Reviews

IT KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE

I was not sure whether I wanted to watch this one or not but I tried the 1st ep and boom it got me exciting and craving for the new ep. if you're in the mid of the ep you'll surely relate to this. I don't usually watch crime, thriller drama but if felt like squid game 2.o

it's fun watching the ML getting a glimpse of diff lives & how he make efforts to surpass all obstacles no matter what. it's like a video game where you have 12 lives & on top of that you don't even get to choose the kind of character you'll be getting into.

i totally loved the concept.

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Selfless Hero and Passionate Heroine

A nice drama. Highlighted issue like there is no use having patriarchy or matriarchy foundation country if both hv the same problem to degrade either gender and think they always in the right while in fact they are very wrong. I'm not very fond of the Queen in the women are more superior sex country of Huanyuan City coz she had her favourite child and that became the villain origin story for the other daughter.

The Male Lead, the actor Mr. Han or Han Shuo from Xuanhu City where the patriarchy was strong. He was very ruthless when he first came to Huanyan City to marry the FL. But after he fell in love with FL, he became her fierce protector and the way he rebuked other woman's confession to him lmao. I seriously admired Han Shuo. He loves the FL so much that he would do anything for her, die for her (literally) and he was willing to let her go. Kind of feel bad for him coz he thought FL really love him when she went through great length to save him in the early episodes when the truth was in her head, she cannot let the hero in her story dies. BUT there was a red flag where he became very very upset with FL's betrayal(eek she thought she did it for his own good).

The Female Lead, Xiaoqian or Chen Qianqian from Huanyan City. She was a scriptwriter who thought her love story was perfect until ML criticised that she didn't know what love is so her story didn't make any sense and asked her to go back and redo it. Something happened and she became Chen Qianqian who was a bit silly I guess but very passionate to other people. She had her moments when she was courageous and very forgiving, I admire her for that. I became a bit frustrated with her in the middle of the drama bcs she was not in the right mindset. She was focusing on matchmaking ML and her sister (she was married to ML mind you) while ML at the same time fell head over heels for her. I'm seriously kind of like, "serve her right for doing that, now bear the consequences" coz after that only she fell in love with ML. Very mad at her at that time.

I definitely enjoy each of the ML and FL assistants(?), Zi Rui and Bai Ji characters. I definitely was rooting for the First Princess's love story with Su Mu. Thankfully the 2nd ML very umm loyal to FL.

The osts were not that memorable to me and love the production. I also love the costumes and hair ornaments/accessories.

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This is a truly believable age-gap love story.

I firmly believe that whether one likes or dislikes an age gap in a relationship is subjective and depends on one's age, life experience, and physical attraction. In the specific case of this drama, Zhao Lusi's youthful and vivacious character with a high-pitched voice is paired with a mature and older male character, creating an alluring contrast. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this drama but understand that individual preferences may vary.

I absolutely adore characters that are absolute geniuses in their respective fields. It's a pure delight to watch them in action. And there's nothing quite like a drama that features a genius chef and a brilliant businessman defying all odds, including social class and age difference, to fall deeply in love with each other. It's a perfect story that leaves me absolutely spellbound.

I absolutely maintain that a better-looking or more attractive male lead would have been a grave mistake in casting, and would have detracted from the authenticity of the story. It's a well-known fact that businessmen generally don't achieve success at a young age, and how many of them are really model-worthy? I can't think of a single one. So, in my opinion, the casting was spot-on.

Although ML was not conventionally attractive, it does not mean that he was unattractive. He just did not fit the typical male actor look that we usually see paired with Rosy Zhao. I must say, I found it incredibly refreshing and completely believable.

I want to give a special mention to the uncle character who was portrayed as a straight guy (thanks to the Chinese censorship who forbid lgbt+ charactes in dramas) but had all the mannerisms of a gay man. He was absolutely hilarious.

Overall, it was an excellent drama that I'll definitely watch again with pleasure.

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Relaxing and humorous drama

This is the first drama I start to know Zhao Lusi and also Ding Yuxi. I thought this drama gonna be so boring because of the story about a writer who enter her story. But it turn out really amazing! There's a lot of humor and slow burning romance here. I like Ding Yuxi stare, it just so melted me haha! I can feel all the characters emotional. A jealous because your mother showing more love to your siblings, the feeling to be like others, enemy to friend, and a lot of things. Something I don't like in this drama hmmm because maybe it though so many drama (Yeah, I know this is a drama so there's must be a drama) for ML and FL to be together, and also the FL it's just so annoying sometime bcs she's not get the ML feeling for her. But overall I think this is a great drama!

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Eat, sing, love.

I don’t write reviews but i felt compelled to let people know how enjoyable and fun this is. It left me smiling like a fool just about every episode.

There’s no angst. No misunderstandings. No drama. Just the experience of feeling like a third wheel witnessing 2 people fall in love.

I rewatched this several times already immediately after finishing the first run and I'm not bored yet. It kinda reminded me of Love O2O & Reply ‘1988. Totally not the same, just the vibe is reminiscent of.

The leads are adorable & natural. Tan Jian Ci is a new obsession hahahaha. Even watched his mv’s & dance practices in between rewatches.

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Food and Bromance

First, the story is based on a real historical figure, Kim Yu, a Joseon-era scholar, who wrote a book called Suunbapjang, which holds a valuable place in history of Korean Gastronomy and was classified as a national treasure in 2021. The story takes place in an era where men, or atleast noblemen of high birth, didn't cook and kitchen duties were relegated to women and lowerclass men.

Kim Yu is the second son of an honourable scholar who, along with his elder son, was framed by a rival and dismissed from court and sent home in disgrace. Now, their only hope for the revival of family honour is thrice failed Kim Yu.

On route to exam centre, Kim Yu meets Gye Am, a travelling chef, who is self-proclaimed as the best chef in Joseon and after some petty squabbles, starts working as his assitant/sous chef, learning about food and gastronomy. The rest of the movie is pretty much Kim Yu's journey as he learns about food from Gye Am, while letting go of his duties and expectations as a "nobleman scholar" and following his own path.
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SPOILER:

Towards the end, Kim Yu and Gye Am enter into a contest to become palace chefs, but Gye Am's injured arm causes him to sit back and KimYu pretty much shoulders the audition, with some help from his elder brother's hat (the best scene IMHO). Unfortunately, as a person of high birth, he can't work as a palace slave, so Gye Am alone gets the honour.

Kim Yu, meanwhile, opened his own restaurant which is open for people of all classes. He started writing his cookbook, Suunbapjang, which was eventually finished by his descendents. The book was eventually classified as natural treasure in 2021.

We DON'T KNOW whether Kim Yu and Gye Am ever met again.

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A fun and heartwarming show but forgettable

A talented ssirreum (Korean wrestling) athlete, Kim Baek Du (Jang Dong Yoon), is about to give up on his dreams when he can't rise out of his slump, but then Oh Yoo Kyung (Lee Joo Myung) is assigned as a new manager to his ssireum team. Baek Du was surprised and convinced that she is her childhood bestfriend, Oh Du Sik. Can he relive his dreams and is Yoo Kyung really Du Sik?

Baek Du and Yoo Kyung is like a sunshine meets a grumpy. Jang Dong Yoon as the adorable Baek Du is a fun pair for the secretive Yoo Kyung. From the first encounter, these two's accent and mannerisms are hilarious, as well as most villagers. They're loud but not annoying. I also like the beautiful countryside shots and the OSTs.

Although this is fun and enjoyable, I do have few cons; First, the story is not memorable. Except for Baek Du, all the characters are forgettable, which is a bummer because the best watching experience for me are the ones that I can't leave or excited about after watching, but I don't. Yes, the couple is cute but I'm not so emotionally invested.
Second, I wish they develop the unique premise about the coming-of-age and ssirreum aspect, instead of including the mainstream "mystery in a small town" story, which execution feels wishy-washy. It's a pity because these are the aspects that would make it stand out amongst other shows. Nevertheless, we do get a good final, so thank you!

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Some nice characters but overall I didn't care for any of them

STORY/PLOT
This show suffers from having too many characters in general. They are introduced when the ML comes across them but then quickly forgotten and then later on "revived" when you've long moved on to other new characters that appear. There is not much backstory to most of these characters and so you're not really invested in what happens to them generally. The show also relies too much on flashbacks to fill in the gaps (i.e. stuff that wasn't shown before). For example ML when in a pivotal moment in a fight performs some new move - cue flashback to when the grandmaster showed him that specific move. Certain people are shown as being very important to the ML but because that relationship/journey has not been explored very much, I don't buy it.

The ML is introduced as a smart but stubborn character. He wants it all - to have his cake and eat it too. He is scheming and has his own agenda and seems to like going against his father's plans/wishes. That is all fine but the problem I have is he has just come home after 3 years gallivanting in the wilderness - I find it hard to believe how he has managed to have informants and loyal people under him when for all intents and purposes, he wasn't doing much for those 3 years.

There doesn't seem to be a clear FL in this show. Yes the ML has a servant he is interested in, and she has a backstory too. Their romance is as dumb as dumb gets - fake assassination attempts and getting paid to read books to him. Constant teasing like "You can't die because I want to be the one to kill you" is just eye-rolling.

One of the things that makes a show great is a good villain - one that creates chaos and can really hurt the ML. This show doesn't seem to have a good one. Everything was dealt with easily by the ML with the grandmaster at his side. For much of the show, the illegitimate prince is portrayed as the main villain but he was so weak!! His red armour that followed him around wasn't much help either. The master eunuch put up a good fight at the end but being outnumbered he should have eliminated them one by one to increase his chances. Overall this big fight turned out rather disappointing.

ACTION
There is a fair bit of action but I find that some of the grandmasters are just too overpowered and just takes the fun out of it. Having the grandmaster Li by his side also meant it was kinda boring because nothing much was going to happen to ML while the grandmaster was there.

Some of the powers of these grandmasters is just a bit ridiculous and not really of interest to me. I prefer more realistic type wuxia but I find this show is a bit more magical/fantasy type (e.g. magical flying swords, riding waves, tornadoes lol).

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Beautiful storyline and character

This drama has a beautiful storyline, costume also character and also soundtrack. Really happy because one of the soundtrack is singing by Liu Yuning. Okay, so for the first time watch it, it has so manyy characters! And the problem is they showing all the characters really too fast (?) I don't even really remember who is who. But then, while I keep on watching, I can feel all the characters so I can remember every character.

The storyline is just so amazing. There's a lot of happiness, sadness and mad. It's just like a roller coaster. I like the Shang Gu character development. It shows how she's grow up, not let all the mock block her and can prove herself ability. Bai Jue has done so many things for Shang Gu from the beginning until the end, they are just a perfect match I think. Tian Qi and Yue Mi it's one of my favorite after the ML and FL. I like how they not trying to force the storyline so they can be together like the other drama. They're just so supportive even the one they love actually love their friends! Feng Ran and Jing Jian characters too it's very strong! They can do whatever they want and not let anything stop them. The antagonist character it feels annoying and make mad! She's doing a great job of acting!

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Worth the watch -a spoilerless review.

A drama the hits all the points needed

Characters that have clear motivations and are fleshed out, flaws and all...mostly

A secondary, third and fourth story lines that don't disappoint or end without conclusions.

An OTP that seem to genuinely like each other, realistically tease each other and talk out their difficulties

Music that doesn't overwhelm a scene

Female characters that talk to each other beyond what the men are doing and are shown as equal in capabilities across the whole.

What I didn't like

That ending though.....Come on C-drama land....make up your mind. Take my advice and don't watch the last 5-6 minutes of the ending episode. Just say "The End" and it's perfect.....lol

They should've made one standout character a eunuch, sterile or gave a reasonable explanation for his decisions towards the end because what they were working with, ain't it.....You can't change my mind on this

Dude that shows up with his little almond eyes......is typecasted af.... you know his character is up to no good because it's him and that's all this dude plays......boooooo!

A few first episodes that bog you down with the "intrigue" that isn't. I know where they were going with this and it was more of a good riddance in execution instead of appreciation of an up-front plot twist and red herring because they nearly bore you to death with it. I know many dropped the drama because of this...lol and had to be pulled back in when things start revving up.

The worst date night option before a big "we all might die battle" in the history of drama land....try to change my mind in the comments...lol. I don't see how they didn't get tired with all that pounding and pounding and heat and sweat...OMG!

A second lead without any growth and doesn't make sense.....It's like yea yeah we get it, now you get over it, we're all over it and then wait you're doing it again and getting everyone shot in the a$$....wth. It's like they wrote the character as a catalyst for some other stuff to happen gave him growth and forgot, then shoehorned the BS in when IT IS NOT NEEDED!
Legit not needed at all, they're at war, the setup is already there, bad luck and bad things happen. they could've left it at that. But no, no no, they got us saying "really brah?" and for what?.....and then it happens again. Make it make sense

I wanted the cat to be part of the group, where is the cat!

Some of us watched this like crack while it aired, you can read the drama's page on MDL to support that...lol
Rewatch value...hmmn, I don't know. You may find yourself going back to episodes for special moments or to remember what was mentioned while watching further episodes.....but that ending though....lol

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Love story between two individuals who couldn't be more different

I want to emphasize that my review is based solely on this drama, as I didn't watch other versions or read the novel. However, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cute and funny moments, the adorable love story between a shy genius and a bubbly girl - it was all perfectly presented. The fact that opposite attracts was beautifully depicted and made the story even more compelling

I thoroughly enjoyed watching that drama and was shocked to see that the female lead has very few dramas. Despite not being everyone's type, her acting was impeccable and, while not conventionally stunning, she exuded a charming and cute demeanor. In my opinion, she deserves more prominent roles

I recommend it.

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Hooked - Light and Heartwarming

I'm shocked by how I was really hooked on this series. I guess I just really prefer stories with a light and heartwarming storyline. I really love the chemistry between the main leads. But I also have to give praise to the side characters who also brought good acting to the show. 

However, I'm a bit saddened by one specific scene. I'm referring to Episode 6, (SPOILER!!!!!) when Yamato tried to force himself on Kakeru. Kakeru told Yamato that he's lacking and messing up most of the time they are together ("Someone like me doesn't have the right to fall in love with you. I have nothing to offer."). And then Yamato brought up the fact that for him, that is not the case, because no matter what Kakeru does, Yamato still likes and treasures him. Furthermore, Yamato forces himself on Kakeru, not just a single time, since Kakeru said no immediately the first time, but Yamato still proceeds to kiss and caress Kakeru. Stopping only until Kakeru said no in a scared and shocked manner.

I'm just a little bit sad that the story between the main leads lacked the "consent" factor when it comes to their intimacy. Yamato will be the superior BL main character if somehow "consent" is included for him as a whole. 

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BEST DRAMA EVER MADE.

I honestly think that this was made such perfectly like I am in love with this drama, I would watch it over and over again, and I would fall in love with it every single time.This drama had so many emotions as well as action scenes and truth spoken, that I'm just impressed, and I honestly think that everyone who love action, justice, law, police and those categories should watch this instantly. This was such a great drama like I can get over it.!I think that this has a great values and a big big big potential for a bigger drama. Overall, like American industry could never madk this, cause it's such like perfection and just full of emotion. Actions like it has a bit of everything and like the dose of everything that's the best like you could've made it. It made it better. I mean everything can be made better, but this one trust me guys just watch it!!!!😍

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A good storyline ruined

This drama is one of those dramas which show one of the most intriguing synopsis and when you start watching the same with that high expectations you are bound to feel disappointed. And this drama is no different.
Having seen the negative reviews beforehand, I went to watch the drama with little to no expectations and thanks to which I found it a nice watch .
Starting off with the oh so average acting , you can feel at few scenes the actors including main leads either exaggerated the the required emotion or didn't show any . Which is why I think the casting of main leads was not satisfactory. I mean at some point the supporting actors were more compelling than the leads (no offence).Hence, the acting was one of those reasons which ruined the drama with so much potential .
Even if I have watched or prefer watching high production shows, but here personally I had no complaints about the productions or the cinematography. Nonetheless the storyline really sucked . The show started showing potential from the start itself by the gripping side plots and I was waiting for the neat execution related to the same . In spite of that you end up with loads of plot holes all thanks to the poor writing .
All in all what I've got to say is you can definitely watch the drama as I did with no expectations and I'm sure you'll like it because no matter what the drama was a good watch and I didn't feel it like a waste of time ( or the efforts my eyes put to stay up throughout). Well then I'll take my leave and hope you guys like watching it and have a wonderful day ahead.
XOXO

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