Reviews

promising first half disappointing second

When I started watching this show it felt like a breath of fresh air and it didn't take much time to quickly fall in love with all of the characters and the warm, cozy feeling the show provided.

I LOVE Aoki's friendships with Hashimoto and Akkun and love how the show handled the love triangle, keeping it light-hearted and funny (+Hashimoto is such a good friend I love her so much she has to be one of the best female characters in a BL). Ida is such a sweetheart and I was earnestly rooting for the MLs to get together. His willingness to give Aoki a chance and his care for him makes for a heart-melting watch. Overall I appreciated the cute little story that it was with its extremely lovable 4 main characters.

However after the camping episode things started going downhill for me. The charm of the show seemed to have diminished and I found myself getting very bored. We saw less and less of the 2 best friends that I had grown to love and instead had episodic conflicts that failed to keep me interested. With Hashimoto and Akkun taking a backseat in favor of the main couple and other sideplots the ending to their romance wasn't satisfactory to me either as enough time wasn't given to them onscreen for me to have really felt the buildup and development of their relationship although initially I had gotten invested into them as a future side couple as well. With a cute and funny set-up Kieta Hatsukoi's ultimate downfall was its length. Though 10 episodes each being around 20 minutes long doesn't look lengthy at all it felt like it with how the story meandered on with a lack of focus and direction that the initial episodes had. It felt like we were going in circles with how situations would occur just to prevent the couple from getting together which made me grow tired of them as a whole. I think this would have worked much better for me if it was a movie consisting of eps 1-4 instead of a series. Also please note: the second half was not terrible and I understand why people seem to love this show (the high-school innocence of the friendships and romance is really very sweet) it was just not for me as I didn't find it to be anything special or entertaining/cute enough.

(Feel bad giving this 6.5 stars but considering I only genuinely liked and enjoyed 4/10 episodes it might just be generous)

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A good way to finish 2021

Even if the story is a little bit surrealist, it’s a really good drama. The cast is great, really loved Jenna and Jihan’s actors !!! Every member of Cotton Candy is played well, and the characters are really touching. I cried a lot in this drama. I think the story of a failed idol group is original and a so good idea ! The songs are incredible, so much good work ! The production is really good as well. The little romance between the director and Jenna is sweet but it don’t take much place, I think it’ s a good choice from the scenarist. I want a second season !!!! Worth to see !

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Sweet Lil Bro

The blurb made me started with too high expectation for this series. Older woman with younger man story is actually not my cup of tea, but the summarize from MDL really got me captivated, that's how I started to watch this. IMHO, the blurb actually should be edited a bit for adjustment.

Those who had watched "LS" and love the older woman romance maybe could like this, coz imo this one has more vibes of sister and little brother, I think the reason is The Sweetest Secret has better maturity level in each character. Not like others, I don't think this series has bad scene transition editing or badly dubbed. I don't even can tell it's dubbed at first place, I only keep thinking the FL's voice kinda sounds like someone (I think her voice similiar to JJY's voice in RfY? ^^"); and for the transition, I have several current watch which worse and annoying, lol. The soundtrack in this series also quite suit itself.

The story at first bringing the realistic one which the woman who almost 30 always forced to be married real soon, what a society ha ha. I started for that issue and keep watching for ZYR (he's shining here, really), his hair and clothes better here compare to FiYS, lol :D. In addition, the tune of his voice just felt so right and expressive. Btw, I feel so sad for Lin Ran, he can't consume any glucose (so he won't be able to eat fruit also, right? I just can't imagine) :(.

Hmm, although they act well, (the kiss kiss scene) I don't really got the chemistry and love in it (possibly only me who felt that way). After all, I'm happy to meet XKX here, yeeha! XD. Ji Han probably appeared with the best characters ever happened in c-drama, she is so nice and so kind, what a sweet girl. Anddd, LR is definitely a sweet young boyfie. Girlsss, you knowww, when a boy trying to give up in their hobby just for you .... Believe me, it's part of him showing how much he loves you. <3

This series is quite a fluffy one. Honestly, for me, it's quite boring and the story arrangement is quite a mess, that I won't ever rewatch it again, but it may different for others. Ah, another bad for this series, I believe the watchers can literally feel how low budget it is :(. However--once again, for who like the older woman younger man romance, you may give this a try, maybe unlike me, you'd love it.

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Zombie like apocalypse plus political drama

Production superb. Story wise, fresh take on the zombie apocalypse theme. Acting's really really good. Even the visuals are gruesome in a good way.

Zombie like apocalypse plus political drama.

The crowned prince fighting for his rights as the rightful ruler and fighting the undead. He's admirable even from the start. He's search for the truth, how brave he was from start to end. His resolve to protect the weak. His loyalty to the nation and his friends. He courage to do what's right, killing his own father, taking in a brother who's not even his blood, and even giving up the crown.

The paranormal component of the show was made as realistic as possible. A plant that could give life to the dead and dying, turns out to be a parasitic issue. So all good..

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The best period c-drama of 2021

2021 has been a lean year for period/costume c-dramas. There are hardly any period/costume c-dramas worth mentioning other than a handful like The Long Ballad and Word of Honor. Even then, these two c-dramas did not exactly meet the lofty standard and suffered from various issues such as disjointed storylines and plots, dubious incorporation of anime into the series, dubbing issues, etc. That is why “Luoyang” is such a refreshing change in an otherwise dull year for period drama fans like myself.

Ultimately, “Luoyang” will always be compared to “The Longest Day in Chang’An” – a hit costume drama of 2019 by the same writer. Both are penned by Ma Boyong and have the same complexities, mystery and intricacies unique to Ma Boyong’s writing style. Both are set during Tang Dynasty’s period. Both are highly engaging, entertaining and visually appealing with numerous twists and turns of various plots and subplots. If you enjoy “The Longest Day in Chang’An”, I am absolutely sure “Luoyang” is your cup of tea and this 39-episode c-drama will captivate and keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end.

The drama opens up with our main lead, Gao Bingzhu played by the mercurial Huang Xuan, awakens from his sleep in a coffin store, which turns out to be his lodging. There is hardly any artificial light in this very first shot other than those sunlight permeating through the voids in the window. It sets the tone lighting wise for the rest of the series. You won’t get too much artificial lighting here to lighten up the scenes other than those from candles especially for indoor and night scenes. Lighting over-exposure is non-existent here. It keeps the atmosphere real, with shadows visible during some night or indoor shots. Then we are presented with the aerial shot of Luoyang City. The capital setting with throngs of inhabitants filling up every nook and corner of the street is simply spectacular and breath-taking. It looks real like what a vibrant capital should look like and not just a scene filmed at one of the sets at Hengdian World Studio. Those people on the street do not look like extras. Immediately you know that this series is a big-budget production and costs a bomb to produce. Money is no issue and the producer is only concerned with quality product. Everything looks real and expensive - from the costumes, props, studio setting, extras to ancient Luoyang, Unwelcome Well (Ghetto), the HQ of Intelligence Services, etc. The first few minutes convinced me to KIV Yang Mi’s “Pearl Eclipse” and Zhang Huiwen’s “Heart of Loyalty”.

No one particular actor hogs the screen time here, and that is a plus. The story-line does not revolve around any leads, but rather each lead has his/her own plots. Gao Bingzhu is hell-bent on revenge for his friends’ death. Baili Hongyi is trying to find his father killer. Wu Siyue is just doing her job as the Inner Guard to the Grand Empress. The story is a labyrinth with twists and turns where excitement, disappointment, sadness and mystery await you around every corner. The writing has always been the main weakness of most Chinese period dramas; but not here. “Luoyang” writing is good enough that you don’t have to turn off your brain to enjoy this masterpiece. The acting is great as well. Special mention to Huang Xuan as Gao Bingzhu because at times, his acting moved me the way no other costume/period c-dramas could. I remember watching Xie Ze’s previous effort as a director with “Jun JiuLing”and laughing my ass off when the ML (Jin Han) cried his heart out after finding out his beloved had met her untimely death. Gao Bingzhu does not have to cry in this drama, but his tormented expression is enough to relay the feeling of helplessness and anguish. The scenes where he got his revenge against the 16th Night, and when his best friend turned enemy met his untimely death were scenes that I could watch time and again. His strength as an actor reveals itself in these highly emotional and poignant scenes.

Special mention on Luoyang’s beautiful cinematography, props, costumes and great fighting and chasing scenes. The camera angles are exquisite. There are times when I wonder how those cameramen manage to capture the shots of fighting and chasing scene through the Ghetto. The wireworks and stunts come out beautifully. The chasing scenes must have used professional parkour athletes because I don’t believe wireworks and post-production tricks alone could have achieved those effects.

Lighting is another aspect which “Luoyang” excels in. There is no over exposure from artificial lighting on most of the scenes. Night time and indoor scenes have the right amount of light - presumably from tons of candles - which produces shadows, realistic ambience and contrast. Low key lighting in this costume drama was in stark contrast to the last directed costume cdrama by the same director, Xie Ze (Jun JiuLing), where lighting overexposure was prevalent and became a negative point of “Jun JiuLing”. On the other hand, lighting seems to be the strong point of Xie Ze’s “Luoyang” with the night scene in the imperial City of Luoyang particularly impressive and eye-catching.

November/December 2021 is a great time for period c-drama fans because of “Pearl Eclipse”, “Luoyang” and the recently premiered “Sword Snow Stride”. The best period drama of 2021, and one of the best EVER without any doubt.
Story - 10.0/10
Acting - 8.0/10
Music - 9.0/10
Rewatch value - 10.0/10
Overall - 10.0/10

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Addictive murder mystery period drama with complex characters

This show had me hooked from the beginning! It had so many of my favorite TV elements: a slow reveal of characters' complex backstories, a murder mystery, glamorous period costumes, and a variety of badass female characters. Also, compared to Taiwan's normal campy, cutesy TV fare (which I do love, to be clear), Light the Night is a huge step up in production quality and story.

The show revolves around Rose and Sue, two best friends and house mothers of a 1980s Taipei nightclub. As the episodes unfold, we learn about each of the supporting characters and the drama leading up to the pilot episode's murder. We don't learn the murder victim's identity until the very end, setting us up for Season 2 to investigate the murderer's identity.

I would highly recommend watching this show not just once but multiple times; it's definitely the type of show where you'll pick up subtle details during a rewatch. An artfully crafted story, superbly acted, scored, and production designed, I can't wait for Season 2!

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Love comes with sacrifices

Story: What can I say besides heart wrenching... This series tells the tale of two different couples, each with their own unique story. Stories about love, regret, sacrifices and loss. Even though the main couple got the most screen time and detailed storyline, the side stories are equally interesting. The main story revolves around two people who lost their loved ones from a young age and sought comfort in each others presence despite certain misunderstandings at the start. However, all good things come to an end when the guy found out about something which would change everything.... The side story revolves around two people who works in the same record label who fell in love through the loss of a loved one, similar to the main story yet different in its own way.

Acting: I found out about this series after watching till we meet again which starred Gingle Wang. Boy she did not disappoint in this series either. Her acting felt genuine as she was really able to evoke certain feelings and emotions especially during the heartbreaking moments. The other actors and actresses were also superb in their craft but i think the star of the show is definitely Gingle. I really liked the kid though :)

Music: Not any less sad than the show itself. The two main tracks are sang by A-Lin and Eric Chou and these two artists do not disappoint.

Rewatch Value: I don't think i am able to rewatch such a heartbreaking show but if u feel like crying, go ahead and rewatch the show.

Conclusion: A story sadder than sadness(比悲傷更悲傷的故事) basically explains the entire plot. It is an emotional rollercoaster filled with many life lessons. Prepare a lot of tissue paper and brace yourself for what is to come.

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wow,...... excellent piece of drama

actually first i watched my unicorn girl then skate into love... then i felt like skate into love is a masterpiece... but after seeing to fly with you i feel so great... that this is super piece of drama.... why ? becuase u see both skate into love and to fly with you are quite similar.... but i feel skate into love is a bit more dramatic.. [ both the dramas start with misunderstanding , have love , injury , but to fly with you has no breakup ] i feel even if to fly with you the love is so so so so so so so cute and innocent.. kiss scenes are so passionate and cute not awkward at all... love how they are so cute and also not too cheesy... i love how the female lead and male lead proved themeselves at their bad times.... i loved how their love started as first a fake relationship.. though this theme is very common.. it suits this drama very very well..... this is very recommanded drama... i love the songs in the drama... mainly ITS ALL ABOUT US this song is so so cute and i love .. mom and son love is also cute... even if it had a lot of problems same with mom and daughter relationship.. mainly i loved how male lead and female lead work together to help solve the problems between the male lead's mother and female lead's mother
overall this drama is a gem

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this.

where to start?

i am completely convinced this will never be topped. just everything about this is so cute.

let's start with the story. with the first episode everything has already been said. "this is a slightly silly love story about hardworking good-natured high schoolers." and it is exactly that. this is a character-driven drama honestly. the plot is there for the characters not the other way around. like a lot of coming of age dramas, it's about the characters and not the plot. it shows the life of a (struggling and confused lol) bisexual teen in high school juggling new love, friendship and of course, school. it also sometimes shows the persepctive of his love interest, a well-meaning volleyball player who is also new to this whole love thing and bad at expressing emotions.

the acting. the facial expressions michieda shunsuke has done for this show is incredible. it might seem over the top but for those who have read the manga know im not kidding when i say that's practically what aoki is like in the manga too. meguro ren as ida was spot-on. that is the blank-faced ida i know and love brought to life. the casting was just perfection. also ya gotta admit. they're a good looking pair. as for fukomoto riko and suzuki jin, they are also perfect cast. they do amazing as their characters. the casting seriously perfect.

oh the music. oh the music. i love it. i really do. both secret touch and ubu-love. these songs are blasting in my head at all times. they are very fitting to the drama. the lyrics from secret touch especially. secret touch is sung by meguro ren's group (snowman) and ubu-love is sung by michieda shunsuke's group (naniwa danshi).

and the rewatch value? oh darling, i was rewatching the first episode religiously since i saw it. it became apart of my DAILY routine. then the second episode was released. so i was rewatching the first two until the third episode. then i was rewatching the three until the fourth and basically that's how i've been living. easily rewatchable. you will be desperate for more.

overall. my favourite jdrama and probably overall drama for all of 2021. i love a series with heaps and heaps of drama but something like kiekoi has seriously topped. it's a sweet silly love story of two inexperienced teens in high school realistically done. one of my favourite aspects is probably how relatable this was for me. as a bi teen in high school, i have experienced something like this. it wasn't as sweet and happy in fact it sucked. watching aoki and ida navigate their love in a sweeter and happier way despite their ups and downs, makes me like this drama a lot. so. watch this if you need something sweeter than candy.

tldr; one of the best jdramas of 2021. sweet cute love story between two inexperinced teens. 10/10 would recommened. biased because it's personal to me lol but seriously, its really really good.

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the main lead is a god ...

actually.. yang yang acting was too good.. but i feel the female lead acting was not that satisfactory... also.. as many suggested.. the story is too perfect... like the fantasy types where both their lives are perfect.. male lead is so confident on female lead.. many times I felt that there should be a very nice male and female lead where there is no misunderstanding.. but I feel this was too unbelievable... I liked the story a lot but these things bothered.. like the second male and female lead realize their mistake so easily and so bluntly... there is no proper way of realization etc.. even if i give ratings 9.5 I feel yang yang played better in other roles than love 020's PERFECT GOD... this way of portrayal was not needed [ many Chinese dramas have this perfect god theme but this was too much ] the story would be interesting with no breakup , but small fights and little emotions to their love rather than only exaggerating the kiss scenes... overall the story is nice, acting of yangyang is very good .. cute, and very sweet love story,

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Undefinable but rather entertaining comedy that could have taken itself more seriously

The ratings I'm giving are pretty much nonsensical. This series is pretty hard to review. It is a low-budget series that can be improved in quite a number of ways. The choreography of fight sequences, the editing and cinematography are not exactly impressive. On the other hand, there can be a lot of fun in story of a college for people with supernatural powers (which are determined by their star sighs).

The absurdist and often self-reflexive humor with frequent allusions to Chinese pop songs can be entertaining even though the extent to which it works in the middle of the more serious scenes is debatable. While it is often a good thing that the story is not presented as one to be taken seriously, it seems that the production team has gone a little too far with this at times. It feels almost as if they merely decided to have fun, thinking that they can't possibly make anything great with the limited budget and other constraints. Yet, if they had just moderated the absurdism somewhat, the series would have been much better. I loved how the series focuses on the more glamorous characters while making a statement about the underdogs who are ignored. The minor characters who refer to themselves as minor characters brings to mind how even people who are not in the limelight or center of attention are often neglected. There is also the a character with the power of invisibility to good effect--he appears only occasionally (enough for us to remember) and reminds invisible until Episode 28 when he is revealed to have been quietly protecting the main female character. In life, many people go unnoticed, whether it is because of their personality, their class status or other reasons, and this is shown in a suitably understated manner.

At its best, the series makes use good use of whatever resources it has. The product placements, for instance, are often used in a way that enhances the humor. Apart from the premise of a battle of people with supernatural powers, there is the romance between the main male and female characters and even hints of BL in a comedy that is rather hard to define. I think the story was a little too rushed in the last few episodes--the beginning contains too much unimportant stuff related to the competition in the college and could have been made more compact so that the story can end properly. Perhaps a Season 2 was being considered, but I doubt it will be done.

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It was okay.

This review is a little all over the place so bare with me. I'm fairly new to this genre and will say this is the first drama I've had such disappointment with. There are many great things about this drama but also many annoying things. I felt that half way through, the main couples storyline just went off the rails. It just didn't work for me. Lemme first just say that Ji Ho is so stinking cute that Everytime she was on screen It made me smile. At the start I truly enjoyed Se Hee's and Ji Ho's story but towards the end the needless complication really annoyed me, especially since they had such great communication throughout the story. Their awkwardness was cute and absolutely adored their interaction in the final episode. Soo Ji's and Ho rang's, literally carried this drama on their backs. Loved everything about them. Ho Rang's really annoyed me and I didn't feel like she deserved Won Seok. I was glad to see she sorta matured by the end of it (Won Seol was super adorable with his little short self.) But would have felt this was more realistic if their story didn't end the way it did.At certain points conversation just seemed to drag and I just wanted to get through it so that was a bit of a disappointment. The soundtrack is too notch. Yeon Bok-nam was so beautiful it hurt to look at him. Ji Ho's mom was a mother freaking boss. Loved loved her. I truly enjoyed the sisterhood these three women had with each other. All in all it was okay. No way I would rewatch but I am Interested in checking out other projects these actors participated in.

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A Classic Fairly Tale Drama, best ever

Ashes of love is my no 1 Top Fairy Tales drama Ever so far. It is long, could be shorter but everything else is perfect. Somehow it manages to blend the Casting, the emotional Story, CGI, the funny and the heart breaking elements seamlessly that makes AOL Classic and unforgettable drama ever. At the end of 2021 haven’t seen anything else that tops AOL.

OST is so good, amazing. Still listen to them 2 years later.

Acting: No one, absolutely no one has awkward acting here, this is so rare. YZ, DL and LYX are all first rate. But especially Lou Yunxi, how as a villain, millions of watcher rotted for him. Only exceptional character interpretation with out of the box acting can achieve this rare phenomenon.

Runyu is the best character written I’ve seen in C Dramaland. Leo Luo delivered Runyu beyond everyone expectation. No wonder the C official newspaper stamps Runyu as top 10 CLASSIC character in last DECADE. Usually after watching a good drama, I would forget about these characters, but Runyu is different, I remember him years later. I don’t forget his voice, his classic phrases his smooth flight scene, his elegant walk, his tears and pain, his madness and redemption at the end. Perhaps if Runyu is not made in China, LYX would have won an award for his performance.

I have yet to see another character as memorable as Runyu, but perhaps when Immortality airs, LYX cold but super complex "Shizun" might have a fighting chance to top Runyu.

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This drama turned out so GOOD

Plot is fast pace, no “filler” plot, not many stupid scenes or slow-motion as we find in many C dramas. I always waiting for the next episode. Don’t miss this Gem if you like rom-coms drama with a real plot. I consider Love is Sweet/LIS (same production company, same ML and support actors) is pure rom-coms, I like LIS but I like Lie to Love MUCH BETTER for the PLOT.

Lie to Love has many advantages: All the character IQ is logical, you don’t have weak FL. Both ML & FL are good looking. Cinematography is more beautiful than many C drama on par with LIS. Both ML and Villains have good matching IQ that makes their attack and counterattack worth watching. Wonderful OST. Clothing is really good for everyone not just our ML & FL.

Acting review 2nd most important after Plot for me: Luo Yunxi again nails Li Zeliang 1000%. Every stage is performed well (from weak to counter attack stages). LYX acting has a lot of depth & detail and I found to be so rare among C drama actor his age. What makes his performance brilliant is he brings you into LiZeliang world, you smile when you see him smiling, you are emphatic seeing him hurt, and you feel his pain when he is in pain. This is what a good actor is, transport you inside their character story and life. On the support actors, 90% of them are great, Villain Uncle, Aunty, Chu2, Yi Song even the Child actress perform well. My only complaint is our FL. Her performance is not stable and lacking emotions, some parts okay but others rather hard to follow. CX is beautiful many said she improved, but is it enough to be FL? However overall, ML and other actor superb acting and fast pace plot actually making you not paying much attention to her acting. So overall impact is fine.

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