Reviews

Falling in Love, Falling Apart

I really liked this. It portrays reality well—how a relationship can fade over time. The story captures the growing distance between them, along with her struggles at work, in a subtle and believable way. That one confrontation between them is particularly well written, with sharp dialogue, strong performances, and a palpable sense of tension.

The female lead comes across as almost sociopathic—not in a purely villainous sense, but in her detached curiosity about human nature, which makes her fascinating to watch. The second male lead is genuinely endearing, and the drama weaves in understated societal themes, as you’d expect from a J-drama.

In the end, the characters reflect on their mistakes, revisit how they met, and remember why they fell in love in the first place. The climax, underscored by classical music, is especially striking. The final scene then settles into a quieter note, as they exchange a simple “good morning” and look at each other with a mixture of regret and affection. It all comes together for a deeply satisfying conclusion.

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Just not my cup of tea

As much as I love Chen Xingxu I don't feel like wasting my time here. It was a sweet and light hearted romcom but the type thats more on the cheesy side. I could've sat through this during my teenage years but NOT now.

CXX's character was making me cringe so badly. At first it was cute but once the misunderstandings started piling up I could not sit through it. I think they have decent chemistry though.

I like how the lawyer portion of thet stories were quite interesting and how she cares about her job. I enjoyed the side characters plot but nothing about this drama stands out that much imo.

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SPOILER
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NETFLIX WHY???!!

The ending of Season 2 was good.
Sure, in the books there’s a “spin-off” with the Joker.
But I don’t think it was necessary.

Here, we find them a few months/years after the end of Season 2. They’re living their lives together, and then suddenly she starts thinking about her father and his suicide again. She was already thinking about it in Season 1 and 2, but now she meets this other crazy guy in a wheelchair, who manages to convince her to commit suicide so quickly, even though she’s living with Arisu. From that point on, I found it weird. How can one person mess with your head that fast after just one meeting?!
Plus, her following him into the games yes, he manipulates her, but if you look at the story from another perspective, it’s both logical and illogical at the same time.

On Arisu’s side, he learns he’s going to be a father and then commits suicide with Ann’s help (I KNEW SHE WASN’T DEAD AHAHAHAHA). Anyway… Then we get some really good games, I can’t lie I loved the games, the new characters we discover, and the really sad deaths. There are a lot of them in a row. In that aspect, it’s just like Season 1 and 2!

Then comes the first reunion, which is really touching but too short. Then the accident happens (I really thought he was going to die), but then I remembered that no series would kill off a main character in the middle of the season lol.

Then we get the real reunion, which is genuinely very emotional. They see their “future,” realize they’re not holograms, and then comes the famous scene where he punches her really hard I loved it. HE PLAYS HIS CHARACTER SO WELL THAT I HATE HIM. Then comes the scene I call “Squid Game”: the extra player, the baby. Yeah… we all saw that coming!
And then more sad deaths, and even sadder ones!
Then the ending where Arisu “sacrifices” himself even though the guy knows he’s going to be a dad. I didn’t understand that choice at all. How can you make that decision? I mean, there were older players at the end who could have taken his place logically, but no nobody moves. They just watch a young guy “commit suicide” even though he’s about to become a father. Totally incomprehensible!
Then comes the scene where he pulls out a gun but can’t kill her, so when they fall into the water, he decides to hold her so they die together. Honestly, this guy is a massive piece of shit, let’s just say it. He had no balls!
Then the final ending where she’s alive, he’s alive too, they lived happily ever after and had lots of children.

In short: the games are perfect! But the story is incomprehensible!

The acting is very good, and the visual effects are great too.

You can very well stop at Season 2 for a logical ending! But if you want to see an alternative ending, go ahead and watch Season 3.

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A Mature (Not Really) Urban Romance

Read the novel that it comes from (Records of Sweet Romance) and thought that it was an okay read. Unlike a lot of current novels and dramas out there, it explores the path of a divorced woman who (despite the odds stacked against her) succeeds in the hotel industry.

The plot is fine in both the drama and the novel. There are moments of cheesy scheming but the villains are not OP and their plans are easy to foil. My real bone to pick really is with the ML. Many didn't like the novel because of the ML and I think a lot of drama viewers might not either because he is not the 'ideal' ML. The ML is someone who's portrayed as an elite (the best in the industry) that begrudgingly helps FL and then falls in love with her. But the real issue is his attitude. Novel ML is a jerk. Drama ML is not much better. While we see that he subtly starts to fall in love with FL and protects her, we also have random moments where EQ and emotional regulation flies out the window. Every 5-6 episodes we get the ML lashing out at FL with lines like "I have the ability to help you out, but why should I?" and it really makes you want the FL to pick the 2nd ML because he's always supportive of her. Keep in mind that this line came at about 25+ episodes in and as a reflexive/defensive mechanism to him realizing he's falling in love and is getting jealous. For a 'mature' romance with a 'mature' cast, it comes off as really childish.

In a world dominated by Hidden Love, First Frost, and Pursuit of Jade, the standards for how a ML should behave and treat FL have changed from the early 2010s tsundere/macho man. While there may be some who like this type of ML, I think Epoch of Miyu may not be able to compete with this sort of dated character.

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MORE HARDCORE

Spoiler
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Here’s my review for Season 2, just like I did for Season 1:

We stay in the same vibe with the iconic group that we all know. First of all, let’s talk about the games — just like in Season 1, I loved them. Brutal, intense, gore… everything I like!
Deaths everywhere! Tatta’s death was really sad but logical for his character.

A great ending where we finally discover what happened and why they all ended up there.

The visual effects are still perfect.
The acting is still incredible, just like in Season 1.

You get hooked on Season 2 very quickly if you liked Season 1. Very well done, bravo!

I also recommend Season 2!!

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Thank you for your love journey, Yumi

Disclaimer

What I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this series. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a higher or lower score and why it is better/worse than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.

I started this journey of 'Yumi's Cells' from the year 2021. And here we ae in the year 2026, her story told in three seasons. Now, the thing is, I didn't expect to become emotionally attached to these cells, but I did (heck I even got a little teary-eyed at the end of the final episode of season three). Yumi went through a lot in the name of love, and I believe that she needed these two exes as they did make her stronger on the aspects of going after what she loves (Babi in encouraging her to be a writer) and in learning to opening her heart again to fall in love. All of this was needed for Yumi to finally get the happy ending that she deserved, although she did go through painful break-ups with them.

Kim Go Eun shines once again as the role of Yumi and i actually felt that Kim Jae Won as Sin Sun Rok was a good choice (although I was seeing some negative reviews about him due to his main role in 'Hierarchy'). I thank the director and all the team who worked on this and was able to give us a third season (although a short one) as we are able to see the happy ending of Yumi and her cells.

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A drama where you laugh a lot but don’t really pay attention to the story (my opinion):


I’m not going to talk about spoilers, just my overall thoughts on the series.

From the very beginning, I was laughing a lot. Their relationship makes absolutely no sense, but I found it had a certain charm. It’s a messy, random relationship that somehow manages to create something. However, the overall story didn’t really mark me. If someone asked me for a summary, I wouldn’t really know what to say about the plot. I just spent my time laughing at the awkward and funny moments.

I thought the acting was very good, with great chemistry between them!

The OSTs didn’t particularly stand out to me, but they weren’t bad either.

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Good fantasy storyline

This drama follows Ming Yi, a female warrior who had appeared to others as a man using a magical disguise. During a broadcasted tournament, she was defeated by an opponent's new hire, Bozai, During their fight, she sustained a critical injury. To find out about the truth of any sabotage during the fight as well as a cure for her injury, she tries to get closer to Bozai. Over the course of their partnership, they reveal more truths about each other and themselves.

The main draw of this drama is the creative storyline and cinematics, which were well crafted and easily transported the viewer into a magical world. Spirit beasts were also a big plus!!! While the romance is not physically intense, we can feel love and heartbreak through trust and sacrifice. The vibes of the drama are lighthearted and youthful, not a serious or intense drama (no routine palace gossip and schemes) -- so it easy to watch and enjoy.

I would recommend this for viewers who are looking for a captivating story and pretty cinematics, and not requiring romance

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YES YES YES.

1) Perfect Cast - honestly, each person was extremely fit for the role played!! Every villan and sub character fits so perfectly for their character; phenomal choice of actors and honestly absolutely amazing acting, chemistry, and synergy!!!

2) Solid Plot Line + Story - loved it!! Extremely entertaining, good humour, the BONDS? Almost felt like anime feeling; the bonds between a friendship, BROTHERHOOD. Truly was left HANGING each episode. JAM PACKED information since it had like 8 episodes, so you know it will be good.

3) ACTION. - RESPECT. You can TELL these actors, staff, directors, EVERYONE PUT IN WORK. It LOOKED AND FELT so real! Really put you INTO the drama. I am not for all the gore but man the fighting scenes were still SO good!!! I felt every punch... and was punching air in some scenes myself LOLLL

4) Emotion/Mental - phewwww, roller coaster in a good way! Felt some really inspiring, heart-felt, motivating moments!!! Also felt sadness, despair, anger, frustration!!!

GOOD character development + a training arc for people?? Legit was this an anime LOL?

Totally would recommend and worth the watch.

Not all dramas or movies need this but no romance, just bromance :o) haha

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Infuriatingly Realistic Age Gap Drama

Find Yourself Will Test Your Patience But Make You Think

Find Yourself is an age gap drama that stars Victoria Song and Song Weilong. The story is about He Fanxing, a successful 32-year-old career woman who falls for Yuan Song, a 22-year-old intern at her company. As she navigates this secret relationship, she faces immense pressure from society and family to choose a more "appropriate" partner, leading to a love triangle with an older executive.

This is one of the most infuriating dramas featuring an age gap that you will ever see — and rightfully so, because the themes, the characters, and the situations are all extremely realistic.

In Defense of He Fanxing

I see a lot of hate for the female lead online, but as someone who is also no longer young, I can say with certainty that if a woman somehow missed out on dating in her twenties because she was building her career, she would absolutely act and behave the way He Fanxing does. People who are too preoccupied with working and building their future in their twenties tend to go all out and be silly and irrational in their thirties. I lived through that myself so I can relate a little bit too Victoria Song’s character. She did fairly well portraying a woman falling hard for a man she shouldn’t be falling for, and I did not have any problems with her acting despite what some people say.

Now that I've finished all forty-one episodes, I can say that most of the frustration and hatred toward her character comes from viewers who are probably younger or haven't lived in the same part of the world with the same type of family pressures she deals with. If you put yourself in her shoes, she is actually quite easy to understand. I think a lot of women want her to be a stronger character, but in this particular setting, she didn't need to be. She did what she thought was right for herself, her future, her family, and her reputation. I think a lot of us probably hate her because she reflects how the majority of us would behave if we were dating someone much younger and were put in the same situation.

My One Major Gripe With the Premise

This drama doesn't strike me as romcom-y or suspend-all-your-belief story enough to justify the premise of a thirty-two-year-old highly successful career woman being a virgin. Having no dating experience and never having been with a man are completely different things. I really wish that given the serious tone of the drama, the premise had been a little more realistic — because the drama itself is fairly compelling.

I would have taken the story more seriously if He Fanxing had relationships before, even ones that weren't serious. I wouldn’t mind if she dated, had actual intimate partners, but just never learned how to truly be in a committed relationship possibly because of the demands of her job. Writers really need to stop portraying modern successful women as someone who is waiting for their one true love and saving themselves for that one man. It's an outdated concept, and it was the first thing that didn't sit right with me. I would never believe that a successful woman who is surrounded by men and constantly socializing has never been with a single one. Usually curiosity wins anyway, plus peer pressure.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest — moving on.

Song Weilong as Yuan Song

I previously saw Song Weilong in Shine on Me and thought his acting was pretty stilted at the beginning of that drama, so I wasn't sure I'd like him in Find Yourself. But I was extremely impressed with his performance, considering he filmed this when he was probably around eighteen. I'm also quite surprised at the level of intimacy he was able to pull off with his co-star. His acting was extremely natural and exactly how someone his age would behave. I truly appreciated his effort here, and I think he was probably the highlight of the drama for me.

What to Expect

In the first 10 episodes, things progress pretty fast between Yuan Song and He Fanxing, which I had neutral feelings about — didn't hate it, didn't love it. But the writers set the bar very high for their romance with quite a lot of skinship. So obviously when they break up in the middle of the show and the writers choose for her not to take action earlier than she did, it puts a damper on her romance with Yuan Song because there’s literally not a single kiss until the last episode. This is the kind of romance storyline I hate. Because there is absolutely no tension here. I mentioned this before, and I will mention this again: if you are developing a romantic storyline, it needs to build towards something and not blow up at the beginning and then trickle little by little toward the last episode. You don’t really feel much satisfaction at the end once the romantic storyline concludes despite the conclusion being a happy ending.

I also couldn't entirely understand what attracted Yuan Song to He Fanxing initially. He explains it a little bit later, but I think it would have been beneficial to include that information earlier. However, as I continued watching, I enjoyed how the drama explored the fear and anxiety our female lead experienced due to the possibility of being stigmatized if she told everyone about her relationship with a twenty-two-year-old intern. This right here, if this was set anywhere in the western world, could have been interpreted as abuse of power. It is a huge no-no in the corporate setting where I work at, which in itself makes it a compelling watch.

The drama also makes some valid points toward the end about how women are looked down on for dating someone younger while for men it's perfectly acceptable.

Although the characters in the drama are dynamic, because they do go through transformation they feel static for the most part of the drama. I think that’s another flaw with this drama. Writers should have developed everyone through action instead of lengthy psychoanalysis through conversation with friends.

That said, if you're diving into this drama exclusively for the romance, you will probably be a little disappointed. This is more of a family drama than a romantic one. Yes, there is romance, and yes, we're watching several love and marriage stories develop in different directions — but understand going in that this is not purely a romantic show. A lot of scenes are very drawn out and long, and I'll be honest, I skipped through quite a bit. But some of them are interesting and compelling, and dialogues shed a lot of light on how different characters feel about different things happening in their lives. Some viewers may enjoy this slice of life take.

There are some genuinely fun laugh-out-loud moments though — particularly Esther Yu's character trying to win over He Fanxing's twin brother. Their relationship was extremely cute, and Esther Yu was a delight to watch overall.

Production & Quality

The camera work and production quality are pretty high for something that came out during Covid, which surprised me. The performances across the board are solid, and the side stories are interesting — they make you think about something real. Draggy scenes. Check. This was 2020, after all. Ridiculous premise of a 32 year-old virgin. Check. Uneven pacing for the romantic storyline for both twin brother and twin sister. Check. I wish writers developed both romances differently. Yuan Song and He Fanxing start flaming hot, then crash and burn, and then she spends 2/3 of the drama with another man until the very last episode. Her brother and Melon take half the drama to get together and we don’t even see them sharing a proper romantic kiss.

Final Verdict

If you're into serious sensitive but important topics, interesting family dynamics, and multiple characters with multiple storylines, you'll probably enjoy this. I would say keep an open mind about the main female lead and try to put yourself in her shoes. Yes, she is indecisive and at times unlikable, but I think most of us in her situation would behave exactly the same. If you're watching this for Song Weilong — and I know many of you are — just have some patience with the pacing and know that his performance here is well worth it.

Overall, this is not a bad drama. Find Yourself is a little bit different from typical romantic comedy but the drama does explore interesting and important topics. I say give it a try and if you still don’t like it after a few episodes, don’t bother. I liked certain parts and certain parts were frustrating but overall, I am glad I watched it. It did leave an impression on me.

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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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