1I don't understand why people like these kinds of shows. Typically bubbly, happy girl with so-so or terrible grades + good at everything, rarely talks, absurdly popular guy who treats her like shit but she's 150% devoted to him anyway?
In this show, Nao will ask Uehara a question, a simple one similar to 'What would you like for dinner tonight?' and Uehara will blow up at her for being annoying or butting into his life and then someone will tell Nao about how today is some hard day in Uehara's life or something bad happened at work/school with Uehara that day and then Nao rushes to find some way to apologize to Uehara for being so stupid and not realizing that he's having a hard time, when she did nothing wrong and definitely nothing to deserve him lashing out at her.
Every time she finds joy in something, he criticizes her for it. Literally every time she's happy imagining something, typically involving her and Uehara, Uehara walks into the room and in ONE SENTENCE has her frowning and fidgeting, unsure of how to respond without making him more upset.
Nao is surrounded by people who care about her, who SHOW HER they care about her, who make her smile and laugh and feel good. The only time Uehara makes her feel good is when he's in her mind. And we're meant to believe he loves her too because every once in awhile he frowns when some other guy is being nice to her, or because, when other characters practically force him into it, he does something nice for her, because that one time they had a meal together and he didn't immediately tell her she was stupid for thinking he was enjoying himself, because they had one scene where they slept in the same room because the heating was broken.
Except 90% of the time Uehara accompanies such scenes with dialogue calling Nao an idiot or stupid for thinking it's romantic, for thinking he would ever do anything just for her, for thinking that the moment is nice, happy, or that he's kind. And not in the endearing way some characters do, where you can tell 'stupid' is a term of endearment, but as an actual insult.
That's not a loving relationship. That's abusive. That's toxic. And I put up with it for all but the last 2 episodes, waiting and hoping that Uehara was going to wake the f*ck up and stop being like that, learn from past mistakes and events, grow up and stop acting like a 4 year old who doesn't understand that other people have feelings too. But it didn't happen. And I couldn't finish the show. I couldn't stand to watch a finale where, I assume, everything is tied up with a neat little bow and we're promised that Nao and Uehara are going to have a wonderful, happy, love filled life together. Because I can't believe it. I can't watch what I know is going to be a loveless, abusive relationship. I hated every second of it.
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Its definitely no surprise that NIF is one of the best rated dramas worldwide. It is still highly regarded by a large majority of the drama audience to be one of THE BEST dramas ever produced. It completely deserves that rating.
STORY:
The ultimate revenge plot. The best scheming and plotting (but in a great way) written for TV. Oftentimes, you'll watch a drama with tons of manipulations and plotting, and they'll feel repetitive or basic. NIF is completely different. Every step, word, every breath that Mei Chang Su takes all has a greater purpose. It's the best bittersweet story as you find out who was behind everything that happens to the Chi Lin Army those years ago and what happens when you cross Mei Chang Su. Although I feel like most people have watched it by now, I definitely don't want to spoil it for people who haven't gotten to witness the majesty yet haha.
Be warned, yes it takes a few episodes to get super hooked. The first few episodes are a little slow, but few tv dramas aren't. I'm honestly ok with the slow start because when it gets going, it doesn't really stop. The relationships between the characters (both romantic, familial, and brotherhood) are so captivating. Every character has a purpose and no one really feels unnecessary to the overall plot.
This is definitely a show you have to pay attention to because even some of the smallest, seemingly meaningless details can have a big impact on the overall story. Everything was honestly so well weaved together and everything served a greater purpose.
ACTING:
Phenomenal. Amazing. Outstanding.
Hu Ge, Wang Kai, Liu Tao: They were household names after this (if they weren't already before). They were all amazing at their respective roles. Everyone felt real and well rounded. They all had their moments of being serious or being comedic or whatever it might be. Honestly you just have to watch the drama to understand.
Comedic Awards go out to Meng Zhi and Fei Liu because they (with sprinkles from the other actors) were the bright spots in a fairly serious and dramatic tv drama.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've only watched through twice, but I will definitely watch again and again. The drama gets a little hard to follow at times because of how intricate the plot can be sometimes, so the second rewatch brought everything together for me as I was able to pay closer attention to everything since I already knew the outcomes. 100% recommend for anyone because this drama has all of the good stuff you want in a drama and almost nothing bad.
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Whenever you have anything related to women and ancient Chinese royalty, it's almost always going to be a story about scheming, plotting, and manipulation. I would say Princess Wei Young excels in that area but it's also one of its major drawbacks. While watching this drama, from start to finish the plot is essentially just people trying to frame/kill Wei Young because she's so clever and witty and outsmarts them. It gets a little annoying because it feels like nonstop plotting against her. On the positive end, compared to other dramas, where the girl in trouble gets help from other people and seems helpless at times, Wei Young's character really shines in these points because she almost always solves the issue herself (using skill and cunning and not just sheer luck).
The bad guys for the most part are obviously bad. On their first introduction you're just like "Yup, these are the evil ones." Again, it's an Asian drama, so there's always that need to link everything back to the main character. So of course, all of the people who dislike Wei Young find every reason to hate her and blame everything on her. By the middle to end of the show though, there are a few good twists with the villains of the show which you might be able to pick up on at the beginning, or it'll come as a relatively big shock when the show starts hinting towards the twists.
The relationship between Wei Young and Tuo Ba Jun is one of the highlights of the show. Tang Yan and Luo Jin have been in 4-5 dramas/films together and are now together in real life, so you can tell that the chemistry between them is fire. They have that somewhat standard "Hero who saves her again and again and they fall in love" relationship, but the personalities and chemistry of the two leads makes you really fall for this power couple.
ACTING:
Tang Yan - As popular as she is, I feel like some people just don't like her as an actress. I disagree. I've seen a good few of her shows by now and I've yet to dislike her or think she did a bad job in any of them. She portrays emotions very well. All of the characters she plays are very distinct from one another, so you can tell she is a very versatile actress. She is just as good in this show. Tang Yan balances out the different aspects of her character very well. She is very smart and cunning but she is still fragile and weak at times. She is another actress who isn't afraid to be ugly and doesn't restrict her emotions and whatnot to keep a beautiful, composed face.
Luo Jin - In the few dramas I had seen him in, he was always the second male lead, so coming into this drama (not knowing that he and Tang Yan were together), I was weary about watching this because I didn't know how good he'd be. Definitely a good surprise. He was a good actor in the other shows I had watched as well, but I wasn't sure if he had that leading male energy that you need to carry the show. Normally I feel like the lead actress outshines the male (especially in a show like this where Wei Young is CLEARLY the main character), but Luo Jin and Tang Yan's chemistry really showed in this drama and Luo Jin did a great job keeping his character in the spotlight and expressing his emotions very well.
Vanness Wu - This was the first mainland drama I'd seen him in. As an Taiwanese actor, I had only seen him in TW dramas (the most recent in memory of him was Autumn's Concerto), and TW dramas and epic ancient mainland dramas like Wei Young are very very different. I wouldn't say he had a groundbreaking performance (there were times when I questioned his character), and I couldn't take him seriously at any point with the braids hairstyle. But I think he did a good job for the most part.
Mao Xiao Tong - I had first seen her in Love O2O and she played a very bubbly character. Her character in this one had a similar feel, but definitely not as bright and happy (due to everything her character goes through). She did a pretty good job imo and you could definitely feel the development with her.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've seen this 2 times now, so definitely not a hard drama to rewatch. It's not the best thing I've ever seen (again, the endless plotting gets a little repetitive at times) but the chemistry between the two leads and the strong personality of Wei Young make it definitely worth at least one view.
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I really like the twist of having handsome guys turn to old grandpas. Seeing the grandpa doing things that young 20's something guys normally do was freaking hilarious! My favorite character would be Kang-seok (The Muscle) played by Jang Gwang. He was so adorable, cute and will make you LOL all the time!
The only fault of this show is the length. It was just too short. Given the plot & setting, I felt like they could have done much better if it was a 20 episodes series. There were holes every where with the story & characters. We were introduced to some of the characters' background, but they were never fully elaborated & one of the guys didn't even have a real background! Aside from Joon-hyuk, there was little character development for the others. Even with Joon-hyuk, I felt his changes were so sudden. It was a bit hard to believe, but eh.
This is my first time seeing Heechul act in a series. Given that he is an idol I didn't expect much from his character, but he played his part well. His character Jung-woo was pretty much similar to his idol's personality in real life. It was not until the very end where I thought: "I would like to see more of Heechul's acting in future drama." The only complaint I have about his character is that Jung-woo was too perfect. He didn't have any flaws! He was just as smart as Joon-hyuk in solving the cases, his personality was charming and easy to get along with compared to Won-bin - who essentially was suppose to be the "charmer." When the guys were still in their young bodies, Jung-woo looked so out of place with his small, feminine frame when standing with the others.
Anyhow, lacking as it may have been, the series was still fun to watch just for the laughs, bromance and great acting from the ajusshi. I would give this a 7/10. If you don't care much for the lousy plot and awkward romance, then I would recommend you watch this. Watch it for the grandpas. :]
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I mean, it was perfect. I love everything, HE is the ideal boyfriend: romantic, sweet, lovely, gentleman, and handsome. SHE, was perfect too: beautiful, brave, a REAL WOMAN. I'm just too sad because it's over..... I feel like a bittersweet right now, but i'll be okay.
It is the typical love story that many would like to have but that is not part of the real reality that we live today.
I loved everything, the music, the direction, the acting, the characters, the relationships, the environment where it developed.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I SEE DRAMAS, I did not feel that the second protagonist deserved the main character (in a good way, he is a sweet man), but I feel that his place will never be her, and when they see, they will understand .
I watched this series at dawn on January 2, 2018 and finished it on the night of January 3, 2018.
A perfect start to the year. JUST WATCH IT!
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I have nothing to say about the story as it is just too perfect to commend anything. The leads ..... just 1 word 'DAEBAK'. Their chemistry, their acting.... omg.. I strongly believe you will understand what I mean when watching. They have a lot acting that is beyond body language and action. They can act very well using just their eyes. And the OST also matched the drama which really boost up the whole drama to the peak. I can say this drama is a very very 'feeling' drama. Even i have watched several times, I can still feel the romance, love and even heartache everytime i rewatch it.
I can't remember how many times I've watch this drama but definitely I will rewatch it again. The story is really really very good that worth at least a watch.
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I don't remember the songs that I've heard from this drama.
I have an outstanding memory of this drama, in and out. It was filled with cuteness, love, comedy and it was absolutely perfect.
I love this drama because it shows how strong women can really be. It shows that you should never be fooled by a pretty face. Innocence doesn't mean weakness.
The two main actors: Ji Soo and Park Hyung Sik are perfect for one another.
At first Ji Soo annoyed me, but the serious role fits him. It makes him super duper sexy.
Park Hyung Sik is hilarious when he gets jealous. He is definitely funny when he gets drunk. I love his character.
Overall this drama gets a 10 stars. It was well performed, well casted, and it didn't make me cry. Which is a rare matter when it comes toward dramas.
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Kim Do Hyung: "joo young please wait a little more." "i will find joo young."
Detective Cha: "i'm sorry kim do hyung, we lost (x person)", "i'm sorry kim do hyung, (x person) is dead."
Yoon Joo Young: " i don't have right to do that.", "i'm sorry do hyung, it's all because of me."
Seo Jin Ki: "yah, banker ajusshi."
Chairman Kang: "will you (do that)?"
Detective Park: "stop talking cr*p."
Although the show was full of promises and potential in the beginning, i regret to say that the whole story can be summarized in the lines above.
A not so regular bank employee with special military skills going after the unlaw organizations to find his lost fiancee was a rare plot line by 2015 (although people going after baddies for a loved one is nowadays almost overused) so i remember being really interested in the project when it was first announced. plus it is written by Cruel City's capable writer. But unlike that one, the supporting roles were criminally underused and poorly written, i think this is the main problem of this series. the whole story revolves around one person (or maybe two - with Seo Jin Ki) and everyone else is just a side character to appear once in a while to create new challenges for Kim Do Hyung. Although Cha Yoo Mi is listed as a lead, i beg to differ. She was such a frustrating character, she had no depth, never ever did something worthy on her own, always put herself in danger and always lost important witnesses or suspects. I could let it pass if she was a rookie detective but she is suppose to be a chief detective. I could say the same thing for almost everyone else minus Kim Do Hyung. Yoon Joo Young was such a mystery to me. She started badass, going after the mob boss she was working under and daring to co-operate with a detective. Then turned into a complete damsel in distress, then surprised me so much in her car scene in episode 5 and turned back in damsel in distress mode once again to suddenly go (pretend) badass in the last episodes. She is a major character for sure, but i think the 'show' did not love Yoon Joo Young, herself, but the idea of her.
I'm not saying the drama was bad, it is still superior to (most) dramas of the same genre, but it is a pity how much more it could have been. You had so much time to focus on the relationships between Kim Do Hyung/Cha Yoo Mi, Cha Yoo Mi/Yoon Joo Young, Seo Jin Ki/Hak Soo, Seo Jin Ki/Son Hye Joung , literally every one and anyone else. Just half of the writing in the Cruel City would do, but instead you just put Joo Young in danger repeatedly to rescue her repeatedly for 16 episodes.
Acting:
Kim Mu Yeol hard carried the show. His performance was followed by Ryu Seong Soo who was just as awesome. Both Lee Shi Young and Lee El are my favs but they were so underused that i'm hugely disappointed. I won't count every one, one by one but in short the whole cast was perfect in acting aspect. It was just that the characters were superficially written.
Music:
Love the soundtrack. The series is a part of my "on the treadmill" dramas, and the soundtrack plays a big role in this alongside the action scenes.
Rewatch Value:
I enjoyed the series over all and would rewatch it, maybe in 5 years once i forget the details.
Overall:
Again, the series was an enjoyable ride. But it is a huge '-could have been'.
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Another drama based off of the popular web author Gu Man (Love O2O, My Sunshine). This one is definitely the middle road between the three books/tv shows. It has its cute light-hearted moments, but also has more serious and dramatic moments. Somewhat Cinderella feeling (lower class, young girl falls for the upper class male lead) but definitely has good character development in Xue Shan Shan (Zhao Li Ying). With so many TV shows out there, it's hard to have super ingenious new story lines, so this one is definitely just a good melodrama to watch and not expect any crazy twists and turns.
Features the main two (Zhao Li Ying and Zhang Han) exploring the relationship between two very different people and dealing with all of the issues that come standard with that type of relationship, while at the same time dealing with mixed emotions from other characters who want to find love as well. Definitely nothing mind-blowingly new or unheard of before, but still a good watch altogether. You get to see Shan Shan go through all of the normal relationship stages where she isn't sure what's going on at first (and somewhat dislikes the male), to realizing they have feelings for each other, and dealing with being together and what not.
ACTING:
I haven't made it a secret that ZLY is one of my favorite actresses so until I actually see a bad drama from her, she's gonna get good critiques from me. ZLY really is smart at choosing dramas to act in because it always seems like her character really changes and develops by the end of it and almost always for the better. She is really a great actress who is amazing at showing the different parts of a character and making it feel like she really IS that person (and not just playing the same characters all the time).
Zhang Han - another very popular Chinese actor. I haven't really seen a ton of his works. Even though he's not a bad actor, he just doesn't do it for me, so I never go out of my way to watch his shows/films. He does a good job as the rich/powerful guy with a soft side, but again, he's just not my cup of tea.
Huang Ming - I'd only ever seen him in Perfect Couple before this, but he really changed my mind with this drama. In Perfect Couple, he was the geeky sidekick who fell in love with someone way out of his league, so the first time I watched this, I couldn't take him seriously as the super suave, flirtatious playboy he was started out as. Eventually, watching him more, I really had a change of heart with him and really started rooting for him to find love.
REWATCH VALUE:
I'm a young female adult, so all of Gu Man's stories (and others like it) always attract me to watch over and over again. I've rewatched about 2-3 times in the past few years. The fact that her stories are fairly standard plots make them easy to watch because you're so used to that type of story, but at the same time, all three of the adaptations have had fairly good actors/actresses at the helm which makes it easy to watch again and again. (This would rank #2 for me after Love O2O)
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It's really so hard to review this drama for me because while I really liked it for many parts, there were some major story lines that I just couldn't get over. Essentially both of the mothers were terrible people for the most part, but they try to throw in redeeming points here and there, that yes, you eventually are ok with them, but for 90% of the drama you're just like "WTF?"
I get that the whole idea was that Zhang Guo Guo/Jin Yi Bei's mom was supposed to be this power hungry person who just wanted to be the best, but throughout the drama, the way that the mom treated her and whatnot, since she didn't know who Guo Guo really was, was just ridiculous. Yes, the mom eventually redeems herself in the end, but you really spend the whole drama being confused because she's being such a terrible person that you dislike, but at the same time, it's her biological mother who you obviously want to reunite with her daughter.
Secondly, the way that Guo Guo's adopted mother treats her and Zhang Yu Xin is just ridiculous. Yes, biology matters, but I can't believe that ALL OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS (not just bad or mean, TERRIBLE) that Yu Xin does, her mom is always making up excuses and trying to cover up for her and whatnot. I'd do anything for my future children as well, but this was just unbelievable at times. Yes, Yu Xin probably had a hard time growing up in the first few years of her life, but that's seriously not an excuse for how lenient her mom was with her and how ridiculous she was to Guo Guo who was very filial to this adopted mom.
It's really hard to get past those two things because they weave into everything that happens the entire show and it really makes you question how ridiculous things are gonna get, but at the same time, the relationship between Guo Guo and Yun Kai is just so freaking cute that you keep watching.
ACTING:
Sun Yi - First time seeing her in a drama and thought she did a really good job. Her character was cute and adorable when needed and was hardworking and strong at other points. Thought that her acting seemed realistic and not overly ridiculous (at least in relation to how ridiculous the story was at times).
Deng Lun - Really the reason I even watched the drama. I think it goes to show what a great job he does as an actor that just watching him in a handful of episodes of Princess Agents made me want to watch this drama for him. He did a great job showing off the sides of Yun Kai and delving into the storylines that he had.
This is another one of the dramas where I can't give an honest review of how the other actors did because I just though the story lines and whatnot were just ridiculous at times, so I can't decide if the acting was bad or I just disliked the writing so much at times that I hated the characters.
REWATCH VALUE:
Throw it up there with the other dramas that are great as a cute buffer in-between lengthy or serious dramas. I haven't rewatched it yet (I just watched it through the first time a few months ago), so it's not up on my list of dramas to rewatch soon, but I could definitely see myself jumping in again, if anything to watch the interactions between the main leads.
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The story is good, the whole basis is stable and the way it develops is also decently done. I love the characters (and love them even more now, after season 2) and all but the actors weren't really my thing. I mean, I liked most of the cast, they did a good job and their hard work payed of due to the popularity of the series. However, as I'm editing this (after watching season 2 with cast change), I can say that most of the love I nurtured was for the characters themselves and not for the acting the cast presented. Lots of people were upset that the cast would be different for second season but I really love second season's cast and I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to have this whole season with that cast instead of the short 4 re-tell episodes.
But enough of comparisons. Overall I really enjoyed this one, the music is also good.
It has its flaws, it obviously does. There are parts where everything seems out of place and it seems like the story is going nowhere. But if I were to speak about all the flaws it would ruin my idea of these series so I prefer to rate it and not go into much detail (my score does take into account the flaws though, of course).
At the time that I first watched this one I remember loving it. 2moons was all I wanted during the time I was watching it. But after finishing I couldn't really recall why I liked it so much. Still can't quite pinpoint why but I'm glad I enjoyed this cause season 2 is wonderful. My big issue with 2Moons is the main couple, Phayo, which I can't help but feel like they don't really fit as a main couple and are somewhat boring. This issue isn't only with this season though, the couple's story isn't one that pulls me in. The good thing is that the side couples do make it worth it, MingKit and ForthBeam are wonderful.
If you are looking for a soft, lightly funny bl, you might enjoy this one (I highly recommend watching cause season two is a whole 8/10). If you do not wanna go through the cast change then you can just watch 2Moons2 since they did a pretty good job at summing up this whole season is only 4 episodes.
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STORY:
The story honestly is fairly simple. There's no crazy twists and turns. Not a ton of plotting and backstabbing, etc. It really just is a very simple and beautiful telling of two people falling in love and growing together.
The super fun twists that I think most people enjoyed were the great transitions between real life and the gaming world. Definitely something refreshingly new that gave you the best of a modern drama with sprinklings of wu xia.
I really appreciated that even though there were other people who had feelings for the main leads, you never really got the feeling that something could come in the way of the two leads. They just had a pure relationship that was based on similar interests and general good chemistry - not because they were forced together by circumstances or one of them was love lost and then they found each other.
They both honestly enjoyed each other's company and felt very natural with one another. It's really not something you get all the time.
Very well paced out and never felt rushed or lagging at any part.
ACTING:
Yang Yang - Xiao Nai - Wow. What a great performance. Yes, his name was already ringing in circles after Dream of Red Mansions, Lost Tomb, etc. But I would definitely say this drama catapulted him into stardom. Xiao Kai had the tropes of a standard male lead - well off, smart, super popular, beautiful, somewhat introverted - but Yang Yang definitely did a fabulous job making Xiao Nai break past the standard topes and bring about those cute swooning moments that girls (who were really the target audience) love to see in dramas. Every interaction was playful but serious. The kiss scenes and other romance scenes were really mostly due to him.
Zheng Shuang - Bei Wei Wei - While she did a decent job in her role - very smart and hardworking, but still shy and cutesy at times - she was definitely overshadowed by Yang Yang in this drama. Most dramas I watch, I almost always feel like the female lead overshadows the male leads (especially when the story is more revolved around the girl), but Yang Yang was definitely the one driving this performance. The romance scenes, Zheng Shuang was like a wooden board at times (which many other people have critiqued). Being new to a relationship is understandable, but even further into their relationship, it was Yang Yang doing 75% of the work. She's been a very popular actress lately, but I honestly don't really think she's all that great. She does cutesy very well, but I don't feel like she's broken past that yet.
Xiao Nai's Friends - Great chemistry between them all. I think they all did a great job with their respective characters. Hou Zi was the flattest character of the three, for me, but wasn't bad by any standard. Yu Ban Shan and Hao Mei did great jobs showing off their characters' personalities and the loyalty they had to Xiao Nai and each other.
Wei Wei's Friends - Only Mao Xiao Tong (Zhao Er Xi) really had enough screen time to be a developed character, so she gets props for portraying Er Xi's happy go lucky character so well. The other two were good in terms of being the friends, but definitely didn't get a chance to show off much of their acting skills.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've already rewatched it a bunch of times, so obviously worth a rewatch. Even though you know the whole story, it's still cute and romantic enough to be a good rebound after a super lengthy period drama or a very serious and dramatic show. It doesn't really get boring for me because even though it's not something you have to pay a ton of attention to to understand, it's not really a brainless show that you just play in the background either.
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