Reviews

NOT YOUR TYPICAL K-DRAMA..IN AN UNFORGETTABLE WAY

After wwatching Oh My Ghost and Jo jung Suk award winning acting, I was left wanting more and without skipping to another drama,
I wanted to see him more and Jealousy Incarnet seemed like a good plot where he is the main lead,Hospital Playlist was there but
He is not the ML so i skipped that,I might probably pick it up later because of Yoo Yeon Seok,out of curiosity how they interracted.

I wanted to marinate this review for few daysm,but i realised i might forget how good the OST was,I think this is is the first drama that
I have watched and I want to download the entire OST.It was the best,not repetitive,mixed of korean and english,emotional,funny with
beautiful tunes and sounds that accoumpanied any comic lines and action.

What do you gert when you put Jo Jung Suk ,Gong Hyo Jin and Go Kung Pyo in one project? The bet love triangle in the history of love
triangles but in a good way.Because this is liteerally the whole plot,If you dond like love triangles,you might miss out on a great drama
if you misjudge it quickly.This plot keeps you on your toes and probably might give you a sencond male lead syndrome but everything
ties up nicely.Its love hate relationship..In the ednd you will come to fall in love with the least loved character of the drama.

The writers did something that i havent seen in mamy dramas,there was no typical relations here.Everything wednt opposite of what
the society expects.It broke barriers and taboos about a man who gets an illiness that is often assiciated with women...
THis is a packed slice of life drama and I loved that it was set in a televion network news room.we got to see what goes on behind the
scene of a news production.

Overall,I loved it and am glad it was 24 episodes long

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Please make her stop screaming

A new judging criteria should be added: scream level. FL starts as a little girl always smiling hoping that a happy and nice child will be more easily adopted than a sad and crying one, but as an adult she cries and above all screams a lot..maybe too much. A good story is somehow ruined by this interpretation, like it happened with Kill me Heal me.
And talking about comparison, here you can't help but compare Woo Do Hwan with Kim Woo Bin (Uncontrollably fond) and Lee Jun Ho (Just between lovers) and I'm sorry to say that the result is not so positive. Maybe his performance is ruined ruined by the over the top acting of Yoo Mi Lee.
Anyway, I enjoyed whatching this drama even if it didn't involve me emotionally as I thought.

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Delightful and Intense

Okay... First of all, we must know the background of Chinese Drama lately, there are some lack of amazing drama in the 2024, and 2024 are coming to an end. We, as a Chinese drama lovers, are kinda lost in the middle of war of two big actors and their dramas last November (you must know what I mean). Although I must admit that a sad ending that disappointing from ZLS, and an oblivious "bubbly" drama character from YSX, both can be characterized as two good dramas. I like the concept from both drama, the execution are amazing, overall, those dramas are satisfyingly enough. But 2024 is not a good year for Chinese Drama Lovers (a dry year I must say). I can only count few dramas that really amazing, and this drama (Blossom) really give me a new breath in this drought. Okay, that was the background.

What can I say about this drama? Welllllll...........
I like the way they present their story, the story telling is so engaging. I know that the concept is rather old, a going-back second chance, many dramas attempt to grapple in it. I can count a few dramas of the same theme that I really like, and Blossom is one of them. This is so unexpected, the drama that people not expect to be so good, indeed started so impressive.
I also like the camera angle and cinematography, they really support the story-line. Beautiful and a little bit dramatic i must say.
Must I also add, they choose the right actors this time, the beauty and acting aren't disappointing. Pleasuring for the eyes and also connecting to their character.
Well... of course I can't say that the ending will be a satisfactory, but at least they start with a good blow. From this drama I must say, that even without big shot actors for the main role, a drama can still have a good quality and is addictive. I quite love the story so far, maybe not relatable as human being coz I never experience a second chance in my real life haha, but at least they use logic to drive each character into doing their job in fulfilling the main story resulting a good beginning in a wholesome story. And my guess is that it will end not in a very happy manner too, but don't be afraid, not every good story in a drama will have a happy ending too. What people say "sad ending" can also be satisfying, depends on how you want to look as real as it can get.

Have fun waiting for 5 pm everyday!

UPDATE!!
I never been happier to be proven wrong, it's a happy ending and possibility of 2nd season with different title.. hahaha.. I love the character of ML's father (Dou Shiying), at lastttttt he stand up for his daughter and stand his ground till the end. I guess people do do that, better be late than never..
I really like the main CP's chemistry, they are so cuteeeee and the funny scene doesn't seems awkward, both Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi are good with a little joke in their acting scenes. Just in need a bit passion in their kissing scene, I feel like it's not HOT enough for two people who knows they're gonna miss each other in the future.
Overall, I do not lower my rating... The story telling consistent from the beginning till the end, it's so engaging and exciting from one episode to the next one. I can see that they have low budget in filming this drama from their costumes in here and there, but amazingly it still looks so gorgeous. Worth all my time and focus in watching the drama, I even plan to re-watch it in near future.

Definitely a dark horse of 2024 Chinese drama!

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This Chinese Remake is Really Really Good in Its Own Right!

The Chinese remake, Go Ahead, was one of my most Favorite Chinese Dramas, so I was going into watching this Korean version with prejudice. Remakes more often than not are usually not that good. However, what a pleasant surprise!!!

Even knowing the overall storyline, the Korean's did a Fabulous job making this drama their own. Great cast, great acting, intense emotions. I love these type of warm family dramas vs those where everyone is busy stabbing each other in the back.

Highly recommend, I look forward to rewatching the drama again in the future along with the Chinese one.

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The Perfect Ending we were waiting for

It is the end. Finally, the chapter has come to an end. The journey of a passionate salesperson and a sensitive brewer has reached its happy pinnacles after going through tumultuous ups and downs.

As Ms. Chae learned to accept the feelings she has always kept within her, Brewmaster learned to accept his true self. Masculinity is not about being hard and tough. Expressing emotions and crying their heart out is also part of being a man. They also successfully brought out the best of themselves in making the best beer.

Park Seon Ho, the man behind the camera also propelled stories like Business Proposal, Wok Of Love, and My Strange Hero is becoming a new master in narrating Cinderella stories. His way of defining love never gets cliche or pathetic. As Min Ju and Yong Ju traverse through their character arc, they also develop their bond in a different light. Love is not about being lovey-dovey but accepting each other through flaws.

Lee Jong Won is doing a critical job after successfully flying his third lead drama this year. In every one of his performances, he successfully stands out. His chemistry with Kim Sejeong is the only factor that often fell apart. We really miss our Business Proposal pair. The chemistry failed to hit the perfect balance. Shin Do Hyun as beautiful Ae Reum is the much-needed balance in making the perfect beer. The supporting cast did a brilliant job of pulling the story. Brewing love is a refreshing romantic comedy that can be loved by all.

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The first time i wrote a review bc im impressed this drama and leads' acting

I should admit that the title is confusing bc there were some previous drama with similar title

What I like the most of the acting is the LYR's gaze, body language. Finally, i get chances to pay attention of LYR's acting properly through this drama, i should thank the director for giving him chance to be a ML. His grey hair, candy eyes, and strong gaze matches pretty well, I even rewatched some scenes to see it. He totally nailed it.

There are too many characters in this drama (maybe it also happened in mostly historical drama), so you need more memory storage in your head hehehe.

The storyline is give me cliffhanger whenever i have to wait for another episode. Although there are some dramas with similar story (past life, current life), but I'm always excited to watch this drama.

The chemistry between leads' are amazing. The height gap between leads look so romantic.

Although LYR looks thin, but he actually a muscular body, so it matches his character as a hero.

I think their marriage and romance life starts sooner than mostly romance dramas, so anyone who loves romance would definitely love it.

MZY's acting is also good, i think it's much better than WJY's , this is the first time i watch her acting, i usually saw her clumsiness in Hello Saturday hahaha

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Psychology lesson disguised as an average trope filled light romance

Lin Yi seems to be on a mission to raise awareness of disabilities through his choices of drama projects, like ALS with Angels Fall Sometimes, and now alexithymia (emotional blindness) with Smile Code. Unfortunately it's difficult to blend public awareness messaging into a drama & not turn it into a 34 ep long instructional video. Angels Fall Sometimes worked because of the storytelling & perfomances of Landi Li & Lin Yi.

Lin Yi plays Liang Daiwen, a successful accessibility designer who is unable to recognize emotions & unable to laugh at jokes. Early episodes suggest a childhood trauma resulting in a deep suppression, for which he is receiving treatment & counseling, & is recommended to go watch stand-up comedy. He navigates his relationships only through the visual/verbal cues of others, as he's unable to access his long suppressed feelings.

Guan XingXin, a long time friend of Daiwen, is a secondary role, but acts as stark contrast to Daiwen in that she is one who fully lives for her emotions. In the beginning, more energy is put into her story arc than the FL, Gu Yi.

I've seen sparks of Shen Yue's comic talent in her previous dramas, enough to see that she does have good timing & can be very funny. However, Gu Yi, who is supposed to be a popular comedian at her local comedy club, delivers pretty sedate G-rated jokes. Her face doesn't even change expression on stage. In fact, Shen Yue seemed to be downright uncomfortable in the role & didn't really settle into it until much later. Not until halfway did some of her comic spark come through with a funny dental accident. (Incidentally, Shen Yue seems to have gotten her teeth straightened; she is quite beautiful regardless.) I didn't really expect a Jimmy O Yang or Ronny Chieng level performance, but the character of Gu Yi had neither edge nor depth & Shen Yue also couldn't pull much out of her. And perhaps there's not too much you can make fun of in China due to the censors ("satire without malice") so maybe I'm missing the point completely if it's too subtle. Lin Yi should've had the least challenge by keeping a straight face, but he also was not able to convey any subtle notes of expression when Daiwen's emotions start to surface, which would've required a master level performance.

The leads' characters largely remained a blank slate as they simply went through the motions of the usual line up of tropes: living together, a lot of drunk piggy-back rides, bandaging scrapes & nursing fevers. The relationship develops rather inexplicably for the first 10 episodes. Why does the FL fall for someone who gives no emotional feedback? The dialogue is simplistic & turned into a mechanical Q&A, like an infomercial, whenever addressing alexithymia. The psychology always felt like a completely separate storyline, rather than integrated.

By the 11th episode there's a slight shift in tone with the arrival of Gu Yi's mother, who is an unexpectedly calming & insightful presence. Gu Yi seems to take Daiwen as her charity project as it's not quite believeable that she truly loves him, but nonetheless she slowly breaks through Daiwen's shell to help him feel once more. However, after trying so hard to understand him, she decides to stop trying after he makes a breakthrough with therapy. What follows is the formulaic parade of romance tropes as Daiwen pursues Gu Yi, which seemed to be the only consistent element of this show.

The show is visually surreal at times, with dream-like soft focus shots & dark, cramped interiors. It was difficult to see how these shots added to the story, except to illustrate that the story itself was also blurry & cluttered. Is it about alexithymia? Is Gu Yi the central character or Daiwen? The arcs just didn't seem to balance. The show overall was unappealing to look at, and the story didn't develop any cohesion until the final 1/3 when it just simply focused on the romance.

For a show about emotions, it doesn't delve too deeply into any character's mindset, while offering very dry psychology lectures. If it was about disabilities, that topic was given only light treatment as well. All in all, it just ended up being an average romance.

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A Potentially Great Drama Ruined by Its Ending

This drama starts off excellently, with a unique theme, an engaging narrator, and a solid foundation. The visuals are stunning, the cast delivers great performances, and the conflicts are well-presented.

It explores the many struggles faced by young adults in their late 20s while highlighting deeply rooted Asian culture. Despite being a 24-episode drama with a large cast of characters, every character is well-developed and brought to life.

This drama is emotionally draining for the audience because it portrays situations many people might have experienced. The female lead (FL) has a tough life—at home, school, work, and even in her love life. She endures mental abuse without realizing it. Unfortunately, by the end, she still doesn’t gain this awareness, making her easily forgive people who belittled her—even those who never apologized.

I’m not sure if Xiu Ya is just naturally indifferent or if she has genuinely forgotten what happened, but from a rational perspective, it’s hard to act normal toward people who made even breathing feel like a burden. As an Asian, I’m very familiar with the parenting culture in Asia. The drama portrays this culture so realistically that the mother, who unwittingly hurt her child, never feels remorse or apologizes, even by the end. And it’s true—most parents believe their actions are for their child’s benefit. So if the child gets hurt along the way, that’s just something they have to go through; it’s not the parent’s fault. People often say, “Parents only want what’s best for their children,” but if even we don’t always know what’s best for ourselves, how can someone else?

Shi Ye represents rebellion. Perhaps that’s why he was sidelined in the drama, even though he’s the male lead. This is the first time I’ve seen a male lead without any standout qualities or moments to shine. He never gets the spotlight in the story. Yet his character had so much potential for deeper exploration, which the writer completely squandered. While the other male characters were given numerous strong points, the male lead was left without a single one.

Of all the people close to Xiu Ya, only Shi Ye never told her to apologize. But in the end, why does it feel like Shi Ye’s presence in Xiu Ya’s life was nothing more than a passing breeze? Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend’s character development is made ridiculously unrealistic.

Zheng Hao is kind; from the start, he just didn’t understand other people’s emotions. Someone like Zheng Hao can indeed become a better person once they start to understand different perspectives. However, in my opinion, people don’t change that quickly. His transformation into a “good” character feels unrealistic, especially since the drama otherwise strives for realism.

Honestly, I feel like it would’ve been better if none of the characters ended up in a relationship. Their thoughts are just too inconsistent. Xiu Ya never realizes what she truly needs, Zheng Hao changes for others, and Shi Ye struggles with low self-esteem after choosing his career path, without even realizing it.

The drama is good—the pacing and the conflicts raised are compelling. The actors genuinely feel like stand-up comedians. Although I didn’t fully understand some of the comedy routines, there were many that made me laugh.

But what’s the point of raising so many social issues if you can’t resolve them?

The reason I gave this drama an 7.5 is that it doesn’t offer closure.

I often watch and read stories with open endings, but none have ever disappointed me as much as this one. Other dramas with open endings still resolve their characters’ issues before leaving things open-ended. This one asks the viewers to resolve the characters’ problems themselves.

So what’s the takeaway from this drama? Frustration? Or a realization of how harsh the world is? Are they saying that even fiction can’t solve these conflicts?

The ending was terrible.

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˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Love, Laughter, and Fantasy!

Overall
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is an engaging isekai drama with a strong narrative voice, diverse arcs, and compelling characters. Miaomiao's journey, her chemistry with Ziqi, and her standout performances make it a memorable experience.

Story
I really enjoyed the story. The isekai into a fantasy world with an occasional narrative voice makes the story so much better because you can relate to Miaomiao constantly. The arc and plotlines differed from each other as well as different characters' backstories and values were explored!

My least favorite arc was the Princess arc but that was solely because I don't enjoy Second MLs & FLs. On the other hand, my favorite arc is tied between the first and the last arcs! In the first, Miaomiao is constantly killed and disapproved by Ziqi but they still have lingering chemistry. The last arc was between Ziqi and Miaomiao because their love was tested by Ziqi's 'Aunt', then Again by the system in the last episode. I truly love Ziqi as a character, even when he was just a kid he remembered so many small details about Miaomiao and always kept looking for her.

Acting/Cast
Esther Yu. usually plays those cute high-pitched character voices and she completely embodied Miaomiao! From their mannerism to facial expressions she did a wonderful expressive job at Miaomiao.
Ding Yu Xi, was amazing! His subtle expression changes of sassy & pissed off was very pleasing to watch.

The chemistry between both Esther Yu and Ding Yu Zi was outstanding, Esther brings charm and depth to her role, while Ding Yu Zi adds a cool, calculated energy. Together, they create a captivating dynamic that makes the drama truly enjoyable. I hope to watch Moonlight after this because of how much I enjoyed their characters together.

Zhu Xu Dan and Yang Shi Ze deliver great performances in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy.!! Zhu Xu Dan brings a mix of grace and strength to her role and is a great sub-villain because of possession! Yang Shi Ze captures the charm and depth of his character, making their chemistry shine. To be honest, at first, I was worried they were going to be basic one-sided NPCs but I actually heavily enjoyed their characters and their facial expressions are in my sticker collections forever!

Other great characters were Cuicui (played by Lu Yu Hao), Guo Xiu (played by Shao Tong) & Lu Huai An (played by Morning Chang!)

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