Reviews

.."I WILL SEE YOU THROUGH"..

..the first and the second episode is enough to expect how the story will flow - by focusing of specific character, the q and a portion, down to throwing of thing on a garbage. . .that's it..
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..the story is somehow resembles I have watched before, similar to Yosuke Eguchi's Dinner - especially the last episode of it..
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..anyway, in a world of office environment an individual have different traits on how they work based on their profession and as well as how they believe, and how they treat people..
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..here, through looking on someone's fortune it tackles what went wrong why they work like this, why they believe like this, why they treat them like this..
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..for me, the highlight of each episoe is how they resolve after the revelation from FL's perspective, it always made me cry and motivated at the same time..
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..yeah, we are not only one going through on this struggle but we don't want to like that one..
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..the story is just too beautiful and inspiring how a team must work and support each other for them to face their challenges and goals, their ups and downs..
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..the casting is so star-studded for me, being my first time to see Hana-chan..
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..in the end, it's a worth it to watch, from these limited characters it is impossible to can't relate to anyone of them..

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Uhm!

This series, I would say, is potentially good. However, the creators failed to maintain its promising course and ended up with lame attempt to toy the viewers emotions particularly on the latter part of the series. They thought they could play around by injecting twists but I find it ridiculously dumb. So the story seemed rushed towards the end, riddled with plot holes. They seemed like squeezing everything together in the last 15 minutes of the final episode. Watching the latter part, I was like, "What is going on here?". LOL!

ML was good, he was able to convey what a condescending brat is all about but with a heart. He was loyal and warm to the FL. He was "effectively" irritating sometimes LOL!

FL seemed a bit bored in this series. Did not see her portray her role for most of the time. Emotionless. Lifeless. Even up to last minute of the final eposode, she was kind of uninterested and detached. I understand that mybe because she was trying portray a character that isnt optimistic yet with the relationship because of bad experiences. But dont get me wrong here, I like her. She was good in her other series, She And Her Perfect Husband.

I would also like to comment, especially on the last minutes when the FL asked the ML if they could go home. It came across to me like, "Nothing is interesting out here, lets just go home". LOL! Whoever came up with that idea needed reflect on him or herself. LOL! So lame. To some, that might be acceptable but not for me. It messed up the finale. Not to mention the ML did not get a straight answer to his proposal and ended up guessing for a "Yes!" LOL!

Supporting casts were all good. I like their own little stories as well.

It took me almost a month to finish the series because I was torn between dropping it or waste more time finishing it. Unfortunately, I decided to waste my precious time. LOL!

Enjoy watching!

-B-

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Why chinese people are not a fan of this drama

I heard that chinese people were very judgmental towards the drama and they rated it 3 out 10 which is so not fair ,just because of some things that were not justified . Before criticizing the drama we should first know that it was based on a book hence most of the directing was done accordingly . A drama is not the truth it is just for entertainment purpose then why are they taking it so seriously . I think the acting was worth, drama was fabulous and entertaining and it should be rated high in China . Disgust for the people who even let go their adopted child because of this drama . To know more about what is the take of chinese people on this drama you may ask me for another comment.

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An Average Drama that is NOT a Must-Watch. Or watch for Xiao Zhan and Alen Fang

Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75

A drama starring the mega heartthrob and superstar, Xiao Zhan, is not garnering a lot of attention (at least not on MDL feeds). This is quite surprising as “The Longest Promise” marks the return of Xiao Zhan in a period drama after his success in “The Untamed”. Is the female lead actress, Ren Min, to be blamed? Or her character? Or just the somewhat messy writing in the second half of the drama? Perhaps all of the above.

Zhu Yan (female lead)
I have seen my fair share of xianxias, and I don’t think Zu Yan is such an annoying character. Is she the best FL written? Of course not. However, I’ve seen much worse innocent, naive, pitchy voice female leads before. Zhu Yan though was innocent, she’s not naive and is quite smart in her own right. She might not always make the most thought-out decisions for half of the drama or follow repeated instructions, but she also is independent, courageous and reasonable. The hate on Ren Min is really uncalled for, as I actually think she did a pretty good job here.

Master/Disciple Relationship
This relationship is actually a lot more ‘tolerable’ as the leads met when they were children, then reunited by chance before they became master/disciple This makes the romance also more palatable as they already have very positive feelings and attraction towards each other before they enter into this ‘forbidden love’.

Main Romance
Viewers should be aware that the “slow burn romance” tag is no joke. This is one of the slowest romances in xianxia dramas. Do not expect cute and fluffy scenes between the leads. Their romance is slow, gradual and very quiet. Unfortunately, I don’t think the leads have a lot of chemistry. It’s very average. Even though Xiao Zhao looks great as the handsome Priest, he also looks a lot older than his 18-year old character. Ren Mi looks a lot younger and when they are together, they do not look like lovers. They look more like friends or siblings. The romance is not angsty enough, and not fluffy enough.

Supporting Romance
They could have been so much better. The shy prince and princess are really a cute couple. However, their scenes pop up here and there, and have no substance. Qing Gang and Bai Xue Lu fare a little better and have a more interesting relationship. Unfortunately, the initial setup of the romance is not done right, thus, making it difficult for me to believe Qing Gang’s strong and dedicated affection. The acting is great, but the writing of the plot is not. My dear merman’s story is probably the best out of all 3 supporting romances. I wish to see more scenes of him and his beloved.

Acting
Overall, I think the acting is great all around. Xiao Zhan is the main attraction and he does not disappoint. I think Ren Mi did fine as well and maybe a little better than expected. Alen Fang (merman), Wan Chu Ran (Princess Bai), Wang Zi Qi (General), Marcus Li (Chong Ming bird) and the rest of the younger and veteran cast all met my expectations. I don’t think there’s a weak link. Luckily, there aren't any annoying side characters as well.

Pacing/Writing/Editing
I was having an enjoyable time in the first half of the drama. The pace of the drama is average and decent. The stories of the disciples up the mountain are interesting. We also get to know each of the main characters pretty well. Fight scenes and action picked up in the second half, as well as politics. Unfortunately, despite the pace being faster due to the fight scenes, the writing also gets messier. The backstory of the Demon and Ice tribe is not well done. There’s more telling us what happened, instead of showing us what happened. Editing got choppy and scenes pop up here and there without continuity.

Production Value
I was quite impressed with the CGI Sand Monster in the first episode. I thought the drama opened with a BANG! However, then I realized CGI is inconsistent. There are fight scenes with great visual effects, and then there are scenes so obvious that you know the green screen is right there. The fight scenes and CGI are average and I do no like the slow mo action scenes. Xiao Zhan is the only one who uses his own voice for dubbing. I applaud his effort and maybe being in a play has helped Xiao Zhan build up confidence and experience. I think he did an OK job but it was definitely encouraging. Unfortunately, everyone else is dubbed by voice actors and there is no live recording at all. The sets are not bad and I do like the costumes and accessories. The music and songs are fine, but not memorable.

XianXia Tropes
It’s interesting how “The Longest Promise” does not have some common tropes, e.g. evil second female lead who won’t take no for an answer, super cold male lead (ML here is cool, but approachable and not overly rude and cold), or many love triangles/squares/pentagons. But then, in the second half of the drama, we have noble idiocy, common and predictable miscommunication, and a very xianxia ending.


Overall, “The Longest Promise” is a very average drama. It is not a must-watch but if you need to curb your thirst for Xiao Zhan, then it’s not bad. There are many better xianxias out there.


Other Random Observations:
1. There are some scenes that are very Harry-Potter and Lord-of-the-Ring like.
2. Chong Ming Bird is a good sidekick and provided a little comic relief (not much).
3. The kiss scenes are few and disappointing. Side-hugs appear uncomfortable and scripted/pose-like.


Completed: 8/1/2023 - Review #336

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Second Wind

A refreshingly cool wind that blew a young, heart-fluttering love my way.

This far exceeded my expectations. I expected mediocre and was greeted with the memorable innocence of a first love, sincerity in words, actions, and music, conflicts that hit and weren't dragged out, and a beautiful dream small enough to carry in your pocket yet expansive enough as to fly out into the world.

This felt like a secret so gorgeous I wanted to keep it to myself. But I believe it deserves to be seen by many.

Side Note: Don't worry, the chemistry is there and romantic moments aren't brushed aside. This couple shines wonderfully and makes you root for them all along the way.

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At a loss to describe this

This drama left me flabbergasted.
I was just beginning to up my ratings on J dramas and viola this comes along on Netflix.

Was it an undying romance?
Was it a mystery thriller?
Did it want to depict the existence of truly kind hearted foster parents or make underage abuse the thematic issue?
Why did the ghost come back again?

Truly nerve racking story with no focus, too many critical story lines, no idea what was the intent, purpose and genre of this drama.
It spilt water all over the floor and took a soaking wet mop to clean the mess but instead ended up with a soggy damp confusing wreckage.

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Chemistry was so OFF

There is A LOT to unpack here.

Wen was straight up giving F me eyes the entire show. OOOOO, he better calm down. The entire time we all saw and felt how Wen was feeling. He played his role so well! So it's a shame that the lead couple had next to no chemistry. It was one sided the entire time, even in the small moments Jim showed some wiggle room, or straight up affection. It all felt fake.

Judging this as a BL on the main couple, I'd say this is a 5 rating, and only because HALF the leads were giving it hard. So instead I judged this one as a slice of life drama with a dash of BL romance thrown in. So it gets 7.

I really enjoyed the little drama we had with Alan, Jim, and Wen. It felt like real life, messy, painful, and emotional.

I enjoyed the side characters stories because it made the Chicken restaurant and neighborhood feel so homey.

Li Ming and Heart were EVERYTHING. EVERY.THING!!! They were the sweetest and the best story ever! I could have watched them as the main leads FOREVER. Every moment they had was just heartwarming and perfect.

On the spice meter this gets a 1, the first episode had lots of chemistry and lead up to the spice in a way that a little went a long way. But then the chemistry disappeared never to be seen again.

Alan really got the short end of the stick here and I felt so bad for him! Not only did he get his heartbroken after 5 years but Wen dragged it out by living together. And when he got into a serious accident Wen acted as if it was burdensome to help him. After 5 years and you care that little? Alan had every right to feel heartbroken and awful. Nobody should stay if they don't love them but have some more grace. And that last episode was total BS, 5 years of a relationship and he joins them for dinner? No thank you. But it was cute that everyone did eat together.

Overall I really enjoyed some parts and other parts it was just okay.

I have to admit I am not a huge fan of Earth. I don't know what it is about him but I don't think he suits BL's well. To be fair I've only seen his small bits in Love By Chance and this one but there is just something that bugs me about him. Now I really want to watch another Mix Earth show to see if it's just my bad for choosing the show where he is written as a stale character. I'll be back to report my findings. TO be fair the first and very end of hte last episode gave me a LITTLE hope.

Ending it with everyone eating together was so cute and gave the overall feel of the entire show.

BUT NOW what do I watch? Do I watch First & Khaotung actually get together in Eclipse? Do I try another Earth Mix to see if there IS chemistry? Or do I watch more perfection of Gemini & Fourth?!? Decisions, decisions!

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a cute, realistic and health representation of what love should be on dramas

I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely went way beyond my expectations, for better and for worse.

Overall, it's a light drama, so don't expect complexity and plots with great subjects to be explored.

it's a drama that realistically talks about how a fake relationship REALLY works. There aren't that many clichés, in fact, I think there could be more and maybe, who knows, the show would be more enjoyable for me.

It's a show about relationships and life, but not only that, it's also about timing. Unfortunately, for me, although the construction of the MC was really interesting, I still think that the writers miss the timing. The couple could have more romantic interaction from the moment they made their feelings clear, but that didn't happen. Tbh, was quite the opposite scenary, cuz we basically didn't have moments of them together, only in the final episode

Despite everything, it's a good representation of what romances in dramas should be: no arm pulling, a respectful and calm ML, who knows how to respect the FL space and understands what individuality means. While we have all these positives and even decent chemistry between the main actors, the story didn't have enough interesting content to keep me 100% focused on it.

I think the drama of the secondary couple was a little annoying, and that helped me want to end it quickly.

And, of course, the unfilled gaps were also an issue for me.

I would like to add that I didn't really like the performance of the main actress, I thought she had little expression, but I don't know if that was intentional, since her character seems to be more introverted.

Otherwise, I felt that the good chemistry between the main actors was wasted, which is a shame.

It was an average drama that, while cute, I wouldn't watch again.

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MASTERPIECE

JUST FINISHED D.P 2 ??? ITS SO GOOD not a single skip during the whole season, all the details and every case was perfect. The whole cast screams perfection! I love the flow this season and you'll be able to finish it in one seating.

The story is more exciting and more emotional. The quality of the story is not reduced and the addition of characters does not interfere with the story. The difference in conflict with D.P 2 is more hilarious hahah. Jang Nina's episode is my favorite but every episode is still impacting.

Still don’t want to say goodbye to Jung Haein and Koo Kyo Hwan ??

1000/10 y'all should watch it !!!!

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Cute, Simple, Cheesy

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

Among short, surface-level romances, this drama is one of the better ones. Despite its MANY flaws, it was a nice binge watch.

Acting/Cast: This is probably the strongest category. Good cast and acting. The secondary love story was nice to watch, as well. The male lead was great, even though I found myself wishing it was Hyun Bin instead, but obviously he's too big of an actor to play in a drama like this. Maybe I was just thinking about Memories of the Alhambra too much...8/10

Writing: Maybe it would have been better if it had more episodes. There would have been more time to flesh out characters and the pacing could have been improved. The drama felt very rushed and sloppy. For instance, when the male lead comes to the realization that he has feelings for the female lead, it seemed very sudden and I felt like I had missed a scene or something. A slow burn romance would have worked better with his personality type and both of their childhood traumas. Unfortunately, like I said before, not enough time for that. I would have also liked to see more of the growth of the relationship between the male lead and the AI over the years of his life. Also, the ending was too...childish? Immature? Idealistic? With the premise of the plot being about AI, loneliness, and being disconnected from people, the writers could have went really deep with the psychological issues and the effects of these technologies on human relationships and the world. It could have taught the audience a profound moral message. However, the drama barely scratched the surface of these aspects. It seems like a waste of a plot that could have taught us so much. But I guess if they wanted the vibe to stay more on the cute and cuddly side , they succeeded. To me though, it feels too childish, too simple. I like it when dramas can really get me thinking. 2/10

Direction/SFX/Music : The SFX was good for the most part. There was one scene where the green screen looked terrible, but that's about it. The direction could have been better; scenes could have been cut better to illustrate emotional build up and help the audience connect with the leads. For instance, the scene where the male lead sees his mom for the first time since childhood. The camera should have been on his face for most of that scene, especially his initial reaction. I don't need to see his mom; I don't have an emotional connection with her--I need to see HIM see his mom and then his acting would be a tearjerker moment for the audience. As for the OST, it's pretty good. It wasn't good enough to enhance the drama on its own, but still good. 4.5/10

Entertainment Value: It was a quick watch that was able to keep me interested throughout. The lightness of it was the most boring thing about it to me. There was stupid romance stuff like running in the woods, having a panic attack, and now the male lead needs to carry her on his back. It made me roll my eyes. But, luckily it was mostly toward the end where I was getting annoyed. The ending itself really annoyed me though--very cliché. 4/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 4.5 out of 10 due to it's superficiality, rushed story-telling, and cheesiness. I found myself comparing it to Are You Human, Too? (a similar sci-fi plot about AI) and I had liked that one much more (I had given Are You Human, Too? a 5 out of 10). I also couldn't help but compare it to Memories of the Alhambra (a sci-fi about augmented reality becoming real), which is miles better than both My Holo Love and Are You Human, Too? (I had given Memories of the Alhambra a 6.5 out of 10).

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A tender, moving series, full of sensitivity

That's really a tender, moving series, full of sensitivity,... as Japanese filmmakers know how to do.

Plot: reunion 18-20 years later, of 2 high school lovers, aviation fans, separated by the FL's amnesia, following a car accident. She is now divorced, taxi driver, with a music-loving teenage child. He is works in the security team of a building and is in a relationship with his ex-therapist.

ACTING just phenomenal! Mitsushima Hikari and Satoh Takeru get in live their characters, with accuracy, subtlety, intelligence. It's all in their eyes...
The other actors are also excellent, but the OTPs are so intense that everything else only serves to explain their story.

TECHNICAL Perfect.
The images are beautiful, the plans well studied. The pace is sustained. The story is well written even if the many flashbacks sometimes make the storyline a little confusing.
The music is awesome.

Conclusion: a little gem that I will definitely watch again (and not just for Satoh Takeru :)
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Une série tendre, émouvante, pleine de sensibilité,... comme les cinéastes japonais savent le faire.

Plot : retrouvailles 18-20 ans plus tard, les 2 amoureux de lycée, fans d'aviation, séparés par l'amnésie de la FL suite à un accident. Elle est maintenant divorcée, taxi, avec un enfant ado fan de musique. Il fait partie de l'équipe de sécurité d'un building et en couple avec son ex-psy.

ACTING juste phénoménal ! Mitsushima Hikari et Satoh Takeru incarnent / vivent leurs personnages, avec justesse, subtilité, intelligence. Tout passe dans leurs regards...
Les autres acteurs sont aussi excellents, mais les OTP sont si intenses que tout le reste ne sert qu'à expliquer leur histoire.

TECHNIQUE Parfait.
Les images sont belles, les plans bien étudiés. Le rythme est soutenu. L'histoire est bien écrite même si les nombreux flashbacks rendent parfois la storyline un peu confuse.
La musique est géniale.

Conclusion : un petit bijou que je regarderai certainement à nouveau (et pas seulement pour Satoh Takeru :)

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best version out of 5

I have seen all five versions of this story and this one is my favorite. This is a complete story that felt fairly believable, with good character growth and appropriate suspense. The production of this drama was done very well making it enjoyable to view and very aesthetically pleasing. The OST was good and the acting was done well by all the actors. If deciding to watch only one version of this story then I would recommend this one but also if you want to watch another version of a familiar story then you won't be disappointed in this one.

Like all of them this has slight variations in the story to make it different from the others. It starts off with their relationship being a bit different. They meet and spend time together before the accidental night (versus in all other versions he is drugged and photographed as blackmail). The male lead takes longer to warm up to after their marriage than other versions as well but once he figures out his feelings and makes a decision then he stays firm and true to them. This version also has the best/ most heartwrenching scenes and the male lead really carries those moments very well. You get pretty annoyed with the female lead toward the end because her character growth goes from being too soft and pliable to too stubborn and unreasonable. But the male lead saves it and keeps you watching to see how far he is willing to go.

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Lived up to the hype

I hadn’t watched this because (1) I was not a IQIYI subscriber but I finally broke down and subscribed yesterday and (2) I am not a Mile fan but I have read that he is one of the nicest guys out there.

I just finished the series ( in 2 days - because I had to work today haha). Let me tell you, it was fantastic. Mafia themes are my favorite. Manner of Death and HIStory 3 are other favorites.

The acting was superb. I never expected this to bring out so many different emotions . Apo wins the prize for gorgeous, sexy, fit, and hilarious. Some parts were funny, while other parts were very intense. The twists and turns keep coming until the very end. Not one boring part anywhere.

The BibleBuild story was over the top like nothing I have ever seen before. Incredible.

Overall, it was great and I would watch this again.

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