Potential that Devolved Rapidly in the Final Episode
I wanted to like this much more than I did.The Good:
• It was refreshing to see a ML who looked manly. He wasn't the typical romcom pretty boy.
• The female lead was a competent adult at work.
• The leads had good chemistry together when the script allowed.
The Bad:
• The ML was mean for no reason. I tire of the trope that has a man in love with the woman whom he treats the worst.
• The FL was unlikeable. She had no close friends. She spent most of the drama with a sour look on her face. She was either angry or sad.
• Those everlasting love triangles. Give it a rest, please.
• Massive amounts of stupidity. If I had the power to see the future, I'd utilize it. If I knew a serial killer was stalking me, I'd probably not go walking alone in the middle of the night in dark alleys.
I was on board most of the drama, ever hopeful for a good ending. Instead, I was treated to a breakup and a terrible montage of childish argumentative scenes at the end. I should have stopped watching before the last episode to save myself from the toxicity.
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This review may contain spoilers
The warmth of the sun rays
April 24, 2026Oh my god, this is one of the best Chinese drama to be released and that I have watched. A solid 10, deserves more than 10 across all scores.
I feel so warmth and hopeful. It truly is a revolutionary Cdrama. I feel like the resilience of Fei Ni and Mu Yang really showed the epitome of true love, marriage, and values of partnership. I am so in awe of the main leads, I feel like there was so much dopamine and serotonin that were injected into my veins.
It’s just so positive and inspiring, I don’t even know how to fully describe the emotions I felt watching this drama. It is a must watch, I love the main leads, and the second leads Mu Yang’s sister and the Doctor. I truly think that it is just so refreshing to see a slice-of-life drama that just unravels in such a pace that is neither boring or that is too slow for me. The plot progresses well and I truly feel like I was transported back in time and in a setting I am not even familiar with.
The directors, writers, producers, actors, and everyone that partake in this drama — yall ate so hard. I just eugh, not enough words and praises can atone to the level of value and admiration I have for this drama.
So please give this the love it truly deserves! Another S-tier drama we have BABYYYYYY
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*If you are looking for something new to watch this might be the one!*
Alice in borderland (S1) is one of those dramas that i started on a whim without even knowing anything about the plot or actors...but it was unexpected in all the good ways!!To someone like me who watches survival dramas very rarely this was a fresh watch and a time well invested.
Generally dramas like these are expected to give more of an adrenaline rush and therefore they are a fun watch because of the thrill they give.
but i think this is what makes this drama a little different than others because it had more of using your brain and intellect to surivive , and the games were so interesting that it made this drama an intriguing watch for me.
Also i have realised now that when it comes to japanese dramas they don't spare nobody, at one point i felt like no-one would be left alive by the end of season 1, lol.
I hope season 2&3 are as good as this one.
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Just some spicy Deng Kai wearing an extremely skimpy plot.
Hay there, sexy.I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Damn I can't believe Deng Kai hasn't been cast yet as an ML in a major production, he's so stupid-hot and so charismatic, I feel like an addict, ever since POJ happened I just can't get enough of him."
Well as far as somebody with some SENSE picking him up to lead an A-list show, I can't help you with that. We are fresh out of A-List productions because Arthur Chen ate them all.
But as for the part about not being able to get enough of him.... that I can help you with. Some tiny-ass production team off in the corner of c-dramaland said "50 bazillion people are screaming for Deng Kai right now and yknow what. We hear you. Now, we're too broke to give you the A-list gold you're after. But in the meantime... how about just watching him make out a lot?"
And we like "YASS that will do for now."
Producer says "Well we aint got much. We got some CEO clothes, a decent stylist, and a couplea leather couches. We can maybe scrape enough cash together to rent a boat for a few scenes, idk."
And we like "Green light this bad boy."
And producer is like (scratches head) "Uhhhh.... well we're kind of short on script."
We say, "Don't worry about it, just write whatever you can muster up."
So they gave us this. The story is... I kind of want to say 'inventive'? But I also kind of want to say 'bad'. It's inventive and bad. But it does give us what we crave... Deng Kai in a hot situation looking hot and makin out and stuff. It's not as spicy as I like em. But honestly, the production and script are so SO cheap, that if it were any spicier it'd come off as just way way too gratuitous. It's "satisfying". We are watching Deng Kai learning to perfect the art of onscreen kissing. Someday he'll be in something TRULY hot, like SOKP or WDBTD, and all that kissing practice will pay off. He does honestly keep getting better and better.
As far as the acting.... I'm sorry but it's just asking way too much for actors to return master performances on sets like these with scripts like these. Deng Kai is doing sort of a "you get what you pay for" performance, i'd give it a B grade. Zhang Chu Han the FL expertly matches his tone, and this is actually the very first time I've LIKED her in something. She appears to have dropped the baby-girl act as she matures as an actress, and she's so much better off for it. Now she reminds me of Valerie Bertinelli, and it's cute and she's much easier to watch.
All in all, I would not really recc this to anyone except Deng Kai fans, and I would DEF recc this to them. I enjoyed it despite the jankety script, but would I rewatch it? No.
Actual drama = 5
Deng Kai makin out a bunch = 10
Averaged score = 7.5
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This review may contain spoilers
Why am I so late to the party!!!!!!
Till date I have watched a number of dramas, more Korean than Chinese. Being relatively new to this genre I feel I don't really have the stamina to watch 40 episodes of something and invest myself in it. I have given up on a lot of Chinese dramas for this particular reason. It's too much of an investment of time for me. I went into Speed and Love with similar expectations. When I started watching Speed and Love I stopped at the first episode because I couldn't understand it at all. I couldn't understand Mumu's longing for Zhao. Nothing stood out, there was no hook, no catch and I think that is what the genius lies in, to not force the viewer to fall in love with it because they know they'll end up blown away anyways. I however forced myself to go on and boy was I unprepared for the havoc it wreaked on my mind and soul. I fell head over heels in love with He Yu's (Jin Zhao).I think the most important aspect of this drama is the gradual pace at which the characters and the emotions develop. So much has been written about the brother sister bond that I feel it has been blown out of proportion. To be honest whether he fed her milk bottles or changed her diapers doesn't matter to me personally considering they never had a blood bond. Yes people might stone me to death for this but the fact of the matter remains that Jin Zhao was never related to Jiang Mu by blood, it was always societal/familial. They did not share a birth mother or father hence in my mind they were not related apart from emotional connections. The fact that he had been born to Jiang Mu's father's best friend really made it quite stark for me.
The boy had been forced to be a caretaker to Mu Mu since a very young age because he had no choice at first and later simply because he loved her. He considered her the only anchor to his life that didn't regard him unwanted, a financial burden or an eyesore. A lot of what children end up doing is basically what they are taught to do and Jin Zhao had no choice but to step up as a parent to Mu Mu in the absence of her parents emotional unavailability. People might argue that her mother was always attentive and loving towards her but in reality she struggled through an unhappy marriage, spousal incompatibility and a deep lack of trust and understanding which made her bitter towards Jin Zhao ( someone she saw affiliated solely to Jin Qiang) and over protective of Jiang Mu. Thus there was always a lack of emotional stability for both Zhao and Mu. The only solution to this for them was to find stability, strength and love in each other.
I found Jin Zhao to be the most rational, level headed and understanding protagonist of any drama to date. Yes you see men caring, loving and ready to go the extra mile for their lady love but the idea that he dedicated his entire life to her is unthinkable. He remembered and provided everything she ever needed be it food, love, strength, academic knowledge, adolescent coming of terms or quiet companionship. He definitely was the north star to her ship regardless of wherever she floated. He remembered his promises to her and kept them. Her safety and happiness were paramount to him regardless of his own feelings in the matter. It takes a lot to sacrifice one's entire life for someone else's happiness that too willingly and Jin Zhao did it because he didn't want to be "The Bastard" who would make her suffer. To him she was already a living breathing miracle, her life alone was the biggest gift that he had received in his life. I am blown away by this kind of selfless, caring and giving love that too for a single entity. I loved Jin Zhao's love for her.
I found Mu Mu to be the perfect companion for Jin Zhao. She was the only one who kept him grounded, made him feel he mattered and loved. The tears she shed for him "Left him Defenseless" in his own words. I realized how deep her love for him ran when she broke down completely after his accident. That single scene encapsulated her entire being for me, her sorrowful cries and her struggle to crawl to find him despite being mentally broken left me speechless. Esther did such a fabulous job portraying MuMu's angst, her darkest fears turning to reality culminating in the deepest sorrow she could ever bear, not knowing whether the man she loved was dead or alive. I cried so hard with her. When Mu Mu found him again I was more angry at him than her. How dare he push her away, make choices for her and break her heart. She had every right to know what happened to him yet those years were robbed from her. When she says "Anything from him would suffice even an emoji" it broke my heart to pieces. She deemed him heartless and rightfully so. However MuMu turned out to be a more magnanimous person than I could ever be. She kept going back to him till she broke all his defenses, flattened the barriers he had erected around himself under the false guise of protecting her. Shout out to MuMu to loving Jin Zhao with equal intensity , equal depth and understanding. She kept calling him back from his self dug grave. She in my opinion deserves the highest honor for having such patience in the face of endless silence. She deserved every bit of Jin Zhao's love, his heart, body and soul she had earned every inch of him dedicating herself to him as he had to her.
There is so much good in this drama that words fail me. The casting, the direction, lighting, wardrobe, locations, makeup, the supporting cast, the extras. The cars and races were so exhilarating that I was pleasantly surprised. Not to meantion the scores oh my God am I hooked to Away or what! Everyone of them helped weave this beautiful tapestry of a drama.
Shout out to He Yu for making me understand what longing actually means and to have someone yet still show restraint in the face of such intense desires. That man can emote all these motions with such finesse.
The two most important scenes for me were
a. When he confesses that a lot of people have come and gone in his life but he was never serious about anyone so once she entered his life he wouldn't give her a chance to back out. The coffee that was sweet just for her. The way he stares at her eye level before asking her how she would like to taste him , the intense gaze, the breath he dared not draw, the desire that traveled down his throat to his entire body just gave me shivers, how just how could someone be so good at emoting such complex layers of emotions so deeply and excellently. That scene was just the entire drama for me. He Yu should go down in the annals of Chinese drama history for this one single scene. The kiss that followed was the cherry on top. That man could kiss a fish and turn it to a mermaid. I seriously love him for his kisses alone.
b. The second scene was when MuMu is at Jin Zhao's home in Nanjing during the mid autumn festival. She hugs him from behind and asks him to not ask him to let go of him. She confesses that even after all this time apart he is the only one she has always truly loved. That scene stood out to me because when she says that would he say nothing to her the defeat was visible in her eyes. That it was the end of the rope for her, she had laid herself bare to him and had still not received a response from him. That she had lost the battle between her dignity and her heart and that her heart body and soul yearned for him. The way her eyes pleaded to him and her tears dropped from them it just shattered my perception of love so bad. The idea of any sort of pride in love was so foolish because all her dignity, pride and self esteem had been steam rolled in that confession. I loved her, I loved her love for Jin Zhao. Love essentially is a very humbling experience.
All in all an excellent watch. I do wish the second half had been shortened and the first half extended, my heart is still wandering in the garage in Thailand where a man living on the edge has vowed to win everything in a single race. Love, love, love you Jin Zhao!!!!
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Beatiful take on life and love
10/10 will never watch againWas left traumatized but ngl
The cinematography, the cast, the acting, the script, the plot, the ost, just absolutely everything about this movie is top-tier and such a masterpiece I will not shut up about. I just can't move on from this movie that I made my siblings watch the lyrics video on rain wedding (cuz why not it's so beautiful).
This movie had me on chokehold. It showed how unfair life is esp' in the rural areas, how people can be deceiving, people are selfish but at the same time people can be selfless, and how one lie can wreck a person. Life is unfair with many challenges yet he still chose to love again and to fight until the end. It showed several social issues that are VERY relevant in this time and age. Overall, it's not just about the durian farm, it's about society as a whole.
To end this, I would like to share that..........wtaf why universe whyyyyy likeee why him
Thank you 🙇♂️
P.S. I have watched this 2 years ago and has yet to rewatch it, still not ready for the pain it's gonna cause
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Love it! Already watched it three times!
The fact that I’ve watched it three times says it all. The cinematography is truly beautiful. It makes great use of slow motion and colour, and the production looks very high-quality.The actors are amazing, especially in the emotional scenes. ML and FL have great chemistry.
The soundtrack always gets to me, particularly “Breaking Down” by Ailee, which I also listen to in my free time.
Unfortunately, the drama has a bit of a slow, somewhat tedious part in the middle for me, since the second couple doesn’t really captivate me.
Overall, this is a show I can watch over and over again.
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Green Flag GL
This story was so well done. From the plot, to the acting, to making the audience feel like the stakes were real! The romance was not rushed and I love how natural the relationships felt. Of the main characters, I never felt like they were acting out of character or were making bad choices just to make bad choices. I completely understood where everyone was coming from. The show balances the villains of the story so well! One we all love to hate and we understand that they will never change. The other's backstory makes it hard to see them as one dimensional. We hate how they're going about getting their way, but at the same time it makes sense.This may be the most Green Flag GL i've ever watched. I wished they would have gone more into the backstory of the bar owner. She was a grounded and two dimensional character but her role in the show felt like she was more serving a purpose than being her own person. I appreciate the open ended relationship she has with another character.
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The show that got me into Thai GLs
I cant communicate how many times ive re-watched this show!! This show will forever have a place in my heart. I never knew there were shows out there with LGBTQIA+ rep this good! I had become so used to American tropes like bury your gays, my mind was blown when I watched this for the first time.My qualms with the show are mainly about the character development of the main characters. I felt like sometimes the character choices were inconsistent with what they had previous done or believed. I still skip over those parts. As someone from a different culture it was hard to understand the character choices as they related to class and family loyalty, but it helped to broaden my horizons!
All in all, this show means so much to me. If i were to introduce others to Thai GLs id start with this one.
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First Season is Well Worth It
The first season was mixed, but what saves it is that when it's good it's very very good, e.g. ep 2 in season 1, but there are other episodes that make the show worth the time. So the nine rating is for the first season.The actress playing the main character, Nanno, is Kitty Chicha Amatayakul. She reprises the role in a season 2 return while another actress, Becky Armstrong takes up the role in a recent third season called the Girl From Nowhere the Reset.
Kitty summed the up the character Nanno in an interview - she called Nanno the daughter of the Devil/Satan. The basic premise is that Nanno shows up as a transferee to a new school, she tempts someone(s) who is misbehaving, and delivers punishment with a supernatural angle.
The series works best in the first season, somewhat less so in the second when a second Nanno like girl shows up, and falters in the third, the Reset, with Becky playing Nanno.
In general the Devil varies widely by culture. At one extreme he (or his representatives) just commit evil acts against people indiscriminately, e.g. the movie The Exorcist. At the other extreme the Devil is a being who cannot harm humans but he can make deals and or tempt them leaving them to bear the consequences, e.g. Netflix's Lucifer.
Nanno is at her best and most interesting the farther she leans toward the latter temptress option. Unfortunately the individual episodes vary widely muddling the formula. I suspect this is because there are too many people with their own visions involved in the producing / directing / writing roles. It's not always clear that the punishments are deserved.
The series needs some creative control to keep things focused. The first season is great and worth the time, and the second is less satisfying, but you'll probably watch it because of the first season. The Reset is muddled and amateurish. Becky is a capable actress and under proper creative control would work just fine as the new Nanno.
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A good Mature FL
I liked the FL's character. She does dumb things but not dumb for dumbs sake. When the Villian tries to get close to her she actually understands his internations and says 'Dont use me a tool to get back at the ML' I havent heard a Cdrama FL say that ever.It is established that she is intelligent and cunning she does justice for that trait. She doesn't lose all of her boldness and courage once she gets a BF which is good.
Pei Zhen is really good. At one point I really shipped him with the FL.
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Unnecessary plot lines at the end
Yes i have read the novel. And I'm glad that they cut so many of the *weird* things out but they should have cut the whole jail story line. And I have watched the other old version too. Unnecessary plot lines just ruined the whole build up. Acting is good. Loved the second couple. Hope they all act together againWas this review helpful to you?
Too Much unnecessary Cuteness
It was not my Cup of tea. Duang is acting way too cute that it crossed the Cringe levelI did not watch the uncut version so this is just by YouTube version only.. idk if he is acting manly in the NC scenes.. But I find Duangs dialogues too cringe. Their acting is really good so I was just disappointed in the dialogue delivery.
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A Sweet and Silly Fantasy Romcom
I bawled my eyes out watching this show and i'd do it again! I was initially hesitant to watch after reading the reviews. They're not wrong per se, but the lack of thorough plot development is to be expected for something this silly. The slow burn romance in the show is definitely worth the watch for me. I was excited to see what would happen each episode so it was easy to binge watch. If you can enjoy the first two episodes, I think you'll enjoy the show overall. If plot holes, a lack of world building, and having several questions going unanswered sounds like it would bother you, then this may not be the show to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"You are the one I would risk my life to protect. For this life and beyond."
I initially started this drama because of Li Yunrui and Meng Ziyi. I have seen other dramas they are in, such as The Last Immortal and The Untamed. This is the first drama that I have seen where they are the main leads. Ok, honestly, I don't even know where to start with this drama. It's just incredible from start to finish! I also noticed that both POJ and this drama share a director, which I honestly thought was kind of cool. This drama honestly had me hooked from the very beginning! I do love a reincarnation plot, and this drama did it so well! My heart hurt for Dou Zhao in her first life, as her crappy husband had an affair behind her back, and her father also had an affair with another woman. She also lost her mother to suicide, which was truly devastating and heartbreaking to watch. But I loved how Dou Zhao was able to overcome various obstacles following her mother's death and throw herself into business. She is much more intelligent than people give her credit for. The plot of this drama is so intricate, and the plot twists will keep you on the edge of your seat!The first meeting between Dou Zhao and Song Mo honestly gave me chills! The way that he caught her when she fell out of the carriage was so swoonworthy! And I honestly loved the white hair look on him, and I was kind of sad we only had it for one episode. Also, when Song Mo saves her from a stray arrow? AHHHH MY HEART:((( yeah that scene honestly broke my heart, because he was already very weak from poison, but he decided to save her anyways. Fast forward to when they meet again in their second life, and the tension??? He is initially distrustful of Dou Zhao at first, but understandably so, considering the circumstances.
When Song Mo does start to fall for her though, it is just so heartwarming. I love how he is initially a bit awkward, as I assume he's never really felt this way about anyone before. I thought it was hilarious that he asked his guards for advice on Dou Zhao at one point. The way that this man yearns!!! A MAN WHO YEARNS EARNS!!! I just absolutely loved how he allowed her to think things over and sort her feelings out. I loved that he didn't force anything on her and that he also told her that he would respect her decision, should she end up rejecting him in the end.
I adore how fiercely protective he is of her and the way that he loves her is just so beautiful <3 He sees Dou Zhao as a complete equal, and the wedding ceremony just solidified that! There was a part of the wedding ceremony where the groom (I believe) had to sit on a red piece of cloth (or something like that) to symbolize that the bride would obey him in everything, and Song Mo immediately went: No, we won't be doing that because my wife and I are equals. AHHHHH THIS MAN!!! And when the groomsmen were pulling Song Mo away to go and drink, Dou Zhao had something that she wanted to say to him. What does this man do, you ask? He says: "My wife has something to tell me." (STOPPPPPPPP this man literally wasted ZERO time, like he wants to know that Dou Zhao is his wife) Oh and that scene where he carries her through town??? yeah....i was kicking my feet and giggling nonstop <3
Dou Zhao is such a strong character, and it's seen in the way that she has her own ways of protecting Song Mo, even if it's not necessarily with violence or brute strength. I think that Dou Zhao's strengths lie in her resilience and her determination. She is fiercely loyal to those she cares about, and she is also not afraid to call people out. She also is so much more than what people think of her. She possesses this sharp intelligence and knowledge that is just so admirable, and the way that she runs her businesses and everything is just so cool! I also love how she did not allow Song Mo to push her away when the poison was making him lose control and hallucinate. She ignored his pleas for her to stay away and declared that they would face everything together. I love that she wanted to face everything together with him, even if their future was uncertain. Their happy ending was so perfect:((( They have a family of their own:((
There is definitely a lot more I could say, but this will be WAY too long. Overall, there is a reason why this drama is so hyped up. it is 10000% worth the watch!
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