora muito ao descobrir isso, é uma cena muito emocionante, ela diz que se ele tivesse falado a verdade desde o início, ela não se importaria em evitar ter filhos, ela não se importaria com a doença dele, e teria se casado com ele de qualquer jeito!

As vidas do 9º Lorde e da Xin Yue ficaram completamente devastadas. E fica muito claro que ela continua amando o 9º Lorde, para sempre. Ela só não pode voltar atrás. E depois começa sim a ter sentimentos sinceros pelo Wu Ji, infelizmente, pois Wu Ji é um homem controlador, impulsivo, ciumento e violento.

Quando Xin Yue morde o rosto do 9º Lorde, foi para salvá-lo e impedir que ele caísse na água gelada. Sim, ela estava disposta a se sacrificar por ele, e morrer em seu lugar, porque sim, ela ainda o amava, mas a mordida foi simplesmente para salvá-lo (deixando-o atordoado, criando uma oportunidade para Xin Yue empurrá-lo para longe da água gelada). Mas então quando Wu Ji está levando Xin Yue embora, após ter visto a cicatriz no rosto do 9º Lorde, o Wu Ji cheio de brutalidade e ignorância morde o pescoço de Xin Yue, apenas por ciúmes idiota, e a machuca, faz sair sangue do pescoço dela, e a força um beijo logo em seguida, com o sangue do pescoço dela no meio da saliva deles, é um absurdo ele ter feito isso! Ele nem sequer deu a ela a oportunidade de se explicar, e já partiu para a agressão, eu realmente detesto ele.

Além disso Wu Ji é um ingrato. Quando Wu Ji ficou em coma, o 9º Lorde cuidou dele, fez todo o possível para a salvar a vida de Wu Ji, colocando até mesmo a sua própria vida em perigo, só para salvá-lo. Dias depois, quem ficou em coma foi o 9º Lorde, em consequencia de ter ajudado Wu Ji. Então Xin Yue foi cuidar do 9º Lorde. Mas quando ela enviou uma mensagem para Wu Ji contando o que aconteceu, dizendo que assim que o 9º Lorde saísse do coma, ela voltaria para casa, Wu Ji não quis nem saber, ficou raivoso e violento, e quebrou o jogo de chá, jogando tudo no chão. Uma atitude ridícula, e ingrata, pois ele só está vivo pois o 9º Lorde o salvou! É tudo um absurdo. Ele fez uma birra enorme, além de quebrar o jogo de chá, ele se trancou no quarto, não comeu, e depois fugiu de casa. Tudo porque Xin Yue estava cuidando da pessoa que colocou a própria vida em risco para salvar Wu Ji. Mas Wu Ji é um ingrato ignorante mesmo.

Achei muito triste que o 9º Lorde teve que sacrificar tudo pelo bem de Xin Yue, enquanto Wu Ji era um babaca. Realmente não entendo porque as pessoas que assistem a esse dorama se sentem tão apaixonadas pelo Wu Ji. Provavelmente é porque gostam de homens controladores e narcisistas. E também pelo fato de que o 9º tem deficiência, e a grande maioria das pessoas não escolheria ele como parceiro romântico justamente por causa da deficiência, o que é muito triste.

O 9º Lorde sempre foi altruísta, sincero e verdadeiro. Por mais que ele sofresse, e por mais que ele tenha ido pedir para Xin Yue desistir de Wu Ji para ficar com ele, ele nunca em momento algum forçou Xin Yue, ele simplesmente aceitou que não tinha mais volta. E continuou amando Xin Yue e fazendo de tudo pela felicidade dela! 9º Lorde cuida de Wu Ji sacrificando sua própria saúde, ajuda Xin Yue em tudo que ela precisa, por mais perigoso que seja. Isso é amor sincero. Diferente do amor egoísta do Wu Ji, que nunca faria nada para ajudar o 9º Lorde, nem consegue sentir gratidão por tudo que o 9º Lorde fez por ele e por Xin Yue.

Para mim, a moral da história é: Não deixe as oportunidades se perderem. Pois geralmente quando você perde uma oportunidade, ela nunca mais volta. E deixe as pessoas terem o poder de decidir, fale a verdade, demonstre seus sentimentos, não tende escolher você o que é melhor para a outra pessoa. Arrependimentos amargos são o pior dessa vida.

Mo Xun / 9º Lorde vai viver para sempre em meu coração! Igual Mei Chang Su (personagem de Hu Ge no dorama Nirvana In Fire). Hu Ge tem o dom de fazer personagens inesquecíveis!!!!

Se você quer assistir O Som do Deserto com legendas em Português, no telegram você consegue encontrar com o título em inglês. Se quiser um link, me envie mensagem!

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Jisoo plays an ordinary woman whom nobody notices? That requires a massive leap of faith. When she stands in front of her mirror and complains about her dark under-eye circles… but she has the most flawless skin in the world. It’s hard to believe she’s this insignificant, clumsy character. But, to be fair, her acting has improved. (She was already quite good in Newtopia, given the series’ delightfully daft tone)

She plays an adorable, heartbroken producer who’s getting over her break-up and taking control of her love life again. We figure that out pretty early on.
All her scenes with new virtual boyfriends are strangely good. It plays on clichés deliberately, so it doesn’t treat us like idiots. I've found myself laughing stupidly far too often to say anything bad about it. I’ll admit it, I liked it. There, I’ve said it ! The humour saves the day when it gets a bit saccharine.

This series is pure binge-watching (there isn’t even an opening credits sequence), a short, simple, funny, pinky, very pinky story… Pinky but blackened (this joke : illegal in 197 countries) by this dating game, which, when you get right down to it, is quite terrifying. Losing consciousness every time you start it up ? I’m not sure I’d like that. I’ve already played Dark Souls, ok ?
And what about her working hours... can we take this up with a trade union, please ? Both in the series and in Jisoo’s real life.

Gong Min-jeung, the "annoying" author, is the best. Keep it up, madam. Screw them !

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The true meaning behind trusting and supporting each other

What a beautiful drama. We have a solid background story for the FL and ML, a super fun way for them to reconnect, and a wonderful relationship to watch.

At first, I thought this was going to be the common plot of non-celebrity dating a big celebrity that would be full of privacy issues and insecurities. Instead, it's a beautiful story about two individuals who are passionate about their careers and find a way of being together without compromising who they are.

The first thing I loved about You are my glory was the fact that the FL fell in love with the ML because of how smart and passionate he was about his dream. He was handsome, yes, but she truly went further and found the very essence of his being. They both have very demanding jobs, and they spend more time apart than together because of it, but when they do, they make the most out of it. They don't focus on miscommunication, on being petty, on being angry. Whenever a less positive emotion comes up, they talk about it. They work through it together. And it's so refreshing to watch such a healthy relationship on screen.

For someone who doesn't like/understand gaming, the episodes focused on it will probably feel boring. But I can tell you, as a gamer myself, e-sports are extremely well portrayed here. Not only the environment, but also all the game jargon and how an e-sports team works together.

As for his job, I hadn't really considered how hard the life of an aerospace engineer could be. And watching the reasons behind every project, behind every next step humanity takes to understand the universe, was very satisfying. In the end, they both work super hard in their own industries, and they never fail to be there for each other in both losses and victories.

Now, last but not least, this is my first Yang Yang drama. And oh my god, this guy is insanely handsome and so expressive AAAAAA. There are a lot of kissing scenes and super funny banter - none feels displaced, and my heart felt full while watching them.

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a basic romance...

My review of Season 1 of Love Alarm:

A basic K-drama romance with a simple concept: an app that notifies you if someone within a certain radius likes you. You might think this would make the story interesting, but personally, I didn’t feel like it added anything special after the first half of the season.At the beginning, it’s useful for introducing the series, the theme, and showing who the characters are attracted to. But after that, I personally found it lost its interest.The acting from the main characters is okay. With a theme like this, you shouldn’t expect anything extraordinary from the romance.

The OSTs didn’t particularly stand out to me, but they weren’t bad either.

You can watch this K-drama if you have nothing else to watch!

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A story about corruption at the highest levels of South Korean society, or so we're led to believe. Everyone's despicable. No one worth saving. Because the cruel world these people inhabit demands it. I would have preferred less self-indulgence, though.
In reality, it's a just decent thriller about three or four individuals, but not really about politics, neither corruption...

Unfortunately, in my opinion, there are too many ostensibly shocking choices thrown in just to brutalize the audience. And then, again and again, that same way of portraying relationships between women ; it can only be sad and end badly, nothing else is possible. To be honest, it really gets on my nerves seeing that all the time.

It's a twisted series in which all the characters behave strangely, solely to conceal plot points. Or to give Nana and Ha Ji-won their moment to shine. (They're brilliant in those scenes, of course.) But that's obvious, and it really annoys me. As a result, the ending feels like a real slog to get to. The first episode promised a daring story and I have to say : that's not the case.

Why is everyone breathing heavily or sighing non-stop ? I don't like having someone breathing down my neck for 10 episodes.

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Extremely serious topics addressed head-on. Unfortunately, the pacing is terribly slow at the start. The characters spend so much time repeating the same information. But the story becomes increasingly gripping as it progresses. A cliffhanger in every episode, it works. (It makes me feel uncomfortable saying that about a subject like this)

A "necessary" series (even though I don’t really like reducing a work to that). Especially when you know about the Burning Sun scandal. Of course, these aren't exactly the same events. But it's comparable because the privileged scum who destroyed the lives of dozens and dozens of women didn’t face many consequences, thanks to the active complicity of the police and the justice system. Just like in the series, an idol committed suicide ; she was helping to raise awareness about this scandal, and documents disappeared after her death. (Goo Hara) Just like in the series, these men beat, abused, drugged, and filmed their victims. And just like in the series, they were tipped off about an investigation in advance, so they were able to delete their chat room and their abominable catalog (the "Connect In" app). These wealthy men have shown no remorse, and those facing legal action are free to start all over again. (They are suspected of doing so, by the way, in France and Cambodia, according to the latest news)

As long as prison is the only response to these acts, nothing will change. That's the point. The state's justice system wants us to feel powerless. It protects those who have everything against those who have nothing.

In Honour, the victims have to take matters into their own hands. Sadly realistic. And they're three well-off women, with all the tools they need to succeed. That, too, realistic. The poor don't get justice. Neither do the dead.
A good thriller, in the end. It has a slow start. We have to get past the first three episodes. But a good thriller. Between this, Made in Korea, and Climax, Korea is sending a clear message this year.

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First of all, it's incredibly beautiful to look at.
The costumes and sets are sumptuous. No surprise there. Everything is white, red and black, or in pastel shades (fading jade and orange, washed-out blue and yellow). There's a scene with a lateral tracking shot where a character walks past transparent coloured screens in red and green, and pink and blue ; absolutely stunning ! And there are plenty of moments like that. For example, the heroine drinking her tea at night with burgundy curtains matching her dark red and black outfit and soft lantern light... there was no point in creating such a sophisticated set for just a few seconds, but they clearly wanted to do it. Well done, set designers. Well done, cinematographers.

The scenes in the snow-capped mountains, the frozen lake. The red mountains covered in powder snow that they climbed while dressed in olive and burgundy fabrics (Ep. 34)... Cold weather must be the trend this year in Chinese productions. Most of it was shot on location, in harsh weather conditions, below freezing. It must have been torture. It breaks my heart to see them breathing out mist when they speak.

The elliptical storytelling works well. It introduces the numerous characters only when it serves the plot, so I never felt overwhelmed. And yet the first few episodes bombard us with information and plot twists. It gets off to a strong, fast-paced start, and then the writing simply becomes excellent... provided, of course, that you're a fan of period costume dramas.
It never stops. There's always something happening in every episode. These writers are brilliant. The only downside : it s a bit over the top. I loved following all the twists and turns, the mysteries and the conspiracies. They probably overuse and overdo the cataclysmic situations and tragic endings for each character. However, the multiple conflicts intertwine well and their resolution comes at just the right moment. It does, unfortunately, get rather complicated in the final stretch, though. (Watch it as intended: two episodes a day, no more. Beware of the overdose)

Massive spoiler : The final episode cranks everything up to the max ; everyone has to face the inevitability of war. That's too harsh to do this to us. We believed in change ! But apparently, trying to change the system inevitably leads to death… I'm not sure I'm thrilled by that message. It's the complete opposite of the series Princess Agents, of which this is a sequel. It's the opposite of what Rebirth was trying to tell us throughout its first thirty episodes. But it's a huge middle finger to censorship. Certainly.
Does this adaptation of the books differ so much from their source material (The Legend of Chu Qiao) because of the plagiarism the author was guilty of ? I don't know if that's why.

"I Always thought the people here needed me. But I finally realized the truth. It's not that they need me, but rather, I need them. All along, I've wanted to build a world of true equality, a place that people like me could finally call home."

A great cast in which women and men are equally important, with one generation clashing with the next.

_The lead actress, Huangyang Tian Tian, on whose shoulders the entire story rests, is very young but already a seasoned performer. Born in 2007, she has been acting nonstop since she was 9. She plays Chu Qiao with dedication ; her role is certainly complex, but... she's still just a child ! And it shows when she's surrounded by all her co-stars, who are all taller and older than her. A 17-year-old playing an adult and commanding armies. And for good reason : she played the same character as a child in the series Princess Agents, of which Rebirth is a sequel set nine years later. (You can watch it without seeing the first one, but it's better if you have, of course)
There was talk of replacing her because she posted a photo of herself wearing extremely expensive earrings, which caused a backlash in China. It turns out they were counterfeits that her father was selling illegally. Well, irresponsible fathers, what a pain !
But she's definitely there. And she nails her action scenes (all of which are well choreographed). Her deadpan comedy scenes work just as well. As for the emotion… Her love for the ML takes a lot of effort to believe. It feels more like the friendship between an older brother and his little sister. To be honest, Zhuge Yue has more chemistry with his brother-in-arms, touching his hand in episode 21, or in his fights with Yan Xun of Great Yan, plucking a purple petal from his hair, or when he runs hand-in-hand with Li Ce to escape the soldiers. The latter ends up in his arms, like a princess. Haha, come to think of it, he really does have a looooot of affectionate scenes with other men. That’s perfectly fine by me. He's entitled to love. And I'd rather avoid a romance between a schoolgirl who should be at school and a thirty-something grown-ass, if possible. (For goodness sake ! Thankfully, they managed to avoid that)

_Zhuge Yue, the male lead, I didn't really like his drastic change in personality. After all those trials and tribulations, to end up like that ? No. I appreciate seeing characters develop, but come on, let's take it slowly.
His fight with Chu Qiao at the end, all blue, purple and grey, what drama ! It's so sad that someone has to die for peace to reign. Such a pain when that happens.

_The Empress plays a central role in the first half and exerts a certain influence on the rest of the story. She wears cream, emerald and saffron gowns in her luxurious bright-red apartments with dark wood panelling. Such beauty ! One of the cruelest characters, or so we believe, until we see the Emperor in action. A profoundly tragic role from start to finish, and a character who, in her misfortune, hurts everyone around her. We detest her for her actions, yet we feel sympathy for what she has endured.

_The motley crew of criminals surrounding the heroine brings a touch of light-heartedness and humour, as well as some elaborate action scenes. Their camaraderie is always a joy to watch. Too bad we don't see them more often. But, for them too, what a tragic end...

_Li Ce, the unfortunate boy, watches his mother die before his very eyes ; even after burying her, he still longs for a sign of her affection. It's hard to grow up without love. Yet he is kind and wise in his choices. A wonderful character with a truly tragic ending.

_King Ximei of Ximeng, who sends his double in his place to dine with the emperor. Well done.
This bloke is the polar opposite of the heroine, Chu Qiao. He, too, is a former slave, but he takes the place of his masters and becomes the new tyrant. His death is only just. All power to the Soviets.

_General Huan Huan and Princess Helian of Yanbei (a woman of otherworldly beauty with a aquiline nose) make a lovely couple. May they live happily ever after. Brave, courageous women stripped of their free will. Their scenes are pure queer baiting.

_Princess Helian's marriage to Xun Yan, so intense, it feels like we're right in the middle of a soap opera. The two marry out of obligation and give up on their soulmates.

"All because I believe there should be a place in this world where people are not divided by rank or class, where justice exists. Only such a place can truly be called my homeland." The Grapes of Wrath, Part 2.

Right. I don't really understand the negative reviews I've seen about the direction or the acting. Especially since this barrage of complaints started right from the very first episodes : so before the plot twist in the final episodes. Princess Agents was far less well made and was torn to shreds by critics and the public when it aired. Suddenly, it's become the best series in the universe ? Strange. It reeks of gatekeeping. Because Rebirth is aimed at a wider audience, I think. I hope I'm wrong.

As for me, I'm not going to deny myself the pleasure. That lighting, the entire artistic presentation, all designed to delight the eye. Those splashes of scarlet blood on the pale rice-paper doors. (Ep. 22) The comfort these C-dramas bring. The focus on entertainment. It's my safe place !
Always pushing the boundaries of censorship to tackle truly serious issues. Because, in reality, it's about women fighting to survive in a man's world. And about power that offers nothing but an obsession with keeping it all to oneself. It's the old chivalric tale of heroes who deserve to rule because they don't want to and because they care about the people. Here, the powerful are cruel and uncompromising, without merit, ready to kill or let die, ready to commit infanticide.
The heroine, by contrast, is a former slave who rises to the highest echelons of power yet never forgets her roots. She abolishes slavery (I particularly enjoyed seeing those delicate nobles explode with rage when it was taken away from them without compensation. And, oddly enough, they don't give a damn about the country anymore), she stops the wars, she spares the peasants and the thieves. (Are we talking about Jesus or what ?)
But. Whatever the social status of these women, they are always slaves to something: power, alcohol, their husbands, cults. That doesn't make them saints. The empress literally groomed her lover and right-hand man, and she has maids killed for her own pleasure.

"Men will never risk everything for women. They can only be seduiced by power."

Once again, I've written a proper novel ; pointless, too long and uninteresting. (Oh ! I've found a title for my autobiography)

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When I, too, am in a melancholy mood, I stand tall on the ramparts of my domain, my face lashed by winter gales, gazing at the night and the snow that blankets even my painful past. When suddenly ! I find myself stabbed by the one who was meant to be me.

The end credits of the last episode were awesome, with all that behind-the-scenes footage! Way better than that whole "43 years later" segment.

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