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Writers and their artistic egos
Some may say that this drama reflects the reality of many relationships. True. But people are already slapped daily with reality, with the harshness of life and relationships. Entertainment, and especially K-dramas, should supposedly offer an escape, an alternative reality to the harsh everyday life, something that makes us believe that tomorrow can be more colorful, happier. But writers always want to do something different, artistic, that makes us think and blah blah blah. Make the journey, the story as difficult as possible, but in the end give us a happy ending. Reality is already harsh enough.Anyway, the premise is good and the acting as well, but the ending, well, more of the same. Writers who prioritize their artistic ego's, and not the satisfaction of the viewers.
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game of true love review
Ok, so this is my first short drama that Iâve ever watched and I have to say, it is an adjustment. The dramatics of it all and the very like businessman, bossy CEO trope that is present with all short dramas is definitely a little bit cliche at times. Not to mention how the main relationship is always SO toxic. I gotta say, I do like the shorter episodes though. Thereâs something that just makes me seem so much more accomplished when I finish more episodes, even if the duration is shorter.
However, I have to say, I do love the connection between Xu Nuo and Shen Jiahe. Although they are so toxic for eachother and prob should never speak or interact with each other again for the mental sanity of both of them, they canât stay apart. They know so much about the other and still really care for the other no matter what they try to say. So, I am rooting for them to stay together even despite all the millions of challenges that will come their way and I know of that. I love how Shen Jiahe can just read Xu Nuo so well and emotionally connect to her in a way no one else can. He always knows when sheâs upset and knows how to calm her down or leave her alone. He is always there to protect her, from episode 1. Despite all the ups and downs, they are both always there for the other person and I am sure of that. Thatâs one of the things I love, is that no matter what, you can count on the other person.
You know what I donât like thoughâŠXu Mingliâs relationship with Bai Xia. That is just so weird. I canât get over the age gap and the fact that Bai Xia doesnât actually love him and likes Shen Jiahe, which is basically Mingliâs foster son. Like that whole dynamic is so weird. I hate Bai Xiaâs character and itâs prob meant to make the audeince feel that way so good job. Bai Xia actually has no compassionate bone in her body and I hate how she always frames Xu Nuo to be the bad one, when she herself sets up most of the things that happens. Man, how obsessed can you be over money? And her mother is soooo annoying too. Like anytime I see her or Mingli with Bai Xiaâs more intimate scenes, I inwardly cringe. Like itâs just weird I donât like it. The fact that Mingli gives up his own relationship with his daughter and mother of his child just to be with Bai Xia is insane to me. Like thereâs no way ur slapping your own daughter when you donât know both sides of the story and just instantly take Bai Xiaâs side. Like hello? How dense do you have to be?
What the heck? How could they ever be siblings? What is going on with this family? Xu Mingli is actually so toxic and manipulative. Same with Bai Xia. When Jiahe had to break the news to Xu Nuo, he still did what was best for her. It broke both of them, but he didnât want her burdened with the truth that he was her biological brother (although donât know if thatâs true completely). The actor did a rlly good job with that scene though. The way u could see the physical pain on his face for having to treat Xu Nuo that way. Thereâs no way Xu Mingli basically âraâŠâ Jiaheâs mom bro. Ok theyâre actually so toxic tho. The slapping and the hurting each other with words. Itâs like two children fighting. But then, the making up and the locking in the house. Like, come on. Letâs be adults huh?
I'm glad it was a happy ending, but man was that a rollercoaster. There were so many plot twists that it started to become too much and like too unbelievable. But, the ending was nice. I'm glad that Chi Ye isn't hated on by Xu Nuo and Shen Jiahe because all he wanted to do was gain revenge for his family and keep his relationship with Xu Nuo. But, at the end, I think he realized there was literally no turning back. So, he ended up making the decision to end his own life. However, Xu Nuo and Jiahe still understood his reason behind it, so I liked when they went back to the place his ashes were thrown in the ocean to honor him. The little child at the end is so cute too, although, I wish we got to see more of their process becoming parents.
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Intense world-building wuxia of justice and power
The drama is not your average wuxia. It is a heavy with plot lines that build on one another with hidden identities, dangerous battles, and cross-kingdom politics. An entertaining watch that slowly captivates you with the sheer amount of lore.The biggest standout is the leads' romance. Never have I witnessed such a healthy, mature relationship. They truly respect and view each other as equals. Such a partnership is hard to find where both the ML and FL come to each others' rescue. Their relationship is adorable, as they act like an old married couple. However, their romance is just not the focal point of the story.
Who Rules the World is a tale of politics and martial arts. It is a story that is constantly building as it escalates into war and death. The stakes are so high that it makes the romance simply not important enough. There are cute, sweet moments but there's always an insane amount of things happening that overshadow it.
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The Price of Redemption
Villains must face punishment. Hua Qian didn't change out of her own volition but the price of her family's destruction was so heavy that she had to. I've never seen a protagonist like Hua Qian in any other dramas, sheâs a rare and remarkable character. It's precisely because it was a dream that I love this drama. I actually finished this years ago but I still find myself coming back to it from time to time.Hua Qian likes eating walnuts but she doesnât like cracking the shells herself đ„Č
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I love this drama
This is a really good show the characters relationships development is really interesting healthy and unique many of the tropes you see an Asian dramas that are usually not well written this is not one of them this is well written fun the the main couple enjoy each other's company that many other dramas show it as a not pleasurable for one of the parties that is participating in the action the sets are beautiful and costumes are beautiful it has a beauty and the beast theme where the female is the beast and the male is the beauty as a slight Gomez and Morticia feel to it they're romance that doesn't you don't see very often in Asian dramas or AmericanWas this review helpful to you?
Not good
The main actor is very good, the main actress is average, the story is mediocre to bad. People with depression should avoid watching it, itâs depressing. I feel sad because I expected more from the story.Also, the supporting female roles are much better than the main one. I would have liked to see more of the protagonistâs father in the series, heâs an excellent actor, and they didnât use him as much as they should have.Was this review helpful to you?
Chaotic fun with intensely beautiful visuals
One of the most unique and fun dramas I've ever watched! Intense visuals, chaotic plot lines, and absurd humor.The leads' partnership is such a beautiful thing to witness. They truly treat each other as equals and in a entirely strange new world, they only have each other. It's easy to see how their relationship developed into love especially with the ML's tender eyes. Zhang San truly carried the drama with his duality as the mad tyrant and silly jokester.
Honestly, I felt no butterflies with their romance which was weird because I love the he fell first AND harder trope. The chemistry was there but it felt underdeveloped. I didn't swoon or cry. Their love just wasn't the focal point of the story. It was a fight for survival and going against the script, not romance.
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favorite survival show of all time
maybe this was the best season till today???new concept having the different universities in stem and medicine teams
i really liked how all of them got together
my favorite team this season was kaist, they were just so likeable
skku was a really good new addition
having 2 teams from snu was kinda fitting (i dont know which team i liked more, they were both really likeable)
please don't kill me but somehow yonsei was (like in the previous seasons) my least favorite team
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favorite survival show of all time
almost even better than season 1so excited they had new games in stock
this time snu and kaist were both close contenders for being my favorite team but like in season 1 i was catching myself cheering more for snu
yonsei was slightly more likeable than in season 1 but i dont know why they were still my least favorite team
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favorite survival show of all time
what a gem! it's thrilling and entertaining!even if you're not a genius like the contestants you can try to rack your brains
my favorite team clearly was snu, but nearly all the other teams were likeable (yonsei was my exception, i don't know why but somehow i was not clicking with them)
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beautiful depiction of mental health!
this was such a great take on depression/PTSD/mental health -- chan going thru suicidal thoughts to being lifed but still plagued by ptsd/regret/guilt was so real. like even though you've "recovered" doesn't mean it still doesnt affect you-- and how mental health isnt just in seasons (start, end), it's not chronological! i loved it. and i loved how this changed my perspective on life -- memento mori -- enjoy every day and live every moment while you can. i love how chan noticed the same in haran; going through her "winter" or depression and did his best to help her. and this was so real and so relatable . feeling like doing nothing -- you don't have to be suicidal to be depressed! what a great take on mental health and a lovely couple that worked through it together.i gave this 7.5 cuz wHY TF did chan leave fore a whole year?? like this does NOT make sense.. and haran not even hearing him out??? idk why kdramas ALWAYS do the "missing for a year" trope at the last episode>??? hello? also side note, I LOVEEEEE HAYEONG/JIHYUN. ugh. her acting is so cutie and i really wish i could embody her character irl. ive loved her sm ; shes so pretty and her enthusiasm is great. i hated that the secretary guy was so bland tho. like his acting was balls and he actually was not attractive at all in my opinion... lol. also i thought i would've loved hadam's relationship, but the miscommunication trope and mistrust was NOT it for me. I LOVEE how all the 3 sisters had couples (+ the grandma) but i with they extrapolated on that more. and ugh. idk . JIHYUN STOLE THIS SHOW FOR ME THO!! 100% started watching because of her.
grandpa -- HE WAS SO GOOD . ugh everyone needs a therapist like him in their lives. very cute!
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Ding Yuxi Shines Despite Cut Scenes
Wei Yun makes this drama. Ding Yuxi is incredible in every role, and this is no exception. His scenes, especially in the beginning of the show, are what kept me watching. While it falls off a bit a little over halfway through, there are some incredibly impactful moments and scenes. If you are a Ryan Ding fan, you wonât regret watching. Though it could have been better if they didnât cut so many of his scenes. Had the potential to be a 10/10 but they squandered it in favor of extended side plots that lower his run time.Was this review helpful to you?
The Baddest of Bitches Award Goes to....
FAN CHANGYU.Okay, I haven't read the novel or anything, but I could tell that there was a lot more density to the story than what made it in this adaptation.
That being said, I think the storytelling was there. The acting was there. And most importantly... Fan Changyu was there.
I am seated and living for HER. We love a woman who's an absolute Bad Bitch!!!! Xie Zheng knows it and it is delicious.
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Prepare to rip your hair out
HOLY MOLYYYY!!!!!If youâve been waiting for this season since the first one releasedâŠthen you must know the feeling of not being fully satisfied, because thats how this season left me.
Although that doesnât mean it was bad but it definitely frustrated the shit out of me.
Not only did it feel like dumbed down every damn police officer and character this season, but somehow it seemed like our main characters along with side characters who fight, got weaker instead of stronger? They gave us a 4 year timeskip and during that time Gunwoo focused on getting the championship title but didnât get stronger even though he was praised for being incredibly strong and intelligent when it came to fighting throughout the first season. It seemed redundant because in season 2 bothe Gunwoo and Woojin got their asses beat throughout the episodes and only in the last ep did Gunwoo do his kumbaya ritual and won, it was exactly similar to what season 1 did but with higher steaks and more brutality. The villain in season 2 was genuinely terrifyingâŠlike i felt his terror so they did an amazing job at making Rain the villain!
It just felt so so frustrating watching him beat everyoneâŠ! Especially Gunwoo!!! Each fighting sequence had me so mad I stopped looking forward to them because I knew to expect our good guys to get their shit rocked, I mean wow! Literally almost every episode they would lose a fight. It was anti climactic considering this show started off by showing off Woojin and Gunwooâs fighting skills.
Regardless of that, season 2 was incredibly entertaining and it kept me on my toes each episode. I binged all 7 episodes in one day, it was easy to be curious about what the next episode held. The frustration you have builds up to hope and you saying âCome on!!! Beat his ass!!!!!!â throughout the episodes LOL.
But this season was such a nostalgia fest, so many characters from season 1 came back and flashbacks of the ones who passed away made me cry, it was a bummer that Kim Saeronâs character wasnât mentioned at all or given information on what or where she is. In any case I hope atleast her character got to live on atleast in that universe.â„ïž
Incredibly frustrating, yet satisfying in the end. Still a crazy plotwist in the end which makes me all the more frustrated because now I need a season 3!!!!!!SMH!!!!!!
But yeah, so many things were left unanswered, now all I can hope for is that it gets renewed.
Great bromance, so many new relationships formed, so many older bonds which grew stronger. It healed something inside of me while it also made me leave unsatisfied, all in all. Season 1 is unmatched but season 2 heals you a little bit before beating you to a pulp and then only then gives you a little break and a kiss on the forehead in the last episode.
Not a bad season 2, frustating as hellâŠbut not bad! Hope a season 3 will happen though!
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