Reviews

Underated Drama, too many negative remarks

First and foremost, I do not understand all the bad reviews about this drama. I actually quite enjoyed this drama and was definitely worth the watch for me.

Short Summary: A girl who has been trying to become a nurse suddenly has 2 baseball players appear in her life. She knew them both in childhood but lost her memories due to an accident. She gets mixed up in the MLs family, thinking she is the half daughter. At this time, the ML is still in love with her and not happy about the arrangement. The 2nd ML soon finds out that she is the girl from his childhood, but has to keep it a secret in order to keep her safe. This eventually leads to him falling for her, and thus starting our love triangle, and the plot of the FL getting her memories back and taking down the evil father of the 2ML.

This drama had a good plot. A good storyline to keep the viewers engaged. That being said, I definitely think it could have been shortened down to 20 episodes. But it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
For those wanting a love triangle.... this is the drama for you. I for sure got 2ML syndrome, and couldn't decide who I wanted the FL to end up with. Honestly, I was happy with both the MLs, but a part of me was still rooting for the 2ML. As we all do when we have 2nd ML syndrome.

For those wondering, it does have a happy ending, and I am pleased with how it turned out. For the rewatch value.... I'm 50/50 on this one. I don't know if I would rewatch it or not. I have a lot favorite dramas that I rewatch all the time, so I don't know how high this drama would be on the rewatch list. Especially because of that 2ML syndrome. But I might rewatch it if I'm in the mood for it. This drama, in my opinion is definitely rewatchable.

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Oof, it's painful

I'm struggling to make it through this one. I can commend them for trying to make a "grittier" BL, but if I have to see much more of Boston's face I'm going to lose it. Also, no one is likable. Even Sand and Ray (who I'm still watching it for), are messy as hell. I guess if you can let go of the mess and just embrace the melodrama, it's fun. The acting isn't terrible and the music is good.
However, it's hard watching these characters come up against the same "stuff" that's been holding them back, over and over again, not face any real consequences of their actions, and then do the same thing all over again the next day.

Just don't show me Boston anymore.

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mmm explotation with a side of stalking

Listen - I wanted to give this one a try. I struggled a lot with the premise, in another genre of fiction accepting the 'deal' would be the start of your own personal nightmare, not your own personal weatherman. I can see why people might enjoy this, it's got "subtle" (or maybe not so subtle) undertones of BDSM, but I think that even the most adept practitioners of this would say that consent is a big part, and this relationship is purely based on this guy exploiting an uneven power dynamic. It doesn't really get better, in the later episodes the guy puts a tracking device on his phone (but it's just because he loves him so much, REALLY). There's a lot of boring plot about the miscommunication that the relationship is built on (one party thinks that it's just a transactional relationship while the other party seems to be struggling to put into words how he's feeling - not surprising since he couldn't just ask the guy out, he had to come up with an elaborate scheme to have utter control over him). There's a lot of weird, controlling behavior on his part. In some of these BLs I'm willing to let it go, but this poor guy can't even see his friends without his stalker boyfriend showing up and dragging his ass home. I don't know, it's fine, I guess. I realize a lot of these things are a tenet of the genre, but it's getting kind of tiresome. It's not one of those that's really gonna make you feel ~refreshed~ after watching. It's probably just going to remind you of your college ex-boyfriend. In another universe, it's just 'Killing Stalking' with fluff.

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This show is a masterpiece!

Okay, so this show is not for everyone, but please - if it's not your thing, don'y bash it. just step away kindly and let the unhinged ones enjoy their crazy. ty!

This show leans heavily into the absurd and if this is your thing, then I cannot recommend it enough.

The acting is excellent, the story is so much fun, and EVERY THING you see on screen is 100% planned and thought out. non of it is unintentional. The only issue I have is that not all the random mumbling is translated, so I hope it gets fixed because it is funny as hell (also quite easy to understand if you get basic Thai).

To sum up, this is not a 5.7 show.

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Nice little costume mini-show

This is a nice little costume mini-show. The storyline is quite simple but there are a few twists and turns along the way, making it interesting.
Character wise:
FL is a sweet and gentle Princess that is haunted by the death of her grandfather. Her biggest wish is to find out why and who was behind it.
ML is a fierce and strong Regent that hides a secret not many could imagine.
2ML is the vain and insecure Emperor and brother of FL.
Acting wise this isn’t exactly top shelf but the actors do a good job within the limited timeframe.
So, if you like a short and simple costume drama - with a nice love story - this is worth watching.

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Where can I find myself a Yu Tu?

This drama is everything I didn't know I needed and more. Healthy relationship?... Setting boundaries when needed?... No unnecessary drama...? Realistic story...? Check, check, and check all the way!

I loved it so much it's like I'm not even sure how to express how I'm feeling right now.

Now while the producers almost satisfied all my (non-chaotic) drama wishes, I feel like I'm still left wishing for something more at the end. Maybe this is what reality is supposed to feel like and life doesn't have a perfect bow-tied ending. Or maybe I just can't come to terms with the fact that it's over? Anyway, here I am in tears both in love and devastated.

I highly recommend this drama to anyone who needs a break from all those grandiose stories that might sound fresh at first but end up being a mess with too many twists.

This has deep messages, great acting, and a simple but meaningful story.

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Just do yourself a favor and watch something else....

I heard a lot of positive things about this drama so I gave it a chance. It started well enough. I ignored the overbearing dad, childish FL, toxic FL's best friend and ML's cousin, and all the obvious plot fillers, hoping for a smooth drama-free ride after the couple got together.

I should just have read the reviews early on. I'm at episode 27 of the 32 episodes version and I think I'm done. The medical scandal happens, 0 communication on ML's part, FL's is completely oblivious to his change of mood, and he chooses to run away from it all to figure it out? I'm over it all. The ML was one of the strongest points of the drama for me but with the hand that he was dealt in this drama, I don't think there is much more he could've done to save it.

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Second cp stole the show

Love my toxic couple, Gong Shangjue and Shangguang Qian. I need more of them!!!! Every scene between them was peak tension and drama. Also this is the first drama that made me change my mind about Esther Yu (couldn't stand her character in LBFAD) but in this drama she was really good as quiet but sharp Yun Weishan. I love the scenes between Yun Weishan and Shangguang Qian, I wish there was more of their tense, 'keeping each other on your toes' dynamic and scenes.

The pacing is super uneven - starts off slow, drags like crazy in the middle with the boring back hill/three tests arc, and intense and heart stopping in the last big battle arc. That ending hurts me, S2 please ? did my girl SGQ lie about her pregnancy like she lied about almost everything else or was she telling the truth?!

This is also one of the most visually beautiful shows! Almost on par with the films I used to analyze for film class.

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A surprisingly good xianxia

Wow, a female lead cdrama that doesn't make me want to tear my hair out from sheer rage. Whenever I watch historical cdramas with a woman as a protagonist, it's always an exercise in frustration, always so disappointing. This is happily half a step towards a strong female lead.

Fantastic acting from everybody. Yang Zi killed it in this drama! I found her previous roles quite bad (cough Ashes of Love that I dropped halfway) but she was excellent in this. Maybe it's because her character isn't a total damsel in distress? She gives some good, solid acting in this show, delivering serious tearjerker performances multiple times. I stayed up till 2am to watch the reveal of her hidden identity and cried alongside her. I was that riveted.

Zhang Wan Yi's Cang Xuan was really good at playing the ruthless strategist politician with intense emotional eyes (I thought he had a bit of a baby face but he grew on me). And special shout-out to Tan Jian Ci's Xiang Liu. This guy can seriously act. He was really charismatic, regardless of whatever persona he was playing - playboy Fangfei Bei or cold and stoic Xiang Liu. He really grew on me and stole the show.

Deng Wei's Tushan Jing was a bit weak. He's supposed to be one of those gentle scion of a noble house with a very astute and sharp mind, but came off as a bit of a puppy and looked quite angsty and lost most of the time. There was a big disconnect between how the other characters talk about him and how he carries himself and acts in the scenes.

The first half was, as always, the highlight. Yang Zi's character was badass. The second half was about political machinations and the love quadruple (love web by the end). I shipped Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing at first (lol it's quite fun to pick a ship) but got a bit bored of the 'will they won't they' between them. By the end of the show, I was firmly on the 'so close they're codependent' powerful sibling duo Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao. Love how they'd kill for each other. That's the drama I live for.

Great fun, can't wait for S2.

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An exploration about what it means to be a mother

This show does something special. It goes beyond just telling a story, but it shows you what it means to be a mother and to have a mother. This is one of the GOATs of TV shows, up there with the likes of Go Ahead and My Mister. This show is a longform essay about mothering and motherhood, and is wonderfully nuanced and poignant in its commentary about social issues. But at the heart of it all, it's about the love story between a lonely woman and a lonely child, how they became mother and daughter to each other, and how they chose each other over and over again.

(I need a Father counterpart now please ?)

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A good second chance love story

I'm kind of undecided whether this is a 3.5 or 4 stars (out of 5). On the one hand, this is quite a well-made character introspection narrative/drama about two people coming together and trying again. On the other hand, the middle part really drags and I wish this was 12 or (at the maximum!) 14 episodes, instead of the current 16. I stopped at around 11/12 coz of losing steam.

I like that this is very character focused and really tells the stories of the two leads and the side characters. The palette is so nostalgic, like Hatsukoi and Makanai san, and the school days segment gives me the feels for Someday or One Day (I'm not over that heartbreaking ending ?). I think the skillful use of flashbacks and character voiceover narration actually works to the show's advantage because it feels like a diary at times, and I love the glimpse into the character's inner lives.

My gripe is really the length. 16 episodes is really way too much. Where the first 8-10 episodes feel better paced in terms of introducing the characters, their motivations, angst, and their perspectives on the break-up and their lives, by episode 10-11 it feels like the show is just dragging it out. (Also Kim Ji Woon's angst is just. So. Well written!!!)

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Warm and slow-paced slice-of-life

Kore-eda brings his signature warmth and humanistic focus to a story about two teenage girls making their way in the geisha world in Kyoto. This is a show for when you are in the mood for something super slice-of-life, warm friend group/family vibes, food, and fluff. There is no drama, tension, and conflict, which gets boring if you are not in the mood for it. The food portrayals never fail to make me hungry, and I loved the glimpses into the craft of being a geisha/maiko/geiko (e.g. the ichi-go-ichi-e phrase) and the glimpses of Japanese culture. It was also fun to spot Kyoto in the background.

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A very well-done time travel story

I don't know what to say because this was a lot. One of the best time travel stories, up there with Reset and Dark (but with less mindfuckery incest than Dark), and such a moving portrayal of grief, first love, highschool summer romance, while also being a bit of a coming-of-age story and a story about depression. Saw someone say this is what Kimi no Na Wa tried to be, and I totally see that, and I also think this is what jdrama First Love tried to be. Last episode, last scene had me ready to start sobbing ??? I'm just. Not ok. I should have known time travel doesn't end well. Absolutely amazing performances by the cast, especially the two main leads. There is a huge hole in my heart now ?? I watched this to get over Under the Queen's Umbrella, now I need to watch something to get over this (also when will Letterboxd add Alchemy of Souls etc??)

*Humor is unfortunately sometimes very not funny (fatphobic, transphobic) and I wish Huang Quan Sheng's storyline was resolved properly. Also Li Ziwei's second chase of her was low-key rather like harassment?? And what is this weird thing with age gaps lmao...

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Heartwarming and family-centric

??? Dramabeans' review-recaps summarized everything I might have wanted to say, especially the ones covering the last episodes: www.dramabeans.com/2022/12/under-the-queens-umbrella-episodes-15-16/

I think the main cast just really stayed with me: their poignant moments, their warm and rich relationships, and their complex characterizations. IMO one of the best uses of death of a loved one as a motivating force. The flashbacks of the previous Crown Prince's warm and playful moments with his mother and his brother that are flashed to the audience at just the right moments never fail to make me feel emotional. I do also love the complexity of the revenge political plot in the ending, although the ending was rushed. Not without its flaws but I LOVE a middle-aged woman as a protagonist (like EEAO), and the focus on mother-son relationships. More please ?

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