Not bad. Not great, either.
It’s cheesy at times. I love sweeping/epic guilty pleasure epic romance, but this one just had not enough something, the weakness mostly centering on the women characters, including the lead.They were either embarrassing lame schemer villains, or supposedly brave types who just massively got in the way of others doing the heavy lifting (see?! I’m helping lift this whole pail of water all by myself right at this pivotal moment in my pink dress with no dirt on it! Weeee!), or one dimensional wise woman types (I actually liked this one, plastic surgery n’ all).
You know those scenes in the Star Wars movies with the Force ghosts? How it’s kinda uhhh, huh?! but you let it slide. This movie even has smiling Force ghosts. Cringe.
I liked a few of the side characters, esp the four Wei brothers, (loved Qu and his awesome face). Liu Yuning did a good job in his role as the ML, as well as the actor who played the FL’s dad, Ping.
I wasn’t a fan of saving nearly everything till the end. Romance, births, deaths, etc, it all gets packed into the last few eps and that made it feel rushed and glossed over. Felt like it just missed the mark on that.
Was this review helpful to you?
GOATED PLOT AND CHARACTERS
Oh my god this was a riiiiiiide. First of all feng suige,your aura is unmatched. And miss yixiao you are the queen of all queens. The Romance was done so well in terms of enemies to lovers like it was done PERFECT. The development and progress was delicious. The plot and characters were everything. There was never a dull moment every single character and storyline mattered and had an imapct on me. This had by far one of the most amazing political storyline. Certain scenes were so heart trenching it made me cry. Goat is the only way to describe this. Such deep and heavy plot.Was this review helpful to you?
BEST PIECE OF MEDIA EVER WATCHED
BEST ROMANCE show i have ever watched. Honestly words cannot describe how addicted i was to this show and how much emotions i felt . This drama put me into a massive slump cause i knew i will never find anything as good as this. The emotions were overflowing. This drama will never be replaced and will be the standard. I procrastinated watching it due to the fear of ending. That's how much attached i was. The emptiness after finishing will forever haunt me. The storyline was fun and engaging. The characters were fantastic .The chemistry and romance were the highlight and like no other. Ji bozai and mingyi were not just characters they were everything and beyond. Will forever cherish this and will forever be my number one .Was this review helpful to you?
Amazing characters and epic political intrigue
From the very first episode i was hooked. The cinematography and plot gets you really invested from early on. The premise is so good that i was watching very addictively from episode 1 . You just cannot help but feel so much for all the side characters. Be it anger at the villains or frustrating,sadness. I feel like i experienced all kinds of emotions except for happiness for some reason,even though it's a happy ending. The best arc was when they went to save female lead's village. However from episode 27/28-39 was kinda boring and slowed down the pace for me. I think my only complain was it was kinda too long for no reason and there was seriously so much potential for the romance to be something more developed. Although i liked the romance i wished they had more scenes and moments. The characters were the highlight and i really enjoyed the storytelling. Again,for some reason this drama is just so sad to me that i cannot hear the songs without feeling ache in my chest. The start to middle part was the best in my opinion they kinda fumbled with the ending arc. But wont change the fact it was indeed an absolute fantastic storyline. All the villains were helpless and had tragic backstory except for maybe 2 . So you cannot just feel satisfaction for their downfall:)) . So many emotions, lastly it was indeed a very wild ride. 9/10Was this review helpful to you?
Amazing plot with great political intrigue
Amazing storyline. The plot was the highlight for me and song mo my precious baby ily so much. The Romance felt like a subplot that will make you squeal. Their romance was short,easy, healthy and sweet. But it was just so precious nonetheless. Female lead was so cunning that you had to get up and clap sometimes. Also again,song mo's character will always be a standard whenever i am looking for a sweet but bold male lead. The plot was so smart and perfectly wrapped up that i watched from start to finish with no boring moments honestly. The side stories and evil character's downfall was satisfying. I cannot explain much but the storytelling was 10/10 for me.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Emotional acting, lovely end credits song, but the film could have been longer
I didn´t want to watch this movie at first as bombs and sunken submarines are really not my coup of tea, but I did after years as I accidently found out that one of my favourite songs Love Sailing by CEW was in OST.I liked the movie, it was not just thriller but deeply emotional and all performances were very good. I didn´t mind the action parts, they made sense, but I would appreciate if the movie was like 20 minutes longer and gave characters more time. I usually cry like a baby during sad movies, especially with nice songs and teary pretty actors (f.e. The First Ride was f****ing heartbreaking), but somehow I couldn't even manage it here as the plot was so busy.
Btw. did anyone noticed where the lead commander of the submarine went? He was in one scene, got pissed and left, but no one mentioned him from then on. I believe it was the same one mission during which you can´t just step off the submarine when you feel like it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Excessive graphics and plot twists saved by a trio of engaging demon hunters
The East Palace features ride or die dynamics between its main cast involving Saeng Gang, the "court lady" who hears ghosts, Gu Cheon, the demon hunter who sees ghosts, and their dearest Ggeomeoksali (adopted adorable demon pet), that alone gives enough reason to watch this show. In fact, any genre you place these three in, is worth watching, just that in this particular scenario they had to deal with backstabbing demons and vengeful spirits in a palace full of secrets.I think I was unfair to this drama heading in with the mindset that it would be like Kingdom. Kingdom is a masterpiece and I will forever compare every historical horror with it, but The East Palace is a great watch in its own right and deserves to be seen for its interesting worldbuilding and cast.
The main negatives from my pov with this show is its heavy reliance on gamey CGI/VFX scenes which aren't really my cup of tea and the shots themselves losing pacing due to too much slo-mo. I think the plot twists in the screenplay could've also been limited to one or two because this too drags down the main conflict and overall pace of a 8 episode drama.
Regardless, like I said before, the lead duo (and the cutest labubu demon in kdrama land, Ggeomeoksali) carry this show and keep it engaging whenever they're on screen. Nam Joo Hyuk and Roh Yoon Seo have great chemistry, very devoted kindred spirits vibes, and give Gu Cheon and Saeng Gang a dynamic that feels far deeper than simple attraction but genuine love and care for the well being and safety of one another. Their love language is literally going through hell to save each other even at the cost of their own lives and their confessions are not corny "I love you"s but "I'll save you over and over in every lifetime if I had to" which is a recurring theme in so many romance dynamics this year with kdramas that i'm LOVING all this reciprocal love being showered by the kdrama gods after a looong drought filled with one-sided sacrifices mostly from male leads 🥹
I would be totally down for a s2 with this same trio, a tighter screenplay and fewer heavy graphics...
Was this review helpful to you?
Please go watch NOW
Just finished all 28 episodes. This drama completely wrecked me in the best way possible, honestly, I can't stop thinking about it. 100% on my rewatch list.The story hits you right in the chest with raw, heartbreaking choices and brilliant political mind games. Plot is soooo good, among the best I've watched in awhile. No doubt this is going to be one of my top favorite dramas of all time. Really wish it was longer than 28 episodes!
Hou Minghao is absolute perfection; this might be his BEST role to date. His insane acting, microexpressions, and everything else made Xiao Wuyi not just a character, but an unforgettable figure.
Ai Mi really SHINES in this drama. She's such a talented young actress—it's really rare. There could NOT possibly be a better fit for the female lead than her.
If you have not checked this out, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!!!!
And yes OSTs are top notch!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
SO ANNOYING
This show was oddly addictive, but I gave a low rating due to the sheer absurdity I was forced to withstand.1. The annoying dad/shufu/husband misogynistic and shallow look on life:
I would say this man irritated me so much, constantly belittling his son and making him feel small, then having the audacity to ask him why he feels small. This man is the sole cause of the problems in this drama, from lying to a patient in the name of hope and will to live to lying to his son and wife about having extramarital affairs and having a love child, love child being his son's girlfriend, which granted he didn't know then but he found out not much after AND STILL REFUSED TO TELL THE TRUTH. And then accusing his wife of not trusting him, to him literally forcing his wife to bend to his every need whilst he has a big issue with pride waving around his head like a fucking dandelion.
2. the ml:
This dude was truly annoying, BUT honestly, when they were together, bro was the biggest simp, but before, how can u leave a girl that u brought out side shit faced drunk when y'all live in the same house and let her take the blame cuz u too chicken to stand up to ur dad.
3. the mom/holier than thou:
this bitcch was fr hating on tou2 no matter what. Literally, the girl could save a dying child, and bro had a problem cuz she didn't give the child water like fuck off bruh.
Besides this, most of their "issues" could have been avoided, but it was apparent the writers were tryna reach that 40-episode mark and pulling shit from their asses.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best comforting drama ever!!!!
Everything about this drama is just wonderful. From the main couple to the supporting actors up to the whole story. Mo Qingcheng's (Tan Jianci) and Gu Sheng's (Zhou Ye) character are beyond perfection—both considerate, thoughtful, rational, reasonable, and devoted to each other— they also treasure their friends and treat them like family.And oh, the best thing ever is that there's no unnecessary misunderstanding, you can literally enjoy this drama with no worries at all, like it can cleanse your negative mood/vibes.
Was this review helpful to you?
Perfect
Very nice series. Love acting of Yang Yang.By the time you reach the finale, you’re left with that rare mix of satisfaction and longing — satisfied because the journey was perfect, and longing because you wish you could experience it for the first time again. It’s a series that stays with you, in the best possible way.
Was this review helpful to you?
Don't waste your time watching Suddenly Seventeen.
The movie started on a good note, but as the story progressed, it became boring. The ending was completely senseless. The constant switching between the younger and older versions of the heroine, along with her repeatedly playing with the emotions of the two male characters, didn't make sense.I thought she turned into her younger self to get back her first love on track. That did happen, but what about the second male lead? I don't think there was any need for his character. His sincere love was included in the story only to be ignored, which ruined the mood and made the audience sympathize with him unnecessarily.
So, don't even waste a second thinking about watching this movie.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Greatest Evil Spirit Lies In The Heart
Positive Points1. The visuals were absolutely gorgeous. The entire production team has done a great job in creating those creepy-looking sets. The direction was fabulous, and the use of different colors was a brilliant idea. The choreography of the action scenes deserves a special mention. The story was not that special, honestly, but the execution was great. The entire team has done a great job.
2. The cast, especially Nam Joo Hyuk was phenomenal. He looked absolutely lethal in the spirit world. The entire cast has done a great job. I was confused about who killed whom and who was the biggest villain here. That Queen Dowager and the king had thoroughly confused me.
Overall, if you are not a horror lover, you might not like it. But for horror lovers, it could be a great one-time watch. I absolutely loved this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
We deserved better.
For a moment, let’s ignore the trash writing and the poor acting, and be angry that this was even made. I’m going to be filing a lawsuit for the 6 hours of my life I lost watching this series.The random high school president subplot was entirely unnecessary. The constant bullying dynamics is getting so old.
Thank the gods that there was lesbian representation, even though they could have had a more significant part of the story other than being the friends of the MC. Those lesbians were the only good part of the show. Much like the actual lesbians in my life, they carried.
Was this review helpful to you?
Practically Perfect
Okay, I’m actually mad at myself for putting this off for so long. BounPrem have been my favorite ship since watching UWMA back in 2020 (the only redeeming thing about that show). When this came out I was on somewhat of a BL hiatus, and when I started watching them again and saw some of the negative reviews for this I couldn’t bring myself to watch it.I was so afraid that:
1. based on some reviews it was going to be depressing like UWMA, and that
2. because of that I might love BP a little less.
But turns out I had nothing to worry about! The negative reviews are grossly over exaggerated, especially the one’s comparing Team’s trauma to the depressing af reincarnation plot of UWMA. This was so so much better than that. I forgot how good BP are together, their chemistry is amazing and this really reminded me why I love them so much.
My only reason for the lower rating are for some of the inconsistencies in the story. For instance, the reincarnation plot flashbacks for Dean and Pharm in ep. 1 - while i’m sooo glad we didn’t actually dive back into that, it is never explained and for a viewer that hasn’t seen UMWA it wouldn’t make sense. There were a couple other instances like this throughout the show that could’ve just been left out. The only other thing I didn’t enjoy was the Bee/Prince plot line. It was unnecessary and not relevant to the rest of the story. If/when I rewatch I would skip over these scenes.
Overall, a solid BL with a wonderful cast. If you’re like me and questioning whether or not to give this a try, please do! It really is worth the watch, especially if you found and loved WinTeam in UWMA and want more of their story.
Was this review helpful to you?
