Reviews

Fantastic Acting by the Trio! Bai Lu is the best character!

Crime thrillers in C-dramas often lacks graphic scenes and it's probably best as one of the case is quite grotesque. Rather than focusing on the detail of the cases, the character Bai Lu is what's most captivating about this drama.

These are rather short episodes, only 20 min long so 32 ep goes by quickly although 2 of the cases were pretty average and predictable. 1st 1/2 way better than 1/2 half (common themes in C-dramas)

Bai Lu played by Li Yuan is the best that I've seen of that manly independent strong female character. She's semi broken & complex. Her comebacks can be witty or fierce.
Actor Yuan Hao is always solid in every role that I've seen him in but his screen time is rather limited.
GuYu is a forensic doctor that teams up after the first case. There's a great scene with her and Bai Lu in ep 14 that showcased both actresses acting skills.

The only thing I wished for and this goes for most crime C dramas is that the pace of solving each case should be way slower. There should be more build up finding evidence leading to suspects.

Last case circles back to GuYu but ..... kinda lacking in plausibility.

Read More

This drama is the one time you should trust bad reviews. HANG IT UP FLAT SCREEN!

I have been watching dramas for years but this is my first ever review on this site I’m sorry I had to drop at ep 20. The drama was getting a bit too ridiculous for me. I think the cast was really good all the actors you can tell were seasoned and took their jobs seriously. However, in the end the nonsensical ass script made a mockery of that talent. Also for all the ppl swooning and crying over the ML and FL chemistry and connection are delusional. There was nothing there to root for and I’m sorry I think the two were toxic for one another more so the ML to FL. To me she did not grow at all in 20 eps even though she lost ppl and went through trials and tribulations, so what of the remaining 50 I couldn’t put myself through that. They couldn’t decide if they wanted her to be outstanding and badass or an idiot who is brash and always falls into others traps. It made me sad bc I feel like she really wasn’t the focus here and was just a prop as women usually are. They decorated her with some fighting skills and wisdom to bait us and then gave us a huge F U as the series went on. ALSO I didn’t get the deal with the ML maybe I’m slow but he seemed mentally unstable and y’all was shipping her with him ????

Also everyone cries the whole drama about fighting for the ppl saving the innocent but they kill ppl off likes flies in this thing and most time for no reason or as a plot device to push the story and it’s weird. Like if you can’t propel your story w/o killing ppl every damn 5 eps what’s the point?

Music was okay….Maybe bc I didn’t get far enough so there may have been a change in OST but the ones I heard were a bit uninspired. I love Chinese dramas for their OST bc they really show out and are usually stylistically creative but this one lacked character.

I’ve seen spoiler comments and ppl are saying don’t watch last 5 mins otherwise everything else is good. No they are lying bc last 5 is very representative of the shitshow this drama was and to me it made sense. It was just so very boring I was zoning out. I may seem like a hater but I actually was quite excited for this but here’s just another example of an overhyped netflix dramalist pick. Ratings should be much lower. Good day and good luck.

Read More

Will Bawl Out Your Eyes

This is it!

Watched it. Loved it. Cried for it.

SJK's acting as a werewolf was fabulous. He portrayed the animalistic actions very precisely. Like how an animal in human form would act- eating like an animal, behaviours etc.

The FL was a calm and smart character. She knew how to make a human out of an animal.

The whole movie made my heart flutter until the end. The end was BEAUTIFUL. Just BEAUTIFUL.

How the Story started was great as well. Nostalgic 1900s feeling. Felt like going back to nature.

Well I have a lot to say but cannot come up with it.

So, JUST WATCH IT if you haven't yet. And REWATCH IT if you already have.

Read More

Amazing short film

People make mistakes in life. Some mistakes completely changing the course of their and their family's life. What happens when someone in your family commits a sin so grand that it ruins your life? That is what we see here with this film. But more than that this film also shows the unconditional love that brothers have for one another. The acting, the directing and everything is done so well in just a span of 20 minutes. That's what makes this film special. It does everything it needs to do in such a short amount of time. (Made me almost cry). But also if you are an older brother or have an older brother this film might hit you harder. Give it a watch.

Read More

Meh

Started watching this drama after getting recommended by instagram and not going to lie that the main leads were both good looking, so I gave it a chance. the plot had some strength to it and since the main issue of the whole drama is already an emotional baggage, I thought they ride that train longer. This drama has two parts, both of which were weak. I'm not going to Lie, this drama is a drag but you could only drag it for 14 episodes after which you start to feel nauseous and want to fast forward it and at the end I truly just skip entire episodes and felt nothing missing, that is when you know, the drama has a problem. Instead of lengthening the distrust, anger, misunderstandings and most of all sadness, of the SECOND half, these people just did an enormous meet and greet, if you will an "entire icebreaker" spanning 20 episodes. really feels like a missed and a lost potential, I mean miscarriage is one of the most, if not the most painful experiences anybody goes through and they minimized that entire plot, really felt like I should have been crying river (entire Mississippi). But Alas, I could only write.

Well, Thank you for keeping up with my rambling. Well how are you guys doing. I think, maybe will be writing here more, so see you guys.

Read More

I loved it~

This drama really hit it for me! You know the feeling that everything about the drama manages to satisfy you and make you happy and feel the joy? That was it for me. The cast has great chemistry, you like watching everyone, because everyone did a great job. From wild cat Secretary Kim, to our narcissistic , cheesy yet endearing President Lee. The humor is also up my alley. I loved how the drama was shot and edited, I always love me some cute sfx to make it better too. I watched it with bubbling happiness, if I'm being honest.

The CAST was really the best part of it, I love it when I can enjoy everyone's play. Starting from mains. Park Seo Joon did a really good job, from the very first "AURA!" you knew it was cringe, but it was a healthy cringe. His character also grew and changed. Kim Mi So also managed to.. manage his mess and basically who if not her could deal with his temper. Although the story and beginning might not sound that astonishing, but who cares? They managed to pull this plot and make it a memorable journey :D Scenes of Seo Joon and Kang Ki Young were also one of my favorite, I just liked their friendship. And in general wasn't the crew good? Weren't the stories of other characters entertaining? I think they were :)

And I also liked their relationship and how it was built. Mi So due to her life experience can't share a dating experience or family life stories like her friends, who talk about dates, husbands, kids, while Mi So is married to her work. And she's not a simple secretary, but a secretary to the president, which promises less personal time and more responsibilities. To me she was almost like a life assistant too. They didn't start on a passionate note. At first our president Lee didn't feel falling that deep, although she was practically the only woman he could allow to be closer than others. Due to work of course they know each other well, or so he thought. Her sudden wish to resign gave him a wake up call and consequent events allowed to see her other sides and not the politely smiling Mi So with formulaic expression. The barrier between the two started to crumble at that moment. You can't say that only Young Joon changed, but Mi So also became more accomodating. The cherry on top should be their childhood story, but it's wonderful that they came together not basing their relationship on that.

All in all I find it a good watch, I'll be happy to re-watch it in the future and also recommend it to others. I watched it in good spirits and it also gave me joy.

PS: What is your most memorable funny moment? Mine would probably be Mi So's father having a gig and diving, but forgetting that his public are all older people and they def won't catch him.

Read More

The Best BL of 2023 So Far

Ok, I may be exaggerating but I truly do not think so. I was a little nervous with the first episode; the whole “I gotta win the girl” trope isn’t one of my favorites in BL’s but I wanted to give it a chance. By episode two I was really glad I did. Where this story really shines is in watching how Kawi developed as a character. you aren’t supposed to fully like him right away. he has a lot of growing and learning he needs to do and it is beautiful to watch the process. I was also very nervous about the sick dad plot, as someone who lost my dad fairly recently there is a lot of ways it can be done wrong. I felt the way they handled it even with the time travel was so respectful and heartwarming. Also, I can’t write this review without commenting on the main couple’s chemistry. it’s more subtle than other couples but in a beautiful homey feeling sort of way. watching them feels like I’m watching a couple regale me with their experiences through their lives and I just get to sit and listen. I absolutely adore this show and would (and have) recommend it to anyone.

Read More

"Without a dictionary, how will you be the king of children?'

King of the Children was a heartwarming slice of life film set in rural China during the Cultural Revolution. The story rolled along languidly with gentle humor as Lao Gan learned he had been assigned to be a teacher to a small poverty-stricken middle school. Without preaching, the film addressed some of the problems the school and children faced during the chaotic political time.

Lao Gan who had not trained to be a teacher found out one day that he would take over a middle school class in a rural district. The children's poverty largely reflected his own. He was flummoxed that he had the only government approved manual and the children had no books. The principal had stacks of old teaching material in his building saying they were best used as toilet paper at the present time. The students had learned in the past by the teacher writing from the manual on the roughly hewn board in chalk. Poor Lao Gan was covered in chalk dust by the end of the day using this method. He also discovered that most of the children failed to recognize Chinese characters that they should have learned in elementary school. Top student Wang Fu called Lao Gan out saying he had no idea what he was doing but the effervescent teacher was quick to learn on the job. Realizing he needed to find a way to engage the children better, Lao stopped using the manual and started using personal essays to teach the children how to better comprehend the words they were learning in class. The teacher in the next hut complained that the students must not be learning because they laughed too much. It wasn't long before the principal knew he was not sticking to the manual, a problem regardless of the positive results. The Cultural Revolution was not open to a teacher who rocked the boat so Lao Gan's teaching career was short lived.

Xie Yuan was the heart and soul of this film with his genuine smile and wild, unruly hair. Lao Gan courageously and joyfully broke the rules in his attempt to open the children's minds to better understanding of what they were learning. Rote memorization and the copying of texts had not yielded successful results. By making the lessons personal, the students began to grasp the meanings and importance of the words and characters they were studying. But as many authoritarian leaders know, words and books have power which is why they try to control them.

The cinematography and scenery were gorgeous. Though the subject matter was realistic, the color filters were not, lending an almost fairytale ambiance to the poverty-stricken community and the special teacher who brought learning magic to the children. Red, blue and yellow filters, along with dense fog often conveyed mood better than words.

The film didn't directly confront the Down to the Countryside Movement. The children never spoke of being transferred from urban areas to the countryside to learn farming and animal husbandry instead of taking paths to higher education. Burned out tree stumps and a cleansing fire at the end of the film might have alluded to the 17 million youth of the Lost Generation. The words from the song in the background did give voice to it---

"I came from the eastern mountains
They don't let me go back
I came from the East
I want to go back."

I was a little surprised this movie was allowed to be made with its not-so-subtle criticism of the Cultural Revolution and perspective on poverty, but I'm glad it was. Lao Gan with his compassionate heart and riotous hair brought joy to the students and to this viewer. If you enjoy gentle slice of life stories about teachers attempting to break the education mold for the benefit of children, this might be one to try.

8/22/23

Read More

Bad show comes with great hair loss when you pull them out in frustration

This show caught my attention because the director helmed My Liberation Notes. The ML also starred in Notes as well as Because This Is My First Life. The FL was in One Spring Night and Our Blues which I rated highly. As you can see, it is quite a cabal of industry veterans and they pack serious firepower.

It certainly started in a quirky and off-beat way. Not exactly laugh a minute but I can see the potential but there are red flags. The characters are painted with bold strokes if you want to be generous. The ML is rude, crude and takes no prisoners. The FL fairs a little better, but she is a wimp and doesn't behave like a 35 years old vet. Most of the supporting cast are opaque or caricatures of the usual motley crew.

The A-plot of the show is focused on the FL having to "reluctantly" touch a living being’s posterior to see fragments of their memory. I'm sure it got more than a chuckle at the pitch meeting.

What we ended up with is a collection of gags and ideas that already feels tired after 4 episodes. There are glimmers of hope in the early episodes, but EP.4 final jumped the shark for me.

Let's backtrack a little. Many funny and engaging shows have quirky and edgy themes, but we need some basic ingredients in the special sauce to make it works. For instance, charismatic lead(s), engaging story and/or strong internal logic. Unfortunately, this show is a fail for me. Please allow me to elaborate.

A charismatic lead allows us to overlook serious character flaws and even turn them into endearing traits. We want to be invested in our leads. In this case, the ML is bellicose from the start and behaves more like a thuggish bully than a police detective. He can also turn into a bootlicking toady with the blink of an eye. To say that his moral compass is spinning freely is an understatement.

On the other hand, the FL is a frumpy doormat. How can a vet get shanghaied without kicking up a fuss? Not to mention her whole career is a facade to appease her grandfather who wants nothing to do with her.

For a fleeing moment, I even entertained the idea that our leads is the OTP but to be honest, they have ZERO chemistry. However, the scenario of the FL going nuts over Suho just because of his good looks feels like an attack of the hormones. This plot idea walked with the dinosaurs.

In terms of internal logic, the show is a mess. So much of the settings, subplots, etc are nonsensical. Rules are either abused or ignored on a whim. A case in point, hair loss is a major issue for the FL. The show makes it clear that overuse the special power equates massive hair loss, simple. However, all through EP.4, she touched so many butts! How does this square with her phobia? I facepalmed when I saw the boomerang shoe. Ye gods!

As you can imagine, there are many dodgy gags, cringey slapstick moments, mostly involve the FL and awkward encounters. It is weird to watch the FL manipulating her BFF’s bum like a touch screen, swiping left and right, pushing and kneading for finer control. Sights of the white handprints on the firm buttocks of the gym junkies is just puerile. More excuses to watch the FL debase herself in front of the ML. The same ML who would blackmail, bully or cajole her mercilessly.

BTW, what police procedure would green-light a police captain charging into a drug kingpin's hideout solo . . armed with just a pencil. Yes, cute John Wicks reference but it works a whole lot better on paper. I’m also perplexed by the ML's (il)logic in randomly tasting white powder in shops as a legitimate way to spot drugs. I am exhausted.

The final straw for me is the abuse/harming of a young woman purely to inject some unnecessary shock/horror. What is more egregious is that the victim was only rescued by our leads from her abuser at the end of ep.3. The show spend the whole of ep.4 denigrating her so that when she was dragged away by a faceless assailant, we can feel "okay"? Nobody deserves that. It is callous and lazy writing.

At this stage, the Show is unwatchable for me. I might give it more leeway if it is a traditional farce. So why reach for the sinister plots and gratuitous violence which changes the tone completely? What would motivate such well regarded director and seasoned actors to sign on to this project. I hope it is not just money.

Can I watch 12 more episodes of this? Not unless I get hit by a meteorite.

Read More

if u want something sweet and beautiful watch this

i can say that this drama saved my new year, i was in such a blue mood at then, but when i started this i just go through it and couldn't stop, the FL and ML have such a good chemistry, the ost is amazing, the design, you can see how much effort they put in to deliver a decent drama and the result exceeded my expectations, just watch pls

Read More

A hit fantasy drama series of 2023!

WOW, I'm so glad I gave this drama a chance. I typically avoid fantasy/xianxia genres because they follow a similar storyline, and are usually a miss imo. However, the plot and characters were very refreshing. I know that adaptations never follow the original stories 100%, but I'm glad that this drama follows closely to the novel (so far from what I've seen), from the main plot to the essence of the characters.

The actors truly brought the characters to life - Yang Zi, Zhang Wan Yi, Deng Wei, Tan Jian Ci - they did superb! Besides YZ, the actors were all new to me and I was very impressed with their ability to convey emotions and micro expressions. The chemistry is great and they are the reason behind the drama's success. The cinematography and special effects were superb - definitely a high budget series. The OST soundtrack also complements the different scenes and characters' POV.

I am hoping that season 2 delivers well. I've heard rumours about scenes/episodes being cut due to regulations, and am praying that is not the case as this would really ruin the drama's success. Looking forward to season 2 and the rest of the story. Definitely going to finish reading the novel - highly recommend!

Read More

If it was not love, what was it?

I ended up not knowing what was real or fake.

If it was not love, what was it?

Sometimes we must agree that they are awful people; they will hunt you until it is over for them or you.

What a nice movie! I started this movie without expectations. I had to recognize that I watched it for Jang Hyuk, who never disappoints and is gifted. Every single time that I have watched his work, if he cried, so did I.

This movie showed us how easily we can manipulate a teenager's mind and how wounded some of them are.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie; all the actors did an excellent job, and I ended up empathizing with all of them (most of the characters took awful decisions, but they were under pressure, so).

Read More

Could have been better :)

I was completely blown away with the first episode! The two child actors were fantastic, the setting and tragic background history plus the CG cinematography was excellent! It got me hooked straightaway.

The first half of this drama focused on our FL Xiao Yao, who whilst trying to look for her cousin brother/ family got kidnapped and tortured for 70 years. She then as an adult, disguised herself as a man and lived as a normal ordinary man working her keep (she is actually a princess). So story goes on and she saves this beggar on the brink of death and nurses him back to life. Eventually this dude becomes her love interest and is also from noble birth.

What’s interesting about this drama is that humans live amongst deities (have super powers and long life) as well as demons. She meets this nine headed demon, who initially mistreats her, trying to kill her several times. But she seems to keep going back to him (for what reason I can’t remember) but they develop a very strong bond of friendship and he (the demon) eventually falls in love with her. His role is played by Tan xian ci, who is very dreamy and aesthetic as Xiang Liu (with his white attire and silver hair)

Then there is her cousin brother Cang Xuan who felt so guilty not being able to protect her when she went missing. After reuniting, he sort of falls in love with her as well, but knows they cannot be together because of his ambition and destiny to be King of Xiyan.

These three men surrounding and including our FL had very strong characters and a good development in their journey. The 4th guy Feng Long seemed redundant to me;)

Whilst the first half focused on the character development, the second half became a tad boring and typical - where Cang Xuan is working his way to gain power and allies to get to the throne, while his uncles and others try to disrupt him. I wished the writers focused a little more on the super powers and abilities, instead of having long and serious melodrama talks about life and love.

If you’re expecting a great romance, you’ll be disappointed because it’s a sad tale for the so called lovey couple. Some opinions say the ending for Season 1 was a somewhat closure, but I feel it’s more an open ending. Not a cliffhanger, but not a real closure as there are many loose ends to the story. Apparently there’s a Season 2, so we will have to wait for that ;)

Very very long drama… but I was very intrigued and hooked for the first half.

Read More