Reviews

Dark and suspenseful

The description for the series states: "Tang is a young new artist who mysteriously loses his reflection. He sees a strange boy, Neo, in the mirror instead. An odd relationship starts with the conflict between suspense and trust." The picture that accompanies the description of the series shows two boys with two guitars in the background. Holding something that you really can't tell what it is., It looks like this will be a sweet romance with some suspense.
So far the series has been anything but sweet and not what I expected. It really is starting out pretty dark. I wont put spoilers in here, however; I will say there are two significant disturbing scenes in it and I almost expected Neo to be a ghost from the way the first episode was headed. What happened instead was unexpected. I am staying for now because I am intrigued. However, in the trailer for episode 4 there is something bloody in the box and you can't really see what it is, if this goes further down that path I think I will drop it. This series is suppose to have 6 episodes. It will be interesting to see how it develops. I am not dropping it yet but I hope it improves. I thought this was going to be a suspense romance . The suspense part is right.
I just finished episode 4 and what a sad story so far. Only 2 episodes left. It will be interesting where it goes from here.
I finished the series and the ending was OK but definitely I won't be re-watching it. I agree with what others have said that it should have just been in the youth/ drama category not BL.

Read More

THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN SHEN YUE AND CHEN ZHEYUAN REALLY IS AMAZING

i love it, everything, from the director, the plot, the cast, and the team..mr bad is just a fluffy, funny, light hearted romcom you need in this cruel world, haha..the douban rating is 7.1, which consider high for a modern drama with small fanbase main leads, no traffic actors casts, small to limited budget, even the male lead had to use his own prop since the fake prop look very fake lolx..as for me who watch limited to none cdramas, im obsess with mr bad, like really obsessed..

what makes mr bad superior? if u want no 2nd leads pining for 1st leads, stress free drama, mr bad is just for you..their wedding scene? the most realest i have seen in cdrama..also, shen yue and chen zheyuan write their own wedding vows, n the director didnt even say cut since she wants one take only, so its just them both acting but it felt so real..

also, again, shen yue and chen zheyuan chemistry really is amazing..

Read More

To be honest I started season 2 only because I wanted to see their wedding. I knew it wasn't going to be as simple as I thought it would be. However, the drama started off with so so much comedy that I found myself watching one episode after another.
Both the main lead's personality stayed the same. There was a complete balance between their sweet, sad, funny and fluffy moments. In the beginning when the female lead was continuously chasing the male lead, I felt sorry and angry for her. However she lost her memory and became so unemotional, I was happy. Fang Leng finally understood what it was like to be rejected again and again and to be given the cold shoulder.
I know that even if Fang Leng didn't get his memories back, he loves Xiao Chi the same and even more but I kind of wish that instead of Xiao Chi just showing Fang Leng the memories, his memories of their past came back just like Xiao Chi's did because there will always be a small regret in my heart that he didn't remember their past.
The second main lead was just as funny and cute. Honestly they completed the remaining elements you need in a drama to make it good.
One thing I love the most about season 2 is that they didn't turn the second male lead into a total bad guy. They kept him until the end and showed that he was still part of their life. Shi Yi didn't even know himself how much he loved Xiao Chi and he did so much for her. He deserved the good ending he got.
I am actually so upset it's over now since we were all waiting for season 2 so eagerly. I loved My Girlfriend is an Alien 2.

Read More

Okay... this one I had slightly a problem with, because of the cast. See, I love Pitchaya Chaowalit, SHE is nang'ek for me and I dissagree whenever she is cast as support. Someone like Nune Woranuch cannot measure up to her. I seriously wished their roles in this lakorn should switch. 31 year old Nune would be a better fit for the role of rich daughter who was still unmarried and her well connected parents had to look for a suitor for her. Not the lovely 23 year old Pitchaya.

Romance is nevertheless enjoyable thanks to Pong Nawat, he was at his prime around time he shooted this (Ngao Asoke, Proong Nee Gor Ruk Ter...), though I couldn't help but cheering the other guy more (it's Anuchit Sapunpohng! he was never a SECOND lead to ME:) I liked how nang'ek was calm and patiently explained things to pra'ek, though he acted like aggresive weirdo and was crazy jealous since day 1. What I liked a bit less were plentiful scenes with Ice Apitsada PLUS her friend who were also both interested in pra'ek, and did share equal screentime with nang'ek to say the least. While nang'ek of this is not the loud & screaming type (which I appreciated) it cannot be said about the other girls.

The story of a fake marriage first looks like it will come to an end too quickly, as it's all solved by episode 8/20 but then a new element is introduced. A child. Pra'ek blatantly uses the child to keep nang'ek with him and to keep postponing the pre-negotiated divorce. He even lies to her that the child is his, not caring that it makes him look like irresponsible player. Just anything to make her stay. Result being, this lakorn originally had just the nang'rai who was annoying. Now even an annoying kid is added to it. I'd say adding real child was not needed when we had already enough people (like the nang'rai, nang'rai's friend, or pra'ek) with childish behavior. Result being, at half the series, I already wanted it to end. As if they wanted to appease me, they put romantic scene in... The kiss is a camera angle, then there is a hinted bedscene (off screen), but nang'ek is still in position where pra'ek's elder doesn't accept her. She still keeps thinking, pra'ek first didn't see nang'ek worthy of his brother, now he wants her for herself?

Episode 12... The side characters keep plotting to separate the main couple. Which is tiring enough. The other thing is I don't even care whether the main couple stays together. Perhaps if Pong got paired with Pitchaya... Alas, no.

Read More

A slow burn drama that is worth your while.

When I write this review I have actually finished both parts. So I know how the 2nd part is even better than the first (if that is even possible). If you have time to watch, watch it slow as it was meant to be, you will be immensely satisfied. Do justice to the film crews who have worked so hard to make this joyful film, do not skip scenes. All are equally meaningful. To me everything were just perfect. The casting, the acting, the background music, the story, the cinematography and all . So there are no other deserving score than a 10 from me. Just love the chemistry between the leads. Zhao Lusi I have seen in a few other dramas and know she can act well, but the ML as Ling Buyi was just excellent here. His voice, his gaze and his manner in different roles from a war general to a longing lover were just perfect. Same for all the rest. Kudos to all the casts and the drama/film makers.

Read More

Mr. Bad — BEST new ROMCOM cdrama

BEST new CDRAMA ✤ iQiyi international's MOST POPULAR DRAMA since its Sep30 premiere ✤ iQiyi's Love Theatre "dark horse" of 2022 ✤ Douban rate: 7.2 (considerably high for a modern cdrama)

Mr. Bad is a MUST-SEE heartwarming and sweet pure romcom! It has no 2nd lead syndrome, no extreme over-the-top over-exaggerated plotline, and has relatable characters. It is full of witty and charming sense of humor that either makes you giggle or bawl with laughter. It's been a while since I have laughed so hard because of a cdrama. And need I mention the sizzling chemistry between the leads? With storm-level sweetness, this drama stirs up the love addiction craze on the internet. Shen Yue and Chen Zheyuan really surprised me with their comedic chops and their ability to play their characters with earnest. Mr. Bad is truly the BEST ROMCOM of 2022! 'nuff said, go and watch it! thank me later ☺️

Read More

A good cdrama sequel to the taiwanese original drama

1/ STORY:

It is based on the concept of time space overlapping where an apartment becomes the point of junction of events happening in 2021 and 2022 with a 4 months gap.

The ML from 2022 defends a female friend (SFL) who is divorcing her husband (SML). The case leads to 2022ML being sent to live in an apartment where he meets FL from 2021 from 10:06 to 10:52. The apartment is a point from where they can go to 2022 ML time space using the front door or to 2021 FL time space using the backdoor.

It appears that SFL is ML's friend and SML is FL's friend and their divorce in 2022 leads to tragedy. While 2022ML and 2021FL are bickering and discovering each other, they try to save their married friends from that tragedy. They ask the help of the 2021 version of the ML and they go thought different situations and cases in 2021 which modifies 2022.

2/WHAT I LIKED:

- The relationship between the 2022ML and 2021FL. It starts in a weird but funny way. They are forced to be roommates and to learn about each other. The romance which ensues is very cute and convincing with their fun and loving moments and their moments of doubts. They develop deep feelings for each other. Their Love for the other ultimately requires each of them to make a determining choice.
- The back and forth between 2021 and 2022. I thought the time travel was pretty well made and quite easy to follow. It kept a level of logic that made it admissible.
- The ending was really well made for me with an unexpected turn of event and a soothing time to wrap up everything.

3/WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

- Usual break up which does not last long in term of story time but too long in term of episodes.
- Cases are a little bit cliché: cheating/divorce, bullying from corporation, gambling problems, sexual harassment...
- The usual lecturing about family, friendship, behaving right, forgiving...
- The ending is way too lenient for the bad guys. They get nothing serious despite their bad deeds.

4/CHARACTERS:
- Loved the leads: 2022ML, 2021 FL, 2021ML.. I thought the three characters and their relationships were well crafted. They are the best part of this drama. The lead actors were convincing too.
- SFL: Bland character who is the cause of everything.
- SML: Bro, just divorce her, have a good divorcee party and find yourself a new gf
- The mistress: Not so bright but funny.
- The brother: A liability
- The rival lawyer: Why so much hate?

4/ OST: The songs were ok. Contributed to the cute romantic tone.

5/ REWATCH VALUE:
Maybe I will rewatch it after some time.

6/OVERALL:
This looks like a remake of Meet me @10:06 but it is rather a sequel. If the original concept of time space overlapping and the early episodes have similar situations, the development of the plot and story is totally different. It is possible to say that the phenomenon happens with a different couple. The story is good and the lead characters are endearing. I will recommend it as it is one cdrama that I enjoyed watching since months. 8.5 /10.

Read More

A truly timeless and compelling fantasy work that deserves to be considered a Classic of its genre!

Please keep in mind that this review is written in 2022 which is ~17 years after the drama aired. Thus, my rating is heavily influenced on where this drama stands at the time of production and airing, and how well it aged throughout time.

Rewatch Value: 5 year old me watched this for the first time as it was airing, it has been 17 years, yet the drama left a deep enough impression on me that I am now writing this in 2022 after watching it 10+ times. Needless to say 10/10 for Rewatch Value. Disregarding my emotions towards this drama, objectively, Lotus Lantern is written/filmed in a way that you have to watch it at least 2 times. Once to enjoy the story, and the second to carefully study all of the details you glossed over the 1st time because you are in for one of the best plot-twists of the decade.

Music: You really can't compare it to modern day drama osts because there is a big difference between how a production treats its music today and 17 years ago. If you do compare it, Lotus Lantern ost would be 2.5-6/10 in today's standards depending on who you ask. I gave it a 7/10 based on how the OST and instrumentals contribute to the plot and each scene based on that era's production quality and standards. The soundtrack also stood up well against time, and fits well with the story's theme.

Acting/Cast: I cannot imagine anyone else in the role of any of the characters in Lotus Lantern other than the current casting. Everyone including both main and supporting role delivered their role in such an outstanding manner. For the sake of length I'll only focus on the main characters.

Cao Jun, Shu Chang, and Yvonne Lim all understood and portrayed their roles well. The trio delivered their role as a coming of age character that finds personal goals and maturing throughout the process fantastically. I praise each of them for knowing how to embrace their character progression very well. It really shows that they took time to understand their characters to be able to pinpoint exactly how their character should act in a given situation within the script.

Vincent Jiao carried the show for me (90% reason why I keep rewatching this). He delivered such a convincing Marshal God/ God of Justice who is both strong in strength and in wisdom. We are all too familiar to shows falling short on showing powerful gods that we question: how did you even live long enough to get into power and not have people trying to overthrow you? Er Lang Shen is not a character like that, and the character is depicted so well by Vincent. Such an outstanding performance of a cold ruthless, sly, manipulative antagonist who is motivated by power and authority. The actor is so good in showing his character motivations through both action and dialogue. His control of his micro-expressions are beyond great. The actor shows that he understands his character with progression of character and moral. This can be seen by how he delivers his role in both Lotus Lantern and its Sequel. There is a clear distinction in every point on the timeline for Er Lang Shen that shows personality and character growth. Vincent is hands down the best representation of Er Lang Shen to date!

Story: Without spoiling, what I can say is this story is a well balanced coming of age drama that touches on the ideas of reformation. Aside from the cast going on one big mission, each characters have their own personal goals and struggles that help build up to the story as well. We see a group of young individuals coming together to establish friendship and companionship to learn from each other and many characters from the older generation to accomplish one primary goal. The goal is to save the protagonist's mother, but it quickly shifts to a more symbolic mission. The drama is meaningful because it shows a personal goal manifesting into a full mission to reform the unjustified laws of this fantasy world. There is a clash between our protagonists and the hierarchy that refuses to acknowledge its flaws. Each character has their own perks, flaws, and motivation which makes them all relatable despite existing in a fantasy world. The show is well balanced with light-hearted elements and very dark themes, which makes it overall a joy to watch.

Edit: I kinda focused a lot on praising the setup and logic behind the story that I accidentally glossed over the fact that this drama also heavily features romance. There is a love square that stretches throughout the entire drama. The romance aspect of it may appeal to some people and repel others. Take this as a warning from someone who enjoys the romance genre :)

Overall Verdict: 9.5/10 for mostly the story and acting. There are a combination of themes explored throughout the story and are portrayed exceptionally by the actors and actresses. There are some plot holes in the story but it is explained in detail in the sequel "The Prelude of Lotus Lantern (2009)" which is Er Lang Shen's story on how he became the God of Justice. That drama offers a setup for Lotus Lantern and explains in detail on why the world is at this state and ties a lot into actual Chinese mythology.

Read More

A Romance Lover's Fantasy/Mystery Drama

First half - 9.0
Second half - 8.0

If you are a romance lover 1st, and a mystery/fantasy drama lover 2nd, then you would enjoy this drama. But if you are looking for a serious, well-written mystery/fantasy drama, you might be disappointed. Since I am a romance lover, I really like “My Deepest Dream”. It has a surprisingly very well-written, well-acted romance main plot. Most mystery dramas would probably have the romance as a subplot, but in this drama, romance is front and center and integrates well with the mystery plot. I am also very happy with the pacing of the drama. It holds my attention very well and I was able to binge this pretty quickly.

What I Like:

1. Main Romance - The romance between Tan Jiao (FL) and Wu Yu (ML) is mature, sweet, memorable and beautiful. Their love is strong and honest, and endures challenges and craziness. Tian Jio and Wu Yu are fun and sweet together, and there’s plenty of skinship and great kisses. The development and progression of the romance feel natural. The chemistry between the leads is great and they are very supportive and understanding of each other. There are many romantic scenes, because Wu Yu is just so thoughtful and romantic: 1) Tan Jiao said she likes rainbows, and he creates a rainbow scene, 2) Tan Jiao sat on the cold floor and needed time alone, Wu Yu took his jacket off and let her sit on it, and also sat around the corner to give her space but keep her accompany, 3) buying breakfast, holding her hands, cooking for her, etc., 4) a very romantic scene in ep 29 to create a memory that may or may not last forever. You can probably tell I am in love with Wu Yu myself. 😍

2. Secondary Romance - Time and time again, Zhou Xiao Yu (2fL0 and Shen Shi Yan (2ML) fall in love at first sight when opposites attract. Their first encounter is always interesting and fun, and something to do with the law. It’s like the movie “50 First Dates”. And because of these accumulated short encounters, when we move towards the last ⅓ of the drama, their relationship is more memorable and heartbreaking. It’s a very interesting way to write about the development of a relationship due to the time traveling, but I quite like it.

3. Acting - I have always been a fan of Li Yi Tong and she never disappoints. She’s cute as a button, so acting as a sweet and cute FL is nothing new or challenging for her. But her emotional, crying and heartbreaking scenes are great and made me cry. After seeing Jin Han in “Jun Jiu Ling” I became a fan of his (I did forget all about him in “Princess Wei Young”). But he made such a good impression in “Jun Jiu Ling” that I want to see him again and he’s the perfect guy for this role. He has such great subtle expressions on his face that conveys his emotions so well without saying any words. I can tell from his face how he feels - pensive, shy, thoughtful, worried or jealous. The secondary leads and the rest of the supporting cast are also great, with a mix of veterans and the younger generation.

4. Timelines/Main Plot - This is quite an interesting way of executing time traveling and parallel universes. There are multiple timelines in this drama, so viewers have to pay close attention. Without spoiling too much, the timeline feels like you go one step forward, but two steps backwards. You start from the cruise, then head to the future, and then back to cruise, and head to the future again, but this time your future is actually going backwards. I am not explaining this well, but you gotta pay attention and watch it for yourself. This is not your usual time traveling and it’s quite fresh and interesting. I also like how each individual subplot and the supporting characters are also integrated back to the main plot. It makes the mini-mysteries less episodic but more like mini climaxes building up toward the big finish.

5. Friendship - Where can you find a BFF who believes you whenever you tell her your crazy story about time traveling EVERY SINGLE TIME? How about a cop friend who helps you with your investigation EVERY SINGLE TIME when you are giving him weird but real evidence that even the cops don’t know? That’s true friendship. Those who believe and stick by you and just because you are their friend.

6. OST - There are a few very lovely songs in this drama. My favorite is “Dark Clouds Meet the Bright Moon/乌云遇皎月” by Hu Xia/胡夏. It sounds so romantic yet mysterious. The rest of the songs complement the drama and certain scenes very well.

What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:

1. Inconsistencies/Illogical incidents - The first half of the drama is a lot more well-written than the second half. I hardly noticed any illogical things and was going to give this a rare 9.0 rating if it continues to trend upward. Unfortunately, I start to notice more inconsistencies in the second half. The writing is not as tight. A few things I noticed:
If you are being attacked by birds in a warehouse, shouldn’t you want to get out as soon as possible, and not surround yourself with fire in order to scare the birds away?
♦︎ Hard to get concert tickets don’t seem to be a concern anymore when we need everyone to go spontaneously.
♦︎ Civilians participating in official police work/investigation/staking out is no big deal.
♦︎ I don’t think you can dissolve a pill in a bowl of hot soup without smashing it first.
♦︎ All of a sudden everyone seems to understand and believe time traveling in the last couple episodes. No one questions during the villain showdown?
♦︎ Seeing the future is one thing, understanding the power to control is a whole other story (trying to be vague and not spoil anything here).

2. Villain - Guessing the identity of the villain isn’t that difficult especially after you watch ⅔ of the drama. However, I find it hard to believe the reason why the villain did what they did. I was hoping for something more exciting? It seems somewhat weak to me.

3. Poor CGI and production value - It’s pretty clear that this is not a big budget production. The CGI is not well done here, so don’t expect much. The scenes when the leads are traveling through time are especially laughable. I also find all the scenes on the cruise to be very fake. I guess it really gives off a different dimension feel due to its fakeness. LOL. I don’t think they need to hire foreigners to be cruise members. It’s way too pretentious. They are dubbed in Chinese anyway.

4. How it all happened - It might be just me not understanding the science behind the time traveling. The drama tries to give a scientific explanation towards the end, but I might have to re-watch the last couple episodes with English subtitles to understand better the English terminology instead of Chinese. It might not be the drama’s fault but it’s just me, or not (?). I understand the ending and am satisfied how it ends, especially when it comes to the two romantic pairs.


Other Random Observations:
1. I wish more people would appreciate Jin Han’s rugged, mature handsomeness. He’s a great actor as well but is not getting much attention due to his unconventional and non-idol look.
2. Some people might find some romance scenes and lines cringey - but I love them!
3. But I do wish they have minimized the number of slow mo romance scenes, esp. Since this is not a rom-com.
4. Smart female leads - both are brave, intelligent and go-getters.
5. Love FL’s mother especially when she’s trying to teach FL how to court ML.


Completed: 10/22/2022

Read More

Realistic but terrible acting and bad plot

It is understandable that creating a tv series like this is difficult although the acting is really fake and seems like the cast was a bad selection.

The plot is incredible fake as it's literally a film where everybody's just dying, people are getting cancer or dying in car accidents, is there really nothing else to put in???

During every funeral scene where people were mourning, the characters in the background were barely even acting; they were just standing. The character in focus has terrible expressions.

Unsure as to what I can specifically like about this film as there isn't much likeable asides the fact that a couple scenes could be relatable in real life.

Liu Jun's and Yang Xing Ming's acting are notably the best actors in the film.

Read More

I absolutely enjoyed this!

I rarely watch on going variety show, but not with this one. When i saw the poster i immediately thought "I must watch this!".
I mean what are the odds can i see all of these casts interact and play as a team?

The whole show is so entertaining and funny. My favorite episodes is the flying chair one, it's so funny, I'm laughing nonstop while watching it. And ofc the food truck, i wish i could go there too ㅠㅠ

I've watched Itaewon Class and Love In The Moonlight. Both wasn't my most favorite drama, but because of this show i started liking it. I wasn't interested to watch The Sound Of Magic, but now I'll try to watch it.

The theme song is good too. I thought it's ost from one of the drama, but it was a original song for the show.
Overall, 8 episodes are too short. I WANT MORE! ㅋㅋ

Read More

Enjoyable short fantasy series

Watched this drama for October Halloween month and it surprised me a bit.

Overall, the storyline is pretty enjoyable and everything was fairly paced well for this short series.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Nam Jihyun- I just don't like her acting lol but it was tolerable.
All the other actors did a great job; a little disappointed because I felt like Chae Jonghyeop's character Gilyong kind of gives the same vibes as his character in Nevertheless but he is a new actor so hopefully he takes on other roles.

Of course Jihyo is such a vibe; gives me the same feelings as Jang Manwol in Hotel Deluna. Jihyo did an amazing job acting and I could not with the Jihyo and Ha Dogwon duo (If you watch Running Man, you know what i'm talking about). It was funny seeing them too together and I couldn't help but laugh thinking about Running Man. Also after watching this series, I now understand that one episode they had in Outrun by Running Man!

What surprised me about this series is the unexpected plot twist. It was def a bit a of bored for me before they started to unravel everything but when they did; I was like okay this is getting interesting. The plot twist is semi predictable but it def made sense and tied everything together.
All in all, the series was pretty good and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Perfect short watch for Halloween!

Read More

This drama fits my taste perfectly.

UPDATE AFTER I FINISHED WATCHING THE DRAMA

It wasn't as fluffy as I expected after watching the first episodes, but instead it was a story involving a mature relationship. The beginning was so-so, a bit irritating (really only the first episodes). But it got better with each episode. In the end, this drama became all I needed. "May I Help You" contains many sad but also many funny scenes. It is perfectly balanced.

This drama fits my taste perfectly. I recommend everyone to try to watch a few episodes and see if you like it.



I feel like I've finally broken my streak with the dramas I started watching this year.

----------------------------------------
AFTER WATCHING 12 EPISODES
Rating: 9.5/10

There was a time while watching this drama when I was afraid it would become tiresome because of the love triangle. However, the creators didn't let this happen.

The relationship between Dong Joo and Tae Hee, which was initially based on misunderstandings, has become more mature over time. The characters have also developed compared to the first episodes.

I understand why others may not like this drama. But it has something for me. I like watching this type of drama. It has funny scenes, usually lead by Vincent and Michael. It also touches on more serious topics.

There are only four episodes left until the end of the drama and I don't think it can be spoiled. I'm curious how the stories of all the characters will be closed.

----------------------------------------
AFTER I WATCHED 2 EPISODES
Rating: 8/10

It is a fluffy romance drama with a little comedy and a ghost theme. Sometimes I like to watch these types of titles. However, one thing about this drama pissed me off.

{A slight spoiler. The scene takes place at the end of the first episode and at the beginning of the second episode.}
Why didn't FL believe ML when he said he was not the son of a dead man? Like wtf!? It was so unrealistic. She only had information about the son from his father, she couldn't do much research. She had no reason not to believe ML. She was the one who created this misunderstanding and, despite the explanations, she continued to wade into it.

I hope there won't be many misunderstandings in this drama. I hate it when characters don't know how to talk to each other or don't listen to each other which is why they create misunderstandings in this stupid way.

Read More