Qian Jin Nan Tao (2022)

Short, cute, and funny love triangle in a half-baked drama

If not for Chen Fang Tong I could have not finished this drama. It was amateurishly made with so many scenes to polish. There were scenes that were shortly cut and randomly proceeded to the next one that I think needed more detailed actions to finish it well and it fell short because of these abrupt shiftings. The fighting scenes were not executed as convincing as they should be for martial arts and kung fu experts that were engaged in a brawl to showcase their skills. Further, the two male lead actors were both not strong enough alone to protect the female lead and always took turns to play the hero when the other one and the female lead was in danger. Given that the story was not so appealing, I had bits of enjoyment watching this because of the funny, cute naughty interactions between the three leads sparring in a romance. In all fairness, those scenes were simple but were sharp to cheer your heart. I was not in agreement with Chen Fang Tong and Li Jui Lin acting as lovers here because they were more likely to pass as siblings. She was better paired off with the second male lead who looks younger and certainly showed much steady chemistry. Aside from Chen Fang Tong, the acting of the rest was not that outstanding. but still, not entirely a bad choice to watch.

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Editing could've been better. Good beginning, open ending.

This series started well. Chinese dramas are known to be lengthy but this one is just 16 episodes so i had to watch it. Now i feel the short length almost ruined the drama because of poor editing. Scene transitions sometimes felt abrupt and disjointed, leaving you wondering 'what just happened' or 'how did we get here, we were just-' But it's not enough to spoil the flow of the story.
The beginning was very promising and the story was good and funny but it sort of detailed towards the end but it's still a good watch. The ending leaves you with questions and makes you wish for another season to answer those questions.
The romance was sweet. At first i didn't like the triangle especially because the FL was married. I knew who her husband was from the start though they tried to make it a mystery but it was pretty obvious. I don't like dramas where the relationship between the FL and the 2ML is overly developed because i feel it destroys the illusion of the relationship between the main leads and doesn't allow you to buy them as a couple. Here, the FL seemed confused between the two male leads then all of a sudden she was certain who she liked. (A result of the poor editing i was talking about) I did like that even though the ML strongarmed her into marriage, he still pursued her and tried to get her to love him without revealing his status as her husband.
I am very intrigued with the sub plot of the conflict between the North and South kingdoms and i would've like to see more plot development of that, hopefully in the second season.
The actors did well. The Male leads were dreamy and absolutely gorgeous. The FL was adorable with her big eyes and quirky ways. I loved the loyal maid turned sister too and her love story. There were a lot of comedy, some a little over the top, this wasn't meant to be a serious show but also some dramatic elements too. And all roles were executed perfectly except the miracle doctor, he was just plain annoying.
The ost was sweet and melodious. I would watch again but not in a hurry.

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PLOTNYA BAGUS APALAGI DI AKHIR BIKIN TANYA KAPAN SEASON 2NYA TAYANG ?

Plot ceritanya bagus, bisa menjebak keraguan dan punya ending tak terduga yang memancing pertanyaan kapan nih season 2 nya tayang ? Suka banget ama karakter 2 jendral. Terutama jendral Lin Xie 😘 udah jatuh cinta aja ama karakter ini dari awal. Karakter jendral Yin Shi yang walau sangar di medan perang ternyata pemalu di depan istrinya 🤭 dan karakter Ye Rong yang berani, innoncent dan pure bikin gemes kita 😍.

Beberapa hal yang mengganggu dalam drama ini adalah adanya sudut pengambilan shooting yang kurang pas, sampai2 nampak banget tali pengamannya 😭. Pohon sakura palsunya juga masih kelihatan. Tapi itu tertutupi berkat akting pemain dan plot cerita.

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C-drama meets BBC quirky romantic comedy

Although initially I watched only for the chance to see a favorite actor, I grew to enjoy the show’s comfortable style and respite from the drama of real life. Decreed by Fate strikes just the right notes for me as a viewer making it worth my time to watch and rewatch because it feels a bit like The Princess Bride. It is a bit tongue in cheek subtly acknowledging the use of tropes which is refreshing and reminiscent of BBC comedies like Blackadder and Coupling yet with enough heartwarming moments to remind you that it is also a romantic comedy. There is humor mixed with a bit of drama, intrigue, action, and sexual tension. The screenwriting seems pretty good although this is difficult to assess since it’s in a foreign language.

Li Jiulin is a self-effacing, Asian Aidan Turner (from The Hobbit and the BBC series Poldark) complete with attractive physique, handsome features, expressive eyes, and engaging smile, so it’s easy to watch him melt hearts in this show. Despite his good looks, he usually comes off as a level headed guy unless his character requires otherwise. Chen Fang Tong presents a playful, forthright, and capable heroine. The writers have given her some great dialogue that lets her voice what the female audience is thinking about her costars. I also enjoyed watching Wu Chong Xuan and Jia Yi in their roles. Hopefully there will be a second season of this series where we can see more of these actors, their characters, and their story.

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Cliché, pochi mezzi e un ML ingessato

Una principessa di scarsa importanza viene data in sposa a un generale che non conosce e fugge il giorno delle nozze con l’intento di riuscire ad ottenere il divorzio. In una lontana città assume un’altra identità e conosce due uomini, anche loro sotto mentite spoglie, che finiranno per farle entrambi la corte. Si innestano nella vicenda conflitti fra regni nemici, una tratta di schiave, veleni, strane pratiche mediche, sacrifici, spie… tutto il pacchetto, insomma, compresa l’immancabile caduta dal dirupo e la perdita di memoria!

Il big boss è… boh, chi diavolo sia, cosa ci faccia lì e, soprattutto, perché alla fine sia stato sconfitto così facilmente – ferite dei duellanti a parte – me lo sto domandando ancora adesso. Spessore, zero. Non è neppure odioso, ma solo uno dei tanti personaggi secondari di scarso interesse che hanno popolato gli episodi. Fra tali personaggi secondari, spicca l’eccentrico dottore, davvero troppo, troppo sopra le righe, e in più con quella parrucca grigia su un viso troppo giovane. Boh. Se doveva far ridere non c’è riuscito.

Costumi e ambientazioni, pur in un contesto a budget probabilmente non troppo succulento, fanno doverosamente il loro lavoro, a patto di dimenticare che non vengono cambiati quasi mai. Il commento musicale spicca per la sua anonimità. I combattimenti sono abbastanza ridicoli, i voletti su e giù per i tetti potevano essere realizzati meglio (forse torniamo a questioni di budget?) ma, insomma, sopportabili.

Il trio degli attori principali mi vede divisa. Il protagonista, Li Jiu Lin, non mi è piaciuto per niente: poche espressioni e, molto spesso, uno sguardo fisso in un viso melenso mi hanno impedito di affezionarmi a lui. Perlomeno, sa baciare. Molto meglio il secondo violino, il giovanissimo Wu Cheng Xu, decisamente più vivace e soprattutto più comunicativo. Chi invece mi è piaciuta veramente tanto è la protagonista, Chen Fang Tong, che ha già una discreta carriera alle spalle. E’ stata espressiva il giusto, nel modo giusto, al momento giusto. Plausi.

Le interazioni fra i membri di questo triangolo amoroso sono state molto naturali e ben rappresentate, così come il rapporto di amichevole inimicizia fra i due maschi. Niente da dire, qui: questi tre insieme hanno funzionato davvero bene. Giova sottolineare come ci siano state diverse scene piuttosto osé, per i canoni di un drama cinese, tra cui addirittura una breve scena in cui sono in tre a letto. E poi, beh, diversi “momenti senza camicia” davvero apprezzabili.

Che dire, che dire… la storia in sé è terribilmente cliché e piena di buchi, procede in modo a tratti stentato e alla fine risulta anche un po’ noiosa. I colpi di scena sono talmente prevedibili che chiamarli colpi è ridicolo, al massimo sono spintarelle. L’unico forse vagamente imprevisto è quello degli ultimi secondi, che sembrerebbe far presagire una seconda serie. Non so se mai la faranno ma, nel caso, dubito che la guarderò.

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Cute if you’re a fan of love triangles

I feel like the ML is pretty easy to spot from the get-go but there’s a good balance of chemistry with both MLs (also not someone in the comments saying the guys should have gotten together - LOL!). I tried this one out because I’m a huge fan of romcom historical dramas, and the FL looked pretty strong, but I don’t think I could get past the love triangle.

To be honest I watched the first two episodes and last episode, and felt like I didn’t miss much. It’s very much a light-hearted watch with a quirky heroine and guys who are attracted to how ~different~ she is heehee. And ofc the ML be doting on her and whippeddd.

Other notes:
- Weird editing cuts that made me go huh??
- The MLs are gorgeous so you get some delicious eye candy (I feel like the FL is more on the cuter side)
- The opening gave so much of the story away I was like “yup,,, that’s it for me”
- I like how the FL can (kinda) fight but she be pulling one of those “I’m so independent imma (unintentionally) cause more drama” plot points
- I’m not watching hours of a drama to watch a girl choose between two guys,,, it’s 2022 y’all. Maybe she should have ended with both of them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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