Reviews

THE MOST TOP TIER OF MASTERPIECES I HAVE EVER HAD THE FORTUNE TO WITNESS

I.... I have no words.
I started watching this because it looked pretty cool on Netflix and I quite like Ju Jingyi, didn't really have much expectations or thoughts. But HOLY MOLY. I don't actually remember the last time I cried so hard watching a drama. But this show- this show has it all (and then some).

On no planet or timeline could I ever have been prepared for this show. The story, the plot twists, the characters, the music. I have absolutely zero notes.

Don't get me wrong, there were many moments that I thought to myself "wtf is going on" but HOLY SHIT who thought of this story?? Who's the creative genius?? (I know who it is). The show is just one of those that you just bare with, because absolutely everything will be explained. I loved that watching this drama felt like reading a great book where not everything is directly handed to you on a platter but trusts the audience to understand and interpret it.

I can't even begin to describe the beauty that was this story and these characters- I'm gonna be thinking about Ji Ling for a very, VERY long time. And Tian Jiarui... the BEAUTY that you are!! I've never seen TJR in anything before but Jesus. First of all, I didn't know an actor could cry so much (and I've seen that as a criticism for the show, but if you understand the character of Ji Ling and his story, it's really not that hard to fathom just why he's so sad) but I think TJR did an incredible job here. I love his smile, I love his more puppy playful side, I love his serious yet sad 'dragon god' stare, and most of all I love the way he looks at his 'A Wu', the new moon that only he can see.

Extra special mention here for the A Wu the fox plushy. Thank you because I will always cry every time I think about how she has been his A Wu this whole time.

I've only ever seen Ju Jingyi in one other show before and I didn't think her acting was all that. Nonetheless she is beyond gorgeous, and my WORD was Lu Wuyi THE character for her. JJY absolutely thrived in this role and you can really tell. She was casted perfectly, and in many shots, you truly can picture and believe that she is genuinely a fox. And it is definitely believable that Wuyi loves Ji Ling as much as he loves her. I think many dramas I've seen, typically the guy ends up paying heavier prices to show how much he loves the girl, but rarely have I seen the girl paying the price just as hard. The time-travel arc absolutely broke me. No words.

And honestly, all the other side characters were perfection too. I really enjoyed Wangyan & Shiguang's love story, loved that they had to play a married couple which paved the way to them becoming a real couple. And lord I was most confused about Li jie/Yuan Wuwuo's storyline the most - but it was also really satisfying when I finally understood! Loved loved loved him. The brotherly love he had for Ji Ling was so beautiful, and when he said "Thousands of years? I can't wait that long." when the heart stone disappeared? *DEEP BREATH SO THE TEARS WOULD STOP*

Lastly, I will never shut up about the OST & BGM of this show. 100000/10! The BGM, goodness me. SO COOL. So fitting for this show. The OST, made even better if you can understand Chinese, is a million chefs kisses. Every single lead singing their own character song? AURA. I have also NEVER seen both the male and female lead sing the same song on separate recordings. But it is so perfect. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into the lyrics. I can also never just go and listen to the slow song that Yan A sings. Because I will just cry. The two songs sung by TJR... I'm just gonna leave some of my favourite lyrics here.

"The moon stays by my side"
"Moonlight is my most treasured scale"
"Don't be sad, don't cry, I will always be with you"

This show definitely has an incredibly high rewatch value, because you'll understand SO MUCH MORE, and things will be interpreted so differently. Like when LWY first goes into the Shilin temple to get her moon jade back and one of the things she says to the dragon deity is “Are you lonely?”

OR the moment when LWY wanted to kill him in the dungeon for ‘killing’ JL, he says to her “What if I have your blood, soul, veins and bones imprisoned here forever?” AND THEN he looks around because HE REMEMBERS that HE was the one who was imprisoned there before. Once again, I’m lost for words.

There's so much more I want to say, and I know many have found this show too confusing to put up with. But if you happen to be a fortunate kindred spirit where this show has claimed a part of your heart because you understand the true depth of love, loneliness, sacrifice and friendship - welcome home.

Side note: I got so hungover from this show that I’ve crocheted my very own ‘Ah Wu’ plushy. It is and forever will be my prize possession.

Extra side note: pls leave me a comment if there’s something you don’t understand about this show. I’m way too happy to be talking about it forever.

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Had potential, didn’t live up to it

Late to the game as always, and I genuinely thought I’d enjoy this a lot more than I have. Sadly, I have not.

It started off well I think, good at drawing you in and making you want to know more. A really good set up of characters and potential character growth (predictable but hey xianxia’s do be like that sometimes).

Unfortunately, I’m not feelin it at all really. Hot take, I know. I watched it because so many people loved it, and I do like Bai Lu. Either way, I’ll put my positives and negatives below:

Positives-
- Visuals very pretty, good work for CGI team. I actually think they did so good earlier on in the series for scenery (like the sky in Outlanders city) that it did end up leaving the deities scenes a little boring.
- I enjoyed Bai Lu with Ao Ruipeng. This is my first time watching ARP and I liked him. I thought that had a little bit of chemistry. Actually wished I got to see Mumu for a bit longer.
- OST is quite nice.
- Costume and makeup - great work

Negatives-
- The story was baaaaad. Or maybe it was the writing of the show. But it was not good in the slightest. The character growth and relationship development was very jarring. I’m a true sucker for romance which means I can overlook a lot of things. But the love story between the leads felt very sudden with little gradual progression. It just felt like one minute they were cool with not trusting each other (basically wanted to kill each other / at least not caring if the other died) to “You’re the one I want to spend my life with, here let me introduce you to my whole dead clansmen as if you’re my wife”
- Complete overuse of the great OSTs. To the point where I was barely halfway through the show and I could predict exactly what song they were gonna use where and how.
- The baddies were… nothing special. Just a couple of lunatics that did not feel scary in the slightest. Mo Li came close, but still too far away. In fact I found evil Qi Feng & Fu Ling (at their worst) scariest.
- Fan Yue was… weak? Actually I’m not sure if that’s the right word. But all I know is that he kept collapsing, coughing up blood or dying. And each time, Bai Shuo just never did anything, just kept on letting him sacrifice himself.
- The plot twists tried. You can tell the writers tried. The only one that truly got me was the discovery that the stone clan had dug up tombs of the Bai Ze clan, ground up their bones and drank it for medicine. After that arc, the show was on a steady decline.
- The very unique opening that basically revealed the entire story to you.

Characters-
BL as BS -> I wanted to like her. And some moments I did. BL did do a good job, I enjoyed when she was the fake goddess/lotus girl thing. You could tell she was a different person. And she’s always very good with her crying scenes. I remember her tearful kiss scene strongly. But then everytime FY ‘died’, she did not react how I thought she’d react (basically not even a fraction of how she reacted to her dad’s death)

ARP as FY -> I enjoyed his acting. The character started off so strong. Even sometimes reminded me of DFQC from LBFAD. And I think he has a really cute soft face (like when he smiles), but again, I’ve finished the show and all I remember aren’t the sweet, romantic, supposedly heartrenching scenes. It was the fact that he was ALWAYS DYING.

Also just wanted to give a special shout out to Fu Ling and her actress (whose name I have forgotten). I started off absolutely despising her character, but then when she reunited with BS as her sister, I did feel her emotions then too. I feel that what she did was the mark of a good actress.

I will be honest and say that I have just come away from what is probably the best show I’ve ever watched in my life. So I knew that little would come close or even compare, and my review of this might not be totally fair to the show. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that there was bad character development, plot holes, and very annoying things (like the ML constantly sacrificing themselves at the end of c dramas - so sick of that btw) that even great actors couldn’t help hide.

I’m glad people enjoyed it. I just feel that there are way better shows out there. Ones that don’t treat you like a child, telling you every thought/feeling each person has, serving everything to you on an easy platter, doesn’t let you work things out for yourself.

I think I’m just disappointed. So much wasted potential.

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Nostalgic love

This was an exceptionally good story. The acting was excellent. The story was involved enough to make each episode interesting. I don't understand the bad reviews on this show. It's an historical BL and as such the costuming was excellent. The attitudes of the time were realistic. I absolutely wanted to wring the neck of the female villain. She was a complete nut job! I was so relieved that the storyline presented an opportunity for the two male leads to have a life together. And I must say the NC scenes were erotic and tastefully done. This story reminded me somewhat of " I Feel You Linger in the Air" and "Memoirs of Rati" both of which were also very well done.

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A Jiejie Romance That Feels Like A Warm Hug

Yang Peng Cheng does it again! He really has a knack for picking good dramas. "Ming Mu Zhang Dan" is a well-made, introspective jiejie romance that features a sweet, mature relationship between the leads. All of the characters (including the supporting characters) also have interesting conversations about love, life, respect, societal expectations, and even motherhood. The FL is rational and doesn't take crap from anyone, and Yang Peng Cheng's character is basically Prince Charming. Everything goes well, and even though that's not how life works, the drama manages to craft a fantasy without making it overly dramatic like a lot of verticals. Certain aspects of the drama (like the FL's worries about the future) still felt relatable.

If you're looking for a mature, feel-good jiejie romance, look no further. "Ming Mu Zhang Dan" is a very enjoyable, comfortable watch.

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Very compelling story with lots of philosophical themes and social commentaries.

This drama is one of a kind. Excellently written with depth with strong philosophical themes and social commentaries. Beautifully directed that put emphasis on emotional weight of the scenes and masterfully acted by the actors that understand their characters, impact and influence in the story.

THE ACTING

Ren Jialun truly bringing his A game in this drama. Lu QianQiao is an enigma — a complex character full of layers. He is like an onion where every of his layers are carefully peel one by one slowly. You will change your opinion about him in every episode. One of the reasons I’m a big fan of Ren Jialun since he is really great at portraying tormented silent characters. The subtle expressions that he emits as Li QianQiao — you can feel his suffering just from his expressions or subtle smiles. It's like he lives for hundred of years suffering without all these senses — forced to eat despite it tasted awful just so he can survive to feeling numb and empty since literally nothing excite him. When he finally gained his ability to see color, he lets out this subtle smile instead of big celebration since ‘ohh this is what colors feels like.’ 🥲 — this unfamiliar happiness he experienced for the first time. Then when he sees the Emperor, the way he looks at him like a little kid, you believe he is the Emperor’s teacher from the tone alone. Then he said ‘Ah Ding, you have won. Relax. Go have a good sleep’ — that calm and soft tone, simple sentence yet the emotional weight it carries is abundance. He has the calmness and wisdom of someone who has lived for a long time. I personally feel this kind of gravitas is hard to pull but he nailed it to perfection in this drama. Another part of his actings that took my breath away is the details he put into the character. Lu QianQiao has this unnatural look in his eyes — unhinged and detached — almost like he just pretending to be human. Despite of that, he will have this flicker — subtle change in expression to tell us that there is something behind that eyes. Then in another times he looks so human, unbothered and the most laidback dude. And the reason behind this? We only known in 20th episode when we know he is a hybrid between War Demon and Human and it explained all the layers he has been playing the character.

Wang Herun also did a very good job on his first leading drama as a female lead. The way she play Xin Mei with gentleness, naivety, kind but not a pushover is something rare. She managed to elicit all these qualities and balanced it which usually can cross over to annoying territory. And her badass mode? How we adore all the quiet strength inside of her. Xin Mei is an excellent character — very well written, with depth and most of all consistent. Gentle, soft, full of compassion yet when she sees injustice, she will be badass and never holds back. We see it happen again and again in this drama. Some poeple might say why it is easy for her to forgive Lu QianQiao but that is what her nature is. Remember the bunny demon that she saved despite the bunny is in cahoot with the caterpillar demon? She applied the same concept on why she understood the reasons Lu QianQiao needs to lie regarding his identity. She always managed to see beyond the surface. It shows that she can be objective despite she is hurt and emotional. A high EQ female lead that think with her head instead of her heart.

THE DIRECTING

This drama is directed by Guo Hu from the famed drama One & Only and Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Just like One & Only where he like to use cinematography to influence the atmosphere and vibe of the scenes, he did it again in this drama. From the beautiful on site location of the valley of Yunnan to the high wall palace at Hengdian to the beautiful mansion at Chongling Valley, he used each location to influence each scenes and characters’ development and relationship. Like the palace high palace wall represents the difficult high place Li QianQiao went through to put Emperor Zong Ding on the throne. To the beautiful falling autumn leaves everytime Lu QianQiao sees Xin Mei again at Chongling Valley which represent yellow ‘sadness’ leaves (instead of pink blossom flowers) on the fact he still concealed her memories at that time — so their encouter again riddles with secrets. And finally when they got together, its white blossom tree to show the purity of their relationship and how from then on, we know nothing can come between them.

The visual directing is especially a standout. I love how the Director shot the scenes especially anything that involves Lu QianQiao seeing the colors for the first time. That crimson red dress that Xin Mei wore, to show how she is ready for blood for him and him seeing that color for the first time on her is just excellent — you can see her reflection in his eyes. Then the powdered colors at the bridge soon after where he starts seeing all the colors, finally. Not to mention how the Director love to shot Lu QianQiao in this position where the lighting focus on him in the dark room to show despite all the accusations he faced, he is the innocent light that we ‘have yet’ to know at that time. Excellent visual directing to tell us the truth before it is revealed to us.

I also enjoy how the Director edited the drama. The plot moves fast, gives us enough to appreciate the sceneries and characters but didnt linger on unnecessary things to make us lose focus. The pacing is almost perfect with no filler scenes. Each scene is out there for a reason with little details to support the whole narrative of the plot.

THE WRITING

I’m a big fan of the writer due to her layered and detailed writing. I enjoy her cause and effect storytelling on how environment can effect and transformed lives and how all of this interwined beautifully into the story and her characters. The writer did her signature style of setting early stages for many things that is going to happen later so the joy is collecting all of this clues and connect to them later. For an example, Lu QianQiao remembers his childhood where he is covered with burn marks all over his face and body. And we only know the effect of this 15 episodes later when the burned skin give him the ability to sleep when he was abondened by his mother — the first time he feel the pleasure of living as a human. Or the story of A’Sheng grew up in a household full of boys? We only know the full story in episode 23 and whose daughter she is which we can predicted once Xia Xuanzi made an entrance. Or the only Wushuang Society member who is alive is Tang You — Its the same guy who pointed out that Lu QianQiao is innocent in the earlier episode, the same guy who went to Capital for exam but was thrown out, and the only one who survived the library fire since he didnt take the memory pill as his own memory is good enough to copy all the texts since he is a scholar that is supposed to take the imperial exam after all. Its amazing how far the writer has set the stage for simply a supporting character. I love how the writer always scattered all these little clues, setting stage for its earlier so when it happen, it made perfect sense.

The writer also introduced lots of characters with their own quirks and personalities without it being tedious for the viewers. Mostly all characters, inluding the mains are flashed out, with their own objectives and desires and not there to exist for the main characters. Thus, their existence gives meaning to the story and their death also mean something.

And all the philosophical themes in the drama? There is a lot and very thought-provoking. For an example RULES vs MORAL. And while its pretty straightforward to answer, the writer makes us question that theme when she made Mei going on a killing rampage. Yes, Mei likes to help mortals which are good and making her a great character but the writer literally challenged that when she made her seeking justice for Lu QianQiao thus making the cultivator’s rules about not to interfere with human makes sense since you can never know whats behind things that you see. Lu QianQiao staged the whole thing for his human transformation, specifically choosing the worst ever possible death which is death of thousand cuts so he can do one of his transformation while she in the other hand think he truly died being wronged. Hearts are deceptive and she learnt her lesson the hard way that she cant simply jumped into conclusion. Then another theme the writer explores in this drama is MORTAL vs IMMORTALITY. Is it being able to live a long life is a blessing or a punishment? I also immensively enjoy her GOOD vs EVIL theme since nothing truly good or evil, they are all shades of grey. They might do questionable things in early episodes but turned to be righteous when the times comes or after learning the truth. Then people who seemed nice with great knowledge turned to be evil and unredeemable. It shows good and evil nature did not come from origin, race, power or color of skins as there are both traits in each group.

Also the whole arguments about Xin Mei’s memory wipe. Lu QianQiao did it to conceal his identity as a War Demon. While he did this for his own selfish reason, however, had he didnt wipe Xin Mei’s memories and made her retain her innocence, the mute lady will die since Xin Mei will chose to follow the rules instead of helping her with her power. I like how the writer explores this idea.

Also, all the social commentaries in this drama. Its almost in every episode where we can see the connection with history, modern day problems as well as current issues we are facing. In reference to history, the part where old people committed suicide to avoid being a burden to their children since thats what happened at China due to extreme poverty. Sometime, it dwelves into modern issue such as couples avoid having children since they cant afford it due to high cost of living (even when both parents are working like Xin Mei highlighted) which prompt China government now to give monetery incentives for couples with young children to increase birth rates. Or the the argument of Xin Mei and the masked guy about immortal sects being evil when many things that they did benefit the human race as well. Its a direct commentary about political parties and their tug of war to hold the rule in this world. The writer also highlighted how the systematic class syatem and the danger of it — how we can see Fu Tian become a villain due to his environment and later we can see the same thing happened at Tianyuan sect when Bai Zongying lose his spiritual core. And the writer did this without sounding too preachy which I like. Just like when Lu QianQiao asked Xin Mei to think whether the immortality pill is good or bad without giving the answer to her. This kind of approach is done subtlely, without giving answer on who is right or wrong and ask us to think on our own.

Aside from that, I love the poetic justice punishment the writer writes in her story. For an example for Emperor Zong Ding. While he is the Emperor and highly respected due to his position, he lives most of his life in fears and died in that state as well. He had everything yet he never truly feel happy and alive. Or another example like Bai Zhongying’s redemption arc where he from following blindly of his sect’s teaching to fight for the same cause like our leads. The poetic justice is his fall from grace. His whole arc has depth which is the danger of following blindly, his suffering once he lose his power and his fight against his destiny and save thousand of lives even when he merely a human — his whole arc filled with substance and lessons.

Apart from that, the plot twists are strong in this drama. From the fact that Xin Mei is actually powerful but her level is low since she keeps breaking rules and help people to they are all puppets at the bigger scheme at Beixiang, to Lu QianQiao sealing his own memory to Wushuang Society is behind Su Taiyi’s death when we all thought he died of natural death or lastly how Yuan Zhong from A Moment But Forever is the mastermind of the whole Jiayin tree ‘laddar to heaven’. The writer pretty much outdid herself many times in this drama. Her plot twists made sense despite being surprising especially when you can see how the stages has been set way earlier before it happened. The unpredictability in her script made her writing very compelling.

I also like the critique the writer made regarding 9th September Heavenly Talents on people who tends to believe in divinations. At the end, they all heroes that saves the human race regardless their birth dates.

THE ROMANCE

The romance is truly a bonus for this drama. Lu QianQiao and Xin Mei has one of the healtiest relationship between husband & wife in XianXia dramas. They discussed everything together and understand each other on fundamental level. Lu QianQiao is right when he said he is so lucky to meet Xin Mei. She understand him, share the same sentiment with him regarding immortality and wasnt prejudice towards his origin. Her gentleness and sincerity made him fall in love for the first time in his life.

The highlight of their relationship is through mutual understanding. They are mature, have good communication and always discuss when they are faced with conflicts — in a nutshell, they behave like what their age supposed to be which are 200 years old and 70 years old respectively — couple with very high EQ. So no unnessarily angst or misunderstandings, noble idiocy or petty games between them. And we know how Lu QianQiao got game and know how to flirt when he used his wife’s lipstick to draw the sun in his painting. 😆

Lu QianQiao and Xin Mei literally like a mirror/reflection of each other. Like they both started their relationship with their own ulterior motives. Or how the marriage bond saved Mei couple of times when she’s on the verge of death and not only him. Which also explain their understanding towards each other without much conflict even after him being a War Demon revelation. Also the part where both went and beyond to help people in need where him against his bloody nature as a War Demon and while her breaking rules to do that at the cause of her cultivation. Also how they both experience ‘memory erasing’ spell since that is Lu QianQiao’s response to trauma. Apart from that, they both cook questionable foods for each other (lol), gifted each other with clothes and shoes and seek revenge for each other when other people wronged them. Their whole relationship truly matched the Chinese title of the drama which is ‘A Perfect Match Made in Heaven’.

WHY LU QIANQIAO’S SACRIFICE AT THE END IS IMPORTANT?

Lu Qianqiao’s decision to be a Perfect War Demon in the end didnt cheapen his whole journey but actually put emphasis on the great sacrifice he has to make. We all know the length he went through to become human even at he cost of his great power. This is because at the end, he need to chose between his own personal wants versus the greater good as that decision has weight — ‘With great power, comes with great responsibility.’

When the writer told us it would be a ‘satisfying’ happy ending, it is because despite Lu QianQiao’s great sacrifice, he still get what he wants at the end — not only his divine power, his 5 senses as the curse against his clan being lifted INCLUDING reuniting with his wife and friends. A good end to the suffering he endured during his lifetime. Yes, it did come at a cost but we know he eventually will get there as all the clues, foreshadowing are going towards that direction.

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On my knees, begging for more.

Please, please I need more of them, I can't get enough of this PD and Yumi's story. The best of the three seasons. Very honestly, when the season 2 came, i started it off with great eagerness because I absolutely loved season 1, and I was so so into this whole concept of cells world inside us, mixing of live action with animation, i have legit talked about Yumi Cells drama to almost everyone in my life, because the concept is so good. So after the end of season 1, I googled the ending of the whole season and I don't know why I thought the guy would be older then her ( her final partner) i think i didn't want spoilers so just read that she met someone at her publication office.
So season 2, i started when it aired and i stopped watching, didn't like it much, don't know why.
NOW CUT TO ANNOUNCEMNT OF SEASON 3, I really like the ML, so just to watch him and Yumi story, I finished of Season 2, and then started watching season 3 and man I am GLAD I DID.

I m legit screaming in front of my screen for more episodes. GIVE ME MORE EPISODES, PLEASE, SEQUEL? PLEASEEEE, i want to see more of their story.
Everything was so good about this season from start. PD is really the fictional guy, I don't think we can ever find someone like him in real. The way all his actions are justified because in such few epis, they clearly showed who he is, as a person. and Yumi, our Yumi, loved the scene where she was going with his vibe, even though she couldn't understand it, i couldn't stop laughing, the generation gap surely makes the relationship exciting.

Absolutely loved that they were acting like an adult, talking things out, no being awkward and shy when it came to being physical, how him being young talking so openly about it, as we do. loved that.

AGAIN, i am back with my agenda,
give me more epi please!!!!

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Honest Opinion

This is the kind of slow burn I’ve been looking for. The plot feels fresh and different. It’s not perfect, but knowing it was made on a small budget makes it easier to appreciate what it achieved.
At first, I kept complaining to my friends that the series was introducing conflicts it couldn’t fully sustain. But with a possible Season 2, I’m hoping it gets the chance to really deliver on those ideas.
And the chemistry between the two actors? Absolutely through the roof. Especially if you follow them on social media. It may be a slow burn in the series, but in real life, you definitely won’t be left starving.

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Another Secret of Us Project

This story was actually pretty good. The characters were well played, the acting was good and so was the music. We even got all the episodes without a pay wall.

The only issue I have with this is the issue I have with all of the Secret of Us projects. The plots in these stories need more buildup time. I'm aware it must be a budget thing, as well as the ongoing censorship (hence why they shoot all these projects in Japan) but without better detailing, these lukewarm endings feel rushed & half baked.

I've seen vertical dramas with deeper character development & internal conflict. However, this one is definitely the best of several that I've seen.

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Inside Yumi’s Head and Somehow Mine Too

I waited so long, and we finally finished Yumi’s Cells series, and yeah, it's worth the hype from seasons 1-3. This show really said, “What if we take every overthought, every spiral, every tiny moment you don’t say out loud and put it on screen?” And somehow it worked, like worked. I've been glued since 2021. What hit me the most wasn’t even the relationships. It was Yumi. Watching her grow into someone who actually understands her own boundaries? Who stops romanticizing potential and starts choosing what feels right for her. That felt real in a way a lot of shows don’t even try to be. And the cells, I didn’t expect to get attached like that. But they made everything make sense. The logic vs emotion battles, the hesitation, the way one small thing can change your whole mood. It felt like watching my own brain sometimes, not gonna lie. Also, I appreciate that the show didn’t rush to give us some perfect, tied-up ending. It trusted us to understand that her story doesn’t stop at marriage. If anything, that’s just another chapter. I do wish we got a little peek into that future, though. Just a glimpse of her thriving in her career, with someone beside her who actually supports her, and how both cells live together.

Overall, it felt honest. Messy in a real-life human way. Soft when it needed to be. And kind of healing without trying too hard.

Definitely one of those shows that stays with you after it ends.

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Uma linda história de amor nos anos 70

a história principal é sobre esse jovem casal que enfrentou várias intempéries para alcançar os próprios sonhos tendo como pano de fundo a china da revolução cultural de Mao, a nova China socialista. Acho que o que mais me impressionou foi no final de tudo a história ser sobre toda uma geração que enfrentou duro para semear a potência que a China é hoje, isso, claro, além das atuações incríveis dos protagonistas e de um casal secundário tão bonito e cativante que merecia um spin-off deles. Acho que perto do fim o drama perdeu um pouco de força, mas nada que impeça o plano geral.

off: achei a abordagem da moça que era meio que a prometida do prota (a que casou com o cara do basquete) um pouco moralista, acho q poderiam ter aprofundado mais o casal que eu realmente via como promissor, terminou tudo de maneira abrupta e amarga para a moça, poderiam ter feito ela ser alguém complexo com falhas de caráter mas que poderia amadurecer junto com o ex que era um canastrão e poderia melhorar. enfim, uma história legal que foi desperdiçada

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Far better than a few high budget dramas.

I’m sad that this drama has come to an end, but it will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time. Out of all the mini dramas I’ve watched in 2026, this one was the absolute best. The male and female leads delivered outstanding performances, and their chemistry was captivating. The ost, angst, love story, and romantic scenes were all executed flawlessly. About plot, the pacing felt slightly messy at a point and the ending felt a bit rushed but the main leads easily overshadowed these minor flaws. I liked Jesse Ren, but now I am a huge fan of Qi Yandi as well. I’m eagerly waiting for their second collaboration and truly hope it arrives soon.

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This is more of an appreciation post/thoughts than review hahaa, major spoilers!!!

this drama was a beautiful watch.
it started out as something fluffy, and then turned into something very very DEEP. And i loved it.

Its really 2 souls healing each other and falling in love in the process.

first lets talk about the story and then get to the other aspects.
I would use one word, beautiful.
The story starts from Kanata's perspective. A guys who is (clearly) loved by everyone and is surrounded by people who love him, but seems disconnected from it all.

But then he is drawn to this guy with whom his eyes constantly meet but whose name or class he doesnt know yet. He follows that guy to the rooftop one day and then starts a friendship which would later evolve into something more.

Kanata has got his own sadness about which he opens up to Akira on the second day of them meeting. Akira's kind words make him look at it from a different perspective and ,eventually, encourages him to stop running away from it.

His trauma begins to heal thanks to Akira. In the process he slowly falls for him but does not realise it until that 'matsuri'. The show then pivots to Akira and his traumatic past.

Akira's character, in my opinion, is s lot more complex than Kanata's who 'wears his heart on his sleeves'. What a contrast hahah.

Not gonna make it too detailed but due to certain events from his past, Akira is
1) Afraid of falling for kanata
2) Has (very) low self esteem
3) Considers himself disgusting (idk if that is the right word to use)
4) Thinks he does not deserve Kanata's love

He has these issues. And he is not willing to talk it out (which ,i now realise, is a bit ironic since he sort of suggested Kanata to stop running away and confront his soccer stuff earlier) with Kanata. And he straight up pushes him away by saying 'do not fall for me.' ' i dont wanna be a stain' but Kanata is not up for this bullshit.

Eventually with some encouragement from his friends Kanata manages to get Akira out of this deep pit he had dug and put himself into. He makes him realise that he loves him for who he is (which hit me really hard btw when he said that). And that the past is the past and he should not dwell upon it.

Traumas begin to heal. But then nobody is confessing so they aren't dating. Eventually a rumour prompts Akira to confess.

And also i love how both changed each other for the good at the end.
Akira ends up taking the initiative of confessing foregoing his insecurity that Kanata might not reciprocate (but didn't Kanata make it clear that he likes him too?) and that he might get hurt. He says something like, even if i get hurt or someone else does, this is how i feel for Kanata and it is what it is.
As for Kanata, ha became more responsible and self reliant.

As for other aspects.
Cinematography, peak.
music, not very noticable,
i absolutely love how everything just goes silent during certain scenes, There's no dramatic music or even slow music playing, just complete silence. Like the opening scene where Kanata is standing and listening to the CD. (Btw this opening scene was SOOOO misleading. They made us feel somewhat a sense of loss. Made us feel that the following episodes would be Kanata reminiscing about his past and how they eventually broke up. Then would meet again, in the present ie after the opening scene and the story would continue from there(ykwim) but turns out it was just Kanata waiting for Akira in the present hahah)

Yeah, i found it really beautiful i wanna rewatch it to understand the character motives (esp Akira's) now that i know their past and how it shapes them. TOTALLY RECOMMENDED

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Finding My Gundam was a cute, short, heartwarming film starring a young braces wearing Ryu Jun Yeol in what appeared to be his debut film.

A young man is asleep at his desk with pieces of an action figure he is working on scattered around him. The film doesn’t say for sure what the young man’s issue is, whether it’s agoraphobia or another anxiety disorder, but it’s clear he’s highly uncomfortable being outside of his cluttered apartment. The only organized space is his bookcase of neatly ordered action figures he has assembled. When a delivery man haphazardly slides a package toward his door but not near it, our introvert is in a conundrum. In his endeavor to stay partially within his safe space and still retrieve his precious box, he accidentally locks himself outside. Thus begins his awkward and strangely pleasurable journey to the locksmith.

I found this short film soothing and refreshing. This young man was thrown into his worst fear and while there were negative experiences he was also shown kindness and had the chance to show kindness to another. Definitely worth ten minutes of your time. I only wish it had been longer, I would like to have seen if his forced adventure had any long-term healing on his life.

5 May 2026

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A Beautiful Empty Shell

I have a love hate relationship with this one. This drama is like a beautiful empty shell. Zeng Qing Jie rocked this drama with its stunning visuals. The angles, color grading, lighting, color theories, visual effects, all work in synergy to create such an immersive visual feast. But that’s about it. This is too much of an idol drama that lacks depth, logic, and effort to its story and character development.

Most of the drama centers around Fan Chang Yu and Xie Zheng’s fake marriage relationship in Xigu Lane. It was beautiful and sweet. It was a cliché kind of love story that high school me would have loved very much! There were mentions and hints of politics here and there but it was all talks without any real impact whatsoever. The politics mentioned during the Xigu Lane arc felt less like an introduction or teaser, but more like unimportant fillers. If this was a short drama, Xigu Lane arc would have been cute.

Once we move out of Xigu Lane, everything starts to falter. The writer needs to research on how to write political arcs, while the director needs to research how to shoot action scenes and war scenes because whT the hell was all that!

The politics feel so messy and careless. There was no real impact to the politics and even the solution felt flimsy. I don’t even want to bother laying it out but it was just so bad. Worst of all is the action scenes. While Chang Yu had two empowering action scenes, Xie Zheng’s felt like a commercial. No action, only visuals. Like an idol shooting their ending fairy shots. Also, what was episode 39! What is supposed to be an intense most climactic final battle turns out to look like a comical comedy. Why rent such a big space only for that little group of people.. no.. only a duel to take place. Everything was clean and bright! No smoke, no dirt, no blood, nothing. It’s more like a practice duel than a real battlefield.

The character writing also disappoints me. Does butchering pigs really give this tiny stick woman that much strength?! Also, Chang Yu is one country bumpkin. It’s so frustrating how she’s unable to connect the dots herself and act so impulsively at the army camp. I also can’t believe she just acts so imprudently and talk so freely in court. Xie Zheng is no good either. First of all, Zhang Ling He being cast as Xie Zheng is definitely for the visuals. I love ZLH but he does not look anything like this dark ruthless marquis. Also, Xie Zheng literally spends most of the drama being injured and sick.. Where is the commanding aura that his character is supposed to have?! He does have some impactful scenes but it’s not enough, and most of it are just stupid. One of the examples is the scene at the tent when he said commands are not a joke or something. The speech, impactful. But the context behind it is just dumb. Why would you hesitate to tell your woman who you are. Stupid logic. Also, why are all of Xie Zheng’s action scenes close ups of his face?! Agh.

I need to stop before I start spiraling. Do I enjoy it? Only Xigu Lane. Do I like it? Only the visuals. Do I recommend it? Only if you don’t care about story depth and logic.

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