Reviews

Boy they sure took too much time producing this season 2, i almost forgotten the storyline from s1 and i didnt even watch the show the same year it was aired!

Anyway, This s2 moved at a much slower pace than s1, cant say much about that because even in the novel, the arc after Fan Xian’s return from Northern Qi until before his wedding was indeed pretty boring. I love the fight at Xuankong Temple though.

I really loved the book, i think its one of the best that ive read so far. And the fact that its a sci fi in a wuxia premise made it a thousand times better cuz i definitely did not expect this plot twist when i was reading the novel. As i was reading, i tried to imagine how would it look if it were made into a tv show it wouldve been so gooood. The action in this book is aplenty and very satisfying. Cant wait to see them materialize on screen in s3. Thats where all the heartpounding actions are. Special Kudos to the screenwriters for smoothing out the Fanxian character into a loyal lover. I love everything about novel fanxian except how he constantly cheats on Wan er. Glad the fanxian on screen is nothing like the novel’s in the love relationship department.

So far the production has done a tremendously well done job on this show. The actors have given their top notch performance. A must see for a court politics/wuxia fan. U wont regret it.

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Old fashion? No, a classic

a beautiful (but short) series tackling the process of adulting and reigniting the flames of passion for life, work and love.

The story is a typical office romance for BL: one of them is in love and the other is oblivious to the advances until the breaking point and then they get back together after a tearful confession (looking at you cherry magic ;) ). A classic trope which can be seen as overdone or cliché but OFC was anything but that due to the unusual conflict/drive of the story: how to deal with having a midlife crisis?

The maincharacters were charming and compelling and the chemistry between the two leads was amazing!
I also liked the interactions between the ensemble cast. The script was also amazing, the confession reeally tugged on my heartstrings and Nozue/Togawa's expressions were both so beautiful.

My favourite quote is: "You must use your regret as fuel to burn for the motivation in the future"
(i paraphrased that)

I can't believe this series only had 5 episodes? They deserved more!!! I do think that some of the editing/cutting was at times a bit weird and confusing when switching between the past and the present but overall the series was of high production.
The cinematography was just *cheffs kiss*. They chose a lot of pretty lighting whether it's from the sunlight hitting the characters in the face, or the streetlights, so beautiful.
This series is a must watch!

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Photography and actors got me...

First of it I'm biased, as I know the actors for previous series and I like them a lot. I was also drawn to the photography and the editing and wanted to see more work if that team.
As a photographer, the photography in this series doesn't dissapoint, we start in the island so we had beautiful landscapes really well captured. The editing is really good on the eyes, beautifully done. The music helps to create the mood and the effects for the comedy parts are funny.
The actors really did a great job getting ready for this series, they learned scuba diving and also free diving. They had a crew for the diving scenes for security and help.
One of the actors also learned the suthern dialec of the area.
The range of both of them portraying motions are really good.
We had another characters that are developing another story, and had their fun moments as well, I'm looking forward to see them more.
So far we are 4 episodes in:
1, Meet the characters. And little bit of their dinamic. episode
2, Know more deeply one of our main characters, we already know both had hard moments in life. episode
3 The relationship between the main couple starts to develope and we know more of both of them
[SPOILER ALERT]
4 A transition where they go to Bangkok and we see how Rak change in his environment.
[END OF SPOILER]

Can't wait to see more!!

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Is beautiful!

I ended up looking for the film by coincidence. I was researching the backgrounds of the actors in Antumn’s Concerto when I saw the story of Tiffany Hsu’s marriage to actor Roy Chiu, co-star of her film Man in love/2021.
I was curious, since the actress had a very intense love life and her relationships were long. I got to know Roy Chiu a little and loved his cinematic history.
The film was a choice by affinity. Is beautiful!I loved! I found the performance of both protagonists exceptional. He was a spectacle in itself...it's not without reason that he received several awards for the character. Bright!
Great film, Great distraction...although, I was sad with the ending.
Anyway, very beautiful, I recommend it from the bottom of my heart...

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...eh

I went into watching this after seeing the plot summarised on instagram, and I was super excited because, wow, what an amazing concept! Unfortunately it fell short of the mark, and while there were some good elements to the plot, they were often quickly forgotten. The conflict towards the end seemed wholly unnecessary, and while I can understand the character was shocked, it's difficult to understand why the incident would have caused as big a falling out as it did, especially since it came from seemingly out of nowhere. I will give credit where it's due and express that this was a very interesting premise for a show, and the first few episodes did keep me entertained, however that entertainment did not last as the show progressed. In terms of LGBTQ+ Korean Dramas, the concept was refreshing and intriguing, and I love to see more Queer additions to Korea's television scene! And I absolutely LOVED Sin Bi's character, they were so fun and the actress was really quite good, just would have liked to have seen more done with the characters and plot. All in all, not a bad watch, just not necessarily a great one either.

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Another solid adaptation in the always welcoming intersection between cooking delicious food and queer stories. Which seems a specific niche, but we're getting a bunch of them, and I'm thankful for it.

I read this manga a while ago and re-read it when I found out it was being adapted because it's such a cute, heartfelt, sweet short manga and the adaptation is successful in representing all of that. Both tell the story of a reserved and taciturn young man who meets a little boy and his scary looking older brother, a meeting that will prompt them to connect and learn what it means to develop a found family.

The adaptation of the story isn't exactly beat by beat, the drama expands on some things the manga doesn't get involved in and changes some things from their manga order, but does so in a way in which it feels organic for the new format and doesn't take away from the story.

The biggest change from source material to live action, I think, is the perspective in with Yutaka's family is seen. The manga doesn't have much of an intention for Yutaka to mend any bridges with his family and instead focuses on his newfound one with Minoru, but the live action changed that view and goes into Yutaka's family more in order to have a different take on that relationship. That is more of a choice of what kind of story you want to tell, I don't think either is better, it's just a matter of narrative intent for each one.

I have to commend them on finding a little kid who could be as adorable as Tane is in the manga, which seems impossible but they did it.

Another solid entry in the cooking adaptations and totally recommended for those who seek some cozy warm feelings and the story of people finding where they belong.

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"Only the cloud knows the feather"

Spies, assassins, poison, sword fights, and a struggle for the leadership of one of the last sects not under the thumb of the evil Wufeng sect, My Journey to You attempted to cover a lot of ground. Populated with beautiful people and costumes, this drama was sometimes more stunning to look at than compelling.

What drew me to this drama was the promise of not one, but at least two female “assassins”. This felt like a bad translation, as they were more spies than killers. Yun Wei Shan had real possibilities for a dark and intriguing character. Once the Gong male characters were introduced, it often felt like the Wufeng spies had little to do other than talking in whispered tones. When a double tragedy left the underachiever, Gong Zi Yu, as the only choice for Sword Wielder, I had to agree with the snide Gong Shang Jue. Zi Yu was pitifully unprepared for such a task. Of course, it was difficult to side with Shang Jue and his “brother” Yuan Zhi, as they could be insufferably contemptuous. Much of the drama focused on Zi Yu’s trials in the Three Realms of the Back Hill with some assistance from Yun. Shang Jue had his own undercover bridal spy to deal with as well.

At the beginning I was completely engaged with this drama. Then it began to rinse, lather, repeat for me one too many times. Zi Yu and Shang Jue kept being hauled before the elders where they could accuse the other of causing problems. At this point I felt like neither one deserved to be the Sword Wielder. The Back Hill provided some interesting characters and trials when the two Gongs weren’t arguing over who was prettiest. There were multiple attempts at humor, usually involving the overly dramatic and over acted role of Gong Zi Shang and her crush on Zi Yu’s bodyguard, Jin Fan. Which brings up the point, this was the martial world and only the “bad” girls knew martial arts. The Gong women all seemed to be rather defenseless. To quote Eowyn from LOTR: TT, “Those without swords can still die upon them.” The oldest surviving Chinese wuxia starred a woman! I was disappointed by the lack of Gong women wielding swords.

The beginning was strong and I enjoyed some of the middle until it became bogged down in recrimination after recrimination. The last part with the fights that had real consequences was more engaging. Then the big “twist” was almost a movie length of exposition. “I suppose you all wondered why I gathered you here today…” The acting varied from adequate to excellent. This drama should help Ryan Cheng graduate from web dramas for good. I also quite enjoyed Wen Zheng Rong’s performance as Lady Wu Ji. She was able to go from calculating to maternal in the blink of an eye.

Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and binge-worthy, if flawed, drama. Had it not been for my least favorite ending-the open end, I would have bumped it up to at least an 8. Maybe there will be a S2, maybe there won’t. If they develop a compelling S2 that coincides with this story well, I’ll revisit my rating. Even with the disappointing ending, this was a journey worth making.

1 July 2024

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BEAUTIFUL MISTAKES

Thought I'd hate this show but I am loving it even for all the wrong reasons.

None of this show is going like I expect it and It's not a bad thing, honestly, the fact that this is a BL series where pretty much everything is unpredictable is the best thing that has ever happened to it.

Every character is f***ked up but this is a hot mess. If you tell me about it I have always admired stubborn and headstrong characters but what makes these guys epic is that they have this tendency of swinging from one extreme to another, it's like 90% of everyone in the series is Bipolar.

The Obsessions, don't get me started, every character is obsessive, spiteful, I even get the BDSM Vibes, grooming feels. Nothing about this show or its characters seems normal but I suppose the execution of their abnormalities isn't so bad, in fact it isn't bad at all.

Thumbs up, this show gives me the creeps in 1000 ways and I suppose it felt new to feel something new other than being lovey-dovey from our old-fashioned fruity series, it might qualify to be in my best BL series of the year 2024 since shows like Kiseki Chapter 2 even exist.

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A modern Cinderella story

I watched it because I loved Lee Jun Young. I was excited to watched it but I wasn't expecting that it will turned out this way, it doesn't meet my expectation. It's a typical fairytale story with a twists, actually its not that bad I was just expecting too much. Its a common Cinderella story that a poor lady that fall in love wit a prince charming. I love the love-hate relationship at first and later on they didn't expect that they will developed feelings for each other. The FL has a two sisters that not too evil at all and the stepmom loves her dearly specially when her dad dies they never neglect her inspite they carec& very appreciative on her.
There is a love triangle between them the guy is engaged with the woman he doesn't love they are just engaged to grow more in their business. The fake fiance is really trying hard to do evil stuff so that they will fall apart from each other. But their feelings foreach other is stronger and grows pounder that no one can break them. Until one day the family of his fake fiance tries to scare him for hurting their beloved daughter, they even closed his business and he has left with nothing. But the FL and ML fight for their love & they remain inseparable. And together they strive hard to make it work to be successful someday. And they were successful in their chosen path and they lived happily ever after.

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MUST WATCH!!!!

First I am completely in love with Zhao Lusi. EVERY SINGLE DRAMA SHE HAS EVER BEEN IN HAS BEEN GOLD.... So with that being said I am not shocked this has become one of my top 10.... This is my second Leo Wu drama. After that train wreck, he did with Dilraba. I feel like he had ZERO chem with her. Now on about the drama... The overall story was amazing. There wasn't a single loose end that wasn't closed. No unnecessary deaths... (BRAVO) The ending gave us (The viewer) the closure we needed to feel completely sated. Cheng Shaoshang was great. She stuck to her guns and it didn't matter who you were she defended what she believed to be right. I feel like there should be more people like her in the world. (She reminded me a little of Bai Qian...) Ling Buyi..... Oh, Ling Buyi... I would have fallen in love too! Nothing like a strong man who can speak sweet words in one's ears... His overall character is a force to be reckoned with and also someone not to be toyed with. One thing I loved about him was a simple fact that HE NEVER LET ANYONE THINK THEY HAD A CHANCE... Now for the rest of the characters. I found this emperor to be extremely loving and kind to his subjects as well as his children. That is saying a lot cause I have watched a lot of dramas like these and it's almost non-existent... The Emperess Xuan was as kind as they come while Consort Yue took no sh*t. I loved that there was a kind of harmony that most marriages today lack. Those two were cute together as well. All in all, without giving too much away I think this drama was all around perfect. It is a must-watch and it's number 5 on my list. (Yes, it's that good!)

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Enemy to Near-Lover Conversion

What a journey Blank took me on! I went from not recommending the first season to now saying I'd recommend the second one.

I saw quite an improvement since S1. Anueng, while still messing around and acting cute, acted more her age, which made me feel far more comfortable with her relationship with Nueng. She also bit back and had more sass to her.

Nueng also gave Anueng's feelings more consideration, expressed herself more, and found enough strength within her to stand up and fight for her and Anueng's relationship.

The chemistry between our two FLs also got stronger. Intimate scenes were truly intimate, and even short phone calls had me blushing.

I also felt this season finally managed to strike a pretty decent balance between being truly mature and melodramatic with soap opera twists. It wasn't perfect, but it was done well enough that, at the very least, I was consistently entertained. I found myself fully engaged in S2.

Also, can I just say, I think this was one of the rare times I found the trope of getting in an accident and falling into a coma to actually work. It allowed needed time to pass so Anueng's family could come to terms with Nueng's presence in her life and, even if they weren't glad she was dating Anueng, at least see how she cared for her and would stay by her side. I'll admit its effectiveness here impressed me.

I'd be downright pleased if we got more Sapphic stories like this.

If you're desperate for a solid GL that isn't only seven episodes with a total runtime of 45 minutes, look no further!

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winter solstice

oh my goddddddddd
I don’t even know where I should begin.
what an amazing drama!!🤩
I did not know what I was missing on, until I watched this!!!!
Beautifully made and enacted. Since the time I have finished watching it, although it is over, it is still fresh in my mind, like every single scene and dialogue. My heart feels so different after watching it. I love itttttt…!
The leads, Lu Yang Yang and Chen Xin Hai did a commendable job.
Talking about the Plot, it is very fresh and unique. It is different and I love the fact that they have portrayed the FL to be so powerful and independent while the ML is working on preserving and art and loves his wife.
The lead couple are in a flash marriage, and the show slowly unfolds as they gradually know each other, and fall in love. The entire journey of them is too beautiful, so sad that it has only 23 episodes.
I wish I could forget completely about it and watch it all over again.
This drama has inspired me in soo many ways, like following my heart and dreams, being fearless in pursuit of what sets my heart on fire. Loving truly and loving slowly. It shows how country life or as we call it, the “slow life” is not always bad, but rather good in so many ways. I just loveeeeee this drama, I connected the characters and laughed when they laughed and cried when they cried….!
Jusr very beautiful.
if you have come sooooo far in reading my review then I would request you to watch it please 🥹

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