Reviews

Truly wholesome and inspirational work of art

If you’re looking for themes of hope, inspiration, and harsh realistic lessons of life, then this drama is for you. The music resonates with me so much that a lot of diverse emotions start to combine and create chemistry in my brain, heart, and soul while watching the drama. Ran Joo’s writing is the BEST for me as she is portrayed VERY realistically and relatably as she depicts true human nature where there are times that we have contrasting choices and priorities in life. This drama is the perfect portrayal of “When life gives you lemons, make a lemon juice.”

Read More

Life, Youth, Living

Friendship, youth, and school dramas are my cup of tea. The story’s plot and flow is just the right pace and direction but I would want to see more of the two male main leads’ friendship/bromance than the romance part of Yeo Jun and So Bin, so there are times that I skip the couple’s romance parts because their chemistry isn’t my cup of tea. Nevertheless, the story is realistic and tackles real life issues that relates with youth, school, adulting, harsh truths of life, and the nature of friendship. (Park Ji Hoon’s acting is wayyyy too good he deserves more lead roles, his back must be heavy after carrying the heavy load of acting in this drama)

Read More

Solid romantic comedy to watch for relationship vibes

TLDR: Fun romcom with some good chemistry and hilarious moments. If you read the manhwa and liked it this is definitely worth giving a watch

Disclaimer: average for me is a 5 so anything above that is pretty good to excellent and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not into film making so I can name a total of 0 techniques that go into making a good TV show. I can only comment on how much I enjoyed certain aspects of a show relative to ones I've watched in the past

Overall: I did not think I would like this as much as I did. I read the manhwa and loved it so my expectations were already pretty high. I didn't pick it up initially because I saw the initial date scene in a trailer a few years ago and thought it was kinda cringe, but dang the characters grew on me. They serve as a solid backbone to an otherwise simplistic story that made me enjoy almost every moment of screen time.

Story: Nothing super special about the story. Pretty much your run of the mill CEO/employee contract relationship with misunderstandings thrown in. However, it does everything well with good pacing and very little excess fluff. It kept me interested all the way through despite already knowing what happens.

This is kind of a big thing but you do have to buy into the plot in order to enjoy the show otherwise you're just gonna be thinking wtf most of the time. Light spoilers but you just have to accept that the FL looks completely different to every other character in the show when she is in her Geum Hi persona (in the manhwa she had a pink wig so it made more sense). She just stops hiding her face at some point and it didn't make a difference so they kind of just gave up on the concept but its something I was willing to overlook.

I think it did suffer from the random breakup 2/3 slump thing that a lot of dramas have (right after the leads get together there is always some random BS that pops up that forces them to break up again even though they both know they like each other so we can get the dramatic climax 2 episodes before the show ends). It wasn't super bad in this show but it was still there for both couples and kind of nonsensical. For the main couple it was the classic parents don't approve/class thing and for the second couple it was the classic miscommunication so pretty standard cliches that I wish would go away. Some of the cuts are also funny/disjointed af depending on if you're a glass half full or glass half empty kinda person, slight spoiler but how does she end up in the car while running on the cross walk... I still cannot figure that out.

Characters/acting: Solid performances across the board. I liked the FL a lot more than I thought I would seeing some of her scenes out of context. She really grew on me and gave a charm to the role that made me like the drama more than the manhwa by the end. She could shift fluidly between the silly over the top drunk girl and heartwarming serious business girl all while still being the same character. The character was portrayed well and I liked the adaptation they chose to go with. The ML was good in the role and I was a huge fan of the character. Most CEOs in these kinds of dramas are objectively not good people but viewers can turn a blind eye because they're hot af and are given enough emotional/backstory scenes to stay invested. But I'm happy to say the ML here is actually a decent human being. He makes mistakes but apologizes and has a solid moral compass that he sticks to throughout the show. Their chemistry is really good and I loved their dynamic throughout the show even when they weren't a couple.

The second couple was probably my favorite relationship wise. They sort of serve as the proxy to give the audience some bf/gf screen time while the main couple is still working things out and I was all for it. Aside from their aforementioned random misunderstanding they were solid throughout the show and had fantastic chemistry. I loved the second FL both in her relationship and in her friendship with Ha Ri. Their back and forth was amazing to watch and the drunk scene is something to behold. The second ML was super charming and bounced off well with the other 3 main characters.

Side characters: All were pretty solid. Standout for me was drunk Ms. Kim. I low key wish they made her an alcoholic because for whatever reason that actress made every line hilarious when her character was wasted. I'm actually laughing just thinking about it lol. The rest of the development team was great. They all played their roles well as the comedic peanut gallery watching everything unfold alongside the viewers.

I'm sort of conflicted on Min Woo because he was way more ick than I remember him being in the manhwa and pretty much never gave off any impression of being a viable number 2 to the love triangle that may or may not have existed. He was just not a good person and I'm not sure if that's how it was in the manhwa or if they just wanted to take the character in that direction but I do wish the character was a little more likeable. (Nothing against the actor or anything as I'm sure the decision wasn't his and he did a good job of bringing the character to life seeing how much he turned me off, just wish he was given a more likeable character to channel his talent through)

The grandfather had a tough role to play as the over the top supportive yet stern father figure and I thought the actor did well. He was less comedic than in the manhwa but overall his character worked fine. I thought the mom was a little over the top at times but other than that not too much to say about the rest of the side characters.

Music: Not much to say, I watch at 1.5x speed mostly so can't really comment.

Rewatch: I can see myself revisiting this but wouldn't be at the top of the list. I will be rewatching drunk Ms. Kim tho lol

Read More

Emotionally grappling

The intricate relationships between the characters, the raw emotions portrayed, and the intense conflicts they face make the story captivating and thought-provoking. The way the characters navigate through their challenges, support each other through thick and thin, and ultimately find strength in their unity is truly inspiring. The story delves deep into the complexities of human nature, the power of friendship, and the resilience needed to overcome life's obstacles. It is a rollercoaster of emotions that will keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating what will happen next.

Read More

TEN out of TEN (why no one talks about this?)

GHAD. WHAT A WRAP! Again, I just found this on YT-- never saw the trailer or synopsis but it still hooked me! What I like about this one is the plot and how they deliver the story. Its mystery was awesome without being angsty! I know I was a fool not believing FL but they got me there! Storytelling at its finest!

Revelations there and there? GHAD, I already like the people who created this!

FL was great with confidence! I like how she naturally gives the scenes a thumbs up. ML was also awesome and I might add fast to adopt given that he was locked in a cycle and FL was the only one who kept track.

OVERALL, must watch, and don't spoil yourself with these chaotic time lapses yet nice nice story. True 10/10!

Read More

United as Husband & Wife till death do us part | Will stick with you as we're destined together.

I want to commence this review by saying how this drama gave me peace of mind, tranquil and warmth. I didn't exactly know how it happened at first but I later realized that it is all because this story created such a homey vibe...a feeling of security, strong bond, genuine concern and unconditional love that effortlessly resonated to its viewers which made me watch this in a comfortable and peaceful manner. I know it may sound weird, but I feel a lot kinder now. Hahaha! I would say they succeed in building a connection to their viewers on how they want them to view this drama as a whole. I believe they want people to know and understand that kindness, compassion and willingness to help can keep anyone away from worries, selfish desires and greed; and that it can become an instrument, a guide and inspiration for us to take on the right path to achieve a fullfiling and sucessful life.

I don't wanna make comparisons and I will not, however, I just wanna mention that this drama gave me the same vibe I felt when I was watching "The sword and the brocade" but this time the ML is a lot nicer and that there really isn't so much drama and scheming going on within the household. It maybe because of the story as both of the Female leads were forced into marriage but, more so, I think it's because of the FL and her gentle demeanor, intelligence and philanthropic activities to help people that made me reminisce of TSATB. All in all I love both dramas and I am really into this kind of story that highlights women and how capable they can be.

Story (Line, progression and twist) - I love how the story line focuses on the Main leads and stayed commited that way until the very end. I think this is one of those dramas who didn't get greedy in building so much side stories only to end up not using them. I also like the fact that all the supposed side stories were treated as a special scenes where we're only updated about their whereabouts just to check on how they're doing. It feels more satisfying that way because I don't really have to get stress on what will happen to them nor get bothered on whether we get an update or not. No strings attached at all! But kudos to the Writer for still keeping them in the story while casually giving us their life updates. I just also wanna add up that Luo Zishang's origin revelation is something unexpected yet makes a lot of sense to me. I never really bothered about his hatered, so when it was revealed at the end, I instead feel bad for what he went through at the same time happy that he get to meet his father as a consolation of his traumatic and tough childhood. But then again, he commited a lot of hideous and condemnable acts to get pitied. Well deserve death and a satisfying ending for him I'd say.

Overall design, CGI and Costume - The budget must have been huge because the entirety of the drama looks grand and luxurious. The wedding alone looks elegant and expensive, so what more with the other details I may have overlooked all throughout. The design and set up of each scenes are mostly intricate and it feels like the department handling this stuff made sure that eveything looks perfect the best way they can. CGI and editing are looking good too! and although I can still notice the use of green screens, I would say it's not as bad compared to other dramas out there who look straight up terrible. In regards to costume, I wanna say that they've got some good stylist with them. The choice of colors and designs for the costumes are great and I never felt that something is wrong with them. Most of the time I was even in awe on how good they're in making the costumes look beautiful and elegant no matter how simple they are. This also helped the actors/actresses to look more attractive and charming.

Lastly is the progression of the Main Leads' love story. The chemistry has always been there but Ghad! Bai Jingting and Song Yi's acting put it into another level. I love how their relationship gradually improved as time passes by because it showcased the real definition of Falling in love unexpectedly and unconditionally. I can still remember how the ML falling in love with the FL felt so magical. This story is simply so good. + I also appreciate that both of them are such mature characters who knew each other very well because it helped the story avoid unnecessary conflicts out of jealousy and misunderstandings.

Story - 10, This is such an inspiring and impressive story. I love how they're able to create a narrative that goes beyond the typical full of jealousy drama and was able to create such a strong and wonderful love story with firm foundation. Another factor that impresses me is on how they executed this drama with proper phasing even with all the timeskips that has transpired all throughout. What a Great Job!

Acting/Cast - 10, I'm very satisfied with the cast and I can never picture any other person playing the main and support roles; and as I mentioned above, the combination of Song Yi and Bai Jing Ting made this extra special and precious to me. This is also the first time where I truly appreciate and fell in love with Song Yi as an actress. Her acting is great + she looks extra beautiful here! My goodness! Liu Xue Yi did an impressive job too portraying his character, as well as the other supporting casts.

Music - 10, Proper placement of music and I also love their choice of BGMs in every scenes. + I love that they have full control of the volume of the song and never allowed it to overshadow nor drown the scenes it was used to even a single time.

Rewatch Value - 10, This is one of those dramas I will truly watch if I have more time and lesser drama to watch. I really appreciate the entirety of this production.

Overall - 10, Do I need to say more? Everything about this feel so precious and so close to me. I love the story so much and I also appreciate how they were able to tell the story in a nice and a broad-minded way. I highly recommend this drama specially to those who love the Main Cast!

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

You either like it or you don’t.

I honestly didn’t think I’d be finishing this series anytime soon, but here we are. As someone who was new to Thai bl when I started watching this, I had very mixed opinions. I wasn’t very intrigued by the plot at the time and I had so many other bls on my watchlist that I just completely stopped watching this all together after about 4-5 episodes.
I think it really depends on the person. The plot is a bit rough at first, but when I did eventually return to this series I became really invested into it. I did NOT expect to like this one, let alone binge the rest of the entire show within a couple of days. I must admit that I did not like this show at first cause I felt there wasn’t enough plot, but then the series picks up about midway through and gets good.
Does this have plot holes? Yes absolutely. But it’s super entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat nearer the end.
I won’t give anything away, but I actually cried like twice while watching this. No normal drama can make me cry! I can’t even remember the last time one did! I must give it to the amazing actors who did such a good job with portraying their characters and emotions. Like, this series isn’t even that sad, but the actors were just so emotional that I started getting emotional too lmao-

If you’re thinking about watching this I would go for it, but be warned because the first few episodes may be misleading since the series does get much more intense and interesting as it goes on. I know there are a lot of negative reviews on here, but I actually did really enjoy this in the end, despite the rocky start :)

Read More

A good mini drama filler

This is a short drama 10 minutes per episode.
I believe Shen Hao Nan and Wen Mo Yan has chemistry that are on fire for some of the scenes! I am familiar with SHN short dramas and believe this is definitely his best to date. In part the plot allows him to showcase his skills…

Basically, the FL works as a “consultant” of sort to catch cheating husbands by presenting evidence of cheating to facilitate divorce and claims for the wife. She was recruited to set such a bait for ML but got the table turned on her when the “wife” aka 2FL was actually duplicitous and was not actually honest about a lot of things which she omitted to tell FL. The story is tight but there are always loop holes in logic when it comes to short or mini drama.

But the acting skills of both ML and FL is very good and the supporting casts also complements them. As such this is a very watchable short drama.

Read More

A Captivating Historical Drama About the Unbreakable Spirit of a Betrayed Woman plus, the Chemistry!

The Double" is a captivating historical drama that delves dip into the life of Xue Fang Fei, now Jiang Li, a character who was betrayed, framed, and killed by the one she trusted and loved the most.

One of the the unique aspects of "the double" is the unbreakable spirit of Jiang Li as she navigates the world of danger, betrayal, and deception. Also, as she carefully schemes her plans of revenge. Her intelligence shines through as she outsmart her enemies and break through many situations.

Overall, "The Double" is a thrilling drama whose unique plot, top tier story and acting captivated me right from the very first episode. It's quite exceptional for a cdrama to be this captivating from the very first episode, it's indeed a drama worth every bit of viewers time.
"The double is a drama worth referring to as a"masterpiece"!!
I'm enjoying every moment of this drama.
I highly recommend this drama I call a "masterpiece"!!

*UPDATED*
*Electrifying Chemistry*
I wrote a review hours ago after completing episode 13, but couldn't help but update my review upon reaching episode 19. So, here it is;
The electrifying chemistry between Jiang Li and Xiao Heng, the lead actors of the drama, was palpable from the moment they first shared the screen together, their intense gazes and subtle smiles sparking a fiery tension that only intensified as the story unfolded, their characters' tumultuous relationship a perfect reflection of the actors' own undeniable attraction, which seemed to crackle with every glance, and every touch, leaving audiences utterly entranced and yearning for more of the sizzling dynamic between the two leads, whose on-screen connection was so convincing, and so utterly compelling that it threatened to incinerate the very fabric of the drama itself, leaving nothing but ashes of disappointment in its wake if it were ever to fade. Can't have enough of their time together!!

Read More

Friendship, one sided love and dreams.

I loved it. It was refreshing,funny and just cute. I related to the FL's woes with her family tho I'm the youngest ?. The friendship between the main cast was so cute I laughed a lot at their shenanigans I felt like I was one of them. I also found myself liking the second lead along with the FL tho I quickly realised it won't work and gave up unlike her ? I can't believe she kept liking him for so long it didn't make sense tho he's nice and all but he already got someone he liked at some point so... Welp anyways I also liked how the bestie broke up peacefully at the end with that guy it was different. The ml and FL were so good Richard really outdid himself in this drama I loved his character a lot. Most importantly what I liked in the drama is that each character is given a very good realistic persona with good points and flaws they felt real. The only thing I have a complaint about is the ending... Like it was a little abrupt? We needed a little explanation maybe also a closure? It felt a bit rushed I found it lacking!! The time she spent liking the other guy felt more than the time they spent loving each other and to be precise what I mean is her reciprocating his feelings finally. So yeah I felt a little frustrated like we were robbed of The perfect ending. Overall, it was still beautiful.

Read More

An adorable and hilarious series!

This series was so fun and genuinely had me laughing out loud. I absolutely loved the practical effects used, especially in those old-timey movie-esque dream sequences and the lore of the alien pig curse. I sometimes get wary of some fantasy in contemporary setting because they often end up being quite angsty but this was not that. It was appropriately absurd and sincerely heartwarming.

I also loved how they immediately went in like 'we know this appears to be another CEO/employee drama but' and then proceeded to subvert that trope in a number of ways. First, I was pleasantly surprised that Yang Xiaoyang and her friend were both appreciated for their ideas and skills. I also appreciated that the boss character wasn't just idol-ified. He was appropriately chastised for his terrible behavior towards his employees. This is one of those things that I loathe from other CEO dramas. If my boss was as much of an asshole as some of these C-drama CEOs are, I would quit and genuinely think that person was a sociopath. Being good-looking and rich is, like, not even a factor.

Another moment of subversion that I appreciated was when we learn that the Yang Xiaoyang is actually really rich; she just didn't know it! She apparently has this huge inheritance that her parents didn't tell her about. It was such a funny moment because I know that it was specifically supposed to subvert the whole rich man/poor woman dynamic and just immediately put him back down on planet earth next to her. It's not really about artificially raising her up, but instead being like 'yeah he's rich, but so what?'.

I also really appreciated that they decided to show how awkward it would be if you thought you HAD try falling in love with a person you don't actually know at all. It was only until they started trying to be normal about their relationship and working on getting to know each other as real people that things became less awkward. It was also refreshing to, at least subtextually, have this idea that it wasn't 'fate' or 'destiny' but rather a choice on both their parts to try and be together romantically.

My absolutely favorite piece of this was the curse lore as explained by his mother. It was so funny and absurd. I really think all curses should be like this. I will die on this hill.

My ONE critique would be that I actually wished we saw more of their just hanging out. I mean, there's a bit of a flashback in the last couple eps where she recalls the fun times between them, and I was like, 'wait, can we see more of that?'. Because we got the awkward forced dating but then I really wanted to see that they eased into being friends and stuff. Do they have fun together? What do they laugh at? Do they have a similar taste in movies or tv shows? What I do appreciate is that they showed that the two of them really worked well together. They found out that they have similar goals and then really played to each other's strengths. And in fact, the male lead was like, 'I can't wait to get to that sweet moment of making new products together'. That was such a great character moment I thought.

All in all, I really do think this was such a solid series totally worth watching.

Read More

You might start watching out of curiosity, but soon you'll be captivated by its charm.

I won't exaggerate and say the story captivated me from the get-go. Honestly, Ki yong was the main reason I tuned in; I missed his acting, especially in deep roles. I wasn’t familiar with most of the cast, but from the first episode, the drama’s uniqueness struck me. Its story is unconventional and becomes more distinctive and exciting with each episode. I wanted to binge-watch it, but I was wary of spoilers.

Initially, I had trouble warming up to the female lead, but she quickly grew on me, and I ended up loving her. The character development is beautifully handled throughout. The cinematography, direction, music, and especially the acting were top-notch. Ki yong’s performance particularly stood out, increasing my admiration for him. His role as a father was compelling, and despite the few scenes with his daughter, their impact was powerful. The couple also broke away from the stereotypical romantic image, displaying a beautiful bond. From the start, they gave off a married vibe, which I found endearing.

Overall, this drama is unique, different, and well-rounded, and I highly recommend it.

Read More

A healing sweet beautiful drama with no drama or villains

The drama is beautiful its mainly about a love so sweet that you can probably see the honey dripping from the ML 's eyes. I watched because of Zhou ye the FL and ended up falling head over heels for ML Tan Jianci' s voice, acting and charms. He portraied his character to perfection I have no complaints about him! The whole acting crew were so good to be very honest you'd just end up loving every single character in the drama. All of them are so cute, bubbly and passionate people you'd wish you had as friends as well. The whole representation of dubbing and ancient style singing was very well done as well I loved the osts, the costumes and I noticed how Zhou ye's character and other casts mostly wore chinese traditional modern style they were so beautiful. The drama also talked and showed a lot of food! So be ready to feel hungry every time I think I gained 2-3 kg just from watching and givining in to the urges to eat as well ?. The production of the drama is also very well done no complaints about it! The quality was so great!. It just the drama got a little hmm boring at the last episodes? Of course this is coming from me I'm not sure about others but I'm the type of person who doesn't like too much sweetness ? and we got quite the amount of it you see from the start maybe because I'm used to the normal dramas in which the Lead Cp have like an ep or two being lovey dovey before a storm comes and in here nothing happened so it felt stretched. An other complaint of mine is that I felt that the story is heavily focused on the ML. I get how dreamy and tbh very overly perfect he is but it feels too much sometimes I feel tired like even those a bit toxic ML from dramas raised our expectations already you neednt do this it's too muchhh we still need to get married u know!? I also felt like the FL wasn't given a deeper character like all we know is she's a beautiful talented composer but we saw her only compose 1 song or 2. She planned only once. She was always like a sidekick to the ML helping him in the kitchen or tagging along with him yet she was described as a passionate person... It kind of doesn't feel like it her friends from the studio appeared more passionate than her especially the English teacher guagua and zoudiao as well. I was a little disappointed in that aspect I felt like they could've made her match the ML just a little bit more. She seemed very carefree while the ML was both busy passionate hardworking and also still being a caring boyfriend and friend. But again I guess the drama had a hidden story in which the FL is someone who saved a nation in her past life and now is blessed and rewarded with a great family where she's supported, adored and spoiled and a perfect bf and then husband with a great circle of friends and a smooth sailing future.
In conclusion, a beautiful healing drama with too much perfection that might either bore you or give you diabetes with beautiful osts and a great cast.

Read More

Absolute masterpiece. I could watch the leads solve math problems all day and not get bored

TLDR: Of the 40 or so dramas I've seen thus far this is the only one that I pulled an all nighter to keep watching and I normally don't like historical dramas.

Disclaimer: I rate a 5 as average so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not a film making expert so I have no knowledge on the techniques that go into making a "good" show so I can only give my opinions based on how much I liked a given show relative to previous ones I've seen.

Overall: I'm not a good enough writer to express how much fun I had while watching this show. If literally anything about cdramas interests you you will have no regrets adding this show to your watch list.

Story: The story is great. It has multiple facets that are all balanced beautifully. The romance, politics, mystery, and war elements are all given ample time to develop with nothing feeling left out. Starting off with the romance. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and is backed by an interesting premise with strong plot points that the characters have to navigate. I loved the dual identities of the leads which added a fun element that allowed viewers to be in on a secret while characters gradually discovered things on their own. It also served to add depth to both the characters and the world they were living in which is not something that I can often follow in a historical cdrama. The backstory of the leads also made it really fun to just watch them exist together no matter the situation. I would say the only thing I was kind of disappointed in was the FL reveal. I selfishly wanted it to be a bigger deal, and it did feel like it was building up to it, but how it actually played out made sense in the context of the story so I can't knock it too much.

The politics were good. I've never personally been invested in this aspect of dramas but the court and politics in this show are solid enough with believable motives and actions which kept me invested. It was refreshing to see every character having a base IQ of at least 100 with their own goals and plans to achieve those goals. It never felt like a plan failed because the character was dumb, it always felt like they failed because they happened to go up against someone smarter than them which is not something that can be said for most dramas so mad props to the show for that. There is a fair share of over the top stuff but nothing too outrageous and easily overlooked given how good everything else about the story is. The war elements were ok. There was some CGI use in the later stages with some numbers that didn't quite add up but nothing super bad.

Spoiler: The only egregiously weird moment to me was when the daughter stabbed the FL. I sort of had question marks in my head as to what that was since the FL was pretty much her older sister/mother up until that point but that is the only moment I was really taken out of the story.

Overall the story was pretty good without trying to be overly complex. With the strong chemistry between the leads and the incredible characters the story's only job was to not be horrible and it accomplished this and more. It was pretty much the perfect vehicle to let the characters shine through and carry the show.

Characters/acting: This is a strong contender for some of my favorite leads and side characters of any show I've watched. Overall I loved the fact that every character is competent and found themselves in a given position for a reason. No rulers without a brain to be seen (the single exception being the lord that is introduced later).

Starting with the leads. The ML is perfectly cast in the role. I've seen 4 or 5 of his shows and I think this performance slightly edges out You are my glory for number 1 on my list. He does his best when playing the down to earth "straight man" while having a more comedic spontaneous partner to bounce off of and boy does he have that here. He played both sides of the character incredibly well and the aura he gives of just being the smartest person in the room fit both roles. I could write more about him but it would just be me gushing over how great he was in his own individual scenes and the chemistry he had with every other character in the show so I'll leave it there.

The FL is also perfectly cast. Similar to the ML, I've seen several of her other dramas and I've always preferred her more lighthearted roles of which this is by far her best imo. The character is the perfect balance of care free while also knowing when its time to lock in and be a responsible adult. We don't get to see as much of her imperial side but what we do see works well. However the standout is definitely her martial side which thankfully takes up the majority of her screen time. I liked her chemistry with everyone and both the leads bounce off each other perfectly giving the sense that they really are best friends that happen to be romantically interested in each other. Similar to the ML I could say much more but it would all be praise on how great she was in this role.

Its actually crazy to me how perfect the leads were in this show. They are both simultaneously good actors/actresses and play their parts well while also having the perfect partner in each other. I could literally watch them do anything together and they would find a way to make it entertaining. They were a huge reason as to why the story didn't really need to be this super innovative complex masterpiece because watching them go shopping was just as fun as watching them solve court mysteries.

The side characters were incredible as well. Starting with the rest of the 4 gentry I really liked Yu Wu Yuan as the scheming villain. I didn't think he'd be the villain until the show made it obvious which is a credit to the performance. He managed to give off the calm killer vibe where it doesn't feel like they're a bad person, their goal just happens to be something that most people would label bad. This and the fact that I got the sense that he would follow his goal through to the end made him simultaneously fun and scary to watch. It was also great that they made him an actual threat in the show so everytime he cooks up a scheme there is a reason to be scared. Huang Chao was a great 4th edition to the cast. The standard noble ambitious warrior archetype with his own flair. He was imposing and charismatic in the perfect way bouncing between the two depending on what the situation called for.

Another standout was Minister Feng. She was great in the role and I liked that she was both persistent but mature. She was a great addition to the main cast and had great chemistry with both leads. I particularly liked her friendship with the FL.

The brothers were great. Sad that the first brother kind of got shafted by the script but someone had to. He could not stop taking Ls :(. Credit to the story and actor for making this one of the few believable characters haunted by a past trauma. He was affected in a totally realistic way and did bad things because of it but nothing that didn't fit with the context we were given. I liked the third brother a lot. In any other drama he is written as a buffoon with 0 brain cells who can barely think for himself so it was incredibly refreshing to see that the story gave him some agency. He was arrogant and smart in ways that made sense it just so happened that he was out of his depth from the beginning given his opposition in the ML. It was really fun to watch the unspoken battle between the 2nd and 3rd brother where one was playing chess and one was playing checkers but at least they were both playing. Other shows would really benefit from taking notes on this. Watching a character overcome a monkey is much less satisfying than watching them overcome a competent human.

I really loved the King's performance as someone who knows what he wants and understands that not everyone is going to see it that way. I'm a sucker for a character that has goals that I don't agree with but the story/performance make me sympathize anyway. He stuck to his beliefs and did his best to keep everything together while others were trying to rock the boat. Credit to the actor for giving the character the gravitas he needed to be seen as superior to everyone else.

Other side characters were great as well but are too numerous to really go in depth but suffice it to say I loved pretty much all of them.

Music: Not a huge music person and I watch dramas in 1.5x most of the time so can't really comment.

Rewatch: If I had to rewatch a show this would be close to the top of the list. Almost everything about this show was perfect and I wouldn't mind experiencing the story of Bai/Hei Feng Xi again. - she paid me a fiver ;)

Read More