Reviews

Loved it the first time, saw it's flaws the second time

I first watched this while it was still airing, years ago. I remember being OBSESSED with it, so much to the point that I considered it my favorite drama out of the hundreds I had watched before. Today I decided to rewatch it and thought it was really bad. Terrible acting on the female leads part, and only 3 episodes in, the leads act like they are in love, with no progression leading up whatsoever. He treats her like she's his girlfriend but before episode 3 we didn't see any clues that he even liked her platonically. It's just so random. I did rewatch 'Lighter and Princess' (my genuine favorite drama) before rewatching this and the difference is like night and day. I'll never get over how good 'Lighter and Princess' is. It perpetually raised my standards for a good story. Lighter and Princess has so much chemistry between the leads and the story is so complex and captivating. In 'falling into your smile' the main story is a bunch of gaming bullshit, and don't get me wrong I love video games especially Dota which is very similar to League of Legends, but the characters are so emotional about the game it's hard to take them seriously. I know for a fact real life professional players aren't this emotional about League of Legends. Its just so pathetic to me that the show makes it a LOL game seem like life or death.

Here's what I think would've made the show so much better:

-If they used their real voices and didn't dub it. Using real voices adds so much to the chemistry between the characters and makes the show feel more real to the viewers (obviously)

-Adding more information about the leads inner thoughts. There was no chemistry at the start despite them treating eachother as if they were in love. It just felt so fake and odd. yuck. If there was more inner dialogue, It would've possibly made more sense.

-I'm sorry to say but, Chen Xiao's acting is really bad in this and her expressions are really dry. It looked like she was constantly trying to make sure she looked pretty therefore her face is always stiff, idk. I know she is capable of better acting than this. I thought her acting in 'Lie to love' was so much better than this.

-We don't know enough about the characters, especially the male lead. I can't tell what kind of person the male lead is. Is he more on the cold side, or is he warmer? Because he's cold to almost everybody except the female lead even when they were still basically strangers. I want more information as to why he was so soft towards her when she first joined the team. He held her hand randomly and even showed signs of jealousy in like the 4th episode when he was trying to see the messages between her and her ex. It was so random, I kept wondering if I accidentally skipped an episode.

~FINAL THOUGHT~

If you are 16 and under, you'll probably like it. It's entertaining. At least the first time around. Just don't watch lighter and princess before watching it, or else it will REALLY be unbearable.

I WANT LI XUN AND ZHU YUN BACK ??

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College Slice Of Life About Insecurities & Opening Up To Others.

Recommendation Value 9.5, Acting 10 (everyone was good, especially the leads), Angst Level 8 (resolved), chemistry 9 (Actors were comfortable with each other. Some skinship, a few amazing/emotional kisses, and a brief but lovely lead up to a love scene shot in silhouette), Cinematography/Lighting 9, Music/Audio 5, Rewatchability 5 (for personal reasons), No suspension of disbelief needed, character emotions & psychology made sense.

Another reviewer said it well: an "empathetic and observant slice of life story." How insecurities accumulated growing up can impact the psyche and in different ways for different people. Beautiful emotionally and acted very well but it resonates a little too much with my history so I don’t see rewatching this often. That's why I'm ranking it a little lower in my personal list even though I would easily, and highly, recommend it.

The interactions between characters is the focus more than the plot is. The dialogue is written well and has a realistic flow to it. Pretty cinematography and lighting. Music was okay; not memorable but nothing distracting.

GENERAL SPOILERS
The last scene between the main character and his mom is especially powerful. Also loved his interactions with his sister throughout; very realistic. Made me cry a bit in happy relief the last episode. Feel good ending though I wanted it to last longer and show more of their lives.

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glad this drama was a mini drama so it won't get dragged too long
the plot was soooo late 2000is early 2010ish lol, it's good that kiki and ZZH chemistry were good (can't wait to see their cuts on FUWD as I only plan on watching kiki's cut) even though some of the parts were questionable for now but it won't back then

I remembered the rumor of this drama supposed to be a GL drama lol, too bad kiki-ddd's chemistry got slightly wasted even though there's a lil bit part of theirs as fanservice
and dai meng had love line was too funny for me
high-key wishes the actors other than ZZH (he's passable and his acting was good) were more good looking ?

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love letter to motherhood

I cried every episode, but the joy I found in watching this show was unparalleled. the acting was next level and the actors really gave their heart to the roles. what a beautiful, multifaceted expression of a mother's love.

Beyond the sentimental value, the story line was captivating from start to finish, incorporating comedy, action and drama. Almost like a book I couldn't put down I watched the episodes back to back right to the very end. Definitely a full-bodied story. The storyline was well paced and though I'm not used to 14 episodes for a kdrama, it fit perfect for this show.

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BEST KDRAMA THIS YEAR

i really like how the story is going, is so refreshing and they chemistry is another level, the main roles are THE visuals, this show make me wanna learn sing language to help another people express themselves❤️i can not wait for the next week for more episodes...... ?choi hyun wook is a diamond in this industry, he can play whatever the role is, he is very versatile, i really really hope he can explore all his talent he is basically the future MAIN ROLE of KDRAMAS, and Seorina character is sooooo cute and funny, and Ryeoun character is so mature even if he is so young. With each episode I feel more attached to him, he is firm in what he wants and that is admirable, Eun Su's character is very cute I really liked her pairing with Hyunwook

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Two Odd Fish Acting As Chairs

It took all my patience to get through the first 3 episodes. I can't comment on plot, because I didn't watch enough to warrant a critique on that, and plot, as I've said many times, is king.

What I witnessed were two wooden chairs, in period costumes, interacting with each other.

I like the actress playing the FL, but here, she talked in a weird, unnatural way which was super odd. A cold, calculating fish that needed a better director. The ML looked ridiculously older than her (I see now there are only 10 years between them, but it looked like more than that to me). The ML was also a cold, calculating fish, and since his visuals (pulchritude) wasn't in-keeping with hers, they made a very unlikely fishy couple (or an odd chair coupling). I had to drop this because I was cringing at how unnatural everything from the dialogue to the love pairing was. It all seemed very forced to me, which made it unenjoyable to watch.

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Only Just Married (Japan) (2021) – I like the drama, and contract marriage is one of the tropes in dramas that I like so far as a watcher. Japanese dramas are short but has sense into it, I really like how the male lead and the female lead are portrayed. Its pacing is pretty much slow but good slow for me.

The female lead is my favorite character, she is cute and relatable in a way especially at the beginning of the drama. The male lead may be frustrating, but I think it is just what the story and his character is, and I get the character development of his character.

I would definitely recommend this especially to contract marriage tropes enthusiast like me.

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Boku, Unmei no Hito desu (I'm Your Destiny) (Japan) (2017) - just finished this one and I really like this. It's been a long time since I last watch Japanese Dramas and this drama became a breath of fresh air for me as a watcher.

The overall theme of drama is romance but I still like that it does not fully focuses on that alone. The "efforts" done by the main lead is really attractive for me as a watcher of romance genres. The conversations between him and 'God' in the drama is so fun, the sideline characters - friends, coworkers and family are good addition to a simple plot that the drama presented.

Even though it is more likely a cliche storyline, I like that the pacing of the drama is not the usual and how the whole story is done. The drama exudes cuteness. Japanese dramas that I've seen are more likely incline to teach you something along the way, and I did feel that I learned throughout the drama. I had fun watching this one. Excited to see more Japanese dramas.

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A Bloody Hand of Fate Facilitates Love

The story starts with a bloody hand molesting the face of the ML. We later learn it is a curse stemming from some indiscretion in his past life. This made for an interesting start but the story wasn’t as intriguing as expected. This series turned out to be your typical K-drama romance with a bit of sorcery thrown in.

The leads were the saving grace of the series as all the storylines were somewhat messy. Rowoon and Bo-ah Jo looked beautiful together and had wonderful chemistry. Their characters, Shin -yu and Hong-Jo, not only had great chemistry and thus were believable as a couple but were interesting on their own. Shin-yu was smart, funny and caring. And Hong-Jo was passionate about her work, fun -loving, vibrant and intelligent. They were a perfect match as their bickering had just as much chemistry as their kisses. They had some really hilarious moments, but could also be passionate and loving with each other. Moreover, they both, at times, could be annoying and make really stupid decisions but still remained likable.

Though for a while there was the question as to whether Shin-yu’s feelings for Hong-Jo were real or due to the love spell she had cast, it was clear to me that he had an interest in her before a spell was even thought about. The love story in the present was well written and tied nicely to the past, but the story struggled with incorporating the side characters in an interesting manner. The office bullying and romance was boring as was the drama with the SFL. The corruption storyline could’ve been better, but played as if the writers needed something to fill the minutes not focused on the leads.

The stalker storyline would’ve been okay if the story had been better written, but the series implied that he was practicing sorcery. However, it was never apparent whether his spells worked. Moreover he was an individual who was apart of the leads’ past life but his role in their past life was never tied to the present. This was a missed opportunity and a major plot hole.

I did enjoy the budding relationship between the ML’s mom and his BFF. I didn’t need to see them start a romance, and they didn’t. Thank goodness. But I liked the confidence he inspired within her. It’s too bad she decided to stay with her verbally abusive husband instead of divorcing him.

Despite the weakness in some of the storylines, I enjoyed this series. Rowoon and Bo-ah Jo were fantastic in this. I could feel the happiness, the heart break and the love between their characters. This was all due to them giving their all in every scene. Their characters had some awesome hugs and smoldering kisses and one of the best sex scenes I’ve seen in a K-drama in a while.

This show was far from perfect. Nonetheless it was enjoyable and one that I will rewatch.

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B-I-N-G-O and Most of the Plot was Very Lame-O!

All I can say is, what happened? Started out well but then took a nosedive into the damn Mariana Trench! This wasn't a drama I was anticipating this year but I've watched two ZLH dramas already and he did well there as he and pretty much all the others as well did here but this plot was an absolute mess. I was singing the B-I-N-G-O song randomly in my head and came up with the title for this review. It really was lame-o.

Pros: Very few here, sadly. The fight scenes, CGI (though the winged monkeys and beasts looked more modern day or futuristic beasts then anything ancient), Fab 4 (when actually together), and certain side characters did well. The Qian/Yan plot as well finding out the 500 year old lie/secret which included Huzi's origins were the best. Also have to give it up to ZLH for being able to handle playing totally opposite twins essentially. That's all they should have stayed with. It would have been more than enough for the storyline. Actors did what they could with what they were given. Only reason this series even got the current score is because of what's mentioned above.

Cons: This was an original screenplay but who let it near the shredder? After the drama made most of the plot about those lord forsaken elders that had zilch to do with the actual story, I knew the rest of it would be a mad dash to the finish line. The main antagonist wasn't even introduced until maybe the final 4 or 5 episodes. Furthermore, killing off two of the four mains and the way it was done was idiotic at best. Firstly, Brick had no business fighting a demon God with goat horns (don't get me started on that whole thing; even the modern devil would role his eyes) in the first place. ZXT dies maybe 5 minutes after Brick as she alone faces off against the demon God for a few seconds while Huzi and QXX just stand there. I was like "um hello, do something! Are y'all frozen?" But at least she got that Phurba thing back to Huzi. Then they continue to say their farewells as what? The demon and QXX just wait and watch? It made no sense.

Everything was rushed, even the deaths were like um ok...no explanation or hasty. So with both of them dead, who's going to run that one state? And does the sister get her title back as Commander in Chief or does it go to QXX? She turns good only after she gets her ass whooped by YM and her resurrected grandma reads her the riot act. But grandma of course dies again as does Eldest Master, 2nd master, and Mo Guzi. Even Yan sacrifices himself for Qian but then in the second to last episode the mountain God everyone thought dead pops up to Qian and goes, "well your twin sacrificed himself for you and you broke the curse, so wham bam boom curse broken and you get my crane power, go kill the demon." And again this couldn't happen at the point when Yan was gone and Qian was rescued by his friends before more than half died? Bird was busy?

Finding out some of the truth first from Huzi's mom (who also dies, can't do without that) and the other half after killing the demon; if only they found out about the 500 year old secret before demon killing, maybe they could have kept Brick and ZXT alive; as their deaths made absolutely no sense and because of how they were presented, you were left with a feeling of disbelief more then sadness at first; because they were completely and utterly meaningless. The one death that I think everyone felt was Yan's. Even YM's death wasn't satisfying as the chipmunk puppet or doll, whatever she was, died slowly and looked very creepy as she opened her mouth like a fish out of water and fell over. Lord just why?

Disbelief had to be suspended for most of it as so much just didn't make sense. The delayed facial expressions or reason for something happening; like the two states leaders or officers hating each other's guts from past prejudices but are best buds after catching chickens for a dinner? Like huh? Or the sudden relationship between that Ya woman and the Chiang guy who got a redemption arc. Where? How? Why? So much is being thrown at you and you are just trying to piece the puzzle together as most pieces belong in the twilight zone.

Even though there was hope, with that fortune teller who I secretly think is the Mountain God, that QXX and Huzi will reunite in the future....even their separation doesn't make sense. Why would Huzi stay on that island alone? You lost so many people but your best friend is still alive, stay by his side. But why bother making it make sense? Barely anything else did.

Would I recommend it? Personally, no. The plot was a serious dud; could have been good but just fell and busted its ass hopelessly. And what they did to the mains plus Yan was just very bad writing. If you're a fan of any of the actors, watch something else of theirs.

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Emotional fun series

This series was a lot of fun. The two leads are good. I wish there was a little better chemistry between them I do have to say, because there are moments that feel off.
I enjoy the freshman Ji Hyun being inexperienced but yet smart. The one downside to him was there are moments that he is very pushy and over doing it. I felt he lack showing true emotion and the chemistry at times was off putting. Ji Hyun's two friends and (boss restaurant owner), were a lot of fun and so supportive. The club leader and the therapist for Jae Won are amazing characters and bring hope to someone that feels hopeless. Wish we had more side characters like them. To be honest the evil ex Eun ji was not even needed for the story and felt she has no real purpose. I do have to say a lot of the club members are horrible and toxic but sadly there are people like them that exist. The overall story is great it has depth and development and growth. It was a great series but The downside was that there were a lot of parts where you knew there was a missing story or a missing link to help you understand the story better. I wish they did a better job of piecing together each episode I would have liked to see when he ended up in the hospital from the accident and Jae Won being with him there or the back history of things. In ending the series was really good in telling the story but lacked real conclusion and episode connections. Felt rushed by the end sadly. I wasn't the biggest fan of how they ended it with trying to find closure for the ex girlfriend or the troublemaker friend I felt like it was not needed and a waste. P. S. The actor and character of Jae Won is amazing in this series with all the emotion he displayed.

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Zhang Wansen, your name will be engraved in my heart.

In every parallel universe, he will be the one who saves and loves her. His deep love will always melts your heart and do I.

At this point, I don't know any sacrificing for love bigger than his. His dedication, his devotion, even when he doesn't say his feeling loudly, his action does.

And when it comes to believing, he doesn't even need a word to prove anything.

Really, I need somebody like Zhang Wansen in my life asap.

Set aside physical contact, they don't even able to confess each other's feeling. But love never requires it. Love just need your loyalty.

However, this show is so worth watching. Just like Someday or One Day, it does have a good logical plot that will engage you more in every episode.

Just really, if I may choose between Li Zi Wei or Zhang Wan Sen, it's Zhang Wan Sen?

That's how much I love his devotion for love. I would like to see character like Zhang Wan Sen once more, because I'm falling in love with him even more than the drama itself ?

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PERFECT FOR A RAINY EVENING

Omg this was so so good!! I liked this better than some longer dramas, which may sound ridiculous since this was just a two-episode drama special, but this was so easy to watch and had all the elements a good rom-com needs. The historical and time travel concept did not drag, and the ending was satisfying. For two one-hour episodes, this was perfect. This is by far one of my favourite Korean short drama/drama special!

The cast was also really well blended together, I loved seeing Ahn Hyo Seop here. The main leads were so cute together, I kept smiling and giggling like an idiot once they started liking each other. The final scene was also beautiful, such a satisfying ending.

This is a perfect evening watch, it's like watching a two-hour movie and I loved how it was raining while I was watching it, the perfect ambience for the concept of this drama. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a light but well-executed watch.

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