Reviews

Amazing... but confused

A quite slow beginning (it took 2 episodes to really get into it), but it is worth hanging in there. Acting was amazing, especially in the war scenes. The chemistry is great and the sorority between the four women is really precious.

I loved almost everything, except the last 2 episodes that I found to be a bit confusing (with some flashbacks?). The war/occupation storyline was completly left out in the last episode and it looked like a pressed ending. It is honestly disappointing and a waste because there is so much more to be done (exploring characters' past, development etc).

Let's see what season 2 has in store, but give season 1 a try :) EDIT : Go watch Part 2 it's amazing !! My Part 2 review : https://mydramalist.com/profile/lisouille/reviews/329673

Note : I am a bit sensitive and some scenes were kinda violent so watch out if you cannot stand violence...

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Make the time to watch it - it's worth it

My only regret with HCCC is that I didn't see it when it was broadcast live. It's healing theme, especially during the pandemic would have been more therapeutic than any medication offered.

This show has everything a viewer could want - Terrific cast; Great chemistry between all characters; Well-developed supporting cast characters who blend into the story seamlessly; great visuals; believable story-line, etc...
Our leads really play well off each other and their wariness of their feelings was so realistic and well depicted. She is a handful, and quite the opposite of him, something they both acknowledged. And his issues and baggage did not bring the story down but created the challenges for her to respond to.
I'm sure this theme has been done before, and will be in the future (Welcome to Samdal-ri?) but I can't imagine another show doing it better.

Rewatchable? HELL, YES!

Thanks TvN & Netflix for giving us such a beautiful and funny story.

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Poignant.

There's an underlaying sense of realism to this series. For instance, the dialogue: as in life, when things are spiralling, there's a lot more said in the silences between people than in the words between people. Kudos to the actors for their restrained and layered performances. A thumbs up for the taut script. Also, I'd add a nod to the directing. This series will leave you thinking after the credits roll. I found myself thinking that peoples lives rarely follow a straight line, and it's not the roadblock that tumbled us to our knees that defines us. It's what we do after the fall.

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=> Addictive, epic series, without length despite the 40 episodes.

PLOT: The ML, 3rd son (born of a concubine) disadvantaged by his father, uncle of the emperor, joins the daughter of a general, the FL, at the head of a large army. They have to fight against a coup upon the death of the emperor. There are many conflicts and intrigues. Eventually the ML's father proclaims himself emperor, but the plots continue for the succession.

PROS:
+ An excellent CL with Xu Kai & Jing Tian as a warrior, valiant, intelligent couple. Xu Kai shows here all of his talent, all of his emotions in a wide variety of micro-expressions. Handsome, yes, but also talented ☆✲ﾟ｡(((´♡‿♡`+)))｡ﾟ✲☆
+ endearing 2ary characters.
+ magnificent settings and costumes. Some scenes are superb (fight in the Throne Hall around the coffin, in particular)
+ a story written with finesse and intelligence. Everything is coherent and relatively credible.
+ A satisfiying Happy Ending.

CONS:
- Low quality CGI (green background too obvious during certain scenes).
- OST volume too high compared to the dialogues.
- Always the same actors who play the villains (it's sad for them), so the viewer knows from their appearance alone what will be their evolution ;)

=> A Great watch !!
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PLOT: Le ML, 3e fils (né d'une concubine) défavorisé par son père, oncle de l'empereur, se joint à la fille d'un général à la tête d'une grosse armée, la FL, pour lutter contre un coup d’État à la mort de l'empereur. Les conflits et intrigues sont multiples. Finalement le père du ML se proclame lui-même empereur, mais les complots se poursuivent pour la succession.

PROS:
+ Un excellent CL avec Xu Kai & Jing Tian en couple guerrier, valeureux., intelligent. Xu Kai montre ici tout son talent, toutes ses émotions dans une grande variété de micro-expressions. Beau, oui, mais aussi talentueux ☆✲ﾟ｡(((´♡‿♡`+)))｡ﾟ✲☆
+ des personnages 2aires attachants.
+ des décors et des costumes magnifiques. Quelques scènes sont superbes (fight dans la salle du Trône autour du cercueil, notamment)
+ une story écrite avec finesse et intelligence. Tout est cohérent et relativement crédible.

CONS:
- CGI low quality (fond vert trop trop évident sur certaines scènes).
- volume des OST trop fort par rapport aux dialogues.
- Toujours les mêmes acteurs qui jouent les villains (c'est désolant pour eux), donc le spectateur sait dès leur apparition qu'elle va être leur évolution ;)

=> Série addictive, épique, sans longueur malgré les 40 épisodes.

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The Last Immortal" – A Captivating Dive into the World of "Hidden God"

"The Last Immortal," a 2023 Chinese drama adapted from the novel "Hidden God," is a mesmerizing journey that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. The brilliance of the three main characters, particularly A Yin and Gu Jin, portrayed by exceptional actors, adds a layer of depth to the narrative.

A Yin and Gu Jin's performances stand out, bringing their characters to life with a rare authenticity that resonates with the audience. Their chemistry on screen creates a compelling dynamic, making the viewer emotionally invested in their individual journeys and their shared experiences.

The storyline itself is a testament to the well-crafted adaptation from "Hidden God." It weaves together elements of fantasy, drama, and suspense seamlessly, captivating the audience with every twist and turn. The narrative's intricacies are skillfully unfolded, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while maintaining a sense of coherence that is often challenging in fantasy genres.

The hope for more TV series featuring A Yin and Gu Jin is a sentiment shared by many viewers, a testament to the success of their performances and the engaging storyline. "The Last Immortal" not only satisfies the appetite for quality drama but also sparks a desire for more explorations into the captivating worlds created by the talented cast and crew.

In conclusion, "The Last Immortal" is a standout production, successfully bringing "Hidden God" to life with stellar performances, a captivating storyline, and a promise of more to come. Fans of the genre and those seeking a riveting narrative will find themselves thoroughly enchanted by this drama.

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Cheong Ah and Yi Chan steal the show

A heart warming drama full of cute, fluffy, comedic, chaotic and emotional moments. You will feel butterflies for the cute romance that brews, get teary eyed during the emotional moments of the characters and hate the guts off the evil ones. The entire cast be it the leads or the supporting ones nailed their roles.

The star of the show would be Eun Soo as her acting of a deaf and mute Cheong Ah touched hearts. She was phenomenal not just with the sign language but with emotions she showed through her eyes of a girl who is only looking for some affection which she never got. Girl didn't even have to say a word to bring tears to the eyes of the viewers.

Hyun Wook as the chaotic and dramatic Yi Chan started off as annoying brat whose only goal is to impress his crush grew on to become the greenest flag. A boy who became the light in the dark world of a poor traumatized girl and changed it to something beautiful, bright and vibrant world. Be it his comedic timings or his cute fluffy chemistry with Eun Soo or his loud and chaotic yet sweet relationship with Ryeoun, everything was done extremely well.

Ryeoun certainly knows how to pull off both comedic and emotional moments extremely well. His emotional confrontation with his father in E1 or meeting and saving his mom in the past, these moments were enough to get eyes teary. Seol In Ah was charming as ever, she still looks like a teenager in a uniform.

I would say the show is a must watch if you want to go for some 90s themed cute high school kdrama.

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Confusing

The best part of the second season are the flash backs. Tbh, there were just so many things that the show didn’t b explore, like the evil white robed people, father/butler jang’s past on the island, and honestly, half the show.

I do feel like they assassinated any interesting points about Gungtan. Honestly, I really feel like the character would have been played well by Shin Sung Rok, simply because he plays crazy villains really well, not that the original actor did a bad job, but he would have been way better.

The best part about the show was hands down Van. I love him as a character, and he deserved nothing but sunny rainbows all day long. Kim Nam Gil truly is fantastic in his role and he has a lot of chemistry with the female lead.

Overall I am still so impressed with how much I actually like Won Mi ho as a character.

The show had way too many plot holes, the pacing was off and honestly could have used a traditional screen episode run time,

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Consider this series underrated even at the current 8.4 MDL rating

My impressions may not be accurate, but it feels like not that many people out there are raving about this series. Or at least there should be more people raving about it.

Amongst all the BL series, censored and uncensored, that I have watched over the years, this is one of the few transcends the boundaries of typical BL series and is deeply moving. Although I watched the uncut version, which has longer episodes, the series feels much longer in a good way. The plot and character development are done impressively well.

The bulk of the series is set in the 1920s, which facilitates the treatment of issues like homophobia and the subjugation of women in society. There are LGBTQ characters, but the series does not give the impression that it is including lesbian and queer characters as a token act of inclusivity, to generate hype or as a means of creating humor. Even relatively minor characters are presented with nuance. Impressively, the series even broaches potentially controversial issue of reproductive rights, with one female character deciding to get an abortion when she finds herself pregnant after a traumatic incident of marital rape. One may also appreciate the added layer of complexity when the issue of class differences enter the relationships that are already taboo due to sexual orientation.

If I have to specify a flaw in the series, it is that the story is incomplete. We see Jom traveling from 2023 to the 1920s and meeting Yai. However, it is hinted (actually quite directly shown, especially at the end of the uncut version after the closing credits) that Yai has a previous incarnation before the 1920s. A monk they meet also say that the two of them are destined to meet each other. Unfortunately, at the end of the uncut version, we catch a glimpse of Jom traveling to the unspecified era before the 1920s (assuming he's not dreaming or anything). This also means that Yai will inevitably be separated from Jom in two of the lifetimes. There is obviously a Season 2 tease, and I hope Season 2 gets made.

The seemingly happy ending of the current season leaves one feeling a little perplexed because it is unexplained. How does Yai turn up in the house where Jom is? Has he traveled to the future (impossible since the belongings he left behind suggest that he does not meet Jom again in his lifetime)? Is he a ghost? Is he a reincarnation of Yai (but how would his reincarnation know about Jom)? In the end, the saddening truth we know is that after Jom disappears from the 1920s (and returns to 2023 involuntarily), Yai spends the rest of his life pinning for Jom.

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Best Drama I’ve ever seen

Going into this I was expecting a good show, but ended up watching an absolute masterpiece, the storyline is coherent and engaging, the cast is great, everything in the show is amazing, I cannot find a single negative about it, with one exception; time travel is never fully and throughly explained both in the show and outside of it (with additional info from the directors or even members of the cast), at first I was greatly bothered by this inconsistency, however after some time in dawned on me that it was their plan all along to leave it to our imagination, it’s up to us to determine whether it was the old shop owner or god himself who caused the whole ordeal which even after finishing a show leaves you with a “mystery” to solve on your own.
To sum up, Twinkling Watermelon is definitely worth watching, it’s probably the best drama I’ve ever watched and I would honestly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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thats very amazing good drama

well overall 9.5 for reall thats a very good drama and i think i recommend this drama to watch it was so good good/cast
story is was good tho but i didnt like some of story music was amazing but ath the end :) rewatch value 10/10 no explain
and it really enjoyed it this dramaq deserve toi be not 8.4 instead 8.9 and deserves to be popural in my opinion idk what to say this drama my favorite
dswsd nddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

sry abt that

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Best love story

OK I have to admit this is One amazing story. The characters, the story line, the costume, the plot, And the music. I don’t know how to say it, but it is so moving that my heart pounds every time I watch the next episode. all the characters in this were amazing. They’re acting were top-notch I have followed them, hoping to see more of them and other series. I fell in love with everyone of them. I absolutely love love this series. The plot in the story was in such amazing details. This is probably one of the top five of my series. I watched that I absolutely will watch over and over again.

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A surprisingly good romantic drama

I have only seen this up to episode 9 but I feel I need to put out there how much I enjoy watching this drama. I remember seeing the ad for this with Karl Ting and Crystal Fung plastered all over it and I thought, "Oh no, this is going to suck." I mean the last few roles they had weren't particularly rememberable and they never left a lasting impression. However, this drama had them turn it all around. I can feel their chemistry on the screen and the scenes where they were together and enjoying each other's company felt very genuine. This is all bolstered by a great romantic theme song "Officially Missing You" sang by Aster Lau that is easy to listen to and enjoy time and time again.

I, also so far, have not found any character to hate. The supporting cast are all great and have their own troubles to solve, but they all work together around the main leads without taking too much of the spotlight. Even William Chak is not bad acting as this bastard who just got out of prison.

The story is still quite a mystery because Crystal Fung's character is very serious and angry at the start of the drama, but during an argument and sudden car accident with Karl Ting at the wheel, there is a flash of light with Crystal flying through the windshield and yet she is completely unharmed, with her personality taking a one-eighty degree turn. The once serious and cold Crystal is suddenly very passionate and forgiving of her boyfriend, which Karl did find weird but ultimately accepts. I can't wait to find out what is going on because there have been so many theories on this I have discussed with friends. Is she an Angel in disguise? An alien? Maybe a fox spirit taking Crystal's form to help out her last wishes? We don't know. At least not yet!

Update: boy the last 2 episodes were a massive rollercoaster ride. Karl starts getting annoyed with Crystal sticking her nose into everybody’s business and helping them face their problems. His reasoning is that she would do this behind his back and without considering the feelings of others when doing so. Crystal’s stance is that we should directly face issues and tackle them head on. I understand both arguments so I could not choose a side, I kinda agreed with both arguments so I was massively conflicted.

The disagreement leads to Karl avoiding Crystal and speaking to his grandma and friends for about the situation. All of them tell him how great they thought Krystal was and how she helped them face and resolve their issues. Then finally, in episode 14 while Karl was at an arcade to avoid Krystal at home, he suddenly had an epiphany and ran home to hug Crystal to apologise to her and say how stupid he was for acting like he did when he had such a great girlfriend. This scene was great and I thought the relationship drama was over, but no, there’s more! Karl noticed later that Crystal was trying to hide something in a wicker basket, so he decided to sneakily take a look and discovered a futuristic phone with 7G (7G!!). He saw the background wallpaper had Crystal and himself, but he had an hairstyle he had never had before. He listened to a voicemail and recognised his own voice but he did not remember leaving such a message before. Finally, he watched a video clip where Crystal was being arrested after a car accident before the camera pans over to the passenger side to reveal another version of Karl sitting there dead. This frightens our Karl as he was clearly alive.

Predictably, in episode 15, the final episode, Karl confronts Crystal about this and after pressing her repeatedly, she finally revealed that she was from another universe that found herself in ours after she crashed her car at the same time he crashed his and swapped places with his Crystal. This realisation horrifies Karl because he knew his Crystal was in her universe and was in prison for a crime she did not commit, so he begged other Crystal to bring his Crystal back. Despite the protests of other Crystal’s love for Karl, Karl couldn’t accept this and finally speaks the name of the drama, “You’re just not her.” He said the thing!!

Cue the next few hours of them just wandering around until night when other Crystal decided to kneel down and cry on the side of the freeway. Somebody suddenly drove by and stopped to check on her to make sure she was okay, but other Crystal noticed that the car was the exact same car she drove on the night she crashed. So, predictably, she stole the car and drove it to Karl, asking him to get in as she explained herself. She explained that she thought it was heaven’s way of giving her another chance because her direct approach in her universe led to her boyfriend wanting to break up with her, and in an act of anger she crashed the car, accidentally killing him, but managed to switch places with our Crystal so thought it was an opportunity to start again. Since our Karl was so adamant in getting his Crystal back, other Crystal was going to try and recreate the situation that caused them to switch places by driving the same model of car with them in the car and crashing into the same place with her seatbelt undone. We see this kinda work and other Crystal flies out of the windshield with a huge flash of light.

We finally go to the next scene where Karl wakes up in hospital and asks where Crystal was. The doctor tells him that she had suffered more serious injuries and was in a coma. We spend the last few moments of the episode watching Karl constantly visiting her and waiting for her to wake up, until one day he gets a phone call to inform him she had woken up. He arrives at the hospital and after some hesitation, enters her room to ask of she was his Crystal, where she only smiles, leaving it all ip to the viewer’s interpretation.

The ending was a lovely touch to keep it mysterious and I still really loved the drama, but there were so many things that ruined the immersion. Other Crystal’s carjacking had no consequences at all, and I know it was left out due to time, but it was sending the message that stealing cars was fine as there are no consequences for doing so. Also, during the final scene where Karl wakes up and has Crystal in a coma, none of the other characters are seen to visit them. These characters were seen to be indebted to Crystal and yet we do not see any of them visit Karl or Crystal during their time at the hospital. They didn’t have to be shown saying anything, just a montage of them standing there silent would be enough to show they cared. Also, how does dimensional travel work her? Does it require you drive a Subaru WRX Impreza STi, particularly the 2009 model with the optional sport pack for it to work? Nothing is explained! There are other plotholes as well that doesn’t allow me to give this a score above 8, but ultimately this was a great romantic drama that I hope gets a sequel. The romantic scenes between Karl and Krystal made the romance between Romeo and Juliet in TVB’s recent Romeo and His Butterfly Lover look like a joke.

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