Reviews

A meaningless, pointless, bad drama.

This is the worst costume drama I've seen recently. There's no plot, no story, no script. I swear, even the director wouldn't know what they were filming or what they were doing. It's such a mess. It's a shame for the actors. It's a shame for all the effort. The director probably just filmed whatever he was given, but it's unclear what he was given. There's no meaning, no plot, no one knows what they're doing or who's doing what. It's such a confusing script. The male lead appears very little, just briefly and then disappears. He's after a girl, a slave girl, who later becomes a general, but we don't see any of this. They tell the story. She appears with the enemy king, and then with the male lead on the friendly side. She doesn't like them, doesn't want them, despises them, and treats them badly. Then she's loved and desired by a prince from another empire, but she doesn't like or want him either. Then her name is linked to another prince, but that doesn't work out either. Their lovers, however, hold a grudge against her, and they keep finding each other and instigating each other in one kingdom, then another, then another principality. So, those lovers, they appear wherever the girl is wandering. All the nonsense is piled on top of each other. The girl appears on her horse in front of the castle. The enemy king, in love with her, is watching her from the forest on the other side, even his archers are ready to shoot. Normally, according to that scene, the girl should enter the castle. No, she rides her horse into the forest, meaning she's going after the enemy, they chase her and catch her at the edge of a cliff. How meaningless and pointless. Apathy prevails. At least decide where and when to do what.

The male and female leads die and are resurrected, rescued, and so on, at the very beginning of the series. They fall again in the same way, and are rescued again. They die and are resurrected repeatedly. Probably because the series is called Rebirth. It's very pointless.

A king gives the male lead a potion, meaning he poisons him. He says he has the antidote and parades him everywhere. He makes him do his bidding. This character is very combative, a master of fighting, capable of defeating anyone, and hits his target perfectly. He could kill the king multiple times, but instead he's searching for an antidote, only to be sent on yet another mission. If there were a struggle, a punishment, a loyalty, a reason, you might understand. But it's a pointless endeavor, and I couldn't even watch the whole thing. I'm tired of watching such bad, meaningless, empty things. I'm sorry, but there's nothing there except effort. I could write ten times more about the pointlessness and lack of plot of this series than I can here. There's so much more; it wouldn't fit here. It's wrong from beginning to end. Didn't the director or those who read this script realize there was something wrong with the screenwriter? I'm shocked. Bad, very bad, I wouldn't recommend anyone watch it.

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Loyalty to the Legend of Chu Qiao & LYR

Current status: Watching episodes 32 & 33
Past status: Fan of Princess Agents (& was desperate for the story to be continued)
Future status: Will pay to watch express, despite all the misgivings

I must start by saying that Li Yunrui and the original PA was my reason for watching Rebirth and I, unfortunately, remain loyal to both factors, hence why I am still here. After seeing PA many years ago, I was one of the fans that disliked the ending. My interest was so high that I read some chapters of the novel. Mostly out of curiosity at first, but later with sole focus on CQ and ZY’s story arch.

I liked the organised mess of the all regions having their infighting but also fighting each other. I believe the director was able to show us the plots in a coherent manner, and whoever is interested and follows the story can easily understand it all. Emphasis on understand. You do not have to agree or make sense of it all, in my opinion. It was true to public governance in the ancient times (and maybe even the modern times) that none of the regions’ heads truly cared one bit about their citizens. All they wanted was to stay in power.

Now to some of the main characters …

Zhuge Yue: He remains my main (and loveliest) character in the whole franchise, regardless of his surname. PA displayed his inner struggles better than Rebirth. How his personal convictions strived with his upbringing and duties over his making years. Rebirth did build on that, and showed his readiness for simplicity and peace. And his loyalty can be rivalled by no other. His word was his bond, either to a friend or a foe. He is not a gullible optimist. You can tell his distrust towards his enemies and awful superiors. However he always begins with dialogue and only when that fails does he resort to strategising to win. His love was palpable, even when unexpressed. Even his icy days were a beauty to watch. As YX said, he is annoyingly self-righteous. His ability to take on every challenge and fight with his convictions to his very last breath, made him a literal superhero that cannot be killed. And he never seeks rewards - not when he saved Bingchang or even Ximeng. At least in Ximeng, he ended up with the King title. He is just too good to be true. And I must say, LYR depicted it all wonderfully. (Shout out to Lin Geng Xin).

Chu Qiao: She is stubborn, tough and valiant. Her shy love was confusing. On one hand, it was obvious she liked & admired ZY, it was unclear to start with to what extents. Being familiar with CD plot line hasty conclusions without checking details, it was easy to understand her drift towards YX in early years and her hate towards ZY. Later one, it was obvious she never really hated ZY. Their connection during her formative years, when he taught her all she knew meant something. She could sense his physical presence and that helped her stayed defiant when he was presumed dead and he was hiding from her. However, she could never portray an expected stern look when she was with YX in the later years after he had lied to her, killed her friends & tried to have her killed. At some point, I wanted to believe it as an acting deficit, but the words said weren’t equally powerful. So I am forced to think that the director is happy with her wish-washy attitude in front of YX, in order to maintain the plot of YX being able to come in and out of their lives.

In at least the first 2/3rds of Rebirth, I believe CQ mostly just talked tough. Almost at every point, she needed LC or ZY to do the saving (ZY for most parts). Even when CQ ‘saved’ ZY when he was near death in Ximeng, it was with ‘facilities/connections’ already made and put in place by ZY. Only in later episodes is CQ seen actually leading. With the novel (and not shown past) in mind, we do know that she led the Quili army independently, so she does have experience. But as female centric as the drama is portrayed as, it really was an all rounder to me. Especially when compared to a CD like LoTFG.

Someone in a post I saw compared ZY to FSG of Fated Hearts in his disregard for power and authority, despite his upbringing. I think the more suitable connection is CQ and FYX of Fated Hearts. They were both born and raised as slaves and killing machines, lied to by the person they trusted the most, and then became their own person when they saw more of the world.

Yan Xun: He is the most disloyal and hateful character in the series. His madness was unquenchable. It did not matter how many people died or how powerful he became, his hunger for vengeance became insatiable. Even when he was defeated by CQ and was implored to think about his father and his people, he remained untrustworthy and a liar. He is really a good match for Zhao Chun. They should have lasted longer. Zhao Chun’s character is the most vengeful and vitriolic character ever created. She will literally do harm to herself and ‘loved ones’ just to hate. Her plot armour became downright ridiculous. And so was she - right from the start when she believed that YX will love her in spite of her father killing his entire family. To the end, where she cast away her brother Zhao Che, who had looked after her in the earlier years, for the 13th prince Zhao Yang who is unfit to lead or even look after himself. I guess one can never make sense of such persons, YX & ZC alike!!

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Oop! I Actually Liked This!

My straight forward review of this lakorn:

The Lakorn began with the feeling of it being a parody comedy of the historical genre. Somewhat like that parody movie of Twilight. Normally I would not like this sort of scenario, but:

1. The premise of the plot is interesting
2. The plot flows smoothly & in a comedic nature.
3. This works well to balance the serious arcs with some lightness. Did not stress me out!

4. Rejoice! There is no 4EP angst before a resolution. There’s an issue? fixed! A fight? fixed!

5. Duration of EPs + # of EP are just right! The drama executed the plot very well in the number of episodes it had.

6. The acting was quite decent from all actors!

7. The drama allowed us to form bonds with support actors. This is so important to me because it shows that the project was not tunnel-visioned on the leads only.

8. Seconday actors had a spotlight! Major kudos. They were given more than 3 lines, enough screen time to make their presence felt. I appreciate that.

A few things to critique:
1. I beleive world-building could have been better. All shots were done in the same location. It felt restricted in landscapes and felt like it was always short in the same chosen locations or a single clip was utilized a few times (I could be wrong). I would have liked if we saw more rooms, more people in the court, more people just generally, a wide frame of the village or something.

Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend!
Watch it~ 🩷

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How does this have an 8.8 rating on MDL?

After watching the entire 34 episodes, I don't know why or how this show got its 8.8 rating on MDL! The plotlines and story were good but in no way compares or comes close to the levels of intrigue, suspense and mental complexity of other shows like The Vendetta of An which only scored 8.5, or The Legend of Zang Hai only scored 8.4, which drives me to want to ask in despair, "Wèishénme?"!!!
The sole reason I can fathom why this show has scored 8.8 on MDL is down to the fan-base and popularity of male lead, Li Yun Rui, not only incredibly hot but a skilled actor who's ended up carrying the entire show on his back. In comparison, his female lead, Meng Zi Yi, is completely missing in action with zero on-screen charisma or presence and zero chemistry with Yun Rui. Why was Zi Yi cast in the lead at all? Who makes these decisions? It's the second time I’ve noticed this issue repeatedly with her. She also had zero chemistry playing alongside Liu Xue Yi in "The Princess' Gambit". This firms up my belief that Meng Zi Yi is the problem and I do wish she would do the world a favour and change careers, but I guess after investing so much irreversible effort into her physical appearance, there's no chance of this ever happening.
Her performance in Blossom clearly demonstrates she has absolutely nothing to do with its 8.8 MDL rating - certainly not based on her performance - which leads me to speculate on what behind-the-scenes mafioso force of power is keeping this uninteresting, extremely-forgettable actress on our screens and forcing her down the collective throats of a public viewing audience? The fact she's got 6 upcoming TBA roles on MDL defies all logic. Do production houses really analyse her poor performances and think "Yes, we want to see more of that and so does a gullible paying audience".
Most upsetting is how talented up-and-coming actresses are losing out when someone like Meng Zi Yi keeps being offered cushy slots when she hasn't the talent to justify such blatantly brazen favouritism. It would be a different case if she did have some acting skillset but was still cast due to having powerful connections. An example of such a would-be scenario (in my own personal opinion) is Story of Kunning Palace, where I've always felt that the female there, Bai Lu, while obviously a skilled actress, still did not embody the role of Jiang Xue Ning in Kunning Palace well enough. She was physically much older than the character she was playing, as well as much older than her male romantic co-leads which I found jarring. She also came off a little jaded and worn in the show. I resented her performance even as I admit that she was proficient enough in it - just not the most suitable person to be cast for it. The Bai Lu issue is very different to the Meng Zi Yi issue. The latter case is not only a mis-cast, but a mis-cast of a poorly skilled actress. Any actor can say lines, but when that actor lacks any screen presence, charisma or genuine talent, they become talking-mouths like Meng Zi Yi - just people who always dreamt of acting when young regardless of whether or not they possessed the talent or not. And then they get offered a chance to actually do it - invariably meaning that some other actor with the requisite talent and skillset just lost out due to not having the kind of powerful support Meng Zi Yi has. Such a pity!

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Veil of shadows : Secrets, Love, Tears

Veil of shadows is a fantasy cdrama that blended mystery and romance into a captivating narrative. This was among my most anticipated cdramas this year and it delivered well.

The basic setup of story is hunting down demons to maintain peace. It might seem simple at first, but it evolves into something far richer & more intricate. The plot is like a puzzle, that revolves around deep secrets & hidden identities which keeps you guessing till the very end. The execution was strongly engaging throughout & quite unpredictable. Even if the plot is complex, I could understand things easily when the episodes revealed it. But it took some time for me to grasp the ending. I have mixed feelings towards the ending, still satisfactory and memorable.

CAST & CHARACTERS
The casting was excellent overall. I was amazed by Ju jing yi and Tian Jiarui's performances. They portrayed the emotional depth of their characters beautifully, making it easy for me to connect with them. Jujingyi as Lu wu yi was so captivating onscreen, she handled both light, playful moments & intense emotional scenes effortlessly. Tian Jiarui showed clear layers in his character. He was majestic in this drama. JJY & TJR created a beautiful chemistry together. They were so sweet and memorable.

Joseph Zeng has a calm, yet strong presence here. As usual, Chen duling performance is very elegant and poised. Their chemistry is more grounded.

Apart from the romantic ones, Chenduling and jujingyi's sisterhood chemistry also stood out to me. They are so alluring and playful together.

The characters are interesting. Each of them feels distinct with their own motivations and emotional weight.

The love story of lu wuyi and ji ling is painfully beautiful. Even with all the heartbreaking moments, their connection and love was so heart warming.
Wu wangyan and wu shiguang relationship evolves from enemies to lovers. They have a beautiful stable and mature bond.

VISUAL & AUDIO FEAST
The drama has stunning cinematography, with nice quality CGI and VFX. The soundtrack stand out well too. I usually like the fight scenes of GJM dramas and this wasn't an exception. The costumes are especially beautiful.
I like GJM's artistry. However there are moments where excessive close-up shots feel unnecessary, especially during scenes like the puppet dance, I prefer a wider view. Some unnecessary convos/dialogues here and there too.

Overall, the drama is an interesting watch with good emotional payoff. But it is not for those who don't like complex plots. One has to stay focused to understand everything & is not a lighthearted watch. It explores themes of self discovery combined with sisterhood, brotherhood and romance. It is an emotionally and visually rich journey that stays engaging despite a few minor flaws.

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Good Kisses with no harmony

I watched this since i have nothing to review due lack of duanju updates in MDL and personally there is many good kisses from both of the lead (Well, it's Zhang Shan) but it lack harmony (it feels they only doing good kissing without any feeling involvement and it's so textbook acting from Zhao Guanyu) but the relationship growth between the lead was quite consistent. Huang Xingrou successfully make my blood boils as usual since his character was quite stupid narcissistic husband. The plot is quite well-written and ML grandparent was quite refreshing character. I dont like SML grandfather in here he is quite passive manipulative person. Not to mention SFL was quite annoying and her acting was too old school type. It stills have generic traits of duanju (Kidnapping, Mistaken Identity) so for someone who hates usual script of duanju you can skip this.

Only recommended since it has good kissing scenes.

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The Trunk is lost.

Bittersweet, chaotic, and at times confusing—that’s how the marriage dynamics and overall plot of The Trunk come across.

My initial reaction to The Trunk is mixed, leaning both positive and negative. On the brighter side, I appreciated the messy, emotionally charged relationships between the characters. The angst I was hoping for was definitely there. Marriage, as portrayed in the series, is meant to be sacred—a mutual commitment between a man and a woman. However, the story complicates this by intertwining it with greed, and as a result, the characters’ lives become just as tangled.

I truly loved the cast—Seo Hyun-jin, Gong Yoo, Jung Yun-ha, Jo Yi-geon, and Kim Dong-won. The five of them delivered powerful performances, bringing out the emotional weight of one-sided love, obsession, and romance. They gave me the depth and intensity I was looking for. However, even with such a strong cast, the drama itself fell short in some areas. The biggest issue for me was the plot’s overwhelming messiness.

While I understand that the story aimed to explore complex and layered relationships, there were simply too many subplots. Because of this, the drama struggled to clearly define its main focus. Was it about marriage? Obsession? Crime? Even the crime aspect felt disconnected from the characters, making it seem unnecessary. For me, these elements didn’t fully come together, and I found it difficult to grasp how the “trunk” itself tied into all the complications. Everything felt oddly contained despite the chaos.

The drama only truly gained momentum in its final two episodes. That’s when I finally felt the emotional intensity I had been waiting for—through strong dialogue and satisfying confrontations. Unfortunately, those moments came too late, as I wish that same level of engagement had been sustained throughout the entire series.

Still, it was a worthwhile watch. While the plot may have disappointed me at times, I stayed for the actors—and they delivered what the story could not.

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To Future!

If you heard about this show from somewhere and you wonder if I should start watching it, my answer is "Yes, definitely!". No matter who you are, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Story is real good. I think it's very simple, but very effective. There's an interesting Kaiju fight in every episode, but in the background, it has an overarching story as well. And in the final episode, everything is resolved quite gracefully. There's no unnecessary fluff. It's laser focused.

Characters in this show are very likeable. Every member of SKarD feels like a real people. They have their strenghts and weaknesses. And you get to see them with other people, their families etc. which really adds depth to these characters. ULTRAMAN Blazer himself is quite charming to see on screen. Ultraman is not just a battle-thirsty warrior, but he's a gentle soul and protector of earth. Even the washing machines in this show have personality!

In terms of visual effects, it's great. Nothing looks cheap. I am very much impressed with quality of this stuff. Sound effects and the ost was quite good as well.

If you are fan of ULTRAMAN, and watched the original series, you will find small homages here and there and it was quite fun to spot them as well. Don't get me wrong, you don't need to watch the prior ULTRAMAN shows in order to enjoy this one, but seeing this bits of references makes some scenes more enjoyable.

This show is inspiring. It motivates you into becoming a better person and I think this is very valuable. See you in a better future!

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Best Fantasy Romance Drama of 2026

This drama is the best of fantasy romance between a mortal and sovereign spirit. Needless to reiterate Dilraba strong performance as HSM and strong pairing with Arthur. Plot wise it may have a few plot tweaks but it didn’t deviate from the essence of the novel and the storyline is well paced and neatly connected. Applause to not only DILRABA BUT to Arthur and the supporting casts. 👏 also. Special mention for the young actors as Chen Ying Applause also to The director and executive producers- fantastic CGI, cinematography, OSTs, and beautiful costumes with accessories. This drama has truly stepped onto international stage. This is a rating of 10 for me after rewatch.

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Charming but too long

I'm giving this a higher score than I would because compared to many other "female general" series, this one is so much more deserving than other over-hyped ones like Legend of the Female General. The concept of female general being disguised as a male makes so much more sense here and is far more believable.

If it weren't for some hiccups in the plot flow and a sloppy ending, it would have deserved an even higher rating for its uniqueness. Our female lead is the brawn and the brains while our male lead is squishy but cultured and also intellectual. The first quarter of the series is humorous, entertaining, and an added layer of cringe. Some reviews praise how they appreciate the strength of the FL but bash on the ML for weak and incapable but I would like to differ. The FL has very obvious traits to be respected but the ML was raised in a very male-dominated, wealthy, and noble background. Sure, the ML is chauvinistic, spoiled, and spends his time not doing anything really productive. But his personality is what makes him believable as a character in the series. He grew up with a weak body, a mother who imprisoned him at home to protect him, and he grew up feeling like he could never be a "man"... so why not just enjoy life the way he is privileged to? No one ever expected anything out of him and no one ever challenged him. But his core is kind and he has the capacity to be successful. So despite his cringe ways and treatment towards the FL in the beginning, he had the most character growth out of everyone and I really appreciate this. And only when you get to the end, do you understand why the FL has been so tolerant.

The plot flow is a bit choppy because it focuses heavily on the lives of the main couple and would suddenly switch over to palace drama, then suddenly switch to another character's situation, etc. But it all ties to one another so this didn't bother me too much. The humor from the first quarter of the series dissolve into a grimmer environment with lesser sprinkles of lighthearted moments. My biggest disappointment is the last quarter of the series when the palace politics and war politics starts to get really messy. They spent way too many episodes dragging the scenarios on and the final battle was pretty cheesy. The ending was also not very fulfilling for a 60-episode series because it was super abrupt and despite all the effort to build up great relationships, they show pretty much nothing about what happened to anyone after that final battle.

I wouldn't consider this a binge show and the acting was a hit or miss at times, but I still really enjoyed the couple's development because it's quite unique. You also get a bit of mystery/detective work, political drama, war scenes, harem drama, some spicy moments, etc. It's like they blended a bunch of different genres into one series and none of which are really exceptional, but it was nice to have some variation and still have a common base to the overall plot.

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