Reviews

Terrific Actors. Riveting Story.

After watching this, I realized that Bai Lu is actually a good actress. I have watched her in two dramas before this and didn't really think much of her acting skills. Its not that she didn't stand out, she is terrific and charming, but the scripts just weren't right for her. Kunning palace was such a terrific script, with a lot of plot holes and missed potential, regardless it was riveting until the very end.

And after watching Zhang Ling He play the role of Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, I have come to realize that he was made to portray historical characters. He is so unrecognizable from his modern day roles, where he reminds me of a teenager. In his historical roles, he bring us a different aura, just like he did with his role in Love Between Fairy and Devil. I'm going to check out few of his other dramas as well to see more of him. In some scenes in Kunning Palace, he kinda overdid it and we have to ask the directors what were they thinking. For example, the first scene where they introduced him, they gave us a close up of his neck. It just looked so damn funny. But apart from some of these weird instances, he did a phenomenal job with this character.

You'll Keep Guessing Who The FL ends up with until the last few episodes (Spoilers below)
Let's begin with the adorable Yan Lin, he brought light to Ning's life. While she never showed any romantic affection for him, she cherished him a lot.
With Zhang Zhe, the story was so complex that it wasn't fully explored. Even though it seemed slow paced, it felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to make their story flow. After claiming to like him so much, Ning seem to have given up way too quickly on what could have been between them and so did he. Despite her being a stranger to him, he was attracted to her and we can see in his expression that it was not just because of her looks.
Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, the reason I was glad that it didn't work out with Zhang Zhe. While Ning would have had a sort of peaceful life with Zhang Zhe, he would never truly have understood Ning as a person. He was a bit too rigid for her, sometimes that makes a good choice but the chemistry between Xie Wei & Ning was just too strong to notice anything else.

What really pissed me off was the story between Jiang Xuehui & Shen Jie. Shen Jie seemed like such a powerless character that it was hard not to feel sad for Jiang Xuehui and kind of curse Shen Jie for not having spine.

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LIVƎ

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here"

Dear lovers of the dark side,

This is a tale that not everyone can stomach.

Boody, disturbing and daring, this doesn’t follow the typical routes.

Don't spoil yourself (and don't rush to judge it), because you will miss the fun.

It may not be perfect, but you will enjoy the dark elements and the twists and turns.

Just be careful not to gaze too long into the abyss.

Don't miss it (if you can take it)

Sleep safe,
Dark Side Cult Member

P.S. You better be watching or I will be watching (you)

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Twisted, disgusting, unsettling. All of the bad words.

I feel like whenever I watch a Sion Sono film I need a few months off to recuperate from the emotional ordeal one often goes through when watching one of his films.

This film is everything people said it was. Disgusting and intense with what you are expected to watch as the story unfolds, but I think the main issue with this film is that it is way too front loaded in terms of it's shock value and the imagery it gives to you as more or less as soon as the movie starts. The first ~40 minutes are like a nightmare that won't end, and weirdly enough the rest of the movie is fairly tame in comparison to that first 40 minutes or so. In any other movie the remainder of the film would have been shocking, but in the case it wasn't.

Sion Sono has other films in his filmography that do a much better job of commenting on the depths that human depravity and psyche can go to, this movie feels more like it was made purely for the shock value, which feels silly to say about a Sion Sono film, but one of the captivating things about his movies is there is usually a lot more below the surface. I just didn't feel it with this one.

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My first drama that based on games so I will review it purely based on the story only.

*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)
Title : Sword and Fairy 6 – 2024 (Complete 36 Episodes)
Personal Rating : 8/10

Yue Jinzhao (Played By Xu Kai) is a clever guy with a mysterious origin. He is brave, caring and with a will to protect the mankind.

Yue Qi (Played by Esther Yu) is a mythical beast from Yu Clan but raised in Heng-Tao sect by Bian Luohuan. She has a childlike attitude and thoughts, but she is not foolish. She is strong, powerful who values friendship and relationship.

I think this is my first drama that based on games so I will review it purely based on the story only. Honestly, I am very reluctant to finish this drama. Maybe because it is not my kind of drama. I can honestly feel why some viewers dropped this drama because it was childish for them and sometimes, I also feel the same. I am a big fan of Esther that is why I tried to understand and finish this drama. Some of the viewers find Esther's voice and character to be irritating maybe because she is playing a 13 to 16 years old character. I am used to Esther’s baby voice so its fine for me.

The story line is okay. I can feel the undying love of Jinzhao for Qi and Qi’s love for Jinzhao. Love the friendship of the 6 of them. They are always supporting each other even its not related to them but because of their love for their friendship they are always willing to go anywhere together and fight. Luo Li Ming stands out for me because even he is bad, he did everything for Luo Zhao Yan – to keep her alive. His love and affection for her is not just because they are both from LUO clan. He really loves her and care for her because she is someone who is willing to die with him and protect him every time. I even like story of Bian Luo Huan and Qi. It is short and sweet but deep. I thinks I like the later episodes more because the storyline is becoming serious. One thing is I don’t understand the ending. I thought Qi is dead because she used her life bring back Jinzhao but why is she even there? How did it happen?

Overall, I will rate it as 8/10 because Xu Kai did a great job portraying both Jinzhao and Luohan who have opposite characters. Esther is always adorable. Great second leads too! Xu Kai and Esther Yu has great chemistry. I wish I can see them again both in different drama/story maybe a bit matured romantic comedy drama because the I just love the chemistry of Luohan and Qi!

FAVORITE OST – Resonance by Zhou Shen & Search by Yu Jiayun

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Dare To Take Risks!

This is a series that finally looks through the looking glass from the other side. Instead of having one or more characters coming from wealthy, prominent families, we have four people in their late 20s struggling to make ends meet, just like most of us. What makes this series work so well is that you can relate to the characters.

If you want to get anywhere in life, risks are necessary. Vulnerability is necessary. Those who play it safe never truly get anywhere, and this series is about fulfilling your dreams and taking that big first step outside your comfort zone that just might lead to something great. Complacency and settling are the only true enemies to success. If you have a dream, you have to go for it and let nobody stand in your way. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” This series emulates this truth.

Ko Dong Man is a disgraced MMA fighter, who finds himself doing odd-jobs just to make ends meet. Of course, he hates his jobs, but perhaps not as much as he hates his abusive boss. Still, he knows that he’s not doing what he loves: being an MMA fighter. And he finally decides to go back to it. His best friend is childhood friend, Choi Ae Ra whose loves for Ko Dong Man is only matched by her overbearing, temperamental demeanor. She often acts more like a mother than a friend. Choi Ae Ra is a woman who is also stuck in a rut, working a thankless job at a department store. Her dream is to become an announcer.

Kim Joo Man and Baek Seol Hee are in a six-year relationship and are basically living together as well as working at the same company. However, they aren’t married yet as Joo Man believes that he needs to be able to provide a better life for Seol Hee, even though it’s apparent that Seol Hee doesn’t care about that. Joo Man and Seol Hee share a sweet relationship that has, perhaps, gone a little stale. This leads Joo Man to make some unwise decisions when a female co-worker shows interest in him. Unable to see the situation for what it actually is, he falls into the traps laid out for him by the co-worker.

All four characters find themselves navigating the pitfalls of jobs and romance as they struggle to eke something out of the dreams that each of them has for themselves. Is it possible? Isn’t it safer to just continue to work in a meaningless occupation where neither passion nor fulfillment exist? You might be surprised how many people actually believe that it’s better to play it safe. I’ve even heard parents tell their children this.

There is only one Adrian Balboa. I’m talking about Rocky Balboa’s wife who hated the fact that Rocky was a boxer and routinely got hurt. However, after going through her own fears, she understands that she hasn’t the right to stand in the way of her husband’s passion and dreams. Nobody has that right.

Choi Ae Ra is a woman who loves Ko Dong Man, but she hates the fact that he is an MMA fighter. It’s understandable. How can someone stand by and watch someone they care about continuously get hurt? She can barely watch the fights that he’s in, and most of the time, she is paralyzed with fear that she’s left in tears. It’s not for everyone. However, Choi Ae Ra makes the mistake of giving Ko Dong Man an ultimatum: give up fighting or lose her. This is an unfair and completely selfish demand. If a person can’t handle being around someone else due to their job (military, policeman, etc.) then that person has every right to step out of that world, but don’t ask that person to give up being who they are. I was thrilled when Ko Dong Man refused to give in to her ultimatum and stuck with his dream. After all, he’d already quit on his dream once. Understandably, he can’t do it again.

The cast is first-rate, with Park Seo Joon (Ko Dong Man) and Song Ha Yoon (Seol Hee) being the standouts for me. This is the fourth time I’ve seen Park Seo Joon, and he brings his boyish charm and great sense of humor to his roles. This one is no exception as he virtually steals every scene he’s in. We laugh and cry with him. Song Ha Yoon is the same for me. As much as I like Kim Ji Won, Song Ha Yoon has a veritable sweetness and childlike vulnerability that is captivating. When she is crushed due to Joo Man’s betrayal, she makes us feel it. She is also the more mature of the two female leads.

The series is quite light without any serious drama or any ridiculous love-triangles. We do have Park Hye Ran who keeps trying to get her ex-boyfriend, Ko Dong Man back, but after already been burned once by her, he shows absolutely no interest in her at all. I was relieved. I nearly cringed and said, “Oh, no! Not another love-triangle!” As much as I like K-dramas, they do tend to milk the “love triangle” a bit too much.

I was also pleased with the more mature approach to the relationships. After six years together, it makes perfect sense the Joo Man and Seol Hee are living together. And while we have just a few awkward moments between Ko Dong Man and Choi Ae Ra, it also made sense that they would have a desire to spend the night together. “We’ve known each other for 20 years! How much slower do we have to go?” they ask. It added charm and realism to their situation, which always felt natural rather than awkward. I also tend to cringe in dramas where any act of intimacy (even just hugging or kissing) is treated like a crime is about to be committed. I will say that the scene where Ko Dong Man and Choi Ae Ra accidentally fall asleep in the hotel room together was absolutely hilarious!

I absolutely love how expressive Korean actors and actresses are, especially when you get really good ones like these four performers. You feel everything they feel, and there is no shame in the expression. We see just how crushed Joo Man is when he breaks down in tears after realizing that his naivety has disastrous consequences, or Choi Ae Ra’s reaction to Ko Dong Man getting seriously hurt in his fights. I love how these actors are able to tap into those emotional wells as it makes it all so real and poignant.

If you’re looking for something light and fun as well as something that you’ll likely relate to, you really can’t go wrong with this fun and delightful series!

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A paradox indeed

First the positive:
None of us can deny, that the mains delivered what we knew they would deliver. Especially Son and Choi both bring a nuance to their characters that honestly I wouldn't have gotten from the writers.
Cinematography and editing are immaculate. This probably can also be hugely due to very good direction. I thought I would get dizzy from the match cuts after a while but they continued to be se interesting I didn't (the fact that the cuts actually added to the storytelling is a big plus).
All in all very pleasing to look at.

However the unwillingness to decide on a tone was hard to ignore. Is it trying to be gritty? funny? melancholic? what is going on
Messaging is also quite muddled.
This is all due to the writing I must say.
And it all goes wrong with the addition of a character (actually two but one is dependant on the other). The moment we meet RoBin this kind of falls to pieces for me. And as soon as that happens our story shifts from whom I assumed to be the main character for the first 4 episodes. Tang kind of runs around grabbed by his strings throughout the rest of the story. Seeing how his character conflict from the beginning is his inability to decide on what to do and just going with the flow I felt like we threw all of his chances on changing that out the window. Unless I am missing something his character gets stuck right there and it is frustrating.
Personally I couldn't bring myself to be interested in Cho whatshisfaces story. That might be just on me. But each time he occupied the screen I was wishing for Tang and NanGam back.

All in all this story failed for me. On one side due to my expectations of this being a sharp cat and mouse game a la Heat or Catch me if you can (to be fair that is what the promo made me believe). On the other side losing us due to the writing in the second half.

That being sad I enjoyed our mains and again technical aspects of this are brilliant. The drama is a solid middle tier for me.

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Despite its short length, this series still felt like a loss of time...

This short length series (26 episodes for a total duration of 3h42 minutes) follows the relationship between Yan Zhen (acting as CEO of the company instead of her husband who mysteriously disappeared while trying to invesigate some corporate issue) and Chu Ze An, the twin of her lost spouse. Does it sound bonker but interesting with a lot of soap elements ? Yes. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my time watching this series, the writer chose the safest and blankest way to develop the plot.

I wish they went crazy with it but sadly enough, it remained all along very timid and safe...In addition to that, none of the choices made by the characters made a lot of sense...All their issues could have been resolved much more efficiently, the scenario makes a point to tell us how smart they are, but honestly their actions are dumb most of the time...I must admit that the heroine is the smartest of them all, so it alleviated a bit my frustration with the scenario.

The acting was very bad. There were so many "WTF" moments where the actors almost did not react...I did not feel the chemistry between the leads and separately they were not able to carry any of the dramatic moments. I know they were not helped at all by the writing but I wish they would have at least made some minimal effort to emote any kind of believable emotions...They were really generic all along the series. The secondary roles were not portrayed in a more inspired way and the actors playing them had also what felt as limited acting chops.

The production value was average at best, which I expected given the short lenght series format. The soundtrack was pretty nice, a bit repetitive and overpowering given the length of the episodes but overall probably the best part of the series.

I would not recommend this to people as there are much better dramas out there. Even if you are looking for some soap, brainless series to just entertain yourself, there are for sure more fun and better things to watch. It felt like a loss of time, the story was really uninspired, boring and overall badly acted.

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UGH

This is like The Emperor's New Clothes. Like why is everyone praising this show? I would love to know what stood out so magnificently from this that everyone is throwing up their guts praising this. This show is probably one of the most pointless drivel I have watched since I started watching Kdramas. The only reason this isn't a 0 out of 10 stars is that: 1) Production was good, 2) The character of Death was okay, and 3) Episode 4 was actually good.

Summary: Dude kills himself. Get punished to die 12 times again. But he's given the chance to try and save himself and live as that body. Then he proceeds to be an idiot 12 times in a row. 12 times is not enough. This dude should just be punished to die over and over for eternity. How is he so stupid and selfish and annoying and-

Plot: The premise is interesting but the execution is so far from good that it makes the premise sound stupid too. There's no proper stake here. You would think eternal damnation vs. a chance to reinvent yourself would be such a simple and driven goal, right? Wrong! Because the main character makes no move to actually save himself. The lives are too short, too so you end up not really connecting with any of these characters. What we learn about them is thrown at us as exposition in little montages. That is just unimpressive. The relationships that could be invested in like the girlfriend and the mother are not there long enough for it to go anywhere. The personalities are disjointed, especially in case of male lead who first comes across as a simple and dejected young man but through out the reincarnations or whatever you call it, he's just a greedy, pathetic, selfish loser who wastes every chance he's given, never tries to guard the precious lives in his hands and instead focuses on power trips he was denied in his first life and money. Why would you root for such a character? A jerk. And the reincarnations aren't better either. With the exception of the the kids and the last one, the others are just nothing characters. Bland. I couldn't care about any plot point because all I was focused on was saving these lives and this dude was into everything but that. That's a dissonance between what drives the character and what you as a viewer want from this show. As a result, it was a dissatisfying watch with very very VERY annoying beats. Plus, most of the show is just focused on nonsensical, sensationalized fight scenes or special affects moments which while impressive as a production fact, didn't really add flesh to this flimsy plot. Episode 4 was slightly better but having watched episode five since then, I know that the show did nothing with what was built in that episode so the potential for any character development was wasted away too. Making even that one good episode feel like a pointless blip.

Acting: This show is stacked with heavy weight actors. What a waste!

Music and production: Music was, I don't know, okay? The production value is very high. But this is a classic case of sacrificing substance for technicalities. The show is made with high technological value but what's the point of all that pomp and ceremony when the plot is nonsense and weak?

Rewatch value: None

Negatives: Everything.

Overall: I don't know, if you liked this, we probably have vastly different taste and could never recommend anything to each other. I hated this. Awful. Horrible.

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MUST WATCH if you haven't already!

I am extremely late to the party because I have been missing out so much!! I finally got the chance to watch MoD and let me tell you that I regret so much not watching this sooner. The plot, the acting, the pacing, everything is excellent.

I will admit that going into the show, I did look up a few spoilers which I know ruins the whole experience BUT, I am an EXTREMELY emotional person and I DO NOT like surprises that can possibly lead to hyper-emotional episodes. anyway, I knew that someone named Rung is the worst person alive and the one behind everything. And even after knowing the spoiler, the way everything was done and revealed episode by episode was absolutely amazing.

Max and Tul's chemistry was so adorable. I love that they didn't completely change their entire personalities after getting together like what happens in most thai BLs. They were adults and they acted like adults, which was very refreshing and appreciated.

The only complain I have is the lighting and color grading of the show. Many times the scenes felt and looked too dull. It needed more brightness. I understand that they could have been trying to set a gloomy or foreboding mood but it did not hit at all. though that is the only complain I have.

In the end, I would HIGHLY recommend watching the show because it's a full package. If you, like me, are late to this particular show but have kept up with other newer BLs, than this has lowkey Laws of Attraction vibes and you will absolutely fall in love with the characters. Especially Inspector M, I see you Mr. Tight Shirts 👀

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Strange but worth it.

This drama asked me to suspend my disbelief, and in return, it gave me characters that I came to love and an emotional life lesson about love, anger, loneliness and grief. I appreciate the underlying message that we can destroy each other but also save each other. The acting was superb, and the script was the perfect balance between comedy, action, and an emotional wild ride.
And of course there is the child actress. She was so spectacular and a lot of my high rating is because of her. At such a young age she can switch between a carefree girl and an old soul in the body of a child. Her whole body language changes and the look in her eyes as well. It makes me really hopeful for what she'll do in the future.

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Not your typical c-drama. This is a one-of-a-kind gem...get ready your tissues!

I started watching this show expecting it to be another one of those light-hearted, fluffy idol dramas. But I could not be more wrong - it defied expectations at every moment in a way that couldn't have been done better.

More than a love story, this is a story about growing up, trauma (with a dash of mystery), and finding light in a world that can sometimes become unbearably dark. The show evoked so many emotions in me, and I found myself tearing up every now and then, especially in the last few episodes when we dive headlong into finding out exactly why the group of six friends split up more than ten years ago.

The main storyline is chock-full of flashbacks, with each piece being part of the puzzle surrounding Liu Yifei's story. It's an innovative format that can come off as choppy and annoying if not done well, but Love Endures pulls it off. There are many small, clever details in the show beginning from the first episode that contribute significantly to the story, and they are easily missed if you don't watch carefully. It is precisely this that makes this show great for a re-watch. Lastly, the music is outstanding, not just because of the great songs (which are classics by Sun Yanzi, by the way), but also because the placement was done so immaculately.

If I had to nitpick, I would say that there isn't much chemistry between Yang Zi and Fan Chengcheng. While both of them put up a decent performance, the sparks just didn't fly this time round for me.

Overall, I would rate this as one of the best modern c-dramas to date. Would highly recommend!

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Most Refreshing Competition Show

One of the most entertaining idol competition shows I've watched. Positive vibes all around from the contestants to the judges. There is a greater focus on the contestants vs the judges, which I appreciated.

Contestants: Maybe it's due to the editing, but the vibes were mostly positive. Contestants were encouraging each other instead of strictly viewing each other as competitors.

Talent: Talent level-wise is not close to the Korean produce series. In the Korean produce series, contestants were well-rounded in dancing and singing. That's not to say that the contestants in Chuang are not talented. The contestants in this season were extremely talented in one area and less so in the other.

Extra: Highly encourage viewers to watch the side shows as well (dorm diaries, are you werewolf, vlogs, etc.). This show is the rare exception where I could name most of the contestants (almost 100).

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This show is worth watching

I watched the whole series when it was ongoing and I absolutely loved it. I’m a really big fan of Jun Shison and I fell in love with Kai Asakura . He was just so perfect. Also I really loved his bond with Gaku and Kai. Also Kai’s mysterious nature made me more intrigued to continue watching every Friday. I was really looking forward for Friday to come because of that. I was quite worried when I discovered that Kai had an illness and I literally cried when I thought he was going to die . I really miss it and I want a season 2 if it’s possible cause I want to see more of Kai-san! Also the last episode when Shibuya-san told Kai that he thought of him like a son and Kai started crying was so heart touching. I definitely recommend it and some people might find episode 1 boring but please don’t stop there! Since I found out to not judge a drama by it’s first episode.

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Just so very boring

But you know, at first it actually wasn't. Got to give full credit to those amazing Korean production values and the acting chops of literally everybody on screen because all of that propelled me through to about episode 3 before I realised I had no idea what was happening and the whole thing didn't make much sense.

Plot points seemed to repeat endlessly to no purpose and characters did inexplicable things for vague reasons (although rank stupidity did seem to be a factor).

The male lead seems to be able to sign up to a dating app with his own image, lure women in and kill them with nobody noticing or caring - let alone the police. I've seen the whole thing and still have no idea what motivated our female lead, Sum, at any point. The writer seemed to think her being autistic was sufficient motivation and I don't even know where to start on how offensive that is.

Somebody and the titular app, Someone, seem to represent an intense desire for connection between people who leave themselves open and vulnerable in trying to find it and thus end up hurt. But the show's limp, oppressed storytelling left us with nothing but a lot of scrabbling around in the dark and, admittedly, healthy doses of Kim Young-kwang being in equal parts creepy and sexy as fuck.

What should have been menacing ended up being undercut by the serial killer's sheer overwhelming omniscience and everybody's vague motivations. Don't get me started on the drama's annoying detours into mysticism and mentions of 'evil spirits' and 'exorcisms'.

By the end, I was hoping I too could be strangled mid-coitus because that would be a hell of a lot more interesting than this show and I'd still end up stupefied to the same extent.

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