Reviews

will definitely be rewatching :)

(review from 2022)

this has become my current favorite historical while watching it nearly three years after its release. it's almost on the red sleeve level — and i'm not saying that lightly. it's a romcom in many parts, but as someone who doesn't care much about that genre anyway; it's like a sugary snack — it gives a fleeting sense of mild enjoyment but its tropes and cheesy antics rarely fill up a full series — i found the romance in this show, which was quite minimal actually, very enjoyable due to the characteristics of the leads and their combined dynamic.

to elaborate, in contrary to the usual trope depicted in mediums, where the leads are portrayed as a damsel in distress and her rescuer, the roles are reversed here, where the male lead — portayed by cha eunwoo, whom i found was casted perfectly in contrary to his notorious acting reputation — is a lonesome prince, locked away in a palace from the rest of the royals and is very childlike due to his lack of human interaction and thus, lacks judgement and common sense. the female lead on the other hand, is an ambitious educated noble, who doesn't take no for an answer from anyone and cleverly fights for her ideologies with the tip of her ink brush. she doesn't indulge in the common romance novels circulating around the country per other noblewomen and seeks to become an intellectual with a firm set of beliefs and virtues. in some intangible way, the two leads' story was almost like rapunzel: the damsel in distress locked away in her (or his in this case) tower, and the smart, firm heroine who finds him and slowly brings him out of his oblivion to show him the world. (the story of rapunzel actually makes a small appearance in the drama and the female lead disses the silly nature of the fairy tale :‑D) but as you can imagine, when combined, the female and male lead's dynamic and advancing romantic relationship felt very refreshing and innocent given their respective temperaments.

another thing that i found particularly refreshing and i loved was how minuscule, for a lack of better word, the conflict was. this is a historical first and foremost, and historicals always have to include some sort of political intrigue within the palace walls, no matter the genre or time period. due to this, i have begun to find historicals repetitive and uninteresting given the nature of their drama structure. however, the political aspect of this drama is barely nonexistent for the first half of the series; there's no prominent villains, arising problems or high stakes. instead, the conflict and the extent of the political conspiracy slowly creeps onto the characters in the latter half of the show as the leads begin to learn more about themselves and the environment around them. even so, i didn't find it tedious per usual historicals — it was original and exciting! especially because we are introduced to it near the end of the show so it explains a ton of the prior scenes and ties into all of the characters' pasts and clearly explains their motives! everything felt like puzzle pieces coming together, and it felt so satisfying watching the characters come to terms with their origins and backstories.

and lastly, the aspect that i found the most interesting and delightful about the show were the topics introduced. the show takes place in the early nineteenth century, where new advancements had arrived from neighbouring countries and joseon had begun to adopt new ideologies and ways. in many parts, this show depicted the change in society, and the turmoil that followed — similarly to mr sunshine, another one of my favorites. mr sunshine depicted the time period of the japanese colonization in korea — decades before rookie historian. the difference in moods is worlds apart. and yet, rookie historian still touches upon topics of importance — just with a considerably lighter manner. topics like sexism and the faint ideas of feminism; oppression related to views and ideas; the banning and burning of books; political views and how they can often snowball; dethronement and the legitimacy of the heir to the throne; foreign medicinal remedies; religious intolerance (more specifically how catholiclism came to be in joseon) and finally, the importance of historians, not only in the royal court but also in broader korean history. all of these topics made appearances in the drama, whether it was an underlying theme or a small subplot. i found myself learning a lot about early joseon and how it came to be the korea that we know of it now — even despite the fact that i've seen a ton of other historicals already. even so, i found myself fascinated with rookie historian's content and the type of story it decided to tell.

as a whole, rookie historian goo hae-ryung stands apart from other historicals due to its refreshing nature in which it depicted a soft and swoony romance, all while keeping a consistently light tone, even when discussing heavy topics like politics and sexism. i found it particularly fresh as i had seen several historicals prior (as mentioned before), so i was well-versed in the content and format already, but rookie historian gave a new take and perspective on the historical genre and offered a wonderful pacemaker amidst all of the other repetitive genres — investigative crime, cheesy romance, fantasy, melodrama — that i had been stuck in a loop watching. the show occasionally made me smile or crack up with laughter, but other than the laughs it produced, i appreciate how it had something to say above anything else. bold and (arguably) still relevant social and political commentaries that popped up here and there ultimately made a meaningful and informative watch.

i wouldn't rate this drama incredibly high because it's not my style on paper, but i still had a very enjoyable time watching it and will treasure the memories of it for a long time to come. for anyone who's skeptical that it might be unpleasant or cheesy due to its advertised romance tag, i, an avid thriller and action lover, found myself completely enamoured by the antics and messages rookie historian told. i loved the characters: historians who fought for what they wrote and believed in, royals and crown princes who pursued to create a great reign, and physicians who struggled to spread knowledge about medicine; each character added great depth and personality to the story — whether it be from their hilarious antics and comedic microexpressions or their frequently deep revelations and resolute dialogue. the acting, music, cinematography and costumes were all dreamlike and on point as well, so props to all of the wonderful actors and the masterful team who wrote, acted, and produced; consequently bringing such a story to life.

before i end this lengthy review, i just wanted to leave a quote from the show to sum up its message and essence;

“Even if you slash my throat, our brushes will not stop writing. If I die, another historian will take my place; if you kill that historian, another will take their place. Even if you kill every historian in this land, and take away all the paper and brushes, you won't be able to stop us. From mouth to mouth, teacher to student, elder to child, history will be told. That is the power of truth" - Goo Hae-ryung.

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A take on how meddling with the past is never smart

A compelling take on grief; if we had the chance to bring a dead loved one back to life, we all would without even thinking of the consequences it would bring. Though the movie uses a very direct approach when it comes to what the costs would be (it’s a movie, it has to be entertaining so…), I believe that what it is trying to convey is very much out there on the open; dealing with the loss of a loved one is something you have no other choice but to learn how to do and that the sorrow that comes with it should drive you to hold on to the relationships you have with the living.
You can always trust Korean thrillers to have as many plot twists as they can and this movie sure does not disappoint in that accord. It honestly depends a lot on your own personal taste, but at no point did I find myself bored or wondering how much of the movie was still left. The pace in the beginning is a little off but it’s understandable because it’s only supposed to be the premise and the rest of the movie needs the time to feel as high-tension as it did. I do think that it would not be as interesting on a second watch, but I can’t say that without actually watching it a second time.
The cinematography is not bad but it’s ordinary; some play with the color hues, nothing unforgettable. I also don’t have much to say about the acting; none of the performances will remain in my memory as striking but the two main actresses did a good job either way. The script is one of the things done really well in my opinion, there were no lines that felt out of place or that seemed wrong. As for the most memorable scene in the movie, for me it will be the one of Seo-yeon and her dad in the car.
Many people have already pointed this out, but the last seconds of this movie pretty much ruined it. The ending where everything cycles back to the beginning and it’s just Seo-yeon and her mother but no longer estranged, was the perfect ending. Should’ve turned off my laptop then.

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Chemistry is Hot, but the Rest NOT!!!

The only thing this show had going for it is the chemistry. Our main leads had some of the most amazing chemistry I have ever seen and I know part of that is the Director. However, the story was extremely lacking. What started out as a promising intriguing story turned into this bland commercial ridden show with loads of sex scenes. The last episode was completely useless, it was one long commercial. I’m going to take a look and see if our leads have acted in anything else. Most of the secondary cast was useless and didn’t really serve a point. I did like the music though, it fit very well with most of the scenes.

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Not at all what I thought it would be..

.. which actually turned out to be a good thing. There was a lot of hype around this series being geared toward a more mature audience and having adult themes, not just in the NC sense. There was a lot of talk about it incorporating aspects of Omegaverse so I was interested to see what they did with that... whether it was going to be a major plot point or just a passing mention like "Oh, by the way, I'm an Alpha, just so you know."

What I thought it would be, based on the trailer:
-sports drama based on racing
-"playboy denying he's falling for a guy" type of romance
-rivalry between racers as main source of conflict
-father trying to cash in on son's success

While the first few episodes make it seem like it is setting up for some of the above.... Spoiler alert.. it's actually about none of the above and only mildly focused on the racing aspect. The story we actually got was much more involved and, quite honestly, more interesting to me, personally, than if it were simply about car racing. The "omegaverse" aspect was actually the main focus of the overall plot although it's not quite the omegaverse that is commonly portrayed in novels/webcomics/etc which typically includes the secondary sexes, mPreg, going into heat, amongst other things. In this series, they do have Alphas and Enigmas where both can have supernatural abilities and strengths. Scenting plays a small part as well though that is more because of the fact Babe's specific special ability is heightened senses, which obviously include his sense of smell.

But in this series, the big focus is on the Alphas being rare "super human" beings that all have different abilities which manifest as they get older. It was very X-Men to me, quite honestly, as every Alpha had different "powers" and I found myself keeping them straight by comparing them to their X-Men counterpart.

The overall plot was very involved and nerve-wracking while at face value it just looks like the good guys are going after a super villain and his cronies. However, as agendas are revealed and the entirety of the situation unfolds, it actually turned out to be some of the most interesting story writing I've seen in a BL to date. It's very rare this happens, but I would dare say that the story was what kept me more invested rather than the acting. A lot of times, an actor's performance will save a series for me and keep me from either dropping it or giving it a bad review because of bad or uninteresting plot. But here, it was the opposite.

I wouldn't say the acting was "bad" per say, but there were definitely some better than others, which became evident when they all had scenes together. Pavel was really good, especially when it came to the emotional scenes in the later episodes. He wasn't afraid to "ugly cry" which made it that much more believable. Pooh wasn't bad but he certainly wasn't outstanding. I feel like he either got better over time or he just grew on me throughout the course of the show. (most likely the latter since these things don't typically shoot in chronological order.)

Nut's performance was very good and, honestly, I think he pulled off the complexity of his character very well. We don't find out much about him as an individual until about halfway through but there's always this underlying question of "what is his deal?" from the very beginning because something just seems "off." Nut portrayed this extremely well with little nuances sprinkled throughout and it's almost like a "blink and you miss it" kind of thing.

There's actually quite a bit of that going on throughout the series with multiple characters and I found the guessing game to be very captivating. I think the only characters I never questioned their motives or true feelings were Babe, Mr. Tony and Alan. They were pretty much "what you see is what you get" all the way through.

This was also one of the few times I've seen a series where everything is explained, tied together and resolved by the end. There's nothing introduced for the drama aspect only to be forgotten about or given a half-assed resolution. Everything that happens is important and it all gets wrapped up by the finale. It was a breath of fresh air not leaving the series with questions or feeling like something is missing. All of it is very satisfying in that regard.

That being said, I can see this not being for everyone as it is very heartbreaking and frustrating every time the "heroes" are thwarted and they have to start over. People looking for a more mature love story may also find it somewhat lacking as the romance part takes a back seat to everything else going on. It's certainly NOT a light a fluffy watch. But I assure you, it truly is engaging and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next pretty much from start to finish. I definitely liked it a lot more than I thought I might and I would gladly watch it again in the future.

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A Joke Into Vampire Lore

Story

“Heartbeat” is a drama about a Vampire who wants to become a human and in order to do so he has to sleep for 100 years in a coffin but before completing 100 years he gets involved with a human girl 

And since it involves Vampires and is supposed to be a “romcom”, I was expecting so much, cause I’m so invested in such genre and I watched many. Every Drama or Movie I watched created its own world and mystery. From good to evil to grey areas, every kind of vampire is there, and this Drama was no exception. The director and writer tried hard to create their own world and to come up with a new concept and idea, unfortunately, they started it very well then they ruined it completely. When it comes to plot and writing, creativity and mysteries are not everything, if you can create mysteries, that’s good, very good indeed but if you cannot solve them with ease and wrap them up nicely, it's quite a problem because all such work will go down the drain. And this is what this Drama has done exactly.

As well as, Vampires who are one of the most menacing and terrifying creatures in Fiction, became a total joke; they’re vampires who are not vampires! So neither does it give us the typical vampire lore nor succeed in creating its own. Some will say “This is a rom-com, being absurd is an ordinary thing in such genre” but actually this was only in the first half of the Drama, the other half took a nosedive into another genre.

This Drama had so much potential and could be something and was very good in its first part but was butchered due to the bad storytelling and poor screenwriting.

Acting/Actors

Despite that, the cast was somehow balanced. Taec Yeon’s acting was superb, many of his scenes with In Hae will make you burst into laughter and they had a good chemistry to a certain degree. Most of the supporting actors’ acting was so good, you could tell that they are talented, except for Seo Hoo his acting was terrible, his facial expressions were bizarre and poorly executed, and he was not convincing at all, having him as a villain will not give you that eerie feeling nor will make you think that the situation is serious.

Music

Music was so good and fitting, I really enjoyed it, especially the opening ost “I revive – Han Seung Yoon".

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It was something new, even if it got a bit messy

I had quite high expectations for the series. The trailer looked interesting, even with all the red flags it threw at us. The plot was good, it made sense to some extent, but there were still some plot holes left and many, many stupid decisions. Not that anyone expected anything else. It did get a bit messy at times, especially with so many characters that each had their own plot.

Now, for the omegaverse aspect of the series. I, as most other fanfic readers out there, have at least a little bit of an idea what omegaverse is and how it works. It’s not usually my cup of tea, I’ll admit that, but it’s something I can deal with when it’s not too in your face. I didn’t mind it too much in the series, I even missed some elements of it. So, while certain things were hinted at, I wish they were clearer, especially the whole enigma-alpha relationships.

Charlie & Babe: I am not a fan of how the two started, and I only got less impressed as the series progressed and more things were revealed. Both of them are big red flags, but somehow, they made it work. They both have past trauma and find it hard to easily trust people. But while Charlie tends to make plans and then act on them, Babe tends to rush into things with not much thinking. He’s very hotheaded. Communication? We don’t know her. The two were very quick to forgive each other and forget about everything that had happened, which is both good and bad. Bad, because a lot of very problematic things were just swept under the rug. Good, because the story would drag on too much otherwise. I liked the chemistry between Pavel and Pooh, and I really liked how Pavel handled the more emotional scenes.

I feel like this is a good space to mention Way. He made me go through so many different emotions. His story is one of the major plot holes and unsolved situations of the series. I feel like his story did not get a proper closure, but it was the lazy way out. Nut was great in portraying Way’s emotions, especially love and jealousy.

Alan & Jeff: They were such cuties! Even if there were a lot of lies and secrets between the two at some point, they talked about it. Jeff is a loner and very reserved, which is very understandable with his upbringing. And Alan is just full of love that he is always trying to share with his boys. In a way, he collected a group of lost boys and gave them love and a chance to thrive under his guidance. It’s no surprise started to melt around Alan at some point. I found their height difference adorable. I also liked the chemistry between Sailub and Pon.

There are a lot of other possible and hinted at ships throughout the series. But if there is one that I am fully on, it’s the North and Sonic ship. The two were a breath of fresh air. There was the least drama surrounding them. I loved their little bickering moments, vlogs, and them trying to be helpful but not really managing to do that.

As for the other characters, Tony is horrible. Kenta is… hurting. He doesn’t know how to quit being Tony’s right hand, no matter how much he hurts him, humiliates him. Pete was a surprise; I wasn’t really sure what to expect from him. Similarly with Kim, and even Dean. Winner is not worth the trouble of talking about him. But all the actors played their characters well, even if some of the villains felt a bit cartoonish.

All in all, it was a good watch, but I think it needed something more to be amazing.

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If you liked season 1 this does continue the story

8/10 is my rating. This the second season of a popular South Korean Horror, Action Fantasy series with Apocalyptic overtones. It was released in 2023 and has eight 62-85 minute episodes

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

The remaining residents of the apartment complex had to move when the military arrived. Cha Hyun Soo (Song Kang) originally travels with another monster human hybrid but is voluntarily taken by the military. The rest of the group, are originally destined for a shelter that is supposedly ran for the survivors. They quickly realize the military and others mean to exterminate everyone for fear they have been infected. On their journey to find a new place for themselves, they battle monsters, the hybrids, the military as well as other survivors. This is a journey through their epic struggle for survival.

Characters (Main Cast)

ChaHyunSoo (Song Kang) Teenager who wound up living in the apartment complex after losing his family in a tragic car accident. He was infected but was able to resist losing his humanity and saved the humans multiple times in the First season.

Seo Yi Kyun (Lee Si young) She is a former special forces in the military and most recently was a firefighter. Her fiancé was one of the lead scientists on the monsterization experiments but was declared dead by the military.

LeeEunWoo (Go Min Si) A teenager with a chip on her shoulder. She is one of the few that do not see Hyun Soo as primarily a monster.

Pyeon Sang Wook (Lee Jin Wook) originally a thuggish gangster who they discovered was not as bad as he at first seemed. He had reasons. He is taken over by one of the hybrid monsters and now is host to multiple human and monster presences.

Park Chan Young (Jung Jin Young) A soldier who does not agree with some of his superiors and counterparts’ treatment of civilians.

Dr. Lim (Oh Jung Se) An unethical scientist willing to sacrifice “subjects” to create the ultimate human monster hybrids.

Kim Young Soo (Choi Go) They youngest of the group of survivors. The adults took him in when his father tragically fell to his death while trying to save his children.

Kim Soo Young (HeoYool) The second to youngest of the survivor group. She is Young Soo’s older sister.

Yoon Ji Su (Park Gyu Young) An edgy young woman who plays the guitar and tragically lost her boyfriend to suicide. She was depressed and people mistook that for being a loaner.

Review

The first season focused on an introduction to the monsterization concept and a group of people in one apartment complex as a set of them went from strangers to a family like group. It was surviving in a world turned upside down but in a very succinct environment. This season all of the residents from the complex before are out in the larger area but wind up settled in a stadium with a bunch of new people and are kept safe by an elite group of soldiers who journey out to secure resources and guard the survivors living in the stadium. The lines between good and evil and monster and human are very blurry. Some of the questions from the first season are answered but a whole new set of questions are revealed. As expected it ends on yet another cliff hanger. Which is typical Netflix they always want to leave it open so they can maximize profit. It ruins one thing I really liked about Korean shows, they were, for the most part, concluded in one season. Even if additional seasons were on the horizon, they would still end the first season wrapped up, in most of them. But you let United States based streaming platforms get ahold of them and all of a sudden we have these series that could go on for a long time. I heard there is a 3rd season. And will that be it? It’s like the “song that never ends.” I could deal with multiple seasons if it was known exactly how many seasons they plan. But, since they don‘t even know, it’s all about whether or not they make profit, it is frustrating that you don’t know how long it will run.

Overall it’s a compelling and interesting story, and you do learn more about monsterization. But don’t expect it to end neatly wrapped up or necessarily happy. It is very “Game of Thrones” in that, just because a character is popular, doesn’t necessarily mean they will survive. It is a great addition to a genre that doesn’t have a lot of offerings. I would recommend it to science fiction fans.

Spoilers

I ended this one with even less hope for humanity. So many characters are lost in this it seems everyone will either be turned monster or be killed by monsters. Characters are slowly picked off one by one.

Even after two seasons I still do not fully understand why there is some much variety in monsters. Why are there whole sets of the same type of monster? Why is this one hideous and that one looks more human? I know it has something to do with human desire and emotions but it is never fully explained.

It has some romantic hints but no real romantic elements so anyone looking for that should look elsewhere. Which is good if you want to watch something with someone who is allergic to romance. I think if there was some romance in it then there would be a sense of hope for humanity. As it is, it sees very hopeless and that becomes a bit of a downer.

My main complaint is just the way Netflix leaves things hanging with no guarantee of additional seasons. At the end of this you have the firefighter and former special services character who just got monsterized and is some kind of half human and half monster manifestation who seems to have an interesting duality of hating all monsters and yet embracing them at the same time. There are the soldiers that went to the old military research facility to rescue their brother in arms and are now trapped or at least in the process of being turned into something else. The former leader of the complex and angsty teenager turned angry young woman’s brother has finally emerged and you want to know if he has retained his humanity. What about Hyunsoo? His monster side is fully in control and he is not at all acting like himself after discovering in a vision that all the monsters are happy.

I really like the one youngest soldier and he has a thing it seems for the angsty ballet dancing teenage girl turned angry young woman looking for her brother. He never reveals his feelings for her though and leaves her to go back to the stadium. She, on the other hand, seems to have feelings for Hyunsoo which creates a weird love triangle. Will they dig into that in the 3rd season or just keep dancing around all the potential relationships? Usually in end of the world type scenarios more people couple up. So, it would make sense. But these survivors do not seem at all interested in continuing the species.

I am very interested to see where things will go just frustrated that Netflix is able to hold the audience hostage with no commitment to finish the series. I would be happier if each season would wrap up with all the current questions. The concept could still be extended in the next season as there is so much to expand on. But I don’t like a cliff hanger at the end of every season with no assurance they will continue as unfinished stories feel like a waste of time.

#ParkGyuYoung

#SongKang

#LeeSiYoung

#GoMinSi

#LeeJinWook

#YooOhSung

#OhJungSe

#JungJinYoung

#ParkGyuYoung

#KimMuYeol

#SweetHome2

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Beware Tooth Decay, Brain Rot and Utter Boredom

Full disclosure. I started this because Tan Jian Ci plays the ML. I love his music, highly enjoyed his role in Under The Skin and hoped this would be just as good, if completely different. This drama severely disappointed.

Nothing happens in this drama, and that would've been okay if the main couple had had chemistry. But they don't. Literally NONE. I can't blame Tan Jian Ci. His portrayal of the perfect, doting boyfriend--while completely unrealistic--was well acted. The FL's part was horribly written. Rarely have I seen such a cardboard-cutout character. A rutabaga would've had more personality than her character. There is no depth. For the first part of the show, she can barely talk to the ML, she is literally speechless. Her 'hmm' responses drove me crazy. The main leads have exactly one thing in common--using their voice to create and entertain--and they never actually start and maintain a conversation based on that topic...or any other. They don't click, they don't mesh. She loves his voice. He loves her...I honestly don't know what he loves about her.

The OST is beautiful and the drama is well filmed, but the story lacks just about everything needed to make it good. I hope Tan Jian Ci is able to star in another modern, romance style drama at some point. One with better writing and co-lead chemistry.

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Missed the plot

I agree with a lot of reviews about this drama. I expected so much from the first episodes and BIM... Nothing
They put a lot of effort to build the vilain in the drama, and the back story was great. The fact that Him had PTSD, the fact that Nail was Blue doppelganger, the ex who cheated with a girl... all that could have made a great storyline. But the just denied everything. One episode they fight at the end, the next they already made up from the start, so it's confusing.
And all building the story to have absolutely no tension at the end.... Where was the drama????

Nothing was used and you feel watching episode 11 and 12 that it can't be IT. And you realize you lost your time.
Now, the side stories with Pie, who is doing what Him did to Blue to his new s.x buddy Chao. He tries to become his boyfriend, but he is still close to his ex who wanted to use Pie to make a s. tape for money. That could have been more dramatic, like the violence in "Love in the Air" r.ape scene, but nothing? Chao just caught the conversation, and saw the Instagram and that was all.

It was the first movie made by Wayu Pattharawut, CEO of Y entertainment and director for this drama. But it's not a good start. We had similar problems with "Unforgotten Night" who had great unused potential. Maybe the CEO should focus on making his YouTube Channel and social media clearer and employ scenarists that can actually make a novel better on screen!!!

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Recommended starter watch

Are you new to c dramas? Are you a bit lost with all long haired costume dramas? Never fear! Here is the drama which showcases all different kinds of historical chinese costume dramas.

The story is interesting: fateful but amnesiac lovers in the immortal realm have to go through seven love tribulation. The events take place in different worlds and the pair has the strong impression that there is more than meets the eye.

Every setting is intriguing: from animals to princesses and generals to immortals and demons. There is the running animal theme throughout: a tiger and a hog! The actors are good but are for the most part stone faced and they start thawing towards each other steadily as their memories return. The ML has cute dimples and is so pretty with that long hair... The FL has small, very tiny mouth(bad job, make up artist!).

The problem is that in spite of interesting idea and great setting, it is far too long, it drags on and on and on (so much so they messed up the timelines often and were illogical: so try not to use your brain while watching!)...I don't know how many times I fell asleep in front of an episode and later realizing I had not missed anything! The CGI was pretty. The bad guys wore white and the good guys black. How original though it can be surprising if you do not expect it! Immortals' battles are boring: they stand facing each other pointing swords and lances and shooting energy until one of them runs out, falls over coughing blood. Apparently not everyone has the same coloured blood: his is red and hers is blue. Well, she's an empress, after all!

While watching, I kept wondering: what could those immortals be doing for tens of thousands of years in heavenly realm. There is nothing to do: I guess they go and play in mortal realm. In heavenly one they are just haughty, elegant and chaste...I mean the main couple barely kissed, they were usually interrupted by an event of disastrous proportions every time they started getting a bit frisky!

Still, a nice watch but I will stick to short costume dramas from now on!LOL

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Not worth it unless you're bored

This drama starts pretty well. The story is not very original, it's one of those classic 'damsel in distress' plot with a touch of fantasy. Nothing wrong with that.
My problem is with the main's character lines... It's like writer's believed that Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang physical appearance's where enough to fill the plot. Instead of exploring the relationship on a deeper level, we're sitting through several minutes of empty stares, futile discussions or Jeong Gu-won chaging outfits like it's a fashion show. Don't get me wrong, I like playful scenes but this was painful to finish. Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang may not be the greatest actors but this was an absolute disservice to their career (even though the ratings will say otherwise), specially Song Kang who already struggles with facial expression.
I wanted to stop after episode 10 but I pushed through. I do not recommend unless you have nothing else to do.

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Started cute and quick became boring with no real plot development

Watching this for Lu Wei but his acting chops cannot save this snooze fest drama. I continued watching for him + to see if there would be more plot development to add some excitement to this story which gets blander each episode. The chemistry started out cute and fluffy but quickly turned repetitive having the same dating/flirting scenes for 20+episodes with some VERY cringy PDA and public love confession. Female lead character has not developed at all - still like a high school kid, with that baby talk voice. Leo’s intense acting - those whispered dialogues and penetrating gaze that were effective for his LLTG role! - are sometimes an overkill in his scenes for this drama or perhaps it could have worked if FL can match that energy. Still want to finish this but I fast fwd a lot of boring scenes. Good watch if you like cute relaxed drama with no real conflicts to spice up the story.

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Must watch!

Pleasantly surprised by this drama! This drama was not on my watchlist until i saw all the good reviews online. The buzz was well deserved!

The story itself was rich, complex and interesting. All the side characters had their own motivations for their actions that for the most part made sense. Xu Kai and Jing Tian have amazing amazing chemistry! I used to think Xu Kai only had chemistry with Bai Lu, but this drama proved me wrong. Xu kai is perfectly cast in his role. He has a mischevious flirty side reminiscent of his role in Arsenal Military Academy. Jing Tian perfectly plays the intelligent smart strong female general and is so beautiful! There is a good mix of sweetness/romance, angst, action and comedy. The pacing and editing is excellent. There are no boring parts to skip through. Overall a very enjoyable 40 episodes!

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light & sweet. funny and heartwarming

siendo honesta, me he re-visto este drama unas 3 veces! y creo que iré por la cuarta jij. es un drama algo cliche, hay que admitirlo, de pero a pesar de eso es uno de mis favoritos! no sólo porque me gusta mucho jihoon y younghoon, si no porque encuentro que es un drama ligero y facil de ver, que no necesita de mucho analisis ya que no tiene mucho transfondo, ademas es muy chistoso! es un drama que se disfruta y es ideal para cuando uno quiere ver algo ligero en un par de días.
además en lo personal, disfruto de los dramas ambientados en el colegio :)
me hace muy feliz ♡ estoy esperando con ansias la segunda temporada

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