Reviews

A bittersweet remake with a lazy and predictable ending.

For me, one of the biggest problems is that they focused too much on the romance, when it should have been the backdrop, and the focus should have been on the suspense. Okay, it's a remake, the changes are acceptable, but it needs to make sense within the original story, because they completely ruined the quality of the script. A character overcomes the trauma quickly just because they got a boyfriend. Korea is calling viewers stupid because not even the greatest love in the world overcomes trauma, even with years of therapy.

And the killer???? My God, they changed the bartender and chose the most predictable character possible to be the killer, haha.

And I didn't find anything special in the couple's chemistry. Park Min-young's acting was apathetic, without any expression, forced crying scenes, and Wi Ha-joon managed to come across well, the only positive point.

A profound J-drama with melancholic themes of trauma, crime, and guilt, with a romantic backdrop that isn't the main focus, despite the original title being "Ice World." I already anticipated they would ruin the ending by changing the name to "Siren Kiss," since the original title is linked to it. It was swallowed up by a predictable and clichéd romantic happy ending – the famous expected script. They chose the worst possible way to end it. Why didn't they just remake a romantic drama?

It's literally a K-drama inspired by the J-drama, not a remake, as if the screenwriters took the theme of the original and discarded it.

Read More

I guess some dramas DO deserve a second chance

Fated Hearts was… a bit of a rollercoaster for me, and not always the smooth kind. So buckle up for my long ass rant for an overall pretty okay drama. Also, sorry for the person I will become when I reach the rant part of this review.

Was it very enjoyable? Yes. Did it have flaws? MANY. Would I still recommend it for a good time? Absolutely. I find the drama world is filled with so many bs shows and it's becoming increasingly difficult for a drama to keep me engaged enough to want to finish it, so for that reason, this drama deserves its flowers.

I have to preface this by saying that I started this drama MONTHS ago and dropped it after the first 2 episodes until last week.

Now as I mentioned, going in, the first couple of episodes had me doubting my choice and the good reviews. The battle scenes especially felt underwhelming, and the whole thing looked like it wanted to be epic but kept getting stuck in beauty commercial mode. The colors, the shots, it just didn’t do the story justice. This frustrated me to no end because even within the first 2 episodes I SAW THE POTENTIAL. Add in some very questionable editing choices that completely kill the momentum of scenes, and I was already side eyeing by episode 2. It genuinely felt like a drama stuck a few years in the past in terms of execution. This desperately needed the director of Blossom. Now THAT was art.

That said, I’m really glad I gave it another shot because it did get significantly better. The fight scenes improved, the story picked up, and I found myself way more invested than I expected.

Li Qin as Fu Yixiao was a major win for me. I wasn't familiar with her acting so I didn't know what to expect going in, however if I were to choose within a sea of female generals we have seen these past few years, she is by far the most believable. She felt strong both physically and emotionally and THANK GOD the amnesia didn’t wipe her personality like some other dramas (looking at you "Are You the One"). She stayed consistent, capable, and believable and her decisions always aligned with who she was. Her stunt work was also genuinely convincing, you could tell she took those martial arts classes seriously.

Chen Zheyuan also surprised me in a good way. I was skeptical about the casting, but he delivered. Although I could never truly buy him as the cruel "Killer God" they tried to pass him off as. When he embraced his softer side was when his character truly came alive for me. His fight scenes were also pretty solid, even though I always found him a bit skinny to play a battle strong general, the period clothes helped him out a lot and I could gaslight myself long enough to get through the fight scenes.

The chemistry between the leads was also pretty solid. Their dynamic felt balanced, like actual partners rather than one carrying the other (I found the balance similar to Blossom), and the enemies-to-lovers progression was paced well, even if it started off a bit toxic (as it should). Their romantic scenes were also well done, I actually wish we got more, not intricate ones but small light moments here and there towards the end. I actually would have been even happier with the romantic scenes if it weren't for that BIG ASS LIGHT that appeared each time. Was this the directors attempt to strategically blind the censorship committee so they couldn’t see the scenes? Because if the committee can’t see it, guess what, NEITHER CAN I. I was fighting for my life trying to see what was happening.

Also… Chen Zheyuan, respectfully my dude, why are your eyes WIDE open when going in for a kiss? Please.

Now, production choices. The music...why is it so LOUD. Trying to hear the dialogue required actual labor. Also… why the aggressive face smoothing? Everyone is out here blending into the background. The cast is already attractive, we didn’t need this.

Also, the story split into two locations after the halfway point, namely Susha and Jinxiu, and at times it genuinely felt like I was watching two completely different dramas.

The Jinxiu storyline was so lucky to have Chen He Yi’s face because he carried. I know his acting got some lukewarm feedback but I personally couldn't care less because....pretty boy. Call me shallow, I've made my peace with it. The character he plays, Xia Jingshi though? Dogshit. What he did at the end to Xiyang… truly despicable. He bid his time for the throne and acted strategically but my god he has NO heart, at all. This was telling from the start, but it was incredible to see there was no saving grace for him, even for a moment. He was going off of just bad vibes and horrible decisions. My dude literally said "I SHALL NOT BE REDEEMED!" Well, consider your wish granted pretty boy.

Xiyang, on the other hand, was one of the more interesting arcs for me. I found her smart, strategic, and adaptable. Her growth felt earned to me, and I appreciated how she made the most out of her situation. She actively matured and grew a lot in Jinxiu and her motivations, while driven by petty emotion, still made sense to me considering her background and upbringing. Watching her manipulate the Jinxiu emperor was also SO nice. Women in male dominated fields. Honestly, Xia Jingshi was pretty shortsighted for not seeing her value. I'll talk more on my thoughts on her ending in a little bit, so hold off on the pitchforks, I do have some criticism for her.

However, I still don't think her character really deserved the amount of hate she got online. I thought Xiyang was pretty smart and made the best out of the situation she was in, especially as someone who grew up sheltered and not really involved in palace drama, she held herself very well. I began indifferent towards her but after her resolve in regards to Xia Jingshi, she became a very interesting person and I loved her scenes. Obviously, her hatred for Xia Jingshi was unreasonable in some places because yes, he did say time and time again he did not reciprocate her feelings and never will, but I understood her frustration and her reaction felt true to her character and upbringing. She was a beloved princess who was naive enough to believe that her sincerity would make her a small path to Xia Jingshi’s heart. I can't fault her for trying, while holding onto her feelings from years ago built on a fleeting moment of a random act of kindness from Xia Jingshi. Was this stupid? Yes. But does it also kinda make sense for her character? Yeah, kinda. Also when she was pleading with Feng Suige to marry Xia Jingshi and said “I can change him”……Xiyang, I'm going to hold your hand when I say this, no you can’t babe.

The bigger issue lies in the writing for me so... welcome to my descent into madness.

Character development was all over the place so the character shifts felt very abrupt. Murong Yao’s dad? Random personality switch with zero groundwork, not to mention for this character it would have been sooo easy... Also, Suige's little brother Changyang? Went from sheltered teen to master strategist in what felt like one episode. I was genuinely like “did I miss something?” The issue isn’t the arcs themselves but the lack of buildup. Sprinkle in some early hints, some internal conflict, anything! These weren’t bad ideas, they were just poorly set up.

The antagonists also suffered from the same fate. I just thought they weren't very well done. I really like morally grey characters and through decent backstory and motivation I can at least see things from their perspective. I don't have to agree with them but it humanizes them, makes them real instead of just characters which keeps me engaged in the plot. In Fated Hearts however, I found each antagonist undercooked and lacking proper motive. Like “When I was 5 years old the soldiers saved the future emperor instead of me and I.FELT. SAD” like… okay???… nothing else?? REALLY? Even Xia Jingshi, who had EVERY reason to plot a hostile takeover of the court, felt off. His past wasn’t laid out well for the audience and we weren't given enough to connect to him and his sufferings. By the end, he just felt like an obsessive villain and his little rampage felt jarring because it didn't really fit with his character, which was such a waste. I would have wanted to feel torn over his ascend to the throne, but instead it felt unearned. His cruelty was unnecessary and badly explained. I understood him keeping his composure all these years after suffering humiliation and having your life threatened consistently, however, I think if we saw some cracks in his composure leading up to the finale instead of this serene but hypocritical person, I could have understood his actions a bit better and him losing control and going full out lunatic mode wouldn't have felt so jarring.

The show overall felt like it was trying to do a lot within 38 episodes, and while parts of it worked, the pacing for key plot points was a bit off. It’s very much a case of strong leads carrying an undercooked script. If I’m being honest, I stayed for Li Qin, Chen Zheyuan, and their relationship dynamic, not the plot. I'm a sucker for strong leads and mature relationships. And when it came to the Jinxiu plotline, it was Chen He Yi’s face and Xia Meng’s presence doing the heavy lifting. Which… is still an achievement I guess, because I didn’t skip their scenes.

Now, the ending…

Why is Changyang not the emperor? Not to mention Suige talking about the throne like it’s a part time job saying “Xiyang can try it for a few years and if she likes it she can keep it" EXCUSE ME? You did all that for Susha to take the matter of leading it so lightly? I understand that he didn’t want to be emperor himself but my dude...

And Xiyang as empress… I like her, but where was the groundwork for that? I’m all for female rulers, give me that ANY day, but you have to build it. I fear the writers wanted it to be a girl power moment but forgot to establish this within the script. While I did applaud Xiyang for holding her own in the Jinxiu court, she is far from being a leader herself. You can't deny that her motivations were still heavily driven by emotion, pride, and petty revenge. I did not see a leader there, mainly because she wasn’t mature enough.

Meanwhile, Changyang, despite being younger, actually felt calm, strategic, and fit for the role by the end. I really wish we got a proper conversation between the siblings about what they wanted, instead of the script forcing a “he didn’t want it anyway” narrative just to justify the outcome. Did they ever show us in any part of the story that Xiyang had an ambition like this? No. Was it even hinted that she would make a good ruler? No. Like… lay the groundwork and I’ll take a female leader ANY DAY. But you have to do the work!!

That said… I did enjoy this. It gave me:

- a genuinely strong female lead (yay)
- believable chemistry
- a solid enemies to lovers plot
- eye candy second male lead
- not super boring plot that kept me watching

Am I happy I gave it another shot? Yes.
Am I still side eyeing the director for those first two episodes and the big light? Also yes.

Random note: Feng Suige’s brother is adorable and the actor lowkey looks like Rowoon.

Read More

Dare I say one of the best costume dramas!!

okay i need everyone to listen to me because i have to talk about pursuit of jade and i genuinely cannot hold this in anymore
this drama did something to me. something irreversible. i started it as one person and finished it as a completely different person and i think that needs to be acknowledged
and before anyone questions my taste let me establish my credentials real quick. i have been a zhang linghe glazer since love between fairy and devil. SINCE THEN. i have watched everything this man has been in. every project every look every era i have seen it all and i am telling you right now with full confidence and zero bias (okay maybe a little bias but its earned bias) that pursuit of jade is his best look yet. unbeatable. and tian xiwei i have followed her for so long as well watched so much of her work and THIS is her best too. both of them peaking in the same drama at the same time?? the universe was just showing off at that point and we were simply blessed enough to witness it
not a single bad angle between the two of them. not one. not a single second in the entire drama where either of them looked anything less than completely ethereal and this includes scenes where they were literally on the verge of death!! half conscious barely breathing clearly suffering and still looking like THAT?? i have watched zhang linghe look good in many things i thought i was prepared. i was not prepared for this. and same with xiwei she has always been stunning but something about this drama just hit different. these two just decided they were going to be the most beautiful people to ever exist in a historical drama and then they did it like it was nothing
but if you came here thinking this is just a pretty drama to look at then babe you missed everything and we need to have a conversation. And the music and ost slaps too. goosebumps!
the people calling xie zheng weak genuinely hurt my feelings because that take misses the entire point of his character. this man escaped death. ESCAPED IT. and yall want him to come back immediately doing cool sword stuff and proving himself?? he was already the marquis of wu’an with his own troops and a whole legacy built before episode one even started!! he had nothing left to prove!! Marquis doesn’t need to prove why he is a marquis! the drama understood that!! so instead of giving us yet another male lead who needs to constantly flex his capabilities every five minutes they gave fan changyu the spotlight she deserved and let her fully resolve what was hers to resolve. she carried this drama on her back with a butcher’s knife and pure stubbornness and only then did xie zheng step in to finish what was his. that balance was so intentional and so well done and honestly so rare to see in a historical drama and i had to pause mid episode multiple times just to appreciate it
also the way they softened xie zheng from his novel version?? novel readers you know what i’m talking about. that man in the book was not soft at all not even slightly. and the drama pulled back just enough to give us all these warm wholesome moments the novel never really allowed. changning getting her unofficial parents through them was so tender and so quietly beautiful. that little found family arc grew so naturally without ever feeling forced and those moments were honestly some of my favorites in the whole drama. so grateful they made that choice because we got so much more sweetness out of it
the child actors were incredible and nobody talks about them enough. they built the emotional foundation for everything that came after and they did it so well. snow kong was amazing. honestly everyone was amazing. not a single dull character not a single wasted role the whole cast just showed up and delivered
and wei yan. okay wei yan. a villain you can actually understand hits so differently than one you just hate and wei yan was exactly that kind of villain. you could follow his logic even while watching him do genuinely awful things and that kind of grey morally complex writing is so hard to pull off and they did it so well. terrible person. completely understandable. both things at once. love to see it
and the behind the scenes detail of their managers not getting along in real life while these two were out here giving us one of the best on screen pairings in recent cdrama history is the funniest thing i have ever heard in my life. the professionalism. the absolute refusal to let any of that affect what they were building on screen. they just showed up and gave us THAT and then went home. legends honestly
pursuit of jade you changed the game and i was here for all of it and i am still not over it and i don’t think i ever will be.
( will forever hate the leakers tho )

Read More

How susceptible are you to PUA?

A drama that explores and deep dives into PUA techniques (Chinese slang for emotional manipulation, psychological abuse, or gaslighting) used in relationship crimes. It shows exactly how people become targeted and the thrill the predators gain from inflicting this type of abuse. The drama gives us enough hints from episode 1 that Luo Liang is not as he seems, yet viewers can't help going back and forth on his sincerity. They might ask questions, "But maybe he did love Yan Ling at some point?" and "Maybe he was pushed into a corner?" but the drama will make sure viewers leave this drama with no question that Luo Liang is not a good person. His cowardice, his inability to admit his own wrongs, etc. are all laid bare. Yan Ling on the other hand shows us someone who despite her traumas, wants and continues to work hard to be a moral person. It would have been easy for her to continue living in a fantasy, but she continues to survive and saved many others along the way. Just as she was there for others, she had others besides her to make sure she doesn't fall into a hole. Overall, an excellent thriller drama with A+ acting from the cast. One of my favorite C-dramas this year for sure.

Read More

my Little bro is picky, it's dead to anyone but her ~ Xu Si'An

A.K.A. back to you, my violet Love ... i highly recommend this drama to all short rom-com drama fans .. the story is clean, the characters are loveable and the ending is satisfactory.
so the plot tells tale of couple that broke up due to some special circumstances and misunderstanding the girl had about the boy.. she dumps him and back away without proper explanation. four year later he is back for revenge .. like not 'revenge' revenge but 'i-will-follow-you-until-you-take-me-back 'revenge. So, he joins her joins company as CEO, promoting her as his personal assistant and start being pain in her a$$. As the time pass the feeling reignite and they rekindle their love after various trials. The best thing about this story was instead of a proper break-up it seemed like they were into a 4-years long couple fight; cause even after 4 years apart , she kept dreaming of him; he kept her, the sole heir of his heritance all this time. apart from this for a mini drama format the plot offers many shades of emotion , there is psychological pain, regrets, longing, fear of pursuing what heart desires, trauma, blind love, screwed parent-child relation, and a lot more.
chemistry between Lin Feng Song and tan yanyan was amazing. Lin Feng Song indeed surprised me .. he was so adorable .. a walking green flag ... tan yanyan added her own charm to the recipe.
~Definitely a must-watch.

Read More

Journey of the crown prince to Emperor!

From a carefree young man full of innocent to the emperor of the great nation. This is full of friendship, love, lost (not too much) and victory.

The palace is full of corruption and power hungry group of people who stop at nothing to tighten control.

The ML together with crown prince clean up the capital and along the way meet lovers some one sided, others short lived and friends who together fight for the people.

Their are multiple archs in this drama. It shows how crucial it is that every branch of government/department be governed by honest and trustworthy people.

The country's Military, Intelligence department, palace (eunuch) household department and officials can cause great harm with corrupt leaders

Read More

Fantastic efects

This serial is awsome and exciting. I realy liked the story but it would be better with little more love story. The efects are fantastic, realistic and the atcing is good too.

I dont want too spoil the story but after seaing the anding there will be the NEXT season and i can’t wait for this.

The maine actor is so handsome😍

There is only a few moments with music, i think ust too litle.

Don’t look belowe, it’s just to uplouded the coment.



































m
m
m
mm
m
m
m
m

Read More

Predictable, but other than that a good drama with thrill, mystery and romance in it...

Started off great but then in the last 2-3 episodes, it lost its momentum... The ending was okayish as the killer was too some point predictable but his motive was already predictable as he was always the lead prime suspect... I really thought they are gonna twist it in the last episode but they didn't do it... Ngl but till the scene of the FL and the culprit talking scene, him explaining her why he did, I thought there is a still a twist coming probably but I was wrong... Instead took a whole episode to stretch it.. I think it could have been better as the starting of the drama was great with intense thrill and suspense of who might be the killer but it failed to deliver... Overall, a great story with so much potential but it failed to deliver at last that too with a predictable ending... But its a good mystery thriller with romance, melodrama, especially how the leads got their happy endings (I was happy to see that though)... One can enjoy this in its free time because its gripping (although it had some loopholes)...

Read More

Entertaining Lovely and funny at times

I love stories that go from modern times to the past. Even though this one didn’t have the usual time-travel twist, it was still fun to watch, relax, and laugh

Spoiler :

Male lead gets into an accident and dreams the whole drama. Don't neglect it just because of this, no drama is real so why do so. You will enjoy this, it has no jealousy, violent hate or any heart wrenching emotions. The ML is from dream of splendor. If you have seen it you will know this is good.

I usually don’t write reviews since others cover everything, but I saw just one review and had to add mine.

Read More

MID, AND WEAK (dropping it)

after watching Episode 1: honestly, disappointing. I came in because of Elvira Cai, expecting something engaging with solid drama, but it turned out really bad. One of the worst directions I’ve seen in any drama. The director clearly doesn’t understand what this drama is supposed to be, so the nuances, setting, and overall environment just don’t land right.
The writing and character interactions are nothing special, and it all feels like the work of an immature director. It’s hard to ignore so many mistakes. For example, that boat scene... they used a body double (which is normal in dramas and movies), but it was so obvious you could instantly tell it wasn’t her. That’s poor direction. It might not seem like a big deal, but I just can’t unsee things like that. My instinct tells it's not going in the right direction there's no thrill or excitement at all in the entire episode.
On top of that, the camera angles are off, the execution feels weak, and the production value is very mid. Overall, I just can’t push myself to continue this. I think I need to drop it here.

0

Read More

Masterful and refreshing adaptation

The absolute BEST Boys Over Flowers adaptation. All the cliches of the tale without the massive cringe and toxic red flags.

Gorya and Thyme are easily the best part of the drama. Each stands strong individually in their personality. Gorya is the determined, headstrong FL who doesn't take any BS and Thyme is this dumb but well-meaning puppy in-love who actually has character growth. Their chemistry is adorable and it's cute to see how they went from enemies to lovers.

It's like the drama takes the very classic story of the arrogant, rich guy with the stubborn, poor girl, picked out all the flaws, and transformed it into this coming-of-age masterpiece.

Read More

Entertaining and forgettable!

This drama is what I would call "entertainment that feels like a chore... kinda", because while I will say that it was entertaining many of the times-- it also goes around in circles and spends most of its runtime on plot twists that are simply nothing more than just twists. You know what I mean? As in, it shocks you for the moment but leaves no actual impact on the viewer OR the plot itself.

Also are prisons really this easy to escape? I don't know what it's like in Japan but are female COs allowed at male prisons? That aside, being the romance fan that I am, the whole "epic" romance they had going on here felt underdeveloped and... unearned? Like it legit grew out of nowhere. I was just confused.

Still, if you're looking for some mindless entertainment to binge watch, this is not bad. I personally don't take too kindly to corny entertainment that is trying too hard to be something meaningful lol. Hot poster and cool soundtracks though!

Read More

stepcest question mark

i tried so hard to care about this stepcest ragebait & make sense of the general plot idea but i guess #DeadDoveDoNotEat always prevails. i found the cast to be fine and i love the work qiming fei puts into his support roles ,, he's mastered the craft and his ability brought a lot of light into the episodes that i watched.

⟢ maybe i just pull out scripts that do injustice to esther yu as an actress, but i'm severely underwhelmed by her typecast tendencies. the music is cringy & the production isn't anything above average, but i really liked the filming locations and insight into the streets of thailand. . .all thai actors did great!

truly whatever ._.

Read More