Reviews

Could have been done better

Episodes 1-6

I’m finding everything pretty easy to follow. A few times watching the first 6 episodes I had to pause and go back just a little to reread what I heard so that way I could remember who the different people are and what their positions are and it’s all been pretty easy to follow so far.

Good amount of comedy, the FL show shows her good nature, virtuous, and mischievous personality we get to know her more and we get to know the ML lead more. He’s very serious and focused on his own personal goals. Doesn’t seem too interested in things outside of that but because of Jia Yu he learns more about her, but she doesn’t remember meeting him so he has a bit of an advantage here.

I am not loving this show. I am watching it but it is not as great as it could have been.

Episodes 7-18

I am a huge fan of HMH. But as the episodes go on, I am struggling with the age of the FL. 17/28/29 is just gross to me as an adult. Especially after the inappropriate comments made by the director. They really should have cast an adult FL. I not only don’t see romantic chemistry between them onscreen, but I don’t want to. HMH was 28 and Riley Wang was 29 at filming. Both are too old for a teenager.

I am on episode 18 and it is starting to head further along with the romance between them. She looks like a little kid next to a grown man. She also acts like a little kid. They could be siblings but not lovers. He seems like a protective brother. He knows how to act and I have seen him have chemistry with practically all the FL’s he has acted with. (and I have seen all of his shows but a few I can’t access in the US.) But I don’t see that here. Honestly I am glad atp because I think it’s better for him to not feel comfortable acting romantically with a teenager.

When I watch a show I judge their acting based on several things. But what really makes me think they are acting well is if I really think they are that person they are playing. Like they themselves look like they believe they are that person. some ppl do this so well. I believe Riley Wang does this really well in this show. along with his sister. But their plots are not believable.

For example(Spoilers by episode 18) The simple life goals guy, Prince Qi, who is madly in love with FL decides on a whim to not run away with his beloved that night? Nope. While also knowing he was trapping his sister there with him? He gains no real power and they are both beaten and tormented at times in the palace. Then Li Le Jun [Li Mao's younger sister] would not have had to switch the poisoned arrow they could have gotten someone to do that. Then Prince Qi is mad that Xiao Wu Yi is falling in love with her. Dude you abandoned her. Either leave the palace and run away with her or get over it. You made that decision now own it.

Then we are supposed to believe that we Le Jun who was taken in by Princess Mom who her nursed back to good health took care of her for many years needs to die at her hands to protect her brother from someone she does not know to be a real threat to Mao. Prince Wenji is not a threat to Mao for several reasons. Mao doesn’t even want to be in the castle so he could get to leave if Wenji did come back. She doesnt even know if he exists.

Then Mao not being mad at his sister for killing his beloveds mother!?! What was that? It makes him seem really stupid. That’s his Grand Tutors wife too. So I am not buying that she would do what she did. I also think they could have stopped the cart from going off the cliff or at least tried harder. Then the way it fell off the cliff Le Jun is not surving that fall.

I am not feeling Ai mi’s acting either. There is something missing for me. I liked her at first but then I started to change my mind as it went on. The character too young, impulsive and at times selfish. Like her lifelong maid died in front of her and the affect it had on her was not very long lasting. Your dad is a cold blooded killer. The maid did not have to die then either. How is that teaching your kid to grow up? Sicko.

I also didn’t find it easy to follow the problem with the past and the An story line. The show does some flashbacks to show us things but then some things are missing and feel skipped over that should have flashbacks.


Also compared to Love in the Clouds, for example, the lighting and cinematography are not as good. It is missing something. I think it often looks and feels rushed.



Hou Ming Hao if you happen to read this please so down. You are doing so much and it worries your fans. You don’t need to do so many shows back to back, constant ads, on top of your music and concerts. You are human and you should take it a bit easier. You deserve time to yourself. You deserve a life outside of your career. play basketball more wtih friends, deink well eat well and sleep well. You are so talented. But you can’t keep pushing yourself so hard or it will affect you badly in the long run. I will keep supporting you. I just hope you take better care of yourself.

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é uma historia incrível, mas...

Eu penso assim a série foi muito muito boa, eu genuinamente fiquei interessada pelo plot e pelos episodios, a trilha sonora é sensacional e a atuação incrivel. acho que sim a historia é um pouco repetitiva e os efeitos especiais do demônio macaco poderiam ser muito melhores (até porque o do deus da guerra foi bem bom).
pra mim as partes que eu menos gostava era quando o niran e o pete ficavam na onda do diálogo do "obrigado, bla bla bla, voce é importante". nao que eu tenha achado ruim, mas foram tantos momentos que uma hora eu fiquei entediada, poderiam substituir isso por tantas outras cenas que era meio chato. A parte bromance é dificil mesmo, fica gay demais e, no fim, gay de menos. mas assim, tem amizades entre pessoas que são gays mesmo, mas no fundo voce nao quer beijar a pessoa, então minha opinião sobre isso ainda é meio dividida.
eu acho que a seria é um sólido 8/10, que vale a pena ser reassistida pela atuação incrivel do sky e do nani.

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Un 10 fino alla 12esima puntata... il resto spegnete tutto.

La storia segue Ra-ra, una pianista ricca, ottimista fino all'esasperazione e con un istinto di sopravvivenza pari a quello di un panda bendato in autostrada. Nel tempo che voi ci mettete a far bollire l'acqua per la pasta, Ra-ra perde: il padre, tutto il patrimonio e il futuro marito (che batte il record mondiale dei 100 metri piani scappando via il giorno delle nozze).
​Finita per strada con zero won in tasca, rotola letteralmente in una piccola cittadina. Qui si imbatte in Joon, un finto-burbero, che per vivere fa più lavoretti part-time di un neolaureato in Italia. Non si sa come, questo tizio perennemente scontroso finisce per farle da guardia del corpo, angelo custode e sportello bancomat, aiutandola pure ad aprire un'accademia di pianoforte "La La Land".
​Perché non cestinarlo subito?
​Il rovesciamento dei cliché: Alleluia! Per una volta niente CEO con la Maserati e l'orologio d'oro che lancia soldi addosso alla protagonista. Qui abbiamo un precario squattrinato che si fa in quattro per mantenere una tizia che non ha la minima idea di come funzioni un tostapane.
​L'effetto "Healing": La cittadina è abitata da un cast di disadattati adorabili. C'è un dottore in piena crisi di mezza età, un comitato di signore pettegole dal cuore d'oro e, soprattutto, Mimi: un cane che recita palesemente meglio di metà del cast umano.
​L'evoluzione di Ra-ra: All'inizio vorresti prenderla a schiaffi, ma la sua assurda resilienza nel trovare il lato positivo anche mentre muore di fame la rende impossibile da odiare. È come un Golden Retriever umano.
​Il Tasto Dolente: Il trauma cranico degli sceneggiatori
​Se la serie si fosse fermata all'episodio 12, staremmo parlando di un capolavoro di tenerezza. Purtroppo, la sceneggiatrice si è svegliata una mattina e ha scelto di fare male.
​Dal nulla, l'atmosfera luminosa viene presa a picconate. Inseriscono malattie improvvise, segreti di Pulcinella ed ellissi temporali prive di senso. Se voglio intrighi, misteri e colpi di scena scritti a regola d'arte, mi leggo un bel giallo, non guardo una rom-com che all'improvviso decide di credersi un thriller psicologico con la profondità di una pozzanghera!
​Negli ultimi due episodi assistiamo a scelte narrative talmente insensate da tradire l'intera natura del protagonista. Scatta il "Nobile Sacrificio" (lui la fa soffrire in modo atroce "per proteggerla"... ma mandare un messaggio su WhatsApp no, eh?). Un epilogo frettoloso e inutilmente crudele che ti fa salire la pressione.
​Verdetto Finale:
​Vale la pena guardarlo? Assolutamente sì, ma con le dovute precauzioni.
​Nonostante l'incidente industriale dell'ultimo atto, il viaggio iniziale è talmente divertente che vale il prezzo dell'abbonamento. La chimica tra i protagonisti è fantastica e vi farà piegare in due dalle risate.
​Godetevi i primi due terzi della storia. Ridete, piangete, innamoratevi. Poi, quando la trama inizia a prendere pieghe folli, spegnete la tv, staccate il router, fate finta che un blackout abbia cancellato il finale e inventatevelo da soli. Sarà sicuramente più logico di quello che hanno scritto loro.

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Since there aren't any other reviews so far and there's also not a lot of info on MDL, I'll start out with a quick summary of what this is:

Time Fengjun (aka TF, shi dai feng jun, sdfj, etc.) is a company that is primarily known for creating boy groups. Their first group was TF Boys, a group of 3 middle school aged kids at debut. This group was wildly successful, although maybe a little too successful as the three of them rarely do group activities anymore these days. After this, TF tried to replicate this success with additional generations of trainees, whose progress audiences can follow starting when the trainees are fairly young. The second generation ultimately debuted as a group of 7 older teens, becoming popular boy group TNT.

Transform Project is specifically about the debut period of the third generation of trainees at TF, as they approach the final selection of which of the trainees will become part of the third gen boy group, later T.O.P. The 13 trainees in the show started training together at a very young age (mostly, with a couple exceptions who joined later). Note that the final selection is not part of the show, and happened at a 2-day concert in Kuala Lumpur, which was livestreamed and can be found separately on Youtube under 登陆时刻.

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For the actual review part:

So...I went into this as a fan of T.O.P. who was doing some fan archaeology to learn more about their past, for a couple of reasons. First, they make some vague mentions in their Call Me By Fire appearances to their debut being a painful experience. And second, fans sometimes make vague negative mentions about the debut. I also had a little experience with the majority of the other 3rd gen guys due to a concert earlier this year.

Watching the show, I felt like I got a much better idea of who the whole group was, and got to see how the T.O.P. five interacted with the rest of the group before debut. And all of the boys are largely really cute and dumb and lovable! Some of the best parts of the show are watching them hang out, especially outside of the competitive elements, like the dorm scenes. The group has an overall slightly rebellious vibe, and I loved that they start to just disregard the rooming arrangements because they like hanging with their bros.

Some other things I liked:
- I enjoyed most of the mentors, who are largely very helpful and make good points.
- The quality of performances is decent for where the trainees are (although they are not pros, so there are still some flaws)
- There are some fun random games the boys do with the mentors that are entertaining
- I learned about a lot of new songs from this, and most of them were pretty enjoyable

The biggest issue with this show is the same issue I have with most reality competition shows: it attempts to manufacture drama by purposely pitting the contestants against each other in ways that go beyond just competing on talent. My dislike is magnified because this is a bunch of 16-18 year old boys who are clearly codependent on each other and are visibly stressed about these competitive elements, and on top of that, the competitive elements feel clumsily implemented to me. There are several times where one of the boys has to choose between his friends, and the rule is sprung on them, but instead of drama, the person picking is just sad and stressed, the person who got picked feels bad for replacing their friend, and the person who didn't get picked tries to put on a brave face while feeling hurt.

I overall do not like how the company treated the third generation boys, and I especially do not like the shenanigans the company pulled in this show to try to generate drama. I get the sense the company really wanted to get the boys to be emotional and cry, but often the way they try to achieve this just feels mean. It's set up to regularly remind the boys that aren't as highly ranked that they're doing badly. Their method of splitting up the boys into groups almost always just groups the trainees who are not doing well in one group. At one point, they set up a rule that seems to just be there to knock down a successful contestant a peg, for no real reason that I could see. The show pushes trainees to prepare for performances with very short timelines which, while maybe realistic to their potential future career as a boy group member, also felt like it was purposely too challenging based on the level the trainees were actually at.

In summary, the show combined with how the concert and debut ultimately went (which I wont' spoil here) kind of felt emotionally abusive, in my opinion.

Some other things I didn't like:
- The episodes sometimes dragged a bit. I felt like there could have been stricter editing that would have resulted in tighter episodes
- The points didn't really feel like they mattered, as there was never really a rubric, and the final scores were almost always affected by voting from the audience. This also felt a bit staged, as sometimes one group would do really well but then get pushed down due to other groups getting a ton of points from the supposed voting
- Ultimately the show doesn't even actually directly affect the debut. This is not an elimination show, they just compete miserably for 9 episodes, then do a concert that ends with the final debut, which was aired separately. As far as I've been able to tell with the actual selection, it's not correlated with specific wins in the show, so I'm not 100% sure what the point of the show actually was

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So...should you watch this? I would say, only if you really love idol competition shows, or you really love T.O.P./another of the 3rd gen trainees and want to know more about their experiences. It's been very informative to me as a fan of a lot of these guys, but it was also imo a pretty miserable experience to watch them be so sad the whole time, and the show results don't even clearly correlate to the final debut selection.

The performances are fine, but having seen most of them perform this year (nearly 2 years later) and do much better, I don't think the stages are worth rewatching the whole show for, plus you can probably find the individual stage performances as their own videos.

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The Shape Survival Leaves Behind

There is a difference between surviving something and learning how to live after it. The First Jasmine is most interesting when it lingers in that distance.

Ye Li has survived so much that survival itself has become a way of being. She watches before she trusts, prepares before she rests, and carries an almost unsettling degree of self-control. The drama sometimes asks us to believe more of her than it convincingly earns, particularly once the truth about Li Shan Academy is revealed. The distance between the girl who endured those years and the remarkably capable, educated and socially composed woman we later meet is never fully bridged.

Still, Ye Li never felt emotionally empty to me. Bai Lu gives her restraint a history. Her trauma lingers in habits, hesitation and vigilance, in the strange difficulty of accepting happiness when one has become much better acquainted with loss. I did not always believe everything the plot allowed Ye Li to survive or accomplish, but I often understood the emotional logic behind the woman she had become.

This is where the drama is strongest. Not when Ye Li is being exceptionally capable, but when it allows that capability to become complicated. Strength can protect a person, but it can also become the only way they know how to exist. Healing here is not becoming softer or forgetting what happened. It is discovering that survival does not have to remain a permanent state.

Mo Xiuyao is part of that process, but not its entirety. Their marriage grows through familiarity, reliability and trust, and I found something quietly moving in watching two people accustomed to carrying themselves alone slowly allow another person to share the weight. The romance is restrained—occasionally more restrained than even I thought necessary—but the affection between them always felt present. At the same time, the drama already has trauma, revenge, politics and competing loyalties to resolve, and some romantic detours take more space than the larger story can comfortably afford.

That is perhaps the drama's central weakness. It wants to be many things, and I often found myself appreciating its individual parts more than the whole they eventually formed.

The political story can be absorbing, particularly when private grief begins shaping public decisions, and the supporting characters give the world much of its emotional weight. Yet certain histories remain incomplete, some developments are stronger in anticipation than explanation, and the final stretch never quite reaches the emotional force of what came before it. More than once, I understood exactly what a scene was reaching for without being fully carried there.

What stayed with me most was the drama's understanding that moving forward is not the same as leaving the past behind. The dead remain. Trauma remains. The person one had to become in order to survive remains too. Healing is simply the possibility that what happened yesterday may stop deciding everything that happens tomorrow.

I also found more pleasure than expected in simply looking at this drama. Its colours are subdued, its light gentle, and faces are allowed the small textures and imperfections that make people feel present rather than perfected. It quietly added to my affection for a world that often felt more lived in than polished.

On writing alone, The First Jasmine sits somewhere between a 7 and 7.5 for me. It is thoughtful but uneven, emotionally perceptive in places and frustratingly incomplete in others. It tries to hold healing, revenge, politics, romance and loss in the same hands, and occasionally drops something while reaching for something else.

Yet my feelings for it are warmer than that number suggests. Perhaps half a point belongs to the performances, perhaps some to the quiet pleasure of a visual world that still feels human. Mostly, it belongs to those moments when The First Jasmine stops trying to be everything at once and simply watches people learning how to live with what cannot be undone.

So I will leave it at an 8.

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the chemistry carries the drama

i went into my royal nemesis expecting a fun historical rom-com with a good balance of romance, comedy, and a little bit of drama… and honestly, it was pretty much what i expected, but also not as perfect as i hoped it would be.

the biggest strength of this drama is definitely the chemistry between the leads. their dynamic was the main reason i kept watching because the bickering, the tension, and the little moments where they slowly start understanding each other were really enjoyable. it had that classic “they annoy each other but secretly care” feeling that a lot of people love in rom-coms.

the production was also one of the things i appreciated. the costumes, visuals, and overall atmosphere made the drama easy to watch. there were scenes that genuinely felt beautiful and gave that historical k-drama feeling that fans look for.

but i do think the drama had some weaknesses. the pacing wasn’t always consistent, and there were moments where the story felt like it was dragging a little. some parts could have been developed more, while other scenes felt like they were added just to fill time. i also think the plot itself wasn’t the most unique, so if you’ve watched a lot of historical romances, you might find some parts predictable.

still, i think the charm comes from the characters rather than the story. if you’re watching for a deep, complicated historical plot, this might not completely satisfy you. but if you want something light, romantic, and easy to binge with a good main couple, it does its job.

overall, my royal nemesis is not a perfect drama, but it’s a fun watch. it has flaws, but the chemistry and cute moments make up for a lot of them. i wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but i also don’t regret watching it. sometimes you just need a drama that’s entertaining and makes you smile, and this one definitely has those moments.

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Non è come sembra...

Ragazzi, che viaggio. All’inizio sono partita convinta di guardare il solito, rassicurante K-drama terapeutico. Avete presente la formula standard? Lui ha i traumi del passato (rigorosamente sotto forma di fobia dell'acqua, perché se non c'è un elemento naturale che terrorizza il protagonista non siamo contenti), lei ha i traumi del presente, e i loro drammi si intrecciano che sembra un balletto della Scala.
​Fino a qui, tutto bellissimo. Unica stranezza: gli sceneggiatori hanno premuto troppo sull'acceleratore. Di solito per sbrogliare questi nodi del passato ci mettono almeno 10 puntate di sguardi intensi a rallentatore sotto la pioggia. Qui succede tutto subito! All'episodio 5 avevo già capito e visto tutto. Mi sono detta: "E ora? Che facciamo per le restanti puntate, giochiamo a carte?"
​E invece NO. È qui che la serie svolta e affronta i veri temi.
​Il vero cattivo della storia? La burocrazia.
​Andando avanti capisci che il problema non sono le sedute dallo psicologo che i due protagonisti si dovrebbero fare. Il vero fulcro della questione è che vivere su quel maledetto isolotto significa essere a un passo dall'aldilà ogni volta che c'è un po' di nebbia.
​Vedi scene madri in cui la gente sta per rimetterci le penne e parte il dramma logistico: ​La terraferma è lontana.
​Il meteo fa schifo.
​L'elicottero dei soccorsi non riesce ad atterrare.
​E perché l'elicottero non atterra? Perché le pale sono fatte di cartone pressato! Ed ecco che Doctor on the Edge smette di essere Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha e si trasforma magicamente in una puntata di Report sulla corruzione dietro gli appalti pubblici e sull'abuso di potere dei colletti bianchi. Una roba che ti fa venire voglia di scendere in piazza con i forconi a difendere i diritti dei pescatori di Pyeondongdo.
​La genialità della serie sta tutta qui: ​Riesce a farti incazzare nero per le ingiustizie sociali e il sistema sanitario locale corrotto, ma cinque minuti dopo ti rimette al mondo perché c'è quella dose di amore e amicizia tra i personaggi talmente ben dosata che ti pulisce il palato. Non è troppo zuccherosa da farti venire il diabete, né troppo pesante da farti venire la depressione.

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Empoderamiento y venganza

Este drama nos cuenta cómo la vida le da una segunda oportunidad a nuestra protagonista Chu Zhao para no terminar trágicamente perdiendolo todo; y ella la toma con fuerza y con gran ímpetu decidida a cambiarlo todo.

Es una historia llena de conspiraciones políticas, venganzas, alianzas y traiciones, donde las batallas se ganan con astucia, no con fuerza. Me gusta mucho que Chu Zhao es una mujer decidida, que aprende de sus errores y lucha para protegerse a ella y a su familia, que no le importa ser tachada como una mujer malvada, calculadora y cruel, porque con quienes lo merecen realmente lo es; ella no se viene con juegos, tiene sus estrategias muy bien planeadas y aunque sus enemigos creen que pueden manipularla, es ella quien mueve los hilos de sus destinos. Pero tampoco es perfecta, comete errores y así como es cruel con quienes le han hecho daño o se meten en su camino, a veces también lo era con las personas que más quería, por desesperación, por sentirse sola y traicionada, pero luego al darse cuenta que les está haciendo daño a quienes no lo merecen, cambia su actitud y entiende que ellos también son humanos, que cometían errores, pero en sus corazones solo querían lo mejor para ella. Jiu es un chico solitario, y de quienes los primeros que le enseñaron a que no podía confiar en nadie es su propia familia; pero desde que conoce al padre de Chu Zhao y a ella, se da cuenta que hay personas leales; y él se convierte en el compañero más leal de Chu Zhao, siempre está ahí para ella, no la juzga, pero si la aconseja cuando está a punto de sentirse pérdida, incluso cuando ella se equivoca y lo lástima, él la entiende y jamás la deja desamparada; me gusta que tenían un entendimiento tácito y que a pesar de las distancias, siempre sabían que podían confiar el uno en el otro, en medio de un mundo lleno de conspiraciones y gente desleal.

Xiao Xun, Yan Fang y Deng Yi eran hombres completamente malvados llenos de una sed de poder enorme y llenos de artimañas, manipulaban a todo el mundo a su antojo sin importarles las consecuencias, si esto significa un peldaño para alcanzar sus objetivos; a pesar de que eran tan malos, no podía odiarlos del todo, de alguna manera sentía admiración por su astucia y por la manera en que se la jugaron hasta el final, incluso Yang Fang después de perder el juego, se fue a su estilo; definitivamente fueron unos grandes villanos, porque tenían una personalidad bien marcada, y a pesar de ser varios, cada uno tenía su toque que los hacía especiales y distintivos 😈

Me gustó el final, que después de tantas guerras y caos, nuestros protagonistas pudieran tener una vida mucho más pacífica y feliz; aún tenían un camino largo a construir, pero ya habían dado de todo por la seguridad del reino y era su momento para disfrutar de los placeres de la vida. Realmente es una historia interesante y entretenida, llena de empoderamiento femenino y de luchas para lograr alcanzar un mundo mucho más justo.

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Great cast but I wish I could get my time back!

I was so mad about this series that I put down my oath of never writing a review and signed up for MDL just so I could give this review. ***Occasional spoiler alert***

First things first: I watch historical c-dramas for their stories and (some of the) dialogue as I love exploring and learning more about China's history and past (yes, I know it's not all accurate but as I'm an author, I enjoy being inspired by other scriptwriters).

(*Please note that I skipped MANY scenes because there was a lot that didn't need to be kept in plus I got BORED).

1). Cast: EXCELLENT cast! I LOVVVVEEEE Dai Lu Wa & Riley Wang (hello, DIMPLESSSS) and thought they did the best despite the writing. There are many playful moments that I adored between Shisan & Gao Ran, Fan Yun & Qi Zheng, plus the brotherhood between Qi Zheng, Wei Ying, and Yan Jiang - all of it was great). Fan of Deng Wei but I couldn't STAND his character, Zheng Shi/Lou Qiyan here - UGH).

2). Characters: Now, I tend to like watching characters grow over the course of the series because that's what they're supposed to do but I couldn't believe how confusing and ridiculous some of these characters were (especially the main leads)!

2a). Qi Zheng: He probably had one of the better character arcs throughout the series. Starting off as a baffoonish governor who only lives a lavish life, he's truly hiding someone who cares for his people. First of all, why would you need to show it like this? He cares for the people - that's his JOB as governor. He SHOULD care for his people. I know that the 3 Elders are there to guide (aka hinder) him so they can see their dream of the Nine Cities play out, but come on. That's just silly. Either way, he goes from being super immature to a somewhat understanding person, but that isn't really until epi 35/36.

2b). Fan Yun: As the first female lead, one would think she should have the biggest character growth in the series. Only..... *crickets crickets* there was none. I wanted to smack her character so many fkn times throughout! How are you SO DUMB?? Even near the end of the series, you still couldn't see how Zheng Shi is hella manipulative and insane?! And for all the *strong female character* BS, all it shows is that whatever she wants, she gets. Which isn't always a GOOD thing. PLSSSSSS. And she can't tell when someone likes her? She doesn't understand how she keeps walking into traps, even by episode 30?! HUH? The way they wrote her is super embarrassing, even though it's meant to showcase a strong woman who won't bend to other people's will. But how can you have someone like this who can't even seem to read the room be a "gate commander" or official? That just shows how immature she is. And even when Shisan shows her 1 defensive move, she never uses it. I at least thought she'd would've used it on ZS in the end! But noooooo, she just whines and harrumphs about the unfairness of a man grabbing her. UGH.

2c). Zheng Shi: YO. YOOOOOOO. Y'all managed to get Deng Wei to be in your series and you wasted his talent on acting like some manipulative punkass b*tch who can't take no for an answer? STOP. Please. Just stop. It's 2026 (or it was 2023 when this was filmed, EVEN THEN it should have better writing than these lame tropes). You should be able to create better characters who can show growth instead of demanding attention through manipulation and tricks. That's just hella petty. And for him to keep telling FY how he hopes to drink the sweet dew tea (which signifies the love between 2 people) she brews for him, which was also the antidote to the poison he got from an arrow. (<--- also, this is such a device to use, this is hella lazy writing) In the end, he finally gives up because he realizes FY prefers QZ over him? AFTER HE KNOCKS HER OUT AND KIDNAPS HER?? And tells her that one moment of dislike in her life can pass quickly but one moment of happiness can be revisited over and over? They made him this super insane person who is too stubborn to save themselves from the poison and insists on FY to help him out, when he knew she didn't feel the same way as him? OMG, I wanted to smack him too so many times because at times he seemed decent, respectful, and never wanted to go against FY (his own words) but in the end, he couldn't even keep that facade up. ZERO character growth for him too! How disappointing! I get there needs to be tension between the 2 male leads but seriously? This was unimaginative.

All of the other characters I had zero issue with - it was just these 3 that had some of the worst writing/developments. I was SUPER disappointed, especially after seeing Li Yi Tong in A Dream Within a Dream. I do have to say that there are times when LYT seems to rely too heavily on her looks and being confused - I hope she can grow out of that.

3). Plot: WHAT DID I JUST WATCH?! The plot made ZERO sense to me (and I allow a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to c-dramas, especially historical ones and their ability to stretch the imagination - FINE) but this one? I have no idea what the writers were smoking because I think I want some of it.

3a). Right off the bat - FY is to be married to the governor, QZ. Okay, I can go along with this but for the governor, they paired him with someone from a fallen noble family?? Like that could EVER happen? I get why FY's fam did it for the money but come ON. Plus, the whole money aspect didn't come up (other than QZ feeling disgruntled by the fact that he's only worth 500 taels of gold).

3b). The fake divorce for FY to become an official - was that even necessary? I'm trying to understand this. And if they were trying to get it to this plot point, why wouldn't they just have her start off with petitioning to take the exam, discover that there are no rules (in terms of gender) when it comes to serving in court and building up her merits from there? And while in court, QZ could fall in love with her and the 3 Elders could come in and create a marriage between the two?

3c). Zheng family clan leader election - perhaps I missed the point of this, and I understand that the Zheng family are powerful in Jing City and can control a military but if anything, this should have been threaded throughout the series, not just plopped at the end.

3d). The love triangle - I couldn't stand how FY wouldn't just say something to either QZ or ZS. If you're such a STRONG WOMAN, you should be able to speak your mind more easily. Don't put forth this idea that FY is this incredible person who cares for the people, speaks up IN COURT, goes against the rules and is a timid person around the 2 men who like her? HOW? At least be consistent if you're going to write a strong female character. You can't have her go against the rules, speak out against the Elders and yet suddenly can't seem to say simple things to QZ or ZS! And also, how are you going to write a character who is betrayed by ZS in the end and yet she still trusts him? HUH? FY cannot be THIS DUMB.

3e). The 3 Elders - Look, I get that ancient China was all about being Confucian and filial and all that but the idea that 3 Elders who were there at the beginning of the Nine Cities would prevent the Governor from actually doing his job was ridiculous. There's no FKN way 3 old people could have that much power. Like it didn't make any sense! And when Elder Zheng started going off like a crazy person, why wasn't he removed from court for speaking out of turn? AIYAHHHHH

I know I missed a lot of the other plot points but these were the top ones that my brain couldn't deal with. It makes me so sad when there are great actors involved in a series and yet they had to produce something like this? I just finished the series today and my brain nearly exploded at how stunted so many of the characters were. Like how did this get greenlit?!

But seriously, ALL THE LOVE to Dai Lu Wa & Riley Wang cuz they were THE CUTEST TOGETHER!!! I hope they star as main roles for other series because their dynamic was OFF THE CHARTS!!

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Nothing remarkable, but so far it's the only vampire series I'd recommend

I'm pleasantly surprised that I liked this series. I haven't had the best luck with vampire dramas, so I went in with very low expectations, even more so because of the high rating, & it turned out to be the best one I've seen so far.

For one thing, and I would say the most important, they didn't try to create a whole different lore for these vampires. They also didn't try to make the world bigger than they were prepared to explain. This has been my main issue with almost every vampire series I've watched, so it's nice that they just kept things simple. Yes, there are some things left to question when it came to making supplements & aging, but in comparison to the other series I've watched, those were really non-issues.

In a sense, you could say that the vampire part of the story took such a back seat that you could replace the roles with anything & nothing would change. However, I liked that it wasn't made into a big deal. It mainly focused on the relationships between the characters & I was fine with there not being these tense "I can't control myself" moments. It humanized them in a way, yes, but that didn't feel like a bad thing.

The acting was also fairly solid & the actors did a great job of conveying things through looks, so you pick up on how the characters feel about each other without having to be told, which left more room to focus on our main couple. I never once felt like a character's feelings for another came out of nowhere or was forced.

If I were going to recommend a vampire series, it would be this one. It's short & light-hearted, and most importantly, it doesn't try to stand out by messing around with the lore.

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Watched 2 episodes, and so far, I really like it.
When Xiao Wuyi killed off those officials with that cold gaze and wearing that sinister smile with blood smeared all over his face, got instant chills! Hou Minghao nailed that murderous aura.
Waiting to see how the plot develops next!
Will update this review after finishing all episodes.
Edit: Completed all episodes. Superb acting by Hou Minghao and Aimi. Each nailed their roles perfectly!! The plot, the characters, the storyline, the visuals, kept me hooked throughout the drama. And of course the OSTs, each one carried a perfect feeling conveying the characters emotions. Thanks to all the cast and crew team for bringing us such an amazing drama. One of the best dramas I've watched this year, totally recommended watching it!!

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Brilliant ( what a masterpiece), number 2 best drama of the year.

I'm so impressed, the writer knew exactly what we wanted this 2026. The fl is powerful, she deals with people mercilessly that messes with her, she's no damsel in destres. The ml gives a poor sick front but behind the scenes he's powerful and know martial arts. The ml is a green forest. He saves the princess all the time but he doesn't make it known to her that he's the one doing all these things for her because he doesn't want her to fall in love with him out of gratitude. Once he falls for her he decides to actually not pursue her anymore because of he's sickness he doesn't have a long time to live so he doesn't want her to be lonely. The ml is so selfless and so kind. This drama is so good and a must watch. The romance is so gentle, I love how their kisses are gentle. The consumation of the marriage was normal, not the usual where the ml is drugged or drunk. No they were both sober.
The ending was perfect, even if they decided to give us a happy ending instead of a sad one. It ended perfectly, people are going on on about how they didn't explain the ml return in the end it wasn't necessary, the fl probably knew that he had gone to recuperate.

The ost is good, haven't heard such a good ost since eternal love

Well done to the cast and everyone for this brilliant drama.

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Great Cast Weak Writing

Good Boy is definitely one of those K-dramas that keeps you hooked until the very last episode, even though it has some flaws.

First of all, every performance feels convincing, and the cast did a great job. Overall, the story is interesting, and I liked the message it tries to convey.

However, I struggled to accept some of the characters’ decisions because they often felt questionable. For example, at the beginning, Han Na’s relationship with Dong Ju felt too forced. She does everything she can to push him away and treat him badly without any convincing reason, which made her come across as unlikeable to me.

Another thing that disappointed me was how Han Na discovers important information related to her father’s case through connections with the current investigation but doesn’t tell the team until around Episode 12. It felt like a wasted opportunity.

Some of the action scenes also didn’t work for me. Several of them felt unnecessary and avoidable, almost as if they were added just to fill time. As a result, the amount of violence sometimes felt excessive rather than meaningful.

The least believable moment was when Dong Ju is drugged, beaten, stabbed, somehow manages to walk across Insung, jumps off a moving truck, and then recovers after barely receiving any medical treatment and only a couple of days of rest. I understand that he’s meant to be incredibly strong and determined, but that was simply too unrealistic for me.

That said, I never found the drama slow or boring. The OST is excellent, with several songs that are genuinely catchy and get you pumped. The acting is consistently strong across the entire cast, but the screenplay has noticeable weak points.

I honestly wanted to give this drama a higher rating because I genuinely enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the issues in the writing kept it from reaching that level for me, so my final rating is 8/10.

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