Great . . . ish
Because of the meticulousness of the social interactions and the ins and outs of court life, ritual and rites, and the various strata of society with which this complicated series was made, the total illogic of the first ep doesn't make sense. My theory is that because of the arbitrary cap on the number of episodes that the Chinese government slammed on theTV industry, the filmmakers, who knew the story backwards and forwards, took the opening two, four, even six episodes (or more) and smooshed them into one in order to launch the story like a rocket, and get that episode count down to 40. So absolutely nothing makes any sense--losing a bunch of potential watchers.I sympathize--the arbitrary cap has to hurt when you genuinely have a complicated story, and have to get it set up. The opening of Nirvana in Fire has been talked about a lot for how the first two or three eps are tough to get through because story points come at you like bullets, leaving the viewer bewildered. It's only when you've seen more eps that that opening starts making sense.
Another example of a series suffering under the arbitrary cap, Court Lady, which actually began really well, for such a complicated storyline. But the last ten eps pretty much were munched, as if some poor editor, existing on nothing but espresso hacked and slashed madly in order to squash the story down to the mandated length. Leaving out one ep entirely (46?).
I think that might be the case here, because the first ep was jaw droppingly stupid, from the assassination attempt in which everyone, including the Evil Emperor just stood around, to the whole prison escapade. But once we got to the second ep, things started gradually making more sense. And when Jiuling started meeting her guys, the emotional sense locked into place.
I could quibble with the logic along the way, but the emotional arcs were so compelling that I was very soon hooked and stayed that way to the last. Some of that was the beautiful cinematography,b ut mostly it was the impeccable performances of the cast.
I thought Jin Han was an interesting, and then a terrific, choice for a hero. His looks are not idol-pretty-boy (which I do appreciate!); he's got one of the most high-voltage sneers of any actor in C-Dramaland, when he plays a villain. He just electrifies the screen. But in this role, he got to really demonstrate his acting talent--sneers there were, but laughter, tears, intensity, suffering, exalting happiness--sometimes all in one shot. He moves really well; his fight scenes are terrific. The two actors who played his brothers complemented him perfectly--when they are joshing around you can believe they are brothers, and when they get serious, they are as tough as their legendary father.
The love scenes, the kisses, the banter, were absolutely delectable.
Ditto the acting of the other guys in love with her. Du Ya Fei especially, in his role as the obsessive, borderline-mad Lu Yun Qi, was utterly riveting whenever he walked on screen. His micro expressions were amazing. His was one of the most interesting arcs in the entire show. I really want to see more from him, with meatier roles.
Contrasting, Wang You Shuo as Ning Yunzhao was quietly astonishing. Beautiful to look at, benevolent in character, he was a perfect contrast to Lu Yunqi's crazy, and their scenes together at the end were pure magic. Young Zhou Zhang, playing Fang Cheng Yu, was also fabulous.
I was so glad to see Liu Jun playing the evil emperor. I fell in love with that actor watching his range as the dad in Story of Minglan. He gave what could have been a boring cardboard character some interesting in this series. Likewise I was glad to see Zhang Yan Yan, who was so marvelous in Nirvana in Fire 1 and 2, and so marvelously evil in Minglan, playing the general's wife here.
Then there is Peng Xiao Ran, who did a wonderful job as Jun Jiu Ling. She was utterly convincing, especially when fighting tears. I loved the range she demonstrated here, especially once she and Jin Han got together. Their scenes together were sheer delight.
Everybody was good. The actress playing the grandmother, the snotty sister who had a change of heart--everyone was terrific.
To wrap this up, it seems to me that the makers did the opposite of Court Lady, who trashed the ending of the series in order to make it fit the mandate, and munched the beginning of this one. So I suggest that anyone wanting to give it a try stick it out for a few eps, to see if things smooth out enough for you.
I do know already that I will rewatch this, but i'll probably skip that first ep altogether.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beyond Expectations
To start off this review with anything other than honesty would be a disservice to this drama - at first,I had no intentions of watching "Beyond Evil",despite being a huge fan of mysteries and true crime.But that all changed with the few shots of the first episode.Again,I like to begin this review by listing the positives first,as I strongly believe it takes a lot to write,direct and film any drama,whether good or bad.That goes for movies,shows and almost every form of media.It`s hard.But,with that being said,I finished this drama feeling bittersweet,since I was saying goodbye to characters I really connected with and cared for.
What this drama does right,off the bat,is setting the atmosphere and mood reminiscent of old noir fiction,right down to our main characters and their characteristics.Paying homage almost,to one of my favorite faucets of crime fiction with morally ambiguous protagonists is a huge plus in my books.Even by the end of this drama,it was cemented in my mind that all characters meant to be on the good side,still DID one or more questionable things.Simultaneously all characters meant to be on the wrong side still DID one or more positive things.Because humans are like that.So what happens when we are faced with the consequences of our own actions?
True highlights of this show are Shin Ha-kyun as Dong Sik and Lee Gyu-Hoe as Kang Jin-Mook.They just are.As much as I was a big fan of excellent bromance between Dong Sik and Han Ju Won(played by seasoned actor Yeo Jin-Goo),there were a handful of times when the latter wasn`t as convincing as I wanted him to be,so that`s the only reason why I`m not naming BOTH principal actors as creams of the crop.That said,all actors across the board did an amazing job.Still,these two are my favorites.I was amazed at the fact that I could tell by his smile when Dong Sik was truly jubilant and when he was playing a part,despite it being the same smile in almost every way visually. It was a rush and a pleasure getting to watch such an outstanding performance.Even the way his character was written kept me on my toes and it`s so seldom I see character`s motivations displayed without any holes or contradictions in drama world. I can`t shower him with praises enough and can`t wait to see what else he does in the future.On the other hand,Kang Jin-Mook was slimy,underhanded,calculated and the complete opposite,yet he kept me invested.And that`s something,considering I knew about the twist before starting this drama.And that`s another fact:I absolutely LOVED how this case had layers to it and how it wasn`t just one person carrying the brunt of the whole act.Because in that sense,it`s so much more realistic.Not everything about this show works in terms of crime building,but this does to almost every extent. And I also liked all employees of Munju Police Station,especially Oh Ji-Hwa and Nam Sang-Bae.I actually shed a few tears during his death,but I was,in the same way,pleased with how everyone chose to honor his legacy.Through clever character placement and world building,it wasn`t hard seeing how and why all these characters cared about each other,despite their poor decision making.It was a complete,yet broken family whose members might all have something against each other,but when push comes to shove,they`re there to defend their own.And it was beautiful. Not to be forgotten,Heo Sung-Tae`s acting in this(as flamboyant and short fused Lee Chang-Jin)was exceptional and I was genuinely pleased they didn`t kill him off.Man`s clumsy,but he really won me over.
I liked the uncertainty of pinpointing character`s motivations.It was fun trying to put all these pieces together,along with our `heroes`.The OST was a masterpiece in its own right and,as I`m listening to it,not only is it different,but I note influences from shows like "Jessica Jones" and "Daredevil" weirdly enough.And I love every second of it.It`s understatedly powerful and poignant in more ways than one.
Set designs also range from good to amazing,with managing to evoke that silently dangerous charm of villages and counties.I hadn`t seen anyone commenting on it so I had to mention it regardless.
And now we have to get a bit nitpicky.And mention the shortcomings of this drama,which aren`t plenty,but are a bit more glaring when they`re placed against all these positives.And now,I fancy myself as John Wolfe of dramas(if you don`t know about him,check out his YT channel,he`s great)in that we both have to catch some inconsistencies and/or issues,even when no one else clocks them.And in this case,it`s the final few stages of case building,coupled with some smaller plot holes or deus ex machinas,if you will.I have to admit,I really wasn`t a fan of what ended up happening to Dong Sik`s sister in the end.And I was vocal about it whilst watching the show.It was just a very roundabout and clumsy way of including everyone(namely Han Ju Won`s father) in this crime scene.It was cluttered and considering the rest of this awesome drama, lackluster.It should`ve been sat on more in the writing room.Basically,the victim stumbled across a killing after a small fight with her boyfriend(Dong Sik`s best friend),had her fingers chopped off,in Jin-Mook`s signature style,managed to escape,only to be hit once and then again,after Chang-Jin couldn`t be bothered to be a real gangster and do his job.After this,she was snatched away by Jin-Mook and shoved in the wall of Dong Sik`s house.That last part was done great and the realization of your dead sister being near you all these years was also top-notch.Anything related to Jin-Mook`s part of the case I had no issue with.But they were really pushing it with involving everyone else in this one instance.Not only that,but they managed to create a big plot hole in the process.Yung-Je mentioned that he hit a deer and we are shown a shot of him hitting the victim while she was standing up.This is from his perspective,mind you.He later states that he hit her while she was laying down,which was the way they managed to crack the case.However,this understanding then negates all Yung-Je`s deer drawings as he was reminded of deers whilst looking into her eyes before hitting her.Another thing I wasn`t really a fan of is how Chang-Jin was called to the scene to clean it up TWICE,where he was just walking to and back from the road...it was a mess,that whole creative decision.Another character I wasn`t really sold on in terms of criminal acts tied to this case was Ju Won`s father.I didn`t really care about him outside the relationship with his son.And this is a small nitpick but,since the whole case swept up police stations basically,we see not one case outside of it.I can understand for Munju,as it`s a small substation and not much happens.But outside of it,I`m not so sure.
Overall,"Beyond Evil" is a gem in its genre,and even outside of it.Despite some bumps in the road(no pun intended) it`s by far the best crime drama I`ve seen so far.And I`m so glad I was given the opportunity to experience it in full. I`d recommend it to anyone except hardcore romance watchers(if they have such expectations going in). It`s a drama that deserves more hype and deserves every bit of praise and mention coming its way.
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A story of two halves
This is one of few Dramas I've dropped that I have given a score greater than zero. That's because there was a lot to like about it, or at least one half of it.That half is the half that focused on the FL's work. The FL was shown as competent, mature and realistic in her work environment and VERY god at what she did, while also realistic about the challenges and limitations she faced in her working life. The excellence of that part of the storyline, and especially its focus on capable, competent independent female professionals. was why I endured to episode 24 of 36.
The reason I had to drop was the indefensible behaviour and attitude of the ML. Yet another in the seemingly endless line of man-child MLs that China's romance Dramas keep churning out, his petulant self-absorption was very hard to handle at the best of times. But coupled with his penchant for physical violence, dragging the FL by the wrist, and hitting or slapping his "best friend" whenever that friend told him unpleasant truths, was just inexcusable. The ML lied to and deceived the FL for more than half the entire Drama's length, but instead of genuinely realising how wrong that was and sincerely apologising, he turned up, said "I'm sorry" and LITERALLY dragged her back to his house. THAT scene was my breaking point, when I knew I had to let go.
The message conveyed by Dramas like this one and My Fated Boy is VERY toxic - it's OK for men to act like selfish children, women need to accept and adjust. No, it's not ok.
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yeah. Worth the hype.
I wasn't wowed by the first episode of this drama, nor entirely enchanted by the second. But by the end of the second episode I thought... dang, okay, fine, I guess I want to keep watching. And I'm glad I did.The most thrilling and emotional parts of this show took place within the game itself. The games are simple children's games, but are games that don't necessarily require skill. Most of the time, it's luck; which number you drew, which shape you got, that sort of thing. The game purports to be 'fair', but it's only fair in the way that real life is fair. You're stuck with the cards you've been given. The poor characters take part in the game because the real world is so terrible for them that the game is the best alternative they've got. Sadly, some even think they can win, despite (as we've discussed) the games being largely luck-based.
The characters are mostly pretty decent in this. The main character, Gi Hoon, is initially kind of a piece of trash, but you realize that he's a gambling addict, and this leads to him hurting the people he loves. He's not an inherently bad person who wants to hurt others, and you see that come out in the game, where he's one of the kinder people there. The rest of the cast are also great, not a weak performance in sight. I'd say the cop's plotline and character are mildly confusing and vague and you're just not that emotionally invested in it compared to everyone else. The show continues to get better and better as the games keep going and people die.
People die in very emotionally impacting ways, and I think they did all the character deaths very well. They often feel different too; whether it's because it was accidental, somebody cheated so they lost, or just bad luck. And the deaths can weirdly almost feel like a part of their character arcs. I don't know how the writers pulled it off but they did it well.
tl;dr it's really worth watching because it's not just trashy fun, it has so much to say about the unfairness of the systems in this world that keep poor people down. I'm not sure I'd rewatch it because it's so emotionally overwhelming at times but it is super good.
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I've watched this series until the end, actually ㅡforce myself to watch this series until the end.
Good job for Feng Jiu for not giving up even though Dong Hua seems like he doesn't really give a fuck about you. You're the definition of loyalty and I'm so proud of you. I like a cold male lead that only warm to his love interest, but this Dong Hua... idk I just dislike his attitude so much to the point that I want to smack his face.
Cheng Yu, I feel you and you're right, at least for me. Let's smack his face a couple of times, idk I just want revenge I think.
I like the visual of it, it is a good drama but I'm the picky one here. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
The song is really good too, I actually adored the CGI and the magical effects ♡♡
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It's not just sooo cliche and tropey but also hella boring. There's nothing as plot or story, things characters are just thrown to you without any context, and everything is scattered. With hella unnecessary arcs and setbacks. It starts with chemistry eventually goes into biology.. then becomes medical, with a typical, stereotyped way to show how scientific research word.
How can I forget some there are quite a bit of very non-nonsensical scenes.. the 'gun' scene in the first episode, I wasn't sure if I should be laughing or crying at writers for taking viewers stupid.
I just checked genres apparently it's rom-com, wait.. comedy? is it there? I don't remember laughing even once :')
Now you may think when romance starts you'll at least have a bit of chemistry.. that you totally deserve from leads but it's opposite, there wasn't any, to begin with, but then it goes negative... the most cringy-est and uncomfortable scene, when you want to skip romantic scenes in rom-com.. is it any less than disaster?
So you've been in contact for 6 years apparently in 'love' and you don't know that person's any information even name? does it make any sense lol...
Our FL Bai Ling Ling what to say about her, she has no work ethic. She doesn't know what she wants... so if your goal is getting the job to make money, then you would hard work for that, right? at least won't screw up your thesis that your graduation depends on it. She's just so unbearable as her mood swings, or should I say personality swings. Girl, don't you value yourself a little bit? I mean who just forgive someone who was literally deceiving you all the time as if nothing happened, oof.
I don't think Zhou Yu Tong is any fit for this role lol... I just can't see her as a university student, specifically in this type of role.. she just doesn't fit. Plus her character is pretty bland almost no range in acting, so a waste of everything.
Oh gosh, Yang Lan Hang, I need to know what writers think when they create such 'High-IQ-but-No-EQ' characters, I mean intelligent people should at least have common sense, or be smart enough to figure out things.. even if they are socially awkward. I bet I've never encountered a confused character than him lol.. bruh what do you want? so you also want to have an online relationship with her but you also want her to like real you? and yet you get jealous of yourself.
The casting choice is wrong totally, Yu Tong and Jasper don't look a couple or compatible but they don't have on-screen chemistry too.
Almost all support roles are poorly written and pretty much useless. They don't even clear twin-thing for quite a while... which may lead you to have assumptions of DID (dissociative identity disorder). Side couples are pretty much uninteresting as their characters.
The first few episodes have choppy editing as if they didn't bother to put in any effort. Flashbacks, scene transitions are all over the place. Styling is just
so weird, I don't know what era suits Jasper is wearing but they look old.
In conclusion, I'll say. Don't watch it!
Whoa I'm writing the conclusion, when my whole review is screaming not to watch it xD
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The Changing Times
Fascinating, riveting, inspiring, and poignant. In my humble opinion, Our Times truly is a remarkably compelling and vividly presented drama that is very much deserving of attention and praise. It isn’t without flaws but it is still a worthwhile viewing experience as far as C-dramas are concerned. With a douban score of 8.3 at the time of writing, the rating certainly reflects the growing acclaim for this drama.Production Details
Brought to us by the production team of the popular drama Hikaru no Go, notably Liu Chang and Zhuo Yue Pao Mo who serve as main director and screenwriter respectively. Both of them specialise in slice-of-life, coming-of-age and friendship dramas including their collaboration on Somewhere Only We Know. In addition, Liu Chang helmed Dear Missy while Zhuo Yue Pao Mo had written the script for the highly rated My Huckleberry Friends, among others. This drama is co-director Ma Yiming’s directorial debut while five other screenwriters are involved namely Xu Yitian, Nan Difu, Hu Liping, Wang Shumin and Chen Xiao.
The screenplay is adapted from the novel Our Times (我们的时代) which was recently published in 2019. Written by Wang Qiang (王强), reportedly a leading figure for business novels in China, Our Times is a trilogy that focuses on chasing dreams, and the ups and downs of the new generation of entrepreneurs who ride the IT Internet wave from 1990 to 2018.
The Narrative
Our Times is set in China of the early 1990s against the backdrop of burgeoning economic growth and rapid IT development. The story spans the better part of the decade across multiple locations including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Foshan and Hong Kong (along with Illinois in the US). It focuses on the points of view of four main characters - university classmates and tech researchers Xiao Chuang and Pei Qin Hua, as well as their respective love interests Xie Hang and Tan Yuan. Combining slice-of-life with romance, bromance and light melodrama mainly within the workplace setting, the drama explores relationship dynamics between families, friends, lovers and co-workers as well as themes of office politics, industrial relations, the virtues of self-sacrifice, redemption and the courage to evolve in the pursuit of aspirations and happiness amidst the vicissitudes of life.
The storytelling is progressively paced and satisfyingly engaging with hardly a dull moment or substantial fillers. I particularly enjoy the seamless fusion of certain lighthearted instances along with subtle hints of levity as well as introspective and bittersweet scenes interspersed throughout with predominantly heartwarming undertones.
For a premise of this nature, there is no lack of angst and dramatics which is to be expected where the majority of these arcs are rather promptly and neatly resolved. My main issues with this drama stem from the script or adaptation of the source novel for certain sequences of events and the consistency of the characterization for specific characters. Without giving too much away, I’m not a fan of the noble idiocy trope and the associated extreme self-sacrificial acts of altruism in lieu of open and sincere communication to resolve issues… BUT, it’s quite a relief that the resulting grievances turn out to be somewhat short lived and do not detract from what has largely been an engrossing viewing experience.
It’s worth mentioning that elements of patriotism and nationalistic vibes in the plot are quite noticeable as far as locally-produced PCs versus international imports are concerned, but I think the historical representation is quite balanced to accurately reflect the growing trends of computing technology as well as the political sentiments in the era.
A couple of interesting facets to the plot - it’s not purely about computer designs and programming because a substantial proportion of the entrepreneurial efforts is focused on the marketing and sales aspects. Furthermore, the technology referred therein isn’t just about mainframes and personal computers but also emerging entertainment gadgets such as the LD and VCD technology. The transition of “old tech” to the technology that we are acquainted with, especially for viewers familiar with the era, is depicted with the perfect dose of realism.
The Production Quality and Technical Aspects
This is a well-made production in terms of the overall values, quality, and technical execution. The direction is generally commendable, despite discernible “contrived moments of acting” at certain points. The editing, scene transitions and sequencing of the narrative progression appear cohesive and relatively seamless. In terms of the cinematography, I appreciate the decent camerawork as well as the warm palettes and degree of colour grading applied which provides a cinematic feel to the production. Also on the subject of visual language, I quite like the inclusion of 90s stock footage in certain filler frames or B-reels throughout, which provides viewers with a sense of the atmospherics.
The art direction is superb through the use of authentic set designs and props that enhance the realism of the depiction. From the very first moment of this drama, I was hit by the wave of nostalgia arising from the overwhelming 90s pop culture references. From Sally Yeh and George Lam Cantonese songs to posters of a very young Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau and countless others plastered all over the walls. The influence of Hong Kong in those days is made abundantly clear in this production. Other references to the time period include the huge mobile phones (aka “tai ko tai”), VHS player and video entertainment outlets, the cassette tape player and, of course, the computers themselves - the classic 486 PCs complete with the large monitors or Visual Display Units. The costuming aspect is quite realistic in general. For the character of Xiao Chuang, however, his dressing comes across as somewhat peculiar for a person with his background but it does reflect his flamboyant demeanour and swagger.
Cast and Characters
As the story unfolds and we learn more about each of the main characters, I find myself utterly immersed and invested in their characterization and growth through the multitudes of varying circumstances and events that they experience. In particular the two male leads, Xiao Chuang and Pei Qing Hua. Despite being infuriating at times to a certain extent, towards the conclusion of the story the maturity and wisdom that they eventually attain provide a palpable sense of redemption and achievement. Tan Yuan is interestingly written yet extremely believable and is my favourite female character in the drama. Xie Hang, on the other hand, feels a little inconsistent in places through her actions and behaviour. Nonetheless, each of the four characters possesses its own distinctive qualities and characteristics that combine well to fit the overall development of the story.
My second time seeing Wu Lei this year after The Long Ballad, he has certainly come a long way since Nirvana in Fire. I wouldn’t exactly call this his breakout role but it does feel that way. Such an exceptional portrayal of Xiao Chuang where his versatility in range truly ran me through the gamut of emotions. I honestly think his performance is the strongest among the cast largely because of his significant and dramatic character arc. As for Neo Hou, he showcases a hugely different side to his portrayal in Psych-Hunter and Lost Tomb 2 where he plays a complete boy scout here - pure, idealistic and noble to a fault - and he absolutely slays this role. Earnestly believable and endearing as Pei Qing Hua, he embodies the role effortlessly indeed. Wu Lei and Neo Hou together make this one of the best bromance partnerships in C-dramas.
My first time seeing both Julia Xiang and Mao Xiao Hui, where their performances are indeed worthy of praise. Julia’s portrayal of Tan Yuan is realistic and relatable where I can’t help but to root for her throughout. Her bubbly personality is the complete opposite of Neo Hou’s down-to-earth Pei Qing Hua but somehow this opposites attract type of relationship culminates in a convincing and organic chemistry that builds up naturally over the course of the story. Xiao Hui’s Xie Hang is the most understated yet nuanced of the female leads. There are so many layers to her character that she delicately brings to life in a slow-burn manner. As one of the two OTPs, Wu Lei and Xiao Hui share some of the most moving moments in the drama amidst the trials and tribulations that they both face.
As for the supporting cast, the veterans comprising Wang Xin Jun, Gai Hai Peng and Wen Zheng Rong deserve mention for playing Tan Qi Zhang, Lin Yi Min and Luo Li Hua respectively. Leewei, as Lydia (Xie Hang’s mentor at Interflow), delivers a powerful interpretation of an intriguing character despite her limited screen time. Wang Meng Li’s investigative journalist Shu Zhi Hong is another interesting characterization that probably deserves a side story or spin-off of her own.
Music
Fei Peng serves as music producer while Japanese composer Akiyama Sayuri composed two ending themes for the production, which are my favourites out of the total of five OSTs including the remake of Sally Yeh’s original, Walk Back to the Wind. Full listing as follows:
呼啸的风 Howling Wind by 侯明昊 Hou Ming Hao (Ending theme)
毫不保留 Without Reservations by 余佳运 Yu Jiayun (Ending theme)
潇洒走一回 Walk Back to the Wind by 孟佳 Meng Jia
一盏灯 A Light by 王栎鑫 Wang Lixin
燃烧的时代 The Burning Era by 袁野 Yuan Ye
谁能明白我 Who Can Understand Me by 林子祥 George Lam
Final Thoughts
Our Times presents an unforgettable journey of discovery by its captivating characters that is filled with beautiful romance and compelling camaraderie, while granting viewers a profound insight into the giddying heights of technological transformation and socio-economic transition in modern China back in the 1990s.
In case you’re wondering about the ending, there will definitely be a second season. The final episode ends on a cliffhanger so stay tuned for the sequel to wrap things up and, hopefully, give our four main characters a fitting closure. All things considered, it has been an incredibly absorbing and insightful viewing experience indeed and I absolutely recommend giving this drama a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Very Good Youth Drama
To start, I'm not a huge fan of youth drama because for me they usually feel a bit draggy. To be honest, this felt draggy too in the beginning BUT that's because they are laying a ton of groundwork. It really picks up the pace half way through and keeps right on trucking from there.This is not to say that the time watching the first half was a waste. There were definitely some great moments and those moments pushed me to keep going.
**Small Spoilers Ahead**
Some things I really enjoyed about this drama:
- The matching outfits are too cute. They are done in a way where the viewer knows there's a connection between the two leads but it's not so obvious (in the beginning) that the other characters see it or point it out. In a later episode, the writers used pieces of Ding Xian's outfit to represent Zhou Si Yue (ML) and Su Bo Cong (2ML). (**SPOILER**The tan shoes she changes into match ML's tan suit. The necklace with the blue diamond matches the 2ML's suit.)
- Ding Xian grows and finds her own voice. From this timid student to her yelling at the tree and talking trash to the trash cans. I was cracking up.
- I feel like the star that will never fade is a metaphor for Ding Xian. She is always working so hard and exhausting herself over and over to achieve her goals but she nevers gives up or burns out.
Some things I didn't like:
- The beginning half is a bit slow for my taste. Not that I wasn't enjoying bits here and there but it felt sluggish to me. I was waiting for them to pick up the pace. Luckily the 2nd half really gets going and all that groundwork in the 1st half is worth it.
- His reason for not accepting her in that first scene at university was kinda lame. He could have just explained what was going on with him but of course this is a drama & people don't know how to communicate right? (lol)
I would have LOVED to see a scene where Zhou Si Yue is calling out Ding Xian's name at their university like she did for him. She was so open and upfront about her feelings and I wanted to see that sort of public display from him even if it wasn't completely inline with his character.
Would Recommend to fans of youth dramas
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is a part of a niche genre which seems to be pretty common in Thailand. The disquised cook/housemaid sometimes it is genderbendered , at times it can be done very well and other times it can be a hard task to finish. Unfortunately this lakorn for me was hard to finish.STORY
Woon is a country girl who lives alone with her father; her mother left home when she was young and now she is about to start university. She and her friend Nawut assist her father to run a small business selling fermented fish to the local community. Athens run a food packaging company and is trying to source fish from Woon's community, he is "allergic" to fermented fish. They meet coincidentally in the local market.
Woon's father dies shortly afterwards and her estranged mother returns. She buys the deeds of the property Woon and her father lived in and uses this as a tool to coerce Woon to live with her in the city with her new husband and stepson. The stepson happens to be Athens. Woon refuses to acknowledge their mother daughter relationship in public and pretends that she is an adopted/sponsored child.
Shortly after moving in, Woon's mother try's to force her to marry Athens but she runs away and lives with Nawut at his aunt's place. Athens also moves out from home and just by chance, he moves next door to Nawuts aunt. Woon needs a job and Athens needs a housemaid, so Woon's disquised herself to spy on Athens and to earn money to rebuy the deed from her mother.
Slowly though Athens starts to fall in love with his dark skin country girl and Woon starts to soften. Troubles and romance follow as Woon juggles her two personas.
Though it is a pretty simple storyline, I enjoyed it til the ex-wife of Athens made an appearance and then it went from being a pretty lighthearted drama to an annoying filler. They could have finished this at episode 16 and focused more on the differences of the couple and the the chase and romance.
ACTING/CAST
This was a pretty easy role for Oil to play, there was a bit of overacting but in country style lakorns you expect that. This was my first time seeing Mook act, she did a good enough job but I just didn't feel the chemistry at all but did see flashes of it in certain scenes.
The support actors were good and I'll be honest, I enjoyed Kat and Nawuts romance more. I wish that they could have fleshed out their story over a longer period because the romance between Nawat and Kat felt rushed.
I liked Pang who played as Kat and hope she has main roles in the future.
MUSIC
Nothing really stood out so that just means it's average. The site I watched this cropped out the opening and closing themes but the little that was played was Luk Thung, keeping the theme of the nang'ek country disquised.
REWATCH
I actually might watch certain scenes before the reappearance of the ex-wife. This wasn't the worse drama just longer and more bloated than it should have been.
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Finally, a xianxia baihe series! Though short :(
I've been waiting for something like this!If you love xianxia and baihe, it's just the show for you.
It's quite short though, you can finish in just half an hour.
The story is pretty well done and well paced and air tight. The acting and chemistry are good. Exceeded expectations for a douyin project, and would make a fantastic drama series on its own. The vfx are also nicely done. And the characterisations are well written, as well as some unexpected plot twists!
Be sure to check out the extras on their Douyin too! :) If you can like, comment, follow, interact, please do - I want a season 2 so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
CHEMISTRY LEVEL x 123456789
This is my first C-Drama after a long hiatus in K-Drama and it exceeded my expectations. I discovered this when I watched its short clips posted on Facebook and eventually giving it a try. I wasn't familiar with any of the characters at all and this is rare since I only watch dramas that has a familiar cast in it. I repeated this drama for how many times already, just can't move on with the perfect Chessman!Really, this drama never failed to give the 'kilig' feels in every episode, there's always something new about the main leads. The story was not in a rush, and this makes the viewers anticipate the next episodes more. Viewers know that they are looking forward with the finals of OPL. The story has a flow - that's the point.
Casting was superb! Each character showed their significance in the story and portrayal was also excellent, especially Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao. Given that FIYS is Xu Kai's first modern C-Drama, he really slayed the character and made me think that he fits more in modern dramas than historical ones! On the other hand, Cheng Xiao is originally an idol (member of WJSN or Cosmic Girls) which was why I didn't expect that she can act so well!
It also has the best OST! The casts sang some of the OSTs, including those in the K-Pop industry WayV and SEVENTEEN! Also, for those who are interested to play the game, I think the info they are stating in the drama are majority accurate. I started playing Onmyoji Arena the heroes I can play are the ones usually mentioned in the drama LOL.
In addition, I also loved how they showcased the moving-on phase of Sunflower. It's just sad that he will just be a lesson and memory to Smiling, and realized that there are things that can't go back to its original place anymore.
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Main leads married life & ML's family are worth watching this series.
First of all, whole story plot is predictable. FL saved ML from depression & ML supported her whenever she needs him. After 15th episode, their married life started in actual sense.Initially, FL was too much irritating being clingy to ML. But i guess her clinginess treated ML's OCD. Initially she portrayed strong character but later her character went down as she always created problems because of her insecurities. ML was one the one who was patient with her throughout the series... Even i couldn't tolerate her sometimes but ML had way too much patience for her.
SFL was too selfish in the whole series that she lost everything one by one because of her own lies even after so much hard work. She got what deserve. SML was too biased. He is also somewhat selfish once its about his mother.
What i don't get why there is a need of breakup of 3 couple( Saemi- Young soo). No logic at all... Uncle-aunt's love story is comic & enjoyable.
Felt pity for FL's mom... She wasted her whole youth for such a despicable & disgusting person.
ML 's family was amazing... That's how a family should be specially in-laws relationship with daughter in law. On contrast other mother in laws were shown cruel to their daughter in law just because they don't them.
Most annoying character is FL's Biological Dad. Initially i loved his optimistic character but later he became most pathetic... He was too selfish to admit his fault & nade many people suffers just because of his cowardness. He didn't deserve anybody's love. Although he got his punishment but i wasn't satisfied with his ending.
Overall, this series is only watchable because of Main leads relationship & FL relation with her inlaws.
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Just Meh
after watching the trailer of this Thai Version, i told myself to watch this no matter what the outcome. well, to be honest i like the original version. Chinese has a cute and light story and you will fall the MC immediately (for me that is), the complicated love is also light, the sounds effect of a cat and dog are so cute whereas the Thai version, well they turn it kinda mature, also the setting so mature-ish, the complicate love between Prapai and Tar, got more complicated even with Tar and Wawa. and the comedy was sometimes off. oh and before i forgot, Time here was so different from Lin Zhi Cun's character.But still i will not dropped this Thai drama, i will watch this til the end.
side note : i like Pupaa and Pai's chemistry. They are so cute to watch. i am still waiting for LinYi's appearance as a guest. ?
Opening Music - 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Acting - 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rewatch - 2.5
Story - 2.5 - 3 ... (i still like the light and fluffy version of Chinese)
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Adventure filled with romance!
"Humans are strange, No matter how terrible the world is, so long as you know there is someone fighting along side you, you would stop being afraid" - Mu Xiao RuThis quote represents the relationship between the leads. As you follow the leads as they complete their tasks throughout the 3 worlds and realities, their relationship grows and goes beyond the single reality. Experiencing different challenges and understanding the stories of each unique character the leads were transported to, built the trust and love to their relationship. They faced through so much but the journey was treasured. This short 12 episode cdrama is filled with adventure and romance. Its underrated and deserves more viewers.
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Pretty short, typical plot, but not a "cdrama"
It's actually a short, independent project filmed likely for Douyin lol. Pretty good/fun for a douyin series, but not good at all for a cdrama lol. Very short, will only take half an hour to watch (not subbed though since it's so short).Story: story starts with MC, a concubine of the Crown Prince, who is tortured by his favourite concubine and then killed by him. She wakes up alive in the past, reincarnated, and decides to ensure that she won't die this time round. She chooses the other prince instead of the Crown Prince.
Production: Acting is kinda ham, not really good for a cdrama. But pretty good for Douyin series lol. Costumes are also soso. Audio is too loud/quiet at times.
If you can understand Chinese and have half an hour to kill, why not check this out at one - two minutes an episode? But as a cdrama, it's not that great. Thankfully it's quite short, so it's pretty entertaining. But, I have to rate this as a cdrama, hence 4.5/10.
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